EXCLUSIVE: CEO Council of Tampa Bay’s new chair shares her mission to ‘embrace the whole CEO’

Amy Martinez-Monfort is looking to make 2023 an “unforgettable” year for members of the CEO Council of Tampa Bay.

As the newest chair for the CEO-centric membership organization, she says with the board she has, she’s confident the year will produce valuable resources and events that members will find tremendous value in.

She also credits Alyssa Rhoads, executive director for the Council, in her leadership and elevating the experiences members get to partake in.

“There’s been such a great energy,” says Martinez-Monfort. “[Rhoads] is just so fantastic at what she does. Whether it be the speaker series or the happy hours, she’s taking things to another level and it’s really been great for the council.”

Since 2015, Martinez-Monfort has been chief executive officer for Tampa Laundry Company, in Tampa.

Her career has been a journey, as she says. She went to law school at the University of Florida and practiced law at Carlton Fields, in Tampa, for four years. She was then a Lilly pharmaceutical representative, for 14 years, before having the itch to jump into an entrepreneur endeavor.

“Everybody asks, ‘Why laundry?’ Everyone generates laundry every single day, no matter your socio-economic level, no matter your age,” Martinez-Monfort says. “I wanted to create a different experience for folks when they had to do their laundry, whether it be them coming into our store or us picking up their laundry at their homes. I wanted to create a clean, safe, positive experience for people of all levels.”

Now, as chair of CEO Council of Tampa Bay, she is using that same drive to work with her board to create a positive experience for CEO Council members. She adds that she’s continuing the work of Immediate Past Chair Ed Ellsasser, CEO of PrimeGroup Insurance. This year, Martinez-Monfort will be working alongside Vice Chair Todd Hall, CEO of Talent Cloud Staffing.

“I want to make sure that we work with the entire CEO, which is beyond just what happens in their businesses and running their companies,” she says. “All of us have so many other things that make us who we are, as leaders, and other worries and concerns. This year, one of our main focuses is to support the whole CEO.”

She adds family issues, like dealing with aging parents, living a healthier life and other human experience challenges that everyone goes through. But at the CEO Council, members are able to share their struggles and learn from peers in a safe setting.

“We want to create an experience for them this year, which we’ve coined as ‘unforgettable.’ We want it to be an unforgettable year for them and truly address all different facets of the CEO,” she says.

Bridgette Bello, CEO and publisher of Tampa Bay Business and Wealth, sits on the board of the CEO Council of Tampa Bay.

For more information on how to join the CEO Council of Tampa Bay, visit ceotampabay.com.

You May Also Like

Exclusive: TBBW names winners of inaugural Tampa Bay Business Women Awards (PHOTOS)

It was a night to remember and one for the Tampa Bay Business and Wealth history books. More than 500 guests, including finalists and sponsors, were in attendance for the 2023 Tampa Bay Business Women Awards, held at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, in Tampa. Fifty women were honored for their work in

Culbreath Isles estate hits market for $10.25 million (PHOTOS)

A Culbreath Isles estate home, at 1612 Culbreath Isles Drive, has been listed for $10,250,000. The home was completed in 2022 and is equipped with advanced smart home technology and energy-efficient features. The property has views of Tampa Bay and outdoor living space, complete with a custom pool and a floating, waterfall-edge spa, over a

On the Scene: TBBW Award finalists participate in Hammers and Heels Habitat build (PHOTOS)

Habitat for Humanity of Pinellas and West Pasco Counties hosted a volunteer build day, exclusively for the finalists of the 2023 Tampa Bay Business and Wealth Magazine’s Tampa Bay Business Women awards. Finalists worked alongside future homeowner Cheetara Louch on her build site, in St. Petersburg. Habitat Pinellas and West Pasco is the 2023 TBBW

Molly James named CEO of the Metropolitan Ministries Foundation

Molly James has been named as the new chief executive officer of the Metropolitan Ministries Foundation, a separate 501c3 of Metropolitan Ministries. James was selected by the Metropolitan Ministries Foundation Board of Directors, succeeding Reverend Morris E. Hintzman who served as the Foundation’s president for the last several years, prior to his retirement, according to

Other Posts

How well do you know your buyer’s journey?

For sellers of professional goods, and services, in today’s competitive business environment, it’s important to understand your buyer’s journey before they make a purchasing decision.   We find that there are four steps that play out, predictably, regardless of industry or location.  Buyers start talking, internally, about what they think they need. They share experiences about

20 Questions with Freddy Williams

President, CEO Boys and Girls Clubs Suncoast Freddy Williams is a Florida native and proud Boys & Girls Club alumni. He was named president and chief executive officer of Boys & Girls Clubs of the Suncoast in 2016. The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Suncoast serves more than 20,000 local youth each year and

Older Lundy Koch & Martino partner to be installed as next president-elect for the Hillsborough County Bar Association

Anthony D. Martino, a partner with Older Lundy Koch & Martino, will be installed as the next president-elect for the Hillsborough County Bar Association. His previous roles on the HCBA board include service on the Board of Directors Young Lawyers Division from 2008 until 2016 and as the President of the Young Lawyers Division from

Cannabis company Fluent moves headquarters to Tampa

Cansortium (CSE: TIUM.U) (OTCQX: CNTMF), a multi-state cannabis company operating under the Fluent brand, plans to move its headquarters from Miami to the Westshore District of Tampa. Over the next four months, Fluent plans to create more than 30 new jobs in administration, finance, human resources, marketing, sales, operations and other key roles, with an