kudos

Sharon Aupperle, realtor for ERA Advantage in Port Charlotte, has returned from Haiti where she worked as a volunteer in medical clinics serving impoverished people.

Dr. Barrett Ross Ginsberg of Eye Centers of Florida has completed the American Board of Ophthalmology Certification Process and is now a diplomat of the American Board of Ophthalmology.

Bonnie Clark, manager of Premier Properties of Southwest Florida, has been elected to the board of directors of Collier County's American Cancer Society unit.

Rodney Barreto, of the Barreto Group real estate investment firm, has been re-elected as chairman of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for this year.

The Christian Chamber of Southwest Florida has elected the following as 2007 officers: president, Mona Hilton, Genesis Global Technologies; vice president, John Harness, ProSource Wholesale Floor Coverings; secretary, Betty Lauffer, healthcare consultant; and treas-

urer, Mitch Gogerty, Miller, Helms & Folk, P.A. Phil Rice, from Rice Insulation & Glass, is past president.

With the help of 3,000 participants, the American Heart Association Lee County Heart Walk in December raised more than $325,000.

Southwest Florida Addiction Services has elected the following as 2007 officers: president, Andrea Fraser of the Lee County attorney's office; vice president, Dena Geraghty of Auricular Therapy Center Inc. and court administration; secretary, Bill Keyes, attorney; and treas-

urer, Geoffrey Roepstorff of Edison National Bank.

Embarq has created a technology and innovation center in the Boys and Girls Club of Lee County Shady Oaks unit, featuring new computer equipment, educational software and Embarq products and services including high-speed Internet.

DSD Homes has donated $7,500 worth of athletic equipment to the Lehigh Senior High School cheerleaders to help them compete in a national championship and future competitions.

Habitat for Humanity of Lee County has named Richard Shera the organization's executive vice president and chief financial officer.

Jerry McPherson, landscape implementation manager for The Bonita Bay Group, has been named to the Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed (C.R.E.W.) Land & Water Trust board of trustees.

Betsy Lewton, head of the science department at Canterbury School, has been inducted into the National Honor Roll of Outstanding American Teachers.

Joanne L. Lashey, human resources manager of Henderson Franklin in Fort Myers, was recently named Human Resources Professional of the Year for Professional Excellence by the Human Resource Management Association of Southwest Florida.

Derald Pacetti of Owen-Ames-Kimball Company in Fort Myers has been appointed to the Florida Gulf Coast University College of Education's Dean's Circle.

Chaos Productions, a video-production company in Fort Myers, has given a fundraising video valued at $12,000 to Southwest Florida Addiction Services.

Dr. Michael E. Frey of Advanced Pain Management & Spine Specialists was the keynote speaker at the 19th Annual Disorders of the Spine Conference in Whistler, British Columbia, a six-day international conference in January sponsored by the University of South Florida and the University of Rochester.

The Realtor Association of Greater Fort Myers and the Beach has awarded its 2006 Humanitarian of the Year Award to Connie Gustafson of Prudential Florida WCI Realty of Fort Myers.

The United Arts Council of Collier County has appointed Charlie Thomas, Suzanne Willis, Sandra Jackoboice and Rose Mary Everett to its board.

The board of directors of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southwest Florida has appointed Debra S. Newman as executive director.

Brenda O'Connor has been promoted to senior vice president of The Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce.

Greg Doramus, a Fort Myers photographer, graphic designer and president of OmniGraphix, has been named Photographer of the Year in a recent year-long competition sponsored by the Professional Photographers of Southwest Florida.

Murphy Business & Financial Services brokerage firm has named Michael Norman of the Naples office as Salesperson of the Year for topping 2006 sales within the company and ranking in the top 5 percent of the industry.

International College has selected Truly Nolen, chairman and CEO of Truly Nolen of America Inc., as the 2007 Humanitarian of the Year.

Will Prather, executive director of the Broadway Palm Dinner Theater, will serve as chairman and Cape Coral Mayor Eric Feichthaler will be honorary chairman for Lee Mental Health's fifth annual Southwest Florida Tropical Turtle Race on June 24 at SunSplash Family Waterpark in Cape Coral. Other committee members include Stacey Trippe, Oswald Trippe and Co.; Teresa Brown, Embarq; Cindy Starnes, Oswald, Trippe and Co.; Jessica Barton, Spiro and Associates; Carolyn Rogers, Carolyn Rogers Public Relations; Jim Reilly, Reilly Brothers; Arlene Thompson, Thompson Consulting; and Charlene Acciarito, Carol Miska and Mindy Lewis. Candace Rotolo, Lee Mental Health, is event director.

