‘HOW TO LEVERAGE NON-CASH GIFTS’ EVENT SET
The Planned Giving Council of Lee County Inc. will present “How to Leverage Non-Cash Gifts” at its meeting held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Dec. 19 at Blue Coyote Business & Social Club in Fort Myers. The speaker is Tracy Connelly, vice president of development, Guadalupe Center in Immokalee. Connelly will share his experience working with donors interested in making non-cash gifts, and engage the audience in sharing their successes and lessons learned in working with donors with these philanthropic vehicles. Connelly has worked in advancement and development for 30 years, previously serving as system director of gift planning at Lee Health Foundation, director of corporate and foundation relations at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business, and director of Corporate & Foundation Relations at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Zsebe and Associates Certified Public Accountants are sponsoring the meeting. The event is free to members and $30 for nonmembers, including lunch. The reservation deadline is noon on Dec. 14. To RSVP, visit plannedgivinglee.org.
CANTERBURY ATHLETIC FIELD TO BE NAMED FINEMARK FIELD
Canterbury School and FineMark National Bank & Trust announce a 10-year community partnership giving FineMark the naming rights to Canterbury’s new athletic field. FineMark Field will be the new name of the Cougars new football, soccer, and lacrosse field. Renovation of the new field took place over the summer of 2018. The new name takes effect immediately, with the full signage and branding changeover to happen in the coming weeks. An official naming rights celebration will take place during Canterbury’s homecoming in 2019.
GRANT JOINS AAASWFL BOARD
Carol Grant has joined the Area Agency on Aging of Southwest Florida (AAASWFL) board of directors. Grant is director of integrated case management at Sarasota Memorial Hospital and a three-year Sarasota resident. At Sarasota Memorial, Grant supervises a 90-person department that is responsible for acute care case management. Prior to moving to Sarasota, Grant was director of medical management at Palmetto Health, the largest healthcare resource in Columbia, South Carolina. She is a registered nurse and certified case manager and holds a Bachelor of Science in nursing from the University of South Carolina. In addition to her service with the AAASWFL Board of Directors, Grant has served on the South Carolina Department of Corrections’ domestic abuse board. She is also a member of the American Case Management Association (ACMA) and has served as president of the ACMA South Carolina Chapter.
ETZEL ADDRESSES ACCA CONFERENCE
Conditioned Air Co. of Naples Chairman W. Theodore Etzel III presented at the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) Service Leadership conference on Nov. 8 in Fort Worth, Texas. The session on “Company Culture and the Leader’s Influence Factor” provided real-life examples and discussions around leadership style and why company culture is so critical. More than 300 conference attendees heard from business owners, service leaders and other industry experts on how to beat competition. A native Floridian, Etzel graduated from Stetson University in 1980 with a Bachelor of Science in economics and finance. He has served as the chairman and an owner of Conditioned Air since 1995. Etzel is author of the book Invest Your Heartbeats Wisely, which focuses on practical, philosophical and principled leadership concepts for business and life. He has spoken to several groups recently on entrepreneurship, including Florida Gulf Coast University and Ave Maria Law School. He also is a part of Vistage, an international association of CEOs dedicated to constant improvement of business practices and personal development.
ANDERSON JOINS PUSHING THE ENVELOPE
Pushing the Envelope Inc. has welcomed Hannah Anderson as a communication coordinator. Anderson will provide a variety of public relations services for the company’s clientele, including publicity and media relations, online reputation management, copywriting, as well as support social media strategy, email marketing and other marketing services. Anderson holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Florida Atlantic University (FAU). Prior to joining Pushing the Envelope, she was an assistant coordinator for FAU’s division of research.
YOUTH LEADERSHIP COLLIER APPLICATIONS OPEN
The Leadership Collier Foundation, an affiliate of The Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce, is now accepting applications for the Class of 2019 Youth Leadership Collier program. The mission of Youth Leadership Collier is to develop ethical leaders committed to active community involvement. The program empowers students to become effective leaders through hands on experiences and field work with key organizations, while encouraging returning or staying in Collier County to begin careers and community leadership. Youth Leadership Collier is a week-long intensive program that begins with a weekend of team-building activities. Participants interact in daily sessions designed to give them first-hand experience in various aspects of the community. Topics include local government, healthcare, law enforcement, business, agriculture, media, human services, environment, and the arts. The 2019 program will take place from June 1 through June 7. Tuition is $500. The deadline for applications is Feb. 1. To apply, click here.
KGT REMODELING HIRES WEGWERT
KGT Remodeling has hired Thomas Wegwert as the company’s new production manager. As production manager for KGT Remodeling, Wegwert will be responsible for estimating, project management and purchasing. Wegwert brings more than 40 years of experience in the remodeling, building and construction industry. He most recently served as president and managing partner of a local general contracting firm and previous to that had a 19-year career with Centex Homes. Wegwert served as the 2011 Collier Building Industry Association (CBIA) president, has been a longtime member of the Florida Home Builders Association (FHBA), and has held an active State of Florida Certified General Contractor license since 1984.
CHARITABLE NOTES
The Heights Foundation seeks contributions for community gift drive
The Heights Center is seeking organizations and individuals to participate in the annual Harlem Heights Community Gift Drive. New, unwrapped gifts are needed for more than 800 children, ranging in age from birth to 17 years of age. Suggested donations are gifts under $25 including Legos, dolls, art sets, footballs, basketballs, soccer balls, remote control cars, tea sets, action figures, board games, coloring books and crayons. Personal items are needed including pajamas, jewelry, body lotion, spray, soaps, hair accessories and wristwatches. Donations of gift cards from Target, Kmart or Walmart are appreciated. Monetary donations can be made at www.heightsfoundation.org/donate. The gifts will be distributed from 10 a.m. to noon on Dec. 15 at The Heights Center. Each child will visit Santa, have cookies with hot chocolate and make Christmas crafts, while their parents choose gifts for their children, keeping the surprise in Christmas for the kids. Items can be dropped off at The Heights Center in Fort Myers. Toys will be collected through Dec. 13. Volunteers are needed to assist with event set up and at the event. Organizations and individuals interested in participating can contact Melissa Barlow at (239) 482-7706 or melissa@heightsfoundation.org. All donations are tax deductible.
Sea Salt donates $20K to Naples-based charities
To pay homage to the Naples community as they marked 10 years in business, Sea Salt held the “10 Days of Giving” to raise funds for area philanthropic groups. At the end of the 10-day campaign, the restaurant raised $20,000 for 11 charities. Sea Salt donated 15 percent of lunch and dinner proceeds from Nov. 6 to 15 to the fundraiser. Participating charities in the “10 Days of Giving” include Friends of Foster Children Forever, Youth Haven, Women's Foundation of Collier County, Everglades Foundation, Guadalupe Center, David Lawrence Center, PAWS Assistance Dogs Inc., Champions for Learning, the Shelter for Abused Women & Children, United Arts Council and Humane Society Naples.
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