941 CEO January/February 2016

2016: BOOM OR BUST? ECONOMISTS WEIGH IN

PLUS

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2016

941CEO.COM

MEET THIS YEAR’S UNITY AWARD WINNERS

Party Party All Night All Night

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LEFT: LEFT: Calligraphy Calligraphy

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LIGHT IMITATES ART With an exceptional 11-year history, LyteWorks is the go-to gallery for the public, designers and builders for the finest lighting and décor items.

LyteWorks’ 12,000-plus-square-foot Bradenton showroom features an expansive inventory of designer lighting, fans, furniture and accessories, and spans everything from ultra-modern and

John and Joanne Bradshaw

contemporary to traditional and transitional.

Top lighting manufacturers such as Corbett, Visual Comfort, Hudson Valley, Kichler, Elan and Fine Art Lamps are represented, and LyteWorks’ interior design professionals are there to assist clients in their pursuit of lighting perfection.

In October 2015, longtime Sarasota residents Joanne and John Bradshaw purchased LyteWorks—a husband-and-wife business that seemed made for them. Joanne, a Sarasota real estate professional for 38 years, and John, formerly CEO of a regional environmental consulting firm he also founded, have embraced this new adventure, which blends their business acumen, people skills and creative energy with the artistry of light.

816 E. Manatee Avenue, Bradenton 34208 941.745.2900 | LyteWorks.com

LOCAL. NATIONAL.

MAIN STREET, SARASOTA, MAY BE OUR HOME BASE, BUT OUR CLIENTS LIVE IN EVERY STATE IN THE U.S. With 35 years of professional portfolio management experience, we deliver a highly disciplined, long-term investment approach to help you achieve your financial goals.

We don’t sell products. Instead, we use our decades of experience, our integrity and our commitment to quality and risk minimization

Jerry L. Bainbridge

Fay E. Bainbridge

1582 Main Street, Sarasota, FL 34236 (941) 365-3435, (800) 899-5171

to build investment portfolios that help our clients finance their children’s education, build and preserve the resources for an enhanced retirement, and achieve a meaningful higher standard of living.

We don’t get paid unless you’re satisfied. Please call for a free investment review.

Kip D. Schoonover

Joel G. Oldham

John B. Leeming

Jlbainbridge.com

WELCOME TO THE NEW WHEN YOU OPENED your mailbox this month expecting the newest issue of Biz(941), you may have been startled to find a bigger magazine in its place— and one with a new name, too. We’re now 941CE0, and our new design, larger size and expanded C-suite coverage reflect the needs of the entrepreneurs and business leaders we’ve always aimed to inform.

But our new look and name are not all that’s new. We also have a new owner, SagaCity Media, a company that publishes award-winning magazines in Portland, Seattle, Houston, Vail, Aspen and Park City, along with custom tourism and travel magazines. SagaCity CEO Nicole Vogel views Sarasota and Manatee’s dynamic market as one that deserves a magazine that captures the energy and innovative spirit of its business decision makers.

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2016

941CE0 has been conceived and crafted to help you succeed, no matter what industry you’re in or what title you hold. Inside every issue you’ll find inspiring CEO profiles, introductions to promising new players, ideas from high-level achievers and the latest in executive lifestyle—plus the how-to stories and insights that make 941CE0 a must-read.

Our enterprising journalism and hyperlocal focus are showcased in a design by art director Pepe Nieto, whose passion is magazine aesthetics. Every page is cleaner and more elegant with a simplicity and modern appeal that fits our sophisticated readers, and makes their experience richer and more rewarding.

We’re proud to tell the ever-expanding story of business in the 941, and hope 941CE0 will help fuel your business success.

Kelley Lavin, PUBLISHER Susan Burns, EDITOR

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JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2016

CONTENTS

24 THE UNITY AWARDS MEET OUR 2016 CHAMPIONS OF DIVERSITY.

36 42 48

THE CEO

Rapid Pathogen Screening’s Robert Sambursky could change your doctor’s visit.

STILL GROWING– OR SLOWING? Experts predict the year ahead.

“THIS YEAR I WILL...”

Business leaders share their top goals for 2016.

UNITED WE STAND I0

Talk

Stuff you need to know, from the best business advice to office organizers.

56

HR Corner

Getting to the heart of what motivates your employees.

58

What I’ve Learned

Comfort Keepers co-founder Kristina Butler on building an international company.

60

Tourism Beat Ramping up the region’s corporate meetings business.

62

Fast Track

Movers, shakers and headline makers.

67

The Seen

People and events in pictures.

ADVERTISING SECTION Top Lawyers of Sarasota and Manatee Marketing, Advertising and Public Relations Guide

40 50

72

Off the Clock Attorney David Silberstein on coaching high school golf.

I’VE HEARD PEOPLE TALK about diversity fatigue—the idea that written workplace practices and policies are contrived and meaningless, a politically correct move that avoids lawsuits and makes everyone feel better but doesn’t change how we view—and treat—differences.

Recent events have put this notion of diversity fatigue in the trash bin. The national grassroots movement Black Lives Matter, the gender bias disputes that have rocked Silicon Valley, Houston voters’ rejection of an antidiscrimination ordinance that protects the LGBT community and the hate-filled immigration debates by presidential candidates are reminders that tolerance and acceptance do not come easily in the workplace or our communities.

And yet, study after study shows that companies that put diversity practices in place prosper.

When a company has no female leaders, women’s talents and ideas are lost. When the doors are shut to ethnic minorities, companies may lose the chance to understand and reach the markets those people represent. When we dismiss the mentally ill or the disabled, we walk away from their contributions.

Our Unity Awards winners understand that. Their efforts offer dignity, hope and opportunities to people of every color, cultural background, sexual orientation and ability. Far from feeling fatigued, we should feel energized by their courage to move forward.

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

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2016

5

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ADVERTISING & MARKETING GROUP PUBLISHER Kelley Lavin SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Kim Davis ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Debra Clark Maradiaga, Keith Magnuson, Sandy Moore, Dan Starostecki SALES AND MARKETING TEAM LEADER

Regina Walters MARKETING MANAGER Amy Overbay SALES AND MARKETING ASSISTANT

Bobbilynn Hollifield EDITORIAL EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Pam Daniel EDITOR-IN-CHIEF 941CEO Susan Burns MANAGING EDITOR Ilene Denton SENIOR EDITOR Kay Kipling ASSOCIATE EDITORS Cooper Levey-Baker,

941-907-2962 suncoastCFOsolutions.com

Hannah Wallace WEB EDITOR Megan McDonald ART

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Gigi Ortwein ART DIRECTORS Pepe Nieto,

Mark Howell DESIGNER Amy Hoffarth

What’s NEW at New College JAN. 19 | NEW TOPICS

How did Jews Become the People of the Talmud? The Metamorphosis of Oral Torah in Medieval Europe

7 p.m., admission is free Mildred Sainer Pavilion, 5313 Bay Shore Rd. With Dr. Talya Fishman, professor of Religious Studies and modern intellectual history at the University of Pennsylvania

FEB. 18 |DAUGHTERS FOR LIFE SCHOLARSHIP LUNCHEON

PRODUCTION PRODUCTION MANAGER Norma Machado ADVERTISING SERVICES MANAGER

Katherine Orenic BUSINESS CIRCULATION MANAGER Diana Clenney DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Tim Scott FOUNDER EMERITUS Dan Denton

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS David Ball, Tony D'Souza, Brad Edmondson, Lori Johnston, Kim Hackett, Rich Rescigno, Jackie Rogers, Carol Tisch, Johannes Werner CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS & ARTISTS Jenny Acheson, Barbara Banks, Salvatore Brancifort, Everet Dennison, Kathryn Brass Piper, Matthew Holler, Chris Lake, Gene Pollux, Lori Sax, Alex Stafford

New College Foundation

11 a.m., tickets: $90 Sudakoff Conference Center Visit donate.ncf.edu/events or call 941-487-4888 6

330 S. Pineapple Ave., Suite 205 Sarasota, FL 34236 Phone: (941) 487-1100 Fax: (941) 365-7272 941CEO.com | SarasotaMagazine.com

941CEO

Organizational Engagement Surveys | Background Checks Hiring Events | Drug Screening | Assessments | Video Interviews

MySuncoast

TALENT

GULF SHORE MEDIA, LLC A WHOLLY OWNED SUBSIDIARY OF SAGACITY MEDIA, INC. PRESIDENT & COFOUNDER Nicole Vogel COFOUNDER & EDITOR-AT-LARGE

Scott Vogel SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, EDITORIAL & OPERATIONS Bill Hutfilz CREATIVE DIRECTOR Kate Madden DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL & PRINT PUBLISHING Claire McNally AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Dana Such DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL OPERATIONS & DEVELOPMENT Dan Derozier

ACQUIRE. DEVELOP. RETAIN. Employers use MySuncoastTalent.com to purchase items and track candidates. All the services you need are right here at your fingertips.

Register today at MySuncoastTalent.com or give us a call at (941) 358-4080 ext. 3112

&

Laguia

present

DIRECTOR OF IT Jimmy Fecteau CONTROLLER Simba Rusike

Gulf Shore Media is a member of the City and Regional Magazine Association, Florida Magazine Association, the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce, Manatee Chamber of Commerce and The St. Armands Circle Association. All contents of this magazine are copyrighted ©2016. Unsolicited photographs and manuscripts are welcome, but return cannot be guaranteed. Circulation audited

by U.S. Postal Service. Advertisements in this publication do not constitute an offer for sale in states where prohibited or restricted by law.

941CEO adheres to American Society of Magazine Editors guidelines, which require a clear distinction between editorial content and paid advertising or marketing messages.

Subscribe now

2016

UNITY AWARDS

It’s quick, simple and free. Your complimentary magazine subscription includes access to our digital edition.

SIGN UP NOW AT

941CEO.com

OR CALL (941) 487-1100 / (800) 881-2394

2016 Unity AwArds LUncheon tUesdAy, JAnUAry 26, 2016 11:30 A.M. to 1 P.M. / MichAeL’s on eAst Purchase Your Tickets Now

Unityawards2016.eventbrite.com 8

NEED A DAILY DOSE OF 941CEO? Start your morning well-informed with up-to-date news in Sarasota and Manatee with our e-newsletter Biz Daily

SIGN UP FOR FREE AT 941CEO.com

941CEO

New Year. New You. New Tax Plan.

What changed for you last year?

A new house, job or family member can mean significant tax breaks and considerations for you in 2016. Tax planning is more complicated than ever; meet with an experienced CPA to learn what opportunities exist for you.

CS&L CPAs is an award-winning accounting firm that has been serving Southwest Florida for more than 60 years.

SARASOTA (941) 954-4040

BRADENTON (941) 748-1040

TAMPA (813) 490-4490

Download our free tax guide at www.CSLCpa.Com

TALK

PEOPLE, COMPANIES AND ISSUES YOU NEED TO KNOW.

INNOVATOR

Dr. Monica Bolbjerg

A

s a general practitioner in Denmark, Dr. Monica Bolbjerg believed her patients would live healthier lives if they were more engaged with their health. So in 2001, she and her husband, Torsten, created Qure4u (originally Cure4u), an interactive online health platform. The site gives patients access to medical records and lab results from their doctors as well as educational resources for preventive care and tools to reach health goals.

Used by 1.8 million customers in Europe, Qure4u had nearly $2 million in revenues in 2015 and is Europe’s largest supplier of health e-communications solutions. The Bolbjergs launched the U.S. version of the company in Bradenton in 2015 and reported $270,000 in revenues. This year 10

ALEX STAFFORD

Qure4u

they hope to hire 15-20 workers in the U.S. and raise funds to set up a national sales team, increase marketing and grow their development team.

Doctors, hospitals and clinics are also users. They measure and monitor patients’ blood pressure, activity levels and other data outside of appointments. Health care professionals communicate with patients in an online portal that Qure4u says is secure and HIPAA compliant.

The Bolbjergs’ goal is to become the main provider of health engagement tools for U.S. hospitals, employers and

accountable care organizations that manage health care costs.

Qure4u already has established key partnerships with local organizations such as Manasota Health Preferred Network and is showcasing its technologies to health care and government leaders on the global stage by attending conferences hosted by consulting firm McKinsey and Company in Dubai, Stockholm, Sydney and elsewhere.

“We believe that if you want to really change health care, you have to have cooperation between the doctor and the patient,” Bolbjerg says. —Lori Johnston 941CEO

BIZ RULES

Anti-discrimination bill for LGBT Floridians refiled—again ● BY SUSAN BURNS

T

says campaign manager Patrick Slevin. More than 400 companies, including major employers such as Florida Blue, Office Depot, AT&T, Walt Disney World, Wells Fargo, CSX and Darden Restaurants, have signed on.

If the bill becomes law, individuals who feel they have been discriminated against must first take their complaint to the state’s Commission on Human Relations, which determines whether a violation has taken place. Only then can complainants go to court and sue for compensatory and/or punitive damages.

Despite the social conservative bent of the legislature, Raschein says the time is right. “This is pro-business, pro-freedom, proequality,” she says.

METRIC

Number of Sarasota-Manatee residents who commute to Hillsborough and Pinellas for work.

(Manatee totals are far higher, 8,198, compared to 1,839 in Sarasota.)

I0,037

his month, State Rep. Holly Raschein (R-Key Largo) will be watching to see if her bill banning LGBT discrimination gets out of committee, onto the agenda and becomes law. Called the Florida Competitive Workforce Act, the bill gives the same protections to the LGBT community in Florida as the Civil Rights Act of 1992 gave to Floridians no matter what their race, religion, sex, age, ability or marital status.

Employment, housing and public accommodations all will be subject to its passage.

