Member News

(Fort Myers, FL) January 22, 2018- Ronald McDonald House Charities® (RMHC) of Southwest Florida has elected board officers for 2018: President Robert Atkinson, Retail Specialist, Lowe’s Inc.; Vice Presidents Lee Bellamy, General Manager, Shangri-La Springs; and Deana Homsi, McDonald’s Owner/Operator; Treasurer Gladys Riccobono, CPA, CVA, MAAF, Compass Forensics LLC;  Secretary and Past President Heidi Colgate-Tamblyn, Senior Vice President & Manager, Synovus Securities;  Parliamentarian Carey Randall, Associate Publisher/CFO, Smithsonian (retired).
 
RMHC is also pleased to welcome to the Board of Directors:  Frank Mazzeo, Jr., DDS, President and CEO, Family Health Centers of Southwest Florida;  Shahid Sultan, MD, Neonatologist/VP KVS Interior Design; and Sarah Hawes, Director of Community Relations, Healthcare Network of Southwest Florida.
 
The mission of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southwest Florida is to create, find, and support programs that directly impact the health and well-being of children and their families in Lee, Charlotte, Collier, Glades and Hendry counties. RMHC of SWFL supports the Ronald McDonald House®, Ronald McDonald Care Mobile® Program, grants and scholarships to deserving individuals and organizations in our five county region.  For more information, visit www.rmhcswfl.org
 

JANUARY 22, 2018 – FORT MYERS, FLA. – The Florida SouthWestern State College (FSW) Critical Thinking Lecture Series continues its spring program with a series of guest speakers in February. These community leaders will discuss how they use critical thinking skills in their profession or focus on critical topics from their area of career or academic interest. The FSW Critical Thinking Lecture Series spring schedule runs from January-April, offering a wide range of guest speakers and topics each month, and can be viewed at www.fsw.edu/ctls. The series is free and open to the public.
Presentations can be viewed live on the Thomas Edison Campus or digitally at all other FSW locations. The February schedule is as follows:
“Put on Your Thinking Cap: Six Hats for Better Decision Making” with Dr. Mary Myers, professor, Cornerstone Experience and Introduction to Technology, FSW
Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2-3 p.m.
FSW Campus Locations – Thomas Edison Campus: Building U-102; Charlotte Campus: Building E-105; Collier Campus: Building A-103; Hendry/Glades Curtis Center: Building A-106
 
“Food is Medicine” with Dr. Salvatore Lacagnina, system medical director of Wellness and Employee Health for Lee Health
Tuesday, Feb. 13, 12:30-1:30 p.m.
FSW Campus Locations – Thomas Edison Campus: Building U-102; Charlotte Campus: Building O-117; Collier Campus: Building M-201; Hendry/Glades Curtis Center: Building A-114
 
“Living in a World of Fake News” with Ron Feemster, professor, journalism, FSW
Monday, Feb. 19, 6-7 p.m.
FSW Campus Locations – Thomas Edison Campus: Building U-102; Charlotte Campus: Building O-117; Collier Campus: Building M-201; Hendry/Glades Curtis Center: Building A-106
 
“Think Like a Nurse” with Angie Vitale, professor, nursing, FSW
Thursday, Feb. 22, 2-3 p.m.
FSW Campus Locations – Thomas Edison Campus: Building AA-177; Charlotte Campus: Building J-118; Collier Campus: Building A-103
 
“Nature is Queer” with Dr. Roz Jester, professor, oceanography; and director, eLearning, FSW
Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2-3 p.m.
FSW Campus Locations – Thomas Edison Campus: Building J-103
 
For more information on the FSW Critical Thinking Lecture Series, contact Whitney Rhyne, director, Strategic Initiatives, at (239) 433-6943 or [email protected].
 
 

(Fort Myers) – Tedeschi Trucks Band will perform at Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall at FSW on Thursday, April 12 at 7:30PM. Tickets go on sale Friday, January 26 at 10AM and will be available at the Box Office, online at www.bbmannpah.com or call 239-481-4849.
 
Now in their eighth year, Grammy-winning Tedeschi Trucks Band has earned their reputation as one of the premier live acts touring today. The 12-piece ensemble, led by the husband-and-wife team of guitarist Derek Trucks and guitarist-singer Susan Tedeschi, is a true collective; a rarity in rock-and-roll with every musician featured nightly while serving the band’s unified vision, pushing the boundaries of group dynamics and improvisation to inspiring new heights. Praised by reviewers for their “joy-filled blast of blues, soul and rock” (Philadelphia Inquirer) and “stellar musicianship” (Denver Post), TTB is a touring juggernaut, on the road over 200 days a year and never playing the same set list twice.
 
