Biz(941) April-May2015

Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance celebrates 10 years PAGE 41

THE BLUE

Seafood investor Chris Cogan of Seven Holdings

Economy

Investing in Southwest Florida sustainable seafood PAGE 26

WHERE the

JOBS ARE Who’s hiring— and who’s not

PAGE 16

Tap Into Our

Colleges’ Interns Page 22

We don’t just get involved.

We work to strengthen the foundation for your success.

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Whether it’s our commitment to you, or to our work in the community, involvement forms the cornerstone of everything we do.

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APRIL | MAY 2015

16 JOBS

Lori Sax

where the

the case for interns The newest member of our editorial staff, Chelsey Lucas, was hired a little over a year ago, the moment she finished classes at New College of Florida. But she didn’t just walk in the door as an unknown with resume in hand. She had interned with us for two semesters and had proven her worth as a smart, can-do writer with web skills and a winning personality. Her internship gave her an edge over more experienced applicants.

With 11 colleges here—including the newly renamed Suncoast Technical College and Manatee Technical College— and more than 40,000 students, Sarasota and Manatee could fill Tropicana Field with ambitious students hungering for real-world job experience. In our story “Internship Power,” we found three companies that have worked with local colleges to find interns, hiring quite a few of them in the process. It’s not always easy to work with interns—they take time from your regular tasks—but running a good program can pay off.

Our educational institutions (see list on page 21) also create programs to train workers for new jobs when a company needs a specialized skill. In Hannah Wallace’s story, “Where the Jobs Are,” you’ll get a snapshot of the local employment market and top job opportunities.

Welders should rejoice. Jobs are available and the salary can be in the six figures.

Editors and reporters? Let’s just say it’s a good thing we love what we do.

susanb@biz941.com

are

What industries have the most openings―and how can we connect workers to employers?

22 Internship Power 26 Big Fish

Here’s the right way to harness the talent of your interns.

Chris Cogan and his venture capital firm, Seven Holdings, are shaking up the sustainable food industry.

32 Who’s Hispanic?

36 a night at the ypg

A demographic expert on why this question matters.

A Brooklyn-based millennial tries to connect in Sarasota.

6

86 What I’ve

Talk

Stuff you need to know, from protecting consumer data to a Mote scientist who’s revolutionizing coral regeneration.

68 HR Corner The delicate art of firing.

ADVERTISING SECTIONs

Learned

Insights from newly retired Argus Foundation executive director Kerry Kirschner.

88 Tourism Beat

Protecting your company’s online reputation.

40

73 91

96 Fast Track

Movers, shakers and headline makers.

100 The Seen

People and events in pictures.

104 Off the clock Attorney Brad Ellis' passion for land conservation.

Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance "Built for Business" Education Innovations Wealth Management Tips for 2015

biz941.com Check out our website, featuring new and archived articles, and sign up for our e-newsletter, Biz(941) Daily.

APRIL | MAY 2015

BIZ(941) 3

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CEO Dan Denton Executive Vice President & Kelley Lavin Group Publisher Vice President & Pam Daniel Editorial Director Consulting Publisher Randy Noles Vice President & Pamela Flanagan General Manager

Editor Susan Burns Editorial Managing Editor Ilene Denton Senior Editor Kay Kipling Associate Editor Hannah Wallace Web Editor Megan McDonald Web & Editorial Assistant Chelsey Lucas Intern Bobbilynn Hollifield

Art and Production Publications Director Norma Machado

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Contributing Writers David Ball, Tony D'Souza, Brad Edmondson, Lori Johnston, Kim Hackett, Cooper Levey-Baker, Rich Rescigno, Jackie Rogers, Carol Tisch, Johannes Werner

Contributing Photographers Jenny Acheson, Barbara and Artists Banks, Kathryn Brass Piper, Matthew Holler, Chris Lake, Gene Pollux, Lori Sax, Alex Stafford

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BIZ(941) 5

Talk APRIL | MAY 2015

I NNOVATOR

➜ Dr.

Dave Vaughan

Coral reefs are in danger from climate change, overfishing, pollution and habitat loss, affecting oceanic ecosystems and economies of coastal cities. Dr. Dave Vaughan, executive director of the Mote Tropical Research Laboratory in Summerland Key, Fla., has discovered a method of regrowing coral at an extraordinarily fast pace, and it was completely by accident.

During a regular tank cleaning, Vaughan, 61, broke a piece of the delicate coenosarc—the hollow connective tubes of corals—leaving behind a few polyps. “I thought they’d never make it,” he says, but upon examination two weeks later the polyps had grown together about the distance of a thumbnail. In nature, that same growth would normally take about two years. He experimented again by cutting polyps from another coral into small fragments, a process he termed “microfragmenting.”

“It’s like skin,” he says. “The skin on our hands grows slowly, but if you scrape it, it heals over in about a week.

We think something similar is happening to the corals.”

And the new corals he’s growing are proving to be more resilient to conditions like warmer water temperatures and ocean acidification.

“Microfragmenting is so new and such good news that it’s hard for most to realize its potential,” he says. “I have a personal goal of planting 1 million corals in the keys and I hope to do it before I retire.” ■ By Chelsey Lucas

6 BIZ(941) APRIL | MAY 2015

IAN SHIVE / TANDEMSTOCK.COM

Executive director, Mote Tropical Research Laboratory

o v e r h e ar d

“AI [Artificial Intelligence] is going to transform your lives in the next five years. You may have AI as your financial adviser or your physician.”

—X Prize founder Peter Diamandis at Gulf Coast Community Foundation’s Better Together Luncheon on Feb. 24, 2015

METRIC

46

Rank of Florida among all U.S. states for average annual tuition and fees at a public, four-year college for full-time residents in 2014-15. The cost in Florida is $6,351; the U.S. average is $8,983.

SOURCE: The College Board, Annual Survey of Colleges, October 2014.

BizRules

By Chelsey Lucas

Protect Consumer Data or Pay the Penalty The Florida Information Protection Act of 2014 (FIPA) took effect last July to address the increasing threat of cyber data breaches. Businesses that retain private consumer data, which include any personal identifying information like address, phone number, date of birth or credit card information, are at risk for fines of up to $500,000 if the information is hacked.

Michael S. Taaffe, head of the data breach practice group at Shumaker, Loop and Kendrick, LLP’s Sarasota office, says when a breach is discovered, “It must be reported to the Florida attorney general within 30 days. You need to send a letter to every breached consumer and report it to the credit reporting agency so the affected individuals’ credit scores aren’t ruined.” The SLK Group also cites that companies must

contact the Florida Department of Legal Affairs within 30 days for breaches affecting more than 500 people. “The key is to quickly shut down [the breach] and collect the data before it reaches the public domain,” he says.

More people are stealing information using their own phones or computers, so companies need to establish procedures.

“A lot of firms allow employees [to work with] their own devices, but they don’t use passwords, limitations or encryptions,” Taaffe adds. So employees simply snap a photo of the personal data with their phones. In this instance, he says, “No one knows they’re taking it, so we [have to] get a court order to review the devices.”

Statistically, every company has probably been breached by one or two sources,” Taaffe says. “Businesses must take precautions.” ■

APRIL | MAY 2015

BIZ(941) 7

Talk

THE LIST

Top Builders

in Sarasota and Manatee, 2012 and 2014* 2014 Issued Permits

2014 Permit Value

2012 Issued Permits

2012 Permit Value

Neal Communities

647

$109,528,285

529

$64,006,166

Taylor Morrison

406

$49,782,443

157

$19,732,572

Lennar

378

$62,893,509

100

$9,810,041

D.R. Horton, Inc

331

$91,528,510

296

$53,723,603

Centex Homes

242

$53,506,293

46

$5,903,426

Ryland Homes

211

$41,303,449

100

$16,460,643

Pulte Homes

206

$40,016,433

298

$61,832,250

WCI Communities Inc.

201

$44,226,069

85

$16,802,863

Builders

Medallion Home

97

$21,311,546

165

$53,079,577

M I Homes

67

$12,106,413

63

$10,286,865

Ashton Orlando Residential LLC

61

$13,868,123

N/A

N/A

Maronda Homes Sun Coast

55

$10,599,208

65

$10,376,394

Highland Homes

44

$3,034,770

N/A

N/A

Rinehart Homes

43

$4,740,000

N/A

N/A

John Cannon Homes

42

$20,228,021

35

$19,301,288

Geartz Construction

40

$5,519,433

N/A

N/A

Meritage Homes

39

$10,266,590

N/A

N/A

Benko Construction

33

$6,744,500

30

$5,264,750

Lee Wetherington Homes

30

$15,662,681

28

$12,496,229

Sam Rodgers

30

$15,202,934

N/A

N/A

3,203

$632,069,210

1,997

$359,076,667

Totals

*Builders are ranked by number of permits issued. **N/A refers to companies that were not among the top ranked in 2012.

SOURCE: HBW Inc.

8 BIZ(941) APRIL | MAY 2015

YOUR LIFE

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YOUR LEGACY

YOUR LIFE. YOUR LEGACY.

Talk

biz makeover

Amy Farrington, director of administration and donor relations at ShelterBox, an international nonprofit that provides emergency

supplies to disaster survivors and has its U.S. headquarters in Lakewood Ranch, barely has time to think about putting an outfit together before dashing out the door in the morning with her husband and young son.

ShelterBox’s office attire is relaxed business casual, but Amy wants to think outside her own fashion box with a fresh new look.

AMY’S GOAL “I want to continue my athletic, relaxed style but upgrade it to a more sophisticated, put-together look.”

JACKIE’S GOAL “Keeping Amy’s sporty look was at the forefront of my mind when we were shopping.

Since her work attire is primarily khakis and cargo pants, my ultimate goal was to illustrate how pants other than khakis could be pulled together and still fit into her style parameters. One current trend is sport chic, a style based on tailored athletic wear, so the pant I selected was gathered at the waist and loose at the ankle. “Wow, these are comfy!” was Amy’s immediate reaction when she tried them on.

Sport chic can be office or evening appropriate. For Amy, I went for an office casual look by pairing it with an unstructured navy blouse and a pair of leather and lace wingtip-style shoes. The multi-charm necklace was the perfect accent. If Amy wanted to take this trend into evening she could add a blazer and a pair of heels.”

AMY’S TAKE “I was surprised it all went together so well. I was certain the shoes would not look good, but they were the highlight of the outfit. I’m pretty sure even the photographer wanted to buy them. I really loved the overall look—hair to shoes. It looked like me but more sophisticated and stylish.”

story and styling by Jackie Rogers Photography by alex stafford, Makeup and Hair styled by Erica Lynn of Fresh Salon.Spa.Style

10 BIZ(941) APRIL | MAY 2015

BEFORE

after Uninspiring khakis.

Sporty sophisticate.

Where to buy Pants, $98, top, $69.99 both from J. Crew; Gianni Bini shoes, $79.99, Kenneth Cole necklace $48, both from Dillard’s.

A DV E R TIS E M ENT

{

GAIL BOWDEN TOP PRODUCER

My Top Three:

Notable Listings

1 Mount Dora Medical Center Exquisite class “A” multi-tenant building completely renovated for medical use. The building is 100-percent occupied with NNN leases, all with five- and 10-year terms.

2 “Be advised. There is a difference.” What makes Gail Bowden stand out among her colleagues? Consistency. Evidenced by her record-breaking numbers, Bowden continues to produce remarkable results. Her results are attributed to her sheer determination to get the job done as well as her dogged ability to remain focused regardless of the outward circumstances. Bowden’s talent for successfully orchestrating the many components of even the most complex deals while maintaining a demeanor of utmost poise keeps her in high demand among real estate investors and property owners alike. In 2014, Bowden received several of Sperry Van Ness® Commercial Advisory Group’s most prestigious honors, including her third ”Top Commercial Real Estate Advisor of the Year,” “Top Producer over $25 million,” and “Top Sales Transaction” awards. Bowden currently ranks in the top 2 percent of SVN’s commercial real estate advisors nationally, and is one of the top 5 producers in the state with over $25 million sold in 2014. Bowden’s success continues to garner the attention of investors and property owners across the country.

Terrific leased investment opportunity with national credit tenant 5 year term, with 2 three-year renewals. Property consists of a 3,025 s.f. office building and adjacent converted residence containing 800 s.f., plus intervening vacant land lot totaling 1 acre.

3

•

Gail Bowden - Senior Investment Advisor 1626 Ringling Blvd., Suite 500 Sarasota, FL 34236 (941) 223-1525 GailBowden.com Commercial Advisory Group

Quality Lakewood Ranch Warehouse: Unique building in upscale LWR Business Park with office space, partially climate-controlled warehouse, as well as finished load-bearing mezzanine space for sale or NNN lease. Deed restrictions will ensure true corporate park setting as development continues.

APRIL | MAY 2015

All Sperry Van Ness® Offices are Independently Owned and Operated

BIZ(941) 11

Talk

Agenda

A P R I L / ma Y May 19 Florida Public Relations Association and AdFed Suncoast Professional Development Workshop

APRIL 9 The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce 2015 Hob Nob, 5-8 p.m. at Ed Smith Stadium, 2700 12 th St., Sarasota. $40. Visit sarasotachamber.com to register.

for creatives and communications professionals, 8-11:30 a.m. at Polo Grill, 10670 Boardwalk Loop, Lakewood Ranch. $45 for FPRA and AdFed members; $55 for nonmembers. To register, visit cwcfpra.com.

APRIL 29 The Greater Sarasota and Manatee Chambers of Commerce Blues by the Bay, 5:30-

7:30 p.m. at the Powel Crosley Estate, 8374 N. Tamiami Trail, Bradenton. Complimentary light appetizers from six chambermember restaurants, cash bar, and blues music provided by Realize Bradenton. Register at sarasotachamber.com.

MAY 1 Economic

Development Corporation of Sarasota County Economic Outlook 2015 with economist Sean Snaith, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Sarasota, 1000 Boulevard of the Arts.

Visit edcsarasotacounty.com to register.

12 BIZ(941) APRIL | MAY 2015

tr e n d s p o tt e r

Rising Rental Rates The average rent for apartments in the North PortBradenton-Sarasota MSA in the first quarter of 2015 was $1,096.49 and occupancy was 96.5 percent (95 percent is considered full). In the first quarter of 2009, rents averaged $777.50 and occupancy was 88.9 percent.

SOURCE: Axiometrics Inc.

May 25

Memorial Day

MAY 27 Venice Area Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year Awards luncheon, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at Plantation Golf & Country Club, 500 Rockley Blvd., Venice. Register at venicechamber.com.

MAY 29 The Greater

Sarasota Chamber of Commerce Frank G. Berlin Sr. Small Business Awards, 11:30 a.m.-1:15 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Sarasota, 1000 Boulevard of the Arts. $50 for members before May 16; $60 for nonmembers and late registration. To register, visit sarasotachamber.com.

reader meter

How concerned are you about the region’s traffic this season?

30.49

%

Not much.

It’s only bad three months of the year and it’s good for business.

69.51

%

Very.

It’s making our region less desirable.

0

%

Not at all.

Seasonal traffic hasn’t changed much in years.

SOURCE: Biz(941) Daily poll

Ask the Originals www.DineOriginal.com

Eat Like a Local “WHERE CAN WE GO FOR A BUSINESS BREAKFAST?”

Here are four great suggestions for an early meeting...

Talk

By Hannah Wallace

Biz bites

Red Clasico serves sophisticated lunch on the corner of Main and Palm.

CHAD SPENCER

(941) 922-2868 | thebrokenegg.com

(941) 365-1026 | cafeamericanosrq.com

The Place

(941) 383-0777 | harryskitchen.com

(941) 349-2822 | villagecafeonsiesta.com

14 BIZ(941) APRIL | MAY 2015

Red Clasico, 1341 Main St., Sarasota, (941) 957-0700, barclasico.com.

A sleek, contemporary, Euro-style interior with moody lighting that complements the big, sunlit windows that reveal Palm Avenue sidewalk life. Opposite the windows, a long bar overlooks tables and high-tops and sits adjacent to a pastry counter in the back.

The People

High-powered executives plotting their next moves; hip, tattooed 20-somethings studying their iPads.

Time Factor

If you couldn’t tell by the moody atmosphere, this is not a grab-and-go kind of place. Bring your next big client here to sit back and seal the deal.

The Food

Sophisticated takes on lunchy, café fare include Baja fish

tacos ($10) with tempura-battered fish, spicy aioli and homemade tortillas or the roasted broccoli and cauliflower flatbread ($9). They also serve a selection of sandwiches like club, Reuben and French dip, plus a burger ($9) that some claim is the best in town. Salads range from Cobb ($10) and kale Caesar ($9) to warm goat cheese and candied walnuts ($12) and raspberry, avocado and cucumber ($9). ■

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Where The Jobs Are Finding work and workers in Sarasota and Manatee.

By Hannah Wallace

When Tyler Cruikshank needed a job, Manatee Technical College was the answer. The 29-yearold Army veteran stumbled across a welding class last year while visiting a friend at the school, and a little research revealed promising opportunities for skilled welders in the area. In fact, MTC’s program had been created specifically for local companies expressing a need for these workers. Not only does the program train Cruikshank for a number of welding certifications, it’s also connected him with those local companies that are hiring.

Now, months before graduating, Cruikshank attends school once a week and works the other four days―10 hours a day―for Pierce Manufacturing, a builder of commercial vehicles in Bradenton.

Cruikshank welds alongside people who’ve worked at Pierce for 30 years, and he looks forward to regular raises, further training and advanced

16 BIZ(941) APRIL | MAY 2015

certifications as he goes. “Everything that deals with metal needs welders,” he says.