Branch Banking and Trust of Fort Myers has partnered with the Liberty Youth Ranch in Naples. The bank has pledged $25,000 to provide housing for abused and neglected children. Susan Maurer, senior vice president and area executive of the bank, will serve on the advisory board.

Christopher T. Tritt of Insurance Management Co. has been elected to the post of president of the Lee County Association of Independent Insurance Agents.

The City of Fort Myers has been named a Tree City USA community by the National Arbor Day Foundation.

Robert J. Mulhere, vice president of RWA Inc., has assumed presidency of the United Way of Collier County.

Oswald Trippe and Co. Inc. has named Ray Faubion and Stacey Trippe the company's 2006 Community Service Award winners for their commitment to improving the community through volunteerism.

The Association for Gerontology in Higher Education recently selected Linda L. Buettner, Florida Gulf Coast University professor of health science and director of the university's Center for Positive Aging, to be a fellow of the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education.

Christopher T. Tritt, of Insurance Management Co., has been elected as the president of the Lee County Association of Independent Insurance Agents.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Florida has named Ray Pierce as the new chairman of its board of directors.

Edward Morton has been

appointed chairman of the board for Bank of Florida-Southwest, a subsidiary of Bank of Florida Corp.

The Real Estate Investment Society Scholarship Foundation has awarded scholarships of $2,500 to Lori Parker and Lisa R. Lee, students at International College.

Chocolates by Norman Love Confections have been selected for the third time in less than a year as the No. 1 ranked confection by Consumer Reports magazine.

The January fundraiser Hunt Slonem-From His Collection to Yours at the von Liebig Art Center, brought in $100,000 to benefit the Naples

Art Association.

Hope Hospice in Bonita Springs has received $4,200, which was raised in the second USPTA Florida Grand Prix Tennis Tournament hosted by Shadow Wood Country Club at The Brooks.

Dr. Andrew Bhatnagar, scientific laboratory director and clinical embryologist at Specialists in Reproductive Medicine & Surgery in Fort Myers, has earned board certification as both a High Complexity Clinical Laboratory Director and an Embryology Laboratory Director.

The Bonita Bay Group and its employees have raised a total of $538,891 for the United Way of Lee County campaign.

Riverside Bank of the Gulf Coast has formed a partnership with Cape Coral High School, pledging an annual contribution, creating a student bank on campus and scholarship development, and providing teacher appreciation programs.

Doug Congress, vice president of Congress Jewelers, has begun his term as chairman of the Bonita Springs Area Chamber

of Commerce.

Members of the Gulf Harbour Memorial Foundation have awarded Lee Mental Health a $40,000 grant to help refurbish and furnish children's therapy rooms in the outpatient therapy building.

career moves

The Bonita Bay Group Realty has named four new associates to the sales team: Joshua K. Hobbs, Marsha Poster, Thomas C. Scoville and Tina Silcox.

Ted Sottong has become co-owner and vice president of Architecture Inc. in the Fort Myers office.

Executive Quest Inc. of Fort Myers, an executive search firm for the hospitality and vacation-ownership industries, has formed an affiliation with Jim Perkins as a partner in the organization.

Bonita Community Health Center has brought in Jeanette Kiekbusch as the new marketing coordinator.

Vania Azevedo has joined Fox Electronics in Fort Myers as an assembly technician for the company and Faydra Hernandez has joined as a purchasing specialist.

David Leng has joined J.L. Wallace Inc. in Fort Myers as project manager and Shawn Elizabeth Dierda has joined the company as a project manager assistant.

Bonita Community Health Center added Dr. Claude Degraff, a family physician, to its healthcare facility.

Erica Cotto has been named the new certified business analyst at the Economic Development Council of Collier County.

George W. Powell Jr., principal of Powell Law PL in Naples, has been accepted for membership in the Attorneys' Title Insurance Fund Inc.

Leah Dudley has joined Premier Properties of Southwest Florida in the Vanderbilt Beach Road office as a licensed broker and sales agent.

