9 Lemontree Court

Levin & Rinke Resort Realty sweeps Gulf Breeze Chamber annual awards

Business of the Year Resort Realty, Mark Lee, Broker

Resort Realty was named 2008 Business of the Year at the Gulf Breeze Area Chamber of Commerce's 2009 Awards Gala Saturday.

Brian Tucker was committee chair of the event and was assisted by co-chairs Alecia Overman and Natasha Parvey. Over 200 chamber members and honored guests attended the function. Tucker was also named Emerging Leader of the Year.

"I could not be more proud of the Resort Realty team," said Broker Mark Lee. " These awards are a validation of their efforts and is a wonderful reflection of the excellence they bring to everything they do."

Other winners include: Karen Jurkowich, Resort Realty, "Volunteer of the Year;" Doug Jolly, "The Nancy Keyes Spirit Award;" Walt Daniels, owner, Cybertech Computer Services, "Small Business of the Year;" and Sheri and David Beckham, owners, The Original Basket Boutique, "Emerging Business of the Year."

Resort Realty was recognized as business of the year for its commitment to serving the community as well as their clients. Through example, the owners, broker Mark Lee and the agents of Resort Realty were all honored for giving back to the community with hundreds of volunteer hours in a variety of settings.

Emerging Leader of the Year Brian Tucker, Resort Realty

"Resort Realty modeled responsibility as citizens to contribute to community improvement and enthusiastically stepping up in cooperative efforts to make a difference," praised chamber President Meg Peltier.

Based on business citizenship, business performance, and community and Chamber involvement, the Small Business Award was presented to Cybertech Computer Services. A locally owned business, Cybertech is owned by Walt Daniels, and has been serving the Gulf Breeze, Navarre and Pensacola Beach area since 1995.

Emerging Leader of the Year Brian Tucker was honored for demonstrating leadership traits in his business and volunteer efforts, and realizing a wealth of proven results. Tucker is a realtor with Resort Realty, and teamed up with Karen Jurkowich to form the Location and Lifestyle team, a team who's priorities are simple, according to Tucker - they're yours. In addition to being dedicated, determined, and dependable in his career, his commitment to service resulted in his co-chairing of many community fundraisers and events. He is a member of this year's class of Leadership Pensacola and many other local civic groups.

Volunteer of the Year Karen Jurkowich, Resort Realty

The Original Basket Boutique won Emerging Business of the Year. To win the award, the business need not be a brand-new business, but a business realizing new growth. The Original Basket Boutique enjoys a growing base of customers after only two years in business, exemplifies great customer service, and has no unresolved Better Business Bureau complaints. Owners Sheri and David Beckham have lived in the Gulf Breeze Community for 12 years.

Chambers work largely as the result of the efforts of volunteers. Karen Jurkowich was honored as Volunteer of the Year for tireless efforts on behalf of the chamber. Jurkowich has been an active member of the Chamber for many years and served on the Board of Directors in 2008. She supported many existing programs and developed and chaired such new events as "The Taste of Expo." She is a founding Board member of the Gulf Breeze Community Charitable Trust. Her community work includes Chairman, Board for the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, and she serves as Choir Director at Our Lady of Assumption on Pensacola Beach.

Nancy Keyes Spirit Award Doug Jolly, Red Iron Design House

Doug Jolly was named recipient of the Nancy Keyes Spirit Award for demonstrating exceptional, continued commitment to the betterment of the community.

"Doug is an extraordinary person, and an outstanding leader who truly exemplifies the spirit of Nancy Keyes," praised Peltier. "He and his wife Karen took care of over 13 foster children until they adopted their beautiful daughter, Kalli and had a son of their own, Kole. Doug has been a very active member of the Gulf Breeze Area Chamber for 11 years: he was the 2007 Volunteer of the Year award winner, past Chairman of the Board of Directors, current Chairman of the Gulf Breeze Community Charitable Trust Board, has volunteered his time on many committees and at numerous events."

Jolly is also active in Pensacola with Families First, Marcus Pointe Baptist Church and is a player and club President of the Deep South Rugby Union- "Pensacola Aviators" Rugby team.

Emerging Business The Original Basket Boutique, Sheri and David Beckham

Winners of each award were chosen from a pool of 12 nominees from the monthly 2008 Business of the Month awards: The Andrews Institute, App- River, LLC, Bamboo Willie's /Homestar Restaurant Group, Breeze Promotions, Choice Video Services, Inc., CyberTech Computer Services, Fair Play Sports, GridSouth Networks, LLC, Gulf Breeze Animal Hospital, Levin & Rinke Resort Realty, Mail's A Breeze and Richard H. Cantin CPA.

New 2009 officers and members of the Gulf Breeze Area Chamber Board of Directors were officially inducted with an oath of office administered by Lane Gilchrist, Mayor, City of Gulf Breeze.

Chairman: Robert Gleim, Bamboo Willie's; Chairman-elect: Don Ruth, Covenant Hospice; Past-Chairman: Donna Cooper, Peoples First Community Bank; Treasurer: Rick Cantin, Richard H. Cantin, CPA and Secretary: Limarie Rodriguez, DVM, Gulf Breeze Animal Hospital will serve.

Additional Board members include: Cathy Benoit, Fair Play Sports; Rebecca Boles, Pensacola News Journal; Barbara Bonowicz, Mediacom; Walt Daniels, CyberTech Computer Services; Nathan Ford, UWF-Career Services; Dr. Robert J. Harriman, Gulf Breeze Hospital/Andrews Institute; Brooke Hicks, The Blake at Gulf Breeze; Doug Jolly, Red Iron Design House; Robert Moulton, Moulton Properties; Jim Nitterauer, GridSouth Networks, LLC; Natasha Parvey, Arbonne International; Rishy Studer, Studer Group L.L.C. & Pensacola Pelicans Professional Baseball ; Kara Szostek, Grendelfly Studio, LLC; Dave Szymanski, City of Gulf Breeze and Brian Tucker, Levin & Rinke Resort Realty. The Gulf Breeze Area Chamber was established in March, 1988 and serves over 450 businesses in the greater Gulf Breeze Area.

Small Business of the Year CyberTech Computer Services, Walt Daniels