Member News

With season in full swing The Shell Factory & Nature Park is ready to welcome visitors and locals alike with a Family Fun February. Leading off is The Shell Factory Bike Night Thursday February 15th, 5-10 pm. Bring the whole Family, see some cool vintage Bikes, enjoy great food and enjoy some great live music. Saturday February 17th, 9am-5pm is Fossil Fest. Lots of kid’s activities along with Fossil vendors and exhibits. There will be a Raffle, Kids Dig, and a special Family Fun Park Package. New this year in February is a visit from the Budweiser Clydesdales Friday February 23rd from 4-7pm. Budweiser is bringing the Full Hitch with all eight horses and the famous Budweiser Wagon complete with the Budweiser Dalmatian. Your Family can observe the actual hitching process and then view the Budweiser Wagon as it is pulled around the property stopping for some spectacular Photo Ops. Ending the month on Sunday February 25th from 11am-4pm is the annual Taste of North Fort Myers, sponsored by The North Fort Myers Chamber Of Commerce. Area restaurants serve up their best dishes along with a number of North Fort Myers Business vendors. What a month at The Shell Factory & Nature Park, Your Family’s Number 1 Entertainment Destination. For information on February’s events, and upcoming events in the future visit www.shellfactory.com or The Shell Factory Facebook page.

FORT MYERS, Fla. (Jan. 19. 2018) – Shell Point kicks off its third annual 2018 Medical Breakthroughs & Discoveries series with a presentation by Lee Health CEO and President Larry Antonucci, MD, MBA, taking place Thursday, Feb. 15, at 1:30 p.m. at the Village Church Auditorium on The Island at Shell Point. This educational health care program, entitled “Trending Toward Modern: Health Care in the 21st Century,” is free and open to the public. To learn more or to register, call 239-433-7936.

“Each year the caliber of our speakers has grown. This year we are excited to welcome one of our own local health care experts to learn about modern changes and what they mean for our future,” said Jeff Cory, executive director of The Legacy Foundation.

Antonucci will touch on topics that include the shift from volume to value, population health, telemedicine and the need for all health care providers to focus on collaborative, patient-centered care with every interaction. The health care executive will also share the latest news about Lee Health, including expansions, new construction and innovations.

The 2018 Medical Breakthroughs & Discoveries series is an annual community health care speaker program that serves as a resource for residents in the greater Fort Myers area. All Medical Breakthroughs & Discoveries events are free to the public, and will be held in the Village Church Auditorium on The Island at Shell Point, located at 15100 Shell Point Blvd. in Fort Myers. To learn more, visit www.shellpoint.org/legacy.html.

About Shell Point Retirement Community

Shell Point Retirement Community, founded in 1968, is a nonprofit continuing care retirement community located in Fort Myers, Florida. Shell Point offers independent retirement living, assisted living, and skilled nursing for its 2,400 residents in an active, resort-style environment. Lifestyle amenities include deep-water boating access with free dockage, a championship 18-hole golf course, and other recreational and educational activities. To learn more, visit www.shellpoint.org or call 1-800-780-1131.

CAPE CORAL, Fla.  (January 19, 2018) – GATES Construction and ASKMARK Construction have begun renovations on a new Burlington, a national department store retailer. Located at 1810 NE Pine Island Road, in Cape Coral, the former Sports Authority building will have interior demolition of existing walls, lighting, HVAC, plumbing, and flooring. The 40,178 SF retail space will have a larger stock area, new store front entrance, offices and break room. Design services are provided by Herschman Architects. Burlington is slated for completion by early spring 2018.
As Florida’s premiere builder, GATES Construction serves its clients from offices in Bonita Springs and Sarasota as a full service general contracting firm providing construction management and design-build services with a diversified project portfolio in all types of commercial, institutional, industrial, healthcare, and multi-family construction projects. GATES also operates in North Carolina and the Republic of Panama. For more information on GATES, please call (239) 593-3777 or visit the website at www.GATESinc.com.

