The management of Sarasota County’s stormwater is a critical element to resident safety, business development and overall quality of life. The area is one defined by water—not only by the Gulf of America to the west, but by the wetlands, tributaries, rainfall and tropical storms that permeate Sarasota’s semi-tropical environment. Sarasota County contains five major watersheds—Sarasota Bay, Little Sarasota Bay, Dona/Roberts Bay, the Myakka River and Lemon Bay—as well approximately 600 miles of canals, 375 of which are maintained. Earlier this summer, Sarasota County created a new Stormwater Department and on August 11, Ben Quartermaine began his role as director of the department. Quartermaine, a Sarasota native, brings 25 years of stormwater management experience to the role.

“I grew up here, graduated from Riverview High School and my family and extended family are all here in Sarasota,” says Quartermaine. “Early on in my career, I worked for Sarasota County as a young engineer, reviewing development plans and helping to build our stormwater models that we work with today. Then I went into the private sector and helped design projects such as the Celery Fields and other projects throughout Sarasota and Southwest Florida that primarily deal with flood mitigation.”

Flood mitigation is the name of the game for Quartermaine and the Stormwater Department as the County heads into the heart of hurricane season. Last year, Hurricane Debbie brought an unprecedented amount of rainfall, overwhelming much of North County with flooding. Hurricanes Helene and Milton only added to the damage across the Gulf Coast. “The maintenance of our stormwater systems is one of the biggest challenges that we face throughout the year,” says Quartermaine. “Our crews are responsible for the maintenance of the creeks, channels, all of the piping systems and roadside swells and ditches throughout the county. Our goal heading into hurricane season is to ensure that those systems are working as efficiently as possible.”

Transparency is another objective of the Stormwater Department. The department is currently building an ArcGIS program that will show exactly where the crews have been working and plan to work. “It was a board directive that we, as the Stormwater Department, provide that information so if people have questions about the maintenance of stormwater systems adjacent to their house or neighborhood, they can go online and find a map system that shows them the progress that we’re making,” says Quartermaine.

Sarasota County, 1660 Ringling Blvd., Sarasota, 34236 

The Sarasota County Stormwater Department at work. Photo courtesy of Sarasota County.

To learn more click here

At just 23 years old, award-winning interior designer Michael Manoogian is already making a name for himself in the industry.

Originally from Boston, Manoogian moved to Sarasota in 2010 and has always had a passion for design. He began his career selling raw materials at a textile mill immediately after graduating from high school, where he gained valuable expertise in various aspects of design. After working at Pottery Barn and then as a freelance designer, he joined the team at Clive Daniel as an interior designer. There, he won the Grant Aurora Award for his work.

Now, Manoogian is venturing out on his own—this summer, he started his own business, MMinteriors. “The process was definitely daunting, but it was fun, because I was asking questions, and I was taking my time. I did it all by myself, because I really wanted to learn how to do this, because I think it's a good thing to know how to open a business,” Manoogian says.

Manoogian says he was inspired to open his own business to provide clients with the highest quality at the best possible prices. As a designer, he describes himself as a chameleon—always able to adapt to each client’s individual tastes. “I really and truly can get excited about anything as long as I'm seeing the vision and I'm connecting with that client,” he says.

Owning his own business is the perfect career for Manoogian, who prefers to stay busy. “I like to have my hands busy and have a lot of things going on at the same time. I'm always busy, but I actually enjoy it. It gives me purpose,” he says. This range is evident in Manoogian’s work—he’s designed everything from restaurants and businesses to individual homes.

The guiding principle of Manoogian’s work is to meet his clients’ needs. “If you're my client, I want your house to feel like you. I don't want it to feel like Michael Manoogian came in and just made it the way he wanted to. I want the spaces to actually reflect the person that's living in it, utilizing it,” he says. I think that gets lost a lot in my industry.”

On the future of his work as a designer, Manoogian hopes to leave an impression on the local community with his focus on affordable services and ability to adapt to each client’s needs. “I'd love to leave a lasting impression on not only the people that live here, but Sarasota as a collective and within my industry, by doing what I love and making people happy. That’s honestly the goal,” says Manoogian. 

Pictured: Manoogian describes himself as a chameleon who can adapt to any client’s personal style. Photo by Jennifer Villagomez

Click Here To Learn More

 Coastal Orthopedics, home to a team of musculoskeletal physicians specializing in joint replacement, hand and wrist, foot and ankle, shoulder and elbow, sports medicine, spine care, diagnostic imaging and physical therapy, recently expanded its highly skilled staff of orthopedic specialists with the addition of Dr. Richard Puzzitiello. Dr. Puzzitiello specializes in surgical treatment of the shoulder, elbow, hip and knee. He has a distinct passion for joint preservation procedures, including advanced cartilage restoration and hip arthroscopy, for treating conditions like labral tears and femoroacetabular impingement (FAI). Utilizing cutting-edge robotic and virtual navigation technologies for shoulder and knee procedures, Dr. Puzzitiello offers precision, accuracy and improved outcomes. 

To learn more click here

BayCare is expanding access to its clinically excellent emergency care with plans to build a new freestanding emergency department in Davenport, Florida, the health system announced today. The 12,000-square-foot facility at the southeast corner of U.S. Highway 27 and Ridgewood Lakes Boulevard will house 15 spaces for treating patients. In September 2024, BayCare announced plans for a freestanding emergency department in partnership with Metro Development Group’s master-planned Connected City community in Wesley Chapel, followed in December by plans for another location in South Lakeland. Last month, BayCare also unveiled plans for a facility in Valrico.  

