In Olympian news: Stephen Nedoroscik shares how he helped bring a historic bronze medal to the Men’s U.S. Gymnastics team in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Brody Malone has beaten the odds time and time again to become one of the best male gymnasts the US has ever seen. Sarasota native Emma Weyant has become one of the United States top Olympic swimmers after medaling in consecutive Olympic Games and Clark Dean, also a Sarasota native, played a pivotal role in Paris 2024 in helping the US Men’s Rowing Team win their first Olympic medal since 2008. BY
DYLAN CAMPBELL | PORTRAITS BY WYATT KOSTYGAN
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A horse is a horse, of course, of course—unless that horse is your trusty sidekick in therapy. Horses are amazing animals, they’re not just pretty faces; they’re ultra responsive and love to help out. Their calming presence can work wonders for both the human body and mind. There are all sorts of equine-assisted therapy programs led by pros who guide clients in activities with horses, and many of them are right here in our neigh-borhood. BY
BARBIE HEIT | PHOTOS BY WES ROBERTS
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Just when you think you’ve got all the court sports down—along comes padel Bob Linde, an acupuncture physician and registered herbalist, has taken the road less traveled. The Sarasota Toy Museum makes its mark on Sarasota with its vast and eclectic array of vintage toys, comics and model railroad. Gator Country breaks down societal barriers while also telling the story of Operation Alligator Thief, a multi-year undercover investigation of illegal alligator poaching rings in Florida.
Multidisciplinary artist Tammy Nguyen shines at her all new exhibit at SAM. Peter Rothstein brings the cinematic to the stage with Asolo’s world premiere of Lady Molly of Scotland Yard. Intertwining the Arabic maqam model system and traditional American jazz sounds, Amir ElSaffar and the Two Rivers Ensemble bring a unique sound to The Ringling’s Art of Performance series. Mixed-media artist Ake Arnerdal does his best to interpret the uncertain times we live in with his latest show.
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Belts are back and they’re making a statement. Take a look at the bold
fashion accessories from our local boutiques. The design team behind the recent refresh at Jack Dusty share a behind-the-scenes look at the process.
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Street food becomes beach food with The Duo Döner & Deli on Siesta Key.
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Scott Libertore is helping disadvantaged children overcome obstacles so they can realize a better future.
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Get to know Andy Guz Manatee Memorial Hospital’s new CEO.
Cover: Men’s U.S. Gymnastics 2024 Paris Olympic medalists Brody Malone and Stephen Nedoroscik, photo by Wyatt Kostygan. Previous page: Meet our hometown Olympic atheletes as they wrap up an epic year at the 2024 Paris Olympics. This page, clockwise: Belts, photography by Wyatt Kostygan; Tammy Nguyen, photo courtesy of Sarasota Art Museum; and, Duo and Donner Deli, photography by Wes Roberts.
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PICKLEBALL, MAKE WAY FOR PADEL
Just when you think you’ve got all the court sports down, along comes padel. Barbie Heit
THERE’S A NEW GAME IN TOWN CALLED PADEL (PRONOUNCED PADDLE), AND IT’S GOT A VIBE THAT’S HARD TO RESIST. Padel is played on a court similar to a mini tennis and squash hybrid court enclosed with glass walls and metallic mesh. It’s always played in doubles, and the ball can bounce off those walls, adding a twist to the game. Plus, it’s often played outdoors. Padel has a cool backstory. It was invented back in 1969 by a guy named Enrique Corcuera in Mexico. He decided to spice up his squash court with some elements of platform tennis, and from that—padel was born. In the '70s, the sport exploded in popularity over to Spain and now, you can find padel courts all over Spain, Mexico, Argentina, the UK and the United States.
This page: Pro instructor Heath Turpin describes padel as a sport that's easy to learn but hard to master.
What makes padel so appealing? It’s the perfect mix of athleticism, strategy and like its cousin, pickleball, it creates an enticing social atmosphere. The smaller court makes it more accessible for beginners, but don’t be fooled—it can still challenge even the most accomplished athletes. Seasoned tennis players definitely have an advantage in picking up and mastering the sport. Heath Turpin, a local tennis pro, has been at the forefront of bringing the sport to the United States and was the first person to place courts in Sarasota. Turpin runs Anytime Padel at the Palm Aire Country Club in Sarasota, where he offers lessons and court rentals for the sport that he describes as “incredibly fun, easy to learn and difficult to master.”
“The growth of padel has been huge worldwide, but very slow locally,” he says. “It’s definitely up and coming but due to the high cost of installing courts and playing, and the lack of awareness of the sport, it’s definitely been slower than we’d like.” Turpin has been working
hard to try and bring courts to public parks in our area which will definitely help to make it more accessible and grow in popularity. If you’re itching to give it a try, here are some quick rules to get you going. To start, who serves first? That’s decided by a simple draw. When you serve, you bounce the ball on the ground and hit it diagonally into the service box. You must hit the ball at or below waist level. As for scoring, it’s pretty similar to tennis: 15, 30, 40 then game. Just like in tennis, if you hit 40-40, that’s a deuce. The court itself is about a third the size of a tennis court, with nets, mesh cages and walls that balls can bounce off of during play.
There are around 30,000 courts worldwide, some of which, including Anytime Padel and The Pad Sarasota which opened near the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport in late July of 2024, are right here in our neighborhood. So grab a racket and get ready to jump into the exciting world of padel. You might just find your new favorite sport. SRQ
This page: Bob Linde demonstrated his knowledge of edible and medicinal plants at the SunHAT Eco-Performance Fest at The Ringling last November. Acupuncture & Herbal Therapies, 6340 Central Avenue, Saint Petersburg, 727-551-0857, acuherbals.com, facebook.com/altmedbob.
A LONG AND SCENIC JOURNEY
Bob Linde, an acupuncture physician and registered herbalist, has taken the road less traveled. Kate Wight
“I WAS A CITY BOY WHO WAS BORN IN CHICAGO AND GREW UP IN NEW YORK CITY,” says Bob Linde. “When I was eight or ten years old, my mom sent me to summer camp in Maine and I hated it. I didn’t like the woods. But the camp nurse took us for a hike and said, ‘Look, here are some wild blueberries. You know, we can eat those.’ Then there was a wild strawberry, and then it was a flower we could eat. For me, food was something that came as a TV dinner. I didn’t know food could literally grow wild like that.” Now an acupuncture physician and registered herbalist with a BS in Education and an MS in Oriental Medicine, Linde runs a clinic called Acupuncture & Herbal Therapies (often referred to as AcuHerbals) in St. Petersburg, FL. He is also the founder of the Traditions School of Herbal Studies which shares space with AcuHerbals. That childhood hike was the first step down a long and scenic trail that would bring Linde to this eventual destination. The next leg began when Linde returned from summer camp and made his first forays into the study of herbalism, foraging for what edible plants he could find in Manhattan and throughout New York City.
“I FOUND THAT NOT ONLY WERE SOME OF THESE PLANTS FOOD, BUT THEY WERE ALSO USED FOR MEDICINE,” Linde says. “I learned the very basic stuff, like this herb is good for cold and flu and this one is good for pain and infection. Beyond that, my mom was a medical writer who was essentially writing medical books for the lay public. When I was around 11 years old, she got a contract to write Dr. Robert Atkins’ second book with
Below: Linde's herb walks have proved to be a popular and accessible way to familiarize people with beneficial plants all around them.
memorization. Next, Linde enlisted in the army and spent two years there, then cashed in his army college fund to buy a sailboat of dubious quality. He lived aboard the sailboat for three years, and spent part of that time living off the land in the Everglades, putting his knowledge of edible and medicinal plants to good use. Linde made it as far as Key West before his sailboat sank for good and he wound up re-enlisting in the military. He
him and there was a shift in our household from a standard American diet of junk food to one that was more health-focused. It also changed her writing from mainstream medicine to more alternative medicine and exposed us both to those ideas. As I started to learn independently about vitamins, minerals and nutraceuticals, I related those back to the plants I was already learning about.”
When he was around 13, Linde and his family moved to an Out Island of the Bahamas, and by the age of 14 he was half-owner of a commercial fishing boat with a Bahamian man who shared wisdom about physical and spiritual medicine while they sat on the shore cracking conch together. “I didn’t understand the term shaman at the time, but now I would call him that,” Linde says. Linde went on to graduate high school with a full academic scholarship and briefly attended college as a biochemistry major with plans to move on to medical school—he soon dropped out after becoming frustrated by the amount of rote
was stationed in Germany for a period which gave him the opportunity to explore a lot of European plants he’d only read about before he was deployed again to Desert Storm for six months. After another short stint in Germany, Linde finally ended up back in Florida.
Using the words “long and scenic” to describe his journey may have been a bit of an understatement it turns out. A selfdescribed workaholic, Linde often found himself working two or three jobs at a time upon returning to civilian life, mostly to keep himself busy. In time, he began feeling so sick and run-down he could barely function. After traditional medicine offered no solutions, someone urged him to go to the local acupuncture school for treatment.
“My first experience there was horrid,” he says. “I’m scared of needles but their response when I told them was ‘you’re a big, tough army guy, you can hang.’ But I went a second time and saw a different student who took the time to explain to me that Chinese medicine had
a different way of understanding the nature of disease outside of the Western medical construct. Acupuncture and herbs were part of this system that was based on something other than symptom suppression.” Acupuncture and herbal medicine helped Linde physically recover and also reawakened those dormant interests in plants and medicine. He enrolled in acupuncture school, originally intending to learn the practice as more of a hobby to use on friends and family. He also heard about the American Herbalist Guild, a professional organization for herbalists, and attended one of their conferences in the late 1990s.
“I walked in the door and here were the people whose books I had been reading and I saw that everybody there knew way more than I ever could,” Linde remembers. “They were quoting the Latin binomials, they were rattling off diseases I’d never even heard of. But what I saw was they didn’t have the clinical experience I was getting in acupuncture school. It was that weekend I decided that even though I hadn’t finished my own training, I wanted to start my own school. I wanted to make it very clinically-focused. I wanted to provide that opportunity for herbalists to get that supervised clinical attention that I think really makes the difference between somebody who’s just smart and good at memorizing and someone who works with living beings and the complexities that come with that.” When Linde isn’t teaching or treating patients, he might be found recording episodes of his Mastering Herbalism podcast or giving one of his popular guest lectures. Some of his favorite events to host are herb walks, where he takes people around to point out edible and medicinal plants growing in neighborhoods and parks. These herb walks sometimes take place in the Sarasota area, like the one Linde held last November at Ringling as part of the SunHAT Eco-Performance Fest.
“The idea of an herb walk, of course, is I hope everybody becomes a crazy wild forager and that it becomes their gateway into herbalism,” Linde admits. It wouldn’t be that unheard of. After all, once upon a time there was a young city boy who hated the woods until a single hike sent him on a long and scenic journey down an unexpected path. “I wish I could remember that nurse’s name from back when I was a kid,” Linde says. “I’d like to tell her thank you.” SRQ
TREASURE CHEST
The Sarasota Toy Museum is a portal to childhood memories for every generation that walks through its doors. Dylan Campbell
WHO KNEW PROCESSED PLASTIC COULD HOLD SO MANY MEMORIES? For just a glance down one of the hallways of the Sarasota Toy Museum, the light reflecting off a plexiglass case holding thousands of toys is enough to evoke a core sensory memory: one of running down the white linoleum tiles of a department store, tugging at your parent’s shirt sleeve, begging them to purchase the newest, latest action figure for you. Toys are and always have been a nearly universal presence in all children’s lives. From prehistoric dolls found at archeological sites to the plastic-wrapped action figures of today—toys have always had a place in the lives of their owners. As kids, we measure our height against them, smash them into each other, dress them up, dress them down and trade them amongst friends and although many grow out of their childhood toys, or simply replace them with golf clubs, baseball cards or other material possessions, their significance does not wane over the years. They are timestamps for different moments in our lives.
RICHARD PIERSON KNOWS THIS. That’s why in August he opened the Sarasota Toy Museum, a 6,000 square foot mecca of all things toys. The museum, which also includes Moose Head Toys and Comics, a retail shop for vintage, well, toys and comics, is home to thousands upon thousands of toys ranging from the late 1800s to today. “I curated the collection in a chronological way. When you first come in you’re going to find toys dating back to the late 1800s and early 1900s. A lot of tin toys, metal dye casts, very old dolls and that type of stuff. That was the start of the toys era,” says Pierson. “Then we move into different display cases starting in the ‘50s, which was the boom of television licensing and toys, before moving to cases filled with toys from the ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s. I also have about 800 lunchboxes, pretty much every metal lunchbox that you can think of.”
Much of the museum’s collection is sourced from Gary Neil, the owner of the now-defunct Vermont Toy Museum who Pierson met while vacationing in the Green Mountains. Neil, who had amassed a toy collection over 40 years, was looking for someone to carry the torch. Pierson, who was already a comic book aficionado, had recently retired from a career in the fashion industry and wanted something to engage both
himself and his family, was happy to oblige. “I started to become really invested in the idea after hanging out with Gary at the museum and seeing people’s reactions when they came in, how appreciative they were of his collection and the joy that it brought them. I began to think that this would be something really cool to have in my life going forward,” says Pierson.
While it’s impossible to try and describe all that is a part of the museum’s vast collection of toys, some of the highlights include an entire section dedicated to 1960s Space Age toys (Pierson’s favorites), roughly 100 different cap guns and holsters dating back to 1880, period. G.I. Joe action figures, Hot Wheels, Barbie Dolls, 1977 Star Wars action figures and perhaps the crown jewel—a massive model railroad, replete with a full replica of Vermont’s Green Mountains and five toy train tracks. The model, which is roughly 30 feet long and 20 feet wide at its widest point, was deconstructed, shipped from Vermont and then reconstructed on site with the help of the Sarasota Bay Model Railroad Society is just as impressive as everything else in the museum. What’s more impressive, however, than just the sheer scale of the museum’s collection is what it stands for. It’s a family-run, multi-generational memory bank, meant for all to come and enjoy. SRQ
visitors to view Sarasota Toy Museum's vintage collection from the late 1800s to modern day. Sarasota Toy Museum, 3580 17 St, Sarasota, sarasotatoymuseum.com
Above, clockwise: Owner Richard Pierson invites
IN THE JAWS OF THE BEAST
Gator Country breaks down societal barriers while also telling the story of Operation Alligator Thief, a multi-year undercover investigation of illegal alligator poaching rings in Florida. Dylan Campbell
IN HER DEBUT NOVEL GATOR COUNTRY, AUTHOR REBECCA RENNER WEAVES TOGETHER A PRIMORDIAL TALE of greed, danger and deceit in Florida’s Everglades, a place nearly untouched by time itself. Following Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) agent Jeff Babuata, Gator Country tells the story of Operation Alligator Thief, a multi-year undercover investigation into illegal alligator poaching. More importantly, however, Gator Country tells the story of a state divided: the rich wonders of Florida’s Everglades squaring off against rampant development. It breaks down the conventional barriers of what it truly means to be a “poacher”, reminding us all there is more to people than meets the eye. In November, Renner came to Sarasota to discuss her book and career at the Sarasota County Libraries and Historical Resources Off the Page Literary Celebration.
