SARASOTA, Fla. — Attorney and partner Jennifer B. Compton of the Sarasota office of Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP, a national business law firm with five offices and more than 240 attorneys, was honored this week at the Celebration of Outstanding Leadership annual awards luncheon hosted by the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce.
“The Launching of a Legacy” ceremony, held on April 28 at the Michael’s on East ballroom, shined a spotlight on the transformational work of the Chamber’s Leadership Sarasota program and its many alumni.
At the 30th anniversary of the program’s inception, three distinguished honorees were celebrated, including Compton, Sarasota County School Board member Shirley Brown and president and CEO of Easter Seals of Southwest Florida, Tom Waters.
Compton is an alumnus of Leadership Sarasota’s class of 2011. The program is designed to nurture and engage the leadership skills of potential and current leaders by providing an atmosphere that stimulates and fosters diverse viewpoints, resulting in innovative answers to the critical questions facing our community. Leadership Sarasota strives to create awareness and connect leaders with issues; it is not an academic leadership-training program.
Started in 1984, more than 700 graduates have participated in Leadership Sarasota, a program that includes community immersion, leadership training and education on "how things work" in our community and our county.
“I grew up in Sarasota and was still amazed at everything I learned from this innovative program,” said Compton. “My main takeaway was the realization that after learning about all of the challenges we face, I wanted to be a part of the solution. I wanted to join the other community leaders who are so tireless in their efforts to make our region better. As a leader, you not only recognize that your community can be a better place but also that you have to work to make it that better place.”
Compton credited her leadership skills to her parents, her husband and her son. Her mother, Mickey Kunk attended the awards ceremony along with her husband John and her 10-year-old son Jack.
Currently, Compton serves on The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce board of directors, chairs the Leadership and Professional Development Council, serves as a member of the executive committee and has previously served as chair of the Workforce Innovation and Talent Development Council. She is a founding member of Talent4Tomorrow, has served on the boards of the American Cancer Society, the American Red Cross and is currently the chair of Girls Inc. of Sarasota County.
Compton is board certified by The Florida Bar in labor and employment law and is co-chair of the firm’s marketing and business development committee as well as the firm-wide labor and employment law department. She concentrates on employment law counseling and litigation, representing employers and providing assistance in preventative counseling, as well as defense against litigation brought by current and former employees. She also works with executives separating from employers, with a focus on severance and restrictive covenants.
About Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP
Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick is a full-service business law firm with more than 240 lawyers, 60 paralegals and 495 employees in five offices: Toledo and Columbus, Ohio; Tampa and Sarasota, Florida; and Charlotte, North Carolina. In each of its markets, Shumaker is the premier provider of quality legal services to individuals, small businesses, health care providers, nonprofits and Fortune 500 and international corporations.