Piccolo chairs Sarasota Chamber

While members of the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce convene for an annual meeting, a long-expected change among the organization's leadership ranks will become official: Fredrick “Rick” Piccolo assumes the role of Board Chair.

Piccolo, president and CEO of Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (SRQ), replaces attorney Bob Messick, a partner with Icard, Merrill, Cullis, Timm, Furen & Ginsburg, P.A.

In his role as CEO of the airport, Piccolo led discussions with Continental and United Airlines about resuming non-stop service from SRQ to Newark, which he referred to at the time as “very positive.” He also led an attempt to attract German-based Condor Air to the Sarasota airport, an effort that fell through in part because of complications arising from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Piccolo is also a member of the 2010 class of CEO Direct, the Tampa Bay Partnership's annual leadership development group.