Alfieri joins Water Science Associates 

Water Science Associates has named Mike Alfieri, P.G. senior hydrogeologist for the hydrogeological consulting firm. Alfieri will join executive leaders Kirk Martin and Roger Copp in developing creative, sustainable and scientifically based solutions to water resource challenges across Florida.

In response to the growing hydrological needs throughout the Southwest area, Alfieri and Copp will also establish a Tampa-based office to expand support services for clients in the region.

A nationally certified and registered hydrogeologist with more than 23 years of experience, Alfieri will manage hydrogeological and water resource engineering teams in the evaluation, planning design, permitting, and construction of water supply wells, deep injection wells, and managed aquifer recharge systems. He will also provide a wide range of technical skills in groundwater flow and transport modeling, statistical analysis of hydrologic data, water supply development, and resource management.

A professionally licensed geologist in 13 states, Alfieri is an established subject-matter expert recognized in the U.S. federal court and state of Florida court systems, having been retained numerous times by legal counsel for various clients.

Built on decades of experience, technical excellence, innovative thinking and personal service, Water Science Associates provides water resources management and development services from planning, investigation, design, construction, and compliance for public and private water and wastewater utilities, high-quality land development projects, mining operations, and agricultural interests.

For more information, call 239-204-5300 or visit www.waterscienceassociates.com.

Henderson Franklin welcomes Zekri

Henderson, Franklin, Starnes & Holt, P.A., has announced that Iman Zekri has joined the firm as an associate in the divorce, marital and family law department. She served as a summer associate with the firm in 2019.

While in law school, Zekri was an editor of the Florida Journal of International Law and a member of the Florida Moot Court Team. She competed in the Philadelphia Regional 2020 ABA National Appellate Advocacy Competition, where Zekri was presented with a Best Advocate Award. She was inducted into the Order of Barristers in 2020 for her exceptional skill in oral advocacy and brief writing.

Zekri is a native of Southwest Florida. She graduated from Riverdale High School’s International Baccalaureate program, Florida SouthWestern State College (A.A., summa cum laude), Florida Gulf Coast University (B.A., summa cum laude), and the University of Florida Levin College of Law (J.D., cum laude).

Zekri may be reached at iman.zekri@henlaw.com or by phone at 239-344-1119.

Henderson Franklin is one of the largest, locally-based law firms between Tampa and Miami with 60 attorneys dedicated to providing a wide range of legal services in the areas of business and tax planning, estate planning, family law, business and civil litigation, eminent domain, intellectual property, workers’ compensation, employment law, real estate, and land use and environmental law. Henderson Franklin operates offices in Fort Myers, Bonita Springs, and Naples. For more information on the Zekri or Henderson Franklin, please visit www.henlaw.com.

Norris Furniture & Interiors receives Pinnacle Awards

Southwest Florida retailer Norris Furniture & Interiors was recently honored with six prestigious Pinnacle Awards from the Lee Building Industry Association. The Pinnacle Awards recognize excellence in the residential building industry in sales, marketing, and design.

Interior Designers Luanza Maitland and Sydney Warren of Norris’ Fort Myers Showroom were awarded two Best Interior (Model) Merchandising – Single Family awards for their work on Royal Corinthian Homes’ Cascade Isle in Verandah and Florida Lifestyle Homes’ St. John in Quail West.

From Norris’ Naples design team, Brittany Moss was awarded a Best Interior (Model) Merchandising – Single Family award for her work on DDG’s Forrester. Susan Salimbene received Best Clubhouse – Interior for the Azure at Bonita Bay.

CAD Specialist Carl Dermody also took home Best Virtual Tour for a private residence in Kalea Bay. Norris’ Director of Marketing, Linda Gangeri, received an award for Best TV Commercial.

Family owned and operated in Southwest Florida since 1983, Norris Furniture & Interiors has showroom locations in Fort Myers, Naples, Sanibel and Sarasota. For more information, visit NorrisFurniture.com or Facebook.com/NorrisFurnitureInteriors.

Hampton named ‘Rising Star’ fourth year in a row

Blake P. Hampton, attorney and owner of Hampton Law, has been selected to the 2021 Florida Rising Stars list. Each year, no more than 2.5 percent of lawyers in the state are selected by the research team at Super Lawyers. This is the fourth year in a row that Hampton has been a recipient of this honor.

Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuters business, is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The annual selections are made using a patented multi-phase process that includes a statewide survey of lawyers, an independent research evaluation of candidates and peer reviews by practice area. The result is a credible, comprehensive and diverse listing of exceptional attorneys. The Super Lawyers lists are published nationwide in Super Lawyers Magazines and in leading city and regional magazines and newspapers across the country. Super Lawyers Magazines also feature editorial profiles of attorneys who embody excellence in the practice of law.

In addition to being named a Rising Star, Hampton is one of the youngest attorneys admitted to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. He currently serves on the Medicaid, VA Benefits and Special Needs Trust Committees of the Florida Bar Elder Law Section.

Founded in 2015, Hampton Law offers legal counsel in the areas of estate planning, estate administration, and elder law. The firm specializes in comprehensive long-term care for the elderly, ensuring that clients are set up for financial success and have legal peace of mind as they head into their sunset years. Owner Blake P. Hampton is a VA accredited attorney who serves on the Medicaid, VA Benefits and Special Needs Trust Committees of the Florida Bar Elder Law Section. To learn more, visit hamptonelderlaw.com or call 239-309-0090.

SWFL Inc. welcomes Simon as clientrelationship manager

SWFL Inc. has announced the hiring of Megan Simon as its new client relationship manager. Simon comes to the now seven-person staff with a background in hospitality and sales.

