Member News

FORT MYERS, FL (May 16, 2018) – Longtime community partner, Chico’s FAS, Inc. celebrated the dedication of their 43rd sponsored Habitat home in Lee County with local affiliate Habitat for Humanity of Lee and Hendry Counties. It’s the Company’s second home dedicated locally this Spring.
As a company, Chico’s FAS believes there is no greater force than women coming together to support each other. They share Habitat’s vision of a world where everyone has a decent place to call home, and know that affordable housing is transformational for women, their families and communities. When women have a safe place to live with an affordable, consistent mortgage, they have a solid foundation for themselves and their children, where they can all create and reach new opportunities.
Inspired by their local partnership with Habitat Lee and Hendry, Chico’s FAS took their commitment to empowering women and providing affordable housing national through Habitat International’s Home is the Key Partnership. Chico’s FAS celebrated the sponsorship of two Habitat home dedications in Nashville, TN as part of the newly formed Partnership for a total of four homes dedicated in April and May.
Locally, Chico’s FAS served as the title sponsor for Women Build for the 8^th consecutive year. Not only did the Company contribute financially but more than 150 of their Associates volunteered over 600 hours to help build one of the three Women Build homes. This house will provide a mother and her two daughters a safe place to begin their future.
“Women Build is all about empowering women,” shared Pam Avesian, Vice President of Internal Audit at Chico’s FAS and Board Member for Habitat for Humanity of Lee & Hendry Counties. “There’s something supernatural about women helping women. The program changes lives, but not just for the women who purchase the home. It also changes the lives of the volunteers who go through the process with them.”
Women Build engages women in the effort to provide safe and decent homes for families in need of affordable housing. By recruiting, educating and inspiring women to build, they can transform lives in their communities.
Habitat homes in Lee and Hendry Counties are built through the use of volunteer labor and donations of money and materials. Habitat partner families purchase the homes at the appraised value, paying an affordable monthly mortgage that includes taxes and insurance. The partner families must apply and qualify for the Habitat homeownership program; pay $1,700 toward their closing cost; attend classes focusing on homeownership, budgeting and home maintenance; and complete 300 hours of “sweat equity” working alongside Habitat volunteers.

Tickets on Sale Now for Oct. 13 Concert
IMMOKALEE, Fla. (May 18, 2018) – Jay Goldberg Events and Entertainment presents an evening with Wynonna and The Big Noise live in concert at Seminole Casino Hotel Immokalee on Saturday, Oct. 13 at 8 p.m., with doors opening at 7 p.m. Advance tickets are on sale now for $75 and are available at the casino, on jaytv.com or by calling 800-218-0007. Attendees must be 21 years of age.
Respected by the millions of fans who are drawn to her music and undeniable talent, Wynonna’s rich and commanding voice has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide during her remarkable 34-year career. As one-half of the legendary mother/daughter duo “The Judds,” Wynonna was once dubbed by Rolling Stone as “the greatest female country singer since Patsy Cline.” The iconic performer has received more than 60 industry awards, with countless charting singles, including 20 No.1 hits such as “Mama He’s Crazy,” “Why Not Me,” and “Grandpa, (Tell Me ‘Bout The Good Ole Days).”
Wynonna and her band The Big Noise, led by her husband/drummer/producer, Cactus Moser, released their debut full-length album in February 2016 via Curb Records to critical acclaim. Wynonna has described the new sound as “vintage yet modern” and a “return to the well.” It’s a rootsy work encompassing country, Americana, blues, soul and rock. The album features special guests Derek Trucks, Jason Isbell, Susan Tedeschi and Timothy B. Schmit.
About Seminole Casino Hotel Immokalee
Open 24/7; 365 days a year, Seminole Casino Hotel Immokalee is Southwest Florida’s premier gaming and entertainment destination. The 51,000-square-foot plus casino offers 1,300 slots, including Tarzan, Wheel of Fortune and Crazy Money, and 38 live table games including Blackjack, Mini-Baccarat, Pai Gow, Let It Ride, Three Card Poker, Mississippi Stud, Blackjack Switch and Spanish 21. Dining options include the award-winning 1^st Street Deli, Asian fusion restaurant Lucky Mi Noodle House, and The EE-TO-LEET-KE (“The Camp”) Grill. Nightly entertainment is highlighted by the Zig Zag lounge, home of the Zig Zag Girlz, “where the party never ends” featuring nightly live entertainment and no last call. Additional entertainment and events are held at the Seminole Center, an indoor/outdoor special event center featuring state-of-the-art sound and lighting system designed by Technomedia Solutions. The new Seminole Casino Hotel is the first upscale hotel to open in or near Immokalee and offers suites and deluxe guestrooms with modern décor and features, plus amenities including a swimming pool with adjacent private Seminole Chickee cabana huts, 24-hour fitness studio, free Wi-Fi, and desk concierge services.
Located at 506 South 1^st Street in Immokalee, Seminole Casino Hotel Immokalee is easily accessible to all of Southwest Florida via I-75 and Southwest Florida International Airport is only a 45-minute drive from the casino. Located between Miami and Naples, north of Alligator Alley on Highway 846, it is five blocks south of Highway 29. Approximately 30 minutes from Naples and Fort Myers, the casino is a 90-minute drive from Miami and Fort Lauderdale. Seminole Casino Hotel Immokalee participates in the Seminole Players Club Wild Card Rewards Program whereby players earn and redeem comp dollars at all Seminole Casinos in Florida. For more information, call toll-free (800) 218-0007 or visit moreinparadise.com  or facebook.com/SeminoleCasinoHotel/.
 

