Member News

“I just want to play the instrument that resonates within my soul.”

FORT MYERS, Fla. (Mar. 8, 2021) – Boy Agnew Potanovic will host its annual seminar and networking event, Proactive Workplace Solutions: An HR & Employment Law Seminar, beginning at 7:30 a.m. on March 26, 2021, at the Caloosa Sound Convention Center at the Luminary Hotel. The all-day seminar was created for Southwest Florida employers, and will feature sessions focused on proactive and cost-effective solutions to workplace legal issues. Topics include tips for navigating ADA/FMLA issues, employment law Q&A, expected changes in employment law under the new Biden administration, and a keynote speech on the importance of inspirational leadership during times of crisis by nationally recognized speaker Chip Madera.
Registration is $75 for general admission and $50 for Boy Agnew Potanovic clients, and includes a continental breakfast and plated lunch.  Continuing education credits are pending from SHRM, HRCI and The Florida Bar. Attendees can learn more by emailing [email protected] or by visiting bapfirm.com.
Highlights of the sessions include:
Employment Law Legislative and Case Law Update
In this interactive session, John Agnew and John Miller will provide an update on important employment legislation and case law from 2020 and on the horizon for 2021. They will also address agency activity from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Department of Labor, and National Labor Relations Board.
Unforeseen Complications:  Navigating Difficult ADA/FMLA Issues
As if tackling employee leave and accommodation issues was not already challenging enough, add a pandemic on top and many employers found themselves dealing with a wave of leave issues over the past year.  Using real life examples, Suzanne Boy will walk attendees through several complex scenarios, and provide practical suggestions on how employers can best navigate these situations while maintaining compliance with the ADA and FMLA.
Employment Law Under the Biden Administration
With the political pendulum swinging once again, employers can expect to see changes in labor and employment laws under the Biden Administration.  John Potanovic will cover what employers may expect from the new Biden administration and the new Congress, including thoughts and analysis pertaining to EEOC policy and enforcement, wage and hour compliance, paid leave, joint employer liability, and more.
Courageous Leadership: Inspiring Your Team During Times of Crisis
Chip Madera MS, CSP, international executive coach and leadership strategist specializing in
motivation, employee engagement, and accelerating cultures of excellence will present a keynote speech that explores the opportunities COVID-19 has given organizations to re-imagine work practices and engage employees at the highest level. Chip’s presentations engage managers and employees alike to navigate challenging times without missteps inspiring workers to press on toward the future with confidence.
Asked and Answered:  Employment Law Q&A
Perhaps now more than ever, the legal issues facing HR professionals and business owners are complex and seemingly ever-changing.  In this interactive session, the attorneys from Boy Agnew Potanovic and Sproat Workplace Investigations will tackle your most burning employment law questions.  Do you want to know how to navigate difficult termination issues?  What COVID-19 challenges does your workplace continue to face? If you would like to submit questions in advance, please email them to [email protected].
About Boy Agnew Potanovic, PLLC
Boy Agnew Potanovic, PLLC is a Fort Myers-based law firm offering proactive legal solutions for employers, businesses, and government entities throughout Southwest Florida. A client-focused approach that emphasizes relationships and flexibility is the guiding force behind the firm’s work. See how Boy Agnew Potanovic can help your business at bapfirm.com.

FWC urges selected license holders to participate in the Freshwater Stocking Angler Survey
The University of Florida, with assistance from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), encourages the participation and involvement from randomly selected license holders to fill out the Freshwater Stocking Angler Survey. The selected individuals were sent an email with a link to take this survey. UF and the FWC are seeking help in a study of freshwater recreational stocking preferences in Florida recreational freshwater fisheries. The survey is for research purposes and is not spam. The deadline to take the survey is March 31.
The Freshwater Stocking Angler Survey was sent to Florida resident freshwater anglers who were randomly selected. UF and the FWC are invested in learning from anglers what their preferences are for stocking specific species and how they view stocking as a management action. This survey is a great opportunity for freshwater anglers to let managers know how they feel about stocking. The results from the survey will help inform future stocking strategies and management actions. Completion of the survey should take about 15 minutes.
There are no risks anticipated in participating in this survey nor any direct benefits or compensation. All responses will remain completely anonymous and no identifying information will be collected. However, the results will be valuable for improving fisheries management decisions in Florida, therefore it is important for selected individuals to participate in the survey. UF and the FWC thank participants for their time and attention.
For more information about the study, contact Edward Camp at [email protected] or Diana Perry at [email protected].
 