Specifically, employers with 15 or more employees will need to watch its progress since its passage will protect a new class of worker. (The cities of Venice and Sarasota already have this protection in place, which applies to any employer with five or more workers. Sarasota and Manatee counties do not have this protection.)

Similar bills (including a 2014 bill sponsored by Raschein) have been filed for 10 years, but a new advocacy group, Florida Businesses for a Competitive Workforce, has strategically positioned the bill as one of economic development. “It sends a message across the globe that we have updated our laws.

It’s important to recruitment of companies and employees,”

SOURCE: SARASOTA/MANATEE METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION

OVERHEARD “THERE’S NOT A LOT OF MONEY IN CICADA RESEARCH.” –filmmaker S A M U E L O R R , the “bug guy,” speaking about his 11-year obsession with studying and filming cicadas at PINC Sarasota in December.

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2016

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TALK BUSINESS CLASS ● BY JACKIE ROGERS

Office accessories

DOING THE BOOKS

CHAD SPENCER

Organize the New Year in style.

Display your books with handcrafted bookends from Spisani Designs of Italy. Made of high-grade acrylic crystal and cut by hand, they are a sleek addition to any office, modern or traditional.

Choose from many designs to suit your personality. Canine bookends shown, $288 for the pair, from Malbi Home Décor.

A STANDOUT SIDEBOARD A handsome sideboard or credenza gives you plenty of additional space to store messy files, your personal espresso machine and maybe that bottle of scotch. Steela Hallway Chest, $3,099, from Pecky Interiors.

CLUTTER BUSTER

AD

CH C EN

SP

Tame your cluttered desk by keeping all of your desktop necessities neatly organized in an attractive lacquered box.

Stationery, paper clips and pencils are within arm’s reach and out of sight, leaving your desktop clear for business. Pacific Connections Deco Collection hand-lacquered boxes, made in California. Stationery box, $148, and medium storage box, $118, from Envie Home Décor.

ER

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941CEO

21st-CENTURY NEW LAMP This stylish lamp brightens your desktop with energy-saving efficiency and changes light colors from warm to cool and anything in-between. An intuitive built-in touch strip allows for effortless continuous dimming. Built-in occupancy sensor ensures no energy is wasted lighting up a vacant desk; it comes standard with a USB port. Koncept, MassoPro Desk Lamp, $360, from Light Up Your Life.

DESKTOP COORDINATES BEST SEAT IN THE OFFICE The leather Lafer Executive Chair is both a desk chair and a recliner. It features two reclining positions, a foldout footrest, adjustable armrests and adjustable height. Perfect for the afternoon power nap after nonstop meetings. If you want to take your dĂŠcor to the next level, opt for a splash of color instead of basic black.

Adele Executive Chair, $3,200, from Soft Square.

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2016

Looking for a small change to enhance your workspace? Opt for stylish desk accessories that are anything but standard issue.

Coordinate tape dispenser, pencil holder and paper tray in crystal-clear acrylic with a colorful leather desk blotter to achieve a look that exudes a modern organized feel.

Kate Spade Desk Accessories Collection; tape dispenser, $15, pencil holder, $24, and paper tray, $60, all from Papyrus at UTC Mall.

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TALK ASK THE BOSS

Celeste Gruenstein

What’s the best business advice you’ve ever received?

John Giglio ● BY CHELSEY LUCAS

President and CEO, Freedom Boat Club

Kristen Horler

“AS FAR back as I can recall, I’ve heard how important it is to hire the right people. I have made it a priority to invest the time to find the best person for a particular job. The second priority involves empowering people to do the jobs they were hired to perform.

I set goals and then trust my team to get the job done. My job requires extensive travel, but because I have an experienced leadership team, I can be away from the business without concerns.”

CEO and founder of Inspiring Wellness, LLC “MY HUSBAND and business partner, Mark Horler, taught me to always keep learning. I discovered audible.com, where I could listen to a book while I drove to work, which helps me arrive at the office inspired. I completed a book every month. The first book was Good to Great. I learned so much about myself as a leader.

Subsequent books have helped me see that my intuition is very strong.”

C A R E E R P A T H David Rovine (1969 -197 2) ACTOR/ DIRECTOR, NYC, AND DINNER THEATER OUTSIDE OF WASHINGTON, D.C.

(1983-1990) V.P. AND CREATOR/ DEVELOPER, SHADY FIVE MANAGEMENT COMPANY, INC.

“My dad was a stand-up, and I was going to be an actor.”

“I [became] a leading trainer while racing a stable of 100 racehorses and raised millions in partnership interests to buy horses.’”

(1973-1985) EXECUTIVE PRODUCER/OWNER, ONCE UPON A STAGE DINNER THEATER IN ORLANDO

“My family bought a dinner theater in Orlando. I ran the theater, directed and produced the shows.”

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CEO, Décor Direct

“YEARS AGO, a retired successful entrepreneur shared some powerful advice: ‘Do things now that can't be done later.’

He always thought he'd build his business and then enjoy what he'd built, but age robbed him of capacity. In the ’90s, I embarked on a multiyear mini-retirement to globetrot, museum hop, write and study topics like the Internet and sustainability.

That inspired the 1998 relaunch of my company, Décor Direct, with a focus on functional art and sustainability. More recently, I took time out to care for my mother. Now that she's passed, I feel that being her caregiver has imbued me with a sense of compassion and peace, powerful antidotes to stress.”

VICE PRESIDENT OF ORIOLES-SARASOTA/BALTIMORE ORIOLES

(1990 -1995) DIRECTOR OF MARKETING, ROSECROFT RACEWAY, FORT WASHINGTON, MD.

“Racing is really just entertainment. I bought cheap musical acts to perform in the middle of the racetrack [and] increased business.”

(1995-200 4) DIRECTOR OF MARKETING, GULFSTREAM PARK, HALLENDALE, FLA.

“This was a premier thoroughbred track. I brought in Bryan Adams and the Doobie Brothers, [which] set attendance records and brought in new and younger people.”

(FEBRUARY 2013-PRE SENT) VICE PRESIDENT, ORIOLES-SARASOTA/ BALTIMORE ORIOLES

“When my SMG contract ended, I moved to Sarasota with no plan and got a call from John Angelos [the son of the Baltimore Orioles’ owner], whom I had met at Gulfstream Park. Now my focus is the Orioles.”

(200 4-2011) GENERAL MANAGER, GENESEE THEATRE, WAUKEGAN, ILL., AND MAHAFFEY THEATER, ST. PETERSBURG

“I opened a theater in Waukegan for SMG. Then they asked me to run the Mahaffey Theater in St. Petersburg.”

941CEO

125 years of enriching communities.

For more than 125 years, we’ve been meeting our clients’ financial needs while nurturing a culture of caring and a commitment to invest in the communities we serve. It’s all part of being a good neighbor.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT

Stephanie Goforth 941-957-3660 northerntrust.com

WEALTH PLANNING | BANKING | TRUST & ESTATE SERVICES | INVESTING | FAMILY OFFICE

TALK WHAT INSPIRES ME ● INTERVIEW BY SUSAN BURNS

My boss, Bob Beall.

I grew up in Sarasota and went to the University of Florida and worked in Tampa for a CPA firm after school. I learned about an opportunity at Bealls, and Bob was the CEO. I became assistant director of finance.

We developed an unbelievable relationship.

He’s got a phenomenal blend of values and drive. The leader I am today was shaped by him.

My work.

My responsibilities have morphed over 31 years with Bealls [from finance] to being today a planner, coach and motivator. We’ve gone from being a small regional department store chain to a big business that is a [major player] in off-price retailing to a significant presence in online ecommerce and now a new specialty store concept. It’s been phenomenal to be involved in helping all those transitions occur.

Steven Knopik CEO, Bealls

My mother and dad.

My mom died in 1984 just after I’d taken this job. Everybody’s a blend of two people, but I was a little more aligned with her family— their values and character. My dad shaped my drive. He believes you can do anything you put your mind to.

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My wife, Beth, and son, Rogers.

I’m very much a homebody.

What I’ve accomplished wouldn't be nearly as enriching or as much fun were it not for having them to share it with.

The potential the future holds.

If you don’t believe that you’re going to achieve more success, realize more potential or do great things in the future, life can become pretty boring. [At] times you [get] thrown curve balls. The most difficult thing I’ve gone through is the death of our daughter. Beth was the strong one who decided that the traditional way people grieve was not for us.

We were going to move forward with grace and positivity. You have to think there’s something exciting around the corner.

941CEO

ManateeTech.edu

Delivering Educational

Excellence

Manatee Technical College is a fully accredited technical training center that delivers adult, career and technical education programs that benefit a broad spectrum of people in Manatee County.

Our career certificate programs fill the pipeline with skilled and motivated workers in construction, hospitality, healthcare, public service, cosmetology, manufacturing, IT, transportation and business. Many students find a new career in a year or less.

Continuing education programs enable individuals and companies to upgrade job skills to keep pace with changing industry demands.

Most classes take just a few months to complete and are offered in the evening or weekend to fit busy schedules.

for over 50 years!

We also offer Adult Basic Education (ABE), GED速 preparation, English for speakers of other languages, plus non-credit enrichment classes for the lifelong learner.

941.751.7900 Main Campus 6305 State Road 70 East Bradenton, FL 34203 941.751.7900

East Campus 5520 LWR Blvd Bradenton, FL 34211 941.752.8100

West Campus 5505 34th Street West Bradenton, FL 34210 941.209.6800

North Campus 801 Ninth Street West Palmetto, FL 34221 941.845.2092

MTC offers training for careers in 25 of the 50 fastest growing occupations in the area.

No employee, student, applicant for admission or applicant for employment, volunteer, vendor, or member of the public, shall, on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender orientation, disability, marital status, age, religion, or any other basis prohibited by law, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of or be subjected to discrimination or harassment under any educational programs, activities, services, or in any employment conditions, policies or practices conducted by the School District of Manatee County. MTC is accredited by the Council on Occupational Education

TALK AGENDA J A N U A RY- F E B R U A RY

Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance Annual Membership Luncheon, 11:30 a.m.1 p.m. at Fete Ballroom at Polo Grill, 10670 Boardwalk Loop, Lakewood Ranch. $25 for members; $35 for nonmembers. Register at lwrba.org.

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Manatee Chamber of Commerce 53rd Annual Meeting and Membership Appreciation Dinner, 5-8 p.m. at Polo Grill, 10670 Boardwalk Loop, Lakewood Ranch. $70. Register at manateechamber.com.

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READER METER

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Unity Awards luncheon sponsored by 941CEO and La Guia magazines, honoring local The Greater Sarasota Chamber of champions of diversity, 11:30 a.m.-1 6 1 0 Commerce 96th Annual Kickoff p.m. at Michael’s On East, 1212 East 2 , st y 26 ’s on eABreakfast, 7:30-9:15 a.m. at Polo Ave. S., Sarasota. $55. To purchaseJAnUAr L e A , h Ay ic Boardwalk Loop, Lakewood Ranch. tickets, visit unityawards2016. tUesd 1 P.M. / M Grill, 10670 ow at sarasotachamber.com. o t $38.eRegister eventbrite.com. . ts N .M m

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nch U L s d

jan.

I4

Bradenton Area EDC Economic Forecast Breakfast with economist Henry H. Fishkind, Ph.D., 7:30-9 a.m. at Manatee Technical College, 6305 S.R. 70 E., Bradenton. $55 for EDC investors; $65 for all others. Register at thinkbradentonarea.com.

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Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance Breakfast of Champions, 7:30-9 a.m. at State College of Florida, 7131 Professional Parkway E., Lakewood Ranch. $25 for members; $35 for nonmembers.

Register at lwrba.org. feb.

2

II

Gulf Coast Builders Exchange 64th Annual Dinner, 5:30-7 p.m. networking, 7-9 p.m. program, at the Hyatt Regency Sarasota, 1000 Boulevard of the Arts. $150 for members; $200 for nonmembers; sponsorships available. To register, visit gcbx.org.

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Manatee Chamber of Commerce Pancakes & Politics 2016 legislative session preview, 8-9:30 a.m. at IMG Academy Golf Club, 4350 El Conquistador Parkway, Bradenton. $28 for chamber and MYP members; $38 for nonmembers and guests.

Register online at manateechamber. com/events.

TRENDSPOTTER INDIFFERENT

EMBRACE THOSE BABY BOOMERS

1%

82

SOURCE: 941CEO DAILY POLL

NO YES

% 17%

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Do you support a Florida House bill that would allow businesses to deny their services to customers based on religious or moral objections?

Baby boomers continue to flock to Sarasota and Manatee. The North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton MSA ranks No. 1 in the nation for percentage of baby boomers, ages 51 to 69, in a mid-size metro area. More than 30 percent of our MSA is the postWWII generation, an increase of 3 percent over the last five years.

SOURCE: HEADLIGHT DATA, DEC. 2015

941CEO

One Donor 35 Innovative After-School Programs 200 Perfect Attendance Records 600 Better Report Cards

Be The One Each one of us has the potential to impact a person, a cause, a community. For more than 35 years, the Community Foundation of Sarasota County has matched donors to the right causes, creating lasting impact. You can be the one to make a difference.

Call us today, (941) 955-3000. cfsarasota.org

TALK YOU DO WHAT?

&

● BY ILENE DENTON

Laguia present

2016

UNITY CHAD SPENCER

AWARDS

tickets on sale now unityawards2016.eventbrite.com

VIC MOTTO

reinvented his life as a global wine consultant.

As co-founder, chairman and CEO of Napa Valley-based Global Wine Partners, Sarasota’s Vic Motto travels the world—25,000 miles in the first three quarters of 2015 alone—advising hundreds of winery owners, importers and distributors on mergers and acquisitions and business strategy. He and his wife, Sandy, former director of public relations for Robert Mondavi Winery, moved to Sarasota five years ago from Napa.

