Amanda and John Horne to receive annual Chamber of Commerce leadership award
John and Amanda Horne, community activists and owners of four Anna Maria Oyster Bar restaurants, have been selected as recipients of the fourth-annual Robert P. Bartz Award for Outstanding Leadership.
“Amanda and John are tireless, creative and generous in the ways they approach business and community endeavors,” the Manatee Chamber of Commerce announced Thursday. “Through their inspiring partnerships and individual passions they have supported so many non-profits and community efforts.”
The award will be presented June 24 at the Chamber’s 58th annual dinner at the Bradenton Area Convention Center, 1 Haben Blvd. in Palmetto.
“Their infectious spirit and commitment to roll up their sleeves to see good work get done has garnered local, state and national recognition,” the chamber said.
The award is named for Bob Bartz, the long-time chamber president and CEO who died in 2017.
Anna Maria Oyster Bar has been a Manatee County staple for more than 25 years, in part because of the loyalty the Hornes inspire in their staff.
“It has to be fun and different. I want my staff to have fun and absolutely enjoy their day. We are in the hospitality business,” Horne told the Herald last September. “If I walk in the front door laughing and in a good mood, everybody will be in a good mood. Guests will sense that right away. Good food will not overcome bad service. Let’s make the best experience and let them have fun.”
When Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis closed restaurant dining rooms across the state to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, Horne continued to pay his staff for seven weeks, wanting them to stay home and stay safe.
Among Amanda and John Horne’s passions are Dive into Reading, Pace Center for Girls and veterans.
In 2014, the Hornes treated 84 World War II vets to lunch to commemorate the 70th anniversary of D-Day, the invasion of Normandy.
John Horne serves on the board of trustees for State College of Florida Manatee-Sarasota. He is also a member of the Manatee Chamber of Commerce, along with the Citizens’ Financial Oversight Committee for the Manatee County school district, and serves on the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association.
Amanda Horne once wrote in the Bradenton Herald that she gets satisfaction and joy from working with women and girls in Manatee County.
“What a difference it can make when we nurture and encourage a sense of self. We get to tell them that they are smart, capable women and girls, no matter what circumstances life has thrown at them,” Amanda Horne wrote.
“We need to teach our daughters and sisters that our worth is not defined by how much we weigh, or how good we look in a bathing suit. We are far, far more than that — we are women, we are sisters and together we can do anything,” she wrote.
In 2017, Amanda Horne was recognized by the Women’s Resource Center for her work on behalf of women, girls and education. In 2014, she co-founded with her husband the Horne and Moon Scholarship Social to raise scholarship money for gap students to attended State College of Florida, USF Sarasota-Manatee, and Manatee Technical College.
Attendance at the annual dinner will be limited, and table seating reduced, to allow for ample physical distancing. To register, visit the Manatee Chamber of Commerce web page.
This story was originally published May 13, 2021 at 1:54 PM.
