Press Release June 2021

Tampa Bay Business Hall of Fame Draws Crowd of 550 Local Business Leaders

St. Petersburg, FL - June 9, 2021

TAMPA, FL – The Tampa Bay Business Hall of Fame (TBHOF) inducted the classes of 2020 & 2021 into its prestigious group of the area’s top business and civic leaders on Thursday May 27, 2021. Tampa’s Mayor Jane Castor, kicked off the dinner and induction ceremony at the Tampa Convention Center with a speech welcoming a group of approximately 550 attendees. This event is designed to honor the men and women who have made outstanding contributions to free enterprise, have demonstrated business excellence, and are inspiring leadership and social responsibility.

The group joined event Co-Chairs, Greg Celestan, of Celestar Corporation, and Oscar Horton, of Sun State International Trucks in celebrating the accomplishments of the newest members of TBHOF. The 2020 inductees included Jack Harrell of Harrell’s, Inc., Dwayne Hawkins (in memoriam) of Crown Automotive Group, Pam Iorio of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and Tom Wallace of Florida Funders. The 2021 recipients were Colleen Chappell of ChappellRoberts, Sonji Coney of Coney Funeral Homes and Ron Wanek of Ashley HomeStore.

The Florida Council on Economic Education (FCEE), the non-profit who has been organizing and running this event for nearly 35 years, raised over $220,000. “We are so grateful for the support of our many longtime donors and sponsors. This event is the cornerstone to fulfilling our mission to serve teachers and students throughout the state of Florida”, said Suzanne Costanza, Executive Director of the FCEE. Funding goes directly towards economic and financial literacy education for K-12 students. The FCEE’s free programs foster critical thinking, entrepreneurship, and personal finance skills in youth, building a bridge between what students learn in the classroom and how it applies to their everyday life.

Funding for the Tampa Bay Business Hall of Fame was made possible by the support of Presenting Sponsors – Ashley HomeStore, Coca-Cola Beverages Florida, Florida Funders, Harrell’s, KPMG, Raymond James, and the Tampa Bay Times – as well Platinum, Gold and Corporate Sponsors – listed on the website.

To learn more about the Tampa Bay Business Hall of Fame visit www.fcee.org. For information on supporting the mission of the FCEE contact Suzanne Costanza at scostanza@fcee.org or call 813-289-8489.