News

President’s Corner October 2017

Our October meeting at Aqua Prime last week was an excellentculinary experience. Chef Jason and staff did a great job and I hope everyone had an opportunity to scan their newmenu rollout….many reasons to return!

Congratulations again to newly pinned members Doug Horn(Tampa Convention Center) and Stephanie Thompson (booking.com)…welcome to ourClub!

As I mentioned last week, it was announced that the SKALWorld Congress will take place on the new Royal Caribbean international OasisClass ship, Symphony of the Seas, whichwill sail from September 14-21, 2019. SKAL Miami is the host club and we willbe pushing out more information as they wrap up the registration details. Trulya unique platform which could become the largest cruise based congress ever. Veryexciting for all US based clubs and a needed economic boost for South Floridaand the Caribbean.

The next 2 months are very busy for our chapter. Coming upMon. 11/13 is our Salute to Tourism at the Tampa Convention Center where wewill recognize (6) local hospitality professionals for their dedication to thearea’s tourism efforts. Please RSVP promptly and guests are encouraged. Next upwill be our December meeting at TPepin’s Hospitality Centre on Mon. 12/18 wherewe do our annual auction and wine pull. This evening is one of our favorites(with guests and spouses also) as you would have to work real hard to go homeempty handed!

Time is winding down to collect donated wine for ourDecember event. Please reach out to me if a pickup is needed or you can bringto November’s meeting and we will handle after the evening concludes. We preferto have it on hand prior to our December event.

Looking forward to seeing everyone at the Tampa ConventionCenter on 11/13!

Best Skal regards!

George Bentley

Collecting items for our Monthly Raffle

The extra raffle items graciously donated by many of you have been great incentives for our members to participate. We have had some fantastic "extra opportunity drawing" items. THANK YOU!!

We are collecting more items for upcoming meetings AND for Young SKAL fundraisers. We will be mindful of any time sensitive or restricted items but please try to put an expiration date of at least December 31, 2018 on any certificate.

This entire year we are adding additional prizes to our monthly drawings to garner more excitement and showcase our members. If you would like to donate items for the upcoming dinners or annual holiday auction, please email me and let me know what you will be donating and then mail the certificate, gift card, etc. to the following address:

SKAL Tampa Bay c/o Steven Rodriguez

14280 Passage Way, Seminole FL 33776

This is a great way of advertising your business while increasing odds of winning at our events and supporting our club. Thanks so much to all that have and continue to furnish items

President’s Corner August 2017

Much thanks to Ed Shaughnessy (General Manager Belleair CCand Board Member/Secretary of TB SKAL) and his golf and banquet staff for another excellent golf outing and lunch on Mon. 7/24/17. Congrats to our golf winners:

 Low SKAL Member – Bob Marcus!

 Low Guest – Mark Stroud!

The club sent out an email on 7/25 requesting gift certificates for use during our monthly meetings/raffles and as most summers seem to go, the response has been very light. If you have an item rather than a certificate, please feel free to let me know (gbentley@twresort.com) and myself or the nearest board member will arrange pickup. Early reminder….never too early to put away some wine donations for our December wine pull. Same offer applies if a pickup is needed or you can bring to any meeting during the next 3 months. Certificates can be mailed to:

Mail all certificates or gifts to Steven at:

SKAL Tampa Bay

c/o 14280 Passage Way

Seminole, FL 33776

Thanks for your understanding and your generosity!

Looking forward to seeing everyone at Busch Gardens and Howl O’ Scream on Fri. 9/22!

Best Skal regards!

George Bentley

Collecting items for our Monthly Raffle

The extra raffle items graciously donated by many of you have been great incentives for our members to participate. We have had some fantastic "extra opportunity drawing" items. THANK YOU!!

We are collecting more items for upcoming meetings AND for Young SKAL fundraisers. We will be mindful of any time sensitive or restricted items but please try to put an expiration date of at least December 31, 2018 on any certificate.

This entire year we are adding additional prizes to our monthly drawings to garner more excitement and showcase our members. If you would like to donate items for the upcoming dinners or annual holiday auction, please email me and let me know what you will be donating and then mail the certificate, gift card, etc. to the following address:

SKAL Tampa Bay c/o Steven Rodriguez

14280 Passage Way, Seminole FL 33776

This is a great way of advertising your business while increasing odds of winning at our events and supporting our club. Thanks so much to all that have and continue to furnish items

President’s Corner June 2017

Much thanks to Julie Cortina and the staff of The Bay Club at Westshore Yacht Club for an excellent evening for our June meeting last week that included lamb chops upon arrival, Moscow Mules and a great selection of wines hosted by San Rafael Import Company and Wine Stream.

