It’s September and that means it’s time for our inside look at what’s trending in the ever-changing worlds of fashion, food, the arts and health and fitness. From brunch to dessert and home design to fitness—there’s a lot to learn and enjoy this season and we’re happy to share it with you here.
BY BARBIE HEIT, DYLAN CAMPBELL, ELIANA BURNS AND VANESSA TASÉ SUEIRO PHOTOGRAPHY BY WYATT KOSTYGAN, WES ROBERTS
Cover: Jolly Mon Salad with mixed greens, blackened shrimp, mango, mandarin oranges, almonds and smoked gouda cheese with a mango poppy seed dressing, The Breakfast House, photography by Wes Roberts. This page: Island Cakes with coconut, fresh grilled pineapple and macadamia nuts from The Breakfast House, photography by Wes Roberts.
24 ELITE TOP ATTORNEYS LEGAL GUIDE, RECOGNIZING THE 2024 HONOREES FEATURING THE HONOREES OF THE 2024 ELITE TOP ATTORNEY PEER REVIEW PROGRAM
page:
The Gulf Coast Maritime
Board of Directors are committed to telling the story of boat building in Florida, one restoration at a time, photography by Wes Roberts. An artifact from the Teachers Artifacts of Worth Exhibit, preparing to be debuted at the Sarasota Art Musem this Fall, photography by Wyatt Kostygan.
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The Gulf Coast Maritime Museum tells the storied history of boat building on Florida’s Gulf Coast. From a craft fair clown to a celebrated living statue—the unconventional journey of Joe Abel. European style and elegance comes to Downtown Sarasota with Incanto. Bestselling young adult author and filmmaker Soman Chainani tells SRQ what makes him tick in advance of his appearance this in North Port this November 7 as part of the Off the Page Literary Celebration hosted by the Sarasota County Libraries and Historical Resources.
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Jeffrey Kin and the team at Sarasota Rising are bringing the first ever Living Arts Festival to Sarasota this November. Former Sarasota County Teacher of the Year Es Swihart takes us through the process of creating the Teacher Artifacts of Worth Exhibit.
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Renowned Chef Fabio Viviani brings his passion for good food and quality ingredients to Bradenton with Taverna Toscana. From the heart of Sicily, authentic Italian cafe dishes are being served up at Mangia Che é Buono
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Cina Welch, one of only less than 10 female insurance CEOs in the country led her company to a milestone of $1 billion in direct written premiums in 2022 while simultaneously advocating for many local charities in our community.
This
Mangia Che é Buono, photography by Vanessa Tasé Sueiro.
Museum’s
SEPTEMBER 2024
CEO / PRESIDENT / EDITOR IN CHIEF
LISL LIANG
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The “SRQ” in SRQ magazine originates from the designated call letters for the local Sarasota Bradenton International Airport. “SR” was the original abbreviation for the airport before the growth in total number of airports required the use of a three-letter code. Letters like “X” and “Q” were used as filler, thus the original “SR” was revised to “SRQ,” much as the Los Angeles airport became “LAX.” As a regional publication committed to the residents of and visitors to both Sarasota and Manatee counties, SRQ captures the place that we call home.
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The burgeoning Gulf Coast Maritime Museum honors the distinct legacy of boat building in the region through conservation and community outreach. Dylan Campbell
FROM THE OUTSIDE, 2135 PRINCETON STREET IN SARASOTA IS THE DEFINITION OF UNSPECTACULAR. Two large sheds of galvanized steel sit side by side in an unassuming street off an industrial park, rusting away in the unyielding Florida sun. Step inside, however, and you’ll find yourself transported into an entirely different world. Hulls of wooden boats fill the space in various states of restoration—some are sleek sailboats or clippers awaiting their next paint job, others are half-hull models of skiffs and dinghies with their bare support beams sticking out into the air like the skeletons of fossils from a time long ago. For the past 70 years this was the location of the now defunct George Luzier Boat Builders, the shop of legendary wooden boat builder George Luzier. Now, it is the conservation lab and current operating base of the Gulf Coast Maritime Museum—a burgeoning institution dedicated to preserving the rich history of boat building on Florida’s Gulf Coast.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY WES ROBERTS.
Below: The Gulf Coast Maritime Museum's Board of Directors are committed to telling the story of boat building in Florida, one restoration at a time.
This page: The work never ends at the conservation lab of the Gulf Coast Maritime Museum, where dozens of boats in various stages of repair are toiled over day after day.
Below, left to right: Executive Director Virginia Harshman understands the importance of preserving Florida's rich history of boat building. A worker sands down the skeletal wooden hull of a sail boat. Learn more about the museum at gulfcoastmaritime.org.
WHILE THE GULF COAST MARITIME MUSEUM IS STILL TECHNICALLY WITHOUT A BUILDING, the team behind it are finishing up a lease agreement on a piece of property in Manatee County, it is very much a living, breathing museum—defined by the passion of those behind it. The idea for a museum originated in 2019 when a team of boating enthusiasts, among them John and Laura Pether, authors of Wood, Fiberglass, and Steel: The History of Boat Building on Florida’s Gulf Coast, came together to address a problem: much of the Gulf Coast’s rich history of boat building was slowly fading away. “John researched all the way from the Everglades to Pensacola and realized that the history of these boat builders and boat building families was disappearing,” says Virginia Harshman, Executive Director of the Gulf Coast Maritime Museum. “The boats are disappearing, the boat builders are passing on and that’s when he gathered with a group of concerned people and realized that they had an opportunity to do something wonderful for the whole state of Florida.”
The museum’s mission is simple—preserve the rich history of boat building in Florida, a history that charts back 7,000 years to the region’s native settlers and their dugout canoes. When more people started to settle in Florida in the 1800s, infrastructure, particularly along the Gulf Coast, did not exist. Boats were the only way to move around and consequently, boat building became one of the state’s first real industries. While the museum will show the full extent of the history of boat building in the area, there will be a particular focus on the wooden boats that Sarasota is famous for.
“The museum will also include fiberglass boats, of which we now have many major boat manufacturers based here in Florida as well as different methods of building modern boats,” says Harshman.
“There will also be exhibits talking about the Liberty ships, freighters built here in WWII and other military craft built here as
well.” The museum’s current collection of boats, all within differing stages of restoration, some seaworthy and others still in pieces,paint a more visceral picture of the history of boat building on the Gulf Coast. Sailboats, motorboats, skiffs and dinghies, made from wood and fiberglass alike are housed in the museum’s conservation lab as well as at Snead Island Boat Works, awaiting the day where they can be moved into a permanent location. Boats like the Annie-T, a 30foot wooden sloop (a type of sailboat that typically has a single mast and two sails) designed by Sarasota School of Architecture founding member Tim Seibert and built by Luzier, tell the story of Sarasota itself—a city defined by water and the people who traverse it.
While current construction plans for the museum are being finalized, Harshman and the board have a vision for what the Gulf Coast Maritime Museum will look like. “We’ve been kicking around different design ideas, but one of the ones that people have really responded to is something that actually resembles the Luzier boatworks. A metal building that looks like it belongs with boats,” says Harshman. “We had a building design previously for a different plot of land, but we know that with some modifications the museum will have to be around 30,000-40,000 square feet with very tall ceilings in order to house the boats with their masts up.”
There is no set timeline for the construction of the museum, but Harshman and the board are hoping to open doors somewhere in the next two to five years. Until then, the Gulf Coast Maritime Museum will remain a resource dedicated to preservation of the region's past and future in boat building. An educational talk series, Written in Water, is set to make its rounds and the museum’s website is a hub of information. Stay tuned—in the next few years this museum without a home will surely have one. SRQ
TOGETHER WE ROAR
JOIN US AT MICHAEL’S AT EAST FOR AN UPLIFTING LUNCHEON SHOP POPUP BOUTIQUES 10:30AM | LUNCHEON PROGRAM 11AM-1:15PM
FRIDAY, OCT. 25, 2024 TABLE SPONSORSHIPS AND TICKETS ONLINE AT SRQMAG.COM/WEROAR
Announcing SRQ Magazine’s 2024 Women Who Roar Trailblazer Award Recipient Kate White, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author and former editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan magazine and 2024 Women Who Roar Illuminator Award Recipient New York-based standup comedian, social media influencer and writer Elyse Delucci.
Join us as we also announce and recognize the Women Who Roar Honorees who will be inducted into the Women Who Roar Leadership Circle.
KATE WHITE New York Times bestselling author and former Editor In Chief of Cosmopolitan magazine.
ELYSE DELUCCI
New York-Based standup comedian, creator of the New York Tawk podcast and writer. ALSO THANK YOU
Diamond Vault
The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota Dolphin Transportation
SILENT STAR
Joe Abel’s unconventional journey from craft fair clown to celebrated living statue. Eliana Burns
HAVE YOU EVER SEEN A STATUE BREATHE? If you’ve visited Bayfront Park in the past two years, chances are that you have. Meet Joe Abel—Sarasota’s own living, breathing statue. Plated in gold and silver, Abel is known for his sport-inspired character statues, like “Happy Stillmore,” “Gold E. Glover,” and “Goldie Howe.” Happy Stillmore, for example, is a silver golfer with skin that matches his shining ensemble.
Abel began his entertainment career at the ripe age of six years old. In his hometown of Baltimore, Maryland, Abel found himself bored at a craft fair his parents were running. “My mom didn’t have time for me, because she was getting all the vendors checked in,” Abel recalls, “So she told me what any good mother would say, ‘Go streaking,’ So, I went into the bathroom and ran out wearing only underwear.” In an effort to channel their son’s desire for an audience, Abel’s parents made him his own clown costume and the following year, they hired him as a clown at the craft fair. “It all started then,” says Abel. After a decade of craft fairs and working at haunted houses like Howl-O-Scream, Abel developed the ability to stand still for hours on end, hardly moving or blinking.
“I remember seeing a human statue in Mexico 15 or 20 years ago, and I knew I could do that.” Only anxious about his ability to garner outfits, Abel trusted his creative ability and traveled to Downtown Sarasota one Halloween dressed as a statue. “So, I’m standing there, I’m scaring people and next thing you know they’re coming back asking where to put the tips!” Insisting that it was all for Halloween fun, Abel passed up more than $50 worth of tips before he picked up a littered cup and began accepting donations. At the end of the night, Abel left with a solo-cup full of cash. Halloween fun turned into more than $100.
“I knew I was on to something. I started to come up with different characters and I worked New Years’ before I started going to the Main Street Farmers Market on Saturday mornings,” he shares. Fed up with his 9-5, Abel quit his job as a wrestling manager and fully committed to his characters.
“I’m making more money now, and I’m having more fun.” Abel often performs as Gold E. Glover, a gold baseball statue, at professional games. This led him to be featured on Bally Sports, a television provider of sports media. After the interview, Major League Baseball took an eight second clip and uploaded it to their YouTube page—garnering over 96,000 views. Abel reflects on how he felt at that time, “I’ve never had anybody look at anything I did. You know a couple hundred, maybe a thousand. To go from that to 96,000 is amazing.” It was especially exciting for Abel, fueling his newfound dream of working for a major league baseball team. Abel’s advice is this, “Follow your passion, no matter how silly you think it is or if you think people are going to laugh at you. Follow your passion. If you don’t, you can sit back and say, ‘What if?’ That’s the biggest regret in life. Take the chance.” SRQ
Below: Joe Abel captures a lot of attention as Happy Stillmore, a golfer in statue form. To follow Joe Abel, visit his Facebook page.
EUROPEAN ELEGANCE
Incanto encompasses the quality and style of Europe, with merchandise hand-selected and sourced by Natali Degtyarev. Eliana Burns
ON THE EDGE OF DOWNTOWN SARASOTA, A STORE WREATHED IN PINK ROSES ENCHANTS PASSERSBY. With fabrics and styles handselected and sourced from Europe, this luxury boutique called Incanto is the epitome of sleek, modern elegance. Born in Belarus, local owner Natali Degtyarev is a mother, model and fashion mogul. During a trip abroad in 2022, she found herself in Italy, visiting textile factories and enlisting the help of her daughter, Anna Vice, who was back home in Sarasota. “We are originally from Europe, but we have been here for 10 years now. We’ve found that clothing stores in Europe are very different.” The duo explains how they are able to sell luxurious textiles for such low prices, “Everything there is high quality, everything is cheaper.” Degtyarev sent her daughter a few items to feature on the website they were running at the time. A few items turned out to be three large boxes that converted a three-bedroom apartment into a giant walk-in closet. Returning from Italy, the team got busy sampling the garments before finding a perfect spot downtown to set up shop.
FRIDAY, OCT. 25, 2024
TOGETHER WE ROAR
JOIN US AT MICHAEL’S AT EAST FOR AN UPLIFTING LUNCHEON SHOP POPUP BOUTIQUES 10:30AM | LUNCHEON PROGRAM 11AM-1:15PM
Announcing SRQ Magazine’s 2024 Women Who Roar Trailblazer Award Recipient Kate White, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author and former editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan magazine and 2024 Women Who Roar Illuminator Award Recipient New York-based standup comedian, social media influencer and writer Elyse Delucci.
Join us as also announce and recognize the Women Who Roar Honorees who will be inducted into the Women Who Roar Leadership Circle.
TABLE SPONSORSHIPS AND TICKETS ONLINE AT SRQMAG.COM/WEROAR
KATE WHITE New York Times bestselling author and former Editor In Chief of Cosmopolitan magazine.
ELYSE DELUCCI
New York-Based standup comedian, creator of the New York Tawk podcast and writer. ALSO THANK YOU
Diamond Vault
The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota Dolphin Transportation
FLYING TO ITALY TO PROCURE INCANTO’S COLLECTION, Degtyarev meticulously chooses the finest brands and garments. “That’s what makes us so unique,” she explains. “We don’t order items online. We literally go to the place and feel it out.” Degtyarev has built relationships with European brands like Imperial and Dixie, whose merchandise is not available in the United States with the exception of Incanto.
In a room rich with one of a kind Italian silk dresses, women’s leather brogues and handbags by deluxe brands such as Hermes and Fendi—one may feel like they stepped out of Sarasota and into a chic boutique located by the Duomo in Italy. “Obviously, Italy is by far the best clothing manufacturer in the world,” Vice says. “It’s a fashion capital—you go to Milan and you come out of there a changed person.” Degtyarev and Vice also aim to source only one or two pairs of the same style to promote exclusivity,
variety and sustainability. “Italy is always one step ahead of the trend cycle,” they explain. “That helps us extend the marketability of our products and ties into our sustainable practices.” Incanto is proud to be aligned with the Global Organic Textile Standard and the Global Recycle Standard, two standards that set criteria for organic textiles and recycled materials respectively. The boutique also crafts their fabric from recycled materials for the brands they feature as well as their own, allowing them to work with textiles that take up to 18 times less carbon emissions to produce. Looking to the future, Degtyarev and Vice are excited to establish their own clothing line. Focused on silks and organic bamboo materials, the garments will be completely sustainable and biodegradable. “We are not necessarily here to make money,” they say. “We're here to disturb the ecosystem of the fashion industry.” SRQ
SOMAN CHAINANI DOESN’T TAKE NOTES. The best-selling author and filmmaker, known for penning the young adult fantasy series The School for Good and Evil, which spans across nine novels and a hit Netflix adaptation, has been heralded as the king of the modern fairy tale. The School for Good and Evil universe includes over 70 different plotlines and 150 characters and yet? Chainani still doesn’t have a single note anywhere about the series. He couldn’t dig up a notebook or a map of the immense world that he’s created from the depths of his office if you asked. In fact, Chainani rarely even thinks about his books when not physically sitting at his desk typing away.
LOST IN THE WOODS
Best-selling young adult author and filmmaker Soman Chainani tells SRQ about what makes him tick. Dylan Campbell
At first, this approach might seem disingenuous. An author who doesn’t even take notes? If you get to know Chainani, however, you’ll soon see that it’s not an act, but instead a reflection of who he is as an artist.
Chainani grew up in Key Biscayne, a self-proclaimed “Disney kid” in one of the area’s few families of Indian descent. The animated fairy tales of Walt Disney Studios filled his young mind with a passion for storytelling, which he took with him to Harvard University, where he studied English and American literature. “I remember watching these movies and thinking that while I loved them, two things struck me. One was that I found the villains much more compelling than the heroes and the other thing was that I’d started to learn about some of the original stories and they never matched the Disney versions,” says Chainani. “My freshman year I ended up in this seminar on fairy tales and I remember being so intrigued by the history of fairy tales and their darkness and why they were told in the first place, which is that they were meant to be these kind of survival guides to life for teens and children way back when they were expected to fend for themselves. I kept thinking that they were the more interesting versions of the stories and that Disney had sort of sanitized them to create this myth of happily ever after which wasn’t true in the original stories.”
The idea of a more balanced fairy tale, where “the villain had just as much a chance to win as the hero” stayed with Chainani after he graduated in 2001. After he worked as a screenwriter and tutor, two experiences which pushed him toward working on the novel that eventually became the best-seller The School for Good and Evil. As a screenwriter, Chainani struggled with the constant notes on his work from Hollywood executives. He felt that the creative vision for his stories was being
whittled down to the point that his work was no longer his own. “I remember when I wrote The School for Good and Evil, the why was that I wanted to create something that no one could mess with. I wanted to do something that was 100 percent me. I went into it with this vengeance of 'I’m going to write something that I don’t think could ever get published cause it’s gonna be so different than any kids book out there.' It’s going to be edgy and strange and hard-hitting and the villains are going to win and it’s just going to be crazy,” says Chainani. “It was almost just me writing it for myself. It felt like a fever dream, I was so angry after having to listen for so many years to all of these things that were watering down the vision, that I just wrote something that was very much me. Ironically, that’s what ultimately made it successful, the fact that it stood out because it didn’t look like anything else.”
