Member News

Community Cooperative Announces Becoming Cosmopolitan: Mad about Hunger Fundraising Event

FORT MYERS, Fla. (July 11, 2024) – Prepare to be transported to a whimsical wonderland as Community Cooperative announces its eagerly anticipated annual fundraising event “Becoming Cosmopolitan: Mad about Hunger,” returning for its 18^th year on October 15, 2024, at The Ranch Concert Hall & Saloon.

“We are thrilled to announce our Becoming Cosmopolitan event and to have the community join us for a maddening evening dedicated to ending hunger and homelessness in southwest Florida,” says Stefanie Ink Edwards, CEO of Community Cooperative. “Each year, our Becoming Cosmopolitan event grows in impact and excitement with this year being no different. We aim to surpass our $100,000 fundraising goal to support our local community, and we need YOUR help to do it.”

Attendees can expect an absolutely maddening evening featuring a mad tea party and treats, cocktails that will make you big and small, an incredible silent auction, and a wondrously good time! Ticket sales and sponsorship opportunities are now open, offering businesses and individuals alike a chance to be a part of this transformative event.

Save the date and join them on October 15, 2024. This event is crucial in supporting their mission of ending hunger and homelessness in southwest Florida. With the rising costs of food and rent, our community is relying on Community Cooperative, now more than ever.

For more information on sponsorship opportunities or to secure your tickets, please visit www.CommunityCooperative.com or contact Jade Bird at [email protected] or 239-332-7687 ext. 101.

About Community Cooperative

Since 1984, Community Cooperative has worked to effectively eliminate hunger and homelessness in southwest Florida while simultaneously inspiring and supporting sustained positive change in its clients by delivering innovative food, education, and social service programs. With a dedicated team of volunteers, board of directors and staff, Community Cooperative stays committed to its core responsibility to collect and distribute resources through a strong and viable network of community partners. Community Cooperative is an exemplary steward of the resources entrusted to it and serves clients with compassion and integrity. Through collaboration and ongoing education, Community Cooperative supports and strengthens those whose lives have been affected by hunger and homelessness, ensuring that they have access to the resources necessary to transform their lives with dignity.

Lake Michigan Credit Union Hires Paige Stefanski as Treasury Management Sales Associate
in Fort Myers, Florida

Fort Myers, FL (July 11, 2024) – Lake Michigan Credit Union (LMCU) is excited to announce the hiring of Paige Stefanski as the organization’s newest Treasury Management Sales Associate located in Fort Myers, FL.

Stefanski previously worked as a teller and relationship banker, connecting members with personalized lending and saving products, experience that she will put to use in her new role working with LMCU businesses.

LMCU’s Treasury Management Sales Associate Manager, Justin Riccio, believes Stefanski’s personality and growth mindset will make her an invaluable addition to the team. “Paige is a great listener who constantly challenges herself to find unique solutions for members’ businesses, while working to further her knowledge of everything LMCU has to offer,” Riccio said.

Stefanski cites personal reasons for looking forward to this role. “My parents owned small businesses growing up, so I know how important it is to have a financial institution that really gets to know you and is dedicated to helping your business succeed, now and in the future,” she said. “I also love getting involved in the community, and LMCU more than encourages that.”

About Lake Michigan Credit Union

Lake Michigan Credit Union is the largest credit union in Michigan and 14^th largest in the country. Employing a staff of over 1,650 and serving more than 600,000 members, LMCU’s assets exceed $13 billion, with over $16 billion in portfolio and serviced mortgages. LMCU has 70 convenient branch locations, including 21 across the Tampa Bay area and Southwest Florida. LMCU members have access to over 55,000 Allpoint ATMs worldwide. LMCU provides a full range of financial services, from high interest-bearing checking accounts to personal loans, mortgages, business banking, investments, and insurance.

To find out more, visit LMCU.org. Federally insured by NCUA. Equal Housing Lender. NMLS #442967.

Discover Fort Myers Beach’s Biggest $20,000,000

Real Estate Portfolio

By SVN Commercial Partners, selected exclusively to represent the historical Semmer Family Portfolio

(Bonita Bill’s Restaurant, Lot, & Multi-Use Building: Situated at Fisherman’s Wharf on San Carlos Island)

SVN Commercial Partners, represented by Lauri Albion, John Albion, and Tiffany Luongo, proudly unveil an extraordinary $20,000,000 investment opportunity in Fort Myers Beach, FL. This portfolio, valued at approximately $20 million, potentially represents the largest usable waterfront portfolio in Lee County. It comprises five exceptional properties, each uniquely positioned to leverage Fort Myers Beach’s dynamic revitalization, offering unparalleled potential for investors.

