During the Destin Chamber’s June 14 Business Before Hours Sponsored by Holloway Yacht Charters, Patrick Berry (left), Senior Vice President/Chief Operating Officer of Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park, was honored with the Chamber’s Business Person of the Quarter Award. This award is presented directly from the Chamber’s Board of Directors to a Destin area businessperson showing vision for his or her business and leadership in our community. Berry is pictured with 2024 Chamber Chairman Christian Carlee of Trustmark.
“What Patrick has done for the Gulfarium since he took over is amazing. The growth, facility improvements, involvement in the community – it is all better. He’s also a remarkable person. He absolutely deserves this award,” said Shane A. Moody, CCE, FCCP. He went on to add that “Gulfarium is one of only two businesses that have been members of the Destin Chamber for the entire 57 years we’ve been in existence.”
Berry has been in the marine mammal field for more than 30 years and has served at the Gulfarium for 12 years. As the founder of the Gulfarium CARE Center, he has demonstrated a profound commitment to marine animal conservation and welfare. Established in 2015 as a non-profit extension of the Gulfarium, the CARE Center embodies the principles of Conserve, Act, Rehabilitate, and Educate (C.A.R.E.). Berry's vision and leadership have played a pivotal role in expanding Gulfarium's impact in coastal conservation efforts. The center has successfully rehabilitated and released hundreds of sea turtles back into their natural habitat, contributing significantly to the preservation of marine ecosystems.
Berry's leadership has not only helped our local sea turtles, but his vision has added a world-class attraction to the Gulf Coast with the Spring 2024 grand opening of the new Dolphin Oasis. Dolphin Oasis is a 1M-gallon, $30M dolphin habitat where guests can see and interact with our native bottlenose dolphins. The project was seven years in the making.
According to Berry’s nomination form, which was submitted by a coworker, “Patrick's leadership style is characterized by empathy, humility, and a genuine commitment to serving others. Not only does he elevate the performance and productivity of his team, but he also enriches their lives, creating a positive and fulfilling workplace environment.”
Click here to submit a nomination for this award. For information about the Destin Chamber, visit DestinChamber.com, call (850) 837-6241 or email mail@DestinChamber.com.
