FGCU Foundation board announces new directors 

The Florida Gulf Coast University Foundation Inc. has elected five new board members and reelected another for a second term. The Florida Gulf Coast University Board of Trustees approved the members at its meeting on Oct. 29.  The newly elected board members who will serve four-year terms are:

* William R. Barker is the Florida Regional President of Gannett Company /USA Today Network and LocaliQ, as well as publisher and president of the Naples Daily News and News-Press in Fort Myers.

* Indera DeMine practices immigration and nationality law, licensed in the state of Florida since 2012. In 2016 she opened her solo law practice in downtown Fort Myers.

* Onur Haytac is the founder CEO of Linga, a restaurant operating system/POS based in Naples. He came to the U.S. to attend FGCU and earned a M.S. in computer information systems in 2004.

* Lucienne Pears was appointed vice president of economic and business development at Babcock Ranch for Kitson & Partners in January 2019.  A resident of the gulf coast of Florida since 2002, Pears spent nearly a decade as a consultant in the land use entitlement, construction, acquisition and development industry.  She then launched her career in Marion County creating the office of sustainable growth. 

* Doug VanOort has been chair and CEO of Neogenomics, a cancer diagnostics and pharma services company offering innovative diagnostic, prognostic and predictive testing since 2009.  Prior to this, he was a general partner with a private equity firm and founding managing partner of a venture capital firm. VanOort served various positions with Corning Inc, including director of mergers and acquisitions, and Quest Diagnostics as SVP of operations. 

Serving a second four-year term is:

* Samantha Scott, who graduated from FGCU in 2005 with a marketing degree. On the Foundation Board since 2016, Scott is president of Pushing the Envelope Inc. a marketing communication firm based in Fort Myers.

The mission of the FGCU Foundation is to advance Florida Gulf Coast University and its students by promoting the institution, securing philanthropy to support the needs of the university, managing and administering assets with a long-term perspective and providing resources to the university for the benefit of its teaching, scholarship and public service mission.

For more information, call 239-590-1064.

Allyn International Services Inc. makes donations to Foundation

for Lee County Public Schools’ Education Resource Center

Allyn International Services Inc. has partnered with The Foundation for Lee County Public Schools in support of the Foundation’s Education Resource Center. The Education Resource Center was created to collect and store new and reusable items donated by businesses and individuals to benefit teachers, students and their schools. Teachers in the Lee County Public Schools can shop materials at no-cost for classroom instruction.

Allyn International worked with the foundation to create an Amazon wish-list, where Allyn employees were able to purchase supplies to be donated directly to the resource center. Allyn collected children’s books, pencils, markers, paper, manipulatives, glue sticks, highlighters, art supplies, etc. Additionally, Allyn donated 1,500 masks to the foundation.

Allyn International matched what the employees spent on supplies, totaling their give-back to over $3,000 value benefitting the Education Resource Center.

If you would like information on how to get involved with the FLCPS please contact Brittany@leeschoolfoundation.org or call 239-337-0433

The Foundation for Lee County Public Schools, Inc. is a private, 501(c)3 organization established in 1986. Visit www.leeschoolfoundation.org, on Twitter @FoundationLCPS, and Facebook.

Allyn International is dedicated to providing high quality, customer centric services and solutions for the global marketplace. For more information, visit www.allyn-intl.com

FGCU entrepreneurship building named for longtime supporter Lucas

Florida Gulf Coast University’s new entrepreneurship building has been named after David Lucas, one of FGCU’s earliest and strongest supporters, with gifts and pledges in excess of $8 million. The FGCU Board of Trustees approved the naming at its Oct. 29 virtual meeting.

Lucas’ latest gift, a $4 million challenge that spurred other pledges to collectively match his and ensure the building’s construction, empowers FGCU to groom generations of students who aspire to be entrepreneurs like him. Rising quickly on a site adjacent to the Student & Community Counseling Center, Lucas Hall will house the Daveler & Kauanui School of Entrepreneurship as well as the Small Business Development Center and FGCU’s Regional Economic Research Institute, all of which engage in community partnerships that benefit economic development.

“David Lucas was an early investor in FGCU, and he continues to make investments that propel this university on its continual journey to excellence,” says FGCU President Mike Martin. “Along with the significant financial support David has provided, his involvement with FGCU sends the message highly successful people are betting on our success.”