SVN continues to expand its presence in Southwest Florida and beyond, specifically in the Fort Myers Beach area, an area that is on the cusp of a significant transformation, making it a prime location for savvy investors. This portfolio includes:

-The Marina on Main: Located on Main Street, this marina offers stunning water access and views, with recently rebuilt docks and proximity to waterfront dining. It benefits from favorable density and height allowances, ensuring project profitability. The property is zoned Light Industrial (IL) and Industrial Marine (IM), with a future land use designation of Industrial, providing strategic waterfront location advantages and steady growth potential.

-Seaside – Commercial Storage & Docks: Situated on Seaside Drive, this property includes commercial boat access and on-site outdoor storage across two parcels totaling 0.96 acres. It avoids Fort Myers Beach traffic and benefits from Lee County’s streamlined zoning and permitting processes. The property is zoned Marine Industrial (IM) and Agricultural (AG-2), with future land use designated as Industrial and Urban Community, minimizing redevelopment uncertainties.

-Self-Storage – Industrial Warehouse: Located at 830 and 890 Buttonwood Dr., these three premium self-storage buildings offer unmatched convenience, security, and flexibility. Ideal for expanding any real estate portfolio, these properties are zoned Industrial and provide secure storage options with high demand for flexible solutions.

-Bonita Bill’s Restaurant, Lot, & Multi-Use Building: Situated at Fisherman’s Wharf on San Carlos Island, this prime commercial real estate includes four contiguous properties known for their vibrant community atmosphere and historical significance. It features turnkey restaurant operations with quick boat access, making it an established community hub with significant potential for further commercial and hospitality development.

-Residential offers on San Carlos Island:

Addresses: 830 Oak Street, 845 Oak Street, 853 Oak Street, 37 Nancy Lane, and 1540 Main Street.

Offering easy access to San Carlos Island and Fort Myers Beach businesses, this property is ideal for homeowners or investors. It features proximity to essential services and dining options, making it a strategic location in a thriving business district with high rental demand.

SVN Commercial Partners invites investors to explore this exceptional portfolio, offering strategic locations, unique advantages, and significant potential returns.

Key Dates for Offers:

• Residential Offers: Due July 12
• Seaside Marina & Self-Storage – Industrial Warehouse (Buttonwood Dr.): Due July 19
• Bonita Bill’s Restaurant, Lot, & Multi-Use Building & Marina on Main and 1540 Main Street: Due July 26

About SVN Commercial Partners

SVN Commercial Partners with six offices in Southeast and Southwest Florida, is a national commercial real estate services firm with local expertise. It provides sales, leasing, management, and capital market solutions to clients in the Southeast and Southwest Florida regions in addition to serving a national client base. All SVN offices are Independently owned and operated. To learn more about how SVN Commercial Partners can be a resource for you, go to www.svncp.com.

Grumpy Goat Coffee’s Wandering Goat summer series of roving tasting events will arrive on Thursday, July 25 at Riptide Brewing Company located at 28120 Hunters Ridge Blvd., Bonita Springs. Attendees can meet their local master coffee roaster and artisan food and beverage experts from 4:30 – 7:30 p.m. and sample a variety of craft beers. Grumpy Blonde Ale is an exclusive recipe that takes Riptide Brewing’s Olde Naples Blonde and infuses the flavors and aromas of Grumpy Goat’s fresh roasted single origin coffee beans. Wake is a full bodied American stout rested on heaps of gourmet coffee beans roasted by Grumpy Goat Coffee.

In addition, Grumpy Goat Coffee, Pansardo Italian Food Specialties, Eat Up Delivered Meals, Kristi’s Key Lime Cookies, Flèche Healthy Treats and Olde Naples Chocolate will be providing free tastings of gourmet coffee, cookies, chocolates, sugar-free treats and more. Complimentary massages will be provided by Trinity Wellness. The Wandering Goat event is roving Bonita Springs businesses throughout the summer. The tasting events are open to the public. For more details visit grumpygoat.com.

>Grumpy Goat Coffee makes fresh roasted, fully traceable, single origin gourmet grade coffee from a wide variety of countries.
>Pansardo Italian Food Specialties produces and imports a variety of cheeses and artisanal food products from Sardinia.
>Eat Up Delivered Meals offers 100% organic superfood meals, freshly made with gluten-free and dairy-free ingredients, all prepared with a commitment to sustainability and nourishment.
>Kristi’s Key Lime Cookies creates handcrafted, baked fresh to order vanilla cookies smothered with a decadent key lime topping that contains no preservatives.
>Flèche Healthy Treats creates a variety of diabetic-friendly sugar-free, gluten-free and dairy-free treats, including cookies and chocolate snacks using natural and wholesome ingredients.
>Olde Naples Chocolate specializes in making top quality, gourmet custom chocolates hand-crafted daily from the finest natural ingredients.
>Global Wellness Source is a provider of household water treatment solutions.
>Trinity Wellness provides in-home services through a process called Integrative Wellness Therapy, which incorporates massage, fitness and wellness coaching.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Lee County’s 12th annual No Limit Texas Hold’em Poker Tournament attracted 120 card sharks and poker fanatics who helped raise $52,500 to support club programs.

