Forty Under Forty

It's show time, folks! After six months of nomination gathering, judging, profile writing and taking many, many pictures, we're proud to present our fourth annual 40 under 40.

On the following several pages, you will read about 40 up-and-comers on the Southwest Florida business scene. They range in age from 23 to 39 years old, and they represent the diverse nature of our workforce and communities. A circuit court judge, teacher, college basketball coach and boat captain are just a few of the professional men and women who've earned our attention. Whatever their calling, we predict that in years to come, when we see who is making a difference and taking on challenges that Southwest Florida will encounter, you'll likely hear many of these names.

Finding nominees was relatively easy. We put the word out in March and the response was strong, which led to the difficult part-picking 40 finalists out of a very well-qualified crowd. Our editors convened, discussed, debated and finally came to consensus. Then the interviewing, writing and photographing began. On Sept. 22, we'll honor the winners with a gala event at the Hilton Naples. Congratulations to each and all.

>>When AP Alexander was in high school he asked his parents for a camera. They agreed under one condition: that he photograph all the family events. From family gatherings as a teen-ager to outdoor portraiture and commercial work now, photography has taken Alexander as far as Africa and as close as the beach. One place you won't find him is in a studio. "I tell people that if they want a studio photographer then I'm not their guy," says Alexander, 39.

He works pro bono to benefit Saint Ann School, The Community School of Naples and Seacrest Country Day School. But closest to his heart is the battle against hemophilia, which afflicts his six-year-old son. "As long as he's on his medicine, he can do everything anyone else can do," says Alexander.

But medication is extremely expensive and research funding is being cut. Alexander educates others about the disease, attends annual research seminars and donates money-directly to researchers, rather than through organizations-to help find a cure.

-Ashley Stites

>>In four short years, Penny Bladich has gone from credit analyst to lender to bank officer to assistant vice president at TIB Bank, where the 31-year-old now deals mostly with commercial acquisitions and development.

"It's nice to be rewarded for the work you do," she says of her corporate climb. Although Bladich has worked on more deals than she can count, every day holds a new lesson.

Her work has also guided her interest in the Urban Land Institute, where she serves as co-chair for the Young Leaders Group. Under her leadership, the number of ULI members under 35 years old has doubled.

The Young Leaders Group has been working with local leaders on a project to overcome barriers to affordable housing in Lee and Collier counties. "Who knows?" she says. "Maybe some developer will use some of those plans." Despite a hectic schedule, Bladich balances her work with marriage and being a mom to her two-year-old son.

-Candace Rotolo

>>When Joe Buckheit, president and founder of MediaBrains, filed paperwork for his company's health policy, the insurers wanted to know the average age of his employees. "I think it was 26 and a half," says the 35-year-old.

Buckheit was only 25 when he saw a niche for a Web-based vertical marketing company, using the Internet to connect geographically scattered businesses in similar industries, the way trade magazines traditionally did. "We had a very real, established business," says Buckheit. That positioning helped it survive the dot-com bust and prosper.

With about 40 employees today, he works with clients around the globe. A testament to his company's success, most international customers find him through the Web.

Buckheit, married with two children, also serves on the School Advisory Council at Pelican Marsh Elementary, is a Boy Scout den leader and is competing in his first Ironman triathlon this year-all 140 miles of it. "I was looking for my 35-year-old challenge," he says.

-Sammy Mack

>>After 10 years as an environmental consultant, Ian Butler decided to try his hand at real estate. He entered the profession a year ago-just as Florida's market started to cool.

"I came in at a time when there's a challenging market, without a doubt," says Butler, 34, a realtor at Stock Realty. "But it was also an opportunity to work my tail off and succeed when times are tough, versus succeeding when everyone else is. It turned out to be very good for me."

Butler especially enjoys working with first-time homebuyers. What he doesn't like is the for-sale-by-owner craze. "The biggest challenge is educating the public as to how much good real estate agents do for their clients," he says. "There's a big misconception that we don't really do a whole heck of a lot."

Butler's community activities include serving as a member of the City of Naples Planning Advisory Board and volunteering with organizations like Big Brothers Big Sisters. "If it's something that you truly love and believe in, it's never that challenging," he says.

-Beth Luberecki

>>At the age of 29, Courtney Curatolo has a résumé that would be impressive for someone far beyond her years. She served as executive director of the Collier County Bar Association for the past four years and recently became the director of special projects and public relations at Lykes Land Investment in Naples.

"We work with local officials and economic development councils to bring economic diversity to Glades and Highlands counties because we know that the growth is moving to the center of the state," she explains, "and we want to develop communities while preserving the environment."

Curatolo has been active in several political campaigns, serves on the President's Council at International College and is an active member of the Women's Republican Club. Coming from a close-knit, large Italian family whose credo is, "we find a love in our work," it is no surprise that Curatolo has accomplished so much before her 30th birthday. "I have no doubt she will do even greater things in the coming years," says nominator John Climino.

?-Katharine Hamlin

>>When Carla De Marco's father unexpectedly passed away four years ago, she stepped in to keep the family's De Marco Tile Distributors afloat. "I made my father a promise to keep his company running and to take care of my mom and my sisters," she says. "We were raised Italian; family is everything."

De Marco, now 35, worked to ensure that the company's longtime employees would still have jobs they could depend on and to maintain a sense of business as usual. "I'm proud that all the employees, along with the family, held together to keep this thing going," she says. The company recently started a profit-sharing plan, partly to reward its dedicated staff.

"Carla is the hardest worker I have ever known. She does everything herself, from inventory to financials," says nominator Heather Henning. "Carla works tirelessly on the George De Marco Foundation."

A fourth-generation Rotarian, De Marco is committed to community involvement. "If I can make a small difference in somebody's life, I've succeeded," she says.

-Beth Luberecki

>>Mary Beth Forrester never imagined that four years shy of her 40th birthday, she would have made partner in a prestigious law firm and be a sought-after estates and trusts attorney. She can probably chalk her status up to the 300 clients she's brought in since joining Cummings & Lockwood eight years ago. Her typical client is worth $5 million to $10 million.

"The most satisfying aspect of my job is the relationship I build with clients and planning for their [future]," says Forrester, 36. She says she serves her clients in life and in death. When families have difficulties reconciling difficulties, she helps settle those matters.

Away from the office, the Fort Lauderdale native is a graduate of Leadership Bonita, on the board of directors for the Art League of Bonita Springs and helps manage a $17 million budget as vice president of the David Lawrence Center's board of directors.

"I strive to be well rounded and know the community so I can do better at helping my clients," says Forrester, who is engaged and has a three-year-old daughter, Megan.

-Candace Rotolo

>>After working for Big Four accounting firm KPMG in New York and Australia, Mary Feichthaler wasn't too optimistic about the opportunities in her husband's native Southwest Florida. "I said, 'I don't think I'll ever be able to get a job there,'" says Feichthaler, who graduated from Georgetown University in 1994.

As it turns out, the move to Cape Coral with husband Eric (now the city's mayor) had good timing. Source Interlink Cos. had moved to Bonita Springs and Feichthaler was hired to create the company's tax department.

After two years at Source Interlink and the birth of her first son (her second son arrived this summer), Feichthaler, 34, launched a consulting firm to advise locally based public companies on crucial and sometimes arcane tax issues.

Feichthaler volunteers with the Junior League of Fort Myers and the Women's Republican Club of Cape Coral. Feichthaler realizes now she's benefited from her location. "People do want to create companies here," she says.