WGCU WINS NATIONAL AWARDS IN PUBLIC MEDIA COMPETITION
WGCU FM news staff and an intern recently won national awards for four stories. Considered a medium-size public media station, WGCU won second place in its division in the Spot News, Call-in Program, and Continuing Coverage categories, respectively. “MSD Alumna Texted with Friend in Room with Shooter” was reported by Rachel Iacovone on Feb. 14, 2018, the day of the shootings in Parkland, Florida. “Valerie’s House: Helping Kids After Loss” was a June 26, 2018, report by Mike Kiniry and Julie Glenn. In the Continuing Coverage category, “Two Environmental Disasters Meet in Gulf Waters,” reported by Glenn, John Davis, Iacovone, Andrea Perdomo and Kiniry, earned PRNDI honors. The program aired Feb. 14. In the student competition, WGCU intern Sarajane Sullivan won second place for a June 26, 2018 report titled “Activists Meet Peers Who Inspired Them.” The awards were given at PRNDI’s (now Public Media Journalists Association’s) annual awards banquet in mid-June at the Grand Hyatt in Washington, D.C., NPR’s Lulu Garcia-Navarro served as emcee for the individual station awards.
CLOUD MIGRATION TECHTALK HELD THURSDAY
The Southwest Florida Regional Technology Partnership (SWFRTP) will present its July TechTalk, “A Pragmatic Approach to Setting Your Cloud Strategy,” on Thursday at Two30 Work in Bonita Springs. Professional networking will begin at 5:30 p.m. followed by a presentation at 6:30 p.m. by Joe Morris, owner of Technomad, and John LaFreniere, Verge IT CIO/CTO and SWFRTP president. The presentation will cover cloud transformation and migration concepts, common misperceptions, business impacts, patterns and applications to look for and skills requirements and gaps and case studies. Light food and beverages will be served at the event. Registration is at www.swfrtp.org.
VI AT BENTLEY VILLAGE NAMED GREAT WORKPLACE
Vi at Bentley Village has been certified as a great workplace by Great Place to Work. Led by independent analysts, Great Place to Work certifications are based on employee responses and feedback through an annual survey of more than 60 questions, which focus on employees’ workplace experiences, happiness’ and overall satisfaction. Decades of research shows workplaces with high-trust cultures see higher levels of revenue, innovation, customer and patient satisfaction, employee engagement, organizational agility, and more. Vi offers employees a wide-range of training and development programs including tuition reimbursement, free language training, an array of company-paid certification courses, leadership development programs as well as access to Vi’s online university, E-Campus. To learn more about employment opportunities at Vi at Bentley Village, visit www.jobs.viliving.com/.
DOCTORS JOIN PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY OF FLORIDA
Dr. Tamara K. Robison and Dr. Tong Alice Liu have joined Pediatric Dentistry of Florida DrVerwest.com. They become the newest associates to join the pediatric dental practice. Prior to joining Pediatric Dentistry of Florida, Robison operated two family dental offices in Southwest Florida. Liu recently completed her general practice dental residency and pediatric dentistry residency from the University of Toledo Medical Center. Robison is a board-certified pediatric dentist. She received her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the University of Washington before obtaining her Specialty Certificate in Pediatric Dentistry at Nova Southeastern University. Liu attended the University of California, Berkeley where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Biology. She received her dental degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine and her Master of Science degree in oral biology during her residency at University of Toledo Medical Center.
Aaron Christiano
STICKBOY WELCOMES SOFTWARE DEVELOPER
Stickboy has added Aaron Christiano to its team of award-winning software developers. Christiano, a 2018 honors graduate of Hodges University, works with backend technologies that include Django Frameworks and Python and front-end technologies such as AngularJS and Angular2. As a software developer at Stickboy, he will have a close relationship with clients while creating code and building software that uses artificial intelligence and blockchain. Stickboy was founded in 2007 by Reema Bhatia, a member of the Forbes Technology Council and 2019 Technology Woman of the Year award recipient.
