FGCU SEEKING ALUMNI AWARD NOMINATIONS
The Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) Alumni Association is accepting nominations for its annual Alumni Awards. Deadline for submission is Jan. 11. Since 2004, the FGCU Alumni Association has recognized outstanding alumni for their professional accomplishments and dedication to their communities and FGCU. Alumni are invited to enter nominations into two categories: Alumni of Distinction and Soaring Eagle. The Alumni of Distinction is the most prestigious award the association bestows upon a graduate. It honors alumni who have upheld the tradition of excellence through their personal accomplishment, professional achievement and/or humanitarian service. The Soaring Eagle recognizes graduates from each college (within 10 years of graduation) for outstanding achievement or service in their professional or volunteer life. Award nominations must be submitted online at fgcu.edu/alumni/about/awards/. Alumni may nominate themselves or be nominated by someone else. Winners will be recognized at 6 p.m. on Feb. 1, 2019, during the Alumni Award Celebration at the FGCU Lutgert Courtyard.
LEE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS SELECTS CHAIRMAN
The Lee Board of County Commissioners has selected commissioner Larry Kiker to serve as chairman for 2018-19. Commissioner Brian Hamman was selected to serve as vice chairman. The chairman presides over the commission’s regularly scheduled meetings and has the authority to call special meetings. The chairman is responsible for signing all orders and proclamations of the board. The vice chairman serves in these roles if the chairman is unavailable. The board votes to select a chair and vice chair each November. Kiker has served on the board since 2012 and served as vice chairman this past year. Commissioners Cecil L. Pendergrass and Hamman each took the Oath of Office to serve new terms on the board following their re-election. Pendergrass has served on the board since 2012 and served as chairman this past year. Hamman has served on the board since 2013. For more information, visit www.leegov.com.
LEE HEALTH EARNS TOP MARKS
Lee Health is among the best health care systems in the country when it comes to implementing the latest in patient care technology, according to a pair of recent national recognitions. All four Lee Health adult acute care hospitals are among the 2018 “Most Wired,” according to the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) annual survey. For the fifth straight year, Lee Health is one of only 254 health systems in the U.S. named “Most Wired.” The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) evaluated LPG offices and determined it is among the elite group of health care systems achieving Stage 7 of the HIMSS Analytics Electronic Medical Record Adoption Mode. HIMSS Stage 7 is the highest possible level and, as of the end of 2017, only 6.4 percent of health care systems achieved this status.
D.R. HORTON SWFL OPENS DESIGN CENTER
D.R. Horton Southwest Florida has opened a new design center at 10541 Six Mile Cypress Ben C. Pratt Parkway in Fort Myers. The 1,752-square-foot design center is available to prospective homebuyers in select D.R. Horton, Emerald Homes and Freedom Homes communities across Southwest Florida. It offers a one-stop shop for customers to select from options for flooring, cabinetry, appliances, paint colors, bathroom finishes, swimming pools and more. A design coordinator will guide homebuyers through the entire personalization process. Homebuyers can also sit with a professional pool designer to convert their backyard space and tour decorated models before their design session to take note of electrical, lighting, interior paint and molding, shower enclosures, appliances and more. Design center appointments are available Monday through Friday, and previews are held from 2 to 4 p.m. the first and third Wednesday of the month. For more information, contact Laura Strelser at (239) 225-2661 or LMStrelser@DRHorton.com.
BUZZA, PADUA NAMED RECOGNIZED BY GOLF DIGEST
Bonita Bay Club’s Steve Buzza, PGA golf professional, and Megan Padua, PGA, LPGA teaching professional, have been named to the “Best Young Teachers in America” list in Golf Digest magazine’s November issue. Buzza and Padua are also among Bonita Bay Club’s more than 20 TPI-certified golf and fitness instructors who are specially trained by the Titleist Performance Institute to help players improve their skills, strength and power. Bonita Bay Club has recently opened up a limited number of full golf memberships for candidates residing outside of Bonita Bay. For more information, visit www.bonitabayclub.net or call the membership office at (239) 949-5061.
B-SQUARED ADVERTISING HIRES MEDIA COORDINATOR
B-Squared Advertising of Naples (B2ads.com) has hired William “Billy” Crook as media coordinator. Crook was born and raised in Naples and attended Florida Southwestern State College and Florida Gulf Coast University, where he was a business marketing major. Originally hired as an intern in the summer of 2018, Crook was brought on full-time in August.
CHARITABLE NOTES
Trivia Nite raises funds to pair children with volunteer advocates
Guardian ad Litem Foundation, 20th Judicial Circuit, raised $7,145 at its trivia night on Nov. 1 to support the organization’s “I am for the child” program. The 60 guests in attendance were treated to an appetizer buffet and drinks at Bokampers Sports Bar & Grill in Naples. Participants then formed teams and competed for various prizes. Proceeds from Trivia Nite, the first in a series of fundraising events this season, support a program that pairs volunteer advocates with abused, neglected and abandoned children in Southwest Florida. For sponsorship or ticket opportunities at upcoming events, visit VoicesForKids.org or call (239) 533-1435.
Night at the Museum co-chairs named
Joan and Bob Clifford and Simone and Scott Lutgert will co-chair “Night at the Museum: Party Like a Rockstar,” Feb. 9, 2019 at the Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples (C’mon). Entertainment will feature Kevin Bacon and the Bacon Brothers. Night at the Museum is an annual fundraiser for C’mon. Proceeds help provide ongoing STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) education and activities. Sponsorships are available. For more information, visit www.cmon.org/night-at-the-museum.
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