Zannon Garza, 39

While growing up in Immokalee, in rural eastern Collier County, Zannon Garza saw her parents’ hard work, perseverance and ability to talk to customers, whether she was hanging out in the hair salon with her cosmetologist mom, Gloria, or riding along with her dad, Timothy, over the course of his 30 years driving a propane truck. And a lot of their skills rubbed off on her.

“I just love meeting people, and I always have,” says Garza. “Riding in an elevator is fun for me when there are people on board. I love learning people’s stories.”

Photo by Mark Wemple

She puts her passion for people to good use as vice president of business development at DeAngelis Diamond, where she helps build relationships that will hopefully lead to projects for the construction firm, which did $590 million in revenue in 2024. “There’s pressure to make sure that work is coming through the door so people can stay employed,” she says. “But it’s a team effort.”

Garza previously worked in the nonprofit sector, and she gets to put that experience to use at the firm, as well, by serving as executive director of the DeAngelis Diamond Foundation. Her parents led by example when it comes to giving back. “My dad, being in his line of work and driving a truck through town, knew who needed food and who needed clothes,” she says. “If we were hosting a family holiday, we were taking food to families that needed it.”

With her parents as career mentors, she learned the importance of education and saying yes to opportunities that arose. “We weren’t a rich family, but my parents were both in industries where they were able to connect with people who had connections,” she says. “I learned that value of connecting people to other people, which leads to opportunities. I’m grateful they provided that avenue for my sister and myself to reach for the stars.”

Now a mom of four herself, Garza hopes her kids learn the same kinds of lessons from her. “I want them to see that working hard is important, and that giving back to others is important,” she says.

And she would encourage them to seize opportunities the same way her parents did. “I always say take a meeting, because you never know who is going to be there for you in that next phase of life,” she says. “Never turn down an opportunity to meet somebody new, because you never know what they have to offer.”