Making Waves Making Waves is our honor roll for residents of Southwest Florida’s island coast who, in their everyday lives, make the community special. CLEAN LINES AND GREEN DESIGNS
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ward-winning architect Christopher M. Ressler is refreshing Southwest Florida’s architectural style, using clean lines and forms in his designs with a strong focus on sustainable and energyefficient construction. A project manager at Architecture, Inc., Ressler handles each design from its schematic inception until the client moves into their new space. “We’ve built a reputation as a young, energetic firm and have grown to become a market leader in Southwest Florida, despite the fact that our office in Fort Myers only opened in 2004,” he says. Ressler’s concepts center around architectural functionality inspired by tradi-
tional South Florida architecture. Earlier this year, the Ressler-designed Franklin Shops opened in downtown Fort Myers, providing a sterling example of his technique. Its floor plan allows for dozens of vendors to occupy a single open space without feeling like a street market. “As development picks up again, clients are looking for designs with their own identity, be it through a unique aesthetic or LEED certification,” says Ressler. “[They’re looking for] something to set their investment apart.” Architecture, Inc., 239-476-8888, archinc.com —Veron Ennis
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rom 1994 until 2010, Linda McNabb took to the field as an executive (ultimately serving as president) with the Fort Myers Miracle minor league baseball team. This June marks her first full year of hitting home runs for youngsters as the director of development for Child Care of Southwest Florida. “I’ve gone from facilitating fun events for the whole family to directly improving children’s lives,” says the Ohio native and twenty-five-year area resident. After her mother passed away in 2008 and her father last year, she “wanted to give back
in a different, more impactful way.” Coincidentally, the headquarters for Child Care of Southwest Florida is located adjacent to Hammond Stadium, home of the Fort Myers Miracle. “The location had nothing to do with my decision, but it’s nice to have the same commute from Cape Coral,” says McNabb. “I can hear the PA announcer sometimes. I’ll always be a big fan, and, besides, my daughter still works there as a receptionist!” Child Care of Southwest Florida, 239-278-1002, ccswfl.org —Randy Kambic
CONNECTING COASTS
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or years, artists have flocked to South Florida’s east coast cities. But more recently, Fort Myers has begun to emerge as a center for the contemporary arts. Artist and curator Raymond Hernandez works to link the two coasts by writing about the growing west coast art scene in the Miami-based magazine Art Districts. "The contemporary art spaces found in Fort Myers are exhibiting national and international artists, hosting art festivals, charity benefits, and gala events. In addition to exposing powerful, locally curated exhibitions," he says. “This new pulse of contemporary art is getting stronger, as more artists emerge from our streets and expose their work.” Hernandez returned to Southwest Florida
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in 2005 to begin his career as a full-time artist, after years of illustrating and designing for the fashion and cosmetics industries in New York. Since then, he’s hosted workshops and taught classes for children at the Alliance for the Arts in Fort Myers and at libraries in Lee County. With a full schedule of painting, curating, and volunteering, Hernandez still finds time to spread the word about the local arts scene through Art Districts. “I would like to see these contemporary art communities come together and prosper,” he says. Raymond Hernandez, 863-234-1225, raymondhernandez.com —Veron Ennis
TOP PHOTO BY COURTESY OF REAGAN RULE; MIDDLE PHOTO BY RANDY KAMBIC; BOTTOM PHOTO BY BRIAN STROMLUND
A CHAMPION FOR CHILDREN