Congrats to our raffle winners:

50/50 - $135.00 went to Dina Lomagno and Steven Rodriguez

Vesta Gift Package – Spa or Dinner – Doug Horn

Vesta Gift Package – Spa or Dinner – Jim Wray

Dolphin Landings Sail or Dolphin Watch for Two – Theresa Wood – Lecain

I would like to take a moment to thank John Heather for his partnership with our club. Together with Dan Peretz, that partnership helped our Young SKAL membership goals become a reality. John was the Visiting Instructor of International Tourism & Hospitality Management at St. Leo University. As the title suggests, John was “visiting” and has returned to the Washington DC area. John will be missed by our club and I am sure many current St. Leo students but will remain active with the DC area SKAL Club. We wish John all the best and look forward to hopefully running into him at future SKAL USA events.

As a reminder, get your foursomes together and register for the July 24^th Don Smith Annual Golf Tournament at Belleair Golf and Country Club. The golf starts at 9am and the luncheon starts at 1pm for golfers and non-golfers who are welcome to enjoy the amenities of this prestigious club. I look forward to defending my 2016 Club Member crown….that in itself shows you how fun and fair the Calloway scoring can be!

Best SKAL regards!

George Bentley

Collecting items for our Monthly Raffle

The extra raffle items graciously donated by many of you have been great incentives for our members to participate. We have had some fantastic "extra opportunity drawing" items. THANK YOU!!

We are collecting more items for upcoming meetings AND for Young SKAL fundraisers. We will be mindful of any time sensitive or restricted items but please try to put an expiration date of at least December 31, 2017 on any certificate.

This entire year we are adding additional prizes to our monthly drawings to garner more excitement and showcase our members. If you would like to donate items for the upcoming dinners or annual holiday auction, please email me and let me know what you will be donating and then mail the certificate, gift card, etc. to the following address:

SKAL Tampa Bay c/o Steven Rodriguez

14280 Passage Way, Seminole FL 33776

This is a great way of advertising your business while increasing odds of winning at our events and supporting our club. Thanks so much to all that have and continue to furnish items

President’s Corner May 2017

May’s meeting at Bon Appetit in Dunedin was “mission accomplished”, as $2,215 was raised towards the registration cost of our (3) Young SKAL members who are now ready for their trip to Toronto for NASC. Thank you to everyone who assisted on this evening as well as those not present who have assisted with the effort for many months.

Our next meeting will be hosted at the The Bay Club at Westshore Yacht Club on Mon. 6/12/2017, registration is open for that event and The Annual Don Smith Golf Tournament at Belleair CC on Mon. 7/24/2017. Again, a reminder to extend invitations to guests who you believe would be interested and qualify for SKAL membership as well as family and friends who would enjoy the many varied venues that VP Colette Florido has put together for 2017. If you have any clarifying questions on who would qualify for complimentary guests (potential members), please reach out to Membership Director Roberta Blum.

That is it for May…..trying to keep it light! Enjoy the upcoming holiday and the early onset of summer!

Best Skal regards!

George Bentley

Collecting items for our Monthly Raffle

The extra raffle items graciously donated by many of you have been great incentives for our members to participate. We have had some fantastic "extra opportunity drawing" items. THANK YOU!!

We are collecting more items for upcoming meetings AND for Young SKAL fundraisers. We will be mindful of any time sensitive or restricted items but please try to put an expiration date of at least December 31, 2017 on any certificate.

This entire year we are adding additional prizes to our monthly drawings to garner more excitement and showcase our members. If you would like to donate items for the upcoming dinners or annual holiday auction, please email me and let me know what you will be donating and then mail the certificate, gift card, etc. to the following address:

SKAL Tampa Bay c/o Steven Rodriguez

14280 Passage Way, Seminole FL 33776

This is a great way of advertising your business while increasing odds of winning at our events and supporting our club. Thanks so much to all that have and continue to furnish items

President’s Corner April 2017

April’s meeting at Florida Aquarium was fantastic! Much thanks to Lorrie Hero, her staff and the Aramark staff for a great evening. It was great to have Gregg Nicklaus back with us and true to his word, he generated excitement with securing the winning bid for The Epicurean package and kicking off the efforts of the next 30 days to assist our Young Skal members on the expenses of attending the NASC in Toronto.

During our May meeting at Bon Appetit in Dunedin, we will be raising funds for our Young SKAL initiative to go to NASC this year with a “rising star” auction like we did last year at the May 2016 meeting at Sirata Beach Resort. As I mentioned Monday night, please send whatever items you can (with values noted) to my attention at TradeWinds or contact a board member that may be close to your establishment for pickup. Our goal is to have 100 items available for the event.

We have re-scheduled the First Annual Young SKAL Fishing Trip to Sunday, 4/30/17. Thank you in advance to the Hubbards Marina for working with us so generously on this. 60% of the cost will be donated to Young SKAL. An announcement went out this morning with all the details but in summary, the cost is $65 per person, registration at 12 noon, pre-boarding at 12:30pm and departure at 1pm for one hour of travel each way and 3 hours of fishing. Please RSVP by this Sun. 4/16 if possible so we can assist Hubbard’s with committing to the right vessel and maximizing their booking opportunities. Bring your family, bring your friends, bring strangers and enjoy the afternoon….we can be tourists in our own town for a day! Call 727-393-1947 and use Y.Skal Fundraiser to reserve your tickets today!

