On Friday, January 20th, 2023, The South Lake Chamber of Commerce kicked off the first Chamber breakfast of the year at the Clermont City Center. The President & CEO of the Chamber, David Colby, began breakfast by recognizing 35 Chamber Trustees, 25 Board of Directors, Ambassadors, and Dignitaries.
Click here for January’s Chamber Breakfast Program.
This breakfast was emceed by the 2023 Board Chair, Thom Kieft of Lake-Sumter State College who also presented the Ray Goodgame Outstanding Student Leader Scholarship to Lake Minneola Student, Maia McClone. This scholarship honors exceptional students in the South Lake area who serve as champions for our community.
Maia McClone has illustrated high-level leadership in school through academics and volunteerism. This student has served as the SGA President, Class President, and communications officer while leading the way for the Sexual Assault Awareness Program, Access Field Day, and the Lake County SGA Conference. This outstanding student leader participated in clubs such as the National Honors Society, Varsity Club, Hope Ambassador, and Spanish Club. Maia volunteers at Shooting Stars School of Performing Arts as a teacher assistant and at Applied Behavior Education Life Skills Academy where she teaches students with autism and prepares activities. In 2021, this outstanding student was awarded as an AP Scholar, and in 2022 received AP Scholar with Honors. After registering and completing several AP and honors classes, Maia has maintained a GPA of 5.0! The Chamber is honored to award Maia McClone with the $1,000 Ray Goodgame Outstanding Student Leader Scholarship.
Dr. Heather Bigard, the seventh president of Lake-Sumter State College and the first female to hold the role, keynoted the Chamber breakfast as they celebrate their 60th year anniversary. Dr. Bigard highlighted the programs offered by Lake-Sumter State College and the growth that has been achieved through her leadership. Those programs include:
- Allied Health
- Commercial Driver Training (CDL)
- Bachelor of Science –Athletic Leadership & Wellness
- Health Science Collegiate Academy to North Lake
- Criminal Justice Academy at Mount Dora High School
- Exploring Construction Management, Teacher Education, Cybersecurity, virtual/augmented reality, gaming and animation, solar energy
Lake-Sumter State College continues to expand as they leverage local relationships leading to the expansion of its facilities and programs. Through the generosity of supporters, the Foundation awarded over $1,000,000 in scholarships in 2022 to students attending Lake Sumter State College. Click here to view Dr. Bigard’s presentation.
This breakfast would not be possible without our sponsors. The Chamber is appreciative of the support to host our monthly breakfast. Our sponsors include:
Main Event Sponsor – Merideth Nagel, P.A. & The Legacy Legal Team
Co-Sponsors – Well of Hope
Coffee Pot & Coffee Cup Sponsor – Computer Business Consultants
Linen Sponsor – Holiday Inn Express
Water Sponsor – Addition Financial
Caterer – Premiere Event Services
Broadcast Partner – Southlake.tv
The January Chamber breakfast was broadcasted live by southlake.tv. To view this event, click here.