Florida has removed many diversity initiatives from the state’s university system. Now, U.S. Rep. Greg Steube, R-Sarasota, wants the same happening with the U.S. military.

The lawmaker filed more than a dozen amendments to the proposed defense budget in the U.S. House, many focused on removing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives, or DEI. He said the military needs to focus on military readiness.

"I filed thirteen amendments to this year's NDAA to ensure our military's budget prioritizes the safety and security of the American people,” Steube said in a statement.

“My amendments are commonsense and will make our nation safer and stronger. To name a few: Military personnel who chose to avoid the COVID-19 vaccine should be reinstated with backpay, DEI activities should not be funded in the Armed Forces, and state sponsors of terrorism should not be able to purchase U.S. real estate."

Steube wants Congress to prohibit the use of any federal funding for DEI activities in the Armed Forces, National Academies and Department of Defense.

That’s similar to a mandate just signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis ending DEI efforts at state colleges and universitys. Before that was even passed, New College of Florida eliminated DEI programs at the Sarasota public university.

 Three years after COVID-19 reached the U.S., Steube also said its time to reinstate anyone drummed out of the military over refusal to take a COVID-19 vaccine. He also wants cadets and midshipmen kicked out of military academies to be reinstated.

Steube also urged sanctions on property acquisition for those involved in Afghanistan’s mineral trade and anyone involved with foreign governments recognized as state sponsors of terrorism.

The Congressman also said he wants an accounting of money spent on the military conflict in Ukraine thoroughly accounted for moving forward. He wants the Defense Department’s Inspector General to provide a detailed audit on any U.S. resources sent to Ukraine provided within six months of passage of the budget.

"My amendment directing the DoD's Office of Inspector General to report to Congress on the U.S. taxpayer-funded assistance to Ukraine will provide critical transparency to the American people on the billions we sent to Ukraine, since this administration has failed to do so," Steube said. 

Photo courtesy Steube's office: Rep. Greg Steube addresses Concerned Veterans for America.

Sarasota Memorial Hospital- Sarasota Campus has achieved two major milestones in maternity care: earning the Level III Maternal Care Verification from the Joint Commission, and renewing its Baby-Friendly Hospital designation from Baby-Friendly USA. The Joint Commission, in collaboration with the American College of Obstetrics, assess and verify a hospital’s maternal levels of care through a voluntary survey every three years. Sarasota Memorial received the Level III verification for providing advanced care to low and moderate-risk pregnancies, as well as to high-risk patients, including subspecialty care for more complex maternal medical conditions, obstetric complications and fetal conditions. Following a comprehensive on-site assessment, SMH-Sarasota has also achieved re-designation as a Baby-Friendly Hospital. The international recognition spotlights hospitals that create a care environment and culture that supports mother-baby bonding, breastfeeding, and best practices in maternity care. The standards required by Baby-Friendly USA are built on evidence-based practices recommended by the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund. SMH-Sarasota was the first, and remains the only hospital on the Suncoast to earn the Baby-Friendly Hospital designation in 2017, and has successfully been re-designated for another five years. Sarasota Memorial’s two campuses are the only hospitals delivering babies in Sarasota County, with more than 4,500 births in 2022. The health system offers a full range of maternity services, including an Obstetrical Emergency Care Center, the only Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in the area, a team of board-certified specialists, and comprehensive education and support programs.

A local United States Army veteran will receive the keys to his mortgage-free home in Sapphire Point at Lakewood Ranch, a Pulte Homes community, in a special dedication ceremony. The new home will be donated through national homebuilder PulteGroup’s Built to Honor® program and Building Homes for Heroes, a partnership which provides the gift of a new home to deserving veterans and their families across the country. The mortgage-free Pulte home was built in partnership with national homebuilder PulteGroup’s Built to Honor® program and non-profit veteran support organization, Building Homes for Heroes. Launched in 2013, PulteGroup’s Built to Honor® program has awarded more than 75 mortgage-free homes to veterans and their families across the country.

Army Sergeant First Class Lucio Gaytan joined the military on Feb. 1, 1996, out of Imperial Beach, California. He was the first person in his family to serve in the military and has stated that there was no greater honor than to serve his country. After 22 years of service, he was honorably retired in February 2018. In 2005, SFC Gaytan was injured during a parachute jump while training for his deployment to Afghanistan. His sustained injuries from the severe landing fall include herniated discs, bulging discs, degenerative disk disease, a lumbar sacral injury from his L-1 down to his S-1, and spinal stenosis all in conjunction with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. Despite his injuries, he completed his deployment overseas and continued to serve until he was physically unable. He medically retired after being transferred to the Warrior Transition Battalion. SFC Gaytan has undergone many medical procedures to help with his injuries, but still suffers from chronic pain and a traumatic brain injury (TBI), hearing loss and tinnitus. Despite his injuries, SFC Gaytan is a participant in adaptive sports, such as wheelchair basketball, wheelchair football and has even taken part in the Department of Defense (DoD) Warrior Games for Team SOCOM. For his service to his country, SFC Gaytan has been awarded several military honors, including the Bronze Star Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal w/ 4 Campaign Stars, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal w/ Campaign Star, Master Parachutist Badge, and the Air Assault Badge. The ceremony will take place Wednesday, July 12--9 a.m. guests begin to arrive, 10 a.m. dedication ceremony begins. Special motorcade procession to welcome U.S. Army veteran and family.

