Champion of Hope Award
PREVIOUS AWARD WINNERS
2023: Edward Kobel
Edward Kobel is the President and Chief Operating Officer of DeBartolo Development and is responsible for the company's strategy, execution, and capitalization. He serves the Tampa Bay Community with his time and resources. From a poverty up-bringing to a prosperous and inspiring adulthood, Kobel is passionate about helping business owners and entrepreneurs integrate their faith more fully into their business and lives.
Prior to overseeing DeBartolo Development, Mr. Kobel served as a partner of Fortis Advisors in Scottsdale, Arizona, an affiliate company of the DeBartolo Property Group, where he managed more than $600 million in real estate projects. Before joining Fortis Advisors, Mr. Kobel founded Trinity Development with offices in Colorado Springs and Denver, Colorado, Phoenix, Arizona, and Chicago, Illinois. Trinity Development was primarily engaged in new retail development as well as value-added shopping center redevelopment and completed over $300 million in retail development.
Using his prior knowledge and skills, Mr. Kobel has assisted DeBartolo Development in launching a Community Reinvestment Fund that will invest $400 million into value-added real estate to revitalize shopping centers in depressed communities, which will create more job opportunities and economic growth. Using his career success as a sounding board, Mr. Kobel has been involved with many charitable causes, devoting his time and leadership to multiple non-profit organizations. For his extraordinary contributions, he was awarded the Outstanding Professional and Community Citizenship Award from former Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio.
Mr. Kobel is the Chairman of Lifework Leadership, a leadership development program that provides ethical leadership training for business and community leaders. He serves on the Board of Directors for Faith Tampa Bay, an organization working to meet the transformation needs of the Tampa Bay area. He serves on the Board of Directors for the University of Tampa, the Board of Business Affairs for Saint Leo University, and the Board of Directors for Meet the Need. Originally from Pittsburgh, Mr. Kobel served in the U.S. Army's counter-intelligence department before achieving success in the real estate industry. Currently, he lives in Tampa with his wife Becky and their daughters, Elizabeth and Katherine.
2022: Jim Flammer
Jim Flammer was born in Tampa, FL in 1958. His biological parents placed him for adoption and he was taken to Children’s Home Society inTampa. He was then adopted by Karl and Nancy Flammer and grew up in Clearwater and Dunedin, Florida. Jim graduated from Dunedin HighSchool and then attended the University of Florida. He has since worked in his family’s business, Karl Flammer Ford since 1979.
Jim was saved at Calvary Baptist Church downtown Clearwater inOctober of 1983. He married the love of his life, Diane Sovring Flammer on June 22, 1985. They are blessed with three children, Meghan, Grant and Erick, and two grandchildren, Braxton and Lincoln.
He has served on many Church Boards, the Ford Dealer AdvertisingBoard of North Florida, the Advisory Board of Directors of Platinum Bank, the Board of Directors at Young Life, and the School Board of CalvaryChristian High School.
Jim believes that what is foundational to who he is was formed first byhis beginning. Being adopted and brought into a loving family. He was taught values of home, hard work and community. These things have been instrumental in molding him into who he is now. Foster Care and Adoption are two areas of passion that he is able to work through with great people and organizations to assist in the placement and nurturing of children and young adults.