Fort Myers: City of Palms—A Contemporary Portrait
A full-color, photography book showcasing Fort Myers, Florida, paired with the histories of companies, institutions, and organizations that have made the city great.
A full-color, photography book showcasing Fort Myers, Florida, paired with the histories of companies, institutions, and organizations that have made the city great.
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FORT MYERS<br />
CITY OF PALMS—A CONTEMPORARY PORTRAIT<br />
Photography by Ilene Safron<br />
Text by Amy Bennett Williams<br />
A publication <strong>of</strong> the <strong>of</strong>fice <strong>of</strong><br />
Mayor Randall P. Henderson, Jr.
Thank you for your interest in this HPNbooks publication. For more information about other HPNbooks publications, or<br />
information about producing your own book with us, please visit www.hpnbooks.com.
CITY OF PALMS—A CONTEMPORARY PORTRAIT<br />
Photography by Ilene Safron<br />
Text by Amy Bennett Williams<br />
HPNbooks<br />
A division <strong>of</strong> Lammert Incorporated<br />
San Antonio, Texas<br />
A publication <strong>of</strong> the <strong>of</strong>fice <strong>of</strong><br />
Mayor Randall P. Henderson, Jr.
First Edition<br />
Copyright © 2017 HPNbooks<br />
All rights reserved. No part <strong>of</strong> this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, without permission in writing from the publisher.<br />
All inquiries should be addressed to HPNbooks, 11535 Galm Road, Suite 101, San Antonio, Texas, 78254. Phone (800) 749-9790, www.hpnbooks.com.<br />
ISBN: 978-1-944891-28-2<br />
Library <strong>of</strong> Congress: 2017934039<br />
<strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>: <strong>City</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Palms—A</strong> <strong>Contemporary</strong> <strong>Portrait</strong><br />
photographer: Ilene Safron<br />
author: Amy Bennett Williams<br />
designer: Glenda Tarazon Krouse<br />
contributing writer for <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> partners: Scott Williams<br />
FORT MYERS: <strong>City</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Palms—A</strong> <strong>Contemporary</strong> <strong>Portrait</strong><br />
2<br />
HPNbooks<br />
president: Ron Lammert<br />
project managers: Mary Hanley, Barry Black<br />
administration: Donna M. Mata, Lori K. Smith, Melissa G. Quinn<br />
book sales: Joe Neely<br />
production: Colin Hart, Evelyn Hart, Tim Lippard, Tony Quinn, Christopher D. Sturdevant
Contents<br />
Legacy Sponsors ...........................................................................................4<br />
A Mayor’s‐Eye View by <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> Mayor Randall P. Henderson, Jr. ...6<br />
<strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> <strong>City</strong> Council.................................................................................8<br />
Introduction.................................................................................................10<br />
Chapter 1<br />
Building Blocks <strong>of</strong> the Past....................................12<br />
Chapter 2 Fueling a Dynamic Economy ...............................20<br />
Chapter 3 Celebrating Fascinating Places..........................36<br />
Chapter 4 Living the Dream in Subtropical Style...........74<br />
Chapter 5 <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> People....................................................106<br />
<strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> Partners...................................................................................132<br />
About the Photographer..........................................................................190<br />
About the Author.......................................................................................191<br />
Sponsors ....................................................................................................192<br />
CONTENTS<br />
3
LEGACY SPONSORS<br />
Through their generous support, these companies<br />
helped to make this project possible.<br />
Lee Health<br />
P.O. Box 2218<br />
<strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>, Florida 33902<br />
239-343-2000<br />
www.LeeHealth.org<br />
Mark Loren Designs, Inc.<br />
13351 McGregor Boulevard<br />
<strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>, Florida 33919<br />
239-482-4664<br />
www.marklorendesigns.com<br />
Dean Steel Buildings, Inc.<br />
2929 Industrial Avenue<br />
<strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>, Florida 33901<br />
239-334-1051<br />
www.deansteelbuildings.com<br />
FORT MYERS: <strong>City</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Palms—A</strong> <strong>Contemporary</strong> <strong>Portrait</strong><br />
4
Henderson, Franklin, Starnes & Holt, P.A.<br />
1715 Monroe Street<br />
<strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>, Florida 33902<br />
239-344-1100<br />
www.henlaw.com<br />
Parker/Mudgett/Smith Architects, Inc.<br />
2136 McGregor Boulevard<br />
<strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>, Florida 33901<br />
239-332-1171<br />
www.pmsarch.com<br />
Victory Layne Chevrolet<br />
3980 Fowler Street<br />
<strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>, Florida 33901<br />
239-603-7069<br />
www.victorylaynechevrolet.com<br />
Aim Engineering & Surveying, Inc.<br />
5300 Lee Boulevard<br />
Lehigh Acres, Florida 33971<br />
239-332-4569<br />
www.aimengineering.com<br />
T3 Communications, Inc.<br />
2401 First Street, Suite 300<br />
<strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>, Florida 33901<br />
239.333.0000<br />
www.t3com.com<br />
Barraco and Associates, Inc.<br />
2271 McGregor Boulevard<br />
<strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>, Florida 33901<br />
239-461-3170<br />
www.barraco.net<br />
LEGACY SPONSORS<br />
5
A mayor’s-eye view<br />
It seems fitting that I started falling in love with <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong><br />
at an airport, because now, as mayor, one <strong>of</strong> my great joys<br />
as a pilot is surveying the city from above.<br />
From the air, it all unfolds before me—the place I first saw<br />
in 1976 as a nineteen-year-old undergrad who had awakened<br />
in the frozen grey chill <strong>of</strong> North Carolina, hopped a plane to<br />
visit his girlfriend, then stepped onto the Page Field tarmac<br />
and into <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>’ sunny, seventy-degree embrace.<br />
As fate would have it, I would end up falling in love<br />
with the girl I had come to visit as well as her hometown,<br />
so I made it my business to secure a job in <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>,<br />
then convince Virginia (Ginny) to marry me. I felt like I had<br />
died and gone to heaven when I won both.<br />
How my adopted city has grown and what it has become<br />
in the following four decades, from a place with a small<br />
local airport to a major destination served by the regional<br />
Southwest International Airport (as well as a still-vital Page<br />
Field) is the subject <strong>of</strong> this book.<br />
It is a snapshot <strong>of</strong> the city I commonly refer to as our<br />
paradise. The faces in its pages reveal the beauty <strong>of</strong> the<br />
citizens who share a city connected to the Gulf <strong>of</strong> Mexico by<br />
the magnificent Caloosahatchee River. You can get everywhere<br />
from here!<br />
Thomas Edison knew he had found treasure in <strong>Fort</strong><br />
<strong>Myers</strong>, so he made it his winter home, where his working<br />
vacations added to his list <strong>of</strong> inventions and our collective<br />
body <strong>of</strong> knowledge. The Wizard was one <strong>of</strong> the pioneers<br />
<strong>of</strong> the “live, work, play” concept now prevalent in modern<br />
city visioning and planning. It was Edison who said,<br />
“There is only one <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>, and ninety million people<br />
are going to find out,” yet I am sure by now, even given his<br />
genius, that number is an underestimation.<br />
<strong>Contemporary</strong> <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> features a diverse, rich culture,<br />
growing in the arts, spawned by modern development and<br />
merged with historically significant features in the core <strong>of</strong><br />
the city known as the River District. You will see this in<br />
these pages, and I know you will feel the allure <strong>of</strong> this<br />
great city. As my colleague on city council, resident architect<br />
Mike Flanders likes to say, the River District is everyone’s<br />
living room.<br />
The bustling downtown fronts one <strong>of</strong> the most beautiful<br />
intercoastal waterways in the country: the Caloosahatchee<br />
River. With its endless regional network <strong>of</strong> tributaries,<br />
creeks and canals, <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> is among the most attractive<br />
water communities in the world, boasting some <strong>of</strong> the best<br />
boating, beaches and sport fishing in the world.<br />
Whether you are here to find love, start a family, build<br />
a business or find a new path through life, you will never<br />
regret discovering <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>, Florida. Thank you for<br />
your interest in our city, and I trust you will find this book,<br />
which presents its portrait, extraordinary and inspiring.<br />
I want to express my appreciation to The United States<br />
Conference <strong>of</strong> Mayors, where I learned <strong>of</strong> the opportunity<br />
to highlight my city in this book. I want to thank the<br />
publisher, for their patience and steadfast pursuit <strong>of</strong><br />
the book. I hand-picked two <strong>of</strong> the finest pr<strong>of</strong>essionals<br />
I know for its production, photographer Ilene Safron,<br />
and writer Amy Bennett Williams, who stayed with this<br />
project through thick and thin to assure we had the best<br />
product available.<br />
Finally, the <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> <strong>City</strong> Council: my colleagues.<br />
Teresa Watkins-Brown, Johnny Streets, Terolyn Watson,<br />
Mike Flanders, Forrest Banks, and Gaile Anthony, are<br />
among the finest political pr<strong>of</strong>essionals and leaders I<br />
have ever known. This team has demonstrated their love<br />
<strong>of</strong> our city through hard work and dedication. I respect<br />
them. There is always more to do, and this will be the<br />
case throughout history, as leaders labor to leave the city<br />
a better place than when they arrived.<br />
I must also acknowledge <strong>City</strong> Manager Saeed Kazemi,<br />
and his team <strong>of</strong> pr<strong>of</strong>essionals for implementing the<br />
council’s policy by planning for a livable, walkable city.<br />
Don Paight, a thirty-year-veteran <strong>of</strong> city planning, best<br />
practices implementation (and one <strong>of</strong> the finest minds<br />
in the nation on developing modern, relevant cities),<br />
has left a huge mark on ours. And my heartfelt gratitude<br />
to the countless volunteers who dedicate their time and<br />
resources to make <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> better. That there are too<br />
many to mention here speaks volumes about the quality <strong>of</strong><br />
our citizens.<br />
Please note the legacy and new business participants in<br />
the book’s production. You will see the faces and stories <strong>of</strong><br />
those who not only love <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>, but have contributed,<br />
and continue to contribute, to the ongoing growth and<br />
beauty <strong>of</strong> this city we call home.<br />
Randall P. Henderson, Jr.<br />
Mayor, <strong>City</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong><br />
FORT MYERS: <strong>City</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Palms—A</strong> <strong>Contemporary</strong> <strong>Portrait</strong><br />
6
❖<br />
Mayor Randall P. Henderson, Jr.<br />
“When I set out to become a public servant, I had the encouragement, confidence and counsel<br />
<strong>of</strong> two <strong>of</strong> the finest women I have ever known. With their support, I have been able to face this<br />
<strong>of</strong>fice’s daily challenges, and I owe them a debt <strong>of</strong> gratitude and recognition. We lost our beloved<br />
Mrs. Corbin on November 16, 2016; Ginny was her caregiver to the end. Ginny is quite simply<br />
the love <strong>of</strong> my life: partner, co-pilot, flight engineer and much more. There is nothing else I<br />
can say. These two beloved First Ladies have given much to the citizens <strong>of</strong> <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>—quietly,<br />
deliberately, and unconditionally.”<br />
–Mayor Randall P. Henderson, Jr.<br />
Left: Left to right, Mayor Randall P. Henderson, Jr., with two <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> First Ladies,<br />
the late Wilhelmina Mathis Corbin, wife <strong>of</strong> the late <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> Mayor Oscar Corbin,<br />
who served 1967-1976 and Virginia “Ginny” Corbin Henderson.<br />
A MAYOR’S—EYE VIEW<br />
7
<strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> <strong>City</strong> Council<br />
2014<br />
The faces in this photo reflect the genuine spirit <strong>of</strong> the elected leadership for our city in this snapshot <strong>of</strong> time. It is one<br />
<strong>of</strong> my favorite photos <strong>of</strong> all the time I have served. It is respectful, hopeful and confident. Civility is not a sign <strong>of</strong> weakness;<br />
it is a demonstration <strong>of</strong> leadership, statesmanship and respect for others—including all citizens that reach out to our city.<br />
Left to right: Johnny W. Streets, Jr., Mike Flanders, Mayor Randall P. Henderson, Jr., Teresa Watkins-Brown, Forrest Banks and<br />
Tom Leonardo.<br />
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8
<strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> <strong>City</strong> Council<br />
2017<br />
<strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> has benefited from political cohesiveness and collegial governance. While discussions are sometimes spirited<br />
and robust, there is always respect and heartfelt deliberation. Citizens benefit from political stability and predictability.<br />
If you want people to come to your city, this approach will accommodate and encourage growth and interest from all.<br />
Left to right: Mike Flanders, Terolyn Watson, Teresa Watkins-Brown, Mayor Randall P. Henderson, Jr., Johnny W. Streets, Jr.,<br />
Gaile Anthony and Forrest Banks.<br />
FORT MYERS CITY COUNCIL<br />
9
Introduction<br />
<strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>: <strong>City</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Palms—A</strong> <strong>Contemporary</strong> <strong>Portrait</strong><br />
Illuminating the life, times and people <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> area, the book’s<br />
richly illustrated narrative showcases the region’s dynamic heritage, cultural<br />
<strong>of</strong>ferings, stunning environment and diverse economy.<br />
Perilous as depending on first impressions can sometimes<br />
be, an elevated one-glance sweep <strong>of</strong> <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>’ downtown<br />
is truly telling.<br />
First seen: the Caloosahatchee, a storied river that flows<br />
to the Gulf <strong>of</strong> Mexico and the region’s alluring islands and<br />
beaches. The river defines the city’s heart and its heritage.<br />
The river is what brought people here in the first place,<br />
beginning with the Native Americans who settled its banks<br />
long before soldiers and European explorers staked their<br />
claims as well. And the river’s waters remain key to the city’s<br />
vibrant life and the cultural/commercial district that bears<br />
its name.<br />
Next, tall buildings, shouldering against the sky, filled<br />
with those who have chosen a downtown home. Most <strong>of</strong><br />
them arrivals from other places, their presence speaks to<br />
the city’s powerful appeal to outsiders who come, settle and<br />
make the region theirs.<br />
Buttressing the towers, the sturdy sweep <strong>of</strong> government<br />
buildings, courthouses, commission chambers (<strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong><br />
is Lee County’s seat), justice centers, tax collectors, administrative<br />
hubs and city hall. Here is where the people’s <strong>of</strong>ficial<br />
business is done, in handsome, <strong>of</strong>ten historic buildings.<br />
Those historic buildings are another <strong>of</strong> the city’s distinct<br />
assets. Perhaps more than any other city in South Florida,<br />
the physical foundation <strong>of</strong> <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> remains. The presence<br />
<strong>of</strong> the past is everywhere downtown. People lunch in an<br />
airy 1800s courtyard, watch independent films in a restored<br />
Works Progress Administration federal building, worship<br />
in churches built by city fathers and mothers and sign<br />
contracts in <strong>of</strong>fices bordering cobbled streets oxcarts once<br />
rumbled over.<br />
Ribboned throughout the cityscape, the green <strong>of</strong> trees<br />
and subtropical foliage. <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>’ trademark palm trees,<br />
to be sure, but also stately live oaks, sprawling banyans, a<br />
fruit salad <strong>of</strong> mangos, guavas, tamarinds and kaleidoscopic<br />
poincianas, jacarandas and bombax.<br />
And finally, people, the city’s lifeblood and future—some<br />
75,000 in <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>, part <strong>of</strong> the growing county’s 680,000.<br />
Walking their dogs, taking in plays, buying sweet corn<br />
or checking out library books, they enliven and sustain<br />
<strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> and Southwest Florida. Midwesterners, descendants<br />
<strong>of</strong> slaves, Florida Crackers and Europeans—laughing,<br />
arguing, worshipping, playing, but inextricably bound<br />
together, all drawn and held by this singular city.<br />
Caloosahatchee River sunset.<br />
—Amy Bennett Williams<br />
FORT MYERS: <strong>City</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Palms—A</strong> <strong>Contemporary</strong> <strong>Portrait</strong><br />
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INTRODUCTION<br />
11
Building Blocks<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Past<br />
❖<br />
Financed by <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> matriarch Tootie McGregor and named in honor<br />
<strong>of</strong> her son, the 115-year-old Bradford Hotel was the largest building in<br />
<strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> in its day, providing its guests with ground-floor stores,<br />
electric-lit rooms and modern conveniences.<br />
<strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> is justly proud <strong>of</strong> its rich heritage and history.<br />
Once a remote outpost where cattle roamed the streets, its subtropical climate made it a haven for well-heeled winter visitors<br />
and new residents who helped it develop into a bustling city that retains its small-town charm. <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>’ past is remarkably<br />
well-preserved in a riverfront downtown rich with historic buildings and treasures like the Edison & Ford Winter Estates.<br />
Though a relatively young city (Europeans began to populate it in earnest in the mid-1800s) <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> continues to reinvent<br />
itself while cherishing the best <strong>of</strong> its history.<br />
chapter<br />
FORT MYERS: <strong>City</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Palms—A</strong> <strong>Contemporary</strong> <strong>Portrait</strong><br />
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❖<br />
THEN: The Leon Building back in<br />
the day.<br />
❖<br />
NOW: The first floor <strong>of</strong> the 1905 exotic revival Leon Building<br />
has housed a bank, a clothing store and a pharmacy<br />
in its lifetime, as well as a popular British café.<br />
Once a hotel, the second story now<br />
contains residences.<br />
❖<br />
Left: Framed view <strong>of</strong> the Leon Building from the Bradford Hotel.<br />
CHAPTER 1<br />
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14
❖<br />
Opposite: Wreathed by bougainvillea, the fountain commonly (though mistakenly) known as<br />
Rachel at the Well graces the McGregor Boulevard entrance to Edison Park. Created by sculptor<br />
Helmut von Zengen, its <strong>of</strong>ficial title is The Spirit <strong>of</strong> <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>.<br />
Opposite, bottom: Left is the depot where Atlantic Coastline Railroad’s Gulf Coast Special once stopped;<br />
the <strong>City</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> still owns the Mediterranean revival building.<br />
Right: <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> Senior High: <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> High School, one <strong>of</strong> the oldest in Florida, has been educating<br />
“Greenies” since 1911, while consistently earning high honors in national rankings <strong>of</strong> publications<br />
including Newsweek and U.S. News & World Report.<br />
Bottom, left: For nine decades, the Dunbar High School building has been the educational heart <strong>of</strong><br />
the mostly-black community on the city’s east side. Built during segregation, it was later replaced by a<br />
nearby integrated Dunbar High, but the graceful Mediterranean revival school, which is on the National<br />
Register <strong>of</strong> Historic Places, continues to serve its community as an adult education center.<br />
Bottom, right: In 1926, Thomas Edison, whose winter home is nearby, attended the cornerstone-laying <strong>of</strong><br />
the Edison Park Elementary School, which is on the National Register <strong>of</strong> Historic Places and is still open<br />
today, with an emphasis on the arts.<br />
The city began its life as a series <strong>of</strong> military strongholds<br />
in the Seminole Wars. It was reactivated as a Union fort in<br />
the Civil War, and one <strong>of</strong> the southernmost battles <strong>of</strong> the<br />
conflict was fought on its shores.<br />
That marriage <strong>of</strong> present and past gives it a unique identity,<br />
rooted in tradition but embracing a dynamic future.<br />
Situated on the shore <strong>of</strong> a subtropical river that flows to<br />
the Gulf <strong>of</strong> Mexico, the <strong>City</strong> <strong>of</strong> Palms is an unabashed beauty.<br />
Its appeal is elemental. Water, warmth and sun are the<br />
dependable constants that have drawn people here for<br />
centuries, starting with the Calusa, the ancient tribe that lent<br />
their name to the city’s defining river, the Caloosahatchee.<br />
CHAPTER 1<br />
15
Those who have come since have created a vibrantly<br />
diverse community, with multi-generational families and<br />
a steady stream <strong>of</strong> new arrivals seeking the abundant<br />
pleasures and economic opportunity the region <strong>of</strong>fers.<br />
The seat <strong>of</strong> Lee County, <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> is the region’s<br />
government and cultural center.<br />
With signature palms shading its brick-paved streets,<br />
its handsome downtown, known as The River District,<br />
mixes modern and abundant historic buildings. Law<br />
<strong>of</strong>fices and banks alternate with galleries and theaters.<br />
Coveted apartments atop shops overlook it all. Tourists<br />
mix with locals at open-air cafés. Deals are sealed in <strong>of</strong>fices<br />
with stunning views <strong>of</strong> the river.<br />
Riverfront Centennial Park hosts festivals and farmers<br />
markets alike. Business and commerce happen here, <strong>of</strong><br />
course, but against a unique backdrop.<br />
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❖<br />
Opposite, top: The Lee County Courthouse.<br />
Opposite, bottom: A tropical fountain splashes in front <strong>of</strong> city hall, named for former <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> Mayor<br />
Oscar M. Corbin, Jr., as its mirrored front reflects the brickwork <strong>of</strong> the building across the street.<br />
Left: Built <strong>of</strong> now-protected Florida Keys coral-rock limestone, this Depression-era masterpiece was an<br />
open-air post <strong>of</strong>fice, a federal courthouse and now the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center.<br />
Below: Come nightfall, a pair <strong>of</strong> illuminated bronze cylinders, The Caloosahatchee Manuscripts,<br />
by artist Jim Sanborn spangle the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center with native American legend and<br />
plant names.<br />
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❖<br />
Left: If those leaves could talk, what tales this nearly century-old banyan tree could tell. It has shaded Lee County’s old courthouse, which now holds its commission chambers, since the 1920s.<br />
Above: Anchored by the Florida Repertory Theatre company, the century-old Arcade building is one <strong>of</strong> the River District’s cultural and shopping mainstays.<br />
CHAPTER 1<br />
19
Fueling a<br />
Dynamic Economy<br />
❖<br />
Left: For more than four decades, the <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> Boat Show has brought<br />
the best on the water to the River District.<br />
Opposite, top: Southwest Florida International Airport.<br />
Opposite, bottom: Since World War II, pilots have been flying in and out<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>’ Page Field. Now serving primarily business and private<br />
plane-owning customers, the newly constructed complex <strong>of</strong>fers flight<br />
school, charters, aircraft maintenance and hangar rentals.<br />
The region’s economy is powered by tourism, healthcare, education, retail trade and an educated, productive workforce.<br />
Visitors are the economy’s cornerstone, and the tourism and hospitality industry is the region’s most important, with some three million<br />
people staying in Lee County’s accommodations annually, bringing in some $3 billion to the county and funding at least 40,000 jobs.<br />
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CHAPTER 2<br />
21
❖<br />
Left: Even the littlest players get hands-on attention from Rich Lamb, the longtime <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> Country Club Director <strong>of</strong> Golf, who has<br />
trained generations <strong>of</strong> PGA and LPGA pr<strong>of</strong>essionals.<br />
Below: Thomas Edison himself played on the historic 1917 <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> Country Club Golf Course, created by legendary designer<br />
Donald Ross. In 2014, after six months and $5.8 million in renovations by Steve Smyers, the course reopened with enhanced turf, six new<br />
water hazards and filter marshes that use environmental best practices to store and clean stormwater before it enters the Caloosahatchee.<br />
Opposite: Would-be Olympians churn through the water at the Open Water National Championship at Miromar Lakes Beach & Golf Club.<br />
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Southwest Florida produces winter tomatoes that feed the nation,<br />
and for generations, Lipman Family Farms has led the industry.<br />
The largest field tomato grower in the U.S., Limpan scientists work to<br />
improve the flavor, sustainability and yield <strong>of</strong> the company’s produce<br />
<strong>of</strong>ferings, which include cucumbers, peppers, potatoes and watermelon.<br />
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Board-certified dermatologist Dr. Shari Skinner<br />
uses state-<strong>of</strong>-the-art technology to treat a patient.<br />
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Outside <strong>of</strong> the urban centers, agriculture remains a key part <strong>of</strong> the region’s economic picture.<br />
Citrus farming, cattle ranching and row crops all contribute, and Southwest Florida remains the nation’s winter tomato<br />
capital, providing more than ninety percent <strong>of</strong> the nation’s supply during the cold season.<br />
The region <strong>of</strong>fers a number <strong>of</strong> public and private institutions <strong>of</strong> higher learning, including Florida Gulf Coast University,<br />
Florida SouthWestern State College, Barry University, Hodges University and others.<br />
And several international firms have chosen the Southwest Florida region as their corporate home, including Hertz,<br />
Chico’s FAS and U.S. Sugar.<br />
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Opposite: A number <strong>of</strong> area high schools hold graduation ceremonies<br />
at downtown’s Harborside Event Center; this is Cypress Lake High School’s<br />
senior class.<br />
Above: True Tours with Florida Gulf Coast University students.<br />
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Right: On Little Hickory Island, FGCU’s Vester Marine and Environmental Science Research Field Station<br />
serves as the waterfront base for the university’s marine science programs.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF FGCU.<br />
BELOW: PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF FGCU.<br />
Bottom, right: The FGCU Eagles keep the crowds gasping as they pull <strong>of</strong>f a one-point win against the<br />
U Mass Minutemen, winning 77-76 at the final buzzer.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF FGCU.<br />
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Florida Gulf Coast<br />
University<br />
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Top: Life’s a beach at FGCU’s student housing.<br />
Where else do dorm rooms overlook sunlit sands? Just one advantage <strong>of</strong> studying in paradise.<br />
Bottom: They do not ask FGC-who? anymore. After charging into 2013’s Sweet Sixteen <strong>of</strong> the NCAA Division I men’s<br />
basketball championships, Florida Gulf Coast University earned a new nickname: Dunk <strong>City</strong>. For locals, though, the university has<br />
been a cultural and educational mainstay since 1997. For Florida Gulf Coast University, the state’s tenth, ecological sustainability is a core value.<br />
Some 400 acres <strong>of</strong> its campus, many <strong>of</strong> them wetlands, are environmental preserves functioning as living laboratories <strong>of</strong> natural systems management. Before graduating,<br />
each <strong>of</strong> its more than 15,000 students must complete a multidisciplinary colloquium course: “A Sustainable Future” focusing on sense-<strong>of</strong>-place, the environment and the future.<br />
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Florida SouthWestern<br />
State College<br />
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Since 1962, Florida SouthWestern State College has been preparing<br />
students for the future. Originally called Edison Junior College, it now<br />
<strong>of</strong>fers Associate in Arts, Associate in Science, and Baccalaureate degrees,<br />
plus certificate programs at its Thomas Edison Campus in <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>,<br />
as well as others in Charlotte, Collier, and Hendry Counties.<br />
Opposite: Florida SouthWestern student athletes warm up before a<br />
s<strong>of</strong>tball game at <strong>City</strong> <strong>of</strong> Palms Park.<br />
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Every spring, <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> becomes a baseball mecca, as the Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins<br />
and legions <strong>of</strong> their fans move in to warm up for the baseball season. The Red Sox train at JetBlue<br />
Park, affectionately known as Fenway South, and the Twins play at CenturyLink Sports Complex.<br />
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<strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> becomes Fenway South as the Boston Red Sox move in to warm up for the baseball season at JetBlue Park.<br />
Like its namesake, the field boasts a “Green Monster,” a manual scoreboard and the chance for fans to greet their favorite players.<br />
Opposite: Though it retains many <strong>of</strong> the charms <strong>of</strong> its vintage namesake, JetBlue Park, which can accommodate some 11,000 fans,<br />
is an architecturally striking state-<strong>of</strong>-the-art year-round facility with six outlying training fields.<br />
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Opposite: Anchored by Hammond Stadium, which seats 9,300, the refurbished<br />
CenturyLink Sports Complex, where the Minnesota Twins spend spring training, <strong>of</strong>fers a<br />
360-degree boardwalk, a player development academy and five other fields used by the<br />
team’s minor league affiliates, including the <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> Miracle.<br />
When Minnesota is still famously frozen, the Twins and their fans are enjoying the<br />
Southwest Florida sunshine as the team works out in Hammond Stadium.<br />
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Celebrating<br />
Fascinating Places<br />
Stroll scenic, palm-lined streets, enjoy world-class shopping or<br />
take in a game—leisure pursuits in the <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> area abound.<br />
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Lee County’s Manatee Park is not just home to the gentle giants<br />
who are attracted to the warm water discharged by the nearby<br />
Florida Power & Light Plant; it is a showcase for many<br />
native plant communities, including rare rosemary scrub.<br />
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With an elegant Victorian-style glass conservatory, complemented by shopping<br />
and dining, the Butterfly Estates have helped power the revitalization <strong>of</strong> the city’s<br />
Gardner’s Park neighborhood. Visitors are treated to an array <strong>of</strong> flowering<br />
plants populated by colorful clouds <strong>of</strong> the attraction’s namesake critters.<br />
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Opposite, top: Concertgoers head to their seats at the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall.<br />
Opposite, bottom: Under the baton <strong>of</strong> Maestro Nir Kabaretti, the Southwest Florida Symphony plays to a packed house at the<br />
Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall on the campus <strong>of</strong> Florida SouthWestern State College.<br />
Above: Screenings at the <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> Film Festival <strong>of</strong>ten include a lively question-and-answer session with the audience.<br />
Left: <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> Mayor Randy Henderson joins <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> Film Festival hosts Melissa Tschari DeHaven and Eric Raddatz.<br />
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From Ireland to <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>: The Screaming Orphans wow a crowd<br />
at one <strong>of</strong> the Lee County Alliance for the Arts’ regular outdoor concerts.<br />
Opposite: A string quartet serenades shoppers at the Alliance for the<br />
Arts’ Saturday GreenMarket.<br />
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Fine arts options include symphonies, pr<strong>of</strong>essional<br />
theaters, galleries and museums that cater to kids, history<br />