Opportunities for workers like Cruikshank are the best they’ve been in a decade. Sarasota and Manatee unemployment rates hover between 4.9 percent and 5.1 percent―about .5 percent lower than a year ago. As employers are now actively seeking out workers, the employment growth rate in the 941 region was 5.4 percent in 2014, compared to 2.3 percent statewide. Sarasota and Manatee also remain attractive to employers.

“We have a skilled workforce, ample quality educational facilities and a lifestyle environment that is appealing to employers relocating to our area,” says Jen Bartolone of CareerSource Suncoast, which held 77 job fairs for 190 positions in the last year.

These days in Southwest Florida, connecting growing industries with qualified workers is Job One.

Hot Spots: Health Care, Retail and Hospitality The traditional Southwest Florida powerhouses of health care, retail and hospitality remain at the top of the list, accounting for more than a third of the nearly 400,000 total jobs in the area.

The region’s aging demographics have kept health care a strong sector and, with 42,500 employees, is ranked our No. 1 employer.

Six months ago, Nashville-based hospital management firm HCA Healthcare, whose local facilities include Doctors Hospital of Sarasota and Blake Medical Center, led all local hiring with 225 advertised job openings here―from RNs to medical assistants.

Retail represents the secondlargest employer in the region, with nearly 40,000 positions in the second quarter of 2014. Add to that figure The Mall at UTC, which

added 2,000 full-time positions when it opened in October 2014.

That many hires at once strains the retail job market, but the region’s growing affluence and strong tourism numbers make retailers feel optimistic about the near future.

The No. 3 sector is hospitality (mostly hotel and restaurant businesses, but also event planners and cultural and recreational venues), which accounts for 30,522 local jobs.

The recovering economy means people throughout the country and world are vacationing again and traveling here in droves. Visit Sarasota County reported 929,000 visitors in 2014, resulting in $1.5 billion economic impact―a 10.4 percent improvement over 2013. In Manatee, where tourism accounts for one-sixth of jobs, 610,000 visitors were recorded by the

Where the New Jobs Will Be Highest projected growth in Sarasota-Manatee over the next six years (according to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, floridajobs.org).

■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Specialty trade contracting (masons, plumbers, electricians, etc.)

General construction Furniture production/retail Civil engineering construction Management

WHERE THE JOBS AREN’T These industries are in decline locally: ■ ■ ■

Agriculture Publishing (reporters, correspondents, editors) Federal government

Biggest Employers, By Industry, In Sarasota-Manatee (second quarter, 2014) Health care

42,501 jobs

Retail

39,485 jobs

Hospitality

Construction

Business services

30,522 jobs

18,324 jobs

17,288 jobs

Manufacturing

15,016 jobs

Education

14,988 jobs

APRIL | MAY 2015

BIZ(941) 17

convention and visitors bureau, a 7.1 percent increase from the previous year.

That tourism growth, combined with the high rates of turnover in hospitality and retail, means consistent job openings and a struggle to fill them. Says Bartolone, “Lower wages, the abundance of part-time positions as well as seasonality make it difficult to find and retain employees [in these industries].”

Construction Job Boom Sarasota and Manatee counties combined for a 4 percent population increase from 2010 to 2013, according to the U.S. Census.

That influx of new residents― many of them wealthy―has created new demand for skilled workers in industries like residential construction.

The emergence of tower cranes on the downtown Sarasota skyline is evidence that this industry will

represent a large percentage of the job market for the next few years. In downtown alone, there are 31 new projects underway or prepped to begin, accounting for more than 3,700 units (condos, apartments and hotel rooms) at a cost of $500 million.

In February, the Tampa Bay Times reported a statewide shortage of construction workers to fill Florida’s rebounding building industry. University of Central Florida economist Sean Snaith calls those holes “a hangover of the recession. Approximately 341,000 jobs were lost in Florida in construction. Those people didn’t just get put in storage. They left the area.” And though the industry has turned around, that hasn’t translated into workers.

“Since there weren’t many jobs available [during the recession], younger generations didn’t even consider a career in construction,” says Bartolone of CareerSource.

Construction Gap

35-40%

Projected growth of constructionindustry skilled trades positions in the next eight years.

Welding in Demand

27%

Expected increase in welding positions in Sarasota-Manatee by 2022 (16% statewide).

“It’s not unusual that I hear of welders making six-figure salaries.”

—Economist Sean Snaith

Now Hiring Most job postings for Sarasota-Manatee on employflorida.com, from September 2014 – February 2015 854

Business services (administrative support, HR, clerical)

Agriculture*

746

Health care

412

Hospitality

Retail

302

265

*Influenced by winter growing seasons for oranges, strawberries, etc.

18 BIZ(941) APRIL | MAY 2015

Manufacturing Looks Promising Similarly, manufacturing has a growing need for skilled workers.

Manufacturing is a particular focus for Sharon Hillstrom, CEO of the Bradenton Area Economic Development Corporation, who estimates that her organization has worked with more than 60 companies in the last six years. “The vast majority were manufacturers,” she says.

Those new Manatee-based manufacturers alone are projected to create 3,500 jobs through 2021.

With the strength of the existing health care industry, biotech and medical device manufacturing companies are a natural fit. But other manufacturers have been lured here by factors like lifestyle and the willingness of local educational organizations to train workers, especially skilled workers.

“Imagine an hourglass,” says Peter Straw, executive director of the Sarasota Manatee Area Manufacturers Association: “Ample supply at the top and bottom; constriction at the center. That sums up the manufacturing workforce.”

The same is true across most any industry. There are lots of people looking for upper-level management positions, and, of course, an ample supply of off-the-street, entry-level workers, but fewer people to fill the middle-tier, skilled labor positions.

That’s where the jobs are.

Snaith says many young people would do better to skip the traditional college path to white-collar jobs. “There are other opportunities to have fulfilling careers that don’t require a fouryear degree,” he says. “You can’t outsource welding. You can’t outsource plumbing. There’s [job]

security there.” For example, welding jobs throughout the region are expected to grow by 27 percent in the next eight years.

The current mean wage for a welder in Sarasota-Manatee is $17.40 per hour, according to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.

Besides, companies moving here, especially those manufacturing companies so courted by the EDCs, are likely to already have their management teams with them, says Straw. It’s the skilled tradesmen that they’ll demand of the local workforce.

Weak High-wage Jobs Sector Today all U.S. communities want a high-tech economy that will bring in higher wages. Hence the national focus on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) that has trickled down into grade school preparation. But in this region, which is not a Silicon Valley with legions of 20-something techies writing code and developing apps, STEM has another application for middle and high school students. “STEM teachers are best suited to deliver the MSC [Manufacturing Skills Certification] curriculum,” says Straw.

But high-wage positions outside of STEM-related fields are available. Unfortunately, our region’s high-wage jobs do not pay as much compared to their national counterparts. Data analyzed by University of Michigan’s Donald Grimes shows that, despite being competitive in lower-wage industries like retail and residential construction, Sarasota falls well behind national pay averages in the highest-wage industries, including

SarasotaManatee Total Workforce

396,882 (as of December 2014)

10,600 Jobs added in Sarasota-Manatee in 2014

Employment Growth in 2014 Sarasota-Manatee Florida U.S.

5.4%

3% 2.1%

Staying Strong Retail, food service, landscapers, residential real estate agents and registered nurses will remain among the area’s largest employers and those with the greatest number of job openings, according to CareerSource Suncoast.

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BIZ(941) 19

Bartolone. “And some employers have several levels that a candidate must go through. This can take weeks, and some applicants can’t wait that long, so they take another job.” Those missed connections can keep skilled workers in unskilled jobs.

Our secondary and postsecondary educational institutions are matching companies with skilled workers by developing programs designed specifically to create a workforce in industries where jobs are most needed, and to prepare for future demands.

Additionally, the skilled trades workforce is “graying,” with fewer skilled candidates behind them to pick up the slack. “Those positions will need to be filled,” says Hillstrom. “We need to be acutely aware of that.” Training in

banking, computer services and law.

Local law offices, for example, pay an average annual salary of $73,311, compared to $87,796 nationally.

In our local economy, middleof-the-spectrum positions pay at or near the national average in skilled industries like health care, manufacturing and, perhaps most of all, construction and contracting and have the most openings. New single-family general contractors here pay $56,224, compared to $48,516 nationally.

Filling the Workforce Gaps And yet, despite all the good news, 20,000 local residents are still looking for work. “More time and effort must be spent when seeking a job that’s the right fit,” says

Comparing AVERAGE ANNUAL WAGES IN 2013 Full-service restaurant Sarasota U.S.

$20,249

U.S.

RESOURCES These organizations connect local workers with the companies that need them.

CareerSource Suncoast careersourcesuncoast.com

$18,091

CareerEdge Funders Collaborative careeredgefunders.org

New single-family general contractor Sarasota

an in-demand position is virtually a guaranteed investment for future job success. “We haven’t trained a machinist in so long, a good tooland-die guy in this town could write his own ticket,” says Straw.

In 2009, State College of Florida began offering its four-year nursing degree, a program that was created when local hospitals pointed out an existing need for nurses.

Last year, the Bradenton Area EDC negotiated a partnership between Manatee Technical College and Air Products, a Pennsylvania-based company that needed more than 100 trained welders to open a new Palmetto manufacturing site. With a grant from CareerEdge, MTC created a welding program that produced workers that “exceeded Air Products’ expectations,” says Hillstrom. ■

$56,224 $48,516

Bradenton Area Economic Development Corporation thinkbradentonarea.com

Law offices Sarasota U.S.

$73,311 $87,796

SOURCE: Bureau of Labor Statistics Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages. Compiled and analyzed by Donald Grimes, University of Michigan.

20 BIZ(941) APRIL | MAY 2015

The Economic Development Corporation of Sarasota County edcsarasotacounty.com

Where to train Local educational institutions partner with economic development organizations, and with companies directly, to provide skilled workers in industries that need them.

State College of Florida

Ringling College of Art and Design

scf.edu The region’s first and largest public college includes numerous associate degrees and noncredit workforce training, in addition to four-year bachelor’s degrees.

ringling.edu Nationally lauded school includes high-tech digital programs.

Suncoast Technical College suncoast.edu Focuses on meeting changing workforce needs in the community with programs in agriculture, manufacturing, health care, hospitality and business.

Keiser University keiseruniversity.edu/Sarasota Career-focused education; 62 percent of students graduate in STEM or health care fields.

Everglades University evergladesuniversity.edu/ campus-tour-sarasota.asp Adult education focused on professionspecific skills.

LECOM lecom.edu Lakewood Ranch campus for osteopathic medicine, including programs for physicians, pharmacists and dentists.

New College of Florida ncf.edu Honors college consistently ranked among the nation’s best public schools.

FSU College of Medicine med.fsu.edu Producing physicians and scientists for 21st-century medical practices, hospitals and research.

Manatee Technical College manateetech.edu More than 50 career preparation programs, including culinary, HVAC and health services.

Argosy University argosy.edu Offers health, psychology, education and business studies, in addition to liberal arts.

USF Sarasota-Manatee usfsm.edu Four-year college with business and hospitality programs.

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BIZ(941) 21

Internship

Power How to harness the energy of students.

B y

D a v i d

B a l l

P h o t o s b y C h a d Sp e n C e r

A

2014 survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers showed that nearly 97 percent of responding employers planned to offer internships. But as widespread as they are, internships have come under increased scrutiny concerning fair compensation. The research firm Intern Bridge reports that about half of the more than 1 million undergraduate interns in the U.S. were unpaid in 2013. That year, a federal judge ruled that two unpaid interns working on the film, Black Swan, should have been paid. It was the first of a series of high-profile lawsuits filed by unpaid interns across the entertainment industry.

That’s changed the way many firms think about interns. Rather than serving as a free source of lowlevel labor, interns must receive supervised training in work that benefits them, not just the employer.

And most companies are choosing to compensate them. Nearly 98 percent of the employers responding to the National Association of Colleges and Employers survey said their internships would be paid in 2014. While the costs of employing interns

22 BIZ(941) APRIL | MAY 2015

are increasing, the benefits remain significant. Many companies use internship programs as recruiting tools. In the same 2014 study, employers made fulltime offers to 65 percent of their interns. Of those offers, 79 percent accepted.

Three companies working with local colleges shared how they have used interns to bring fresh perspectives and energy to their businesses.

The Going Wage

$15.05

The average hourly wage for college freshman interns in the U.S. SOURCE: National Association of Colleges and Employers

Star2Star’s Michelle Accardi-Peterson with former intern and now Star2Star core engineer Jack Rogers.

“The students we choose are highly ambitious and they give us new, creative thought and energy.”

Star2Star Communications Employees: 310 Interns in 2014: 7 (will double in 2015) Sources: New College of Florida and University of South Florida, Sarasota-Manatee Paid: Yes Star2Star Communications has become one of the most competitive internship programs for local college students in the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering and math.

Hundreds of students applied for seven paid intern positions at the telecommunications company last year, and the company will offer twice as many spots this year. Most interns come from New College (Star2Star CEO Norm Worthington is a New College grad) and University of South Florida, Sarasota-Manatee. Potential interns have to submit resumes and interview with department heads and recruiting staff.

“The students we choose are highly ambitious and they give us new, creative thought and energy,” chief marketing officer Michelle Accardi-Peterson says. “[It’s] very affordable for us, but it is also giving the interns an incredible value.”

“I was in a privileged position working with a team that is very much the best and brightest they have to offer,” says Jack Rogers, a New College graduate who interned in 2013 and is now a Star2Star employee. “I was able to constantly ask questions and get a lot of one-on-one help.”

Last year, graphic design students helped to rebrand company products in the marketing department, while legal interns worked on contracts with customers and partners. That’s in addition to the tech students who worked with the telephone and server systems that make up the backbone of Star2Star’s business.

“If you’re going to bring kids in to make copies, get a Kelly Services temp,” Accardi-Peterson says. “You are squandering the opportunity these young people bring.”

To Pay or Not to Pay? According to the U.S. Department of Labor, an internship can be unpaid if it meets all six of the following criteria: n The internship is similar to training that would be given in a vocational school. n The internship experience is for the benefit of the student. n The intern does not displace regular employees, but works under the close observation of a regular employee. n The employer provides the training and derives no immediate advantage from the activities of the intern.

Occasionally, the operations may actually be impeded. n The intern is not necessarily entitled to a job at the conclusion of the internship. n The employer and the intern understand that the intern is not entitled to wages.

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BioLucid’s Liz Grasso with former intern Clay Cundiff, now an artist with the company.

BioLucid Employees: 24 Interns in 2014: 2 Source: Ringling College of Art and Design Paid: Yes

Sarasota digital medical imaging and communication firm BioLucid’s internship program began about three years ago under company co-founder and CTO Jeff Hazelton, who was an adjunct faculty member at Ringing College. Hazelton saw that the college’s graphic design students could complement the interactive medical applications being produced by his company.

Today BioLucid offers between two and four internships during the summer when students usually have a more flexible class schedule and BioLucid employees have more time for mentorship, says director of human resources and administration Liz Grasso.

“The worst thing to do is bring in too many interns and not give them that one-on-one mentoring that’s needed,” Grasso says. “You also don’t want to overextend your own

10

Best Internship Practices

24 BIZ(941) APRIL | MAY 2015

employees because you want your interns to have a good experience.”

Finding the right interns is also paramount, Grasso says: “We make sure to choose our interns as carefully as we choose our permanent employees.”

Grasso says Ringling students’ varied backgrounds, such as in concept art or graphic design, bring fresh thinking to BioLucid’s design studio. BioLucid has hired more than a dozen former Ringling graduates, two of them former interns.

Former intern Clay Cundiff designed icons and virtual buttons for a BioLucid application called The Living Lungs and then worked on animation for an application showing the effects of prostate cancer. “After working there I had a better understanding of how I can make my animations more interactive,” Cundiff says.

“You need buy-in [for an intern program],” Grasso says. “Senior managers and individual employees are the ones who are actually going to work with the interns.”

1. ASSIGN REAL WORK Menial tasks like making copies and answering phones don’t provide educational benefit and they waste interns’ true value to a business. Carefully consider intern pay; there can be legal issues if an unpaid intern is given real work that benefits the company.

3. PROVIDE A HANDBOOK OR WEBSITE A written guide of company and intern program policies and frequently asked questions can solve many issues before they arise.

2. CONDUCT ORIENTATIONS Managers, mentors and interns should start with the same goals and expectations.

4. OFFER SCHOLARSHIPS If the internship is unpaid, scholarships can help recruit a wider range of students, especially useful if the business is looking for interns with specific skill sets.

Brand Eleven Eleven

Brand Eleven Eleven’s Melissa Link with her company’s web developer Johnathan Weller, a former intern.

Employees: 5 Interns in 2014: 3 Sources: State College of Florida, Ringling College of Art and Design, Fitchburg State University, Mass., and North Port High School Paid: No

Melissa Link, owner of Sarasota-based graphic design company Brand Eleven Eleven, has two goals for her interns: that they experience working in a real graphic design studio, and leave with a portfolio full of resume-building clips. “They work on real projects from paying clients, and that can set them apart later in school or when they look for a job,” she says.

Every semester the company has one or two interns from local graphic design programs at State College of Florida and Ringling College of Art and Design, and even as far away as Fitchburg State University in Massachusetts.

Interns are usually unpaid since they also receive grades from their schools and the designs

5. MAKE WORK SCHEDULES FLEXIBLE Students’ schedules vary wildly with classes, university activities and other jobs.

6. HAVE AN INTERN MANAGER A dedicated person overseeing the program is always beneficial.

7. INVOLVE THE TEAM Make sure all employees working with interns understand their role in the mentoring process.

they produce are reviewed back at their schools, Link says. Some students, however, are later hired as contractors, and a few have been hired as full-time employees.