GATOR COUNTRY FEELS LIKE A STORY SPLIT IN TWO: HALF ACTION-THRILLER AND HALF LOVE LETTER TO THE NATURAL WONDERS OF FLORIDA. WHAT WAS THE ORIGINAL PITCH YOU HAD FOR THE BOOK AND HOW DID THAT CHANGE OVER TIME? REBECCA RENNER: I had originally thought that more of it would be about me investigating the sting. I had thought that there would be more conflict with my investigation of it and that people would stonewall me more than they did. The Florida Wildlife Commission is really funny, however, because they know that I can put in requests for all of these records (since they’re public records). So they were like, “Just take it, take whatever.” A lot of the records were actual physical notebooks that Jeff kept. He and I went through a lot of them together and he found things in them for me, which was very helpful. Every time Jeff would tell me something, even when it sounded off the wall, I'd dig deep and check in every direction possible if it could be true. And every time it checked out, which doesn’t make for a very exciting half of a book. With a book proposal, you tell the publisher that “I’m going to do X, Y and Z.” A big part of the book was meant to be me going down to the Everglades and embedding with the poachers. And I hadn’t done that, at least not to the degree that I thought I would. So I thought that I was messing it up and hadn’t found the people that I needed to. I was sitting in my apartment going over all my information and suddenly I had this epiphany that I’d talked to so many people who were exactly who I needed to talk to, but they didn’t fit the stereotypes that I realized I was viewing the story through the lens of. I had the people, they just didn’t look how I’d thought they’d look and didn’t act how I thought they’d act. That was the epiphany that made the story. I think a lot of people going into the book would think the same way as I did, that the guys I hung out with down in the Everglades who were former poachers were bad guys. And they're just nice older fellas and you'd never think of it. And that just really hit me. These are guys who might fit in with my family or my neighbors or whoever, and they're not who I was anticipating being the criminals of the Everglades.
THEY DIDN’T SEEM THAT WAY AT ALL? I think a lot of the characters are larger than life, but they're that in ways that you don't expect. All the Gladesmen that I talk to are funny and they're storytellers, but they're also very caring people. A lot of them really wanted to make sure that I was doing okay while I was in the Everglades. I feel like that wasn't what I anticipated. They were very hospitable and kind. I think that comes from me being kind and open going down there instead of just looking for the thing that I thought I needed.
DID YOU FEEL A SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY TO TELL THEIR STORY FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE? I really did because the people of the Everglades have never really seen themselves reflected accurately by journalists who come from outside their world. I don't know if there are stories out there that
Below: Renner takes readers on a trip into the Everglades with her book, Gator Country.
are accurate about them, but that's how they feel. And so many people have reached out to me saying , “Wow, this is us. You got us. You did it. Thank you." That’s been really affirming to me as a journalist that when the people you're writing about say, "Hey, wow, you listened.” That is a great feeling.
IN GATOR COUNTRY, YOU WRITE EXTENSIVELY ABOUT THE TRADITION OF STORYTELLING, ESPECIALLY AMONGST THE GLADESMEN. CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT THAT TRADITION? One of the things that I've realized I didn’t put in the book, but perhaps should have is that the storytelling tradition is passed down from several different populations. One of the settler populations I’ve seen the same attributes of storytelling in, however, is the Irish tradition of storytelling. Floridians and Gladesmen use repetition a lot. They use repetition for emphasis and I do that in the book, although I don’t explicitly call it out. That’s one aspect of the storytelling. But from my own perspective, and something that I saw reflected in the storytelling culture of the Glades that is also present where I'm from, there’s a tradition that the old folks tell stories about the times when they were young. They give a lot of texture and backdrop to the world, just in their descriptions and the patterns and stories follow. Some of those patterns are the old mythic story patterns, like Robinhood taking on the man in Europe and beyond. I really like storytelling and really enjoyed doing that research and seeing the ancient story forms pop up in places that I wasn’t expecting.
WHAT WAS THE TIMELINE OF YOUR CONNECTION WITH JEFF BABUATA? I got in touch with Jeff early on in the pandemic before I sold the book. Getting to know him was slow and then all at once, because we both realized that we were trustworthy people and that we have a lot in common. He was eager to have his story told because he feels it's a story with a purpose, to protect the wild. Especially when it's an animal that people believe erroneously does not need protecting. Because there is no animal that doesn't need protecting. He's a great storyteller and that was the real meat of what I was doing. The way he told the stories really helped put a frame on what happened because the things that he emphasized were the things that felt the most important. There isn't really anything in the story that is like a gotcha, "Haha, FWC, you screwed things up."
NO, IT FEELS PRETTY HONEST. Jeff was pretty honest with everything and he told me how he felt about things. He was really a dream subject for a journalist because he not only knows how to tell a story, he knows how to back up what he's saying with evidence. Additionally, the way
that he tells stories also is very helpful because he would have actions and then go, "And then I stood there and I thought..." and he'd say what he thought and how he felt. That’s how I was able to tell the story as if through his eyes, because he literally said those things to me.
ONE OF THE PARTS OF THE BOOK THAT REALLY STRUCK ME WAS WHEN JEFF IS IN THE SWAMP, POACHING ALLIGATOR EGGS WITH HIS CREW AND SUSPECTS THAT HIS COVER HAS BEEN BLOWN. HOW DID YOU CREATE SUCH A VISCERAL SCENE FOR THE READER? The way he told me that story was so good. In so many of our interviews, we would end up talking for hours. I remember doing that interview and being literally on the edge of my seat, like, "Oh my God, does he make it out?" Even though I'm literally talking to him. I'm like, "He survives. I know it." But he's that good of a storyteller that I was just like, "Holy crap, I need to have all this in the book." He was describing parts where he hears a woman's voice in the woods. And I'm even getting shivers now because I'm like, "Who could it be?"
DID YOU LEARN ANYTHING ABOUT YOURSELF AS A WRITER THROUGH DOING THIS? One of the biggest things I learned is that I'm very hard on myself. I thought I was a good editor of my work, but I think I'm maybe a too intense editor of my work that I potentially take out things that are good or even great because I'm just hacking and slashing. So that's one of the reasons why I just had all of this stuff and I just gave it to the editor because there are big parts of this that lots of people have really liked that I was like, “I would've left that on the cutting room floor.” But apparently, what the hell do I know? So that's been a real learning experience.
DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR YOUNG WRITERS?
Aim high. Don't sell yourself short. Don't reject yourself. Let someone else do that for you. Honestly. Especially for journalism, there are so many resources for journalism. If you want to figure out how to do something, the resource is out there. If you don't know how to do something, there's somebody who knows how. Find the person or people who will gladly answer your stupid questions. Because I think those were the ones that I learned the most from. Questions that I would be too embarrassed to tweet or post or whatever. Find that person who will say, "Wow, you're a dumbass, but this is what you should do." I've talked to so many young journalists who are excited and doing great work. I think the other thing is to find your reason why. Like why you are doing this job that is very hard, that can be exhausting. Know your why. SRQ
HOMETOWN
Stephen Nedroscik, Brody Malone, Clark Dean and Emma Weyant are more than just incredible athletes. They are Olympian heroes whose success has not only elevated their careers but has brought incredible pride and notoriety to Sarasota. Nedroscik captured a Bronze at the Olympics and the hearts of millions on Dancing With The Stars. Malone played a key role in helping Team USA win a historic Bronze Medal in gymnastics. Dean secured a Bronze in rowing, while Sarasota native Weyant claimed a Bronze in the women’s 400 medley swimming event. Congratulations to our local Olympians!
BY DYLAN
CAMPBELL | PORTRAITS BY WYATT KOSTYGAN AT THE SRQ STUDIOS
HOMETOWNOLYMPIANS
TEAM USA PARIS
2024 OLYMPIC MEN’S
GYMNASTICS TEAM |
STEPHEN NEDOROSCIK
IT’S A BIRD, IT’S A PLANE, IT’S . . .
STEPHEN NEDOROSCIK?
Clark Kent always had a tell. No, it wasn’t the glasses or striking resemblance to Superman. It wasn’t the red ‘S’ peeking out from underneath his button-down shirt or his crush on Lois Lane. It was his kindness, a desire to do right by others that radiated from him, that allowed people to see past the glasses. Stephen Nedoroscik, the bespectacled pommel horse specialist on the US Men’s Gymnastics team, who prepared for Paris by training at Sarasota’s EVO Gymnastics, has that same energy. Nedoroscik, went insanely viral this summer as Team USA’s “Clark Kent.” Just like Superman, he removes his glasses when performing his routine.
Nedoroscik, who only performs the pommel horse, had watched his teammates perform in the All-Around for the past day. At the very end of the competition, the fate of Team USA rested on his shoulders: stamp his routine and the US would win their first Men’s Gymnastics medal in 16 years. Fail, slip or mess up in any way and the chance to make history would slip from his fingers like the chalk he was patting on his hands. With bated breath, the whole world watched as Nedoroscik calmly rose from his seat, removed his glasses and walked up to the pommel horse. “It’s pretty easy to stay calm when you’re surrounded by your best friends, especially when they are slamming great routines after great routines. My teammates set me up so well going into that horse routine and their words of encouragement practically hit my routine for me,” says Nedeoroscik. “I am so grateful to each and every one of them because they made sure I was in the right headspace to hit a great routine.”
Nedoroscik crushed his routine, scoring a 14.866, the highest of any US male gymnast during the match, bringing home the Bronze for Team USA. Later that week, he advanced to the Individual Pommel Horse final, where he won Bronze, another historic feat. While Nedoroscik was understandably “over the moon” about winning Bronze in the pommel horse, the team medal is of particular significance. “The mission of the quad was to win an Olympic medal. Not for me or anyone specifically, but for our country and the future of men’s gymnastics,” says Nedoroscik. “Collectively we knew the future of the sport would be dictated by our actions and that responsibility carries a lot of weight. For us to achieve this monumental goal it’s impossible to put into words, but simply put, it’s the best feeling ever.” The significance lies in the fact that Men’s Gymnastics has been facing a severe decline in popularity over the past two decades. On all levels, the gap between men’s and women’s artistic gymnastics has widened—in the 2023-24 season, 12,000 boys competed in gymnastics compared to 138,000 girls. As viewership has waned, so too have NCAA programs—as of 2024, there are only 12 Division 1 programs left. Nedoroscik is well aware of this. That’s why while participating on Dancing With The Stars, yes, he went that viral, he broke out a pommel horse routine on stage, urging the support of men’s gymnastics. If that doesn’t encapsulate the essence of Clark Kent, well then, what does?
This spread, clockwise: Bronze medalist Stephen Nedoroscik of Team United States celebrates after the Artistic Gymnastics Men’s Pommel Horse Final on day eight of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Bercy Arena on August 03, 2024 in Paris, France, photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images. In his free time, Stephen Nedoroscik hones his expert skills at speed Rubiks Cube, photo by Wyatt Kostygan at the SRQ Studios. Stephen Nedoroscik of United States celebrates his performance on Pommel Horse during the Men’s Artistic Gymnastics Team Final on day three of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Bercy Arena on July 29, 2024 in Paris, France, photo by Daniela Porcelli/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images. The finale episode of Dancing with the Stars had five couples competing for a chance at winning the coveted Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy. The finalists performed a redemption dance assigned by the judges, plus an unforgettable freestyle routine, broadcasted on November 26, 2024 on ABC. Left to right: Rylee Arnold, Stephen Nedoroscik, Brandon Armstrong, Chandler Kinney, Joey Graziadei, Jenna Johnson, Ilona Maher, Alan Bersten, Witney Carson and Danny Anendola, courtesy of Disney/Eric McCandless.
This spread: Stephen Nedoroscik of United States celebrates his performance on Pommel Horse during the Men’s Artistic Gymnastics Team Final on day three of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Bercy Arena on July 29, 2024 in Paris, France, photo by Daniela Porcelli/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images.
This spread, clockwise: US’ Brody Malone competes in the horizontal bar event of the artistic gymnastics men’s qualification during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Bercy Arena in Paris, on July 27, 2024, photo by Gabriel
/ AFP via Getty Images. Brody Malone along the Sarasota Bayfront, photo by Wyatt Kostygan. Bronze medalists Paul Juda, Frederick Richard, Stephen Nedoroscik, Brody Malone and Asher Hong of Team United States pose with their medals during the medal ceremony for the Artistic Gymnastics Men’s Team Final on day three of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Bercy Arena on July 29, 2024 in Paris, France, photo by
BOUYS
Naomi Baker/Getty Images. Brody Malone at SRQ Studios, photo by Wyatt Kostygan.
TEAM USA PARIS
2024 OLYMPIC MEN’S GYMNASTICS TEAM |
BRODY MALONE
BRODY MALONE HAS BEATEN THE ODDS TIME AND TIME AGAIN TO BECOME ONE OF THE BEST MALE GYMNASTS THE US HAS EVER SEEN.
Brody Malone speaks with the slight southern twang that makes it seem like life comes easily to him. That every day is just a walk in the park. And maybe it is. He’s kind and humble, almost to the point of being soft spoken, and isn’t afraid to let loose a breezy smile every once in a while. But it’s hard to believe that’s the case. Because for the 24-year-old two-time Olympian, nothing has been given to him. Everything has been earned. Born in Johnson City, Tennessee, Malone was an active, rambunctious child, whose parents quickly enrolled in gymnastics at the age of three. The oldest of four, he spent much of his childhood on his family’s 10-acre property in Cedartown, Georgia, where hard work became a part of his DNA. His father, JD, had competed in rodeo at Georgia Southern University and so did Brody and his brother Cooper for a time, becoming team rodeo champions. His mother, Tracy, had an affinity for horses, as many as thirteen called the property home, which brought love, but also more work into the fold. Malone and his two brothers would spend an hour cleaning the stalls and feeding the horses before school and another 2-3 exercising them at the end of the day, after school and gymnastics practice. Georgia was also where tragedy became a part of Makone’s DNA. When Malone was 12, his mother Tracy, who had been sick for much of his childhood, died of breast cancer. In 2019, the same year he left for Stanford, his stepmother passed after suffering a ruptured brain aneurysm. So no, despite his soft tone and easy smile, life has not been all peaches and cream for Brody Malone.
