On Saturday, February 7th, The Osceola Chamber celebrated our 100th Annual Meeting at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort with the theme “The Osceola Chamber 101 - Our Next Era.”
We filled a ballroom with 400 Chamber members and community partners to say goodbye to 2025 Chairman of the Board Tim Weisheyer, owner of Strategic Advantage Consulting and DBR Commercial Real Estate Services, and welcome 2026 Chairwomen Rebekah Hurd, Director of Government Advocacy at AdventHealth Central Florida Division, with a ceremonial passing of the gavel. Under the leadership of Chairman Weisheyer the Chamber implemented a new five-year strategic plan. As Chamber President and CEO John Newstreet said, “We are extremely grateful for the advancement that transpired under Tim’s leadership and look forward to the great things we will accomplish during Rebekah’s time at the helm. With leaders like Tim and Rebekah, the Chamber builds deeper relationships that result in trust. Members of The Osceola Chamber care about each other and the community to the extent that I have witnessed competitors refer each other business when it best fits their customers’ needs, and that is a powerful thing.”
The mission of The Osceola Chamber is to be “champions for business and the Osceola community,” by being a trusted partner to businesses of all shapes and sizes, advocating for them at the state and local levels, and creating opportunity for community engagement. In 2025, volunteers and partners contributed nearly 4000 hours of Chamber-related service to our community through the Chamber’s various channels of involvement. The Annual Meeting provides a public opportunity every year to celebrate our members and thank them for their continued support that allows us to maintain our status as an "Accredited with Five Stars" Chamber.
Prior to the evening’s formal program, guests gathered in the foyer and a separate ballroom for a cocktail reception that included opportunities for souvenir photos with Minnie Mouse and Daisy Duck, as well as photos with a themed backdrop or AI Photobooth sponsored by Orlando Health and HCA Florida Healthcare, respectively, and administered by RTW Photography. Bars in the foyer and ballroom served themed mocktails and other bar standards.
Inside the ballroom, golden chandelier centerpieces adorned with red roses assembled by Kissimmee Florist elevated the elegant black, gold, and red color scheme of the evening. Attendees were also decked in black, gold, and red attire. Even Minnie Mouse sported a beautiful gold gown as she joined Jose Gonzalez, Director, Government & Industry Relations at Walt Disney Parks & Resorts, onstage to welcome everyone to Coronado Springs and Walt Disney World.
Chairwoman Hurd and John Newstreet opened the evening by thanking our sponsors, elected officials, and everyone in attendance, and looking forward the Chamber’s next era as a part of a larger impending time of growth and change county-wide. Chairman Weisheyer shared that the 2025 Chairman's Award, an honor presented by the outgoing Chairman to an individual they believe has gone “above and beyond” in service to the Chamber throughout the past year, would go to Michelle Chandler with SchenkelShultz Architecture. Michelle was not present to accept the award in person but sent a video expressing her thanks. Congratulations Michelle!
Chairman Weisheyer and John Newstreet looked back at the year past, with special focus on the work of The Chamber Foundation, The Osceola Chamber’s 501(c)3 arm, and the Chamber’s five area councils, before a dinner of pan-seared flat iron steak, salad, and a Mickey-shaped lemon meringue tart. For the first time since 2024, an induction was made to the Chamber Hall of Fame. With support from Orlando Health, Atlee Mercer, former Chamber Chairman, business owner, and civil servant, was added to the Hall of Fame as the sole 2026 inductee. There he joins such past inductees as Tom Tompkins, a former Chairman and leader in both business and philanthropy in our community; Ed Moore, who Chaired the Chamber in 1989 and ran a capital campaign that resulted in the building on E Vine St. that still houses the Chamber today; and longtime Osceola Sheriff Bob Hansell. Congrats Atlee!