FORT MYERS, Fla. (March 8, 2021) –  Lee Association of Remarkable Citizens (LARC) announces that Brian Bradley has joined its board of directors.  Established in 1954, LARC’s mission is to empower and support individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families to reach their full potential.
Bradley attended the Georgia Institute of Technology and graduated from the University of Florida, where he received his Master of Architecture degree.  His master’s thesis was “Residential facilities for the developmentally disabled.”  He has practiced architecture for the past 31 years and designed the administration building at LARC and the renovations of campus buildings and group homes to make them more accessible.  Bradley works for Lee Health in facilities administration.  He previously served on the board of directors of Manasota ARC.
“The Bradley family has been a part of the fabric of our organization almost since the inception,” said Austin Clinton, president of the LARC board of directors. “Brian’s sister, who was born with Down syndrome, participated in our programs for more than 30 years.  His parents, Dr. James L. and Ann Bradley, supported LARC’s programs and donated Ann Bradley’s parents’ home to LARC after they passed.  It now serves as a group home for individuals with disabilities.  Brian’s brother, Roger, served as LARC’s executive director for 31 years.”
“My parents were encouraged to put my sister in an institution,” said Bradley.  “At that time, there were no opportunities for education for her.  But they chose to raise her at home with her six siblings.   She wasn’t treated differently and had opportunities to be a part of our community,” said Bradley.  “It is important to me to serve on LARC’s board because of their success empowering those with developmental disabilities, like my sister, to work and have happy, fulfilling lives in our community.”
LARC is a training center for success for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. LARC serves more than 300 individuals annually, and participants range in age from 14 to 77.  LARC offers vocational training, community residential services, and a vast array of other state-of-the-art community inclusion services on a full-time, year-round basis.  LARC’s main campus is located at 2570 Hanson Street, Fort Myers.  LARC also operates two Residential Group Homes located in Cape Coral and North Fort Myers.
To learn more about LARC, visit www.larcleecounty.org or contact Angela Katz, Interim Executive Director, at 239-334-6285 x229 or [email protected].
About LARC
Established in 1954, LARC Inc.’s mission is to empower and support individuals with disabilities and their families to reach their full potential. LARC is a 501(c)3 that provides programs and services for approximately 300 local men and women annually. The non-profit offers youth programs, vocational training, community residential services, and a vast array of other state-of-the-art community inclusion services on a full-time, year-round basis.  LARC’s main campus is located at 2570 Hanson Street, Fort Myers.  LARC also operates two Residential Group Homes located in Cape Coral and North Fort Myers.
Elly Hagen
(239) 994-3927
[email protected]