buffs and science enthusiasts.<br />
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Opposite: Art is everywhere downtown—during the city’s annual ArtFest,<br />
which draws artists from around the nation to the River District.<br />
Above and top, right: The River District’s regular Art Walks always hold<br />
surprises—whether the gallery debut <strong>of</strong> a soon-to-be-discovered artist or<br />
performance pieces featuring live “mannequins.”<br />
Right: Art exhibit at the Alliance for the Arts.<br />
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Left: Performers at Music Walk are as diverse stylistically as they are in age.<br />
Above: Law <strong>of</strong>fices by day, the front <strong>of</strong> the historic Edison Theater building transforms into an open-air Latin jazz club come Music Walk.<br />
Opposite: Live music and art blend seamlessly at Music Walk nights in the River District.<br />
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As one <strong>of</strong> USA TODAY’s Top Ten Must See Holiday Historic Homes, visitors to the<br />
Edison & Ford Winter Estates Holiday Nights events will enjoy lights, decorations, music and food.<br />
Opposite: On winter evenings, when nighttime temperatures hover around sixty degrees, audience<br />
members enjoy <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> Film Festival al fresco screenings in front <strong>of</strong> the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center.<br />
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Visitors to Thomas Edison’s winter estate can walk the<br />
floorboards the inventor once did—and even read his mail.<br />
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Built in 1928, Thomas Edison’s newly<br />
refurbished Botanic Research Laboratory<br />
is a National Historic Chemical Landmark<br />
showcasing the work he did in pursuit <strong>of</strong> a<br />
source <strong>of</strong> domestic rubber.<br />
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Do not let the name fool you—the Shell Factory & Nature Park<br />
is all that and more—by a factor <strong>of</strong> ten. This vintage attraction is<br />
part museum, part amusement park, part zoo and part indoor mall<br />
with a handful <strong>of</strong> eateries to round it out.<br />
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Housed in a former water plant, the Imaginarium Science Center <strong>of</strong>fers<br />
hands-on discovery for all ages, with permanent and rotating exhibits featuring<br />
technology, meteorology, physics, touchable sea creatures and baby alligators.<br />
Visitors include such notables as Florida Governor Rick Scott.<br />
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Opposite: Once home to a 1930s hardware emporium, this Art Deco-style building (one <strong>of</strong> only a few downtown) is now a one-<strong>of</strong>-a-kind<br />
potpourri <strong>of</strong> shops, micro-galleries and teeny boutiques that also regularly hosts live music and other cultural events.<br />
Below: Held at the foot <strong>of</strong> the Caloosahatchee bridge, the popular downtown Thursday Farmer’s Market<br />
is as much a friendly gathering place as it is a showcase for the freshest local produce.<br />
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Opposite: Just a short stroll from the River District,<br />
vintage bungalows and cozy cottages line the palm-shaded<br />
streets <strong>of</strong> the historic Dean Park neighborhood.<br />
In season, the popular River District Trollies carry<br />
shoppers, revelers and sightseers to stops downtown.<br />
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The historic Post Office Arcade,<br />
built in 1925, also serves as the<br />
main entrance for the Hotel Indigo.<br />
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Firmly embracing the library-as-cultural-center concept, Cornog Plaza is<br />
the outdoor extension <strong>of</strong> the downtown library’s mission, and regularly hosts<br />
traveling art exhibits (this giant horse sculpture is part <strong>of</strong> one such show),<br />
poetry readings and gourmet food trucks.<br />
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Opposite and below: Thousands convene at Centennial Park for fun, fellowship and a healthy<br />
cardio workout as part <strong>of</strong> the American Heart Association’s annual Lee County Heart Walk.<br />
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The great outdoors beckons with beaches, waterways and plenty<br />
<strong>of</strong> watchable wildlife. Lee County’s Conservation 20/20 program<br />
<strong>of</strong>fers a variety <strong>of</strong> parks and preserves, including some for kayakers<br />
and equestrians.<br />
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Opposite: On the banks <strong>of</strong> the Caloosahatchee, the nonpr<strong>of</strong>it Edison Sailing Center<br />
has been teaching people to ply the water safely for more than three decades.<br />
Below: Aerial view <strong>of</strong> Whiskey Creek.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF MIKE SHAPIRO.<br />
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Bridges slice across the Caloosahatchee from<br />
downtown <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> to North <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>.<br />
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Four-stories <strong>of</strong> historic brick house The Firestone, a cosmopolitan blend <strong>of</strong><br />
cocktails and fine dining topped by its Sky Bar’s incomparable river view.<br />
Opposite: With its expansive view <strong>of</strong> the Caloosahatchee and its fountained<br />
inlet along Edwards Drive, The Firestone’s Sky Bar is a favorite place to<br />
gather and watch the river.<br />
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The 1929 Castianos are not the only things smokin’<br />
at the World Famous Cigar Bar, the comfortably elegant<br />
Hendry Street venue also regularly hosts live bands.<br />
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Not only has he helped power the River District’s live music renaissance,<br />
Raimond Aulen, who has owned the popular Indigo Room since 1995,<br />
plays a mean guitar.<br />
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Opposite: Fronting historic First Street, The Lodge is a dazzling blend<br />
<strong>of</strong> up-North woodlands aesthetics with locally sourced meat and<br />
produce and a wide array <strong>of</strong> craft beer.<br />
Clockwise, starting from the top:<br />
Downtown’s Hotel Indigo hosts a number <strong>of</strong> up-and-coming acts during<br />
the annual Island Hopper Songwriter Fest.<br />
Performers include local favorite Sheena Brook, playing here at the<br />
Twisted Vine Bistro.<br />
Participants in the annual Island Hopper Songwriter Fest mingle at the<br />
Twisted Vine Bistro, one <strong>of</strong> the free event’s venues.<br />
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New Year’s Eve is a family- and flip-flop-friendly event in downtown <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>.<br />
Opposite: Painted-on fireworks are just the start <strong>of</strong> fun during the<br />
River District’s Independence Day celebration.<br />
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The historic courtyard’s live alligators<br />
are gone, but the Patio de Leon remains<br />
a favorite space to shop, sip and dine.<br />
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Downtown’s Caloosahatchee inlet is not just a lovely place for a stroll; the almost<br />
two-acre water basin helps clean the streets’ rainfall run<strong>of</strong>f before it reaches the river.<br />
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Living the Dream<br />
in Subtropical Style<br />
❖<br />
Evening settles over homes lining the Caloosahatchee.<br />
Opposite, top: Scenic McGregor Boulevard figures into the favorite route <strong>of</strong><br />
many joggers.<br />
Opposite, bottom: Events throughout Thomas Edison’s birthday month<br />
<strong>of</strong> February include a 5K race through downtown that attracts<br />
runners from around the world, as well as a kids’ version.<br />
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Lifestyle choices run the gamut in Southwest Florida—sports, boating, fishing, water and beach recreation,<br />
festivals, arts, culture, and faith.<br />
And they always have.<br />
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Opposite: Bikers pass the holiday-lit Burroughs Home as they head downtown. Motorcycle-friendly <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> regularly hosts bike nights.<br />
Above: The <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> Track Club sponsors a kids’ race as part <strong>of</strong> the Edison Festival events.<br />
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Groups <strong>of</strong> bicyclists, most notably Critical Mass, work to make the city’s<br />
streets more bike-friendly and regularly meet for group rides.<br />
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More than just brightly lit outings, the nighttime rides sponsored by Critical Mass create<br />
solidarity in the biking community and emphasize the need for safe streets.<br />
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Food lovers flock to the city’s diverse range <strong>of</strong> restaurants and farmers’ markets. They can enjoy<br />
fried green tomatoes or tableside Caesar salads in the historic Veranda, sample fresh-caught “pink gold”<br />
(wild Gulf shrimp) on <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> Beach or eat tacos al pastor on Palm Beach Boulevard.<br />
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Once the grand Morgan Hotel, the historic Dean building is now home to the popular Ford’s Garage<br />
as well as residences and executive and commercial suites.<br />
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More than a century ago, this is how the <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> Press (precursor to its contemporary News-Press) described the region’s<br />
charms in a 1913 front-page story headlined “Mecca for lovers <strong>of</strong> outdoor life, fishing and hunting—yachts dot harbor.”<br />
The article began: “America has no duplicate <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> section.... Here in <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>, a man is alive every moment<br />
<strong>of</strong> his time and he plans for enjoyment with a zest equal to that he feels in his winter sports in the North.”<br />
Those words ring true today, where the region is graced with whole communities focused on golf, tennis or boating.<br />
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Before integration, <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>’ white people had their parade and pageant honoring Thomas<br />
Edison every February. And while African-Americans were not barred per se, if they wanted to<br />
march, they had to do it at the very back <strong>of</strong> the parade—behind the horses, even, says historian<br />
Nina Denson-Rogers. So Evelyn Sams Canady took it upon herself to give the Dunbar community<br />
its own springtime tradition. A well-loved third-grade teacher and dedicated churchwoman,<br />
Sams was married to Walter Canady, a Negro League baseball player. Though she never had<br />
children <strong>of</strong> her own, Sams regularly took in kids who needed a home. And it was that love <strong>of</strong><br />
children that led her to found the Dunbar Easter Parade in 1945. It remains a celebration <strong>of</strong><br />
faith and <strong>of</strong> <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>’ African-American residents.<br />
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Opposite: Every year, a junior set <strong>of</strong> royalty is chosen to preside<br />
over the Edison Pageant <strong>of</strong> Light.<br />
Though it is certainly the highlight, February’s annual Edison<br />
Festival <strong>of</strong> Light is much more than a nighttime parade.<br />
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Opposite: Kids also get their own parade,<br />
presided over by the junior King and Queen<br />
<strong>of</strong> Edisonia and their royal court.<br />
The King and Queen <strong>of</strong> Light reign over the<br />
mythical kingdom <strong>of</strong> Edisonia, waving to<br />
their subjects from an illuminated float in<br />
the Festival <strong>of</strong> Light’s Grand Parade.<br />
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Young singers from one <strong>of</strong> the city’s youth groups lift their voices.<br />
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<strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> Mayor Randy Henderson helps judge the popular Mutt Strutt.<br />
This Edison Festival event is a chance for dog owners to parade their pets.<br />
It also includes wiener dog races and obedience trials.<br />
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Beach volleyball downtown? Absolutely.<br />
It is just one <strong>of</strong> Centennial Park’s many surprises.<br />
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Hundreds gather along Centennial Park’s riverfront for Yoga on the Steps,<br />
a morning <strong>of</strong> fundraising for breast cancer sponsored by Chico’s,<br />
which is headquartered in <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>.<br />
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Opposite: A repurposed fish house makes the perfect setting for a boys’ angling adventure in Pine Island Sound.<br />
Above: Once upon a time, Pine Island Sound’s historic fish houses were the outposts to which fishermen brought<br />
their catch, which was then dumped on ice and boated to the mainland. Pine Island Sound’s fish houses are now<br />
mostly weekend retreats.<br />
Right: With its abundant sea grass beds and low-tide shallows, Pine Island Sound is a favorite with anglers <strong>of</strong><br />
all ages.<br />
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❖<br />
Opposite: Kayakers gear up to paddle out <strong>of</strong> Cayo Costa—a kiss for luck, then they are on their way.<br />
Above: Cayo Costa is a favorite getaway. Its wide beaches <strong>of</strong>fer superlative shelling and its interior hides a quiet lagoon.<br />
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❖<br />
With its gentle surf and silver sand, <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> Beach<br />
brings out the happy kid inside most visitors.<br />
Opposite: Cayo Costa sand.<br />
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❖<br />
Above: Beachgoers enjoy another splendid day on <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> Beach both in and out <strong>of</strong> the water.<br />
Right: Whether zipping around on a Jet Ski or strolling in search <strong>of</strong> shells, visitors to <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong><br />
Beach have myriad ways to get around.<br />
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❖<br />
Opposite: Inspired by jazz music sculptor David Black heard<br />
while in Centennial Park, Fire Dance has graced the park’s<br />
Edison Circle since 2012.<br />
Below: Not only does the city’s Caloosahatchee riverfront inspire<br />
romance, it makes a perfect backdrop for a wedding celebration.<br />
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❖<br />
Left: Roseate spoonbills rest on a rookery island in the Caloosahatchee,<br />
just minutes from the River District.<br />
Below: Wood storks and an anhinga gather in the mangroves <strong>of</strong> a Caloosahatchee Island<br />
close to downtown <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>.<br />
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For the last twenty-five years, <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> has been recognized by the<br />
National Arbor Day Foundation as part <strong>of</strong> its Tree <strong>City</strong> USA program, and<br />
no wonder. Beyond its “<strong>City</strong> <strong>of</strong> Palms” nickname, <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> is graced by a<br />
myriad <strong>of</strong> trees: venerable live oaks that create green tunnels, stately avenues <strong>of</strong><br />
mahoganies and trees that flower in a rainbow <strong>of</strong> shades throughout the year.<br />
❖<br />
Top, left: This tropical tree’s many common names speak to its clarion brightness, but whether you call it<br />
golden rain or silver trumpet, Tabebuia aurea is a streetside highlight.<br />
Top, right: The city’s royal poincianas blaze with color, making another <strong>of</strong> their common names quite<br />
understandable: flamboyant tree.<br />
Right: The brilliant bougainvillea hedge at the Edison & Ford Winter Estates that spreads over the<br />
eastern garden entrance was installed by the late renowned landscape architect and Edison Ford Trustee,<br />
Helen Johnson Hendry.<br />
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People Who<br />
Made <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong><br />
What it is Today<br />
<strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> is shaped by its people—they create the character <strong>of</strong> the<br />
area through their diversity and shared values. Here are portraits <strong>of</strong><br />
some <strong>of</strong> the region’s residents, though it is only the briefest sampling<br />
<strong>of</strong> Southwest Florida’s most precious resource: its residents.<br />
❖<br />
chapter<br />
<strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> Mayor Randy Henderson presenting<br />
Olivia Williams with the key to the city.<br />
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O LIVIA<br />
W ILLIAMS<br />
For more than three decades, Olivia Williams has been<br />
the sweet soul <strong>of</strong> the Farmer’s Market, another venerable<br />
<strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> institution. Famous for her sweet potato pies<br />
and rock‐solid culinary skills, cooking has been central to her<br />
life since she was twelve and learning at her mother’s side.<br />
In recognition <strong>of</strong> how many stomachs and hearts she has<br />
filled over the years, <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> Mayor Randy Henderson<br />
recently presented her with the key to the city, and she<br />
presented him with a radiant smile for the ages.<br />
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S AEED<br />
K AZEMI<br />
RIVER DISTRICT VISIONARIES<br />
He is the calm in the center <strong>of</strong> occasional chaos, the one who keeps his focus<br />
on the city’s goals while moving deliberately forward. That methodical progression<br />
mirrors the arc <strong>of</strong> his own career. From city engineer to director <strong>of</strong> public works to<br />
interim city manager to the unanimously selected permanent holder <strong>of</strong> that <strong>of</strong>fice,<br />
Kazemi has worked his way up the administrative ladder, learning from each step.<br />
The challenges he faces include strengthening the citizenry’s sometimes‐troubled<br />
relationships with law enforcement and continuing redevelopment momentum.<br />
But his work is powered by the greatest force <strong>of</strong> all. “I love this city,” he says.<br />
“And I want to give back.”<br />
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D ON<br />
P AIGHT<br />
Like downtown <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>? Thank Don Paight, who has spent the last three<br />
decades making it work. As founding director <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> Community<br />
Redevelopment Agency, the steady, s<strong>of</strong>t‐spoken Paight has shouldered<br />
plenty <strong>of</strong> blame for slow progress, conflicting visions and cumbersome<br />
construction. Now, finally, he can bask in some on the credit for the River<br />
District’s renewed vibrancy. Scout, matchmaker, referee, cheerleader and<br />
always its champion. Paight’s genial service under five different mayors speaks<br />
to his diplomatic acumen, and the crowds that now fill the city’s once‐echoey<br />
streets, restaurants, <strong>of</strong>fices and condos testify to the power <strong>of</strong> his vision.<br />
J ARED<br />
B ECK<br />
Jared Beck can do a lot <strong>of</strong> things: guide development, create consensus, and engineer alliances. But there is one thing<br />
he cannot do, and that is walk down First Street without smiling. Seriously. The man is so taken with its historic‐yet‐vibrant<br />
mix <strong>of</strong> cafes, shops, homes and landscape that no matter what else is going on, he has to grin. For Beck, a pr<strong>of</strong>essional<br />
planner who also runs the River District Alliance, the city’s ongoing success is as gratifying pr<strong>of</strong>essionally as it is personally.<br />
“My friends couldn’t understand it when I moved here from Naples,” he says, “but I can’t imagine being anywhere else.”<br />
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RIVER DISTRICT DIVAS<br />
S TEPHANIE D AVIS<br />
DOWNTOWN DIVA<br />
To anyone who has consumed media in Southwest Florida for any<br />
length <strong>of</strong> time, the voice is unmistakable. Not just because it is heard<br />
on local radio waves and ringing from area theater stages, Stephanie<br />
Davis’ clever lilt <strong>of</strong> a voice is perhaps clearest on the printed page,<br />
where she (right) is best‐known as the Downtown Diva. The Diva is<br />
that hilariously incisive friend we all wish we had—brilliant, always<br />
ready for fun, yet kindhearted to a fault. Her wildly popular society<br />
columns, accompanied by her own expert photography, radiate her<br />
singular wit and charm. But Davis photographs more than people.<br />
She frequently turns her iPhone lens on downtown <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>—<br />
“my beautiful neighborhood”—then shares the images on her equally<br />
popular Facebook and Instagram accounts.<br />
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S HARON M C A LLISTER<br />
ART DIVA<br />
One <strong>of</strong> the tricks up arts whirlwind Sharon McAllister’s<br />
colorful sleeve is an uncanny ability to avoid the word<br />
“no.” That ability, skillfully deployed, has helped her<br />
make ArtFest <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> the city’s signature annual<br />
celebration <strong>of</strong> fine art. But the multi‐day event, which<br />
she directs, is more than a collection <strong>of</strong> two‐ and threedimensional<br />
pieces from artists around the country—it<br />
is music, fine food, educational kids’ activities and a<br />
colorful street party. Thanks to McAllister’s philanthropic<br />
vision, the festival, which draws some 85,000 visitors<br />
downtown each year, has become a powerful engine for<br />
philanthropy, providing arts education to young people<br />
with competitions, grants and classes.<br />
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RIVER DISTRICT DIVA<br />
G INA T AYLOR<br />
HISTORY DIVA<br />
Maybe it has happened to you: You pass an old building hundreds<br />
<strong>of</strong> times without ever really seeing it, let alone knowing<br />
its history. Gina Taylor’s mission is to change that—at least in<br />
downtown <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>. With True Tours, Taylor and her corps <strong>of</strong><br />
guides lead guests through the city’s past. But make no mistake:<br />
This history is far from dry or dusty; it is infused with the richness<br />
<strong>of</strong> the characters that created it. Taylor’s business fits into a<br />
key downtown niche—heritage tourism, a growing sector <strong>of</strong><br />
the visitor economy. Taylor, who led the nonpr<strong>of</strong>it Lee Trust for<br />
Historic Preservation before striking out on her own, points out<br />
the city has the largest concentration <strong>of</strong> historic buildings in<br />
Southwest Florida. “This gives us a secondary revenue source<br />
instead <strong>of</strong> just the beaches.”<br />
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L YDIA<br />
B LACK<br />
As the poised ringmaster <strong>of</strong> a swirling cultural hub,<br />
Lydia Black keeps the Alliance for the Arts spinning. The<br />
ten acre campus includes galleries, classes and theater<br />
space, sure, but her vision also encompasses a thriving<br />
green market, poetry slams and rockin’ food festivals.<br />
Black takes the arts’ place in society very seriously.<br />
In 2011, she helped spearhead a county‐wide economic<br />
impact study and is working to enrich the alliance<br />
even further by adding more theater, classroom and<br />
administrative space. Bottom line, she says: “(The) arts<br />
are essential to the health and vitality <strong>of</strong> our Southwest<br />
Florida communities.”<br />
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E ARNEST<br />
G RAHAM<br />
Once a hometown hero, always a hometown hero. After a sterling football<br />
career with the University <strong>of</strong> Florida and the Tampa Bay Bucs as a running back,<br />
Earnest Graham is now shaping the next generation <strong>of</strong> greats as head coach at<br />
North <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> High School. He is also now president <strong>of</strong> Pro Player Insurance<br />
Group in downtown <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>. That seems a perfect fit for a player one <strong>of</strong><br />
his own coaches once nicknamed “Insurance” because he could always<br />
be counted on. A dedicated philanthropist, Graham also started the nonpr<strong>of</strong>it<br />
Giving in Earnest, which aims to support and mentor at‐risk girls.<br />
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S AM G ALLOWAY, JR .<br />
Since 1927, the Galloway family has been a linchpin<br />
in the <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> economy. They owned the city’s<br />
first Ford dealership, providing cars via Henry Ford to<br />
Thomas Edison. Now helmed by the third‐generation<br />
<strong>of</strong> Galloways, Sam, Jr., a <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> native and <strong>Fort</strong><br />
<strong>Myers</strong> High School graduate, is the president <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Galloway Family <strong>of</strong> Dealerships. But his influence extends<br />
far beyond the business community. A dedicated<br />
philanthropist, he is a senior advisor <strong>of</strong> the Southwest<br />
Florida Community Foundation and has served as president<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Edison & Ford Winter Estates Foundation,<br />
the Edison Festival <strong>of</strong> Light, Community Cooperative,<br />
the Salvation Army and many others. So it is hardly a<br />
surprise that when Lee Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers<br />
named their inaugural Altruist <strong>of</strong> the Year Award in<br />
2000, they honored Sam Galloway, Jr.<br />
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R OBERT<br />
C ACIOPPO<br />
In a trade notorious for its volatility, Robert Cacioppo<br />
has managed the nearly impossible: stability. Powered by<br />
a passion as intense as his gaze, he and his wife, Carrie<br />
Lund Cacioppo run the Florida Repertory Theatre in the<br />
River District. Sure, there have been good and bad years,<br />
but for more than two decades, Cacioppo and crew have<br />
been a dependably high‐pr<strong>of</strong>ile force in Southwest Florida<br />
theater. His top‐flight company (the Wall Street Journal<br />
called it “one <strong>of</strong> America’s top repertory companies”)<br />
makes its home in the historic Arcade building, where<br />
Thomas Edison once caught shows, and has become a<br />
mainstay <strong>of</strong> downtown culture, proving that yes, the arts<br />
can make very good business sense in <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>.<br />
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W ILLIAM<br />
G LOVER<br />
His strength radiates from his faith and his servant’s heart—a heart he says God has fashioned into the shape <strong>of</strong> Africa, mother<br />
continent to humanity. As senior pastor <strong>of</strong> Mount Hermon Ministries, Inc., Dr. William L. Glover ministers to one <strong>of</strong> the Dunbar<br />
neighborhood’s oldest and best‐attended churches, but he also tends the wider community. As co‐president <strong>of</strong> Lee Interfaith<br />
for Empowerment, he works with other congregations and nonpr<strong>of</strong>its to improve the justice system. And as a board member<br />
<strong>of</strong> Lee Community Healthcare, he works to keep bodies thriving as well. That mission recently got decidedly (and amusingly)<br />
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A BDUL’HAQ<br />
M UHAMMED<br />
Since stepping foot in <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> some thirty years ago,<br />
Abdul’Haq Muhammed has worked to make strides for the<br />
city’s black community. After a successful business and real<br />
estate career in the Bronx, he turned his attention south, to a<br />
city once called the region’s most segregated. He founded the<br />
Quality Life Center—fondly referred to as “The Q” twenty‐five<br />
years ago as an incubator for at‐risk kids. It is a place where they<br />
can get a big hug or a talking‐to, depending in what they need,<br />
from a corps <strong>of</strong> dedicated grown‐ups who also teach them<br />
everything from dance to personal finance. Says Muhammed:<br />
“It’s all about erasing the victim mentality and replacing it with<br />
self‐respect and dignity.”<br />
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J IM<br />
G RIFFITH<br />
It is hard to imagine the River District without Jim Griffith’s<br />
contributions and connections. The thriving cultural hub that is<br />
the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center would not have happened<br />
without his dogged pursuit <strong>of</strong> a vision marrying cultural progressiveness<br />
to historic preservation. Griffith marshalled the team<br />
and the money to convert an elegant‐but‐moldering post‐<strong>of</strong>ficeturned‐federal‐courthouse<br />
into a downtown jewel. A Juilliardtrained<br />
violist who happened onto his instrument (and his<br />
future) in a Cape Coral Middle School band class, Griffith spent<br />
college summers working construction, which helped as he<br />
piloted the building’s transformation. And in the process,<br />
Jim Griffith’s unwavering determination helped put <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong><br />
firmly on the cultural map.<br />
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C HRIS<br />
P ENDLETON<br />
As president and CEO since 2001, Chris Pendleton has been<br />
the keeper <strong>of</strong> one <strong>of</strong> <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> most precious treasures:<br />
the Edison & Ford Winter Estates. Bringing several decades<br />
<strong>of</strong> museum administration in science, history and art history,<br />
she quickly reformed the mission to encompass the legacy<br />
<strong>of</strong> the inventors. Think children’s science camps, garden<br />
workshops, art and history coming to life and other creative<br />
uses. As one <strong>of</strong> the nation’s top ten most visited historic<br />
home sites; it is visited annually by upwards <strong>of</strong> 275,000<br />
people. Today, the site has won top awards from the<br />
National Trust, National Garden Club <strong>of</strong> America and achieved<br />
landmark status for lab restoration and stewardship. Boil<br />
it down and her mission has been to illuminate, invent<br />
and sustain the site. The estates’ original owners would<br />
be justly proud as the site looks forward to a great future.<br />
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D ANIEL<br />
K EARNS<br />
Daniel Kearns and his team at Kearns Restaurant Group<br />
are a <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> success story writ large—very large. After<br />
a strong track record <strong>of</strong> owning/operating restaurants and<br />
nightclubs in Connecticut, Kearns seized the opportunity<br />
to remake the venerable <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> Country Club’s eatery<br />
into The Edison, before turning his attention to the<br />
historic downtown, where he opened the popular Ford’s<br />
Garage (now with multiple locations) followed by The<br />
Firestone Wood Fired Grille, Martini Bar & SkyBar, The<br />
Lodge, Los Cabos Cantina, and Capone’s Coal Fired Pizza<br />
(and creating upwards <strong>of</strong> 500 jobs in the process). Not<br />
surprisingly the Kearns’ destination dining concept has<br />
caught fire and is expanding nationwide.<br />
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T ERRY<br />
T INCHER<br />
He is the other mayor <strong>of</strong> <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>—the informal<br />
one—working for his beloved city not in budget workshops<br />
or council chambers, but at gallery openings and<br />
café tables. With his arty spectacles and megawatt grin,<br />
Tincher is one <strong>of</strong> the most recognizable <strong>of</strong> River District<br />
characters, and also one <strong>of</strong> its most authentic. As art<br />
dealer, businessman and boulevardier, Tincher has made<br />
it his mission to create and sustain cultural conversations.<br />
Not only did he help create the city’s well‐loved ArtWalk,<br />
he was in the vanguard <strong>of</strong> urban re‐settlers, taking up<br />
residence in a historic downtown building.<br />
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J ARRETT<br />
E ADY<br />
Jarrett Eady did not have to come back. Florida State<br />
University’s one‐time student government president and<br />
Senior Hall <strong>of</strong> Famer could have rocketed to a bright future<br />
somewhere in a big city, but instead, the fourth‐generation<br />
<strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> resident returned to teach middle schoolers, before<br />
getting kicked upstairs to the district, where he is now a<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essional development and leadership specialist—and that<br />
is just his 9‐to‐5. In his spare time, Eady (among other things)<br />
chairs the Lee County Black History Society, serves on the<br />
<strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> Community Redevelopment Agency Advisory<br />
Board and the Dunbar Festival Committee and attends historic<br />
Friendship Baptist Church.<br />
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M ADELINE<br />
B OHANNON<br />
Want to know something—anything—about tropical<br />
fruit? <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> grower Madeline Bohannon can<br />
tell you. And she will probably <strong>of</strong>fer you a bite <strong>of</strong> it to<br />
go with your newfound knowledge. On her jungly<br />
acreage that wraps around Billy’s Creek, Bohannon<br />
cultivates a dazzling array <strong>of</strong> exotica ranging from<br />
the expected mango and guava to the decidedly<br />
uncommon: monstera, cecropia and gak. Though she<br />
does sell much <strong>of</strong> what she grows (“Those macadamia<br />
trees are my retirement fund,” she jokes) Bohannon<br />
also shares generously with friends and neighbors,<br />
and less willingly, with appreciative squirrels.<br />
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J OE<br />
P LEDGER<br />
The tradition <strong>of</strong> riverboat captaining may be rooted in history, but Joe Pledger adds<br />
twenty‐first‐century expertise to create singular experiences for passengers aboard the<br />
three‐level, 130‐foot‐long Capt. JP.<br />
Pledger calls his paddlewheeler a banquet hall with ever‐changing scenery, but it is<br />