FORT MYERS, Fla., (May 17, 2018) – An exclusive trip to the American Music Awards and a private Costa Rican villa rental for 10 are among the fabulous items being auctioned at PACE Center for Girls, Lee County’s next fundraising event on June 5.
Sunset at St. Charles Yacht Club, a Love That Dress! collection event, includes smooth jazz and Latin sounds by Marc Vee, silent and live auctions, signature drinks and light bites, and incredible prize drawings. Guests are also invited to enjoy a specially crafted dinner menu after the event, which is a special treat since dining at St. Charles Yacht Club is a benefit of club membership.
The live auction features one-of-a-kind items and experiences, including:
• 2018 American Music Awards experience: package includes two mezzanine seats at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles for the Oct. 9 awards show, a two-night stay at the Beverly Wilshire, Beverly Hills (a Four Seasons hotel) and two tickets to the Grammy Museum.
• 2019 Yankees vs. Red Sox VIP Luxury Suite Experience: package includes a two-night stay at the Muse Hotel in Midtown Manhattan and two tickets to the game (2019 game date to be determined) in a fully catered Luxury Suite. The experience also includes a Q&A session with a former World Series Yankees player and an autographed photo.
• Costa Rican resort stay: package includes an eight-day, seven-night stay at a private hilltop home near Mal Pais with five oceanview, private suites. The home can accommodate 10 guests and includes an infinity-edge swimming pool and jacuzzi.
Sunset at St. Charles Yacht Club runs from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 5 at St. Charles Yacht Club, 15900 St. Charles Harbour Blvd. in Fort Myers. Tickets are $25 per person, or $20 with the donation of a gently loved dress. To purchase tickets, please visit LoveThatDress.org. Event sponsors include: Sanibel Captiva Community Bank, Stilwell Enterprises, Bateman Contracting, Domino’s Pizza, Richard and Sandra Heinrich, M. Elizabeth Byck, and Dorothy Fitzgerald.
PACE Center for Girls, Lee County is celebrating its 10th season of Love That Dress!, an annual campaign that solicits donations of new and gently loved dresses, handbags, shoes and accessories. White House Black Market is the Title Sponsor and will contribute hundreds of brand new items to the already expansive inventory, which will be sold at discounted prices, with all proceeds benefiting PACE programs and services.
PACE assists girls ages 11 to 18 who have multiple risk factors impacting their academic achievement, including family income, substance abuse, domestic violence, foster home placement, neglect, grief, incarceration of a family member and physical, emotional or sexual abuse.
For more information or to schedule a tour, please call 239-425-2366 or visit www.pacecenter.org/locations/lee.
About PACE Center for Girls, Lee County
Since 2007, PACE Center for Girls, Lee County has been providing girls and young women an opportunity for a better future through education, counseling, training and advocacy. The gender specific, strength-based program is one of 20 Centers throughout Florida, and is known throughout the nation as a best practices model for diverting girls from the juvenile justice system. PACE is a registered not-for-profit organization that relies on the support of individuals, businesses, civic/community organizations and churches in Lee County in order to serve girls and their families. Since its inception, PACE Center for Girls, Lee County has served more than 650 at-promise girls and young women, believing each one deserves an opportunity to find her voice, achieve her potential and celebrate a life defined by responsibility, dignity, serenity and grace. For more information on PACE Center for Girls, Lee County, call 239-425-2366 or visit www.pacecenter.org/locations/lee.

