Business Briefs
Gulf Coast Village hires Waruszewski
s administrator for home care services
Gulf Coast Village has welcomed Jill Waruszewski as the new administrator for home care services for the Continuing Care Retirement Community in Cape Coral. With 20 years of experience in the healthcare industry, Waruszewski will now oversee all areas related to private duty home care by Gulf Coast Village. These services include personalized in-home services, and the ER Companion and Safe Return programs that provide support to seniors while in the emergency room and offer assistance and other caregiving services upon returning from the hospital.
Waruszewski earned her master’s degree in social work from Florida Gulf Coast University. She began her career serving as a hands-on caregiver for children with intellectual disabilities, and has since worked in a variety of healthcare-related fields, including social work in a skilled nursing home and private practice at a neuropsychiatric office, and has also worked as a home health administrator and in other management positions including director of business and development for an in-home senior care provider.
Founded more than 25 years ago, Gulf Coast Village is a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) in Cape Coral. Residents enjoy active independent living in a lifestyle of comfort and convenience with an array of services and amenities that are focused on living well. The community also offers assisted living, skilled nursing, specialized memory support, home health and outpatient services.
Gulf Coast Village is located at 1333 Santa Barbara Blvd., Cape Coral. For more information call 239-772-1333 or visit www.GulfCoastVillage.com.
Gulf Coast Village is sponsored by Volunteers of America, a national non-profit faith-based organization dedicated to helping those in need rebuild their lives and reach their full potential. Volunteers of America was founded in 1896 and is one of the nation’s largest nonprofit providers of quality, affordable housing for seniors and a provider of professional long-term care including assisted living, home health care and nursing home care.
Owen-Ames-Kimball donation to Southwest Florida
& Lee County Fair benefits 4-H and FFA programs
The Owen-Ames-Kimball Company has provided financial support for the upcoming 92nd annual Southwest Florida & Lee County Fair taking place from Feb. 25 to March 6. OAK is funding the purchase of 20 new animal pens that will enhance the safety of the animals and 4-H and Future Farmers of America members.
Every year, hundreds of 4-H and FFA members attend the fair to showcase their livestock that they have raised during the year. Darren Watkins is a job site superintendent at Thomas Marine Construction, a sister company of OAK, and has served on the Livestock Committee of the Fair Association for the past five years. Exhibitors can enter beef breeding, goats, horses, steer, swine and small animals, with many entering more than one category.
Watkins notes that the members’ product knowledge is tested throughout the competitions and shows, thus, reinforcing the many “life skills” they are learning in their 4-H and FFA programs, and preparing them to be leaders of the future.
Owen-Ames-Kimball Company has provided general contracting, design-build and construction management services in Southwest Florida since 1982. OAK’s Florida operation is an affiliate of its parent company located in Grand Rapids, Mich. The Florida operation has offices in Collier, Lee and Charlotte counties. The Lee County office is located at 11941 Fairway Lakes Drive in Fort Myers. Learn more about OAK at www.owen-ames-kimball.com
Gendron Funeral Home holding
Toy & Food Drive through Dec. 18
Gendron Funeral & Cremation Services in Lee County is holding a Toy & Food Drive now through Dec. 18.
Gendron Funeral Home is asking the public to donate new or used unwrapped toys or non-perishable food items to benefit local food banks and shelters.
Some examples of the types of food items needed are canned meat, granola bars, jerky-type treats and peanut butter. Other items accepted include toilet paper, paper towels, razors, shampoo, bar soap, detergent, toothpaste, deodorant, cotton swabs, batteries, bug repellant, tarps, tents, rain ponchos, etc.
The Gendron Funeral Home drop-off locations are 2325 East Mall Drive, Fort Myers (between Fowler Street and Solomon Boulevard, behind Sports Authority), and 2701 Lee Blvd., Lehigh Acres.
Donors will receive a free 2016 magnetic calendar.
