Member News

OCTOBER 16
TICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY, JUNE 22 AT 10AM
 (Fort Myers, FL) – FLATELY Presents LORD OF THE DANCE – DANGEROUS GAMES Tuesday, October 16 at 7:00PM at Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall at FSW. Tickets go on sale Friday, June 22 at 10AM and are available at the Box Office, online at www.bbmannpah.com or call 239-481-4849.
Lord of the Dance premiered at the magnificent Coliseum in London two decades ago, and in 2014 Michael Flatley transformed the show making it even more thrilling than the original.
Lord of the Dance: Dangerous Games with music composed by Gerard Fahy premiered at the iconic London Palladium in September 2014 to mark the milestone 20^th anniversary since Michael Flatley became an international sensation.
The show has since gone on to enjoy hugely successful runs in the West End, Broadway, the US, Canada, Ireland, Germany, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Mexico.
Lord of the Dance: Dangerous Games continues to thrill audiences around the globe with its intoxicating mix of dance and music that fuses the traditional with the contemporary in a classic tale that showcases the exceptional talent of the cast.
The show features cutting edge technology including a giant Radiant flat screen that spans the width of the stage, special effects lighting, dancing robots and world champion acrobats. Let the dance embrace you and take you on a journey filled with energy and passion…
Performance Date/Time:             Tuesday, October 16 – 7:00PM*
Ticket Prices:                                     $75*      $55*      $45*      $35*
 
*All shows, dates, times and ticket prices are subject to change.

Tradeshow tables, registration still available for business expo

FORT MYERS, Fla. (June 18, 2018) – The Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce will hold its fifth annual Mixpo event, an after-hours mixer and business expo, on June 28 in Fort Myers.

The evening offers ample opportunities for participants to network with area professionals and industry leaders, as well as showcase their business to Chamber members and guests.

Mixpo runs from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 28 at the Crowne Plaza Fort Myers at Bell Tower Shops, 13051 Bell Tower Drive in Fort Myers. The cost for Mixpo is $10 for chamber members and $20 for future members.

Tradeshow tables are still available for $175 and include two tickets for attendees. A number of local businesses are participating in the business expo, including Bell Tower Shops, Edison & Ford Winter Estates, Frantz EyeCare, Home-Tech and more.

Light bites will also be provided by the Crowne Plaza Fort Myers’ Catering Department, Cracker Barrel Catering and DeRomo’s.

CopyLady, Inc. is the presenting sponsor for Mixpo. Additional sponsorship opportunities are still available. To learn more, contact Stephanie Davis at [email protected] or 239-332-2930 ext. 213.

For more information about Mixpo, please visit fortmyers.org or call 239-332-3624.

About the Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce:
Serving Lee County and surrounding areas since 1989, the Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce, Inc. is a business organization of professionals who support and promote a progressive, sustainable community. The Chamber represents nearly 800 businesses, professionals and individuals throughout Lee County, providing opportunities for members to participate in a variety of meaningful networking, educational and community- and business-focused programs and events. The Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce is located at 2310 Edwards Drive in downtown Fort Myers. For additional information regarding membership opportunities or events please call 239-332-3624 or visit www.fortmyers.org. For the latest news and updates, follow the Chamber on Facebook at www.facebook.com/gfmcc or Twitter at @FtMyersChamber.

FORT MYERS, FL (June 15, 2018) – Tami Cindrich, Partner with Markham Norton Mosteller Wright & Co., P.A. (MNMW), received the 2018 “Go-Getter of the Year” award from the National Society of Certified Healthcare Business Consultants (NSCHBC) for her contributions to the organization.  This award is given to one member of the NSCHBC during the annual conference who exceeds all expectations in their volunteer role for the society during the year.  The NSCHBC is a national society that serves the healthcare community by providing invaluable resources, education, and networking to its members.
“We are very proud of Tami for this award recognition, she is so deserving of this honor,” said Karen Mosteller, CPA, CHBC, Partner at MNMW.  “Tami is a dedicated professional with our firm, so it is no surprise at all that the NSCHBC would also recognize her willingness to go above and beyond on their Board.”
Cindrich joined MNMW in 1998 and is a Certified Public Accountant, a Certified Healthcare Business Consultant, and an Advanced Certified QuickBooks Pro Advisor. She specializes in consulting with medical and dental practices, working closely with physicians and administrators in all aspects of practice management, from startups to mergers and acquisitions. Cindrich has a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting and a Master of Accountancy degree, both from the University of South Florida.
Markham Norton Mosteller Wright & Co., P.A. is a public accounting and consulting firm with offices in both Fort Myers and Naples.  The firm offers a wide range of services including business consulting, human resources consulting, technology consulting and support, marketing and public relations consulting, tax planning and preparation, litigation support, mediation, forensic accounting, and elder services.  For more information, call (239) 433-5554 or visit www.markham-norton.com