State College graduate Johnathan Weller was an intern before being hired as Brand Eleven Eleven’s web developer and internship program coordinator.

“The people there want you to know as many skills as possible, and it added to the opportunity for me,” Weller says.

Link and her staff devote attention to ensuring each intern is meeting his or her academic and vocational goals.

“We had one intern who had never had a job before,” Link says. “So not only were we teaching about real-world design, but we were teaching about normal work stuff.”

Link appreciates not only the fresh ideas interns bring, but the way the program works as a recruiting tool. It’s essentially a semester-long interview, she says. ■

8. INVITE COLLEGE FACULTY TO VISIT This can build better relationships with college career center staff, which can lead to more student referrals and enhanced visibility for the company on campus.

10. CONDUCT EXIT INTERVIEWS This is a great way to gather feedback on the students’ experiences and their interest in returning or possibly being hired. An exit survey also gives some structure to the experience.

9. SHOWCASE INTERN WORK Setting up venues for presentations allows students to demonstrate their achievements and receive some recognition.

SOURCE: National Association of Colleges and Employers

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BIGfish Interview by Tony D’Souza Photography by Matt Holler

Chris Cogan and his venture capital firm, Seven Holdings, want to be the major U.S. player in sustainable foods.

Healthy Earth’s Jim Michaels checks dissolved oxygen levels at a sturgeon production tank.

26 BIZ(941) APRIL | MAY 2015

Sarasota and Manatee―and all of Florida―rank low on the scale of attracting start-up capital, but one ambitious venture capital investment firm is showing that entrepreneurial talent and serious investors are in our back yard.

Seven Holdings, officially doing business as Southeast Venture Holdings, was founded in 2013 and has offices in Sarasota and Shreveport, La. It is headed

by Sarasota entrepreneur Chris Cogan, 55, and investors Ross Barrett and Russ Vernon. The company set the Sarasota business community abuzz late last year with its first private equity acquisition: Mote Marine’s inland aquaculture business, primarily encompassing farm-raised Siberian sturgeon caviar, to be marketed under the “Healthy Earth” sustainable foods brand. (The terms of the deal are private because of a nondisclosure agreement.) Then, on Feb. 12, Seven Holdings acquired the Anna Maria Fish Company helmed by Seth and Mic Cripe and Ed Chiles of the Chiles Restaurant Group. (The terms of this deal were not disclosed, either.) Anna Maria Fish Company made headlines in The New York Times in 2013 for producing sustainable sun-dried mullet roe, called bottarga, a delicacy prized in haute cuisine. Cogan says these acquisitions underline “the sustainability of Sarasota’s marine economy”―or “blue economy.”

Seven Holdings’ partners also brought a dozen companies to the new venture, with an emphasis on life science, drug discovery and medical technology. The company manages about $40 million in venture capital and also has a consulting arm for companies they are interested in investing in.

By his own admission, Cogan could have retired at 24, after selling a wastewater utility operating company he founded at 18 in Orlando, where his father designed and built similar systems. “That put me

“Sarasota is becoming a much better place to put capital to risk. You have people coming together, finally. �

Chris Cogan

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BIZ(941) 27

Healthy Earth’s sturgeon production building.

through college and gave me the capital to start my next business,” Cogan says. He earned a B.A. in economics at Rollins College, completed the management program at Rollins’ Crummer Graduate School of Business, and attended the AEA/Stanford Executive Forum, all while building eight companies, six of which he sold for profit.

He spun out NCR (formerly National Cash Register) government software systems in his late 20s as AT&T was acquiring the company, and three years later sold those same properties back to the telecom giant. Before launching Seven Holdings, Cogan was managing partner of the Bellwether Group at Morgan Stanley, with more than $600 million under management. Cogan’s wife, Aimee, also with Morgan Stanley, is included in Barron’s Top 100 Women Financial Advisors. The Sarasota power couple actively supports the Asolo Repertory Theatre and have a 7-year-old daughter, Caragh.

For now, Seven Holdings is focusing on sustainable foods, and it hopes to become a U.S. leader in that domain. Jeff Sedacca, president of the Shrimp and Aquaculture division of National Fish and Seafood, is a venture partner, and former U.S. Congresswoman Katherine Harris is the company’s managing director of investor relations. Cogan says the sustainable food initiative has a market value of about $60 million and about half a dozen investors. “We’ve been very selective about who we approached because we wanted to expand our domain expertise and we also wanted to make sure that the group all got along. We didn’t want to screw up the mojo in the locker room,” Cogan says. The fund’s past

28 BIZ(941) APRIL | MAY 2015

public venture shares required a $500,000 investment; Seven will soon launch a new $25 million capital raise focused on its “Healthy Earth” brand; investment will begin at $1 million.

That Seven Holdings is making major ripples in Sarasota was reinforced last summer when a document detailing the company’s ideas for developing a prominent city property adjacent to the Van Wezel was slipped under vice mayor Susan Chapman’s door and leaked to the Sarasota City Commission. A group called Bayfront 20:20, led by Virginia Haley and Michael Klauber, had been working to develop community consensus for a plan for the 42-acre property; Seven’s document, describing a major conference and hotel center and new Mote aquarium, offered a competing vision.

Seven Holdings had included the Sarasota City seal on the document; Chapman and other city commissioners took heated issue with that. Cogan says that the use of the seal on the private document was not intended to suggest buy-in by the city. City Attorney Robert Fournier accepts that explanation. “Their document was intended to be illustrative, to show what a final plan could look like down the road,” he says.

Regardless, the damage was done, and at the July 21, 2014 city commission meeting, the commissioners voted 3-2 to exclude any convention center from being built on the property.

Cogan says Sarasota offers an exciting investment ecosystem that rivals the state’s major cities. We asked him about Seven Holdings, his local acquisitions and more.

Q: Why did Seven Holdings acquire Mote aquaculture?

A: Global population is growing by about 75 million annually, equivalent to a Germany being added to the globe every year. We have to figure out how to feed all these people without breaking the environment. The only way to do that is through sustainable initiatives.

Twenty years ago, it was foolish to make these investments [in aquaculture]. Now there’s so much that’s been well proven by institutions like Mote. It’s not a fad; it’s a trend. Seven Holding’s Healthy Earth foods will be the leader in the U.S. Q: Why did Mote want to sell?

A: Mote is a not-for-profit research institution. Their team has not built or run companies to profitability.

It’s no discredit to Mote; they just have no idea what

the market price of Siberian sturgeon caviar should be.

John Elstrott, the chairman of Whole Foods, has been involved with our firm for over eight years [on the advisory board]; he’s very excited about this sector. Jeff Sedacca heads up one of the largest seafood companies in America, which is owned in part by one of the largest seafood companies in the world. Anybody can grow fish; we have the ability to sell it.

Q: Why has Katherine Harris been traveling to China on behalf of Seven?

A: She just got back from Hong Kong, our second trip in the last two months. She was introducing Healthy Earth to a group of ultra-high-net-worth individuals. These people realize they’ve got problems. They realize the U.S. leads in food safety technology; it’s the No. 1 issue for them.

They’re interested in seeing how we are doing it and using it as a model that can be replicated over there.

Q: You could invest your money anywhere. Why Sarasota?

A: Sarasota is becoming a much better place to put capital to risk. You have people coming together, finally. You have Larry Thompson at Ringling [for example], doing phenomenal things with their digital media. You have Teri Hansen at the Gulf Coast Community Foundation and their BIG [Bright Ideas on the Gulf Coast] project that [volunteer] Dean Eisner [former CEO of Manheim] is helping to head up. You’ve got Bob Essner [former CEO of Wyeth], who’s run the largest pharmaceutical company in the world, willing to spend his time to help Mote and the companies it spins out. On Bird Key alone, there are probably three or four guys who have been on the executive committees of the largest pharmaceutical companies in America. You’ve got Ron Gelbman [Johnson & Johnson], Richard Nicolosi [Proctor & Gamble]. [They’re] willing to spend time, mentor companies. That’s what it takes, a venture ecosystem.

Sarasota has something to offer in the Florida venture ecosystem; we have a plethora of these successful individuals.

Healthy Earth Sarasota Inc.

(formerly Mote aquaculture) Founded 2001

Location Fruitville Road, east of I-75

Facilities 125,000 square feet of freshwater and marine production facilities on 200 acres

Who They Are The nation’s largest recirculating research facility for marine and freshwater aquaculture in the United States

Products Estimated 81,000 pounds of sturgeon meat and 1.8 metric tons of caviar in 2014

Market Sold locally at Morton’s Market and at Whole Foods here and throughout the Southeast. Also found in high-end gourmet catalogues, such as Dean & DeLuca, and high-end restaurants, like the RitzCarlton, Sarasota.

Q: What’s so important about mentorship?

A: One of my greatest mentors was a guy in Orlando named Bill Grimm. He was head of Gray Robinson’s [corporate law firm] security and technology practices.

Bill took almost all of the biggest technology firms

A juvenile Siberian sturgeon .

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Healthy Earth Cortez LLC (formerly Anna Maria Fish Company) Founded 2007

Location Gamble Creek, Parrish

Facilities 800-square-foot facility on a 26-acre organic farm

Who They Are Producer and developer of sustainable seafood, including bottarga, mullet fillets, smoked mullet, mullet caviar

Bottarga Production 7,500 pounds estimated in 2015

Bottarga Market The majority is sold to a few high-end retailers and chefs, mainly outside the U.S., in Italy and Asia. Locally used by the Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota.

in Florida public. I built two technology companies in Orlando that would not have reached the level of success in the time frame they did without him. Bill can tell a story about an angel investment group he was counsel for; they made nine investments that failed. Then they made a 10th investment―Sawtech―and it became a billion-dollar company. Bill told me, ‘Chris, the crazy part of it was six or seven of the other companies would have made it if they had had good mentors.’ Regardless of how good your technology is, if you don’t have somebody to open that door, you are going to fail.

Q: How do you decide what to invest in?

A: We have a general concept or theme, do research and fine-tune it. Our sustainable food thesis came about through two or three years of full-time work and is consistent with folks on our team who have tremendous domain experience in sustainable, healthy, organic type food.

Q: What happened with the Bayfront 20:20 flap?

A: There was a colossal misunderstanding. Once our confidential plan was leaked to the public, we politely shelved it even though we had spent hundreds of thousands of dollars between ourselves and our partners.

Gary Hoyt’s architectural firm had hundreds upon hundreds of hours into the planning; our partner firm in Arizona likewise had a tremendous amount of time invested. We decided to step back and allow the city and their chosen process to play its course. It’s ironic that the six guiding principles that were developed over the last six months are almost identical to the guiding principles in our plan. We were circumvented before we had a chance to go through the public process; people had their own motives and used us as sacrificial lambs.

Q: This plan included a conference center/hotel by Marriott. Did Marriott really buy in?

A: Yes. Q. Are you looking at other investments outside of sustainable foods?

A: Not until this thing is off the ground successfully. ■

Packaged bottarga.

30 BIZ(941) APRIL | MAY 2015

Who’s Hispanic?

By Brad Edmondson

If you don’t understand Hispanic diversity, you could offend your customers.

32 BIZ(941) APRIL | MAY 2015

California flipped last year.

It happened when the number of Hispanics living in the Golden State exceeded the number of non-Hispanic white residents, so that Hispanics became California’s largest single racial or ethnic group. Texas will probably flip in a year or two. And while Hispanics are far from the largest group in Florida, they’re a solid No. 2 and gaining fast.

O

ver the last 13 years, the Hispanic population in Sarasota and Manatee counties doubled to more than 80,000, as the total population grew about 20 percent to 710,000. In 2013, Hispanics were 8.2 percent of residents in Sarasota County, and 14.9 percent in Manatee. The Latino presence is strongest in Palmetto (22 percent) and the cities of Sarasota (17 percent) and Bradenton (16 percent), but it is increasing everywhere in Florida. So maybe it’s time to readjust our thinking about so-called minority groups.

The fact is that Hispanics have been responsible for most of America’s population growth over the last 15 years. The Census Bureau’s official estimate of the Hispanic population stands at about 58 million in 2015, up from 35 million in 2000.

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More than half of all Hispanics live in California, Texas or Florida, and seven other states—New York, Illinois, Arizona, New Jersey, Colorado, Georgia and New Mexico —have Hispanic populations of more than 1 million.

There are now more Hispanics in the United States than there are people—of any kind—in Spain and Cuba put together. It isn’t smart to put just one label on a group this large. If you don’t understand Hispanic diversity, you run the risk of offending your customers.

in Washington, D.C. Cubans are the majority of the Hispanic population in Miami, but Puerto Ricans are No.1 in Orlando and Tampa.

Palmetto has had a large Mexican-American population for generations, thanks to agricultural jobs. Mexican is also the most common Hispanic ancestry in the cities of Sarasota and Bradenton.

Mexican-Americans are also the dominant group in California, Texas and the Southwest.

But although many people assume most Hispanics are

quarter are. But in Venice, Nokomis and most of South County, fewer than 5 percent of residents are Hispanic. And if you live out on the keys, the only Latinos you’re likely to meet are in restaurant kitchens.

Another myth is that all Hispanics are foreign-born. In fact, fewer than half of HispanicAmerican adults were born outside the United States, and fewer than 5 percent of Hispanic children were. A lot of Americans have ancestors who were farming and ranching in the Southwest back

“Perhaps the biggest myth is that as the Hispanic population grows, English will no longer be the language of the United States.”

A lot of the conventional wisdom about America’s Hispanic population is just plain wrong.

Start with the word “Hispanic.”

When the Pew Research Center asked a national sample of American Hispanics how they would prefer to describe their ethnicity, most of them mentioned the country their families came from.

Hispanic is a popular term with politicians and journalists, but it probably isn’t the way your customers think of themselves.

In New York City and Northern New Jersey, the most common country of origin for Hispanics is Puerto Rico, but a lot of people in the Big Apple also come from the Dominican Republic and Guatemala. Salvadorans are No. 1

34 BIZ(941) APRIL | MAY 2015

Mexican, just two-thirds of Hispanics in the U.S. trace their origins to that country. In Bradenton alone there are 5,000 residents who say they are Puerto Rican, 4,000 from Central American countries other than Mexico, and more than 2,000 who look back to Cuba.

You can find Latino faces anywhere in Manatee County.

Hispanics are 10 percent of the population in Parrish, and they are 7 percent in Myakka City. But Sarasota’s Hispanics are more segregated. If you want to speak Spanish in Sarasota County, you’ll have the greatest chance of success in north Sarasota, where one-fifth of residents are Hispanic, or Kensington Park, where one-

when it was still Mexican territory.

Most immigrants travel to the United States—but for a lot of Hispanic-American families, the United States came to them.

The most important thing is not to generalize. Two-thirds of Hispanics living in Miami are foreign-born, the highest share among the 60 biggest metropolitan areas in the U.S. But a lot of foreign-born Miami residents are anything but poor, because they are middle- and upper-class refugees from Latin American countries. And before you make any more jokes about wetbacks, consider that in Corpus Christi, one of the biggest cities in South Texas, just 8 percent of Latinos are foreign-born. In

Sarasota-Bradenton, most of the Mexican-American population was born outside the United States. But only about 10 percent of metro-area residents whose ancestry is South American, Caribbean, or from elsewhere in Central America are foreign-born.

It also is not accurate to say that Hispanics are uneducated.

In 2012, Hispanic high school graduates were more likely to go to college than were non-Hispanic white high school graduates. The high school dropout rate among

Hispanics is falling fast. Before too long, educational attainment and income among Hispanics will reach the national average.

Perhaps the biggest myth is that as the Hispanic population grows, English will no longer be the language of the United States. The Census Bureau says that today, about threequarters of Hispanic-Americans speak Spanish, but that share is expected to fall to two-thirds by 2020. If Hispanics follow the path that was set by Italians, Germans

and Poles a century ago, the proportion who speak Spanish will slowly decline as they assimilate into the American mainstream. That is how every other immigrant group behaved, and there’s no reason to think Hispanics will be different.

All of this is good news. America has been welcoming immigrants for hundreds of years. It is one of our country’s greatest strengths.

And the data on HispanicAmericans show that our melting pot is still doing its job. ■

2015 Summer Camps!

MOMMY & ME: Age 2–5 with adult Morning Camps Tues–Thurs June 15 – Aug. 7

AQUAKIDS: Students entering grades 1–4 Weeklong Morning Camps June 8 – Aug. 14

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NEW! WEEKLONG AFTERNOON CAMPS June 15 – Aug. 14 Students entering grades 3–5 and 6–8

TO REGISTER, GO ONLINE TO MOTE.ORG/SUMMERCAMP OR CALL (941) 388 - 4441 x 348

APRIL | MAY 2015

BIZ(941) 35

Young professionals at the Brio Tuscan Grille.

a

Night YPG at the

Can a young person like me find a satisfying job and social life in Sarasota? By Isaac Eger

It was the first Thursday of March, which meant the Young Professionals Group of Sarasota was meeting at The Mall at University Town Center.

“Fitting,” I thought.

When I was growing up in Sarasota, a mall was one of the few spaces available for young people to hang out without parental supervision. But this meeting was a far cry from the aimless wandering and clumsy flirting of my youth. Instead, this was billed as a gathering for the up-and-coming, ambitious 21-to-40somethings of the Sarasota-Bradenton area where, according to the event description, “You’re guaranteed

36 BIZ(941) APRIL | MAY 2015

Photography by Everett Dennison to make new friends, secure new clients, and learn more about what Sarasota has to offer.”

What’s more, it was at the upscale Brio Tuscan Grille, the large Italian restaurant at the new mall, and it served constantly replenished bowls of shrimp cocktails and fresh fruit. Most importantly, you could order alcohol. Back in the day, it was Jamba Juice and Auntie Anne’s twisted butter sticks that masqueraded as pretzels.

