Member News

Fort Myers, FL April 26, 2019 — The Southwest Florida Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association (FPRA) presented 26 awards for excellence in public relations programming and projects at the 2019 Local Image Awards dinner that was held at the historic Burroughs Home & Gardens on April 18. Among the winners and awards were:
Jennifer J. Edwards, Supervisor of Elections, Heather Doane, APR, Voter Education Coordinator, and Trish Robertson, APR, CPRC, Public Relations Officer for the Collier County Supervisor of Elections Office received an Award of Distinction and Judges Award for their public service campaign, Millennial Votes Matter. They also received a Judges Award and the Grand All Image Award in Division A for their integrated marketing campaign, Collier Votes Local.
SPIRO & Associates, Marketing, Advertising, Public Relations and Brand Architecture received an Award of Distinction for the community relations campaign Sustainable Outreach Society-Goodness To-Go and the public information campaign, Fort Myers Doughnut Operations Grand Opening. They also received an Award of Distinction and Judges Award for the public service campaign Lee BIA Impact Fee Campaign.
CONRIC PR & Marketing received an Award of Distinction and Judges Award for the public service campaign, Faces of Hope at Work. They also received an Image Award and Judges Award for the public affairs campaign, City of Cape Coral GO Bond, and a Judges Award for the public relations program, Madisen’s Match.
Albert Arguelles, Vice President and Randy Mitchelson, APR, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at iPartnerMedia received an Image Award and Judges Award for the public service campaign, the Southwest Florida Challenge (#SWFLchallenge).
The Lee Health Strategic Communications & Public Relations Department received a Judges Award for the public information campaign, Lee Health Coconut Point Media Tour.
Priority Marketing and the Conservancy of Southwest Florida received an Image Award, Judges Award and the Grand Image Award in Division C for the Conservancy of Southwest Florida’s Magic Under the Mangroves 2018 Fund-A-Need Video.
Priority Marketing and The School District of Lee County received an Award of Distinction and Judges Award for the public affairs campaign, Change for Change: It’s About Kids, Not Numbers.
Priority Marketing and the Guadalupe Center received an Award of Distinction for the Guadalupe Center Video Brochure with Printed Insert.
Kirsten O’Donnell, Director of Communications for the Area Agency on Aging for Southwest Florida received an Image Award and Grand Image Award in Division B for the Area Agency on Aging’s 40th Anniversary Milestone News Release.
The Lee County Electric Cooperative (LCEC) and SPIRO & Associates received a Judges Award for the LCEC Website project.
For student projects in public relations, Fabiano Solano, former Communications Director for the FPRA FGCU student chapter, received an Award of Distinction and Judges Award for the public relations campaign, A New Chapter in FGCU Pages.
 
Each year, the Southwest Florida Chapter of FPRA also presents awards to recognize outstanding members of its chapter. This year’s winners include:
Krista Kihlander, past president of the FPRA FGCU student chapter, received the inaugural Pam Nulman Soaring Eagle PR Award that recognizes student leaders in PR.
Niki Mann, Business Development Manager for Safilo and Public Relations Intern for American Shore & Beach Preservation Association, received the 2019 Rising Star Award that is presented to an up and coming leader in the chapter who shows enthusiasm and passion for the PR profession.
Victoria Moreland, Director of Communications & Marketing for the Lee County Port Authority received the 2019 Unsung Hero Award, which recognize the contributions of a chapter member for their hard work and dedication to the chapter and the profession ‘behind the scenes.’
Tiffany Esposito, MBA, APR, President & CEO of the Bonita Springs Area Chamber of Commerce, received the 2019 PR Professional of the Year Award, which honors a member who exemplifies the high standards of the public relations profession in Southwest Florida.
Trish Robertson, APR, CPRC, Public Relations Officer for the Collier County Supervisor of Elections Office and Jaimie Miller, APR, VP of Marketing for CONRIC PR & Marketing, each won the 2019 Member of the Year Award.  This award recognizes members who go above and beyond in their commitment of time and energy to ensure the success of the chapter.
Pam Nulman, APR, CPRC, recently retired FGCU professor, was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award, which is reserved for public relations professionals who have dedicated their career to the profession and the advancement of it. This award is only given when there is someone eligible.
The Florida Public Relations Association is dedicated to developing public relations practitioners who, through ethical and standardized practices, enhance the public relations profession in Florida. The organization’s 15 professional and 12 student chapters provide professional development, networking and recognition opportunities for nearly 1,500 members across the state. FPRA is the nation’s oldest public relations organization, established by Lt. Col. John Dillin, APR, CPRC in 1938. For more information, visit www.fpra.org.