also transport to another time, when the Caloosahatchee was an engine <strong>of</strong> commerce.<br />
Going on half a century, Pledger’s family has launched from the <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> Yacht Basin, and<br />
before that, they operated the popular Jungle Cruise boat on the Orange River. Pledger’s<br />
wife, sister, and sons work at the family business as well. He is grateful for that, as well as<br />
a career that has given him unparalleled knowledge <strong>of</strong> the river. Perhaps best <strong>of</strong> all, he says,<br />
is the satisfaction <strong>of</strong> having “given a lot <strong>of</strong> people enjoyment and cherished memories.”<br />
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W OODY<br />
H ANSON<br />
Native son? Where Woody Hanson is concerned, it is more like native great‐great‐grandson. Few can claim the bilateral<br />
family ties to <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> that Hanson can. His maternal great‐great grandfather, Captain Manuel A. Gonzalez, was one<br />
<strong>of</strong> the original pioneers who repurposed the Union Civil War fort for his first home near the Caloosahatchee. On his<br />
father’s side, the real estate broker and appraiser traces his lineage to Dr. William Hanson, his great‐grandfather,<br />
who helped forge the family’s deep ties to the Seminole and Miccosukee Tribes (great‐great grandpa Manuel traded<br />
with them also). Woody, who recently earned a master’s degree in Florida studies, is now the keeper <strong>of</strong> his family’s rich<br />
and massive archive—which is the region’s good fortune.<br />
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M ARCUS<br />
J ANSEN<br />
As a Gulf War veteran who once sold his wares on<br />
the street, Marcus Jansen may seem an unlikely fine art<br />
ambassador, but then again, that gritty pedigree makes<br />
him the perfect champion <strong>of</strong> Urban Expressionism, an<br />
art movement he pioneered. His work, hailed by critics<br />
around the globe, is vividly disturbing and achingly<br />
thought‐provoking. Calling his downtown <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong><br />
studio, UNIT A, his world headquarters is no hyperbole<br />
either. In recent years, Jansen’s shows and exhibits<br />
have taken him to New York, Italy and Germany, and<br />
he was recently the subject <strong>of</strong> a documentary film:<br />
Examine and Report.<br />
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E MAD<br />
S ALMAN<br />
To the children who count on him to save their<br />
lives, the state‐<strong>of</strong>‐the‐art medicine and therapies<br />
Dr. Emad Salman deploys are almost as important<br />
as his loving heart. Almost. Always quick with a<br />
hug or a gentle smile, Salman’s trademark hightech/high‐touch<br />
philosophy has helped make the<br />
Hematology/Oncology department he directs at the<br />
Golisano Children’s Hospital <strong>of</strong> Southwest Florida<br />
the premiere treatment destination in the region<br />
for children with cancer and blood disorders. And<br />
Dr. Salman’s plainspoken kindliness is a pr<strong>of</strong>ound<br />
comfort for his patients’ <strong>of</strong>ten anxious parents.<br />
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I SRAEL<br />
S UAREZ<br />
Social service dynamo and ordained minister Israel Suarez founded his nonpr<strong>of</strong>it<br />
Nations Association in 1978, and has been doing a world <strong>of</strong> good ever<br />
since. Though it has changed focus over the decades, one thing has remained<br />
consistent: Suarez’ relentless energy and enormous heart. Over the years,<br />
Nations has run a soup kitchen and a thrift store, housed the homeless, found<br />
jobs for teens, taught English, counseled runaways, taken kids on field trips<br />
and readied them for college. Not bad for a Puerto Rican shoeshine boy who<br />
came to New York as a teenager and ran a laundromat as a young man.<br />
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129
W ANDA<br />
L UNGER<br />
She is the plainspoken queen <strong>of</strong> a <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> classic: <strong>City</strong> Fish. Yet Wanda<br />
Lunger’s homespun market <strong>of</strong>fers fare fit for royalty: the freshest gifts <strong>of</strong> the sea,<br />
served up with sweet tea and boiled peanuts. Need blue crabs or a mess <strong>of</strong> mullet?<br />
Fresh‐fried shrimp? Tender hushpuppies? Lunger’s got you covered. <strong>City</strong> Fish has<br />
been feeding <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> since 1944, when it was on a sliver <strong>of</strong> what was then<br />
called Anderson Avenue—now Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Located just<br />
over the railroad tracks in a storefront in the gritty State Farmer’s Market, the<br />
fare is not fancy, but what it may lack in elegance, it more than makes up with<br />
authenticity. Lunger’s food, her kitchen and her customers are all the real deal.<br />
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D AVE<br />
M OODY<br />
In a place where fifth‐generation businesses are rare as snowfall, Futral’s Feed Store has pulled it <strong>of</strong>f, with more than seven<br />
decades <strong>of</strong> provisioning critters and their humans. While a downtown feed store might seem a tad incongruous, Futral’s fits<br />
as comfortably as a pair <strong>of</strong> old boots, mixing cow feed with vegan dog kibble. Never mind that traditional farming in Lee County<br />
has all but disappeared, Futral’s remains the informal headquarters <strong>of</strong> the region’s country community, where transplants are<br />
greeted as warmly as old‐timers by David Moody, Jr., who is following in his grandfather’s and father’s footsteps.<br />
CHAPTER 5<br />
131
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FORT MYERS PARTNERS<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>iles <strong>of</strong> businesses, organizations, and families that have<br />
contributed to the development and economic base <strong>of</strong> <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong><br />
Lee Memorial Health System..................................................................................134<br />
LeeSar, Inc. ........................................................................................................140<br />
Parker/Mudgett/Smith Architects, Inc. .....................................................................144<br />
Dean Steel Buildings, Inc. .....................................................................................146<br />
Henderson, Franklin, Starnes & Holt, P.A. ...............................................................148<br />
Southwest Florida International Airport ..................................................................150<br />
Page Field ..........................................................................................................151<br />
Galloway Auto.....................................................................................................152<br />
Mark Loren Designs, Inc. ......................................................................................154<br />
Florida SouthWestern State College.........................................................................156<br />
Alliance for the Arts ............................................................................................158<br />
AIM Engineering & Surveying, Inc..........................................................................160<br />
Victory Layne Chevrolet........................................................................................162<br />
Barraco and Associates, Inc. ..................................................................................164<br />
T3 Communications, Inc........................................................................................166<br />
Hope Healthcare ..................................................................................................168<br />
<strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> .........................................................................................................170<br />
Johnson Engineering, Inc. ......................................................................................172<br />
Ad-Ler Ro<strong>of</strong>ing, Inc..............................................................................................173<br />
Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre ..............................................................................174<br />
Chico’s FAS, Inc. .................................................................................................175<br />
Canterbury School ...............................................................................................176<br />
Boylan Environmental Consultants, Inc....................................................................177<br />
The Salvation Army <strong>of</strong> Lee, Hendry and Glades Counties............................................178<br />
Fischler Property Company....................................................................................179<br />
Hotel Indigo, <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> Downtown River District ....................................................180<br />
Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall....................................................................181<br />
WCI Communities, Inc. .........................................................................................182<br />
Delta Sigma Theta ...............................................................................................183<br />
Markham Norton Mosteller Wright & Co., P.A. .........................................................184<br />
Gulfcoast Coin & Jewelry, . ...................................................................................185<br />
Edison & Ford Winter Estates ................................................................................186<br />
Corbin Henderson Company...................................................................................187<br />
Allure and ONE...................................................................................................188<br />
Main Sail Video Productions, Inc............................................................................189<br />
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❖<br />
Right: Early 1900s, First Street.<br />
Below: The original Lee Memorial Hospital, c. 1916.<br />
LEE MEMORIAL<br />
HEALTH SYSTEM<br />
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF THE SOUTHWEST FLORIDA HISTORICAL SOCIETY<br />
AND LEE MEMORIAL HEALTH SYSTEM.<br />
From humble beginnings, Lee Memorial Health System<br />
grew with and evolved to meet the healthcare needs <strong>of</strong> our<br />
community. As we celebrate 100 years <strong>of</strong> caring, we are<br />
proud to share a brief history that showcases our evolution<br />
and our unwavering commitment to leading-edge, high<br />
quality, patient-centered care.<br />
The Lee Memorial Health System origins in the early<br />
twentieth century include a bonfire, a shotgun toting county<br />
commissioner, a gang <strong>of</strong> 150 men, numerous meetings<br />
and more.<br />
Much <strong>of</strong> the history happened before the hospital’s doors<br />
first opened on October 3, 1916, in a wood frame, two story<br />
building at the corner <strong>of</strong> Grand and Victoria Avenues in<br />
what is now downtown <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>.<br />
What twenty-first century Lee County residents know as<br />
a state-<strong>of</strong>-the art health system with gleaming buildings,<br />
high-tech medical wizardry and thousands <strong>of</strong> highly-trained<br />
and skilled employees began in a much different world.<br />
Before the hospital opened, it took four years <strong>of</strong> meetings,<br />
planning, fundraising and other activity to make Lee<br />
Memorial a reality.<br />
The town <strong>of</strong> <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> was growing in the 1910s and<br />
so was the need for medical care. The U.S. census counted<br />
2,463 people in <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> in 1910 and all <strong>of</strong> Lee County,<br />
which then included land that is now Collier and Hendry<br />
Counties, contained 6,294 people.<br />
To put that in perspective, in 2015 the Lee Memorial<br />
Health System employed 11,800 people, another 4,089<br />
people volunteered and Lee County’s population was<br />
more than 600,000. That does not include Collier and<br />
Hendry Counties, which were carved out <strong>of</strong> Lee County in<br />
the 1920s.<br />
By 1912, when a hospital organizing committee first met,<br />
the town was on its way to becoming a city and needed a<br />
suitable hospital.<br />
Not everybody, though, thought a hospital was needed,<br />
according to a 1984 history <strong>of</strong> Lee Memorial that appeared<br />
in a publication called Tampa Bay History. Writer Alberta C.<br />
Rawchuck noted, “That some citizens clung to the belief<br />
that a hospital was only a place to go and die.”<br />
Many other citizens, though, thought otherwise. The Lee<br />
County Hospital Association held its first meeting in 1912.<br />
The <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> Press celebrated the group in an editorial<br />
on January 11, 1912, nine days after the first meeting.<br />
“It certainly is gratifying to see a public movement<br />
command such enthusiastic support as is being accorded<br />
the proposition to establish in <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> an emergency<br />
hospital,” the paper wrote in that editorial. “At the meeting<br />
in the council chamber Tuesday night, the greatest interest<br />
was displayed and there was unanimity <strong>of</strong> opinion in<br />
favor <strong>of</strong> pushing the project to as speedy a consummation<br />
as possible.”<br />
It took more than four years from that meeting<br />
to consummation.<br />
As the hospital committee inched closer to building a<br />
hospital, one <strong>of</strong> the most dramatic incidents in Lee County<br />
history occurred.<br />
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The minutes <strong>of</strong> the April 3, 1915, hospital board meeting<br />
provide a clue. From those minutes: “The material <strong>of</strong> the<br />
old courthouse was donated by the county. The laborers<br />
donated part <strong>of</strong> their wages. The merchants and material<br />
men furnished everything at wholesale prices.”<br />
On October 24, 1914, the Lee County Commission<br />
voted 3:2 to build a new courthouse, replacing one built<br />
in 1894. Although the commission voted in favor <strong>of</strong> the<br />
new courthouse, a faction <strong>of</strong> businessmen in town, led by<br />
Harvie Heitman, were opposed to the new courthouse. So,<br />
his supporters boarded a 4 p.m. train for Arcadia where<br />
they hoped to get a court injunction to stop the project.<br />
While Heitman’s faction traveled to Arcadia, Commission<br />
Chairman William Towles gathered 150 men. Their mission<br />
was to dismantle the old courthouse overnight, working by<br />
the light <strong>of</strong> a bonfire.<br />
In a 1949 book, The Story <strong>of</strong> <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>, author Karl<br />
Grismer detailed the event.<br />
“A huge crowd gathered,” Grismer wrote. “Men, women<br />
and children cheered the workmen on. It was great sport.<br />
Never before had anything like this happened in Florida.<br />
Old-timers’ say Towles sat on steps nearby with a shotgun<br />
in his hands.”<br />
The lumber from the old courthouse was set aside and<br />
used to build a hospital. By the fall <strong>of</strong> 1916, the four years<br />
<strong>of</strong> work, planning and fundraising had paid <strong>of</strong>f. Lee County<br />
had a hospital.<br />
Here’s a headline in the <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> Press from October 3,<br />
1916: “Large Donation Is Received.” The paper reported<br />
that Walter G. Langford, president <strong>of</strong> First National Bank,<br />
donated the “equivalent” <strong>of</strong> several hundred dollars.<br />
From the newspaper: “The donation, which consists <strong>of</strong><br />
a complete and up-to-date surgical equipment for the<br />
operating room <strong>of</strong> the new hospital, recently completed by<br />
the association and which it is understood will shortly be<br />
opened for active service, is held as an endorsement <strong>of</strong> the<br />
work accomplished by the association, and those who have<br />
been identified with the work <strong>of</strong> completing.”<br />
The paper reported that the gift was the largest the<br />
association had by then received. The paper added: “It is<br />
understood that Mr. Langford at first refused to allow the<br />
mention <strong>of</strong> his name in connection with the gift.”<br />
The paper closed its report with this: “It is stated that<br />
cases will be taken up to the capacity <strong>of</strong> the building, which<br />
at present is limited to fifteen, including accommodations<br />
available in the wards. Private rooms will also be available to<br />
those desiring such accommodations the charges for which<br />
will be placed at a minimum.”<br />
What Sam Thompson needed to do and how the hospital<br />
responded set a pattern <strong>of</strong> care and commitment that has not<br />
wavered in 100 years and counting. Thompson, then thirtynine,<br />
was on horseback in the woods near LaBelle on a fall<br />
day in 1916 when he was gripped with pain. He rode his horse<br />
to a new <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> hospital, which was not yet finished.<br />
The only available surgeon was Dr. Daniel McSwain <strong>of</strong><br />
Arcadia. Dr. McSwain boarded a train in Arcadia around<br />
❖<br />
Above: Lee Memorial Hospital’s first nursing staff.<br />
Left: Dr. Daniel McSwain, Lee Memorial Hospital’s first surgeon, c. 1916.<br />
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❖<br />
Above: Mattie and Sam Thompson (first patient).<br />
Right: Groundbreaking for Lee Memorial Hospital on<br />
Cleveland Avenue, 1939.<br />
10 p.m. He arrived at the hospital about an hour later and<br />
using kerosene lamps for light, he operated on Thompson.<br />
Then at 7 a.m., Dr. McSwain boarded a train for the return<br />
trip to Arcadia.<br />
The appendix operation was a success and Thompson<br />
lived into his eighties. He was a hearty man and successful<br />
in many ways. He started a grocery store, served as guide<br />
on hunting trips, worked as a game warden by oxen and<br />
horseback and helped lay the first telephone lines from<br />
<strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> to Buckingham.<br />
Like Thompson, the other patients who entered what<br />
evolved into the Lee Memorial Health System, knew they<br />
could rely on the men and women, the doctors, nurses,<br />
administrators and volunteers who make the system run.<br />
Whether appendicitis or childbirth or heart surgery or<br />
broken bones, they have trooped through the hospital’s<br />
doors, either at its first location or one <strong>of</strong> its current<br />
locations throughout Lee County, from HealthPark Medical<br />
Center to Cape Coral Hospital to Gulf Coast Medical Center<br />
in south <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> and the new Golisano Children’s<br />
Hospital <strong>of</strong> Southwest Florida and more.<br />
The wooden structure at Victoria and Grand was all<br />
there was <strong>of</strong> Lee Memorial Hospital until 1943 when<br />
a new building opened on<br />
Cleveland Avenue.<br />
This was a huge news story<br />
in <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> and The News-<br />
Press lavishly covered it in<br />
the days leading up to and<br />
following its April 18, 1943,<br />
opening. The new hospital<br />
was described in the paper as<br />
a “handsome structure <strong>of</strong> buff<br />
brick on Cleveland Avenue<br />
near Katherine Street.”<br />
A grand opening celebration was held on a Sunday<br />
and the public was invited to the new $200,000 facility.<br />
News-Press reporter Rufe Daughtrey was given a tour a<br />
couple days earlier and his account was published the day<br />
before the opening ceremony.<br />
“That new hospital out on Cleveland Avenue is just about<br />
the nicest place imaginable to be sick in,” Daughtrey wrote.<br />
“It’s got just about everything from magnificent sun decks<br />
to a cozy parlor where you can play cards in front <strong>of</strong> a log<br />
fire on a chilly evening.”<br />
He provided a description.<br />
“Here is how the plant looked on a rehearsal tour yesterday,”<br />
Daughtrey wrote. “To begin with, the front is in back<br />
and the back is in front. In other words, that side facing<br />
Cleveland Avenue is in the back. To get to the front you<br />
follow a winding road around under the pines to the <strong>of</strong>fside<br />
<strong>of</strong> the building.<br />
“From your car you step onto a narrow porch and into<br />
the big reception room. That’s the room that has the oldfashioned<br />
fireplace and would make a good place for gettogethers<br />
on chill evenings. Joining the reception room is<br />
the bookkeeper’s <strong>of</strong>fice and the <strong>of</strong>fice <strong>of</strong> the superintendent<br />
<strong>of</strong> nurses.<br />
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“The <strong>of</strong>fice opens into a wide corridor. To the right is a<br />
long wing. This wing fronts on Cleveland Avenue—in fact<br />
they all do, the two wings downstairs and the two upstairs.<br />
They are faced with solid windows <strong>of</strong> glass from floor to<br />
ceiling, a perfect sun deck.”<br />
The reporter described numerous details <strong>of</strong> the hospital’s<br />
appearance concluding with the operating room.<br />
“And last but not least is the operating room,” Daughtrey<br />
wrote. “This is the pride and joy <strong>of</strong> the new hospital. It really<br />
is an eye-full. Walls and floors to the ceiling are a restful<br />
green. In the center is the latest in operating tables where<br />
doctors can cut you open and with special lights so they can<br />
see what makes you tick.<br />
“This operating table is something like a glorified barber<br />
chair. With it, doctors can stand you on your head, double<br />
you into a ball or turn you sideways. After seeing this you<br />
may be glad you can walk out under your own power.”<br />
The community’s growth, though, soon outpaced the<br />
building so in 1968 a bigger Lee Memorial Hospital building<br />
opened. It was a $5.5 million project.<br />
The building alone cost $4.2 million and the rest <strong>of</strong> the<br />
cost went to the architect ($267,000), land purchase<br />
($140,000), equipment ($800,000) and another $51,300 for<br />
what was listed as “miscellaneous.”<br />
“The opening <strong>of</strong> the new Lee Memorial Hospital represents<br />
another milestone in the development <strong>of</strong> Lee County,<br />
signaling the assumption <strong>of</strong> public responsibility for the<br />
provision <strong>of</strong> healthcare facilities for the first time,” the<br />
News-Press reported on October 16, 1968.<br />
Then, the paper put the building in perspective.<br />
“The new hospital, a gleaming white $4.5 million<br />
structure—is not yet the hospital that many people would<br />
have it be, but it is far better than Lee County ever had<br />
before,” the paper reported.<br />
But it was not done growing.<br />
In 1991, HealthPark Medical Center opened several<br />
miles away with 220 beds. Of those 220 beds, seventy-five<br />
were dedicated to pediatrics and named the Children’s<br />
Hospital <strong>of</strong> Southwest Florida.<br />
The contrast between the two-story wood building that<br />
opened in 1916 and HealthPark Medical Center was striking.<br />
The facility included a tiled courtyard, trees, glass elevators<br />
and plush furniture. The original hospital did not even have<br />
an elevator. HealthPark’s corridors and patient rooms were<br />
festooned with artworks.<br />
❖<br />
Above: Lee Memorial Hospital, 1955.<br />
Left: Future site <strong>of</strong> HealthPark Medical Center, 1985.<br />
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❖<br />
Right: Cape Coral Hospital.<br />
Below: Gulf Coast Medical Center.<br />
HealthPark’s four-story atrium was taller than the original<br />
hospital. It looked more like a hotel than a hospital.<br />
“The idea is that you won’t feel like you’re coming to<br />
a hospital, but to a multiservice facility that happens to<br />
have a hospital buried inside it,” Lee Memorial Hospital<br />
President Jim Nathan told the News-Press before HealthPark<br />
opened. “The traditional hospital is confining in its nature.<br />
You see patients on gurneys and doctors and nurses hustling<br />
down the hallways. All that adds to the emotion <strong>of</strong> going to<br />
the hospital.”<br />
HealthPark’s grand opening was a big deal. The News-Press<br />
covered the event with a story carrying this headline:<br />
“HealthPark leaves visitors in awe.”<br />
In 1996, with the acquisition <strong>of</strong> Cape Coral Hospital,<br />
all the hospitals became part <strong>of</strong> what is now known as Lee<br />
Memorial Health System.<br />
In 2006, Gulf Coast Hospital and Southwest Florida<br />
Regional Medical Center were merged into the Lee Memorial<br />
Health System and in 2009 they were consolidated into one<br />
hospital. That one hospital is Gulf Coast Medical Center,<br />
which is located on Daniels Parkway in south <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>.<br />
In 2014, Lee Memorial announced plans for a $140<br />
million health campus in south Lee County. It would<br />
include a freestanding emergency room, outpatient surgical<br />
center, doctors’ <strong>of</strong>fices, imaging, and rehabilitation services.<br />
Plans called for the facility to be built on a thirty-acre site<br />
just south <strong>of</strong> the upscale Coconut Point Mall.<br />
The expansions and acquisitions were needed to keep<br />
pace with Lee County’s growth. The county was growing by<br />
more people per year than lived in it when Lee Memorial<br />
opened in 1916.<br />
From 2002 to 2003, for example, Lee County’s population<br />
grew from 475,073 to 497,022. That is an increase <strong>of</strong> 21,949,<br />
a 4.6 percent rise.<br />
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To put the growth in perspective, the addition <strong>of</strong> 21,949<br />
new residents in that year was nearly the equal <strong>of</strong> the county’s<br />
population in 1950, 23,404.<br />
Hospitals do not appear by waving magic wands. That<br />
was true in the years from 1912 to 1916 when Lee County<br />
residents met, planned, worked and raised money to build<br />
the county’s first hospital.<br />
That has been the case since the 1990s as work has<br />
progressed on building the $244 million, 128-bed Golisano<br />
Children’s Hospital <strong>of</strong> Southwest Florida. By the summer <strong>of</strong><br />
2015 the Golisano Children’s Hospital was halfway finished.<br />
“Miracles happen here,” Jim Nathan said in September <strong>of</strong><br />
2015 as hospital construction reached its halfway point.<br />
“People said you couldn’t do this. But we said, ‘We have to.’”<br />
It was done in many ways. One was raising more than<br />
$100 million in private donations. The biggest individual<br />
chunk came from Naples billionaire B. Thomas Golisano,<br />
who donated $20 million to the project. Golisano made<br />
the <strong>of</strong>fer contingent on if other private donors could match<br />
that total.<br />
“When I announced my commitment in 2012 I hoped<br />
that it would leverage support from everyone in the<br />
community, that it would motivate everyone to contribute<br />
in a meaningful way to this important endeavor,” Golisano<br />
said at the groundbreaking ceremony for the hospital.<br />
Although Golisano’s gift was the largest; huge sums<br />
came from others. The Southwest Florida Wine & Food Fest<br />
donated $10 million up to that point. Lee HealthCare<br />
Resources had chipped in $5 million and another $10<br />
million came from Sanibel Captiva Cares.<br />
The Anderson Family Foundation gave a sum identified<br />
by the system as greater than $1 million. Chico’s FAS donated<br />
$1 million. Local businessman Jim Doyle gave $1 million<br />
in 2013.<br />
It is not mere good luck that all those people and organizations<br />
donated to Lee Memorial Health System.<br />
“Donors give to winners,” Nathan said.<br />
“Donors don’t usually give to losers. They<br />
give because they trust the people that they’re<br />
donating to and they trust the mission <strong>of</strong><br />
what they’re doing. And when you look<br />
through the entire history <strong>of</strong> Lee Memorial,<br />
we have been blessed even in those small<br />
dollar amounts by today’s terms, but they were<br />
large dollar amounts by yesterday’s terms.”<br />
Although the world is vastly different than<br />
it was when the hospital first opened in 1916,<br />
some things remain the same.<br />
“The commitment to the community<br />
doesn’t change,” said Dr. Larry Antonucci,<br />
Lee Memorial’s chief operating <strong>of</strong>ficer. “The<br />
numbers are bigger and the scale is bigger.<br />
But the people wanting to do the right thing for their community<br />
and raising the money and the gathering the wood<br />
and building the facility is not unlike what happens today.”<br />
❖<br />
Left: Pediatric patient, early 1980s.<br />
Below: Epilepsy Monitoring Unit, Golisano Children’s Hospital <strong>of</strong><br />
Southwest Florida, 2014.<br />
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LEESAR, INC.<br />
In 1998, with healthcare costs continuing to climb,<br />
Jim Nathan, president <strong>of</strong> Lee Memorial Healthcare System,<br />
and Dr. Duncan Finlay, then-president <strong>of</strong> Sarasota Memorial<br />
Healthcare System, met to discuss an innovative idea they<br />
believed would save the hospitals millions <strong>of</strong> dollars every<br />
year. The idea was to create two separate organizations<br />
owned by the two hospital systems that would negotiate<br />
with and buy directly from suppliers and resell to the two<br />
hospital systems.<br />
In other words: Eliminate the middle man.<br />
Eliminating the middle man is a time-honored business<br />
strategy that sounds like a no-lose proposition. Buy directly<br />
from the supplier, eliminate the pr<strong>of</strong>it charged by the<br />
middle man, and save. The problem with this strategy is<br />
executing it is <strong>of</strong>ten more difficult than one might imagine,<br />
and that is exactly what happened in the first two years<br />
after LeeSar (named for the two hospitals) and Cooperative<br />
Services <strong>of</strong> Florida, which handles negotiations and<br />
contracting, went into business.<br />
LeeSar’s troubles stemmed from the fact that they initially<br />
outsourced the management <strong>of</strong> the two corporations. In<br />
the beginning, LeeSar’s fill rate (a measure <strong>of</strong> the percentage<br />
<strong>of</strong> orders correctly filled) was around sixty-four percent,<br />
and because its performance was so low the company<br />
grew slowly or not at all, operating only two departments<br />
and employing no more than thirty people.<br />
Today, LeeSar/Cooperative Services <strong>of</strong> Florida, which<br />
operates twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week,<br />
boasts more than twenty departments, employs more<br />
than 400 people, opened a 205,000 square foot regional<br />
service center in <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> in 2012, and has plans to<br />
add another 100,000 square feet to accommodate its<br />
growing business. LeeSar provides hospitals, physicians<br />
<strong>of</strong>fices, and ambulatory and outpatient surgical centers<br />
with a variety <strong>of</strong> healthcare supply chain services including<br />
the acquisition and distribution <strong>of</strong> medical supplies;<br />
packaging <strong>of</strong> pharmaceuticals; surgical instrument<br />
sterilization; surgical pack manufacturing; repair and<br />
express delivery <strong>of</strong> surgical instruments; food preparation;<br />
centralized purchasing; and contract management<br />
and negotiations.<br />
What happened to spark such a turnaround? Much <strong>of</strong><br />
the credit goes to President and CEO Bob Simpson,<br />
whom LeeSar hired to run its operations in 2002. Unlike<br />
his predecessors, Simpson, a true visionary, quickly<br />
applied business principles to operations. Within three<br />
months, fill rates improved to the ninety-eight percent<br />
level and today remain consistently above ninetynine<br />
percent.<br />
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Since Simpson joined the company, LeeSar/CSF has<br />
grown at an annual rate <strong>of</strong> eighteen to twenty percent.<br />
Original members Lee Memorial Healthcare System and<br />
Sarasota Memorial Healthcare System have been joined<br />
by Central Florida Health Alliance and Huntsville Hospital<br />
in Huntsville, Alabama. Each <strong>of</strong> the four members has<br />
representatives on LeeSar’s and/or CSFs board <strong>of</strong> directors.<br />
Both members and non-members (referred to as participants)<br />
receive requested services and are then billed at a<br />
lower overall cost than if the members and participants<br />
attempted to acquire them from other providers. Members<br />
and participants benefit from LeeSar’s straightforward<br />
mission to: “provide the right product and service at the<br />
right time to the right patient at the lowest possible cost.”<br />
LeeSar’s approach is more efficient, accessible, and affordable.<br />
It also allows hospitals and other providers to free up<br />
space so they can perform their most important task: taking<br />
care <strong>of</strong> patients.<br />
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The process <strong>of</strong> saving money for its members and<br />
customers begins with Cooperative Services <strong>of</strong> Florida<br />
(CSF), which is housed inside LeeSar Regional Service<br />
Center. CSF exists to contract directly between members<br />
and manufacturers <strong>of</strong> supplies, equipment, and services.<br />
It believes in driving value at both ends <strong>of</strong> the healthcare<br />
supply chain, meaning that both clinicians and suppliers<br />
benefit. Clinicians benefit from getting supplies they want<br />
at lower costs, and suppliers benefit from lower costs<br />
and an easily-forecasted sales stream and market share.<br />
Audited results show CSF has been so successful in<br />
direct negotiations with manufacturers that their costs to<br />
clients are among the lowest three percent in the nation<br />
when compared to similar-sized operations.<br />
The next step is building an inventory <strong>of</strong> supplies, equipment,<br />
and service providers who can respond to member and<br />
customer needs quickly and accurately. Much <strong>of</strong> that takes<br />
place at the LeeSar Regional Service Center, which manages<br />
and houses mission-critical healthcare operational services<br />
for healthcare organizations. The benefits <strong>of</strong> such a system are<br />
numerous. Many hospitals have a large, central supply room<br />
where nurses or nurses’ aides go to get supplies. Sometimes<br />
the supplies are out <strong>of</strong> date or someone has already taken<br />
