Shumaker Partner Meghan O. Serrano has been recognized by Leadership Sarasota for her exemplary work with the Boys & Girls Club of Sarasota and DeSoto Counties. At the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce’s 2024 Celebrate Outstanding Leadership Awards annual luncheon, Meghan was presented with the prestigious 'Impact in Action' award.

"I am deeply humbled and honored to be recognized as a leader making a difference for the children of Sarasota—the community I love and call home," said Meghan.

Serrano’s interest in the Club goes back to 2009 when she first moved to Sarasota and had her sights set on finding an organization to volunteer with that helped kids. One of her law partners had worked with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota and DeSoto Counties for a long time and he introduced her to the staff there. She started off by helping out with some committees and decided to join the Board of Directors in 2016. She has remained passionate about the Club ever since, and is the immediate past Board Chair. Her dedication, however, has gone far beyond the boardroom through mentorship, legal counseling, financial support and visionary leadership with one of her greatest accomplishments being the “Times of Crisis” operation manual that she helped design and implement. Following the damage caused by Hurricane Ian, Meghan worked tirelessly as part of the team dedicated to rebuilding the club, which benefits hundreds of children in the local community each year.  As part of that effort, Meghan assisted in securing a loan to help rebuild the club.

“Everything I do for the Boys and Girls Club is instantly gratifying and I know I am making a difference,” she shares. “I wish there had been an organization like the Club in my hometown when I was growing up. That feeling definitely drives my commitment to this organization.”

The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Sarasota program is a year-long intensive program which enhances participants' awareness of community needs by examining how leadership in historical, geographical, educational, economic, governmental, and cultural segments work together to advance Sarasota County. The annual “Celebrate Outstanding Leadership Awards” luncheon honors graduates who have shown exceptional leadership within the program and the community.

Meghan, an accomplished lawyer in all phases of business litigation, is known for her meticulous and hardworking nature. Serving as Shumaker’s Litigation and Disputes Regional Service Line Leader and Financial Institutions and Insurance Business Sector Co-Chair, Meghan regularly represents businesses, business owners, employers, insurers, banks, lenders, and landlords in both state and federal court, at the trial level and on appeal.