wcw JANUARY 2023

you’re news
Accolades
■ Resilient Retreat, a Sarasota
non-profit providing free and
confidential support for survivors of
trauma, first responders and helping
professionals, announced the
winners of its local art competition
sponsored by the Halo Arts Project.
The Art committee selected Amy
Towery’s ‘Journey to Healing’ for
first place and Stacy Sternberg’s
‘Journey” for second. Towery will be
dividing her $1,500 prize three ways
with donations to Resilient Retreat,
the Halo Art Project and Meals on
Wheels of Manasota, for which she
serves as Executive Director.
All submissions, including the
two winning pieces, are on display
in the retreat center. In addition to
these local pieces, Resilient Retreat
has received works from Sarasota
non-profit Embracing Our Differences,
which are also on display
throughout the center.
For details on the art competition
submissions, www.resilientretreat.
org/art-competition-winners. For
information on Halo Arts Project,
visit www.haloartsproject.com.
Appointments
■ The board of directors at Meals
On Wheels of Sarasota has announced
that Rhonda Leiberick
has been appointed interim executive
director for the organization.
During the transition, Leiberick
will be collaborating with consultants
from Invest in Incredible, an
initiative of Gulf Coast Community
Foundation which will focus on a
fresh look at organizational policies,
developing strategies for growth
and processes to magnify organizational
impact.
Tom Flanagan
Leiberick worked with Habitat
for Humanity Sarasota for nine
years, starting in a communications
and public relations capacity. Her
responsibilities grew into the position
of program director where she
managed a capital campaign while
expanding the donor base. She has
earned her Accreditation in Public
Relations and has received numerous
communications awards. She is
past president of the local chapter
of the Florida Public Relations
Association.
■ Longtime vice-president Arlene
Skversky was inaugurated as the
Longboat Key
Democratic
Club’s new
president. A
grassroots
organizer,
Arlene has
served as precinct
captain
for Longboat
Arlene Skversky
Key's southern
area Precinct
201 in Sarasota County. In addition,
Arlene was awarded their
Blueglass Award for Distinguished
Leadership,
dedicated
to the club's
former longtime
President
Murray
Blueglass, for
her service
and commitment
to the
goals of the
club. For more
Halo Art Project President Jackie Cutrone (left) and Resilient
Retreat Executive Director Lisa Intagliata (right) present a
$1,500 check to first place winner Amy Towery (center)
information,
visit www.lbkdems.com.
■ The Sarasota Ballet has
announced that Victoria Hulland,
former Principal Dancer, has joined
the Company’s Artistic Department
Victoria Hulland
as Artistic Assistant to the Directors.
Hulland will work alongside
Director Iain Webb and Assistant
Director Margaret Barbieri, with
an emphasis on the staging of the
repertoire and roles she performed
during her
16 years with
The Sarasota
Ballet.
The idea
for Hulland’s
return
occurred as
Barbieri and
Webb worked
with her on
Ashton’s The
Dream pas
de deux for
the Raising
the Barre
Workshop, held by American Ballet
Theatre this year in New York City.
Hulland began her career with
The Sarasota Ballet in 2007 as a
Corps de Ballet Dancer, and in
two years, elevated to the rank of
Meals on Wheels of Sarasota board members pictured L to R:
Diane Weaver, Ralph Hall, John Hermansen, William Gandy,
Rhonda Leiberick, Elizabeth Van Riper, Mark Baldwin,
Principal. She performed a breadth
of ballets spanning the Company’s
repertory and has subsequently
worked with many of the ballet
world’s icons such as Sir Antony
Dowell, Sir David Bintley, and Sir
Peter Wright. Hulland has also
worked directly with prestigious
Repetiteurs including Grant Coyle,
Sandra Jennings, Christopher Carr,
and Sally Bliss.
■ Maggie Nasser has joined RE/
MAX Platinum Realty as a Broker-
Associate in the Lakewood Ranch,
Florida, office.
With 24
years of local
real estate
experience,
Nasser brings
extensive market
knowledge
and expertise,
specializing
in golf course
Maggie Nasser
communities,
new construction
and residential properties
in Sarasota, Bradenton and
Lakewood Ranch. She is a Florida
notary and Graduate of the Realtor
Institute (GRI).
Originally from Fall River,
Massachusetts, Nasser received
her associate’s degree from Bristol
Community College in Fall River
and her bachelor’s degree from the
University of Maine at Presque Isle.
The Lakewood Ranch office is
located at 8215 Natures Way, #109,
Lakewood Ranch. Nasser can be
reached at (941) 780-1006 or Magnasser59@gmail.com.
■ The Arts and Cultural Alliance
of Sarasota County has announced
the appointment of Kelley Lavin as
interim Executive Director following
the retirement
of Jim
Shirley. Shirely
has served
as Executive
Director
of the Arts
Alliance since
November
2009.