Angela Katz Named Interim Executive Director
FORT MYERS, Fla. (March 3, 2021) – Lee Association of Remarkable Citizens (LARC) announces the retirement of Executive Director Kevin Lewis. Angela Katz, LARC’s Director of Development and Communications, has been named Interim Executive Director. Established in 1954, LARC’s mission is to empower and support individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families to reach their full potential.
Lewis was honored at the March 2 meeting of the Lee County Board of Commissioners for his 38 years of service to the citizens of Lee County. He has been executive director of LARC since 2016 and is a longtime leader and advocate for behavioral healthcare in Southwest Florida.  Lewis served as president of SalusCare, the most comprehensive provider of behavioral healthcare services in Southwest Florida, which he shepherded into being when Lee Mental Health and Southwest Florida Addiction Services merged. Lewis led Southwest Florida Addiction Services for nearly 27 years, earning praise for his compassion and innovation. In 2014, he received a National Point of Light Award, the same year he was honored as a Trailblazer in The News-Press Person of the Year awards.
While at LARC, Lewis worked with staff to evolve programs to meet the ever-changing needs of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, building on LARC’s 60+ year history of advocacy, services, and supports as an Arc chapter.
Lewis increased efforts focused on young people aging out of the school system. Lewis worked with now Senator Ray Rodrigues for a legislative appropriation to prepare one campus building to be safe and comfortable as an emergency shelter for group home residents if a forecasted storm requires them to leave their homes.
Lewis was active in legislative efforts promoting the needs of individuals with disabilities, including Our Voices Together, an alliance created to empower those with intellectual and developmental disabilities statewide with the information and resources to meet the crisis of inadequate funding head-on.
Over the past year, Lewis’s steadfast leadership brought local agencies together to address the COVID-19 crisis and its effect on individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. He supported individuals and families in navigating the pandemic and ensured that many LARC services continued uninterrupted.
“Kevin has worked tirelessly to advocate for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities,” said Austin Clinton, president of the LARC board of directors. “He understands that solutions are bred from collaboration and brings people and organizations together to find ways to improve the lives of these individuals. It has been an honor to work with him, and he leaves a legacy of improved services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities as well as those in need of treatment for mental health and addiction issues.”
A highly-accomplished strategic fundraising and development professional, Katz joined LARC in 2016. She created and championed an innovative new program at LARC – LAB: Learn, Achieve, Become. LAB offers an experiential learning environment that transforms traditional program areas into spaces for innovation, vocation, demonstration, and learning. Five Labs focus on skills for work, residency, and leisure. She was instrumental in creating LARC’s Exceptional Employers event to recognize exceptional employers in our community that have hired individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and promote the advantages of hiring people with disabilities.  Katz received her certification in Fundraising Management from Indiana University, Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. She was named non-profit employee of the year by The Cape Coral Community Foundation in 2019.
“Angela’s passion is to help fulfill the dreams and goals of people with disabilities so they can work, live and play in their community just like we do,” said Lewis. “She has shared this passion with our community and has developed a dedicated group of supporters, created innovative programs to increase the independence of individuals with disabilities, raised the profile of LARC in our community, and significantly increased donors and donations. I know that the future of LARC is in good hands with the leadership of Angela and our hard-working board of directors.”
LARC is a training center for success for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. LARC serves more than 300 individuals annually, and participants range in age from 14 to 77. LARC offers vocational training, community residential services, youth programs, and a vast array of other state-of-the-art community inclusion services on a full-time, year-round basis. LARC’s main campus is located at 2570 Hanson Street, Fort Myers. LARC also operates two Residential Group Homes located in Cape Coral and North Fort Myers.
To learn more about LARC, visit www.larcleecounty.org or contact Angela Katz, Interim Executive Director, at 239-334-6285 x229 or [email protected].
About LARC
 Established in 1954, LARC Inc.’s mission is to empower and support individuals with disabilities and their families to reach their full potential. LARC is a 501(c)3 that provides programs and services for approximately 300 local men and women annually. The non-profit offers youth programs, vocational training, community residential services, and a vast array of other state-of-the-art community inclusion services on a full-time, year-round basis. LARC’s main campus is located at 2570 Hanson Street, Fort Myers. LARC also operates two Residential Group Homes located in Cape Coral and North Fort Myers.
Elly Hagen
(239) 994-3927
[email protected]
 

