Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida is planning to add more than 100 positions in the next 100 days, including retail supervisors, sales associates, processors, donation door attendants, and donation door leads. Four new Goodwill retail store and donation centers are coming to Southwest Florida, from Naples to Port Charlotte, with ribbon-cutting ceremonies beginning as soon as March. This has Goodwill in need of many additional full and part-time staff, just as season is wrapping-up in Southwest Florida. The new stores will be located at Egrets Crossing in Naples, Page Field in Fort Myers, as well as a new Kings Highway location in the Peachland Promenade shopping plaza in Port Charlotte.  In addition, the company’s Del Prado retail store is undergoing a major expansion. 

Some major changes could soon come to spring training games and might limit the teams that fans can see at ballparks in Florida. Major League Baseball says a plan is under review that would keep teams that train on the west coast and east coast apart for spring training games to limit the spread of the coronavirus. If the proposal is approved, MLB said the 10 MLB teams on the west coast would only play one another, and the same would go for the five teams on the east coast. People who want to watch the St. Louis Cardinals or the New York Mets play in Southwest Florida might be out of luck, WINK News reports.

Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) has taken proactive measures to help safeguard its students, faculty and staff in buildings throughout the campus. B&I Contractors and Commercial Air Management recently partnered with the university to install 52 bipolar ionization units inside air handlers in thirteen different buildings on the FGCU campus. These energy-efficient needlepoint bipolar ionization units are designed to reduce particulate matter, odors and pathogens such as bacteria, mold and viruses––including COVID-19. B&I specializes in providing HVAC, electrical, plumbing, refrigeration and building maintenance services for commercial, institutional and industrial facilities. 

The master-planned community of Ave Maria set an all-time monthly high of 77 new home sales in January. This resulted in the strongest sales performance since the inception of the development in 2007. Home sales were reported from the four residential builders in Ave Maria: CC Homes, Del Webb Naples, Lennar and Pulte Homes. Ave Maria was recently recognized as one of the top-selling master-planned communities in the United States by RCLCO Real Estate Advisors and John Burns Real Estate Consulting. With a record-breaking 506 new home sales in 2020, the development was the only community in Collier County ranked. 

On Feb. 5, the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Chamber of Commerce celebrated the Dec. 5 opening of Blue Giraffe Restaurant’s second location at 1100 Par View Drive, adjacent to the Sanibel Island Golf Course Shop. Under the ownership of Geoffrey and Flavia Letendre, Blue Giraffe has been serving its brand of island-inspired American cuisine at Periwinkle Place for four years. The new Blue Giraffe also has different hours from the original: lunch and dinner daily from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday brunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. It has added seasonal live music to its Beachview operation every Friday and Saturday from 5 to 9 p.m. through March. Like the Periwinkle Place location, it offers a full bar and SanCap Safe pandemic protocols with a pet-friendly patio. The Beachview Blue Giraffe seats 30 outside and 58 inside its newly renovated dining room and bar. It also has seating for 12 in the private dining room and 24 in the clubhouse. The restaurant takes reservations and does take-out.

Eat the Frog Fitness, a boutique fitness studio, recently launched on Naples Boulevard in North Naples. The new business at 6270 Naples Blvd., Suite 7, is in a newly developed 3,000-square-foot end unit in Sutton Place, the retail strip in front of the Regal cinema. Co-founded by Olympic gold medalist Bryan Clay, Eat the Frog’s low-impact workouts are adaptable to any fitness level and are designed to prevent injury and translate from in-studio movements to out-of-studio, real-life functionality. Sessions run 24/7, meaning clients are able to come in and take either a coach-led session or a virtual in-studio session around their schedule. Workouts and programming are personalized based on a fit assessment done before the first session and every eight weeks after that to measure progress and make adjustments to each client’s specific plan and goals. For more information about Eat the Frog Fitness call the local studio at 239-271-3430. 

Naples Green Village, a newly remodeled assisted living and memory care facility at 101 Cypress Way E. in North Naples, provides intimate park-like areas with native trees and meandering pathways intended to entice residents outdoors. Complete renovations began in April 2020 and ended in November. New owners of the facility, RAM Capital Management of Coral Gables, are dedicated to the Green Village brand which has evolved into a holistic care philosophy greatly emphasizing daily exposure to outdoor environments for sunlight, fresh air and the promotion of physical and mental well-being. RAM intends to own 10 to 12 Green Village facilities in Florida by the end of 2023. After the first launched in Venice, Naples is the second location to open. 

Marla Ottenstein, Naples’ Premier Professional Organizer and the creator of the Get Organized and Get Organized—In a Flash! columns, will be presenting a class on how to downsize and simplify your life from 3-4:30 p.m. on Feb. 24 at the Naples campus of the FGCU Academy. Participants will have the choice of attending the class in person or online. In-person attendance will adhere to strict Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-recommended guidelines. Be it downsizing from a large home into a smaller condominium, apartment or villa, or transitioning into a retirement venue, the class, “Get Organized! How to Downsize & Simplify Your Life,” will explore the emotional and physical challenges many people experience when faced with the daunting task of downsizing. Ottenstein will also discuss the difference between downsizing and right-sizing, as well as introducing the concept of Swedish Death Cleaning. Participants may register online with a credit card or call 239-434-4737. The cost to attend is $30 and $25 for FGCU Academy members. 