May 15, 2018 – Fort Myers, FL – Get ready for exciting June exhibitions from local artists! Street artist Brian Weaver is bringing his new series “14k Savage,” to downtown Fort Myers. Plus, the June Juried Exhibition “X” opens to celebrate the Davis Art Center’s 10th anniversary! Experience these powerful shows, opening during Art Walk on Friday, June 1st from 6pm – 10pm in the Grand Atrium and Capital Gallery. The Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center is located at 2301 First St. in the historic downtown Fort Myers River District.
“14k Savage” is a provocative examination of how money and greed impact the environment and humanity from local artist Brian Weaver. Each piece explores how money has taken over all the aspects of our lives without regard for the future of the planet and the human race. The show will feature a combination of art on canvas and installations. This exhibition invites audience participation. See this show in the 2nd floor Capital Gallery from June 1st – June 26th.
Also opening on Friday, June 1st, the June Juried Exhibition will feature works from artists who submitted under the theme “X”. The exhibition theme “X” was created in honor of the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center’s 10th anniversary season. The most thematically relevant pieces were chosen for exhibition. Winners of Best in Show, SBDAC Pick, and People’s Choice receive cash prizes. Best in Show and SBDAC Pick will be announced on opening night, Friday, June 1st. Vote for People’s Choice until June 22nd when the winner is announced during the Sounds of Summer concert featuring Sheena Brook. Visit www.sbdac.com or call 239 333 1933 for more info.
Brian Weaver: 14k Savage
Opens: June 1, 2018
6pm – 10pm during Art Walk
Closes: June 26, 2018
2nd floor Capital Gallery
Free Admission
June Juried Exhibition: “X”
Opening: Friday, June 1st | 6pm – 10pm
Best in Show and SBDAC Pick Announced: June 1st | 8pm
Closing: Tuesday, June 26th | 5pm
People’s Choice Winner Announced: June 22nd
1st floor Grand Atrium
Free Admission

MAY 15, 2018 – FORT MYERS, FLA – Florida SouthWestern State College’s (FSW) mathematics department recently donated 30 of its computers to the University of Zimbabwe’s (UZ) mathematics department. The donation was initiated by FSW Mathematics Professor, Dr. Douglas Magomo, who attended and earned his master’s degree from UZ.
“FSW was in the process of upgrading our computers to newer models, and I had just learned that UZ was still using the same computers it had when I attended in the 1990s,” Dr. Magomo said. “I reached out to our School of Pure and Applied Sciences Dean, Dr. Martin McClinton, and the FSW Information Technology (IT) department to ask if the computers could be donated, and they agreed.”
Before the computers could be donated, FSW’s IT team wiped the hard drives of all data and reimaged them so that UZ could install the software they needed.
“FSW’s staff and faculty PCs are replaced every four years, and our student and classroom PCs are replaced every seven years,” said Jason Dudley, FSW chief information officer. “In most cases, we use a recycler if we can’t find a use for the older computers. Thankfully, along with UZ, we have recently been able to find other institutions in need that can use our computers to further their educational programs.”
“Prior to the computer donations, all of our undergraduate math courses that required the use of computers were being taught in other departments,” said Dr. Gift Muchatibaya, UZ mathematics department coordinator. “This meant that our students had limited access to computers since they had to share the lab with students from other university programs. We are proud to say that we now have our own lab because of FSW’s generosity. We have since installed packages such as Matlab, Mathematica and Maple to the machines, and this has made teaching of most of our courses such as numerical methods, fluid dynamics and mathematical modeling a lot easier for faculty and students.”
“Having a functional lab has also helped in that most of our students can’t afford personal computers or the relevant software packages because of the current economic situation,” Dr. Muchatibaya said. “The impact this donation has had as far as our research and teaching activities in our department is enormous and we, the UZ community, are grateful.”
In addition to coordinating the donations, Dr. Magomo also covered the shipping costs out of his own pocket, and he is currently gathering more computers for a second round of donations.
“In these days of the internet, these machines can be used for many things, but most importantly they enhance education and connect people to the outside world,” Dr. Magomo said. “This is not just a need for UZ, but for the entire country of Zimbabwe.”

CAPE CORAL, Fla.  (May 15, 2018) – GATES Construction and ASHMARK Construction have completed 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 underwent a complete interior demolition and  replacement of walls, lighting, HVAC, plumbing, and flooring. The 40,178 SF retail space features a larger stock area, new store front entrance, offices and break room. Design services were provided by Herschman Architects.
GATES Construction serves its clients from offices in Bonita Springs and Sarasota providing construction management, general contracting and design-build services. Their diverse portfolio of commercial, healthcare, multi-family, hospitality, institutional and special projects, showcases numerous landmarks successfully constructed over the past quarter of century. As Florida’s premier builder, GATES also 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.

