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  • Exclusive: TBBW celebrates 2025 Apogee Award winners

Exclusive: TBBW celebrates 2025 Apogee Award winners

Jo-Lynn Brown December 11, 2025

More than 550 guests gathered at Armature Works to celebrate the winners of TBBW’s 2025 Apogee Awards. (Photos added, keep scrolling)

TBBW honored the region’s top business leaders during the 2025 Apogee Awards, recognizing c-suite executives whose leadership has elevated their companies and the community.

Presenting sponsors of the 2025 Apogee Awards include Holland & Knight, The William Stanley Group, Amerant Bank and Vistage Florida. United Way Suncoast is the nonprofit partner for the Apogee Awards.

Winners by category

Human Resources: Patrick Alexander, Diversified Material Specialists (DMSI)

Health Care: Dr. Rishi Patel, CAN Community Health

Managing Partner: Lisa M. Simington, CFP, PNC Private Bank

Presidents of the Year

Sonya Ranker, Questmont Virtual Family Office (Smaller company category)

Frank Rygiel, Construction Services Inc. of Tampa (Medium-sized company category)

Phillip Lee, Florida Blue (Larger company category)

Founders of the Year

Carolynn Jones, Seven Marketing + PR (Smaller company category)

Robert Hessel, Source 1 Solutions (Medium-sized company category)

Andrew Wright, Franklin Street, Ally Capital Group, Next Level Brand Holdings (Larger company category)

Owner of the Year

Michael A. Bucalo, Friedrich Watkins of Tampa LLC

CEOs of the Year

Madeline Robinson, Wheelchairs 4 Kids (Smaller nonprofit category)

Chon Nguyen, Newgentek, Fusionprep, Proper House Group (Smaller company category)

Kelly Boyd-Rivera, Cadmus Dental Lab (Medium-sized company category)

Stephen King, Meals On Wheels of Tampa (Larger nonprofit category)

Brian Best, GTE Financial (Large company category)

Charles “Chuck” Fagan, Velera (Largest company category)

Special honors

Impact Award: Brad Oleshansky, The Motor Enclave

Icon Award: Bob Buckhorn, Shumaker Advisors

The evening highlighted not only corporate success but also the honorees’ dedication to community service and innovation. Tampa Bay Business & Wealth congratulates all 2025 Apogee Award winners for setting the standard of leadership excellence in the region.

View bios of all the 2025 Apogee finalists here.

Photo by Tacy Briggs-Troncoso

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About TBBW

Tampa Bay Business & Wealth (TBBW) is the leading source of Tampa Bay business news, telling the stories behind the region’s biggest companies and the leaders shaping Tampa Bay’s economy.

We report on founders, CEOs and entrepreneurs whose decisions influence jobs, investment, development and long-term growth across the region.
Published daily online and monthly in print, TBBW delivers paywall free coverage with local context and editorial depth.

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