Leading up to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, Malone faced even more adversity. A veteran of the 2020 Olympic Games, a seven-time NCAA champion, a three-time United States all-around champion and two-time Pan American Championships gold medal winner, Malone was, and perhaps still is, the United States’ best all-around male gymnast. Everything was lining up for Malone to compete in Paris in 2024, until he took a horrific fall off the high bar at the DTB Pokal Team Challenge and Mixed Cup in Germany in March of 2023. Malone’s right knee was effectively destroyed—he suffered a tibial plateau fracture, the upper part of the tibia that involves the knee joint, a fully torn LCL, a torn meniscus, cartilage damage and a partially torn PCL. “To be honest, the first couple of weeks after my injury I didn’t really know if I was gonna be able to come back for the Olympics. I’d had a surgery in Germany to put an external fixator in and then a surgery at Stanford, where they repaired my meniscus and fracture,” says Malone. “Because of the surgeries they couldn’t do an MRI, it was difficult because I didn’t know what I’d torn and we didn’t know what the recovery process was going to be like. It was kind of up in the air at that point whether or not I was gonna be able to come back.”
After the fall, Malone couldn’t even walk, much less compete. But he was determined as ever to return in time for the Olympic trials in 2024. His time at Stanford coming to a close, he moved his training to EVO Gymnastics in Sarasota, where an old coach from Stanford, Syque Cesar, was training a select number of elite gymnasts in preparation for the 2024 games. “I’d heard about EVO and knew some of the people down there. Since I’d graduated from Stanford, it made more sense to move down to Sarasota—they’d hired a full time PT/AT down there just to cover the senior guys,” says Malone. “Going from being with a team of 20-24 guys to training with just five other gymnasts, essentially transitioning from studentathlete to just athlete was really different. It was an adjustment, but EVO provided a phenomenal training atmosphere and guided me through the rehab process.”
Malone beat his original recovery timeline and qualified for the 2024 Olympic Team after winning his third all-around national title at the 2024 US National Gymnastics Championships. Paris, however, brought even more adversity to Malone. As the gold-standard of the US Men’s Olympic team, Malone was thought to be the team’s best chance at winning an all-around medal. Improbably, Malone fell twice during qualifications, eliminating himself from medal contention. “Going into the Olympics my number one goal was a team medal. That was the main priority for all of us. Obviously, I had individual goals as well and I just didn’t perform on the first day,” says Malone. “It’s just kind of how sports goes, it was a bad day to have a bad day you know? I’d say it was pretty easy to turn around and focus on the team because that’s what we were already doing anyway. The harder part was figuring out what had gone wrong on day one and how I could adjust for day two.” And adjust he did. In the Men’s Team Final, Malone helped power team USA to a historic Bronze Medal finish, the team’s first medal since 2008, by nailing his routines in the first and third rotation.
This spread: In the Men’s Team Final, Brody Malone helped power Team USA to a historic Bronze Medal finish, the team’s first medal since 2008, by nailing his routines in the first and third rotation. Brody Malone showcases precision, power and strength with every move, photography by Wyatt Kostygan at SRQ Studios.
TEAM USA PARIS 2024 OLYMPIC SWIMMING TEAM | EMMA WEYANT
SARASOTA-NATIVE EMMA WEYANT HAS BECOME ONE OF THE UNITED STATES TOP OLYMPIC SWIMMERS AFTER MEDALING IN CONSECUTIVE OLYMPIC GAMES
Sarasota is a city synonymous with water. Some residents avoid it, never stepping out onto a boat, only going to the beach every so often, instead basking in the sunshine on dry land. Emma Weyant is not one of those residents. From a young age, Weyant has always been attracted to the water. Born in Sarasota, the 22-year-old swimmer was a standout at Riverview High School and committed to swimming for the prestigious University of Virginia Cavaliers. Even at that age, Weyant was more than just a really good athlete—she was elite. Before even stepping foot on campus, Weyant competed for the United States in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where she won the silver medal in the women’s 400 meter individual medley. After her freshman season at the University of Virginia in 2021-2022, in which she won silver at the 500 yard freestyle at the 2022 NCAA Division 1 Championships, Weyant transferred back to her home state, joining the University of Florida, where she’d finish out her collegiate career. Weyant continued to succeed as a Gator, winning both the Gold Medal in the 800 yard freestyle relay at the 2024 NCAA Division 1 Championships and Silver in the 500 yard freestyle. This past summer, at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, Weyant once again showed out, capturing Bronze in the 400 meter individual medley.
This page: Sarasota native Emma Weyant was a proud member of the Sarasota Sharks.
IMAGE COURTESY OF VISIT SARASOTA COUNTY.
This spread, clockwise: Need caption, photo courtesy of Visit Sarasota County. Emma
of the United States is introduced before the Women’s 400m individual medley final on Day Three of the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Swimming Trials at Lucas Oil Stadium on June 17, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana,
the victory ceremony for the Women’s 400m Individual Medley Final on day three of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at the Paris La Defense Arena on July 29, 2024 in Paris, France,
Weyant
photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images. Silver Medalist Katie Grimes of United State, Summer McIntosh from Canada and Bronze Medalist Emma Weyant, far right, of United States celebrates after
photo by Tom Weller/VOIGT/GettyImages.
This page: Clark Dean of Team USA Men’s Four looks on before he competes on day one of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Sea Forest Waterway on July 24, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images.
TEAM USA PARIS 2024 OLYMPIC ROWING TEAM | CLARK DEAN
SARASOTA-NATIVE CLARK DEAN PLAYED A PIVOTAL ROLE IN HELPING THE US MEN’S ROWING TEAM WIN THEIR FIRST OLYMPIC MEDAL SINCE 2008 IN PARIS 2024.
Two thousand meters to absolution. The sun stretched out over the water at the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium on August 3, where six boats of eight men each tensed themselves at the starting line. Sitting in the four-seat of the US Men’s was Sarasota-native Clark Dean, the lone holdover in the boat from Tokyo, who’d grown up rowing on the lake in Nathan Benderson Park. Dean knew what kind of pressure his boat was under. Men’s rowing eight is the flagship race of the regatta and one that America has a particularly significant history with—after being introduced to the Olympics in 1900, the United States claimed gold at 11 of the first 14 Olympic regattas. That storied history hadn’t followed the Americans into the 21st Century, however. The US had last medaled in the Olympics in 2008 and hadn’t won gold since 2004. Starting out hot was the boat’s main priority. Olympic rowing is akin to a drag race, after the first thousand meters, boats don’t typically pass each other. In other words, if you can’t get off the line fast enough, you’re toast. “We were super, super aggressive about training for the start and not getting left behind this year,” says Dean, referring to the 2023 World Championships in which the boat finished sixth. “Just like in the World Championships we had a good heat leading up to the final (they posted the top qualifying time), but the thought of ‘Can we do it in the final?’ is always in everyone’s mind. For the US Men’s eight, it hasn’t been since 2004 since we could really push off from the start. In 2008, they got bronze but never had a sniff at winning.”
And start off hot they did. The US boat exploded off of the start line, keeping early pace with medal favorites Great Britain and the Netherlands. From the rower’s perspective, the race is a strange paradox: in the moment, the five and a half-minute long race can feel like an eternity, but when looking back, it passes in the blink of an eye. All along, Dean and the rest of his crew are chasing more than just the other boats—they’re chasing an energy, a fleeting feeling of pure synchronization when all eight oars seem to row as one. “You can definitely feel the difference in those instances,” says Dean. “There are moments where you don’t have the temptation to look at the other boats because you’re thinking ‘No one can go this fast’. We’re either ahead or about to get ahead. You’re only going to get it for a few strokes here or there, but that’s what you’re searching for.” Dean knew that the US had a fast boat. After a disappointing finish in the World Championships in 2023, the US Men’s Eight had to earn their Olympic berth late, winning gold at the last qualifying regatta in June in Lucerne, Switzerland. “Part of what I attribute our success to is that by every other country’s standards we were a really new lineup, because we started rowing together in March and April, but by US standards we’d been practicing together for ages longer than other US boats,” says Dean. “The summer before we’d had less than two months to practice before the World Championships and before Tokyo we only had a month and a half.” With the boat set, Dean and his fellow crew mates were primed to compete for a medal. After a scorching start, the U.S. held third position behind Great Britain and the Netherlands, pulling, straining with all their might to eclipse their rivals. In the end, they didn’t, posting a time of 5:25.28, just under three seconds short of Great Britain, who took gold, and just 1.36 seconds behind Netherlands for silver. They did, however, make history and for that the entire country, Sarasota especially, should be proud.
Below: Henry Hollingsworth, Nick Rusher, Christian Tabash, Dean Clark, Chris Carlson, Peter Chatain, Evan Olson, Pieter Quinton and Rielly Milne of Team United States celebrating after the Rowing Men’s Eight Final A on day eight of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Vaires-Sur-Marne Nautical Stadium on August 3, 2024 in Paris, France, photo by Tom Weller/VOIGT/GettyImages.
Left: Tammy Nguyen (American, born 1984).
2:4:8, A book about the forming and flowing of nations, 2024. Bookcloth, millboard, various colors of mulberry paper, onion skin paper, 27 lb. Hahnemühle Ingres Paper, acrylic inks, silk screening, metal plate, 42 ½ x 40 x 1 ½ in. (closed). Courtesy the artist and Lehmann Maupin, New York, Seoul, and London. Photo: Daniel Kukla. Below: To This Sweet Land, 2024. Watercolor, vinyl paint, pastel, silkscreen printing, rubber stamping, hot stamping, and metal leaf on paper stretched over wood andgator board panel, 40 x 70 in. (overall); 40 x 35 in. (each panel).
culture city
FLYING A DIFFERENT FLAG
In Timaeus and the Nations, multidisciplinary artist Tammy Nguyen deconstructs concepts of nationhood and identity. Dylan Campbell
WHEN THE CARGO SHIP DALI CRASHED INTO THE FRANCIS SCOTT KEY BRIDGE IN BALTIMORE LAST MARCH, it triggered something in multidisciplinary artist Tammy Nguyen. The collapse of the bridge was horrific, killing six maintenance workers and blockading most shipping out of the port of Baltimore for 11 weeks, with the loss of trade costing an estimated $15 million per day. Behind the tragedy, however, lay something intriguing to Nguyen, who has long been fascinated with the concepts of national identity, colonialism and the geopolitics of the 21st century. “Flags of Convenience” is a widespread maritime practice in which a ship’s owners register their merchant ship in a registry of a country other than their own. It’s a loophole in the maritime industry that allows ship owners to skirt the regulations of their own country’s ship register—a Dutch ship, flying the flag of Liberia for instance, would be subjected to less taxes, safety regulations and labor laws than if she was flying a Dutch flag. While the container ship Dali was in fact not flying a flag of convenience, the ship was built, owned and operated out of Singapore—it was an example of a poorly regulated foreign vessel. Mechanical issues had plagued the vessel and the crew, which many have argued to be incompetent, was spread far too thin for the size of the ship.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY WES ROBERTS.
IMAGE COURTESY OF SARASOTA ART MUSEUM.
culture city
QUESTIONS AROUND THE INCIDENT ABOUND. Why was this ship so understaffed? Was the mechanical power outage a product of human oversight or administrational disregard? And what does it mean to represent a country? With these thoughts swirling around in her head, Nguyen got to work on her latest exhibition: Timaeus and the Nations, which debuted at the Sarasota Art Museum (SAM) this October. In the exhibition, Nguyen looks to connect two seemingly disparate subjects: the concepts of nationality in a postcolonial world as seen through the maritime practice of flags of convenience and the creation of the universe and pursuit of world order in Plato’s dialogue Timaeus
“The collapse of the bridge really triggered her interest, which has long focused on colonialism, imperialism and how nations are constructed and destinies are interwoven. She started to further look into this system and how in the past 46 nations have participated in this maritime practice. While she’s thinking about the various notions embedded in Plato’s Timaeus, she focuses on several threads of ideas,” says Rangsook Yoon, Senior Curator at SAM and curator of the exhibit. “One is of the demiurge or blind craftsman creating the world and universe following logic, manifested in mathematical divisions and geometric forms like circles, triangles and fractals. She was also very interested in the notion of becoming instead of being, meaning that things constantly change. Thinking about how national identities as borders seem to be collapsing or changing in the margins of our awareness as manifested in this maritime practice.”
The exhibition weaves these ideas together with a collection of all new works. Six paintings and 23 embroidered tapestries are anchored by a sweeping artist book, 2:4:8. Constructed out of hand-marbled mulberry paper on wooden backing, the book characterizes the figure of the Demiurge as a vintage naval uniform, unfolding in three sections, an arm, a torso and a skirt. Inside the book, audiences can take a peek inside Nguyen’s mind: swirling patterns and fractals adorn the pages, mimicking the progression of the soul in Plato’s Timaeus, intermixed with pieces of the national anthems of the 46 nations that participate in flags of convenience and bits of legal documents pertaining to maritime law.
Nguyen’s paintings, for which she is best known, are described by Yoon as a “visual feast.” Ornate, complex and deeply layered, the paintings use caricatures of figures in leadership roles to depict the controlled chaos of the modern world. At first, these concepts might seem too esoteric to grasp, too far of a reach for audiences to connect with. At a closer look, however, one begins to understand the different themes that Nguyen is tying together. Take The Craftsman of Our Fate, for instance. Constructed on paper stretched over wood and gator board panel, the painting uses watercolor, pastel, vinyl paint, silkscreen printing, multiple kinds of stamping and metal leaf to create an abstract collage of fractals, star patterns, numeric symbols and other concepts from the 46 flags of convenience. Within this abstract melody lies a portrait of former United States Secretary of State Colin Powell. “The figures in the paintings all emerge from these very densely layered compositions that feature geometric shapes and patterns along with abstract mark making and depictions of flora and fauna. Doing so forces the viewer to first look at her paintings from distance to observe the overall composition, when you get closer, however, you not only see these figures entangled in the lush vegetation and abstract mark making, but you pick up on new details like stars, fractals, insects, ships and more numbers from Plato’s Timaeus,” says Yoon. “We see all of these symbolic motifs and ideas in the paintings that are more fully fleshed out in the artist’s book.”
