On Friday, October 27th, SRQ MEDIA hosted its 8th Annual Together We Roar Leadership & Awards Luncheon at Michael’s on East to recognize exceptional women in the region. The celebration featured a pop-up boutique salon with fabulous gifts from Camilyn Beth, PAINT Nail Bar, Saks Fifth Avenue, Discover Sarasota Tours Gift Shop, BookStore1, Driftwood Beach Home and Garden, Lilly Pulitzer and Salt of the Earth.

The ceremony opened with welcoming remarks from Lisl Liang, President, CEO/ Editor in Chief of SRQ Media Group who thanked event sponsors, Micheal’s on East, Saks Fifth Avenue, The Ritz Carlton, Diamond Vault, Sarasota Trophy, Dolphin Transportation Specialists, Brsh Salon and Tropical Interiors Florist. She introduced champion partner/sponsor, Steve Altier of United Community Bank, and then went on to recognize the current members of the Women Who Roar Leadership Circle from 2014-today who were in attendance at the event.

Ashley Grant, SRQ Media’s Senior Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and Engagement then took the stage to introduce Leisa Peterson, recipient of the 2023 SRQ Women Who Roar Illuminator Award. Peterson is a visionary dedicated to transforming millions of lives through heightened financial consciousness. As a facilitator, strategic advisor and author of The Mindful Millionaire, Peterson's journey is marked by an unwavering commitment to personal growth. In her speech, she reminisced about a time in her teenage years when she tried out for her school’s song leading team despite not feeling talented enough. She recalled with gratitude how her friends never gave up on her. “It was that group of girls who truly saved me by taking me in and helping me persist and improve,” she said. “Their power to uplift me even when it was tough really inspired me, and here I am today feeling that love and support once again. Those girls showed me the power we have to uplift each other and they ignited an inner fire that continues to burn inside of me.” She encouraged the audience to choose a path of light in the darkness and dedicated her award to all the women supporting other women.

The 2023 Trailblazer Award was presented to Paulina Porizkova, model and author of No Filter: The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful, and an advocate for celebrating women of every age. “I have a goal in mind and that goal is for us to all be exactly who we are,” she said. “It’s not for us to change ourselves to please society, it is for society to see us for the beauty we have. In order to do that, we have to be the women who roar, get the attention and then hold hands and band together to let the world know that we are a different kind of beautiful and we ain’t going away.”

Following Porizkova’s speech, Blair Bloomston of Game on Nation led the audience in an interactive presentation bringing lots of cheers and camaraderie. The special afternoon came to a close with the presentation of the 2023 Leadership Circle awards. 

Pictured: Paulina Porizkova, recipient of the 2023 SRQ Women Who Roar Trailblazer Award. Photo by Daniel Wagner/Wagner Visuals.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency provides reimbursement and support to individual homeowners for debris removal after storms. But U.S. Rep. Greg Steube, R-Sarasota, said after Hurricane Ian struck South Sarasota County, it took a special waiver to allow private mobile home parks and homeowner associations to receive the same support.

The congressman on Friday filed legislation in the House to formalize a process and allow private communities to receive FEMA assistance. The Clean Up Disasters and Emergencies with Better Recovery and Immediate Support (Clean Up DEBRIS) Act would make any common interest community, including housing co-ops, mobile home parks and condo buildings, to receive the same kind of reimbursement as other homeowners.

“My legislation, the Clean Up DEBRIS Act, will ensure FEMA provides debris removal assistance to privately owned communities in the aftermath of all major disasters without the need for waivers or special approval," he said. "This bill will provide a swift correction to a long, burdensome, government process that communities shouldn’t be forced to navigate during storm recovery.”

Hurricane Ian struck the Gulf Coast in September 2022, making landfall in Lee County and cutting across the state. Severe storm winds reached well into Sarasota County.

Local emergency officials endorsed Steube’s legislation, saying it will help communities throughout the region recover.

“This is about providing access to vulnerable populations in homes that are most vulnerable to storms and impacts from disasters,” said Rich Collins, Sarasota County’s director of emergency services. “It allows Sarasota County to take care of the community by providing assistance quickly through debris pick up in manufactured home communities and to support those situations when the parks and associations that manage the properties do not have the insurance or capability to handle the magnitude of debris pick up and support needed to care for the community. This change would ultimately allow for faster recovery. They may, through various legal descriptions be called commercial, but to the citizen who lives there, it’s called home."

Steube said the mobile home parks and communities he dealt with had the same recovery needs as individual homeowners and should receive the same support.