So far, I’ve spent my adult years trying to get away from Sarasota. I’m 27 now, and my home base is Brooklyn, where I’ve been trying to carve out a life as

a writer. My latest project is a book about spending six months last year traveling to different countries to play pick-up basketball, and I thought finding a cheaper—and quieter—place (like Sarasota) to live while I work on it might be good. But wherever I live, I’d like to connect with other young writers and creative spirits. Maybe the YPG could help me make some of those connections. I headed out the door, determined to answer a question I’ve been wondering about for the last 10 years: Can young people stay in Sarasota and find good jobs and a satisfying social life? Or more specifically, can a young person like me?

I pulled into the mall’s parking lot and walked into the western entrance of Dillard’s. Passing through its well-lit aisles I spotted the cologne kiosks and their free samples. I located the most sophisticated-looking bottle, a glossy, black $80 flask of Hugo Boss Boss Bottled Night, and gave myself a little spritz. Liquid confidence.

At the entrance to the outdoor area, I was given a nametag sticker where I was to write my name and company. I wrote: Isaac Eger, TBD. The place was packed with some 60 attendees and the waiters had to politely tap everyone on the shoulders to make way.

The median age of the group was much younger than I expected—around 25. But they were well dressed: pale, starched shirts, polished dress shoes, chic dresses.

Everyone looked effortlessly tidy, like they were attending the birthday party of a wealthy relative. I was the obvious interloper. I am thickly bearded with a head beset by an unruly mess of curls. I wore a checkered, short-sleeve shirt, blue jeans and beat-up red Vans.

Without a doubt, the most underdressed. I wondered if the cologne was for naught. In the midst of this fashion faux pas I made a B-line to the bar and ordered a beer.

Very professional, Isaac.

I quickly met Lee Dickson, 26, the regional account executive for LexJet, a national printing service with an office on Main Street. We spoke briefly about his company, but I was more interested in why people my age were living in Sarasota. When I found out Dickson was born and raised in the area, I asked, “Didn’t you ever try and escape?”

“I drank the Kool-Aid early,” Dickson said. “Plus, Sarasota is beautiful.”

I can’t argue with that. Sarasota is beautiful, filled with greens and blues and fiery sunsets. New York, especially in March, is an oppressively hard gray.

Dickson has traveled a bit. “I went to USF, backpacked through Europe and the Grand Canyon,” he said. Now he’s settled here. He was just married last October. Still, he agrees that there isn’t much to do and that the older residents are inclined to slap

noise ordinances on youth night life. But he also points out there are burgeoning breweries like JDub’s in the area, and St. Pete and Tampa are a quick drive north.

I noticed that everybody at the event was approachable. No pretense, no aloofness, the default setting of all Brooklynites. As soon as my conversation with Dickson ended, another began, with Brandon Johnson, a 33-year-old industrial programmer.

I asked him the same question.

“Why leave Florida?” Johnson asked. He insisted that he was never leaving Sarasota. “It’s trending; young people are coming here.”

I noticed that everybody at the event was approachable. No pretense, no aloofness, the default setting of all Brooklynites.

After driving around Sarasota among all the Cadillacs filled with gray-haired drivers and sitting in restaurants where everyone looked like my grandparents, I hadn’t reached that conclusion; but I decided I’d take his word for it.

Johnson said he was at the YPG because he was bored and single. “When I’m in a relationship, I’ve got stuff to do, places to be,” he said. Johnson overheard another patron who was introducing himself as a chef specializing in Japanese and French cuisine, and his attention waned.

“Dude,” Johnson said, “Do you know The Iron Chef? I watched that show all the time in college.”

“Yeah, that’s a good show,” Shane Noro, 34, responded.

A quick bond formed in front of me. I had to angle myself between them so that I could be included in the conversation.

It was Noro’s first YPG. He is opening a restaurant, Kiyoshi’s, in town later this year. He was also born and raised in the area, but left and lived in places like New York City, Los Angeles and Toronto.

“As soon as you leave, you see how clean and carefully thought out Sarasota is,” Noro said. He didn’t like how cities like Los Angeles were so spread out. “You can’t survive without a car,” he said. Ultimately, family brought him back. I couldn’t fault him for that—it’s the same reason I find myself here every year for a month or so—that, and to escape the cold, which turned out to be a common refrain among the group.

APRIL | MAY 2015

BIZ(941) 37

Marissa Rossnagle, 26, was delighted to be here rather than in her hometown in Connecticut. “What’s happening back in Connecticut is nothing new and exciting. All my friends back home do the same things.

Plus, they’re all bundled up in the cold,” she said.

He insisted that he was never leaving Sarasota.

“It’s trending; young people are coming here.”

Stephanie Turconi, 27, and Salvatore de Tommaso, 25, moved to Sarasota from Italy this past September.

They both work for Your Trainers Group, a training program that offers a “course in experiential personal growth.”

They have locations in Milan, Lugano, Barcelona, and now, Sarasota. I asked de Tommaso what he thought of Sarasota so far.

“Love it,” he said, as he held two thumbs up.

“What about all the old people?” I asked.

“Yes, the people are older,” de Tommaso responded.

“But they are so filled with life. They want to learn,

they want to participate. This is not like in Italy. Here, they are full of party.”

“What about Italy?”

“Yes, I will miss my friends and family. But your country is where you feel at home.” De Tommaso smiled. “I feel at home here.”

People were making plans with each other for the coming days. Chelsea Hall, 24, a marketing director from Lansing, Mich., had a beach date with the Italians.

They were all so happy to be here. But when I return to Sarasota I feel like a baby bird that won’t leave the nest when there’s a great big world out there to explore. Then it hit me. For the Italians and others I met, Sarasota is the place they left their nest to explore. They’re following their dreams here.

But that didn’t convince me that Sarasota is a place for young artists or restless bohemians. Most of the YPGers I met were married, rooted and knew where they were headed and how they planned to get there.

I’m impatient, skeptical and still figuring it out. I’m not ready to shave my beard, put on uncomfortable shoes and give up my wanderlust. I guess I do belong in Brooklyn, at least for now.

After I left the meeting, I wandered through the mall. I found the requisite Auntie Anne’s and bought a pretzel and whispered to myself, for old time’s sake. ■

YPG networking in action.

THE RIGHT PATH ISN’T ALWAYS SO CLEAR. Tax rules and financial decisions are complex, but your CPA can provide guidance and direction to help you achieve your goals.

At CS&L CPAs, we work with you to design a strategic, customized plan to put you on the path to success.

Visit www.CSLcpa.com for your FREE tax guide.

SARASOTA (941) 954-4040

BRADENTON ( 941) 748-1040

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Built for Business Celebrating 10 Years

sp ons ored repor t

Lakewood Ranch is one of the top 10 best-selling communities in the U.S. SOURCE: John Burns Real Estate Consulting and RACLCO, 2012, 2013 and 2014

Lakewood Ranch: Your Community for Business F inding

the perfec t loc ation for your busine ss tak e s

re se arch and risk .

Company owners want a community

community’s business support and networking organization. Just as Lakewood Ranch has grown, so have we. The

with thriving businesses, modern facilities wired for

LWRBA now has its own independent headquarters at

high-speed Internet, affluent consumers, a wide range of

the MGA Insurance building, our first executive director

housing, topnotch educational and health care facilities,

and a full-time team to help you. And from our first few

and nearby recreational and cultural amenities for their

founding members 10 years ago, we now boast more

slivers of downtime. And—if it’s not too much to ask—this

than 500 member-businesses. As always, the LWRBA

community should be close to airports, major highways

aims to ensure that Lakewood Ranch remains a great

and a skilled workforce.

place for our members to do business. We are dedicated

Rarely do these qualities come together in a community. But in award-winning, master-planned Lakewood Ranch, the amenities you need to run your business successfully are all in place.

Lakewood Ranch has emerged as one of the fastestgrowing and best-selling master-planned communities

to providing you with the highest visibility and the information and tools to grow your business.

We know how hard you’ve worked to establish your company. And we know you want to remain profitable.

Let us show you why Lakewood Ranch and the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance are built for business.

in the nation in just 20 years. Once a landscape of timber and cattle, the 32,000-acre, 50-square-mile community is now home to 18,000 residents and 1,200 businesses.

The Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance (LWRBA) is here to serve the interests of our 1,200 businesses. We are proud this year to be celebrating 10 years as the 2 | LWRBA

8,500

18,000 1,200

Number of homes

Number of residents

Number of businesses

sp ons ored repor t

Prime Location C overing 50 R anch

square mile s and

32,000

s tr addle s both countie s e a s t of

acre s ,

L ak e wood

I-75. Newcom-

ers—and even some longtime residents—are stunned by how large the master-planned community really is when they take the time to drive from its northern border close to S.R. 64 to its southernmost point five miles south of The ranch’s proximity to I-75 attracts a workforce

University Parkway. It stretches along four I-75 interchanges; the cities of Palmetto, Bradenton, Sarasota and Venice could fit inside of Lakewood Ranch and there would still be room to spare. This amount of land brings opportunity since Lakewood Ranch

Lakewood Ranch is becoming the new center of Sarasota and Manatee as population and commerce shift eastward.

can accommodate uses from residential to commercial to agricultural to institu-

from other communities and also ensures that executives and workers who need viable transportation routes to airports and other workplaces, such as St. Pete and Tampa, can easily zip in and out. Sarasota Bradenton International Airport, Tampa International Airport, Southwest Florida International Airport, St. Petersburg/Clearwater International Airport, Punta Gorda Airport and the general aviation facility of Venice Municipal Airport are all within a 90-minute drive. In addition, two seaports, Port Manatee and Port Tampa Bay, make shipping transport accessible.

And if the arts or beaches are your passions, Lake-

tional that other developments can’t contemplate. It is

wood Ranch is also an easy drive to the cultural assets

this wealth of uses that makes Lakewood Ranch a true

and coastlines of Sarasota and Manatee.

community where businesses flourish and where people can work, live and play.

To Airports from Lakewood Ranch Visitor Center Sarasota Bradenton International Airport 7.7 miles / 16 minutes Tampa International Airport 56.2 miles / 54 minutes St. Pete/Clearwater International Airport 48.2 miles / 50 minutes Southwest Florida International Airport 88.5 miles / 1 hour and 22 minutes

LWRBA | 3

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From the Executive Director I

have been fortunate

to be part of the

A lliance

family for almost one year as

Our new look shows two hands coming together— and that is what we are all about, bringing businesses and professionals together.

E xecutive D irec tor . It’s an exciting time. We are celebrating the first 10 years of the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance. Last year we surpassed 500 member businesses. When you consider the growth of the past decade, and the continued growth of businesses and residences, it is hard to imagine what the next 10 years will bring.

This year, under the leadership of our Chairman of the Board, David Fink, we are embarking on innovative programs that will continue to build the value of membership in the Alliance. New business-to-consumer initiatives will give greater visibility to our members. A new online resource center will house business intelligence on regional and economic issues that our members want and need. Programs and events will focus on connecting our members with strategic businesses and people.

In the midst of all of these exciting changes and additions to our organization, we are introducing a new visual expression of our brand. This lively and bold new look will be launched in April. Our new look shows two hands coming together—and that is what we are all about, bringing businesses and professionals together. The new logo perfectly symbolizes our commitment to building business in the Lakewood Ranch region. 2015 will go down as a banner

8430 Enterprise Circle, Suite 140 Lakewood Ranch, Florida 34202 (941) 757-1664 Fax: (941) 362-2600

Alliance family.

www.LWRBA.org

Executive Director

4 | LWRBA

year for the Alliance. I look forward to welcoming you to the

Heather Kasten

HAPPY 10th BIRTHDAY

Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance!

Lakewood Ranch is home to over 1,300 thriving businesses and for good reason!

The goal has always been two jobs for every rooftop and Lakewood Ranch is right on target to accomplish it! To date, more than 4.5 million square feet of office, retail and hospitality space have been constructed and with entitlements for much more.

Lakewood Ranch is the perfect place to grow your business. The variety of amenities Lakewood Ranch supports attract and retains the right people to help guarantee your success.

But Lakewood Ranch is not just all work and no play. It is also an amazing community, filled with incredible people which will make coming home the best part of your day.

With homes starting from the $200s — there is no reason not to live where everyone loves to work!

941.907.6000 www.lakewoodranch.com Information Centers & Model Hours: Monday - Saturday 10 a.m.– 5:30 p.m.

Sunday Noon – 5 p.m.

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On the Commercial Side I n 1997, L ak e wood R anch

saw it s fir s t commercial

building rise out of the ground .

Since then, the Ranch

has built 4 million square feet of commercial space, including 2.5 million square of office space, 800,000 square feet for retail and 700,000 square feet for hospital and health care needs. More than 1,200 businesses, employing 12,000 people, now have a Lakewood Ranch address.

And those businesses are diverse. Health care, technol-

Office Vacancy Rates

Lakewood Ranch: 9.2%* Downtown Sarasota: 12.8% Bradenton: 31.08%

SOURCE: Janet Robinson, Coldwell Banker Commercial, Dec. 2014, for buildings and parks 10,000 square feet plus.

ogy, advertising, architecture, construction, hospitality, business services, home improvement, engineering and a rich variety of retail cater to thousands of Lakewood Ranch residents and to people around the world.

Annual sales business volume in Lakewood Ranch reached $1.5 billion in 2014. No wonder the commercial vacancy rate remains the lowest by far for any municipality in the region.

Businesses will also find handsome modern facilities with plenty of free parking as they select from a variety of office, retail, mixed-use and flex/warehouse space options.

Three business parks include fiber optic lines, natural gas service and technological advances in beautiful settings with views of wetlands, preserves and lakes. Lakewood Ranch also has plenty of vacant land, ranging from one to more than 100 acres, for commercial development.

The Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance is highly knowledgeable about the business climate and facilities and can connect members to experts in commercial sales, permitting and all sorts of governmental agencies.

“Kerkering, Barberio & Co. has been in Lakewood Ranch since 2001. The community has been a wonderful place to have an office and conduct business. But what has made a difference for us in the overall experience is the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance (LWRBA). The LWRBA provides us with valuable educational and informational presentations that assist in our day-to-day and long-term operations. Through numerous events and activities, the LWRBA also offers us the chance to network in both the B2C and B2B markets.�

Kerkering, Barberio & Co. 6 | LWRBA

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A WARM WELCOME HOME

Lakewood Ranch, Florida premiersir.com/id/A4114154 premiersothebysrealty.com

8141 Lakewood Main Street, Suite 101 Lakewood Ranch, Florida 34202 | 941.907.9541

Sotheby’s International Realty® and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered service marks used with permission.

Each offi ce is independently owned and operated. Equal Housing Opportunity. Property information herein is derived from various sources including, but not limited to, county records and multiple listing services, and may include approximations. All information is deemed accurate.

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Poised to Grow L ak e wood R anch

Household Composition

ha s at tr ac ted a cov -

e ted demogr aphic for busine ss .

Young

and affluent, its residents come from all

2.6 people per household

over Florida and the U.S. and have found jenny acheson

a diversity of home styles and the amenities they desire. The median age of a Lakewood Ranch resident is 45, and the average household income is $103,490.

The community’s nine villages and 100 neighborhoods encompass 8,500 homes

37% are retired or not in the labor force 53% work in professional/managerial jobs

in a wide variety of prices and lifestyles, from apartments to townhomes to custom

70% are married

estates and senior housing. In 2014, the average new home price in Lakewood Ranch

41% have a household income over $100K

was just over $500,000.

But, even at 20 years old, Lakewood Ranch is still getting started. At build out, the community will have 32,000 homes. Lakewood Ranch was designed with the guiding principle that there would be two jobs for every home. When completed, Lakewood Ranch

50% of the 25-plus population has college degrees

will contain 16 million square feet of commercial space and will eventually employ 100,000 people, including commuters.

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LIFE, lived better.

CONTACT ASSOCIA GULF COAST TO LEARN HOW WE CAN HELP YOUR COMMUNITY. 5216 Paylor Lane Sarasota, FL 34240 (941) 552-1598 | www.associagulfcoast.com

It’s our neighborhood.

As a commercial property and casualty insurer, FCCI keeps our promises so businesses can thrive, manage risks and face the future with confidence.

As a member of the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance (LWRBA) and one of the first businesses to move into the neighborhood, we congratulate the LWRBA on 10 years of promoting business growth, partnership and vibrant development.

800-226-3224 | www.fcci-group.com

LWRBA_Biz941 .indd 1

2/24/15 3:15 PM

Seeking Your Donations. gently used

Appliances • Cabinets • Patio Furniture • Home Accessories Washers & Dryers • Sinks • Tools • Building Materials • Tables Furniture • Lamps • Accent Rugs • Jewelry • Clothing • Artwork

Your donated items support our mission to partner with God and community to provide decent, affordable housing for people in need so they may build better lives for their families.

Call to schedule a free pick up for larger items or drop off your donations at these locations:

• 2095 17th Street (just east of US 301)

• 4408 Bee Ridge Road

(941) 363-0777

(Palm Plaza at Bee Ridge/McIntosh)

www.habitatsrq.org LWRBA | 9

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Poised to Grow (CONTINUED) In 2015, the community is bracing for more activity. Home building will double to 1,000 homes a year from its current pace of 500 homes a year, says Rex Jensen, president and CEO of Schroeder-Manatee Ranch Inc. (SMR). And Lakewood Ranch has finally begun to expand south into Sarasota County with its first community called the Villages at Lakewood Ranch South, a 5,000-acre, 5,144-home neighborhood.

Roads also are being added and altered. Schroeder-Manatee plans to add nine miles of roads from Lakewood Ranch Boulevard south to Fruitville Road.

