2025 Tourism Rockstars Recognized
PUNTA GORDA/ENGLEWOOD BEACH, Fla. – May 14, 2025 – The Punta Gorda/Englewood Beach Visitor & Convention Bureau inducted Robin Madden into the Charlotte County Tourism Hall of Fame during the annual Tourism Celebration at the Four Points by Sheraton Harborside Garden in Punta Gorda on Friday, May 9. The Hall of Fame was established in 2014 to honor those who have had a substantial and long-standing body of work that has positively impacted tourism in Charlotte County.
A little over 20 years ago Robin Madden landed on this side of the state after living for decades on Florida’s east coast. She moved to Don Pedro Island and immediately renamed the west coast the best coast. In 2007, she and her husband purchased Islander Properties. While real estate and managing vacation rental homes was her profession, her passion was the community. She jumped in to be part of the Englewood Area Board of Realtors, the Englewood Chamber of Commerce and the Englewood YMCA, where her work helped make Tropical Nights a legendary fundraiser. Twelve years ago, she brought in the fabled Dr. Beach to make a television pilot about our area and promote our beaches. She helped get the Charlotte County chapter of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association established, and serving as the board’s first president for several years. In 2015, she joined the Tourism Development Council, overseeing the budget and helping guide the Punta Gorda Englewood Beach Visitor & Convention Bureau (VCB). Her tireless efforts have helped create the incredible growth our industry has experienced here.
In partnership with the Charlotte Chapter of the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association (FRLA), four high school rising stars in the culinary and hospitality programs were awarded scholarships. Recognized students were, Josephine Martin and Alexis Miller from Charlotte High School, Danielle Miller from Port Charlotte High School, and Ashlea Maday from Lemon Bay High School. To date, the Charlotte County chapter of FRLA has awarded 26 students over $33,000 in scholarship funds assisting them in their journey to pursue a career in hospitality or the culinary arts.
In 2024, according to third-party research, Charlotte County achieved a 99% satisfaction rating from the many visitors who frequent our destination. This achievement would not be possible without the hard work and dedication of the restaurant and lodging employees who are rockstar ambassadors for Charlotte County hospitality. Since the lauch of the Annual Tourism Awards five years ago, the VCB has received well over 100 nominations recognizing exceptional employees within Charlotte County hospitality.
Those recognized as the 2025 Rockstars were:
- Restaurant Front of House, Theda Porter from Farlow’s On The Water
- Restaurant Back of House, Chloe Hollander from Sunseeker Resort
- Vacation Rental, Stephinie Futch from Tarpon Real Estate
- Lodging Front of House, Gerri Moore from The Suites at Fishermen’s Village
- Lodging Back of House, Surmailys Morgado from The Days Inn by Wyndham
- Attraction, Cole Kelly from Punta Gorda Adventures
The 2025 Partner of the Year award was presented to Babcock Ranch Eco-Tours. This award recognizes a tourism partner who demonstrates a high level of engagement, not just with the VCB, but with the industry as a whole. Their resolute “Yes” to partner with the VCB, whether it be hosting media, tour operators, film crews or even assisting us with a photo shoot, has resulted in dozens of media features and FAM tours which help tell our story and promote our destination nationally and internationally.
Hosted by the Punta Gorda/Englewood Beach Visitor & Convention Bureau, the Tourism Celebration focused on the theme, “Tourism Strong - Destination Strength Through United Purpose”. Partner displays were provided by IguanaLand, Babcock Ranch Eco-Tours, and Peace River Wildlife Center. During the 2024 calendar year, Charlotte County welcomed an estimated 1.1 million visitors generating an estimated $859 million in direct expenditures and reached over $1.26 billion in economic impact for our community. These visitor expenditures helped to support nearly 13,000 jobs in our community generating over $390 million in wages and salaries while also saving the average household nearly $1,100 in taxes for the year.
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2025 Charlotte County Tourism Hall of Fame Inductee, Robin Madden
2025 Partner of the Year, Babcock Ranch Eco-Tours
ABOUT PUNTA GORDA / ENGLEWOOD BEACH
Punta Gorda/Englewood Beach is Florida’s best-kept secret of a charming natural paradise located on the idyllic Southwest Gulf Coast. This coastal community surrounding the state’s second-largest harbor sits conveniently between Tampa and Naples. Outdoor enthusiasts will find a haven of vibrant experiences in the sun-soaked oasis of the Southwest Florida islands, characterized by almost year-round sunshine and sub-tropical weather. Relaxation and discovery await in miles of waterways and inland exploration trails filled with unspoiled natural beauty. From beaches to boating, hiking to harbor tours, fishing to nature paths; to sun, shelling, and fossilized sharks’ teeth, Punta Gorda/Englewood Beach immerses lively locals and active adventurers in a pure island experience. Most notably known for its 830 miles of pristine unparalleled shoreline, including captivating river passages, a mangrove-edged aquatic preserve, and more than a dozen miles of natural Gulf beaches, the Charlotte Harbor Gulf Island Coast includes the areas of Boca Grande, Don Pedro Island, Englewood-Cape Haze, Little Gasparilla Island, Manasota Key, Knight Island, Placida, Babcock Ranch, Port Charlotte, Charlotte Harbor and Punta Gorda.
To learn more about Punta Gorda / Englewood Beach, visit www.PureFlorida.com, call 941.743.1900 or discover the destination on Instagram, X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook @RealPureFlorida.
Punta Gorda/Englewood Beach VCB Media Contacts:
Lois Croft - Director of Public Relations
Punta Gorda/Englewood Beach Visitor & Convention Bureau
(941) 743-1900 | Lois.Croft@PureFlorida.com
