40 Under 40

The fabulous folks in the following pages might seem familiar to many readers. These are the young professionals who have distinguished themselves as the Gulfshore’s leaders in business and community service.

A record number of nominations this year proves that Southwest Florida has a wealth of talented young leaders. Still, many of those nominated stood out. They are Southwest Florida’s 40 brightest stars under 40 years old.

Dan Adams
Age: 30
Position: Project manager
Owen-Ames-Kimball Co.

Why him:
As the project manager for OAK’s ongoing contract with the Lee County Port Authority, Adams has orchestrated major projects, from the runway at the Southwest Florida International Airport to the airplane hangars at Page Field. Working summer construction jobs as a teenager, he says, helped prepare him for the job.

“I strongly feel that you need to physically be out there and do the work you’ll eventually be managing,” he says.

Adams remembers camping and reveling in the woods during high school; now most of the trees are gone and those areas are called Gateway and Lexington Country Club communities. “I’ve seen this place change quite a bit,” the Fort Myers native says.

When he’s not at work or spending time with his wife and two young sons, the University of Florida grad volunteers his time with various organizations and charities, including the United Way.

Some of the most nonprofit fun he’s had was at Career Day, presented by the Lee County Horizon Council, during which he got to tell thousands of eighth-graders about his business. “Hopefully we drafted some strong folks for construction,” he says.

Off the clock:
Adams enjoys back bay fishing on his new boat in Pine Island Sound.

Joseph Armenia
Age: 33
Position: Chief operating officer
The Armenia Group

Why him:
While other developers were looking to the Fort Myers riverfront, Armenia and The Armenia Group looked farther south. The result: Riva Del Lago, an award-winning luxury high-rise overlooking Lakes Park. Construction on the two, 21-story towers in south Fort Myers—the city’s first inland high-rise—was completed a year ago. “We’re always looking for a unique niche aspect where we can provide a great lifestyle for our residents,” Armenia says.

It was one of the larger projects in the history of the firm, which was founded by his father and has focused primarily on Sanibel and Captiva islands, including the landmark Sanibel Harbour Resort & Spa. The family moved from the New York City area to Southwest Florida in 1979 and began developing condominiums.

After majoring in finance and real estate at the University of Florida, Joseph earned his M.B.A. from Penn State University. Then the Brooklyn native worked in New York City for Ernst & Young’s Real Estate Advisory Services practice. “I pretty much dove headfirst into the real estate industry, and I was doing my own thing up in New York. The market down here was just on fire,” he says.

He returned to Southwest Florida in 2002, using his education and work experience to oversee the financing, marketing and sales of Riva Del Lago. Armenia is responsible for the development and operation of the towers as well as other company interests—Andrea’s Gourmet Market & Delicatessen and Dolce Vita and Riviera restaurants.

He and his father co-founded the Lakes Park Enrichment Foundation, which is partnering with Lee County to implement a $30 million master plan for the park. Future plans include a possible country concert series and a botanical garden.

Off the clock:
He loves traveling, spending time with his two young boys and is planning a fifth-anniversary trip to Paris in October.

Glen Beitmen
Age: 33
Position: Founder/co-owner
Super Science and Amazing Art

Why him:
Beitmen puts his business to work with schools and teachers to construct a curriculum that covers topics to prepare students for the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT). What makes it stand out is that his lessons always involve a fun science theme and an art activity.
The classes, camps and special events, which he juggles with the Wild Wizards program at the Edison & Ford Winter Estates, keep Beitmen busy. “It’s [finding time for] sleep that’s the hard part,” he says.

He discovered a niche for this business while looking for a teaching job three years ago, when he moved here from Pennsylvania.

“I found a need for advancements in science and art education here,” he says. “[The key idea is finding] new ways to present old experiments for the students who normally don’t like science.”
He understands how they feel; as a child, he struggled with science in school. Now he’s a Super Scientist.

Off the clock:
Also a super dad, he spends two days a week at home with his infant daughter.

Jennifer Berg
Age: 33
Position: Marketing and communications manager
Lee County Office of Economic Development

Why her:
Berg works with the Economic Development Office to help recruit more businesses to Lee County. The Louisiana native also serves as spokesperson for the Lee County Horizon Council.
Berg has always known her path and how to focus on it. A graduate of the University of Central Florida with a degree in public relations and marketing, she has been working consistently in her field ever since, helping to market and promote everything from retail outlets to news stations to resort hotels.

