People & Business 11.28

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2018

THE SARASOTA SCENE
PEOPLE & BUSINESS
To submit your news for consideration, please email press info to scenemagazine@scenesarasota.com.

Gulf Coast Community Foundation Awards $40,000 for Collegiate School in Venice
Gulf Coast Community Foundation has awarded the State College of Florida Foundation (SCFF) a $40,000 grant for the new State College of Florida Collegiate School (SCFCS) opening in the Fall of 2019 in Venice.
The grant will help the Collegiate school recruit and support first-generation college students and their families, obtain full enrollment of 400 students in grades 9-12 in the 2022-23 academic year, and assist the Collegiate school in obtaining postsecondary partnerships with colleges such as Florida Gulf Coast University and University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee.
“This grant will allow students in south Sarasota County to attend a highly sought-after collegiate school where they will have the resources to excel and graduate with an Associate in Arts degree in addition to their high school diploma,” said Cassandra Holmes, executive director of SCFF.
About 100 high school juniors will get the first opportunity to enroll at SCFCS in Venice during the school’s inaugural year. The Sarasota County School Board unanimously approved the application for the new charter school over the summer. In its second year, the school will boast both juniors and seniors. The Collegiate school’s goal is to help students have high achievement rates by offering them access to college resources on campus, including technology, and academic coaching and advising. The focus is on showing students how to succeed in rigorous environments, overcome obstacles and reach their goals.
To learn about additional opportunities to support the Collegiate school or other campaigns at SCF, visit SCF-Foundation.org.

Bowls of Hope Returns to Ed Smith Stadium
December 2, 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Tickets are still available for All Faiths Food Bank’s Bowls of Hope event, one of the community’s largest and most popular family-friendly events where 47 of our community’s finest restaurants, caterers, and bakeries will serve delicious, soups, breads, desserts, and more. Guests will choose from a selection of beautiful handcrafted bowls, all donated by local potters, woodturners, artists, and students to take home as a reminder of the empty bowls they help to fill in our community.

Neuro Challenge Executive Director Elected VP of National Parkinson’s Alliance
Robyn Faucy-Washington, executive director of Neuro Challenge Foundation for Parkinson’s, was recently elected as the Vice Chair of the national Alliance of Independent Regional Parkinson Organizations (AIRPO) at the group’s annual meeting in Miami in November. Faucy-Washington is slated to be the AIRPO Chair for 2020.

Sarasota Businesses, Resident Honored At Donor Appreciation Party
Make-A-Wish® Southern Florida recently held its first Donor Celebration Party in Sarasota, honoring three for their impact and thanking donors for their support throughout the year.
WWSB-ABC 7 (represented by General Manager Jeff Benninghoff) was named the nonprofit’s “Media Partner of the Year,” Terri Klauber, a volunteer member of the Suncoast Board of Advisors, received the “Shining Star Award,” and the Ritz-Carlton Sarasota (General Manager Damien O’Riordan) was recognized as “Community Partner of the Year.”

Sarasota Orchestra: “Dynamite” Concert – Cybersale Extended
Cybersale offer extended to Thursday, November 29 at midnight.
Perfect Pairs
Purchase Tickets for this Weekend and Get 50% Off Hidden Holiday Treasures or Round Trip to Paris
Guest conductor Ward Stare and twin pianists Michelle and Christina Naughton share the stage with Sarasota Orchestra for Poulenc’s Concerto for Two Pianos. A popular masterpiece by Ravel is paired with Strauss’ operatic suite Der Rosenkavalier plus music by Mozart rounds out the program for a dazzling experience of symphonic bliss.

Masterworks: Perfect Pairs
Ward Stare, guest conductor
Christina and Michelle Naughton, piano

Dates:
Friday, November 30 | 8:00 pm | Van Wezel
Saturday, December 1 | 8:00 pm | Van Wezel
Sunday, December 2 | 2:30 pm | Van Wezel
Tickets and Details

PINC Spans the Globe to Present Stories that Inspire this December
DreamLarge announces the list of 12 speakers participating in PINC on December 6 at the Sarasota Opera House.
PINC returns on for its fifth year on December 6, introducing speakers who span the globe with topics ranging from how birds affect people to how harnessing the power of the sun can tell remarkable stories.

“PINC is the one day out of the year where our community can come together and witness a host of inspirational experiences,” said Anand Pallegar, founder of DreamLarge. “Reinvigorating our creativity is key to a more brighter future. What better time to gather some of the world’s most respected and forward-thinking innovators and creative thinkers who can enliven and inspire every one of us.”