ON THE GO

“The industry is very fragmented.

In the U.S. alone there are 8,000 wineries, and over 100,000 in the rest of the world. Most are mom-and-pop, but [many] are meaningful-sized businesses that operate nationally or internationally. I work with wineries mostly in the U.S. but also in Italy, France, Spain, Australia, Chile, Argentina.”

TUESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2016 11:30 A.M. TO 1 P.M. MICHAEL’S ON EAST

20

FROM ABC TO CPA

“I grew up in Tampa and majored in accounting at USF. I’d worked at ABC Wine & Spirits, where they had a 30-minute class every week for employees on wines of different regions; after a year

you knew quite a bit. I started my career as a CPA for Arthur Andersen, where real estate was my specialty.”

LIVING THE DREAM

”After my mid-life career crisis, I decided to take a vacation trip to Napa Valley to think and relax. I decided I was going to move there and get involved with the wine industry. My skills are portable, so I learned the industry, met people and slowly built up a base of clients. That was 34 years ago, and since then I’ve worked with everybody in the industry. I created my own fantasy and then lived it.

It paid off in every way, including meeting my wife. I really scored.”

941CEO

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MICHAEL DONALD EDWARDS AND ALL OF THE 2016 UNITY AWARDS WINNERS!

To learn about our wealth management capabilities, please contact PAUL HUDSON or KIMBERLY BLEACH, CFP® Private Client Advisors 941.951.4111 kimberly.bleach@ustrust.com or paul.g.hudson@ustrust.com Plaza at Five Points 50 Central Ave., Suite 750 Sarasota, FL 34236 ustrust.com

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Ask the Originals

TALK BIZ BITES ● BY HANNAH WALLACE

It’s been a long day at the office.

Where’s a great place to go to relax?

(941) 952-9400 | halfshellseafoodhouse.com

(941) 748-8087 | pier22dining.com

(941) 358-1353 | the-white-horse-pub.com

www.DineOriginal.com 22

Enjoy sushi and other Japanese favorites at Utamaro. the place The long narrow dining room is sleek and atmospheric, with a sushi bar stretching half the length of the space opposite a single line of tables, plus a couple of window-side tables up front. Expect a chorus of “Thank you!” and “Arigato!” from the sushi chefs when you depart.

the people A popular spot for youngish, downtown moversand-shakers, and on occasion, a celebrity or two. time factor Sushi isn’t the speediest of foods, though the staff is attentive and well-coordinated.

Don’t rush; savor. the food Utamaro is a great go-to when you’re craving a roll,

either something traditional or a specialty creation like sweet-and-spicy bang bang shrimp roll, the light and fresh Chef’s Choice Sashimi lunch ($16.95) or the familiar Teriyaki chicken ($9.95). All lunch dishes come with miso soup, green salad and steamed white rice. You won’t feel weighted down when you go back to the office, just perfectly satisfied.

utamaro > 1900 Main St., Sarasota (941) 366-0095

941CEO

ALEX STAFFORD

(941) 484-9551 | crowsnest-venice.com

w e S t c o a S t b l a c K t h e at R e t R o u P e

ApplAuds

 Steve KRauSe  Our Advisory Board Co-Chair

A true leader in diversity!

 Continuing our 16-year tradition of diversifying the area’s cultural scene, WBTT invites you to enjoy:

By Alfred Uhry

By August Wilson

Written and Directed

by Nate Jacobs Jan 13 to Feb 20, 2016

MaR 2 to aPR 9, 2016

aPR 20 to MaY 28, 2016

westcoastblacktheatre.org 941.366.1505

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As our nation becomes 2016 more multicultural and our workplaces become more connected to the AWARDS world, diversity and inclusion have never been more important. By 2050, no ethnic or racial majority will exist in this country. Employers who encourage diversity in all its forms are positioning their companies for growth. For six years, 941CEO, formerly Biz(941), and La Guía have been celebrating those who champion equality—whether it’s based on race and ethnicity, gender, ability, sexual orientation or cultural background.

UNITY

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BARBARA BANKS

MEET OUR 2016 CHAMPIONS OF DIVERSITY. 24

941CEO

Entrepreneur Winner

2016

UNITY

JETSON GRIMES

AWARDS

JETSON GRIMES’ CREATIVE TREND barbershop is more than a business. It’s a community hub where visitors stop by to invite “Jet” to a meeting, drop off pastries and exchange news, confide a secret or get a haircut from the man who has trained scores of area stylists, all the while working tirelessly to keep Sarasota’s Newtown a thriving African-American business community.

Grimes was born five blocks from where his store stands and graduated from Booker High School in 1958, as did his wife and two children, one of whom teaches there now. He became a businessman right out of high school. It wasn’t always easy, especially during the cocaine epidemic of the early 1980s when Grimes picketed dealers’ haunts and had his car windows broken and firebombs thrown into his house in retaliation. “I wasn’t going to let them beat me,” he says calmly. In fact, Newtown’s resilience is its own best reason for existence, he says. “I’ve seen African-Americans achieve in my own community; I’ve seen success,” says Grimes. “Our community needs to see that. Our kids need to see success and prosperity.”

Over the years, Grimes has organized nonprofits to help at-risk youth get tutoring, first-time homebuyers get loans, entrepreneurs set up shop and investors to come into the neighborhood.

Thirty years ago, he began collecting images and video to document his beloved community; much of that was on display when Newtown celebrated its Centennial last year.

At 75, Grimes has no intentions to slow down. “This is beautiful—the community, the problems, the issues,” he says. “I get my rewards every day. It’s all fantastic. It really is.” —Anu Varma

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2016

25

Education Winners

2016

UNITY

BOB AND JOAN GEYER

AWARDS

THIRTY YEARS AGO, Joan Geyer volunteered with the Guardian Ad Litem program in Sarasota, shepherding through the court system vulnerable children who had been removed from their homes because of abuse, neglect or abandonment. One case involved a psychotic mother who couldn’t provide for her children and lost custody. Geyer says it would have been unthinkable for the state to have taken her own children away when she had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer years ago and couldn’t care for them. Her anguish spurred her to search for a better way to support the mentally ill.

After years of research, she and her husband, Bob Geyer, the president of Sunset Automotive Group, heard about the nonprofit Vincent House in St. Petersburg. Founded in 2003, this program trains adults with mental illnesses for real jobs—the tagline is “recovery through work”—and has had remarkable success. Last year, the Geyers purchased property off U.S. 41, south of Bee Ridge Road, and began making plans to start a Vincent House in Sarasota. Called Vincent Academy, it will be open to anyone with a diagnosis.

The program is not therapy, Joan emphasizes.

It is vocational education with one-on-one support from staff who not only train clients (called members), but help them find a job and then train for the job themselves so they can work side by side with a member to transition them to the work world.

The Geyers have committed to building a 7,500-squarefoot facility, as well as supplementing the first year’s operations. The state’s Central Florida Behavioral Health Network has already committed $370,000 annually in recurring funds. “Every community should have one,” Joan says. –Susan Burns

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941CEO

Nonprofit Winner

2016

UNITY

JUNIOR SALAZAR

AWARDS

WHEN JUNIOR SALAZAR watched presidential candidate Donald Trump eject a Univision journalist from a press conference last summer, he channeled his anger. Salazar, 28, founded and is now executive director of the United Nations Organization (UNO), which helps “individuals fight for their rights and liberties in this great country,” he says. Last fall, UNO organized the first Minorities Citizenship & Voting Awareness Walk, which drew 200 people and registered 15 new voters. Salazar, whose day job is community relations manager for OneBlood, is also organizing a series of citizenship clinics this spring. “[Trump] has awakened those who, in a normal election season, may not vote,” he says. “I want to get them to feel like their voice and opinion matter.”

Born in Bradenton and raised in Mexico until he was 4, Salazar and his sisters grew up poor. When he was 9, his father committed suicide. He credits his mother’s strength for getting him through the subsequent dark times. “My mom has been my backbone,” Salazar says.

Salazar was one of the first in his large family to graduate high school and to earn an associate’s degree. He’s working on his bachelor’s now. He has volunteered in his community since eighth grade and won the Governor's Point of Light Award, the Bright House Youth Service Award and the President's Call to Service Award.

He has served on the board of America's Foundation for Suicide Prevention and in 2014, was elected president and chairman of the Gulf Coast Latin Chamber of Commerce.

“I’m truly blessed to have experienced so many things,” says Salazar. “Anytime I’m blessed, I’ve been able to pass those blessings on and put everything I can into it.” –Anu Varma

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2016

27

Legal Winner

2016

UNITY

LINDA HARRADINE

AWARDS

GROWING UP IN UPSTATE New York, Linda Harradine worked in a nursing home, tutored kids in a juvenile facility, and eventually earned a master’s degree in social work. She’d realized that all the people she helped had unresolved legal issues, so law school became the natural next step.

“As lawyers, we hold the keys to the courthouse,” says Harradine, executive director of Legal Aid of Manasota since 2001. “You can go in as your own attorney, but it’s not a level playing field. Attorneys understand the rules.

We can do things no one else can.”

Harradine has been a fixture at Legal Aid of Manasota since 1998, when it consisted of four people in a tiny office helping people from all walks of life who couldn’t afford legal counsel remain in their homes, regain custody of their children or obtain crucial cancer treatments. In 2014 alone, the nonprofit handled 1,710 cases, and pro bono attorneys donated 6,502 hours of time valued at $1.3 million. Last year, Harradine also oversaw a spacedoubling expansion that enables more attorneys to volunteer. And using a recent grant from the Patterson Foundation, the organization is now developing a business plan to provide document preparation services for those who earn too much to qualify for legal aid but still can’t afford legal fees.

Harradine believes in cooperating with other agencies, those helping domestic violence victims for example, or veterans. “It doesn’t make sense to work in a silo,” she says. “Diversity has to be a running theme.

It’s vital that everyone in a community recognizes we’re all different in some ways.”

–Anu Varma

28

941CEO

Health Care Winner

2016

UNITY

WILLIAM CARTER

AWARDS

WILLIAM CARTER SAW FIRSTHAND the ravages of HIV when a favorite uncle was diagnosed in the mid-1980s. He decided that if he ever got an opportunity to help someone with the same disease, he would.

Carter understands hardship. In his youth in Connecticut, despite being an engineering college graduate and Army veteran, he found himself living out of his car and in a friend’s basement.

He refers to the experience as a “chance” to understand how easy it is to get there.

“Anything I can do for someone else is a necessity for my own spiritual growth,” says Carter, whose day job is as prevention/ intervention specialist at First Step of Sarasota, but who spends the rest of his waking hours as HIV clinical coordinator for Genesis Health Services. Late into the night, Carter can be spotted driving around impoverished neighborhoods, homeless camps and parks, distributing literature about AIDS prevention and HIV awareness, counseling those who have been tested and urging those who haven’t to do so. “I’m stuck on the help wagon,” he chuckles. “But there’s just so much fulfillment.”

Carter also helps organize a gospel explosion/health fair to coincide with the seven times a year that a day is dedicated to anything to do with AIDS/ HIV. He credits some of his devotion to being from “a family of overachievers,” but also to understanding that AIDS/HIV is a problem that affects all of society. In fact, he says that recently, he has seen more HIV-positive results coming in from the relatively affluent.

“We’re talking about a disease that doesn’t discriminate,” says Carter.

“It doesn’t stay on one side of race or ethnicity lines. It’s a people problem.” –Anu Varma

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2016

29

Arts Winner

2016

UNITY

MICHAEL DONALD EDWARDS

AWARDS

MICHAEL DONALD EDWARDS, producing artistic director of Asolo Repertory Theatre, was a teacher in his native Australia, and he remains one still.

Edwards is behind Out@AsoloRep, a popular monthly series at which participants enjoy cocktails, watch a current production, hear insights from Edwards, and listen to presentations from two local nonprofits of interest to the LGBT community. It began in 2009 when Asolo Rep was invited to be one of 150 theaters joining in a simultaneous live reading of The Laramie Project, the play inspired by the beating death of gay student Matthew Shepard. Afterwards, the theater hosted a community forum at which many LGBT activists spoke, and a notion was born.

“It grew really organically,” says Edwards. “We thought, wow, as a theater, we have an opportunity to bring people together from all different walks of life and discuss ideas of what it is to be a citizen. I’ve come to believe that as an active director, as an active involved citizen, part of my job is to build social capital, opportunity for everyone to be invested in the health and future of the community.”

Out@AsoloRep now has 128 subscribers, which Edwards attributes both to Sarasota’s sophistication and to the series filling a void. “Opportunities to get together are shrinking, but people still crave human interaction,” he says. “In theater, you’re going to hear what you think about life. You’ll be asked to walk in someone else’s shoes. You will be caught up in a suspension of disbelief in real time. You can tell I’m excited about this.” –Anu Varma

30

941CEO

A D VER TI SEMENT

LABOR LAW

HULTMAN SENSENIG + JOSHI, P.A. YOU + US = WORKPLACE SOLUTIONS

2055 Wood St., Suite 208 Sarasota, FL 34237 (941) 953-2828 hsjlawfirm.com AWARDS • 2008-2010, 2014, 2015 Lori Hultman, SuperLawyer • 2009-2015, Christine Sensenig, Florida Trend Magazine’s Legal Elite • 2015, Christine Sensenig, Superlawyer COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT HS+J supports local nonprofit organizations with board membership, financial support and training.

FROM LEFT:

Lori Hultman, Christine Sensenig and Nik Joshi

THERE ARE MANY REWARDS as an employer. However, dealing with employment law is not among them.

Hultman Sensenig + Joshi can guide you through the maze of laws and regulations governing your business.

