Photo Caption: ECEL Chairman Susie Cross, Carr, Riggs & Ingram, LLC, presented the Emerging Leader of the Year Award to Shane O’Dell, The McGovern Group at Merrill Lynch, with assistance from the Destin Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Shane Moody and the Walton County Chamber of Commerce Vice President Michelle Tommey. Pictured from left to right are O’Dell, Cross, Tommey, and Moody.

     Destin, FL, April 20 - More than 70 young professionals were in attendance on Thursday, April 19, as Emerald Coast Emerging Leaders (ECEL) celebrated the success of its second year and presented the Emerging Leader of the Year Award to Shane O’Dell, a financial advisor with The McGovern Group at Merrill Lynch. The event was sponsored and hosted by Bud & Alley’s in Seaside.

     The award was created to honor an ECEL member best exemplifying the qualities of an emerging leader, and the nomination form included questions about the nominee’s professional and civic involvement.

     “Shane has a tremendous amount of integrity. He is extremely excited about the prospects of ECEL. The time I have spent working with him I am constantly amazed with the way he carries himself and his passion to succeed. He has a vision of where he wants to take his career and is an emerging leader in the Emerald Coast. He has a strong desire to give back to the community, which is a direct reflection of his community involvement. Shane really enjoys what he does and always has a smile on his face,” said Ray McGovern in O’Dell’s nomination form. McGovern is the first vice president of The McGovern Group at Merrill Lynch.

     “ECEL has provided me with the opportunity to build and strengthen personal and professional relationships throughout the Emerald Coast. In addition, ECEL has given me the opportunity to be a part of various community service projects, and I feel it is important to give back to the community we live and work in,” said O’Dell.

     In addition to his membership in ECEL, he is a member of the Pensacola Young Professionals, the United Way complex coordinator for Day of Caring and Giving Campaign, chair of the baseball program committee at the Fort Walton Beach YMCA, and coordinated and conducted the 4-6-year-olds Tee Ball Clinic at the YMCA. He is also on the Fort Walton Beach YMCA board of directors.

     Requests for award nominations were sent to all Destin Area and Walton County chambers of commerce members, and ECEL’s Advisory Board selected the winner from among those nominations. The nominees also included Sarah Beth Cohen, The Destin Log; Dr. Dennis Lichorwic, Destin Center for Cosmetic Dentistry; Jennifer Moffat, Community Bank; Amy Lee Myers, Signature Consulting; and Cindy Tucker, Countrywide Home Loans.

     ECEL’s Advisory Board consists of Chairman Susie Cross, Carr, Riggs & Ingram, LLC; Vice Chairman of Finance George Brannon, Jr., Southern Escrow & Title; Vice Chairman of Philanthropy Wes Fontaine, Pleat & Perry, P.A.; Chair-Elect/Vice Chairman of Impact Cory Fosdyck, Merrill Lynch; Vice Chairman of Membership Jamie Gummere, Army Aviation Center Federal Credit Union; Vice Chairman of Education Amy Liggett, FNB&T Mortgage One; Vice Chairman of Social Mary Kathryn Speake, GulfSouth Private Bank; and Vice Chairman of Conference Matt Walker, O’Sullivan Creel, LLP.

     ECEL is the young professionals’ organization of the Destin Area Chamber of Commerce and the Walton County Chamber of Commerce. During its last two years, ECEL has grown to 280 members. In November 2006, the ECEL Advisory Board adopted its new mission statement: ECEL is dedicated to fostering leadership while serving as a responsible community voice and networking for young executives who seek to grow personally and professionally.