the last item and no one has had time to reorder. Removing<br />
this process from the healthcare provider reduces waste and<br />
the hospital’s liability and increases space for patient care.<br />
Reducing waste is one <strong>of</strong> the factors behind a recently<br />
added service known as reposable reprocessing. One reason<br />
healthcare costs have been so high in the past is that items<br />
were used once and discarded even when it was safe to reuse<br />
them. Studies by the Food and Drug Administration have<br />
found that many items can be reused under the right conditions.<br />
At LeeSar, approved items at Lee Memorial Hospital<br />
and Sarasota Memorial Hospital are collected, cleaned,<br />
tested, sterilized, repackaged, and resold at a highly reduced<br />
cost, resulting in savings and less waste in area landfills.<br />
That sort <strong>of</strong> innovative thinking is what sets LeeSar apart.<br />
Creativity and innovation are encouraged at LeeSar and<br />
senior management is allowed to be creative, try new<br />
things, and even to make mistakes. In recent years, LeeSar<br />
began carrying mothers’ milk for premature babies and<br />
for babies whose mothers are unable to nurse. They also do<br />
IV compounding using robots and provide pharmaceutical<br />
repackaging to free up hospital pharmacists to focus on<br />
more important work. Pharmaceutical repackaging involves<br />
taking a large amount <strong>of</strong> medicine—such as pills—and<br />
breaking them down into the smaller numbers needed<br />
for individual patients. This leads to less waste and fewer<br />
bedside medical errors.<br />
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LeeSar provides record retention for<br />
members and customers, archiving patient<br />
records, X-rays, and other items and<br />
retrieving them when needed.<br />
LeeSar’s Culinary Solutions Department<br />
provides cook-and-chill services in which<br />
they cook foods, freeze them, and ship<br />
them to hospitals and other customers,<br />
which then finish preparing the food,<br />
place the food on a plate, and deliver it<br />
to patients. The department also provides<br />
catering for hospital events and fundraisers<br />
and some private outside events.<br />
Although most <strong>of</strong> its operations are<br />
based at the LeeSar Regional Service<br />
Center, the company also operates a<br />
nuclear pharmacy facility and custom<br />
surgical pack operation at other sites.<br />
Surgical pack operations involve assembling<br />
sterile packs that physicians open in<br />
the operating room to perform a surgical<br />
procedure. These packs are customized to<br />
meet each physician’s specifications.<br />
Since its inception in 1998, the company<br />
has been recognized for its innovation<br />
and progressive business practices with numerous awards<br />
and accolades. LeeSar received the Senator’s Choice Award,<br />
presented by Senator Michael Bennett, recognizing LeeSar<br />
as “The 2011 Most Innovative Company” in the State <strong>of</strong><br />
Florida. In January 2016 it received the Pride <strong>of</strong> Florida<br />
Award from State Senator Lizbeth Benacquisto.<br />
Although LeeSar is not a business-to-consumer entity,<br />
it believes in doing the right thing to support the communities<br />
in which it conducts business. LeeSar’s staff has<br />
been very active in a wide range <strong>of</strong> charities including the<br />
March <strong>of</strong> Dimes, Make A Wish Foundation, and efforts to<br />
support children’s hospitals.<br />
As for the future, LeeSar plans to continue growing while<br />
maintaining its ability to turn on a dime. The company will<br />
keep its finger on the healthcare industry’s pulse by keeping<br />
track <strong>of</strong> what the market and customers need and then<br />
moving to fill those needs. As reimbursement becomes more<br />
difficult for hospitals and other providers, LeeSar’s role will<br />
become even more critical in helping to ensure that the<br />
healthcare system is sustainable, affordable, and successful.<br />
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❖<br />
PARKER/MUDGETT/SMITH<br />
ARCHITECTS, INC.<br />
Edison Junior College, Lee County Campus.<br />
Since 1966, Parker/Mudgett/Smith Architects, Inc., has<br />
provided pr<strong>of</strong>essional planning and architectural services for<br />
clients throughout Southwest Florida. Beginning its fiftieth<br />
year in 2016, the firm now has four registered architects and<br />
nine employees.<br />
The roots <strong>of</strong> Parker/Mudgett/Smith Architects were sown<br />
in 1952 when former principal Bolton McBryde moved<br />
from Tennessee to Florida and opened an <strong>of</strong>fice in downtown<br />
<strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>, where it remains to this day. During<br />
the 1950s, the firm established itself as a practice dedicated<br />
to educational, medical, commercial, and governmental<br />
clients. These early projects included the <strong>of</strong>fices <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Naples Post Office and a major remodel <strong>of</strong> the Lee County<br />
Sheriff’s Station/Jail Complex at a cost <strong>of</strong> $50,000.<br />
Wiley M. Parker was raised in South Carolina and was<br />
working for an architectural firm in Atlanta when he<br />
connected with McBryde. The firm, at that time known as<br />
McBryde & Frizzell Architects, was embarking on the master<br />
plan for the newly established Edison Junior College. This<br />
project was the first <strong>of</strong> the firm’s strategic alliances with<br />
nationally esteemed architectural design firms. In 1962,<br />
Parker joined the firm as project manager and design<br />
architect for the Edison Junior College campus project.<br />
Upon the breakup <strong>of</strong> McBryde & Frizzell, Parker became<br />
a principal in 1966 and the business reflected the change<br />
as McBryde & Parker Architects, Inc., creating the present<br />
corporation. Parker, an avid sailor and conservationist,<br />
set the tone for the firm’s respect for nature and its vigilance<br />
for environmental concerns.<br />
The firm continued to thrive, producing a variety <strong>of</strong> public<br />
and private projects. Educational projects throughout<br />
Southwest Florida became a core competency, along with<br />
medical clinical facilities, and commercial <strong>of</strong>fice buildings.<br />
Many projects for the region’s school districts were products<br />
<strong>of</strong> the firm. As the area’s population and commerce expanded,<br />
<strong>of</strong>fice buildings were designed and constructed to meet<br />
growing demands. Many <strong>of</strong> the religious facilities designed<br />
by the firm, such as St. Michael’s Lutheran Church and<br />
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, remain fully functional landmarks.<br />
William A. Mudgett, an Illinois native, joined the firm<br />
in 1968, and he and Parker enjoyed a synergy few firms<br />
ever have. Residential work proliferated. Additionally, the<br />
partners’ shared passion for educational projects enabled<br />
the firm to grow into educational master planning, design,<br />
and construction experts.<br />
Mudgett became a principal in 1973 and for six years the<br />
group operated as McBryde/Parker/Mudgett Architects. When<br />
McBryde retired in 1979, the firm became Parker/Mudgett<br />
Architects. During the ensuing fifteen years, the firm’s portfolio<br />
<strong>of</strong> major educational projects grew to include additions to<br />
the Edison Junior College campus, five new high schools,<br />
and master planning <strong>of</strong> new middle and elementary schools<br />
throughout Southwest Florida. A serendipitous spin<strong>of</strong>f evolved<br />
into addressing athletic facilities, ushering in the era <strong>of</strong> modern<br />
sports facilities in and around Lee County.<br />
Roger L. Smith, a Lee County native, began his career as<br />
a general contractor. After gaining invaluable knowledge in<br />
the field, he joined the firm in 1972. Collaborations expanded<br />
in the size, scope and complexity <strong>of</strong> its projects. The firm’s<br />
portfolio <strong>of</strong> medical clinical projects grew. It established<br />
repeat clients specializing in oncology, radiology, family<br />
practice, and the dental arts. Smith became a principal in<br />
1987, which established the current name <strong>of</strong> the firm.<br />
W. Jeffrey Mudgett joined the firm in 1992. His passion<br />
increased the firm’s efforts related to the environment and<br />
historic preservation. The firm continues to be a leader in<br />
sustainability, providing highly efficient, cost-effective,<br />
award-winning facilities. These include the Archbold<br />
Biological Station Lodge & Learning Center, which received<br />
LEED Platinum, and Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve<br />
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Interpretative Center, the first LEED-certified building in<br />
Lee County. Parker/Mudgett/Smith Architects includes two<br />
staff members who have held the LEED AP BD+C credential<br />
since its inception by the U.S. Green Building Council.<br />
Mudgett became a principal in 2001, and a focus on<br />
historic preservation grew that year when the firm began<br />
its relationship with the Edison & Ford Winter Estates. The<br />
firm provided the master site plan and architectural services<br />
for the $10 million project that restored every portion <strong>of</strong><br />
the estates. The buildings were painstakingly dismantled,<br />
restored or repaired, and reassembled to their original 1929<br />
configuration with close considerations <strong>of</strong> sustainability and<br />
conservation. Through the multiyear project, along with many<br />
awards, the firm won the respect and confidence <strong>of</strong> the estates<br />
staff and preservation organizations.<br />
The firm’s transition to a second generation <strong>of</strong> ownership<br />
truly began when Mudgett became president. The transition<br />
included an increase in the number and size <strong>of</strong> strategic<br />
alliances with internationally acclaimed architectural design<br />
firms. These collaborations have enabled Parker/Mudgett/Smith<br />
Architects to be completely immersed in large-scale projects,<br />
such as the redevelopment <strong>of</strong> downtown <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>; JetBlue<br />
Park, spring training home for the Boston Red Sox; and<br />
Hammond Stadium at CenturyLink Park, spring training<br />
home <strong>of</strong> the Minnesota Twins.<br />
The core beliefs and philosophies <strong>of</strong> Parker/Mudgett/Smith<br />
Architects thrive today. Sean P. Gilmore and Tyler F. Patak<br />
became principals in 2016. Gilmore, who grew up in Lee<br />
County, holds the LEED AP BD+C credential. Patak, a<br />
Lee County resident since 1977, also is LEED AP BD+C<br />
credentialed. This expansion has enabled the firm to address<br />
security and safety realities <strong>of</strong> today’s world. Patak was<br />
one <strong>of</strong> the first twenty pr<strong>of</strong>essionals nationwide to receive<br />
the pr<strong>of</strong>essional Crime Prevention Through Environmental<br />
Design designation.<br />
Parker’s service on the Lee County Planning Commission<br />
in the 1970s and the Conservation 20/20 environmental<br />
movement established a corporate attitude <strong>of</strong> embracing<br />
the community. This legacy is sustained through service on<br />
a variety <strong>of</strong> committees, boards, and organizations.<br />
The firm’s business model ensures principal involvement<br />
at every stage <strong>of</strong> each project. Bill Mudgett, Roger Smith,<br />
Jeff Mudgett, Tyler Patak, and Sean Gilmore <strong>of</strong>fer 150<br />
years <strong>of</strong> combined experience in Southwest Florida. This<br />
special combination <strong>of</strong> experience has served clients well<br />
in every aspect <strong>of</strong> individual projects, from the original<br />
conceptual design, through construction to completion.<br />
The company’s longevity and success are the result <strong>of</strong><br />
its traditional architectural expertise combined with a<br />
committed respect for the environment and in-depth<br />
knowledge <strong>of</strong> the region’s construction industry.<br />
Parker/Mudgett/Smith Architects, Inc., is located at<br />
2136 McGregor Boulevard, Ft. <strong>Myers</strong>, Florida 33901.<br />
Contact: (239) 332-1171 or PMSArch.com.<br />
❖<br />
Top, left: The Archbold Biological Station Lodge & Learning Center.<br />
Top, right: Edison & Ford Winter Estates.<br />
Below: JetBlue Park.<br />
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145
DEAN STEEL BUILDINGS,INC.<br />
❖<br />
Left to right, the Metallic Building Company representative,<br />
Charles and Robert Dean sign the dealership contract in 1968.<br />
Dean Steel Buildings, Inc., is the largest manufacturer <strong>of</strong><br />
metal building systems in Florida and continually works to<br />
increase its market share by providing outstanding customer<br />
service and experience in high-wind building designs.<br />
With annual sales <strong>of</strong> $15 million and climbing, Dean<br />
Steel Buildings, Inc., employs ninety to 100 people at<br />
facilities in <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>; Cedartown and Thomasville,<br />
Georgia; and San José, Costa Rica. Principal customers are<br />
contractors and metal building installers throughout the<br />
Southeast United States and the Americas as well as direct<br />
sales to government agencies and end-use customers.<br />
The genesis for all this success goes back to Robert “Bob”<br />
Dean, a welder and son <strong>of</strong> a welder, who owned and operated<br />
a welding shop on Anderson Avenue in <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>. In the<br />
early 1950s, Bob began selling and erecting pre-engineered<br />
metal buildings throughout the southern half <strong>of</strong> Florida,<br />
including the Florida Keys. Originally called Bob Dean Steel<br />
Buildings, Inc., the company purchased and installed metal<br />
buildings manufactured by Stran-Steel Buildings.<br />
His youngest son, Charles, a mechanical engineer, joined<br />
his father in the business in 1967, earned a contractor’s<br />
license, and with his father continued the practice <strong>of</strong> selling<br />
and erecting pre-engineered metal buildings. The company’s<br />
growth was not without obstacles. In the late 1960s, the<br />
<strong>City</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> refused to issue permits for metal ro<strong>of</strong>s<br />
to be used on commercial buildings. Charles had to<br />
convince the head city building <strong>of</strong>ficials that if metal<br />
ro<strong>of</strong>s were good enough for the early settlers—such as<br />
Thomas Edison and Henry Ford—they should be good<br />
enough for commercial buildings <strong>of</strong> that time.<br />
By 1971, operating under the name Dean Steel Buildings,<br />
Inc., the company purchased and installed metal buildings<br />
made primarily by Metallic Building Company. The company<br />
did so well that between 1970 and 1972, Dean Steel<br />
Buildings, Inc., was the largest volume builder in the<br />
country for Metallic Building Company. In 1973, Charles<br />
purchased the business from his father and was immediately<br />
confronted with a problem: A steel shortage forced Metallic<br />
Building Company to cancel orders placed by the company<br />
and other builders it worked with.<br />
To his credit, Charles saw an opportunity rather than<br />
just a problem and began traveling the state to meet<br />
with builders and ask them if they would buy from him<br />
if he started producing his own building line. The<br />
overwhelmingly positive response he received put Dean<br />
Steel Buildings in the manufacturing business for good.<br />
In 1985 the State <strong>of</strong> Florida mandated that all Florida<br />
counties develop a land-use plan that eventually required<br />
every commercial building in the state to go through a long<br />
permitting process. This occurred at the same time the economy<br />
began slipping into a recession. To remain competitive,<br />
a major modernization <strong>of</strong> equipment and processes began in<br />
1988, including the use <strong>of</strong> computer-aided drafting and the<br />
ability to electronically move information from drafting<br />
directly to the manufacturing machines. All work was done<br />
in-house, a process that continues to this day, allowing the<br />
company to be self-sufficient and highly efficient in its<br />
industry sector.<br />
It was about this time that Charles’ wife, Karen Dean,<br />
daughters, Nanette Dean, Julie Dean Fisher, Jeanie Dean<br />
Richards, Charlotte Dean Edwards, and sons-in-law Ken<br />
Fisher and Jeff Richards joined the organization in various<br />
roles. They joined Charles and Bob, who continued to work<br />
in a support role until Bob’s death in 2006.<br />
In 1992, while the rest <strong>of</strong> the industry went to China or<br />
India, the company started an engineering and drafting<br />
<strong>of</strong>fice in San José, Costa Rica. In a time when the Internet<br />
was still in its fledgling stage, Dean Steel Buildings was<br />
transmitting digital drawings and material lists through<br />
commercial servers in California.<br />
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Today, Dean Steel Buildings, Inc., is a member <strong>of</strong> the Metal<br />
Building Manufacturers Association, is certified ISO 9001,<br />
and accredited to AC-472. Achieving ISO 9001 certification<br />
has allowed the company to focus its operations on:<br />
• Customer satisfaction, providing products with the highest<br />
quality standards possible.<br />
• Problem-solving techniques and continuous improvement<br />
<strong>of</strong> systems, procedures, products, and people.<br />
• Teamwork, continual training, and employee support.<br />
With the company’s innovative systems, advanced<br />
computer-aided design and manufacturing technology,<br />
there is no limit to its creativity. Dean Steel Buildings, Inc.,<br />
has become the modern, economical form <strong>of</strong> construction<br />
for practically every building application. From large<br />
commercial and industrial facilities to neighborhood<br />
shopping centers, <strong>of</strong>fice buildings, commercial banks, and<br />
even private homes.<br />
The company has four decades <strong>of</strong> hands-on experience in<br />
every component and every system it produces. Its tradition<br />
<strong>of</strong> quality and reliability, combined with design flexibility<br />
and personalized service, allows Dean Steel<br />
Buildings to enjoy an outstanding reputation<br />
among architects and contractors.<br />
The company believes competence can only<br />
be achieved if the organization is capable<br />
<strong>of</strong> managing the training needs <strong>of</strong> its<br />
staff. The company makes every employee<br />
directly involved in each step <strong>of</strong> the<br />
process because it depends on its people,<br />
their experience, abilities, and knowledge.<br />
As for the future, Dean Steel Buildings,<br />
Inc., plans to welcome the next generation<br />
into this family owned business as Charles<br />
and Karen’s grandchildren join the company. Dean Steel<br />
Buildings, Inc., will continue providing the quality service<br />
and products its customers have come to expect while<br />
evolving into a more customer-centered business using social<br />
media and Internet advertising. As a result <strong>of</strong> these efforts<br />
and more, Dean Steel Buildings, Inc., is positioned to grow<br />
its business as the communities in which it operates grow.<br />
❖<br />
Top, left: McArthur Farms.<br />
Top, right: Roi’s Bar-B-Que Restaurant.<br />
Above: Dollar General Store.<br />
FORT MYERS PARTNERS<br />
147
❖<br />
HENDERSON, FRANKLIN,<br />
STARNES & HOLT, P.A.<br />
Top, left: James A. Franklin, Sr.<br />
Top, right: Robert A. Henderson, Jr.<br />
Law firms do not usually come to mind when one<br />
recounts the history and growth <strong>of</strong> a city, county, or state,<br />
but without good legal advice growth takes place slowly,<br />
erratically, or not at all. Southwest Florida would not<br />
have grown as it has in the past century had it not been<br />
for Henderson, Franklin, Starnes & Holt, P.A., and the<br />
efforts <strong>of</strong> its two founders and the many talented attorneys<br />
who followed.<br />
The partnership that began in 1924 when James A.<br />
Franklin, Sr., moved to <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> to join Robert A.<br />
Henderson, Jr., to practice general law has grown into<br />
Below: The Henderson, Franklin, Starnes & Holt Building.<br />
one <strong>of</strong> the largest law firms between Tampa and Miami<br />
with more than fifty attorneys practicing in a wide range<br />
<strong>of</strong> legal specialties. The main <strong>of</strong>fice is set in a five-story<br />
building in the heart <strong>of</strong> downtown <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>, across<br />
the street from the Lee County Justice Center and two<br />
blocks from the federal courthouse. Two additional <strong>of</strong>fices<br />
are located on Sanibel Island and Bonita Springs.<br />
The firm’s original site was located on First Street<br />
where the two founders played important roles in shaping<br />
<strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>. Henderson helped organize the Caloosahatchee<br />
River Bridge Company, started the <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> Building &<br />
Loan Company (later becoming First Federal Savings &<br />
Loan), and helped bring in the Atlantic Coastline Railroad.<br />
Franklin, Sr., served in both World Wars, in the state<br />
senate for three terms, and as president <strong>of</strong> the Florida<br />
Bar Association. He finished World War II as a lieutenant<br />
colonel after helping establish the military government in<br />
Frankfurt, Germany, and accepting the surrender <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Nazis. For his wartime efforts, Franklin, Sr., received a<br />
Bronze Star and four campaign ribbons.<br />
In 1942, F. E. Starnes and Parker Holt joined as partners<br />
and the firm took on the name it has maintained to<br />
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this day. James A. Franklin, Jr., followed in his father’s<br />
footsteps by joining the firm in 1949, becoming its<br />
sixth lawyer. Holt later became city attorney for<br />
<strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>, which forced Franklin, Jr., into the role<br />
<strong>of</strong> trial lawyer, where he earned the moniker <strong>of</strong> the<br />
“Silver Fox.”<br />
In 1951 the firm moved to the second floor <strong>of</strong> the Lee<br />
County Bank Building at the corner <strong>of</strong> Main and Hendry<br />
Streets. Ten years later, a one-story <strong>of</strong>fice on Second Street<br />
was built to house its nine attorneys and support staff.<br />
A second story was added in 1964. During the 1970s,<br />
the <strong>of</strong>fice expanded more than once, and as the decade<br />
came to a close the firm boasted twenty attorneys.<br />
By 1988 the firm had broken ground on a five-story<br />
<strong>of</strong>fice building at 1715 Monroe Street adjacent to the<br />
Second Street building. The firm had become full service<br />
with sixteen legal practices and eventually grew to over<br />
sixty attorneys. In 2014, Henderson, Franklin, Starnes, &<br />
Holt celebrated its ninetieth anniversary.<br />
Such longevity does not come easily or by accident.<br />
It is the result <strong>of</strong> hard work, talented people, and a guiding<br />
philosophy that serves clients and enhances the legal<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essional. Henderson, Franklin, Starnes & Holt, P.A.,<br />
holds itself to the highest standards <strong>of</strong> the pr<strong>of</strong>ession.<br />
Its goal is to continually demonstrate the firm’s capabilities<br />
and experience and to build and maintain trust with<br />
its clients.<br />
The firm continues to uphold the principles <strong>of</strong> its<br />
founders and its commitment to the communities <strong>of</strong><br />
Southwest Florida. Franklin, Sr., understood the importance<br />
<strong>of</strong> giving back to the community and worked to hire<br />
associates who were “imbued with high ideals and filled with<br />
the desire to be <strong>of</strong> service to the community.”<br />
Henderson Franklin follows that example to this day.<br />
It believes that to be real leaders its commitment must<br />
extend beyond work. Its attorneys have contributed to<br />
the communities <strong>of</strong> Southwest Florida by serving as city<br />
attorney, school board attorney, and as members <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Florida Legislature. Many <strong>of</strong> its attorneys have provided<br />
leadership to the Lee County Bar Association and the<br />
Florida Bar, serving as presidents, committee and section<br />
chairpersons, or both. Several <strong>of</strong> its attorneys have moved<br />
on to become judges in various courts.<br />
The firm takes pride in supporting charitable organizations<br />
throughout the region and helping others achieve<br />
success. Through the years, the firm and its staff have<br />
served on the boards <strong>of</strong> many community and philanthropic<br />
organizations, including the American Cancer Society,<br />
American Heart Association, Big Brothers Big Sisters,<br />
Children’s Home Society, Community Cooperative, Foster<br />
Care Council <strong>of</strong> Southwest Florida, Habitat for Humanity,<br />
Harry Chapin Food Bank, Hope Hospice, Junior<br />
Achievement, March <strong>of</strong> Dimes, PACE Center for Girls <strong>of</strong><br />
Lee County, Southwest Florida Community Foundation,<br />
United Way, and many others. The firm also provides<br />
scholarships to students at Florida Gulf Coast University,<br />
Florida SouthWestern State College, and for the <strong>City</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
Cape Coral Mayor’s Scholarship Fund.<br />
Henderson Franklin was named as an Industry<br />
Appreciation Honoree as part <strong>of</strong> an annual statewide celebration<br />
<strong>of</strong> business to raise public awareness <strong>of</strong> the positive<br />
contributions that industry makes to local communities.<br />
Its strict adherence to excellence, high ethical standards,<br />
and serving the interests <strong>of</strong> clients is the cornerstone<br />
<strong>of</strong> the firm’s practice and will serve it well in the<br />
future. Whether in the courtroom or the boardroom,<br />
the depth <strong>of</strong> Henderson, Franklin, Starnes & Holt<br />
sets it apart so clients can enjoy the peace <strong>of</strong> mind that<br />
comes with experienced representation and exceptional<br />
client service.<br />
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SOUTHWEST FLORIDA<br />
INTERNATIONAL<br />
AIRPORT<br />
Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW), operated<br />
by the Lee County Port Authority under the supervision <strong>of</strong><br />
the Lee County Board <strong>of</strong> Port Commissioners, was certified<br />
for operation in May 1983 and is one <strong>of</strong> the newest airports<br />
in the nation. Located in <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>, RSW is the front door<br />
to some <strong>of</strong> the most beautiful and unique destinations in<br />
the world along Florida’s Gulf Coast, including Sanibel,<br />
Captiva, Naples, Marco Island and the Everglades.<br />
After decades <strong>of</strong> record-breaking growth, a<br />
new state-<strong>of</strong>-the-art terminal complex opened<br />
in 2005, <strong>of</strong>fering travelers a spacious, bright,<br />
open terminal with 3 concourses and 28 gates,<br />
with future expansion to 65 gates. RSW has<br />
local and nationally branded food, beverage<br />
and retail establishments, ample charging<br />
stations, free Wi-Fi throughout the terminal<br />
and an on-site rental car service center.<br />
Recent projects completed to handle future<br />
growth and enhance the customer experience<br />
at RSW included the opening <strong>of</strong> the I-75<br />
Airport Direct Connect roadway and the addition<br />
<strong>of</strong> Airport Plaza, with a large cell phone<br />
lot adjacent to a gas station and convenience<br />
store. Long-term projects include widening<br />
the airport’s entrance road, as well as design and construction<br />
<strong>of</strong> a new Air Traffic Control Tower and second runway.<br />
RSW is a Class A Port <strong>of</strong> Entry with full-service customs<br />
and immigration services and an international transit lounge.<br />
The entire airport is designated as a Foreign Trade Zone, which<br />
provides special customs procedures advantageous to U.S.<br />
companies engaged in international trade-related activities.<br />
RSW also has significant land opportunities at Skyplex,<br />
which encompasses approximately 1,100 acres for commercial<br />
development including non-aviation and aviation businesses.<br />
Southwest Florida International Airport serves millions <strong>of</strong><br />
travelers annually and is in the top fifty U.S. airports for<br />
passenger traffic. Major airlines serve RSW with nonstop<br />
service throughout the U.S. and multiple international<br />
flights to Canada and Germany, as well as convenient<br />
connections worldwide.<br />
Southwest Florida International Airport is a six-time<br />
recipient <strong>of</strong> the Florida Department <strong>of</strong> Transportation’s<br />
(FDOT) Commercial Service Airport <strong>of</strong> the Year Award.<br />
RSW also ranked highest in medium-sized airports for<br />
traveler satisfaction in the 2015 J.D. Power North American<br />
Airport Satisfaction Study. In addition, the airport has<br />
been recognized by regional, state and national industry<br />
organizations for its construction, environmental, safety and<br />
communications projects.<br />
A 2014 FDOT Economic Impact<br />
Study shows RSW’s total contribution<br />
to the region’s economy, through<br />
direct and indirect sources, is $4.3<br />
billion annually and 45,000 jobs.<br />
Southwest Florida International<br />
Airport is committed to providing<br />
the finest amenities and best travel<br />
experience to the millions <strong>of</strong> visitors<br />
who use the airport each year.<br />
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Located in the heart <strong>of</strong> <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>, Page Field (FMY) is<br />
Southwest Florida’s premier business and general aviation<br />
airport. The Lee County Port Authority, under the supervision<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Lee County Board <strong>of</strong> Port Commissioners, operates<br />
Page Field and provides services to corporate, commercial<br />
and private aviators through their business arm and<br />
fixed-base operator, Base Operations. As the reliever airport<br />
for the region’s commercial airport, Southwest Florida<br />
International Airport (RSW), Page Field is vital to the<br />
air transportation system in Southwest Florida. With an<br />
average <strong>of</strong> more than 87,000 annual operations, Page Field<br />
is a thriving community airport that is home to more than<br />
320 privately operated aircraft, 189 T-hangars, 3 bulk<br />
hangars and 16 on-field businesses. The total contribution<br />
from airport operations to the region’s economy is $109.3<br />
million annually and more than 1,000 jobs, according to<br />
the Florida Department <strong>of</strong> Transportation (FDOT) 2014<br />
Economic Impact Study.<br />
Page Field was certified for operation in 1927 and has a<br />
rich military history. The airport was named after Captain<br />
Channing Page, a local World War I fighter pilot and<br />
the first Floridian to receive commission into the Army<br />
Air Corps. During World War II, the airport was an<br />
important bomber and advanced fighter training base. After<br />
World War II, FMY served as Southwest Florida’s primary<br />
commercial service airport until RSW opened in 1983.<br />
The new 22,613-square-foot Base Operations at Page<br />
Field terminal opened in 2011. The facility was designed to<br />
honor the past, while providing modern, state-<strong>of</strong>-the-art<br />
amenities to support the future <strong>of</strong> business and general<br />
aviation. The project also included easy access from<br />
runways with a new parallel taxiway, a new 24,000-squarefoot<br />
itinerant aircraft hangar and 600,000 square feet<br />
<strong>of</strong> adjacent ramp space for business aircraft parking.<br />
The terminal building has a spacious lobby featuring<br />
World War II memorabilia, a weather briefing and flight<br />
planning room, pilot lounge, recreation room, snack room,<br />
pilot and gift shop, executive conference<br />
room and seminar facilities. The awardwinning<br />
team <strong>of</strong> experienced line service<br />
agents and helpful customer service<br />
representatives at Base Operations take<br />
pride in providing expert care for pilots,<br />
passengers and crews.<br />
Page Field has been awarded the FDOT<br />
General Aviation Airport <strong>of</strong> the Year three<br />
times. In addition, Base Operations at<br />
Page Field has been ranked among the top<br />
twenty percent <strong>of</strong> all fixed-base operators<br />
in the Americas by Aviation International<br />
News for four consecutive years.<br />
Page Field is proud <strong>of</strong> its storied past<br />
and today continues an impressive legacy<br />
<strong>of</strong> aviation services in world-class facilities.<br />
PAGE FIELD<br />
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❖<br />
GALLOWAY AUTO<br />
Above: Lee Motors, c. 1927.<br />
Below: Sam Galloway Ford located on Colonial Boulevard.<br />
In 1927, <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>, Florida, was recovering from a<br />
devastating hurricane that had destroyed much <strong>of</strong> the<br />
city the previous year. It was a time <strong>of</strong> great growth and<br />
population boom. Gladiolus fields were abundant, farming<br />
was the primary industry, Model T’s ruled the road, and<br />
<strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>’ most famous residents were American icons<br />
Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, and Harvey Firestone. With<br />
the much-anticipated opening <strong>of</strong> Tamiami Trail connecting<br />
Miami to <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>, Miami residents and business owners,<br />
Theresa and David Shackelford, purchased Tropical Motors<br />
in downtown <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>.<br />
The business, which was<br />
located on Main Street<br />
where the Lee County<br />
Justice Center now sits, was<br />
renamed Lee Motors and<br />
became the first Ford dealership<br />
in Southwest Florida.<br />
Lee Motors prospered<br />
throughout much <strong>of</strong> its<br />
history. Having survived the<br />
Great Depression, the 1940s<br />
brought growth and change when Sam Galloway, Sr.,<br />
married Theresa and David Shackelford’s daughter, Mary<br />
Ann, in 1943. Sam and Mary Ann married in Miami and<br />
immediately moved to <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> where Sam accepted<br />
operating control <strong>of</strong> the dealership.<br />
In 1963, at the urging <strong>of</strong> the Ford Motor Company<br />