L akewood Ranch Population / 18,000 Median Age / 45 Household Income / $103,490 City of Sarasota Population / 53,326 Bradenton Population / 51,763

In 2017, SMR hopes to begin building a bridge across I-75 to connect Lakewood Ranch Boulevard and Cattlemen Road. Beginning July 2015, the state of Florida will build an $83 million, streamlined interchange at one of the entrances to Lakewood Ranch at I-75 and University Parkway.

A second Main Street at S.R. 70 and Lakewood Ranch Boulevard is underway. Lakewood Centre, a mixed-use area at S.R. 70 and Lakewood Ranch Boulevard that eventually will be a commercial focal point for the community, is also under design. It is currently approved for office, retail, multi family and hotel components.

WHAT’S YOUR SCORE?

u CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE.

Sarasota County Population / 390,429 Median Age / 46 Household Income / $48,900

Manatee County Population / 340,106 Median Age / 53 Household Income / $47,910

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941-744-0492 • info@csbizsolutions.com 10 | LWRBA

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Sandler provides training solutions and consulting for small- to medium-sized businesses as well as corporate training for Fortune 1000 companies. We work with you to identify the training solution that best suits you or your organization.

Our training is based on the concepts of incremental growth and change — supported by reinforcement, business coaching and accountability.

Sandler has more than three decades of experience helping professionals like you grow and businesses like yours succeed. We have both the reputation and the results to prove it! If you’re looking to move up to the next level or to learn more about our various training solutions, contact Jamie Kane at (941) 907-1520 and let us know how we can help.

6371 Business Blvd. • Sarasota, FL 34240 • www.jamiekane.sandler.com LWRBA | 11

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Poised to Grow (CONTINUED) Future Developments Pulte Group is building Del Webb, Lakewood Ranch’s first 55plus community, which will eventually include 1,300 homes.

Country Club East, at Lorraine Road between University Parkway and S.R. 70, is adding more than 600 new homes.

Bridgewater and Esplanade, north of S.R. 70, are asking to add more than 500 additional single-family and multifamily units.

Mattamy Homes is building Harmony, a community of 676 total units (79 percent townhomes, 21 percent single-family) and a clubhouse. jenny acheson

A second Main Street at S.R. 70 and Lakewood Ranch Boulevard is underway with retail and restaurant space.

Meritage Homes is building Savannah at Serenity Creek with 111 lots; models are scheduled to be finished in August 2015.

Wendy Last Independent Associate, Regional Manager 16 years of experience with LegalShield ÂŽ

941-907-6011

www.shieldmembership.com 12 | LWRBA

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Now welcoming new patients!

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8430 Enterprise Circle, Suite 100 • Lakewood Ranch

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LWRBA | 13

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Recreation and Sports Fe w

communitie s offer the arr ay of recre ation and

athle tic venue s , e specially in a se t ting that pre serve s the unique be aut y of

F lorida ,

as

L ak e wood R anch .

In fact, the Ranch has been designated a Green Community by the Florida Green Building Coalition. Half the land is set aside as open or recreational space and includes parks, 150-plus miles of sidewalks and trails, three golf courses with 36 holes of private golf, 18 holes of daily fee golf, and 18 tennis courts. These recreational amenities rival those in the best resorts in the world.

Lakewood Ranch is also fast becoming a regional

world, and the 140-acre Premier Sports Campus and its 22 fields supports soccer, lacrosse, field hockey, rugby, archery, senior games and Ultimate Frisbee on the

Lakewood Ranch is fast becoming a regional center for sports.

local, state, regional and national levels.

Nearby Nathan Benderson Park is a 600-acre park with a 500-acre lake and trails open to

the public. It is also being developed to become North America’s top 2,000-meter spring rowing course, and

center for sports. The Sarasota Polo Club facilities

won the bid to host the prestigious 2017 World Rowing

attract some of the best players and horses in the

Championships.

“Lakewood Ranch is an energetic and thriving area in which to do business. People come from all over the country and world to enjoy the beautiful weather and live in paradise.

They bring with them diverse business backgrounds and a wealth of experience. It is a pleasure to offer our services at ComCenter and help people with their businesses by offering meeting rooms for rent, executive office space and virtual office services.

ComCenter has been a proud member of the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance since 2007 and enjoys networking and doing business with Alliance members.”

Yasemin Chain, sales and Marketing Manager, ComCenter at Lakewood Ranch 14 | LWRBA

IAN BLACK REAL ESTATE We are pleased to be members of the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance and congratulate the Alliance on ten great years of service to the Lakewood Ranch business community!

IANBLACK

REAL E S T A T E THE PLACE FOR SPACE

OFFICE

WAREHOUSE

RETAIL

8430 Enterprise Circle, Suite 222 Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202 941.906.8688 www.ian-black.com

What do they have in common?

Chairman of the Board of LWRBA David R. Fink, CFA, CFP Rogan & Associates, Inc.

Former Chairman of the Board of LWRBA Marc Simms CPBA, CPVA RPM Business Advisors, LLC

They both have offices at ComCenter!

Our business is helping you to simplify yours.

ComCenter offers: • Meeting Rooms • Executive Office Space • Virtual Office Services

9040 Town Center Parkway • Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202 6160 / 6170 State Road 70 East • Bradenton, FL 34203 941.782.1200 • www.Comcenters.net

LWRBA | 15

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Education L ak e wood R anch

serve s s tudent s from pre school through

adult with top - qualit y ins titutions .

Residents will find

convenient campuses and a diverse array of learning environments for their children, and employers will find a top technical college and other institutions of higher education to find and train workers.

1 Public High School 2 Public Middle Schools 5 Public Elementary Schools 5 Charter Schools 2 Private Schools from K to high school

1 Technical College 5 College campuses,

including a medical school

"SouthTech has been servicing businesses of Lakewood Ranch for more than a decade. We have seen continuous growth and believe that the trend will reflect even faster expansion over the next few years. The Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance and the community’s leaders have provided a wonderful platform for entrepreneurs and established organizations to succeed. We support the LWRBA and other organizations committed to building a stronger business environment.”

PAUL HOFFMAN, President, SouthTech

16 | LWRBA

Making A Difference… Together.

The Lakewood Ranch Community Fund serves a variety of people and interests: • Over $950,000 in grants distributed to local charities • Annual John C. Clarke Humanitarian Award • Get your tickets now to the March 21, 2015 Mad Hatter Gala Call us at 941.556.5442 or visit lwrfund.org to learn more!

It’s What Great Communities Do!™ 3103 Manatee Ave. West, Bradenton FL 34205 (941) 556-5442 • lwrfund.org LWRBA | 17

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Health Care Opened in September 2004, L ak e wood R anch M edic al

A ll C hildren ’ s O utpatient C are at Lakewood Ranch, a branch of top-ranked All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, is a clinical facility providing high-quality

Patients have access to a medical staff of more than

pediatric rehabilitation services to children in the Lake-

400 physicians.

wood Ranch region.

GARY SWEETMAN

C enter is an acute care hospital with inpatient and outpatient services located just two miles from I-75.

“The advantage of doing business in Lakewood Ranch for me has been being a part of growing a community. I moved to Lakewood Ranch in 2002 when there was no Main Street, no Lakewood Walk and all of the streets were just two lanes, including S.R. 70. By working in Lakewood Ranch, I was able to be a part of a growing economy and vibrant community. The people who have been a part of this have also reciprocated and have helped me grow my banking career over the years from a branch manager at Chase Bank to a Senior Commercial Banker at Synovus Bank.”

Paul Adamson, Vice President and Senior Commercial Banker, Synovus Bank

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Congratulations to Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance on your 10th Anniversary

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2015 BOARD of directors David Fink Chair of the Board, Rogan & Associates Annette Gueli Past Chair, Pro-Motion Notions

Celebrating 10 Years F ounded

in

J anuary 2005, the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance is

proud to be the voice for our master-planned community’s businesses. We strive to be a driving force behind the growth of the business community

sally ullman

as well as bridge the divide between Sarasota and Manatee counties.

Darren Inverso Incoming Chair, Norton, Hammersley, Lopez & Skokos, P.A. Barbara Jones Treasurer/Secretary, Kerkering, Barberio & Co. Allan Shaivitz Membership Co-Chair, Gulf Coast Contract Furnishings Inc. Judy Athari Membership Co-Chair, Courtyard Marriott - Buffalo Lodging Cherri Kessler Events & Fundraising Co-Chair, BMO Harris Bank Pam Lutz Events & Fundraising Co-Chair, CPR Concrete Painting & Restoration Violeta Huesman Programming Co-Chair, Keiser University Lori Ruth Programming Co-Chair, Observer Media Group Lori Denny PR/Communications Co-Chair, SouthTech Maribeth Phillips PR/Communications Co-Chair, Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee, Inc. Mike Wick Governmental Affairs Co-Chair, Gator Air Conditioning Paul Adamson Governmental Affairs Co-Chair, Synovus Bank Jag Grewal Economic Development Co-Chair, Ian Black Real Estate Brian Volner Economic Development Co-Chair, C1 Bank Rex Jensen SMR Liaison, Schroeder Manatee Ranch John Barnott At-Large, Manatee County Government Lou Marinaccio At-Large, MGA Insurance Group Nicole Rissler At-Large, Visit Sarasota County Heather Williams Young Leaders Alliance Chair, Kerkering, Barberio & Co. Joseph Najmy Legal Counsel, Najmy Thompson, P.L.

20 | LWRBA

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What We Do

2015 Signature Events

Connect businesses with customers in the Lakewood Ranch region.

The Ranch Scramble Golf Tournament

Promote the more than 1,200 businesses of the community.

10th Anniversary Celebration

Friday, April 17, 2015 Thursday, May 7, 2015

Advocate for the businesses and service organizations of the Lakewood Ranch Community.

East Meets West Regional

Build awareness and serve as a voice to the different county and governmental organizations.

Business Expo

Foster Economic Development and awareness of the Lakewood Ranch Community.

The Sandies Members’

Wednesday, September 2, 2015 Choice Awards Friday, November 20, 2015

Provide education and professional development.

Host 50+ cutting-edge programs and events every year.

Contribute and enrich the community.

Congratulates

the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance on a Decade of Success!

We are thankful for your ongoing support of the local workforce

WE ARE YOUR RESOURCE FOR Talent Sourcing

Training Grants

Skills Assessments

Hiring Events

Connecting Employers to Workforce Solutions (941) 714-7449, ext. 3112

careersourcesuncoast.com An equal opportunity employer/program. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. All voice telephone numbers on this document may be reached by persons using TTY/TDD equipment via the Florida Relay Service at 711.

LWRBA | 21

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Get Involved Membership The Membership Committee is the primary vehicle for serving the individual needs of Alliance members and is responsible for recruitment and retention of its members. Our purpose is to make certain that the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance is in touch with and serving the needs of the membership.

Events The Events Committee creates events and promotional opportunities to build awareness of the LWRBA businesses in the community.

Programming The Programming Committee secures speakers for the Executive Briefing series, Breakfast of Champions series and luncheons. Speakers must be pertinent to the purpose of the series, add value to our members and address current topics or interests.

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The Catherine Gavin Memorial Library BUILT BY FACULTY AND STUDENTS IN 1934.

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Get Involved (CONTINUED) PR & Communications The PR & Communications

Economic Development The Economic

Committee creates awareness of the Alliance and as-

Development Committee enhances economic opportuni-

sists in accurately communicating its news, significant

ties for all businesses in the Lakewood Ranch community.

events and viewpoints on issues that affect the Alliance.

Our mission is to create a bridge between the

Additionally, the com-

greater regional business entities and the local LWR

mittee works to facilitate effective communications between LWRBA Board of Directors, Committee Chairs/Co-Chairs, Staff, Volunteers and Membership to build collaboration and alignment with the strategic plan of the Alliance.

Our mission is to create a bridge between the greater regional business entities and the local LWR economic community.

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Governmental Affairs The Governmental Affairs Committee ensures the organization’s long-term political voice for the Lakewood Ranch area. This committee is by invitation only.

Congratulations Lakewood Ranch Business aLLiance

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An obnoxiously large 40th.

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HR Corner

Interview By Chelsey Lucas

The Delicate Art of Firing It’s never easy, but a history of communicating expectations and exercising respect are key.

Q

Jordan, in his 40s, has been in sales all of his life and started a new job as an account executive with a fast-growing medical supply company with 60 employees. After creating a lot of new business, he was promoted to manager of the sales team where he has been for two years. But the company’s business model now requires a greater ability to research and work with data, analyze client needs,

create strategic reports, and use digital media. Jordan has lagged behind in these areas. Company owners have communicated the priorities, but after six months, sales are not meeting goals, and the owners have decided to let Jordan go. How can this difficult situation be handled in the most professional manner possible?

A

Lisa Krouse, executive vice president, chief HR officer, FCCI

How we treat people is important to the culture of the organization, and it’s important [to consider] even in a termination situation. All conversation has to be based on respectful, effective communication, including― and especially―discussions of employment termination.

When ending an employment relationship, it’s always important―to the extent possible―that it’s done in person, in private and that it doesn’t come as a surprise to the employee.

This is an important consideration both from the exiting employee’s view as well as from the remaining staff [to maintain the reputation of] a caring, compassionate workforce.

In this scenario, 60 employees is a substantial number, so

68 BIZ(941) APRIL | MAY 2015

the firing process should be a formality. The sense of it not being a surprise means that the individual has the knowledge of and the time to process what has not been going well.

Jordan has been on notice for six months that he must meet the new job requirements. The issues should have been communicated to him by putting him on a performance improvement plan.

Doing this lets the employee know the priorities and job requirements aren’t being met in an appropriate manner and it gives him the steps to take to change the behaviors and how to seek out assistance.

There is no real consensus on the length of time the employee should be given, but generally 30 to 90 days is sufficient to

correct the issues and ensure the work is getting done.

At FCCI, for example, we have a ‘school of excellence,’ [which is] a place for employees to find information on a variety of technology and leadership topics. There are courses online, curriculums and webinars [that offer] tutorials.

You could make it as simple as having a conversation with the employee about the available resources externally or in-house.

For example, the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance and Gulf Coast Community Foundation [host events about] leadership, [and] we partner with State College of Florida for our employees to learn technology.

I would encourage a manager to practice equal accountability: It’s not just telling someone [that the work is poor] but providing a supportive environment and offering outlets.

Ultimately, though, the employee in this scenario will be fired because he has already been

given opportunities to improve and succeed.

You don’t want to have an accusatory or condescending tone or body language when you’re firing someone despite frustrations you may have with this person.

The termination conversation is not when you should be pointing to the areas that didn’t get done.

You already should have provided plenty of opportunity for feedback and information before you sit down.

Keep the conversation simple.

For example, I might say, “Jordan, we’ve been talking over the last several months about this job and areas where you needed to focus.

As we have discussed, there have been areas of challenge for you, so we’ve made the decision that today will be the last day of your employment.”

Usually the employees who have been given guidance [but fail to meet the standards] know the job is not getting done, but some want more explanation.

First, [exercise] understanding and empathy for this person, [then] help them transition to the state of mind that the decision has been made [and outline] what will happen with their health insurance and belongings.

Other employees may feel emotional about this decision.

But I think that’s where the environment of care and compassion comes into play. Shift the focus to the business aspect of the impact of the loss of this employee. It’s never advisable to share the details of an employee’s termination; if you have created the type of environment where your employees trust and respect you, you can ask them to trust the decision has been made for all the right business reasons.

You choose how you want to conduct yourself, so be consistent in your legal and ethical behavior.

The values of an organization create the foundation for how [everyone] will be treated. ■

APRIL | MAY 2015

BIZ(941) 69

Real Estate Reality

By Jack McCabe

Reading the Market

Higher interest rates and prices, easier mortgage financing and more inventory lie ahead.

During the previous decade of decadence, Florida became the incubator and epicenter of the historic U.S. real estate boom and bust that caused the global “Great Recession.”

As a Florida-based real estate analyst and consultant, I had the strange and fascinating opportunity to investigate, research, study and participate in one of the most dynamic markets in the world at a time of historic rise and disastrous fall.

In 2011, Florida’s five-year residential real estate crash bottomed out, as price reductions of 40 percent to 65 percent decimated the state economy and forced hundreds of thousands of Florida property owners into foreclosure and financial ruin.

Today, eight years after the initial wave of foreclosures hit the court system, Florida is still No. 1 in the U.S. for foreclosure cases adjudicated, open foreclosure cases, nonperforming mortgages, and homeowners “underwater” on their loans, owing more than the market value.

In the last three years, residential market values have increased 35 percent to 50 percent, a once again sky-high rate of appreciation, opposite of a “normal market” and more consistent with the boom years of 2004 through 2006.

Hedge funds and high-networth individual investors from

70 BIZ(941) APRIL | MAY 2015

around the world, but primarily based in the U.S., Canada, Latin America and Europe, and, more recently, Asia have driven prices artificially skyward in several Florida markets and other targeted areas in the country.

South Florida, Tampa, Orlando and Sarasota have been at the top of massive hedge funds’—like New York City-based BlackRock­—and other investors’ lists.

Consumers who have not been property owners or lost homes to foreclosure have been relatively shut out from participating in the recent run-up in real estate prices.

One change that’s different from last decade is Florida real estate markets shifted from attainable but unaffordable to affordable but unattainable. Last decade, anyone with a pulse could qualify for multiple mortgages despite poor income and credit.

In 2007, the state had 72.2 percent residential homeowners.

At the end of 2014 only 62.6 are homeowners, while rental

demand continues to increase every year.

During the most recent boom, mortgage interest rates have been at historic lows, yet due to ultraconservative qualifying criteria, only the most affluent or those with the highest incomes have been able to qualify for financing.