Sapphire Point at Lakewood Ranch, 16411 Sapphire Point Drive, Lakewood Ranch, Fla. 34211. 

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RE/MAX Alliance Group associates were recently recognized in the 2023 “America’s Best Real Estate Professionals” rankings by RealTrends + Tom Ferry. Those ranked are among the top 1.5% of 1.6 million real estate professionals in the United States. The prestigious survey is based on 2022 transaction sides and sales volume for participating agents and teams in the United States. To qualify for the RealTrends + Tom Ferry “America’s Best Real Estate Professionals” list, participating agents must have completed at least 50 transactions or closed $20 million in sales volume during the year. Participating teams were required to have completed at least 75 transactions or closed $30 million in sales volume. 

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The Visit Sarasota County (VSC) Board of Directors voted to appoint current VSC Vice President Erin M. Duggan, CDME as the new President and CEO of VSC effective September 30 when the current President, Virginia J. Haley, CDME retires. Duggan has been with VSC since 2005, serving first as Public Relations Manager then Brand Director and most recently as Vice President since 2016. In her various roles at VSC, she helped create initiatives such as the wildly successful airline marketing incentive program that attracted new air service into the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport. Eighteen years ago, she developed Savor Sarasota Restaurant Week that annually occurs the first two weeks of June and put Sarasota on the culinary map. Over the years, she has developed award-winning marketing and public relations campaigns. Duggan has been a long-time leader in the local community, serving as President of the Junior League of Sarasota and is the Past Chair of the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce’s Youth Leadership Program. She is a graduate of the Gulf Coast Community Foundation Leadership Institute and the Sarasota Chamber’s Leadership Sarasota programs. Professionally, Duggan has served on the Board of Directors for Destinations Florida, the trade association for all of Florida’s destination tourism organizations, the Board of the Society of American Travel Writers and the VISIT FLORIDA Marketing Council. She was named one of 30 Under 30 by Sarasota Magazine in 2007 and one of 40 under 40 by the Tampa Bay Business Observer in 2016. Prior to her career at VSC, Duggan served as the Community Relations Manager for the Economic Development Corporation of Sarasota County and the Director of Marketing and Communications for United Way of Manatee County. Duggan is a graduate of Florida Southern College and holds a Certified Destination Management Executive designation from Destinations International and Purdue University. Duggan lives in Sarasota and is married to attorney Patrick Duggan and they have two teenage sons. 

Fergeson Skipper, P.A. recently announced that Matthew Francis, Declan Mahoney, and Daniel Tullidge have become shareholders at the firm. The appointments reflect their outstanding contributions to the firm’s growth and their dedication to providing exceptional counsel.  Matthew Francis, who has been designated a Rising Star by Florida Super Lawyers, is admitted to practice before all local and state courts in Florida as well as the U.S. District Courts for the Southern District of Florida and the Middle District of Florida. His areas of practice include litigation and dispute resolution, business contract and commercial litigation, construction litigation, estate and trust litigation, and consumer litigation. Francis received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Florida Levin College of Law and his B.S.B.A. in Economics from the University of Florida Warrington College of Business. Declan Mahoney is admitted to practice before all local and state courts in Florida as well as the U.S. District Courts for the Southern District of Florida and the Middle District of Florida. His practice is focused on commercial litigation and dispute resolution, probate and trust litigation, breaches of contract, business torts, real estate disputes, and contractual relationships. Mahoney graduated magna cum laude from University of Miami School of Law in Coral Gables and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Politics from Lake Forest College in Lake Forest, Illinois. Daniel Tullidge is board certified by the Florida Bar as a specialist in wills, trusts, and estates. Board certification identifies Tullidge as an attorney with special knowledge, skills, and proficiency in his practice area as well as a reputation for professionalism and ethics. Additional practice areas include taxation, nonprofit, and business organization. Tullidge received his Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, cum laude, and Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the University of Florida. He earned his Master of Law in Taxation (LL.M.) from the University of Florida, where he served on the Florida Law Review and Florida Tax Review. Tullidge was a graduate of the Gulf Coast Leadership Institute and editor of the Sarasota County Bar Association’s Docket. 

CUT FROM ENTREPRENEURIAL CLOTH | Tweeds Suit Shop launches brick-and-mortar, July/August 2023. 

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