Lee Motors changed its name to Sam Galloway Ford and<br />
relocated from downtown <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> to the corner <strong>of</strong><br />
U.S. 41 and Colonial Boulevard. Sam, Sr., and Mary Ann<br />
remained owners <strong>of</strong> the dealership until 1970 when their<br />
eldest child, Sam Galloway, Jr., purchased the dealership<br />
at the age <strong>of</strong> twenty-six, becoming the youngest Ford<br />
dealer in America. Although young, Sam, Jr., did not lack<br />
experience. He grew up in the dealership and began<br />
working immediately upon graduating from <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong><br />
Senior High School. He did everything from repairs to sales<br />
and everything in between working hard and gaining<br />
knowledge <strong>of</strong> the business as he went. Under Sam, Jr.’s<br />
leadership, Sam Galloway Ford grew from a small motor<br />
company to one the largest Ford dealerships in the United<br />
States and one <strong>of</strong> the largest employers in Lee County.<br />
By the mid-1990s, Lee County was in a major growth<br />
phase. Sam, Jr., saw the growth moving south and took a<br />
chance by purchasing a large parcel <strong>of</strong> land on the newly<br />
constructed Boy Scout Drive. In 1996, just shy <strong>of</strong> the<br />
organization’s seventieth anniversary, Sam Galloway Ford<br />
relocated from their iconic corner on U.S. 41 and Colonial<br />
Boulevard to their current location at 1800 Boy Scout Drive.<br />
There, the family tradition continues. Today, the fourth<br />
generation, made up <strong>of</strong> Sam, Jr., and Kathy Galloway’s<br />
three children, Sam Galloway III, Katherine Galloway<br />
Dougherty, and Robert Galloway are all partners in the<br />
family <strong>of</strong> dealerships known as Galloway Auto.<br />
Galloway Auto (as <strong>of</strong> 2016) is made up <strong>of</strong> Sam Galloway<br />
Ford Lincoln, Coconut Point Ford, and Galloway Direct.<br />
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❖<br />
Left: Galloway Ford located at 1800 Boy Scout Drive in <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>.<br />
Below: Coconut Point Ford located at 22400 South Tamiami Trail in Estero.<br />
The Galloway Auto Group prides itself on the longstanding<br />
tradition <strong>of</strong> excellence that began with Lee Motors in 1927.<br />
Sam Galloway Ford has been a member <strong>of</strong> the Ford Motor<br />
Company’s One Hundred Club since the award’s inception.<br />
The One Hundred Club recognizes the Top 100 dealers<br />
in the country for distinguished sales performance each<br />
year. Coconut Point Ford in Estero (as <strong>of</strong> 2016) has<br />
won three consecutive President’s Awards, Ford Motor<br />
Company’s highest honor for customer satisfaction. The<br />
award that has the most meaning to the entire family<br />
and organization, however, is Sam Galloway Ford’s Salute<br />
To Dealers Award. Ford Motor Company recognizes<br />
select dealers with this award for their compassion and<br />
dedication to causes that make a significant difference in<br />
the lives <strong>of</strong> people in need. This recognition is especially<br />
meaningful to the family because it recognizes their efforts<br />
in philanthropy and community support, which has been<br />
a hallmark <strong>of</strong> both the Galloway family and businesses<br />
for four generations. Whether it is supporting the men and<br />
women <strong>of</strong> law enforcement, feeding the homeless and<br />
hungry, or providing shelter to abandoned and abused<br />
animals, the Galloway family feels compelled to support<br />
the community that they have belonged to for the better<br />
part <strong>of</strong> a century. Often times, they are asked why they serve<br />
their community so vigorously and their answer is simple:<br />
“It’s the right thing to do.”<br />
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MARK LOREN DESIGNS, INC.<br />
Mark Loren Designs, Inc., is not the type <strong>of</strong> place people<br />
peruse for a few minutes on their way to some other place.<br />
It is a destination in and <strong>of</strong> itself. It is a place where people<br />
who enjoy jewelry, design, and art converge to revel in an<br />
environment that combines the quirky with the elegant.<br />
This award-winning jewelry and design gallery attracts<br />
people with curious minds and an appreciation for the<br />
aesthetic, whether it is at the 13351 McGregor Boulevard<br />
goldsmithing studio/gallery or the Mercato store that opened<br />
in Naples at 9118 Strada Place, Suite 8120, in 2012. At<br />
Mark Loren Designs, a talented team <strong>of</strong> expert artisans works<br />
to create treasured pieces that have earned them celebrity<br />
status with both industry critics and jewelry mavens.<br />
While other jewelers purchase parts and assemble them,<br />
Loren and his staff combine traditional jewelry with antique<br />
items they either find themselves or receive from customers.<br />
What <strong>of</strong>ten follows is a dialogue between customer and<br />
craftsman that results in a one-<strong>of</strong>-a-kind creation that <strong>of</strong>ten<br />
become beloved heirlooms. Commitment to creativity and<br />
design rather than an assembly-line attitude has led<br />
Southwest Floridians to designate Mark Loren Designs as the<br />
region’s favorite custom jewelry designer. It also has earned<br />
him and his staff a national reputation for <strong>of</strong>fering unique<br />
and rare gemstones, innovative diamond rings, exceptional<br />
engagement and wedding bands, and items you will not find<br />
in traditional jewelry stores.<br />
Items such as fossils and minerals, antiquities, and Toe<br />
Touches–Mark Loren Designs’ exclusive custom-fit locking<br />
gold and diamond toe rings. A visit to either <strong>of</strong> their stores<br />
or their website at www.marklorendesigns.com will reveal a<br />
menagerie <strong>of</strong> necklaces, bracelets, rings, and earrings, along<br />
with pieces designed to appeal to men. Cufflinks, money<br />
clips, and knives are among the items popular with men<br />
along with less traditional pieces such as a pair <strong>of</strong> black jade<br />
dice with opal inlay.<br />
Words and phrases like “unique,” “one-<strong>of</strong>-a-kind,” and<br />
“works <strong>of</strong> art” do not do justice to the riches you will find<br />
here. A sampling <strong>of</strong> treasures reveals the following:<br />
• Viking bronze fibula (900 A.D.) paired with a glittering,<br />
pear-shaped rainbow titania agate druzy accented by<br />
diamonds and a brilliant trillion-cut peridot.<br />
• National award-winning 14-karat white-gold pendant set<br />
with Bernd Munsteiner-cut bi-color tourmaline accented<br />
with blue and white diamonds.<br />
• 14-karat rose gold hammered cuff bracelet with an<br />
ancient cross affixed with baguette diamonds.<br />
• hand-fabricated 14-karat gold ring created with an English<br />
gold sovereign minted in 1903 accenting a tension-set,<br />
lab-grown oval purple sapphire.<br />
• ancient Roman glass and pearl reverse wire earrings in<br />
14-karat white gold set with ancient Roman glass segments<br />
and black pearls, accented by Marquis-cut diamonds.<br />
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Words cannot do justice to what you will see at Mark<br />
Loren Designs, and space does not permit a full sampling <strong>of</strong><br />
the creations you will find there. A visit to one <strong>of</strong> his stores<br />
or to his website is mandatory to completely appreciate the<br />
variety, although it takes more than one visit to take it all in<br />
and new additions guarantee that each visit will be unique.<br />
Repeat customers make a pilgrimage to this mecca <strong>of</strong><br />
creativity on a regular basis. Through the years, this<br />
Chicago native and his equally talented staff have won<br />
an array <strong>of</strong> awards, including several Spectrum Awards<br />
presented by the American Gem Trade Association. People<br />
in the industry equate winning a Spectrum Award to<br />
winning an Academy Award, and Loren’s skills continue<br />
to receive recognition. His work was included in<br />
Masters: Gemstones—Major Works by Leading Jewelers by<br />
Lark Books/Sterling Publishing Company, a publication<br />
featuring major works by thirty-nine master artists.<br />
Many <strong>of</strong> those who have discovered Mark Loren Designs<br />
are affiliated with local nonpr<strong>of</strong>it organizations, and thus<br />
began a symbiotic relationship that endures decades after<br />
it began. Loren began donating items to charity auctions,<br />
and many <strong>of</strong> the people who attended these functions took<br />
note and began turning to him for their jewelry needs.<br />
He met many <strong>of</strong> his top clients through philanthropic<br />
work. The benefit to donating to worthy causes comes<br />
in helping nonpr<strong>of</strong>its raise money to help people and<br />
improve the quality <strong>of</strong> life in Southwest Florida while<br />
sparking relationships with people with whom he already<br />
has something in common.<br />
Relationships are what keeps Mark Loren Designs<br />
thriving. Personal relationships. Business relationships.<br />
Relationships between like-minded craftsmen. Loren<br />
estimates he knows sixty percent <strong>of</strong> the customers who<br />
walk through his McGregor Boulevard doors, and he is<br />
getting to know a growing percentage <strong>of</strong> the clientele who<br />
regularly visit the Mercato in Naples. Open and friendly is<br />
the atmosphere Loren promotes, giving customers another<br />
reason to head to his stores excited and expectant.<br />
You never know what you will find at Mark Loren Designs,<br />
and this sense <strong>of</strong> discovery makes the journey all the<br />
more exciting.<br />
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FLORIDA SOUTHWESTERN<br />
STATE COLLEGE<br />
❖<br />
The Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers at the <strong>City</strong> <strong>of</strong> Palms Park<br />
playing a night baseball game.<br />
Over fifty years ago, the region’s first college was launched<br />
in <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>. The original buildings, constructed in the 1960s,<br />
were surrounded by fields in an area that was considered<br />
the outskirts <strong>of</strong> a bustling and growing city. Today, Florida<br />
SouthWestern State College’s (FSW) campus, called the<br />
Thomas Edison Campus, continues to grow, not only in the<br />
number <strong>of</strong> students, but also in the variety <strong>of</strong> <strong>of</strong>ferings.<br />
Florida SouthWestern State College is part <strong>of</strong> the economic<br />
engine that not only provides employment for 1,400 full and<br />
part-time pr<strong>of</strong>essionals, but also impacts the lives <strong>of</strong> thousands<br />
<strong>of</strong> students and their families. FSW has nearly 22,000 students<br />
enrolled annually on campuses in Naples, <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>, and<br />
Punta Gorda, and a regional center in LaBelle. The college’s<br />
region covers 5,448 square miles, and in Lee County alone,<br />
the overall economic impact is over $410.6M.<br />
Students can earn pr<strong>of</strong>essional certifications, associate<br />
and bachelor degrees that are focused on workforce careers.<br />
At FSW, learning has no boundaries. The college launched its<br />
Center for International Education to enhance study abroad<br />
opportunities, in addition to actively recruiting students<br />
from this area and beyond. FSW also launched an <strong>of</strong>fice <strong>of</strong><br />
sponsored programs to encourage faculty and student research<br />
opportunities. The college has faculty and students researching<br />
subjects from AIDS and its interference with human DNA to<br />
comparative politics that include trips to Managua, Nicaragua;<br />
students also have experienced French immersion in Annecy,<br />
France. Not only are students learning abroad, but also coming<br />
to FSW from other countries.<br />
FSW’s degrees and certifications are focused on workforce<br />
careers, from health pr<strong>of</strong>essionals and teachers to business<br />
specialists, technology experts, and public safety administrators.<br />
The college has five schools: School <strong>of</strong> Health Pr<strong>of</strong>essions;<br />
School <strong>of</strong> Business & Technology; School <strong>of</strong> Education; School<br />
<strong>of</strong> Pure & Applied Sciences; and School <strong>of</strong> Arts, Humanities and<br />
Social Sciences. Many <strong>of</strong> the college’s programs are nationally<br />
ranked. Graduates <strong>of</strong> FSW’s nationally accredited Associate<br />
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<strong>of</strong> Science in Dental Hygiene program have had 100 percent<br />
passing rates on the National Board Dental Hygiene<br />
Examination for seventeen years. Graduates <strong>of</strong> FSW’s<br />
nationally accredited Associate <strong>of</strong> Science in Radiology<br />
Technology have had 100 percent passing rates on the<br />
certification examination for the past eight years. This passing<br />
rate ranks the program in the top fifteen percent nationally.<br />
FSW is the state leader in fiscal management for<br />
CareerSource’s FloridaFlex Grants. These grants are designed<br />
to support customized training for new hires and new<br />
businesses. In the past six years, FSW has managed $6.1M<br />
to train 3,500 new hires.<br />
The college is also known for its dedication to the arts. In<br />
2016, FSW celebrated the thirtieth anniversary <strong>of</strong> the Barbara<br />
B. Mann Performing Arts Hall, which is an integral part <strong>of</strong> the<br />
college. It is here where residents and visitors alike can enjoy<br />
a wide variety <strong>of</strong> world-class performances, from Broadway<br />
Series shows ranging from Phantom <strong>of</strong> the Opera, Jersey Boys,<br />
Dirty Dancing and 42nd Street, to The Sound <strong>of</strong> Music and<br />
Camelot. Concerts and performances range from Jay Leno,<br />
Jerry Seinfeld and Steve Martin to Harry Connick, Jr., Trisha<br />
Yearwood, Diana Ross and Tony Bennett to Styx and<br />
IL VOLVO. The Hall is also home to FSW’s Jazz Ensemble,<br />
Orchestra and Symphony.<br />
The Bob Rauschenberg Gallery at FSW includes numerous<br />
exhibits open to the public featuring artists <strong>of</strong> modern and<br />
contemporary art in all mediums, including the works <strong>of</strong> the<br />
late Rauschenberg and international names like Yoko Ono.<br />
Within the Richard H. Rush Library, we also have the Rush<br />
Collections Gallery on the ground floor. The Black Box<br />
Theatre is home to FSW’s stage productions.<br />
FSW has long <strong>of</strong>fered students an exceptional academic<br />
experience and a vibrant student life with almost thirty clubs<br />
plus intramural sports. To give students the complete college<br />
experience, FSW has added intercollegiate athletics to its<br />
<strong>of</strong>ferings. The Buccaneers baseball and s<strong>of</strong>tball teams played<br />
their first home games in recent times at <strong>City</strong> <strong>of</strong> Palms Park,<br />
which is the former spring training site for the Boston Red<br />
Sox. More recently, the Suncoast Credit Union Arena on the<br />
<strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> campus opened to serve as home to the men’s and<br />
women’s basketball teams and the women’s volleyball team.<br />
In addition to athletic events, the arena is home to community<br />
events, concerts, and graduation ceremonies.<br />
FSW has earned a Gold Tier ranking and scored perfectly<br />
in the areas <strong>of</strong> job placement and completer entry-level wages<br />
based on a recent state initiative to reward student outcomes<br />
instead <strong>of</strong> enrollment. FSW <strong>of</strong>ficials believe the rating<br />
validates what people in Southwest Florida have long known:<br />
Florida SouthWest State College is a leader in public higher<br />
education. The results highlight the talents <strong>of</strong> FSW’s faculty<br />
and staff, who encourage, inspire, and lead students to<br />
achieve greatness in the classroom today and in the<br />
community tomorrow.<br />
❖<br />
Left: The Florida SouthWestern State Jazz Ensemble on stage at the<br />
Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall.<br />
Below: A Florida SouthWestern State student from the School <strong>of</strong><br />
Health Pr<strong>of</strong>essions.<br />
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ALLIANCE FOR THE ARTS<br />
Nestled on a ten-acre campus on historic McGregor<br />
Boulevard on the western edge <strong>of</strong> <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> is an organization<br />
that has had a major impact on the culture <strong>of</strong><br />
Lee County for more than forty years. Its mission is to<br />
connect people to the arts, and to each other. Its members,<br />
volunteers and staff believe those kinds <strong>of</strong> connections<br />
make people, and their community as a whole, stronger.<br />
They believe there is a direct correlation between the<br />
strength <strong>of</strong> the arts community and the overall quality <strong>of</strong><br />
life <strong>of</strong> everyone who lives in Southwest Florida.<br />
<strong>Fort</strong>y years ago, there was no unified arts community<br />
or venue where it all came together. So in 1975, a group <strong>of</strong><br />
visionary leaders: <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> Attorney Charles B. Edwards,<br />
Architect William R. Frizzell, Edison State College President<br />
David G. Robinson, Barbara B. Mann, Tom Walters and dance<br />
instructor Jeanne Bochette, donated land, raised funds for<br />
construction and organized an Alliance for the Arts, which<br />
opened <strong>of</strong>ficially in a small farmhouse in December <strong>of</strong> 1978.<br />
The farmhouse has been replaced by facilities that include<br />
three art galleries; which account for sixteen exhibits and a<br />
total <strong>of</strong> 325 exhibition days a year; a 150-seat theater which<br />
presents more than 100 theatrical performances annually, and<br />
an open-air amphitheater for concerts, plays and festivals.<br />
From its eight classrooms, the Alliance <strong>of</strong>fers classes, camps,<br />
and other youth education programs that serve more than<br />
2,500 kids annually. Studio courses, workshops and adult<br />
education art classes that attract more than 1,000 students<br />
annually. Classroom, conference, and studio space for area<br />
artists, businesses, and other local organizations is available.<br />
On the grounds outside, even folks not inclined toward the<br />
arts enjoy fresh produce, gardening workshops, yoga, drum<br />
circles, and musical performances at the Alliance’s popular<br />
GreenMarket, as well as outdoor family movie nights,<br />
bluegrass concerts, and other large community festivals.<br />
Not only is the Alliance a venue where amateur and pr<strong>of</strong>essional<br />
artists can obtain the instruction they need to hone<br />
and develop their skills and talent, it is a place where new<br />
generations <strong>of</strong> visual and performing artists, dancers, singers<br />
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and musicians are inspired to pursue art-based careers. Since<br />
1989, Open Doors program has provided students referred<br />
by educational and social service organizations who demonstrate<br />
artistic talent or interest the ability to take art classes<br />
at no charge. The program gives students a venue to create<br />
and learn about art, express themselves freely, develop<br />
their creative potential, and exhibit their work all under the<br />
creative eyes <strong>of</strong> artist mentors. Since 2002 the Alliance has<br />
partnered with area art teachers to provide elementary, middle<br />
and high school students the chance to show their work<br />
in a month-long exhibit, giving them a chance to feel what it<br />
is like to have their artwork displayed in a formal gallery.<br />
The Alliance for the Arts entertains through concerts,<br />
plays, festivals and more. It educates through year-round<br />
classes for all ages and summer, winter and spring camps<br />
for kids. It provides opportunities for artists to display their<br />
work in three galleries, sell their work in its gift shop,<br />
and teach classes and workshops. It provides a space for<br />
organizations and clubs to get together for meetings and<br />
events. It is a community center where people from all walks<br />
<strong>of</strong> life come together to celebrate the arts.<br />
The Alliance is not just a host and presenter. It is also a vocal<br />
advocate for the importance <strong>of</strong> the arts beyond its campus. The<br />
Alliance for the Arts is the county’s state-designated Local Arts<br />
Agency. Together with its more than 1,200 members and fifty<br />
plus nonpr<strong>of</strong>it arts partner organizations, the Alliance works to<br />
make the region’s economy broader and even stronger through<br />
the arts, benefitting tourists, residents, and local businesses.<br />
Thanks to data collected by a team <strong>of</strong> volunteers coordinated<br />
by the Alliance, we know that in 2010—at the height<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Great Recession—Lee County’s nonpr<strong>of</strong>it arts and<br />
culture industry generated $68.3 million in economic activity,<br />
supported 2,038 full-time equivalent jobs and produced $9.4<br />
million in revenue for the <strong>City</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>, Lee County and<br />
the State <strong>of</strong> Florida. The Americans for the Arts & Economic<br />
Prosperity IV study found that Lee County’s nonpr<strong>of</strong>it arts<br />
and culture organizations spent $23.2 million during fiscal<br />
year 2010, which included wages and salaries, supplies,<br />
contract services and related expenditures. Those dollars, in<br />
turn, generated $21.3 million in household income for local<br />
residents and $3.1 million in local and state government<br />
revenues. In other words, the arts mean business!<br />
The Alliance for the Arts is many things to many people.<br />
It works daily through its energetic and dedicated staff,<br />
volunteers and members to facilitate and nurture the<br />
creation, development, promotion and education <strong>of</strong> arts and<br />
culture in Lee County. They do it because it is their passion.<br />
They love the arts. They love Lee County. They love helping<br />
to create a community in which the arts and culture flourish.<br />
And it shows.<br />
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❖<br />
AIM ENGINEERING &<br />
SURVEYING, INC.<br />
Right: AIM surveying the original I-75 bridges over the Peace River in<br />
Charlotte County.<br />
Below: Larry Bennett and James D. Hull, founders <strong>of</strong> AIM Engineering<br />
& Surveying, c. 1980.<br />
AIM Engineering & Surveying, Inc., is synonymous with<br />
Florida’s growth, having started in 1980 as a partnership<br />
between two pr<strong>of</strong>essional engineers and land surveyors<br />
licensed in the State <strong>of</strong> Florida. During the next threeplus<br />
decades, AIM played a major role in everything from<br />
surveying to flood control to construction management on<br />
a wide range <strong>of</strong> projects integral to the state’s growth.<br />
AIM is now a full-service planning, engineering, surveying<br />
and construction management company with multiple<br />
locations throughout Florida. The company <strong>of</strong>fers a wide<br />
range <strong>of</strong> services to assist clients during all phases <strong>of</strong> project<br />
delivery from planning through construction and backs<br />
every project with experience, talented staff, and superior<br />
service. AIM, which backs its work with a corporate commitment<br />
to total quality management, has extensive experience<br />
working with federal, state, and local agencies. It has a<br />
successful history <strong>of</strong> providing innovative, cost-effective<br />
projects and is committed to providing economical, highquality<br />
services on every project.<br />
AIM’s mission is: “to cultivate a corporate culture and<br />
entrepreneurial spirt to maximize the capabilities and opportunities<br />
<strong>of</strong> our staff. Through this culture, AIM will develop<br />
the premier pr<strong>of</strong>essional staff to provide our clients with<br />
the best value in the industry through innovation, superior<br />
quality, and personalized customer service.”<br />
Some <strong>of</strong> AIM’s specialties include:<br />
• Planning<br />
• Project Development & Environment<br />
• Surveying and Mapping<br />
• Transportation Design<br />
• General Site Civil<br />
• Water Resources (stormwater, water management, hydraulic<br />
analysis and modeling)<br />
• Marine and Coastal Engineering<br />
• Environmental and Permitting<br />
• Utility Design (potable water, sanitary sewer, reclaimed<br />
water systems, pumping/lift stations)<br />
• Subsurface Utility Engineering<br />
• Construction Management and Inspection<br />
• Public Outreach/Information<br />
AIM did not begin with such a wide-ranging repertoire <strong>of</strong><br />
expertise. It began when Larry Bennet and James D. Hull,<br />
who were both engineers and surveyors, founded the<br />
company in 1980. Hull had retired after twenty years with<br />
the Florida Department <strong>of</strong> Transportation (FDOT) after<br />
helping build Interstate 75 in Southwest Florida in the<br />
late 1970s. He retired as assistant resident engineer for<br />
FDOT’s <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> Construction Office.<br />
When AIM was founded, <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> was not nearly as<br />
developed as it is now, so the company started out doing a<br />
lot <strong>of</strong> survey work. In 1986, AIM began doing construction<br />
engineering and inspection (CEI) for FDOT—some <strong>of</strong> the<br />
first consulting CEI work FDOT had ever done.<br />
AIM soon worked on the construction <strong>of</strong> I-595 in <strong>Fort</strong><br />
Lauderdale—at the time, one <strong>of</strong> the largest infrastructure<br />
projects in the country—for many years then expanded<br />
around Florida doing FDOT work in CEI, surveying and<br />
design. As water resource work increased in importance,<br />
AIM expanded into that area, participating in projects<br />
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designed to control water in the Everglades. Several flood<br />
control projects such as canals, water levies, and water control<br />
structures followed as flood control became increasingly<br />
important with projects in the 1980s and 1990s. In recent<br />
years, the purpose behind such work has been more about<br />
maintaining the correct water levels and environmental<br />
aspects <strong>of</strong> water control. AIM also worked for owners <strong>of</strong><br />
many citrus groves after the freeze in the 1980s.<br />
Beginning in the late 1980s and into the 1990s, AIM experienced<br />
rapid growth because <strong>of</strong> all the FDOT work triggered<br />
by Florida’s rapid growth. AIM participated in work on water<br />
resources projects, such as flood control in the Caloosahatchee<br />
Basin. It also was involved in the design and construction<br />
<strong>of</strong> many major local roads and diversified to include more<br />
services such as environmental consulting, planning, project<br />
development and environment, subsurface utility engineering,<br />
hydrographic marine geomatics, and aerial photogrammetric<br />
capabilities. In an effort to further diversify, AIM also expanded<br />
into construction management at risk.<br />
AIM Construction Contracting, LLC, a sister company<br />
to AIM Engineering & Surveying, Inc., is a relatively new<br />
venture that brings AIM’s expertise in civil engineering to<br />
the construction management field, especially infrastructure<br />
projects such as streets, street scraping, utility, roads,<br />
bridges, and transportation. The company started as<br />
the engineer/owner representatives due to its expertise in<br />
roads, civil projects, and water resource projects. AIM later<br />
expanded into working with traditional general contractors<br />
that build vertical buildings.<br />
AIM, originally headquartered in Lehigh Acres, moved to<br />
downtown <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> in 2017. It has technical <strong>of</strong>fices in<br />
Tampa and Bartow, a construction <strong>of</strong>fice in <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>,<br />
and project <strong>of</strong>fices throughout Florida. Today, the company<br />
is incorporated and is managed by President and Chief<br />
Executive Officer Jerron K. Hull, PE, and one <strong>of</strong> the company’s<br />
two founders, Chairman <strong>of</strong> the Board James D. Hull, PE,<br />
PLS, CGC. AIM employs more than 120 people and strives<br />
to maintain a family atmosphere and a place that provides<br />
great career opportunities.<br />
As for the future, AIM will continue playing an important<br />
role in Florida’s growth by providing clients with the best<br />
value in the industry while always striving to innovate,<br />
enhance quality, and provide unsurpassed personalized<br />
customer service.<br />
❖<br />
Top: One <strong>of</strong> AIM’s early bridge surveying projects, c. 1980s.<br />
Above: AIM founder James D. Hull (left) inspecting the Sunshine Skyway<br />
Bridge in the early 1980s.<br />
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VICTORY LAYNE CHEVROLET<br />
Victory Layne Chevrolet is more than just a clever<br />
name. The Layne family, now in its second generation <strong>of</strong><br />
ownership, is committed to making the Chevrolet brand<br />
and the <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> dealership that bears its name the<br />
number one car brand and dealership in the country.<br />
A commitment to its product and the people and community<br />
it serves permeates this Southwest Florida institution,<br />
bringing “victory” to everyone involved.<br />
President Jaime Layne and Manager Stacie Layne inherited<br />
their love <strong>of</strong> Chevrolets and the car business in general from<br />
their father, who worked at and later owned the dealership<br />
for thirty-eight years. Ronnie Layne, a Tennessee native<br />
who grew up in Flint, Michigan, was raised in a family that<br />
had very little from a financial standpoint, and although<br />
he never finished high school, he was a hard worker and<br />
ambitious so when he stopped into what was then known<br />
as Bill Branch Chevrolet in 1971 looking for a job, they<br />
hired him.<br />
He may not have had much education, but Ronnie<br />
was smart and wise and that wisdom combined with hard<br />
work allowed him to rise through the<br />
ranks and eventually purchase the<br />
dealership from Branch in 2004.<br />
<strong>Fort</strong>unately for him, his youngest<br />
daughter, Jaime, had fallen in love<br />
with the car business from the first<br />
time she went to work with him at<br />
age six, and his oldest daughter, Stacie<br />
followed suit.<br />
It was a Saturday morning when<br />
Jaime pleaded with her father, who at<br />
that time worked as manager, to go<br />
to work with him for the first time,<br />
and what she saw left her awestruck.<br />
Maybe it was the new car smell or<br />
the gleaming paint on the brand new<br />
cars, but regardless <strong>of</strong> the cause, Jaime<br />
found herself enamored with the<br />
business as well as the Chevy brand.<br />
She likes to tell people she “grew up<br />
Chevy” and that Chevy put food on her<br />
table and clothes on her son, Austin’s,<br />
back. She is proud to be affiliated with<br />
an iconic American car brand that has<br />
shaped the American culture.<br />
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The Chevrolet Motor Company, formed in 1911 in a<br />
Flint, Michigan, garage, was a cooperative venture between<br />
Belgian-born racecar driver Louis Chevrolet and William<br />
Durant, an entrepreneur and founder <strong>of</strong> General Motors.<br />
Despite early struggles with the first Chevrolet, Durant<br />
instinctively knew that a high style yet affordable car could<br />
challenge the domination <strong>of</strong> the utilitarian Ford Model T.<br />
Within ten years <strong>of</strong> joining the General Motors family<br />
in 1917, Chevy became the top-selling car brand in the<br />
United States.<br />
The Layne family’s love for Chevy has not been<br />
without its challenges. One <strong>of</strong> the greatest occurred in<br />
2009 when General Motors filed for reorganization under<br />
Chapter 11 <strong>of</strong> the United States Bankruptcy Code. As<br />
part <strong>of</strong> that plan, approximately 1,100 <strong>of</strong> the company’s<br />
6,000 dealerships would have to be closed, and no<br />
one knew for certain whether Victory Layne Chevrolet<br />
would survive.<br />
By that time, Jaime had taken over as president from<br />
her father, who passed away that year, and with the<br />
economy on the skids, General Motors on the verge<br />
<strong>of</strong> collapse, and the American automobile industry in<br />
peril, Jaime found herself in a tough predicament.<br />
Employees fretted over whether they would have a<br />
job after the closings were announced. Jaime felt as<br />
powerless as anyone in regard to the future, but she<br />
knew that she and her co-workers had done everything<br />
Chevrolet had ever asked them to do and that their sales<br />
were good.<br />
Employees spent the fateful day <strong>of</strong> the announcements<br />
by keeping an eye out for the Fed-Ex man, whom everyone<br />
thought would deliver the bad news. The day ticked<br />
past like a watch running in slow motion, and by the time<br />
the day ended the Fed-Ex man had not appeared and<br />
Victory Layne Chevrolet had survived.<br />
Today, Victory Layne Chevrolet is as strong as it has ever<br />
been, and the products Chevrolet produces keeps getting<br />
better and better. The dealership’s passion for the Chevy line<br />
is renewed whenever the new cars are introduced. Camaros,<br />
Corvettes, and Silverados, just to name a few, bring as much<br />
awe to the people who sell them as they do the people who<br />
buy them.<br />
Keeping the customer experience as friendly and comfortable<br />
as possible is one <strong>of</strong> the main reasons Victory Layne<br />
Chevrolet remodeled its dealership at 3980 Fowler Street in<br />
2013. The $1.8 million renovation, which allows customers<br />
to browse the selection <strong>of</strong> new and used cars and trucks<br />
in comfort, is part <strong>of</strong> a nationwide General Motors plan<br />
for its dealerships called Essential Brand Elements.<br />
Customers have no<br />
problem finding Victory<br />
Layne Chevrolet. They<br />
just look for the 1,800<br />
square foot U.S. flag<br />
that flies atop a 130-<br />
foot pole, a beacon that<br />
has guided customers<br />
to this family-owned<br />
dealership since 1984.<br />
The Layne family wants<br />
people to feel like part<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Victory Layne<br />
Chevrolet family when<br />
they walk in the door, and by investing in an upgraded<br />
facility they are sending the message that they not only<br />
value their customers but are here to stay. They love the<br />
<strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>, Lee County, and Southwest Florida communities<br />
and hope to continue their successful relationship for<br />
many years to come. Victory Layne Chevrolet will continue<br />
to be the region’s GM award-winning Chevrolet dealer.<br />
❖<br />
Above: Customers look for the 1,800 square foot U.S. flag that waves above<br />
the Victory Layne Chevrolet dealership.<br />
Left: The Layne family.<br />
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❖<br />
BARRACO AND<br />
ASSOCIATES, INC.<br />
Above: Left to right, Tom Holmlund and Carl Barraco, P.E. on their first<br />
business day.<br />
Barraco and Associates, Inc. (BAI), was established in<br />
1998 when three <strong>of</strong> the firm’s principals, who had worked<br />
together at the time for eleven years in Southwest Florida,<br />
decided to combine their expertise to start their own<br />
engineering firm featuring a controlled and cohesive work<br />
team built on trust and loyalty.<br />
This history <strong>of</strong> shared work experience <strong>of</strong> Carl Barraco,<br />
P.E., Tom Holmlund, and Chris Van Buskirk provided a<br />
solid foundation on which to build the firm and quickly<br />
established BAI as a regional leader <strong>of</strong> pr<strong>of</strong>essional consulting<br />
firms in Southwest Florida. The three original founders<br />
had worked together on the design and construction <strong>of</strong><br />
the six-lanes <strong>of</strong> Daniels Parkway from U.S. 41 to I-75 in<br />
the early 1990s, while Barraco, Van Buskirk, and Amy<br />
Fontaine, one <strong>of</strong> the firm’s three original employees, had<br />
worked together on construction <strong>of</strong> the Midpoint Bridge<br />
Corridor, connecting the <strong>City</strong> <strong>of</strong> Cape Coral to the <strong>City</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>. Both projects became—at the time <strong>of</strong> their<br />
completion—the largest capital improvement project in<br />
Lee County history.<br />
The three founders <strong>of</strong><br />
the firm credit several<br />
factors to the success<br />
<strong>of</strong> the firm but with an<br />
emphasis on a few key<br />
people including their<br />
wives, Sandy Barraco,<br />
Doreen VanBuskirk and<br />
Toni Holmlund and<br />
Amy Fontaine (<strong>of</strong>fice<br />
administrator) and Scott<br />
Wheeler (vice-president<br />
surveying), who all<br />
played a key role in the<br />
company’s success.<br />
The BAI team consists <strong>of</strong> pr<strong>of</strong>essional engineers, an<br />
AICP planner, pr<strong>of</strong>essional surveyors, and LEED-accredited<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essionals. Pr<strong>of</strong>essional services include civil engineering,<br />
land surveying, land planning, construction engineering<br />
inspection, and sustainable design for public and<br />
private clients.<br />
Barraco and Associates, Inc., is a pr<strong>of</strong>essional and innovative<br />
team that continually strives to exceed expectations<br />
in service, quality, and integrity. Since its inception, BAI has<br />
been involved in the planning, design and surveying <strong>of</strong><br />
some <strong>of</strong> the finest projects in Southwest Florida. BAI staff<br />
works in partnership with public and private sector clients<br />
locally and regionally to help plan and design new developments<br />
and infrastructure for the ever-growing Southwest<br />
Florida community.<br />
BAI <strong>of</strong>fers clients an integrated service approach with a<br />
commitment to value and performance. Policy frameworks,<br />
regulatory requirements, public improvements, and the<br />
face <strong>of</strong> urban and suburban development are constantly<br />
changing. BAI helps their clients manage change in ways<br />
that transform communities and create opportunity.<br />
BAI’s mission is to assist clients achieving their project<br />
objectives by providing highly responsive, technically<br />
sound, cost-effective services. Barraco and Associates’<br />
sincere commitment to consistently providing clients<br />
outstanding customer service is tied directly to its attention<br />
to detail and dedication to projects and clients.<br />
In the company’s first eighteen years, BAI won<br />
several prestigious awards for its work, including: 2014<br />
Lee Building Industry Association Summit Award for<br />
“Best Project for The Isles <strong>of</strong> Collier Preserve;” 2013<br />
Lee Building Industry Association Summit Award for “Civil<br />
Engineering Firm <strong>of</strong> the Year;” 2013 Lee Building Industry<br />
Association Summit Award for “Project Infrastructure<br />
for Bonita Isles;” First Place from the Citizens Panel for<br />
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“Lee County Smart Growth Transit-Oriented Design;”<br />
and Second Place from the committee for “Lee County<br />
Smart Growth Transit-Oriented Design.” In recognition <strong>of</strong><br />
their service and contributions to the Southwest Florida<br />
community, BAI has received Platinum and/or Gold<br />
Awards from the United Way <strong>of</strong> Lee County repeatedly<br />
since 2000, as well as a Community Service Award from<br />
the <strong>City</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> for participation in the city’s<br />
Adopt-A-Canal program.<br />
The first BAI <strong>of</strong>fice at 2121 West First Street in <strong>Fort</strong><br />
<strong>Myers</strong> measured less than 900 square feet. In January<br />
2002 construction on the current site at 2271 McGregor<br />
Boulevard was completed. Due to its success, the firm<br />
initiated a significant expansion that included a second<br />
floor and additional first-floor <strong>of</strong>fice space. The expansion<br />
was completed in December 2007 and is now the working<br />
home <strong>of</strong> thirty-nine Southwest Florida residents. This is<br />
BAI’s only <strong>of</strong>fice and is conveniently located in the heart<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>, blocks from the <strong>City</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> <strong>City</strong><br />
Hall and Lee County Public Works building, as well as<br />
other federal, state and local review agencies.<br />
Members <strong>of</strong> the BAI management team and staff<br />
members alike have served on numerous community<br />
and foundation boards <strong>of</strong> directors including the boards<br />
<strong>of</strong> Lee Health Resources, HealthPark Cypress Cove,<br />
Habitat for Humanity, Tiger Bay Club, United Way,<br />
Lee County’s Conservation 20/20 Advisory Committee,<br />
Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU), Whitaker College <strong>of</strong><br />
Engineering Advisory Committee, and Florida Engineering<br />
Society (FES) president; Fontaine serves on the board <strong>of</strong><br />
directors <strong>of</strong> the United Way; Jennifer Sapen, AICP,<br />
was appointed to the Lee County Land Development<br />
Code Advisory Committee and is a member <strong>of</strong> the Urban<br />
Land Institute and the Women’s Leadership Initiative;<br />
Wes Kayne, P.E., served as an <strong>of</strong>ficer <strong>of</strong> FES, rising through<br />
the ranks to become president at the age <strong>of</strong> twenty-nine,<br />
as well as holding a position on the FGCU Department <strong>of</strong><br />
Environmental and Civil Engineering Advisory Committee;<br />
and Carl Barraco, Jr., P.E., served on the <strong>City</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>’<br />
Historical Preservation Committee, the board <strong>of</strong> directors<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Lee Building Industry Association (BIA) and FGCU’s<br />
Lutgert College <strong>of</strong> Business Advisory Committee.<br />
BAI’s philosophy <strong>of</strong> giving back to the community in<br />
which its employees live and work is evidenced by its<br />
involvement in various charitable organizations and<br />
community projects. Among other things, BAI has<br />
volunteered to clean Billy’s Creek on a periodic basis<br />
through the <strong>City</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> Adopt-A-Canal program,<br />
donated to the United Way via employee payroll contributions<br />
and corporate contributions since the firm’s inception<br />
in 1998, employees volunteered their time and manpower<br />
building Habitat for Humanity homes, dispatched a team<br />
<strong>of</strong> volunteers to Charlotte County to help residents clear<br />
debris from Hurricane Charley in August 2004, as well as<br />
donated to food drives to stock food pantries and participated<br />
in food packaging events sponsored by the United Way.<br />
These events provide healthy pre-packaged meals to<br />
families in need.<br />
BAI employees also have participated in meal preparation<br />
events at the Ronald McDonald House at HealthPark<br />
Florida so families staying in the facility would have<br />
prepared meals when they return to the house after<br />
visiting their children in the hospital, provided Christmas<br />
stockings to less fortunate children in the community, and<br />
sponsored and coached numerous school and community<br />
athletic teams.<br />
BAI’s community commitment is an extension <strong>of</strong> the company’s<br />
values. Its success and reputation will continue to be<br />
maintained through exceptional client and employee relationships<br />
in an enjoyable, hard-working, family atmosphere.<br />
❖<br />
Barraco and Associates, Inc., Habitat for Humanity crew, 2005.<br />
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T3 COMMUNICATIONS, INC.<br />
T3 Communications, Inc., was founded to meet the<br />
needs <strong>of</strong> a growing business community, enabling them to<br />
communicate and compete in the global market from the<br />
local level. In 2002, a group <strong>of</strong> local business people came<br />
together and discussed what their telecommunications<br />
companies were providing them compared with what they,<br />
as business people, wanted and needed.<br />
The founders <strong>of</strong> T3 and a group <strong>of</strong> local investors committed<br />
themselves to the project <strong>of</strong> creating a successful<br />
telecommunications company and they soon succeeded in<br />
their endeavor. T3 is built on the principles <strong>of</strong> providing<br />
the best communications service and customer service,<br />
all the while bringing the newest advancements in telecommunication<br />
technologies to Southwest Florida. Over<br />
the years, the company has successfully weathered the<br />
economic storms to become the go-to telecommunications<br />
company for local businesses. T3 has established itself as<br />
a leader by employing people who understand their client’s<br />
needs for personal attention while also providing them<br />
world-class global communications services.<br />
T3’s current Board <strong>of</strong> Directors is made up <strong>of</strong> Chairman <strong>of</strong><br />
the Board Steven C. Jones; the current <strong>City</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong><br />
Mayor is Vice Chairman Randall P. Henderson, Jr.; Director<br />
Stuart P. Conrad; Director Tad M. Yeatter; and President and<br />
CEO Josh P. Reel. Josh, who has over twenty-five years <strong>of</strong><br />
telecommunications industry experience and has led several<br />
telecom companies to market leadership in the communities<br />
that they serve, joined the company in 2011.<br />
T3’s focus since its inception has been to meet the needs<br />
<strong>of</strong> Southwest Florida businesses and exceed the expectations<br />
<strong>of</strong> our clients with a robust selection <strong>of</strong> communications and<br />
IT solutions. Backed by cutting-edge technology, superior<br />
reliability, and unrivaled support, T3 Communications is the<br />
answer for voice and data solutions. Some <strong>of</strong> the current<br />
<strong>of</strong>ferings from T3 Communications are:<br />
Cloud-Based Hosted PBX—Hosted Voice is a cloud-based<br />
phone system that makes your employees more productive<br />
and your business run smoother.<br />
Integrated Voice and Data—Business Class integrated voice<br />
and data solutions are flexible and affordable for any business.<br />
Broadband and Metro Ethernet—T3 employs multiple data<br />
technology options including Fiber, Fixed Wireless, T1, and<br />
DSL depending on specific speed and capacity needs and goals.<br />
Colocation and Disaster Recovery—T3’s data centers are<br />
specifically constructed as mission critical facilities with a<br />
combined 85,000 square feet <strong>of</strong> flexible colocation space at<br />
either <strong>of</strong> our <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> or Orlando locations. With the<br />
annual threat <strong>of</strong> hurricanes, <strong>of</strong>fsite backup facilities are a<br />
necessity for local businesses to keep their information safe<br />
from destruction.<br />
Secureboost—Secureboost equipment brings speed, reliability,<br />
and a feeling <strong>of</strong> security to your business Internet<br />
because it combines multiple Internet connections to<br />
failover to if one becomes unreliable.<br />
Accession Communicator Application—Allows you to<br />
receive calls from an app on your smartphone that will<br />
seamlessly connect customers calling your desk phone.<br />
Since its start in 2002, it has always been the core value<br />
<strong>of</strong> T3 to give back to the local community. They provide<br />
for nonpr<strong>of</strong>it organizations in Southwest Florida in many<br />
diverse ways that range from donating funds and/or<br />
volunteering, to sponsoring local events, to providing communications<br />
services to them as a customer. T3 recognizes<br />
the only way to ensure growth in your local economy is to<br />
actively support each other. We would like to mention some<br />
<strong>of</strong> the organizations T3 has supported over the years and<br />
tell a few <strong>of</strong> their stories:<br />
2016: 239-333-GIVE has found a new home—Southwest<br />
Florida Community Foundation reached out to T3<br />
Communications to see if they could provide them a local<br />
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number that spelled out “GIVE.” The only number they<br />
had fitting the criteria was being used by another T3 customer,<br />
Healthcare Coding and Consulting Services. T3<br />
contacted HCCS and they quickly and graciously agreed<br />
to give “GIVE” the number to Southwest Florida Community<br />
Foundation. T3 then assigned 239-333-GIVE (4483)<br />
to them and they use this easily remembered number<br />
when reaching out to the community and <strong>of</strong>fering their<br />
support. This was a great example <strong>of</strong> local businesses<br />
working together to achieve a greater good!<br />
2016: 2-1-1 is the story that needs to be told—The United<br />
Way 2-1-1 service exists to help people navigate their way<br />
through the maze <strong>of</strong> human and social service agencies by<br />
providing the most adequate resources for the client’s situation.<br />
This process promotes prevention and self-sufficiency<br />
by giving the clients easy access to services they normally<br />
would not be aware <strong>of</strong>. T3 Communications recently provided<br />
a new communications system to help United Way <strong>of</strong> Lee,<br />
Hendry, and Glades Counties run their 2-1-1 service more<br />
efficiently. Through this process, T3 learned a lot about<br />
United Way’s 2-1-1 and the good that it provides in their<br />
community. It is not meant to be a secret, so please spread<br />
the word! Everyone knows someone who needs help.<br />
2015: When there is a need, you help—Last year T3<br />
made the decision to forgo sending holiday gifts <strong>of</strong> appreciation<br />
to their customers. T3 instead decided to dedicate that<br />
money and give it to a local charity. It was not easy selecting<br />
which charity to give to because there are many quality local<br />
charites that need community support. The one that came<br />
to the forefront was Children’s Advocacy <strong>of</strong> SWFL and their<br />
facility in <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>. T3 was incredibly impressed with the<br />
services they provide and the dedication <strong>of</strong> the staff who<br />
work there, because <strong>of</strong> this they decided to help them reach<br />
their goal in 2015 <strong>of</strong> purchasing a van that was desperately<br />
needed. T3 also donated childrens’ clothing in various sizes<br />
for their clothes closet, which gets used when children<br />
are displaced.<br />
Other notable T3 contributions to the local economy:<br />
hosting blood drives through Lee Memorial Health System;<br />
volunteering to serve food to families at the Ronald<br />
McDonald House; hosting a Toys-for-Tots donation center,<br />
hosting a supply drive for the military; volunteering to sort<br />
donated food for the Harry Chapin Food Drive; hosting<br />
water stations at the Hooters Half-Marathon; volunteering<br />
assistance in building a Habitat for Humanity home;<br />
participating in the Susan G. Komen Stiletto Sprint to benefit<br />
Garden <strong>of</strong> Hope and Courage; and several sponsorship<br />
and/or monetary donations provided to other nonpr<strong>of</strong>its.<br />
Growth does not occur by chance, it is usually the result<br />
<strong>of</strong> a vision and the efforts <strong>of</strong> diverse entities working together<br />
to join forces and bring their unique abilities and skills to<br />
succeed at a common goal. As T3 Communications continues<br />
to grow and progress, they intend to continue supporting<br />
their local community to help it grow and progress. They<br />
know it is their role to lend support to the local economy,<br />
businesses, and people that reside in their own backyard.<br />
❖<br />
Above: Vice Chairman <strong>of</strong> T3 Communications, <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>’ Mayor<br />
Randall P. Henderson, Jr., at his desk, c. 2003.<br />
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❖<br />
HOPE HEALTHCARE<br />
Right: Samira honors military veteran Joseph Pre-Genzer for his service to<br />
our country.<br />
Below: Lush landscaping surrounds the Hope Hospice Houses, located in<br />
Bonita Springs, Cape Coral, <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>, and Lehigh Acres.<br />
Through the passion and commitment <strong>of</strong> <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong><br />
volunteers, H.O.P.E. Hospice—Hospice Oriented Program<br />
for Everyone—began providing care in 1979. Their goal was<br />
to help people remain at home during their last chapter <strong>of</strong><br />
life. In these early years, community donations ensured the<br />
volunteer nurse had the gasoline needed to visit patients<br />
throughout the city.<br />
In 1984 the State <strong>of</strong> Florida provided licensure to Hope<br />
Hospice, and the organization’s twenty-nine volunteers<br />
welcomed nurses, aides, social workers, clergy and a physician.<br />
By 1989, Hope had grown to care for more than 100 individuals<br />
each day throughout <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>. In 1991 the organization<br />
welcomed Samira K. Beckwith as president and CEO.<br />
“People asked me, ‘Why don’t you change the name?<br />
Don’t you provide care when it’s time to give up hope?’” said<br />
Beckwith. “But I always liked the name because no matter<br />
what phase <strong>of</strong> life we are in, there is always hope. It’s just<br />
what we hope for that changes.”<br />
She added, “For those who need our care, what they hope<br />
for most is relief. They hope for respite from pain or to breathe<br />
with ease. They hope to enjoy a meal again or have the energy<br />
to laugh with family and friends. What people want most when<br />
they come to Hope is an improved quality <strong>of</strong> life for the duration<br />
<strong>of</strong> the time they have left—however long that may be.”<br />
In addition to providing exceptional end-<strong>of</strong>-life care,<br />
dignity, and quality <strong>of</strong> life, Beckwith’s vision for Hope<br />
included the expansion <strong>of</strong> services for the elderly and for<br />
children. With the creation <strong>of</strong> these new services, Hope<br />
Hospice became Hope Healthcare.<br />
Today, Hope Healthcare serves more than 2,000 individuals<br />
and their families every day. The organization provides<br />
programs and services throughout seven counties in<br />
Southwest Florida. This comprehensive model <strong>of</strong> care has<br />
garnered the attention <strong>of</strong> healthcare agencies, policy makers,<br />
and associations around the country.<br />
The expansion <strong>of</strong> Hope’s services created a continuum <strong>of</strong><br />
person-centered care, enabling adults to live comfortably<br />
through their later years and into their final chapter <strong>of</strong> life. The<br />
organization has given hope to children coping with complex<br />
medical issues, serious illness, and grief. With Hope’s support,<br />
isolated seniors can look forward to warm meals delivered to<br />
their home, caregivers who deliver medicine and monitor<br />
their health, and aides who provide housekeeping too.<br />
“We can still give people things to hope for. If not a cure,<br />
then quality days, quality experiences, quality conversations<br />
with their loved ones,’ said Beckwith.<br />
As healthcare continues to evolve in the future, the people<br />
<strong>of</strong> Southwest Florida can rest assured that Beckwith and the<br />
entire Hope Healthcare team will continue providing their<br />
unique brand <strong>of</strong> comforting, compassionate care. With the<br />
full support <strong>of</strong> this generous community, Hope can fulfill<br />
their mission <strong>of</strong> helping everyone with serious illness for<br />
decades to come.<br />
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Programs and Services <strong>of</strong> Hope Healthcare include:<br />
• Hope Hospice—allows everyone to live the last phase <strong>of</strong><br />
their life with dignity and in comfort, regardless <strong>of</strong> their<br />
financial circumstances.<br />
• Hope Palliative Care—provides help for those with<br />
serious illness as they navigate the complexities <strong>of</strong> care<br />
and treatment. Support is available from the time <strong>of</strong><br />
diagnosis through the entire course <strong>of</strong> illness.<br />
• Hope Kids Care—<strong>of</strong>fers comforting care for children<br />
with complex medical conditions and their families.<br />
We also provide Rainbow Trails Camp to help children<br />
cope with grief and loss.<br />
• Hope at Home—extends personalized services and<br />
assistance with daily activities for those who require<br />
home healthcare or private duty nursing.<br />
• Hope PACE ® —a Program <strong>of</strong> All-Inclusive Care for the<br />
Elderly, includes medical and dental care, therapies, personal<br />
care, medications, medical supplies, and essential<br />
transportation. With our help, participants can live safely<br />
in their own homes.<br />
• Hope Connections—provides practical support to the<br />
seniors <strong>of</strong> Hendry and Glades Counties through home<br />
delivered meals, social centers, transportation, housekeeping,<br />
and personal care.<br />
• Hope Parkinson Program—coordinates events, classes,<br />
and social opportunities for individuals with Parkinson’s<br />
disease and their care partners. We help people experience<br />
the best possible quality <strong>of</strong> life while coping with the<br />
effects <strong>of</strong> this chronic illness.<br />
• Hope Healing Hearts—supports individuals with grief<br />
issues or emotions related to experiences <strong>of</strong> change or<br />
loss. Pr<strong>of</strong>essional bereavement counselors provide the<br />
tools needed to address difficult feelings and to continue<br />
along the path <strong>of</strong> healing.<br />
• Hope VALOR—honors veterans for their service to our<br />
country with a personalized recognition ceremony. By<br />
recognizing the unique needs <strong>of</strong> America’s veterans, Hope<br />
can guide them toward a more peaceful ending.<br />
• Hope Pet Program—allows furry friends to provide<br />
unconditional love, companionship, and comfort.<br />
• Hopeful Wishes—make life extra special at a unique<br />
moment. By granting heartfelt wishes, we can do<br />
more than provide medications and therapies—we can<br />
fulfill dreams.<br />
• Hope Expressive Therapies—provide an outlet for relaxation<br />
and stress relief. Through art, music, or massage<br />
therapy, individuals may gain insight into emotions,<br />
establish new pathways for healing, and experience peace<br />
<strong>of</strong> mind.<br />
Additional information is available at www.hopehcs.org.<br />
❖<br />
Above: Hope volunteers Pam Hoctel and Truffles visit with Louise Cottrell to<br />
share stories and smiles.<br />
Left: Gavin Lowrey benefits from the Hope Kids Care program, designed to<br />
improve quality <strong>of</strong> life for children facing serious illness.<br />
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FORT MYERS<br />
Recently, <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> ranked No. 1, out <strong>of</strong> the top 20<br />
places people are moving to in the United States. Most<br />
likely, the reason is because it <strong>of</strong>fers all the amenities<br />
<strong>of</strong> a twenty-first century urban city, combined with the<br />
quaintness and charm that comes from preserving its<br />
historic architecture.<br />
This city <strong>of</strong> more than 75,000 is nestled alongside the<br />
Caloosahatchee River in Southwest Florida. It has become<br />
a must-see Florida destination, with a variety <strong>of</strong> places<br />
to shop, dine, have cocktails, and be entertained.<br />
Known as the “<strong>City</strong> <strong>of</strong> Palms” for the tropical palm trees<br />
lining its main streets, <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> features an attractive,<br />
lively downtown, with highly-rated accommodations, one<strong>of</strong>-a-kind<br />
boutiques, outdoor cafes and themed restaurants.<br />
Throughout the city, there are museums, parades, festivals,<br />
theaters, music, parks, historical sites, and art galleries,<br />
providing an array <strong>of</strong> activities to enjoy throughout the<br />
year. Its major waterways wind their way to the Gulf <strong>of</strong><br />
Mexico, <strong>of</strong>fering plenty <strong>of</strong> recreational opportunities for<br />
boaters, kayakers, sailors and anglers.<br />
<strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> is the government center <strong>of</strong> Lee County.<br />
It owes much <strong>of</strong> its notoriety to two American legends,<br />
Thomas Edison and Henry Ford, who were attracted to the<br />
warm climate and natural beauty. Both resided in winter<br />
homes, side-by-side, in <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> where Edison worked<br />
on many <strong>of</strong> his important inventions.<br />
<strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> is now the home <strong>of</strong> the Edison & Ford Winter<br />
Estates, one <strong>of</strong> the top ten most visited historical homes<br />
in the United States. The grounds feature award-winning<br />
exhibits, including Edison’s original inventions and Ford’s<br />
antique cars, like the Model T.<br />
Prior to Edison and Ford’s arrival, <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> enjoyed a<br />
long, storied history, beginning with Ponce de León, who<br />
explored the area during the 1500s. He preceded Spanish<br />
and Cuban settlers who were responsible for creating<br />
temporary fishing and farming camps along the coast.<br />
<strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> was constructed on the site <strong>of</strong> the Seminole War<br />
post <strong>Fort</strong> Harvie, which was built after Florida became a<br />
U.S. territory in 1821. In the mid 1800s, the site was<br />
renamed <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>, after Colonel Abraham <strong>Myers</strong>.<br />
Following the Civil War, the fort was deactivated, and its<br />
<strong>of</strong>ficer’s quarters became some <strong>of</strong> the first houses <strong>of</strong> the<br />
<strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> settlement. By 1885, <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> had grown<br />
into one <strong>of</strong> the largest Florida towns on the Gulf Coast, with<br />
cattle ranching and logging as the area’s primary industries.<br />
In 1886, it became incorporated as a city.<br />
<strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> continued to prosper until the Great<br />
Depression. It was later revived when U.S. military air<br />
bases were opened in the 1940s, bringing in thousands <strong>of</strong><br />
military personnel, many who took up permanent residence<br />
after completing their service.<br />
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Today, tourism is a significant economic engine for<br />
<strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>, thanks to its year-round tropical climate,<br />
well-maintained historical landmarks and easily navigable<br />
rivers that serve as a gateway to the world-renowned beaches<br />
on <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> Beach and Sanibel and Captiva islands.<br />
Southwest Florida International Airport has fourteen airline<br />
partners with non-stop service to forty-five cities throughout<br />
the United States, Canada and Germany.<br />
<strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> has the youngest population in Lee County<br />
with a median age <strong>of</strong> thirty-two. Married couples slightly<br />
outnumber singles, and more than twenty percent <strong>of</strong><br />
its residents have incomes <strong>of</strong> $75,000 a year or greater.<br />
Thanks to the city’s commitment to making <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong><br />
a great place to live and visit, the <strong>City</strong> <strong>of</strong> Palms boasts<br />
one <strong>of</strong> the most vibrant, cultural atmospheres on the<br />
Gulf Coast. The Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts<br />
Hall, Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre, and the Florida<br />
Repertory Theatre are world-class venues for plays,<br />
musicals and concerts.<br />
With plenty <strong>of</strong> sunshine, warm temperatures and natural<br />
beauty, <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> has attracted the attention <strong>of</strong> residents<br />
and visitors interested in active outdoor activities. <strong>City</strong><br />
parks and attractions, like nature centers and butterfly<br />
gardens, along with ample public boat ramps and marinas,<br />
provide residents and visitors ways to enjoy quality<br />
family time. Historic downtown tours, museums for<br />
children and history buffs, cultural events, dining and<br />
shopping are among the top reasons people explore the<br />
<strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> downtown River District. Annual events like<br />
the Edison Festival <strong>of</strong> Light, honoring Thomas Edison, and<br />
major sports tournaments, bring people to <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> from<br />
all over the country.<br />
Millions <strong>of</strong> visitors come to <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> every year.<br />
Like so many, some decide to stay and make <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong><br />
their home. That is because it is a great place to play, live,<br />
work, go to school, raise a family, or retire.<br />
If you would like more information about <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>,<br />
go to www.cityftmyers.com.<br />
❖<br />
Opposite, top: Historic photograph <strong>of</strong> Thomas Edison (left) and Henry Ford.<br />
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF THE EDISON & FORD WINTER ESTATES.<br />
Opposite, bottom: <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> Water Basin.<br />
Left: <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> Golf Course at <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> Country Club.<br />
Right: Downtown <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> high rises.<br />
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JOHNSON ENGINEERING, INC.<br />
❖<br />
Right: Carl E. Johnson at the Carl E. Johnson Recreational Area in Lovers<br />
Key State Park.<br />
Below: Johnson Engineering Presidents, from left to right, Archie Grant,<br />
Forrest Banks, Steven Morrison and Lonnie Howard.<br />
The success that Johnson Engineering, Inc., has enjoyed in<br />
recent decades did not come easily or quickly. Like most<br />
prosperous businesses, it developed over time, the product <strong>of</strong><br />
hard work, good people, and a dedication to excellence. Today,<br />
this civil engineering firm is a cohesive team <strong>of</strong> pr<strong>of</strong>essionals<br />
helping guide city, county, and state government as well as private<br />
companies through the challenges that accompany growth.<br />
Johnson Engineering has participated in an extensive list<br />
<strong>of</strong> well-known Florida roads, shopping centers, schools,<br />
hospitals, residential communities, resorts, and commercial<br />
developments. Well-known projects such as the <strong>City</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Fort</strong><br />
<strong>Myers</strong> Downtown Basin, <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> Country Club, Southwest<br />
Florida International Airport (RSW), Hammond Stadium,<br />
Jet Blue Park, Gulf Coast Town Center, and Lee Memorial<br />
HealthPark are a few products <strong>of</strong> Johnson Engineering’s local<br />
expertise in Lee County.<br />
No one could have predicted such success when Clewiston<br />
surveyor, Carl E. Johnson, purchased the assets <strong>of</strong> a local<br />
surveying company in 1946 and began working out <strong>of</strong> a small<br />
<strong>of</strong>fice on Main Street in <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>. Johnson spent the next two<br />
decades surveying Florida lands and in the late 1960s came up<br />
with the idea <strong>of</strong> connecting the barrier islands with a causeway<br />
from the south end <strong>of</strong> <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> Beach to Bonita Beach.<br />
Johnson helped convince several large landowners to donate<br />
land for the project and surveyed and designed the road, and<br />
today his legacy lives on through Lovers Key Carl E. Johnson<br />
State Park, a popular tourist attraction that each year attracts<br />
thousands <strong>of</strong> nature lovers and recreational enthusiasts. Each<br />
year since 2003, Johnson Engineering employees volunteer to<br />
help the state park with a variety <strong>of</strong> needed park repairs.<br />
Throughout its history, Johnson Engineering has benefitted<br />
from great leadership from the president’s position on down,<br />
and the company’s success combined with an enjoyable<br />
work environment has resulted in impressive longevity<br />
among its employees. The company employs second- and<br />
third-generation employees. The average employee tenure has<br />
remained consistently above 10 years, and many have been<br />
with the company for 20 years, 30 years, or more.<br />