Kelley Lavin
Lavin, the
current board
chair of the Alliance, will step down
as president and take the position
of Interim Director as of January
1, 2023. Julie Leach, Executive
Director of Westcoast Black Theatre
Troupe, has been appointed as the
interim board chair for the Alliance.
A search for a permanent Executive
Director is already underway.
The Alliance board has formed a
committee to begin sourcing support
from local partners to assist in finding
the Alliance’s next great leader.
Visit www.SarasotaArts.org.
Board News
■ The 2022 Impact100 SRQ
Board of Directors elected Pam
Kandziora as its new president.
Pam joined Impact100 SRQ as a
founding member in 2019, beginning
her pathway to leadership by
volunteering in a variety of roles
over the past 4 years. In 2021, she
was elected to the organization’s
Board of Directors as Co-Treasurer
and most recently has been serving
in the position of Vice President,
Organizational Services.
After retiring as a corporate executive
in several
senior leadership
positions,
Pam and her
husband put
down roots
in Sarasota
to prepare
for their next
adventure.
Pam Kandziora
“I knew after
spending so
many years in the uber-competitive
corporate world, I wanted to
re-focus my energy and time by
getting involved with nonprofit
causes and activity,” says Kandziora.
“Impact100 SRQ was the perfect
organization to become part of,
and being a member enabled me to
learn more about the needs in my
wonderful new community, while
allowing me to immediately make a
positive difference.”
As a member of Impact100 SRQ,
Pam embraced the unique model
of a woman’s giving collective and
learned about multiple nonprofit
organizations, as well as their
incredible efforts and contributions
to Sarasota and Manatee Counties.
She was excited by the organization’s
core concept-- that her singular
annual membership donation
is multiplied exponentially through
other member donations by the
women of Impact100 SRQ.
Jane Gill Watt, Impact100 SRQ
founder and former President since
inception in 2018 shares, “I am confident
that Pam will lead the chapter
to new heights as we continue our
collective giving journey. She is
eager to build on the success that
we have already achieved, and fully
embraces the Impact100 SRQ Giving
Model. Pam is committed to leading
our organization with passion and
purpose, while maintaining our
mission of empowering women to
collectively fund transformational
grants in Sarasota and Manatee
Counties for years to come.”
Impact100 SRQ, a 501(c)(3) not
for profit, is one of more than 60
chapters worldwide and joins its
sister chapters in embracing the local
collective giving model. Formed
in 2018, Impact100 SRQ brings
together a diverse group of women
that annually fund transformational
grants to local nonprofits in both
Sarasota and Manatee Counties.
At least 100 women each give a
$1,000 tax-deductible donation,
and together they collectively award
grants in increments of at least
$100,000 to local nonprofits in five
focus areas: Arts & Culture, Education,
Environment & Recreation,
Family and Health & Wellness.
■ Resilient Retreat recognized
five key individuals who contributed
to the organization’s launch.
During a National Philanthropy
Day celebration back in November
and organized by the Southwest
Florida Chapter of the Association
of Fundraising Professionals, the
following honorees were recognized:
For the past two years,
Stacy Fradkin has volunteered
with Resilient Retreat, providing
compassionate, empowering
services for trauma survivors in the
Southwest Florida community.
As a yoga teacher and sound
meditation facilitator, she has
provided tangible tools for trauma
survivors to cope with stress and
to regulate the nervous system.
Her services have been particularly
valuable during the COVID-19
pandemic and the post-Hurricane
Ian recovery and continue to be
some of the most beloved programs
offered at Resilient Retreat;
With more 15 years of event
planning experience, Samantha
Kingsley has spent countless
hours—many of which as a volunteer
—working on behalf of local
area nonprofits, including Resilient
Retreat, Embracing Our Differences,
The Florida Center and the
Palmetto Youth Center. Samantha
and her team were critical to the
success of Resilient Retreat’s recent
Campus Building Dedication and
Open House and its sold out grand
opening luncheon with keynote
speaker, actress and humanitarian
Ashley Judd.
Debbie and Gino LaMarca are
a dynamic couple that are always
willing to roll up their sleeves to help
Resilient Retreat. Gino serves on the
Board of Directors, ensuring good
governance, financial accountability
and sustainability, and a clear, focused
strategic plan. Debbie serves
on the Events Committee, helping to
build awareness and raise funds to
support the no-cost services provided
by Resilient Retreat. Love IV Lawrence
Foundation provides funding
to reduce stigma and to build awareness
about mental health.
Thanks to the foundation’s
generous support, Resilient Retreat
received funding to provide
trauma-informed equine therapy
and neurofeedback for community
members impacted by trauma. These
programs have helped produce real
change in the community, including
lowering depression and PTSD.
Sherri Mills serves as the Vice
Chair of the Board of Directors and
the Fundraising Chair for Resilient
Retreat. As a real estate agent,
she donates 10 percent of every
house she sells to local non-profit
organizations. She has also created
her own non-profit, Live2Give,
which provides financial support
to trauma non-profits, including
Resilient Retreat.
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28 WEST COAST WOMAN JANUARY 2023