The final piece of the exhibition, 23 embroidered tapestries, is a newer frontier for Nguyen. While textile work isn’t exactly what Nguyen, who has been lauded for just about every other artistic discipline, is known for, these pieces are essential to completing her vision for the exhibition. Each of the 23 tapestries,one for every two nations that participate in flags of convenience, are divided into three parts. Framing the center of the tapestry, the top and bottom sections are composed of fractalized patterns of the two nation’s flags. Intertwined with these fractalized patterns are the swirling designs of vegetation, crowns, guns, stars and maritime motifs also found in the paintings and artist book, 2:4:8.
In the center section of these tapestries, Nguyen further interrogates the notions of nationhood by featuring a three-line haiku, composed of randomly chosen words from the two nations’ national anthems. After creating the haikus, Nguyen matched corresponding musical notes from the anthems to the extracted words, effectively creating a new anthem for the conjoined nations of each tapestry. The haikus themselves were created with pace and pattern in mind: each haiku follows the 5-7-5 syllabic structure, totalling 17 syllables per stanza. Those 17 syllables were translated into 17 musical notes across 4 measures in a 4/4 time signature. Fitting those 17 notes into 16 beats of music presented a contradiction inherent to the practice of flags of convenience—by sticking a flag of one country onto another country’s ship, what at first may seem out of place can appear as though it was always meant to be. “Originally, Tammy wanted people to imagine hearing the musical notes and lyrics, but she later decided to add audio to the experience. She played the piano and recorded these 15-second long snippets of music to accompany each tapestry,” says Yoon. “These piano recordings are accessible to the visitors by scanning a QR code and if they’d like they can even sing the lyrics, demonstrating that these anthems and flags are all constructions of identity. With the music, she’s showing how these different national anthems are all kind of similar, that they don’t really belong to any nation in particular.” SRQ
Right: France and Faroe Islands, 2024. Linen, embroidery thread, wooden dowels, 22 ½ x 13 in. Courtesy the artist and Lehmann Maupin, New York, Seoul, and London. Photo: Daniel Kukla.
culture city
Opposite page: Ken Ludwig’s Lady Molly of Scotland Yard opens January 17 at Asolo Repertory Theatre and runs through February 8.
IN THE TRENCHES
Peter Rothstein leads the campaign to bring Ken Ludwig’s Lady Molly of Scotland Yard to the stage. Phil Lederer
THE HOUR IS LATE AND PETER ROTHSTEIN’S HEAD IS SWIMMING WITH DETAILS AND LOGISTICS. Between Nazis, spies, those damnable air raids and an unsolved murder, Bletchley Park has never looked busier. People are counting on him. His team is waiting for answers. But the timing must be perfect, the movements precise or none of this will work. The deadline creeps closer. And no one has ever done this before.
No, Rothstein isn’t some long-lost World War II codebreaker; he’s the director of the latest from celebrated playwright and comic master Ken Ludwig, Ken Ludwig’s Lady Molly of Scotland Yard, which makes its world premiere at Asolo Repertory Theatre this month. The thrilling tale of a pair of Scotland Yard detectives whose murder investigation takes them to the top-secret heart of the British war effort—it’s a riveting ride through bombed-out London, full of twists and turns, convertibles, airplanes, Nazis, murder, Winston Churchill…and laughs? As the man at the helm, it falls to Rothstein to figure out how to make it all happen onstage. “Being able to direct any world premiere is an honor,” Rothstein says, “because our craft is an interpretative art. And to be part of the generative act of creating the work can be daunting but it’s my favorite place to be.”
And while his Bletchley Park may be built of pine and imagination, his team is the real deal.
“In some ways, Ken has written a very filmic play,” Rothstein says. “And the question is, How are you going to tell this story within the confines of the stage, versus the freedom of film? As a director, I love that kind of challenge.” And together with scenic and projection designers Alexander Dodge and Greg Emetaz, they have mounted their own Churchillian effort to meet the challenge head on, designing dynamic lighting and shifting sets to guide the audience’s eye in the same way a film director may use a zoom or a cut, and
even utilizing film projection to enlarge the world and further activate the backdrop—a technique Rothstein does not adopt lightly. “We should do theater,” he says with a laugh, “not put movies onstage. But it makes complete sense here.”
Of course, theater is not a one-way street and Rothstein’s approach to the audience relationship is more collaborative than combative. And while he may be the director of the play, he knows that neither he nor Ludwig nor the cast and crew is its final author. That honor belongs to the audience itself, experiencing and interpreting what they’ve seen, internalizing the art to determine its meaning. “I am a fan of theater that lives more on the abstract and that asks the audience to engage their imagination to complete the picture,” Rothstein says. “I want theater to live there.” Paradoxically, this can make clarity of directorial intent all the more important, as aiming a stranger’s imagination proves trickier than entertaining the eye. At its heart, directing a play or film is the subtle art of manipulating a room full of strangers into all seeing, feeling, believing the same fiction at the same time, but if the pieces come together just right, the audience never notices the strings—even the ones suspending their own disbelief. It’s magic. It’s art. It’s a lot of work. A filmmaker once described it as trying to paint a picture by shouting directions through a walkie-talkie at 80 people all holding the brush at the same time. Rothstein will do it with a live audience. SRQ
TWO RIVERS, TWO TRADITIONS, ONE LANGUAGE
Amir ElSaffar and the Two Rivers Ensemble bring together traditional Arabic music and jazz in a fusion for the ages. Dylan Campbell
CATEGORICALLY, THE WIDE AND VAST MUSICAL GENRE OF JAZZ CAN BE DEFINED BY A FEW THINGS: syncopated rhythms, improvisation and a forward moving quality that accentuates specific beats known as swing. But the distinct genre, originating out of the rhythm and blues music of African American communities in late 19th and early 20th century New Orleans cannot be constrained to a few musical characteristics. At its core, Jazz is a spirit of expression, a personification of the inner freedom of the performer leaping out onto the stage. It is a way of life, a language if you will, that since its beginnings over a century ago, has spread throughout the world like wildfire.
Below and opposite page: Amir ElSaffar, photo by Michael Crommett.
The team at The Ringling are well aware of this. That’s why this season, as a part of The Ringling’s Art of Performance lineup, the organization is putting on a Global Jazz Series, where four different jazz musicians from around the world will grace the Historic Asolo Theater this spring. “One of the most spectacular things about jazz is that it has literally traveled around the world and come back. It’s a language that has been consumed and absorbed by almost every culture on earth,” says Elizabeth Doud, The Ringling’s ConnieKuhlman Curator of Performance. “One of the most extraordinary things about jazz as an idiom is that
musicalities and spirit. “Parallel to his work as a jazz musician, performer and composer, ElSaffar has also been deeply immersed in the study of the maqam music scale. He’s been on these parallel paths and also worked on the fusion of two musical languages that created the Two Rivers Ensemble,” says Doud. “Maqam is part of a wider Persian musical tradition that works with a lot of tonalities that aren’t present in Western music. It’s deeply based on syncopation, counter times and different concepts of melody.”
Unlike modern Western music, which is based on a twelve-tone equal-tempered musical tuning
it becomes modified and reinterpreted in so many different traditions throughout the world. Each time it interacts with a different culture it takes on characteristics of that culture.”
One of the musicians embodying this concept of “global jazz” is American jazz trumpeter and vocalist Amir ElSaffar, who will come to The Ringling in February to perform with the sextet of jazz and Middle Eastern musicians known as the Two Rivers Ensemble. ElSaffar, born in Chicago and based in New York City, has spent his career intertwining his Arabic roots with his love for classical music and American jazz.
What has distinguished ElSaffar as one of the leading forces in contemporary jazz, and by extension helped form the Two Rivers Ensemble as well as his 17-piece Rivers of Sound Orchestra, is how he has brought the Arabic maqam melodic system into the American jazz idiom. The name of the Two Rivers Ensemble is inspired by the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, two ancient, intertwining rivers that descend from Turkey throughout the Middle East. These rivers are of incredible historical importance—the lifeblood of the Fertile Crescent region, the Tigris and Euphrates are what fueled the rise of Mesopotamian civilization. With the classically trained ElSaffar and his sextet, the two rivers symbolize a merging of cultures,
system, maqam scales in traditional Arabic music are microtonal. Where traditional European music moves up and down the scale in semitones, Arabic music in the maqam melodic system can progress in far smaller steps. While ostensibly incorporating the maqam melodic system into traditional jazz might seem like fitting a square peg into a round hole, the two music theories are actually more closely related than they might initially seem. For while the traditional maqam music moves differently, it still includes some of the central tenets to what makes jazz, jazz. Not only are syncopated rhythms and counter times popular in both genres, there is also a deep history of improvisation in maqam music. “They are very interesting parallels, because of course improvisation is one of the central tenets to jazz expression and that language. When you master an instrument, you are able to have very daft usage of that instrument and can not only work within an ensemble and follow music but you can also have these pockets where you exhibit a very wide range of creativity,” says Doud. “It’s something that is very present in the maqam music system as well.”
Like the rushing waters of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, intertwining, fighting and ultimately coexisting, ElSaffar is keeping the global language of jazz alive, one trumpet note at a time. SRQ
This spread, left to right: Ake Arnerdal’s work draws from diverse sources such as graffiti, children’s art, outside art, folk art and the baroque.
AN ARTIST’S JOURNEY
Swedish-born mixed-media artist Ake Arnerdal shines with his latest exhibition at the SPAACES Art Gallery. Dylan Campbell
AKE ARNERDAL HAS ALWAYS LOVED TO CREATE. It’s a bug that caught him early in life, while growing up in Sweden and followed him throughout his career, eventually pushing him into fine art. “I started doing art late, in my mid-20s,” says Arnerdal. “I was on my way to being a special needs teacher and I’d always liked painting and building things with my hands, but never thought I should pursue it as a profession. The teacher at the school asked if I’d ever thought about doing art because we had art in that class. She pushed me to apply to a foundation class and I did and it started from there.” After receiving his Masters of Fine Art from Umea University in Sweden, Arnerdal embarked on a career, launching exhibitions across Europe, Asia and the United States while simultaneously teaching at different institutions in England, Sweden and the US as well. This November, Arnerdal launched his latest exhibition Ta Daa and the Journey Goes On at the SPAACES Art Gallery. “The show reflects what I like to see in an exhibition.
When I go to an exhibition, I want to be taken somewhere I haven’t been before or to a place where I could recognize some piece of myself in,” says Arnerdal. “Not necessarily a place in the actual world, but to an emotional place that I haven’t been before or didn’t know that I could do. I’d like the viewer to get that feeling, to be taken on a journey.”
Ta Daa and the Journey Goes On is representative of the middle-aged artist’s style: eclectic, colorful and unpredictable. The exhibition will primarily feature a collection of mixed-media collage paintings that employ fabric, paint, text and even paper mache to explore themes of uncertainty and restlessness in a world where everyone seems to be more divided than ever. The actual fragmentation of the pieces symbolizes the challenges that we all face in the discernment of truth and what is right in the march forward through time. “In general, my art is a very subjective way
to comment on the world around me. It’s difficult to find your ways and where we’re going and what you can believe in. My art plays with those questions,” says Arnerdal.
While the immediacy of children’s art, harkening back to Arnerdal’s days as a special education teacher, is a theme that is present throughout his artistic cannon, the shapes and colors of the Japanese kimono were a particular influence on Ta Daa and the Journey Goes On. “I’ve realized that I’ve always been interested in colors and shapes from different cultures and that the aesthetic of Japanese culture has always attracted me. Then I came across kimonos and thought, ‘Hmm, maybe I should try to do something inspired by their shapes.’ Like the immediate expression of them,” says Arnerdal. “I thought that I should take the classical shapes of the kimonos and turn them into something different. At first glance, some of the pieces in the exhibition look like kimonos.”
The exhibition will center around nine large mixed-media collages hanging from the ceiling, each about six by six feet, composed of fabric, paint, mixed-text and photography. Adorning the walls and the floor of the gallery space will be sculptures made of paper mache, complimenting the themes explored in the collages. It can be difficult to describe Arnerdal’s art in a concrete way, because, well, even he is not sure exactly where it comes from. His process is idea-based, at least at first, before his creative subconscious begins to take over. “I’d say that it typically starts with an idea. I pick up a pattern or something that attracts my eye. Then it becomes very much process based, I start doing it and one thing leads to another, other times you get stuck and I just want to kick it in the corner or rip it apart,” says Arnerdal. “If it works, it usually starts with an idea.” SRQ
BOUTIQUE SHOPPING, HOME DESIGN + ARCHITECTURE
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BUCKLE UP
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GOOD TASTE
At the recently-remodeled Jack Dusty, the atmosphere is as enticing as the cuisine. Kate Wight
IF SOMEONE WERE TO ASK YOU ABOUT YOUR FAVORITE RESTAURANT, your first thought would probably be about the food. While a menu that’s creative, satisfying and well-crafted is important, a truly great dining experience involves so much more. Beyond the food itself, there’s the service that makes you feel welcome, the drinks that elevate each bite and the pacing that sets the rhythm of the meal. Another essential ingredient that is often overlooked is the design of the restaurant. Interior design and decor play a crucial role in creating a restaurant’s unique identity and can set the tone for the entire dining experience. Jack Dusty has been the signature restaurant at The Ritz-Carlton Sarasota since it first opened in 2013 and it remains a perennial favorite among visitors and locals alike. In addition to its innovative craft cocktail program, Jack Dusty is renowned for its elegant coastal-inspired cuisine which is focused around fresh seafood and local, seasonal produce. The design of the space has always had a modern nautical feel in keeping with its waterfront location
interiors
After over ten years in business and the inevitable accompanying wear and tear that comes along with that, the Jack Dusty team felt the restaurant was in need of a refresh. They brought in Dallas-based firm Premier Project Management to conceptualize and execute the design under the supervision of design director Halah Ciafardini and project manager Michael Morales. The Ritz-Carlton wanted to ensure that Jack Dusty remained welcoming, functional and treasured. This left the design team with the delicate task of updating the restaurant without pushing the envelope too far.
“Keeping the original narrative and look was a strategic choice,” explains Ciafardini. “We knew it was necessary to maintain the restaurant’s essence and honor its history. Our subtle updates enhance the experience without losing the essence that made Jack Dusty beloved in the first place.”
The design team referred to this project as a refresh instead of a renovation as any changes made were largely cosmetic in nature instead of structural. “Our goal was to refresh the areas that have the most immediate impact on both functionality and aesthetics, so we purchased new tables, seating and carpet,” Ciafardini says. “Tables and seating are essential for providing comfort and practicality in the space, and replacing the carpet significantly enhanced the overall ambiance and made the restaurant feel modern and welcoming.”