The 2018 PINC Speaker lineup includes Nashra Balagamwala, an experiential designer, Caroline Baron, an award-winning TV and film producer, Kathy Bryan, a human trafficking survivor, Anna Gadecka, co-founder of Bee Saving Paper, Sanford Greenberg, an inventor, entrepreneur, and advisor to presidents, Ulysses Jones, a puppet designer and performer, Reverend Richard Joyner, a pastor and farmer, John Marzluff, a bird brain researcher, Pashon Murray, co-founder of Detroit Dirt, Michael Papadakis, a sunlight artist, Christiaan Triebert, conflict researcher and photojournalist, and Mark Verge, an extreme balloon sculptor.

Presented by Ringling College of Art + Design, PINC works with sponsors to create an event which allows the community, from college students to CEOs, to meet, mingle, eat, and engage with its exceptional speakers. This approach elevates PINC from a traditional conference and allows the audience to be part of the entire experience.

“It is with great pride that Ringling College is the Presenting Partner for PINC as this event represents the same ideals of our institution: Innovation, Inspiration, and Creativity,” said Larry Thompson, President of Ringling College of Art + Design.

Founding partners for PINC include Gulf Coast Community Foundation, Michael Saunders & Company, Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, IMG Academy, and ATLARGE.
Past speakers include Temple Grandin, professor of animal science at Colorado State University, Art Editor of The New Yorker Françoise Mouly, the first female NFL coach Jen Welter, the founder of vertical farming, the Director of Nickelodeon, NASA Astronaut Story Musgrave, and the doctor who performed the first hand transplant, to name a few.
Only a handful of tickets remain for PINC this year and can be ordered for $425 online at www.PINCSarasota.com. The experience runs from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. with several breaks throughout on December 6 and includes three meals with unique snacks all day long. 

Sarasota Bradenton International Announces New Board Officers
The Sarasota Manatee Airport Authority unanimously elected Commissioner Peter A. Wish as Chairman for 2019. Dr. Wish served previously as Vice Chairman in 2014 and 2018, and as Chairman in 2015. 
Completing the officers for the Airport Authority board will be Kristin Incrocci as Vice Chairman and Carlos Beruff as Secretary.

Embracing Our Differences Announces Winners of 2019 Outdoor Art Exhibit
Exhibit is January 19-March 15 in Bayfront Park
The organization received 11,791 entries from 111 countries and 44 states in submissions for the 16th annual outdoor art exhibit celebrating diversity. Anna Wright, a seventh-grade student at Johnson Middle School in Bradenton, received the Best-in-Show Student. Seth Morano, a 12th-grade student at Booker High School, won Best-in-Show inspirational quote. The Best in Show Adult artwork went to Anna Zigel of Ukraine.

Selah Freedom: Major Matching Gifts Released
$850,000 in matching funds pledged:
$600,000 designated to launch a new Chicago campus
$250,000 to various areas 
Thanks to the Pentecost Family Foundation

Capital Needs
$350,000 Complete and Launch New Assessment Campus
$100,000 New Roof and Electrical
Programming
$50,000 Expand National Prevention Program to save teens and kids
$25,000 Expand National Law Enforcement Training Program
$10,000 Sponsor one quarter of Outreach Program in the County Jails
$2,500 Sponsor a group of ten children in Prevention Program
$250 Sponsor one child in Prevention Program
$25 -$50/Month Sponsor materials needed in Awareness Program

Big Brothers Big Sisters President/CEO receives John and Reve Walsh Award
The John and Reve Walsh Award is presented to those who has made outstanding contributions to the issue of missing children. Their work done must positively affect Florida missing children and their families and/or positively impacted the safety of Florida’s children. The individual(s) work over the years must indicate a profound contribution that institutionalized improvements thus preventing children from abduction and/or safely and successfully recover those who go missing.
As the President and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast (BBBSSC) for 35 years, Joy Mahler has championed disadvantaged children’s rights to a life of safety, stability, and opportunity. BBBSSC’s mission is to provide children facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported one-to-one relationships that change their lives for the better, forever. Over the years, Ms. Mahler has launched various one-to-one mentoring initiatives that she and the Agency specially designed to meet the unique needs of at-risk youth. Among others, these initiatives have supported pregnant girls, high school students at high risk of dropping out of school, youth who are involved in the juvenile justice system, and children who have felt the shame and aloneness of having a parent in prison. When a child is referred to BBBSSC, they often suffer from a low self-esteem, perform poorly academically, and exhibit risky behaviors. As a result, they are particularly vulnerable to finding themselves in unsafe situations.
Under Ms. Mahler’s leadership, BBBSSC has helped at-risk children to navigate the tremendous socio-emotional, academic, and behavioral challenges they face, and create a pathway to a life of promise. This pathway leads at-risk and disadvantaged children away from the multiple life safety hazards that they face. Under Ms. Mahler’s leadership and direction, more than 90% of the at-risk children the Agency serves improve or maintain satisfactory academic achievement, reap self-confidence gains, and avoid risky behaviors. Among mentored high school students, 95 percent graduate from high school and 91 percent of graduates furthered their education, entered the military, or obtained employment.
BBBSSC, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, has earned many accolades, including Charity Navigator’s highest rating. It was also recognized this year by Big Brothers Big Sisters of America with the Gold Standard Award for Team Leadership and Quality Community Programming. The Agency served 55 children the year that Ms. Mahler became the President/CEO. This past year, BBBSSC served a record 1869 children in 10 Florida counties.