FORT MYERS, Fla – June 14, 2018 – Back by popular demand after a sold-out run last season is The Savannah Sipping Society playing at The Off Broadway Palm now through July 22, 2018. The Savannah Sipping Society is a laugh-a-minute comedy from playwriting trio Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope and Jamie Wooten. The three have authored numerous comedies including the hit The Dixie Swim Club.
Four Southern women, strangers to one another, are drawn together by fate and turn weekly happy hours into a mission to renew the enthusiasm for life they’ve lost through the years. Their raucous humor and collective strengths see them through unexpected challenges and to their surprise; they realize it’s never too late to make lifelong friends.
The Savannah Sipping Society is playing at The Off Broadway Palm Theatre now through July 22, 2018. The Off Broadway Palm is an intimate 100-seat theatre, located in the main lobby of Broadway Palm. Performances are Wednesday through Sunday evenings with selected matinees. Ticket prices range from $39 – $59 with group discounts available for parties of 20 or more. Tickets are now on sale and can be reserved by calling (239) 278-4422, by visiting www.BroadwayPalm.com or by stopping by the box office at 1380 Colonial Boulevard in Fort Myers.

 
FORT MYERS, Fla. (June 11, 2018) – Cassie Spara has joined Sanibel Captiva Community Bank as a teller at the College Parkway branch in Fort Myers. She is responsible for assisting customers with personal and business banking transactions.
A Fort Myers resident since 2015, she earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Florida Gulf Coast University.
“We are pleased to have a recent FGCU marketing program graduate join our team,” said Craig Albert, Sanibel Captiva Community Bank president and CEO. “She is a great addition.”
Founded in 2003, Sanibel Captiva Community Bank has two locations on Sanibel and five locations in Fort Myers. The bank is nationally ranked in the top 20 as a best-performing community bank by S&P Global Market Intelligence out of more than 4,500 banks with assets under $1 billion. It is well-capitalized, with $415 million in total assets, and generates the highest return on equity of all Florida banks.
Sanibel Captiva Community Bank’s professionals provide customized individual and business banking services and specialize in residential loans. The bank offers free personal and business checking, deposit accounts with competitive interest rates, safe deposit boxes, and a full array of online banking products and services, including electronic statements, mobile banking apps, CardValet, online bill pay, Positive Pay and ACH Manager. To learn more, visit www.SanCapBank.com.

Fort Myers, Fla (June 18, 2018) – Colgate 26 keelboat designer and company owner Steve Colgate, announced that the website to support the Colgate 26 has been updated with new content, photos, and owner testimonials. “We’ve had the same website for many years and knew it was time to update the design and content to make it more contemporary, easy to navigate and responsive to multiple devices,” said Colgate 26 and Offshore Sailing School founder and chairman, Steve Colgate.
Colgate26.com also features Specials, one of which is the display boat for the U.S. Sailboat Show. Every year, Offshore Sailing School and Colgate 26 have adjacent displays in Annapolis Harbor for the annual event for all-things sailing. The buyer of the boat to be displayed in Annapolis will save $10,000, making the fun, fast and sporty family sailboat only $39,950. Colgate 26 sailboats are built by Precision Boat Works in Palmetto, Fla., and can be delivered six weeks after order.
The Colgate 26 is the perfect sailboat for day sailing and sailboat racing. The Colgate 26 has been the official training vessel of the U.S. Naval Academy, which took delivery of 12 new Colgate 26s in 2016 for collegiate racing, the U.S. Coast Guard, and Maine Maritime Academy. The Colgate 26 is also the keelboat of choice in the Offshore Sailing School fleet for teaching sailing lessons, basic Learn to Sail courses for US Sailing certification, and performance sailing. The Colgate 26 is also used in Offshore Sailing School’s special racing programs, the 4-day Southwest Florida Racing Clinic taking place at the Pink Shell Beach Resort & Marina on Ft. Myers Beach, Fla., in December 2018; and the 19^th Annual Offshore Sailing School/NorthU Performance Race Week at South Seas Island Resort on Captiva Island, Fla., in April 2019.
Offshore Sailing School was founded in 1964 by Olympian, America’s Cup sailor and National Sailing Hall of Fame Inductee, Steve Colgate. His wife, Doris Colgate, is the company’s President & CEO. Company headquarters for Colgate 26 and Offshore Sailing School are in Fort Myers, Fla. The school provides a full range of sailing and boating instruction with US Sailing & Powerboat certification – from beginning sailing to racing, advanced cruising, and passage making – at four resort locations in Florida: Captiva Island, Fort Myers Beach, Cape Coral, and Saint Petersburg; and two schools in the British Virgin Islands on Tortola and Scrub Island. In addition, Offshore Sailing School conducts team building programs for corporations and groups, and leadership development training for University MBA candidates. More than 140,000 adults and their families have graduated from Offshore Sailing School programs over the past 54 years.
For more information and hi-res images, contact Beth Oliver, Director of Sales and Marketing at 239-985-7516.
 