Their latest release, Live From the Fox Oakland, (2017) – a CD and film – was recorded in a single night at a show that fans and band members all regard as one of their finest performances to date.  The double disc live recording showcases the band’s ability to move seamlessly from blistering rock and blues to soulful ballads and includes their take on classics from Derek and the Dominos, Leonard Cohen, and even Miles Davis among TTB’s original songs.
 
Live From the Fox Oakland, which debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Blues and #6 on the Rock Albums chart, follows four critically-hailed and commercially successful TTB albums, including their Grammy-winning inaugural studio effort Revelator (2011), and 2016’s Let Me Get By, the first to be solely produced by Trucks and written in house in the TTB family and called by the Associated Press “one of the great records of the year”.
 
Performance Date / Time:           Thursday, April 12 – 7:30PM*
Ticket Prices:                                     $125*    $99.50*    $69.50*    $59.50*     $49.50*
*All shows, dates, times and ticket prices are subject to change
 
 
Peg Welty
Director of Marketing / Public Relations
Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall
13350 FSW Parkway

NAPLES, Fla. – January 22, 2018 – For the second year in a row, Hodges University will recognize six women who are making a difference in the local community at the “Celebrating Women of Character, Courage, Clarity and Commitment” event on March 2.
“As this is our second year for this event, we are honored to recognize these outstanding women. These are the unsung heroes of our community who are going above and beyond and challenging the status quo,” said Gail B. Williams, chief diversity officer at Hodges University. “This event is a celebration of their efforts to create a better and stronger community.”
The 2018 honorees include:

• Linda Lislane A. Bruce, House of Gaia (posthumously) – Accepted by her daughter, Lulu Carter, Founder BeeGaia/ House of Gaia Community Learning Center
• Lisa “Akita” Cannon, President of the Citizen’s Foster Care Review Board
• Indera DeMine, Independent Immigration Attorney
• Beatrice Jacquet, President of the Haitian-American Democratic Club of Lee County
• Tracey M. Lanham, Associate Dean of the Fisher School of Technology at Hodges University
• Teresita Sanchez-McKay, President of the Philippine American International Society

Attendees will hear from two keynote speakers, Bevin Mugford, head of field development at Peach, and Yemisi Oloruntola-Coates, system director of diversity and patient care civil rights at Lee Health. This year’s honorary guest will be Bertha Eady.
The cost to attend is $45 and lunch will be included. Raffle prizes will be given away, so guests are encouraged to bring their business cards.
Register today to reserve your seat or become a sponsor at https://hu.formstack.com/forms/womens_history_month. Guests may also contact Gail B. Williams at [email protected] for more information.
About the Office of Diversity and Inclusion:
Hodges University’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion is dedicated to increasing diversity and promoting cultural competency among its students, faculty, staff and administration through education and activities. It builds bridges to the larger community by serving as the catalyst for social change and transformation as it relates to diversity and inclusion.
 

BOSTON, MA – The Red Sox today announced plans to extend protective netting beyond the dugouts at Fenway Park for the start of the 2018 season. The new netting system will extend from Field Box Section 79 to Field Box Section 9, expanded from an area previously covering Field Box Section 61 to Field Box Section 29. It will be positioned with the same consistent height as the existing system, which stands at 12 feet, 8 inches above the playing field.
 
Additionally, in collaboration with Lee County, Florida, protective netting will also be extended at JetBlue Park in Fort Myers from Field Box Section 111 to Left Field Box Section 114, expanded from Field Box Section 105 to Left Field Box Section 106.  This new system will be completed for the start of the upcoming 2018 spring training season.
 
The club has worked with design and engineering teams, as well as netting vendor Promats Athletics, to devise and install netting solutions for both Fenway Park and JetBlue Park that offer optimal visibility for the fan viewing experience. All netting will be “field green” in color to further minimize the impact to sightlines in affected areas.
 
While expanded netting will offer additional protection, the club continues to encourage fans to be vigilant during games and to be on the lookout for balls and bats that may enter the stands in their seating area.
 
The new netting coverage area for both Fenway Park and JetBlue Park is displayed in the attached ballpark maps.
 
