Guy King Honored with Profile in Leadership Award

12/19/2008

Guy King III, President of M.E. Wilson Company, was honored by the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce and Leadership Tampa Alumni with the prestigious H.L. Culbreath Profile in Leadership Award at the Chamber's Annual Meeting on December 18 at the Tampa Convention Center. He was selected for his successful and selfless participation as a volunteer and community leader in Tampa Bay.     

The honoree is chosen for leadership which is evident beyond scope of the person’s professional duties, having demonstrated leadership characterized by attributes of: vision, courage, example, initiative, motivation, selflessness, commitment, dependability and accomplishment. It is named posthumously for H.L. Culbreath, former community servant and president of Tampa Electric Company. 

In his acceptance remarks, Guy said, "When I decided to become a real community member, I asked my father, Guy King, Jr how I should proceed. He suggested I talk to his close friend, H.L. Culbreath, about a strategy. H.L. was warm in his reception but got very serious as he outlined the plan, 'Pick a charity that is solving a significant community problem, then go to work for them in a way that makes a difference. Get on their board and don’t just sit there….help run it!'

'Then pick a cultural institution and help them with whatever talents you have to use. Don’t just do that for a year…Make a commitment over time. Then go down to the Chamber of Commerce and get on a committee and don’t just participate…Run the committee.'

"I was startled by the scope of his assignment and asked H.L., ”Don’t you have to be invited….Don’t you have to get permission or something?”

'No…Just show up and go to work' he laughed. Well,  I did all three tasks at once and here I am 23 years later. So, if you are a young man or woman in this gathering today and you want to make a meaningful contribution to your community and the title servant-leader sounds cool to you, but you’ve been waiting for an invitation, you’re invited!  If you feel like you need permission, then permission granted! Please join us…we need all the help we can get," Guy inspiringly told a crowd of more than 800 attendees.   

Guy is a recognized leader in the insurance industry and as a businessman and mentor to hundreds in the last 30 years. For professional involvement in the business community, his accomplishments include: 

-Founder, three year chairman and lifetime member of the CEO Council of Tampa Bay
-President and founder of the Tampa Bay Professional Alliance
-Outstanding Business Leader of the Year in 2003 by the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce
-M.E. Wilson Company named Small Business of the Year (21-50 category) by the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce
-Founder of MEW Custom Staffing, LLC, the most successful marketer of employer resource services in the country
-Nominated for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2000 
-Nominated for the Small Business Association’s Business Person of the Year in 2000 
-Agent of the Year by the Independent Agents of Greater Tampa 2000

For personal involvement in the community, Guy's leadership includes: 

-Recipient of the Silver Medallion Humanitarian of the Year award by the National Coalition for  Community and Justice (NCCJ) in April of 2003
-The inaugural Citizens Leadership Academy by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in 2002
-Leader of the Transportation/Risk Management Committee for SuperBowl XXXV, January 2001
-Vice Chair of the board of the Allegany Franciscan Ministries in Clearwater for five years
-Member of the Board of Trustees for Mental Health Care, Inc.; Past Chairman & Board of Directors for the MHC Foundation, Chair of the Children’s Crisis Breakfast for three years
-Member of the Board of Directors for the Earth Charter U.S.; Chair of the Sustainability Conference & Awards in 2008; Chair of the Prosperity Campaign for Hillsborough County 
-Immediate past-chairman of the Governing Board and current Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Tampa Metropolitan YMCA; 
-Past chair of the Greater Tampa Chamber Committee of 100 
-Chairman of the Gasparilla “Parade of Pirates” for three years 
-Founder of “The Producers”, the first community support group at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center; Chairman of the TBPAC Annual Campaign for two years 
-Chairman of the “Bridge Builders Breakfast” for Metropolitan Ministries
-Chairman of the 2002 American Heart Association’s “Heart Ball”
-Co-Chair of the Mayor's Beautification Program “Silverspoons & Sandcastles” 
and leadership and involvement with The Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, The Spring, The Glazers Children Museum, The Tampa Museum of Art and The Tampa History Center.

UPCOMING EVENTS

September 16, 2010
FROM ENTREPRENEUR TO PROFESSIONAL MANAGER
Tom James, Chairman
Feather Sound Country Club
2201 Feather Sound Drive
Clearwater, FL 33762
727-573-5666
LUNCH; 11:30AM-1:30PM; THIRD Thursday

October 14, 2010
Innovation Drives Smarter Business
John L. Kennedy, Global VP of Corporate Marketing
Centre Club
123 S. Westshore Blvd.
7:00 AM - 9:00 AM