NAPLES, Fla., (June 19^th, 2018) – A private community in Naples that was visited by President Trump post Irma has begun to rebuild. Naples Estates was one of the areas hardest hit communities suffering extensive wind and water damage. The community selected club builder GATES Construction to demolish the existing clubhouse and construct a new 31,000 Square foot state-of-the-art clubhouse. The Clubhouse will feature multi-purpose rooms, art room, ballroom with a stage, kitchen, new shuffleboard courts, bocce courts, a mini golf course, and new pool. Naples Estates has also embarked on a new project to bring in 100 brand new ultramodern homes, the first 20 are in and ready to show. Design services are provided by JVB Architect and completion is slated for this winter.
Celebrating 25 years in south Florida, GATES Construction provides construction management, general contracting and design-build services.  Their diverse portfolio of commercial, healthcare, multi-family, club and hospitality, institutional and special projects showcases numerous landmarks successfully constructed over the past quarter of a century.  As Florida’s premier builder, GATES serves its clients from offices in Bonita Springs, Sarasota and Palm Beach Gardens, and operates throughout the Southeast United States and Latin America.  For more information on GATES, please call (239) 593-3777 or visit the website at www.GATESinc.com.
 

June 18, 2018 – Fort Myers, FL – The Sounds of Summer Concert Series continues in July! On Friday, July 13th, indie quartet the Woodwork are joined by folk artist Mountain Holler. Enjoy this perfect pairing of original music in downtown Fort Myers from 8pm – 10:30pm. The Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center is located at 2301 First St. in the historic downtown Fort Myers River District.
Sounds of Summer features Florida’s best emerging artists across genres. Local, original music is highlighted in this bi-weekly series. This July, Sounds of Summer features the Woodwork from Naples, Florida. Their name was derived from the old saying “out of the woodwork,” and it couldn’t be more apt for their rise to prominence. After releasing their EP Burning Bridges in 2016, they caught the attention of audiences and promoters in the Florida music scene. The Woodwork were recently invited to participate in the Sugarshack Sessions, and to perform at Gasparilla Music Festival in St. Petersburg, Florida this past Spring.
It was at Gasparilla Music Festival that the Woodwork met Mountain Holler, the soulful solo musician who opens their Sounds of Summer date on July 13th. Mountain Holler is the moniker of St. Petersburg, Florida based multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Mark Etherington. His unique style caught the attention of the Woodwork, and the artists became friends. When offered the Sounds of Summer date at the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center, the Woodwork wanted Mountain Holler to open the show.
Audiences are invited to experience performances by these talented original artists for just $5! FSW and FGCU students can buy one ticket and get one free by presenting a student ID at the box office. For more info, visit www.sbdac.com.
Sponsored by: The Beaches of Fort Myers and Sanibel, Island Hopper Songwriter Fest, Volvo of Fort Myers, and Carbon Press.
Sounds of Summer: The Woodwork and Mountain Holler
Friday, July 13th | Tickets $5
Music: 8pm | Doors: 7:30pm
FSW and FGCU students BOGO with Student ID at box office!