Cash flow, mitigating risks, PPP loans and tax law
FORT MYERS, Fla. (March 5, 2021) – Managing cash flow and financial risks during a pandemic can get complicated and frustrating. To assist manufacturers and other business owners, Southwest Regional Manufacturers Association (SRMA) will host the “Financial Risk Management” Roundtable on Zoom on Wednesday, March 17, 2021 at 8 a.m. There is no cost to attend.
“Addressing the urgent needs of SRMA’s manufacturer and affiliate members is our top priority,” says SRMA Board Chair Jeff Poirier. “This month’s webinar will address some of the biggest financial challenges manufacturers and businesses alike seem to face- managing cash flow and mitigating risks.”
This Roundtable webinar is generously sponsored by GEIS Construction and McGriff and open for all to attend. Participants will learn how to mitigate risks, navigate PPP funding, tax law, and cash flow management. Featured speakers include Donald Trummer, CPA at HBK’S Tax Advisory Group; Scott Gregory, Vice President and Business Insurance Agent at McGriff, Neil Shnider, CPA, CVA, MBA at
Florida SBDC at Florida Gulf Coast University; and Joseph Janoschka, Senior Vice President and Senior Relationship Manager of Business Banking at Bank of America. SRMA Board Chair Jeff Poirier will moderate the discussion and guests will have an opportunity to ask the panel questions that relate to their business.
To register for this free event, visit https://srma.net/category/events/ and a Zoom link will be sent to you. For more information about the Southwest Regional Manufacturers Association visit SRMA.net, call 239-258-1385 or email [email protected].

About the Southwest Regional Manufacturers Association

The purpose and objective of the Southwest Regional Manufacturers Association is to bring together manufacturers to encourage the economic development of Southwest Florida through manufacturing, and to act as a forum for the expression and exchange of ideas and information among its members. The SRMA provides an advocacy platform for the general welfare of its members in the face of economic, civic and educational challenges. It encourages cooperation, information sharing and mutual aid, fostering social relationships and community involvement. Visit srma.net for more information or to become a member or sponsor.

People who are eligible to be vaccinated now include:

Phase 1

most recently eligible

• Persons ages 65 and older
• Health care personnel with direct patient contact
• Long-term care staff and residents
• Individuals extremely at risk of COVID
• K-12 school personnel, law enforcement officers, and firefighters age 50 and above
• (NEW) CVS is vaccinating teachers under age 50

Source: Florida Health Department

As part of our ongoing effort to increase public participation and engagement, the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) encourages the public to provide input on the Final Draft 2021 Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) Science Plan.
The final draft plan is available for public and peer review at SFWMD.gov/ASR. Please note that the public review period has been extended from 30 days to 45 days. Public comments can be submitted via email to [email protected] now through March 22, 2021.
About the Final Draft 2021 ASR Science Plan
The SFWMD and the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) prepared the Final Draft 2021 ASR Science Plan to address uncertainties identified in the National Research Council’s (NRC’s) review of the ASR Regional Study Final Technical Data Report. There are potential benefits of ASR wells, and there are some technical uncertainties regarding regional effects of large-scale ASR implementation.
To address these uncertainties, the SFWMD and USACE developed a Final Draft 2021 ASR Science Plan, describing potential studies to be conducted as ASR wells are implemented in a phased manner. The ASR Science Plan was developed with review and input from an independent peer-review panel of scientists. The ASR Science Plan presents the first version of an overarching program of scientific studies that supports a phased ASR implementation schedule for the Lake Okeechobee Watershed Restoration Project (LOWRP).
Although the studies proposed in the Final Draft 2021 ASR Science Plan are intended to be conducted at ASR locations identified in the LOWRP Integrated Project Implementation Report and Environmental Impact Statement, they may have broad application beyond the LOWRP’s scope.
The South Florida Water Management District is a regional governmental agency that manages the water resources in the southern part of the state. It is the oldest and largest of the state’s five water management districts. Our mission is to safeguard and restore South Florida’s water resources and ecosystems, protect our communities from flooding, and meet the region’s water needs while connecting with the public and stakeholders.

Webinar Series: PPP Updates for Your Small Business