People & Business: Wednesday 3/6/19

Wednesday, April 3rd
THE SARASOTA SCENE
People & Business
To submit your news for consideration, please send press info to scenemagazine@scenesarasota.com.

Park Enhancements Complete in The Lake Club

Renovations to the landscaping and park are now complete in The Lake Club, Lakewood Ranch’s most prestigious community. Residents got a first look at the luxurious enhancements last weekend which include a yoga lawn, children’s playground, fitness trail, dog park, and sports courts. Central to the community’s exclusive enclaves, the extensive improvements add even more health and lifestyle-focused amenities to further enhance residents’ lifestyles.

Among many world-class resources for residents, The Lake Club affords homeowners access to the village’s private 20,000-square-foot Grande Clubhouse. Including recent multi-million-dollar renovations, the clubhouse acts as an exclusive gathering place for residents to host events and indulge in entertainment, dining, and sporting activities, among the many other enrichment activities signature to The Lake Club lifestyle. The visionary space includes a full-time concierge desk, impressive banquet hall, lounge, pristine yoga and steam room, multipurpose massage and treatment room, billiard and card room, and a state-of-the-art fitness center. Future luxurious enhancements will include six tennis courts, pickleball and a Lakeside Café at the resort-style pool.

“These developments bring new people and new life to the community,” says five-year resident Kenneth Swan. “You never have to leave The Lake Club to enjoy the Lakewood Ranch lifestyle.”

To learn more about Lake Club living, the park enhancements or Grande Clubhouse, visit the Model Preview Center located at 8307 Lake Club Boulevard in Lakewood Ranch, call (855) 201-8065, or preview models, floor plans, and amenities at TheLakeClubLWR.com

The Ringling Welcomes Elizabeth Doud as Inaugural Currie-Kohlmann Curator of Performance

The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art has announced Elizabeth Doud as the new Currie-Kohlmann Curator of Performance. In her new position Doud will curate the performing arts at The Ringling including the New Stages series.

Doud is a Florida-based arts professional, scholar and multi-disciplinary theater artist with a background in creative writing and contemporary performance practice. She has worked extensively throughout the U.S., Latin America and the Caribbean in the performing arts during her 20-plus years of experience as an arts organizer, presenter and educator, with an emphasis on international cultural exchange and climate arts.

 “It is a great honor to be joining The Ringling’s curatorial staff and its incredible legacy,” Doud commented. “I look forward to serving this organization and Sarasota through the presentation of world-class artists who bring dynamic and inspiring contemporary performance to the area’s diverse audiences in contexts where cultural celebration, learning and community building are integral to annual programming.”

The Ringling’s curator of performance position is supported by the Shank Family Foundation Endowment, created by the 2018 gift from Stephen and Judith Shank, M.D. The Shank Family Foundation named the position the Currie-Kohlmann Curator of Performance in honor of Dwight Currie and Michael Kohlmann and their contributions to the performing arts program at The Ringling.

Doud’s performance projects include Climakaze Miami with FUNDarte in 2015. Her projects have been commissioned and presented by Miami Light Project, FUNDarte, Diverse Works and MACLA, among other supporters. From 2005-2018, she led the Performing Americas Program of the National Performance Network. She has been a development consultant for arts organizations including the Baryshnikov Arts Center in New York. Her latest ongoing artistic project is an eco-performance entitled The Mermaid Tear Factory, which toured in Brazil, Cuba and South Florida during 2015-2018 with production support of the State Secretary of Culture of Bahia. 

      Doud’s academic leadership roles include serving as artistic director of the Cultura del Lobo Series at Miami Dade College from 2009-2011. In 2017 she was visiting professor/practitioner at the Rapoport Center for Human Rights at the University of Texas in Austin. She co-organized the HowlRound Challenge Convening Theatre in the Age of Climate Change at Emerson College in 2018. 

 In 2018 Doud received a Knight Foundation Arts Challenge Grant. Among her other awards and recognitions, she received a State of Florida Individual Artist Fellowship for 2011. She holds a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from the University of Miami, and a Ph.D in Performing Arts from the Federal University of Bahia, Brazil. 

 “We look forward to welcoming Elizabeth to the curatorial team at The Ringling,” said Executive Director Steven High. “Since the museum’s first director Chick Austin began the rich tradition of performing arts at The Ringling, the program has continued to grow and develop into new, dynamic offerings for our audiences; we are excited to see where Elizabeth takes it next.”

Gulf Coast Community Foundation Adds Three to Board

Gulf Coast Community Foundation’s Board of Directors has elected Lisa Krouse, David E. Sessions, and Peter H. Soderberg as members of the Board. Each began a three-year term on the Gulf Coast Board on March 1.