ESTERO, Fla. (April 26, 2019) – The Southwest Florida Regional Technology Partnership (SWFRTP) has announced the finalists for the 11th annual Technology Awards. D & A Strategic Enterprise Solutions is the Welcome Sponsor,  Bonita Print Shop is the Print Sponsor and ITVantage is the Dessert Sponsor.
The finalists for the Innovention Award given to a company that has invented or demonstrated an innovative and creative technology solution are Cigent Technologies, Vectra Digital and VeraData.
The finalists for the Transformation Award for a business highlighting the use of technology in government, nonprofit, or companies outside the technology sector to address a business or operational challenge are BMP Logic, Chico’s FAS and NCH Healthcare System.
The finalists for the Woman in Technology Award which honors the accomplishments of a Southwest Florida woman in a technology role and her commitment to diversity in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields are Reema Bhatia, Stickboy Creative; Michelle Borders, Naples Network Services; Priya Janardhanan, Chico’s FAS.
The finalists for the Technology Student Award recognizing a high school or college student pursuing higher education or a career in technology are Klaudia Fisheku, Florida Gulf Coast University; Elisabet Ortiz, Cape Coral High School; Sophia Vellizzi, Gulf Coast high School.
In addition, the Partnership Award, which honors a person who has made significant contribution to the SWFRTP will be presented at the dinner. The awards dinner is May 16, 2019 at 6:00 p.m. at the Club at Grandezza in Estero, FL. Ann E. Joyce, Chief Customer Officer and EVP, Technology, Supply Chain and Field Operations at Chico’s FAS, will be the keynote speaker. The emcee of the event is Lindsey Sablan, News Anchor, WINK-TV. Tickets are available at www.swfrtp.org until May 12.
About SWFL Regional Technology Partnership
The Southwest Florida Regional Technology Partnership (SWFRTP) was chartered in 2008 and is the only group dedicated solely to the growth of the technology cluster in southwest Florida. The non-profit organization is a member of the Lee County Horizon Council and is comprised of technology companies and technology users, economic development groups and higher education institutions. Through its strategy to inspire, innovate and inform, the SWFRTP produces educational seminars, career forums, professional networking events and the only regional awards program dedicated to technology development and implementation. Membership and sponsorship information is available at www.swfrtp.org.

FORT MYERS, Fla. (April 25, 2019) – During March, 1,482,239 passengers traveled through Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers, Fla., an increase of 7.4 percent compared to March 2018. Year-to-date, passenger traffic is up 7.4 percent compared to last year.
The traffic leader in March was Southwest Airlines with 288,142 passengers traveling to and from Fort Myers. Rounding out the top five airlines were Delta (280,584), Spirit (187,471), American (175,855) and United (142,387).
Southwest Florida International Airport had 11,202 aircraft operations, an increase of 2.7 percent compared to March 2018. Page Field saw 11,086 operations, a 31.7 percent increase from March 2018. In addition, nearly 3 million pounds of air freight moved through Southwest Florida International Airport in March 2019.
Southwest Florida International Airport served nearly 9.4 million passengers in 2018 and is one of the top 50 U.S. airports for passenger traffic. No ad valorem (property) taxes are used for airport operation or construction. For more information, visit www.flylcpa.com or Like Us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/flyRSW.

