Each year, SRQ Media invites the community to nominate individuals with hearts of giving who have made a significant impact with local nonprofit organizations — from volunteers and board members to individual staff members and donors. This year, attendees were thrilled to be together as we recognized our annual Good Hero Philanthropic Award recipients at the SB2: Philanthropic Agenda Luncheon and Good Hero Philanthropic Awards Luncheon on Tuesday, March 7th at Michael’s on East in Sarasota. In the coming weeks, we are happy to feature each of the ten honorees in our Wednesday Philanthropic edition of SRQ Daily.

Today we are recognizing W.E. “Chip” Gaylor, a Venice native who demonstrates outstanding civic and charitable leadership across the area. He is a former board chair of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County and continues to serve as external counsel for the 43-year-old philanthropic organization. Most recently, he is co-chairing the Community Foundation’s task force overseeing the distribution of more than $5 million of funds to help the region recover with resiliency from Hurricane Ian. Since founding his law firm in 1992, Chip has been committed to his community. Chip is a member of the Florida Bar Association and the Sarasota County Bar Association, where he served as President in 2017-2018, the Real Property, Probate, and Trust Law Section of both bar associations, and of the Venice Estate Planning Council. Chip is also the recipient of the Sarasota Yacht Club's inaugural Anchor Award for Philanthropy where he created the club's employee scholarship fund, helping to establish its grant-making arm, SYC Cares. Congratulations, Chip.