Promenade at Bonita Bay has partnered with SWFL Inc. to host a business-to-consumer networking event. The Community Expo will take place at the open-air shopping center from 1-4 p.m. on Feb. 25. Residents and professionals who are new to Southwest Florida can make face-to-face connections with more than 70 local businesses and nonprofit organizations. They will have table displays under covered walkways. Tables in the center court of the Promenade showcase DeRomo’s Gourmet Market & Restaurant, Home Care Inc., Finishing by Franco Inc., Your CBD Store, Everglades Wonder Gardens, and My Shower Door. A complete list of exhibitors is available here. If The Promenade and SWFL Inc. will provide giveaways, food samples, live music and more to all guests during this signature event, which is free and open to the public. In accordance with the Promenade’s COVID policies, the Community Expo promotes social distancing and encourages everyone to wear masks.

The free 2021 Market Trends event will take place virtually on March 9. Local real estate experts analyze market trends, present research, and provide insights and predictions. Development and new home sales will be addressed by Randy Thibaut, residential real estate will be discussed by Denny Grimes, and commercial real estate will be presented by former REIS president Stan Stouder, CCIM. Details and registration are on the Market Trends website.

Realtor Susan Parsons has joined Gulf Coast International Properties (GCIP). Born and raised in Kansas City, Parsons chose Naples as her home following a 12-year career in television news. A graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism, Parsons left anchoring and reporting to raise her family and pursue her passion for philanthropy, volunteering and serving on boards of multiple charities including the American Leukemia Society, Touched by Cancer and Cystic Fibrosis Foundations. Parsons has helped luxury buyers, sellers and investors in real estate for nearly 20 years.

The Collier Building Industry Association (CBIA) has announced its 2020 Associate and Builder of the Year Awards and unveiled its 2021 Board of Directors. Erin Otterbeck of AlliKristé Custom Cabinetry & Kitchen Design and chair of the 2020 Sand Dollar event, was presented the CBIA 2020 Associate of the Year award. Matt Sellick of Stock Development was named the 2020 CBIA Builder of the Year. The 2021 board of directors comprises president Drew Kowalczyk, PulteGroup; immediate past president John Williams, RWA Inc.; past vice president Leroy Christiansen, Baldwin, Krystyn, Sherman Partners; president-elect Matt Sellick, Stock Custom Homes; vice president Norm Gentry, BUILD LLC; secretary Ryan Benson, A Vernon Allen Builder; and treasurer Kevin Deardorff, Waldrop Engineering, P.A. Additional board members include Dominick Amico, Agnoli, Barber & Brundage Inc.; Robyn Bonaquist, B-Squared Advertising; Cali Clardy, Refined Builders & Construction LLC; JP Coleman, JP Coleman Construction; Dave Dunnavant, Peninsula Construction & Engineering; Marc Huling, Roetzel & Andress L.P.A.; Jackie Nelson, Premier Sotheby’s International Realty; Chris McEachern, Newbury North Associates; Sean Morton, Morton & Wasmer Builders LLC; and Kevin Rea, Specialty Building Services. Nick Radick, Knauf-Koenig Group is the Sales & Marketing Council (SMC) chairperson for 2021. The FHBA – State of Florida, Associate of the Year was presented to Bonaquist. The FHBA – State of Florida, Young Building Professional of the Year was presented to Benson. Recipients of the first annual CBIA Champion Award are James French, Richard Long, Jonathan Walsh and Craig Mole.

Don Emery has been named general manager at Grey Oaks Country Club. Emery oversees management and operations for the club’s three championship golf courses, two clubhouses, three restaurants, a team of more than 20 PGA professionals, an industry-leading wellness center and fitness program, member spa, and a sports center with tennis, pickleball, bocce and aquatics. Most recently serving as president and general manager of Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge in Orlando, Emery’s 32-year private country club career includes serving as general manager at The Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California, and general manager and chief operating officer at Royal Palm Yacht & Country Club in Boca Raton, Interlachen Country Club in Winter Park, and Key Biscayne Yacht Club in Key Biscayne. Emery graduated from the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University. He is a member of the Club Management Association of America, achieving Certified Club Manager, Certified Club Executive, and Honor Society status. Currently, Emery serves as a board member for the Florida Chapter of CMAA.

Aloia, Roland, Lubell & Morgan recently appointed Stephen W. Dommerich as an associate attorney to its commercial and business litigation team. A Southwest Florida native, Dommerich has a diverse background in the legal field with experience in litigation and a wide range of various legal practices including business, real estate, construction law, personal injury, criminal law and first-party insurance. Dommerich is a member of the Federalist Society and the Lee County Bar Association. He’s a board member of the Southwest Florida Seminole Club and volunteers for Habitat for Humanity. Dommerich received a Juris Doctor in 2014 at Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad Law Center. He holds a Bachelor of Science in marketing from Florida State University.

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