Students attending a Florida university or college accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools are invited to apply for a $1,200 scholarship to be awarded by the Florida Supervisors of Elections Association (FSE) in 2023. Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections Ron Turner is currently accepting applications. The Sarasota County elections office has participated in the application process since 2008.

The FSE is offering a total of four scholarships to eligible college/university juniors and seniors who have been residents of Florida for at least the prior two years and who are registered to vote in the county where applying for the scholarship. To date, a voter from Sarasota County has not received one of the four annual scholarships.

To be eligible, an applicant must be enrolled or accepted as a full-time student in a senior college or university in Florida, have maintained a “C” average or above the previous school year, and be majoring in political science, public administration, business administration, journalism or mass communication. Additional eligibility requirements are listed on the application and in the scholarship guidelines, which are available online at SarasotaVotes.gov.

"I am proud to bring the Florida Supervisors of Elections scholarship opportunity to Sarasota County college students," says Turner. "I look forward to their participation and reading their applications.”

Applications may be picked up at any of the following elections offices: Sarasota County Terrace Building, 101 S Washington Blvd, 7th Floor, Sarasota, R.L. Anderson Administration Building, 4000 Tamiami Trail South, Venice, Biscayne Plaza, 13640 Tamiami Trail, North Port.

Applications must be received by Friday, March 10 to the elections office of the county in which the applicant is registered to vote. Applications may be delivered in-person to any one of the elections offices listed above or mailed to: Supervisor of Elections, PO Box 4194, Sarasota, FL 34230-4194. Students or educational institutions may call 941.861.8606 for more information. 

International environmental advocate and businessman Harry Cockrell has joined the TREE Foundation’s Mission Green Scientific Advisory Board. TREE is a Florida-based nonprofit organization focused on protecting trees and forests around the globe. The goal of its Mission Green initiative is to build canopy walkways around the globe to promote ecotourism employment opportunities (as opposed to land-clearing and logging-based economies), and help protect plant and animal species in the most endangered biodiversity forest canopy “Hot Spots” on the planet. Mr. Cockrell is Chairman of Pacific Tiger Group, Ltd, a Hong Kong-based global manufacturer focused on holistic food solutions that utilize natural, ingredients and environmentally-friendly packaging. Care and concern for the planet is a high priority for the Cockrell family. He is also Chairman of The Habitat Foundation. In 2017, Mr. Cockrell and his son Reza played critical roles in funding and advocating for the conservation of the Penang Hill Biosphere Reserve in Malaysia, which was officially designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2021. As they developed the Penang project, the Cockrells connected with Dr. Margaret Lowman, who, as the Executive Director of the TREE Foundation, had established best practices for canopy walkway planning and construction in 2002 when TREE collaborated with the Friends of Myakka River State Park and the Florida Park Service to create the walkway and observation tower at Myakka River State Park in Sarasota, Florida. In 2017, the Cockrells invited Dr. Lowman to consult on the Penang project and help them raise awareness about the science in relation to the construction of a canopy walkway in Malaysia. She also helped the Cockrells launch a BioBlitz event, which she co-chaired, to connect international and local experts to facilitate the rapid identification of critical biodiversity at the Penang Hill site. Learn more about the TREE Foundation and Mission Green at mission-green.org. 

Pictured: Harry Cockrell Joins TREE Foundation's Mission Green Scientific Advisory Board.

CreArte Latino Cultural Center has been selected to receive a $3,600 grant from the Justine S. Sprenger and Rita H. Bullock Fund of the Manatee Community Foundation. The grant will support a new Latin music workshop for Latino youth between 9 and 16 years old—with an emphasis on students who come from low-income families. The six-week pilot program will be taught in Spanish by local professional musicians. According to Carol Hartz, the executive director of CreArte Latino, the workshop will feature an exploration of traditional folk music from Central America, South America and the Caribbean. Instructors will offer basic training in an array of instruments, including percussion (bongo, conga, güira, maracas, marimba and timbal), strings (guitar, banjo, tiples, cuatro) and keyboard. “Each participant will learn how to play the basics of one or several instruments of their choice,” says Hartz. She explains that the objective of the program is to offer Latino youth opportunities to learn to play, interpret and explore their own creativity through the musical form. Elvira Sanchez Blake, the director of education for CreArte Latino, says that the Manatee Community Foundation grant will greatly help expand CreArte’s educational programming and address a cultural issue that especially affects young people in the surrounding Latino/Hispanic community. “There can be a lack of knowledge about their roots. We want to bolster their pride and give them a direct experience of their rich heritage. We are deeply grateful to the Manatee Community Foundation to support us in this important mission.” CreArte Latino Cultural Center’s schedule for 2023 includes the ongoing “Amigos Book Club” for adult Spanish speakers. In addition, there is an adult class in Spanish for English speakers called “Conversemos” and an adult class in English for Spanish speakers called “Let’s Talk in English.” Book clubs and language classes are all via the Zoom platform. For more information about CreArte Latino Cultural Center, visit www.creartelatino.org or CreArte Latino on Facebook. 