It was the nearly 11 years Chainani spent working as a tutor, however, that gave him an insight into the psyche of teenagers—his future audience. In nearly all of Chainani’s books, the adolescent characters are left to their own devices—their parents vanish and many of the adults around them are inherently untrustworthy or at the very least, unreliable. It harkens back to what Chainani believes fairy tales were always about, “Just kids stuck in the woods trying to figure things out.” As a tutor, Chainani saw what young readers needed—a path through the dark woods of adolescence. “I still get the sense, that even though they are in this generation where parents are even more present than ever, that they feel more alone or at least just as alone as they ever did, because of the progression of technology and how fast things are moving so that parents can’t even keep up,” says Chainani. “It just feels like every generation feels like they’re lost in the woods. What the woods
actually are changes, but the importance of being able to translate fairy tales for new generations holds every single time.”
This is where we come back to Chainani’s writing style. He writes about kids in the woods, not only because he once was a kid in the woods, but because in many ways he still is—an intrepid explorer hacking through the thick undergrowth of creativity with his pen, carving out sentences and plotlines like trails in a dark forest, searching for a sign of light. He finds writing to be an utterly subconscious process, it’s the reason he doesn’t have notes or maps or outlines as the work comes from some spring of creativity nestled deep inside the recesses of his mind. “The only time I think about my writing is when I’m working on it. I think it’s because I trust that it’s 100 percent unconscious and subconscious and that there’s nothing I have to physically do except show up and find my way through the woods,” says Chainani. “That’s what it
feels like with all of my books—I just kind of wander through and shape it and see where things take me and eventually it kind of works itself out. It’s a very strange way of writing, but I guess it’s the only way I know how.”
For Chainani, it’s a timely process and not one that he has utter control over. Ever since the release of The School for Good and Evil, Chainani has been pigeonholed as “the fairy tale guy,” both by the literary world and admittedly, by himself. “I assumed that I would just take pots of money to write more fairy tales, kind of become the Rick Riordan of fairy tales the way he does Greek mythology. I was going to do a whole universe planned in the Peter Pan world for Neverland,” says Chainani. But his brain, and perhaps more importantly his heart, had other plans. “I worked on it for two days. I remember waking up on the third day and deleting all of it and having this realization of “Oh no. I’m not in charge of my own career. In the same way that
Left: Soman Chainani’s debut series, The School for Good & Evil, sold over 4 million copies, was translated into 35 languages and became a #1 Netflix film in 80+ countries. His Beasts & Beauty debuted on the NYT Bestseller List and will be a Sony 3000 series. Chainani has been nominated for the Waterstone Prize and received the Sun Valley Writer’s Fellowship.
subconsciously I don't get to control what’s happening when I’m writing, I don’t get to control what I write.”
What he is in charge of, however, is figuring out his why—and then listening to it. Why is he writing? Is it for fame or money or is it for something deeper? Whereas Chainani’s initial reason for writing The School for Good and Evil was in large part a need to write his own story, to maintain his voice throughout his work, his why now looks a little different. “What makes me write now is the challenge of picking a subject or a story that I almost think is unachievable and seeing if I can pull it off,” he says.
Chainani’s reinvigorated sense of why is what is driving him towards the impossible in his latest venture—creating a new genre of young adult fiction. The book, which is still being written, looks to blend visuals and prose to create a sort of “alternative history textbook of modern times.” Somewhere within the pages Chainani will weave in the plot lines of a global thriller. It’s still a work in progress. “It’s impossible and I bang my head against the computer every day, but I’ve been working on it for about 18 months and little by little, I’m like ‘Oh, now I see what I’m doing.’ It’s how I felt with the first The School for Good and Evil book—I’m trying to express something that I feel like is needed and just doesn’t exist,” says Chainani. “Reading habits are changing and kids’ relationships with books are changing and you have to try to break the system a little bit. It’s the same thing as when I was writing the first School books, I was trying to break this monopoly that Disney has on the way that we think about fairy tales.”
In November, Chainani will come to Sarasota for the Sarasota County Library’s Off the Page literary celebration, a festival connecting readers, writers and authors alike. Once there, Chainani will invariably ask attendees the question he poses to everyone he speaks with from emerging writers to high school students, the question that has helped him most in his career. He will ask them why? SRQ Soman Chainani will be speaking at the Shannon Staub Library in North Port, FL on Thursday, November 7, 2024 at 6pm.
It’s September and that means it’s time for our inside look at what’s trending in the ever-changing worlds of fashion, food, the arts and health and fitness. From brunch to dessert and home design to fitness— there’s a lot to learn and enjoy this season and we’re happy to share it with you here.
SPORT+ TREND
COTTAGE STYLE The Breakfast House
Traveling north to the Historic Downtown Village Of Sarasota, you can feast your eyes and stomach at The Breakfast House. Owner Wendy Goldberg utilizes recipes passed down from her mother and grandmother to create meals as beautiful and satisfying as her masterful interior design. Buying the property in 2009, Goldberg renovated the cottage and created a personalized atmosphere that captures the essence of classic Florida. Tables are set with pink and orange napkins that match the flowers and dining chairs unique to every party, and you can find purchasable work from local artists adorning the colorful walls. Be sure to check out their bestselling brunch item—Uncle Harry’s Big Breakfast. Named after Goldberg’s uncle, this breakfast platter is set with eggs, potatoes, bacon, sausage, grits and pancakes—all cooked to perfection. E.Burns The Breakfast House- 1817 Fruitville Rd, Sarasota, 941- 366-6860
WRITTEN BY
DYLAN CAMPBELL
BARBIE HEIT
ELIANA BURNS
PAULA RODRIGUEZ
VANESSA TASÉ SUEIRO
KATE WHITE
PHOTOGRAPHY BY WYATT KOSTYGAN WES ROBERTS
This page: The Breakfast House’s arugula salad, adorned with grilled shrimp, oranges, and diced mangos.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY WES ROBERTS
We Love Brunch
Forget candle lit dinners and sunrise breakfasts—brunch is the weekend’s most defining meal. To outsiders, brunch qualifies as the simple act of eating pancakes with a side of bottomless mimosas at 12pm on a Sunday. However, true brunch connoisseurs understand that it’s more than that. E.Burns
CREPE AWAY Wooden Rooster
This spread, left to right: Wooden Rooster’s Berrylicious crepes with ricotta, almonds, honey and raspberry coulis. The Green Orchid’s decadent smoked lox and bagels. Breakfast House. Buttermilk Pancakes with pineapple and coconut at Flapjack Café. Crisp Waffle Cafe’s mouthwatering All About Berries waffle.
Downtown Sarasota is where you can find The Wooden Rooster. Specializing in their homemade crepes, you are bound to fall in love with their cloud-like creations. With regular and gluten free options, brunchers have the opportunity to order over 14 different kinds of crepes. If you have a sweet tooth, try their vegetarian Berrylicious Crepe, made with mixed berries, ricotta, almonds, honey and raspberry coulis. If you’re looking for a more savory option, try out their Cubanito Crepe. A piquant combination of black forest ham, smoked pork, swiss cheese, dijon mustard and housemade pickle. The Wooden Rooster is bound to satisfy every palette. The Wooden Rooster- 1564 Main St, Sarasota, 941-953-7111
IN THE GARDEN The Green Orchid
Further north, you can find a delicious brunch with dishes and drinks that contain produce from Selby Gardens’ rooftop organic garden. Planted and maintained by Selby Gardens Operation EcoVets, The Green Orchid by Michael’s on East contributes to a non-profit organization that provides personal, educational and professional growth opportunities for military veterans. With options like smoked whitefish, lox and bagels, as well as Southern style chicken and waffles—The Green Orchid features a menu as sustainable as their practices. The Green Orchid- 1534 Mound St, Sarasota, 941- 265-8194
FLIPPING PANCAKES Flapjack Cafe
Flapjack’s Cafe, an intimate spot located only minutes from sunny Venice Beach, embodies this beloved social pastime. Specializing in New Jersey and Philadelphia style brunch options like the Philly Skillet, Flapjack’s Café places a strong emphasis on hospitality, ensuring that all who dine there feel like family. Locally owned and loved, owner Leyla Montrone prides her café for its quality meals and service, recommending their specialty pancakes and Taylor Ham. Flapjack’s Cafe, 810 E Venice Ave, Venice, 941-480-1020
ACROSS THE POND Crisp Waffle Cafe
Traveling west to St. Armands Circle, the Crisp Waffle Cafe provides top-notch brunch options, including their famous liege waffles, a variety of waffles that originate from Belgium. Each day, Crisp Waffle Cafe makes these waffles from fresh dough, caramelized with clustered Belgian Pearl Sugar. You may order specialty waffles like Let’s Go Bananas, a delicious combination of bananas, whipped cream and a choice of Speculoos Caramel or Nutella topping. You can also build your own liege waffle, choosing between toppings like Belgium chocolate, blueberries, and ice cream, as well as vanilla, strawberry, and peanut flavors. In true brunch fashion, Crisp Waffle Cafe offers to pair your meal with tasty mimosas and Bloody Mary’s. Nonetheless, you will find yourself craving these waffles long after you’ve tasted them. Crisp Waffle Cafe- 17 Fillmore Dr, Sarasota, 941-556-9261
Pommel Horse Superhero Returns Home
The returning U.S. Olympic Pommel Horse Bronze Medalist Stephen Nedoroscik touched down at SRQ Airport on Delta Airlines Tuesday, August 6, 2024 at 7:23 pm on his trip home to Sarasota from the Olympic Games in Paris, France. Greeted by a cheering crowd of enthusiastic friends and fans waving large signs and balloons and wearing American flag capes, the 25-year-old first-time Olympian shared, “For the past five months now, I’ve been very locked into gymnastics, every single day. That’s kind of what you have to do when you’re training to be an Olympic medalist. So now that that weight is lifted off my shoulders, I’m just ready to go home and sit in my gaming chair and relax a little.” If the excited people who flew with him are any sign, Nedoroscik makes as strong an impression in person as he has through TV and iPad screens. Passengers from the plane came down the gangway ahead of the athlete, proudly announcing to the waiting crowd, “He was on our flight! He is right behind us! “ A man who claimed to have been Nedoroscik’s seatmate from Atlanta told waiting reporters, “We talked the whole flight. He’s a really nice young man.” Excited to welcome the returning champion was Tess McCracken, the athlete’s girlfriend, who also attracted attention with her enthusiastic cheering during Nedoroscik’s winning performance. McCracken had flown back to Sarasota a few days earlier and was already planning to make the most of the couple’s downtime, “I’m looking forward to doing some more things in the area. I’d love to go to Busch Gardens, the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, stuff like that. Just to be able to hang out as a normal couple.” Kevin Mazeika, the Executive Director of Evo Gymnastics and one of the coaches who went to Paris with the team, was exuberant with praise for Nedoroscik, “He has really become quite the hero because he had a heroic performance. It was pressure-packed on the biggest stage for our sport, and he came through with flying colors. We’re really, really proud to welcome him home.” Stephen trains at EVO Gymnastics in Sarasota with Sam Mikulak, who was also named as the coach for the 2024 U.S. Men’s Gymnastics Olympic Team, and Paris Olympic Games teammate Brody Malone and alternate and 2020 Tokyo Games Olympian Shane Wiskus. Stephen says he is already looking forward to the 2028 Olympics to be hosted by Los Angeles, California, but for right now, he is happy to spend some time enjoying online gaming in Rocket League and online chess, as well as honing his skills with a Rubik’s Speed Cube. —W.Roberts
Blinded by the Sun
Sunglasses are like magicians for your eyes. They can instantly transform you from an ordinary human into an icon of coolness. Whether you’re rocking a classic look or a pair of bold, oversized frames, sunglasses are the must-have accessory of the season. With so many unique designs available locally, there’s a perfect pair of shades out there for everyone to protect their eyes from the harmful rays of the Florida sun and express their personal style at the same time.—B. Heit
Brett Spitfire Sun C01. 51 $600, Matsuda M3128 $800, Soto’s Optical Boutique, 1383 Main St, Sarasota, 941-953-3788.
A Touch of Shade
Etnia Barcelona $285, Sunglass Express, 343 St Armands Circle, Sarasota, (941) 388-5115; Morgenthal Federics Lifesaver RD 46
$504, Cutler and Gross CGSN 9126 02 $575, Soto’s Optical Boutique, 1383 Main St, Sarasota, 941-953-3788.
Casting Shade In Style
Cutler and Gross CGSN 1386 A8 $585, Cutler and Gross CGSN 1398 03
With its rich architectural history and thriving arts scene, Sarasota draws in talented and creative professionals like a moth to a flame. Meet seven up-andcoming interior designers who are transforming the area with their innovative vision and fresh perspective.s. —K.Wight
COOLNESS FACTOR Megan Bobay
Megan Bobay graduated from Purdue University in Indiana with a degree in interior design. After college, she moved to Chicago where she spent a few years exploring the design field, focusing mostly on furniture. “I was Midwest all the way,” she says. That all changed eight years ago when a friend of Bobay, who was working in Sarasota as an interior designer, urged her to come to Sarasota for a visit and meet his boss. Not long after that, she had a job offer and plans to relocate to the Sunshine State. She would spend the next few years working at JKL Design before moving onto her current position as an interior designer at DSDG Architects.“Lately I’ve been working predominantly on residential projects and we’re doing some of the coolest things,” Bobay says. “People are so open to doing crazy things, and they want to see the latest and greatest of what’s out there. It’s funny because I always thought I wanted to do more commercial design but now I get to work on these fun projects where the sky’s the limit and design awesome homes that are now being built like commercial structures.” Bobay has worked on several residential and commercial properties during her time at DSDG. Recently she served as the interior designer for the Tarpon Bend house, which received a Platinum prize for Best Overall Home from SRQ Magazine’s 2024 Home of the Year Competition. DSDG Architects, 1348 Fruitville Road, Sarasota, 941-955-5645, dsdgarchitects.com.
DESIGN CALLING Michael Manoogian
Much of Michael Manoogian’s career has been design-adjacent. Before becoming an interior designer, he worked in visual merchandising, fabric sales, furniture sales and even textile distribution. But since starting with Clive Daniel Home a year and a half ago, he’s truly settled into his calling. “I enjoy never having a day exactly like the last,” Manoogian says. “Every day is a new opportunity for new projects, new trends, new exciting clients to meet and work with and new outlooks on my own personal design style.” Though Manoogian is early in his career, he has already been entrusted with some major projects. One of them was the Origami House by DSDG Architects, which received a Platinum prize for Best Overall Home from SRQ Magazine’s 2024 Home of the Year Competition. Manoogian worked closely on the interior design with homeowner Betsy Friedman who praised his contributions in curating the perfect pieces for the space. “It was an honor and a privilege to work on that one-of-a-kind home. Every piece was meticulously chosen for that property to reflect her personal style and new beginnings,” Manoogian says. “Completing the project exactly to her liking and leaving her with a space that reflects who she is internally was a huge accomplishment.” Clive Daniel Home, 3055 Fruitville Commons Blvd, Sarasota, 941-900-4663, clivedaniel.com.
Above, left to right: Interior spaces designed by Megan Bobay of DSDG Architects, Michael Manoogian of Clive Daniel Home and Mareisa Madden of Clive Daniel Home.
WORKROOM TO SHOWROOM
Quentin MacDonald
“I come from the fabrication world. I ran a workroom here in town for fifteen years where I sewed and upholstered and made custom furniture,” says Quentin MacDonald. “I built relationships with a lot of designers who liked bringing me to customers’ homes and having me take part in the customization and design aspect of a lot of the products. Because of that experience, I thought I could really bring a different eye when it came to interior design.” MacDonald joined the team at Clive Daniel Home shortly after they opened their Sarasota location in 2022, and since then his star has been on the rise. Design enthusiasts may have seen MacDonald’s work in person on this year’s annual Tour of Homes by the Junior League of Sarasota—he worked closely with the owner to design the maximalist masterpiece on Freeling Drive. You may have also seen him doling out design tips on the Suncoast View on ABC7. Recently, MacDonald worked with John Cannon Homes on a model home in Wild Blue at Waterside Village. That project has been nominated for a prestigious Aurora Award. Currently, he’s on a team that is designing two model homes for the new Arbor Lakes Development by Sam Rodgers Homes. Clive Daniel Home, 3055 Fruitville Commons Blvd, Sarasota, 941-900-4663, clivedaniel.com.
ALL IN THE FAMILY Mareisa Madden
For Mareisa Madden, interior design runs in the family. “My start in the industry actually goes way back to when I was eight years old, when my mother got married to my stepdad,” she recalls. “I started working for their furniture store, doing little things here and there. My mom was working there as their visual merchandiser and accessories buyer so I assisted her a lot with that. My stepdad really taught me the ropes of so many different aspects of the business.” Madden has been with Clive Daniel Home since August 2022, shortly before they opened their Sarasota location, and in that time she has worn many hats. She has quickly progressed from customer service specialist to design assistant to boutique manager to interior designer. A Sarasota native, Madden is as passionate about investing in the community as she is about her career in design. “I love the projects that I’ve worked on for charity events. For example Children First and Selah Freedom through the Women’s Council of Realtors,” she says. “I’ve had some great opportunities to support those charities by designing rooms for them for their VIP lounges. I was born and raised here, so it’s really important to me to be able to give back to my community.” Clive Daniel Home, 3055 Fruitville Commons Blvd, Sarasota, 941900-4663, clivedaniel.com.
