The Players Theatre will soon move its main venue to Lakewood Ranch. Mote plans to build a new aquarium at Nathan Benderson Park. Festivals like the Sarasota Chalk Festival and Thunder by the Bay have moved out of Downtown Sarasota. With the Sarasota Orchestra announcing it will open its search beyond the city limits, some started to question if the community’s cultural center will move from its long home within the city.

But some of the region’s cultural institution’s say it’s more complicated than that. Jeffery Kin, artistic director for the Players, says the changes taking place downtown have more to do with the region changing and cultural organizations’ needs evolving. “Our thought is we are not leaving the community, just allowing the organization to grow,” Kin says. “We had to go where there’s more space.”

Kin says the Players looked at eight sites before deciding on a new locale for The Players Centre for Performing Arts on Fruitville Road near Interstate-75. That’s well outside Sarasota, but he notes it remains within the county. “No arts leader will look at you and say they are doing something despite what the people want,” he says. “What we all want to do is leave an organization in a better place that we found it.”

Similarly, Mote Marine Laboratory looked at sites throughout the region before ultimately deciding to build its Science Education Aquarium near Interstate-75. City Commissioner Jennifer Ahearn-Koch notes Mote will continue to keep its research facilities on City Island even after the new aquarium opens. “Mote is still going to be located in the city,” she says, “and we’ve all been talking about how we can help the symphony continue to look in the city, so I just don’t think that applies.”

She was among commissioners to reject a plan for the Orchestra to build a new facility and relocate to Payne Park. She’s optimistic things will work out.

When events become massively popular, Ahearn-Koch says, that will sometimes lead to a change in venue, especially if events require streets to be blocked to accommodate growing crowds.

But the elected official suggests Sarasota boasts such a tremendous cultural history that new events will spring anew. Meanwhile, lovers of Sarasota’s cultural treasures will ensure institutions continue to thrive in town. “We just have so many nonprofits and wonderful philanthropic arts and music organizations,” she says. 

Manatee County is accepting applications for one vacant seat on the Health Care Advisory Board, for a representative of the Substance Abuse field. The Manatee County Health Care Advisory Board is a volunteer group that evaluates, monitors and discusses the healthcare system in Manatee County, and makes recommendations to the Manatee County Commission regarding the funding of healthcare services. The advisory board reviews evidence-based practices, programs and related data to enhance the long-term stability and effectiveness of the programs available to citizens of Manatee County who have no other meaningful means of access to health care.

Employees, owners or voting board members of agencies that receive funding from Manatee County Government, or individuals who contract with agencies that receive County funding are ineligible to serve on the board, with the exception of a practicing physician who may receive no more than 1 percent of their gross income from County-funded healthcare.

Applications are due July 8 at 5pm. The application may be found online at the website below. 

Manatee County Advisory Board Applications

Manatee County is accepting applications for two vacancies on the Historic Preservation Board, a citizen’s advisory committee that makes decisions regarding Manatee County’s archaeologically, historically and aesthetically significant sites, districts and zones.

Applicants must be registered voters in Manatee County.  No particular expertise is required, but applicants with knowledge of archaeological, historical or architectural development or have deep concern for the preservation, development and enhancement of historic resources in the County are given additional consideration for an appointment.

Applications are due July 12 and may be found online at the website below. 

Manatee County Advisory Board Applications

In response to Sarasota’s growing architectural demand, Sweet Sparkman Architects (SSA) added to their team architecture and design professionals to accommodate the Firm’s growing office. After being awarded the 2018 Florida / Caribbean Firm of the Year by the American Institute of Architects, Sweet Sparkman Architects design team now includes new members: Architects Casey Allen, AIA and Shane LaMay, AIA, NCARB; Project Designer Cole Mears, Associate AIA; and Interior Designer Shirley Quinlan.

Allen worked most recently for the Connecticut firm of Roger Ferris + Partners. Since his arrival at the SSA, he has used his design expertise on Sweet Sparkman Architects’ high-end residential projects as well as public park projects, multifamily housing, and office buildings. LaMay joins SSA as a Project Architect after having interned with the Firm in 2015, while completing his graduate studies at the University of Florida’s Masters in Architecture program. After three years working as an architect in Chicago, LaMay enjoys working on the SSA’s public work: fire stations, parks and theaters.

Having graduated from the University of South Florida’s Masters in Architecture program, Mears is currently working on several public safety projects including the Sarasota County Fire Station on Apex Road. Quinlan will be collaborating with all of the project managers and architects at SSA to provide interiors to all projects. 

Sweet Sparkman Architects

Suncoast Aquatic Nature Center Associates (SANCA), a not-for-profit business created to manage Nathan Benderson Park, has announced the election of Ronald A. Shapo as Chair of the Board of Directors. In addition, the board has selected two new directors, Randy Mallitz and Michael S. Taaffe.

