Collier County Government and Greater Naples Chamber partnered together and chose Guadalupe Center as the November 2022 Business of the Month. An award was presented to Guadalupe Center at the Collier County Board of County Commissioners meeting on November 8, 2022. 
 
Each month, the award is presented to an organization that has enhanced the community through financial, volunteer, and active involvement in organizations and programs that assist in creating a better quality of life for all citizens in Collier County. The company chosen will also be featured at the following Wake Up Naples/Chamber Conversation event. 

The Collier County Board of County Commissioners, Michael Dalby, President and CEO of Greater Naples Chamber, and Bethany Sawyer, VP of Membership at Greater Naples Chamber presented Bob Spano, VP of programs  at Guadalupe Center, Brent Lewin, VP of business operations and finance at Guadalupe Center, Dawn Montecalvo, Executive Director at Guadalupe Center, and Kelly Krupp, VP of Philanthropy at Guadalupe Center with a commemorative plaque at the November 2022 County Commission meeting.

More than 95% of our pre-K graduates enter school having met or exceeded Florida’s kindergarten readiness standards and 100% of students in the After-school Program show academic gains in reading and math. An astounding 100% of Tutor Corps seniors graduate high school and are accepted into college, a statistic that dates back 15 years. Most importantly, 94% of our Tutor Corps students graduate from college, compared to the national average for minority students of less than 20%. Our Tutor Corps alumni are now gainfully employed as educators, health care specialists, engineers, public service workers and business leaders. Several have been accepted into prestigious medical and graduate schools. During high school, tutors earn a wage for working with K-2 students in Guadalupe Center’s After-school Tutoring program. Additionally, they earn scholarship funds to pay for college later. Once they are in college, Tutor Corps provides guidance and support throughout these critical preparatory years, including from their own volunteer mentor. Tutor Corps offers experiences and opportunities that make completing both high school and college attainable.

For the children of Immokalee, education is their way out of poverty, and Guadalupe Center is their vehicle. Guadalupe Center offers the only NAEYC-accredited Early Childhood Education Program in Collier County, an After-school Tutoring & Summer Enrichment Program for students K-2, and a college-preparatory Tutor Corps Program. Combined, the three core programs serve more than 1,700 students annually.

Guadalupe Center will be acknowledged at our next Wake Up Naples event on January 18.

Register for the next Wake Up Naples/Chamber Conversation event here: https://web.napleschamber.org/events 

Apply For Business of the Month

Each month, Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce and the Board of Collier County Commissioners recognize an organization that has enhanced the community through financial, volunteer and active involvement in organizations and programs that assist in creating a better quality of life for all citizens in Collier County.

The honoree is presented with a commemorative plaque at the Board of County Commissioners meeting. A photo is taken and featured in Chamber communications, the Chamber’s website and promoted through social media.

Contact Bethany Sawyer,  vice president of membership, with any questions.