USFSM to Host Computer Gaming Workshop
“The Business of Computer Gaming” 
Saturday, December 1, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., USFSM campus, 8350 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota
Free and open to the public. For more information or to register for the workshop, visit www.eventbrite.com/e/the-business-of-computer-gaming-tickets-52614597678.
The Florida Center for Partnerships for Arts Integrated Teaching (PAInT), a statewide center based at USFSM, is presenting the workshop in partnership with the State College of Florida and FUNducation, an organization that encourages children to engage in science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM).
Speakers Dr. Giti Javidi, an associate professor of information technology at USFSM, and Neirda Lafontant, the founder of FUNducation, will lead youth in designing computer games that support environmental technologies and make global connections.
Dr. Javidi has worked to develop new curricula and programs for computer science education with the goal of engaging a wider audience and bridging the gender gap in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.
FUNducation’s mission is to launch, develop and sustain STEAM programs that inspire children to go beyond conventional solutions and become innovative thinkers in STEAM fields.
The Andrew Mellon Foundation and New College of Florida are sponsoring the event.

USF Faculty Member Honored with Global Achievement Medal, Certificate
Dr. Cihan Cobanoglu received the honor in recognition of his selection as a Fulbright Specialist and upcoming trip to Turkey to conduct training.
Dr. Cobanoglu was honored by USF System President Judy Genshaft in a recent ceremony that recognized faculty contributions in global outreach and study abroad. Dr. Edie Banner was also honored.
Dr. Cobanoglu is the McKibbon endowed chair and director of the M3 Center at USFSM’s College of Hospitality & Tourism Leadership (CHTL). He’s also president of the Association of North America Higher Education International, an organization that promotes global outreach within hospitality education.
Recently named a Fulbright Specialist, Dr. Cobanoglu will travel to Canakkale University in Turkey next month to conduct training sessions with faculty and graduate students on the use of technology in hospitality education.

GATES Construction Renovates Broken Sound Clubhouse
Leading club builder GATES Construction has completed a full renovation of the main lobby at Broken Sound Club, one of South Florida’s most prestigious private clubs, located in Boca Raton. The project involved renovations and improvements to the lobby and bar which include upgrades to interior finishes as well as new countertops, electrical lighting fixtures, and millwork. The construction took place in an active community while keeping the Club fully operational. This is the first of two GATES projects at the Broken Sound Club. Design services for both projects are provided by Peacock + Lewis Architects LLC.

Sarasota Orchestra Receives Grant from Gulf Coast Community Foundation
The Orchestra received a $50,000 Arts Appreciation grant from Gulf Coast Community Foundation.
The grant will support the Orchestra’s 2018-19 70th Anniversary Season.
The grant also supports Sarasota Orchestra’s extensive education programs for our three surrounding counties. Approximately 325 students participate in eight ensembles comprising the Sarasota Youth Orchestras. The three-week Summer Music Camp provides music education to an additional 225 students. Finally, nearly 10,000 area fourth and fifth graders utilize a year-long curriculum guide in conjunction with a live orchestral performance of the Young Person’s Concerts.