Replacing the furniture also provided an opportunity to slightly alter the layout of the restaurant. The new layout improves the flow of
the space, making the dining experience run more smoothly and enhancing the service quality. Beyond these smaller cosmetic changes, there were some facets of the project that were larger in scope.
“One of the biggest decorative changes we made was updating the net-like ceiling structure,” says Ciafardini. “The sculpture was created using a lightweight metal that attaches to the ceiling at strategic points between the ceiling lights. It drapes, flows and stretches in an organic pattern. The fixture resembles a vast fishing net, with open spaces creating a sense of both enclosure and transparency. It interacts with light and shadow beautifully, casting patterns on walls and floors that shift with the light source within the room. The effect is immersive, with viewers walking underneath it as it floats above them, creating a feeling of being surrounded by an abstract ethereal environment.”
While signs of the refresh are clearly evident at Jack Dusty, the Premier design team was still able to preserve the original spirit of the restaurant even as they gave it a necessary update. “Those that loved Jack Dusty before will find it even more open and inviting now, with natural light accentuating each space and highlighting new textures.” Ciafardini says. “Updated colors, materials and finishes bring a fresh vibrancy to the space, creating a sense of energy and sophistication. The new furniture and fixtures, in true Ritz-Carlton fashion, are a perfect blend of upscale elegance and comfort. Overall Jack Dusty is revitalized and feels more cohesive and thoughtfully designed.”
Below: The team at Premier Project Management shared their design board for Jack Dusty’s coastal modern refresh. Jack Dusty, 1111 Ritz Carlton Drive, Sarasota, 941-3092266.
PATHWAYS TOWELLNESS
Explore your path to wellness in the New Year with local destinations focused on healing, mindfulness and holistic health.
TOP DOCTORS SRQ
METHODOLOGY
TOP DOCTORS
THE MEDICAL PROFESSION is filled with incredible individuals who enter their fields with a genuine desire to help others. We are fortunate to have so many of these compassionate and skilled professionals serving our region. When choosing a medical practitioner for ourselves or our loved ones, we seek empathy, competence, and honesty—qualities that inspire confidence and contribute to our well-being.
One of the most exciting aspects of the medical field is discovering which practitioners have gained the utmost respect from their peers. This is the purpose of our esteemed SRQ Top Doctors | Peer Review program. Through this initiative, we identify the doctors who have received overwhelming support from their colleagues in the medical communities of Greater Sarasota, including Palmetto, Anna Maria Island, Holmes Beach, Bradenton, Lakewood Ranch, Sarasota, Venice and North Port, Florida. The Colorado-based team at DataJoe Research facilitates all aspects of the online peer-voting process and conducts background checks through government references. We are honored to share the results of this program. We extend our gratitude to the doctors who participated by contributing their thoughtful nominations. Their insights allow us to provide SRQ Magazine readers with this prestigious guide to the most highly-regarded doctors in the region.
DataJoe Research is a software and research company specializing in data collection and verification, and conducts various nominations across the United States on behalf of publishers. To create the “Top Doctors” list, DataJoe Research facilitated an online peer-voting process, also referencing government sources. DataJoe then tallied the votes per category for each doctor to isolate the top nominees in each category. After collecting nominations and additional information, DataJoe checked and confirmed that each published winner had a current, active license status with the state regulatory board. If we were not able to find evidence of a doctor's current, active registration with the state regulatory board, that doctor was excluded from the list. In addition, any doctor who has been disciplined, up to the time-frame of our review process for an infraction by the state regulatory board, was excluded from the list. Finally, DataJoe presented the tallied result to the magazine for its final review and adjustments.
Sforzo | Dillingham | Stewart Orthopedics + Sports Medicine 5831 Bee Ridge Rd, Ste 300 Sarasota, FL 34233-5090
941-378-5100
License: ME83510
Simmons, Sara P.
Coastal Orthopedics
8000 SR 64 East Bradenton, FL 34212
941-792-1404
License: ME113187
INTERNAL MEDICINE
Elsishans, Phyllis
Intercoastal Medical Group
2881 Hyde Park St Sarasota, FL 34239-3228 941-366-5440
License: ME84894
Reichel, David T.
Intercoastal Medical Group 3333 Cattlemen Rd Sarasota, FL 34232-6056
941-371-3337
License: ME79284
INTERVENTIONAL CARDIOLOGY
Yaryura, Ricardo A. Intercoastal Medical Group 965 S Beneva Rd Sarasota, FL 34232-2401
941-366-1888
License: ME73423
KRISTOPHER HAMWI, MD
HONOREE
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
SPECIALTIES
Face and Body
Plastic Surgery
Awake Procedures
DR. KRISTOPHER HAMWI , a board-certified plastic surgeon, is renowned for his refined expertise in aesthetic procedures. He specializes in enhancing natural beauty through body contouring, facial rejuvenation, and breast surgery. His education spans prestigious institutions including Georgetown University, Indiana University, and Harvard’s Massachusetts General Hospital, capped by a fellowship in aesthetics at Mount Sinai, New York. A Castle Connolly Top Doctor, Dr. Hamwi is celebrated for his dedication to safety and personalized patient care, employing the latest surgical techniques to achieve outstanding results. Based in Florida, his meticulous approach draws patients nationally.
WHAT SETS YOUR PRACTICE APART? At Florida Plastic Surgery and MedSpa, we set ourselves apart with Dr. Kristopher Hamwi's expertise in innovative awake surgeries, including highly precise awake liposuction. By utilizing local anesthesia, these procedures are performed with minimal discomfort, allowing for quicker recovery and real-time adjustments tailored to each patient’s needs. Our commitment extends beyond surgery, o ering a full spectrum of top-tier medspa treatments for comprehensive rejuvenation. This unique combination of advanced techniques, personalized care, and luxurious setting ensures an exceptional experience and superior outcomes, making our practice a leader in the field.
HOW DOES YOUR PRACTICE HELP IMPROVE THE LIVES OF YOUR PATIENTS? At Florida Plastic Surgery and MedSpa, we improve the lives of our patients by providing exceptional care and innovative treatments tailored to their individual needs. Our services range from surgical to non-surgical, ensuring that every patient has access to the best options for their aesthetic and wellness goals. Our lead injector, Sia, PA-C, is a key part of this process. With years of experience in aesthetic medicine and training with the top industry brands such as Allergan and Galderma, Sia is known for her meticulous attention to detail. Using advanced techniques, her ability to create natural, beautiful results enhance each patient’s individual features. She has a remarkable ability to connect with patients, making them feel comfortable and understood throughout their aesthetic journey. Sia leads our award-winning medspa team with a commitment to personalized care and continually stays ahead of the latest advancements in the field. Her dedication ensures that every patient receives the highest standard of treatment, all while fostering a supportive, empowering environment.
Intercoastal Medical Group 11505 Rangeland Pkwy Bradenton, FL 34211-4041
941-362-8662
License: ME75531
JOHN LOURIÉ, MD
Having lived in Charleston, SC as a child and then moving to the Midwest for high school, college and medical school, Dr. Lourié was always drawn back to the ocean. He graduated from DePauw University in Indiana in 1981 with a Bachelor of Arts majoring in biology with a minor in physics. He completed his internal medicine internship and residency at Emory University in Atlanta in 1992. He specialized in interventional cardiology and nuclear cardiology, graduating from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston in 1995 where he met his wife. They then moved to Bradenton that same year. At age 32, Dr. Lourié was one of the youngest to be accepted as a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology in 1996. He has been board certified in internal medicine, cardiology, interventional cardiology and nuclear cardiology. He has served on the local board of the American Heart Association and the Manatee Medical Society as well as numerous medical committees at both Manatee Memorial and Blake hospitals. He was the director of the cardiac cath lab at Blake Hospital for 12 years and was listed in Strathmore's Who's Who in America in 2000, named Doctor of the Year in 2004 and Consumers’ Research Council of America's Top Cardiologists in 2010.
HONOREE
Cardiology
SPECIALTIES
Cardiology:
General and Interventional
Internal Medicine
Nuclear cardiology
JOHN LOURIÉ, MD
4900 Manatee Ave W. Suite 201, Bradenton, FL 34209 | 941-7456-5200
Heartattackpreventioncenter.com
TELL US ABOUT YOUR PRACTICE. Having witnessed the erosion of quality care in medicine and a push by corporate and insurance industries toward a one-size-fits-all care model known as "protocol-based care", I knew I could deliver better personal care. So in 2010, I developed our current concierge practice which places the focus on the personal needs of the patient: not the insurance company. Our contract is between the patient and the doctor so we have been able to develop relationships with radiology centers, labs, pharmacies and specialists, etc. which allow much quicker access to service when needed. This is frequently achieved at a much lower price than it would cost through an insurance company without all the typical built-in delays and denials that people have become forced to accept through the traditional medical practice. We turn the standard medical practice of waiting until something is broken upside down by preventing our biggest health threats before they can strike. We actively look for and manage early stages of conditions to prevent diseases that can land you in the hospital which require invasive medical procedures and cost thousands of dollars to treat in an emergency. Our practice has been so successful that it has been at capacity for 8 years now.
WHAT SETS YOUR PRACTICE APART? We deliver what is now missing from most medical practices and certainly in hospital based care: excellent personal service, prompt appointments, and direct evaluation by your physician: not a nurse practitioner or physician's assistant. We routinely refer to the top medical centers in the US when someone's health depends on it. One of our primary goals is to keep people out of the hospital: and it works. We are focused on teaching people how to achieve and maintain health through lifestyle changes that have been proven to prevent strokes, heart attacks, diabetes, cancer and dementia.
HEART ATTACK PREVENTION CENTER
TOP DOCTORS
RADIATION ONCOLOGY
Fitch, Dwight L.
Advocate Radiation Oncology
5325 E State Road 64 Bradenton, FL 34208-5534
941-220-6263
License: ME95935
Koshy, Mary
Advocate Radiation Oncology 5325 E State Road 64 Bradenton, FL 34208-5534
941-220-6263
License: ME92795
RHEUMATOLOGY
Crager, Kenneth H.
HCA Florida Blake
Medical Specialists
315 75th St W Bradenton, FL 34209-3201
941-792-8329
License: ME64188
Green eld, David I.
Restore Medical Partners
333 Tamiami Trl S, Ste 101 Venice, FL 34285-2425
941-375-3006
License: ME46436
Guzman, Luis G.
Intercoastal Medical Group 943 S Beneva Rd Sarasota, FL 34232-2476
Intercoastal Medical Group 3333 Cattlemen Rd Sarasota, FL 34232-6056
941-379-1860
License: ME111892
VASCULAR SURGERY
Edwards, Je rey
Sarasota Vascular Specialists
600 N Cattlemen Rd, Ste 220 Sarasota, FL 34232-6422
941-371-6565
License: ME132518
Hershberger, Richard
Sarasota Vascular Specialists
600 N Cattlemen Rd, Ste 220 Sarasota, FL 34232-6422
941-371-6565
License: ME128434
Lepore Jr, Michael R
Sarasota Vascular Specialists
600 N Cattlemen Rd, Ste 220 Sarasota, FL 34232-6422
941-371-6565
License: ME81013
Nair, Deepak G.
Sarasota Vascular Specialists
600 N Cattlemen Rd, Ste 220 Sarasota, FL 34232-6422
941-371-6565
License: ME99082
Parrack, Inkyong K.
Sarasota Vascular Specialists
600 N Cattlemen Rd, Ste 220 Sarasota, FL 34232-6422
941-371-6565
License: ME137320
Suplee, Ryan S.
Intercoastal Medical Group
3333 Cattlemen Rd Sarasota, FL 34232-6056
941-341-0042
License: ME124998
Wagner, Jason K.
Sarasota Vascular Specialists
600 N Cattlemen Rd, Ste 220 Sarasota, FL 34232-6422
941-371-6565
License: ME139385
CHAD MARRS, MD
TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR PRACTICE. Marrs Ear, Nose, and Throat prides itself on being one of the most recognized, advanced and accessible medical practices in the region. We are on the cutting edge of medical technology with the latest being Inspire, a mask-free treatment for obstructive sleep apnea. This innovative device truly gives patients the freedom to pursue their dreams. I am driven by a “patients first” philosophy and desire to listen. I have an exceptional team that provides personal and professional care from the very first phone call through their entire experience. We have a thriving audiology and hearing aid practice sta ed by the best audiologist I have ever worked with, Jennifer Duncan, AuD.
WHAT SETS YOUR PRACTICE APART? Having grown up in a medical family and then being an advocate for many family members seeking medical care, I truly understand both sides of medicine. In medical school we are taught that the history a patient gives provides us with the best guide to their diagnosis, which is why I reiterate the importance of listening to my patients. I also cannot overstate how important my sta are to my practice because they truly are the backbone of Marrs ENT and many times what my patients rave about the most.
MARRS
CHAD MARRS, MD is a board-certified otolaryngologist who specializes in the medical and surgical treatment of adult and pediatric ear, nose, and throat problems. He graduated with distinction with his Bachelor of Arts and medical degree at the University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Medicine in 1997. He then completed a general surgery internship at St. Louis University Health Sciences Center and an otolaryngology residency at the University of Tennessee–Memphis Health Science Center in 2003. After residency, he practiced as an otolaryngologist in Kansas City before he and his family moved to sunny Sarasota in 2013. Dr. Marrs always aspired to open his own private practice. Family, friends, and patients were thrilled as dreams became reality with the opening of Marrs Ear, Nose and Throat in the summer of 2023. In just a matter of months Dr. Marrs realized his practice had outgrown his new space due to his patient base covering the entire Gulf Coast. He is excited to announce that Marrs Ear, Nose and Throat will be relocating in late 2024 to a beautifully designed o ce at 5310 Clark Rd, Suite 102, conveniently located just west of I-75 at the crosssection of Clark and Honore. In his spare time, Dr. Marrs enjoys spending time with his family exploring the sun and sands of Forida after spending his life landlocked. He enjoys smoking meats harkening back to his Kansas City days, watching his favorite sports teams, collecting animation art, and enjoying some fine dark chocolate.