Their experienced attorneys know how to respond to a Department of Labor investigator wanting time records, an employee complaining about discrimination, or an independent contractor filing for unemployment.

Lori Hultman and Nikhil Joshi are board certified by the Florida Bar as specialists in labor and employment law and, Nik Joshi’s MBA has a concentration in human resources management. Both

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2016

Christine Sensenig and Lori Hultman have practiced in-house for large corporations. These varied backgrounds create a practical, business-oriented approach.

The firm seeks to establish long-term client relationships by listening to your goals and learning about your business needs. This enables them to develop customized policies and training to minimize employment legal issues. Attorneys provide timely, personalized service and strive for cost-effective solutions, whether to prevent a problem or defend against a charge or lawsuit. Hultman Sensenig + Joshi handles your legal needs so you can focus on your business.

HS+J attorneys have over 70 years of combined legal experience in labor and employment law. The firm provides advice and litigation defense to private and public employers in all areas of employment. This includes drafting handbooks, policies, training management and staff, conducting investigations and defending against discrimination, harassment, overtime, retaliation and whistleblower claims. The firm drafts and enforces employment contracts, including independent contractor and non-compete agreements. HS+J represents management in union negotiations. It also conducts I-9 audits and advises about agricultural law and H2A compliance.

31

Business Winner

2016

UNITY AWARDS

32

NORTHERN TRUST

WHEN NORTHERN TRUST senior vice president Steve Krause picked up an article about Trinidad and Tobago, he was intrigued. He realized that he didn’t have to go far if he wanted to learn more: A bank colleague hails from the islands.

“I began thinking about the diversity that we all bring to our relationships—backgrounds, religions, cultural heritage, families, work experiences, disabilities and more,” Krause says. “I wanted to know more about the people I work with every day. The better we know each other beyond what we do at work, the closer we become as a ‘work family.”

So in September 2013, Krause initiated “The Many Faces of Northern Trust,” a monthly brownbag lunch program that invites colleagues to put on informal presentations about themselves.

“Each sharing is different from another,” Krause says. “Some people bring photos or family heirlooms, others have brought in traditions of their culture.”

Krause says Northern Trust’s commitment to diversity and inclusion is key to the company’s success. “Employing diverse people brings a proliferation of ideas and approaches and, ultimately, better products, services and servicing,” he says. “Valuing and celebrating diversity—in clients, employees and communities—distinguishes us in the marketplace. By fostering an inclusive environment, we elevate employee engagement, enabling our people to effectively contribute.”

“Many Faces” has become so popular that employees look forward to finding out who the next speaker is; encores have even been requested. “This has definitely brought us closer together,” says Krause. “Creating an environment that encourages people to ‘bring their whole self to work’ makes us better.” –Anu Varma

941CEO

Since 1973, Cumberland Advisors has been a trusted source for expert, personalized money management.

Our firm manages more than $2Â billion in fixed income and equity accounts for individuals, institutions, retirement accounts, non-profits and government entities.

cumber.com | 800.257.7013

2 North Tamiami Trail, Suite 303, Sarasota, FL 34236

@CumberlandADV

W W W.GR A I NGP.C OM

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2016

33

Alumni Winner

2016

UNITY

DR. LISA MERRITT

AWARDS

AS A PHYSIATRIST, 2012 Unity Award winner Dr. Lisa Merritt has been devoted to improving the health of her patients. But for the last 25 years, in addition to her private practice, being a devoted mom to her now teen-age daughter and a caregiver to her parents, Merritt somehow has found the time to dedicate herself to leveling the health care playing field for the community.

As the founder and CEO of the nonprofit Multicultural Health Institute, she has used a grassroots approach to work with dozens of local organizations—the Center for Building Hope, HIV/AIDS Network of Southwest Florida (HANS), Genesis Health Services, Gulf Coast Medical Society, Jewish Family & Children’s Services to name a few—to eliminate the chronic and mostly preventable conditions of the uninsured and underserved. Her efforts have touched the lives of more than 25,000 Sarasotans, giving them the resources, support and knowledge to make smarter lifestyle choices.

Merritt sometimes seems to be everywhere— teaching at New College of Florida, creating a local scholarship program in elementary schools through colleges to create health care leaders, initiating a senior wellness program and conducting cancer survivor and caregiver groups. Her patients, students and healing circle participants have learned about cooking and nutrition, stress management, cardiovascular health, dementia prevention and caregiving.

Her recent awards include the national 2014 Council on the Concerns of Women Physicians Award and the Sarasota County 2015 NAACP Freedom Award.

And now, Merritt is taking her advocacy and holistic approach to wellness to Manatee Rural Health Services as director of care coordination for special populations. “I can impact thousands of people’s lives and help design models for future health care delivery,” she says. “I love this work.” –Susan Burns

34

941CEO

Laguia

[

&

thank our 2016 Unity AwArds event sponsors for promoting inclusion and embracing diversity.

LoRi HuLtman

John Weber

Kimberly Bleach, CFP ®, CtFa, aDPa

florida bar board certified labor and employment attorney

senior vice president and florida regional manager

senior vice president, private client advisor

at hultman SenSenig + JoShi law Firm, we celebrate, practice and advocate the peaceful coexistence of different ethnic backgrounds, cultures, interests, convictions and lifestyles. We seek equality for all in every aspect of our practice.

at Zenith, we are committed to an inclusive workforce rich in diverse people, talent and ideas. We believe that a mix of experiences and backgrounds fosters cultural growth, tolerance and mutual respect, and that these core values have made us into the company that we are today.

at u.S. truSt, Bank oF ameriCa Private wealth management, we have a longstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion. We value our differences – in thought, style, culture, ethnicity, and experience – understanding that diversity and inclusion make us all stronger. We are better when we’re connected.

Roxie Jerde

DouG WaGnER

natE JaCoBs

president and ceo

director, adult career and technical education

founder and artistic director

at the Community Foundation oF SaraSota County, our values of compassion, empowerment, innovation, integrity, quality and stewardship guide everything we do, every day.

manatee teChniCal College is dedicated to being an educational community where all individuals are welcomed and afforded courtesy and respect. We believe that valuing diversity enhances learning and adds to the quality of life for all.

weStCoaSt BlaCk theatre trouPe endeavors to produce plays that promote and celebrate the african-american experience and attract diverse audiences, while using its productions as a vehicle for supporting african-american artists and building the self-esteem of africanamerican youth.

THE CEO ROBERT SAMBURSKY

THE VISIONARY 36

941CEO

THIS OPHTHALMOLOGIST MARRIES MEDICINE AND BUSINESS TO LEAD A SARASOTA BIOTECH FIRM.

S

by David Ball

Photography by Alex Stafford

aying Robert Sambursky was destined to become an ophthalmologist might be an understatement. His father, grandfather and brother were all successful eye doctors, and the family expected him to follow suit. But early on his family noticed something else in Sambursky: an entrepreneurial spirit. In junior high, he made money collecting and selling baseball cards, first to friends and then professionally at sports card and memorabilia shows. So should he choose business instead of medicine, they wondered?

As it turns out, he chose both.

Sambursky, now 44, became an ophthalmologist and parlayed that expertise into a fast-growing medical testing company, Rapid Pathogen Screening Inc. (RPS), based in Lakewood Ranch. He started the concept for the business with his brother and father in 1999 in Binghamton, N.Y., and incorporated in 2004 in Philadelphia. Sambursky moved to Sarasota in 2005 and established the company in Lakewood Ranch in 2008. He now serves as chairman and CEO. RPS manufactures and sells several products that some experts say are transforming the eye care field. AdenoPlus allows detection of the most common viral

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2016

form of conjunctivitis, or pink eye, and InflammaDry detects dry eye disease. A third product, FebriDx, can test for an immune response to respiratory infections and whether the infections are viral or bacterial, though it is only available in Europe and not yet approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The tests are quick and accurate and can be done in doctors’ offices instead of labs.

The technology at the heart of RPS products—testing strips that react to blood or eye fluid (tears) —has potential applications across other health care fields, which has helped attract $83 million in investments. Its staff has grown from a handful of employees in 2005 to nearly 70 today.

37

THE CEO It can take years to achieve profitability in the medical diagnostic field after investing tens of millions for research and development, manufacturing, clinical trials and regulatory approval. RPS’s tests are fairly inexpensive at $10 to $12 each, and doctors use them once and throw them out (think home pregnancy tests), so tens of thousands of tests have to reach the market. That takes a huge sales force, which comprises half of RPS’ 70 employees. Sambursky doesn’t share revenue or sales figures, but he says just one client, CVS Minute Clinic, has RPS products in about 1,000 sites across the U.S. “[Our date of turning a profit] has always been a moving target,” he says. “We’re about 85-90 percent of where we need to be. It looks like right at the end of 2016 or early 2017 we should become profitable.”

Sambursky describes himself as a fairly hands-on CEO, but he still finds time to see patients at Coastal Eye Institute offices in Lakewood Ranch and Bradenton about 12 hours a week. Remaining a practicing clinician has been helpful in running RPS. He remains close to those who use his products, and the process of diagnosing a patient and forming a plan for care can be analogous to tackling problems in business. “It’s actually a perfect design for me,” he says. “The truth is, I love being a doctor and I love helping patients. At the same time, I actually think that skill set is making me better at what I do in business.”

Sambursky hails from an uppermiddle-class family in upstate New York. A biology degree from Brown University led to medical school at Boston University.

On one visit home to New York, Sambursky’s father introduced him to the CEO of a U.S. subsidiary of a German biotech company, Securetec Detektions-Systeme AG, which produced a novel test that 38

SAMBURSKY’S Rx FOR SUCCESS LEAD BY EXAMPLE Don't ask your investors or your team to do anything you can't stand behind or are not willing to do yourself.

DON'T BE UNDERCAPITALIZED Programs always cost more and take longer than originally forecasted.

GIVE EMPLOYEES A VOICE A flat organization with a positive corporate culture fuels productivity.

NOT EVERYONE WILL EVOLVE With a rapidly growing company, some people who may have been a great fit at a specific inflection point may not remain the right person over time.

INTEGRITY IS EVERYTHING Executives have to make tough choices, but in the end no one will fault you if you fight for your company and your team.

YOU CAN'T DO IT ALL YOURSELF It’s important to build a strong team around you and to empower them, even if initially it feels like it is slowing you down. In the long run, the team's growth and support will catalyze your ability to be more effective.

could detect illicit drugs in human sweat. Sambursky discussed the technology with his ophthalmologist brother and father, and the family immediately saw the potential applications in their field.

In 1999, the Samburskys formally partnered with the German company to produce what would eventually become AdenoPlus. The German firm manufactured the products; Sambursky’s brother and father paid for the clinical trials and regulatory testing while Sambursky worked with the FDA and essentially developed the prototypes during his medical school residency.

After a proof of concept, Sambursky approached family, friends and some attending physicians and residents of his hospital for investments. He raised about $3 million, which carried the company through additional clinical trials and further product development.

“The quality of life in Sarasota made recruiting people 1,000 times easier.”

Then they were ready to establish a company.

Sambursky says the frigid weather and sluggish economy of his hometown would have made it hard to attract employees and set up the infrastructure for a biotech company.

His parents owned a home in West Palm Beach, so he knew the economy and environment in Florida could work. He still needed a day job as an ophthalmologist, but any practice that hired him needed to allow some flexibility for him to work on the business. Manatee Sarasota Eye Clinic, now Coastal Eye Institute, fit the bill.

941CEO

“It couldn’t have turned out better,” he says. “The quality of life [in Sarasota] is unparalleled, and there’s a tremendous amount of access to philanthropy and retired biotech and medical professionals who are eager to help or consult. It turned out to be a very special place and made recruiting people 1,000 times easier.”

Eventually, the company moved into offices in Lakewood Ranch, on Delainey Court near State College of Florida.

The company has expanded from one office “pod” to three, including a Biosafety Level 2 Lab. Sambursky says he’s had to recruit some top executives from outside of Sarasota, but many employees have been hired locally.

Sambursky, as president and chief medical officer, continued to raise funds from investors—mostly angels and private equity firms—and hired a CEO to help set up the company and corporate structure. The company bought out the German firm in 2008 and consolidated the entire product development and marketing efforts in Sarasota. A second CEO resigned in 2012, and the board of directors named Sambursky CEO. Sambursky admits it can occasionally be difficult to give up the autonomy he has in making decisions as a physician. “I have to step back and empower the team if we are going to grow as a company. There’s not enough me to go around,” he says.

Dealing with employees has also been a challenge, particularly knowing when to let someone go. “I made the mistake of keeping people around longer than I should have. I thought I was being supportive,” he says. “But I realized is that the other employees rally in support of the removal of someone who is not productive. They want to feel like you are trying to create the best possible team.”

Craig Mallitz, president of Sarasota-based Mallitz Investment Group, which in 2013 invested more than $7 million in RPS, says Sambursky has helped shape a young company into a stable corporation. That eases the minds of investors who could be concerned with a physician leading a 70-employee business.

“That was certainly a consideration with us,” Mallitz says. “It was a long due-diligence process, but we got a chance to know him and he exhibited a strong knowledge of the business. Rob is very detailed. There’s rarely a time when a subject comes up and he doesn’t already have a smart answer.”

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2016

Dr. Herbert Kaufman, a widely published ophthalmologist and director of research at the Louisiana State University Eye Center, describes Sambursky as a “really unusual guy”—a thought leader in ophthalmology who can still bring practical medical products to market.

Kaufman says RPS is already changing medical practice around the world, as its in-office tests can instantly determine whether some eye infections are bacterial or viral, thereby reducing potential dangerous overuse of antibiotics.

Sambursky says the recession was the young company’s

RPS IS ALREADY CHANGING MEDICAL PRACTICE AROUND THE WORLD, SAYS DR. HERBERT KAUFMAN.