In essence the only buyers able to acquire financing are those that don’t need it. Cash-laden hedge funds and outside-ofFlorida high-net-worth investors have dominated the state’s residential marketplaces, pushing even those who can qualify aside by bidding above market values.

In some Florida markets, including greater Sarasota, the funds and investors have bought a majority of homes and more than 70 percent of transactions have been all cash.

In 2015, drivers of Florida real estate markets and values are fluid and changing. The hedge funds and investors have slowed

or terminated acquisitions. It’s possible many of the funds and investors will switch from buyers to sellers and reverse the current low inventory trends.

Already Sarasota and Manatee counties’ inventory of listed homes has increased over last year. Obviously, any surge in inventory while demand is subsiding will equate to lower prices. If many of these firms decide to sell their portfolios of single- and multifamily housing at the same time it would create some extreme downward pricing pressure in those markets.

Mortgage money is being raised by large insurance companies, institutional investors and hedge funds. Flight capital (money from

international investors seeking a safe haven) continues to pour into the U.S. More readily available and attainable mortgage financing is in the works, but expect interest rates to increase as well as other mortgage financing and transaction closing expenses.

Down payment requirements are being lowered and more creative financing is again on the horizon this year.

This is the first of the regular columns I will be writing

about real estate and the Florida economy for Biz(941).

Future columns will include a look at the commercial and residential markets, economic data and analysis, opinions and predictions.

Most importantly, I want to write about topics that are priorities to readers. I’ll look for future column ideas from your questions and comments.

Contact me at jack@ mccaberesearch.com. ■

Jack McCabe is chief executive of McCabe Research & Consulting LLC in Deerfield Beach and a founding member of the Carnegie Group think tank. He is an independent economist, housing analyst and consultant, author and speaker.

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APRIL | MAY 2015

BIZ(941) 71

WELCOME TO YOUR FUTURE Welcome to your place in the future of medicine. Welcome to LECOM, the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine. Here, at the nation’s largest college of medicine, you’ll experience a wide variety of ways to pursue your purpose in medicine. You’ll learn from recognized experts in their fields. Practice at an innovative academic health center. And pursue a surprisingly affordable medical education that prepares you for a career in osteopathic medicine, pharmacy or dentistry. Welcome to your opportunity to shape the next generation of caring and compassionate healthcare.

Welcome to LECOM. Visit LECOM.edu

Care. Compassion. Community.

AD VER T IS ING S ECTI ON

Innovations in Education In this special section, we explore how education is constantly changing in the face of technology. There are exciting opportunities and challenges in teaching the next generation of scientists—and citizens.

AD VER T IS ING S ECTI ON

Innovations in Education Learning institutions in our region are striving to transform teaching, learning and engagement to inspire students and empower communities. By exploring the impact of cutting-edge educational technologies and integrating creative teaching techniques, private schools, colleges and continuing education providers are paving the way for students of all ages to reach their highest potential.

Epiphany Cathedral Catholic School What innovative programs and degrees do you offer?

Epiphany Cathedral School boasts a well-equipped science lab (LabLearner) that promotes the integration of a comprehensive STEM curriculum. Advanced STEM modules are offered to students throughout the year, as well as offering a summer camp program through Camp Invention sponsored by the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

How are you meeting the demands for technology in education?

Having implemented a one-to-one iPad initiative with our middle school students, incremental increases are included to provide hand-held technology to our elementary students. A focused effort to find and create text materials, programs and interactive webinars excites students in learning.

316 Sarasota St. Venice, FL 34285 (941) 488-2215 ecstigers.com Contact: Joni Scott

74 BIZ(941) APRIL | MAY 2015

Everglades University What innovative programs and degrees do you offer?

Everglades University delivers quality education in a collaborative environment. Our innovative undergraduate degree programs include alternative medicine, aviation/ aerospace, construction management, environmental policy and management, land and energy management, alternative and renewable energy management, and crisis and disaster management. In addition, we offer graduate degrees in public health administration with a concentration in complementary and alternative medicine and business administration with a concentration in construction management.

What special partnerships/ relationships do you have with the local business community?

Thanks to grants from FP&L, Everglades University recently completed a sustainable energy teaching lab, which includes an area for researching the efficiency and reliability of different solar technologies in Florida’s climate. As a Sarasota County’s Green Business Partner, Everglades University is committed to renewable energy projects and hopes to share its resources with local schools and community groups to demonstrate green building, clean energy production and green career pathways.

Tell us a little bit about your faculty.

Everglades University provides students with the individualized attention in a

caring and professional environment. Our faculty and staff are dedicated to helping students succeed. Our faculty have industry experience and are dedicated to excellence in teaching. All faculty members hold a master’s or doctoral degree in their discipline.

6001 Lake Osprey Drive, Suite 110 Sarasota, FL 34240 (941) 907-2262 evergladesuniversity.edu Contact: Caroline King

Keiser University What unique workforce training programs do you offer?

The Student Services Department at Keiser University offers professional workshops and assistance with resume writing, job interviewing skills and job placement aid. Additionally, students can participate in our Leadership Distinction Program, where they will learn career and life development skills through leadership seminars. The Student Services Department has relationships with local employers providing graduates with job placement assistance throughout their career.

How are you meeting the demands for online education?

Keiser University offers a number of degree programs from the associate level through the doctoral level via the online or

AD VER T IS ING S ECTI ON

USF SaraSota-Manatee your Future iS here.

AS UniverSiTy oF SoUTh FloriDA SArASoTAMAnATee (USFSM) continues to grow and evolve, the leadership

team is moving forward with a comprehensive strategic planning process in 2015. With the recent addition of freshman and sophomore students in 2013, it is now time to evaluate what the future goals are for our hometown campus. Part of this process includes examining what USF Sarasota-Manatee means to the community and how our programs can have the best impact on the local economy and businesses.

Currently, USFSM offers over 40 academic programs, both undergraduate and graduate, in four different colleges: Arts & Sciences, Business, Education, and Hospitality & Technology Leadership. These programs hold classes online and in-person on the North Tamiami Trail campus with biology and chemistry classes offered at the USFSM Teaching Labs at Mote Marine Laboratory, hospitality courses at the USFSM Culinary Innovation Lab in downtown Lakewood Ranch and select coursework available at the instructional site in North Port.

USFSM’s personalized learning environment features a 13-to-1 studentto-faculty ratio that offers students hands-on experience and direct access to top-notch faculty.

One of USFSM’s dynamic program offerings is the Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) program. This professional M.B.A. is a 40-credit-hour program conveniently offered on Saturdays to accommodate professionals already in their careers and those looking to advance their career opportunities. The program allows future business leaders to earn their degree in as little as 22 months and exposes students to a wide spectrum of business functions including accounting, finance, management, marketing, information systems and more.

8350 N. Tamiami Trail SaraSoTa, Fl 34243 (941) 359-4330 | uSFSm.edu

Faculty Spotlight Dr. Jim Curran, Dean and faculty College of Business at USFSM Teaches: Marketing research, marketing management problems, and professional selling (undergraduate), marketing management and integrated business applications (graduate).

by the numberS: Established: 1975 Student-to-faculty ratio: 13:1 Academic and certificate programs: 40-plus Students served annually: 4,500-plus Alumni in the area: 17,000-plus Colleges: 4 Student Clubs & Organizations: 30-plus National Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCoC) APRIL | MAY 2015

BIZ(941) 75

AD VER T IS ING S ECTI ON

hybrid delivery system, which allows busy students the opportunity to focus on their education while balancing the demands of work and family. From admissions to faculty, the staff is committed to helping students develop the skills and qualifications necessary to succeed in today’s job market.

Sarasota Campus 6151 Lake Osprey Drive Sarasota, FL 34240 (940) 907-3900 Keiseruniversity.edu Contact: Shaina M. Vaughn, Director of Admissions

Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine What innovative programs and degrees do you offer?

The Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) is the nation’s largest

76 BIZ(941) APRIL | MAY 2015

medical college and the only academic health center in the osteopathic profession. LECOM’s Bradenton campus offers innovative, affordable education in osteopathic medicine, pharmacy and dental medicine, along with a Master’s in health services administration degree.

From campuses in Erie and Greensburg, Pa., and Bradenton, LECOM provides studentcentered pathways to prepare the next generation of health care professionals.

What recent awards and distinctions have you earned?

LECOM prepares students to become a positive force for change in their communities. This is a role that the physicians, pharmacists and dentists who graduate from LECOM embrace throughout their lives.

For eight consecutive years, LECOM has been named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll.

During the 2013-14 academic year, LECOM students contributed more than 30,000 hours of community and volunteer service.

How are you meeting the demands for online education?

In the past year, LECOM has introduced two distance education degree programs – a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D) and a Master’s in health services administration. While the majority of the curricula for both programs are taught through distance education, students are still required to come to LECOM’s Bradenton campus in order to fulfill the laboratory, casework and presentation requirements of the programs.

5000 Lakewood Ranch Blvd.

Bradenton, FL 34211 (941) 756-0690 lecom.edu Contact: Dr. Robert George, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs

Manatee Technical College What are the advantages of MTI

AD VER T IS ING S ECTI ON

STATE COLLEGE OF FLORIDA NATIONAL BRAIN BOWL CHAMPIONS. STUDENT SPOTLIGHT Michael Moore ranked third in individual Brain Bowl competition and leads the SCF team as a top scorer. He plans to major in environmental literature, religion and philosophy with the goal of becoming a professor. “It’s amazing how much context Brain Bowl provides for classes,” Moore says.

“You learn a lot of good study techniques.”

BY THE NUMBERS:

Established: 1957 Current Enrollment: 25,000 annually Average Class Size: 22 Tuition: $6,100 associate (twoyear); $13,000 baccalaureate (four-year) Graduates: 43,000 since 1959 Associate Degrees: A.A. transfer degree and 30 A.S. degrees Bachelor’s Degrees: Eight

STATE COLLEGE OF FLORIDA, Manatee-Sarasota (SCF) students are among the brightest minds in the nation, and they proved it this year by winning the 2015 National Community College Championship Tournament for the first time in the college’s history.

Coached by professors Christina Dwyer and Hyun Kim, the SCF Brain Bowl team, including SCF students Michael Moore, Naim Chowdhury, Leon Hostetler and Kara Stevens, and alternates Austin Goode and Carlyle Styer, competed against the 24 best teams in the country and beat out Valencia College in the final competition to win the national championship.

Representative of the kind of success students can achieve with the quality education offered at SCF, the Brain Bowl team members may not have originally appeared destined to win a national competition that requires knowledge of academic subjects, current events and popular culture. Chowdhury entered SCF with a GED. Hostetler was raised Amish but has become the team’s science expert. Both Stevens and Styer are SCF Collegiate School students and are simultaneously completing their first two years of college and high school diploma.

The SCF Brain Bowl team left the Championship Tournament last year after placing fifth, determined to win this year. Moore and Chowdhury worked throughout the summer, studying and planning how to be successful in this year’s season of tournaments.

“Brain Bowl has given me the will to succeed. I’ve never been as motivated and hard working as I am now,” says Chowdhury.

The SCF team members consider Brain Bowl the highlight of their time at SCF. “This is the most intelligent and driven group of people that I’ve been a part of,” Hostetler says.

BRADENTON, LAKEWOOD RANCH AND VENICE (941) 752-5000 | (941) 408-1300 | SCF.EDU 78 BIZ(941) APRIL | MAY 2015

A D V E R T I S I N G S E C T ION

changing its name to Manatee Technical College?

The curriculum at Manatee Technical College has advanced significantly since we first opened our doors in 1963. Today we prepare students academically and technically for entry into high-skill, highwage and high-demand careers in our community. Changing our name to Manatee Technical College provides our graduates with greater credibility, higher value and an improved image as they enter the workforce.

The Catherine Gavin Memorial Library BUILT BY FACULTY AND STUDENTS IN 1934.

How does MTC meet the needs of potential employers in our community?

At Manatee Technical College, we offer innovative programs that benefit both individuals as well as business and industry in our community. We can enhance the skill base of local companies by providing certification, testing and customized training.

For individual students who are already employed but want to continue their education, we offer the flexibility of both day and evening classes in a variety of programs.

The Dick Vitale Family Student Center & Dart STEM Center OPENING AUGUST 2015

DISCOVER THE OUT-OF-DOOR ACADEMY A PRE-K THROUGH GRADE 12 COLLEGE PREPARATORY INDEPENDENT SCHOOL // SARASOTA // LAKEWOOD RANCH

941-554-3400 // www.oda.edu

What kinds of programs does MTC offer?

MTC offers 47 career preparation programs in the fields of manufacturing, building and construction, medical and health-related services, information technology, cosmetology, communication and business. Most programs can be completed in three to 18 months. In many programs, students may earn articulated college credit when they transfer to an A.S. degree program in a Florida public college.

6305 S.R. 70 E. Bradenton, FL 34203 (941) 751-7900 ext. 1022 manateetech.edu Contact: Martha Meyers

The Out-of-Door Academy What recent innovative opportunities have you initiated to create a more customized and student-centered learning environment?

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EvErgladEsUnivErsity.EdU BachElor’s • • • • • • • •

Alternative Medicine Aviation/Aerospace* Construction Alternative & Renewable Energy Crisis & Disaster Land & Energy Business Administration Environmental Policy

MastEr’s • • • • *

Public Health Administration* Entrepreneurship Business Administration* Aviation Science*

Concentrations available

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recognized in the top 30 Best online colleges for 2014 _

TheBestSchools.org

ranked in the top 15% Military-friendly Universities, colleges, and trade schools _

GI Jobs

sarasota campus

1.866.907.2262 laKEWood ranch

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EvErgladEs UnivErsity innovAtive ProgrAMS, qUAlity edUCAtion, PerSonAlized Attention.

EvErgladEs UnivErsiTy sarasoTa CampUs, located

in Lakewood Ranch, is an accredited, private, not-for-profit university offering innovative bachelor’s and master’s degree programs that prepare students to advance in their chosen career fields. Everglades University provides relevant degree programs to meet the demands of the evolving job market, which is a result of partnerships with industry leaders in the community.

Everglades University is recognized for its outstanding commitment to sustainability. The Sarasota campus features a solar teaching lab and the alternative and renewable energy management program. In fact, the university’s dedication to energy-saving initiatives earned the Sarasota campus the “Business of the Year” award from the Florida Gulf Coast Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council. Everglades University Sarasota campus’ teaching lab features solar panels, two solar trees and a wind turbine, which generates 91 kilowatt hours of electricity per day from the solar panels. The school also uses power-generation software recorded on eusolarenergy2.com to educate students on the amount of generated energy being produced for the school.

Everglades University offers undergraduate degrees in alternative medicine, aviation/aerospace, construction management, environmental policy and management, land and energy management, business administration, alternative and renewable energy management, and crisis and disaster management. In addition, the school offers graduate degrees in public health administration, business administration, aviation science and entrepreneurship. Students can also take advantage of the master’s degree program in business administration with a concentration in project management (concentrations are available with some degree programs).

Please visit EvergladesUniversity.edu to learn more. Everglades University is proud to serve the military community and is ranked by GI Jobs in the top 15 percent of military-friendly universities, colleges and trade schools.

6001 Lake Osprey Drive, suite 110 | sarasOta, FL 34240 (941) 907-2262 | everGLaDesuNiversity.eDu

CAMPUS SPotlight Everglades University offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees in a number of career-focused programs including alternative and renewable energy, environmental policy, and land and energy management. To learn more about the energy teaching lab, click on the play button below.

P L AY

by the nUMberS:

Founded: 1990 Accredited by: southern association of Colleges and schools Commission on Colleges (saCs) Member: independent Colleges and Universities of Florida (iCUF) Supporter: Florida resident access grant (Frag) Current employment: 1,160 Average class size: 7.9 Undergraduate tuition: $600 per credit hour Graduate tuition: $625 per credit

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ADVER TI SI NG SECTI ON

CONNECT

LEARN

VOLUNTEER

COME GROW WITH US!

Each year, thousands of people in Sarasota County connect with Extension’s expertise to help them build a better future.

sarasota.ifas.ufl.edu/Biz

We invest in hardware, software, infrastructure and professional development to tap the potential of technology to enhance, and customize, student learning. Our faculty has migrated away from traditional textbooks to electronic resources, expanding the curriculum and better serving the needs of our students. We are implementing a learningmanagement system to support more online classes that will transcend the walls of the traditional classroom.

444 Reid St. Sarasota, FL 34242 (941) 554-3400 oda.edu Contact: Laura Murphy

State College of Florida What are your signature programs and degrees?

Eighty percent of SCF’s Associate in Arts (A.A.) graduates transfer to universities, where they earn higher GPAs on average than native university and other community/ state college students. SCF offers Associate in Science (A.S.) degrees that prepare students to immediately start careers, including nursing, technology, dental hygiene, legal assisting and more. SCF also offers bachelor’s degrees in health care, education, public safety and technology management fields.

How are you meeting the demands for online education?

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More than 4,000 students take online classes at SCF each semester, with a wide variety of course options available.

SCF offers several degrees that can be completed entirely online. All eight bachelor’s degrees are available online.

The A.A. transfer degree can be completed online as well as A.S. degrees in business.

How does SCF support the local business community with unique workforce training degree programs?

SCF develops associate and workforce bachelor’s degree programs in partnership with local businesses that provide students internships and jobs. New and updated A.S.

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Keiser University pUrSUe The dreAm oF A new CAreer.

FlOriDa-BaSED KEiSEr UnivErSitY was founded by Dr. Arthur Keiser and Evelyn Keiser in 1977 to meet a need for quality career education with hands-on orientation, small class sizes and innovative scheduling to accommodate working adults. Keiser is a private, not-for-profit university serving nearly 20,000 students pursuing doctoral through associate degrees on 20 campuses, online and internationally, and employing nearly 3,500 staff and faculty.