The company has known only five presidents, Carl E.<br />
Johnson (1946-1968), Archie T. Grant (1968-1979), Forrest<br />
H. Banks (1979-1997), Steven K. Morrison (1997-2012), and<br />
Lonnie V. Howard, who became president in 2012. Each<br />
contributed significantly to the company’s development, but<br />
much credit for Johnson Engineering’s success goes to Grant,<br />
who put the company on sound financial footing and<br />
established it as the “go-to” firm for surface-water management.<br />
Through the years, the company has added new areas to<br />
its expertise and today is home to pr<strong>of</strong>essional engineers,<br />
ecologists, scientists, geologists, surveyors and mappers,<br />
certified land planners and landscape architects, who<br />
continue to contribute to Florida’s growth and stability.<br />
Johnson Engineering’s present and future generations <strong>of</strong><br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essionals will continue to honor the company’s legacy<br />
while expanding into new specialties and fields <strong>of</strong> study as<br />
it continues to shape Florida’s communities.<br />
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Ad-Ler Ro<strong>of</strong>ing, Inc., was built on generations <strong>of</strong> ro<strong>of</strong>ing<br />
experience in Southwest Florida. Family owned and operated,<br />
the company is a leader in the ro<strong>of</strong>ing industry. Ad-Ler<br />
Ro<strong>of</strong>ing not only follows industry best practices, but in many<br />
cases, created them. The Curriers represent the history <strong>of</strong> the<br />
making <strong>of</strong> concrete ro<strong>of</strong> tile in <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> since the 1960s!<br />
Eddie Currier III, president <strong>of</strong> Ad-Ler Ro<strong>of</strong>ing, learned the<br />
business from the bottom up. He worked in his family’s<br />
business throughout his teen years and earned his state<br />
certified ro<strong>of</strong>ing license in 1982. He then went on to serve<br />
as a director on the board <strong>of</strong> the ro<strong>of</strong>ing association. He has<br />
also assisted with writing some <strong>of</strong> the ro<strong>of</strong>ing codes that<br />
govern the way ro<strong>of</strong>s are now installed.<br />
In 1980, Eddie married his sweetheart, Ann, and they<br />
had two sons. Eddie and Ann started Ad-Ler Ro<strong>of</strong>ing, Inc., in<br />
October 1988, naming the company after their sons—Adam<br />
and Tyler. They began the business in a bedroom in their<br />
home, with Ann handling the administrative side <strong>of</strong> the<br />
business and Eddie doing the actual repairs. In 2001, Adam<br />
continued the family tradition by joining the business. Their<br />
youngest son, Tyler, followed in 2008. Adam, and his wife,<br />
Krista, have started the fourth generation <strong>of</strong> ro<strong>of</strong>ers—Bailey<br />
and Dace. What started as a mom and pop company has<br />
grown into one <strong>of</strong> the largest residential ro<strong>of</strong>ing companies<br />
on the West Coast <strong>of</strong> Florida. It goes to show that the<br />
American Dream <strong>of</strong> building a successful business is still<br />
alive and well.<br />
Eddie and Adam have made it a priority to surround<br />
themselves with an incredibly competent staff. Many former<br />
employees learned the trade with Ad-Ler and have gone on<br />
to open their own businesses.<br />
Ad-Ler also has several employees who have been with<br />
them since they began their careers. Eddie has been the only<br />
boss they have ever known.<br />
Eddie, Ann, Adam and Tyler believe family is important.<br />
They believe in taking care <strong>of</strong> their employees and giving back<br />
to the community. Several years ago they started purchasing<br />
school supplies for their employees’ children, and now this<br />
is a yearly tradition. Ad-Ler also recently partnered with the<br />
Affordable Homeownership Foundation to donate materials<br />
and labor to rero<strong>of</strong> the houses <strong>of</strong> two veterans who were in<br />
danger <strong>of</strong> losing their homes.<br />
Ad-Ler Ro<strong>of</strong>ing was initially focused on repairs,<br />
maintenance, and rero<strong>of</strong>s. The company continues to<br />
grow and prosper and has now expanded into custom and<br />
tract new construction homes with tile or metal ro<strong>of</strong>s.<br />
Geographically, the company has grown from one location<br />
in <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> to three locations servicing from Tampa to<br />
Marco Island and east to Orlando. The future plans are to<br />
add a Tampa location and create a specialty design center.<br />
The focus now is “Building the future, restoring the past.”<br />
We want to thank SWFL for all <strong>of</strong> the business then and<br />
now that has made Ad-Ler a success in the ro<strong>of</strong>ing industry!<br />
AD-LER ROOFING, INC.<br />
FORT MYERS PARTNERS<br />
173
BROADWAY PALM<br />
DINNER THEATRE<br />
Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre is Southwest Florida’s<br />
most entertaining destination with two performance venues,<br />
an art gallery, a gift shop, and a bar. Since opening its doors<br />
in October 1993, this 36,000 square foot facility—renovated<br />
from a former Publix Supermarket—has hosted performances<br />
that entertained more than 3.3 million people.<br />
An estimated 1,000 motor coaches visit Broadway Palm<br />
each year with half originating from outside Lee County.<br />
More than one-third <strong>of</strong> these visitors include an overnight<br />
stay, making Broadway Palm one <strong>of</strong> <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>’ top tourist<br />
attractions and an economic engine that drives the economy.<br />
The facility includes:<br />
• Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre: A 448-seat main stage<br />
venue featuring full-scale pr<strong>of</strong>essional Broadway musicals<br />
and specialty concerts. Each year this venue hosts eight<br />
main stage shows, four children’s theatre productions, and<br />
numerous concerts, functions, meetings, and special events.<br />
• The Off Broadway Palm Theatre: A 100-seat black box<br />
theatre, which showcases five smaller-scale musical<br />
revues and comedies each season.<br />
• Café Cabaret: Opened in late 1994, <strong>of</strong>fering Off Broadway<br />
and main stage overflow dining. It is available for rental<br />
for parties and events for as many as 125 people. It<br />
features a small stage with lighting and a sound system.<br />
• Broadway Palm Art Gallery: A display space for works<br />
by Southwest Florida artists. The exhibits change with<br />
each main stage show and may feature paintings,<br />
sculpture, basketry, wood working, weaving, collage,<br />
and other art forms.<br />
• Broadway Palm Gift Shop: A unique shop with a theatrical<br />
flair, which features one-<strong>of</strong>-a-kind gifts, including jewelry,<br />
collectibles, theatre memorabilia, and more.<br />
• Busty’s Bar: Named after long-time bartender, Sebastian<br />
“Busty” Lanza, the lobby’s full-service cocktail bar is<br />
open in the evenings, before the show, at intermission,<br />
and after the show. The bar features a selection <strong>of</strong> fine<br />
wines and specialty drinks.<br />
Broadway Palm has grown since it opened from twentyfive<br />
employees to approximately 125 today. Each musical<br />
production features a live orchestra and pr<strong>of</strong>essional actors<br />
are hired from national auditions. Costume creation, set<br />
construction, and rehearsals take place on site.<br />
More than 250 private functions are held each year at<br />
Broadway Palm, including business meetings, training<br />
seminars, fundraisers, and social functions. Broadway Palm<br />
is a long-standing member <strong>of</strong> area chambers as well as a<br />
sanctioned Florida Attraction. Broadway Palm has helped<br />
many local charities by donating money, goods and services,<br />
and/or volunteer hours.<br />
More than two decades after its first opening curtain,<br />
Broadway Palm remains a top entertainment destination in<br />
Southwest Florida and is positioned to remain as such for<br />
many years to come.<br />
For more information on Broadway Palm, please visit<br />
www.broadwaypalm.com.<br />
FORT MYERS: <strong>City</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Palms—A</strong> <strong>Contemporary</strong> <strong>Portrait</strong><br />
174
Chico’s FAS, Inc., is a leading specialty retailer <strong>of</strong><br />
women’s apparel and accessories. It’s three iconic and<br />
powerful brands, Chico’s, White House Black Market and<br />
Soma, are known for high quality, exclusively designed<br />
styles and exceptional customer service.<br />
Chico’s was founded by Marvin and Helene Gralnick.<br />
The couple met in 1972 while living in Guadalajara,<br />
Mexico. In 1983, after moving to Southwest Florida, they<br />
opened a tiny Mexican folk art gift shop in Periwinkle Place<br />
on Sanibel Island. They named the boutique “Chico’s Folk<br />
Art Specialties,” after Helene’s best friend’s parrot, Chico.<br />
At first, the store sold art and a few clothing items, including<br />
cotton sweaters, which soon outsold everything else.<br />
Chico’s quickly became a specialty fashion boutique, <strong>of</strong>fering<br />
unique styles and a friendly atmosphere that connected with<br />
customers in a personal way. In 1985, Chico’s opened a second<br />
boutique on Captiva Island. Many more soon followed.<br />
Since its inception, Chico’s has been known for its<br />
original styles, flattering fits, and exclusive travel and<br />
active wear collections. Every piece is designed to help<br />
women look and feel fabulous. Chico’s is passionate about<br />
customer service, welcoming customers as friends and<br />
empowering them to create their own signature style.<br />
In 2003, White House Black Market was acquired by<br />
Chico’s FAS, Inc. Although named for the simplicity <strong>of</strong> its<br />
iconic black and white fashions, White House Black Market’s<br />
curated collections feature the latest colors, prints, and<br />
styles. White House Black Market’s style experts are dedicated<br />
to <strong>of</strong>fering exceptional personal service and inspiring<br />
women to be stylishly successful in all that they do.<br />
In 2004, Soma became the third brand to join the<br />
Chico’s FAS family. Soma <strong>of</strong>fers beautiful and sensual<br />
lingerie, loungewear and beauty. Home to the warmest<br />
personal service, Soma embraces women with luxuriously<br />
s<strong>of</strong>t fabrics, innovative fashion and an always perfect fit.<br />
Chico’s FAS is built on a core set <strong>of</strong> values and guiding<br />
principles that support its commitment to women’s and<br />
children’s health, well-being, and education. Its charitable<br />
efforts focus on positively affecting the lives <strong>of</strong> its associates,<br />
customers, and communities. Through volunteer hours and<br />
monetary donations, Chico’s FAS directly supports many<br />
local organizations in Southwest Florida. On a national<br />
level, Chico’s FAS contributes and partners with several<br />
women’s and children’s philanthropic organizations.<br />
Even as Chico’s FAS has grown, its values remain at the<br />
heart <strong>of</strong> the company today; beautiful apparel, exceptional<br />
service and a deep appreciation for its customers.<br />
CHICO’S FAS, INC.<br />
FORT MYERS PARTNERS<br />
175
❖<br />
CANTERBURY SCHOOL<br />
Below: The school mascot, the Canterbury Cougars.<br />
Canterbury School, founded in 1964, is a Pre-K3 through<br />
grade 12 nonsectarian, independent, coeducational school<br />
that prepares students for academic and pr<strong>of</strong>essional excellence<br />
within a caring and supportive community with a strong<br />
emphasis on character, leadership, and service. Canterbury<br />
School stresses individual growth, skill development, highcaliber<br />
instruction, collaboration, and standards <strong>of</strong> excellence.<br />
Canterbury School provides all <strong>of</strong> its students with an<br />
opportunity to challenge themselves and take risks in<br />
an atmosphere <strong>of</strong> mutual respect and partnership among<br />
students, parents, and teachers. The school’s talented and<br />
dedicated faculty work to build a close-knit community <strong>of</strong><br />
learners where the whole child is nurtured and developed,<br />
and where the model <strong>of</strong> a liberal arts education thrives.<br />
Currently located at 8141 College Parkway, this thirtytwo-acre<br />
campus is a place where a strong athletic program<br />
and commitment to the arts combine with academic<br />
excellence in a secure and modern facility. The school’s vision<br />
is to prepare students <strong>of</strong> ability, promise, and diverse backgrounds<br />
for success in the art <strong>of</strong> leading a meaningful life.<br />
Canterbury school’s population <strong>of</strong> more than 630<br />
students is divided into three levels: Lower, Middle, and<br />
Upper School. With a student-to-faculty ratio <strong>of</strong> 10:1 and an<br />
average class size <strong>of</strong> sixteen, students receive the individual<br />
attention they need to prepare them for the next step in<br />
their academic careers and to achieve success in the most<br />
demanding post-secondary institutions and pr<strong>of</strong>essions.<br />
A wide range <strong>of</strong> honor societies are available to students,<br />
and the school is accredited by or a member <strong>of</strong> several<br />
prestigious academic associations.<br />
Athletics, clubs, and organizations play key roles in student<br />
life. Canterbury School <strong>of</strong>fers football, soccer, baseball,<br />
basketball, volleyball, swimming, tennis, golf, cross-country,<br />
track and field, cheerleading, and lacrosse. Need-based financial<br />
aid is available and, on average, approximately one-fourth<br />
<strong>of</strong> Canterbury School students receive aid. Fifty percent <strong>of</strong><br />
faculty hold advanced degrees with ten percent holding a<br />
doctorate. More than twenty percent <strong>of</strong> faculty have international<br />
teaching experience, and the average teacher has<br />
worked as a teacher for more than eighteen years.<br />
Students pursue a rigorous schedule <strong>of</strong> college preparatory<br />
classes for all four years in the Upper School. All classes are<br />
taught on the honors level with Advanced Placement (AP)<br />
and Independent Studies providing extra challenges. Students<br />
consistently test above Lee County, Florida, and national averages<br />
in both the SAT and ACT, and students are encouraged to<br />
participate in a school-wide community service program.<br />
College and university <strong>of</strong>ficials say Canterbury School<br />
students are prepared for college and academic success,<br />
representing a value to the college at the time <strong>of</strong> admission.<br />
The school stresses personal integrity and service and expects<br />
graduates to be lifelong learners and responsible citizens<br />
who are well-prepared to help shape a changing world.<br />
FORT MYERS: <strong>City</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Palms—A</strong> <strong>Contemporary</strong> <strong>Portrait</strong><br />
176
BOYLAN ENVIRONMENTAL<br />
CONSULTANTS, INC.<br />
Boylan Environmental Consultants, Inc., is an environmental<br />
consulting firm providing technical and economically feasible<br />
solutions to today’s environmental issues. The company <strong>of</strong>fers<br />
a selection <strong>of</strong> services including due diligence environmental<br />
assessments, wetland and wildlife surveys, environmental planning<br />
services for zoning and development, environmental<br />
resource permitting applications, wetland impact assessments,<br />
habitat management plans, and design <strong>of</strong> mitigation and<br />
restoration projects. Located in <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>, the company<br />
has provided a wide range <strong>of</strong> services on numerous projects<br />
throughout the state, including residential, commercial, industrial,<br />
agricultural, and governmental activities.<br />
Boylan Environmental Consultants, Inc., was founded by<br />
Rae Ann Boylan in 1989 and has been providing environmental<br />
consulting services to both private and governmental<br />
entities in South Florida ever since. Rae Ann continued to<br />
grow and operate the business until 2011, when she sold<br />
her interest in the company to her longstanding employee<br />
Kimberly (Kim) Schlachta. A native <strong>of</strong> <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>, Kim<br />
began her career at Boylan in 1998 and now serves as<br />
president where she manages the company and continues<br />
to maintain the reputation and quality <strong>of</strong> work established<br />
over the years. The experienced gained as an employee is<br />
also reflected in the commitment and attention to the quality<br />
<strong>of</strong> the working environment for team members.<br />
Boylan remains committed to employ qualified environmental<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essionals with the experience needed to provide<br />
the specified ecological services required by today’s regulations.<br />
The staff has the necessary academic backgrounds<br />
for this field and participates in a range <strong>of</strong> continuing<br />
educational programs to remain current on the continuing<br />
changes in the scientific methodologies employed in the<br />
field and the regulatory rule changes.<br />
The team’s local knowledge and experience with South<br />
Florida have given Boylan Environmental Consultants, Inc.,<br />
added expertise in this area. The advantages <strong>of</strong> this expertise<br />
ranges from specific knowledge <strong>of</strong> the flora and fauna <strong>of</strong><br />
the area to a familiarity with the needs and requirements <strong>of</strong><br />
the regulatory agencies. The staff provides all clients the<br />
required services in a timely and economic fashion. The<br />
quality <strong>of</strong> work is reflected by the many long term and repeat<br />
clients established and maintained over the years.<br />
The company also has a broad range <strong>of</strong> technical field<br />
equipment and programs to support its environmental programs.<br />
Its extensive computer capabilities include AutoCAD,<br />
ArcMap, a large database <strong>of</strong> GIS information, historical and<br />
current aerial photography, a large array <strong>of</strong> graphic programs<br />
along with complete Windows support s<strong>of</strong>tware.<br />
The company has been certified as a Florida Minority/<br />
Women Business Enterprise (MBE)/(WBE) and a Disadvantaged<br />
Business Enterprise (DBE) by the U.S. Department <strong>of</strong><br />
Transportation (DOT). Boylan is also a member <strong>of</strong> the Greater<br />
<strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> Chamber <strong>of</strong> Commerce and supports the Florida<br />
Sherriff’s Association. Boylan also supports the America<br />
Cancer Society and other worthy causes.<br />
Moving forward, and as environmental issues continue to<br />
play a critical role in the future balance <strong>of</strong> responsible growth<br />
and conservation, Boylan is committed to continue its focus<br />
on expertise and quality <strong>of</strong> work and services in contributing to<br />
the environmentally sustainable future <strong>of</strong> Southwest Florida.<br />
FORT MYERS PARTNERS<br />
177
THE SALVATION ARMY<br />
OF LEE, HENDRY AND<br />
GLADES COUNTIES<br />
The Salvation Army expanded to <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> in 1951<br />
when Captains Arthur and Viola Sanders began leading<br />
efforts to minister to the poor from what was initially a small<br />
<strong>of</strong>fice and church. In the more than six decades since they<br />
arrived, The Salvation Army has grown into an extremely<br />
large organization that today serves more than 30,000 people<br />
annually in Lee, Hendry, and Glades Counties.<br />
The Salvation Army, an international movement founded<br />
in 1865 by a young British minister named William Booth,<br />
preaches the gospel <strong>of</strong> Jesus Christ, meeting human needs in<br />
His name without discrimination. Working with his wife,<br />
Booth “reached for the worst” rather than ministering to the<br />
more comfortable, and the movement spread throughout<br />
the British Isles and, in 1880, arrived in the United States.<br />
Booth’s ministry recognized the interdependence <strong>of</strong><br />
material, emotional, and spiritual needs. In addition to<br />
preaching the Gospel, Booth began providing food for the<br />
hungry, shelter for the homeless, and alcohol rehabilitation<br />
for the addicted.<br />
This same focus is present in The Salvation Army<br />
<strong>of</strong> Lee, Hendry, and Glades Counties. In one year,<br />
The Salvation Army impacted 38,303 lives through a variety<br />
<strong>of</strong> outreach services ranging from help with utility<br />
bills to residential substance abuse programs for men.<br />
Utilizing a staff <strong>of</strong> approximately 175 employees and<br />
6,000 volunteers, The Salvation Army each year provides<br />
more than 250,000 meals and more than 12,000 bed<br />
nights. It also runs a thirty-five bed substance abuse<br />
treatment facility for men and a residential program<br />
for women and children. It also provides more than<br />
2,500 bed nights through its Medical Respite Unit and<br />
assistance to more than 150 clients in federal and state<br />
correctional facilities.<br />
The Salvation Army helps people attain their goals<br />
<strong>of</strong> housing and stable employment while fostering a sense<br />
<strong>of</strong> greater self-determination. They do this by providing<br />
vital services and programs and by connecting clients<br />
to local service providers. Approximately 350 <strong>of</strong> its<br />
volunteers are physicians who provide care to The Salvation<br />
Army’s clients through more than 6,000 hours at no cost.<br />
In all, The Salvation Army operates out <strong>of</strong> seventeen<br />
buildings in the three counties it serves, including three<br />
thrift stores and mission stations in Bonita Springs, Cape<br />
Coral, Clewiston, LaBelle, and Lehigh Acres. It also operates<br />
The Salvation Army Church, formerly home to McGregor<br />
Baptist Church, where a diverse population from the homeless<br />
to successful physicians worship together.<br />
The Salvation Army’s work would not be possible without<br />
the continued support from a generous Southwest Florida<br />
community. Its work is and always will be motivated by<br />
the love <strong>of</strong> God. It is that love that motivates the staff and<br />
volunteers to soldier on despite the obstacles, providing<br />
basic human necessities without discrimination in the name<br />
<strong>of</strong> Jesus Christ.<br />
FORT MYERS: <strong>City</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Palms—A</strong> <strong>Contemporary</strong> <strong>Portrait</strong><br />
178
Fischler Property Company is doing more than developing<br />
mixed-use, multifamily and commercial properties across<br />
the country. It is building a legacy in its community, among<br />
its clients and within the firm’s culture.<br />
Founded in 2009 by Phil Fischler, this <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>-based<br />
company is a unique commercial real estate advisory firm<br />
known for taking on the most challenging projects,<br />
preserving the region’s history, and playing an instrumental<br />
role in the area’s growth. The company, its principals and<br />
its employees believe in projects that matter and enhance<br />
their communities.<br />
Fischler Property Company delivers services, buildings<br />
and outcomes it points to with pride. Its people strive<br />
to be innovative producers, impresarios, developers,<br />
instigators and creators. They identify opportunities,<br />
develop a vision for the future, and are driven to be<br />
resourceful, entrepreneurial and collaborative.<br />
The company’s experiences range from civil engineering<br />
to development to brokerage. Its people move confidently<br />
between several industry elements, including finance and<br />
investment, marketing and brokerage, construction and<br />
design, planning and entitlements, legal and technical,<br />
and leadership and client relations. The company celebrates<br />
opportunities to solve problems in an effective manner.<br />
To do so, it partners with superb industry leaders who<br />
<strong>of</strong>fer unmatched talent and contribute enormously to the<br />
firm’s successes.<br />
Fischler Property Company is a privately held firm<br />
focused on three main areas:<br />
• Development: The company develops commercial<br />
properties for its own portfolio. It also provides fee<br />
development services to property owners and tenants.<br />
• Brokerage: The company provides brokerage services<br />
to a select group <strong>of</strong> clients looking for opportunities<br />
that leverage its approach: focused, strategic and<br />
relationship-driven.<br />
• Advisory services: The company brings a fresh perspective<br />
to its clients and is constantly seeking ways to assess,<br />
protect and multiply the value <strong>of</strong> its clients’ assets.<br />
Since its inception, the company has been involved in<br />
millions <strong>of</strong> square feet <strong>of</strong> mixed-use, multifamily and<br />
commercial properties. Much <strong>of</strong> its focus has been in<br />
Southwest Florida between Marco Island and North Tampa,<br />
west <strong>of</strong> I-75. The company has guided the acquisition and<br />
disposition <strong>of</strong> several high-pr<strong>of</strong>ile waterfront and urban<br />
investment deals in downtown districts between <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong><br />
and Bradenton. It has also guided several regional banks<br />
on commercial OREO portfolios and partnered with bank<br />
executives on their asset disposition approach.<br />
Fischler Property Company is passionate about urban<br />
revitalization. Its strategy focuses heavily on downtown<br />
redevelopment opportunities to best serve its clients,<br />
improve its communities and build a legacy.<br />
For additional information on Fischler Property Company,<br />
please visit www.fischlerco.com.<br />
FISCHLER<br />
PROPERTY COMPANY<br />
FORT MYERS PARTNERS<br />
179
HOTEL INDIGO<br />
FORT MYERS DOWNTOWN<br />
RIVER DISTRICT<br />
Hotel Indigo, located in the <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> Downtown<br />
River District, puts its guests in the heart <strong>of</strong> this historic<br />
neighborhood, near great shopping, attractions, and local<br />
businesses. Like other Hotel Indigo properties across<br />
the country, this <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> hotel is inspired by the area’s<br />
creative community and serves as the only boutique hotel in<br />
the neighborhood. The adjoining Post Office Arcade, which<br />
serves as the entryway into the hotel’s main reception area,<br />
is a historic building housing restaurants and commercial<br />
<strong>of</strong>fice space.<br />
No two neighborhoods are alike, so neither are any two<br />
Hotel Indigo properties. When guests stay at a Hotel Indigo<br />
property, they are not just staying anywhere, they are staying<br />
somewhere—within a vibrant community, in a unique<br />
boutique hotel that combines authentic local experiences,<br />
modern design and intimate service, and yet with the<br />
peace <strong>of</strong> mind and consistency that comes from staying with<br />
one <strong>of</strong> the world’s largest hotel groups. The Hotel Indigo in<br />
<strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> is included as a stop on downtown’s monthly<br />
Music and Art Walks featuring local musicians and artists,<br />
and the colorful mural by our ro<strong>of</strong>top pool was created<br />
by a local artist.<br />
Back Bay Resorts SWF, LLC, is the company behind<br />
the Hotel Indigo <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> Downtown River District. This<br />
Boston-based firm was founded in Massachusetts more than<br />
forty years ago, investing in apartment buildings, hotels,<br />
research and development space, land, and commercial<br />
buildings in and around Boston. In 2004 the first Hotel<br />
Indigo property opened its doors in Atlanta. Today,<br />
culturally rich communities all over the world are home<br />
to a Hotel Indigo, from New York to Paris, London to<br />
Shanghai, Hong Kong to Singapore—all the places people<br />
want to visit and do business in.<br />
Back Bay Resorts began searching for business opportunities<br />
in Florida in 2010-2011 and identified the Hotel<br />
Indigo property as a potential investment. It also recognized<br />
that <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> <strong>of</strong>fered visitors music, culture, and art<br />
events that attracted thousands <strong>of</strong> visitors and residents to<br />
downtown every month. It seemed only natural for Hotel<br />
Indigo to be a part <strong>of</strong> that experience.<br />
Each Hotel Indigo is as individual as its surroundings<br />
and is also a reflection <strong>of</strong> them. Guests can taste the local<br />
flavor on their menus and see it in the art and photography<br />
displayed on the walls. Guests get great advice from our<br />
team members on what to see and do in the neighborhood,<br />
meet locals in our hotel bars, and experience the relaxed and<br />
inviting feeling the makes Hotel Indigo a great place to stay.<br />
Team members go out <strong>of</strong> their way to make each stay<br />
memorable and neighborhoods easy to discover and<br />
appreciate. From must-see, hear, and eat experiences to<br />
hidden gems <strong>of</strong>f the beaten path, guests can trust team<br />
members to provide great local recommendations.<br />
Hotel Indigo properties feature unique design at every<br />
turn without compromising guest comfort. A vibrant<br />
modern color palette, complemented by natural light and<br />
locally influenced design and decor, make for an inviting,<br />
stylish, and refreshing atmosphere.<br />
FORT MYERS: <strong>City</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Palms—A</strong> <strong>Contemporary</strong> <strong>Portrait</strong><br />
180
BARBARA B. MANN<br />
PERFORMING ARTS HALL<br />
The Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall at Florida<br />
SouthWestern State College, which celebrated its thirtieth<br />
anniversary in 2016, serves as the entertainment showcase<br />
for <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> and the rest <strong>of</strong> Southwest Florida, attracting<br />
National Touring, Tony ® Award-winning Broadway productions<br />
and providing a venue for world-class entertainers<br />
such as Jay Leno, Diana Ross, Ringo Starr and more.<br />
This 1,873-seat facility, located on the campus <strong>of</strong> Florida<br />
SouthWestern State College, is named for a remarkable<br />
woman who was involved in the creation <strong>of</strong> almost every<br />
arts organization in Southwest Florida, including the <strong>Fort</strong><br />
<strong>Myers</strong> Symphony Orchestra and Lee County Alliance for<br />
the Arts, serving as the alliance’s charter president. In 1949,<br />
Barbara Mann founded <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> Community Concert<br />
Association and served as its president for fifty-seven years.<br />
Each year, the association hosts five performances: a ballet,<br />
opera, symphony performance, and two recital pieces.<br />
The series began at area elementary schools before<br />
moving up to high schools and, beginning in 1986, to the<br />
Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall.<br />
Her son, Frank Mann, was instrumental in convincing the<br />
Florida Department <strong>of</strong> Education to appropriate the funds<br />
to build the hall on the campus <strong>of</strong> what was then known<br />
as Edison State College. Having played an important role in<br />
promoting the arts in the region, it seemed only fitting that<br />
the new facility should be named after Mann, who passed<br />
away in 2013 at the age <strong>of</strong> 100.<br />
The Hall is home to an average <strong>of</strong> 190 performances<br />
per year and annually attracts more than 200,000 visitors. It<br />
features the largest proscenium stage between Tampa and<br />
Miami, measuring twenty-nine feet high and fifty-six feet<br />
wide. The stage is forty-seven feet deep by 106 feet wide. In<br />
addition to serving as a performance venue for nationally and<br />
internationally renowned performers, the Hall is home to the<br />
Southwest Florida Symphony and the Gulf Coast Symphony.<br />
Major milestones for the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts<br />
Hall include launching the second national tour <strong>of</strong> Wicked<br />
and the national tour <strong>of</strong> Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. In 1998<br />
the Hall was expanded to accommodate larger shows such<br />
as The Phantom <strong>of</strong> the Opera and renovating the backstage<br />
dressing rooms to provide more space. In 2014, the Hall’s<br />
original seats were replaced at a cost <strong>of</strong> $1.1 million.<br />
Through the years, almost every legendary entertainer has<br />
performed at the Hall such as: Tony Bennett, Liza Minnelli,<br />
Smokey Robinson, James Taylor, and the Moody Blues. The<br />
Hall plans to continue to provide Southwest Florida with the<br />
best in live entertainment. The Barbara B. Mann Performing<br />
Arts Hall at FSW—Where Broadway Comes to You!<br />
FORT MYERS PARTNERS<br />
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❖<br />
WCI COMMUNITIES, INC.<br />
Below: Hampton Park.<br />
Bottom: The Pelican Preserve Plaza del Sol.<br />
WCI Communities has a long-standing tradition <strong>of</strong><br />
excellence in <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> and throughout Southwest Florida.<br />
With an established reputation and strong brand recognition<br />
for developing amenity-rich, lifestyle oriented masterplanned<br />
communities, WCI and its predecessor companies<br />
have a legacy that spans seventy years.<br />
A lifestyle community developer and luxury homebuilder<br />
<strong>of</strong> single and multifamily homes in coastal Florida,<br />
WCI has nearly 700 full-time employees,<br />
as well as relationships with approximately<br />
1,800 independent licensed real estate agents<br />
through their brokerage business.<br />
WCI prides itself on delivering exhilarating<br />
communities filled with championship golf,<br />
active clubhouses and sporting clubs, tennis,<br />
boating, beaches, health and wellness facilities,<br />
nature trails and more. WCI provides the highest<br />
quality construction and service for their<br />
valued customers. Today, more than 150,000<br />
residents call a WCI Community home.<br />
Recently earning the 49th spot on Builder<br />
Magazine’s annual Top 100 list, WCI <strong>of</strong>fers<br />
a vast selection <strong>of</strong> primary, vacation and<br />
retirement homes—from the beachfront to the<br />
lakeside to the fairways—which encompass<br />
a broad spectrum <strong>of</strong> styles ranging from the<br />
mid-$100,000s to over $1 million.<br />
Arborwood Preserve, WCI’s newest 332-acre<br />
master-planned community in <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>,<br />