RPS makes in-office test kits for dry eye, conjunctivitis and respiratory infections.

biggest test, as he was forced to slash the sales force when investments dried up in 2009. Various FDA testing and regulatory delays also threatened to derail the company many times.

“Oftentimes I felt like we were one step away from the end of the company,” he says. “I’ve been able to fortunately link a whole series of people together and educate them on the technology."

What dug him out of every hole is his conviction that RPS is special. “That enthusiasm has allowed me to bring in investors or influence people, so when we thought it would be impossible to make a deal or change the minds of the FDA, we’ve been able to do it—sometimes right at the last minute. I never stop battling,” he says. “As far as I’m concerned, it’s never over.” π 39

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PERSONAL INJURY LAW

Michael S. Harshman, Esq. YOUR PARTNER IN PERSONAL INJURY LAW.

T OP L AW Y ERS

BETRAS, KOPP AND HARSHMAN, LLC. 6320 VENTURE DRIVE, SUITE 104 LAKEWOOD RANCH, FL 34202 (800) 457-2889 (941) 735-9015 MIKE@BHLAWS.COM

For Michael Harshman, Esq., personal injury repreHarshman graduated from The Ohio State sentation demands compassionate counsel backed by University and earned his Juris Doctorate from the unparalleled personal attention to achieve the best University of Texas School of Law. Board certified possible recovery. Throughout his 30+ year career, by the National Board of Trial Advocacy, Harshman Harshman has earned a reputation for understanding has been admitted to practice in all courts of Florida, the unique circumstances faced by Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas; the U.S. injured people and ensuring his clients' District Court for the Middle District “MY CLIENTS satisfaction beyond the courtroom. This of Florida; the U.S. District Court for CAN EXPECT consideration was demonstrated in the the Northern District of Ohio; and the early 1980s, when he pioneered legal PERSONALIZED, ONE- Supreme Court of the United States.

ON-ONE SERVICE services marketing through electronic He has also received certification media, which gives injured people EVERY STEP OF THE from the Supreme Court of Florida in better access to quality attorneys.

Family Mediation and in Circuit Civil WAY—FROM THE A partner at Betras, Kopp and Mediation. In addition, Harshman is a FIRST TIME THEY Harshman, LLC, Harshman guides his sought-after guest speaker who lends CALL THROUGH clients with expert consultation and his time and expertise to address such RESOLUTION.” sound advice through their most diffitopics as victims’ rights, negligence cult times. As a personal injury lawyer, and torts. he takes a sincere, attentive approach to ensure his Harshman, married to Ruth, has four daughters clients and their families receive the support they and one son, and is an instrument-rated pilot who need to put their lives back together after an accident. also enjoys sailing, skiing, bicycling and tennis.

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FAMILY LAW

Rebecca A. Rider KNOWLEDGEABLE SPECIALIST IN FAMILY LAW.

Rebecca A. Rider has over 20 years’ experience effectively helping clients learn options and reach solutions in the world of divorce in Florida. Rebecca is aggressive and resourceful. Whether your divorce is complex or uncontested, Rebecca will vigorously protect your rights.

She has taken over 40 cases to trial and negotiated numerous settlement agreements. Rebecca is a Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Law Mediator knowledgeable in the collaborative approach to divorce.

If you need an out-of-court settlement or aggressive courtroom representation, Rebecca will help you reach a solution in a quick and efficient manner. She understands the challenges faced by clients and their families while on the road to divorce. Put Rebecca’s experience to work for you. Call the law office of Rebecca A. Rider today to schedule an appointment in her downtown Sarasota office. You will leave with a plan.

434 S. WASHINGTON BLVD. SARASOTA, FL 34236 (941) 928-8214 REBECCARIDERLAW.COM

FAMILY LAW

Edward B. Sobel ALL SIDES OF FAMILY LAW.

Board certified for 25 years by the Florida Bar in marital and family law, Edward B. Sobel provides specialized advice and representation for individuals involved in complex family matters. His areas of practice include Florida and interstate divorce, prenuptial agreements, domestic violence, paternity, parent/nonparent/grandparent child custody and support. His office serves all of the west coast of Florida. Sobel graduated cum laude from Muhlenberg College, where he was a member of the Psychology National Honor Society, and received his law degree from Emory University. Designated an AV lawyer—the highest ranking for professional abilities and ethics—by Martindale Hubbell, he’s also a top rated Avvo 10.0. Certified as a family mediator by the Florida Supreme Court, he offers collaborative and litigation services. In addition to his legal practice, Sobel strives to share his experience and expertise as an instructor of seminars for Florida Bar Family Law continuing legal education.

4900 MANATEE AVE. W., SUITE 206, BRADENTON, FL 34209 (941) 746-1203 EBSOBELLAW.COM | ED@SOBELATTORNEYS.COM

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2016

41

STILL GROWING

BY LORI JOHNSTON

Business owners might want to put plans for any extended summer vacations on hold this year.

The business cycle is taking on a yearround nature in Sarasota and Manatee counties, says Christopher Westley, director of the Regional Economic Research Institute at Florida Gulf Coast University. Year-round residents, from millennials to retirees, and the draw of the arts, beaches and sports venues are contributing to our 12-month market. In fact, the region now experiences fewer seasonal fluctuations than other parts of Southwest Florida and the state.

Overall, Florida is not a bad place to be in 2016. Starting in 2015 and through 2018, the state’s economy is expected to expand at an average annual rate of 3.2 percent, according to the “Florida & Metro Forecast”

by Sean Snaith, director of the University of Central Florida's Institute for Economic Competitiveness. And retailers should feel optimistic. The recovery in the labor and housing markets and lower gas prices are factors contributing to a projected average 4.7 percent retail growth pace during 2015-2018.

For more on the local and state economy, we asked experts to peer into their crystal balls and give us the good, bad and maybes for the coming year.

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OR SLOWING?

EXPERTS FORECAST THE YEAR AHEAD.

W H AT T O WAT CH Partisan economic strategies tied to the presidential election year always stress business owners because of their unpredictability. Chalk it up to the “political business cycle,” says Westley, a period that typically brings heightened economic activity and then a correction. “I suspect a lot of manufactured, unsustainable, credit-induced growth to take place nationally,” he says. “That’s usually what the governments do during election years.”

Our area should grow at even higher levels than the nation does during the election, with construction and real estate as the leading sectors.

Positive indicators for the construction and development industry center around major CONSTRUCTION projects with multiple phases that will take Mary Forristall 10 to 20 years before build out. Among them: continued development of the University PRESIDENT, FORRISTALL Town Center area by Benderson Development ENTERPRISES, at I-75 and University Parkway, the masterA GENERAL planned Lake Flores community by Whiting CONTRACTING FIRM BASED IN PALMETTO, AND 2015 Preston in west Bradenton and the planned CHAIR OF THE GULF COAST $197 million IMG campus expansion.

BUILDERS EXCHANGE “Right now, we look like we have some “Our construction industry healthy growth. The housing market isn’t will continue to see nutty like it was before. My concern is that growth well past 2016. The we’ll turn that corner and we will become challenges are the same as they were nine to 10 years nutty,” says Westley, since Florida and ago during the boom: a our region overheat during a boom and shortage of affordable experience a greater correction during a bust. worker housing and good Now that the Federal Reserve has increased employees who are able to interest rates, the residential sector should pass a drug test and have a clean license and be a brace for smaller levels of investment by legal resident of the U.S. A homebuyers. The region is likely to take a new challenge is going to ding, but should still have a healthy growth be financing. Our banking rate, says Michael Snipes, an economics restrictions have loosened instructor at the University of South Florida, up somewhat, but are still not exactly easy.”

Sarasota-Manatee.

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2016

43

BANKING

Mike Moschella MARKET PRESIDENT, HANCOCK BANK, A MISSISSIPPIBASED INSTITUTION WITH BRANCHES IN SARASOTA AND MANATEE

“In 2016 we expect the lending businesses to continue to increase, both in residential and commercial lending. To take advantage of this trend, we have expanded our Sarasota Business Financial Center by adding a mortgage lending team, an additional private banker and an additional commercial banker.

When interest rates rise, we could see the growth rates slow.”

RETAIL

Mark Chait EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF LEASING, BENDERSON DEVELOPMENT, WHOSE UNIVERSITY TOWN CENTER PROJECT INCLUDES THE 800,000-SQUAREFOOT MALL AND SHOPS, RESTAURANTS, ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT AND HOTELS UNDER DEVELOPMENT

“Our occupancy rate is over 98 percent in the University Town Center area. We expect that next year, demand will keep increasing. Housing starts are way up. We have a growing population that’s affluent, and it’s certainly in an area that people want to be. Our demographics are getting younger, so that appeals to certain retailers. As our population grows, retailers are looking forward. We’re continuing to build and add space and add great new tenants.”

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Global issues could present challenges for businesses with an international clientele.

Economic instability in Europe could have a negative effect on exchange rates, which could make visiting the United States more expensive and could impact decisions by foreign home buyers. “Some of that could be offset by some of the lower cost of living that we have here,” Snipes says.

JOB GROW T H A HE A D

JOB GROWTH MANATEE COUNTY BY 2030

18,666 54,603

Unemployment rates in both counties hit TO their lowest levels in several years in 2015 (4.6 percent in Manatee and 4.5 percent in Sarasota, down from a high of 12.7 percent).

NEW JOBS The job forecast is brighter for young adults, relocating professionals and semi-retired residents. Uneducated, untrained or unskilled SARASOTA workers will have limited options. The state’s COUNTY labor force is expected to grow by an average BY 2030 of 1.7 percent from 2015-2018. Snaith’s report notes that wages and salaries in the state are projected to increase from $398.9 billion in 2015 to $421.8 billion this year to $467.5 TO billion in 2018.

Light manufacturing, NEW JOBS “green” innovators and health care services are among the growth sectors Snipes sees as SOURCE: bright spots.

JERRY D. PARRISH, CHIEF ECONOMIST AND An analysis by the DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH, Florida Chamber FLORIDA CHAMBER Foundation shows that FOUNDATION up to 50,000-plus new jobs could be needed in Sarasota and Manatee counties by 2020 and more than 81,000 new jobs by 2030. “Those who may have a hard time in some other part of the country finding a job certainly have some hope here,” says Jerry D. Parrish, chief economist and director of research for the Florida Chamber Foundation. Manatee is projected to create twice as many jobs partly because the county’s population growth is expected to exceed Sarasota’s growth.

One looming labor shortage economists and industry leaders are watching is in the education field. As the region’s population continues to grow and more schools are built to accommodate the in-migration of families, finding classroom teachers could be a struggle.

Professionals who can dictate their own schedules or split time between cities may find it harder to take a break. Real estate firms such as Premier Sotheby’s International Realty find that associates are spending summers here, instead of in other locations, because of the consistent client base and busy workload.

Manatee is projected to create twice as many jobs as Sarasota.

8,128 26,575

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REAL ESTATE

Judy Green PRESIDENT AND CEO, PREMIER SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY, A DIVISION OF THE LUTGERT COMPANIES WITH MORE THAN 800 ASSOCIATES AND EMPLOYEES IN 26 LOCATIONS ALONG THE GULF COAST AND IN THE CAROLINAS

We’re Getting Older Most of the projected population growth by 2030 is in the 65-plus age group.

Manatee County AGES

PERCENT INCREASE

NUMBER OF PEOPLE

CUMULATIVE

60-64

18.4

4,608

4,608

65-69

41.0

10,177

14,785

70-74

66.2

13,673

28,458

75-79

94.3

13,457

41,915

80-84

49.6

6,069

47,984

85 and up

29.1

3,353

51,337

SOURCE: University of Florida Bureau of Economic and Business Research (BEBR)

Sarasota County AGES

PERCENT INCREASE

NUMBER OF PEOPLE

“There is so much new construction going on.

That’s really increased the availability of properties.

We’ve had an increase in buyers in the higher price range ($1 million and up); $400,000 to $600,000, that’s your sweet spot in the market. While we’ll stay strong, I don’t think we will see the price increase that we’ve seen over the past couple of years. It’s got to level off to be secure.”

CUMULATIVE

60-64

-3.2

1,042

-1,042

65-69

27.3

9,293

8,251

70-74

42.9

13,255

21,506

TOURISM

75-79

73.6

16,636

38,142

80-84

38.7

7,631

45,773

David Teitelbaum

85 and up

26.5

5,363

51,136

SOURCE: University of Florida Bureau of Economic and Business Research (BEBR)

W H AT ’S NE X T F OR T OUR ISM? Visitor levels in Sarasota and Manatee continued to set records in 2015.

Tourism will remain the backbone of the region, closely tied to general economic conditions, Snipes says. Parrish suggests that communities can diversify the tourism industry and get more dollars per visitor by catering to higher spenders, including international visitors, and expanding efforts in hot areas such as ecotourism and agritourism.

“Tourism is a pretty low-impact industry where you have people who come in and visit, but they don’t use services like schools,” he says. “It’s a good way to increase the tax yield through property taxes from hotels and through sales taxes as visitors spend their money.”

Westley is watching the growth of Punta Gorda Airport, with more flights through Allegiant Airlines, wondering how that could impact traffic volume at Sarasota Bradenton International Airport. In 2015, SRQ reduced air carrier fees to help grow passenger numbers.

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2016

PRESIDENT, TEITELBAUM DEVELOPERS, A DEVELOPER, MANAGER, MARKETER AND REALTOR IN THE ANNA MARIA ISLAND REAL ESTATE, HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM MARKET

“Our bookings in place for 2016 are on track to make 2016 even better than 2015, which was a great year. The main challenge and opportunity for our sector are to keep the business pace that we have experienced in the last few years. We have to make sure that we are handling the increase in tourism to the island and area in a way that we don’t negatively impact the old Florida feel of the island and the great laid-back atmosphere.”