ALL IN THE FAMILY
Julia
Kantor, Kira Lewis, and Katrina Lopes
At Solstice Planning and Architecture in Sarasota, the interiors for almost every project are the handiwork of a trio of young powerhouse designers who work closely together. With a master’s in economics, a degree in interior design and more than 15 years of experience (four of them at Solstice), Julia Kantor is the most well-established designer on the team. Kira Lewis is the newest to the field. She received her bachelor’s in interior design from Mercyhurst University in Erie, Pennsylvania this past May and interned with Solstice for a year while still in school before coming to work for the firm full-time. Splitting the difference is Katrina Lopes, who graduated from Ringling College of Art and Design in 2020 with a bachelor’s in interior design and spent two years working at an interior design firm before joining Solstice in 2022.
While they work together on almost every project, each designer has their own personal favorite. Lopes enjoys projects that are a blend of commercial and residential spaces. Lewis is enjoying the challenges of a current project, a residential renovation where the new addition will have to match the interior and exterior of the rest of the home while still showcasing the team’s style. Kantor has more classic taste.
“One of my personal favorite projects has been the renovation of the Jack West house, which features a stunning midcentury modern design,” she says. “Jack West was one of the founders of the Sarasota School of Architecture and for anyone who loves this style—it is a dream to work on and be in! I feel so lucky to have the opportunity to be close to this masterpiece.” Kantor, Lewis, and Lopes have different interests, levels of experience and areas of expertise. All three designers agree it is those differences that make them such a strong team.
“Each of us brings unique strengths to the table, which really drives our project coordination,” says Lopes. “Julia is exceptional at modeling and rendering our projects, with a knack for quick design solutions. Meanwhile, Kira excels in technical drawings and swiftly develops visuals that clarify our concepts for clients. Personally, I thrive in face-to-face interactions with clients, where I can effectively communicate design intent, problem-solve creatively and dive into the technical aspects of each project. Together, our diverse skills ensure that we deliver innovative and comprehensive solutions to every project we take on.”
“I love working with others in general and got really lucky having coworkers like Katrina and Julia,” Lewis adds. “We each have our own skills that merge together to create ideas and gain inspiration from one another. I think each one of us brings a different perspective to our work and that can open doors for some really exciting designs.” Solstice Planning and Architecture, 1900 Main Street, Suite 202, Sarasota, 941-365-5721, solstice-pa.com.
This spread, left to right: Michael Manoogian of Clive Daniel Home, Quentin MacDonald of Clive Daniel Home, Mareisa Madden of Clive Daniel Home, Megan Bobay of DSDG Architects and Katrina Lopes, Kira Lewis and Julia Kantor of Solstice Planning and Architecture.
Boutique Fitness
Fitness fads may come and go but these boutique studios are proving that health and wellbeing are important to our community and they are here to stay. —B.Heit
BARRE3 LAKEWOOD RANCH
Pointe your way over to the barre3 studio!
There is no experience required at barre3 in Lakewood Ranch—the workout is designed for every fitness level, from beginner to expert. Studio Owner Nikki Roenicke first discovered barre3 when she was fresh from maternity leave looking for a workout that was easy on her body but still challenging. After her first barre3 class she knew she had found something special—an incredible workout and such a supportive uplifting community. Although Roenicke bought the studio four years ago, it has been around for more than nine years, providing total body, cardio and mindfulness to the community. “We are just trying to redefine what success and fitness means,” shares Roenicke. “We don’t ever talk about losing weight and burning calories. We don’t talk about getting bikini-body ready. We just like to focus on functional movement and how we can make our daily lives stronger by what we do in the studio.” There are three different class types available at barre3. The signature classes are total body classes with low impact intensity, perfect for anyone that might have injuries and for all fitness levels. “We don’t really have a beginner or intermediate level class, but we offer modifications and layers so that each client gets to make their class their own,” explains Roenicke. Just recently added is a strength class, focusing on using heavier weights with slower movements, creating bone density and muscle mass but in a safe low impact way. The third and newest class is called Cardio and according to Roenicke, it’s not what people might expect. “Here, we warm up, get the body prepped and we go into three circuits. We get the heart rate elevated, kind of slow things down, get it back up and do some core work. We finish with a cardio blast so that we are elevating the heart rate in a safe way.” If you’re interested in being part of the barre3 method, there are many options available, including memberships, class packages and drop-in classes. Roenicke recommends taking class at least three times a week to see best results. “We create a welcoming environment here in the studio,” she says. “There is no judgment. Everyone’s safe and we are really just encouraging people to do what feels good for them and not compare themselves to anybody else.” Barre3 Lakewood Ranch, 8141 Lakewood Main St.,Bradenton, lakewoodranch@barre3.com | 941-800-1333
PURE
BARRE SARASOTA Let’s meet at the Barre. The group classes at Pure Barre Sarasota focus on low-impact, small movements that strengthen and tone in 50 minutes or less. Lindsay Peirce Sato and Cyndi Giorlando, Co-Owners of the studio believe that the workout is something that every woman should be doing. “It’s full-body exercise, the results are amazing and it makes you feel good,” says Giorlando. With four different formats focusing on isolation, strength training, balance and cardio, the workout creates a mind-body connection and fosters community. The owners recommend taking class between three and four times per week and depending on the consistency and what is being done outside the studio, clients should begin seeing results after about ten classes. And because it is low impact, all of the four formats offered are safe enough to take part in every day. A new class was recently added to the Pure Barre lineup using heavier weights which helps build strength and bone density, but that can also be low impact and light weights can be used, giving clients different options. Giorlando believes that Pure Barre is different from other workouts. “It’s so intense and the technique is so real and also, we work out to the beat of the music which keeps the mind engaged as well.” As owners and instructors, both women encourage participants to push as hard as they like and modify as needed. All ages are welcome at Pure Barre Sarasota with first-timers invited to join in a free 30 minute intro class called Pure Barre Engage™. Pure Barre Sarasota, 3800 South Tamiami Trail, Suite 16, Sarasota, 941-953-2323, www.purebarre.com/location/sarasota-fl
BODYBAR PILATES
Toned bodies are doing Pilates!
If you are looking to build strength and endurance while challenging your athletic intensity, BODYBAR’s Reformer Pilates classes deliver a fiercely effective workout experience powered by Pilates to build a balanced, athletic and real community. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced Pilates practitioner, each of their classes are designed using the BODYBAR Method and will push you to the appropriate level of performance. For those not familiar with a reformer, it is a type of Pilates apparatus that was designed by Joseph Pilates himself in the 1920s. It includes lots of moving parts that allows it to be extremely versatile for any fitness level. The reformer has a gliding carriage that is attached to springs with different tensions, ropes and pulleys which all work together to make an exercise more accessible or more challenging. Kristin Ward, the owner of BODYBAR Pilates - Sarasota and BODYBAR Pilates - Lakewood Ranch says “Reformer Pilates has many benefits from strength building to better posture. Pilates focuses on your core, what we call your powerhouse. Strengthening your core improves spine stabilization, better posture and has the ability to prevent back pain.” Staff members meet people where they are on their fitness journey, understanding that everyone has unique starting points, goals and abilities. “We embrace the philosophy of getting comfortable being uncomfortable, because we understand that growth and transformation happen when we challenge ourselves,” says Ward. “We incorporate muscular endurance, time under tension and athletic based training. “ To get the best results, Ward recommends attending class at least two times per week, but three times per week may give faster results for a strong core. BODYBAR Pilates - Sarasota, 62 S Lemon Ave, Sarasota, 941- 236-2576. BODYBAR Pilates - Lakewood Ranch, 7600 Island Cove Terrace, UNIT 102, Sarasota, 941-375-9042, bodybarpilates.com
Pure Barre Sarasota
RIDE CYCLE Don’t just spin your wheels looking for a good workout.
RIDE is a new rhythmic, beat-based indoor cycling studio located in the heart of downtown Sarasota. Founded in July 2023 by Ariana (Ari) Olivo, a veteran of the fitness industry for the past nine years, RIDE offers low-impact, high-intensity workouts that get the job done in just 45 minutes per class. “Indoor cycling is just so easy on the joints so if you’re rehabbing an injury or you’re looking to get into shape or maintain, it’s good for all of those things, along with heart health, of course,” says Olivo. “In addition to the physical and health benefits, we try to help people focus on what the workout does for mental clarity, too. Because of the fun lights and high energy of the music, it makes people feel more like they’re at a party instead of a workout!” All of the classes at RIDE are highly connected to the music which makes them different from other cycle workouts that incorporate metrics and numbers and tend to be more competitive. “We like to make sure that it’s an atmosphere where everybody feels recognized and included,” says Olivo. “Our bikes don’t even have monitors on them so you’re getting that stress relief that you need, that energy pickup that you need and the benefits are happening regardless just by being here and taking the class. You’re getting a chance to clear your head and set new goals for yourself that you didn’t think you were capable of before you got here.” By attending class just two to three times a week, participants will begin to master the rhythms and feel comfortable on the bike. The RIDE studio features 40 bikes, a top-notch sound and lighting system and a variety of free weights for the upper body portion of class. The space also includes multiple showers and a full service vanity area. RIDE Cycle, 121 S Pineapple Ave, Sarasota, 941-376-2982, ride-cycle.com.
JAZZERCISE
LAKEWOOD RANCH
Come for a great workout and all that jazz!
A new studio opened by a new local resident, Jazzercise Lakewood Ranch offers group fitness classes for all levels, incorporating dance, cardio and strength training to sculpt and tone your muscles in the ultimate full–body workout. Whether you’re looking for physical results or a way to relieve stress and feel your best, the club’s instructors will guide you every step of the way in your wellness journey. Owner Shari Nastri moved from Connecticut to Lakewood Ranch in August of 2023. A long time fitness instructor and Jazzercise instructor, she had every intention of continuing her fitness career in CT until she came here and realized there was a need and a niche for what she did. So for the first time, she decided to become a business owner and open her own Jazzercise studio here. “We just started year two and we’re continuously looking to grow and build community ties both personally and professionally,” she says. Jazzercise is celebrating its 55th anniversary this year and as a lot of fitness trends tend to come and go, Jazzercise has stood the test of time. While it is a dance-based cardio program, it is so much more than that, shares Nastri, because it incorporates strength training, stretching and mobility. “It’s cardio for all people, all levels, all ages,” she explains. “We are highly trained and we are very cutting edge. We are independent but our studio is in a gym called Pumps Fitness so we are able to work together, refer clients and collaborate for our clients’ fitness needs.” With many different formats of classes, participants can take a 60-minute, 45-minute, or a 30-minute class. Memberships range from unlimited monthly memberships to different types of class packages, as well as walk-in options. “Being in such an active area, we understand that although we feel we’re one-stop-shopping, people like to do other things so we make it very convenient and try to have options for everyone,” adds Nastri. She recommends coming three times per week for the greatest physical and mental results. Jazzercise Lakewood Ranch, 9009 Town Center Parkway, Suite 102, Lakewood Ranch, 860-833-4874, jazzercise.com.
H.E.R FITNESS BOUTIQUE
Strong and fit ladies are saying, “I’m with H.E.R!”
Gail McBain is no stranger to fitness. With over 44 years in the industry, she recently created H.E.R Fitness Boutique, offering a welcoming space where women can comfortably connect with others sharing similar fitness goals. Conveniently located on Fruitville Road in Sarasota, the space offers a myriad of machines and equipment, group fitness classes and one-on-one personal training just for women, housed in the former Shapes location, which was also under McBain’s leadership for eight years. “Knowing that we were well-established and the club was stronger than it’s ever been, I was ready to go on my own and create H.E.R Fitness. I thought the name was very fitting because I’ve always believed women should strive to be healthy, empowered and resilient—that’s just a great way to live life,” says McBain. With a focus on all things wellness-related including physical and mental health, nutrition and recovery, H.E.R is a gym where women can create community with other women. “There’s a variety of ways for women to get help if they need it no matter what their budget is or isn’t. So a lot of our personal attention comes just by being a member,” says McBain. “We also have the kids zone where kids can play while their mom works out. There is a huge population of stay-at-home moms or single moms that could never have the opportunity to be healthy, powered and resilient if it wasn’t for being able to put their kids in the kids club for up to two hours while they get a physical break, a stress break—something powerful that they can do for themselves.” In addition to helping women, McBain is committed to giving back to the community. Every year, the Club sponsors a Girls Night Out Fitness for Charity event benefiting a local nonprofit organization. “We do a dance class and a boot camp out in the parking lot and have vendors and sponsors and great music. It’s all for a good cause and to motivate women to get and stay healthy,” she adds. HER Fitness Boutique Sarasota, 5451 Fruitville Road, Sarasota, 941-341-9276, herfitnesssarasota.com
RIDE Cycle
Jazzercise
BODYBAR Pilates
HER Fitness Boutique
The Cream of the Crop
Whether enjoyed in a charming gelateria in Rome or savored on a sunny street in Sarasota, ice cream and gelato are delectable indulgences and crowd-pleasing desserts. The beloved frozen treats, with their velvety textures and variety of flavors offer a melt-in--your-mouth taste of perfection. The four local shops below offer an authentic taste of frosty heaven and a bit of a departure from the traditional varieties many of us have come to know and enjoy. —V.Tasé Sueiro
MADE IN ROME ORGANIC GELATO
The gelato is not made in Rome, but the people who make it were.
Made in Rome Organic Gelato opened in April 2017, and has since upheld its promise of homemade, organic gelato. Every ingredient is organic, and most are locally sourced. On any given day of the year, you can watch Massimo and Diane Cuna make the gelato from scratch, carefully following the 160-year-old family recipe. To clarify, gelato is made with milk, whereas ice cream is made with cream and pumped with air. This is why gelato has almost 25% less fat but is creamier and more compact—and melts much slower. At Made in Rome, you have 48 flavors to choose from, each so rich they stick to the roof of your mouth. The Pistachio, made with Sicilian pistachios, sells quickly, as does the flavor Made in Rome, which features a homemade Nutella. If you’re a coffee drinker, the Affogato al Caffè, a shot of espresso with a scoop of gelato, will energize you and satisfy your sugar cravings all at once. There are many vegan and sugar free options to choose from and some are even better than the originals. Whether you go to taste the gelato or to hear the stories that immediately make Massimo and Diane feel like old family friends, you won’t regret taking the road that leads to (Made in) Rome. Made in Rome Organic Gelato, 5204 Ocean Blvd, Siesta Key, 941-960-5344, madeinromegelato.com.
PALETERIA Y NEVERIA LA MEXICANA
Pallettes for all palates.
ICE CREAM LA OAXAQUEÑA
Don’t cry over burnt milk.
Leche Quemada, burnt milk, is a tradition from the state of Oaxaca. The story goes, a group of rancheros in Oaxaca went to round up their cattle one day and forgot all about the milk they had left boiling. The milk burned. Most of it evaporated, and what was left was a sweet opportunity for the rancheros. They turned it into an ice cream—and the sweet and smoky treat would soon become a house favorite all over Mexico. As a child, Santiago Sanchez, owner of Ice Cream La Oaxaqueña, would ask his grandmother to burn the milk before making ice cream. Now at his shop he infuses his Leche Quemada ice cream with that same traditional smoky flavor. While the Leche Quemada is a real showstopper with its complex and sultry flavor, Ice Cream La Oaxaqueña also offers brighter, more tropical treats like the Mango Loco, where fresh mango is shredded into spaghetti-like strips and topped with Tajin (a Mexican seasoning blend of dried red chilies, dehydrated lime juice, and sea salt), lemon and chile. Between traditional treats and bold innovative flavors, Ice Cream La Oaxaqueña has something for everyone. Ice Cream La Oazaqueña, 2201 14th St W, Bradenton, 941-896-4650.
Originating in Tocumbo in the state of Michoacán, the Mexican Paleta is a beautiful marriage of ice cream and popsicles. Victor Rivera, owner of Paleteria y Neveria La Mexicana, learned the traditional process of making paletas in his hometown of San Luis Potosi. La Mexicana opened in October 2016 and has been educating Sarasota locals on the Mexican way to make ice cream for almost a decade. Paletas are typically made with seasonal fruits and can be mixed with milk or water—so this means that La Mexicana also has vegan-friendly options. The traditional flavors include Coconut and Fresas con Crema (strawberries with cream). But Piñon (pine nut) or Mango with Chili and Chamoy (a savory blend of pickled fruit) might just take home the prize for most palate-pleasing. “I still follow the tradition of the 80s,” says Rivera, “That one should make things with quality rather than quantity in mind.” No matter how many paletas are made at La Mexicana, quality is a palpable ingredient? at La Mexicana. Paleteria y Neveria La Mexicana, 1303 N Washington Blvd Unit A, Sarasota, 941-955-1810, places.singleplatform.com/paleteria-y-neveria-la-mexicana/menu.
Opposite page, left to right: CC’s Sweets, Clarabell Cookies and Tutu’s Cookies.