EAR, NOSE & THROAT MARRS EAR, NOSE & THROAT
ARUN KHAZANCHI, MD
HONOREE
Gastroenterology
SPECIALTIES
Gastroenterology
Internal Medicine
Dr. Khazanchi is an exceptional physician who embodies compassion, understanding, brilliance, and a strong work ethic. Throughout his 25-year career, he has made a significant impact by saving and improving the lives of numerous individuals. His commitment to helping others is unwavering, and he consistently goes above and beyond to provide the best care possible. One of Dr. Khazanchi's remarkable qualities is his availability and dedication to his patients. He understands the importance of being there for them in their times of need and ensures that he is always accessible. His patients find solace in his caring nature and appreciate his tireless e orts to address their medical concerns. In addition to his medical expertise, Dr. Khazanchi is a devoted family man. He shares a beautiful and fulfilling life with his wonderful and supportive wife. Furthermore, he takes great pride in his daughter, who is currently pursuing her education at Duke University. Despite the demands of his profession, Dr. Khazanchi prioritizes his family and nurtures their well-being.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR PRACTICE. Dr. Khazanchi's contributions to the medical field have earned him numerous accolades and recognition. Since 2015, he has consistently been nominated as a top doctor in Sarasota and Bradenton, a testament to his out-standing skills and dedication. Despite his impressive achievements, Dr. Khazanchi remains humble and grounded, never losing sight of his primary goal: providing exceptional care to his patients. Dr. Khazanchi's practice is supported by a team of dedicated and skilled healthcare professionals who share his commitment to excellence. From the front desk sta to the nurses, medical assistants and management, the entire team works together to ensure a seamless and e cient patient experience. Their professionalism, compassion, and attention to detail contribute to the overall success of the practice and further distinguish it from others.
HOW DOES YOUR PRACTICE HELP IMPROVE THE LIVES OF YOUR PATIENTS? Dr. Khazanchi's practice has significantly improved the lives of his patients through exceptional medical care and a patient-centered approach. With his deep expertise in gastroenterology, he accurately diagnoses and treats various gastrointestinal conditions, providing relief and healing. His compassionate and understanding demeanor creates a supportive environment where patients feel heard and valued. Through personalized treatment plans and open communication, he empowers patients to actively participate in their healthcare decisions. Dr. Khazanchi's practice not only focuses on physical well-being but also addresses the emotional and psychological aspects of patients' lives. By improving their health and overall quality of life, he has made a profound impact on the well-being of his patients.
ALBERICO J. SESSA, MD
HONOREE Cosmetic Surgery
WHAT SETS YOUR PRACTICE APART? Sarasota Surgical Arts, the name says it all! This is where surgical excellence, safety, and art collide. Alberico Sessa, MD is an artist. An expert in Cosmetic Surgery. An expert is defi ned as 10,000 hours performing a task. 16 years and 10,000 procedures completed at his surgical facility—Dr. Sessa considers himself to be an expert. It's all in the training. Alberico Sessa, MD, is a perfectionist. The surgery is never completed until it is perfect. The fi rst questions asked at a consultation are to fi nd out exactly what is the patient’s idea of beauty and what they are concerned about. Then the journey begins. Sarasota Surgical Arts provides an array of Cosmetic surgery to help the breast, body, or the face. Some of the procedures performed: facelift, breast augmentation, tummy tuck, breast lift, breast reduction, liposuction, rhinoplasty, eyelid surgery, Laser skin resurfacing. Non-surgical options are also found at Sarasota Surgical Arts: Venus freeze—a skin-tightening procedure that works. Vanquish is an all-in-one treatment to dissolve fat and tighten skin, both painless and inexpensive. A medi-spa, along with a knowledgeable aesthetician, is also onsite. Skin peels, facials, derma planing, “PRP” facials (Vampire), micro-needling, as well as micro-blading for eyebrows are performed. We also have our very own skin care line-DR AL’s RX. All Cosmetic Surgery is performed at his private surgical facility. This facility is certified by the Florida Board of Medicine yearly. The anesthesia is provided by a board certified practitioner with 32 years of experience. , where he learned that a tenth of a millimeter can make all the di erence. He then went to medical school and onto oral and maxillofacial surgery at Charity Hospital in New Orleans for six years. This is were he learned to take apart the bony structures of the head and face and put them back together better than before. The training culminated in a year long post-graduate fellowship in cosmetic surgery of the face and body. This is where it all came together. It was at this fellowship, that every day, he along side his mentor performed cosmetic surgery in a private facility. Under this tutelage, he was able to hone his skills performing complex breast, tummy, face, and nasal surgery. This expertise allowed him to come to Sarasota in 2007 and begin practicing at the highest level immediately. Thousands of surgeries completed, five patient choice awards, hundreds of 5-star reviews across multiple platforms, and thousands of thrilled patients. He is a diplomate of both the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery as well as the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. Fellowship director, and American Board of Cosmetic Surgery Board examiner for the past four years.
BRANDON LAMBIRIS, MD
HONOREE
Cosmetic Surgery
SPECIALTIES
Plastic Surgery
Face, Breast, Body, Reconstruction
WHAT SETS YOUR PRACTICE APART? West Coast Plastic Surgery is the practice of Dr. Brandon Lambiris, an innovative board certified plastic surgeon who believes everyone deserves to live a life of real beauty. Legendary Sarasota plastic surgeon Dr. James Marsh chose Dr. Lambiris to take over his practice of providing dependable, accessible plastic surgery in Sarasota, Florida. At West Coast Plastic Surgery, our #1 goal is to help you feel comfortable and confident in your own skin, so you can radiate the unique individual you are —from the moment we meet to discuss your aesthetic goals, all the way through to when you proudly reveal your gorgeous results to the world.
DR. BRANDON LAMBIRIS BELIEVES EVERYONE DESERVES the opportunity to look their best. If you’ve dreamed of having plastic surgery to unlock your true potential, we encourage you to join us for a consultation. Experience the real di erence plastic surgery can have on your life at West Coast Plastic Surgery in Sarasota, FL. Only the second medical student ever awarded an Integrated Plastic Surgery residency at Florida State School of Medicine, Dr. Brandon Lambiris devoted his life to delivering the transformative results of plastic surgery. Dr. Lambiris was "pretty seriously banged up" as a kid and ended up in the emergency room. If not for treatment by a plastic surgeon the aesthetic e ects of his injuries would have been severe. Dr. Lambiris was inspired to help others fully recover in much the same manner. He returned to Florida to make his skills available to patients at West Coast Plastic Surgery. His advanced training and surgical skills have earned Dr. Lambiris a high level of respect from both colleagues and patients. Dr. Brandon Lambiris specializes in giving every patient the ultimate in personalized attention— so he can get to know the “real you” through warm, open, and unhurried dialog. Only through an intimate and honest understanding of “you,” is he able to apply his expert surgical training, technical skills, and keen aesthetic eye to achieve the beautiful, natural results that you want.
MICHELLE PENNIE, MD
HONOREE Dermatology
SPECIALTIES
Mohs Micrographic Surgery
Medical Dermatology
Cosmetic Dermatology
Dr. Michelle Pennie is one of the few double board-certified and fellowship trained dermatologists and Mohs surgeons on the West Coast of Florida. She earned her undergraduate degree at Dartmouth College, completed medical school and residency at Emory University, and received Mohs fellowship training at The Laser & Dermatologic Surgery Center. Dr. Pennie’s expertise includes complex skin reconstructions and minimally invasive cosmetic treatments.
JORDANA HOLLEN, MD
HONOREE Psychiatry
SPECIALTIES
Women’s Health
Mood and Anxiety Disorders
Psychopharmacology
Psychotherapy
Precision Transcranial
Magnetic Stimulation
DR. JORDANA HOLLEN is a Board Certified Psychiatrist with extensive training in psychopharmacology, mood and anxiety disorders, women’s health, ADHD, psychotherapy and TMS. Dr. Hollen graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Honors Program, and she completed her Psychiatry residency training at the University of Florida. She has experience as a medical director and psychiatry instructor for trainees, as well as thirteen years of outpatient psychiatric practice.
BLISS DERMATOLOGY
TELL US ABOUT YOUR PRACTICE. Bliss Dermatology is a full-service dermatology practice where the patient is the focus of our daily work. We o er comprehensive dermatology services, including skin exams, skin cancer prevention, advanced treatments, and cosmetic solutions all under one roof. At our practice, we treat your skin with the time, care, and precision it deserves, tailoring treatments to you. Our culture prioritizes excellence, o ering the latest in medical, surgical, and cosmetic dermatology. We focus on being the best in class in all that we do and pride ourselves on being nimble and flexible enough to meet the evolving needs of our patients. We aim to improve lives through consistent care, fostering strong relationships and helping you achieve and maintain healthy, radiant skin.
ABOUT YOUR PRACTICE. At Bluestone Psychiatry, a physician-founded and led practice, we feel grateful to provide our patients and their families with a dignified, compassionate behavioral health experience. We partner with our patients to build solid connections and trust. Building upon this trust, we incorporate evidence-based treatments including psychotherapy and medication management, as appropriate. Bluestone Psychiatry encourages our patients to set goals, and more importantly, achieve these goals. We appreciate that everyone is unique, and we strive to tailor our treatment plans to each individual. It is an absolute privilege to build these relationships, and we will always strive to create an environment that facilitates the best treatment outcomes.
DR. EMILY JILES is a cosmetic surgeon with extensive fellowship training with leading experts in the field. Originally from Chesapeake, Virginia, Dr. Jiles knew she wanted to be a surgeon from a very young age. She received her undergraduate degree in biochemistry from Florida State University. From there she attended medical school in West Virginia. After her board certification in general surgery, Dr. Jiles completed a cosmetic surgery fellowship in New York City. She now specializes in cosmetic surgery of the face, breast, and body. Today, she is a member of the American College of Surgeons, the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery, and the American College of Osteopathic Surgeons. Additionally, she is medical director at Florida Robotic Hair Transplant Center where she performs robotic hair transplantation surgeries.
MARK D'AGOSTINO
HONOREE
SPECIALTIES
Psychiatry
Addiction Medicine
, MD, MS, MSc
DR. D'AGOSTINO is Board Certified in Psychiatry, with a subspecialty in Addiction Medicine. He specializes in medication management and therapy for anxiety, depression, ADHD, and substance use disorders. Licensed in multiple states, he sees patients in person and remotely in CT, NY, and FL. Dr. D'Agostino attended Brown Medical School, trained and remains faculty at New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell, and holds advanced degrees from the London School of Economics, University of Nottingham, and Harvard Business School.
WHAT SETS YOUR PRACTICE APART? Dr. Jiles seeks to revolutionize the approach to cosmetic surgery. Because feeling beautiful and confident starts on the inside, she works closely with like-minded, progressive physician colleagues who are leaders in the fields of functional medicine and weight loss medicine. Do you have those last few pounds to lose before you get a tummy tuck? The Fit For Surgery program might be perfect for you prior to having surgery with Dr. Jiles! The best part of all is the emphasis on improving habits which will continue to improve your results even after surgery without trying.
1958 Prospect Street | Suite 103 | Sarasota, Florida 34239 941.867.7682 | drjilescosmeticsurgery.com
HOW DOES YOUR PRACTICE HELP IMPROVE THE LIVES OF YOUR PATIENTS? Behavioral health and substance use disorders impact every facet of a patient’s life. With this in mind, we collaborate with families and support networks to create a 360-degree treatment plan tailored to each patient’s needs. This often includes both medication management and psychotherapy and may incorporate recovery coaching or other modalities to meet patients where they are. Our practice is rooted in a balanced understanding of biological and psychological factors, and we are dedicated to improving lives with compassionate, evidence based care. Recovery is an active and iterative process. Its impacts can be transformative, and we are here to help.
MD BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, PLLC 1343 Main Street | Suite 706 | Sarasota, FL 34236 203.414.7374 | mdagostino@mdbehavioral.health mdbehavioral.health
DR JILES COSMETIC SURGERY
J MORGAN O'DONOGHUE , MD
HONOREE
Dermatology
SPECIALTIES
All diseases of the skin, hair, and nails
Mohs Surgery
Laser Treatments
Fillers & Botox
Aesthetician & Skin
Care Boutique
FABIAN A. RAMOS , MD
HONOREE
Interventional Pain Medicine
SPECIALTIES
Pain Medicine
Interventional Pain Medicine
DR. FABIAN A. RAMOS, FIPP, DABA, DABIPP, DABPM , is a highly accomplished pain management specialist with an impressive background. He completed his pre-Anesthesia and Pain Management internship at Emory University’s Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics in Atlanta, GA, and went on to complete his Anesthesiology Residency at the University of Miami School of Medicine in Miami, FL, where he was recognized as the “Best Graduate.” Dr. Ramos holds triple board certifications from the American Board of
Better healthcare begins immediately upon your arrival at O’Donoghue Dermatology. The practice specializes in delivering state-of-the-art dermatologic care with a personalized touch. Entering his 25th year as a boardcertified, Georgetown graduate dermatologist, Dr. O'Donoghue remains passionate about his work. "Our patients are my top priority and I love what I do. We cater to our patients' needs and treat them like family members, not numbers." As a patient, you will have quick access to a real person on the phone, availability for same-day appointments, you will be seen on time, and meet with a provider who listens. With his hands-on approach to medicine, Dr. O'Donoghue and his sta provide high-quality dermatology treatment with a caring, personal touch that sets them apart from the crowd.
Interventional Pain Physicians, American Board of Pain Medicine, and American Board of Anesthesiology, ranking in the 99th percentile nationwide. He founded the Ramos Center for Interventional and Functional Pain Medicine in Bradenton, FL, in 2000, where he and his team provide state-of-the-art interventional treatment options for chronic pain su erers.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR PRACTICE. The Ramos Center for Interventional & Functional Pain Medicine is the most comprehensive pain management facility on the west coast of Florida. For over twenty-five years we have been harnessing the latest technologies and interventions to alleviate chronic pain for patients in our community.
DR. CHAN is a fellowship trained, Board Certified Orthopaedic Hand Surgeon. He is a native Floridian, Chinese-American whose immigrant parents have given him the opportunity to pursue his interests in helping those in his community live a better quality of life. His interests include minimally invasive techniques such as endoscopic carpal tunnel release and wrist arthroscopy, as well as treating other common maladies such as hand and wrist arthritis, trigger fingers, Dupuytren’s contractures, tendon ruptures, and cysts.
DEREK CUFF, MD
HONOREE
Orthopaedic Surgery
SPECIALTIES
Shoulder Surgery
Elbow Surgery
DR. CUFF specializes in performing minimally invasive arthroscopic procedures as well as complex shoulder and elbow reconstruction. He utilizes state of the art surgical techniques to treat the full spectrum of shoulder and elbow problems. Dr. Cu graduated Cum Laude from the University of Maryland School of Medicine. He completed his orthopaedic residency in Baltimore, MD at the University of Maryland Medical System, and a portion of his training was also at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. He went on to complete subspecialty fellowship training in shoulder and elbow surgery in Tampa, FL at The Florida Orthopaedic Institute prior to moving to the Sarasota area.
