Greater Sarasota Chamber Celebrates Centennial Anniversary

SARASOTA, FL — As Sarasota County gears up for its centennial celebration in 2021, the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce hosts its 100th annual membership meeting Friday afternoon. It’s no coincidence that the two major milestones overlap, said Heather Kasten, chamber president. The chamber pre-dated the county and played a role in its 1921 formation.

“Those two things really go hand in hand,” she said. “The chamber was very instrumental in going up to Tallahassee to lobby about Sarasota becoming its own county and breaking away from Manatee County.”

The chamber formed in 1920 as a network for businesses in the area, Kasten said. Today, the organization continues to focus on supporting local business and strengthening the county’s economic vitality. It also boasts more than 1,200 business members.

Friday’s membership meeting – held virtually from noon to 1 p.m. – will stream live on the chamber’s Facebook page. and YouTube channel.

The event will reflect on the chamber’s history while looking toward the future. Outgoing board members will be recognized for their work and the new board will be sworn in, as well.

The organization’s recent “complete rebrand” also will be revealed, Kasten said. “We have a whole need look and feel for the chamber. Fresh and modern and current to help convey the vision of where we’re going as an organization.”

Chamber staff is mindful of its membership’s needs, especially as businesses continue to struggle through the COVID-19 pandemic, she said. They’ve seen “really strong retention through COVID,” she added. “And we look forward to continuing to grow and build on that as we come out of these rough times.”

They have kept the membership engaged through several initiatives. These include a group for young professionals under 40, its Leadership Sarasota program, and Career Edge, a workforce initiative.

Moving forward, the chamber will focus on issues that affect small businesses at the city, county and state levels, Kasten said. Their advocacy will work towards “mak(ing) sure we are not putting policy into place that adversely affects the business community.”

She added, “Zooming out, we’ll be looking at some bigger community issues, such as third-grade reading levels – that is our future workforce – and those type of broader-scale issues.”

Learn more about the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce here.