<strong>of</strong>fers a resort lifestyle for today’s active<br />
resident. Intimate neighborhoods present<br />
a selection <strong>of</strong> WCI’s popular home designs<br />
nestled among seventy-three acres <strong>of</strong> lakes<br />
and more than twenty acres <strong>of</strong> preserves—plus<br />
the convenience <strong>of</strong> a full-service town center.<br />
Residents <strong>of</strong> WCI’s Hampton Park enjoy the intimacy <strong>of</strong><br />
their gated neighborhood, along with the added amenities<br />
<strong>of</strong> the surrounding 3,000-acre Gateway community—a<br />
combination that provides the ultimate live, work and play<br />
lifestyle. Hampton Park is convenient to major employers,<br />
neighborhood schools, parks and recreational attractions,<br />
including JetBlue Park, the wintertime home <strong>of</strong> the Boston<br />
Red Sox. Hampton Park residents quickly discover they<br />
never have to go far to have it all.<br />
Nearby, the intimate Timberwood Preserve combines the<br />
convenience <strong>of</strong> a Gateway location with the sought-after<br />
flexibility <strong>of</strong> WCI’s home designs.<br />
Pelican Preserve, WCI’s fifty-five and-better lifestyle<br />
community in <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>, enjoy twenty-seven holes <strong>of</strong><br />
Chip Powell-designed championship golf and a 24,500<br />
square foot Golf Club featuring fine and casual dining, a full<br />
calendar <strong>of</strong> events, and a fitness center with spa treatment<br />
rooms. The community’s town center <strong>of</strong>fers nearly every<br />
imaginable activity—from indoor fitness and swimming, to<br />
arts and crafts studios and a ninety-nine seat theater.<br />
Cypress Bend at Shadow Wood Preserve where residents<br />
enjoy the outdoors close to home with an eighteen hole Arthur<br />
Hills-designed championship golf course and access to clubhouse,<br />
tennis courts, two miles <strong>of</strong> walking paths and fitness<br />
trails, a tot lot, and a canoe and kayak park. After a day <strong>of</strong> play,<br />
Cypress Bend is also minutes away from exciting shopping,<br />
entertainment and restaurant destinations at Coconut Point.<br />
For decades, WCI has set the standard in <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong><br />
and beyond for building exceptional communities and<br />
developing amenities that challenge and exhilarate, while<br />
upholding an unwavering commitment to the places they<br />
call home. The company’s mission to “Think Boldly, Build<br />
Quality, Deliver Excellence, Enrich Lives and Create<br />
Value”—permeates every community they create.<br />
WCI Communities: Your Best Address.<br />
FORT MYERS: <strong>City</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Palms—A</strong> <strong>Contemporary</strong> <strong>Portrait</strong><br />
182
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., founded 1913 by<br />
twenty-two women students at Howard University in<br />
Washington, D.C., has distinguished itself as a publicservice<br />
organization that boldly confronts the challenges<br />
<strong>of</strong> African-Americans, and, hence, all Americans. The<br />
founders sought to use their collective strength to help<br />
society’s less fortunate.<br />
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., is a private, nonpr<strong>of</strong>it<br />
organization whose purpose is to provide services and<br />
programs to promote human welfare. As a sisterhood <strong>of</strong><br />
more than 300,000 predominately Black, college-educated<br />
women, the sorority has more than 940 chapters nationwide<br />
and internationally in Germany, Haiti, England, Japan,<br />
Liberia, Virgin Islands, Bermuda, the Republic <strong>of</strong> Korea,<br />
Jamaica and Nassau, Bahamas. The sorority’s focus is<br />
centered on the organization’s Five-Point Program:<br />
• Economic Development<br />
• Educational Development<br />
• International Awareness and Involvement<br />
• Physical and Mental Health<br />
• Political Awareness and Involvement/Social Action<br />
More than fifty years ago, thirteen dynamic women established<br />
a Delta Sigma Theta chapter in Lee County, Florida.<br />
The <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> Alumnae Chapter (FMAC) was the first<br />
Greek letter organization in Southwest Florida, established<br />
on December 18, 1965. Charter members were: President<br />
Marie Mallory Ackord, Theora Hamilton Austin, Ida Speed<br />
Baker, Annette Johnson Booker, Alma Livington Cambridge,<br />
Mary Gillings Leon, Richardeen Ellis Jones, Ann Murphy<br />
Knight, Melvin Smallwood Morgan, Gwendolyn Primus<br />
Mosley, Geraldine Simpkins Ware, Constance White-Davis,<br />
and Celestene Johnson Williams.<br />
Many programs have been implemented in the <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong><br />
communities, such as scholarship awards, breast cancer<br />
screening, Adopt-a-Black Business, Super Seniors Thanksgiving<br />
Luncheon, College and Career Conference, Adopt-a-Sister,<br />
Purple Soir`ee (domestic-violence education), Habitat For<br />
Humanity, Red Tea Awareness <strong>of</strong> heart disease; The Legal<br />
Clinic; Political Candidates Forums, Saving our Sons Forum;<br />
Public Forum, Featuring Senator Carrie Meek, E.M.B.O.D.I.;<br />
Dr. Ella Piper Christmas Toy Chest; Total Woman-Mind, Body<br />
& Spirit; Community Action Promoting Success Using Law<br />
Enforcement (C.A.P.S.U.L.E.); the Dr. Betty Shabazz Delta<br />
Academy; Dr. Jeanie Noble Delta G.E.M.S., International Day<br />
<strong>of</strong> Service (HIV Awareness); Omega Psi Phi Achievement<br />
Week 2014; and Walk2Connect Audit Program 2015.<br />
The FMAC has made financial contributions to groups<br />
such as United Negro College Fund, American Cancer Society,<br />
Love a Child Ministry, United Way and American Heart<br />
Association. The chapter has received several<br />
awards from local and regional organizations<br />
including the Quality Life Gulfshore; Life<br />
Award; Junior League <strong>of</strong> <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>; Project<br />
Play; Zeta Phi Beta Organization <strong>of</strong> the Year<br />
Award; Alpha Kappa Alpha Accolades Service<br />
Award; Phi Delta Kappa Outstanding Service<br />
to Education Award; Lee County Community<br />
School Service Award; and Dr. Martin Luther<br />
King, Jr. Birthday Celebration Committee<br />
Service Award. On December 7, 2015, FMAC<br />
received a proclamation from Mayor Randall P.<br />
Henderson, Jr., declaring December 18th as<br />
the <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> Alumnae Chapter <strong>of</strong> Delta<br />
Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Day.<br />
The FMAC is known for its annual<br />
fundraisers to support scholarships and<br />
organizations that improve human welfare:<br />
Sepia Fashion Revue, Miss Jabberwock, Delta<br />
Sweetheart/Esquire and Steppin Towards<br />
Greatness Step Show.<br />
DELTA SIGMA THETA<br />
FORT MYERS PARTNERS<br />
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MARKHAM NORTON<br />
MOSTELLER WRIGHT &<br />
CO., P.A.<br />
Since 1979 the partners and team members <strong>of</strong> Markham<br />
Norton Mosteller Wright & Co., P.A. (MNMW) have demonstrated<br />
a passion for serving their community and helping<br />
their clients realize financial success by providing personalized<br />
guidance and exceptional client service to individuals and<br />
businesses. MNMW is among the most respected CPA firms<br />
in Southwest Florida with <strong>of</strong>fices in <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> and Naples.<br />
With her perseverance and a vision for the future, L. Gail<br />
Markham, the firm’s founder, now works alongside three<br />
partners, Joni Norton, Karen Mosteller, and Randy Wright.<br />
Together, they have established a team <strong>of</strong> skilled pr<strong>of</strong>essionals<br />
and have expanded their services to include tax planning,<br />
bookkeeping, general accounting, medical and dental<br />
practice consulting, and mediation services and forensic<br />
accounting services. The partners have always envisioned a<br />
unique client service-oriented culture for the firm and have<br />
worked diligently over the years to establish exactly that.<br />
MNMW is diverse in its active approach to community<br />
involvement, charities and special events. One <strong>of</strong> many<br />
examples is being an avid supporter <strong>of</strong> the United Way; the<br />
firm has been recognized as a pacesetter company for many<br />
years. As a testament to its team member’s commitment and<br />
values, the firm has also been recognized for numerous<br />
awards such as Florida Trend magazine’s “Best Places to<br />
Work” for the past several years, as well as “Best Accounting<br />
Firm” by Gulfshore Business magazine. The firm has also<br />
received the Uncommon Friends Foundation’s Business<br />
Ethics Award and the State <strong>of</strong> Florida Blue Chip Award.<br />
As trusted advisors, the team at MNMW maintains<br />
steadfast dedication to integrity, excellence, and responsibility.<br />
The team takes pride in their work, exhibited by their<br />
unwavering enthusiasm and uncompromising values.<br />
MNMW looks forward to many more successful years by<br />
exceeding their client’s expectations and making a positive<br />
impact by supporting the community.<br />
FORT MYERS: <strong>City</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Palms—A</strong> <strong>Contemporary</strong> <strong>Portrait</strong><br />
184
In the early 1970s, Mike Joyce and his partner, both college<br />
students at the time, began buying and selling rare coins in<br />
Tampa, Florida. From humble beginnings in a single-wide<br />
trailer, Gulfcoast Coin Brokers was born. In 1975, Gulfcoast<br />
Coin Brokers opened its doors in <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>, Florida, dealing<br />
in rare coins, paper money, silver dollars, and gold coins.<br />
Gulfcoast also became dealers in all U.S. Mint products<br />
including pro<strong>of</strong> sets, mint sets, stamps, and paper money.<br />
As the precious metals boomed, Gulfcoast Coin Brokers<br />
became, and still continues to be, a major bullion dealer in<br />
South African Krugerrands, Gold American Eagles, Canadian<br />
Maple Leafs, Austrian 100 Coronas, Mexican Fifty Pesos,<br />
Chinese Pandas, Platinum Nobles, as well as gold and<br />
platinum bars. Gulfcoast makes a market in silver bullion,<br />
U.S. 90 percent silver coins, 100-ounce bars, 10-ounce bars,<br />
one-ounce bars, war nickels, Franklin Mint silver, and all<br />
types <strong>of</strong> sterling silver flatware and hollowware. Gulfcoast<br />
now <strong>of</strong>fers security—insured private depository for our<br />
clients to store their purchased valuables. The Gulfcoast<br />
private depository allows our clients to buy and sell all rare<br />
coins and precious metals without any security risks.<br />
After skyrocketing growth in the early 1980s, with gold<br />
and silver hitting $800 and $50 respectively, Gulfcoast had a<br />
name change and hired Denise Taylor (now Denise Joyce,<br />
managing partner) to manage the fine jewelry department.<br />
Denise dramatically expanded the jewelry and diamond<br />
department and turned Gulfcoast into Southwest Florida’s<br />
premier jewelry exchange. Denise is one <strong>of</strong> the foremost<br />
diamond and high-end watch dealers in the area. Her<br />
product knowledge and expert appraisal services are called<br />
upon frequently by attorneys, banks, and clients.<br />
In the 1990s, Gulfcoast Coin & Jewelry, LLC, started<br />
conducting local and international auctions. The auction<br />
business model was to bring intelligent buyers and sellers<br />
together to auction all types <strong>of</strong> high-end personal property.<br />
Being the first company to conduct international online<br />
monthly auctions gave clients the opportunity to <strong>of</strong>fer<br />
valuable family heirlooms on the international stage and<br />
always receive top dollar. Auction items include rare coins,<br />
diamonds, paper money, estate jewelry, new jewelry, bridal,<br />
sterling, fine art, luxury apparel, firearms, antiques and<br />
furniture, and all types <strong>of</strong> high-end collectibles.<br />
Gulf Coast Coin & Jewelry, LLC, is one <strong>of</strong> the oldest and<br />
most respected precious metals dealers and numismatic firms<br />
in the country. Mike is one <strong>of</strong> the few numismatists to be<br />
inducted into the prestigious Pr<strong>of</strong>essional Numismatic Guild,<br />
Accredited Precious Metals Dealers, International Society <strong>of</strong><br />
Appraisers, Life Member American Numismatic Association,<br />
and Life Member Florida Auctioneers Association.<br />
With more than four decades <strong>of</strong> experience in the business<br />
<strong>of</strong> buying, selling, appraising, and auctioneering, Gulfcoast<br />
Coin & Jewelry, LLC, is where the educated consumer<br />
conducts business.<br />
❖<br />
Left: Mike and Denise Joyce.<br />
GULFCOAST COIN &<br />
JEWELRY, LLC<br />
FORT MYERS PARTNERS<br />
185
❖<br />
Above: Chris Pendleton.<br />
EDISON & FORD<br />
WINTER ESTATES<br />
Over a century ago, Thomas Edison said “There is<br />
only one <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> in the United States, and there<br />
are 90,000,000 people who are going to find it out.” There<br />
are a lot more people in the nation these days and<br />
they continue to discover the Edison & Ford Winter<br />
Estates, along with many more residents who regularly<br />
enjoy the site, plus an ever-growing worldwide tourist<br />
audience. Edison’s prediction has proven true as the latest<br />
visitation numbers show an annual visitation and usage<br />
<strong>of</strong> almost 270,000.<br />
Edison arrived in <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> in 1885, and fell in love<br />
with the tiny town <strong>of</strong> less than 350. He immediately<br />
purchased thirteen and a half acres which spanned a cattle<br />
trail (now McGregor Boulevard) and fronted on the river.<br />
In 1916, his colleague, Henry Ford, also became enamored<br />
with <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> and purchased the neighboring property.<br />
Together, the Edison and Ford families would create<br />
a residential and research site <strong>of</strong> more than twenty acres,<br />
with more than a dozen original buildings, beautiful and<br />
useful plants, and dazzling river frontage.<br />
Edison’s interest in bamboo as a filament for his light<br />
bulb, dynamos and self-sufficiency for his beloved property<br />
created a model and brought modern technology to<br />
<strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>. In 1885, <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> incorporated as a city<br />
and more than a decade later, electricity, street lights and<br />
modern devices <strong>of</strong> the day were introduced.<br />
In 1916, Ford was already an automotive magnate and the<br />
Ford Motor Company was an international phenomenon.<br />
Ford helped to introduce automobiles and new roads<br />
to Southwest Florida. By 1929, the new Tamiami Trail<br />
(now U.S. Highway 41) connected Tampa to Miami,<br />
making <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> and Naples increasingly accessible to<br />
the world.<br />
Edison received an astounding 1,093 patents, which were<br />
mind-boggling in their diversity, ushering in the new era <strong>of</strong><br />
household conveniences and industrial technology to the<br />
world. Ford held 161 patents, which helped to introduce<br />
the world to an age <strong>of</strong> automobiles and airplanes. Together<br />
with their families, Edison and Ford were very influential<br />
on a global scale, and <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> was one <strong>of</strong> the beneficiaries<br />
<strong>of</strong> that influence.<br />
The population <strong>of</strong> <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> has grown from 350<br />
residents in 1885 to a bustling and growing population <strong>of</strong><br />
75,000 today. The properties <strong>of</strong> Edison and Ford are<br />
now joined as the Edison & Ford Winter Estates, Inc.<br />
Owned by <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> and governed by a nonpr<strong>of</strong>it board<br />
<strong>of</strong> trustees who manage the site and govern its preservation<br />
and expansion. The team includes a board <strong>of</strong> trustees,<br />
a paid staff <strong>of</strong> 70, over 250 volunteers, and more than<br />
7,000 members. The historic site is open daily and adds<br />
an economic impact to the community <strong>of</strong> more than<br />
$90 million. The Edison & Ford Winter Estates is listed<br />
on the National Historic Register, has been designated as<br />
a National Historic Chemical Landmark, and has received<br />
the top award for excellence from the National Trust for<br />
Historic Preservation and the National Garden Clubs. It is<br />
truly a treasure for the <strong>City</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> and the world<br />
and is to be visited, experienced and cherished.<br />
We know that Thomas and Mina Edison and Henry and<br />
Clara Ford would be very proud <strong>of</strong> the preservation <strong>of</strong> their<br />
homes and legacy here in <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>. We also know that<br />
they would be very proud <strong>of</strong> the new developments and education<br />
programs that continue to add so much to the lives <strong>of</strong> our citizens<br />
and visitors and to the economy <strong>of</strong> the region. Over the past<br />
130 years, the Edison and Ford legacy in <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> has<br />
meant a great deal to the development <strong>of</strong> this great little city<br />
and to Florida. There’s a very exciting future ahead for this<br />
property and for the <strong>City</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>. We are a unique<br />
public private partnership.<br />
–Chris Pendleton, president/CEO<br />
FORT MYERS: <strong>City</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Palms—A</strong> <strong>Contemporary</strong> <strong>Portrait</strong><br />
186
Corbin Henderson Company is a real estate brokerage,<br />
property management, and consulting firm in <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong><br />
that combines a strong local knowledge <strong>of</strong> the real estate<br />
market with an equally strong understanding <strong>of</strong> its clients’<br />
business. The company’s extensive entrepreneurial history<br />
in developing its own commercial projects enables the<br />
leadership group to look at its clients’ projects through the<br />
eyes <strong>of</strong> an owner.<br />
Local knowledge allows the firm to better serve its clients<br />
by finding the best real estate decision given their unique<br />
organizational requirements. Chartered as a Florida corporation<br />
in 1976 by Oscar M. Corbin, Jr., Corbin Henderson<br />
Company’s expertise also includes development <strong>of</strong> new<br />
projects as well as condominium and apartment projects <strong>of</strong><br />
more than 200 units, <strong>of</strong>fice buildings, pr<strong>of</strong>essional centers,<br />
warehouses, and other real estate-oriented activities.<br />
The leadership team at Corbin Henderson Company<br />
consists <strong>of</strong> Brokers Randall P. Henderson, Jr. and<br />
Virginia C. Henderson; Sales Associates John Carrington,<br />
Justin Stockman and Randall P. Henderson, Sr.; and Office<br />
Manager Ann LeFever. The experienced and knowledgeable<br />
team at Corbin Henderson helps developer and investor<br />
clients to identify market opportunities and to coordinate<br />
project designs that ensure a proposed project meets<br />
market demands.<br />
Broker Randall Henderson, Jr., left the banking industry<br />
in 1986 to become CEO <strong>of</strong> Corbin Henderson Company.<br />
As CEO for more than three decades, he has primarily<br />
been engaged in pr<strong>of</strong>essional <strong>of</strong>fice facilities, multifamily<br />
housing, warehouse and light industrial real estate.<br />
Broker Virginia Henderson has been a company <strong>of</strong>ficer<br />
since 1983, serving in numerous capacities including pr<strong>of</strong>essional<br />
<strong>of</strong>fice management, leasing, business administration<br />
and sales. She has been involved in <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> community<br />
activities for many years, serving as past president <strong>of</strong><br />
Edison Park Elementary PTA, Dunbar Middle School PTA,<br />
and <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> Woman’s Community Club.<br />
Carrington joined Corbin Henderson Company in 2006,<br />
gaining local knowledge and prospective for <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong><br />
area real estate investing. A commercial real estate agent<br />
in <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> since 2004, Carrington became a certified<br />
commercial investment manager and is involved in the<br />
local community.<br />
Stockman joined the company in 2009. In<br />
addition to practicing real estate, Stockman<br />
practices law and is a partner at Geraghty,<br />
Dougherty, Edwards & Stockman, P.A.<br />
in downtown <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>. He is actively<br />
involved in the community, including<br />
serving on the board <strong>of</strong> the Boys and Girls<br />
Clubs <strong>of</strong> Lee County as well as the <strong>City</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> Planning Board and as an alternate<br />
on the <strong>City</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> Abatement Board.<br />
Henderson, Sr. joined the team in 2014.<br />
He retired to <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> from North Carolina<br />
after an extensive history in business development.<br />
He contributes to the leadership<br />
team’s high quality competitive services.<br />
LeFever brings a background <strong>of</strong> accounting<br />
and systems design to the firm. Her<br />
commercial management experience includes<br />
Class A <strong>of</strong>fice buildings, retail centers, and industrial<br />
parks. With Corbin Henderson Company since 2006, she is<br />
responsible for budget preparation, financial record-keeping<br />
and reporting, collections, and hiring and supervising<br />
contractors for both maintenance and construction.<br />
Corbin Henderson Company is excited to be a part <strong>of</strong><br />
the history <strong>of</strong> <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>. The team is committed to quality<br />
real estate services and making their contribution to the<br />
vibrant beautiful city <strong>of</strong> <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>, Florida.<br />
❖<br />
The Corbin Henderson Team.<br />
CORBIN HENDERSON<br />
COMPANY<br />
FORT MYERS PARTNERS<br />
187
ALLURE AND ONE<br />
The luxury condominium projects known as Allure<br />
and ONE are the latest manifestation <strong>of</strong> a commitment to<br />
the <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> area made by developer JAXI following<br />
the real estate bust in 2008. Headed by Abel Ramirez<br />
and Eduardo Caballero, the firm is an accomplished real<br />
estate developer with a wide range <strong>of</strong> experience in<br />
Southern Florida.<br />
JAXI was the first real estate development company to<br />
take a chance on the <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> market after the economy<br />
hit bottom at the end <strong>of</strong> the millennium’s first decade.<br />
They saw opportunity where others saw risk and made a<br />
commitment to the area that is ongoing. In addition to Allure<br />
and ONE, JAXI is building two forty-unit condominium<br />
buildings in the Royal Pointe neighborhood <strong>of</strong> Majestic<br />
Palms, an existing gated community <strong>of</strong>f Majestic Palms<br />
Boulevard in south <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>.<br />
Prime locations on the banks <strong>of</strong> the Caloosahatchee River<br />
in the historic <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> River District combined with<br />
stellar amenities make these properties the premier choice<br />
for condominium buyers in Southwest Florida. Residents<br />
will enjoy living in the midst <strong>of</strong> the charm the Gulf Coast’s<br />
treasured downtown <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> has to <strong>of</strong>fer. An array <strong>of</strong><br />
shops and boutiques, popular restaurants, theaters, galleries,<br />
and nightspots line its brick streets.<br />
Allure, 2601 First Street, and ONE, 2583 First Street,<br />
<strong>of</strong>fer residents choices in condominium ownership and the<br />
lifestyle that goes with it. Allure is more than a name. It is an<br />
acronym that makes a statement about the lifestyle <strong>of</strong>fered<br />
there. Allure stands for Amazing, Luxury, Living, Unique,<br />
Relaxing, Experience. Allure features two thirty-two story<br />
towers with 292 for sale condominium residences with<br />
sweeping views <strong>of</strong> the river, while the boutique tower <strong>of</strong><br />
ONE located next door features one fifteen story tower with<br />
twenty-four exclusive for sale condominium residences.<br />
Both projects boast cutting-edge designs and amenities inside<br />
residences and the buildings that hold them—all within<br />
a short walk or trolley ride <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> River District.<br />
JAXI’s managing partners are committed to the long-term<br />
success <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> River District. The company believes<br />
very strongly in the continued growth and popularity <strong>of</strong> this<br />
tropical urban paradise and plans to remain in the market<br />
for years to come.<br />
FORT MYERS: <strong>City</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Palms—A</strong> <strong>Contemporary</strong> <strong>Portrait</strong><br />
188
❖<br />
MAIN SAIL VIDEO<br />
PRODUCTIONS, INC.<br />
LEFT: PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF AVA ROEDER.<br />
Below: Owner and videographer Ilene Safron up close at spring training.<br />
Bottom: Videotaping the triathalon event at the 2012 Summer Olympics<br />
in London.<br />
Main Sail Video Productions, Inc., is a full-service Emmy<br />
Award-winning pr<strong>of</strong>essional video production, photography<br />
and design company, that can take a vision from concept<br />
through delivery. Based in Southwest Florida since 1989,<br />
Main Sail uses only the highest quality, cutting-edge technology,<br />
combined with personal service.<br />
Main Sail Video Productions, Inc., has created thousands<br />
<strong>of</strong> award winning video presentations, in Florida, nationally<br />
and around the world. The company has always been<br />
a leader in the video production industry, whether it is<br />
designing digital art and motion graphics, producing<br />
news and documentaries, or “going live” on social media.<br />
Services include promotional videos, video news segments,<br />
television commercials and documentaries.<br />
National clients include NBC Nightly News, CBS Sunday<br />
Morning, New England Sports Network/FOX Sports, PBS,<br />
E! Entertainment Television and VH1/MTV, the United<br />
States Olympic Committee NGBs, and many <strong>Fort</strong>une 500<br />
companies. Florida-based organizations and government<br />
agencies include the <strong>City</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>, the Lee County<br />
Visitor & Convention Bureau, the Town <strong>of</strong> <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> Beach<br />
and Southwest Florida International Airport.<br />
Main Sail Video Productions, Inc. specializes in capturing<br />
compelling images and meticulously editing them<br />
together to bring about positive results.<br />
For more information on Main Sail Video Productions,<br />
Inc., call 239-337-5888 or visit www.mainsailvideo.com.<br />
FORT MYERS PARTNERS<br />
189
About the Photographer<br />
I LENE<br />
S AFRON<br />
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF MIKE SHAPIRO.<br />
With an eye for capturing the moment and the creative talent to add the flair, Videographer/Photographer Ilene Safron<br />
relies on her vivid pictures to tell the story.<br />
A thirty-five year television veteran, Ilene began her career at ABC Network News in New York. Her first assignment was<br />
carrying Barbara Walters’ mink coat. She worked her way up through ABC World News Tonight as a researcher, collaborating<br />
with Science Correspondent Jules Bergman and Environmental Correspondent Roger Caras. She went on to be a production<br />
associate, special assignments researcher and assistant field producer.<br />
After relocating to Southwest Florida, she joined the CBS affiliate (WINK-TV) in <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>, Florida, and then was hired<br />
by the NBC affiliate (WFLA-TV) in Tampa, where she was a sports and news videographer. She later joined the team at<br />
Tampa Bay PM magazine (WTSP-TV), as a segment producer and videographer. This was the first <strong>of</strong> many jobs that led her to<br />
travel and take pictures all over the world.<br />
Since 1989, Ilene has been the president and owner <strong>of</strong> Main Sail Video Productions, Inc. She has worked with thousands<br />
<strong>of</strong> clients over the years and has won many prestigious regional, national and international awards. The list includes several<br />
“Communicator Awards”, Florida’s “Henry Flagler Governor’s” Award, Florida Public Relations “Golden Image” Awards,<br />
a Suncoast “Emmy” Award for Videography, an International “Louis Wolfson II Media History Center for Film and Video”<br />
Award, “The American Association <strong>of</strong> Museums” Award, as well as several “UPI” and “AP” Broadcast Awards.<br />
Ilene earned her Bachelor <strong>of</strong> Science degree in environmental biology with a focus on bio-photography from the University<br />
<strong>of</strong> Connecticut. That led to her success in creating award-winning videos on The Everglades and other natural locations<br />
across Florida.<br />
She and her husband, business attorney Guy Whitesman, and her children, Joey and Jena have enjoyed living in <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong><br />
for over twenty years.<br />
FORT MYERS: <strong>City</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Palms—A</strong> <strong>Contemporary</strong> <strong>Portrait</strong><br />
190
About the Author<br />
A MY B ENNETT W ILLIAMS<br />
With a decidedly non-journalistic background in anthropology and Spanish, Amy Bennett Williams came to The News-Press<br />
in 1988 as an ashtray-emptying, obituary-writing clerk/reporter, then moved through a series <strong>of</strong> assignments at the paper,<br />
covering everything from cake contests to tuberculosis outbreaks.<br />
She left The News-Press to edit the regional magazine Gulfshore Life for four years. During that time, she was named Editor<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Year by the Florida magazine association. She returned to The News-Press as its Lifestyles editor in 1998.<br />
In 2001, Williams conceived the paper’s award-winning weekly Tropicalia magazine, where her column, Field Notes appears.<br />
Her current job title is the coolest she can imagine: watchdog and storyteller.<br />
Over the years, her work has won top honors from Gannett, the Florida Society <strong>of</strong> News Editors, the Florida Magazine<br />
Association and Public Radio News Directors, Inc. Her reporting ranges from sense-<strong>of</strong>-place essays to investigative reporting<br />
on child welfare, water quality issues and monkey farms.<br />
Along the Caloosahatchee River, Williams’ pictorial history book, was released by Arcadia publishing in 2011, and she is<br />
at work on a second.<br />
Her sense-<strong>of</strong>-place essays air weekly on local NPR affiliate WGCU. Williams lives in rural Alva with her husband,<br />
Roger (also a writer), two sons and an ever-changing menagerie.<br />
ABOUT THE AUTHOR<br />
191
Sponsors<br />
Ad-Ler Ro<strong>of</strong>ing, Inc. ...........................................................173<br />
AIM Engineering & Surveying, Inc. .......................................160<br />
Alliance for the Arts...........................................................158<br />
Allure and ONE .................................................................188<br />
Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall ..................................181<br />
Barraco and Associates, Inc. ................................................164<br />
Boylan Environmental Consultants, Inc. .................................177<br />
Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre ............................................174<br />
Canterbury School..............................................................176<br />
Chico’s FAS, Inc. ................................................................175<br />
Corbin Henderson Company .................................................187<br />
Dean Steel Buildings, Inc.....................................................146<br />
Delta Sigma Theta..............................................................183<br />
Edison & Ford Winter Estates ..............................................186<br />
Fischler Property Company ..................................................179<br />
Florida SouthWestern State College .......................................156<br />
<strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong>........................................................................170<br />
Galloway Auto ...................................................................152<br />
Gulfcoast Coin & Jewelry, LLC .............................................185<br />
Henderson, Franklin, Starnes & Holt, P.A. .............................148<br />
Hotel Indigo, <strong>Fort</strong> <strong>Myers</strong> Downtown River District...................180<br />
Hope Healthcare ................................................................168<br />
Johnson Engineering, Inc. ....................................................172<br />
Lee Memorial Health System ................................................134<br />
LeeSar, Inc........................................................................140<br />
Main Sail Video Productions, Inc. .........................................189<br />
Mark Loren Designs, Inc......................................................154<br />
Markham Norton Mosteller Wright & Co., P.A.........................184<br />
Page Field.........................................................................151<br />
Parker/Mudgett/Smith Architects, Inc. ...................................144<br />
Southwest Florida International Airport.................................150<br />
T3 Communications, Inc. .....................................................166<br />
The Salvation Army <strong>of</strong> Lee, Hendry and Glades Counties ..........178<br />
Victory Layne Chevrolet ......................................................162<br />
WCI Communities, Inc. .......................................................182<br />
FORT MYERS: <strong>City</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Palms—A</strong> <strong>Contemporary</strong> <strong>Portrait</strong><br />
192
LEADERSHIP SPONSORS<br />
ISBN: 978-1-944891-28-2