Honorees to be recognized during Indicators and Insights Summit on Nov. 19
Visit Sarasota County (VSC), the county’s tourism marketing organization, “is encouraging all local hospitality and tourism businesses to celebrate their star employees, volunteers, and leaders through its annual Haley Hall of Fame Awards,” VSC has announced.
Nominations are open through Aug. 28, a news release says.
“The awards program is named after Virginia J. Haley, who dedicated 24 years of public service as the president of VSC,” the release explains. “During her tenure, Haley guided the destination through a period of unprecedented growth and national recognition in which Sarasota County evolved into one of the fastest-growing tourism markets in the United States,” while tourism revenue, the numbers of visitors “and destination awareness reached record levels,” the release points out.
“Our Haley Hall of Fame Awards celebrate the real talent and heart behind our tourism economy and the communities they create, just as Virginia did during her many years of service to our industry,” said Erin Duggan, president & CEO of Visit Sarasota County, in the release. “Every nominee embodies the excellence and care that set Sarasota County apart, qualities our visitors remember and return for again and again,” Duggan continued in the release. “If you’ve had any hand in helping steward our destination, we want to recognize you.”
The Haley Hall of Fame Award categories are as follows:
- Management Excellence — recognizes “a manager or supervisor who demonstrates a significant positive impact on staff “while also mentoring the individual’s team “to inspire unforgettable experiences to visitors in Sarasota County.”
- Front Line Excellence — recognizes “a front-line, non-management employee who continually demonstrates outstanding customer service to visitors in Sarasota County.”
- Heart of the House Excellence — recognizes “a back-of-the-house (‘behind the scenes’), non-management employee who is committed to providing high-quality service within the organization so that visitors have seamless experiences in Sarasota County.”
- Volunteer Excellence — recognizes “an individual who continually enriches the visitor experience in Sarasota County” through volunteer service.
- Rising Star — recognizes “an emerging leader in Sarasota County who exhibits ongoing contributions and exceptional growth within the tourism and hospitality industry.”
- Legacy Star — recognizes “a longtime leader in Sarasota County who actively contributes to our local tourism and hospitality industry through their leadership and mentorship.”
- Business Excellence — recognizes “an organization in Sarasota County that acts as a champion for strengthening hospitality and furthering connections in our industry and community.”
- Regional Collaborator — recognizes an organization outside “Sarasota County that is advancing the tourism and hospitality industry through regional collaboration.”
The recipients of the 2025 Haley Hall of Fame Awards were as follows: Management Excellence — Juan Carlos Serra Valenzuala, The Resort at Longboat Key Club; Heart of the House Excellence — Myllanna McKinnon, Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe; Front Line Excellence — Susie Chinn, The Bazaar on Apricot & Lime; Volunteer Excellence — Phil Trego, Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce; Rising Star — Edith May Perez, The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota; Legacy Star — Mary Bensel, executive director of the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall; and, Business Excellence — Watershed Hospitality Concepts
“Local businesses may submit nominations through Aug. 28 at bit.ly/haleyawards, the release notes. All nominees will be notified in early fall, and the awards celebration will take place at the tourism bureau’s Indicators and Insights Summit, which will be held at the Art Ovation Hotel in downtown Sarasota on Nov. 19.
The release notes that early-bird tickets and sponsorships are also on sale at bit.ly/VSCSummit.