Shapo has served as an attorney in transactions and projects totaling billions of dollars, with emphasis on real estate, public /private partnerships and corporate/ finance. In addition to his role as Chair of SANCA, Shapo is a community member of the Sarasota Memorial Hospital Board Finance Committee and the president of Professional Business Consultants.

A partner with Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, Taaffe is a trial attorney and director of Shumaker’s Broker-Dealer and Data Breach Groups. He has been a member of numerous local charitable boards and has a lifelong involvement with rowing, including service as a founding member and coach of Sarasota Crew. Co-founder and principal of the Mallitz Investment Group, Mallitz served as president and CEO of divisions of Aearo Technologies for 16 years in the US and Asia, during which he built the company’s sales to $600 million. Preceding his election to the SANCA Board, he served on the Board of the Nathan Benderson Community Park Foundation. 

Suncoast Aquatic Nature Center Associates

Stock Custom Homes, the award-winning luxury homebuilding division of Stock Development, will soon begin building custom estates in Lakewood Ranch’s The Lake Club. With two custom homes to start, this is only the beginning of Stock Custom’s expansion into Lakewood Ranch.

The first home being built is based on the Savannah III floor plan. With interior design by Soco Interiors, the estate will feature four bedrooms, four bathrooms and two half baths, a study, formal dining room, great room, two two-car garages and expansive outdoor living encompassing 8,323 total square feet. The master suite will feature a sitting area, his and hers closets, and a large master bathroom with a separate tub and shower.

Based on the Glendale floor plan, the second home will be 4,173 square feet under air with interior design by Clive Daniel Homes. This estate will boast four bedrooms, four bathrooms and two half baths, a study, formal dining room, wine room and double two-car garages. 

Stock Custom Homes

Michael Saunders & Company has welcomed Charlie Meeks to its Commercial Division. As a certified public accountant with knowledge that stretches across a multitude of industries from commercial real estate to the stock exchange, Meeks is an asset in his customers’ decision-making process. The financial acumen acquired over his three decades as a CPA lends itself to strategic navigation of the commercial property market, allowing businesses to transition easily into their next venture. He has worked for locally and internationally-based firms, serving as a partner with BDO USA and operating two of his own. This foundation in financial services has additionally given him expertise in contract negotiations and due-diligence processes. 

Michael Saunders & Company

Timothy J. Videnka, chief investment officer and principal of Forza Wealth Management, has been authorized by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards (CFP Board) to use the Certified Financial Planner and CFP certification marks in accordance with CFP Board certification and renewal requirements. Videnka is now one of the fewer than 1% of financial advisors in the U. that hold both the CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) and CFP designations. The CFP marks identify those individuals who have met the rigorous experience and ethical requirements of the CFP Board, have successfully completed financial planning coursework and have passed the CFP certification examination covering the following areas: the financial planning process, risk management, investments, tax planning and management, retirement and employee benefits and estate planning. CFP professionals also agree to meet ongoing continuing education requirements and to uphold CFP Board’s Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility, Rules of Conduct and Financial Planning Practice Standards. 

Forza Wealth Management

Dan Crowley has joined Alliance Group Mortgage as a loan officer in the Sarasota office. Crowley has 29 years of experience in many facets of the real estate and mortgage industries, most recently as co-owner of Cornerstone Lending Group in Sarasota, which he founded in 1999. Crowley holds the Florida Mortgage Broker license and Florida Real Estate Sales license. He is a member of the National Association of Mortgage Brokers and the Florida Association of Mortgage Professionals. Alliance Group Mortgage is located at 2000 Webber Street, Sarasota. 

Alliance Group Mortgage

SRQ MEDIA is delighted to introduce three interns that have joined the company for the Summer of 2019: Brooke Elsbree, Marketing Intern; Olivia Liang, Editorial Associate and Madison Holmes, Editorial Associate.

Marketing Intern and Sarasota native, Brooke Elsbree attends Stetson University and will be graduating in the Fall of 2019 with degrees in Marketing, Business Law and Sport Business. Brooke is the Secretary of Stetson's chapter of the American Marketing Association, a member of Stetson's Business Ethics Case Competition Team, and TA's for their "Professional Communications" class. Editorial Associate Olivia Liang is a current junior at Washington University in St. Louis, studying English with a concentration in Creative Nonfiction Writing, Spanish and Design. Olivia will be studying at Trinity College Dublin this upcoming Fall to further her literary education. Madison Holmes, Editorial Associate, is a rising Junior at Pine View School. Passionate about wanting to incorporate lifestyle pieces into the atmosphere of high-school journalism, Madison turned to SRQ for a taste of arts and culture pieces, as well as to gain professional, hands-on experience. Madison was recently elected the Editor-in-Chief of Pine View’s online newspaper publication, pvtorch.com, for the upcoming school year and hopes to expand Pine View’s journalism department into having a greater online focus.