BRADENTON – At the conclusion of the Manatee County Tourist Development Council (TDC) meeting last Monday, Chiles Group owner Ed Chiles was honored by the Council for 25 years of service as a TDC member.
Several of his employees and friends quietly entered the meeting at the Manatee County Administration Building to be on hand as Chiles was presented with an inscribed compass by Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) Executive Director Elliott Falcione.
“A leader is someone people want to follow. A leader is a great mentor. A leader is a great listener. A leader is someone who steps up in good times and bad. A leader is consistently unselfish, consistently humble, and consistently runs like a John Deer motor,” said Falcione, speaking of Chiles, whom he refers to as his mentor.
Chiles is owner of the Chiles Group, whose restaurants include The Sandbar in Anna Maria, Beach House in Bradenton Beach and Mar Vista in Longboat Key. Chiles is passionate about conservation, especially concerning the area’s water. He is involved with more than a dozen businesses, committees and organizations focused on the conservation of water, marine life and coastline as well as red tide prevention. Chiles Group restaurants use responsibly-sourced local fish and organic produce from their two organic farms, Gamble Creek Farm of Parrish and 3 Boys Farm of Ruskin.
“If I would have known you were doing this, I wouldn’t have worn shorts,” Chiles joked after being surprised by the TDC, before wiping back a few tears as he thanked his fellow TDC members for the honor.