Prior to attending medical school at the University of Florida, Dr. Chan practiced as a Senior Physical Therapist at the University of Miami / Jackson Memorial Medical Center for 5 years. It was there rehabilitating victims of head trauma and spinal cord injured quadriplegics that he learned the importance of hand function for independence and quality of life. He went on to complete a hand surgery fellowship at the prestigious Philadelphia Hand Center / Thomas Je erson University Hospital.
WHAT
SETS YOU APART FROM THE OTHERS?
We believe the most important aspects to providing quality care are establishing a relationship with our patients, educating them regarding their condition, and then presenting them with the appropriate treatment options. Our practice specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of athletic and degenerative conditions of the musculoskeletal system.
SUNCOAST ORTHOPAEDIC INSTITUTE
3030 Executive Dr | Venice, FL 34292
941.485.1505 | suncoastorthopaedic.com
WHAT SETS YOU APART FROM THE OTHERS?
In 2012 Dr. Cu was invited to join the prestigious American Shoulder & Elbow Surgeons (ASES) society. This organization is comprised of the leading national and international orthopaedic surgeons specializing in surgery of the shoulder and elbow. Admission into ASES society is by nomination only and based on sustained academic and research contributions to the field of shoulder and elbow surgery. He is one of a small group of surgeons in the state of Florida to be given this honor, and he is one of the few select surgeons on the Gulf Coast of Florida to achieve Active Member status in this organization. Dr. Cu has a strong interest in clinical and basic science research of the shoulder and elbow. He has published multiple articles in peer reviewed international journals on these topics.
SUNCOAST ORTHOPAEDIC INSTITUTE
3030 Executive Dr | Venice, FL 34292
941.485.1505 | suncoastshoulder-elbow.com
This page: An overstuffed beef and lamb lavash wrap with all the fixings.
forage
MEATY REMEDIATION
From the rubble of three hurricanes, The Duo Döner & Deli rises on Siesta Key. Andrew Fabian
IN LATE OCTOBER, HEARTBREAK DEFINED THE DRIVE TO SIESTA KEY VILLAGE FROM THE NORTH BRIDGE. Couches, mattresses, cabinets, appliances, irreplaceable items made unidentifiable by water and wind damage—every waterlogged pile along Higel Avenue a life uprooted. In August, Hurricane Debby’s flooding rains. In September, Hurricane Helene’s 4-foot storm surge. In October, Hurricane Milton’s 100+ mph winds. For Maja Rakowiecka and Jakob Skoczylas, it was a less than ideal time for the married pair to open their fast-casual restaurant—The Duo Döner & Deli—on Ocean Boulevard, which they did this past August just before Debby. “A lot of locals we talked to kept telling us not to worry,” says chef Skoczylas, “that Sarasota never gets hit that bad.” But after working for months on the gleaming buildout, Skoczylas and Rakowiecka weren’t taking any chances. They sealed up their doors with plastic, heavy duty tape and sand bags. Over their windows, they reinforced three-quarter inch plywood with two-by-fours.
This spread left to right: Perfectly seasoned chicken spins slowly on a vertical rotisserie for a nice, even sear. Meat overflows from The Duo’s proprietary Turkish pide bread. An Instagrammable eating counter where many meaty memories can be chronicled.The DUO Döner & Deli, 5049 Ocean Blvd, Siesta Key, 941-298-9660, @theduo_donerdeli
After Helene, they were able to clean up with just a mop. They reopened days after Milton. For a community on the mend, The Duo’s resiliency was a lifeline alongside more tenured eateries in The Village, offering residents and recovery teams refuge in the comforting calories of a hot meal.
And those hot meals aren’t coming from an ordinary fast-casual takeout joint. That’s because Skoczylas is no ordinary chef. He trained with the Michelin-star-studded Swedish chef, Ebbe Vollmer, and has rubbed shoulders with culinary titans. You can see that influence in the surgically spotless kitchen, the utter lack of dust or marring on counter tops and work surfaces—all of it in spite of the breakneck speed with which Skoczylas assembles the Turkish-inspired street food The Duo has quickly made a name with. The döner half of the operation refers to the vertical rotisserie used in Turkish cuisine to make slow-roasted meats. Popular all over Europe as a street food, Skoczylas saw an opportunity to bring some of his favorite food to the Key.
On one döner, he spins a roughly threeto-one vertical stack of beef and lamb. On the other, chicken. They’re both exquisitely seasoned with his signature blend of herbs and spices inspired by the Turkish recipes he
gleaned from friends while living in the UK.
The mediums for the meat include wraps with lavash or pita warmed on a griddle top, sandwiches made with Turkish pide or plates you can pick at with a fork or pieces of pita. The lavash—baked especially for The Duo by a middle eastern bakery in Tampa—is wonderfully thin yet still strong enough to contain the abundant fillings. But the Turkish pide used in the sandwiches is a delight. Skoczylas crafted the recipe himself, combining elements of traditional Turkish pide with brioche. Made especially for The Duo by a local bakery, the bread is unfathomably soft despite measuring in at about an inch and a half thick before being pressed. The sturdy outer crust serves as a suitable container for the overstuffed interior, where Skoczylas packs the meat, veggies and sauces.
The veggies and sauce accompaniments also speak volumes about Skoczylas’s training. There’s a clear eye for freshness and quality in everything from the cucumbers and cabbage to fermented pickles and jalapeños. And every döner plate comes overflowing with veggies.That’s why eating any of the döner offerings requires a diner’s full attention. Biting into a sandwich or wrap at The Duo demands a limber jaw, or one that can be dislocated entirely. It also demands
lots of napkins to clean up any of the delightful housemade sauces, which include a savory garlic, spicy chili, nutty tahini and bright mint yogurt. Similarly, the menu’s lone burger presents like a cartoonish eating challenge. It’s a smashburger in name, but the smashing only serves to make room for a second patty, all the fixings and The Duo’s signature truffle sauce. Like the döner kebab plates, the burger’s no-nonsense size belies the artistry of its ingredients. It’s in the fully salted butter brioche, the caramelized onions and the truffle sauce.
A Polish kielbasa hot dog is a recognizable nod to the owners’ home country, but the zap zap brings something truly unique from their native cuisine. It’s a Polish version of pizza, featuring half of a sliced baguette topped with melted mozzarella, mushrooms and ketchup. Ham, salami or one of the döner meats can also be added.The deli side of the operation offers the usual suspects—sandwiches, baguettes and paninis. There’s also a dessert and coffee menu, including a dedicated waffle section as well as a decidedly appropriate slushy selection for the days when beachgoers battle against the summer heat.
It’s said that food unites. The same is said of disaster. If both are true, then The Duo Döner & Deli opened at just the right time. SRQ
giving coast
BIG HANDS HOLDING LITTLE ONES
Scott Libertore helps disadvantaged children overcome obstacles so they can realize a better future. Barbie Heit
SCOTT LIBERTORE WAS BORN IN MIAMI, moved with his family to Chicago for a couple of years, then to back to Florida in Englewood, until he finally ended up in Sarasota in the ‘90s where he’s been ever since. Here in town, he has been an active member of numerous charity boards since 2010. When he sees a need, he jumps into action by donating and raising funds to help. “Making a difference is important to me. Besides spending a lot of time working on various businesses, I’ve always felt the need to do more from a charitable perspective,” he says. “It is also important to set an example for your children, family and friends on addressing the needs of your community and beyond.”
Libertore began his giving journey by coordinating and chairing golf tournaments and tennis matches for various children’s charities, raising over $1.5 million over a three-year period. “One of the golfing events we did was at the Longboat Key Club, where we had a golf tournament combined with an amazing dinner and auction where we raised three quarters of a million dollars,” he shares. “The support from the community was incredible. It’s amazing when you put the work in to help children, how much the community rallies around the efforts!”
Locally, Libertore is well-known for his passion for helping disadvantaged children overcome obstacles so that they can realize a better future. “After a few years of giving to various organizations and charities, I wanted to do even more, and I wanted it to continue long after I was gone, family legacy stuff, so I created the Libertore Fund for Children in March 2015. This step allowed us to achieve our goal of creating a larger and more lasting impact on those in need. I am motivated to help children because they can’t help themselves and if the children know the community supports them even though others haven’t, it gives them hope for a brighter future,” he explains. Through his fund, he also added scholarships for children to help pay to pursue their talents and dreams through sports and the arts.
In addition to his work with Libertore Fund for Children, Libertore has been involved with the YMCA and All Star Children’s Foundation and he has personally donated to these organizations. In addition, he has helped raise $1,000,000 dollars through
successful events. “Finding time to help others is something you just make happen when it’s important enough,” he says.
Libertore’s passion for helping others, he shares, was passed down from his philanthropic father. “My father was my business inspiration and I have learned so much about doing the right thing for clients and customers, which easily translates to doing the right things for children in need.” Clearly, he has also passed this spirit onto his own children. “I remember sponsoring an event in combination with the Heart Gallery where there were pictures of children that were in need of adoption and you could pick up the phone and hear each of their stories,” he shares. “Fast forward many years, my oldest daughter actually adopted a 12-yearold into her family of three children and accepted her as their own. There’s no better reward than that.”
For those interested in becoming more involved in the philanthropic community, Libertore shares these words of wisdom. “There are so many good organizations to be part of locally. First and foremost is identifying what’s most important to you and finding the best charity that aligns with your passions.”
Never expecting recognition or accolades for his philanthropic efforts, Libertore says that it took him by surprise to learn he was a Good Hero Philanthropic Award recipient last year. “With that being said, it’s ok to take a minute and realize you have made an impact on children’s lives and that truly feels amazing.” SRQ Scott Libertore was honored as a Good Hero by SRQ Magazine in December 2023.
TheSOME OF THE BEST THERAPISTS IN TOWN ARE . . . HORSES!
MANE BOND
A horse is a horse, of course, of course—unless that horse is your trusty sidekick in therapy. Horses are amazing animals, they’re not just pretty faces; they’re ultra responsive and love to help out. Their calming presence can work wonders for both the human body and mind. There are all sorts of equine-assisted therapy programs led by pros who guide clients in activities with horses, and many of them are right here in our neigh-borhood. Each program has its own vibe and focus, whether it’s part of mental health treatment or a fun way to incorporate riding into physical or occupational therapy.
BY BARBIE HEIT | PHOTOGRAPHY BY WES ROBERTS
Right, clockwise: Horses can help children become confident when communicating with adults and their peers. Libby Neily instructs a camper to lead a horse through an obstacle course during Mini Horsemanship Camp during The Event at TerraNova. Horses can help children become confident when communicating with adults and their peers. Equilibrium programming made its debut during a mindfulness session for employees at TerraNova during the annual Christmas party in 2023. Students at Myakka City Elementary practice reading aloud to miniature horses during guided sessions throughout the school year.
Equilibrium at TerraNova
Equilibrium at TerraNova is committed to helping people find balance and foster personal growth through mindfulness, partnership and connections with horses and the natural world. Their equine-assisted programs emphasize connection and draw inspiration from the unique qualities of horses. Libby Neily is a Certified EquineAssisted Learning Instructor and the founder of The Mindful Horse Program, a mindfulness-based curriculum teaching connected horsemanship to both children and adults. At Equilibrium at TerraNova Neily helps students develop a compassionate partnership based on an understanding of how horses think and communicate.
“I’ve been an equine professional for about 30 years, giving lessons and training horses, and I’ve loved it. But what I really enjoy now is working with the horses themselves and horses that are struggling with behavioral issues, maybe having a hard time understanding their humans and vice versa,” she says. “Just being that conduit between the horse and the human understanding each other is really what I thrive on.” Neily believes that there is a mystical essence to horses. “I think it’s because they are huge and sometimes intimidating, but when you get to know them, the gentleness, the quietness, the eagerness to please, they’re just there to understand and to make sure they’re going to be safe with you,” she explains. “There’s this interesting dance that happens where you try to help them. They understand what your intentions are and you help them feel safe, and then that also helps you become more comfortable with them because you’re starting to understand what their needs are as well.”
Neily’s mindful horse program at TerraNova began about a year ago. “TerraNova is beyond a show facility; they have a community with all these incredible athletes but to their credit, they wanted to go beyond that and create a program where individuals can learn about horses and what they mean to us and help us better ourselves as humans,” she says. Neily believes social emotional learning is a way for us to better understand how we think and feel. “It’s a great tool when we’re working with horses to teach people and help them understand the emotion they are feeling is projecting out to the horse and so then they can start regulating those emotions by breathing and taking down their energy,” she says. “When that happens, you see the instant reaction from the horse–it’s almost like they’re saying in real time, ‘You’ve got it, I see that you changed.’ And so it’s a great way to learn those types of skills without being in a room with teachers and white boards.” The outreach that Neily has been doing with her program mostly involves working with school children. Through this work, reluctant readers, for example, can enjoy reading out loud to mini horses which helps them to feel comfortable reading and ultimately, learn to read better. She also works with Youth Thrive and the Sarasota Housing Authority’s after-school program for kids 18 and under to teach them about horsemanship. “It’s all about allowing kids to be with horses—kids who would never have the opportunity to do so otherwise,” she adds. Looking to the future, Neily would like to expand the program to include more seniors, children and adults that are struggling by offering intensive outpatient programs. She’d also like to continue doing workshops during horse shows to help equestrian competitors. “I know we are dealing with Olympians but sometimes we don’t realize that sports psychology is really huge and athletes need to allow themselves to remember why they love the horse, why they’re doing the sport,” she says. “I’ve been doing this for so long and every single day, a horse teaches me something new. You’re never too much of a professional to get something out of the program.”
COURTESY OF TERRANOVA, PHOTOS BY RUBY TERVIS.
Sarasota Manatee Association for Riding Therapy (SMART with HEART)
Through therapeutic horse-related programs and activities, Sarasota Manatee Association for Riding Therapy (SMART) riders and their families’ quality of life is significantly improved through therapeutic horseback riding, carriage driving and equine assisted activities. Through respectful partnerships with their horses, they create an environment that promotes a life of inclusion, respect, growth and independence. The organization began in 1987 and is a 501 C3 non-profit organization. This year, on September 1, SMART merged with another therapeutic center called Hooves with HEART, enabling them to become SMART with HEART. Ilee Finocchiaro moved to Florida in 2014 and quickly became involved with SMART where she spent over eight years volunteering and working to gain her PATH (Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship) certification as an equine specialist in mental health and learning, and become a certified therapeutic riding instructor and a PATH Mentor. She is now the executive director of SMART with HEART.
