Shop Talk

The 2007 ITFlorida award winners in Southwest Florida were Downing Frye Realty agent Michael Lissack for his Market2Buyers software program and Charlotte County Economic Development Office for its new business recruitment program.

Robyn Bonaquist, partner in B-Squared Advertising, Naples, hosted a Webinar for the Agent Direct News national organization on dealing with the housing downturn.

Naples Air Inc. charter company earned gold ratings for several performance procedures from the Aviation Research Group.

Southwest Florida International Airport won two Concession Awards and an Excellence in Marketing and Communications Award from Airports Council International. Dewar’s Clubhouse at the airport won top honors in restaurant design in the 2007 American Society of Interior Designers competition.

Downing-Frye Realty agent Mike Pagliccia in Naples was named WCI Communities’ Top Real Estate Agent in 2007 for the entire state.

Thad D. Kirkpatrick, John E. Lyncheski and Hugh W. Nevin Jr. of Cohen & Grisby, Naples; and Guy S. Emerich, of Farr, Farr, Emerich, Hackett and Carr, Punta Gorda, were selected by peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2007 guidebook.

TheatreZone elected Justin Land, vice president of Wasmer, Schroeder & Co., to its board of directors.

Shoulder reconstruction surgery on Gulf Coast High School football player Cody Senica, performed by Collier Sports Medicine & Orthopedic Center medical director James J. Guerra and supported by Arthrex, was telecast live to a surgeons’ conference in Argentina. Guerra also performed a demonstration at the Arthroscopic Association of North America meeting in Orlando.

The annual WOLZ-FM "Helping Kids with Cancer" Radiothon raised $250,000 for the Lee Memorial Health System Foundation.

Henderson Franklin attorney Carlos A. Kelly spoke at the Association of Eminent Domain Professionals’ annual meeting in Ruskin. Associate Alane C. Laboda will be Florida marketing chair for the Defense Research Institute’s annual national meeting of defense lawyers in New Orleans in October. J. Terrence Porter, also with the firm, joined the Florida Circuit-Civil Mediator Society.

The 2008 Public Relations Society of America area chapter officers and board members are Suzanne Willis, Willis Consulting and Communications; Cyndee Woolley, Professional Building Systems; Angela Bryant, Greater Naples Marco Island Everglades Convention and Visitors Bureau; Jennifer Rodkin, Gates; Lauren Smith, Ritz-Carlton, Naples, Golf Resort; Mary Ann Green, The Shelter for Abused Women and Children; Clay W. Cone, Cone Communications; Joe Turner, Hodges University; Barbara Tarka Leonard, Development InConcert; and Sandra Arnold, Collier County Government.

Robert Guididas, president and CEO of Bank of Naples, was appointed president of the Mid-Day Optimist Club, which assists Collier County children.

Mark L. Morris, president and CEO of Commerce Bank of Southwest Florida, was appointed chair of the 2008 Heart Ball and vice chair of the 2008-2009 United Way of Lee, Hendry and Glades counties fundraising campaigns.

Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida earned the organization’s worldwide Silver Summit Award for exemplary performance.

The Naples Airport Authority earned a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association. The Transportation Security Administration honored Naples Municipal Airport executive director Ted Soliday with a 2007 Partnership Award for performance safety.

The International Interior Design Association presented Wegman Design Group, Naples, with the Florida Design Forum Award for hospitality design for Handsome Harry’s restaurant.

Andy Woodruff, vice president of Passarella & Associates, was appointed to the board of directors for the Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium.

Bonita Bay won 2007 W3 Awards from the International Academy of Visual Arts for two of its communities’ Web sites and its corporate Web site.

Douglas C. Stevens Jr., Southwest Florida marketing director for Executive Title Insurance Services, was elected Zone VIII district vice president of the Florida Land Title Association.

Former State Rep. J. Dudley Goodlette, an attorney with Goodlette, Coleman and Johnson, was appointed to Hodges University’s board of trustees and was chosen by the Boy Scouts of America area council as its 2007 Distinguished Citizen.

Golf Digest named Jim Suttie of The Club at TwinEagles community as one of the top 20 golf instructors in the country.

Robert Melzer, landscape architect for Heidt & Associates, Fort Myers, was appointed to the Estero Design Review Committee.

DOC-Economou earned the InterContinental Hotels Group’s 2007 Renovation Award for its work on the Holiday Inn Downtown Historic District in Fort Myers.

Martin Haas, president of Entech Computer Services, was appointed chairman of the computer science advisory committee for Edison College, Fort Myers.

Area builders given LCEC Awards of Excellence for promoting energy conservation were Adams Homes of Lehigh, Allied Construction, American Dream Builders, Aubuchon Homes, Barony
Homes, Bella Builders, Bradford Homes, David Hayes, General Contracting, David Weekley Homes, Dezign Homes, Gold Coast Homes, Hammer Homes, Horizon Builders, I and E Homes, Island Development, Legend Custom Builders, Marvin Development, Oyster Bay Homes, Paul Homes, Petersen Homes, Portofino Homes, Powell Construction, Steelmann Building Corp., The Sterling Collection, Timberline Builders, Tracey Construction, United Homebuilders, Viking Homes of SWF and Villa Homes.