FORT MYERS, Fla. (Jan. 9, 2018) – Shell Point Retirement Community invites the community and art enthusiasts to join its 2018 Shell Point Art Show and Sale, taking place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 16 and Saturday, Feb. 17, and from noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 18. Open to the public and free to attend, the event will be held at the Grand Cypress Room at The Woodlands at Shell Point.
For those who wish to be inspired by local artists, or enhance their collection with a new piece, the art exhibition will offer a variety of oil and acrylic paintings, photographs, watercolors, pastels, collages and other two-dimensional art. Hosted by the talented residents of Shell Point, the 2018 Shell Point Art Show and Sale will feature original works by Shell Point artists, many of whom were featured in 2017’s highly successful Ageless Creativity exhibition at the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center in downtown Fort Myers.
There is no cost to attend the 2018 Shell Point Art Show and Sale, however, artwork is available for purchase by cash or check only. After shopping, guests can enjoy a meal at one of Shell Point’s on-site public restaurants. For more information on the upcoming event, visit www.ShellPoint.org.
About Shell Point Retirement Community           
Shell Point Retirement Community, founded in 1968, is a nonprofit continuing care retirement community located in Fort Myers, Florida. Shell Point offers independent retirement living, assisted living, and skilled nursing care for its 2,400 residents in an active, resort-style environment. Lifestyle amenities include deep-water boating access, six public restaurants, a championship 18-hole golf course, and many other recreational and educational activities. Learn more at www.shellpoint.org or 1-800-780-1131.

FORT MYERS, FLA., January 18, 2018– The most successful opera company in Europe and the U.S. will be in Fort Myers February 8 to perform Madama Butterfly, one of the world’s most famous love stores.
Teatro Lirico D’Europa will perform at the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall on the Fort Myers campus of Florida SouthWestern State College, as part of the Fort Myers Community Concert Association 2018 season.
Tickets for the 7:30 p.m. concert are available at the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall or by calling the box office at 239-481-4849.
Prices are $35 for lower balcony and $25 for upper balcony seats.  A limited number of orchestra and mezzanine seating is available at $55 each.
“This is an amazing and very rare opportunity to hear these musicians in concert,” said Fort Myers Community Association President Mary Lee Mann.  “Madama Butterfly has been playing to rave reviews throughout the country.”
Madama Butterfly is one of the world’s most famous love stories, inspired by the sights and culture of Japan. Teatro Lirico D’Europa travels with a full orchestra of 47 to 50 members and a chorus of 40 singers.
Teatro Lirico D’Europa was created in 1988 by the late Yves Josse, a former ballet dancer and French arts promoter, and George Lalva, a young Bulgarian opera singer.  The collaboration was a huge success in a very short time, resulting in tours with more than 250 performances in a single season throughout France, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Denmark, Spain, Italy, Sicily and Portugal.
Teatro Lirico D’Europa has now completed more than 700 performances in the US. at 120 different venues and has recently added performances in South America to its list of touring regions.
 
About the Fort Myers Community Concert Association
The Fort Myers Community Concert Association is an all-volunteer not-for-profit organization founded by the legendary Barbara B. Mann in 1949 to bring world-class entertainment to Southwest Florida at affordable prices.  The association consists of more than 1,700 members, underwriters and sponsors.  Performers brought to Fort Myers in the past by the association include The Israel Ballet, The Boston Brass, Minnesota Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, Vienna Boys Choir, Violinist Itzhak Perlman, Flutist James Galway, Pianist Andre Watts, Violinist Joshua Bell with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields and many others.

FORT MYERS, Fla. (Jan. 18, 2018) – Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida will induct Pason Gaddis, co-founder and CEO of Florida Media Group, LLC, and Gary Griffin, P.E., president and CEO of B & I Contractors, Inc., into the 2018 Business Hall of Fame, Lee County during a dinner and awards ceremony on Wednesday, April 25 with a cocktail reception at 5 p.m. and dinner at 6:30 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa in Bonita Springs.

The prestigious award recognizes outstanding entrepreneurs who serve as role models for youth through their professional accomplishments and commitment to the community. Gaddis and Griffin will join a distinguished group of individuals who have been inducted into the Business Hall of Fame since it was founded in 1999. To learn more about the upcoming event, or for information on sponsorship opportunities and individual tickets, visit the events page at www.JASWFL.org.

Gaddis is the co-founder and CEO of Florida Media Group, LLC, a multi-media company with publishing, direct mail and digital applications. Through his leadership, Gaddis’ main portfolio holding, Florida Weekly, has grown from one to eight markets throughout Florida, increasing both revenue and print circulation by nearly 40 percent each year to the present, despite a declining print media economy. Staying at the forefront of the latest industry trends, Florida Weekly was also one of the first newspapers in the state to adapt tablet and mobile applications.