Ice Cream La Oaxaqueña
Made in Rome Paleteria Y Neveria La Mexicana
Sweet Bites
Everybody loves cookies! If you don’t, maybe you haven’t tried Sarasota’s sparkling trove of cookie boutiques. Unlike mass-produced cookies, these locally owned bakeries craft treats that tell a story of passion and local flavor. Clarabell Cookies prides itself on their exceptionally clean ingredients, with cookies that are handmade and baked from scratch all day. Clarabell found her love of baking during Covid while living in New York City. Making cookies for her doormen and friends, she soon discovered her talent for quality cookies. By creating unique recipes and with baking help from her brother Gates, Clarabell supplies unique flavors and high-quality cookies to her customers. Throughout the year, you can order Snickerdoodle, Lemon Poppy Seed, and Espresso Chocolate Chip cookies. At the right time, you can find seasonal flavors like Creamsicle and Pumpkin Spice available. If unique, specialty flavors are your thing, you need to try Tutu’s Cookies. From the skies to Sarasota, owner Alani Drezin was once a flight attendant, baking for her crew on the aircraft thousands of feet above ground. Since then, she has rooted herself in Sarasota as one of the city’s best cookie boutiques. Try her Fly Gal cookie, nicknamed after her 14 years of flying. Using a treat from her old industry, Drezin stuffs this mouthwatering cookie with crushed Biscoffs, white chocolate and Biscoff butter. With seasonal lineups, Drezin is known for her holiday boxes, where one can order a variety of flavors including homemade ginger snaps and jam thumbprint cookies with coconut. Looking to cater an event with handmade, whimsical cookies? Search no further, because CC’s Sweets has you covered. Owner Corinna Gorczynski is a one woman team, driven by her passion and talent for baking. Working at Publix as a cake decorator for 12 years, Gorczynski has developed her skill for abstract designs, including a watercolor effect by painting fondant with diluted food coloring and vodka. Gorczynski uses her creative abilities to tailor to her client’s events, even using their wedding dress and event invitations as inspiration for her personalized designs. —E.Burns Clarabell Cookies- 6564 Superior Ave, Sarasota, 941- 923-1742. Tutu’s Cookies- 703- 4072630. CC’s Sweets- 1919 Baywood Dr, Sarasota, 941- 539-6460
SETTIMI’S GELATO
It takes two to tango: milk and sugar!
Argentinians outside of their country constantly search for anything close to the real thing. At Settimi’s Gelato on St Armands Circle, they look no further. Owned by a Spanish-Argentine couple, and managed by Yoanka Copanione, who is from Cuba and is familiar with the reputation Dulce de Leche must uphold, Settimi’s puts the sweet in Dulce. To make the gelato, two kinds of Dulce de Leche are used: Heladero (the gelato base) and Repostero (the rich cream that is folded into the gelato). The result is a gelato with a complex texture and a rich historical background. This flavor option is the perfect treat after a day at Lido Beach or a meal at any of the decadent restaurants on the Circle. Settimi’s Gelato, 367 St Armands Cir, Sarasota, 941-388-4485.
SARASOTA
LAKEWOOD RANCH
WELCOME
The Sarasota and Bradenton Area region is home to a robust cadre of legal minds. As part of the annual SRQ Magazine Elite Top Attorneys program, we invited attorneys from Anna Maria and Lakewood Ranch down through Downtown Sarasota, Venice and North Port to nominate the peers who had garnered their utmost respect—whether on the same or opposite side of the negotiating table—and they answered. The respect of one’s peers, especially in the discerning legal profession, reflects a defining level of great achievement. We are humbled by the overwhelming number of thoughtful nominations we received from this community of professionals this year and are pleased to share the results with you, our readers.
In SRQ Magazine’s 2024 Elite Top Attorneys Legal Guide and awards section you will meet this year’s honorees whose skills have helped their clients realize their goals. Many of our honorees share their expertise with the community as noted by their philanthropic and leadership contributions. The legal profession is part of a proud and long lineage that has been vital in establishing our modern world. The quality of a society can be judged in part by the measure of fairness manifested in how individuals are treated by our system of laws. Conscientious and skilled litigators are the reliable engines of our legal system, and the smart, skilled men and women represented in this peer-review program ensure the inevitable conflicts of human life can be dealt with in a manner that is equitable and honest. We hope you enjoy meeting SRQ Magazine’s 2024 Elite Top Attorneys—congratulations are in order.
Daniel L. Tullidge is a shareholder with Fergeson Skipper, P.A. and board certified in Wills, Trusts, and Estates by The Florida Bar Board of Legal Specialization. Tullidge’s practice focuses on estate planning, estate and trust administration, wealth transfer and preservation, and related philanthropic, asset protection, and business succession issues. He takes a practical approach to all aspects of representation and avoids cookie-cutter solutions, with the ability to implement complex techniques when required and defaulting to simplicity when warranted.
His clients appreciate his ability to distill complex issues, help them assess available options, and craft solutions best suited to their needs and goals. Tullidge’s experience and track record make him a soughtafter legal professional, while his professionalism and reputation in the community have earned him respect among his peers. He was recently named a 2024 Best Lawyers in America for Trusts and Estates.
Mission Statement
We are a full-service law firm specializing in federal and state taxation, wills, trust, and estates. The attorneys at Fergeson Skipper believe that relationships matter most. We provide detailed legal analysis, personal attention, and skill in finding options for solutions for a range of legal matters.
FLORIDA BAR
DATE OF ADMISSION
October 2, 2013
Published in the 8th Edition of Asset Protection in Florida a volume published by the Florida Bar as well as an active member of the Real Property, Probate, and Trust Law Section of the Florida Bar for whom he regularly writes and speaks.
PRACTICE AREAS
Tax & Estate Planning Business Organization
Estate & Trust Administration
DEGREES
Levin College of Law, Gainesville, Florida
LL.M. in Taxation – 2014
University of Florida
Levin College of Law, Gainesville, Florida
J.D. cum laude – 2013
University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
B.A. cum laude – 2009
LAW FIRM
Fergeson Skipper
FEATURED HONOREES
ADOPTION LAW
Paul J. Consbruck
Paul J. Consbruck Attorney at Law 871 Venetia Bay Blvd | Ste 202 Venice, FL 34285 866-558-7285
Debra M. Salisbury
Law Office of Debra M. Salisbury PA 3293 Fruitville Rd | Unit 101 Sarasota, FL 34237 941-366-1616
Susan L. Stockham
Florida’s Children First 2813 Forest Ln Sarasota, FL 34231 941-924-4949
FIRST EDITION Recognizing the attorneys in the region who garnered the respect of their professional peers as honorees for the 2024 Elite Top Attorneys Legal Guide.
Alvin K. Brown
Brown Brown & Kuhn
1001 3rd Ave W | Ste 375 Bradenton, FL 34205
941-953-2825
John W. Chapman
The John Chapman Law Firm PA 1515 Ringling Blvd | Ste 870 Sarasota, FL 34236 941-404-4616
Dunlap & Moran PA 22 S Links Ave | Ste 300 Sarasota, FL 34236
941-366-0115
Timothy J. Rudge
Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick LLP
240 S Pineapple Ave | 9th Fl Sarasota, FL 34236
941-364-2785
Michael E. Siegel
Shutts & Bowen LLP
1858 Ringling Blvd | Ste 300 Sarasota, FL 34236
941-552-3775
Brian L. Trimyer
Harllee & Bald PA 202 Old Main St Bradenton, FL 34205
941-744-5537
Michael J. Wilson
FEATURED HONOREES
Charles W. Denny IV
Dickinson & Gibbons PA 401 N Cattlemen Rd | Ste 300 Sarasota, FL 34232 941-366-4680
Lori M. Dorman
Dorman Law PA
410 43rd St W | Ste N Bradenton, FL 34209 941-375-3565
Andrew L. Douberly
Dickinson & Gibbons PA 401 N Cattlemen Rd | Ste 300 Sarasota, FL 34232
941-366-4680
Matthew S. Francis
Fergeson Skipper PA
Attorneys at Law 1515 Ringling Blvd | 10th Fl Sarasota, FL 34236
941-957-1900
Williams Parker Attorneys at Law 50 Central Ave | 8th FL Sarasota, FL 34236
941-536-2043
CIVIL LAW LITIGATION
Kimberly A. Bald
Harllee & Bald PA
202 Old Main St Bradenton, FL 34205
941-744-5537
Scott H. Carter
Dunlap & Moran PA 22 S Links Ave | Ste 300 Sarasota, FL 34236
941-366-0115
Sara Castro
Castro Potts Law Firm PLLC
1990 Main St | Ste 750 Sarasota, FL 34236
941-300-9595
Aaron B. Crittenden
Harllee & Bald PA 202 Old Main St Bradenton, FL 34205
941-744-5537
FIRST EDITION Recognizing the attorneys in the region who garnered the respect of their professional peers as honorees for the 2024 Elite Top Attorneys Legal Guide.
Adam Mohammadbhoy
Harllee & Bald PA 202 Old Main St Bradenton, FL 34205
941-744-5537
Hunter G. Norton
Daniel C. Guarnieri
Berlin Patten Ebling 3700 S Tamiami Trl Sarasota, FL 34239 941-954-9991
Mark A. Hanson
Lobeck & Hanson PA 2033 Main St | Ste 403 Sarasota, FL 34237
Dickinson & Gibbons PA 401 N Cattlemen Rd Ste | 300 Sarasota, FL 34232
941-366-4680
Ryan W. Owen
FIRST EDITION Recognizing the attorneys in the region who garnered the respect of their professional peers as honorees for the 2024 Elite Top Attorneys Legal Guide.
Douglas E. Walker
Williams Parker Attorneys at Law 50 Central Ave | 8th Fl Sarasota, FL 34236
Boyer & Boyer PA 46 N Washington Blvd Sarasota, FL 34236 941-365-2304
Edwin M. Boyer
Boyer & Boyer PA 46 N Washington Blvd Sarasota, FL 34236 941-365-2304
FIRST EDITION Recognizing the attorneys in the region who garnered the respect of their professional peers as honorees for the 2024 Elite Top Attorneys Legal Guide.
Butler Elder Law PA 11023 Gatewood Dr | Ste 104 Bradenton, FL 34211 941-254-6611
Icard, Merrill, Cullis, Timm, Furen & Ginsburg PA 2033 Main St | Ste 600 Sarasota, FL 34237 941-366-8100
Stephanie L. Murphy
Stephanie B. Sandaire
Black Rock Legal Group PLLC 1215 Manatee Ave W | Ste 101 Bradenton, FL 34205 941-254-6814
The Murphy Law Group 2127 Ringling Blvd | Ste 102 Sarasota, FL 34237 941-584-9570
Dan Policastro
The Law Office of Dan Policastro PL 355 W Venice Ave Venice, FL 34285 941-882-4367
Kenneth M. Poole Jr Syprett Meshad PA 1900 Ringling Blvd Sarasota, FL 34236 941-365-7171
FIRST EDITION Recognizing the attorneys in the region who garnered the respect of their professional peers as honorees for the 2024 Elite Top Attorneys Legal Guide.
Michael A. Connolly
Philip J. Schipani
Schipani, Norman & McLain PA 1605 Main St | Ste 1110 Sarasota, FL 34236 941-499-8154
Edward B. Sobel
Edward B. Sobel PA 4900 Manatee Ave W | Ste 206 Bradenton, FL 34209 941-746-1203
Kyle Stalnaker
Stalnaker Law 6704 Professional Pkwy Lakewood Ranch, FL 34240 941-359-7825
How Do You Represent, Protect and Support Your Clients?
Estate and Tax Planning can be complex, and the specific legalese used in these areas of law can often be di cult for clients to apply to their own situation. It’s important for my clients to feel confident and comfortable with their estate plan, which can only be accomplished by thorough understanding of each document. Many clients appreciate the time I take to breakdown these complicated topics and explain them in a way that they can understand without feeling talked down to.
Mission Statement
To o er innovative legal strategies for life's biggest occasions.
In 2019 Matthew was admitted to the Florida Bar and brought his expertise back home to the Sarasota area. Since then, he’s focused his practice on estate, tax planning, probate, and trust administration. Beyond his legal contributions to clients, Matt is an active member of several professional organizations, including the local Bar Associations, Estate Planning Councils, and Young Lawyers Divisions where he currently serves on the Board of Directors, reinforcing his commitment to the betterment of the legal fraternity.
FLORIDA BAR
DATE OF ADMISSION
April 29, 2019
PRACTICE AREAS
Estate Planning
Estate and Trust Administration
Business Succession Planning Tax Planning
DEGREES
Bachelor of ScienceFinance from University of Central Florida, 2014 Bachelor of ScienceSports Business Management from University of Central Florida, 2014
J.D. from St. Thomas University, 2017
LL.M. in Taxation from University of San Diego, 2018
LAW FIRM
Berlin Patten Ebling, PLLC
FEATURED HONOREES
Jason P. Ramos
Law Offices of Jason P. Ramos PLLC
306 N Rhodes Ave | Ste 109 Sarasota, FL 34237
941-876-5454
INSURANCE
Vanessa Ross Ross Legal Group
1800 2nd St | Ste 892 Sarasota, FL 34236
941-275-1998
Rachel Schadt
Ross Legal Group
1800 2nd St | Ste 892 Sarasota, FL 34236
941-275-1998
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS
Douglas A. Cherry
Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick LLP
240 S Pineapple Ave | 9th Fl Sarasota, FL 34236
941-364-2738
Adam B. Portnow
Law Office of Adam B. Portnow PL
100 Wallace Ave | Ste 310 Sarasota, FL 34237
941-373-1797
Elizabeth M. Stamoulis
Williams Parker Attorneys at Law 50 Central Ave | 8th Fl Sarasota, FL 34236 941-552-5546
LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT
Anne Willis Chapman Blalock Walters PA 802 11th St W Bradenton, FL 34205
941-748-0100
FIRST EDITION Recognizing the attorneys in the region who garnered the respect of their professional peers as honorees for the 2024 Elite Top Attorneys Legal Guide.
Over the last 25 years, attorney Barbara H. Gormley has proudly represented only individuals that have been injured as a result of the negligence of another. Ms. Gormley is rated “AV Preeminent” which is the highest level of peer rating and means that her peers, lawyers and judges, have ranked her at the highest level of professional excellence for her legal knowledge, communication skills and ethical standards. Ms. Gormley has provided the highest quality of legal services both inside and out of the courtroom since 1999 and is known for treating every case as if it is going to trial. She represents clients throughout the State of Florida.
Her practice involves personal injury, including serious and catastrophic injuries, wrongful death as a result of automobile and trucking accidents, pedestrians and bicyclists hit by a motor vehicle, motorcycle accidents, trip/slip and fall cases on commercial and residential properties, negligent security resulting in injury cases, as well as nursing home and assisted living facility abuse cases.
Tell us about yourself.
Juris Doctor Nova Southeastern University, Shepard Broad Law Center, Davie, Florida, Deans List Member of the Nova Southeastern University’s Moot Court Honor Society State Bar of Florida, Admitted 1999 U.S. District Court Middle District of Florida Florida Bar Association, Trial Lawyers Section Member Eagle Member of the Florida Justice Association Sarasota County Bar Association Martindale-Hubbell® AV Preeminent® Since 2014 to the present 2024.
FLORIDA BAR
DATE OF ADMISSION
April 16, 1999
All Florida State Courts and the Federal Middle District of Florida
PRACTICE AREAS
Motor Vehicle Accidents
Trucking Accidents
Motorcycle, Bicycle and Pedestrian Accidents
Negligent Security resulting in injury
Slip/Trip and Fall Accidents
Nursing Home and ALF abuse
DEGREES
Juris Doctor, Nova Southeastern Shepard Broad Law Center
YEARS OF EXPERIENCE
25 Years
AV Rated Eagle Member of the Florida Justice Association
Fernandez Murphy & Walsh 2822 University Pkwy Sarasota, FL 34243
941-954-1234
Courtney Flandreau
Mallard Perez PLLC
889 N Washington Blvd Sarasota, FL 34236 941-952-1682
FIRST EDITION Recognizing the attorneys in the region who garnered the respect of their professional peers as honorees for the 2024 Elite Top Attorneys Legal Guide.
Christina A. Goldberg
Luhrsen Goldberg LLC 6954 Professional Pkwy Sarasota, FL 34240 941-265-1513
David L. Goldman
Goldman Babboni
Fernandez Murphy & Walsh
3550 S Tamiami Trl | 3rd Fl Sarasota, FL 34239
941-954-1234
Barbara H. Gormley
Barbara H. Gormley PA 2831 Ringling Blvd Ste | 214E Sarasota, FL 34237
A fifth generation Sarasota attorney with more than 40 years of experience, Bill Robertson has a lengthy and robust background focusing on personal injury and wrongful death claims throughout Florida. He spent much of his career at one of Sarasota’s oldest law firms –including a decade-long tenure as CEO – before establishing his own legal practice in 2020. His extensive experience in handling auto and motorcycle accidents, bicycle and pedestrian accidents, plane crashes, trucking accidents, slip and fall, propane and natural gas explosions and defective products, he has recovered over $250 Million for his clients throughout his career.
Bill is a community-based lawyer being recognized both locally and nationally, for his dedication to helping our national heroes and veterans, and his e orts in fighting against the opioid crisis which brought him national attention including a feature and a report by Fox News journalist, Geraldo Rivera. Additionally, Bill previously hosted a local call-in radio show called Let’s Talk Law with Bill Robertson on WSRQ. A member of the Florida Justice Association, he dedicates countless hours to help people navigate the legal system on a pro bono basis. He has been recognized by his peers in the industry for his excellent legal skills and accomplishments, including receiving an AV preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell magazine for the highest level of professional excellence for 20 years and has received recognition from America’s Top High Stakes Litigators, National Lawyers of Distinction and America’s Most Honored Lawyers, Super Lawyer in Florida, Top Lawyers in Florida, Top Attorneys in Florida, and Top Attorneys in Tampa Bay.
Testimonial
When my son was hit by a car last year while sitting at an intersection on his bicycle, I knew we would need legal help. I felt dealing with someone who had been involved with Personal Injury law in this area for over 30 years was a better option for us than some of the big box law firms. It proved to be a good decision. Bill, his sta , and associates did a masterful job of getting my son a healthy settlement. I don’t think you could have a better representative fighting for your well being than the Robertson Law Firm, P.A.
