When most of us think about lifesaving healthcare, we picture doctors and nurses. But behind nearly every diagnosis is an image: an X-ray, a CT scan, or a surgical image confirming that a plate or prosthesis is placed exactly right. That critical work is made possible by radiographers, and at State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota (SCF), students are preparing to step into that essential role with confidence.

Medical imaging professionals are often unseen, yet indispensable. From the mammogram that helps detect breast cancer early to trauma X-rays in the emergency room, to imaging that guides surgeons in the operating room, radiographers are there at some of life’s most urgent and vulnerable moments.

They are often among the first caregivers a patient meets in the emergency department. They operate advanced digital imaging equipment, position patients carefully for each exam, and practice strict radiation safety to ensure the lowest dose possible while maintaining high image quality. Just as important, they provide reassurance and compassion when patients need it most.

At SCF, the Radiography program is led by Patrick Patterson, MS, RT(R)(N), CNMT, who has dedicated 36 years to building a program known for excellence across the region. Under his leadership, the program blends strong academics, hands-on laboratory training, and real-world clinical experience.

Students learn the science behind imaging, including radiographic physics, image formation, digital technology, radiation protection, and precise patient positioning. They study in the classroom and then immediately apply what they learn in energized, state-of-the-art laboratories using fully functional imaging equipment and lifelike phantoms.

Today, students train on equipment that rivals, and in some cases exceeds, what they will encounter in local hospitals. These recent upgrades ensure graduates are comfortable with modern digital imaging systems from day one on the job.

Clinical education brings everything together. SCF partners with 11 area hospitals and imaging centers, where students rotate through a wide range of settings, from outpatient centers to trauma hospitals. The program is competency-based, meaning students move from direct supervision to independent performance as they demonstrate mastery and confidence.

The results are impressive. Over the past decade, SCF radiography students have achieved a 97% first-attempt pass rate on the national certification exam. The program has earned the maximum eight-year accreditation award for three consecutive cycles with no citations. For the past four years, graduates have achieved 100% job placement.

Employers actively seek SCF graduates. Recent graduate Lindsay, now working at HCA Doctors Hospital in Sarasota, describes the experience this way: “The standards in this program are so high.” She added, “I could just go in and focus on all the aspects of HCA because I completely felt confident in myself and my skills.” Lindsay completed nine clinical rotations and received nine job offers. She also shared, “I sincerely say this, it is rigorous, it is hard, it is demanding, but it sets you up to be a professional within this field of radiologic technology.”

First-year student Autumn has already seen her confidence grow. “The professors do an amazing job preparing for clinic,” she said. Reflecting on her hospital experience, she added, “I would never have expected my fifth day into a hospital to just jump right into doing all exams.”

Demand for the program remains strong. SCF accepts 17 students each year, with applications far exceeding available seats. As healthcare continues to grow across Manatee and Sarasota counties, so does the need for highly skilled imaging professionals.

For more than six decades, SCF’s Radiography faculty have built a program that not only prepares skilled imaging professionals but also strengthens the region’s healthcare workforce.

The impact is clear: trusted graduates, sought by employers, caring for our community every single day. In healthcare, images save lives. At SCF, radiographers are trained to ensure those images, and the care behind them, make a difference.

For more information about SCF’s Radiography program, visit SCF.edu.

Tommy Gregory, J.D., is the President of State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota. 

Pictured: Radiography Faculty and Students. Photo courtesy of SCF.

Thriving communities do not happen by accident. They are shaped, patiently and persistently, by people who are willing to grow into the responsibility of leadership.

At Gulf Coast Community Foundation, we have the privilege of working alongside leaders every day. We see firsthand how self-aware, disciplined and values-driven leadership influences everything from housing stability to environmental stewardship to the vitality of our arts and education systems. As our community grows more complex, the need for leaders who are grounded in their strengths and intentional in their impact has never been greater.