She works closely with the Horizon Council’s Career Day Task Force, which organizes events for Lee County’s eighth-graders to expose them to career options. Representatives from various businesses and industries take part in the program. This past year, the two-year-old program expanded to reach 5,000 eighth-graders, “basically trying to get them excited about something,” she explains. “We want them to start thinking about their future.”

Berg’s community involvement has also included work with the Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida, the Children’s Miracle Network and the American Cancer Society.

Off the Clock:
She enjoys competitive singles tennis with the K-Swiss league in Lee County.

Matthew Bernaldo
Age: 36
Position: Managing editor
NBC-2.com and ABC-7.com, Waterman Broadcasting Corporation

Why him:
After Hurricane Charley shut down phones and cable service, some 60,000 people all over the world were looking to Bernaldo and his co-worker for information. “There was a time when we were the only signal getting through,” he says. People as far as Norway were watching the reports streaming live and e-mailing to find out about relatives and homes. “The number of minutes watched was unbelievable,” says Bernaldo.

The experience throughout Charley and the week that followed was “hands-down” his proudest professional achievement, he says. Better even than the Radio-Television News Directors Association Edward R. Murrow Award he earned for NBC-2.com.

Bernaldo studied broadcasting at Montclair State College (now University) in New Jersey and handled television graphics at MSNBC before he and his wife moved in 1997 to Fort Myers, where she had landed a job at Waterman.

“I didn’t learn Web stuff till I came down here,” he says, but after gaining a little experience, he got a job at Waterman, too. “Back in 2000 there weren’t many people who had that dual set of skills.”
Off the clock:
A father of two toddlers, he plays in an amateur ice hockey league and is a gourmet cook.

Mark Bernstein
Age: 30
Position: President
Bernstein & Associates Staffing

Why him:
Bernstein was working in investment banking in New York City when he decided to move to Miami after Sept. 11, 2001. He interviewed with recruiters for banking jobs, but rather than taking one, he found himself working for Fortune 500 recruiting firm Robert Half Finance & Accounting.
Within three years he became the company’s division director for permanent placement—at 27, one of the youngest execs in the company. “I wanted something that allowed me to use my people skills more than just my number skills,” Bernstein says.

He decided to open his own staffing company in Fort Myers in January of 2006. Now with five full-time employees, Bernstein sees expansion in his company’s future. “Fort Myers is a very growing, underserved market from a recruiting standpoint,” he says. “A lot of our best and brightest leave, yet companies still need young, bright employees.”

A Leadership Lee County alumnus, he requires his own employees to be involved in a nonprofit organization, and sets an example by donating 4 percent of his company’s revenue to the charity of each client’s choice, such as the Harry Chapin Food Bank and Voices for Kids.

Off the clock:
A former NCAA Division I college football player before an injury sidelined him, he prefers quieter hobbies now, including reading and video games.

Thomas Burt
Age: 28
Position: Financial advisor
Morgan Stanley

Why him:
Burt spoke to an audience of nearly 2,000 young professionals in July at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort and Spa. It’s the kind of turnout you might expect at a major conference, but this crowd wasn’t there for work. Burt, president of Young Professionals of Lee County, thanked the sea of youthful faces for coming to his massive party—the fourth annual “Big Event”—complete with multiple bars and deejays.

Admission was $10 for nonmembers (free for YP members), and proceeds went toward the Children’s Learning Foundation.

To help keep rowdy revelers from getting behind the wheel, he and fellow YP leaders negotiated $139 room rates and discounted limo service to and from the party.

Even the mayor of Bonita Springs was impressed with Burt’s effort: He awarded Burt the key to the city, which was presented by Burt’s fiancée that night.

“It was pretty cool,” Burt says.

A Daytona Beach native, Burt was recruited by Morgan Stanley while at Florida State University. When he moved here, he longed for the energy of Tallahassee’s students and up-and-comers. “I tried to meet people [at] restaurants and bars, and it was just very difficult to meet people who wanted to better themselves,” he says.

He did meet one interesting person early on: Dan Sinclair, of Sinclair Construction, who had started an e-mail list of young professionals and organized happy hours. Lee County Young Professionals grew from there, and Burt took on Sinclair’s role as president two years ago.