FLORIDA BAR
October 18, 1984
DATE OF ADMISSION
PRACTICE AREAS
Motor Vehicle Accidents
Wrongful Death, Traumatic Brain Injury
DEGREES
Stetson University College of Law, St. Petersburg, FL; Juris Doctorate
Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL; Bachelor of Science, Government
LAW FIRM
The Robertson Law Firm PA
Nancy E. Cason
Syprett Meshad PA 1900 Ringling Blvd Sarasota, FL 34236
941-365-7171
Kelly Causey Icard, Merrill, Cullis, Timm, Furen & Ginsburg PA 2033 Main St | Ste 600 Sarasota, FL 34237 941-907-0006
FIRST EDITION Recognizing the attorneys in the region who garnered the respect of their professional peers as honorees for the 2024 Elite Top Attorneys Legal Guide.
Scott W. Dunlap
Dunlap & Moran PA
22 S Links Ave | Ste 300 Sarasota, FL 34236
941-366-0115
Jamie A. Ebling
Berlin Patten Ebling
3700 S Tamiami Trl Sarasota, FL 34239
941-954-9991
Sheryl Edwards
The Edwards Law Firm PL
500 S Washington Blvd | Ste 400 Sarasota, FL 34236 941-363-0110
Ryan A. Featherstone
Dunlap & Moran PA
22 S Links Ave | Ste 300 Sarasota, FL 34236
941-366-0115
Sarah Ferlazzo
Berlin Patten Ebling
Jennifer L. Grosso
Bentley Goodrich Kison
783 S Orange Ave | Ste 300 Sarasota, FL 34236
941-556-9030
Michael T. Hankin
Hankin & Hankin
3700 S Tamiami Trl Sarasota, FL 34239 941-954-9991
Christa L. Folkers
Williams Parker Attorneys at Law 50 Central Ave | 8th Fl Sarasota, FL 34236 941-552-5554
Alexandra Glauser
Norton, Hammersley, Lopez & Skokos PA 1819 Main St | Ste 610 Sarasota, FL 34236 941-954-4691
Crystal D. Golm
Golm Law Firm 4916 26th St W | Ste 132 Bradenton, FL 34207
100 Wallace Ave | Ste 100 Sarasota, FL 34237
941-957-0080
Ryan T. Harris
Blalock Walters PA
802 11th St W Bradenton, FL 34205
941-748-0100
Michelle Lajoie Hermey
Fergeson Skipper PA
Attorneys at Law 1515 Ringling Blvd | 10th Fl Sarasota, FL 34236 941-957-1900
I arrived in Bradenton in 1989 and have provided legal services to entrepreneurs, regional businesses, and individuals for over 35 years on the west coast of Florida. I was certified as an expert in business litigation by the Florida Bar in in 1997 and have committed myself to working with my clients to obtain the best results in complex business matters recognizing their concerns for an expeditious and cost e ective path to resolution.
1990 Main St | Ste 725 Sarasota, FL 34236 941-479-3006
Amanda C. Tullidge
Blalock Walters PA 802 11th St W Bradenton, FL 34205 941-748-0100
Juan C. Villaveces
FEATURED HONOREES
Kristen D. Worrell
Williams Parker Attorneys at Law
50 Central Ave | 8th Fl Sarasota, FL 34236
941-552-2572
Jessica S. Zelitt
Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick LLP
240 S Pineapple Ave | 9th Fl Sarasota, FL 34236
813-676-7218
SECURITIES LAW
Worth Graham
Icard, Merrill, Cullis, Timm, Furen & Ginsburg PA 2033 Main St | Ste 600 Sarasota, FL 34237
941-366-8100
Michael S. Taaffe
Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick LLP
240 S Pineapple Ave | 9th Fl Sarasota, FL 34236
941-364-2720
FIRST EDITION Recognizing the attorneys in the region who garnered the respect of their professional peers as honorees for the 2024 Elite Top Attorneys Legal Guide.
Michael D. Horlick
Horlick & Corbridge PA 1314 E Venice Ave | Ste D Venice, FL 34285
Christopher J. Fowler Norton, Hammersley, Lopez & Skokos PA 1819 Main St | Ste 610 Sarasota, FL 34236 941-954-4691
Rose-Anne B. Frano
Williams Parker Attorneys at Law 50 Central Ave | 8th Fl Sarasota, FL 34236 941-536-2033
Richard R. Gans Fergeson Skipper PA
Attorneys at Law 1515 Ringling Blvd | 10th Fl Sarasota, FL 34236 941-957-1900
Dana Laganella Gerling
Affordable Attorney
Douglas J. Elmore
Williams Parker Attorneys at Law 50 Central Ave | 8th Fl Sarasota, FL 34236 941-329-6637
Gerling Law Group 6148 State Rd 70 E Bradenton, FL 34203 941-756-6600
JENNIFER J. HENSLEY
HONOREE | Wills & Trusts
CONTACT 5190 26th Street West | Suite D | Bradenton, Florida 34207 941-755-8583 | Firm@jenhensleylaw.com | jenhensleylaw.com
BIO
My passion for serving others ignited at an early age, inspired by personal struggles which often mirror those of my clients. I’m committed to empathy and unwavering dedication. Estate Planning holds a special place, valuing everyone’s voice and protecting what matters most. Advocacy defines my practice, putting client needs fi rst. Together, we build lasting legacies founded on trust and steadfast support, bridging professional excellence and heartfelt compassion.
FLORIDA BAR
DATE OF ADMISSION April 15, 2020
DEGREES Juris Doctorate
PRACTICE AREAS
Estate Planning Wills, Trusts, Power of Attorney
Probate and Trust Administration Adversarial Matters
LAW FIRM Hensley Law Offices, LLC
FEATURED HONOREES
Rodney Gerling
Affordable Attorney
Gerling Law Group 6148 State Road 70 E Bradenton, FL 34203 941-756-6600
Whitney C. Glaser
Whitney Glaser Law 3027 Manatee Ave W | Ste B Bradenton, FL 34205 941-241-8266
Williams Parker Attorneys at Law 50 Central Ave | 8th Fl Sarasota, FL 34236 941-329-6625
FIRST EDITION Recognizing the attorneys in the region who garnered the respect of their professional peers as honorees for the 2024 Elite Top Attorneys Legal Guide.
Alisa M. Heedy
Williams Parker Attorneys at Law 50 Central Ave | 8th Fl Sarasota, FL 34236
941-552-2569
David B. Heedy
Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick LLP
240 S Pineapple Ave | 9th Fl Sarasota, FL 34236
941-364-2794
Jen J. Hensley
Hensley Law Offices
5190 26th St W | Ste D Bradenton, FL 34207
941-755-8583
Ashley S. Hodson
Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick LLP
240 S Pineapple Ave | 9th Fl Sarasota, FL 34236
941-364-2723
Bryan Kessler
Jenna Kyle Meltzer
Blalock Walters PA
802 11th St W Bradenton, FL 34205 941-748-0100
John A. Moran
Dunlap & Moran PA 22 S Links Ave | Ste 300 Sarasota, FL 34236
Berg & Kessler 1872 Tamiami Trl S | Ste D Venice, FL 34293 941-493-0871
Stephen Berlin Berlin Law Firm LLC 200 N Washington Blvd Sarasota, FL 34236 941-777-7000
Rosemary B. Eure
Lancaster & Eure 711 N Washington Blvd Sarasota, FL 34236 941-365-7575
Paige M. Hazeltine Hazeltine Law Firm 205 W Venice Ave Venice, FL 34285 941-203-6020
Edward Murphy Legler, Murphy & Battaglia LLP 2411 Manatee Ave W Bradenton, FL 34205 941-748-5599
CHARLES W. TELFAIR, IV
HONOREE | Personal Injury
CONTACT 2075 Main Street, Sarasota, FL 34237
941.404.8909 | andrew@teamflg.com
BIO
Charles W. Telfair IV is a Personal Injury Attorney. Telfair began his career at Holland and Knight back in 1989. Holland and Knight chose to relocate to Tampa and Lutz, Bobo and Telfair opened its doors in April of 1992. Through his career Telfair has had the privilege of working with some of the biggest corporations in the world: Tropicana, Volvo Penta, Stanely Bostich, to name a few. Telfair believes accessibility and honesty are what his clients appreciate the most. Personal Injury law is personal. Telfair puts forth his energy, knowledge and time to ensure the best possible outcome for his clients.
MISSION Telfair and Lutz, Bobo and Telfair are rated AV by Martindale Hubbell. This means that our peers have given us the highest rating for both ethics and legal ability. Here at Lutz, Bobo & Telfair we are privileged to work with you, and we are honored to share our experience with you. At Lutz, Bobo and Telfair we treat our clients the way we prefer to be treated.
CYNTHIA RIDDELL
BIO
Cynthia A. Riddell is the managing attorney at Riddell Law Group. She is admitted to practice in Florida as well as the U.S. District Court in and for the Middle District of Florida and the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in and for the Middle District of Florida. She focuses her practice on transactional residential and commercial Real Estate Closings and Title Insurance. She is a Director on the Board for the Sarasota County Bar Association and a member of the Real Property Probate and Trust Law Section of the Florida Bar as well as the Business Law Section of the Florida Bar. She received her B.A. in History from University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida and her Juris Doctor from Stetson College of Law, St. Petersburg, Florida. Cynthia grew up in Sarasota and returned to the area after law school to join her father, Je Riddell, in the practice areas of real estate, bankruptcy and estate planning. Prior to attending law school, Cynthia worked as a Florida licensed title agent for Riddell Title & Escrow, closing both residential and commercial real estate transactions.
FLORIDA BAR ADMISSION May 10, 1991
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Science, University of Tampa on a full ROTC scholarship, in 1987
Attended Officer Basic School at Fort McClellan 1988
Juris Doctorate, Stetson University College of Law in 1990, Stanley Milledge Award
Retired from the US Army Reserves as Captain in 2000
YEARS OF EXPERIENCE
33 years
LAW FIRM
Lutz, Bobo & Telfair, Trial Lawyers
FLORIDA BAR ADMISSION April 21, 2008
DEGREES
Juris Doctor, Bachelor of Arts
PRACTICE AREAS
Estate Closings
Insurance
JAMES FOWLER
HONOREE | Criminal Defense
FLORIDA BARADMISSION
September 26, 2008
DEGREES
Bachelor of Science, Ferrum College, 2002
Juris Doctorate, Coastal School of Law, 2008
PRACTICE AREAS
Criminal Defense
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Forty Carrots
Key to the Cure
Lakewood Ranch Young Leaders Alliance
Americans Inn of Court
Sarasota County Bar Association
Manatee County Bar Association
Florida Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys
FLORIDA BAR
DATE OF ADMISSION
January 3, 1994
DEGREES
Juris Doctorate
PRACTICE AREAS
Healthcare Litigation
Business Litigation
LAW FIRM
Rosenberg Law PA
CONTACT 2075 Main Street | Suite #38 | Sarasota, FL 34237 941.404.8909 | jfowler@teamflg.com | thefowlerlawgroup.com
BIO
James Fowler is the founding partner of Fowler Law Group, P.A. James draws upon his diverse criminal law experiences to defend adults and juveniles involved in all types of criminal law matters, including federal and state crimes, DUI o enses, driver’s license suspensions and tra c cases. He is a 4th generation native of Sarasota County with strong ties to the local community. James served as a prosecutor with the O ce of the State Attorney in both Sarasota and Manatee Counties. As a prosecuting attorney he handled numerous DUI, misdemeanor, felony and juvenile cases and received specialized training from the Florida Tra c Safety Resource Prosecution Program in the areas of drugged drivers and DUI refusal cases and Motion Practice. He has been recognized as a “Top 100 Trial Lawyer” and “Top 40 Under 40” by the National Trial Lawyers Association from 2014 – 2020. He has been named to Super Lawyers Magazine list of “Rising Stars” from 2014 – 2020. James has also been nominated for Judicial Appointment by the 12th Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission three times in as many years. James has been featured in numerous publications throughout his career; most notably Forbes, Entrepreneur, Hu Post, and Business Insider.
BRUCE S. ROSENBERG
HONOREE | Business and Health Law
CONTACT 1895 Floyd Street | Suite B | Sarasota FL 34239 941-373-6777 | rosenberg@rosenberglawpa.com | rosenberglawpa.com
BIO
Bruce Rosenberg, founding partner at Rosenberg Law, PA, brings over 35 years of legal expertise in healthcare, business, and cannabis law, including civil racketeering and fraud defense. His work spans litigation and transactional law, including contract review, negotiation, compliance, and corporate startups. A Super Lawyer in healthcare law for over a decade, he prioritizes proactive legal strategies and e ective risk management. His involvement in the Florida Bar Technology Committee and charitable endeavours underscores his dedication to legal trends and societal impact.
ANDREW POUGET
HONOREE | Criminal Defense
CONTACT 2075 Main Street | Suite #38 | Sarasota, FL 34237
Andrew Pouget is a lifelong student of the law and vigilant advocate for justice. He understands that success is earned by hard work, determination, quality legal research, and framing arguments with precision and articulation. His passion for law is the driving force that compels him to take the extra step, and he does not quit until he achieves the best possible result for his clients. Since matriculating in 2018, Andrew has continued the firm’s legacy of providing high-quality criminal defense to Sarasota, Bradenton and Tampa. Andrew’s depth of legal knowledge and proficiency in legal writing provides an essential element to FLG’s comprehensive approach to criminal defense, and his aptitude for appellate practice sets FLG apart as a full-service criminal defense fi rm in the SRQ area.
VANESSA ROSS
HONOREE | Civil Litigation
CONTACT 1800 Second Street | Suite 892 | Sarasota, FL 34236
Vanessa Ross has spent her legal career handling insurance claims, resolving questions of coverage and getting insurance companies to pay the money that her clients deserve. For 20 years, she and her team have recovered proceeds relating to homeowner's claims, catastrophic building damage, fi re loss, windstorm and hurricane losses, construction defects, water damage, and personal injury. She handles complex litigation all the way through jury trial. Ms. Ross attended Law School at the Florida State University College of Law, and was member of the Mock Trial Team. Ms. Ross also graduated cum laude from the University of Florida. She resides full time in Sarasota, FL.
YEARS OF EXPERIENCE 17 years
DEGREES
University of Detroit Mercy, Suma Cum Laude, Majors in philosophy, political science, and pre-law Detroit College of Law, Magna Cum Laude, Juris Doctorate
Certificates in Trial Practice and Criminal Law
PRACTICE AREAS DUI Defense, Criminal Appeals Criminal Law
RECOGNITION 4th year SRQ ‘Elite Top Attorneys’
FLORIDA BAR
DATE OF ADMISSION September 21, 2006
DEGREES
Florida State University College of Law
PRACTICE
FLORIDA BAR
DATE OF ADMISSION
December 26, 2006
DEGREES
Albany Law School of Union University, 2004
PRACTICE AREAS
Car, Truck, Motorcycle and Bicycle Accidents
Pedestrian Accidents
Slip & Fall Injuries
Child Abuse
Nursing Home/ALF Abuse
Medical Malpractice
Construction Injuries
Boating Accidents
LAW FIRM
Mallard Perez, PLLC
COURTNEY FLANDREAU, ESQ.
HONOREE | Personal Injury
CONTACT 889 N. Washington Blvd | Sarasota, Fl 34236
Courtney has been a trial attorney for over fifteen years, representing both plainti s and defendants in personal injury cases throughout Southwest Florida. Earlier in her career, Courtney served as senior sta attorney for one of the largest insurance companies in the state of Florida and represented hundreds of defendants in automobile negligence cases. She became a Plainti ’s attorney in 2017 and now exclusively advocates for the wrongfully injured in Sarasota and Manatee Counties.
MISSION
Our mission at Mallard | Perez, PLLC is to passionately advocate for the rights of our clients leveraging our trial experience and excellent results.
FLORIDA BAR
DATE OF ADMISSION
April 30, 1991
DEGREES
J.D. Stetson University College of Law 1990.
PRACTICE AREAS
Car, Truck, Motorcycle and Bicycle Accidents
Pedestrian Accidents
Slip & Fall Injuries
Child Abuse
Nursing Home/ALF Abuse
Medical Malpractice
Construction Injuries
Boating Accidents
LAW FIRM
Mallard Perez, PLLC
DAMIAN MALLARD, ESQ.
HONOREE | Personal Injury | Managing Partner
CONTACT 889 N. Washington Blvd | Sarasota, Fl 34236 941-952-1682 | damian@mallardperez.com | mallardperez.com
BIO
Damian Mallard is the Managing Partner of Mallard | Perez, PLLC. He has practiced law for 34 years, beginning his career for 22 years working for Insurance Companies defending Personal Injury cases. He is a Board-Certified Trial Lawyer, a distinction held by less than 2% of attorneys in Florida. He has tried cases all over Florida and handles Catastrophic Auto Accident cases, Medical Malpractice, Nursing Home Abuse and Institutional Child Abuse cases state-wide.
MISSION
Our mission at Mallard | Perez, PLLC is to passionately advocate for the rights of our clients leveraging our trial experience and excellent results.
ALAN PEREZ, ESQ.
HONOREE | Personal Injury
CONTACT 889 N. Washington Blvd | Sarasota, Fl 34236
Alan distinguishes himself in the legal realm by blending innovative ideas with traditional values to craft his recipe for success. His approach in the courtroom encompasses leveraging cutting-edge technology and unconventional strategies to advocate vigorously for his clients. Alan stands out through his unparalleled dedication to providing personalized attention and exceptional service to each individual he represents. This commitment not only di erentiates him but also generates positive word-of-mouth referrals, a testament to his unwavering advocacy.
ELIZETE VELADO, ESQ.
HONOREE | Personal Injury
CONTACT 889 N. Washington Blvd | Sarasota, Fl 34236
A member of the Florida Bar since 2012, Elizete initially decided to become an attorney because she viewed it as an opportunity to work on behalf of disenfranchised individuals. She continues this pursuit at Mallard | Perez, PLLC by protecting the legal rights of those who have been severely injured and are being mistreated by an insurance company. She is in the process of working towards board certification in Civil Trial Law.