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MANUFACTURING

Jennifer Behrens Schmidt PRESIDENT, ATLANTIC MOLD & MACHINING CORP., BASED IN VENICE, AND IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT OF THE SARASOTA-MANATEE MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION

“Florida manufacturers may see growth at a slightly higher rate than the U.S. average due to an increasingly manufacturingfriendly business climate.

There is still a skills gap.

Many manufacturing employers have highpaying, rewarding career opportunities available that go unfilled due to a shortage of qualified and skilled workforce.”

L ONG -T ER M E X PEC TAT IONS In Florida, year-over-year payroll job growth is expected to average 2.2 percent over the next three years, according to Snaith’s report. Job growth has peaked and is expected to lose momentum, he writes, but will still outpace national job growth through 2018.

Over the next 15 years, Manatee County is expected to grow faster than the state average, partly because government is allowing for more growth and density than in Sarasota.

Approximately 45,000 apartments, condos and houses are planned to be developed in Manatee over the next decade.

Parrish, meanwhile, is concerned about fewer 50- to 64-year-olds living in the region over the next 15 years, which could impact tax revenue and markets, such as second homebuyers. He doesn’t have an explanation for this expected trend. Manatee has a loss of 3,402 people aged 50 to 60; in Sarasota, it’s 12,623 people aged 50 to 64, between 2015 and 2030. Meanwhile, a growth in individuals ages 65 and up (see charts on page 45) could mean those residents will be spending more on services, which typically are not taxable, compared to goods, which are taxable.

“When you lose people in this age category, you may lose a lot of spending power,” Parrish says. π

Achieve (verb) : to get or reach (something) by working hard : to become successful : to reach a goal -Merriam-Webster

Achieve Anything 46

The City of North Port’s Economic Development Division works hard alongside local business leaders to achieve goals of success. Contact the Economic Development Division today at (941) 429-7001. cityofnorthport.com

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You do not have to travel for an executive physical.

Executive Health of Sarasota provides a state-of-the-art evaluation in a convenient local setting. Dr. Henson provides the follow up, ongoing care and encouragement you need to achieve optimal health.

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www.executivehealthsarasota.com

“This Year I Will...

BUSINESS LEADERS SHARE THEIR GOALS FOR 2016.

IT’S THE NEW YEAR, time for resolutions and self-improvement in business and life.

We asked some heavy hitters what their goals are for the year ahead. Their answers ranged from the professional, such as increasing sales and employee retention, to the personal (“I want my pants to fit better,” said Lee DeLieto Jr.). Almost everyone responded with multiple goals; clearly, these men and women are used to setting their targets high—and hitting them. Here’s a sampling of their impressive, amusing and ultimately inspiring answers. TO READ MORE, GO TO 941CEO.COM.

CJ Fishman PRESIDENT/OWNER/FOUNDER, FISHMAN & ASSOCIATES, INC.

“Take more personal time for myself. Our company will be in its 30th year of business in 2016 and it is time to adjust my priorities a little toward my family and myself.

I feel this can be done because of the quality and commitment of our associates.”

Dr. Michael P. Crosby PRESIDENT AND CEO, MOTE MARINE LABORATORY & AQUARIUM

Carolyn Mason SARASOTA COUNTY COMMISSIONER

“Get a homeless shelter sited, approved and construction well under way if not completed by end of year in 2016.”

Art Lambert President, S-One Holdings Corporation

“Inspire and nurture the next generation to discover the wonders of the oceans. It is also incredibly important that everyone in our community, especially our children and our children’s children, have experiences exploring marine science, because they are the ones who will be affected most by the threats facing our oceans today.”

“Create a younger generation of leaders. Yesterday, we had one company. Today, we have four [companies] under the S-One umbrella, and our team members can find new challenges and ways to grow. We have had team members actually participate and lead in starting these new businesses, something they couldn’t get from any business school.”

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Troy Roberts

Rob Brady

FOUNDER/CEO, DRUM CIRCLE DISTILLING

Jeff Mayers GENERAL MANAGER, LONGBOAT KEY CLUB

“Increase fermentation and distillation capacity. We are way behind on production of our Toasted Coconut rum.

Since we make our rums completely from scratch, that means more production equipment and distillers. Distillers are particularly difficult to find in Sarasota.”

ROBRADY

Doug Logan PDIRECTOR OF SARASOTA’S HOMELESS INITIATIVE

AND RESORT

“Another year of revenue growth, which in turn will lead to an increase in staffing levels. Hiring qualified candidates in a highly competitive industry [means focusing] on employee retention [and continuing] to be the employer of choice.”

CEO/DESIGN DIRECTOR,

Lee DeLieto Jr. COMMERCIAL REALTOR, MICHAEL SAUNDERS & COMPANY

Terri Najmolhoda

“Try to meet a new person every day. The spice of life is change, and each new person can introduce you to another.”

“The city and county need to tackle homelessness together. I will do all I can in the coming year to heal some of the perceived wounds and close the divide.”

“Unplug! Two years ago my family traveled to Alaska.

There was no cell service, zero.

I painfully detoxed for a few days, but then the freedom became magical. [In] 2016, I want to find another digital detox zone to sample that freedom with my family once more.”

VICE PRESIDENT/ GENERAL MANAGER, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE

“Continue to establish relationships [between Saks and] nonprofit organizations and dedicate my time to charities close to my heart.”

R. G. “Kelly” Caldwell, Jr.,

Harvey Vengroff

CEO & PRESIDENT,

“Spend more time enjoying the development of [employees] I have mentored. Over the last 25 years, 19 [of them] have gone from poverty to become millionaires.”

CALDWELL TRUST COMPANY

“My wife Melissa and I met at a triathlon and we continued doing them until we started a family. Now, 10 years later, [our] three boys have started triathlon training with their swim coach, so Melissa and I have a goal of competing along with our three boys in their first triathlon.”

Alex Miller CEO, MERCEDES MEDICAL

“Be active enough where my iWatch doesn’t buzz me every hour to get up from my desk.

Maybe someday in 2016 I’ll know what it means to reach the elusive 10,000step goal."

CHAIRMAN, VWA

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2016

Betsy Benac MANATEE COUNTY COMMISSIONER

“Adopt a funded work plan for shortterm transportation improvements to relieve congestion in the U.S. 301/41 corridor [crossing the Manatee River].”

Rick Piccolo

Jim Delgado

CEO, SARASOTA

ATTORNEY, KALLINS

BRADENTON

LITTLE DELGADO

INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

“Try to recruit more attorneys for Legal Aid of Manasota to do pro bono work.”

“Spend more time with my grandchildren.”

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BUSINESS

IQ FEATURING EXPERTS IN:

MARKETING, ADVERTISING & PR BARBARA BANKS PHOTOGRAPHY BARBARA BANKS PRESIDENT

Why should I hire a professional photographer?

Q.

A. Your design elements, typography, photography, truly represent your business and may be the first experience one has with your brand—so make it count! The cliché “a picture speaks a thousand words” is quite true. If you’re spending time and resources on building your business image, selecting the photographer suited to you is paramount in order to deliver the superior products/ pictures in a timely fashion.

How do I choose the photographer who is best for my company/brand?

Q.

50

A. Interview photographers, investigate their credentials, view their work (website, Google search), and ask others. Look for the professional who is an expert in what you want photographed: people, product, interiors, architecture.

Ask for references. The person you hire should understand your brand, how to capture what you represent and prepare the photos in formats that match your needs: print for magazines, billboards, web, etc.

search results will be and the more often you will attract the right kind of leads to your business or organization.

This helps create a pull effect, pulling people to your website and social media, versus the push effect you create with advertising.

1421 FIFTH ST., SUITE C SARASOTA, FL 34236 (941) 955-9077 BARBARABANKS.COM

Q.

A. Absolutely. We find with our clients that our generating consistent, quality, relationship-building emails, the results are delivered in the form of product sales, donations and email requests. The key here is for the emails to deliver quality content that the subscriber is interested in reading. Often organizations are not consistent in sending out emails or they only reach out when asking for something.

A. Content is truly the king of Internet marketing. The more often you create new, useful content, the better your

3516 N. LOCKWOOD RIDGE ROAD SARASOTA, FL 34234 (941) 799-9079 BRAND1111.COM

BRAND ELEVEN ELEVEN MELISSA POWLEY LINK PRESIDENT

Why should I invest in content marketing?

Do you still recommend email campaigns?

Q.

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One Smart COOkie.

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2015 Best of srQ “Best Marketing/Pr agency” – 2 years in a row 2015 gulf coast Business review “gulf coast Top 500” – 8 years in a row 2014 small Business award Manatee chamber of commerce 2014 Tampa Bay Business Journal “Top 25 advertising agencies of sW Florida” – 12 years in a row 2010 small Business of the year award sarasota chamber of commerce

941.351.0024 – www.grapeinc.com

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BUSINESS

IQ GRAPEVINE C O M M U N I C AT I O N S ANGELA MASSARO-FAIN, PRESIDENT

How do I know which social media site is the best for my business?

Q.

A. Like all effective marketing strategies, it’s important to research where your customers spend their time. Our social media team helps clients identify the ideal social media platform to interact with the largest appropriate audience possible. We create an online community with engaging posts that focus on specific brands and specialties. Meticulous daily monitoring and analytical tools help us track progress to ensure growth and real results.

What mistakes do companies make when establishing their social media presence?

How does media buying throughout multiple channels help my business?

Q.

A. Successful marketing means extending your message to reach and engage the RIGHT audience— wherever they may be. This starts with gaining a thorough understanding of your product, market and customers.

Our clients’ success is based upon our strategic planning across diverse multimedia platforms—from broadcast and web to outdoor and print. Ultimately, we ensure our clients get the best value for their advertising dollars.

5201 PAYLOR LANE SARASOTA, FL 34240 (941) 351-0024 GRAPEVINE.COM

Q.

A. They sell instead of “share.” There is a fine line between selling your product on social media and sharing what your product can do for your consumer.

The best content is community generated. Think: “Would I want to read this in my newsfeed?” The most successful social media campaigns have invested time and creativity to tell stories about their services, their company and their consumers.

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KEETON’S OFFICE & A R T S U P P LY DIANNE HALE, PROMOTIONAL PRODUCTS CONSULTANT

How do promotional products benefit my business?

Q.

A. Promotional products are a great way to create brand awareness and to get people to remember your business.

L. J. Market Research found 52 percent of participants given a promotional item ultimately did business with that

company. The remaining 48 percent said they would most likely do business with that company because of their gesture.

Research provided by American Marketing Association Baltimore.

What is the most popular promotional product of 2015?

Q.

A. We’ve all been here before: Your phone is dying and you desperately need it, but there is no power source around. Use a “power bank” to give you the charge you need on the go. They come in different battery strengths that can charge a range of devices. Put your logo on it, and consumers will think of you when you save their day!.

817 MANATEE AVE. W. BRADENTON, FL 34205 (941) 747-2995 DIANNEH@KEETONSONLINE.COM KEETONSONLINE.COM

N E X T- M A R K , L L C JOSEPH S. GRANO JR. PRESIDENT

What are the key marketing metrics that my business needs to understand?

Q.

A. Key marketing metrics to track are: brand awareness, ensuring that your

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MA R K E T IN G C R E AT IV E S T R AT E G Y C O MMU N IC AT IO N S

Let’s Talk

At Next-Mark we always listen first. We understand the importance

of developing strategic and meaningful content, but more importantly, we believe in creating a powerful conversation about your brand.

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To engage today, call us at 941.893.3140

or visit our website at www.Next-Mark.com

40 South Pineapple Avenue, Sarasota, FL 32436

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IQ

brand is synonymous in prospects’ minds with your unique brand promise; client satisfaction, a concept that extends far beyond the quality of your product or service to the overall customer experience; customer retention, which involves relationship building that engrains loyalty, creates brand ambassadors and maximizes your investment in their acquisition.

What is the difference between advertising and PR? Q.

A. Advertising is paid promotion. While it generates important exposure for your brand, it can be biased in nature and savvy consumers may not always accept it as truth. With PR, the investment is in getting your message out through third parties such as the media, which generally increases perceived credibility. It’s important to remember both can play important roles in your marketing communications strategy.

How should I approach content marketing and is it worth investing in?

Q.

A. Utilizing content marketing, you can turn your website, social media venues and other information outlets into valuable, go-to resources for the information your clients and prospects want and need. Is it worth the time and effort? Consider this: According to a recent Roper survey, 80 percent of respondents said they prefer to get company information in a series of articles versus an ad.

40 S. PINEAPPLE AVE., SUITE 100 SARASOTA, FL 34236 (941) 893-3140 NEXT-MARK.COM

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JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2016

55

HR CORNER

Creating a Great Place to Work

Larry Face gets to the heart of what motivates your workers.

● INTERVIEW BY LORI JOHNSTON

Q. Laura, the COO of a physical rehab center, has noticed that the number of clients served and overall client satisfaction have been slipping. She called in her leadership team to learn why this is happening.

None of them had a consistent answer, so she asked them to do some investigating and report back in two weeks. But the team leaders weren’t sure what to look for to get to the bottom of poor performance.

LARRY FACE, founder and president, Next Level Achievement, answers. ifty years ago, a leader would tell someone to do something and they would do it; they didn’t ask questions. Then baby boomers came along, and when the leader gave a direction we would ask why.

We didn’t necessarily expect an answer, but we asked “why” anyway. Generation X asks why and expects an answer, and Generation Y doesn’t ask—they just expect an answer.

The skills that need to be used in leadership today are significantly different from 50 years ago: Now you have to get inside [your employees’] heads and figure out what moves them into action.

