A Life of Inspirational Leadership
ChappellRoberts was built on the strongest of foundations. The values and core beliefs by which Deanne Roberts lived her life are inextricably linked to this agency. Her influence and example can be felt in every aspect of our business – how we treat our clients, the work we produce, the way we feel about our industry, our engagement in the community, and even who we hire. Thankfully, Deanne's principles have become part of our agency DNA.
In reflecting on her career, those of us fortunate enough to have worked with Deanne realize how much other people also wanted to work with her, hear from her, and learn from her. That's why we've created a resource to share some of Deanne's knowledge, passion, insights and experiences.
Take a look around—on these pages you'll find words of wisdom, see leadership in action, and understand what it means to build a business and career based on honesty, integrity, and sheer tenacity. We hope you'll be inspired by Deanne's legacy to make a bigger commitment to your own business, your community and your passion.
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If everyone on your team did what only they could do, imagine the power you have together as you all work at the top of your skill sets. Imagine how many leaders would be bred—people with well-developed talents to lead all kinds of community projects.”
Deanne Roberts
Emerge Tampa – January 2006
Passing the Leadership Baton: A Boomer Reaches Out to Gen X & Y
Foundations
With all Deanne accomplished, one thing she never quite managed to do was stand still. Always growing, always moving forward, Deanne set a solid example by leveraging her innate talents and empowering those around her, while constantly discovering new opportunities to grow and to learn. She credited her parents with instilling in her the core values of honesty, integrity and drive.
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Young people [ages 24-35] are the work and show horses in today's economy because they work long hours and have the most up-to-date skills. To appeal to this group, you have to be a community attractive to singles, not just the traditional family.”
Deanne Roberts
Tampa Connection – September 2004
Tampa Tomorrow
Education
A Tampa native and fourth-generation Floridian, Deanne attended high school at the Academy of Holy Names. While there, she developed her speechwriting, debate and persuasive presentation skills, which would lead to her eventual career choice and guide her professional path for the next 30 years.
After high school, Deanne enrolled at the University of South Florida and selected Mass Communications as her major based on a suggestion from a friend. In 1974, she graduated with a bachelor's degree. She and her brother became the first in their family to receive a college education.
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All of us should be a mentor and a mentee. Leadership succession is a continual process, because there's always someone behind you…”
Deanne Roberts
Tampa Bay Advertising Federation Award – February 2008
Career 1970
Deanne Roberts, APR began her career as a public relations professional working at St. Anthony's Hospital, and later Sun City Center. In 1978, realizing she needed a variety in her career one company alone could not provide, Deanne launched Deanne Roberts & Associates; a one-person PR firm. At age 25, she was on her way to controlling her own destiny as an advocate and leader.
Over the next couple of years, alliances and partnerships were formed, which served Deanne well in building her business. The Tampa economy was relatively weak, but Deanne's client roster began to grow thanks to her referral relationship with a local advertising agency.
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I've learned the hard way that it's never too early to think about your legacy. And I believe it's our collective legacy as leaders to support others as they take big―and sometimes scary―leaps for our community.”
Deanne Roberts
Leadership Tampa Alumni Park Wright III Award – January 2009
Career 1980
Known as the "megatrends" period, the early 80s were full of optimism in the region. By the mid-80s, Deanne's agency had grown into Roberts Communications & Marketing with eight employees on her team. She began competing with large, national agencies for business and landed high-profile clients.
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Qualities of a leader include articulating and being an evangelist for a vision, gaining agreement among people for that vision, linking them together to achieve it, pushing it through obstacles even when the power to do so is not yours, and remaining resilient when the unpredictable occurs. These are also the qualities of a communicator.”
Deanne Roberts
Public Relations Society of America – March 2003
Communicators as Leaders
Career 1990
During the early 90s, Deanne became interested in expanding the agency's service offerings. Following her belief in surrounding yourself with others whose strengths are different from your own, she set about integrating public relations with advertising and marketing. Harnessing what she believed was her greatest skill – strategic thinking – she made the bold move of buying a small advertising agency and integrating it with her public relations practice. Many in the PR and advertising industries criticized her, saying these two disciplines would never be successfully integrated. As a result of this visionary move, Deanne became an early pioneer of integrated communications.
Still known primarily for public relations in the mid-90s, Deanne leveraged the agency's public and community expertise to grow a strong issues-management practice, which remains a personal hallmark of the company to this day.
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…one thing I planned for was the successful succession to this company's next leader and owner. I didn't just want to recruit someone to take the reins. I wanted someone who would raise the bar and push us to the next level. Someone who had better vision and better management skills than I ever possessed. And I'll tell you tonight that the best decision I made over three decades was to recruit my client, mentee, mentor and dear friend―Colleen Chappell―to join this company six years ago and take its helm.”
Deanne Roberts
ChappellRoberts Rebrand – November 2008
Career 2000
With more than 20 years of experience and growth under her belt, Deanne was evolving into a figurehead in the region: she became Chairperson of the Tampa Chamber of Commerce, which allowed her to leverage her passion for redevelopment of the city's core and improvement of the mass transit system; she co-founded Creative Tampa Bay, an organization dedicated to attracting the top talent to the area; and she established Emerge Tampa Bay, designed to connect young professionals in the region with one another.
Although a small business owner, Deanne always thought like a big-business leader. She made a critical business decision which would grow the agency significantly and allow her to eventually retire comfortably — she put a formal succession plan in place. In 2002, Deanne recruited Colleen Chappell, a longtime friend and client, to become her successor. With Colleen in place as executive vice president, the next five years became the tipping point for the agency – experiencing years of strategic expansion and exponential growth.