CAPE CORAL, Fla.  (May 15, 2018) – GATES Construction and ASHMARK Construction have completed 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 underwent a complete interior demolition and  replacement of walls, lighting, HVAC, plumbing, and flooring. The 40,178 SF retail space features a larger stock area, new store front entrance, offices and break room. Design services were provided by Herschman Architects.
GATES Construction serves its clients from offices in Bonita Springs and Sarasota providing construction management, general contracting and design-build services. Their diverse portfolio of commercial, healthcare, multi-family, hospitality, institutional and special projects, showcases numerous landmarks successfully constructed over the past quarter of century. As Florida’s premier builder, GATES also 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.

FORT MYERS, Fla. (May 16, 2018) – Edison & Ford Winter Estates offers indoor activities for Southwest Florida visitors and residents. The National Historic Chemical Landmark botanic laboratory and the air-conditioned, 15,000-square-foot museum are open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. On days when it’s raining or too hot to spend time outdoors, visitors have the option of purchasing an admission ticket for the museum and lab only. The cost of the museum and lab ticket is $15 for adults, $12 for teens (ages 13-19), $8 for children (ages 6-12) and children 5 years old and younger are admitted free.
The museum offers two new exhibits: the Smithsonian Spark!Lab and the Timeline of Innovation. The Smithsonian Spark!Lab is a hands-on, interactive exhibit for families and children. A series of rotating stations with themes such as vehicle construction, microscope plant exploration, flying machines and Snap Circuits challenge visitors to place themselves in the mindset of an inventor.
The Timeline of Innovation is a chronological exhibit of both Edison’s and Ford’s major innovations. The timeline highlights achievements in dozens of fields and showcases some of the most interesting artifacts. It also provides visitors with a narrative on how Edison, Ford and others built on earlier innovations to create their own inventions. Visitors also can attend daily phonograph demonstrations and listen to Edison’s favorite invention.
Thomas Edison, Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone formed the Edison Botanic Research Corporation in 1927. The three men were on a quest to find a natural source for producing rubber in the United States and tested more than 17,000 plants in the botanic laboratory, now a National Historic Chemical Landmark. Today, visitors can walk through the lab, which was operational until 1936.
 
In addition to the lab and museum, the site includes Thomas Edison’s and Henry Ford’s winter homes, caretaker’s houses, the swimming pool complex, Edison’s study and the Moonlight Garden, all on more than 20 acres of botanic gardens. It’s open every day of the year, except Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Fort Myers, Fla., May 16, 2018 –  The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Florida Southwest Chapter is offering financial assistance scholarships to (4) local students enrolled in a Bachelor of Architecture or a Master of Architecture program.  These Scholarships are funded through local member donations and dues.
Applicants must be graduates of a Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades counties and a Florida public or Charter High School in the current or past years that demonstrate financial  need, outstanding talent and achievement in the field.

• A $2500 award will go to a current or graduating high school senior, or a current college student enrolled in an accredited professional degree program in Architecture (B.Arch/or M.Arch).
• A $1500 award will go to a current or graduating high school senior, or a current college student enrolled in an accredited professional degree program in Architecture (B.Arch/or M.Arch).
• (2)  $500 awards will go to a current or graduating high school senior, or a current college student enrolled in an accredited professional degree program in Architecture (B.Arch/or M.Arch).

The deadline for the scholarship applications will be June 30, 2018.  Scholarships will be awarded on merit and need based.  Scholarships will be announced at our annual award luncheon in July.
Applications and more information are available at our website aiaflsw.org or by contacting Art Castellanos, AIA President [email protected] or any AIAFLSW Board member for an application.
The AIA Florida Southwest is the local chapter of the American Institute of Architects
AIA Florida Southwest

Fort Myers, Fl. May 15, 2018 – The Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce Women in Business Committee (WIB) will host its June networking meeting from 4-6pm on Wednesday, June 6^th at Wayne Wiles Floor Coverings, located at 16240 South Tamiami Trail in Fort Myers. This month’s WIB event will focus on hurricane preparedness while providing open networking for local professionals. This won’t your typical hurricane preparedness speech filled with technical jargon. Join us as we hear from three local business professionals who will share their real-life experiences and lessons learned from Hurricane Irma. This panel will give us all some valuable insight on what kinds of things you either should or shouldn’t do, in both your business sand home life, when preparing for the worst-case scenario.
The event will be catered by Franco’s and there will be a 50/50 raffle, as well as a raffle for a hurricane preparedness kit donated by our host and sponsor, Wayne Wiles Floor Coverings.
The panel members include Karen Ryan, PR Manager for LCEC, Keith Ruebeling, President/Owner of Larue Pest Management, and Will Prather, Executive Producer/Owner of Prather Productions, also named “Best Chill” in a hurricane in Florida Weekly’s Best Of issue.
Thank you to Wayne Wiles for sponsoring our June Women in Business meeting. The non-profit spotlight will highlight the Southwest Florida Community Foundation.  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.