The first thing I would do as a leader in Laura’s situation is hand out an anonymous employee survey, because if the leaders ask questions but haven’t developed a trusting relationship with the employees, or have lost the trusting relationship, they won’t get the answers they need. The questions can be simple: (1) From the perspective of making this a great place for you to work, what is working? (2) What’s not working? and (3) What would you do or change to make this a fantastic place to work?

56

SALVATORE BRANCIFORT

F

941CEO

Those three simple questions might get to the heart of why [the group isn’t] operating on the level they were before.

In cases like Laura’s, the employer [needs to] understand they have to treat their team as a group of individuals with unique skill sets, and have a clear understanding of how each member is going to interact to maximize the productivity of the team. So if I’m going to make sure my group as individuals are motivated and inspired, I need to ask three more questions: (1) When you think about the role you play in this organization, what do you like doing?

(2) What do you dislike doing? and (3) What are you good at that fuels your energy while you’re doing it?

[The last question] drives to the heart of productivity: Just because an employee does a task well does not mean it challenges and excites them.

For example, if you put me in project management I’ll do a good job, but it

steals every ounce of energy and my overall performance will go downhill.

[When a member joins your team,] learn what role they generally like to fill: asking all the questions, coming up with the big idea, starting the project or finishing the project.

Once you gain a better understanding of where someone should be sitting on a team and engage their skill set, their productivity is going to increase and the team is going to play better as well.

There is a saying, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” That applies directly to the relationship between a leader and their employees.

If the employees feel you care, they become more willing to help. I once held a leadership program for a client in a rehabilitation center and a member of the leadership team talked about how her CEO noticed that she

loved photography, so asked her to take pictures at [company] celebrations and parties. The employee did not make more money, but [the task] engaged her passion within her role and made her feel better about her job.

One of the biggest challenges I see is that leaders don’t ask questions; it’s not the norm. They just make assumptions about what’s best for the employees. But that doesn’t work: Ask questions; build a relationship to be able to get answers to the questions.

And walk your talk. If you’re going to tell people how they should do their job or set the standard for behavior, actions, performance and objective, you have to be willing to demonstrate that. Sixty-seventy percent of people who leave their jobs have left because they lack a relationship with their immediate supervisor, so it’s really about building a trusting, foundational relationship. ■

A D VER TI SEMENT

201 2 & 2016 U N IT Y AWA R D W IN N ER

Lisa Merritt, M.D. Multicultural Health Institute

ACHIEVEMENTS

3260 Fruitville Road Sarasota, FL 34237 (941) 225-8198 the-mhi.org

➧ Developed Gatekeepers of Community Health, Sarasota Community Health Guide ➧ Created Healing Circles and Positive Aging Senior Wellness Series ➧ 2014 National Medical Association (NMA) Council on Concerns of Women Physicians Award

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2016

Through her integrative medical practice, Kinesia Rehab Group, and her nonprofit Multicultural Health Institute, Dr. Lisa Merritt has been the change she wants to see in the world. “Everyone should have access to health care and know how to take care of themselves,” she says. Her nonprofit addresses health disparities through education and prevention, development of community health workers, and collaboration between existing health care and social service organizations. “When we are all involved in improving wellness,” she says, “our communities are better off, and our kids’ futures are brighter.”

57

WHAT I’VE LEARNED

Kristina Butler, co-founder of the multibillion-dollar Comfort Keepers, on confidence, money and moving on.

● BY KIM HACKETT

B

ACK IN OHIO, HOMEBOUND PATIENTS, often the frail elderly, frequently asked home health nurse Kristina Butler if she wouldn’t mind throwing in a load of laundry or running an errand. But as a hospital employee limited to medical care, she had to say no. That inspired her to create Comfort Keepers, a company that could help with companionship and necessary personal services to help people stay at home instead of moving into assisted living. Seventeen years later, Comfort Keepers is now valued at $23 billion and is the second largest in-home services company in the world with more than 800 franchises in the U.S. and seven countries.

Butler and her former husband and company co-founder, Jerry Butler, sold the company to Sodexo, a France-based multinational corporation that specializes in hospitality management, food services and facilities management. Kristina Butler has kept a handful of franchises in Ohio that employ about 250 people and gross about $7.5 million.

Butler, 50, moved to Sarasota full-time in September with her second husband. Already, she’s mulling over new business ventures, perhaps something “wine-related.”

“I thought about the idea of Comfort Keepers for about a year. We were sitting around the dinner table, and I decided to put pencil to paper about a business that would help people with chores, driving and shopping. Our children were 5 and 11 and I wasn’t sure I was up to starting a business.

There was so much at risk. Jerry came from an entrepreneurial family and he was convinced Comfort Keepers would work. Money was the problem.”

“Expect to hear a lot of ‘It’s a great idea, but…’ We decided to franchise about a year and a half in. We were in our 30s, making about $100,000 and no money 58

in the piggy bank. We went to a local bank and the loan officer got shivers when we told him about our business and what we wanted to franchise. He said, ‘My mother needs your help and she needs it now.’ He gave us $32,000 based on our signature.”

“You have to make sure that your concept can be duplicated when you consider franchising. Sometimes it’s a mom-and-pop operation and that’s why it works. You have to ask, ‘Can I train other people to do this?’ Home care agencies are duplicable.”

“You have to be creative with financing. We needed $250,000 to have a lawyer draw up the franchising documents. Then credit cards started showing up in our mailbox. Jerry told me, ‘This is how we are going to do it—borrow from Peter to pay Paul.’ I said, ‘Have you lost your mind?’ But he was right.”

"The industry has become very competitive. When I started the business in 1998 there was only a handful of agencies and today there are hundreds. Seems everyone is getting into the market. In some states it is easier to get into the industry than others because not all states require a license."

941CEO

“Finding employees has been one of our greatest challenges. You can teach a lot of things, but you can’t teach compassion.”

“If you treat your employees with utmost respect, you never have to worry about profits. Happy employees are happy caregivers, and that creates happy clients and a happy life, too.”

“If I could go back in time, I would not sell the corporate franchising to anyone. We sold shares in the company in steps beginning in 2002.

We needed more capital and more employees. Jerry and I were working 100-200 hours a week and it came to the point where we didn’t have time with the kids and with each other. I had had it by 2005."

"Make sure your concept can be duplicated when you consider franchising."

"Sodexo bought out the rest of our shares in 2009.

It burns me every month when I have to pay royalty fees on a business I started.

It’s like I gave up my child for adoption and now I have to watch the adoptive parents make decisions that I don’t always agree with.

On the other hand, they have had some really great ideas.”

"When we landed in Sarasota we knew we were home. We had been traveling the entire state of Florida and stayed in multiple cities.

We returned multiple times the last two years and made the decision to move here full-time this fall."

“My brain is churning for a business in Florida. I’m kicking the can around, trying to do something completely away from health care. My husband and I love wine and we haven’t found many good wine bars. We’ll look at what we are missing here and maybe start something new.” ■

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2016

59

TOURISM BEAT

Meet Market Corporate Meetings Are Big Business. ● BY COOPER LEVEY-BAKER

B

usinesspeople attending conferences want more than face-to-face networking and business presentations.

They also want to get out of the hotel and take advantage of fresh surroundings while they’re away from home, says Felice Levy, the owner of Gulf Coast Meetings and Events, a Palm Harbor-based meeting planning company. Fortunately, Sarasota and Manatee counties possess the climate, sand and charm to draw big-time corporate events.

logistical challenges of rooming visitors in different hotels and coordinating transportation between destinations— especially since many companies are content to book the same exact trip year after year.

Conference Count Neither Visit Sarasota County nor the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitor's Bureau has exact numbers for the local meeting and conference sector. Hotels are protective of their clients’ privacy and don’t always share data with Visit Sarasota County, says Lynn Hobeck Bates, the organization’s communications manager. The tourism agency only collects conference numbers if it’s directly involved in helping set up an event.

The stats Visit Sarasota County does collect show a range from 29 to 38 meetings each year between fiscal years 2012 and 2014, with 27,455 total room nights booked and $22.5 million in economic impact. The Manatee County agency only tracks the percentage of visitors who tell the organization through in-person Q&As that they’re in town for business or meetings. That number stood at 13.6 percent of all visitors last August, the most recent month with available data. That percentage was almost the same as the previous August, when it came in at 14.1.

Lost Opportunity Space Race However, we’re lacking when it comes to one vital metric: space.

“The biggest challenge we have is there’s not enough large hotel space and not enough rooms,” Levy says.

Levy works primarily with smaller events, gatherings that require around 125 rooms; larger accounts need anywhere from 500 to 1,000 rooms to accommodate visitors. The downtown Sarasota Hyatt Regency offers 294 guest rooms; the Ritz-Carlton has just 266.

60

“Those don’t cut it for most of the bigger organizations,” Levy says. Even one of Tampa’s biggest hotels, the Marriott Tampa Waterside, contains only 683 rooms.

The current surge in local hotel construction in downtown Sarasota, adding more than 1,000 rooms, could help make the city a more attractive meeting and conference destination, Levy says, but that will require planners to think more creatively about the

To get a clearer sense of why meeting planners like Levy do or don’t consider Sarasota County when organizing events, last year Visit Sarasota County interviewed 119 planners, some who booked events here, some who considered booking but chose not to and some who didn’t consider the county at all. Sarasota may not have huge hotels, but the survey results show that the city could accommodate many events that don’t take place here. Six out of 10 events organized by planners who did 941CEO

Airport Access The lack of easy connections through Sarasota Bradenton International Airport was identified by meeting planners in the Visit Sarasota County survey as the No. 1 obstacle to more meetings and conferences.

“We know that our airport is smaller than Tampa,” Vanessa Zigich, Visit Sarasota County’s former meeting and group sales manager, told a roomful of tourism business representatives during a recent presentation on the meeting planner surveys. (Zigich has since left that role to work at the Hyatt

COKIE

BACVB

not choose or even consider Sarasota required less than 100 hotel rooms.

But hotel space isn’t the only challenge in trying to grow the number of meetings we host.

Group meetings in Sarasota create $22.5 million in economic impact.

The Longboat Key Room at the Bradenton Area Convention Center.

Regency.) While SRQ may have a limited number of flights, Zigich argued, Tampa International Airport is a convenient one-hour trip to Manatee and Sarasota.

That’s an educational opportunity for meeting planners, she says.

Based on these survey results, Visit Sarasota County is concentrating on

ROBERTS

FEB. 8, 2016 11:30 A.M.

HYATT REGENCY SARASOTA

markets with direct flights to SRQ, like Atlanta and Charlotte, and trying to reach upper management decisionmakers by inviting them and meeting planners on familiarization tours. Visit Sarasota County has also created mailers and newsletters to showcase meeting opportunities. ■

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61

FAST TRACK TALK

JENNIFER RUST

MOVERS, SHAKERS & HEADLINE MAKERS

POSITIONS TAKEN

▶▶ J O D I E H E R N A N D E Z , patient coordinator/ marketing, Sarasota Plastic Surgery Center. ▶ ▶ J E S S I C A R . W R I G H T and E L I Z A B E T H M . O A K L E Y,

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▶▶

B R A N D O N M . TA A F F E

JENNIFER STEUBE

and C H A R L E S A . W O O D J R . , associates in the broker-dealer litigation and arbitration and data breach practice groups, law firm of Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP.

▶ ▶ S E A N F R I E L , senior vice president of sales and marketing, Voalte. ▶ ▶ L E N A W H I T E , chief operating officer; K R I S T I N C A R T W R I G H T , vice president of developer services; and N I C O L A L U T G E R T , vice president of marketing, Premier Sotheby’s International Realty. ▶▶ J E N N I F E R V I G N E , executive director, Education Foundation of Sarasota County. ▶ ▶ H O L LY L I P P S , executive director, Sarasota County Bar Association. ▶▶ J E N N I F E R R U S T , private wealth adviser; and J E N N I F E R S T E U B E , senior

portfolio manager, Synovus Financial Management Services. ▶▶ M I C H E L L E A C C A R D I , chief operating officer; R A N DY R I C H A R D S O N , chief information officer; J O H N M C G O V E R N , chief financial officer; G A R Y A R N O L D , executive vice president and treasurer; and B R U C E I L L E S , chief legal officer, Star2Star Communications. ▶ ▶ M I C H A E L J . TA R G I A , audit manager, Shinn & Company.

▶▶ M I T C H E L L M C K N I G H T , director of public infrastructure, Halfacre Construction. ▶ ▶ R O B E R T B A U G H , chief operating officer, the Chiles Restaurant Group. ▶ ▶ R YA N M C C A R T H Y , event director, Sarasota Music Half Marathon.

RYAN MCCARTHY

MATT DREWS KRISTEN THEISEN

▶ ▶ M AT T D R E W S , commercial division director, Michael Saunders & Company. ▶▶ K R I S T E N T H E I S E N , director of advancement, Children First.

▶ ▶ M I C H A E L H O WA R D , commercial sales, Atlas Insurance.

associate attorneys, Dunlap & Moran, P.A.

MICHAEL J. TARGIA

real estate attorney, Berlin Patten Ebling PLLC. ▶ ▶ M A U R I C E A M AYA , multicultural sales and marketing manager, Freedom Boat Club.

BRANDON M. TAAFFE

MARK C . HANEWICH,

▶▶

▶ ▶ T I M M A R T I N , director, land development, The Ranch Land Partners. ▶▶ L O R I H E L L S T R O M , leasing director, Tampa, St. Petersburg and Sarasota markets, Osprey Real Estate Services. ▶▶ S C O T T G O R D O N , senior vice president of sales, PEMCO (Progressive Employer Management Company). ▶▶ A N G E L A G U E R R E R O , account manager; J U L I A B I T K O VA , tax supervisor; and J E R E M I A H C O K E R and

941CEO

A D VER TI SEMENT

{

GAIL BOWDEN TOP PRODUCER

My Top Three:

Notable Sales

1 MOUNT DORA MEDICAL CENTER Sold $16,300,000 Mount Dora, Fla. Medical Building, NNN Leases, Class “A” Structure.

51,357 square feet.