Throughout my leadership journey, I’ve grown through structured programs, executive coaching, and meaningful mentoring relationships. Each offered something different, from foundational principles and honest feedback to opportunities that pushed me beyond my comfort zone. One lesson has stood out across all these experiences: effective leadership is rooted in authentic, trust‑based relationships. Whether with the team I lead, the peers I collaborate with, or the board I serve, trust is what ultimately determines the impact of my leadership.

For nearly two decades, Gulf Coast has invested in that kind of leadership through the Gulf Coast Leadership Institute (GCLI).

In partnership with the nationally recognized Leadership Development Institute at Eckerd College, participants engage in a rigorous, assessment-based experience designed to deepen self-awareness, build trust, and strengthen effectiveness. Through in-person, experiential small and large group sessions, participants receive structured feedback, examine their leadership behaviors and practice new approaches in real time.

GCLI is immersive and often challenging. It asks participants to listen carefully, reflect honestly and stretch beyond familiar patterns. The cohort experience is an essential part of that growth. Leaders move through the program together, offering candid feedback, practicing new skills and building trust that often continues long after the program concludes.

The application process is competitive, and Gulf Coast provides the program at no cost because we believe leadership development should be accessible to those ready to serve. In return, participants commit to applying what they learn in ways that strengthen the organizations and communities they are part of. The goal is not simply connection. It is meaningful growth. It is equipping aspiring, emerging and experienced leaders who reflect the diversity of our community to lead with greater intention and effectiveness.

Since launching the program, more than 425 leaders have completed the experience, representing businesses, healthcare organizations, education institutes, local government and the nonprofit sector. Alumni continue to serve in meaningful roles across our community, including our current Board Chair, Anand Pallegar. Many graduates have stepped into expanded responsibilities within the organizations they lead. Yet the most meaningful outcome is not a change in title. It is the way they approach their work. They navigate conflict with greater clarity, build stronger teams and make decisions with a deeper awareness of how their leadership influences those around them.

For Gulf Coast, investing in leadership is not ancillary to our mission. It is central to it. Grants and endowments fuel important work, but people drive lasting change. When leaders grow in self-awareness and skill, the organizations they serve grow stronger. When organizations grow stronger, the entire community benefits.

Applications for the 2026 cohort open February 25 . If you know someone who is ready to do the hard and meaningful work of becoming a more effective leader, I encourage you to invite them to apply. Communities are shaped by the quality of their leadership. We are proud to invest in the people willing to do that work.

Phillip Lanham is the President and CEO of Gulf Coast Community Foundation. 

Pictured: The 2025 Gulf Coast Leadership Institute class celebrated graduation after completing the program that develops emerging and experienced leaders across the region. Photo courtesy of Gulf Coast Community Foundation.

Each year, the Manatee Chamber’s leadership seeks to better understand the opportunities business owners can seize in order to grow and the challenges they need to navigate. Through surveys, small group discussion, and large forums, we hear from hundreds of employers annually. What has remained consistent is that the majority identify workforce as both their greatest need and most valuable asset. As a result, education and workforce development are a top priority for our Chamber.

The talent pipeline needs local students at every level to have exposure to a diverse range of career ladders. They also need connections to local employers to gain real world knowledge, skills, and experience. The Manatee Chamber helps “prime the pump” for our regional talent pipeline through several initiatives.

The Chamber’s Big Bank Theory program is designed to equip high school seniors with essential financial literacy skills as they prepare for life after graduation. Through a hands-on, real-life financial simulation, students gain an understanding of the responsibilities that come with managing personal finances as an adult.

Often described as a real-world version of the “Game of Life”, the experience challenges students to manage a monthly budget based on a randomly assigned career and life scenario. As they move through the simulation, they visit stations representing common expenses such as housing, transportation, food, clothing, insurance, childcare, and more. At each stop, they must make thoughtful spending decisions while working to stay within their assigned budget. The result is an eye-opening experience that helps students better understand the importance of planning, prioritizing needs over wants, and living within their means. It also helps solidify the connection between post-secondary attainment and earning opportunities.

This school year, the Chamber is presenting this program at ten Manatee County high schools thanks to hundreds of business volunteers and retirees. The Big Bank Theory is more than a simulation. It is an investment in the future of our community, helping students build confidence and skills that will serve them for years to come, including in their future workplaces.