In 2004, Deanne and Colleen moved the agency to Ybor City, making Roberts Communications & Marketing the catalyst for creative businesses in the historic district and growing art community. The agency more than doubled in staff and clients, and implemented many operational processes to more efficiently support the expanding business portfolio.
In November 2008 — the agency's 30th anniversary — Colleen became president of ChappellRoberts and Deanne realized her pre-planned strategy by transitioning to chairman of the board. While in this role, Deanne devoted her time to those projects and clients she was most passionate about. Her mantra was, "You gotta love what you are doing."
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Remember, a leader isn't always the smartest or most creative or first to identify an opportunity. The leader is the one who has the courage to initiate, to set things in motion, to move ahead.”
Deanne Roberts
Emerge Tampa – January 2006
Passing the Leadership Baton: A Boomer Reaches Out to Gen X & Y
Community Impact and Accomplishments
Deanne Roberts was passionately dedicated to serving her community. Throughout her decades-long career as a successful businesswoman, she founded several organizations and served in a leadership capacity for many groups throughout Tampa Bay and the state of Florida. Deanne dedicated herself to mentoring the next generation of community leaders and worked tirelessly to advance important initiatives for the betterment of Tampa Bay.
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Organizations like Leadership Tampa Alumni and Leadership Florida are so vital. They link leaders to each other so we can use our combined strengths to take big leaps forward for our communities. I look around this room and feel lifted up by all of you—just think of our combined strength and energy here today. That's what we, in these leadership networks, do for each other in our respective civic work.”
Deanne Roberts
Leadership Tampa Alumni Park Wright III Award – January 2009
Organizations Founded
Over the years, Deanne made it her mission to lay a foundation for growth and achievement in the Tampa Bay area – creating opportunity for both present and future generations. Deanne was instrumental in the creative of innovative leadership programs.
Emerge Tampa Bay is a leadership program of the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce, designed for promising young professionals aged 21 to 35. The program concentrates on four main segments: VOICE (public policy, military affairs and economic development), CONNECT (community service and non-profit leadership), GROW (professional development, speakers series and mentoring program) and INTERACT (special events, The Buzz, ad hoc).
Creative Tampa Bay was founded to be a catalyst for economic and social development by promoting principles of the creative economy and supporting creative industries. The goal is to serve as a connector of people, ideas, experiences and places. Members of Creative Tampa Bay believe that business, economic development, arts/culture, social and environmental principles must work together to create vibrant, sustainable communities.
Connect Florida (formerly Emerge Florida) is an innovative program created to assist young professionals in making a positive impact on Florida. This is the first statewide networking organization designed for Florida's leaders in the 21-to-35 age range. The vision of the organization is to be the essential resource for educating and training the next generation of emerging leaders in the state.
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Leadership is about ACTION not POSITION. If you want to lead, there are no excuses for not doing it—not stature in the community, not the amount of money you have, and certainly not one's age. You see, people are not born leaders. They step up and take leadership roles. And the earlier they start that leadership journey, the better for our communities.”
Deanne Roberts
Emerge Tampa – January 2006
Passing the Leadership Baton: A Boomer Reaches Out to Gen X & Y
Awards Received
While Deanne never measured her success by the accolades she garnered,
it is incredible to reflect on the recognition the community bestowed on her throughout her career. Some highlights include:
Tampa Bay Advertising Federation, Lifetime Achievement Award, Silver Medal, 2008
The Silver Medal Award is given based on contributions to the community, creative ability, contributions to the advancement of advertising and the betterment of one's own company. The recipient is selected by a panel of previous Silver Medal Award winners and past presidents of local clubs, and is awarded annually.
USF's School of Mass Communications, Distinguished Alumni Award, 1992
The award is given annually to recognize graduates of USF's School of Mass Communications who have excelled and made significant contributions in their field. Since 1976, this award has recognized the USF alumnus who has reached the pinnacle of success in their career or profession.
Leadership Tampa Alumni, Parke Wright, III Award, 2009
The prestigious Parke Wright, III Award is presented annually to a member of Leadership Tampa Alumni who has demonstrated exceptional leadership and made a significant difference in the Tampa Bay community. Parke Wright, III Award recipients embody leadership with their vision, courage, initiative, motivation, selflessness, commitment, dependability and accomplishment.
Leadership Florida, Distinguished Member Award 2010
The purpose of the Leadership Florida Distinguished Member Award is to recognize a Leadership Florida graduate whose continued leadership activities have exemplified the highest standards of Leadership Florida, and whose activities achieved results or set an example of statewide influence.
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People buy in to the leader first, then the leader's vision. Some people believe that if a cause is good, people will automatically buy in to it and follow. But that's not how it works. I learned that first you have to become a better leader. That's the price you have to pay if you want your vision to become reality.”
Deanne Roberts
Women and Leadership – April 2004
Business and Professional Women
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When I retire I'll ask myself if I did everything I could to act with integrity, bring along young people and invest in my community. And those are the questions I hope you'll ask yourself—and I sincerely hope you're happy with the answers. Because they really do matter.”
Deanne Roberts
Tampa Bay Advertising Federation Award – February 2008
Scholarship Funds
Deanne's dedication to the community lives on through her personal scholarship funds at the University of South Florida and Jesuit High School. Below are the addresses and information for both of these organizations for those who wish to contribute.
University of South Florida
Attn: Office of Development
4202 E Fowler Avenue, CPR 107
Tampa, FL 33620
Made out to USF Foundation, Inc.
Memo: Deanne Roberts Scholarship
Jesuit High School
Attn: Office of Development
Dewey/Roberts Family Scholarship
4701 N. Himes Avenue
Tampa, FL 33614