–RED SOX–
 
 

FORT MYERS, Fla. (Jan. 19, 2018) – The Southwest Florida Community Foundation has awarded   $539,582.58 to both established and new programs that are designed to increase the quality of life in sustainable and equitable ways for Southwest Floridians.
Twenty local nonprofits were granted money from the community foundation’s available Field of Interest funds, as well as individual and corporate donations resulting from foundation’s Compassionate Shark Tank audience.
The nonprofits include: Center for Progress and Excellence, Florida Gulf Coast University and the Florida Gulf Coast University Foundation, Florida Department of Health in Charlotte, Family Health Centers of SWFL, Valerie’s House, Keep Lee County Beautiful, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast, Gulf Coast Partnership, Keiser University, Glades Education Foundation, Women’s Foundation of SWFL, Legal Aid Services of Collier County, Capital Good Fund, The Heights Center, Lee County Alliance for the Arts, Jewish Family and Community Services, Family Initiative Incorporated, LARC Inc.  and Lee County Domestic Animal Services.
Some examples of the regional funding include:

• Development of a mental health clinic for low income and traditionally underserved families
• Support of a cancer research program by college students
• Support of dental sealant program for kids’ dental health
• Support of mobile health clinic on wheels to take medical and dental care to low income rural communities
• Establishment of a program to stop abuse of opioids in families, helping families cope with the loss of a parent or child from this epidemic
• Support of planting 10,0000 mangrove propagules along the shorelines, many to replace the mangroves destroyed from Hurricane Irma
• Establishment of a science summer camp for girls assessing change in environment in SWFL
• Hiring of an autism navigator to help families find the help needed upon diagnosis
• Support of an equitable financial services program to help low or constrained income families access loans for vehicles, immigration expenses and to provide families with an ability to gain credit
• Support of multiple arts and cultural activities in the Harlem Heights community for all ages
• Support of access to the arts for underserved African American communities starting in Dunbar with a theatre arts program
• Support of a respite services program for caregivers of persons with dementia
• Initiation of an animal bite prevention program

 
To review the details of the grants, please visit floridacommunity.com/portfolio/community-impact-grant/
“We are so pleased to welcome this amazing group of nonprofits to our 2018 Tribe,” said Sarah Owen, Southwest Florida Community Foundation president and CEO. “These relationships are true partnerships and we are grateful to our donors that make these grants possible. Generous people who care deeply about the region want to be certain that nonprofits serving their causes have the resources they need to create change and opportunity in Southwest Florida.”
The Southwest Florida Community Foundation, founded in 1976, cultivates regional change for the common good through collective leadership, social innovation and philanthropy to address the evolving community needs in Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades counties. The Foundation partners with individuals, families and corporations who have created more than 400 philanthropic funds. Thanks to them, the Foundation invested $5.4 million in grants and programs to the community. With assets of $115 million, it has provided more than $71 million in grants and scholarships to the communities it serves since inception. The Foundation is the backbone organization for the regional FutureMakers Coalition and Lee County’s Sustainability Plan. Currently, the Southwest Florida Community Foundation’s regional headquarters are located off College Parkway in South Fort Myers, with satellite offices located on Sanibel Island, in LaBelle (Hendry County) and downtown Fort Myers.
For more information about the Southwest Florida Community Foundation, call 239-274-5900 or visit www.floridacommunity.com.
 
 
 
 
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FORT MYERS, Fla. (Jan. 19, 2018) – The Southwest Florida Community Foundation has awarded   $539,582.58 to both established and new programs that are designed to increase the quality of life in sustainable and equitable ways for Southwest Floridians.
Twenty local nonprofits were granted money from the community foundation’s available Field of Interest funds, as well as individual and corporate donations resulting from foundation’s Compassionate Shark Tank audience.
The nonprofits include: Center for Progress and Excellence, Florida Gulf Coast University and the Florida Gulf Coast University Foundation, Florida Department of Health in Charlotte, Family Health Centers of SWFL, Valerie’s House, Keep Lee County Beautiful, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast, Gulf Coast Partnership, Keiser University, Glades Education Foundation, Women’s Foundation of SWFL, Legal Aid Services of Collier County, Capital Good Fund, The Heights Center, Lee County Alliance for the Arts, Jewish Family and Community Services, Family Initiative Incorporated, LARC Inc.  and Lee County Domestic Animal Services.
Some examples of the regional funding include:

• Development of a mental health clinic for low income and traditionally underserved families
• Support of a cancer research program by college students
• Support of dental sealant program for kids’ dental health
• Support of mobile health clinic on wheels to take medical and dental care to low income rural communities
• Establishment of a program to stop abuse of opioids in families, helping families cope with the loss of a parent or child from this epidemic
• Support of planting 10,0000 mangrove propagules along the shorelines, many to replace the mangroves destroyed from Hurricane Irma
• Establishment of a science summer camp for girls assessing change in environment in SWFL
• Hiring of an autism navigator to help families find the help needed upon diagnosis
• Support of an equitable financial services program to help low or constrained income families access loans for vehicles, immigration expenses and to provide families with an ability to gain credit
• Support of multiple arts and cultural activities in the Harlem Heights community for all ages
• Support of access to the arts for underserved African American communities starting in Dunbar with a theatre arts program
• Support of a respite services program for caregivers of persons with dementia
• Initiation of an animal bite prevention program

 
To review the details of the grants, please visit floridacommunity.com/portfolio/community-impact-grant/
“We are so pleased to welcome this amazing group of nonprofits to our 2018 Tribe,” said Sarah Owen, Southwest Florida Community Foundation president and CEO. “These relationships are true partnerships and we are grateful to our donors that make these grants possible. Generous people who care deeply about the region want to be certain that nonprofits serving their causes have the resources they need to create change and opportunity in Southwest Florida.”
The Southwest Florida Community Foundation, founded in 1976, cultivates regional change for the common good through collective leadership, social innovation and philanthropy to address the evolving community needs in Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades counties. The Foundation partners with individuals, families and corporations who have created more than 400 philanthropic funds. Thanks to them, the Foundation invested $5.4 million in grants and programs to the community. With assets of $115 million, it has provided more than $71 million in grants and scholarships to the communities it serves since inception. The Foundation is the backbone organization for the regional FutureMakers Coalition and Lee County’s Sustainability Plan. Currently, the Southwest Florida Community Foundation’s regional headquarters are located off College Parkway in South Fort Myers, with satellite offices located on Sanibel Island, in LaBelle (Hendry County) and downtown Fort Myers.
For more information about the Southwest Florida Community Foundation, call 239-274-5900 or visit www.floridacommunity.com.
 
 
 
 
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Fort Myers, Fla. January 18, 2018 – The Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce Women in Business Committee (WIB) will host its Annual Sweethearts & Scholarships Wine and Dessert Auction from 4–6 p.m. on Wednesday, February 7^th at Nemo’s Sports Grill located within HeadPinz at 14513 Global Parkway, Fort Myers, FL 33913.  This month’s WIB event will focus on raising money to support the Women in Business Scholarship Fund that helps non-traditional students, demonstrating financial need, with preference given to single, divorced or widowed individuals with children. Donated items include fine wine, artisan chocolates, gourmet desserts, along with other some larger ticket items, such as restaurant and hotel gift certificates.  This special event is one of the major fundraisers for WIB and this year’s goal is to raise over $3000.
HeadPinz of Fort Myers is the Sweethearts and Scholarships Wine and Dessert Auction location sponsor. All business professionals are invited to attend.  Admission is $10 for Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce (GFMCC) members and $20 for future GFMCC members.  To register, call (239) 332-3624 or visit www.fortmyers.org.
ABOUT WIB:
Part of the Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce, the Women in Business committee is dedicated to helping women achieve their fullest professional and personal potential.  A variety of networking and educational programs are offered throughout the year, typically the first Wednesday of every month from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
ABOUT GREATER FORT MYERS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE:
Located at 2310 Edwards Drive in Downtown Fort Myers, the Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce, Inc. has been serving Lee County and surrounding areas since 1989. The Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce is a business organization of professionals who support and promote a progressive, sustainable community.
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JANUARY 18, 2018 – FORT MYERS, FLA. – Documentary film director Michael Ramsdell will present a discussion on global citizenship, Art and Activism Across Borders: A Directors Talk, at 7 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 12, in Building J, Room 103, at the Florida SouthWestern State College (FSW) Thomas Edison Campus, 8099 College Parkway, Fort Myers.
“It is part of FSW’s mission to prepare a diverse population for creative and responsible participation in a global society,” said Dr. Russell Swanson, professor, Philosophy. “By bringing guests such as Michael Ramsdell to the college to share his experience and provide insight on global events, we hope we will encourage others to investigate beyond their own backyards.”
Ramsdell is the director of the award-winning documentary films “When Elephants Fight” and “The Anatomy of Hate: A Dialogue for Hope.” Prior to his appearance, screenings of both films will be held at the FSW Thomas Edison Campus. Film screenings will take place:
Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2 p.m., in Building U, Room 102 – “The Anatomy of Hate: A Dialogue for Hope”
Wednesday, Jan. 31, noon, in Building AA, Room 177 – “When Elephants Fight”
Thursday, Feb. 1, 6 p.m., in Building U, Room 102 – “When Elephants Fight”
Monday, Feb. 5, 3 p.m., in Building U, Room 102 – “The Anatomy of Hate: A Dialogue for Hope”
“When Elephants Fight” explores the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has taken the lives of almost six million Congolese in the past 15 years. Since 2001, the UN and other NGO’s have reported that this conflict is being funded, in part, by Western companies, armed groups and corrupt leaders whose looting and selling of Congolese minerals has created windfall profits for these unsavory players, while leaving the people of Congo the most impoverished on earth…yet this looting continues still today.
“The Anatomy of Hate: A Dialogue for Hope” explores groups based on hate, war, and violence from around the globe. Guided by Einstein’s principle that peace can only be achieved through understanding, “The Anatomy of Hate” looks to bring understanding to this topic so we can better understand how hate comes to be, and more important, how we can end it.
The directors talk and film screenings are free and open to the public.
 
