Member News

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 art@castellanostramonte.com 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.

FORT MYERS, FLA., May 15, 2018 – Award-winning mental health expert Dr. Radu V. Saveanu of the University of Miami  discussed the latest advances in mental health treatment at a special luncheon hosted by SalusCare on Monday, May 14.
More than 130 people attended “Shattering the Stigma,” which was presented in honor of Mental Health Month
Dr. Saveanu and his colleagues assisted a local family as they struggled to find the correct mental health diagnosis for their young adult son.  Through videos and honest first-hand accounts, Dr. Saveanu and the family shared the journey that ultimately led to a diagnosis of bipolar disorder.
About 5 percent of the U.S. population has bipolar disorder, although 40 percent of the cases go untreated, Dr. Saveanu said.
“Primary care physicians are the first ones to see patients with bipolar disorder.  They see more patients with bipolar than psychiatrists do,” Dr. Saveanu said.
He said bipolar disorder is treatable, although the illness may change over time requiring adjustments in medication.  He encouraged everyone to talk about mental illness in the community to shatter the stigma.
Dr. Saveanu is currently a professor and vice chairman for education in the University of Miami’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. He has special expertise in psychotherapy and conducts clinical research in the treatment of mood and anxiety disorders.  He received his medical degree from Tufts University Medical School.  Prior to joining the University of Miami, he was chairman of the Department of Psychiatry at The Ohio State University.
 
About SalusCare, Inc.
SalusCare, Inc., is the largest, most comprehensive mental health and substance abuse treatment program in Southwest Florida, serving nearly 16,000 people per year of all ages from seven locations in Lee County.   The non-profit organization offers crisis stabilization, detox, outpatient, residential treatment, community-based services and an Employee Assistance Program for more than 50 area companies. The majority of programs are accredited by CARF, the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities.
SalusCare services are not free.  Fees are charged on a sliding scale, based on family income.  In many cases, private insurance is accepted.  SalusCare is a United Way partner agency. For more information, visit www.saluscareflorida.org

** Please note changes **
June 2018 Live Music Schedule
At Zig Zag Lounge
 Performances are at the Zig Zag Lounge. No cover for live entertainment. TVs throughout the Zig Zag bar air sporting events and other entertainment. Zig Zag Lounge is Southwest Florida’s premier destination to catch your favorite teams during the NFL season. Entertainment is subject to change. For complete details, visit moreinparadise.com.
 

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 https://www.facebook.com/SeminoleCasinoHotel/.

Performances are at the Zig Zag Lounge. No cover for live entertainment. TVs throughout the Zig Zag bar air sporting events and other entertainment. Zig Zag Lounge is Southwest Florida’s premier destination to catch your favorite teams during the NFL season. Entertainment is subject to change. For complete details, visit moreinparadise.com.
 

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 https://www.facebook.com/SeminoleCasinoHotel/.
 
 
 
 
 
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The Shell Factory & Nature Park is partnering with the SW Florida Military Museum for a Memorial Day Celebration honoring all Veterans who served our country. Veterans will get FREE admission to The Nature Park and 2 for 1 admission to the Soaring Eagle Zip Line. There will also be lots of activities for Families with kids games, BBQ cookout, and live music by Chuck Peterson.  In addition to all the cool kid games, there will be a Balloon Man and Face Painter. All the Fun starts at 12 noon Monday May 28th.  Bring the whole Family and view the Military Museum’s historical exhibit. A great day of Family Fun honoring our American hero’s. For all The Shell Factory’s Family Fun Events go to www.shellfactory.com or visit The Shell Factory Facebook page.

FORT MYERS, Fla. (May 10, 2018) – The Lee County Board of Commissioners recently recognized Shell Point Retirement Community with an official proclamation, honoring its 50 years of leadership in the senior living industry.

Founded in 1968 by The Christian and Missionary Alliance, Shell Point is a nonprofit continuing care retirement community that offers independent retirement living, assisted living, and skilled nursing to senior adults in an active, resort-style environment located in Fort Myers along the Caloosahatchee River near Sanibel Island.

“This recognition is an opportunity for the county to recognize somebody that stands out in the community and Shell Point has stood out in the community for several decades here in Southwest Florida,” said Chairman Cecil Pendergrass. “The quality of life they provide for their residents is unbelievable.”

County Commissioner Larry Kiker’s reading of the proclamation highlighted Shell Point’s numerous awards earned and the prestigious national attention that has brought positive recognition to Lee County and to the senior living industry. He also commended the level of quality and excellence Shell Point has demonstrated for the past 50 years.

The resolution underscored Shell Point’s ability to deliver a vibrant lifestyle to more than 2,400 residents, fulfilling opportunities for volunteer service, and numerous recreational and social pursuits. Shell Point was also praised for being one of the leading employers in Lee County with more than 1,100 employees and also for its commitment to conserving, enhancing and protecting the natural resources of its location along the Caloosahatchee River.

“As we celebrate our 50th anniversary year, it is a great honor for Shell Point to be recognized for its leadership and unwavering dedication to our residents and employees,” said Shell Point President Martin Schappell. “We are grateful to the Lee County Board of Commissioners for this recognition and look forward to many more years of service here in Southwest Florida.”

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.

FORT MYERS, Fla. (May 11, 2018) – Attorney Jennifer J. Hammond of Green Schoenfeld & Kyle LLP has been appointed co-chair of the Lee County Bar Association’s Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Practice Section.
Hammond has nearly 20 years of business and legal experience. Her focus areas include estate planning, trust administration, taxation, probate, corporate, business and partnership law, and wealth preservation. Prior to joining the firm, she was a business consultant in Baltimore, Maryland, Washington, D.C., and London, England. Hammond is a member of the Florida and Lee Bar Associations, as well as the American and Maryland Bar Associations.
Hammond is joined by Kenneth Kemp as co-chair.
Established in 1949, the Lee County Bar Association was formed as a voluntary organization of attorneys living and working in Lee County, Florida. The purpose of the organization is to further the education of its members, create meaningful interaction among its members, and to inform the community on important legal matters. The Lee County Bar Association supports citizens with free legal clinics on important topics of local interest, promotes the rule of law with student programs and provides a lawyer referral service to connect the public with qualified attorneys.
Since 2000, Green Schoenfeld & Kyle LLP has provided high-quality legal services to Florida individuals and businesses. With more than 181 years of combined legal expertise, the attorneys work proactively with clients and businesses to help formulate and implement estate planning objectives in a tax-efficient manner and provide specialized solutions for tax and business matters.
Dedicated to providing clients with exceptional personal attention and respect, Green Schoenfeld & Kyle’s specialty areas of practice are estate planning; probate, estate and trust administration; business planning, corporate, LLC and partnership law; and estate and gift tax issues. For more information, visit www.gskattorneys.com.