Since 2004, Embracing Our Differences has used the power of art and prose to promote diversity. One way it achieves this is through its annual, juried international outdoor art exhibition comprising 50 billboard-sized works of art, each accompanied by an inspirational quotation. This year’s response to the call for artwork and inspirational quotations received 13,733 entries pouring in from 119 countries and 45 states. Students from 424 schools around the world submitted artwork or quotations to the juried exhibit. The Best-in-Show Adult artwork award went to Whittney de Araújo, from Recife, Brazil, for “We Are All Pearls.” Alexis Lee, a 10th grade student from the Icon Art Academy in Irvine, California, won the Best-in-Show Student award for “Stretching Beauty.” Alexis Morrell of Wolcott, Connecticut, won Best-in-Show Adult for her inspirational quotation, “It takes more courage to speak in a silent room than to become another voice in a crowd.” The award for the Best-in-Show Student inspirational quotation was given to Hartley Livesey, a fifth grade student at The Out-of-Door Academy for “Always remember you are braver than you think and stronger than you believe.” The winning quotations and art will be showcased at the 20th annual exhibits, January 18-March 12, in Sarasota’s Bayfront Park; March 22-April 19 at Butler Park in North Port; and April 26-May 29 at State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota. For more information about these exhibits or Embracing Our Differences, call 941-404-5710 or visit www.embracingourdifferences.org. 

Pictured: We Are All Pearls by Whittney de Araujo. Courtesy of Embracing Our Differences.

Center for Sight’s Dr. John Fezza has awarded The Child Protection Center, Inc. (CPC) $11,700 for the prevention, intervention, and treatment of child abuse. On December 7 th , Dr. John Fezza and his team hosted a Botox and filler event for patients and chose CPC to receive 100% of the proceeds. “The holiday season is especially hard for families that have been impacted by child abuse, and these funds will bring tremendous hope to our most vulnerable children.” says CPC Executive Director Doug Staley. “While child abuse doesn’t stop during the holidays or when a new year begins, we are humbled to know our community is filled with people like Dr. Fezza and his team. There are more smiles in the homes of victims because of their generosity. Thank you for being champions for children!” The Child Protection Center’s mission is the Prevention, Intervention, & Treatment of Child Abuse. CPC has been serving Sarasota & DeSoto Counties since 1980. In fiscal year 2022, CPC provided 68,142 services to individuals. For more information on CPC, visit www.cpcsarasota.org or call 941-365-1277. 

Impact100 SRQ is a local nonprofit 501(c)3, all-volunteer organization, founded in 2018 by three Sarasota-based women inspired by a growing international model of women’s collective giving. One by one, other women joined the journey, and together their mission empowers women to change the face of philanthropy in the local community. In 2023, Impact100 SRQ is celebrating its 5th giving year, having already funded 15 grants aggregating a total of $1,637,000 donated to local nonprofits since 2019. 

The Impact100 SRQ model is simple. Every year, at least 100 women come together, each make a $1,000 tax-deductible donation, and collectively they fund grants in increments of at least $100,000 to local nonprofits in five focus areas: Arts, Culture & History; Education; Environment & Recreation; Family; and Health & Wellness.  

The women of Impact100 SRQ combine their time, talent, and treasure, to make a greater impact in strengthening the community. Every year nonprofits in Sarasota and Manatee Counties are invited to apply for an Impact100 SRQ grant. All Impact members are encouraged to volunteer their time on a committee to impartially review and extensively evaluate each initiative. These committees then determine finalists from each focus area to present to the full membership for a final vote to decide collectively which grants will be funded.

All members of Impact100 SRQ are encouraged to design their own experience. As an all-volunteer organization, there is an opportunity for members to get involved as much or as minimally as they desire. Most importantly and uniquely, all members have a voice in deciding which grants will be funded.

The passion that the women of Impact100 SRQ share for problem solving in our community is extraordinary. The more women who join the organization, the more grants Impact100 SRQ can fund. Joining is open to all women of all backgrounds, all ages, and all stages of life. 

Gail Lisi Vice President Membership GailL@Impact100SRQ.org www.Impact100SRQ.org

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Meet the region's 35 Under 35 Awards Honorees for the 2022 program produced by SRQ Magazine to recognize young professionals who are taking a leadership position at their company and in the community. Learn more about Chloe Conboy, Deputy District Director at 16th District US Congress of Florida!

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How did you make your start in your profession and what aspect of your work do you find the most meaningful?

Unlike most families, politics was always a topic of discussion at the dinner table with my father. He started working for an elected official when he was 26, so I guess a career in politics & government is in my blood. I caught the political bug while working at ABC7 WWSB in Sarasota when I worked with TV Anchor Alan Cohn (who is now running for Congress) and assisted him in covering the 2016 elections—that’s where I met Congressman Buchanan and his team. The most meaningful part of my job is helping constituents resolve their problems when dealing with the federal government bureaucracy. Not many people get to say they have their “dream job” but working for a member of Congress like Vern and serving the residents in my hometown is definitely mine. 

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Join us on March 7, 2023 at Michael's On East for a dynamic luncheon symposium centered on conversations focused on regional philanthropic topics. The luncheon will include a panel discussion to explore the ever-changing world of non-profits and honor outstanding individuals who have made a meaningful impact within the community.  

Reserve Your Tickets Here

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