Christopher Alan Homes is extending its summer savings into fall, with special financing and up to $20,000 in builder-paid closing costs including rate buydowns on select homes in Lee and Charlotte counties. Ranked as the top private single-family homebuilder in Southwest Florida based on single-family permits in 2024, the award-winning homebuilder’s savings are applicable for single-family homes sold through Sept. 30, 2025, when financing through Embrace Home Loans or LoanDepot and using CAH Title Co. Homes in Cape Coral, Lehigh Acres, Port Charlotte and Englewood are priced from the high $200,000s, with many available for immediate or quick move-in. Floor plans range from 1,285 to 2,321 square feet of air-conditioned living space with three to four bedrooms, two to three bathrooms, and two- or three-car garages. New homes by Christopher Alan Homes feature thoughtfully designed open-concept floor plans with professionally curated interior finishes. Large main gathering spaces and covered lanais emphasize a relaxed, casual Florida lifestyle. 

To learn more click here

 Emergency care nurses and physicians at HCA Florida Wellen ParkSM Emergency now have access to a state-of-the-art chest compression system, a mechanical device that delivers uninterrupted, high-quality CPR for patients in cardiac arrest. The device enables the emergency team to perform consistent, guideline-compliant chest compressions while freeing clinicians to focus on other critical interventions. It also helps reduce physical strain and injury risk for bedside caregivers. 

To learn more click here

The Sarasota Tiger Bay Club invites the public to attend its discussion about the fiscal outlook of both the city of Sarasota and Sarasota County on October 2, 11:30 a.m., at Michael’s On East, 1212 East Avenue South in Sarasota. This conversation features Liz Alpert, Dave Bullock, Jonathan Lewis, and Dr. Joe Neunder. For more information and to register for this event, visit SarasotaTigerBay.com or call 941-228-9144. 

Pulte Homes has introduced its new Estate collection of luxury homes in Verde, a gated single-family neighborhood with private neighborhood amenities within the award-winning community of Babcock Ranch.  Representing these new home designs is the Everly model, a professionally decorated three-bedroom, three-bathroom home with a spacious 2,703-square-foot floor plan, versatile flex room, and three-car garage, now open for tours. One of three Estate designs, the Everly reflects Pulte’s signature blend of elevated finishes, open-concept living, and options for homeowners to personalize their space. For more information about Verde, visit www.Pulte.com/Verde or call 941-283-7494. The Verde sales center and decorated models, located at 44252 Kelly Drive, are open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. 

People who experience a sudden cardiac event related to a genetic or inherited heart condition may be eligible to participate in a new clinical trial offered by Sarasota Memorial's Kolschowsky Research and Education Institute. Led locally by SMH cardiologist and principal investigator Jeffrey Rossi, MD, the research study is evaluating whether the investigational drug dalcetrapib can reduce mortality and heart attacks in heart patients with a recent sudden cardiac event who test positive for an AA genotype, a specific genetic variant in the ADCY9 gene. Based on the results of a previous research study, these patients with the ADCY9 AA genotype may benefit from treatment with dalcetrapib in terms of a potential reduction in future cardiac events. For more information or to find out if you are eligible to participate in the local study, contact the research team at (941) 917-2225 or researchinstitute@smh.com. For information about the national trial, visit clinicaltrials.gov.   

Leadership Performance Group (LPG), the U.S. partner of Leadership Management International (LMI) — the world’s largest leadership development organization — has officially expanded to Sarasota and Manatee counties. As the region experiences record-setting population growth, LPG brings nearly 20 years of proven expertise helping companies build stronger leaders and achieve measurable results. Founded and led by Stephen Daniels, a nationally recognized leadership authority, LPG has worked with more than 1,500 leaders and executives across industries. The firm is best known for delivering a minimum 10-to-1 return on investment for the vast majority of its clients, helping organizations boost productivity, retain top talent, and scale effectively. “Southwest Florida’s business community is booming, but with growth comes the urgent need for leadership development,” said Daniels. “At LPG, our mission is to ensure companies here have access to world-class leadership solutions that match the region’s ambitions.” 

To learn more click here

Fitch Ratings and S&P Global Ratings affirmed “AA+” ratings for Sarasota County’s utility system revenue and refunding bonds. The utility currently is issuing approximately $154 million Utility System Revenue Bonds, Series 2025 to fund portions of the enhancements and expansion of its Venice Gardens Water Reclamation Facility (VGWF), including conversion to Advanced Wastewater Treatment (AWT) process by the end of 2027 and expansion of daily treatment capacities and fully operational by mid-2028. The upgrade to AWT will meet Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) requirements and standards by June 2025. The facility is also being expanded to increase treatment capacity from 3 million gallons per day to 6 million gallons per day. According to Sarasota County Administrator Jonathan Lewis, the Series 2025 Bonds are the major funding components for upgrades to the VGWRF and we are very pleased with the “AA+” ratings with stable outlooks. 

To learn more click here

The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) in partnership with the Sarasota County Public Safety Communications Center (PSCC) will launch a new service that uses text messaging to allow citizens to provide feedback after interaction with the PSCC. Starting on Monday, September 22, 2025, residents and visitors of Sarasota County will be some of the first in the state to use the new software which allows us to better connect with those we serve. Residents that do not want to participate can simply not respond or reply with “STOP”, and that will opt them out of all future text surveys from the agency. These surveys should not be used to report any type of emergency or crime. Always call 9-1-1 for any emergency or to report any criminal activity.