Business Briefs
Exotic Reef shop opens in Cape
Exotic Reef, a saltwater aquarium shop, recently opened at 1532 S.E. 47th St., at the intersection of Del Prado Boulevard, in the South Cape CRA.
The store specializes in saltwater aquariums and reef tanks and features coral and fish from around the world.
The store is open Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. t0 5 p.m.; and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For additional information, call 239-888-0931, email info@exoticreef.net or visit www.exoticreef.net.
Lee Memorial, Wawa stores
team up for blood drive in August
Lee Memorial Blood Centers and Wawa Inc. have teamed up for the entire month of August. All donors will receive coupons for a free Shorti Hoagie, a free 16 oz. hot beverage and a Wawa designed T-shirt.
The need for blood locally remains constant and donations are needed to offset summer blood shortages. People can donate a pint of blood every 56 days. Donors are encouraged to eat a meal prior to giving blood and drink plenty of water. Photo ID is required at donation time. Blood donation requirements include a minimum weight of 115 pounds and minimum age of 17. A 16-year old may donate blood with written parental consent.
There is one Wawa in Cape Coral at 1622 NE Pine Island Road, at the intersection of Del Prado Blvd. There are also three locations in Fort Myers.
Please call 239-343-2333 with any questions.
Business Ethics Award
applications deadline Aug. 10
The deadline for applications for the 11th annual Business Ethics Award of the Uncommon Friends Foundation is Aug. 10. In conjunction with the Florida Gulf Coast University Chair of Business Ethics, the award will be presented to a Southwest Florida business that exemplifies the highest standards of ethical behavior in its dealings with both employees and the public.
The winner will be honored at a special luncheon hosted by FGCU and the Uncommon Friends Foundation Oct. 23, as well as at the annual Uncommon Evening Tuesday, Oct. 27 ,at the historic Burroughs Home & Gardens in Fort Myers.
Nominees from any of Southwest Florida’s five counties who consistently demonstrate a system-wide commitment to high business ethics are eligible to apply. Anyone can nominate a deserving company, including themselves. Applications and submission guidelines are available at www.uncommonfriends.org.
Individual tickets are now on sale at $125. Seating is limited. See the website for full sponsorship details at “Support UFF.” For more information, call 239-337-9503 or visit www.uncommonfriends,org.
The Uncommon Friends Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c) 3 organization established in 1993, is dedicated to lifelong character building among today’s youth and business leaders. Its mission is to promote character education in schools, business ethics in the workplace and historic preservation of the Burroughs Home and James Newton Archives.
Above Board Chamber of Florida
to holds ‘Best of the Best’ roundup
Above Board Chamber of Florida will hold its annual “Best of the Best” roundup from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday, Aug. 10, at the Hilton Naples, 5111 Tamiami Trail, N., in Naples, and Thursday, Aug. 13, at Harborside Event Center, 1375 Monroe St., in Fort Myers.
Each August, the Above Board Chamber of Florida invites members and guests to learn more from their favorite panelists and topics. Attendees are encouraged to ask the tough questions and join in on the roundtable discussions of their choice. The meetings include a plated lunch.
Roundtable topics and leaders for the Fort Myers meeting:
– Google Mobile Strategies for Business Javier Fuller, Chief Engineer for Fuller On-Line Solutions
– Unique Benefits to Spice-Up Employee Retention Gail Markham, Founder and Partner at Markham Norton Mosteller Wright & Company, P.A.
– Building Your Power Team Connie Ramos Williams President, CONRIC PR, & Marketing | Publishing
– Your Mind, Body & Business Health in 2015 Rob Knox, Associate Dean of Academics, Keiser University
– Secrets of Business Longevity Guy Whitesman, Chairman, Henderson Franklin’s Business & Tax Practice Group
– How to be Your Best Self in 2015 Christine Sherlock, Owner, Image Matters Professional Service
– Master your Network Skills Erica Castner, President, Queen of Results
– Building Referral Partnerships Bill Blevins, Senior Vice President, Encore Bank in Lee County
Registration for the Fort Myers lunch meeting is on or before Thursday, Aug. 7: $24 for members, $29 for friends. After Aug. 7, registration will be $29 for members, $32 for friends. RSVP required at www.aboveboardchamber.com.
For more information on the event visit the Above Board Chamber’s Facebook page. To become a member of the Above Board Chamber, contact Jeanne Sweeney at 239-910-7426.
Lee County Economic Development Office
presents noted economist
Mark Vitner, managing director and senior economist of Wells Fargo, will discuss “Global Economic Turmoil and Southwest Florida” at the Horizon Council’s General Membership Meeting, 8:30 a.m., Friday, Aug. 28, at Harborside Event Center, 1375 Monroe St., Fort Myers.
Presented by the Lee County Economic Development Office, Vitner has a reputation for clear analysis of U.S. and global economic conditions. As managing director and senior economist for Wells Fargo, he provides updates on housing markets, commercial real estate, regional economies and inflation. Vitner joined Wells Fargo (formerly Wachovia and First Union) in 1993 after nine years of experience as an economist for Barnett Banks.