Gaddis has been named in Gulfshore Life magazine’s top 40 influential leaders from the past decade, served as chairman of the 2015 Southwest Florida Heart Ball and was awarded the 2015 Chrysalis Award for business development. His company’s editorial awards include being named the best weekly newspaper in the state for four consecutive years (2010-2013) by the Florida Press Association, and in 2014 his team’s writer, Athena Ponushis, was named Journalist of the Year in Florida by the Society of Professional Journalists.

Prior to Florida Media Group, Gaddis served in a variety of sales and management capacities with Gannett, Inc. and was advertising manager of the Iowa State Daily newspaper at his alma mater, Iowa State University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Marketing.

Gaddis resides in Fort Myers with his wife Renée and two children.

Griffin is president and CEO of B & I Contractors, Inc., a full-service mechanical, electrical, plumbing and refrigeration contractor in Fort Myers. A native of Fort Myers, Griffin earned his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering in 1986 and joined B & I as a project manager that same year. He received his Florida Professional Engineers license and became vice president of B & I in 1991, then was named president and CEO in 1995.

B & I serves all of Florida with a corporate office in Fort Myers and offices in Sarasota, Tampa and Tamarac. The company provides 24/7 HVAC and Refrigeration Service and is 100 percent employee-owned with approximately 560 employees and $94 million in revenues in 2017.

Griffin is involved in numerous community and professional organizations and is currently chair for The Foundation for Lee County Public Schools, president of Horizon Foundation and chair of Healthy Lee Steering and Executive Committees. He currently serves as a board member for the Southwest Florida Economic Development Alliance, Tri-County Apprenticeship Academy, The Chamber of Southwest Florida and United Way of Lee, Hendry and Glades and Okeechobee Counties. Previous affiliations have included Edison Pageant of Light board member and First Jobs/First Wages Committee of Southwest Florida Workforce Development board. Griffin is also a member of American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and the U.S. Green Building Council. He served the State of Florida as Commissioner on the Florida Building Commission from 2005 through 2008 and currently serves as a member of the Mechanical Technical Advisory Committee to the Commission.

Griffin is married to his wife, Julie, and they have two children, Jordan (27) and Megan (23). He is a member of New Hope Presbyterian Church and has served as a deacon in the formative years of the church.

About Junior Achievement:

Junior Achievement is the world’s largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic choices. Junior Achievement programs are delivered by corporate and community volunteers, and provide relevant, hands-on experiences that give students from kindergarten through high school knowledge and skills in financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship. Today, JA reaches 4.8 million students per year in more than 100 markets across the United States, with an additional 5.6 million students served by operations over 100 other countries worldwide. Locally, Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida partnered with more than 280 classroom business volunteers during the 2016-2017 school year to provide more than 10,600 students with Junior Achievement programs in more than 440 classes throughout Collier, Lee and Charlotte counties. For more information on Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida, visit www.JASWFL.org. call 239-225-2590 or email [email protected].

FORT MYERS, Fla. (Jan. 18, 2018) – Priority Marketing, a full-service, award-winning marketing, advertising, public relations and digital marketing agency was recently honored with a resolution by the Lee County Board of County Commissioners in recognition of its 25 years serving Lee County businesses with expert marketing services and its overall positive impact on the success of the community.

The Lee County Board of County Commissioners recognized Teri Hansen, APR, president and creative director of Priority Marketing during a board meeting, presenting her with a resolution recognizing Priority Marketing for having supported the economic success of Lee County for 25 years. The resolution distinguishes Priority Marketing as having positively impacted the community with its creation of jobs and recruiting employees to the area, encouraging innovation and industry competition, and growing and mentoring young professionals, as well as giving back to the community, donating an estimated $2 million to local philanthropic organizations.

“It is an honor to receive this distinguished recognition,” Hansen said. “As a Fort Myers native, I am delighted that Priority Marketing has had a positive impact on a community that means a great deal to me. Our 25 successful years in business were made possible by our valued clients, treasured partners, hardworking team and the continued support of the community, allowing us to make a difference in the community. We look forward to continuing to serve Lee County and have a positive impact for many years to come.”