Bonita Bay, Grey Oaks Country Club and Mediterra were included in America’s 100 Premier Properties in LINKS Magazine. Mediterra also hosted a two-day career seminar for 150 Pine Ridge Middle School students.

Collier County Bureau of Emergency Services director Dan Summers earned the International Association of Emergency Managers’ Presidential Citation for his outstanding contributions to the field.

Ottenstein Marketing, Naples, won the 2007 Best Direct Mail Award from Hardwood Floors magazine for its work for Creative Tile & Hardwood Floors of Naples and Sarasota.

Sunmaster of Naples earned five Industrial Fabrics Association Inter-national Achievement Awards for its exceptional specialty fabric projects.

Owen-Ames-Kimball Co. superintendent Jason Prokopetz received a general contractor’s license.

In recognition of their contributions to the community, The Education Foundation of Collier County saluted the following volunteers as Champions for Learning: Mary Ann O’Brien, Suncoast Schools Federal Credit Union, Juliet C. Sproul, Jennifer Cheng, Stefan Bothe, Mary Lynn Hill and Mike Maxwell.

Saks Fifth Avenue Key to the Cure Humanitarian Awards were given to Dr. Valerie Dyke, a colorectal surgeon with The Colorectal Institute; as well as Lee Memorial Health System chief officer of patient care/administration Donna Giannuzzi and oncology pharmacist Christine Gegeckas for their support of cancer initiatives benefiting Lee Cancer Care.

Resort Sports, Fort Myers, won the 2007 Premier Recreation Operations Award from the National Resort & Commercial Recreation Association.

The Docks on Fifth, a mixed-use development on Naples Bay designed by Gora McGahey - Associates in Architecture, Fort Myers, won a Design Award from the American Institute of Architects area chapter.

An event at Norris Furniture and Interiors raised more than $13,000 for The Humane Society Naples.

Train with Shane and the Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce gave a Women’s Empowerment Series achievement award to Jennifer Benton, CEO of Abuse Counseling and Treatment, Fort Myers.

The Kleist Family Foundation pledged $250,000 to Southwest Florida Addiction Services toward building a new Fort Myers facility.

The 2007 Farm City Barbecue, held at Ave Maria by The Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce, Naples Lumber, Professional Building Systems and others, raised $34,000 for the Collier County 4-H Foundation.

Oswald Trippe and Co. and Fireman’s Fund Insurance Co. donated $6,800 to the Iona-McGregor Fire Protection & Rescue Service District, Fort Myers, for community safety programs and new equipment.

The Take Stock in Children Holiday Auction raised more than $60,000 for the Foundation for Lee County Public Schools’ college scholarships program. The foundation awarded $50,000 via its Mini-Grants for Teachers Program for 59 new projects devised by teachers.

Becky Bokrand, of Markham Norton Mosteller Wright & Co., is now a certified fraud examiner.

Career moves
Financial services
Partners Bank appointed Luis A. Rodriguez vice president, and Judith Gangi and Sharon C. Johnson as assistant vice presidents.

Commerce Bank of Southwest Florida promoted Betsy Newman to vice president, residential mortgage manager.

Dennis A. Landfried joined FineMark National Bank & Trust as senior vice president of trust and investments.

Bank of Naples appointed Cath-erine P. Mummert as credit department manager and credit officer. Elaine Bondy and Linda Wilmering are now personal bankers in its Bonita Springs and Naples offices, respectively.

Ruth Kamide was appointed executive director of association services of Colonial Bank’s Florida West Coast region.

Scott Kellett was promoted to president of Bank of Florida Trust Co., in Naples.

Fifth Third Bank hired the following: Tim Cronin, commercial portfolio
manager; Shelly L. Verbos, treasury sales team lead, vice president; Kathleen Leavesley, marketing manager for commercial and investment advisors; Diane M. Williams, commercial relationship manager, Naples; financial center managers Marta M. Napoles, East Trail; Dirk Novak, Mission Hills, Naples; and Nicholas Paradiso, Lehigh Acres; Naples customer service managers Sheri Grassi and Luis Pineros; plus Dalia Leguizamon and Emily Henson as mortgage loan originators in Cape Coral and Port Charlotte, respectively.

Jon Witenko was promoted to senior vice president and director of information technologies and facilities manager at First Community Bank of Southwest Florida, Fort Myers.

Hospitality
David Doyan is now food and beverage director for the Hamilton Harbor Yacht Club, Naples.
Bonita Springs Area Chamber of Commerce new special events coordinator is Gabrielle O’Boyle.

At Miromar Lakes Beach & Golf Club, Raquel C. Fernandez and Kevin Thompson were promoted to head concierge and director of golf & memberships, respectively. Caroline Burgess joined as spa manager, and Ken McMaster is now head golf professional.