The DeLand Area Chamber of Commerce & Orange City Alliance held its annual meeting and installation ceremony virtually on Facebook and YouTube Jan. 25 to swear in its officers and board members for the new year.

The ceremony took place at DeLand City Hall, in the City Commission Chambers, with only the 2021 board members present — the only part of the event that involved a gathering of any sort.

The festivities included a year-in-review and awards presentation by 2020 board President Lita Kapuscinski, AdventHealth. Keynote speakers were Nick Conte, City of DeLand Economic Development, and Becky Mendez, Orange City Economic Development.

The 2021 board of directors were sworn in by DeLand Mayor Bob Apgar.

Presenting the Chamber’s vision for this year was incoming board President Rob Doan of Cobb Cole law firm.

“It is my number one goal in both my personal and professional life in 2021 and beyond to focus first and foremost on gratitude for the people and places and businesses and local officials that make DeLand and Orange City and all of West Volusia such a great place to live,” Doan said.

He noted that 2020 was challenging, with plenty of negative things to focus on.

“But we must remind ourselves that there is no darkness without light, no negative without positive, no tragedy without triumph, and no sorrow without joy. Thanks to the leadership of our Past President Lita Kapuscinski of AdventHealth and the incredible ability to adapt on the fly of our new Executive Director Janet Wilson, the Chamber not only survived 2020, but we came through it, in many ways stronger and better prepared to serve our membership in 2021 and beyond.

“I pledge to our board of directors and to our membership, that as a Chamber, we will focus on the good that we can do for each other in 2021, as we host a mixture of in-person, virtual and hybrid events, always keeping the safety and diverse needs of our membership and community in mind.”

Along with Doan, officers sworn in included 2022 President-elect Elizabeth Godwin, Duke Energy; Vice President Libby Molesky, Complete Parachute Solutions; Secretary Amy Gipson, Stetson University; Treasurer Samuel Aguero, AdventHealth; and Past President Kapuscinski.

The 2021 board members are Todd Philips, Kellee Smith, Natali Reyes, Sandy Barker, Laurie Asbury, Loren Criche, Johanna Angel, Matthew Maniscalco, Donna White, Michael Jaeckle, Joe Hearn, Suzanne Forbes and JessicaToth.

Awards were given out as well: the Outgoing President Award to Kapuscinski; the Brad D. Strickland Young Innovator of the Year to Johanna Angel, director of sales at Courtyard by Marriott Historic Downtown DeLand; Ambassador of the Year to Terri Shurdom, O’Quinn Services Insurance; the Game Changer Award to Terri Beer, business community liaison at the Chamber; and the Terming-Off Board Member Certificate of Appreciation to Mark Russell, Tinker Graphics.

Presidential Outstanding Member of the Year awards were presented in several categories: the Small Business award to Endless Possibilities Coaching Services – Jessica Coffield; the Medium Business award to Cobb Cole, P.A., Attorneys; the Large Business award to AdventHealth; and the Nonprofit Business award to Family Health Source.