ELC Awarded $20,000 Grant From Bradenton Kiwanis
For Construction Of Second STEAM Machine
The Early Learning Coalition of Manatee County (ELC) has been awarded a $20,000 grant from the Bradenton Kiwanis Foundation to create a second STEAM Machine mobile classroom as part of the ELC’s successful STEAM Machine early learning program.
The new STEAM Machine will be constructed from a school bus donated to the ELC by the School District of Manatee County. The bus will be transformed by students at Manatee Technical College using building materials and an exterior wrap funded by the Bradenton Kiwanis grant.
Paul Sharff, ELC Chief Executive Officer, said: “Our organization is so grateful for the support of the Bradenton Kiwanis Foundation. This investment will allow us to introduce even more Manatee County students to this valuable STEAM learning tool. When students participate in activities that combine different elements of STEAM, they develop problem solving, critical thinking, collaboration, planning, and observation skills under the umbrella of the creative process.”
The STEAM Machine program is available to all VPK classrooms in Manatee County. The STEAM Machine visited 58 classrooms serving 826 four-year-olds in the 2017/18 school year. The program anticipates visiting 60 classrooms in the current 2018/19 school year.
STEAM curriculum focuses on science, technology, engineering, the arts, and math. The ELC’s STEAM Machine exploratory curriculum engages early learners in real projects within authentic environments and lays the academic groundwork for math and science.

Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation Hires Murray Devine as Communications and Learning Officer
The Barancik Foundation announced the appointment of Murray Devine to the newly-created position of Communications and Learning Officer. Previously with the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, Devine will direct the Barancik Foundation’s communications strategy, publicize the impact and institutional learnings of Foundation grants and initiatives, and consult with local nonprofits on effectively demonstrating stories of impact created through Foundation support.

USFSM Risk Management and Insurance Program Expanding Rapidly
Partnership with FCCI Insurance Group Helps Accelerate Growth
As the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee (USFSM) continues to expand its academic offerings to meet the workforce needs of local employers, one program in particular is attracting students to a field that is growing rapidly and providing well-paying jobs: risk management and insurance.
With demand for professionals in the industry escalating quickly due to the retirement of baby boomers and the increased need for security driven by new technologies, USFSM created a minor in risk management and insurance in 2015 and announced it was expanding its program to include a bachelor of science degree in the field in 2017.
The Risk Management & Insurance (RMI) program at USFSM is one of only two such programs offered by public universities in the state of Florida. The program prepares students in risk analysis, insurance underwriting, wealth management and other critical areas within the global financial industry. One key aspect of the RMI degree is a robust internship program that offers students the opportunity to learn from industry leaders in the Sarasota-Manatee area.
USFSM has created a new tenure-track faculty position to teach courses and manage the program, and will continue to partner with industry leaders on key initiatives, including Sarasota-based FCCI Insurance Group.
Bradenton-based Andrea Oustimov graduated from USFSM in the spring of 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in finance. Prior to graduation, she attended a career fair and landed a post-graduate internship at FCCI. Upon completion of the internship, Oustimov was offered a position. She is now a supervisor in her role as an associate actuary.
“USFSM prepared me well for my internship,” said Oustimov. “The USFSM campus has a wider age variance in the student population, and I found that valuable. Dr. Pencek did an exceptional job bringing real-world experiences into the classroom. Any time I needed help it was available.”
Oustimov said she “also grew so much as a professional during my internship because FCCI placed a high level of importance on professional development.”
According to Kristi Hoskinson, FCCI marketing and community relations consultant, the company has hosted 12 USF interns the past two years and hired 39 graduates from the three USF campuses during the past five years.

Mederi Caretenders Named toTop 500 of the 2018 ABILITY HomeCare Elite
Mederi Caretenders received recognition of being among the top-performing home health agencies in the United States. For 13 years, HomeCare Elite has annually identified the top 25 percent of agencies and highlighted the top 100 and top 500 agencies overall.
Mederi Caretenders, a local provider of home health services in Sarasota, is part of LHC Group, a national provider of post-acute care services with 32,000 employees operating locations in 36 states.+
The ranking is developed by ABILITY® Network, a leading information technology company helping providers and payers simplify the administrative and clinical complexities of healthcare. It is sponsored by DecisionHealth, publisher of Home Health Line and the Complete Home Health ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Coding Manual.
HomeCare Elite agencies are determined by an analysis of performance measures in quality outcomes, best practices implementation, patient experience (HHCAHPS), quality improvement and consistency, and financial health. In order to be considered, an agency must be Medicare-certified and have data for at least three outcomes in Home Health Compare. Out of 8,898 agencies considered, 2,223 are recognized on the 2018 HomeCare Elite winners list overall.

