Q and A with Heather Kasten, President and CEO of The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce

The Gulf Coast CEO Forum brings the area’s executives together to share knowledge, challenges and solutions, enabling business leaders to build relationships and grow stronger to shape a brighter tomorrow. Heather Kasten, President and CEO of the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce, has been a part of the Gulf Coast CEO Forum for 10 years. She also serves on the board of CareerSource Suncoast, FACP, and the advisory board of the USF-Sarasota Manatee MUMA School of Business. She shares her experience with the Gulf Coast CEO Forum in this exclusive Q&A. 

Q. Can you tell us more about your role with the Sarasota Chamber of Commerce? 

A: I am the President and CEO of the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce, and I’ve been in that role for six years. We are a membership-based organization that works with over 1,500 member companies that employee around 60,000 employees in the area. The Sarasota Chamber is a 105-yearold organization that’s been serving the Sarasota region for quite a while now, working on big community issues like affordable housing, resiliency for businesses, transportation, and also working on the future of our downtown master plan. 

Q. How does the Sarasota Chamber of Commerce benefit its members? 

A: All chambers are in the business of convening people and providing a platform of opportunities for people, specifically the business community, to connect and engage and do business with each other, as well as provide a lot of different learning opportunities. 

But at the Sarasota Chamber, we do so much more than that. Some of our programs, such as Career Edge, where last year we trained over 500 local workers in healthcare, in the trades of AC, plumbing, electrical, manufacturing and transportation. We have a very robust Young Professionals Group with over 300 local young professionals that we host at different events and conferences. We’ve gone long and deep investing in internships. This year, we hosted and funded 30 local interns with local companies and hosted an intern summit called Spark. We had over 100 local interns participate in that. 

And then, of course, we have our prestigious Leadership Sarasota program. We have an adult version of that which is a 10-month, all-day program for 50 individuals. We have a youth leadership program which we host 45 local youth. That’s also a 10-month program. We have an alumni group of over 1,400 local leadership alumni, and the Engage program. 

So, I think what really separates us from the work of other organizations is the programmatic work that we’re doing to serve the community at large. A big win for this year was that we hired on a director of government affairs, Marlon Brown, who is the former city manager of Sarasota, and he’s going to be working on those public policy issues at the city level, the county level and the state level, so really helping to champion issues that would affect someone trying to start or run a business. 

Q. How has the Gulf Coast CEO Forum helped you and the Chamber? 

A: First, it brought me closer to our local community by connecting me with other leaders who are making a real impact. It also created what I would call an unofficial board of advisors. I have built friendships and connections through the Forum that I can turn to for guidance. The roundtable format has been especially helpful. It gives me a place to share business challenges and hear how others have faced and overcome similar issues—what worked, what did not, what to watch out for, and what to avoid. 

Q: What would you tell others who may want to join the Gulf Coast CEO Forum? 

A: I would really encourage them to attend a meeting and talk to Rene Hebda and Sarah Scarlett about the benefits of being a part of the CEO Forum and for them to also explore the CEO roundtables. The monthly breakfasts and lunches are fantastic. You certainly meet a lot of people and learn a lot, but it’s at those roundtables where you’re really able to dig in and learn about others facing the same challenges you’re facing. 

Q: In December, the Gulf Coast CEO Forum is hosting a Big Event featuring Jesse Itzler. What are you most looking forward to? 

A: I am super excited. I’m a fan of all he has accomplished and excited to learn, grow, and continue to explore new ways of doing things that serve the Sarasota community. 

For more information about membership or sponsorship with the Gulf Coast CEO Forum, contact Rene Hebda, Executive Director, at [email protected], or visit www.gulfcoastceoforum.com