Democrat Mike Cosentino has often waged fights with county government in the courthouse. Now he’s tacking the battle to the ballot box.

“My no. 1 goal is to actually bring back the rule of law,” he said. “Right now we have the rule of county government by and for developers.”

Cosentino first gained prominence in the region fighting to keep public access on Beach Road, a land-use matter ultimately dismissed by the circuit courts. Looking back at the matter, Cosentino feels frustrated by a judicial system where many lawyers were appointed to positions after working on land-use issues directly with politically influential developers.

“I learned this through litigating with the county,” Cosentino said. “Most mistakenly assume taxpayer-funded public county attorneys advocate for truth, justice and the rule of law. Nothing could be further from the truth. They advocate for their client, and that’s the county commission, which will bend the rule of law for (developers) Carlos Beruff or Pat Neal or Rex Jensen or Randy Benderson.”

He rattles off the names of the industry executives behind major projects throughout the Sarasota-Bradenton area who happen also to be involved politically in Republican politics, though he noted one of his Democratic opponents, Sarasota City Commissioner Hagen Brody, is working with individuals closely associated with Neal. He also faces former Sarasota Mayor Fredd Atkins in a Democratic primary.

Cosentino followed his fight over Beach Road with a 2018 county commission run. He lost in a primary that year, when county commission contests were still voted on county-wide. This year, Sarasota County District 2 voters for the first time in decades will elect a commissioner through a single-member district election.

“It finally gives a chance to a guy like me, a grassroots candidate,” Cosentino said. “It somewhat levels the playing field.”

As an experienced campaigner, he also is enjoying success raising money. A $35,000 contribution to his own campaign still makes the bulk of donations, but through June he reported a total of $45,913 raised for the race. By comparison, Brody has $60,863 and Atkins $16,628.

While highly critical of his Democratic opponents, Cosentino actually speaks well of one Republican opponent, Lourdes Ramirez. The two have both waged legal fights against the county over planning decisions. Cosentino maintains the law requires greater compliance with the county comprehensive plan than demonstrated by any of the sitting members of the county commission.

His primary focus if elected, he said, will be restoring compliance with existing law. While he’s frustrated by the legal system, none of it will matter if a commissioner simply starts demanding at the dais that planning decisions comply with the law from the start.

“The people have not had a voice,” he said. “That’s what I am. I am their voice and I have their back.” 

Andrei Malaev-Babel has been selected as director of the FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training, the Florida State University College of Fine Arts and School of Theatre announced. Malaev-Babel, an expert on Russian theater and acting techniques and an award-winning director and scholar who served as head of acting at the Conservatory for more than a decade, succeeds Greg Leaming, who recently retired. Malaev-Babel began his tenure on July 1.

The Conservatory, located in Sarasota, is a three-year graduate program culminating in a Master of Fine Arts degree. Only 12 students annually are chosen to participate in the program, which combines rigorous classroom training with guest artist workshops and professional production experience through its partnership with Asolo Repertory Theatre. It has regularly been ranked among the top 10 programs in the United States and the top 25 in the English-speaking world. “Having served as a faculty member at the Conservatory since 2006, Andrei Malaev-Babel is no stranger to FSU, Asolo Rep or the Sarasota community,” said James Frazier, dean of the FSU College of Fine Arts. “He is a true leader in the field of actor training, and we are thrilled to be engaging him in this new role.”

Malaev-Babel continues a distinguished international career, having co-founded and served as artistic director for both the Stanislavsky Theater Studio in Washington, D.C., and the Moscow Chamber Forms Theatre in Russia. 

In the July/August 2022 edition of SRQ Magazine, we interviewed William C. McComb ESQ., partner and shareholder at Berlin Patten Ebling, PLLC as part of our In Conversation feature about current trends in real estate. Below is an excerpt published in the magazine in which McComb shares his insights with SRQ readers.

How would you respond to people who are worried whenever there's a hot market and they start talking about 2007/2008–the year we pinpoint as sort of a market collapse situation?

The 2007-2008 build up and then ultimate market crash, all the contributing factors to that are entirely different than anything we're seeing right now. So I wouldn't say that because we had this rush or high increase in pricing and low inventory, similar to that buildup, that all of a sudden the bottom is going to fall out of the market. A lot of that was based on just really bad lending practices. There's been statutes put into place to counteract that, to make sure that lenders are qualifying borrowers. The Dodd-Frank Act basically came out in the wake of the last mortgage crisis. So in this case, I don't see any of the same market conditions, other than the fact that the market's really hot, to be concerned with there being an absolute collapse again. Now, could there be something else that impacts our market like rising inflation, rising interest rates, low inventory? Sure. And I do think there's going to be an impact. At least at some point, you're going to see some type of correction nationwide. In our little local Sarasota market, I don't think that impact is going to be nearly as severe just because of how desirable it is to be here. So if someone's asking me, “Should I buy right now?” The answer is, if you find something that you like, buy now, as opposed to waiting any longer. As interest rates go up, your buying power is going to go down, so if you're on the fence and you have the ability, I would pull the trigger now if you can find something. 