 Lisa Krouse, Esq., SPHR, SHRM-SCP, is a board member, executive vice president, and chief administrative officer at FCCI Insurance Group. She has been with FCCI for over 14 years and was the first woman appointed to its board of directors. Krouse is past Chair of the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce, one of only four women to have held that position since the organization’s founding more than 100 years ago.

David E. Sessions is president and CEO of Willis A. Smith Construction, where he has worked since 1988. He is a U.S. Green Building Council LEED Accredited Professional. Sessions also volunteers his leadership extensively in the community. He is an executive board member of the Bradenton Area Economic Development Corporation and a former board member and chair of the Economic Development Corporation of Sarasota County. Sessions also serves on the board of directors of the American Red Cross of Southwest Florida, and he is a member of Leadership Florida Class XXX.

Boca Grande resident Peter H. Soderberg is the managing partner of Worthy Venture Resources, LLC, and a board member of several public and private medical-technology companies. He is the former president and CEO of Hill-Rom, Hillenbrand Industries, and Welch Allyn Holdings and was president of Johnson & Johnson Health Management. Soderberg’s local community involvement includes board service with the Friends of Boca Grande Community Center, joint hunger-relief efforts in DeSoto County with All Faiths Food Bank, the building of a new facility for Suncoast Humane Society, and various mission projects with the Boca Grande Lighthouse United Methodist Church.

 The other members of the Gulf Coast Community Foundation Board of Directors are Judy Cahn, Scott Collins, Anne Essner, Janis Fawn, David Green, Rod Hershberger, Tracy Knight, Anand Pallegar, Mark Pritchett, Michael Saunders, Susan Sofia, Joe Stephan, Bayne Stevenson, Tommy Taylor, and Pauline Wamsler.

Deadline Approaching for Leadership Institute

Gulf Coast Community Foundation is accepting applications for the 2019 Gulf Coast Leadership Institute. The deadline to apply for this regional leadership-development program is Friday, March 15, at 11:59 p.m. To learn more and complete the application, go online to GulfCoastCF.org/GCLI.

Gulf Coast Leadership Institute is designed to identify, develop, and connect aspiring and experienced leaders across the Gulf Coast region, from Boca Grande to Manatee County. Gulf Coast Community Foundation will select up to 26 individuals to take part in the 2019 class, which consists of seven training sessions from late April through late June. The foundation has commissioned the Leadership Development Institute of Eckerd College in St. Petersburg to provide this comprehensive training. Gulf Coast offers all training and resources at no cost to selected participants in exchange for their commitment to use their new skills for the long-term benefit of the community through service.

Class members will be selected with the intent of creating a diverse group of individuals representing the region’s public, private, and independent sectors. Selection criteria include leadership potential and participation in community and professional organizations. Applicants must be able to attend all scheduled training sessions to be considered. Professionals as well as community volunteers of all ages are encouraged to apply.

This will be the 12th annual class of Gulf Coast Leadership Institute, which was preceded by two classes of the foundation’s North Port Leadership Institute. In all, more than 300 community members have completed this leadership training to date.

ELC Prepares for Every Child a Reader Week

“Every Child a Reader Week” is an annual event that promotes early literacy in Manatee County and provides a memorable opportunity for numerous community volunteers from all professions and backgrounds to read a storybook to preschool children. This year, the event will take place the week of April 22nd – April 26th.

Every Child a Reader Week is the result of a partnership between the Kiwanis Club of Bradenton and the Early Learning Coalition of Manatee County (ELC) to promote early literacy. For the 2019 event, Kiwanis awarded the ELC a $6,000 grant towards purchasing books and materials. Kiwanis will also provide volunteer readers for the event.

The ELC is also thrilled to have the continued support of the Michael Saunders & Company Foundation. This year, the Michael Saunders & Company Foundation awarded the ELC a $1,000 grant for the program.

During Every Child A Reader Week, community volunteers visit classrooms of three to five year old children in an early learning facility and read a book to the children. After the book is read, the volunteer gives each child his or her own book to read with their families. Children also receive a tip sheet for their parents that offers ideas to help parents encourage reading. The volunteer’s book is left in the classroom so that the teacher can continue the momentum built by this event.

“Early literacy is one of our core values,” said ELC CEO Paul Sharff. He continued: “I would like to thank our partners, the Kiwanis Club of Bradenton and the Michael Saunders & Company Foundation, for their huge support. We look forward to making this a successful year.”