Snook will close to all harvest in Gulf state, federal and inland waters, including all of Monroe County and Everglades National Park, starting May 1.
Seasonal harvest closures conserve Florida’s valuable snook populations and help sustain and improve the fishery for the future.
Snook also remain catch and release only in waters from the Pasco-Hernando county line south to Gordon Pass in Collier County due to impacts from the previous red tide. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) will discuss whether to extend the current red-tide related measures for this species, as well as red drum and spotted seatrout, for an additional year at its May 1-2 meeting near Tallahassee.
Snook are one of the many reasons Florida is the Fishing Capital of the World. While snook may be caught and released during the closed season, the FWC encourages anglers to handle their catch carefully to help the fish survive upon release. Proper handling methods can help ensure the species’ abundance for anglers today and generations to come. To learn more about fish handling, visit MyFWC.com/Fishing and click on “Saltwater Fishing,” “Recreational Regulations” and “Fish Handling.”
Anglers can report their catch on the Snook & Gamefish Foundation’s website at SnookFoundation.org by clicking on the “Angler Action Program” link in the bar at the top of the page.
Learn more about recreational fishing at MyFWC.com/Fishing by clicking on “Saltwater Fishing” and “Recreational Regulations.”

Celebrity athletes, Tony the Tiger to inspire SWFL children
Note to Media: This is an updated alert. Please disregard the alert that was sent on April 23. Note the revised times that the athletes will arrive and the program will start.
Decorated champions from a diverse array of sports will speak with 200 Southwest Florida children who benefit from Blessings in a Backpack, which provides food for students every weekend during the school year.
WHAT: Blessings in a Backpack and Champions 4 Children are partnering to feed underprivileged children in Southwest Florida and show them they can overcome difficulty to become champions in life. Nearly two dozen sports champions will deliver messages of hope, determination and inspiration to the children, who’ll receive a free breakfast and also get to meet Tony the Tiger of Frosted Flakes fame.
Cheerleaders from Cypress Lake High School will be on hand to help introduce the following champions scheduled to attend:
·      1995 NFL No. 1 overall pick Ki-Jana Carter
·      2004 World Series champion Boston Red Sox pitcher Bronson Arroyo
·      1993 NFL first-round pick O.J. McDuffie
·      1978 Final Four Most Outstanding Player and former Atlanta Hawk Jack “Goose” Givens
·      Former NFL lineman Matt Vanderbeek
·      Super Bowl XIX and XXV champion placekicker and former NASL player Matt Bahr
·      1990 NFL No. 1 overall pick Jeff George
·      Miami Dolphins Super Bowl XVII and XIX starting running back Tony Nathan
·      Three-time PGA champion Nolan Henke
·      Former NFL and Penn State All-American offensive lineman Chris Conlin
·      Former NFL offensive lineman Tom Toth
·      12-year PGA veteran and Naples native George McNeill
·      U.S. National Champion amputee golfer Kenny Bontz
·      Former Washington Redskins center Mike Scully
·      Former University of Kentucky and All-SEC basketball player Jim Andrews
·      Former Oakland A’s, Tampa Bay Rays and Bishop Verot outfielder Adam Piatt
·      Former Miami Dolphins and Illinois All-Big Ten offensive lineman Scott Kehoe
·      Former Illinois offensive lineman Tim Scully
·      Three-time NCAA champion wrestler Pat Milkovich
·      International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness Bikini Pro Laurin Conlin
·      Former Penn State All-Big Ten offensive lineman Keith Conlin
WHEN: Friday, April 26, 2018. The champions are expected to arrive between 8:45-9 a.m. for media interviews. The program will tentatively start at 9:30 a.m.
WHERE: Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall, 13350 FSW Parkway, Fort Myers
WHY: Blessings in a Backpack provides food on Friday afternoons to more than 3,000 students in Southwest Florida so they have something to eat on weekends, when they’re not covered by free and reduced-price school breakfasts and lunches. But the need is even greater. There are 60,000 elementary students across Lee and Collier counties who don’t have enough food on the weekends.
Blessings in a Backpack strives to meet the demand and benefits from its partnership with Champions 4 Children, which will hold fundraisers from April 26-28. For more information, visit champions4childrenswfl.com and blessingsinswfl.org.
CONTACT: Josh Milton, Vice President of Media Relations at CONRIC PR & Marketing, 239-690-9840, [email protected]