“After Hurricane Ian, our mobile home parks, condos, co-ops, and HOAs were left to deal with excessive debris throughout their communities through no fault of their own,” Steube said. “My office spent countless hours advocating to FEMA on behalf of communities in my district as we worked through reimbursement issues surrounding debris removal. Last year, we were able to secure several policy waivers from FEMA to help our commercial mobile home and manufactured housing parks get the federal assistance they needed to recover from Ian.”

He'd like that support to kick in automatically the next time a disaster impacts the region or any community in America in need of FEMA support. 

Photo courtesy Manatee Fire and Rescue: Hurricane Ian damage.

Explore The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature and experience a world of discovery that sparks fascination and wonder in visitors of all ages. The Bishop connects guests to science and nature and inspires them to learn through fun, interactive, and memorable exhibits, programs, and special events. Unique learning programs leverage the Museum's thought-provoking exhibits and interactive environments, like the Mosaic Backyard Universe, offering a hands-on, educational environment. Budding young minds can learn about scientific investigation, engineering, and Florida’s natural history. There might even be clues that will reveal the secrets of the universe! The Planetarium at The Bishop is a remarkable resource for astronomy education and celestial inquisitiveness. In the state-of-the-art, 50-foot domed theater, visitors can sit back and explore the cosmos through immersive, virtual journeys into the depths of space. The Bishop also plays a much-needed role in the rehabilitation of Florida manatees. The Museum’s Parker Manatee Rehabilitation Habitat is a temporary home for manatees who have recovered from injuries or illnesses but are not quite ready to return to the wild. The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature is a valuable asset to the Bradenton/Sarasota community, as well as Florida’s Gulf Coast and beyond, encouraging future archeologists, nature lovers, scientists, and space explorers. Visit The Bishop and discover your own extraordinary experience. From manatees and mastodons to meteorites, there is something at The Bishop for everyone. 

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Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections Ron Turner wants City of Venice voters to know that in-person early voting for the November 7 City of Venice General Election begins this Monday, October 30. “If you are a registered voter and resident of the City of Venice and choose to vote early in person in the November 7 General Election, your chance to do so begins Monday,” Turner said. “Early voting is one of the three ways to vote and offers convenient days and times for those who prefer to cast their vote in person before election day.” Early voting starts Monday, October 30 and runs through Saturday, November 4, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. daily at the Venice elections office, 4000 S. Tamiami Trail, Rm 114. Voters must present valid photo and signature identification to vote early or at the polls during an election. “There are two races on the November 7 City of Venice General Election ballot, City Council Seats 1 and 2,” Turner said. “I encourage City of Venice voters to take the time to learn more about the candidates in these races before casting their votes.” Turner also noted that the November 7 City of Venice General Election sample ballot is available online. Voters can review their sample ballot by visiting SarasotaVotes.gov and clicking on the Sample Ballot icon. In addition, sample ballots were mailed to City of Venice registered voter households that do not have a vote-by-mail request with our office. For those interested in voting by mail (absentee), the deadline to request a ballot be mailed to you is today, Thursday, October 26 at 5 p.m. If you plan to vote on election day, polls are open 7 a.m. – 7 p.m., and you must vote at your assigned polling location. Use the Find My Precinct tool at SarasotaVotes.gov to look up your precinct and polling location. Turner reminds Sarasota County residents that only registered City of Venice voters are eligible to vote in the November 7, 2023 election. For more information, visit SarasotaVotes.gov or call 941.861.8619. 

PGT Innovations (NYSE: PGTI), a national leader in the premium window, door, and garage door industry, is now offering its next-generation thin triple insulated glass units (IGU), branded as ULite, as a glass package option within its PGT Custom Windows and Doors’ EnergyVue window product line. EnergyVue with ULite features two outer panes of traditional glass with an internal pane of ultra-thin Corning®Architectural Technical Glass™ (ATG), measuring only 0.5 mm thick, and aligns with new energy and efficiency values under the Inflation Reduction Act and ENERGY STAR® Version 7.0 guidelines. PGT is now offering EnergyVue with ULite to dealers in three northern states: New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York, with plans to expand sales to other states in the North and North-Central climate zones in the future. The ULite glass package will include two surfaces with high-performance EnergyShield low-e glass, renowned for clarity with additional cost savings and increased efficiency. 

