Southeastern Grocers offering incentive for residents to get vaccine

As COVID-19 surges throughout the country, Southeastern Grocers is enhancing its efforts to safeguard the communities it serves by doubling vaccine incentives for customers who receive two vaccines on the same day in all Fresco y Más, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie in-store pharmacies to further encourage vaccine administration.

To take part in the incentive, customers can walk into any SEG in-store pharmacy or make an appointment online to get a flu vaccine (free with most insurances) or COVID-19 vaccine and receive a free $10 grocery voucher. Additionally, customers who choose to receive both, or a second vaccine of their choice on the same day (flu + COVID, flu + any other vaccine, COVID + any other vaccine), will receive an additional $10 in grocery savings.

As a preferred retail partner in the fight against COVID-19, SEG is committed to the safe and equitable distribution of the vaccine to customers and communities throughout the Southeast.

This includes third doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to individuals who are moderately to severely immunocompromised. Additional doses must be administered at least 28 days after the vaccination series has been completed. Customers are encouraged to talk to their healthcare provider to determine if an additional dose is right for them.

As an added convenience for customers, walk-in appointments for all vaccines, including third doses for eligible patients, continue to be offered at all in-store pharmacies and through the grocer’s online scheduling tool. Customers can view current COVID-19 vaccine availability by location, schedule appointments and access more resources by visiting www.frescoymas.com/pharmacy/covid-vaccine, www.harveyssupermarkets.com/pharmacy/covid-vaccine and www.winndixie.com/pharmacy/covid-vaccine.

For more information about SEG’s coronavirus response, vaccination updates and other pharmacy services, visit the pharmacy page of www.frescoymas.com, www.harveyssupermarkets.com and www.winndixie.com.

The Cape Coral Winn-Dixie is located at 1016 Cape Coral Parkway, E., Ste 110. The Winn-Dixie in North Fort Myers is located at 5660 Bayshore Road.

Whitesman named 2021-2022 Gerald T. Hart Outstanding Tax Attorney

Henderson, Franklin, Starnes & Holt, P.A., this week announced that The Florida Bar Tax Section will honor Guy E. Whitesman as the 2021-2022 Gerald T. Hart Outstanding Tax Attorney of the Year. Each year the chair of The Florida Bar Tax Section selects an individual who has made major contributions to the advancement of the practice of tax law and who exemplifies the highest standards of competence and integrity. Chair Harris L. Bonnette, Jr. chose Whitesman because of his “leadership, work, and participation in Tax Section matters leading up to his year as chair of the Tax Section for 2010-2011 where he navigated the Section through legislative and administrative challenges. His service to the Tax Section did not end there. Guy continued to participate in Tax Section activities, providing valuable input and analysis on tax issues important to taxpayers as well as serving as a speaker in continuing legal education programs.”

Whitesman is the past chair of both The Florida Bar’s Tax Law Section and Tax Law Certification Committee. He is also the immediate past chair of Henderson Franklin’s Business and Tax Department. Whitesman has been Board Certified in Tax Law since 1992.

Whitesman concentrates his practice in mergers and acquisitions, business organization operations and planning, taxation, estate planning and healthcare law.

Whitesman received his undergraduate (B.A.) and law degree (J.D.) from University of Michigan, and his Masters in Taxation (LL.M., Taxation) from the University of Florida. He can be reached at guy.whitesman@henlaw.com or by phone at 239-344-1180.

Henderson Franklin is one of the largest, locally-based law firms between Tampa and Miami with over 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. For more information on Whitesman or Henderson Franklin, please visit www.henlaw.com.

Priority Marketing hires Vargas as marketing coordinator

Priority Marketing has welcomed Sorena Vargas as marketing coordinator helping facilitate communications and marketing projects between clients and the firm’s creative professionals.

Vargas’ responsibilities include providing support for the account services team, which includes coordinating social media plans, email marketing campaigns, video production and website development, as well as providing project assistance to all departments as needed.

Before joining Priority Marketing, Vargas was a graphic designer for a Bonita Springs-based firm that provided comprehensive business services to startup companies. Vargas also has experience in the tourism, education, real estate and technology industries in roles that included public relations intern, marketing content developer, web administrator and community assistant.