HospitaBull Showcases Partnerships at Hospitality College

Excitement is building at USF Sarasota-Manatee as the College of Hospitality & Tourism Leadership (CHTL) ramps up preparations for this year’s HospitaBull dinner and fundraising celebration, set for March 26, from 6 to 9 p.m., at the Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota.

Now in its ninth year, the annual soirée raises funds for the CHTL to support both scholarships and faculty and student development. Behind the scenes, it represents much more, providing valuable real-world experience for students from the college’s restaurant management class.

As HospitaBull approaches, faculty and students are preparing to work alongside Ritz-Carlton staff in the kitchen and dining room. This hands-on approach demonstrates not only the college’s commitment to the yearly event – the CHTL’s chief fundraising vehicle – but its overall approach to education as well.

“This event shows the community how industry partnerships can enhance education and why those partnerships are so essential to our students and graduates,” said Dr. Joe Askren, who teaches the restaurant management class. “By assisting at events, engaging in shadowing experiences and interning at hotels, restaurants and other fine hospitality venues, our students become better equipped to step into rewarding hospitality management careers when they graduate.”

The pairing of academics with outside professional know-how isn’t new; the college has relied on the formula since 2003 when it was founded. Back then, the fledgling school sought leadership guidance and turned to industry veteran Dr. Jay Schrock, who had built successful hospitality programs at San Francisco State University and Texas Tech University.

As Schrock began assembling his team, he looked to an advisory board packed with expertise – including past presidents of the Florida Lodging Association and National Restaurant Association, the former dean of the Cornell Hotel School and the general manager of the Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota – for added guidance and advice, a practice that continues with the current dean, Dr. Pat Moreo.

Dr. Moreo said those connections, along with the proximity of several highly respected hospitality companies, helped to establish USF Sarasota-Manatee as the CHTL’s home base, instead of another USF System campus. Today, the college continues to rely on industry partners for oversight and practical guidance. Those partners also play a proactive role in providing training for the college’s students.

In fact, before any of the CHTL’s 200 students can graduate, they must complete 700 hours of practical, on-the-job training as well as an additional 300-hour structured internship involving weekly journal reports, a final written report and a supervisor’s performance evaluation.

The impact of that training not only affects the practical side of their education, but it can yield results years later during their careers. Recent alum Audra Deehr is a case in point. A human resources generalist at the Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota, Deehr said the training she received as a USFSM student made all the difference when she began job hunting after graduation.

One of a half-dozen USFSM alums at the downtown luxury hotel, she said the internships and shadowing experiences she underwent as a student helped her to land her first job there. Starting in concierge services at the club level in 2016, Deehr was promoted a year ago to her current position in human resources. She now conducts new-hire orientations and ensures the hotel remains compliant in employee-training programs.

“I had interned at the Resort at Longboat Key Club in human resources and had taken a human resources-focused class. Both of those helped me to get that promotion and be where I am today,” she said.

Dr. Moreo says the role of practical knowledge in student development can’t be underestimated. It’s as important as the academic training they receive in the classroom.

In addition to the Ritz-Carlton and Resort at Longboat Key Club, among the companies that guide the CHTL and train students are: First Watch, Mainsail Suites Hotel & Conference Center (Tampa), the Hyatt Regency Sarasota, the Art Ovation Hotel, the Westin Hotel, and several other lodgings, restaurants and breweries across Southwest Florida and beyond.

Dr. Moreo says the college takes a three-fold approach to ensuring graduates are prepared for successful careers:

First, students emerge from graduation fully capable of stepping into supervisory positions within hotels, restaurants, country clubs, city clubs, cruise ships and retirement facilities.
Second, that these same graduates be equipped within a few years to enter into managerial positions such as department heads at large hotels, unit managers at restaurants or general managers at select-service hotels.
And third, that, in the long run, the education provided by USFSM prepares students to serve as owners and entrepreneurs across multiple industries. This may include corporate management roles, serving as area managers at restaurant and hotel chains, or as corporate division heads and general managers at large hotel operations.

“This program teaches hospitality management. We want our students to emerge as leaders. We want them to be critical thinkers in our program,” Dr. Moreo said. “And the internships they participate in play a vital role in their overall development.

“We want them to know how to take their experiences and observations from their internships and weave into the management principals they’ve learned in the classroom,” he said. “For that, we depend on the close cooperation of many industry partners. We couldn’t do this without them. But it’s also a reciprocal agreement. The students they support today become the hospitality leaders of tomorrow, and our industry partners understand that.”

For tickets or more information about HospitaBull, visit usfsm.edu/hospitabull.