June 18, 2018 – Fort Myers, FL – This July, Bradford Hermann brings his eccentric art to downtown Fort Myers. Opening Friday, July 6th at 6pm, “A Head of the Past” features Hermann’s mask collection. Take part in this inquisitive show that examines the masks we wear. The Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center is located at 2301 First St. in the historic downtown Fort Myers River District.
“A Head of the Past” is an exhibition created by artist Bradford Shaw Hermann consisting primarily of masks using different materials, repurposed man-made materials, as well as natural materials. The first discovered mask in human history dates as far back as 7,000 B.C. They could date back much further but the materials used (leather/wood) did not survive. Masks can also be merely an idea in order to conceal identities. These are all examples of human masks, but, humans are not the only animals to use them. Most living creatures use some variation of a mask. Whether it be for protection, dominance, courtship, warning and/or survival.
A mask is an object normally worn on the face, typically for protection, disguise, performance, or entertainment. Masks have been used since antiquity for both ceremonial and practical purposes. The use of masks in rituals or ceremonies is a very ancient common practice across the world, although masks can also be worn for protection, in hunting, in sports, in feasts, or in wars, or simply used as ornamentation. But there are also the psychological masks, the persona, the social face that humans present to the world, a mask designed, on the one hand, to make a definite impression upon others, and on the other, to conceal the true nature of the individual.
“A Head of the Past” can be best understood via a quote from E.E. Cummings: “The greatest battle we face as human beings is the battle to protect our true selves from the selves the world wants us to become.” Experience this captivating exhibition that speculates on the human condition. Join SBDAC for the opening night celebration on July 6th in the Capital Gallery from 6pm – 10pm.
It was in 1998 that Bradford Hermann was fortunate enough to travel to Africa, Egypt, and the Seychelles Islands. Upon his return, despite never having taken art classes, he felt compelled to paint a picture of a photo he captured in Kenya. When someone insisted on purchasing the painting, it sparked a life-long passion that has now been 20 years in the making. Bradford’s accolades as a visual artist include features in magazines, both local and international, including cover exposure; numerous features in newspapers, including front page articles; many online publications; a novel cover (The Tooth Fairy), and the background for a music video album for Morgan Li (Norway Idol Winner). He was also the feature artist on the P.B.S. television shows, Curious Kids,  Imagination, and his creations are in hundreds of private collections around the globe. Bradford has won Best in Show, People’s Choice, and Judges Choice honors in a number of competitions and exhibitions. Mr. Hermann has also donated much of his art in support of many research foundations and non-profit organizations from animal cruelty to cancer.
Bradford Hermann: “A Head of the Past”
Friday, July 6, 2018 | 6pm – 10pm
Free Admission
Visit www.sbdac.com or call 239 333 1933 for more info.

Menus feature items priced from $5.
FORT MYERS, Fla. (June 18, 2018) – Society has launched their new dining menus.
The new offerings include a lunch, all-day, dinner, Treehouse Bites and Happy Hour menu.
“I am excited about these new menus because it brings some diversity for a variety of taste palates but still has a Southwest Florida feel to it,” said Society’s Executive Chef James Pryor.
The lunch menu features appetizers including Korean barbecue wings, a variety of sushi and sandwiches, soups, salads and large plates including salmon, grilled chicken and more with prices starting at $5.
The all-day menu includes a variety of options from a Mezze plate, sweet and spicy bacon, fries, calamari, chicken chop salad, Cuban cigars, wings, a bacon jam burger, salmon and spicy tuna rolls and coconut fried shrimp. All-day items start at $8. The Treehouse Bites mimics the all-day menu.
The dinner menu features a variety of small plates including crab cakes and duck meatballs, sushi and seafood, salads, large plates and sides. Dinner menu items start at $7 and will also be available upstairs in the Treehouse.
Some of Chef Pryor’s favorite items include pork shoulder ribs, crab stuffed grouper, Society’s shrimp roll, miso roasted black cod, a spicy feta pork chop, the Brussels and bacon side and, of course, the popular Cuban cigars.
According to Pryor, Society will also continue to feature daily specials created by his team that allows everyone in the kitchen to become involved in using their creativity to produce dishes that inspire them each day.
The Happy Hour menu available from 4 to 7 p.m. each day includes five items priced at $5 and features loaded fries, jalapeno poppers, deep fried calamari, chicken chop salad and sweet and spicy bacon.
Society also has an early dining menu featuring five items priced from $16 to $19 available daily from 3 to 6 p.m. in their downstairs main dining room.
“Chef James has worked really hard with his talented team to come up with menus that will appeal to a broad range of patrons without breaking the bank,” said Brad Cozza, owner/partner of Society. “We want to be Southwest Florida’s go to dining and entertainment venue, seven days per week.”
Pryor is an experienced chef and a culinary arts graduate of Johnson and Wales University and worked with DeRomo’s Gourmet Market and Restaurant in Bonita Springs and Columbus Hospitality Management based out of Columbus, Ohio prior to joining Society.
  Located at the Bell Tower Shops, Society is a modern American restaurant featuring multilevel dining and bar options from al fresco dining on the patio, banquette seating in the main dining area and the vibrant rooftop Treehouse with live music.
Society serves lunch daily from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. with light bites available from 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Dinner is served from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays, and 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays with a late-night-bites menu available on weekend nights.
Society features 14,000 square feet of dining and event space with seating for 250 and also provides private dining and event opportunities in the intimate Executive and West dining rooms.
For more information, visit www.societyfortmyers.com or call 239-334-0900.