FLORIDA BAR
DATE OF ADMISSION
November 4, 2008
DEGREES
J.D. | University of Dayton
B.A. | St. Mary’s University
PRACTICE AREAS
Car, Truck, Motorcycle and Bicycle Accidents
Pedestrian Accidents
Slip & Fall Injuries
Child Abuse
Nursing Home/ALF Abuse
Medical Malpractice
Construction Injuries
Boating Accidents
LAW FIRM
Mallard Perez, PLLC
FLORIDA BAR
DATE OF ADMISSION
September 27, 2012
DEGREES
Florida State University
College of Law, with honors, 2012
PRACTICE AREAS
Car, Truck, Motorcycle and Bicycle Accidents
Pedestrian Accidents
Slip & Fall Injuries
Child Abuse
Nursing Home/ALF Abuse
Medical Malpractice
Construction Injuries
Boating Accidents
LAW FIRM
Mallard Perez, PLLC
CHRISTINE SENSENIG
FLORIDA BAR ADMISSION
February 22, 1996
DEGREES
University of South Florida,
B.A., B.A., 1988, and MLA 1992
University of Florida
Levin College of Law, J.D. 1995
RECOGNITION
Florida Trend Magazine
Legal Elite, 2009-2024
SuperLawyer, 2015-2024
University of South Florida
Alumni Leader of the Year, 2009, AV Rated by Martindale Hubbell
LAW FIRM
Sensenig Law Firm
HONOREE | Labor & Employment
BIO
Christine Sensenig is the managing partner of The Sensenig Law Firm, P.A. She provides human resources and employment law advice as well as litigation defense to employers of all sizes in all aspects of the employment relationship. To build strong long-term relationships with clients, the Firm explores the “why” behind a client’s concerns. In employment law, clients have needs in “real time” and the Firm believes in being an accessible resource to our clients.
Christine Sensenig is grateful to have been recognized in her community by colleagues that she respects and admires as a member of SRQ Magazine’s Elite Top Attorneys.
“I do my best because I am counting on you counting on me.”
— Maya Angelou
June
KYLE STALNAKER
FLORIDA
DEGREES
UC Berkeley (Undergrad) and Stetson Law
PRACTICE AREAS
Family Law
Personal Injury
LAW FIRM
Stalnaker Law, P.A.
HONOREE | Family Law
BIO
Kyle Stalnaker received his undergraduate degree from the University of California, Berkeley and his law degree from Stetson Law. Having played collegiate lacrosse at Cal Berkeley, attorney Stalnaker has shifted his aggressive style to the legal representation of his clients.
For over 12 years, Kyle has gained his clients’ trust through relentless advocacy, responsive communication, and results driven performance.
What Sets Your You/Your Firm Apart From Others?
Family law and personal injury clients seek out a lawyer because they need help with a divorce, a child related issue, or have been injured in an accident. A keen awareness that these complicated issues require constant communication and compassion is what sets Stalnaker Law apart from other attorneys at the onset. Once the client’s actual case gets going, attorney Stalnaker’s courtroom confidence and sharp legal knowledge results in continued success.
Mr. Colburn’s Florida-based boutique law practice is devoted to the acquisition, disposition, development and redevelopment of real estate. Casey assists landowners with zoning and permitting of retail shopping centers, waterfront, hospitality and residential projects. He helps property owners and governments to properly apply FEMA’s “50% Rule” as well as other environmental, wetland, protected species, dock and navigation regulations. He leads due diligence teams for investor and portfolio deals. Casey also participates in the development and implementation of zoning and environmental rules, cleanup actions, renewable energy technologies, ethical practices, conservation and sustainable strategies. He has lectured about his experience with these topics. A significant part of his practice now involves co-counsel relationships with other lawyers and law fi rms from across the country and helping individuals and businesses relocate to the free state of Florida. “Assisting a colleague’s valued client is a high honor, much like being recognized again this year by my talented local peers. Thank you, SRQ.”
BETSY PENNEWILL
Honoree | Estate Planning, Trusts, Real Estate
FLORIDA BAR ADMISSION
September 17, 2003
Also licensed in Pennsylvania
PRACTICE AREAS
Zoning | Land Use
Environmental | Real Estate
Sustainability | Due Diligence
FEMA | Development
Permitting | Wetlands Green Building | Waterfront
Permitting | Conservation Riparian Rights | Docks
Contaminated Site Remediation
Redevelopment | Code
Enforcement | Ethics | Copyright Shopping Center Law
LAW FIRM
The Colburn Firm, PL
CONTACT 2635 Fruitville Rd | Sarasota, FL 34237
941.556.7152 | cfsarasota.org
BIO
Betsy Pennewill serves as General Counsel at the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, working with donors and professional advisors to craft planned giving agreements and ensuring compliance with IRC regulations for foundations. She is also skilled in real estate transactions and estate planning matters. Pennewill is a member of the Public Policy Committee of Philanthropy Southeast and the past board chair of Charitable Gift Planners of Southwest Florida.
Tell us about yourself and your firm. Community Impact Powered by Philanthropy: The Community Foundation of Sarasota County unites people and organizations to create opportunities across generations to improve lives. Each one of us has the potential to impact a person, cause, community. Be The One.
FLORIDA BAR ADMISSION September 24, 1998
EDUCATION
Stetson University College of Law and Miami University
PRACTICE AREAS
Charitable 501(c)(3) vehicles and Planned Giving Techniques
Compliance with Regulations Concerning Foundations
LAW FIRM
Community Foundation of Sarasota County
culture city
JEFFERY KIN HAS A LOT ON HIS PLATE. The Executive Director of Sarasota Rising, a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing a weeklong interdisciplinary arts festival to the city, Kin is used to wearing many hats—the actor and playwright moved to Sarasota from New York City to retire from the arts in 1991. Instead, he proceeded to become a mainstay on the area’s theater circuit before spending 15 years at the helm of The Players Centre for Performing Arts as the organization’s Producing Artistic Director. So while the past few years have been “the epitome of insanity” for Kin—he’s alright with that. After all, he’s an artist and in Sarasota, the arts always find each other.
UNITING THE CULTURAL COAST
Sarasota Rising is looking to highlight the region’s rich arts scene with the debut of their Living Arts Festival this November. Dylan Campbell PHOTOGRAPHY BY
culture city
SARASOTA RISING STARTED IN 2021 WITH AN IDEA— to create an event that would elevate the region’s arts institutions and cement Sarasota as Florida’s Cultural Coast™. “A group of people from the Downtown Improvement District, led by Dr. Mark Kauffman, basically said that we think Sarasota and our region deserves a festival of some kind. Places smaller than us have these, so why don’t we have anything organized?” says Kin. “That just started this idea of questioning why and when and why not? The answer became very simple. Sarasota is so incredible because of the entrepreneurship of individuals that fight for their organizations.” What Kin realized, however, from his time at The Players, is that while Sarasota is a hub for the arts, the majority of the arts organizations in the area operate within their own silos. There was nothing concrete pulling all of these organizations together. “These people have been in the trenches for years working on their organizations, but they’re used to working by themselves. They’re really not used to a great deal of collaboration or intercommunication,” says Kin.
So Kin and his team got to work. First they had to create a nonprofit, Sarasota Rising, that could serve as the production company for a potential arts festival. Then Kin had to figure out the really hard part—how in the world does one create a festival out of thin air? And perhaps even more challenging, how does one link together a seemingly disparate conglomerate of arts organizations for a one week event? “We wanted something sustainable that would help celebrate our arts and brand us as an arts destination once a year,” says Kin. Planning is one thing, but actually divesting the time, money and energy to make it happen was something else entirely. “Initially I grabbed about a dozen of my friends who are knowledgeable about the area and I put them in a room with Post It Notes and we started talking about what is a festival? Who are we and what do we call ourselves?” says Kin. “I learned from going to events to festival conferences and conventions, that festivals are a big deal. And they’re not a big deal just because they’re fun, it’s what they do for the economy. What they do for civic pride, to pull people together in a region and have people working together on projects, it’s very important.”
Over the past two years the festival has slowly started to take shape. Sarasota Rising gave it a name, the Living Arts Festival, and a date, November 10-17, 2024. Kin and his team knew that the festival had to have a structure, to highlight the area’s arts in a way that was fair to all parties involved. “Part of it was realizing that you can’t just have a festival and say ‘Everyone in the area be great this week’,” says Kin. “Because they do that every week,
so if we’re going to build cultural tourism and try to make us stand out, for that week there’s got to be a party. There’s got to be an opening, a closing and special things that spice up a region. We decided to produce five main things during that week to make it a party.”
Those five events that Sarasota Rising is producing specifically for the festival look to serve the area’s arts community in a variety of ways. The Living Arts Festival is bookended by opening and closing parties—the opener, titled “A World of Arts” held on the rooftop of a downtown parking lot, highlights the diverse array of cultures represented in the Sarasota arts scene. The closing party, titled “Sarasota Rising: Celebrating Our Youth” will be held at the Circus Arts Conservatory and is a testament to the educational and youth programming of the area’s arts organizations. Around 300 youth performers from differing arts organizations, including the Sailor Circus Academy, the Sarasota Youth Opera, the Sarasota Ballet and more will come together to perform for a fun-filled evening. Additionally judges of the week’s festivities will anoint awards to some of the festival’s best performances.
Nestled in the middle of the Living Arts Festival is “Our Embrace Reimagined,” a collaboration between the local arts non-profit Embracing Our Differences and Marie Selby Botanical Gardens that encapsulates the mission of the festival. Every year, Embracing Our Differences holds a juried arts exhibition that features billboard sized works of art accompanied by a captivating quotation—the organization receives thousands of submissions from
across the world every year, hoping to be a part of the exhibit. Many of these panels, however, never find a home after each year’s exhibition. That’s where Kin and Sarasota Rising came in.
“Right now we’re choosing nine panels from Embracing Our Differences last year that did not have a home. We have six different arts organizations including Sarasota Contemporary Dance, Modern Marimba and CreArte Latino. They are each choosing a panel from which they will create a five minute live performance piece inspired by that panel,” says Kin. “Then we’re going to rehang those panels at Historic Spanish Point for three days and sell performance walking tours where a group of people will go up to the panel and the organization will perform their live piece.” This collaboration between Embracing Our Differences and Selby Gardens does more than just allow these panels to live on—it fosters a relationship between two organizations that may have never worked together.
Instead of taking the more self-centered approach of “How can this work for the festival,” Kin reached out to organizations with the simple question of “How can we help you?” That approach to building out the festival illustrates what Sarasota Rising is all about—helping to promote and connect the organizations that make up the Cultural Coast. Because while the Living Arts Festival is the centerpiece of what Sarasota Rising has been trying to accomplish, it is not designed to be the end-all be-all for the organization. Rather, the Living Arts Festival is a jumping off
organizations.Festival
point for the organization’s future endeavors in building a network of connection and support within the region’s arts community. For now, however, Kin and his team are taking things one step at a time as they continue to prep for November’s debut. “The idea is to make it as simple as possible. We don’t want to make organizations jump through hoops and produce something special for the festival. Whatever an arts organization’s mission is, we want to be there to support it,” says Kin. “We want more people to walk through their lobbies, more butts in their seats, more people in the restaurants, more heads in beds. What we’ve realized over the course of the past couple of years is that we’re more than a festival or a street fair or a kids art day— we’re a movement of helping all of us come together. To celebrate who we are and what makes us so unique and different.” SRQ.
Right: Deeply entrenched in the Sarasota arts scene, Jeffery Kin understands the importance of uniting the area’s different arts
image designed by Bill Greaves.
EVIDENCE OF AN IMPACT
The connection between teacher and student is celebrated in the Teacher Artifacts of Worth Exhibit at the Sarasota Art Museum. Dylan Campbell
IT HAPPENS AT THE END OF EVERY SCHOOL YEAR. As summer starts to seep into the classroom and the days tick down until the final bell, students stare out the windows at their imminent summer break and as teachers collect final projects and grade the last exams— something special occurs. Because when that final bell rings, most students will walk out of the classroom with simply a nod or a wave, but a select few, who have felt truly touched by the presence of their educator, will leave something behind for their teacher—a note, a gift, a memento. An artifact of sorts from their time together. Something that conveys the significance of the teacher’s impact on their lives. Something that the teacher, unbeknownst to the student, will cherish forever. Es Swihart considers herself blessed to be the beneficiary of many such artifacts from her students. An English teacher in Sarasota County schools for 19 years—she was named the Sarasota County Schools Teacher of the Year in 2018—Swihart is innately familiar with the significance these gifts hold. “I was cleaning around my house one day and came across one of my boxes of letters and the pictures or whatever it is that students have given me over the years and realized that’s my legacy.
culture city
When I pass on at some point that’s what I want my daughter to see. That’s really what I’ve done with my life, those connections, that’s where my impact has been,” says Swihart. Swihart was in the midst of finishing up her Doctorate in Education at Johns Hopkins University, with a specialty in Mind, Brain and Teaching, thinking about what her dissertation project might look like when it hit her. “I started thinking that every teacher I know has one of these boxes, they have a file folder or a box and they keep those letters for a rainy day. One, because teaching is a challenging, exhausting job at times and two, I also think that teachers tend to be pretty humble. They don’t go around sharing that box with people, but that box is there. That was the beginning of ‘What could happen if people could read the things that students say?’
These were the beginnings of The Teacher Artifacts of Worth exhibit, a collaboration between the Education Foundation of Sarasota and the Sarasota Art Museum (SAM). The community exhibit, set to debut at SAM this August, will shine a light on the impact local teachers have had on their students. The exhibit called for a submission of artifacts that teachers, either current or former, of the Sarasota County School District have received from their students. Everything from letters to doodles to posters to videos will be displayed together at SAM this August. Artifact is probably the best term for the pieces found in the exhibition, because from an anthropological perspective, they paint a picture of Sarasota County. When studying civilizations of the past,
anthropologists have long looked at the roles of elders in their respective communities— how information, teachings and values are disseminated to the younger generation tells the story of a people. Hundreds of years from now, when anthropologists look back at the history of Sarasota County, they will examine how the elders passed on knowledge and how the teachers educated their students. The Teacher Artifacts of Worth exhibit, filled with remnants of a community of the past, will help tell that story. Between her years spent in the classroom and research for her doctorate, Swihart knows that the transfer of knowledge from educator to pupil is sacred. The artifacts found in the exhibit are more than just signs of positive teacher-student relationships, they are in some ways, the crowning evidence in her research of the correlation between neuroscience and education. “What we’re learning with neuroscience and education as a cross-curricular field of study is not just how the brain learns best, but how much cognition and emotion are interrelated and interdependent. You cannot separate them,” says Swihart. “So if you have a student that comes into a classroom where they feel connected and safe, they’re more able to take risks, they’re more able to be open, their prefrontal cortex is more likely to be fully engaged. However, when they enter a room with a teacher they feel doesn’t like them, just knowing that, research shows that the student is less likely to learn in that environment because on some level their brain is taking time to feel safe. We know that the student-
teacher relationship is so important and that students’ self-worth is highly connected to growth mindset and motivation.”
It’s the knowledge of just how crucial the student-teacher relationship is to education that makes these mementos so special to the teachers that receive them. It’s proof that in the difficult grind of the school year they’re also making the impact that they hoped for. “One of the best notes I ever got was from a student that said ‘The best thing you ever taught me was how to be myself,’ says Swihart. “You think to yourself, ‘What else is greater than that?’ We can learn all the skills in the world but if we don’t feel confident in ourselves they’re only worth so much to us.”
While Swihart isn’t sure which or how many of her personal artifacts will be featured in the exhibition, she does know that she wants it to be a place of celebration for educators across the entire community. In addition to including all of the various artifacts submitted by Sarasota County School District teachers, the exhibition will have a section based on American artist Mary Beth Edelson’s story-gathering boxes, where the community will be invited to write their own stories about a teacher who left an indelible mark on their lives. “I would love it to just uplift the profession as a whole. I think everybody knows to a degree what education is like, but it’s very different when you’re on the other side of it in the classroom. The kind of job it is and the energy that it takes is massive and unlike anything else,” says Swihart. “I really want to highlight after all that work what that impact looks like.”
SRQ
Below: The Grilled Octopus is a must-have starter dish made with crispy
LOCAL EPICUREAN ADVENTURES AT THE TABLE
forage
FAN
FAVORITES
Florentine classics come to Downtown Bradenton with upscale Italian chophouse Taverna Toscana. Andrew Fabian
marble potatoes, shaved shallot, celery and charred lemon sauce.
BEFORE ATTACHING HIS BYLINE TO MORE THAN 60 RESTAURANTS IN THE US, CHEF FABIO VIVIANI WAS A SUCCESSFUL FLORENTINE RESTAURATEUR AND A TOP CHEF COMPETITOR. While he didn’t win the top prize, he did earn a badge that foreshadowed his meteoric success—Fan Favorite. Today, each of his concepts deliver masterful, elevated renditions of recognizable hits. And since May of this year, those fan-favorite hits come to downtown Bradenton with Taverna Toscana, an upscale Italian chophouse on Sixth Avenue West. Nestled in a beautiful build-out just north of the SUNZ Insurance high-rise, the 220-seat restaurant is owned by SUNZ Insurance CEO and entrepreneur Steve Herrig, who hopes Taverna Toscana bolsters the continued enrichment of Downtown Bradenton. The menu, expertly executed by Executive Chef Clay Thompson, certainly promises to enrich a few palates.
The starters set the tone early. A grilled octopus packs layers of flavor often reserved for big ticket entrees. Cooked sous vide before being grilled, it comes draped atop crispy marbled potatoes. A nice char on the octopus forms a core flavor profile before things ramp up with a charred lemon beurre blanc drizzled with housemade saba, a syrup made from the fresh must of wine grapes. All together, it’s a balanced bite that’s sweet, savory and smoky with just a bit of tang.