We also believe that helping students gain exposure to careers early in life can inspire our future workforce. The Manatee Chamber has connected local business leaders with the next generation through Project T.E.A.C.H. (Teach Everyone About Career Horizons) for more than 30 years. In March, more than 160 local volunteers will step into fourth-grade classrooms across Manatee County, reaching thousands of students in a single morning with a powerful message about opportunity and possibility.

Project T.E.A.C.H. is a hands-on career exploration experience designed to expand students’ awareness of the many professions available right here in our region. Through an engaging guessing game, students learn about first impressions, soft skills, and professional communication. Volunteers then share their real-life career journeys, including the training, education, military service, college, and technical education paths that shaped their success. The session concludes with students creating business cards for their dream job, encouraging them to envision their future careers.

From nurses and engineers to entrepreneurs and IT experts, students are inspired to dream big and imagine building their futures here. By connecting classrooms and businesses, Project T.E.A.C.H. strengthens community ties and supports long-term workforce development.

A new program being introduced by the Manatee Chamber in 2026 is a day of industry tours for 10th graders. Our pilot cohort of students from Bayshore High School will spend a day off-campus this coming Monday. They will tour local businesses/industries and visit Manatee Technical College to learn more about educational tracks that can lead to successful career paths with employers here in our region. A few weeks later, we will place students from the University of South Florida’s Sarasota-Manatee campus in job shadow opportunities at more than a dozen local businesses.

The results of all of these initiatives are meaningful student engagement and a growing talent pipeline fueled by career awareness. If you would like your business to engage with the Manatee Chamber on these programs, please reach out to Deborah Perry at DeborahP@ManateeChamber.com. The more connections our students make, the more likely they are to stay here to build successful careers – and businesses will find the qualified workforce they need to grow.

Jacki Dezelski, IOM is the President and CEO of the Manatee Chamber of Commerce.

Pictured: Students at Manatee High School recently participated in the Manatee Chamber's Big Bank Theory program designed to strengthen their financial literacy. Photo courtesy of Manatee Chamber of Commerce.

Sarasota County kicks off its budget workshops for the year on Thursday, February 26th, and the numbers deserve your attention. The county has budgeted $23 million more in economic uncertainty reserves than it collected in general fund revenue, and that gap has real consequences for taxpayers.

To help residents understand where things stand, we have launched a social media campaign presenting county slides, memos, Argus letters, and our columns in an accessible format. The slides are screenshots taken directly from county materials available on their website and from commission meetings. Nothing has been edited or reinterpreted. We are showing you the source documents.

This is our second transparency campaign, modeled after the Sarasota Schools Data Dig we launched a few years ago, which compared school statistics across the district and against the rest of the state.

On our official Facebook, X, Instagram, and LinkedIn accounts, we are posting multiple times a day leading up to the first budget workshop. We began posting last week, so there is already material available for you to review. After the workshop, we will continue posting new information throughout the year as it becomes available, leading into the budget hearings in September.

The response has been telling. Many people are genuinely surprised by what they find in the posts.

Ad valorem revenue has grown by more than 30 percent since 2022. The county has added more than 111 full-time equivalent positions since last year alone. The general fund budget grew by more than 9 percent over the same period. Since 2022, spending in commission-controlled departments and the Sheriff's budget has grown faster than the county's own population increase. The Tax Collector's budget jumped 34 percent from last year.

In the coming days, we will post county memos explaining how constitutional officers' budgets work, where pending capital projects stand and how much general fund money it would cost to operate them if construction is not delayed, and a breakdown of the current budget gap.

The most important post comes next week. It is a county slide showing their own budgeting model, and it projects the county will be in the red within a year and a half if current spending patterns continue. The slide shows a clear trajectory toward depleting reserves that were set aside specifically for difficult economic times.

Taxpayers should be paying attention. Your tax bill is at stake, and so are the county services you rely on.

Christine Robinson is the Chief Executive Officer of the Argus Foundation.

Photo courtesy of The Argus Foundation.