Conveniently located in the heart of the Lakewood Ranch Corporate Park (1-75 and University Parkway), the Sarasota campus offers the knowledge, understanding and skills necessary for successful employment. Committed to a “students first” philosophy, Keiser University prepares graduates for careers in business, criminal justice, health care, technology, culinary and career-focused general studies. Sixty-two percent of KU students graduate in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and health care fields, providing the talented workforce necessary for Florida to compete globally.

The student services department offers professional workshops and assistance for resume writing, job interviewing skills and job placement aid. Additionally, with the online career center, students can review career postings, and employers can review student resumes at any time. The student services department has relationships with local employers providing graduates with job placement assistance throughout their career.

Keiser University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award certificates and degrees at the associate, baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral levels. Please contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Ga., 30033-4097 or call (404) 679-4501 for questions about the accreditation.

FACULTY SpoTLighT Paul O’Brien Date of Hire at Keiser: May 5, 2009; five years and seven months Years of Experience in your field: 35 years Favorite Quote: “Education is the key to success in life, and teachers make a lasting impact in the lives of their students.” – Solomon Ortiz

bY The nUmberS: Established: 1977 Undergraduate Degree: 65 Graduate Degrees: 31 Number of Campuses: 20 Programs Offered: 80

Keiser University sarasota CampUs 6151 LaKe osprey Drive | sarasota, FL 34240 KeiserUniversity.eDU | (941) 907-3900 APRIL | MAY 2015

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degrees include accounting technology, digital cinema, digital photography and studio art. Opportunities in other innovative fields include biotechnology, engineering technology, public safety and technology management.

Bradenton, Lakewood Ranch and Venice (941) 752-5000 (941) 408-1300 scf.edu

Suncoast Technical College What innovative programs and degrees do you offer?

Suncoast Technical College, formerly SCTI, first opened its doors in September 1967.

Today, Suncoast serves more than 22,000 high school and adult students in over 40 technical programs, adult general education and adult and community enrichment. We provide extensive continuing education that includes training for those currently employed, acquiring or extending professional licenses. In early 2017, we will open a branch campus in North Port.

Tell us a little bit about your faculty.

Our faculty provide rigorous and challenging state-of-the-art, highquality technical academic programs that successfully prepare our students with the knowledge and skills to meet the requirements and demands of the workforce and colleges. Seventy-nine percent of our teachers have earned bachelor’s degrees with 44 percent holding master’s degrees or higher. Suncoast teachers are required to have a minimum of six years’ experience in their field.

What relationships do you have with the local business community?

Our career and technical programs have established partnerships with local businesses. Our training program offerings are based on local workforce needs. Several hundred local employers participate in program advisory committees to share their expertise and to ensure Suncoast

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programs maintain current industry trends.

This collaboration fosters numerous internships, cooperative agreements and apprenticeships that provide a valuable resource for our graduates.

4748 Beneva Road Sarasota, FL 34232 (941) 924-1365 ext. 62283 suncoast.edu Contact: Dr. Todd Bowden, Executive Director

University Of Florida/ IFAS Extension Sarasota County What unique workforce development programs do you offer?

Our programs improve the competitiveness of local businesses through continuing education, training and research. We deliver workforce development programs, including STEM education, 4-H, licenses and CEUs, and we help people start and develop food and horticulture enterprises. After decades of education and relationship building, our reach extends to hundreds of thousands of people annually throughout Sarasota County.

6700 Clark Road Sarasota, FL 34241 (941) 861-9900 sarasota.ifas.ufl.edu Contact: Bryan Dailey

USF Sarasota-Manatee What significant changes have taken place this year that affect our local economy?

In November, Dr. Sandra Stone was named the new regional chancellor, replacing Dr. Arthur Guilford, who retired after over 40 years of service to the USF system. Dr. Stone and campus leadership immediately began a strategic planning process to determine how the campus can have the biggest impact on the community moving forward, including providing a highly skilled workforce to meet local business and industry needs.

What is the role of USF SarasotaManatee within the community?

USF Sarasota-Manatee provides an opportunity for people to earn an undergraduate or graduate degree or academic certificate on their own time.

Whether you are a high school graduate who wants to stay in the area to earn a bachelor’s degree, or you are a professional who wants to further your career by earning a master’s degree or specialized certificate, USFSM is the right spot for you.

What unique programs at USFSM impact workforce development?

USFSM’s professional M.B.A. program exposes students to a wide spectrum of business functions along with a convenient class schedule that allows students to get the experience needed to excel in their future business careers. In addition, USFSM also offers a unique arts-integrated education programs, a growing hospitality management program, and a new biology program in partnership with Mote Marine Laboratory.

8350 N. Tamiami Trail Sarasota, FL 34243 (941) 359-4330 usfsm.edu Contact: USFSM Admissions

Waldorf Academy What is the Waldorf difference?

Waldorf is a time-tested education model designed to awaken capacities. Learning becomes much more than the acquisition of information, rather an engaging voyage of discovery. Recently featured in The New York Times, Waldorf schools are the new destination for the children of the world’s top innovators, who value the hands-on activities, along with movement and creativity, rather than rote learning and teaching to tests.

6210 Crestwood Ave. Sarasota, FL 34231 (941) 927-3711 waldorfsarasota.com

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Manatee technical college the Future iS bright.

WITH A look ToWARd THE FuTuRE, MTI has changed its

name. It’s now Manatee Technical College. Building on its legacy, MTC will continue to grow and prosper by offering the first-class education and training necessary to achieve life-changing success. At MTC the focus is on students’ ability to compete in today’s market-driven economy. The faculty is dedicated to the responsive changes needed by business and industry, students and community.

MTC’s faculty and staff are proud to train their students for the skilled careers of today’s workforce. MTC offers 47 career preparatory programs in the fields of manufacturing, construction, information technology, hospitality and tourism, dental and healthcare occupations, law enforcement, fire science, salon services, business administration, and automotive and marine service technologies. Each of the instructors has hands-on industry experience, bringing real-world knowledge to the curriculum, passion to the classroom and a commitment to their students’ success.

MTC trains students in occupations relevant to the infrastructure and future growth of our community. The school works with business and industry to provide both entry-level and continuing education employee training programs that enable companies to compete and prosper.

MTC helps companies improve productivity while providing employees with new opportunities to achieve success. MTC offers customizable, affordable programs that teach new skills or enhance existing ones.

The new state-of-the-art facilities match the award-winning education that takes place at MTC—with nationally recognized instructors such as Brian Forbes, voted 2014 Best Instructor in the U.S. by the Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute.

To find out more about MTC’s programs and how they can help you develop a more highly skilled workforce, contact Martha Meyers at 7517900 ext. 1022 or meyersm@manateeschools.net .

Faculty Spotlight Brian Forbes, HVAC Instructor Experience: 27 years airconditioning/electrical; three contractor’s licenses; owns Arcadia Air. Joined MTC in 2010. Voted 2014 Best Instructor by ACHR Institute.

Quote: “Someone has to build this country and maintain this country; you can’t do that from behind a desk.”

by the numberS:

Annual enrollment: 4,800 Career prep programs: 47 Student to Instructor Ratio: 21:1 Program length: 3-18 months Tuition: $300-$5,300 Industry certification rate: 97 percent Licensure rate: 96 percent Placement rate: 90 percent

6305 S.R. 70 E. BRadEnton, FL 34203 (941) 751-7900 | manatEEtEch.Edu APRIL | MAY 2015

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What I’ve Learned

By Kim Hackett

Kerry Kirschner

I’m not retiring, I’m redirecting.

I had a radical mastectomy last spring. It was a wake-up call. There are things to do in life other than work. I’ve got some trips to explore with my wife, including Cuba.

Recognize you don’t know everything. When you are trying to find consensus on a difficult issue, you have to have a reasonable conversation that is not accusatory.

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When I came on board at Argus, it was very focused on real estate development. We needed to be more broad-based.

I told the board, there will be little need for real estate if you are not focused on education, the airport, the hospital and all the things that make people want to live here. The membership changed and the organization changed as the YMCA, Goodwill and other groups came on board.

alex stafford

Over the last three decades, Kerry Kirschner has been involved in almost every major civic and business issue in Sarasota, either as mayor of the city of Sarasota or as head of the nonprofit Argus Foundation, a champion of Sarasota business. Last December, Kirschner stepped down as Argus’ president, handing over the reins to Sarasota County Commissioner Christine Robinson.

Kirschner, 68, a Georgetown University graduate and former classmate of President Bill Clinton, grew up in Bradenton and worked in international marketing for several consumer product companies including ScheringPlough, Revlon and Frances Denney. He returned to Sarasota in 1976, purchasing Blue Heron Fruit Shippers, and then forming Bayshore Consulting, a brokerage that specialized in taking companies public.

Kirschner served on the Sarasota City Commission from 1985 to 1991, serving two terms as mayor. He then worked at Mote Marine before coming to Argus in 1993, when it was in turmoil for trying to get county administrator John Wesley White fired. Kirschner is the father of four, including former Sarasota Mayor Kelly Kirschner, who is now a dean at Eckerd College.

“There will be little need for real estate if you are not focused on education, the airport, the hospital and all the things that make people want to live here.”

Success is never final and failure is never fatal. One of the biggest mistakes I made in my business life was to get involved in the computer business. It was in the early ’90s and Bayshore Consulting had taken over a company that remarketed mid-range IBM computers to Fortune 500 companies. The computer company’s owners had gotten into legal trouble, so we stepped in.

We were dramatically successful, growing it from $3.5 million in sales to $60 million in 18 months.

We had 200 employees and multiple offices. Then IBM changed how they wanted to do business.

They just picked up the phone one day and said, “We don’t want to sell to you.” And there was nothing we could do. The company went downhill fast. I would go to the end of my drive to get the newspaper and there would be another sheriff’s deputy with legal papers. It was a mess; we were in the middle of merging with another company and they were suing us. Banks were suing us and then because one of our subsidiaries did not pay taxes, the IRS froze my personal accounts. It took five years to clear it all up.

If you can draw a great amoeba, be a medical illustrator, not a doctor. I realized I had

no business being in that business in the first place. I came to the conclusion that you have to be in businesses you know. And you need to do things you are comfortable doing.

I like the saying by investor and author Jimmy Rogers, “I cannot invest the way I want the world to be; I have to invest the way it is.” That’s why people with good ideas do not always prevail.

The development of Sarasota is an ongoing conversation that will never end. What disappointed me in revisiting the 2050 plan were the inflammatory remarks. There were people who had a lack of knowledge and a lack of engagement making inflammatory remarks about the motivation behind the changes. We have had responsible development over the years. Look at Lakewood Ranch and Palmer Ranch―both have been successful developments. Building east of I-75 was too restrictive and it led to a proliferation of five- and 10-acre “martini ranches” that did not help the county. It’s not that we want to pave over paradise.

I’m a glass-half-full guy. Most people have ups and downs, but

you can’t let situations get you down. You can’t think that you cannot do something. I’ve had times in my life when I thought I was on the verge of financial disaster. I had to tell myself, “We have no debtor prisons; I’ll come through this.” It really helps to control your mind.

Sarasota has grown up pretty well. I grew up here, and in the 1940s, U.S. 41 was a two-lane road. You’d drive into Sarasota and it smelled like rotten eggs. It’s a lot different population-wise but the community has done a good job of keeping the charm. No one comes to Sarasota for purely economic or familial reasons; they come here for a way of life.

We’re improving at attracting and keeping young people, but not enough. That’s what forced me out of here after college; there was not much for young people. With telecommunications, we are starting to get people who don’t physically have to be some place.

We have to recognize that the people we need to attract are not heavy manufacturers.

People don’t like change; often they can’t see a future past the present. Change is just the way of the world. Life is a continuum. ■

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Tourism Beat

By Cooper Levey-Baker

Protect Your Rep Customer reviews can be fatal, so manage your digital shadow.

Be careful what you post online. You might think you can delete those old Facebook posts and Instagram pics, but they’ve got a rude way of hanging around. Forever.

But discretion is only half the battle. Nowadays, you’ve also got to be careful about what others are posting about you.

Take TripAdvisor, for example.

In its first 15 years of operation, the site has collected more than 200 million customer reviews covering more than 4.4 million accommodations, restaurants and attractions. Think nobody pays attention to those reviews?

Think again. Cihan Cobanoglu, the dean of USF SarasotaManatee’s College of Hospitality and Technology Leadership, says research shows that, on average, customers are willing to pay $35 more per night for a hotel that has earned one more TripAdvisor star than a competitor.

To a certain extent, your company’s rating on a customer review site is out of your hands.

You can’t control what a guest is going to write online. But Cobanoglu says it’s vital for a business to smartly manage its “digital shadow.” That phrase applies to user review sites like TripAdvisor and Yelp, of course, but also to online travel booking sites like Expedia and Orbitz, as well as an ever-growing list of social media outlets like

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Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

Did a guest bash your hotel on TripAdvisor? While the tendency may be to write that off as the ravings of a whiny grumpus, Cobanoglu says it’s important to publicly engage with an unhappy customer. That person may not give you a second chance, but everyone else who’s reading your TripAdvisor reviews sees that you care about customer satisfaction. “If a company shows genuine interest,” Cobanoglu says, “people forgive.

Even if a review is negative.”

TripAdvisor has collected more than 20 million customer reviews.

Michael’s On East co-proprietor Michael Klauber advises, “Accept responsibility. Don’t make excuses.” Part of that means a response must come from the top.

Klauber works with Michael’s On East marketing director Jamie Jalwan to craft review responses.

One recent four-paragraph TripAdvisor post responding to a two-star review includes Klauber’s full name and title, plus his direct office number and personal email address. This is exactly what someone browsing the site wants to see, Cobanoglu says.

Responding to bad reviews is only part of the challenge,

though. One priority for Navid Kichi, the general manager at the Ramada Sarasota near the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport, is trying to encourage positive reviews.

“Reviews are so, so, so important,” Kichi says. “So many reservations come from the Internet.”

Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, Ramada’s parent company, automatically emails all of Kichi’s guests after their stay to encourage them to post reviews, and Kichi offers bonuses to front desk staffers who push cards with information about how to post a TripAdvisor review to guests who have had enjoyable stays. Using Ramada software, Kichi can track how many reviews are coming in on various platforms, and can identify whether those reviews came from Wyndham’s automatic emails or from other efforts.

The emphasis on encouraging reviews has paid off. When Kichi started at the Ramada four years ago, the hotel received around 10 new reviews each month. That number is now up to 30 or 40.

One area Kichi has not invested in is social media. According to Cobanoglu, some hotels will offer incentives for guests to tag their location on social media, rewarding guests with, say, a free

drink or appetizer for mentioning the hotel when they’re snapping poolside selfies.

Kichi’s 120-room Ramada is what he calls “mid-market,” an affordable alternative to staying in downtown Sarasota.

Investing in building a social media presence means either hiring somebody new or asking a current staffer to devote a chunk of his or her day to the project― not an appealing option for a hotel the size of Kichi’s. “How much do I want to spend to get these likes?” he asks. And how much revenue would a more active Facebook page even generate?

“How much do I want to spend to get Facebook likes?”

As small hotels and restaurants try to use review sites and social media to their advantage, they’re faced with an ever-broadening array of sites to track and contribute to. The flurry of new sites has even spawned a new sector made up of companies that will track online mentions of your business and alert you to them or even respond for you.

Michael’s On East, an early adopter of many technological trends, doesn’t jump to participate on every new site. They focus mostly on OpenTable, TripAdvisor, Yelp and, increasingly, Google, which has begun incorporating customer reviews into its search results, giving customer comments extremely prominent placement.

In short, concentrate on the sites that have endured. Ignore the flavor of the week. ■

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Wealth 2015

tips for

Management Personal wealth management involves taking the right steps at the right time to ensure you are on the path to financial stability. And it is important to focus on it right NOW if you want to have a secure future in regards to your finances. Our leading wealth management advisers share some of their strategic knowledge and experience to help you become more financially stable.

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Cumberland Advisors What range of investment products do you offer?

Cumberland Advisors is an assetmanagement firm based in Sarasota with a national client base of individuals and institutions. Since 1973, we have used separately managed accounts for highquality bond accounts. We adopted exchange-traded funds (ETFs) exclusively for equity management beginning in late 1999, making Cumberland Advisors one of the first firms in the industry to adopt ETFs exclusively for equity portfolios.

What differentiates you from your competitors?

Since 1973, Cumberland Advisors has

One Sarasota Tower

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investments.

Contact: Michael McNiven

J.L. Bainbridge & Co., Inc. Investment Advisors If I need growth, how can I get the most for the least amount of risk?

Own publicly traded American companies that are growing based on long-term trends like urbanization, which means the global standard of living is rising, creating infrastructure build-out

1582 Main St. Sarasota, FL 34236 (941) 365-3435 (800) 899-5171 jlbainbridge.com

Peter G. Magnuson How should businesses or investors plan in a changing interest rate environment?

been a trusted source for national and

and increasing travel. There are 18,000

world market expertise, personal service

commercial airplanes in use today and

and individual and institutional money

there are 9,000 new planes set to be built.

on businesses and retirees. Businesses

management. We are an independent,

Another example of a long-term trend is

usually finance with adjustable rate

fee-for-service money management firm

America’s coming energy independence.

loans, so as rates rise their costs increase.

managing over $2 billion in assets. We emphasize long-lasting relationships and continuous personalized discussion among clients, their consultants, tax advisors and our firm. We offer high expertise with competitively low fees.

How often should a business or individual reassess their investment strategy?

Why would an investor want to invest with J.L. Bainbridge & Company, Inc.?

