Leadership Marco Returns for 2021

After taking a year off due to COVID, Leadership Marco is back. This year’s group started things off on Wednesday, July 21 with a kickoff/team building and cocktail party.

Leadership Marco is a Marco Island Chamber of Commerce program that teaches participants about Marco Island through a series of mandatory full-day sessions that includes the history of the island, media, law enforcement, hospitality and economics, education, government (includes transportation and infrastructure) and agriculture and the environment.

Wednesday’s session included a scavenger hunt and photo shoot followed by a nature and history lunch cruise on the Marco Island Princess. The participants then convened at Allyson and Jim Richards home for the kickoff cocktail party, featuring delicious food hosted by Prestige Catering.

The kickoff cocktail party was held at the home of Allyson and Jim Richards. Small gifts were given to the winners of the scavenger hunt. Then Leadership Marco leaders and alumni told this year’s class what they can expect in coming weeks.

The Coastal Breeze News will provide profiles of this year’s participant as the program unfolds over the next several weeks.

Steve Lampar is the development director at the YMCA of Marco and the Greater Naples YMCA. Lampar writes grants and handles events for the Y. He is excited to be part of the Leadership Marco Class of 2021.

“I’ve met countless people who have raved about this,” Lampar said, "about the experience, and about the people they’ve met. The big part was the relationships they built doing this. I really want to be involved in the island and what goes on the island. When this opportunity came up, I went to (YMCA CEO) Cindy Love and said, ‘Is there any opportunity I can do this?’ I’ve never heard her say yes quicker. I am really excited about this, and she is very excited about this."  

Julie Wilsonis a retired Air Force officer, who most recently resided in San Antonio. She was involved in acquisition of weapon systems and intelligence during her Air Force career. “I moved to Marco Island in October of last year," Wilson said. "I’ve been living in Texas for about 20 years before that. After retiring from the military, I worked with a defense contractor for about 10 years. But my husband’s a Florida boy, so we decided to move to Marco Island.”

Wilson is looking forward to learning more about her new home.

"I’m really looking forward to learning about the history of the island,” Wilson said, "and how the city works and what the components of the economy are on Marco Island - kind of do a quick deep dive into Marco Island."

Elizabeth Kester is a team lead, server, and host at CJ’s on the Bay. “I kind of do it all,” Kester said. “It’s a great, great, great restaurant to work for. I’m glad I ended up in their hands.”

Kester feels Leadership Marco will help her understand the island better. She figures to use that knowledge to help customers at CJ’s.

“I hope to learn more about Marco,” Kester said. "So, when a guest asks me what to do, or asks me questions, I should be able to explain things more in detail. Even today I learned a couple of things I didn’t know before."

This week Leadership Marco will visit the Marco Island Historical Museum where they will learn about the history of the island from Craig Woodward, a longtime attorney on the island who moved here as a youth. Woodward’s features on Marco Island history frequently appear in the Coastal Breeze News.