Celestan takes Chamber helm

TAMPA — Gregory Celestan, chairman and CEO of technology firm Celestar Corp., plans to plans to reinforce community business ties with MacDill Air Force Base in his new role as 2013 chairman of the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce.

Celestar provides intelligence consulting services to military and government agencies, as well as businesses. A West Point graduate, Celestan retired from the Army in 2004 after 20 years with the military, according to his company.

With the chamber, Celestan also intends to champion innovation through its Startup Scholars program and to support the area's entrepreneurs, as part of Tampa Bay's economic development.

More than 600 people attended the installation of Celestan and other new leaders at the chamber's 127th anniversary event Thursday at the Tampa Convention Center, the chamber says in a statement.

Robin DeLaVergne, executive director of Tampa General Hospital Foundation, was installed as 2013 chairwoman of the chamber's executive committee.

The chamber awarded James Ferman, Jr., former chairman of the chamber, the 2012 H.L. Culbreath Jr. Profile in Leadership Award. Ferman is CEO and president of Ferman Motor Car Co., and chairman of The Bank of Tampa.