In closing, I would like to thank Gregg Nicklaus again for enlightening us more on the life and career accomplishments of  Pinellas County tourism pioneer, Mr. Sam Johns. Please see below for more details of his contributions throughout his life to SKAL and the Tampa Bay region.

We look forward to seeing you at Bon Appetit on 5/8, plan ahead for 6/12’s meeting at The Bay Club at Westshore Yacht Club and our July lunch meeting and Golf Tourney at Belleair CC on 7/24!

Best Skal regards!

George Bentley

IN MEMORIAM

Sam John’s

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Skål Tampa Bay Past President Samuel Charles Johns. Sam passed peacefully surrounded by his family.

Sam was a leading force behind tourism in Pinellas County as President of Discover Florida Suncoast and was instrumental in developing Tampa Bay as an international tourist destination. Sam was a longtime member of Skål Tampa Bay, served as President, and was fondly known as “Mr. Skal”.  He was our only member to move into a National Skal position where he was honored as President of Skal International U.S.A. (SIUSA) 1999-2000.

RIP SAM!!

President’s Corner March 2017

Hello Everyone…barely getting this one in before March ends!

Much thanks to VP Colette Florido for facilitating an excellent, albeit, rainy evening at the impressive Chihuly Collection. I think all would agree that having that venue in Tampa Bay is a big plus and for all those that attended please remember to visit the Hot Shoppe with the tickets distributed that evening. I am sure seeing the action of glass artwork production is equally as impressive as viewing the end product.

Eric Blanc, Board Director, pinned Young SKAL member Bailey Morris and we thank both of them for their participation and support.

With the help of Capt. Dylan Hubbard, we are working on finalizing the details for re-scheduling the February (weather affected)fishing trip for Sun. 4/30 in order to get it in just before our May meeting which will also be focused on fundraising for possibly up to (4) Young Skalleagues who have shown an interest in attending the Toronto North American SKAL Congress in June. Those details will be out soon separately, so please pencil that day in for a half day trip on Hubbard’s large party fishing boat.

We look forward to seeing everyone at the Florida Aquarium on Mon. 4/10!

Best Skal regards!

George Bentley

Collecting items for our Monthly Raffle

The extra raffle items graciously donated by many of you have been great incentives for our members to participate. We have had some fantastic "extra opportunity drawing" items. THANK YOU!!

We are collecting more items for upcoming meetings AND for Young SKAL fundraisers. We will be mindful of any time sensitive or restricted items but please try to put an expiration date of at least December 31, 2017 on any certificate.

This entire year we are adding additional prizes to our monthly drawings to garner more excitement and showcase our members. If you would like to donate items for the upcoming dinners or annual holiday auction, please email me and let me know what you will be donating and then mail the certificate, gift card, etc. to the following address:

SKAL Tampa Bay c/o Steven Rodriguez

14280 Passage Way, Seminole FL 33776

This is a great way of advertising your business while increasing odds of winning at our events and supporting our club. Thanks so much to all that have and continue to furnish prizes and auction items.

President’s Corner February 2017

Greetings fellow Skalleagues!

February…..the fast moving month!

Our February meeting at Embassy Suites USF was fast pacedand full of great content. Holly Powers, President of SKAL International USA attended our board meeting and shared organizational updates with us and also wanted to have me extend an invitation to all of our members to attend the World Congress in Toronto in June 2017 if they are interested and able. It is unique that the event is happening so close to us and as all past participants have shared with me….you really get the “mojo” being among our peers and fellow Skalleagues.

It was great to welcome/pin Melissa Silvest, Director of Sales and Event Services at Busch Gardens to the club and we look forward to getting to know her more and possibly arrange a future meeting at her facility.

We also presented Kristina Trainer, pinned in January, with the balance of her Skal credentials. Kristina is with Expedia and we formally welcome her to our group as well.

Kimberly Faulk, VP of Sales with Visit Florida presented recent news/updates in Tallahassee regarding the possible de-funding of Visit FL and we have pushed out communication about that to all members.

We look forward to seeing everyone at the Chihuly Collection in March in downtown St. Petersburg!

Best Skal regards!

George Bentley

Collecting items for our Monthly Raffle

The extra raffle items graciously donated by many of you have been great incentives for our members to participate. We have had some fantastic "extra opportunity drawing" items. THANK YOU!!

We are collecting more items for upcoming meetings AND for Young SKAL fundraisers. We will be mindful of any time sensitive or restricted items but please try to put an expiration date of at least December 31, 2017 on any certificate.

This entire year we are adding additional prizes to our monthly drawings to garner more excitement and showcase our members. If you would like to donate items for the upcoming dinners or annual holiday auction, please email me and let me know what you will be donating and then mail the certificate, gift card, etc. to the following address:

SKAL Tampa Bay c/o Steven Rodriguez

14280 Passage Way, Seminole FL 33776

This is a great way of advertising your business while increasing odds of winning at our events and supporting our club. Thanks so much to all that have and continue to furnish prizes and auction items.