The Southwest Florida Community Foundation recently announced the promotion of Luis Leon to Chief Financial Officer for the Foundation. Leon joined the Foundation as accountant in 2012, was named controller in...
The woman sat awkwardly on the folding chair outside the dark office of a small business, continually checking the posted hours of operation and the calendar housed on her phone. Without...
Last week a teammate placed a hand-crafted sign on her desk that read, “this is my year” and I believe her. She is talented, committed and has some big goals. January...
I have long resisted the urge to use the phrase “huddle up everyone” in a team or staff meeting. As a lover of all things sports and team building, I...
In middle school I joined the band and learned how to play the flute (sort of). Most students gave the band a go as we grew up in an era...
It has been four years since I sent a family holiday card. Around October my expectations and intentions reach a pinnacle and I believe that a festive greeting and a...
On one of our many corporate transfers, my family found themselves in Daytona Beach for a few years. Anyone who has lived the life of moving every couple of calendar...
I just returned from a series of meetings and a conference in New York City. I was traveling solo most of the week which provided me plenty of alone time...
I knew it wouldn’t be long before someone asked me about ghosts. When the Southwest Florida Community Foundation recently moved into our new home, Collaboratory, we were following in the...
When I was a kid there was a corny saying that worked its way into conversations whenever someone said something that rhymed. I am guessing most of you have uttered it at...
120 people from 32 nonprofits from throughout Southwest Florida gathered on Saturday, Nov. 3 for Dan Pallotta's Bolder Board Training at Collaboratory located in midtown Fort Myers. The event was...
There are certain times it is not wise to search for information on the internet. I am reminded of this every time I google an unknown medical symptom, or the...
The Southwest Florida Community Foundation recently welcomed two team members. Marina Nassif and Austin Brooks have joined the Foundation’s finance team. Nassif will serve as Controller and is a certified public accountant....
I noticed the Guide to Flipping Houses on the internet not too long ago, “5 Easy Steps to House Flipping.” I’m a closet fan of Flip or Flop, Flipping Out...
Dear Readers, I have been writing this column for seven years, but this week feels as if I am reaching out to you for the first time. I always take the summer...
by Marianne Weiss, Vice President of Programs, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast offers a unique opportunity for local companies to...
by Alex Olivares, M.S., Executive Director, The Center for Progress and Excellence Inc. The Center for Progress and Excellence Inc. (CPE) applied for a community impact grant in 2017. The proposed...
by Anne Chernin, MSW, MBA, Director of Client Services At Naples Senior Center we know that caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia can be challenging and,...
My husband and I went to high school together, but we were not high school sweethearts. Although we were just one year apart and had mutual friends, we are fairly...
$30,000 Grant Check to be presented to help women with education for a career in healthcare The Women’s Legacy Fund (WLF) of the Southwest Florida Community Foundation will hold its 2018...
by Gina Frazier, board member, I Will Mentorship Foundation “What I liked about S.T.E.M this week is it tells young ladies that there is more to the world than phones, it...
by Dr. Joanne Muller, Associate Professor, Department of Marine and Ecological Sciences, Florida Gulf Coast University This summer 10 young women (9-11th graders) experienced authentic research at The Florida Gulf Coast...
by Lauren G. Schmidt, Health Education Program Consultant, Florida Department of Health in Charlotte County Charlotte County children suffer unnecessary dental complications due to limited dental treatment options for the under...
by Trish Fancher, Executive Director, Keep Lee County Beautiful, Inc. Mangroves are critical to the health of our waterways and ecosystems. As they grow they strengthen the shoreline decreasing the chance...
I work alongside a team member who likes to ask “there are no bad ideas, right?” before she launches into an idea generating session at the office. I find myself...
by Jack Ham, Principal, The Academy, Port Charlotte, Fla. Another school year has come to a close, and The Academy has even more reason to celebrate than usual. Given the school's...
Preventing Dog Bites in Elementary Aged Children in Lee County By Nicole Ferguson-Morrison, DVM, MS, MPH, MRCVS Veterinarian, Lee County Domestic Animal Services Dog bites are a frightening experience for anyone, especially children....
The sights and sounds of commencements are all around us this time of year. I remember my own graduations and the sense that the whole world had stopped and noted...
135 scholarships awarded through 91 scholarships funds for high school seniors and undergraduate and graduate students The Southwest Florida Community Foundation recently granted $761,650 and 135 scholarships through a competitive process...
The Southwest Florida Community Foundation will bring nationally renowned author and TED talk speaker Dan Pallotta to town on Saturday, November 3 for a one-day Board training seminar for nonprofit...
Last week I ran into now former Fort Myers city councilman, Mike Flanders in a downtown coffee shop. I flagged him down on his way out the door to introduce...
I found out last week that I am not the only one with a storied past. If you are a regular reader of this column you know that I share...
Can you imagine standing up on stage in front of a large rowdy crowd and reading excerpts from your childhood diary? It seems unimaginable to me, but last weekend I...
I have been a life long environmentalist. As boy, I sailed with my family all along the East Coast from New York to Maine. As a young adult, I took...
No doubt many of you are recovering from the recent Easter egg hunting season. Spring is in the air and for weeks leading up to the Easter Bunny’s annual pilgrimage...
When I was a kid, I fell in love with the band REM. It was the album Out of Time that changed the way I thought about music and made...
Plastics. This one word is actually ranked number 63 in the American Film Institute’s list of the top 100 movie quotations in American Cinema. It appears in the 1967 movie...
The Southwest Florida Community Foundation has launched an Earth Day campaign to raise awareness and funds for the environment in Southwest Florida. The “Earth Day the SWFL Way” campaign is meant...
When I walked into a Makerspace for the first time, I curled up on a well-worn sofa, surrounded by workspaces that were flanked by shelves and bins filled with tools...
Recently I was enjoying a cup of coffee with a new acquaintance who had reached out to learn more giving and philanthropy in Southwest Florida. When he asked me about myself...
As I stood in the massive ticketing lobby of the Mexico City International Airport I was swept up in a wave of unfamiliarity. I felt disoriented and it took a...
Wandering into the Chapultepec Forest seemed a bit mysterious. As I stood at the gates leading into one of the largest parks in the Western Hemisphere, I didn’t have a plan. I...
The theme of a recent conference I attended was delivered in the form of a question, “What Drives You?” Throughout the three days I spent with other grant makers and funders...
There was something very special about Mary. She lived to be 96 and during her lifetime she was educated, married a wonderful man, was well-traveled, had children and grandchildren she...
It’s tough to have a conversation without checking the Internet. We try to remember movies, facts, dates, and determine the best brand of this or that on a daily basis. ...
Over the past year the Southwest Florida Community Foundation has sent at least two thousand thank you notes. Every letter we pen, whether electronically or handwritten reminds me of the generosity...
More than $5 million granted to community The Southwest Florida Community Foundation released its 2016-2017 Annual Report online at www.floridacommunity.com/annual-report. Since its inception 41 years ago, the Community Foundation has distributed more...
Recently I was traveling on a back road in Northeast Florida that reminded me of car trips with my grandparents. I spent many of my childhood summers with them and...
Whenever my adult kids travel home for the holidays I can count on at least one conversation with each of them on the topic of why I didn't push them...
In just a few short weeks Southwest Floridians will be gathering around Thanksgiving tables with friends and family. I am in the gratitude business so you can imagine that Thanksgiving is...