Simon has held positions in hotel group sales for Naples Grande Beach Resort, Naples Beach Hotel, Savannah Marriott Riverfront in Georgia and Spinnaker Resorts in South Carolina. She graduated with her B.S. in hospitality management from the University of South Carolina in 2013.

To create a custom business membership with SWFL Inc., contact Simon at Megan@SWFLinc.com, or Business Development Manager Phyllis Blanchette at Phyllis@SWFLinc.com. Businesses can also sign up for membership at any time at SWFLinc.com.

SWFL Inc. is a regional chamber of commerce serving the Southwest Florida business community. It connects businesses to a regional network of customers, offers educational resources to help them grow in a modern economy, and actively works to solve regional issues that impact the business community. At SWFL Inc., membership is free and open to all businesses to create inclusive opportunities for all.

Ranked among the top 1 percent of chambers nationwide, SWFL Inc. produces exceptional business resources and programs to serve the business community, promote a region where business can grow and prosper and enhance the quality of life in Southwest Florida.

Versnik named partner at Goldstein, Buckley, Cechman, Rice & Purtz, P.A.

Michael Versnik, a seasoned personal injury lawyer who joined Goldstein, Buckley, Cechman, Rice & Purtz, P.A. in 2019, has been named a partner of the nearly 60-year-old firm.

Versnik, rated “AV Preeminent” Civil Trial Attorney, the highest ranking under the Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rating system, focuses on personal injury litigation, including motor vehicle accidents, wrongful death, motorcycle and bicycle accidents and premises liability cases.

Before joining Goldstein, Buckley, Cechman, Rice & Purtz, Versnik gained experience on both sides of cases, most recently as a civil trial attorney for another personal injury law firm, and before that as an injury defense attorney representing insurance policy holders against claims and lawsuits. Before he went to law school, Versnik, who had an undergraduate degree in sports management, was a YMCA director. He was an academic all-conference and academic all-American baseball player in college and graduated cum laude from Florida Coastal School of Law in 2010.

Combined experience of other attorneys and partners at Goldstein, Buckley, Cechman, Rice & Purtz is more than 200 years. Other partners in the firm include managing partners Purtz and Chris Smith, and partners Stephen W. Buckley, John B. Cechman, and Andrea Pleimling Smith. J. Jeffrey Rice is a former managing partner.

Goldstein, Buckley, Cechman, Rice & Purtz, P.A., has offered a full complement of professional legal services to Southwest Florida clients since 1962. The firm’s experienced attorneys are board certified by the Florida Bar, and their areas of practice include personal injury and accidents, fall and premises liability, wrongful death, motorcycle and truck accidents, medical malpractice, real estate, commercial litigation, construction law, wills, estate planning and administration, social security law and criminal law. With offices in Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Naples, Lehigh Acres and Port Charlotte, attorneys can be reached by calling 239-334-1146 or visiting JusticeStartsNow.com.

Barbero earns professional public relations accreditation

The Florida Public Relations Association Southwest Florida Chapter has announced that member Nina Barbero recently earned professional public relations accreditation, and received the designation of accredited in public relations.

Barbero joins the more than 4,300 active public relations professionals worldwide who represent an elite group of skilled professionals committed to practicing with high ethical standards, including 38 currently in Southwest Florida.

Barbero is the marketing and communication manager for SWFL Inc., the regional chamber of commerce for Lee, Collier and Charlotte counties. SWFL Inc. is ranked in the top 1% of chambers nationwide, and Barbero manages the internal and external messaging for more than 900 business members. Barbero earned her bachelor’s degree in economics from Florida Gulf Coast University in 2016.

To earn public relations accreditation, candidates must pass an oral presentation and rigorous written examination administered by the Universal Accreditation Board (UAB), which is an alliance of eight national and statewide professional associations dedicated to furthering the field of public relations and the development of public relations professionals. FPRA is a member of the UAB.

Established in 1938, FPRA is the oldest public relations organization in the country. FPRA is dedicated to developing public relations practitioners, who, through ethical and standardized practices, enhance the public relations profession in Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades counties. For additional information, visit the Southwest Florida Chapter of FPRA website at http://www.fpraswfl.org.  

Hamer elected to Blessings in a Backpack board

Rudi Hamer, Sanibel Captiva Community Bank’s assistant vice president and commercial relationship manager, has been elected to the Blessings in a Backpack, Southwest Florida Chapter board of directors.

Hamer is responsible for managing a portion of the bank’s existing commercial loan portfolio and expanding existing commercial relationships. She has been with the bank since 2017, when she relocated to Southwest Florida from Pennsylvania. With more than 25 years of banking experience in the commercial and residential lending fields, Hamer previously worked as a licensed commercial and residential insurance agent.

Blessings in a Backpack mobilizes communities, individuals and resources to provide food on the weekends for elementary school children across Southwest Florida who might otherwise go hungry. Every Friday afternoon, children receive backpacks filled with kid-friendly, ready-to-eat items. Students return every Monday morning with an empty backpack, a full stomach, and an eager mind. For more information visit www.swfl.blessingsinabackpack.org.

Founded in 2003, Sanibel Captiva Community Bank has two locations on Sanibel Island and six more locations throughout Lee County. The bank’s team members provide customized individual and business banking services and specialize in residential and commercial lending. The bank offers free personal and business checking, deposit accounts with competitive interest rates, instant issue debit cards and a full array of digital banking products and services. To learn more, visit www.SanCapBank.com.