Left: Ilee Finocchiaro works with horses to help riders overcome anxiety, foster trust and cultivate a sense of well being and peace. To learn more about SMART with HEART visit smartriders.org/
SMART classes are offered both privately and as group lessons for ages four and up, tailored to meet each participant’s needs and provide the most beneficial experience for them. The individuals they work with typically experience physical challenges, such as cerebral palsy, stroke and spinal cord injuries; developmental/cognitive challenges including autism, Down syndrome and learning disabilities; and emotional or behavioral challenges like PTSD, ADHD, anxiety/depression. They also work with those that may have neurological conditions or long-term illness. “Our goal is to improve the participants’ motor skills, their emotional well-being, communication and social interactions,” explains Finocchiaro. “We are all very excited about the new merger with HEART as now we will have the ability to serve so many more people in need in our community than ever before. SMART with HEART is a Premier accredited center with PATH International and we are a 100 percent volunteer powered organization.”
As to the horse/human connection, Finocchiaro says “It’s pretty darn amazing if you give it the chance! Horses are extremely intuitive and very sensitive creatures. They respond to our emotions and body language, which creates an opportunity for non-verbal communication and connection. They have a way of mirroring our emotions which helps people be more aware of their own feelings. Horses are also extremely non-judgemental and forgiving. In other words they don’t hold grudges which helps us build trust. Also, just being in the presence of such a powerful yet gentle creature can give us a sense of peace and well-being.”
Each therapeutic riding lesson at SMART is 45 minutes long and typically has structured activities specific to the individual’s needs. “We start with welcoming the participant and introducing them to their team and partner, their horse. They then begin the mounting process which can include a ramp or a mounting block with their instructor. After they are mounted we begin their warm up with some stretching to engage their core muscles and improve their flexibility. Then we focus on their riding skills depending upon their ability. We may practice steering, stopping, changing the pace of their horse, also including games such as ball tossing, obstacle courses, sensory trails—anything to enhance their coordination, cognitive functions and sensory awareness. Their lesson also includes some social and emotional stimulation. Working along with their instructors, sidewalk or horse leaders and even the other participants in the lesson helps to build teamwork. As far as their emotional regulation, the movement of the horse can really help to calm anxiety and behavioral challenges. Once the lesson is over we cool down with a quiet walk allowing them to process their experience,” shares Finocchiaro.
“We also offer equine assisted learning programs which are a hands-on experience for those that may not have the ability for a mounted lesson. We work on activities that help to increase their independence, gain confidence and coping skills to help in their everyday life.” Finocchiaro has witnessed many wonderful results coming from equine therapy. “We see so many incredible participants every week achieve their goals. To see someone with great anxiety and fear connect with their horse, to see someone who is paralyzed on one side of their body be able to move independently while they sit proudly on top of their horse, to hear a little girl tell you the best part of her week is to come and spend time with her horse where she shares ‘I feel free!’, or to hear the first word that has never been spoken said to their horse and not a human—there truly are no words that can do justice to describe the experiences you see at the barn,” she says. As a volunteer organization, SMART with HEART relies on donations, sponsorships and fundraising to support their programs. One hundred percent of every dollar donated goes toward operating their facility and taking care of their herd that serves the community.
This page, clockwise: The horse and human connection is a powerful one. Ilee Finocchiaro, SMART with Heart.
Above right: Miss Elian works with Speedy the horse and Frank the human. To learn more about Miss Elian and her programs visit rideapony.com or her Facebook page: facebook. com/Rideaponysrq
Ellian Rosaire Horse Therapy for Children and Seniors
Master Riding Instructor Ellian Rosaire, known as Miss Ellian, has been riding and training horses since childhood. Horseback riding has been a cherished family tradition, sparked by her father, Sir Derrick Rosaire, who gained fame alongside Tony the Wonder Horse. Rosaire’s Riding Academy & Pony Rides, LLC is a family-owned equestrian farm dedicated to offering personalized services and unique events. Miss Ellian and her team take great joy in teaching riders of all ages how to care for, respect and enjoy these magnificent animals. For those who prefer not to ride, they also provide ground handling and grooming sessions. In addition to caring for horses and training riders, Miss Elian has been offering a type of equine facilitated learning which she describes as a hybrid program. “Years ago, I started working with kids with psychosocial issues, kids that were misbehaving because they had been deemed ADHD, and really what they needed was more activity, outdoors experience and structure,” she explains. “I’ve trained thousands of kids over the years for riding, but along with my regular riding, there’s a lot of discipline and self-worth involved. Self-esteem is a huge thing for kids in particular. Getting to the point where you can work with such a large animal and develop a cooperative relationship, it really makes you feel good about yourself and what you’re doing.” In the coming year, Miss Elian plans to grow her team by adding a Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor trained by PATH International—the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship. “What’s most important to me is bringing people and horses together in a way that’s going to help both of them,” she adds.
Each client that Miss Elian works with is different and so is their therapy plan. “The plans depend on the person’s situation which I find out about when we do our first intake meeting. I don’t charge for that first meeting as most places do, because I want to see how the participant is going to react to being around horses. It can be anything from just viewing horses to grooming to doing groundwork handling, or in many cases riding. Everybody has a different need, a different desire, a different goal and it’s all about figuring out what direction to take,” she says. She usually recommends weekly sessions for all to see the greatest benefits. In addition to her work with children, Miss Elian very much enjoys working with the senior population. “Last year, I offered a horsemanship program for seniors and I’m going to start it again now that the weather has improved,” she says. “A lot of people who are elderly need something to do, they may not necessarily want to ride a horse but they like being around them—it gives them something to look forward to. We’re never too old to learn!”
Easterseals Ranch
This spread, below: Asher rides Breezy and Kylie rides Noah at Easterseals Ranch. This spread, opposite page, clockwise: Allistair Sweeny is a US Veteran and Lead Wellness Coach with Equine Therapy with Operation Warrior Resolution. Lillian works with her instructors and Missy the horse at the EasterSeals Ranch. To learn more about InStride Ranch, visit: easterseals-swfl.org. To learn more about Operation Warrior Resolution, operationwarriorresolution.org
Integrating equine therapy into occupational, physical, and speech-language therapies has proven to be a transformative approach for individuals with disabilities at Easterseals (ES) Ranch. This innovative therapy not only provides physical benefits but also promotes mental wellness by allowing clients to engage with nature in a calming, outdoor environment. Unlike traditional therapy sessions confined to sterile, fluorescent-lit rooms, equine therapy fosters emotional healing and relaxation. Riding saddleless enhances the connection between clients and horses, enabling them to feel the animals’ natural rhythm and cadence. Nicole Murby, a speech-language pathologist and Vice President of Programs at Easterseals, has dedicated 17 years to therapy work with the organization. She oversees various programs, including clinical and behavioral therapies and the ES Ranch. Murby has witnessed significant improvements in her clients’ conditions through equine therapy. She emphasizes that equine therapy can help children with developmental disabilities enhance their communication skills. “We have about twenty horses here, most of them are for therapy,” she explains. “The horses are very reactive to people’s emotions so if you are loud or have erratic behaviors, the horses will turn around and won’t want to interact with you. This is actually very motivating for the kids—it’s almost like a biofeedback in that if you want the positive response from the horse, you have to come in with a calm body and a quiet voice.” She adds that caring for and riding horses can build self-esteem and confidence while the repetitive movements of riding provide a calming effect. This therapeutic environment fosters a special bond between the client and the horse, helping them manage interpersonal issues and reduce irritability and impulsivity. Interacting with horses also promotes sensory exploration in a safe space, allowing individuals to rebuild trust and establish boundaries in their relationships. As Haley, one of the riders at ES Ranch says “I love it! It makes me feel like I’m not even going to a therapy session.”
ES Ranch offers multiple therapy types, including hippotherapy, which has been part of their program for over 20 years. This form of therapy uses the movements of a horse to provide motor and sensory input, beneficial for patients with neurological conditions and disabilities such as autism, cerebral palsy and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Equine therapy is also effective in alleviating anxiety and depression. Another component of the program is Equine Assisted Learning, known as Operation1Stride, which includes specialized programs like the Veterans Program aimed at alleviating PTSD symptoms and Herds in Harmony, designed for families affected by natural disasters. Additionally, their Operation LEAD program focuses on leadership and trust skills for at-risk youth in partnership with the Sarasota Sheriff’s Department. Christiana, a 26-year Air Force Veteran, shares her transformative experience with Operation1Stride after struggling with PTSD and major depressive disorder. Through her interactions with horses, she learned to channel her emotions into mindfulness, allowing her to process her trauma positively. She highlights that the program helped her rewrite her narrative and find a path forward, moving away from thoughts of despair to a more hopeful outlook.
Therapeutic Riding at the Ranch helps improve balance, motor function and overall quality of life. Unlike hippotherapy, this type of therapy encourages more independent riding. Each type of therapy session involves a certified therapeutic riding instructor, a licensed therapist and dedicated volunteers who assist with horse handling and safety. The Ranch’s 22,000-square-foot covered riding arena provides a safe space for therapy, protecting clients from the intense Florida sun and ensuring sessions can proceed regardless of the weather. This holistic approach to therapy through equine interaction offers profound benefits, allowing individuals to grow physically, emotionally and socially.
Equine Therapy with WarriorOperationResolution
Operation Warrior Resolution (OWR) is dedicated to supporting veterans and their families through holistic mental health services aimed at healing trauma and fostering long-term wellness. During transformative retreats, veterans engage in brain-based healing techniques and alternative therapies, including yoga, meditation and equine therapy. Kendra Simpkins, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and US Army veteran, knows the struggles veterans face firsthand. After leaving active duty in 2010, Simpkins found herself in a dark place, grappling with addiction and a sense of disconnection. Determined to find solutions, she built a dedicated team, rallied support and established OWR. Since its inception, the organization has positively impacted hundreds of veterans and their families through its retreat programs and community events in the Sarasota area. Thanks to generous grants, donations and fundraising efforts, all services are provided at no cost to veterans and their families.
Wendy Price, a brain-based healing practitioner and equine-assisted therapist at OWR, emphasizes a personalized approach to healing. “I meet each client where they are on their journey,” she explains. “My goal is to empower them and create momentum for their healing.” Price highlights the effectiveness of brain-based healing, noting an impressive 80 percent success rate in helping veterans and their families find relief from trauma, anxiety and depression. “We serve not just veterans, but also their spouses and children, even adult children, ensuring that all services remain free.” Price recognizes the profound impact of equine therapy in the healing process. “When veterans connect with horses, they often begin to soften and find ease,” she shares. “This interaction helps regulate their hearts and minds, fostering a powerful healing connection.” During retreats, veterans form bonds with both the horses and one another in groups of eight. This supportive environment is designed to promote healing, transformation and freedom from painful past experiences. With a partnership with Carousel Sea Horses in Bradenton, veterans even have the unique opportunity to swim with horses, an experience that can be both breathtaking and therapeutic. “It’s incredible to see veterans carried in the water, accompanied by horses and surrounded by jumping dolphins,” Price says. “We aim to foster connections from the moment they arrive, guiding them to create meaningful relationships with both the horses and each other.”
Although there have been so many successful interactions, one story in particular stands out for Price. It involves a veteran who initially approached the program with trepidation, burdened by the belief that he had lost his family’s love due to his struggles. He was particularly concerned that his prosthetic hand would frighten Miss America, the horse. With patience and encouragement, Wendy helped him bond with the horse, and eventually, she saw him gently stroking its side with his prosthetic hand, tears streaming down his face. “I haven’t felt this accepted since I came home,” he confided, a true testament to the healing power of connection and acceptance. SRQ
Above: The team at Operation Warrior Resolution helps veterans overcome traumatic experiences from the past. To learn more about Operation Warrior Resolution, operationwarriorresolution.org
TAKING THE HELM
Meet Andy Guz, Manatee Memorial Hospital’s CEO. Compiled by Barbie Heit.
IN THIS INQUISITIVE Q&A SERIES, WE GET PERSONAL WITH ANDY GUZ, Manatee Memorial Hospital’s new chief executive officer. As CEO, Guz ensures that the hospital meets national quality, safety and patient satisfaction standards by leading with a balance of strategy, compassion and innovation.
A recent day in your life. Each day is different, but at the hospital, we start each day with an all-hands-on-deck Safety Huddle to ensure everyone is focused on patient safety. Then I usually have meetings with physicians and other leaders. If I get a break throughout the day, I try to walk around meeting people, as I am still relatively new. After work it’s either a community event, work dinner, or more often than not, going to the softball fields to coach or watch my daughters. The weekends are full of softball or hanging out around the house and pool with my wife and daughters.
When you were a kid you dreamed of . . . playing baseball for the Pittsburgh Pirates and having my own swimming pool. I am one for two.
In our hometown, we do too much complaining about new people moving here and too little appreciating the reasons that they do.
For what fault have you been the most tolerant? I allow people to fail as long as they are giving maximum effort and genuinely trying to do the right thing.
Your guilty pleasure . . . Food. I love a good great meal, whether I am cooking or out to eat.
My last supper would include . . . Homemade pasta Bolognese from Marcello Ristorante in Sarasota, the Grouper special from Café Gabbiano on Siesta Key, and Gus’s Fried Chicken from Memphis, TN.
Words you use too often . . . At the hospital many of my leaders hear, “What would you do differently if you blew up the process and had to start all over?”
What is one thing that you will never understand . . . How to consistently hit a golf ball straight.
With 2 more hours in the day, I would . . . Sleep for an extra hour and spend an extra hour at home with my family.
If you could undo one invention in the world, what would it be? Social media
What was the funniest thing you remember doing as a kid? When I was 8 or 9, I was the voice actor for a local commercial about a rubber duck race on the Ohio River.
Would you rather have a rewind button or a pause button in your life?
At my age, I would say a pause button, but if I had a rewind button in college, I would have never graduated. Go Herd.
What is the scariest thing you’ve ever done? I’m afraid of heights, so cliff-jumping into a lake. It was probably 50 feet but felt like 5,000.
If you could snap your fingers and appear somewhere else, where would you be? Siesta Key, on the beach in the summer.
You have to wear a t-shirt with one word on it, what would it be? IYINZ. I actually own this shirt, and it immediately resonates with the people who know what it means. SRQ