FRIENDS OF ROOKERY BAY ADDS BOARD MEMBERS
Friends of Rookery Bay welcomes six new board members. The Friends group supports the 40-year-old Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, whose 110,000 acres from downtown Naples through the Western Everglades encompass 40 percent of Collier County’s coastline. The new board members are: Matt Flores, Zampogna Flores, PLLC; Jim Fourqurean, the Institute for Water and Environment at Florida International University; Dan High, Rose Marina; community leader Lois Selfon; Jim Shea, retired retail CEO; and Greg Tolley, Department of Marine and Ecological Sciences at Florida Gulf Coast University. They join board president Tom Marquardt; vice president Charlie O’Connor; secretary Curt Witthoff; treasurer Tom Wagor of First Florida Integrity Bank; and directors Ray Carroll with Carroll & Carroll; Paul Tateo with Horizons Real Estate; and Milda Vaivada with Soiree Celebrations.
HUGHES, SNELL & CO. ACCOUNTANTS EARN DESIGNATIONS
Catherine Palmisano and Aaron Selka of Hughes, Snell & Co. P.A., Certified Public Accountants and Consultants, have received the Advanced Defined Contribution Plans Audit Certificate from the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants (AICPA). AICPA is the world’s largest and most influential member association representing the accounting profession, according to a press release. It serves more than 650,000 Certified Public Accountants (CPAs), Chartered Global Management Accountants (CGMA) designation holders, and students in 179 countries.
CHARITABLE NOTES
NWWF announces 2020 Honored Vintner, Chef de Cuisine
Naples Winter Wine Festival (NWWF) announces France’s Saskia de Rothschild of Domaines Barons de Rothschild Lafite as its 2020 Honored Vintner, and Chef de Cuisine will be Chicago’s Sarah Grueneberg of Monteverde Restaurant & Pastificio. Both the vintner and chef will be recognized for their legacy and innovation in the food and wine industry during NWWF’s 20th annual event, themed “Celebrate: 20 Years of Cheers!” on Jan. 24-26, 2020, at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, Naples. The recognized vintner and chef will join an additional 31 vintners and 19 chefs to help raise funds for underprivileged children of Collier County. This year’s roster includes vintners such as Piero Antinori, Ann Colgin, Olivier Krug, and Laurent Ponsot, along with chefs Thomas Keller, Emeril Lagasse, Donald Link and Charlie Palmer. For more information, visit www.napleswinefestival.com.
Youth Haven launches annual Back-to-School supply drive
Youth Haven’s annual Back-to-School supply drive launched on July 1 and runs through July 31. Needed supplies include large, heavy duty backpacks; 1.5-inch and 2-inch three-ring binders; scientific calculators; and gift certificates to stores like Walmart, Target, Marshalls, TJ Maxx, Ross, and Coastland Center Mall Stores. Youth Haven is Collier County’s only emergency residential shelter for abused, neglected and abandoned children and teens ages 6-18. To host a donation drive or to schedule a drop-off, contact Beth Labno at Beth.Labno@youthhavenswfl.org. For more information, visit http://www.youthhavenswfl.org/event/back-to-school-drive/.
Take a Soldier Fishing organization raised funds to sponsor an assistance dog for a local veteran – (Front Row) Dan Rogers, Steve Loyd, Jamie Loyd with KJ the puppy, Ray Erickson; (Back Row) Jim Brown, Jessica Benko, Kevin Johnson, Tracy Rogers, Sherri Jackmack, Joey Benko, Kendall Brown
Golden PAWS Assistance Dogs’ held open house
Golden PAWS Assistance Dogs recently held an open house and special puppy naming ceremony on June 26 with donors and special guests in attendance. Kyle Reed, president of the board of directors of Golden PAWS Assistance Dogs, introduced Steve Loyd, president of Take a Soldier Fishing. The volunteer organization has sponsored three assistance dogs over the past several years and surprised one of their board members by naming their newly sponsored puppy after Take a Soldier Fishing member Kevin Johnson. According to Loyd, Johnson has raised more money than anyone else to support the organization’s efforts to raise funds to sponsor assistance dogs for local veterans. For more information, visit www.goldenpawsassistancedogs.org.
Beauty Bruch to benefit Make-A-Wish Southern Florida
Purely You Spa will host its first Beauty Brunch on July 20. Purely You Spa’s top skin treatment services will be raffled off and 100 percent of the raffle proceeds will go directly to Make-A-Wish Southern Florida. Tickets cost $100 which includes light brunch bites, a $25 gift certificate to Purely You Spa and swag bags. Attendees are also entitled to choose which two services they would like to experience in during the event: hand massage, foot scrub, mini massage or mini facials. To reserve your spot, call (239) 331-8266 or visit the salon.
Get breaking business news delivered straight to your inbox each weekday morning with Gulfshore Business Daily.