In 1992, Hansen, APR, founded the company as a home-based business, and now leads the region’s largest full-service firm with more than 30 employees serving an array of businesses locally and throughout the U.S. Throughout her career, Hansen has earned more than 150 local, state, and international honors and awards, and her company is continually recognized as the region’s top ranked agency. Recently, Hansen was honored as a Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame, Lee County laureate for her forward-thinking contributions to the Southwest Florida community and her commitment to be a role model to local students, young professionals and business peers.

Established in 1992, Priority Marketing is a full-service marketing, advertising and public relations firm. Celebrating its 25^th year, the company is located at 8200 College Pkwy., Suite 201 in Fort Myers. For more information call 239-267-2638 or visit www.prioritymarketing.com. Also, follow Priority Marketing online at twitter.com/prioritymktg or on Facebook. For recent news and marketing insights, visit the blog: www.prioritymarketing.com/our-blog.

BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. (January 18, 2018) – GATES Construction is pleased to announce the addition of Parker Matson as Assistant Project Manager, at the firms Bonita Springs office. Matson supports efforts across a wide range of construction capacities from estimating and permitting, through to Owner occupancy. Matson recently graduated from Florida Gulf Coast University with a B.A. in Business Management.
 As Florida’s premiere builder, GATES Construction serves its clients from offices in Bonita Springs and Sarasota as a full service general contracting firm providing construction management and design-build services with a diversified project portfolio in all types of commercial, institutional, industrial, healthcare, and multi-family construction projects. GATES also operates in North Carolina and the Republic of Panama. For more information on GATES, please call (239) 593-3777 or visit the website at www.GATESinc.com.

New Showroom on Wheels Helps Homeowners Select Roofs
FORT MYERS, FLA., January 17, 2018 – Homeowners and businesses with storm-ravaged roofs now have a new option to select their roofing material without leaving their home or office.
CFS Roofing Services, LLC, has created a mobile showroom with dozens of samples that it is taking to neighborhoods from Port Charlotte to Marco Island.  The mobile showroom allows residents to shop for a new roof in comfort with soft music playing surrounded by more than 50 roof samples in tile, shingles or metal.
“We’re trying to make roofing convenient and friendly,” said  CFS Roofing Services President David Crowther.  “We saw so much damage on Marco Island and elsewhere after Hurricane Irma that we thought we should have a showroom.  Your time is valuable.  We walk you through the color selection and whole roofing process with our customer service department.”
It was Crowther’s wife, Karen, who came up with the idea of a showroom on wheels, which they believe is the first one of its kind in Southwest Florida..
Karen, who is director of business development for the company, developed the mobile showroom idea that also includes attic fans, upgraded materials and extended warranties.
“Why waste your time driving around looking at other people’s houses when we will come to you with everything you need,” she said.
Home and business owners are given gloves to wear during the selection process to prevent any potential cuts from handling the tile and metal samples.  If the mobile showroom does not have the color the owner is seeking, CFS Roofing Services will have the correct color sample sent to the home by UPS at no cost to the customer.
“Once you pick a sample and a color, we can show you what it will look like on your home or business, using digital technology,” she said.
They do this by using a photo of the home or office and superimposing the image of the roof desired on the photo, using an iPad Pro.
Since the mobile showroom was introduced about three weeks ago, about 150 homeowners have used the service from Lehigh Acres to Port Royal in Naples.
One of those customers is Jill Aalderink, who lives in Cape Coral.
“I really appreciated that they came to me instead of me going to them,” she said.  “I especially liked that I could see the samples in the natural light.”
Aalderink said her new delineated shingle roof has now been installed and it was earlier than she expected.
“They were excellent.  We have told others about our experience and recommend CFS Roofing highly,” she said.
David Crowther said the mobile showroom makes their job easier too.
“Our customers just love the convenience.  It makes the selection process so much quicker,” David Crowther said.  “Since you’re only replacing your roof every 15 or 20 years or even longer, you want to make the right decision.  That’s what we’re here to help you do.”
For more information about the CFS Roofing Services mobile showroom, please call 239-561-2600 or visit www.CFSRoofing.com.
 