To recognize the importance of the Chamber’s value of Building Unity, the Unity Award was first awarded in 2019 to the late Guillermo “Bill” Hansen, editor of El Osceola Star Newspaper. In 2024, the award was renamed in Mr. Hansen’s honor. Finalists for the 2025 Guillermo Hansen Unity Award were Charles Castellon with Widerman Malek, Danny Ruiz Manrique with Total Industrial Supplies, Inc., and the Silver Spurs Club Board of Directors. Presented with support from HCA Florida Healthcare, the Unity Award went to Danny Ruiz Manrique who accepted his award by detailing his path to success in a new community. The Linda Goodwin-Nichols Service Award is named after Linda Goodwin-Nichols, two-time Chairman of The Osceola Chamber Board of Directors and owner and broker of Goodwin Realty & Associates for over 50 years. The 2025 finalists for the Linda Goodwin-Nichols Service Award were Martin Levert with Northbridge University (formerly Florida Technical College), Twis Lizasuain with the Osceola County Association of REALTORS, Inc., and Adrianna Sekula, owner of Solidarity Partners. Sponsored by AdventHealth, the award went to Adrianna Sekula, a two-time past Chair of The Osceola Chamber, businessowner, and prolific volunteer and philanthropist in Central Florida. We send a huge congratulations to Danny and Adrianna!
Throughout the night, including during dinner, the crowd was entertained by the band Distorted Xpression, led by Chamber Board member Candice Shields, Assistant Director with the Osceola Library System and Chair of the Chamber’s Downtown Kissimmee Council Board. Keeping with the “Eras” theme of the evening, the gavel was passed by each prior Chairman to the tune of Taylor Swift’s “Long Live,” and after a speech detailing her eras “past, present, and future” with The Osceola Chamber, Chairwoman Hurd closed the evening with Distorted Xpression’s take on Swift’s “The Life of a Showgirl." Attendees were given the opportunity to leave their mark on the night by signing a guitar "guestbook" that was presented to our new Chairwoman at the end of the program.
Additional sponsors for the evening were Kissimmee Utility Authority, Hanson Walter & Associates, the School District of Osceola County, Bank Florida, ABC Paving & Sealcoating, Toho Water Authority, Osceola County, Austin Commercial, and Overstreet Law.
Check out the image galleries below or:
Find more photos of the event from RTW Photography here.
Find more photos with Daisy & Minnie here. (Username: Osceola Annual Meeting 2026; Password: 1971)
Applications are available now for the 2026 Poinciana Council Scholarship!
This year the Poinciana Council Board of Directors will award scholarships of up to $1500 to graduating high school seniors and students currenty enrolled in a technical education program, two- or four-year degree program, or Master’s program at a post-secondary educational institution. All applicants must live in zip code 34746, 34758, or 34759.
All winners will be honored at a luncheon at Poinciana High School in April (exact date TBD).
If you meet the qualifications and are interested in applying, please click on and complete the application below by Sunday, March 22, 2026.
CLICK HERE TO FIND AND COMPLETE THE HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR APPLICATION
CLICK HERE TO FIND AND COMPLETE THE POST-SECONDARY APPLICATION
Donations are accepted to the Poinciana Council Scholarship Fund. Donations are accepted HERE.
AAA Insurance – Schumaker Agency is proudto serve as Osceola County’s first AAA Entrepreneurial Agent (EA) office and only the second EA agency to open in the state of Florida. Located at 832 N. John Young Parkway, Kissimmee, FL 34741, the agency brings AAA’s trusted home, auto, and life insurance products directly to the local community.
The agency is led by James and Darryl Schumaker, with team members Truman Nguyen and Matthew Nguyen, who also provide Vietnamese-language support to the growing Vietnamese community in Central Florida. Together, the team focuses on delivering personalized service, one-year auto policy options, comprehensive insurance packages, and AAA membership benefits to families and small businesses across Florida.
With a strong commitment to community involvement and customer care, AAA Insurance – Schumaker Agency looks forward to serving residents throughout Osceola County and building lasting relationships as an active member of the Osceola Chamber. For assistance or quotes, the agency can be reached at 407-707-5335.