Held June 27 at DoubleTree by Hilton Fort Myers at Bell Tower, the event started with a cocktail hour and hors d’oeuvres before players saddled up at the poker table. After several hours of playing, Brad Dohack and Jordan Drew called a truce and were declared co-winners; Troy Perkins won third place.

Proceeds from the event help enhance Boys & Girls Clubs’ After-school Program and Summer Enrichment Camp. Both programs serve Lee County youth ages six through 18 and focus on five core areas: education and career, service and leadership, health and wellness, the arts, and sports and recreation.

“The Poker Tournament has become one of our signature fundraising events, and revenue helps support our core programs as well as provide scholarships that allow additional families to register their children,” said Denise Gergley, CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Lee County. “Like our annual golf outing, the poker tournament is a great opportunity for participants to showcase their competitive spirit while making a difference for children and teens in our community.”

Scanlon Auto Group was the event’s World Champion Sponsor. Additional sponsors included Tomahawk Construction, Geraghty Stockman Attorneys at Law, LMCU, First Horizon, Quattrone & Associates, Barron Collier Companies, DoubleTree by Hilton and Total Electric.

About Boys & Girls Clubs of Lee County

Established in 1974, Boys & Girls Clubs of Lee County serve children and teens through school-based, neighborhood and community club locations. The nonprofit’s mission is to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring and responsible citizens. After-school and summer programs focus on five core areas: education and career, service and leadership, health and wellness, the arts, and sports and recreation. For more information, please visit BGClee.org or call 239-334-1886.

The University of South Florida Alumni Association will honor Priority Marketing and its founder, Teri Hansen, with the college’s 2024 Fast 56 Award, which recognizes the fastest-growing businesses led by USF graduates.

Hansen graduated magna cum laude from USF in 1984 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in business administration and management, as well as a minor in criminal justice. After starting her career in corporate roles, Hansen founded Priority Marketing in 1992 as a one-person operation that initially focused on public relations for a handful of clients in the construction industry.

Today, Priority Marketing employs more than 65 marketing professionals and its list of services has grown to include public relations, brand development, web services, social media, creative services, media buying, video production, digital marketing, event planning and more. The firm represents clients in hospitality and tourism, retail, health care, senior living, construction, legal, aviation, finance, education, government and nonprofit organizations. Hansen serves as the firm’s president and chief creative officer.

“USF is approaching nearly 400,000 alumni worldwide, many of whom are entrepreneurs and innovators leading very successful businesses,” said Hansen, APR. “To be featured among the top 56 for a third year is quite a feat and a testament that the businesses and nonprofits in our community value the marketing services that our team can provide.”

The number of award honorees, 56, pays homage to the year USF was founded – 1956. Businesses are evaluated based on revenue growth across multiple years.

Hansen and Priority Marketing will be honored Sept. 13 at the 12th annual Fast 56 Awards ceremony in Tampa.

About Priority Marketing

Founded in 1992 by Teri Hansen, APR, Priority Marketing’s portfolio of professional services includes public relations, brand development, web services, social media, creative services, media buying, video production, digital marketing, event planning and more. As Southwest Florida’s largest full-service firm, Priority Marketing has grown to include more than 65 savvy creatives and mastermind strategists who partner with clients across a broad spectrum of industries, including hospitality and tourism, retail, health care, senior living, construction, legal, aviation, financial, education and government, as well as charitable organizations. The firm has been honored at the local, state, national and international levels with prestigious awards while providing nearly $6 million in discounted and pro-bono services to local nonprofits. For more information, please call 239-267-2638 or visit PriorityMarketing.com.