About CFS Roofing Services
CFS Roofing Services is one of Southwest Florida’s largest roofing contractors with more than 40 years of experience and more than 100 employees.  The company is owned by David Crowther, a third generation roofing professional.  The company provides roofing services from installation to repair for residential and commercial customers in Lee, Collier and Charlotte counties as well as surrounding areas.  Commercial roofing work includes office buildings, malls, manufacturing facilities, multi-unit housing, apartment buildings, churches, schools, municipal buildings, condominiums and warehouses. The corporate office is located at 12120 Amedicus Lane in Fort Myers, 239-561-2600.  www.cfsroofing.com

FORT MYERS, Fla. (Jan. 17, 2018) – Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida invites the community to support its efforts to provide key programs on work-readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy to local students by donating to the organization during the ‘Give Where You Live Collier’ fundraising initiative, which takes place Feb. 21-22.

Give Where You Live Collier is a county-wide movement established to celebrate increased philanthropy in Collier County through online giving. The Community Foundation of Collier County and the Richard Schulze Family Foundation are partnering with Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida, along with another 37 participating nonprofit organizations, to present Give Where You Live Collier in 2018. Donations are accepted via www.GiveWhereYouLiveCollier.org.
During the 2016-2017 school year, Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida provided its programs to more than 10,600 K-12 students in more than 440 classrooms in Collier, Lee and Charlotte counties. Funds raised for Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida through the community-wide Give Where You Live Collier initiative will play an instrumental role in supporting the organization’s continued impact across Southwest Florida, preparing students for business success through hands-on, experiential programs and learning opportunities.
“The donations we receive through Give Where You Live Collier help us do more to support the local community and ensure we can teach the key concepts of work-readiness, financial literacy and entrepreneurship through sequential and integrated K-12 programs,” said Angela Fisher, president and CEO of Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida. “Our goal is to raise $25,000 this year, which will make up a portion of our annual operating budget. We also look forward to earning a share of the $500,000 matching fund.”

$500,000 Matching Fund

Give Where You Live Collier features a $400,000 matching fund from the Richard M Schulze Family Foundation, plus a $100,000 match from the Community Foundation of Collier County. Every dollar donated counts – that’s because every donation made from noon, Feb. 21, 2018 to 11:59 a.m., Feb. 22, 2018 will be enhanced by a proportionate share of the matching fund, increasing the impact of every dollar donated. The first $2,500 raised will be matched dollar-for-dollar through the Community Foundation. Beyond that, for example if Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida receives 10 percent of total Give Where You Live Collier donations, Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida also receives 10 percent of the $400,000 matching fund from the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation.

“Give Where You Live Collier makes it easy to participate so that everyone has the chance to make a difference in our community, whether you call Collier County home seasonally or year-round,” said Eileen Connolly-Keesler, president and CEO of the Community Foundation of Collier County. “We are proud to live in an incredibly philanthropic community that believes strongly in giving back and is passionate about making a difference. We applaud the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation for again sponsoring this wonderful event that benefits so many.”

For more information about Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida, please visit www.jaswfl.org. For more information about Give Where You Live Collier, please visit www.GiveWhereYouLiveCollier.org.
About Junior Achievement:

Junior Achievement is the world’s largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic choices. Junior Achievement programs are delivered by corporate and community volunteers, and provide relevant, hands-on experiences that give students from kindergarten through high school knowledge and skills in financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship. Today, JA reaches 4.8 million students per year in more than 100 markets across the United States, with an additional 5.6 million students served by operations over 100 other countries worldwide. Locally, Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida partnered with more than 280 classroom business volunteers during the 2016-2017 school year to provide more than 10,600 students with Junior Achievement programs in more than 440 classes throughout Collier, Lee and Charlotte counties. For more information on Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida visit www.JASWFL.org, call 239-225-2590 or email [email protected].
About the Community Foundation of Collier County

The Community Foundation of Collier County is a tax-exempt, public, charitable organization, established in 1985 to increase and focus private philanthropy in the area. Today, the Community Foundation of Collier County manages more than 670 funds, collaborates with more than 400 nonprofits, holds nearly $157 million in assets and has distributed more than $112 million in grants to nonprofit organizations and community programs since its inception. The Community Foundation of Collier County is one of Florida’s fastest growing community foundations. For good. Forever. Learn more at cfcollier.org or call 239-649-5000.

About the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation

The Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation was founded in 2004 by Best Buy founder, Dick Schulze, as a way to give back to the community. Schulze and his family believe that a good education, a supportive family and a strong work ethic prepare children for a successful future. To support that belief, the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation supports education and basic human services, among other types of organizations. It is the vision of the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation to connect in a meaningful way with grantees to make strategic contributions that achieve specific, measurable outcomes.