A grilled bone marrow introduces a hefty dose of umami. The marrow itself has a silky mouthfeel complemented by the tomato and onion jam, while the gremolata’s perky, garlicky flavor is just the
right exclamation point. But, arguably, it’s Fabio’s wagyu meatball that more fully embodies the restaurant’s practice of playing the greatest hits to perfection. Its most impressive trait is that it’s juicy all the way to the center despite its size. The rustic tomato sugo, olive oil, basil and whipped ricotta all convene with the wagyu beef to capture something timeless. Both the bone marrow and meatball are also accompanied by delicious crostinis, made with bread sourced from a B-town baker.
For entrees, the wagyu short rib bolognese could easily feed two. The short rib is braised for eight hours before making its way into the savory ragout. It’s served
This page left to right: A wagyu meatball doused in a savory marinara is perfect for sharing. Florida sunshine spills into the stylish interior with some Italian design flair.
with paccheri pasta and topped with shaved grana padano cheese, which is similar to parmesan. This is the entree that cures bad days, that comforts like a hug, that holds all the promise of a good night’s sleep.
The 35-day dry-aged, bone-in ribeye isn’t just a mouthful to order, it’s 20 ounces of beef bravura that rivals the finest steakhouses for 100 miles. This is steak the way steak is meant to be—juicy, savory, tender with fat perfectly rendered. This particular plating comes with a roasted bulb of garlic, which makes for a wonderful topping. The rest of the steak offerings—which can be read on the menu or gazed at longingly in the display case—include the usual suspects, all wet-aged for 28 days.
For as good as the ribeye is, as impressive as the starters are, or as feel-good as the short rib pasta is, it’s the pork chop that might be most deserving of the fan favorite badge. A pork chop doesn’t often excite, existing as an afterthought if it makes its way onto a menu at all. At Taverna Toscana, the pork chop takes center stage.
First, it’s nearly as tender as a baked potato thanks to a bit of manual marbelizing (injected fat). That means it doesn’t dry out as it reaches the right
temperature on the grill. It also means a typically dull, relatively inexpensive cut of meat now eats more like a filet mignon. Accompanied by a hardy and healthy broccolini and chickpea ragu, the chop is enhanced further by a smoked red pepper romesco. This is not the desiccated bargain meal of your youth. This is decadence at its best.
Of course, no upscale dining is complete without signature, Instagrammable cocktails. In this case, they’re all perfect for sipping on the ample outside patio bar on a warm night. The Equinox is Florida in a glass, with an easy-drinking, citrusy blend of vodka, tangerine juice, honey and orange blossom. The Hidden Palms, also vodka-based, is a party-punch mix of banana-infused Luxardo, guava puree and prosecco. From the non-alcoholic offerings, the Strawberry Crush is a refreshing, peppy blend of ginger beer, lime juice, strawberry and mint.
A special note to those who rely on map apps to navigate nuanced downtown districts: Do not use Apple Maps. Unless, of course, driving around in circles gets our appetite going. Either way, fan favorites await. SRQ
This page left to right: The Equinox cocktail is as bright and juicy as a ripe orange. Cuts of beef dry age in a refrigerator before seeing the flames of the kitchen. Taverna Toscana, 1301 6th Avenue West, Bradenton, 941-357-7772, tavernatoscana.com/
BELLO FAR NIENTE
The beauty of doing nothing is best enjoyed with the food the new Mangia Che è Buono Italian eatery. Vanessa Tasé Sueiro
A TYPICAL MORNING IN THE SOUTH OF ITALY MAY INVOLVE WALKING OUT THE DOOR, TURNING THE CORNER AND DRINKING AN ESPRESSO AT THE COUNTER OF THE LOCAL CAFÉ. If you’re in Sarasota, however, there’s a new counter to lean on—Mangia Che è Buono–a familyowned Italian restaurant conveniently located on Bee Ridge, opened its doors on Valentine’s Day of this year. Run by husband-wife duo Massimo and Lanny Temperino, recent transplants from New York City, the café has brought a new style of Italian to town. When Massimo and Lanny arrived in Florida, they first settled in Lakewood Ranch, and quickly decided that their family and the traditions they were hoping to foster needed a home broad enough to accommodate them. “Sarasota is more open to other cultures and foods and we wanted to bring a little bit of Sicily to Sarasota,” says Lanny—proud to have made a home here. Centered around family and cultivating a sense of it, even among strangers, Mangia Che è Buono’s floor to ceiling windows let in the light, illuminating the space ever so effortlessly, and welcoming all to witness and partake in the connectedness that Massimo and Lanny nurture. The Italian diaspora of Sarasota takes itself seriously, but the refined dining experience to be had does not always embrace the warmth of the culture. Mangia Che è Buono, with its Rosticceria Siciliana inspired grab-and-go concept, is committed to reminding its audience that good food simply needs to be good, but great food is quantified by more than just taste. In traditional Italian families, a phrase echoes this idea. Little kids always say, Mangia! Mangia che è buono. In English, it roughly translates to: You should eat, because it’s good!
As Lanny puts it, “We wanted a name that says— everything that we have here is good for you to eat.”
The name of the restaurant is a testament to the amalgamation of values which the owners hold dear.
As a pseudo-axiom, it speaks to the familiarity of the ambiance, encouraging the customers to eat, just as their nonna would. As a culinary formula, Mangia Che è Buono anticipates the quality of the food and the experience.
Behind the front counter sit the traditional Italian pastries one hopes to find at a Pasticceria, a true Italian pastry shop. The Cannolis, true to their Sicilian origins, are filled with a lusciously creamy ricotta cheese and topped off with candied fruits—cherries and apricots among them. Profiterole, a custard cream puff with a chocolate garnish, and the Cornetto, an Italian croissant, with seven flavor options to choose from, including a savory one, complete the length of the glass counter.
In addition to sweet treats, they’re also dishing out some savory goodies. Pizza al taglio originated in Rome around 1950. Unlike the typical Italian pizza, this style is baked in a rectangular pan and sold al taglio—literally meaning, per piece. Often cut with scissors, it is a most laid-back way to enjoy the Italian classic. Don’t be shy when using your hands! But pizza is not the star of the dough-show at Mangia Che è Buono.
The schiacciatta, a flatbread, is similar in texture to pizza but thinner than focaccia, and it is a perfect lunchtime order. The bread is made in-house each day using a combination of recipes from the Temperino
family. Among the sandwich options made with this flatbread, La Schiacciatta di Guglia integrates most vibrantly the southern Italian taste palate, featuring mortadella, stracciatella cheese and Sicilian musthave: pistachio cream. If the selection of cured meats does not tickle your fancy, order a vegetarian handheld, like Pane e Panelle—bread and chickpea fritters. The Temperino’s describe it as a traditional Sicilian sandwich people buy before a day at the beach. It’s almost as simple as its name—bread, chickpea fritters, potato croquettes and a squeeze of lemon.
At Mangia Che è Buono, the Italian experience translates well. Bello far niente, meaning, the beauty of doing nothing, is an old Italian proverb. It does not encourage idleness, but leisure. Bello far niente means do the things that feel like nothing, the things that don’t take much effort at all to do. At Mangia Che è Buono, you can do nothing on any of the four accent chairs available at the left flank. You can do nothing there with your friends, fighting over a brown leather or bright yellow armchair, or that last bite of a homemade Cannoli. Or you can do nothing at the counter, where Lanny and Massimo are sure to ask where you’ve been. You can do nothing from the tables facing the screen at the back of the shop while you watch the Eurocup or Copa America, which the Temperino’s hope to show every year. As Lanny says, “Mangia Che è Buono isn’t just grab and go. It’s, grab an espresso. Eat something. But also, have a seat. Chat a little bit.” SRQ
This spread, left to right: Fresh, authentic cafe dishes and desserts bring Italy to Sarasota at Mangia Che è Buono.
giving coast
A CEO WITH A GIFT TO GIVE
One of fewer than 10 female insurance company CEOs, Cina Welch led her company to a milestone of $1 billion in direct written premiums in 2022 while advocating for many local charities in our community. Barbie Heit
giving coast
A LIFELONG RESIDENT OF FLORIDA, CINA WELCH CONSIDERS HERSELF TO BE ONE OF THE RARE PEOPLE WHO WAS
ACTUALLY
RAISED
IN SARASOTA. She received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Florida, a Juris Doctorate from Stetson College of Law and after graduating from law school, she worked in the legal department of a prominent hospital in Florida, performing corporate and collections work. After responding to a newspaper ad in 1998, Welch joined FCCI Insurance Group as an attorney performing Special Disability Trust Fund recoveries, along with handling various corporate matters. In 2006, she was promoted to Assistant Vice President of Claims, overseeing FCCI’s Florida Workers’ Compensation Department, Catastrophic Claim Unit and Special Investigations Unit. In 2008, she was elevated to the position of Vice President and Chief Security Officer. In this role, she was responsible for legal and regulatory compliance, corporate information and data security and corporate governance. In 2012, Welch was again promoted, this time to Senior Vice President, Chief Risk and Compliance Officer. Her expanded role included oversight of the organization’s Enterprise Risk Management and Internal Audit programs. In 2016, she was promoted to Executive Vice President and by June of 2020, Welch was selected by FCCI’s Board of Directors as President and CEO. One of fewer than 10 female insurance company CEOs, Cina led her company to the milestone of $1 billion in direct written premiums in 2022. “I believe in the power of continuous learning and am grateful for all the opportunities that have come my way,” she proudly shares.
FCCI has long-term relationships and annually supports over a dozen local charities in Sarasota and Manatee counties, many of which are focused on the needs of children including Easter Seals, Suncoast Charities for Children, Suncoast Foundation for Handicapped Children, Step up for Students and Family First. The organization also has a long-standing partnership with Habitat for Humanity Sarasota and they are currently in the process of building
their 11th Habitat Home in Sarasota. “I’m proud that FCCI not only provides financial support but that we are able, through our employee volunteer program, to provide 200+ volunteer hours for each home,” she says. “Through these many partnerships, we have had the privilege of contributing to various initiatives and programs that aim to improve the lives of those in need.”
Keeping with FCCI’s 8th Pillar of Charitable Giving, the company’s teammates raise money each year for the FCCI Charitable Foundation. They organize various fund-raising events, not just in Sarasota, but in all of their locations across their geographic footprint. All monies raised (over $110k in 2023) are donated to charitable organizations that address children’s needs, homelessness, food insecurities and mental illness, to name a few. In 2024, their charitable giving and volunteer focus is on children and adults with physical and mental disabilities.
“I’m so proud of FCCI’s volunteer policy,” shares Welch. “Each year, our teammates are given eight hours of company-paid time to volunteer at the organizations of their choosing. In 2023, they collectively donated more than 3,000 hours of productive volunteer work. Locally, FCCI teammates volunteer at organizations such as All Faiths Food Bank, Habitat for Humanity, Salvation Army and The Twig. It’s wonderful to see our teammates’ commitment to giving back to the community!”
As for her own philanthropic spirit, Welch credits her parents for planting the roots and nurturing her desire to give back. “My relationship with my parents, who have been my pillars of strength and inspiration, has shaped me into the person I am today,” she says. “They set a great example for me and so now, I am fortunate to be in a position to motivate others to give back. As a business and community leader, I want to make a positive impact, whether within our local area or in places outside of Sarasota. I have also been fortunate to travel to many different places all over the world and while I have seen amazing things, I have also seen devastating poverty, especially children
living without very basic life necessities. I have been able to carry these values forward as an advocate of FCCI’s 8th Pillar of Charitable Giving. Since 2019, FCCI has raised and distributed over four hundred fifty-five thousand dollars through the FCCI Charitable Foundation.” Welch believes that giving back and serving others is like most things in life—you must be intentional to get it done. It doesn’t have to take a lot of time or money, you just have to have a plan and follow it through.
Welch is proud of the impact her work has had both here and abroad. Recalling time spent volunteering in a school in Cambodia where she helped with building projects as well as putting together very basic wheelchairs, she knows she is making a difference. “It had a big impact on people’s daily lives, brought about by a simple change that’s so accessible in the US but not necessarily in other countries,” she says. She also remembers an experience when FCCI traveled with their top insurance agents to Tanzania, where they spent time volunteering at a local school, painting classrooms, planting trees and making other needed improvements. “The community was very appreciative and we received great feedback from our agents about how meaningful and rewarding it was to contribute in this way,” she adds.
Beyond her professional and philanthropic endeavors, Welch is an avid adventurer and traveler, always seeking new experiences and cultures. She enjoys sports and is a proud Florida Gator fan.
For those looking to follow her philanthropic lead, Welch shares this advice: “Find something that gives you purpose and that you enjoy. Don’t worry if you lack the skills or experience, these things can be learned. The needs are wide and varied and organizations are always looking for help. Learn as much as you can about ways you can help and reach out to those organizations that interest you.” SRQ Cina Welch was honored as a Good Hero by SRQ Magazine in December 2023.
LIVING LAKEWOOD
SUNCOAST BLOOD CENTERS OPENS THEIR HEADQUARTERS IN LAKEWOOD RANCH
SAVING LIVES THE LOCAL WAY
LIVING LAKEWOOD
Blissfully Ranch
As summer heat abates and our comfortable Florida winter nears, the Ranch becomes among the finest places in the world to live. And part of enjoying our paradise is staying healthy and hearty. In this edition we explore two local facilities that make Lakewood Ranch a mecca for life-saving technolgies. LECOM: Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine and the Suncoast Blood Centers are invaluable neighbors. Both institutions save lives both near and far away. We all love to stay feeling, looking, and living young— newcomer to the Ranch, the climbing gym Project 24 Climbing will offers safe and exciting activities that will keep your body vigorous starting this spring. Meanwhile, you can care for your beauty inside and out with the wide range of aesthetic dermatology services at both Glow Dermspa and Sirius Day Spa, Salon & Med Spa. Each offers their own unique path to a lovelier and rejuvenated you.
WES ROBERTS SRQ MEDIA | Executive Publisher
Continuing a Legacy of Quality
As the Lakewood Ranch Medical Center community continues to celebrate 20 years of compassionate, quality healthcare services for patients, I am excited to share the details of our latest milestone. Our largest and most significant expansion in the hospital’s history is now underway. On June 11, the hospital broke ground on the first phase of its $120 million expansion project. Completion of a new five-story, 170,000 square foot multiphase addition on the hospital’s campus is expected in December 2025. The first phase of the new patient tower will add 60 beds for intensive care and progressive care patients, bringing patient bed capacity to 180. The new tower will be equipped with advanced medical technologies. Complex cardiology, higher acuity neurological services, and key ancillary departments will be expanded. Patient-centric design features will be implemented for a soothing and healing environment. The contemporary design of the universal patient rooms allows for pivoting of the rooms to accommodate whatever is needed for the patient in real time, whether this be telemetry, intensive care or other specialty service. Once both phases are completed, patient bed capacity will be increased to 240. We’re proud of our commitment to our patients. The Lakewood Ranch Medical Center expansion project highlights our dedication to the continued delivery of quality, advanced care to our growing community. As always, Let’s Do Well Together.
ANDY GUZ LAKEWOOD RANCH MEDICAL CENTER | Chief Executive Officer
Below, left to right: Project 24 nnderway for a spring grand opening. CEO Andy Guz of Lakewood Ranch Medical Center.
LIVING LAKEWOOD
FEATURES
Cultivating Compassion, 8
Dr. Mark Kauffman, Associate Dean of Medical Affairs at LECOM shares his insight into the world of osteopathic medicine.
Saving Lives the Local Way, 12
With over 75 years of experience in delivering precious life-saving products in our community, SunCoast Blood Centers is the go-to partner for blood-related healthcare services in Southwest Florida.
Reaching New Heights, 16
Austin Venhaus first started w orking on the concept for Project 24 Climbing back in 2019 but faced many obstacles along the way. Now, with the help of partners Aaron
Rutsky and his wife Andrea Rutsky, his vision is about to be realized. Construction for the brand new facility began in August and the opening date is projected for April of 2025.
Rejuvenation Station, 20
From relaxing massages to revitalizing facials to revolutionary medical procedures that treat specific skin conditions, these tranquil havens offer a holistic approach to self-care, allowing us to unwind, recharge and emerge feeling our best. Residents of Lakewood Ranch are fortunate to have some world-class facilities available to them. Melissa Beachy from Glow Dermspa and Karen Medford from Sirius Spa, Salon & Med Spa shared their insights.
Above: The LECOM campus at dusk, image courtesy of LECOM. Cover: Scott Bush, CEO of Suncast Blood Centers has over 30 years of experience in the blood banking industry, photo by Wyatt Kostygan.
Cultivating Compassion
“I HAD A CURIOUS INTEREST IN MEDICINE FROM THE VERY BEGINNING AS A KID,” says Dr. Mark Kauffman. “When someone was hurt or bleeding it never shocked me or made me feel intimidated. I always went forward and wanted to help other people so that was kind of built into me. My dad always said that he never saw somebody at five-years-old say that they wanted to be a physician and never really change that their entire life.”
“I was actually born with a medical segment in my DNA,” he adds with a laugh. Kauffman is the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at the Bradenton campus of Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM). The original LECOM campus was established in Erie, Pennsylvania where the charter class began in August of 1993. Kauffman was part of the fourth matriculating class. “I came from a financially-challenged family and none of my family had ever gone to college. And I thought you had to be a genius to be a physician,” Kauffman says. “So I was concerned about that, because if I never would get into medical school and medicine was in my blood what else could I do to still be in medicine?”