For more information, contact Dr. Swanson  at (239) 489-9312 or [email protected].
 
 
 
 
 

FORT MYERS, Fla. (Jan. 22, 2018) – Owen-Ames-Kimball Company (O-A-K) has welcomed Randy Kapellusch to its team as a new project manager for the company.
 
Kapellusch brings more than 25 years of experience in commercial and residential construction to his role as project manager. Prior to joining the O-A-K team, Kapellusch worked for custom homebuilders in Southeastern Wisconsin and later worked on a variety of large-scale commercial projects in Wisconsin and Illinois including the first urban Target stores in downtown Chicago, a complete renovation of a Federal Government building in Chicago and additional projects for the U.S. Navy, Cancer Centers of America and more. Kapellusch, a certified project manager, earned his bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Columbia University in South Carolina.
 
Owen-Ames-Kimball Company has provided premier general contracting, design-build, and construction management services in Southwest Florida since 1982. O-A-K’s Florida operation is an affiliate of its parent company located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The Florida operation has offices in Collier, Lee and Charlotte counties. Its Lee County office is located at 11941 Fairway Lakes Drive in Fort Myers. Learn more about O-A-K at www.owen-ames-kimball.com.
 
 

Contact:               Anna Wallace
Quality Life Center of Southwest Florida
239-334-2797   |   [email protected]
 
Todd Gates
GATES Construction
239-593-3777   | [email protected]
 
What:                    Quality Life Center of Southwest Florida Annual Address and Expansion Campaign
 
Where:                 Quality Life Center of Southwest Florida
3210 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Fort Myers, FL 33916
 
When:                  January 20, 2018
8:30 am – Breakfast
9:00 am – Event, Q & A and Tour Immediately Following
 
YOU’RE INVITED TO THE ANNUAL ADDRESS AND EXPANSION CAMPAIGN
Quality Life Center of Southwest Florida Annual Address and Expansion Campaign
 
Quality Life Center of Southwest Florida invites local community leaders, government officials, dignitaries, and the media to attend the Annual Address and Expansion & Sustainability Campaign for the new expansion on January 20, 2018. A light breakfast will be served at 8:30 a.m. followed by the Annual Address at 9:00 a.m. immediately following, a guided tour of the existing facility will be offered.
 
The Annual Address will feature an update of the 2017 fiscal year, goals for2018, and the relaunch of the expansion campaign. The expansion campaign is for $1.5 million dollar expansion to the Quality Life Center of Southwest Florida. The new addition will feature 6,000 square feet of space for a teen center, an enlarged kitchen and a multi-purpose room. There be a Q&A session and a tour of the facility at the end of the annual address for any members of the media and future beneficiaries.
 
Quality Life Center strives to strengthen family and community through the development of programs, services and the provision of housing and property management to ultimately cultivate self-development, teach self-discipline, build confidence and promote nutritional and cultural awareness.