Sarasota Memorial Hospital Named Among 100 Top Hospitals

The 100 Top Hospitals were chosen from 2,752 hospitals across the country that outperformed peer group hospitals on all clinical and operational performance benchmarks evaluated in the study, including: inpatient mortality and complications, healthcare-associated infections, readmission rates, length of stay, costs of care and patient satisfaction.

If all hospitals were to achieve the same performance benchmarks as those included on this year’s list, IBM Watson Health projects it would save 103,000 lives, prevent complications in 38,000 patients, result in 155,000 fewer hospital readmissions and lead to 12 percent lower medical bills than the average patient receiving care.

“At a time when research shows that the U.S. spends nearly twice as much on healthcare as other high-income countries, yet has less effective population health outcomes, the 100 Top Hospitals are setting a different example by delivering consistently better care at a lower cost,” said Ekta Punwani, 100 Top Hospitals® program leader at IBM Watson Health.

Following were the key performance measurements on which 100 Top Hospitals outperformed non-winning peer group hospitals: 

•Higher Survival Rates: The 100 Top Hospitals achieved survival rates that were 24.9 percent higher than those of peer hospitals.

•Fewer Complications and Infections: Patients at winning hospitals experienced 18.7 percent fewer complications and 19.3 percent fewer healthcare-associated infections than peer group hospitals.

•Shorter Length of Stay: Winning hospitals had a median severity-adjusted length of stay that was one half-day shorter (0.5) than peers.

•Shorter Emergency Department Wait Times: Overall, winning hospitals delivered median emergency department wait times that were 17.3 minutes shorter than those of peer group hospitals.

•Lower Inpatient Expenses: Average inpatient costs per discharge were 11.9 percent lower (a difference of $830 per discharge) at 100 Top Hospitals versus peer group hospitals.

•Higher Overall Margins: Winning hospitals maintained a median operating margin that was 11.9 percentage points higher than peer group hospitals.

•Higher Patient Satisfaction: Overall hospital experience, as measured by the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS), was rated 3 percent higher for winning hospitals than peer group hospitals.

This is the fourth time Sarasota Memorial has received the 100 Top Hospitals award. Sarasota Memorial CEO David Verinder credits the achievement to the health system’s mission-driven team and the unwavering vision of its publicly elected Sarasota County Public Hospital Board. 

 “From our unpaid Hospital Board to our front-line staff, physicians, volunteers and leaders, there’s a strong sense of community and responsibility that drives everything we do,” Verinder said. “This award is a reflection of the entire team’s dedication to provide the highest quality care to the community and people we serve.”

Formerly known as the Truven Health Analytics 100 Top Hospitals, the study spotlighted the best–performing hospitals in the U.S. based on a balanced scorecard of publicly available clinical, operational, and patient satisfaction metrics and data from 2013 to 2017 for most metrics. It has been conducted annually since 1993. More information on this study and other 100 Top Hospitals research is available at https://www.ibm.com/watson-health/services/100-top.

Sarasota Orchestra Hosts Facility Planning Community Engagement Workshop

The Sarasota Orchestra announced today that it will hold its initial public, community engagement workshop to discuss its proposed plan for locating at Payne Park.
The workshop will be held on March 12, 2019 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at City Hall in the City Commission Chambers.  Orchestra leadership, with the assistance of HKS Orlando, will present the vision.  HKS  is an internationally recognized architectural and design services firm.  HKS is one of the five consultant  firms assisting the Orchestra with its overall planning.  The workshop is open to the public.  Following presentation of the Orchestra’s vision and review of the process there will be a question and answer period.

Florida Creativity Conference returns to USFSM

Get inspired. Learn creative problem-solving. Or, perhaps, personal enrichment and happiness is more what you crave.

USF Sarasota-Manatee is hosting a variety of enrichment- and creativity-themed workshops with the return this month of the Florida Creativity Conference.

The much-anticipated annual symposium features professionals from the worlds of business, nonprofits, education, the arts, and health and wellness who study creativity and how it can transform lives, both personally and professionally.

Among the speakers are business branding expert Judy Winslow; mixed-media artist and creative life coach Sharon Burton; research scientist Dr. Charles Maniglia, who is developing pragmatic solutions to educational problems; and author Carol McCloud, whose books have sold more than 2.5 million copies, including her award-winning “Have You Filled a Bucket Today? A Guide to Daily Happiness for Kids.”

Joining them will be Dr. Helene Robinson, the arts integration curriculum coordinator and a faculty member in the School of Education at USF Sarasota-Manatee.