(Fort Myers, FL April 24, 2019) – Owen-Ames-Kimball Company (O-A-K), a premier general contractor with a longstanding presence in Southwest Florida, has announced the appointment of Fred Doster as a project manager in the company’s Fort Myers office.
Doster has more than 25 years of experience in general contracting, construction management and design-build project delivery.  He is an accomplished construction project manager with expertise in all phases of new construction, renovations, and additions to retail, multifamily, hospitality, commercial, mixed-use, government, healthcare, and educational facilities.  He has a proven track record of completing multi-million dollar projects on time and within budget.
As a project manager, Doster led the $27+ million construction of Hyatt Place hotel suites and luxury condominiums in Wilmington, DE and an $18.5 million LEED Silver accredited project for the Delaware City Department of Motor Vehicles.  He led planning, construction, and close-out of building projects in Philadelphia, PA including a $2.8 million renovation of VOYA office building common areas and a $5.1 million Green Chef Food Processing Center renovation.
Doster has an Associate of Science degree in Building Construction Technology from Harrisburg Area Community College in Pennsylvania.
 About Owen-Ames-Kimball
Owen-Ames-Kimball Company has provided premier general contracting, design-build and construction management services in Southwest Florida since 1982. O-A-K’s Florida operation is an affiliate of its parent company located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The Florida operation has offices in Collier, Lee and Charlotte counties. Its Lee County office is located at 11941 Fairway Lakes Drive in Fort Myers. Learn more about O-A-K at www.owen-ames-kimball.com.

Celebrity athletes, Tony the Tiger to inspire SWFL children
Note to Media: Decorated champions from a diverse array of sports will speak with 200 Southwest Florida children who benefit from the charitable giving of Blessings in a Backpack, which provides food for students every weekend during the school year.
WHAT: Blessings in a Backpack and Champions 4 Children are partnering to feed underprivileged children in Southwest Florida and show them they can overcome difficulty to become champions in life. Nearly two dozen sports champions will deliver messages of hope, determination and inspiration to the children, who’ll receive a free breakfast and also get to meet Tony the Tiger of Frosted Flakes fame.
Cheerleaders from Cypress Lake High School will be on hand to help introduce the following champions scheduled to attend
·      1995 NFL No. 1 overall pick Ki-Jana Carter
·      1993 NFL first-round pick O.J. McDuffie
·      1978 Final Four Most Outstanding Player and former Atlanta Hawk Jack “Goose” Givens
·      Former NFL lineman Matt Vanderbeek
·      Super Bowl XIX and XXV champion placekicker and former NASL player Matt Bahr
·      2004 World Series champion Boston Red Sox pitcher Bronson Arroyo
·      Miami Dolphins Super Bowl XVII and XIX starting running back Tony Nathan
·      Three-time LPGA champion Terry-Jo Myers
·      Former NFL and Penn State All-American offensive lineman Chris Conlin
·      Former NFL offensive lineman Tom Toth
·      12-year PGA veteran and Naples native George McNeill
·      U.S. National Champion amputee golfer Kenny Bontz
·      Former Washington Redskins center Mike Scully
·      Former University of Kentucky and All-SEC basketball player Jim Andrews
·      Former Oakland A’s, Tampa Bay Rays and Bishop Verot outfielder Adam Piatt
·      Former Miami Dolphins and Illinois All-Big Ten offensive lineman Scott Kehoe
·      Former NFL and 1982 National Champion Penn State linebacker Rogers Alexander
·      Former New York Jets defensive end Matt Finkes
·      Three-time NCAA champion wrestler Pat Milkovich
·      International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness Bikini Pro Laurin Conlin
·      Former Illinois offensive lineman Tim Scully
·      Former Penn State All-Big Ten offensive lineman Keith Conlin
WHEN: Friday, April 26, 2018. The champions will be available for media interviews from 9:15-9:45 a.m. Children will arrive at 9:45 a.m., and the event will run from 10:15-11:30 a.m.
WHERE: Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall, 13350 FSW Parkway, Fort Myers
WHY: Blessings in a Backpack provides food on Friday afternoons to more than 3,000 students in Southwest Florida so they have something to eat on weekends, when they’re not covered by free and reduced-price school breakfasts and lunches. But the need is even greater. There are 60,000 elementary students across Lee and Collier counties who don’t have enough food on the weekends.
Blessings in a Backpack strives to meet the demand and benefits from its partnership with Champions 4 Children, which will hold fundraisers from April 26-28. For more information, visit champions4childrenswfl.com and blessingsinswfl.org.
CONTACT: Josh Milton, Vice President of Media Relations at CONRIC PR & Marketing, 239-690-9840, [email protected]
 