Vargas earned a bachelor’s degree in communication from Florida Gulf Coast University and currently serves as vice president for the Fort Myers chapter of the FGCU Alumni Association.

Established in 1992, Priority Marketing is a full-service marketing, advertising, public relations, web development and digital marketing agency located at 12140 Carissa Commerce Court, Suite 201, in Fort Myers. For more information, call 239-267-2638 or visit PriorityMarketing.com.

Three Pavese Law Firm attorneys honored as 2022 Best Lawyers in America

Pavese Law Firm partners, Christopher J. Shields, Steven C. Hartsell, and Neale Montgomery were selected by their peers for inclusion in the 28th edition of The Best Lawyers in America. Shields was selected in the practice area of real estate Law. Hartsell and Montgomery were selected in the practice areas of environmental law; and land use and zoning law. Additionally, Hartsell was recognized as the 2022 Fort Myers Land Use and Zoning Law “Lawyer of the Year.” Only a single lawyer in each practice area and community is honored with a “Lawyer of the Year” award.

Shields is Florida Bar Board Certified in both real estate law and condominium and planned development law. His primary areas of focus are residential and commercial condominium, cooperative and homeowners’ association law, and he provides legal counsel to community associations throughout Southwest Florida. He joined Pavese Law Firm in 1984 and became a partner in 1990.

Hartsell is Florida Bar Board Certified in condominium and planned development law. He concentrates his practice in zoning, land use and development law as well as local government administrative law matters, representing clients in administrative matters before city and county commissions, councils and boards throughout Southwest Florida. He joined Pavese Law Firm in 1986 and became a partner in 1990.

Montgomery’s practice areas are land use, local government, environmental and water and real estate law as well as local government administrative law matters, representing clients in a variety of development, entitlement and administrative matters before city and county bodies throughout Southwest Florida. She is involved with real estate development and permitting issues at the local, regional, state and federal level. She joined Pavese Law Firm in 1986 and became a partner in 1991.

First published in 1983, selection for Best Lawyers is based on a peer-review survey comprised of more than 3 million confidential evaluations by the top attorneys in the country.

Pavese Law Firm is a full-service law firm with offices in Fort Myers, Cape Coral and West Palm Beach. The firm provides a broad range of legal services for individuals, families, small businesses and large corporations. For more information, visit paveselaw.com.

Sanibel Captiva Community Bank’s McQuagge earns national certification

Amy McQuagge, Sanibel Captiva Community Bank’s vice president and director of marketing, has earned the certified financial marketing professional designation from the American Bankers Association.

The CFMP designation is awarded to individuals who demonstrate excellence in the field of financial services marketing. To qualify, individuals must meet ABA criteria for experience and education in the financial services profession, pass a rigorous proctored exam and agree to abide by a code of ethics. The CFMP exam covers many areas including financial principles, laws and regulations, market research, characteristics of marketing plans and marketing components.

After graduating from the ABA School of Marketing in May, McQuagge studied for the exam over the summer.

McQuagge joined the bank in 2018 as the organization’s first in-house marketing director and is responsible for providing direction, guidance and leadership of the bank’s marketing and community outreach efforts. She was previously the senior marketing and event manager for the Lee County Economic Development Office. A lifelong Lee County resident, McQuagge holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from Florida Southern College.

Founded in 2003, Sanibel Captiva Community Bank has two locations on Sanibel Island and six more locations throughout Lee County. Sanibel Captiva Community 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.

Van Mecl earns professional public relations accreditation

Alex Van Mecl, APR, of the Southwest Florida Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association, recently earned professional public relations accreditation, and received the designation of Accredited in Public Relations.

Van Mecl 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 42 currently in Southwest Florida.

Van Mecl is an account executive, public relations for Roar Media, a full-stack, integrated marketing/PR agency located in Miami. Van Mecl earned his bachelor’s degree in multimedia studies: film, TV and new media in 2012 from Florida Atlantic University (FAU). 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, please visit the Southwest Florida Chapter of FPRA website at fpraswfl.org.