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PulteGroup’s West Florida Division has been named as a One Tampa Bay honoree for the third consecutive year. The annual awards, which are presented by the Tampa Bay Business Journal, recognize businesses and non-profit organizations for their outstanding community contributions. PulteGroup is among just 10 corporations selected. Criteria for the awards in the corporate category include how well the business meets its philanthropic goals, employee engagement in volunteer service, and “going above and beyond” to benefit the Tampa Bay community. PulteGroup’s volunteer organization, the Culture Club, provides team members numerous opportunities to give back each year by spearheading projects such as meal-packing events, back to school supply drives, and toy drives. PulteGroup’s West Florida Division actively supports the Children’s Home Network, a Tampa Bay non-profit that assists more than 6,500 at-risk children and their families with innovative programs and services. Each year, the division hosts the “Building to Make Lives Better” golf tournament. Earlier this week, the golf tournament raised a record-setting $358,770. Since the tournament’s inception eight years ago, the event has raised more than $1.45m for the organization and helps support CHN’s on-campus vocational building, which the organization has renamed the Pulte Promise Center. Later this year, the Division will break ground on its 6 th Built to Honor home in the Tampa Bay area since 2016. The program honors Veterans who have been wounded during active military duty with a mortgage-free home. Pulte will partner with Building Homes for Heroes to deliver the home next spring in Plant City. 

Halfacre Construction Company, a Lakewood Ranch-based commercial construction company, recently hired three Riverview High School graduates as full-time assistant superintendents: Tyler Moses, Solano Benitez and Ricky Jackson. The alumni were part of the first class of graduates from the construction technology program at Riverview High School. Launched at the beginning of the 2022-23 school year, Riverview High School was the first in the area to develop its own program to utilize hands-on experiences in the construction and trades industry alongside the National Center for Construction Education & Research (NCCER) curriculum to meet industry standards. Upon completion of the program, high school students graduate with industry recognized credentials and access to local internships, apprenticeships and jobs. Once the high school opened enrollment for the four-year program, it quickly reached its capacity of 60 students and a waitlist started for additional interested individuals. After the three seniors graduated in June, Halfacre Construction Company hired them as full-time assistant superintendents. The commercial construction company was the only contract manufacturer to hire from the construction technology program. “When we started working with Riverview High School to transform the art lab into a functioning shop for students to utilize for this program, it was our dream to one day hire some of these students,” said Jack Cox, president and CEO of Halfacre Construction. “We actively try to recruit and retain young talent for the construction industry, and we’re honored to be able to provide industry-specific training for those interested.” Cox, a lacrosse coach at Riverview High School and a dedicated community advocate, has focused Halfacre’s corporate culture on supporting the local community through giving, fundraising, donating building projects, offering the youth opportunities to learn about the construction industry, and serving on nonprofit and organizational advisory boards in order to improve the quality of life in the region. 

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Shumaker Partner Brett M. Henson, a prominent legal figure known for his commitment to construction law and to the Sarasota community, has been appointed Vice Chair of the Economic Development Corporation (EDC) of Sarasota County Board of Directors. In this role, Brett will help lead the EDC in its mission to grow, diversify, and sustain the economy of Sarasota County while enhancing its unique natural and cultural environment. Brett will serve a one-year term as Vice Chair, which positions him to take over as Chair of the Board in 2024. “This year, the EDC of Sarasota County proudly commemorates its 20th anniversary of a remarkably successful private/public partnership. We express our heartfelt appreciation for the enduring community leadership that has played a pivotal role in fortifying Sarasota County’s economy over the last two decades. Brett's exceptional contribution as a Board member has paved the way for even greater successes, and I couldn’t be more excited as he assumes a leadership role on the EDC Board of Directors,” shared Erin Silk, President and CEO of Economic Development Corporation of Sarasota County. Brett has been a member of the EDC of Sarasota County Board since 2021. His appointment as Vice Chair emphasizes his commitment to the advancement of Sarasota's economic landscape and his consistent demonstration of leadership and vision, both in his legal career and through his active involvement in community initiatives. Certified by the Florida Bar in Construction Law, Brett holds multiple leadership roles in the construction-related boards and committees, including the Construction Industry Advisory Board (CIAB) for the Stock Development Department of Construction Management at the U.A. Whitaker College of Engineering of Florida Gulf Coast and the Florida Bar’s Construction Law Certification Standing Committee. "It is an honor to be named Vice Chair of the EDC of Sarasota County Board of Directors, and it is a privilege to collaborate with an exceptional and respected group of Board members who have put their trust in me,” said Brett. “Sarasota is ranked one of the best places to live in the U.S., and it is our responsibility to build upon this accolade to sustain and build upon Sarasota’s thriving community.” Brett devotes a substantial portion of his practice to handling all types of construction disputes. He counsels and assists residential and commercial property owners, developers, and construction industry professionals in all facets of a construction project, including contract preparation, review, negotiation, and dispute avoidance. Brett also uses his experience and knowledge in resolving claims involving insurance proceeds and insurance coverage. In addition to construction law, Brett routinely litigates product liability matters on behalf of manufacturers, including manufacturers of building products. Clients also turn to him for representation in a broad range of complex commercial and business litigation matters, from initial case inception and early resolution, through trial.