For the Record

Many important figures made moves in 2009, either leaving their posts, assuming new ones or departing the area. Similarly, businesses opened, closed or were reborn.The following is a sampling of changes that made news this year.

Good-byes
Longtime Lee County Manager Don Stilwell endured plenty of scrutiny for business dealings with his son-in-law, convicted money launderer Samir Cabrera, but it was a collection of naughty pictures that sent Stilwell packing. The FBI asked for thousands of e-mails of Lee County government’s upper management (for reasons that still weren’t clear by the end of October), and when the content became public it was discovered that some of Stilwell’s correspondence showed images of nude women and racy comments. He resigned in May.

After serving seven-plus years as president and CEO of women’s fashion retailer Chico’s FAS, Scott Edmonds retired in January with a parting sum of more than $4.3 million, “less appropriate deductions,” according to an SEC filing.

Jim Mudd’s career path has taken some demanding turns, whether it was during his long time in the military or his most recent post as Collier County manager. Now, the former Army officer and Gulf War veteran is facing a tougher battle: one with brain cancer. Mudd stepped down in September after seven years at the helm.  

Kitty Green watched as many employees at financially troubled Bonita Bay Group were handed pink slips. In May, after a little more than two years as president and CEO of the Bonita Springs homebuilder, Green said she felt inclined to join those departed workers, whom she called “family,” and resigned.

Longtime Lee County businesswoman and economic development leader Janet Watermeier left the area last spring to become the executive director for the Bay County Economic Development Alliance.

Brenda Talbert resigned in January as executive vice president of the Collier Building Industry Association to take a job with a local magazine. She had joined the organization in March 2006.  
Oliver Conover retired from the Lehigh Acres Chamber of Commerce after seven years in charge.

Hellos
James Moore officially took the reins as the Lee County Development Office’s director. Moore, a retired Fortune 500 executive and CEO of Gulf Utility Company in Fort Myers, held the post on an interim basis after Regina Smith stepped down in 2008. His job became permanent last winter.

When the CEO and president positions opened at Chico’s FAS last winter, David F. Dyer stepped in. Dyer, former president and CEO of Tommy Hilfiger and Land’s End, had been serving on the board of directors.

The Charlotte Stone Crabs team made its debut in the spring. The single-A club, which is an affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays, finished second. Its owners include baseball hall-of-
famer Cal Ripken Jr. and retired Kohl’s executive Jay Baker, who lives part-time in Naples.  

Veteran weathercaster Jim Syoen, who spent 12 years at NBC2, moved to FOX 4 last April. Most recently, Syoen worked at the Naples Daily News’ Studio 55.

Jake Mauer was named manager of the Fort Myers Miracle. The 30-year-old, who also played for the team, becomes the 10th manager in the team’s 18-year history.

Leo Ochs filled the position of Collier County manager, stepping up from deputy manager. Ochs, who took over ailing Jim Mudd’s spot, started with Collier County’s government in 1986.

Karen Hawes took over the top spot in Lee County’s government, replacing manager Don Stilwell. Hawes, formerly the human resources director, will earn $170,000, a considerable decrease from the $250,000 made by her predecessor.

Bill Wendle became the Collier Building Industry Association’s new director, bringing several years of experience he gained at similar posts while he was in Wisconsin.

Joseph L. Whalen assumed the duties of executive director at the Lehigh Acres Chamber of Commerce.

Crime and Punishment
Former commercial real estate broker Samir Cabrera was slapped with a 10-year sentence in a federal penitentiary after a jury found him guilty last January of 11 counts of money laundering and fraud. Prosecutors charged that he bought two parcels of south Fort Myers land at market
rate and then resold them to investors, on the same day, for a higher price, earning him and his associates $2.8 million. Cabrera is appealing the conviction.

Naples resident Robert A. Penn, a former real estate investor, pleaded guilty to money-laundering conspiracy and mortgage fraud, both federal charges. He arranged straw deals to obtain inflated mortgages on more than 100 homes in Indianapolis, according to published reports.

Congress Jewelers, a Southwest Florida fixture dating back nearly 26 years, came to an end this fall when parent company Finlay Fine Jewelry, which had filed for bankruptcy, decided to close four stores down. Started in 1983 by Larry and Dee Congress on Sanibel Island, the business grew to five locations and was ultimately run by the Congress’ sons, Scot and Doug Congress. They sold to Finlay in 2006. (Scot opened his own place, Scot’s Fine Jewelers, in October on Sanibel.)

Homebuilder WCI Communities Inc. and media distributor Source Interlink, both of Bonita Springs, went private. During the year, WCI emerged from bankruptcy while Source remained in Chapter 11 protection at print time.

Last summer, Vertro became the new name for MIVA, which was rebranded four years ago from FindWhat.com. It’s still in the Web marketing business, though. Keeping track of bank openings, closings and mergers required a watchful eye. In case you missed any, here are some of the highlights.

• First National Bank of the Gulf Coast and Panther Community Bank completed their merger and are now operating under the name First National Bank of the Gulf Coast, with offices in Naples and Lehigh Acres. Its CEO is banking
veteran Gary Tice.
• Regulators shuttered Cape Coral-based Riverside Bank, which was subsequently taken over by TIB Bank using TARP money to buy the assets.
• North Carolina bank BB&T bought troubled ColonialBanc Group, which had several Southwest Florida Colonial Bank locations. LongtimeColonial executive Harlan Parrish joined BB&T.
• Hillcrest Bank Florida and Partners Bank, both of Naples, were closed by state regulators. The FDIC then gave the blessing for Stonegate Bank of Ft. Lauderdale to buy assets of the two businesses.
• Florida Shores Bancorp signed an agreement to acquire a controlling interest in Shamrock Bank of Florida, which has an office in Naples and one in Everglades City. Veteran banker Colleen Kvetko planned to serve as president, CEO and founding director at the newly named Florida Shores-Gulfcoast.

Local TV stations finally began broadcasting in digital high definition, switching from analog signals.

Whitney Information
Network of Cape Coral changed its name to Tigrent Inc., trading under the ticker symbol of TIGE.OB.