For more information, contact Gendron Funeral Home, “Our Family Serving Yours,” at 239-274-0088 or www.gendronfuneralhome.com
Discover Matlacha Island
Cruise set for Saturday
Pure Florida invites guests aboard the M/V Edison Explorer to Discover Matlacha Island during a special cruise to Pine Island on Saturday, Dec. 5, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The day begins with a narrated cruise along the Caloosahatchee River and includes a guided tour of Matlacha Island. An old Florida fishing village, Matlacha is considered a “hidden gem” and is home to bright-colored art galleries, island boutiques, seafood restaurants and more.
During the Discover Matlacha Island Cruise excursion, guests will have the opportunity to experience the natural beauty of Southwest Florida along the Caloosahatchee River and on the island of Matlacha. Upon arriving to the island, guests will be taken on a Taste of Matlacha Walking Tour, guided by True Tours, learning about the island’s unique history and enjoying a sampling of signature delicacies. Upon conclusion of the tour, guests may enjoy lunch at their leisure and visit the nearby shops and galleries. Local attractions include the Lovegrove Gallery & Gardens, where guests can tour the whimsical gardens and meet the artist, Leoma Lovegrove. Following exploration, passengers can enjoy a peaceful return cruise on the M/V Edison Explorer.
Discover Matlacha Island Cruise tours are guided by Coast Guard-certified captains, also master naturalists, and highlight the history of the Caloosahatchee River and Matlacha Island. Registration for the tour is $64 per person. Lunch can be included for an additional charge of $12 per person. The M/V Edison Explorer departs from The Marina at Edison Ford, located at 2360 W. First St. in Fort Myers.
Reservations are required. For more information, or to book your ticket, call 239-919-2965, email FortMyers@Pure-FL.com or visit the Pure Florida website at www.PureFL.com.
Henderson new insurance
specialist for HWP’s staff
Alexandra (Allie) Henderson has joined Henderson Wealth Partners as an insurance specialist. She will help Henderson Wealth Partners grow and expand its depth of services, particularly long-term health care insurance, while continuing HWP’s tradition of offering personalized, unbiased financial guidance to clients.
Henderson brings years of experience in the health care industry to HWP. Most recently, she worked as a medical social worker for Lee Memorial Health System’s memory disorder clinic, Lee Physician Group Memory Care. Her care and compassion for helping others will transition well to the financial services industry, where she will focus her practice on long-term health care and insurance products.
She is a graduate of Florida State University in Tallahassee and holds a Master’s degree in Social Work.
Henderson Wealth Partners is at 1404 Dean Street, Suite 101, in Fort Myers. For information, visit www.hendersonwealthpartners.com or call to schedule a no-obligation consultation at (239) 939-1888.
Pollock named to
regional leadership post
John Pollock, CIC, BB&T Insur-ance Services Florida regional insurance president, has been promoted to a multi-state regional leadership position. BB&T Insurance Services is experiencing significant growth and recently acquired Susquehanna Bancshares in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York. In his new role, Pollock will oversee the Florida, Pennsylvania and Tennessee regions of BB&T Insurance Services.
Raised in Fort Myers, Pollock attended Eckerd College where he earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration. After two internships at Oswald Trippe and Company, he joined the agency as a commercial lines processor in 1990. In 1993, he became one of the youngest agents in the U.S. to earn the Certified Insurance Counselor designation. Pollock rose to the position of president of OTC in 2002. He has studied at the Wharton School in Philadelphia and the Disney Institute, and participates regularly in profession-al development and continuing education programs through The Council of In-surance Agents and Bro-kers, Florida Association of Insurance Agents and others. In 2014, The Society of Certified Insurance Coun-selors recognized Pollock for 20 years of leadership.
Pollock currently oversees 550 employees at more than 18 BB&T Insurance Services locations throughout his new region, which provide comprehensive insurance and risk-management services to families and businesses from the nation’s leading insurance companies.
For more information, visit Insurance.BBT.com.