Kraft Construction Co. Inc. has appointed Patricia Stanislas as business development manager in its Fort Myers office and F. Fred Pezeshkan as chairman of the Naples-based firm.

Allen R. Myers has joined Sanibel Captiva Community Bank as vice president and loan officer at the newest location, Kingston Square Shopping Center at 16681 McGregor Blvd.

The Bonita Bay Group has named Luis Pereira food and beverage director for Verandah Club.

Professional Building Systems has promoted Cyndee Woolley to director of marketing and public relations.

Colonial Bank has appointed Debbie Frost as business lending officer for the Fort Myers market.

Adriana Lozada has been named editor of D'Latinos Magazine.

Kelly Fraser has been named a business development officer for Riverside Bank in Cape Coral.

Wintergarden Presbyterian Church has appointed Chad Lynch as youth program director.

Johanna Vargas has joined the public accounting firm of Schultz Chaipel Redovan Baker & Co. as its

consulting manager.

Bank of Florida Corporation has promoted Carmen Danner to the position of senior vice president and director of human resources.

The Wallace Group has added Joe Martin as the new plant manager and Melissa Brownlee in customer relations at its Walcast Division.

The Lykos Group has promoted Kurt Cunard to project manager.

Collier Enterprises has promoted Christian Spilker to vice president and general manager of Hamilton Harbor Yacht Club.

Florida Gulf Bank has appointed Dana Kellermeier as branch manager for the Coral Pointe Mall office in Cape Coral.

The Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa has promoted Lisa Capozio to spa director of the Stillwater Spa.

Bryan Craver has joined Schultz Chaipel Redovan Baker & Co. accounting firm in Fort Myers as a senior staff accountant.

Preston C. Came has been appointed vice president and wealth strategist at Northern Trust's Bonita Springs office.

Verizon Wireless has appointed Pamela Tope as president of the company's Florida region.

International College has appointed Joe Turner to the post of public relations coordinator.

David H. Roos and Bruce E. Sands have become stockholders with the law firm of Henderson Franklin.

Stevens Construction Inc. has added Shane Fraser as a project manager for the Fort Myers-based construction firm.

Jennifer Varoski has been named to the position of public relations manager for Collier Enterprises. Valerie Pike has joined the company as assistant project manager.

The law firm of Roetzel & Andress has added Diane M. Simons-Burnside to its Naples office as an associate in the business services and real estate group.

Owen-Ames-Kimball Co. has added John Smiley to its Southwest Florida operations as a superintendent.

Scott Schomburg has been appointed vice president, residential loan officer for the Bank of

Florida-Southwest.

Community Bank of Naples has added John Irons as a lending and business development officer.

Christopher Bernard has joined Blink Marketing and Advertising in Fort Myers.

business moves

Sandy Stilwell, owner of Stilwell Enterprises, is opening her sixth restaurant, Cantina Captiva, a Mexican and Southwestern restaurant, in the previous location of RedFish BluFish on Captiva Island.

Marc Devisse has started TriTown Construction of Fort Myers, a company specializing in new construction and remodeling.

WCI Communities has opened its new nine-hole Ibis golf course at Pelican Preserve.

Vanderbilt Bay Construction Inc. of Naples has been selected as general contactor by Collier County to construct the Collier County Sheriff's Special Operations Building.

Nicholas Franco, M.D., Jonathan Jay, M.D. and Sijo Parekattil, M.D. of Medical Surgical Specialists are now offering rapid detection of prostate cancer through a new minimally invasive tool called TargetScan.

The Bonita Bay Group has purchased LaBelle's landmark Flora and Ella's restaurant. The Trask family will continue to operate the restaurant, famous for mile-high pies, home-style cooking and Southern charm.

The Jack Parker Corp., a privately owned real estate development company with Florida headquarters in Fort Myers, has selected Robb & Stucky to work on Pacifico, its master-planned, mixed-use community underway in Playas del Coco, Guanacaste, Costa Rica.

Developer and builder Taylor Woodrow has announced the opening of its new sales center on Gladiolus Drive at its Tortuga community. It has also opened its new headquarters at the Corkscrew Palms corporate complex in Estero.

The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel, Lee County's tourism arm, has launched Web sites in French, German and Spanish.

Island House Gallery, formerly located on Third Street, has relocated at 1100 Sixth Ave. S., in Naples.