Junior League of Sarasota Awards Grants to Local Nonprofits
In October, the Junior League of Sarasota awarded 11 grants to local nonprofit organizations totaling $40,000. This year 107 grant proposals were received, and after a comprehensive review process the recipients selected were as follows:

1. Transition Sarasota | Grant: $5,000
The grant will allow Transition Sarasota to continue and expand their successful Suncoast Gleaning Project entitledSharing Low & Higher Hanging Fruit, which will harvest fruit from residential properties that would otherwise be wasted.

2. The Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast | Grant: $5,000
The grant will allow 60 additional children to become a part of the Creating “Wow!” Moments for Youth in Nature program that will target at-risk children in Sarasota County.

3. The Florida Center for Early Childhood | Grant: $5,000
Grant funds will support the Helping Families Healprogram by outfitting visitation rooms in which families receive counseling and therapy and will cover the costs of child-parent therapy.

4. The Haven | Grant: $4,770
The grant will provide The Haven’s Selby Preschool with a pediatric treadmill and lift mechanism for physical therapy. It will help to promote gait and gross motor skill development, posture control, balance, increase the child’s level of activity, and allow for therapy.

5. TeamUP Volunteer & Partnership Council | Grant: $4,365
Grant funds will support Closing “The Word Gap” for at-risk kindergarten students. The primary goal of this initiative is to connect trained volunteers with Sarasota County School District Kindergarten students in Title One schools to remediate deficits in early language and literacy development.

6. Sertoma Kids, Inc. | Grant: $3,865
This grant supports the Small Group Instruction and Activities for Parents of Young Children with Communication Impairments program by hosting parent meetings led by Speech and Language Pathologists. It also covers 20 home visits providing support to parents.

7. Embracing Our Differences | Grant: $3,500
Through the grant-funded Classroom Docent Art Integration Project, high school-age docents from Riverview High school will go into local elementary schools and engage younger students in conversations about the importance of diversity and inclusion.

8. Healthy Start Coalition of Sarasota County | Grant: $2,500
Grant funds will be used towards the Breastfeeding Support for Moms At-Risk for Early Cessationprogram and will support 50 in-home breastfeeding support sessions for struggling moms at-risk for premature breastfeeding cessation.

9. High Risk Hope | Grant: $2,500
Grant funds will support the Bed Rest Baskets and NICU Knapsacks program and will make it possible for HRH volunteers to deliver Bed Rest Baskets to newly admitted, long-term high-risk obstetric hospital patients. They will also deliver NICU Knapsacks to families of newly admitted premature infants, providing additional personal care items.

10. In the Pink Boutique | Grant: $2,500
The grant will provide funds for the boutique’s Cancer Support Program,helping under-insured, uninsured and Medicaid-eligible women who have cancer with items including wigs, head coverings, mastectomy products, post-surgical garments, and lymphedema compression sleeves and gloves.

11. Take Stock in Children of Sarasota County | Grant: $1,000
The League grant will provide funding for one college-planning workshop for 9th and 10th graders, and their mentors in 2018-2019.
For more information on Junior League, please visit www.jlsarasota.org

21st Century Oncology Dietitians Present On Correlation Between BMI And Breast Cancer Remission
Dietitians from 21st Century Oncology recently attended the Food and Nutrition Conference and Exposition (FNCE) in Washington, D.C. where they presented their program geared toward breast cancer patients called “Keep It Healthy – Be Fit and Flourish, a Breast Cancer Survivorship Program.” The program was developed in response to the strong correlation between BMI and breast cancer remission, as well as data that indicates nutrition, exercise, and stress management as playing integral roles in the overall survivorship of breast cancer patients.
The dietitians provided education on anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory diets, mindfulness eating, and exercise and coping skills. Individualized menus were provided as examples and preliminary data on nutrient measures of the diet was shared. The data was based on a three-day diet analysis, quality of life, level of hope, and subjective reports on the patient’s barriers to nutrition and exercise.
In addition, the dietitians attended various other presentations at the conference including, Integrative and Functional Approaches to Neuroinflammation, Neurodegeneration and Cancer, The Challenge of Medical Nutrition Therapy for Dual Diagnosis of Cancer and Diabetes, The Neurobiology of Dieting, and Culinary Medicine: The Dietician (and Doctor) Are in the Kitchen to name a few. The information learned at each will be applied to their own clinical assessments and interventions going forward.
This month, the Keep It Healthy – Be Fit and Flourish program will be opened to patients with diagnoses extending beyond breast cancer.

Argus Foundation: 2019 Annual Meeting
featuring Florida Senate President Bill Galvano
Installation of 2019 Officers and Board Members
Tuesday, January 15, 2019, 11:30AM – 1:30PM, The Sarasota Hyatt
Click here for event info.