The Horizon Council is a public-private board established in 1991 to advise the Lee County Board of Commissioners on economic development issues. The council has more than 80 members representing five cities; chambers of commerce; economic development and trade organizations; community, business, and education organizations; along with various officers and at-large members.
The Lee County Economic Develo-pment Office works to attract new and diversified businesses to the area, and improve the overall business environment in Lee County. Services include site selection assistance, demographic and statistical information, business assistance, financial assistance, employee training and recruitment and community tours.
For additional information, visit www.leecountybusiness.com or call 239-338-3161.
Larriva named
to FICPA committees
Veronica Larriva, CPA, has been appointed to three committees by the Florida Institute of CPAs (FICPA) for the year beginning July 1. Larriva is a forensic accountant with McHale, Caruso, Scullion and Knox in Fort Myers.
Larriva’s appointments are to the FICPA’s Valuation, Forensic Accounting & Litigation Committee, the Florida Gulf Coast University Accounting & Tax Committee, and the Young CPAs Committee. The first two center around planning of the 2016 and 2017 FICPA conferences focused on their respective practice areas. Larriva, a FGCU graduate, will also be speaking at the 2015 FGCU Accounting & Tax Conference later this year.
A native of Ecuador, Larriva has worked for McHale, Caruso, Scullion and Knox for seven years, focusing on forensic accounting, litigation support, receivership administration, and bankruptcy analysis. She is a licensed CPA in the state of Florida and a member of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners.
McHale, Caruso, Scullion and Knox is a longtime Fort Myers accounting firm specializing in medical practice and corporate accounting.
The firm has operated in Fort Myers since 1978.
Banyai receives
national award for
community development
The Southwest Florida Community Foundation’s Research and Evaluation Specialist Cindy Lyn Banyai, Ph.D., has received the 2015 Donald W. Littrell New Professional Award.
The award is presented to a Community Development Society member in recognition of superior contributions to the field of community development and the CDS within the first 10 years in the field.
The Donald W. Littrell New Professional Award was presented at the 46th Annual International Conference, held in Lexington, Ky. from July 19-22.
Banyai, program evaluator at the Southwest Florida Community Foundation, is also the principal consultant at Banyai Evaluation & Consulting, LLC. She has worked in the field of community development since 2000, including two years with Michigan State University Community Outreach and seven years as a community development consultant.
For more information about the Southwest Florida Community Foundation, call 239-274-5900 or visit www.floridacommunity.com.
Stone-Mart grand opening
set in Fort Myers
Stone-Mart is bringing its visionary approach towards the natural stone marketplace to Southwest Florida at 10760 Metro Parkway in Fort Myers with a grand opening Aug. 13, from 3-7 p.m.
The Chamber of Commerce ribbon-cutting ceremony is set for 4:30 p.m.
Stone-Mart is a leading importer and distributor of premium Turkish Travertine and marble. The new location will service both commercial and residential clientele in not only Southwest Florida but the east coast as well.
Stone-Mart has a full staff of highly trained natural stone specialists ready to assist customers with all natural stone needs.
The catered grand opening event is open to everyone and will include live entertainment, 96K rock radio broadcasting live, beer and wine tasting, prize giveaways and more.
To find out more about Stone-Mart and its product line of Travertine and marble tiles, pavers, pool copings and accessories visit www.stone-mart.com or call 239-275-0333.
Strayhorn family celebrates 100 years
of law practice in Southwest Florida
The Strayhorn family is celebrating its 100th year in the practice of law in Fort Myers. Guy M. Strayhorn and his brother-in-law, Leonidas Y. Redwine, opened the firm of Redwine & Strayhorn in 1915 in Fort Myers.
Guy M. Strayhorn was born on a cotton farm in London, Ark., in 1889. With degrees from Hendrix College and Fort Smith Business College, he journeyed south in 1908 to help his brother, Felix, survey land in Citrus Center, a small, unincorporated community in Glades County. That year, he married Stella Redwine, who had traveled to Florida with her father, Judge Mathew M. Redwine, of Sandy Hook, Ky. Guy and Stella returned to Sandy Hook where he studied in the law office of Stella’s brother, Leonidas Y. Redwine, who later relocated to Fort Myers and served as a Lee County judge in the early 1900s.
After Guy was admitted to the bar in Kentucky, the couple returned to Citrus Center where their son, Norwood, was born in North LaBelle. A second son, Orville Tennyson Strayhorn, would follow.
Guy M. Strayhorn served for many years as Lee County prosecuting attorney and state attorney for the Twelfth Judicial Circuit, as well as a member of the Florida Legislature and city attorney for the city of Fort Myers.
Norwood Redwine Strayhorn graduated from Fort Myers High School and the University of Florida Law School. He began practicing law in Fort Myers in 1934 and served in the Florida Legislature beginning in 1949. He also served for many years as the city attorney for the city of Fort Myers, as well as general counsel for the Lee County Sheriff’s Department.
Presently, grandsons Guy R. Strayhorn and E. Bruce Strayhorn practice law in Fort Myers.