We are proud to announce the winners of the Emerging Leader Awards!

These three up-an-coming community leaders have been named to receive the first-ever Emerging Leader Awards, sponsored by community advocates Bill and Barbara Little. An award presentation at the Collaboration Celebration luncheon on February 28, 2023 kicks off the program, where each recipient will receive a $1,000 grant to develop their leadership goals.

Kelly Duyn, Assistant Director of Education & Community Engagement, Venice Theatre

Dana LeBlanc, Assistant Director, Faces of Accomplishment

Tiona Settles, Community Health Worker, CenterPlace Health

The 2023 Collaboration Celebration luncheon brings together nonprofits, businesses, and donors to celebrate the important work of collaboration on the Campus of Caring and beyond.

The event will introduce the first annual Emerging Leader Awards, sponsored by Bill and Barbara Little, to develop the leaders who will shape Sarasota's human services community in the years to come.

Bill and Barbara Little have spent decades working in health and human services and in nursing education, respectively. They have watched ideas blossom into vibrant programs and networks that make our region unique. Together, they wish to ensure that the legacy of steady and innovative leadership continues, as our community enters a new period of change.

The Emerging Leader Program aims to develop the future leaders who will shape Sarasota's human services community in the coming years. The award recognizes and empowers emerging leaders in physical & behavioral health, human services, and arts & culture.

Each recipient will receive a grant of $1,000 to be used to either improve their leadership skills, improve their organization, or benefit the community.