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BLUE CHIP AWARD FINALISTS ANNOUNCED

McGriff Insurance Services has released the following five finalists for the annual Blue Chip Community Business Award: Community Resource Network of Florida Inc., Myerside Resort and Cottages, NGALA Wildlife Preserve, Reliable Permitting & Business Support Services, and Zirilli’s Chilly Treats. The five finalists, who are chosen by an independent panel of judges, will be recognized at the award ceremony luncheon, sponsored by McGriff Insurance Services and BB&T Bank, on Nov. 1 at Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort and Spa. One finalist will be designated as the Blue Chip Award winner. For more information, click here.

FSW NURSING PROGRAM CELEBRATES 50 YEARS

Florida SouthWestern State College nursing program will mark its 50th anniversary with a celebration for FSW and Edison nursing program students, future students, alumni, their families, and FSW community clinical partners, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Oct. 20 at the FSW Thomas Edison Campus in Fort Myers. FSW/Edison nursing program has had 6,369 graduates over the last 50 years. In that time, the training students in FSW’s nursing program receive has evolved from practicing on their nursing program classmates to using high-tech patient simulators, which can perform many of the same functions human patients do. For more information or to register for the anniversary celebration, contact Antonio Garcia at antonio.garcia@fsw.edu.

‘SANTA CLAUS’ TO REVEAL MANAGEMENT SECRETS

“Santa Claus” will share some of his management secrets with Southwest Florida entrepreneurs at Entrepreneur Society of America (ESOA) lunch meetings, held at 11 a.m. on Nov. 14 at the Community Foundation of Collier County in Naples and 11 a.m. on Nov. 29 at Endeavor Innovative Workspaces in Fort Myers. The discussion will be led live via Skype. ESOA members can attend the event for free; nonmembers can attend for $30. Two Guys Kitchen & Catering will provide the lunch. Register at www.esoa.us.

FOUNDATION FOR LEE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS WINS AWARD

The Foundation for Lee County Public Schools has received the Gold Level Excellence Award at The Take Stock in Children Summit in Tampa. The award is the highest level that can be achieved and is based on the Take Stock in Children Balanced Scorecard. Lee County’s program exceeded the target for nearly all indicators, including college readiness strategies, service to students, and mentor recruitment, retention and tracking. Take Stock in Children was established in 1995 as a nonprofit organization in Florida that provides an opportunity for at-risk students from low-income homes to escape the cycle of poverty through education. The Foundation for Lee County Public Schools administers this program in Lee County and has a 96 percent graduation success rate.

RIZLEY APPOINTED TO FVRMA BOARD

Nykkie Rizley, director of rental operations at Royal Shell Vacations Inc., has been appointed to the board of directors of the Florida Vacation Rental Managers Association (FVRMA). As a board member, she will help to support the professional vacation rental industry’s presence throughout the region via consumer awareness and protection, government advocacy, member education and certification. She will also assist FVRMA members in preparing and improving their vacation rental units, in terms of state requirements, licensing, insurance, hurricane damage assessments and more. Rizley’s vacation rentals career in Fort Myers spans more than a decade. She climbed her way from being a front desk agent to owner relations manager at Royal Shell before ultimately becoming director of rental operations. Rizley obtained an undergraduate degree in communications, with a specialization in theater, from Grand Valley State University in Michigan. She lived in New York City and Chicago before relocating to Florida.

LILE ADDRESSES PROBATE TEAM SEMINAR

Laird A. Lile, a board-certified wills, trusts and estates attorney in Naples, presented the Probate Power Hour at the Florida Legal Education Association’s recent probate team seminar in Orlando, which more than 550 judges, lawyers and paralegals attended, according to a press release. The Probate Power Hour provides an overview of current law impacting trusts and estates in Florida, and this year included decanting, trust accountings, homestead, guardianships, and e-wills. Lile is serving his seventh consecutive term on the board of governors for The Florida Bar. In June 2018, Lile was selected to serve as clerk of court ad interim for Collier County. Appointed by the Florida Supreme Court to its judicial management council and to a third term on the Florida Courts Technology Commission, Lile also is a member of the Second District Court of Appeal judicial nominating commission.

INFORMATIONAL SBA EVENT UPCOMING

SCORE Naples will host “SBA—How We Help Small Businesses Succeed!” from 9:30-11:30 a.m. on Dec. 8 at the Naples Accelerator. Althea Harris, assistant district director for marketing and outreach for the Small Business Administration (SBA) in south Florida, will present the event. The discussion will include a review SBA’s programs and services, offer the truth and dispel the myths about federal government grants for small businesses, provide the steps an aspiring entrepreneur can take to business ownership, and discuss who can locally help small business owners with challenges that arise. The event is $30 when registering in advance. For registration, visit scorenaples.org or call (239) 430 0081.

LCEC HIRES RISK MANAGER

LCEC has welcomed Susan Matt as its risk manager. In this role, Matt will analyze various integrated resource plans and business strategies to identify risks to the organization and be involved in enhancing our current safety program. Matt comes to LCEC from the headquarters of Best Buy, where she worked as a senior compliance manager. Matt also worked as a compliance manager for Target and as a federal agent with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

CHARITABLE NOTES

Charity golf tournament raises $30,000-plus for Child Care of Southwest Florida

More than 100 golfers recently came together for the third annual Brown & Brown Insurance of Southwest Florida Charity Golf Outing, raising more than $30,000 in support of Child Care of Southwest Florida Inc. The four-person scramble golf tournament featured a round of championship golf, breakfast and lunch at the Robert Cupp-designed LaPlaya Golf Club in Naples. Proceeds from the Charity Golf Outing benefited life-changing scholarship funds for children within Child Care of Southwest Florida’s education program, supporting the nonprofit’s mission to strengthen the lives of vulnerable preschool children and their families through quality and affordable early learning education. ​

Bonita Bay Club to host FineMark FGCU Collegiate Open 

Bonita Bay Club is hosting the FineMark FGCU Collegiate Open from Oct. 26-28 to benefit New Horizons of Southwest Florida, a nonprofit that empowers at-risk youth to reach their full potential through tutoring, mentoring and faith-building. Florida Gulf Coast University’s men’s and women’s tennis teams will compete against players from University of Central Florida, University of South Florida, University of Arkansas, University of Kentucky, University of Louisville, Princeton, University of Memphis, Purdue University and University of Illinois. For the schedule and tickets, visit www.bbcfgcuopen.net.​

Farm City BBQ of Collier County set​

The annual Farm City BBQ of Collier County event will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Nov. 21 at the Seminole Casino Hotel in Immokalee. Brian Goguen, chief operating officer at Barron Collier Cos., will chair the event, which will include a signature steak lunch, complete with Immokalee salad and corn provided by Lipman Produce, baked beans, complimentary beer, wine and soda, and special entertainment. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at www.FarmCityBBQ.com. The annual Farm City BBQ has raised more than $400,000 for area nonprofit organizations. 

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