Saturday, November 14, 2026
Enjoying the festivities are some of the Marco Island Area Chamber of Commerce board members from left: Alex Parker III, Rick Siegel, 2023 president Colleen Long and Dan Collardey.
The 2022 Leadership Marco Graduation Class were celebrated at the chamber’s installation dinner.
Jacquie and Curt Koon proudly display their President’s Business Recognition Award.
Leadership Marco graduate Christy Gallup is flanked by Dianna Dohm, left, and Donna Niemczyk.
Allyson Richards receives the Citizen of the Year Award from Dianna Dohm.
The Marco Island Area Chamber of Commerce’s annual celebration of the new year was, as always, an enthusiastic affair marked by the introduction of the organization’s 2023 leadership, awards for extraordinary community service and more.
Held recently at Bistro Soleil, the sold-out event included the presentation of the chamber’s President’s Business Recognition Award to Jacquie Koon. She and her husband Curt were long-time owners of the CJ’s On the Bay Restaurant, in the Esplanade Shoppes, which they sold recently after deciding to retire. Over the years, the Koons, through their business, were regular supporters of a multitude of charitable causes on the island, including hosting fundraisers and community events at their restaurant.
The new chamber executives and the new board of directors were installed by Melissa Blazier, Collier County’s deputy supervisor of election, immediately before dinner was served. The new executives include:
The new board includes Mauricio Ariza, Susan Ackerson, Nancy Carrington, Dan Collardey, James Garcia, Kaitlen Magdalener, Mary Quinton, Grant Phelan, Valerie Simon, Sandi Sims-Ramage, Jacqueline Strategos and Richard Sumer.
After the meal, the 2022 graduates of Leadership Marco were presented by Dianna Dohm, the chamber’s executive director, and Donna Niemczyk, the organization’s administrative coordinator. They are Pastor Tom Boeck, Christy Gallup, Doreen Herriman, Michael Johnson, Jim Kornas, Nicole Kropik, Colleen Long, Heather Otis, Dave Richards, Joe Richards, Arne Sandberg and Mary Shoenberger.
Dohm also announced that Dave Richards and Jim Kornas had been chosen to chair the 2023 Leadership Marco class.
Next came the presentation of the chamber’s 2022 Marco Island Citizen of the Year Award and Marco Island Volunteer of the Year award. The respective recipients were Allyson Richards and Ron Rutledge.
Richards is well known for playing prominent roles in these civic organizations and causes:
She’s the recipient of the Noontime Rotary Club of Marco Island 2014 Spirit Award, the Marco Island Civic Associations’ 2019 Humanitarian of the Year award and was named a 2016 Woman of Initiative by the Women’s Foundation of Collier County.
In her remarks, Dohm credited Richards with having, “touched the entire island with her generous spirit of giving and her unwavering commitment to bettering our community. Her acts of good rise to the level of a calling. If you have ever worked with this person, you know that she has unfailing energy and an extraordinary commitment to all her endeavors.”
Volunteer of the Year Award winner Rutledge was recognized for his years of dedicated volunteering with the Island Country Club Charitable Foundation Board of Directors and the Marco Island Historical Society, where his wife Pat is CEO.
A sampling of the other community oriented efforts and events he’s lent his time and talents to for more than a decade include:
Dohm said that when describing Rutledge’s contributions, Gary Landis, the ICCCF’s chairman emeritus and a member of the Marco Island Fire Rescue Foundation Board and the Shoot Down Kids Cancer Board, said “‘I have had the privilege of serving on several boards and committees with Ron Rutledge. The first thing to know about Ron is that he serves the community to make a difference. He is smart, articulate and does his homework so he is always knowledgeable and prepared. Another thing that makes him so valuable as a volunteer is that he is multi-talented. He is a whiz with electronics, computers, web sites and audio and visual equipment.’”
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