Berlin Patten Ebling, PLLC, 3700 S Tamiami Trail #200, Sarasota, 941-954-9991. https://berlinpatten.com/

To read the full article, click here.

Heather Mess, MarineMax Sarasota Marina Manager was recently named to Boating Industry’s 2022 Women Making Waves featured in the launch of their summer issue. Heather stood out among more than 120 nominations submitted for the annual program which recognizes women in the recreational boating industry who make contributions to its success, propel its growth, and lead their organizations and peers into the future. “I am truly humbled to be nominated and awarded this recognition. Dedication and hard work do pay off. It is inspiring to work in an industry amongst others who are passionate about what they do," says Heather.

Heather oversees the MarineMax Sarasota Marina Membership Experience, focused on anticipating client needs before they ask and implementing additional services to help take care of their boat—freeing up more time to enjoy the water. She was integral in overseeing the multi-million-dollar remodel project which now allows for much larger boats to be sold and stored. Her efforts assisted the MarineMax Sarasota location by adding a member’s lounge and acquiring larger marina forklifts and dry stack racks that can accommodate boats up to 42 feet. With the influx of new boaters in the past couple of years, efficient storage facilities have been in high demand and Heather has proven to provide that and more with her additions to the customers. Jason LeFevre, MarineMax Sarasota General Manager comments, “Heather has been a phenomenal addition to the Sarasota Team. Her growth from a part-time sales assistant to running one of the company’s most successful marinas has been a joy to watch.” 

For more on the Making Waves Awards.

The Southwest Florida Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP-SWFL) will hold its annual Fundraisers Forum, on Tuesday, July 12, 2022, from 8:00 am-noon at State College of Florida’s Lakewood Ranch Campus. The Fundraisers Forum is for individuals in the fundraising community to connect and discuss ideas and methods for fundraisers, fundraiser consultants and non-profit leaders. “The Association of Fundraising Professionals Southwest Florida Chapter (AFPSWFL) is dedicated to the advancement of ethical fundraising in our community,” said Amy Towery, CFRE, ACFRE, Vice President of Development for Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee and the current President of the AFPSWFL Chapter. “Our annual Fundraisers Forum event is an affordable and accessible option for Sarasota and Manatee fundraising professionals to grow their knowledge and skills,” she added. With so much uncertainty in today’s world and a changing economic landscape, the opportunity for fundraising professionals to gather to share important tips, trends, best practices, and knowledge, becomes even more crucial for professional development. 

Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections Ron Turner will begin mailing vote-by-mail (absentee) ballots for the August 23 Primary Election to military and overseas voters today.

Turner said more than 1,900 ballots will be mailed to active-duty military personnel and their spouses and dependents who are absent from Sarasota County, and to registered Sarasota County voters living overseas. The mailing is required by the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA), which ensures all eligible citizens can register to vote and vote by mail (absentee). Following this initial mailing, ballots will be processed and mailed to UOCAVA voters as requests are received. Turner noted that an additional 114,865 vote-by-mail ballots are scheduled to be mailed to domestic voters beginning July 14.

“Whether you are an overseas or domestic voter, your voted ballot must reach the elections office no later than 7 p.m. on election night to be counted,” Turner said. He also noted that the Voter’s Certificate on the return vote-by-mail envelope must be signed by the voter and that the voter’s signature should match the signature on record in the elections office. The signature on file at the time the voted ballot is received by the supervisor of elections will be used to verify the signature on the Voter’s Certificate. Voters who need to update their signatures for this election may do so by completing a Florida Voter Registration Application and mailing or delivering it in person to any one of the three elections offices in Sarasota, Venice or North Port. 

For more.

BGCA Government Relations awards are bestowed upon leaders from both inside and outside the Movement who have significantly contributed to Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s government relations efforts. Award recipients are selected for their leadership and commitment toward achieving critical policy and funding successes that have a positive impact on Boys & Girls Clubs and the youth they serve. During the 2022 National Conference in Chicago, Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota and DeSoto Counties received the first ever Youth Megaphone Award which was accepted by Board Chair, Meghan Serrano. BGCSDC was recognized at the National Conference for the meaningful contributions and collaborations teens have made with state and local government. Advocacy 101 and The Club’s Youth Council are two award-winning programs that demonstrate BGCSDC’s commitment to helping teens find their voice and passion for issues they believe in. Advocacy 101 provides teens an opportunity to participate in state government, while Youth Council is a youth-led and youth-driven initiative that allows teens to work collectively for change and social justice. BGCSDC’s 2022 Youth of the Year, Bernadette N., was a member of The Club’s Advocacy 101 and participated in the Florida House of Representatives Page & Messenger Program. This week-long experience provided teens the opportunity to travel with Club staff to Tallahassee to observe lawmakers, lobbyists and constituents as they work together in the legislative process. Bernadette was able to speak on the floor and address members of the House concerning a bill she helped to co-write during her participation of Girls State & Girls Nation. Bernadette’s bill, the Healthy Food Financing Initiative, aimed to combat the prevalence of food deserts in Florida. Bernadette’s story is one of many that highlights the success of BGCSDC’s teen advocacy programs in empowering youth to not only be a part of the legislative process, but to research, draft and present their concerns in a way that creates lasting change. 

To learn more, visit