FORT MYERS, Fla. (April 23, 2019) – CONRIC PR & Marketing gets results for its clients. The latest testament to that came Thursday, April 18 at the Florida Public Relations Association Southwest Florida Chapter’s annual Local Image Awards ceremony. The CONRIC team won an Image Award, an Award of Distinction and three Judges’ Awards, plus Vice President of Marketing Jaimie Miller, APR was named the chapter’s Member of the Year.
“It takes a team, and together, we managed to take home five awards for three entries,” said Connie Ramos-Williams, CONRIC president and chief marketing officer. “We’re so proud to represent businesses and organizations that make such a tremendous impact on the community, and we’re humbled to receive this recognition from our peers in the public relations industry and judges from outside the area. I’m excited to see what we can do to raise the bar even higher for our clients this year!”
CONRIC won the Image Award and a Judges Award for its work on the City of Cape Coral Parks and Recreation Department’s GO Bond initiative. The firm designed a social media campaign targeting voters who ultimately passed the GO Bond measure, which included a tax increase, by a margin of 54-46 in favor. The money will go toward the construction of new parks throughout the city, which has less than half the existing park space of other cities with similar population density.
The work CONRIC did for Hope Clubhouse’s Faces of Hope at Work initiative was a rousing success that earned an Award of Distinction and a Judges Award. CONRIC’s public relations campaign blew past its goal of reaching 250,000 people via social media, with a reach of 911,000. The campaign also contributed to the record-breaking success of the Hope Clubhouse Annual Mental Health Luncheon, which nearly tripled its fundraising goal and helped push attendance up by 22%.
The transformative work the CONRIC team did for Madisen’s Match snagged a Judges Award. The firm’s promotion of the multifaceted event led to a 400% increase in attendance at the 2018 Golisano Children’s Hospital Pro Tennis Classic and a 65% increase at the 2018 VIP Gala & Auction, which resulted in a 100% increase in funds raised from the previous year, the most in the event’s 10-year history.
Miller’s vast contributions to the chapter led to her Member of the Year award and her selection as one of two recipients of scholarships to the state FPRA conference later this year. Miller, an accredited public relations professional, serves as the Southwest Florida chapter’s vice president of membership. A member since 2012, she’s served as vice president of member relations, PR University program chair and newsletter chair. She was the chapter’s 2015 Rising Star of the Year and continues work with Florida Gulf Coast University’s public relations track and the school’s student FPRA chapter.
Find out what CONRIC can do for your business at ConricPR.com.
CONRIC PR & Marketing
Recognized as one of the leading public relations, marketing and advertising agencies in Southwest Florida, CONRIC PR & Marketing was founded by Connie Ramos-Williams in 2007. The award-winning, full-service agency provides strategic brand awareness campaigns, integrated public relations programs, marketing development and consulting services, advertising campaigns, media buys, custom and niche publishing, creative writing and design, digital marketing strategies, website development, and crisis communications strategy and implementation. The firm serves clients in many industry sectors including banking, legal, medical, government, nonprofit, hospitality, manufacturing, construction, building and development, real estate, professional association, and salon and spa. CONRIC is a recipient of multiple Image Awards from the Southwest Florida Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association and Golden Image Awards from its statewide chapter, and Charlie Awards from the Florida Magazine Association. For more information, call 239-690-9840 or visit ConricPR.com.