Kevin Thorpe, Chief Economist at Cushman & Wakefield, Delivers Key Economic Insights for SWFL Through Partnership with Commercial Property Southwest Florida

Fort Myers, FL – [July 10, 2024]– At the Horizon Council meeting on Friday, June 28th, Kevin Thorpe, Chief Economist and Head of Global Research, at Cushman & Wakefield US  delivered a comprehensive analysis of the current economic landscape and its impact on Southwest Florida’s real estate market. Among the key insights were:

• Rental Market Adjustments: While apartment rents nationally show a decrease of 1%, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) indicates an increase of 6%, suggesting a lag in “owner’s equivalent rent” which reflects real economic changes with a one-year delay.
• Interest Rate Predictions: The Federal Reserve is anticipated to implement a 25-point rate cut in September, with a further reduction expected in December, aiming to stimulate economic growth.
• Regional Economic Growth: Southwest Florida has experienced a growth rate of 6%, outpacing the national average by 1%, primarily driven by a significant influx of businesses in recent years.
• Job Market Recovery: Post-pandemic and hurricane recovery have seen nearly every sector restore employment, except leisure and hospitality.
• Real Estate Prices: The median home price in the region has surged from $250,000 pre-pandemic to nearly $500,000 currently, with a tapering supply of new homes beginning to stabilize new home prices.
• Office Space Demand: The Fort Myers-Naples area ranks in the top three for net absorption of office space since 2020, driven by peak attendance days and a focus on sectors like legal services.

Thorpe emphasized that with the slowing demand for labor and a growing supply, construction costs might soon level out, stabilizing the local economy and real estate market.

About the Horizon Council The Horizon Council is a public-private board established in 1991 to advise the Lee County Board of Commissioners on economic development issues and provides vision, guidance, and support to the Lee County Economic Development Office (EDO) in its mission to:

• Help improve the business environment in Lee County
• Retain and encourage the expansion of existing business
• Attract new and diversified employment to the area

The Council has up to 80 members representing: municipalities, chambers of commerce, economic development and trade organizations, community, business, and education organizations, along with various officers and at-large members. To learn more about the Horizon Council visit https://www.leecountybusiness.com/horizon-council/.

About Cushman & Wakefield | Commercial Property Southwest Florida

Cushman and Wakefield | Commercial Property Southwest Florida, LLC delivers integrated solutions by actively advising, implementing, and managing on behalf of landlords, tenants, and investors through every stage of the real estate process. They cultivate long-term relationships, advising clients in buying, selling, financing, leasing, and managing assets. CPSWFL provides valuation advice, strategic planning and research, portfolio analysis, site selection, and space location assistance.

For more information about this or about Commercial Property Southwest Florida, please contact [email protected] or visit www.cpswfl.com.

The Heights Foundation/The Heights Center Announces the Creation of the MOSAIC Youth Philharmonic

(Fort Myers, FL July 10, 2024) – The Heights Foundation/The Heights Center announces the creation of the MOSAIC Youth Philharmonic, an expansion of the existing Musical Opportunities Supporting The Arts in Our Community (MOSAIC) program. This new orchestra is open to all school-aged students through auditions.

The full orchestra ensemble expands The Heights Foundation/The Heights Center’s existing MOSAIC program, adding a third tier that targets upper middle and high school students. Inspired by the El Sistema model, MOSAIC is a daily music education program serving nearly 70 elementary and middle school children from the Harlem Heights community. It provides free instrumental music instruction and numerous performance opportunities at The Heights Center and throughout the community. MOSAIC empowers students to strive for excellence in all aspects of their lives, from academic classes to musical lessons, and strengthens familial and community bonds, teaching students to become leaders and ambitious in every endeavor.

The Youth Philharmonic will rehearse every Monday from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM at The Heights Center, located at 15570 Hagie Drive, Fort Myers. The orchestra will perform three concerts annually at The Heights Center, with additional performances scheduled throughout Lee County. String and wind quartet/quintet ensemble coaching and performances will also be offered throughout the season.

Annual tuition for the program is $300, with payment plans and need-based scholarships available upon request. Detailed audition information for each instrument can be found at www.heightsfoundation.org/MOSAIC.

For more information, visit www.heightsfoundation.org/MOSAIC or contact Melissa Barlow at [email protected] or (239) 482-7706 extension 4006.

About the Heights Foundation and the Heights Center

The Heights Foundation works to build strong, self-sufficient families in the Harlem Heights neighborhood. Our mission is to support education and wellness, promote family and community development, and provide the benefits of enrichment and the arts. The Heights Center, supported by The Heights Foundation, is a place for Education, Opportunity, and Enrichment.  Heights Early Learning serves more than 85 babies through 4 years old.   The Heights Center serves 163 children in AfterSchool and 153 children in SummerCamp.  The Harlem Heights Community Charter School serves 200 children from kindergarten through fifth grade.

Harlem Heights was originally settled as a rural agricultural community.   Approximately 780 children live in a mixture of single-family homes and multi-family apartments.  Demographically, the population is approximately 78% Hispanic, 16% African-American, and 6% Caucasian.  The poverty rate for children in Harlem Heights is more than twice the county average, with family income 40% below the county average.  As a result, families cannot easily access family support services in downtown Fort Myers and benefit greatly from programs within the neighborhood.