Our firm has a proprietary disciplined investment program which has been successfully utilized since 1981 to

Interest rates can have a big impact

Retirees on the other hand, may have limited opportunities with traditional bank products when interest rates are low, making it difficult to keep up.

Is the stock market too high to invest money now?

identify companies with proven growth

I believe that we are due a pullback

records, strong financials that generate

in the market and to my way of thinking,

significant free cash flow and are

overdue. That said, I believe it will be in the

available at a reasonable price, which

10 percent variety. I see no reason to believe

partners who demonstrate high ethical

reduces risk and enhances appreciation.

that such a pullback is the start of a bear

conduct and competence and who place

This approach has enhanced clients’ lives

market. I see it as a normal move that the

the client’s needs first in all decisions.

and provided the wherewithal to finance

market should make to “digest” its gains.

Within that context, investment strategy

children’s education and provide for an

must be positioned to avoid market

enhanced retirement.

Investors should seek investment

whipsaws but be flexible enough to account for life needs, capital events and other contingencies. We perform quarterly reviews of all accounts to assure that the investment strategy suits the current client need.

What is the difference between a financial planner and an investment advisor or financial adviser?

A financial planner covers six topics in one’s financial life: financial planning, insurance planning, investment planning, income tax planning, retirement planning and

92 BIZ(941) APRIL | MAY 2015

3900 Clark Road, Building R Sarasota, FL 34233 (941) 923-7489 pmagnuson@harborfs.com Contact: Peter G. Magnuson, ChFC®, CASL®, CLU®

Visit our website to view our 2014 Annual Report www.jlbainbridge.com

• A fee-only Registered Investment Advisor helping clients achieve their investment goals • Locally owned and operated, serving clients for over three decades

Jerry L. Bainbridge

• Helping clients grow their wealth since 1981

• Offering both growth and income investing

• Payment of fees contingent on client’s complete satisfaction

• For investment philosophy and results please visit our web site

• Every client relationship has a dedicated portfolio manager

• Sign up for our free monthly newsletter and annual report

Fay E. Bainbridge K. David Schoonover

Joel G. Oldham

John B. Leeming

1582 Main Street | Sarasota, Florida 34236

(941) 365-3435 | (800) 899-5171 To learn more about J.L. Bainbridge’s unique commitment to client satisfaction and the payment of our fees, call for a free investment review.

Barton L. Bainbridge

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The Vita Vining Hermann Denton Group

We are now six years from the market

These are the things we focus on with

lows in March 2009 and about 250

our clients every day.

What makes your team distinct?

volatility and new leadership from

We are proud of things like service, experience, certifications and assets,

percent higher in total return for the S&P500. 2015 has begun with abundant areas like international stocks. Interest

Disclosure Past Performance is no guarantee of future results.

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC. Member SIPC. CRC79459902/14

rate considerations, advancements in technology, and dislocations in the

but we asked our clients what they

energy sector create real decision

felt we did for them. The summation

points for investors.

of their answers was that we provide them with personalized strategies and guidance for a sound financial future.

Our goal is to be an invaluable resource for a select number of families, helping them to manage their needs in an ever-

What advice do you have for investors today?

Be engaged. What worked in the past may not work as well today.

changing world.

Opportunities abound, but emotions

How do you feel about the current investment environment?

in good times and bad. Embracing a

will continue to lead investors astray

2014 was another strong year for U.S stocks amidst an improving economy.

1401 Manatee Ave. W., Suite 1110 Bradenton, FL 34205 (941) 714-7915 (866) 263-0388 morganstanleyfa.com/vvhdgroup Contact: J. Ryan Denton CFP®, ChFC®, Vice President, Financial Advisor

disciplined process is critical, and hope is not a strategy. Fresh perspectives and access to vetted resources are crucial.

Investment Management 3900 Clark Road, Building R Lakeshore Village Plaza, Sarasota 941-923-7489 PMagnuson@harborfs.com

Peter G. Magnuson, ChFC®, CLU®, CASL®

Securities offered through Harbor Financial Services, LLC. Member FINRA/SIPC OSJ (888) 397-7358 Accounts carried by Raymond James & Associates, Inc. Member NYSE/SIPC

94 BIZ(941) APRIL | MAY 2015

David R. Kotok

Chairman & Chief Investment Officer Since 1973, Cumberland Advisors has been a trusted source for expert, personalized money management. Our firm has a wealth preservation bias and a conservative investment orientation to manage both risk and return. As a fee-for-service manager, our firm manages more than $2 billion in fixed income and equity accounts. Our clients include individuals, institutions, retirement plans and government entities.

One Sarasota Tower 2 N. Tamiami Trail, Suite 303 Sarasota, FL 34236

800.257.7013

www.cumber.com

@CumberlandADV

614 E. Landis Avenue Vineland, NJ 08360

Fast Track

Movers, Shakers & Headline Makers

Jennifer Leigh, M.D.

Dennis Murphy

Positions Taken

Lorrie Liang, chief operating officer, Sarasota Memorial Health Care System.

Erin Silk, executive director, Venice MainStreet.

Peter Howard, executive director, Mental Health Community Centers.

Deborah Gerard, executive director, SWAT NetworkingSuccessful Women Aligning Together.

Jennifer Leigh, M.D., physician, Gastroenterology Associates of Manatee LLC. Dennis Murphy, promoted to executive vice president and senior loan officer, Gateway Bank of Southwest Florida.

Jennifer LaHurd, director of human resources; and Lan Cong-Tang, director of finance/ controller, State College of Florida Manatee-Sarasota.

Jeff Eslinger, sales and marketing, residential home building division, Jackson & Associates General Contractor.

Sabine Jolitz, senior accountant, international tax

Jennifer LaHurd

Jonathan Fleece

segment; and Kerri Blenker, tax supervisor, Kerkering, Barberio & Co. Darrin Cummings, general manager, Gettel Hyundai of Lakewood.

Chuck Stevens, director of marketing, Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall.

Christina E. Unkel, attorney, law firm of Maglio Christopher & Toale, P.A. Roger Piro, managing broker, Re/Max Alliance Group’s Sarasota office.

Roger Geib, controller, Neal Communities.

Jennifer A. Messal, tax supervisor; and Mrugesh Patel, staff accountant, CS&L CPAs. Hilary Souza, promoted to assistant manager, Premier Sotheby’s International Realty Plaza at Five Points office.

Lauren Blenker, community relations and marketing coordinator, Healthy Start Coalition of Manatee County Sarah Shelton, promoted to volunteer program manager, ShelterBox USA.

will robinson

Mark BarnebEy

Ann Woody, director of development, Girls Incorporated of Sarasota County.

Barbara P. Simon, vice president of development, Sarasota-Manatee Jewish Housing Council Foundation.

Joan C. Horrvich, communications and marketing director, John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art. Jason Drosky, manager of client services, BoostDFM. Joan Burnell, production and traffic manager, Grapevine Communications.

Janet K. Ginn, development director; and Barbara Worth, events coordinator, Sarasota Ballet.

Accolades

Teri A. Hansen, outgoing Gulf Coast Community Foundation president and CEO, will head up the Charles and Margery Barancik Foundation.

Jonathan Fleece was elected 2015 chair of the Manatee Chamber of APRIL | MAY 2015

BIZ(941) 97

Fast Track Commerce, and Mark Barnebey was elected chair of the 2015 Bradenton Area Economic Development Corporation; both are attorneys with Blalock Walters, P.A. G. Duncan Finlay, M.D., is the newly elected chair of the board of trustees of Plymouth Harbor.

David E. Gurley of Gurley Vitale law firm was selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2015.

Scott Collins, John Dart, Trudo Letschert and Rande Ridenour were elected to the board of trustees of Mote Marine Laboratory.

Sutter Roofing Company received the 2015 Florida Excellence Award from the U.S. Commerce & Trade Research Institute.

The Cattlemen Intermodal Transfer Station for Sarasota County Area Transit (SCAT) was selected as a finalist in the Florida Foundation for Architecture’s 2014 People’s Choice Awards.

The Sarasota County Council of Neighborhood Associations (CONA) elected these 2015 officers: Kafi Benz, president; Lourdes Ramirez, first vice president; Bill Zoller, second vice president; Gerry Swormstedt, treasurer; and Ann Kaplan, secretary.

Sarasota Yacht Club received the Distinguished Emerald Club of the World award from BoardRoom magazine.

Bruce Langsen has joined the board of trustees of the South Florida Museum.

Josh Wynne Construction’s TipTop Haus in Lido Shores received a Platinum Best in American Living Award for GreenBuilt Home at the International Builders Show.

The Gulf Coast Builders Exchange (GCBX) honored Steve Sutter of Sutter Roofing with the Lifetime Achievement Award, Kent Hayes of Tandem Construction has received the Volunteer Recognition Award, and County Commission Chair Carolyn Mason has received the GCBX Chairman’s Award.

Bob Rosinsky, president and CEO of Goodwill Manasota, was appointed president of the Florida Goodwill Association.

Will Robinson of the law firm of Blalock Walters was re-elected chair of the board of Meals on

Fast Tracker ❰❰ Mary Forristall, president of the demolition company Forristall Enterprises, is the new—and first female—chair of the Gulf Coast Builders Exchange. A GCBX member for 10 years and on its board for six, she will be leading the nearly 400 member businesses of the building industry association.

Forristall has been involved in the construction industry since her youth when her father worked in construction salvage in Miami.

She moved to Manatee County with her husband, Steven, in 1987 and opened her business here.

In her new role, Forristall will continue the GCBX’s Proud to Build campaign that showcases individual business members, and

98 BIZ(941) APRIL | MAY 2015

she plans to spark conversations with Manatee, Sarasota and Charlotte county officials on area growth and sustainability.

“Transportation is on everyone’s minds,” she adds. “We need to look at north- and southbound corridor improvements and developments.”

GCBX members are thriving this year, Forristall says. “By the end of 2014, every contractor [in

the tri-county area] was hiring employees and adding equipment,” she says.

Forristall acknowledges that even though more women are entering the construction trades, she’s still one of the few women in her industry. “Regardless of gender, the honor is serving with topnotch people,” she says.

– Chelsey Lucas

Fast Track Wheels PLUS of Manatee.

Sarasota Sculpture Center chair Susan McLeod has been named to the board of trustees of the global, nonprofit International Sculpture Center.

Ann Breitinger of Blalock Walters P.A., Chris Timol of Paychex and retired business executive Kay Wight have joined the board of Realize Bradenton.

Cannons Marina was named a 2014 Top 100 boat dealer by Boating Industry magazine. It also received the Grady-White Boats’ Bronze Anchor Award for outstanding customer satisfaction and was recognized with membership in the GradyWhite Boats Admiral’s Circle for

the the 16th consecutive year.

Robbie Gronbach of Willis A. Smith Construction was appointed secretary of the U.S. Green Building Council Myakka Branch Executive Council.

Moving and Opening

US Nano LLC, a nanotechnology early stage company, is relocating from South Bend, Ind., to 1748 Independence Blvd. in Sarasota.

New York Private Bank & Trust has opened a Sarasota office at 1605 Main St. in downtown Sarasota.

Clarke Advertising has changed its name to C•Suite Communications and has moved

one floor up from its previous location at 401 N. Cattlemen Road in Sarasota.

LCM Capital Advisors has merged with J.A. Romano & Associates, based in Sarasota.

Inlanta Mortgage, Inc. has opened a branch at 1543 Second St., Suite 101 in Sarasota.

Blaze Fast Fire’d Pizza has opened at 215 N. Cattlemen Road in the University Town Center, Sarasota.

Wild Ginger Apothecary, a natural health boutique, has opened at 6557 Superior Ave. in Sarasota’s Gulf Gate Village.

Trustco Bank has opened a new branch at 5950 S. Beneva Road in Sarasota. ■

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Brett M. Lacey

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941-201-5610

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05-3080 © 2015 The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, Milwaukee, WI (Northwestern Mutual).

APRIL | MAY 2015

BIZ(941) 99

The Seen

Photography by Lori Sax

3 4 1

BIZ(941) AHA! EVENT 1 Oliver Alexander; Dr. Leon Alexander, Eurisko Design; Richard Weintraub, Yellow Strawberry Salons; Leisa Weintraub, Neal Communities 2 Walter Herbst, global product designer and keynote speaker; Kelley Lavin, Biz(941) and Sarasota Magazine; Rob Brady, ROBRADY, Susan Burns, Biz(941) 3 Christine Koch, Jason Drosky, BoostDFM 4 Felice Schulaner, New College of Florida Board of Trustees 5 Kelly Romanoff, Sehee Chung, Gulf Coast Community Foundation

2

5

100 BIZ(941) APRIL | MAY 2015

The Seen 1

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2

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Gulf Coast Community Foundation Better Together Annual Luncheon 1 Larry Thompson, Ringling College of Art and Design; Shannon Staub, Sarasota Library Foundation; Jennifer Rominiecki, Selby Gardens; Michael Saunders, Michael Saunders & Co. 2 Sally Schule, Saks Fifth Avenue; Dr. Peter Diamandis, X PRIZE founder; Graci McGillicuddy; Terri Najmolhoda, Saks Fifth Avenue 3 Claudia Cardillo, Sarasota Library Foundation; Ann Woody, Girls Inc. 4 Alan and Roberta Morton 5 Scott Anderson, Gulf Coast Community Foundation; Barbara Zdrevecky, Planned Parenthood of Southwest Florida

➜ More Seen photos at biz(941).com.

APRIL | MAY 2015

BIZ(941) 101

The Seen

Photography by Lori Sax

1

2

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EDC Sarasota County Meet the Leaders 1 Linda Starcher, RE/MAX Alliance Group; Jan Miller, Caldwell Trust Co.; Lynn Robbins, Coldwell Banker 2 Rick Piccolo, Sarasota Manatee Airport Authority; Bob Messick, Icard Merrill, Timm, Furen & Ginsburg 3 Jim and Tamara Ley, Integrity One 4 Chris Hunt, Blue Umpiring; Dawn Milhous, Charter One Hotels 5 Dina Berg, EDC Sarasota County; John LaCivita, Willis Smith Construction; Chris Purnell, EDC Sarasota County

➜ More Seen photos at biz(941).com.

5

102 BIZ(941) APRIL | MAY 2015

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The Seen 1

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Gulf Coast Builders Exchange Annual Dinner

1 Mike Moran, IBC Insurance; Lori Moran, State College of Florida; C.J. Fishman, Fishman & Associates, Inc. 2 Richard Krause, Richard's Plumbing Repair; Warren Simonds, Longboat Key Foundation 3 Charles Hines, Sarasota County Commissioner; Pam Truitt, Truitt Consulting 4 Bruce Galloway; Caleb Stevens, BB&T 5 Stephen Supe, ARENA Leadership; Amy Supe

Volume 12/Number 3, April/May 2015, Biz(941) (ISSN 1936-7538) is published in January, February, April, June, September and November by Gulfshore Media, LLC, 330 S. Pineapple Ave., Suite 205, Sarasota, FL 34236.

Subscriptions are free to qualified individuals. For customer service inquiries, subscription inquiries or to change your address by providing both the old and new addresses, contact: Subscription Department, Biz(941), 330 S. Pineapple Ave., Suite 205, Sarasota, FL 34236. Phone (941) 487-1100 or (800) 881-2394, Fax (941) 365-7272.

Periodicals postage paid at Sarasota, Florida, and at additional mailing offices. Copyright 2015 by Gulfshore Media, LLC. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. Unsolicited manuscripts without return postage will not be returned. DISCLAIMER: Advertisements in the publication do not constitute an offer for sale in states where prohibited or restricted by law.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Biz(941), 330 S. Pineapple Ave., Suite 205, Sarasota, FL 34236.

APRIL | MAY 2015

BIZ(941) 103

Off the Clock

By Ilene Denton

CHRIS LAKE

Brad Ellis

Good Scout

Attorney Brad Ellis advocates for the wilderness.

Brad Ellis, who moved to Sarasota and joined the law firm of Icard Merrill in August, brought with him a lifetime commitment to land conservation through the Boy Scouts of America.

Ellis, 34, who grew up in Jupiter, joined Cub Scouts at age 7, and earned his Eagle Scout rank at age 12. It’s a family tradition.

His grandfather was a Scout in

104 BIZ(941) APRIL | MAY 2015

England before World War II, his father was his Scoutmaster, and his younger brother is also an Eagle Scout.

Ellis was elected years ago to membership in the Order of the Arrow, the national honor society of Scouting, and through it, he has participated in such largescale national service projects as helping build 30 miles of mountain

biking trails in the Teton National Forest in Wyoming and in the New River Gorge Forest in West Virginia. This summer he will teach classes on conservation projects at the National Order of the Arrow Conference at Michigan State University, which some 14,000 Scouts are expected to attend.

“The Order of the Arrow, especially since 2006, has really started focusing on large-scale conservation projects, and I like being part of that,” says Ellis. “Our country hasn’t had organizations that are shouldering conservation work since the CCC.” His most life-changing Scouting experience, Ellis says, was his first 14-day canoe and overland wilderness trek in the Northern Tier High Adventure program in the pristine Land of 10,000 Lakes on the Minnesota-Canada border.

The grueling physical and mental challenge encouraged him to be a leader. “I came off the water a different person,” he says. He now returns to Minnesota most summers to train the program’s trail-building staff.

“A big part of it is giving back to the program that forged a big part of who I am,” says Ellis. “Obviously Scouting is doing something right.

It put me where I am today, and it did the same for many of my peers. A lot of the people I was in Scouting with are attorneys, judges, mayors of their towns; there are a few senators, older than me, who shaped my Scouting career.”

Besides his practice in land use and zoning, construction, governmental liability, commercial and general civil litigation and appeals, Ellis will administer Icard Merrill’s pro bono guardian ad litem program. ■

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