2 “Be advised. There is a difference.” With recent sales exceeding $50 million in medical office buildings, Gail Bowden knows that success sells.

Drawing on more than 30 years of experience, Bowden is well known for her business ingenuity and ability to navigate the complexities of venture capital, project finance, construction and development. Her project list is extensive as well as her list of accomplishments as an expert and industry leader. She has received various awards and accolades, including her third “Top Commercial Real Estate Advisor of the Year.” Bowden currently ranks #1 in Florida and #5 nationally with Sperry Van Ness through her determination to get the job done as well as her ability to remain focused regardless of the circumstances.

Bowden’s talent for 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.

•

Gail Bowden - Senior Investment Advisor 1626 Ringling Blvd., Suite 500 Sarasota, FL 34236 (941) 223-1525 GailBowden.com Commercial Advisory Group All Sperry Van Ness® Offices are Independently Owned and Operated

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2016

MEDICAL OFFICE BUILDING Sold $8,500,000 Winter Haven, Fla. NNN Leases, Class “A” Structure.

37,519 square feet.

3 DEBARY MEDICAL VILLAGE Sold $6,345,000 DeBary, Fla. Lakefront 4.2 -acre site, NNN Leases, Three-story, Class “A” Structure.

24,000+/- square feet.

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Lisa Krouse is only the fifth female chair since the founding of The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce in 1920.

Best of Conference award from the Florida Outdoor Writers Association for her story, "Manatees Gather at Three Sisters Springs."

Her Authentic Florida blogs can be found at sarasotamagazine.com. ▶ ▶ M I S T Y S T I N S O N of It Works! is the new chair of the board of Selah Freedom. ▶ ▶ The Canandaigua National Trust Company of Florida board of directors appointed S U E A . J A C O B S O N as director. ▶ ▶ T R A M M H U D S O N has rejoined the board of directors of Trust Company of America, parent company TRAMM HUDSON

a paralegal at Shapiro, Goldman, Babboni, and Walsh, P.A., is the incoming president of the Gulf Coast Latin Chamber of Commerce (GCLCC) for 2015-2016.

Originally from Newark, N.J., she moved here 14 years ago and was inspired to join the Latin Chamber by her boss, David Goldman, who had been a board member.

Nearly half of new Florida residents are of Hispanic origin, according to recent Census numbers, and Hispanic businesses and the Hispanic population are a growing part of the Sarasota-Manatee market. Gonzalez sees the opportunity. “Currently, we have 100 active members and 20 percent of those are Hispanic-owned businesses,” she says. “We look forward to increasing [our membership].”

Gonzalez is also focusing on increasing the charitable footprint of the organization with more fund raisers and networking events. In addition to making contributions to Big Brothers and Big Sisters and other children’s charities, the chamber is raising money for Manatee Reads, which helps adults learn English as a second language and better prepare for employment. Last November, the chamber presented its first annual Champion Awards to eight businesses that have encouraged significant growth within their industries by supporting the Latin communities in Sarasota and Manatee.

In addition to her presidency of the GCLCC, Gonzalez is also president of the Suncoast Chapter of the Paralegal Association of Florida. “My schedule is busy, but it’s very rewarding,” she says.

—Caitlyn Sanderson

▶ ▶ E L I Z A B E T H B I R TA , staff accountants, CS&L CPAs. ▶▶ B E T S Y C . P E N N E W I L L , corporate counsel; J A N E T S .

WAT S O N , director of donor engagement; M A R G A R E T “ P E G ” B E C K , director of human resources; and E R I N J O N E S , promoted to vice president of finance and operations, Community Foundation of Sarasota County. ▶▶ M E R E D I T H S C E R B A , 2017 World Rowing Championships event director; and M E L I S S A M I T C H E L L , marketing and communications manager, Suncoast Aquatic Nature Center (SANCA).

ACCOLADES ▶ ▶ D O L LY J A C O B S , co-founder of the Circus Arts Conservatory, received a NEA National Heritage Fellowship Award, the nation’s highest honor in the folk and traditional arts. ▶ ▶ L I S A K R O U S E of FCCI Insurance Group is the new chair of the board of The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce; C H A R L E S B A I L E Y of the law firm of Williams Parker is chair-elect. ▶▶

B R I T TA N Y L A M O N T

of The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce joined the board of the Florida Association of Chamber Professionals.

BRITTANY LAMONT

EVA GONZALEZ

FAST TRACKER

FAST TRACK TALK

of Caldwell Trust Company, and T H O M A S S T U H L E Y has joined the Caldwell Trust Company board of directors. ▶▶

DR. J. MORGAN

of O’Donoghue Dermatology was named president of the Florida Society of Dermatologic Surgeons, and head of the dermatology department of the new Sarasota Memorial Hospital internal medicine residency program.

O’DONOGHUE

▶▶

S UFFOLK CONS TR U C TION

was named 2015 Green Business by the South Florida chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council. ▶ ▶ The H O S P I TA L I T Y FINANCIAL AND TECHNOLOGY PROFESSIONAL S FLORIDA

of the travel and lifestyle website, AuthenticFlorida. com, received the 2015 ▶▶

ROBIN DR APER

M A N A S O TA C H A P T E R was named winner of the Tier B (36-70 members) Chapter of the Year Award.

941CEO

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FAST TRACK TALK ▶ ▶ T O D D D . K A P L A N of the law firm of Icard, Merrill received the 2015 Sarasota County Bar Association’s Distinguished Community Service Award for his pro bono services to the Miracle League of Manasota.

Chamber of Commerce honored these businesses at its 95th annual membership meeting.

Hiring Our Neighbors: H AW T H O R N E V I L L A G E O F S A R A S O TA , T H E R E S O R T AT L O N G B O AT K E Y

and

TODD D. KAPLAN

TA B L E S E I D E R E S TA U R A N T GROUP;

Investing in the Future: M AT T E R BROTHERS FURNITURE , P LY M O U T H H A R B O R

and S A R A S O TA F O R D ; Attaining Milestone Anniversaries of Service: G I R L S C O U T S OF GULFCOA S T FLORIDA , O N S A R A S O TA B AY

H E R A L D -T R I B U N E M E D I A

of the law firm of Porges, Hamlin, Knowles & Hawk was elected board chair of Cornerstone of Florida (formerly Manatee Glens). ▶ ▶ The Greater Sarasota ▶▶

TIM KNOWLES

GROUP

and W I L L I A M S ,

PA R K E R , H A R R I S O N , D I E T Z & GETZEN. ▶▶

PUBLIX SUPER MARKETS

topped the list of United Way Suncoast’s 50 Most Generous Workplaces in the

Sarasota area for 2015, and FCCI INSUR ANCE GROUP

shareholders with Willis Smith Construction.

was No. 2. ▶▶ M A R T H A M E Y E R S , business and industry services specialist at Manatee Technical College, won the 2015 EducationWorkforce Partner Award from the Florida Workforce Development Association. ▶▶

C ANNONS MARINA

ranked second in the world for Grady-White sales and customer service for the 2015 model year. ▶▶

B L A L O C K WA LT E R S , P. A .

was ranked a “Best Law Firm” by U.S. News & World Report and B E S T L A W Y E R S in the areas of real estate law and trusts and estates law. ▶▶

TAY L O R A U LT M A N ,

N AT H A N C A R R , D AV I D

and B R E T T have become

OT TERNESS R AY M A K E R

MOVING AND OPENING Financial advisers Brian J. Mariash and J. Barton Lowther have formed ▶▶

MARIA SH LOW THER W E A LT H M A N A G E M E N T in the Merrill Lynch Sarasota branch office. ▶ ▶ S TAT I O N 2 I N N O VAT I O N , a co-working center and business incubator, has opened at 912 Seventh Ave. E. in Bradenton. ▶ ▶ Brian Carlock has opened C R E AT I V E S O L U T I O N S , a marketing strategy, branding, advertising and web creative company, at 650 Central Ave., Unit 1, in Sarasota. ▶ ▶ M I L I TA R Y C U T , a fullservice lawn care company, has opened in Sarasota. ■

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941CEO

THE SEEN TALK 1

3 2

1

941CEO'S PEOPLE TO WATCH 2015.

1 David Dettman, PNC; Fritz Chaleff, National Communicator; Joy Randels, New Market Partners; Johnette Isham, Realize Bradenton 2 Alexandria Davis, CS&L CPAs; Mischa Kirby, Selby Gardens 3 Christina Cherry, InsideOut 4 Charlie Terenzio, USF Sarasota-Manatee; Bill Werdell, City of North Port; Andi Werdell; Andrea Stephens, USF Sarasota-Manatee 5 Joseph McCarron; Chris McGrath, Nancy Masterson, PNC; Dave McCarron, Co-Work Hive 6 Michelle and Jim Ralston, Westfield Siesta Key and Westfield Sarasota Square 7 Nicola Main, Anna Foster, Gulf Coast Community Foundation 8 Jeff Boyd, PNC; Susan Brennan, New York Private Bank and Trust

4

PHOTOGRAPHY: LORI SAX

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6 JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2016

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THE SEEN TALK 3

1

2

GULF COAST LATIN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. 1 Catalina Paz, Maria Hernandez, Gulf Coast Latin Chamber 2 Kevin Perez, Max Health; Audrey Barrientos, 2016 Gulf Coast Latin Chamber Vice President 3 Roberto Ojeda, student; Carmen and Carlos Lebron, Lebron Accounting 4 Arianny and Niurka Bueno, Sun Taxes 5 Elsa Herro, Spanish translator; DeeDee Tate, Weyergraf Immigration 6 Omar Espinal, Gulf Coast Latin Chamber; Milva Belloso, Iberia Bank 7 Francisco Suarez, F&F Parts; Angela Munoz, BMO; Ricardo Diaz, ARD Insurance 8 Esther Espinal, Florida Blue and immediate past president of Gulf Coast Latin Chamber; Hugh Shield, Gulf Coast Eagle Distributers 9 Andras Loballasi; Rosmary Johnson; Tatiana Sauveur, General Electric (GE)

4

5

6

PHOTOGRAPHY: LORI SAX

8

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9 941CEO

DISCOVER Art from the Old Masters to the present day.

The joy of performance in a historic theater.

A miniature circus and big top thrills.

John and Mable Ringling’s bayfront mansion.

Breathtaking grounds and gardens.

DISCOVER MORE

ringling.org |

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S TAT E A R T M U S E U M O F F L O R I D A | F L O R I D A S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y

THE SEEN TALK 1

2

7

PINC SARASOTA 2015 1 Jonah Duvall, Ken Rojas, Ringling College of Art and Design 2 Thomas Koski; Larry Mitchell, Michael Saunders & Company 3 Anand Pallegar, atLarge and PINC Sarasota; Ann Logan, Roger Capote, Selby Gardens 4 Joost Elffers, author and PINC speaker, Harry Anand, Royce International 5 Megan Greenberg, PINC Sarasota 6 Kathryn Parks, Michael Saunders & Company; Nathan Pyatte, PINC Sarasota 7 Jason Nelson, S-One; Daniel Vasquez, BMG

3

PHOTOGRAPHY: LORI SAX

5

4

6

Volume 13/Number 1, January/February 2016, 941CEO (ISSN 1936-7538) is published in January, March, April, June, September and November by Gulf Shore Media, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of SagaCity Media, Inc., 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, 941CEO, 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 2016 by Gulf Shore 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 941CEO, 330 S. Pineapple Ave., Suite 205, Sarasota, FL 34236.

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941CEO

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2016 Unity AwArds LUncheon 2016

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OFF THE CLOCK TALK

IRON MAN

● BY ILENE DENTON

S

arasota attorney David Silberstein took his love for golf and his dedication to helping young people grow and turned it into a volunteer role as coach for the Sarasota Military Academy high school golf team.

In season, mid-August to midOctober, it’s a 20-hour-a-week commitment. He oversees twice weekly practices for the nine-member team—“Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2 to 7 p.m. at a minimum,” he says— on the team’s home course, the Resort at Longboat Key Club. Silberstein coordinates all team activities, travels to tournaments around the region, and even reports tourney results to the local newspapers. (Last year was a very good season for the boys; they placed third in the district tournament and sixth in the regional tourney in Port Charlotte.)

Silberstein, whose son, Jeremy, attended SMA, founded the golf team in 2009. “The school was fairly young then, with only about 400 students [it now has 1,000 at the high school level and a separate middle school] and the kids needed team sports like that,” he says. "Golf teaches them integrity, responsibility, accountability, honor and respect; it’s the only sport where you have to call your own penalties on yourself. You’re teaching them qualities you hope they keep for life.”

Silberstein, an estate planning attorney who’s been practicing law in Sarasota since 1992, grew the SMA team from a club team into a Florida High School Athletic Association Class

Attorney David Silberstein coaches high school golf.

2A team, whose district encompasses Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte, DeSoto and Hardee counties. Jeremy graduated in 2010, but Silberstein stayed on.

“I get more out of it than the kids do,” he says. “I feel like I’m doing something to mold these kids into positive young adults. I feel their pain when they don’t do well, and I feel their joy when they do.” Plus, “For me, it’s fun, because I get to watch them grow up.” ■

BARBARA BANKS

“I FEEL LIKE I’M DOING SOMETHING TO MOLD THESE KIDS INTO POSITIVE YOUNG ADULTS.”

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