Kauffman’s father was in the military and he asked his son if he’d ever heard of a physician’s assistant (PA). These mid-level practitioners emerged as a profession in the mid-1960s in the United States to address a shortage of primary care physicians
and to improve healthcare access in underserved areas. The military played a large role in developing the profession, as experienced military medics were ideal candidates for early PA programs. Kauffman did become a PA and went on to work in that role for six years in the field of pediatric transplant surgery at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, but he always planned to go back to medical school one day. He continued to take additional courses and then applied to LECOM which was still a fledgling school at the time.
“They gave me a chance,” Kauffman says. “And that’s how I ended up with my DO degree and the rest of my career.”
A DO, or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, is a fully-licensed physician that is trained to perform all the tasks that MDs (Doctors of Medicine) do. This includes diagnosing and treating illnesses, prescribing medications and performing surgeries. But there are some differences in training and philosophy.
HOW LECOM IS SHAPING A NEW GENERATION OF HEALERS
This spread, left to right: The LECOM campus in Lakewood Ranch provides unique learning opportunities for students interested in the medical field. Dr. Mark Kauffman is the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at LECOM’s Lakewood Ranch campus.
“Osteopathic medicine was developed in 1874 by an MD. His name was Andrew Taylor Still and he had a personal tragedy in his family with meningitis. At that time, traditional medicine was still using bleeding as a method of treatment and poisonous compounds like arsenic and mercury to treat patients,” Kauffman explains. “Still lost his wife and children to that crisis and that’s when he started saying there’s something different that we can do in medicine that’s more hands-on. He started to study anatomy and what the body can do for itself and he came up with some tenets that said that structure and function are interrelated. The body has an inherent ability to heal itself, but sometimes it needs some help.”
That help comes in the form of osteopathic manipulation, a handson technique used to diagnose, treat and prevent illness or injury. This practice involves using the hands to gently move muscles and joints.
“Our curriculum is the same as MD programs, but we also add manipulation onto that,” says Kauffman. “The second thing that’s always said is that DOs are more holistic or humanistic, which is something that I really don’t like to say because every physician should be humanistic— our caring of a patient is a very important, vital part of our profession. But we do teach a lot of mind, body and spirit. You have to treat the entire person to have healing, not just the diagnosis.”
LECOM offers an extensive array of programs. In addition to the College of Osteopathic Medicine, the Bradenton campus offers a School of Pharmacy, School of Dental Medicine, School of Health Services Administration and Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences as well as opportunities for post-graduate education. Dr. Kauffmann took a
less conventional route to becoming a medical doctor, and LECOM still affords that opportunity to students. Both the Erie and Bradenton campuses offer a Master of Medical Science program with a rigorous curriculum that allows students without the highest GPAs or MCATs to demonstrate that they have the capability to qualify for doctoral level studies. LECOM also works to keep their tuition as low as possible, both to make their program more accessible, and to allow their students the opportunity to pursue less lucrative fields like primary care and family medicine which are facing overwhelming shortages.
“One of the questions I often get as the Dean is why am I still here after all these years, coming up on three decades?” Kauffman says. “As a student, one of the things that always impressed me was that they always asked for our opinion. The reason they did that was because they wanted to improve. It’s always a culture of improvement. Them always asking what can we do differently, how can we be better—that’s never changed over thirty years. I still sit with my students today and ask them what was good and what could be better? The end result is that the patient they just walked out of the room from, whether they’re a dentist or pharmacist or physician or healthcare administrator—that patient should have just been seen by one of the best providers in the world. To do that, you have to give them the curriculum and the environment to be able to get to that level. That’s my personal goal, is that everybody who walks out of the door at LECOM is proud to have been part of this institution.” LL LECOM Bradenton Campus, 5000 Lakewood Ranch Blvd. Bradenton, 941756-0690, lecom.edu/communities/bradenton
Saving Lives
WITH OVER 75 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN DELIVERING PRECIOUS LIFE-SAVING PRODUCTS IN OUR COMMUNITY, SUNCOAST BLOOD CENTERS IS THE GO-TO PARTNER FOR BLOOD-RELATED HEALTHCARE SERVICES IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA.
WITH OVER 75 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN DELIVERING PRECIOUS LIFE-SAVING PRODUCTS IN OUR COMMUNITY, SunCoast Blood Centers is the go-to partner for blood-related healthcare services in Southwest Florida. The only thing that has changed for the organization in recent years is their central location—all facets of the operation are now under one roof in their beautiful Lakewood Ranch headquarters. Prior to the move in March 2020, the organization had their main lab in Sarasota Memorial Hospital
As the hospital began to grow by leaps and bounds, Suncoast Blood Centers found themselves needing to relocate their labs and administrative offices. Rather than pay rent for multiple facility spaces, they decided to move all functions into one centralized space.
(SMH).
Below: Scott Bush, CEO of Suncast Blood Centers has over 30 years of experience in the blood banking industry.
“We took five locations from all across Sarasota and Manatee Counties and put them here in our Lakewood Ranch headquarters during the pandemic,” shares Community Liaison, Joan Leonard. “We moved in the day Florida shut down everything. It was a wise decision on our part and the timing couldn’t have been any better. We had 25,000 square feet coming from a combination of about 10,000 square feet so everybody suddenly had their own offices and we were easily socially distanced. Moving to Lakewood Ranch was a blessing in disguise for us. We have staff members that have worked for us for more than 30 years and never worked under the same roof until now, it’s really wonderful.” From their new headquarters, SunCoast is able to stage their mobile units, house their administrative staff and share a wonderful teaching facility with the public. “By being under one roof, we can show the community from start to finish blood collection and everything else we do, our finance operations, quality assurance, it’s like a regular business with healthcare being our main goal,” adds Leonard.
As the local blood supplier serving five counties, SunCoast Blood Centers currently has 140 employees and about 85 to 100 volunteers. Their products go as far north as Moffitt Cancer Center and as far south as Charlotte County. “Everything that we collect from the community stays in the community,” says Leonard. In recent years, however, organizations
like SunCoast are struggling to find donors. According to the company’s statistics, twentyfive years ago, fifteen percent of the population donated regularly, whereas currently, only three percent of the population is donating. ”We can’t blame it all on Covid, although the pandemic certainly played a part,” Leonard sharess. “In the generation before us, it was an obligation to donate blood, because many people served in the armed forces. We don’t see that in the 25 to 50-year-old population today. People don’t move to Lakewood Ranch and say ‘Where am I going to donate blood today?’ They are here to find the best schools, breweries, pickleball and all of the other great things that bring people to our region. Also, a lot of people have come from Red Cross serviced areas up North so they’re only used to donating blood at the Red Cross. There is no Red Cross connection here in the state of Florida— we are the local supplier of our hospitals.”
One way that SunCoast is trying to remedy the problem is by reaching out to local schools and luckily, the new headquarter’s location is close to some great ones. “We have an awesome partnership with the local schools, and we’ve found that high school students have been incredibly helpful volunteers and interns,” explains Leonard. The SunCoast team is also out and about more than ever before with very visible mobile vehicles visiting new HOAs, attending public speaking events and presenting at coffee talks at local clubhouses.
“As a nonprofit, we are looking for blood, money and time,” says Leonard. “We host blood drives at schools and we have a volunteer core team of about 25 people who are at the blood drives and then deliver the product to our hospitals three times a day. Today alone, we have a team here stuffing 1,000 mailers for us. There are a lot of opportunities to help us get the word out and we encourage all members of the community to get involved, students, teachers, retirees, we appreciate all of our volunteers.”
Leonard is always happy to give a tour of the organization’s impressive facility. “I love showing what we do because I think a lot of people don’t realize that this product has to come from one human heart to another—it’s not found on the shelves at Walmart or Walgreens.” She also adds that SunCoast is on the frontlines of technology in the industry and she credits CEO, Scott Bush for much of this. “Scott is very innovative. While we are recognized as one of the smaller blood centers across the country, we are also one of the first ones to present new ideas,” she says. “When Covid hit, for example, we lost 95% of our blood drives. To make up for this loss, we started our Donate at Home program that still continues today. So if somebody’s working from home, or is unable to get out, we will come right to their driveway with the vehicle to donate.” LL SunCoast Blood Center, 3025 Lakewood Ranch Blvd, Suite 111, Bradenton, 1-866-97-BLOOD, suncoastblood.org.
Below, left to right: Through employee and volunteer efforts, Suncoast Blood Centers serves the community and maintains a safe and adequate supply of blood products.
PROJECT 24 CLIMBING SLATED TO BRING NEW ADVENTURES TO LAKEWOOD RANCH IN 2025.
New Heights
ROCK CLIMBING IS ALL ABOUT FINDING WAYS TO OVERCOME DIFFICULTIES, BOTH MENTAL AND PHYSICAL. Each ascent presents unique challenges that require strength, strategy and perseverance, turning every climb into a journey of problem-solving and self-discovery. Austin Venhaus first started working on the concept for Project 24 Climbing back in 2019 but faced many obstacles along the way. Now, with the help of partners Aaron Rutsky and his wife Andrea Rutsky, his vision is about to be realized. Construction for the brand new facility began in August and the opening date is projected for April of 2025. “We want Project 24 to be for everyone,” says Venhaus. “”From zero years old to a hundred years old, from the most athletic person in the world to someone who has never climbed at all. We want everyone involved.” Venhaus and the Rutskys talked with climbing gym owners all over the country including Vertical Ventures in St. Petersburg and have designed the project from the ground up to accommodate every member of the community. The 19,000 square foot facility will feature a bouldering area and a top rope area with both lead climbing and auto-belay, and climbing routes will rotate every six to eight weeks to keep things fresh. In addition to social groups and youth camps, Project 24 has plans for programs to accommodate climbers with physical limitations including sensory issues or low grip strength. This might look like early quiet hours or adaptive equipment. “We very much want to be a space where everyone feels welcome, not just climbing-wise but in terms of being themselves authentically,” Venhaus says. “Everybody should be able to act like themselves and feel comfortable and not feel judged,” Aaron Rutsky adds. “That includes people with physical limitations that might feel like they can’t climb.” Additional amenities will include a dedicated area with gym equipment, yoga and other fitness classes and an infrared sauna. There is also a 2,000 square foot social working area that’s open to everyone, whether that’s remote workers who want to bring their laptops and get out of the house, high schoolers who want to work on homework before a climb, or parents who want to relax while their child is in a class. It’s intended to serve as one of those increasingly-rare third spaces where people can socialize outside of home or work. “We want to be a hub for the community,” says Venhaus. Project 24 Climbing will be located off Fruitville Road, east of I-75 across the lake from downtown Waterside. LL To keep up on the latest news including opening dates and the micro-gym that will be available before the opening, follow the gym on social media at facebook.com/SarasotaClimbingGym and instagram.com/project24climbing. You can also visit their website at project24climbing.com.
VISIT THESE LAKEWOOD RANCH SPAS TO GET REFRESHED AND REVITALIZED.
Rejuvenation Station
WITH THE HUSTLE AND BUSTLE OF THE EVERYDAY WORLD, IT’S EASY TO PUT OURSELVES IN SECOND PLACE. But as we juggle demands like work, family, extracurricular activities and personal responsibilities, taking the time to nurture our physical and mental well-being is essential in helping to maintain a balanced and healthy lifestyle. Spas and medspas serve as sanctuaries where we can escape the daily grind and indulge in rejuvenating treatments that not only enhance our appearance but also promote a sense of wellness. From relaxing massages to revitalizing facials to revolutionary medical procedures that treat specific skin conditions, these tranquil havens offer a holistic approach to self-care, allowing us to unwind, recharge and emerge feeling our best. Residents of Lakewood Ranch are fortunate to have some world-class facilities available to them. Melissa Beachy from Glow Dermspa and Karen Medford from Sirius Spa, Salon & Med Spa shared some insights into the services they provide.
GLOW DERMSPA
“I started my career in dermatology right out of PA school,” says Melissa Beachy. “I had the opportunity to join a derm practice in the Naples area and right from day one I was able to do a hybrid of medical and aesthetic dermatology. I hit the ground running in aesthetics really right off the bat, just kind of immersing myself in it as much as I could as far as training and learning the skill set it takes to be an aesthetic provider as well as doing
medical dermatology.” Beachy is a physician assistant, who received a Masters of Medical Science Degree from Nova Southeastern University. There are several subspecialties in the field of dermatology, and in the first part of her career Beachy honed her skills in two of them—medical dermatology, which deals with diagnosing, treating and preventing conditions including acne, eczema, psoriasis and skin cancer and aesthetic dermatology, which focuses on improving appearance by addressing concerns like fine lines and wrinkles, age spots and scarring.
After a decade, Beachy realized she wanted to fully focus her attention on aesthetic dermatology. In 2015 she joined Arsenault Dermatology in Lakewood Ranch where she worked on growing the aesthetic side of the business. It was such a success, the aesthetic portion of the business soon outgrew the space. To give it room to flourish, Arsenault Dermatology opened Glow Dermspa and appointed Beachy as director.
“We have a fantastic team of highly-trained and educated people that practice aesthetic medicine with a very high quality of patient
care,” Beachy says. “As far as service offerings, we really take a comprehensive approach to aesthetics.” The services at Glow fall into a few different categories, starting with skin care. If you’re looking for something simple and straightforward, you can get a classic facial that’s customized to your skin type and concerns. If you’re in need of more intense exfoliation, chemical peels can remove damaged skin while dermaplaning skims dead skin cells and hair from your face. Looking for something more advanced? Microneedling can trigger the body’s natural healing response and stimulate the production of collagen and elastin which are key components for smooth and youthful skin. Next, there are laser treatments. Glow has several specialized lasers designed for an array of treatments. The MOXI laser can treat melasma and improve skin texture, while the VBeam PDL laser treats rosacea, broken capillaries and spider veins. The CO2RE laser treats scars, age spots, fine lines and wrinkles, while the BBL Photofacial laser removes brown spots.
But perhaps the area that Glow is best known for is injectables. Botox can be used to prevent or correct fine lines and wrinkles, while facial fillers can replenish areas that have lost volume
from age or weight loss. Platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) is an FDA-approved therapy where a patient’s own blood is drawn and spun in a centrifuge, isolating the plasma. That plasma can then be injected under the eyes to treat hollows or into the scalp to promote growth after hair loss. The Glow team is exceptionally skilled in the realm of injectables—and the industry has taken notice.
“We were honored to receive the Top Growth Achievement award in Florida by Allergan, which is the company that makes Botox and the full line of Juvederm fillers,” Beachy says. “Allergan also ranked us in the top 500 in the country out of over 47,000 other aesthetic practices.” In addition to the accolades given to the practice, Beachy was recently given a position as a national trainer for the Allergan Medical Institute. As part of this select group of trainers, she’ll be tasked with training other up-and-coming injectors. “I think that these things are just a testament to our dedication, our expertise as a team, our quality of care, and the personalized experience that we focus on for our clientele,” Beachy says. Glow Dermspa 9023 Town Center Parkway, Lakewood Ranch, (941) 264-1161, glowdermspa.com
SIRIUS SPA, SALON & MED SPA
For many years, being on the road was a way of life for Karen Medford. “My whole world was traveling. I traveled all over the place, right? So I was never home,” she says. “I would go to spas as my little bit of quiet time and selfcare.” Medford’s travel had been motivated by her career. She started in the music industry before becoming a medical sales executive. But at a certain point her priorities shifted. “I ended up getting married and having children,” she says. “And I was really missing being home and watching my children grow up because I’d be on a plane or leaving the house early in the morning or coming back late at night.” Medford’s husband is an entrepreneur, and while she had never owned a business, the thought of opening something of her own and creating a legacy appealed to her. One day she was driving across the state listening to Sirius XM radio, when she heard an ad for a brand-new salon and spa concept from the founders of Massage Envy and Joint Chiropractic. She flew to Arizona and toured two corporate-owned model salons and fell in love, signing up as the first franchisee.
“However, I realized very quickly that if you are the first franchise, you don’t get the benefits of a franchise really,” she says. “No one knows who you are, so you’re really starting from zero.” Further complicating matters, her vision soon began to outgrow the confines of the business model. “I ended up getting very lucky hiring an amazing team of people, many of whom are still with me today,” Medford says. “My head of aesthetics told me we could be doing so much more here than what the franchise was letting us do. Instead of doing regular facials, she convinced me we could do better. I ended up buying this really nice microdermabrasion machine with microcurrent because people in Lakewood Ranch want more than just your cookie-cutter stuff. But when you’re in a franchise you get locked down. You’re not really supposed to add services.”
As time went on, Medford wanted to grow the business while the founders wanted to scale it back even more. After some legal wrangling, the two parties “consciously uncoupled” and Medford could finally operate fully on her own terms. “We started adding services very quickly,” she laughs.
These days, there are three facets to Sirius. The salon offers a wide array of hair services, including cut, color, balayage and extensions. You can also visit the salon for waxing, manicures, pedicures, nail art and lash extensions. In the day spa, you can enjoy a full body exfoliation with sea salt or a massage. Finally, you can visit the med spa for facials, injectables, laser hair removal and permanent makeup among other services. One of the best features at Sirius is the wellness program, which offers special member pricing to people
who are enrolled. Membership also grants you open access to the Serenity Lounge where you can walk in anytime during open hours to relax in a deluxe massage chair and enjoy complimentary tea and guided meditation. There are three membership tiers at different price points, but they aren’t fees. Essentially, you’re just depositing money into your wellness bank account that you can use dollar for dollar on the services of your choosing. The plans are month-to-month so there’s no longterm commitment and unused credits roll over.
“It’s about self care, and a lot of people don’t do that,” Medford says. “It’s a reminder to take care of yourself.” LL Sirius Day Spa, Salon & Med Spa, 11585 State Road 70 East, Lakewood Ranch, (941) 357-4611, siriusdayspas.com