The workshops are divided within five broad categories to appeal to people of different professions and life goals:

CREATIVITY FOR BUSINESS
Entrepreneurs, business owners and corporate executives
CREATIVITY FOR COMMUNITY
Nonprofit executives, community builders, team organizers
CREATIVITY FOR EDUCATION
Educators, coaches and facilitators
CREATIVITY FOR ARTISTRY
Artists and artisans
CREATIVITY FOR MIND, BODY & SPIRIT
Health and wellness practitioners, human potential, personal growth
The workshops are scheduled over three days. The talks on March 29 and March 30 will be held at USF Sarasota-Manatee, 8350 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. The remaining program is set for March 31 at the Florida Studio Theater, 1241 N. Palm Ave., Sarasota.

The cost of the conference runs from $175 to $350, with discounts available for educators and USF System students. Breakfast and lunch are included.

Visit flcreativity.com for tickets and more information.

The Fabric of India Explores the History and Vitality of Textiles

Textiles are and have been a defining force in India’s culture and history, so much so that in ancient Greece and Babylon, “India” was shorthand for “cotton.” The Fabric of India, The Ringling’s first major exhibition of Indian art, will showcase the variety, technical sophistication and adaptability of Indian textiles from the 15th to the 21st century.

The Fabric of India, on view July 7-Oct. 13, 2019, will feature more than 140 examples drawn from the internationally-renowned holdings of London’s Victoria & Albert Museum and international partners. Historical dress, carefully preserved fabrics and cutting-edge current fashion will be displayed, giving visitors an opportunity to explore not just the superior craftsmanship of the textiles, but the story they tell about the social, economic and political exchanges that drove their creation and consumption.

“The beauty and technical mastery of the textiles in this exhibition are extraordinary, but there’s also a great deal of substance,” said Rhiannon Paget, Ph.D., curator of Asian art at The Ringling. “Ultimately, the exhibition is not just about textiles or India, but about the shared histories, achievements and fates of people in every corner of the globe.”

Spanning more than 500 years, The Fabric of India showcases the remarkable techniques of weaving, dyeing, printing and embroidery of the Indian textile industry. Organized in six thematic sections, the exhibition features a wide range of objects such as a Kashmir Map Shawl, a large, finely-woven pashmina intricately embroidered with a bird’s-eye view of the city of Srinagar, capital of the territory of Kashmir; a border for a woman’s dress from the 19th century embroidered with green iridescent beetle-wing cases; and a more-than-50-foot Gujarati room hanging that was found abandoned on a New York City street. Fabrics and clothing from contemporary designers that engage with India’s rich heritage of textiles will also be displayed, including pieces by Osman Yousefzada, Dries Van Noten, Hermès, Rahul Mishra and Manish Arora.

“In our interconnected global landscape, exhibitions like this are essential to increasing our understanding of the forces that have shaped an important industry,” said Steven High, executive director of The Ringling. “And the vibrant color and extraordinary artistry of the objects will certainly inspire creators in our community and beyond.” 

 A 240-page color book, edited by Rosemary Crill, former senior curator of the Asian Department at the Victoria & Albert Museum, will be available for purchase in the Museum Store.

Goodwill Partners with Area Schools on Program for Exceptional Students

A partnership between Sarasota County Schools and Goodwill Manasota has enabled Exceptional Student Education (ESE) students from Booker High School to enjoy in-service training and job preparation skills at the Goodwill Mecca location in northern Sarasota. Seven students are learning on the job – five at a time, five days a week, for up to two hours each day – while earning school credit. 

Booker High School is just one of the schools participating in the Vocational Instructional Program, which is currently serving 34 ESE students, ages 16-22 / grades 10-12, with varying exceptionalities. Other high schools involved with this program are Bayshore, Desoto, Manatee, North Port and Southeast; the Easter Seals VIP Academy also has six students participating. The school districts provide transportation to and from the most convenient Goodwill retail location. Previous work experience and skill levels are considered for placement in various departments at the Goodwill store.

“We are extremely excited about this program: it offers students real-life work experience and, potentially, a job at Goodwill after they graduate, if they are interested in applying,” said Goodwill career development facilitator Morgan Howell. “The students learn good employability skills and gain valuable information about the world of work, such as what they enjoy or don’t enjoy doing, the value of teamwork, and the pride of doing a job well.”

The Vocational Instructional Program started in 2012 with an arrangement with North Port High School and has grown from there. Howell estimates that close to 100 students have benefited from the program since it began and notes that Goodwill would love to engage schools not already participating.

To learn more about the program, call Howell at 941-355-2721, ext. 158.