Leadership Palm Beach County

What a beautiful evening celebrating leadership, service, and community at our Celebration & Excellence Awards!

Congratulations to our outstanding honorees:
Pam Beiter Sartory — recipient of the inaugural Servant Leader Award, recognized for her unwavering commitment to serving others and making a lasting impact in our community.

Nancy Proffitt — recipient of the President’s Award, honoring her dedication, leadership, and contributions to Leadership Palm Beach County.

Ilan Kaufer — recipient of the 2026 Leadership Excellence Award, recognized for exemplary leadership and service that inspire those around him.

And a heartfelt congratulations to the Class of 2026 on their graduation! Your commitment to leadership, learning, and community engagement represents the very best of Leadership Palm Beach County.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for this special evening. Together, we honored the past, celebrated the present, and inspired the future. Here's to continuing the legacy of leadership that strengthens Palm Beach County every day.

Thank you to our Sponsors who made the evening possible: Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium, Hanley Foundation, Mike Morgan, Everglades Equipment Group, Wedgworth Farms, Inc., Habitat for Humanity of Greater PBC, Proffitt Management Solutions, ConnectOne Bank, FPL, iTHINK Financial, Florida Sugar Cane League, The Palm Beach Post/LocaliQ, Lesser, Landy, Smith & Siegel, Bush’s Boca Raton Bowl of Beans, Forming Brands, I.T. Solutions, HUB International, Baptist Health, Dr. Ann Polya, May I Media, Anchor Exec, DeCoste Consulting & Associates LLC, Shalhoub Injury Law, Lighthouse for the Blind of the Palm Beaches, Jessica Cecere Consulting, Natalie Carron, J Lowe Diversified Services, Jolande Morgan, YMCA of South PBC, City of Palm Beach Gardens and Liz Mariaca.

Thank you to the Celebration committee who worked tirelessly to ensure a successful event! Penny Price Payne, Natalie Carron, Alexandra Martinez Slaton, Jessica Clasby, JoAnne Burts Lowe Davis, Tennille Gross, Lindsey White, Jolande Morgan.

Photos:

Join us for an unforgettable evening at the Leadership Celebration & Excellence Awards!

Celebrate the incredible leaders and graduates who are making a lasting impact throughout Palm Beach County. From honoring this year’s Leadership Excellence Award nominees to recognizing the accomplishments of our graduating class, this night is all about leadership, community, and inspiration.

Reserve your seat today and help us celebrate the power of leadership in our community! LeadershipPBC.org/Celebration

Bravo to Leadership PBC Alumni who participated in the Black Gold Jubilee 5K today! 👏

Our Engage Class of ‘26 enjoyed Economic Development Day. The class visited the Related Ross Experience Center, the Historical Society, and toured CityPlace. Afterwards, they hopped on the bus to the Stiles Nicholson Brain Institute where they listened to various entrepreneurs speak in a small business showcase and exercised their creative brains by doing a Marshmallow Spaghetti Tower Challenge.

The day ended at Nieko’s Neighborhood Bar in Abacoa where classmates caught up with each other and chatted about their day.

Thank you to everyone who made this day possible!
Sponsors: Florida Atlantic University, GreenbergTraurig, and Actuate Consulting
Day Chairs: Vassilia Binensztok (2023) and Nadia Islam Spivak (2023)
Committee Members: Jeffrey Fine (2024), Checree Bryant (2023), Bethany Lacey (2023), David Killian (2024), Monique Fabio (2025), Kristen Bardin (2025), Caitlyn Bergman (2025), Christian Bergstrom (2023), Lindy Harvey (2025), Janet Butts (2025)
Program Chair: Mary Aguiar (2013)

Alumni and friends sailed aboard the Hakuna Matata for an unforgettable day of sunshine and connection. From great conversations to even better views, it was the perfect reminder of how special our Leadership PBC family is. We’re already counting down to the next adventure!

Thank you to Lee Williams & Addison Appraisal and for your sponsorship!

Our Grow Class of 2026 ended their year in style – at The Breakers! The class first gathered at Viking Yachts and the Port of Palm Beach where they learned about careers in the marine and shipping industries. Then they enjoyed lunch and a high level etiquette lesson, toured the hotel, learned about the BDB, and experienced a “Career Carousel” with local businesses people. We look forward to seeing them at Graduation on April 23rd at Keiser University!

Thank you to everyone who made this day possible:
Sponsors: Marine Industries Association, The Breakers Palm Beach, Business Development Board of Palm Beach County, and Bank United.
Day Chair: Greg Hillberg (Engage 2021), Angel Adams (Engage 2021),Alyssa Freeman (Engage 2020), Jonathan Ricketts (Engage 2008),
Committee Members: Kristen Bardin (Engage 2025), Janet Butts (Engage 2025), Monique Fabio (Engage 2025)
Program Co-Chairs: Erica Whitfield (Engage 2014), Susy Diaz-Piesco (Engage 2021)

Now Accepting RFPs!
Leadership Palm Beach County is excited to announce that we are now accepting Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for our Leadership Forward initiative! This is a unique opportunity for nonprofit organizations to partner with Leadership PBC and benefit from the talent, insight, and impact of our engaged leaders.

All nonprofits are encouraged to apply. Submission Deadline is July 10. Don’t miss your chance to be part of this transformative experience!

Learn more and apply today: LeadershipPBC.org/Forward

Our Grow Marine Industries & Business Day is off to a great start!

Help open doors for the next generation of leaders by funding a Grow Student Scholarship. No matter the amount, your support makes a meaningful impact. As a special thank you, members who contribute $1,000 or more will have the opportunity to personally present their scholarship to a student at graduation on April 23 at Keiser University. The deadline to donate is April 17.
Link to donate:
www.tinyurl.com/GrowScholar2026

We’re proud to spotlight The Palm Beach Post as the Presenting Sponsor of the 2026 GROW Graduation. Their commitment to sharing meaningful community stories aligns perfectly with our mission to celebrate and elevate emerging leaders across Palm Beach County.

Thank you for helping us celebrate the Grow Class of 2026 and for your continued support of leadership in Palm Beach County!

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