Robyn Anglickis Rocco has opened Eco-Spaces LLC, an interior design consulting firm specializing in sustainable, green designs for home or office spaces, at 8251 Liriope Loop, Lehigh Acres.

The Charlotte Symphony Orchestra is offering a group sales program, providing discounts to groups of 15 or more.

The Tarpon Coast National Bank branches in Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda, North Port and Englewood will adopt the Busey Bank name.

Europe-American Aviation in Naples has added a second Diamond DA42 Twin Star to its fleet of aircraft.

Two insurance companies in China-PICC Property and Casualty Co. Ltd., in Beijing, and China United Property Insurance Co., headquartered in Shanghai-have signed agreements to use Fort Myers-based NeoMedia Technologies' patented direct-to-mobile Web "qode" technology.

VIP Realty and Harvey & Associates/Properties in Paradise have merged to offer real estate services to both buyers and sellers throughout the region.

Wild Oats, a specialty store featuring natural and organic foods and a holistic health center, opened its first Naples-area store at 6424 Naples Blvd. in the new Promenade Shops at Naples Centre.

Keene Realty Development company has opened new offices at 10970 S. Cleveland Ave., Suite 303, Fort Myers.

The international commercial real estate services firm of Cushman & Wakefield Inc. has opened an office in Fort Myers and appointed Gary Tasman as its executive director.

Fatburger has opened a restaurant in Naples at 6434 Naples Blvd.

The Bar Association Bistro and Lounge, a new restaurant offering live entertainment, has opened at 1609 Hendry St. in downtown Fort Myers.

The Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce and Greater Naples Leadership Inc. have formed an alliance to offer stronger support for positive growth and contribution in the community in the areas of education, civic and public events.

The new Guy Harvey Island Grill has opened on Marco Island at the Esplanade next to Vergina, with Anthony Newton as the corporate chef of the restaurant.

CPA Margaret J. Westby has joined McClusky, Gaines, Gill, Daughtrey & Horner as a partner. Due to her addition and the recent retirement of Roger McClusky and Roy Gill, the firm's name is now Summers, Horner, Daughtrey & Westby, Certified Public Accountants.

The firm of Webb, Scarmozzino & Gunter Attorneys at Law has recently moved its offices to 2121 W. First St., Fort Myers.

FineMark National Bank & Trust, a new nationally chartered bank and trust company, is building its initial office in Fort Myers at the Pinebrook Office Complex, 12995 S. Cleveland Ave., Suite 145.

PNC Wealth Management has opened its second office in Naples at 401 Fifth Ave. S.

Remodel Resource has opened a new showroom at 4535 Domestic Ave., Naples.

Crompton Creative Advertising Inc, has become the agency of record for Advance Pain Management & Spine Specialists with offices in Fort Myers and Cape Coral.

Farm Fresh Charities has started a fundraising initiative to benefit Make-A-Wish Foundation of Southern Florida. It will deliver a variety of fresh produce to homes and offices, with 20 percent of each sale going to Make-A-Wish.

Beverly Jablonski of Architectural Details Inc. has opened an office in Fort Myers to supply interior corporate signage for commercial, healthcare and governmental projects.

Lee Memory Care, a service of Lee Memorial Health System, has opened a satellite at Bonita Community Health Center, 3501 Health Center Blvd., Suite 2100 A, where staff will provide neuropsychological evaluations to test long- and short-term memory-related functions as well as for depression.

Andrea Clark Brown Architects P.A. is celebrating its 20th anniversary as well as receipt of the distinguished 2006 Florida Southwest American Institute of Architects Firm of the Year Award.

The local, independently owned office of Action International, a business-coaching franchise, has changed its name to ActionCOACH.

Southwest Florida Yachts has added two private yachts to its charter fleet for relaxed vacation cruising through local islands and waterways.

The accounting and business consulting firm of Hill, Barth & King, with offices in Fort Myers, Naples and Stuart, has merged with Libeg, Gargano, Bell & Associates of Hermitage, Pa.

Scrappin' Sisters Scrapbook Store has relocated to 24430 Sandhill Blvd., across Kings Highway from the new Wal-Mart in Charlotte County.

Ryan A. Chiodo has formed Chiodo & Associates Inc., a full-service real estate company, at 9180 Estero Park Commons Blvd., Suite 6.

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