Sprinter who made iconic protest will address local high schoolers
FORT MYERS, Fla. (April 19, 2019) – His silent gesture shook the sports world 50 years ago. On his visit to Southwest Florida, he’ll seek to inspire others to do the same. Civil rights pioneer and Olympic gold medalist Tommie Smith will be the keynote speaker for the 2019 Rotary of Fort Myers South Scholar-Athlete Awards banquet on Wednesday, May 15. The ceremony and announcement of scholarship recipients will run from 7-9 p.m. at the Crowne Plaza Fort Myers on 13051 Bell Tower Drive.
Smith and fellow Olympian John Carlos raised their black-gloved fists on the medal stand after the 200-meter dash at the 1968 Games in Mexico City, as captured by photographer John Dominis in one of the most iconic images of the 20th century. Smith and Carlos were jeered, vilified, ejected from the stadium and banned from international competition, effectively ending their careers as track athletes.
But to many, they became heroes for their protest against inequality, poverty, lynchings and a lack of regard for human rights amid the tumult of 1968. They received honorary doctorates from San Jose State University, where they competed collegiately, and won the Arthur Ashe Courage Award from ESPN.
“We are honored and privileged to have Dr. Smith speak at our program,” said Tracie Bagans, president of the Rotary Club of Fort Myers South. “Our goal is to challenge the outstanding high school students who have been selected for this event to excel as scholars, as athletes and as citizens. Dr. Smith embodies those virtues and more.”
The 33rd annual event recognizes top athletes from area high schools based on athletic and academic achievement, along with strength of character. Eighteen Lee County-area high schools each nominated one top male and one top female varsity letter winner who demonstrate leadership characteristics, have GPAs of 3.2 or higher, and are involved in school and community activities. A selection committee of Rotary South members interviews nominees and selects the winners.
The 36 nominees are listed below:

 
For more information about the event, contact Rob Scharlau at 239-810-2554 or [email protected].
Rotary Club of Fort Myers South
 Rotary Club of Fort Myers South has more than 140 members who are among the 1.3 million Rotarians worldwide. Service Above Self is the motto of Rotary International, which has contributed more than $1.2 billion and tens of thousands of volunteer hours toward polio eradication in addition to projects such as water quality, world peace and literacy. Rotary Club of Fort Myers South meetings are held each Monday at noon at the Crowne Plaza Fort Myers on 13051 Bell Tower Drive. For more information, visit www.rotarysouth.org.

Fundraising Campaign Supports New Learning Program
FORT MYERS, Fla. (April 19, 2019) —Lee Association for Remarkable Citizens (LARC) celebrated their 65th anniversary in Southwest Florida in March with a campaign to support an innovative educational program for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.   Two anonymous $10,000 donors issued a giving challenge to support LARC’s newest program – LAB:  Learn, Achieve, Become.  LAB will offer an experiential learning environment that transforms traditional program areas into spaces for innovation, vocation, demonstration and learning. Five Labs will focus on skills for work, residency and leisure.  The organization met the match and raised a total of $45,466, an 82% increase over the previous year’s March fundraising campaign.
“The generous support of our community will help LAB become a reality,” said Angela Katz, LARC Development Director.  “With more than 3,700 children in Lee County schools with cognitive disabilities, LAB is creating opportunities for the people we serve now and the generations to come.”
“LARC provides programs and services for approximately 300 local men and women who rely on Medicaid Waiver funding as well as support from the Lee County Board of County Commissioners and the United Way,” said Kevin Lewis, LARC Executive Director.   “Our fundraising bridges the financial gap and allows us to empower and support people with disabilities and their families to achieve their full potential.”
LARC’s programs include Adult Day Training designed to enhance abilities and help individuals live a happier, more productive and independent life, LARC’s Campus Employment that creates new jobs, generates taxes and increases consumer spending through paid wages, and LARC’s Community and Employment Support Services.  More than 250 individuals are employed through LARC programs.
LARC’s main campus is located at 2570 Hanson Street, Fort Myers, and has a satellite campus in Bonita Springs.  LARC also operates two Residential Group Homes located in Cape Coral and North Fort Myers.
To donate online visit www.larcinc.networkforgood.com.  To learn more about LARC contact Angela Katz, Director of Development at 239-334-6285 x229 or email [email protected] or visit www.larcleecounty.org.
ABOUT LARC
Since 1954, LARC’s mission is to empower and support people with disabilities and their families to achieve their full potential.  LARC, Inc. is a 501(c)3 organization that has served thousands of local residents and families since inception, and serves over 300 individuals annually.  LARC offers vocational training, community residential services, community-based services and an array of other state-of-the-art community inclusion services on a full-time, year-round basis.  For more information about LARC, visit www.larcleecounty.org or call 239-334-6285.