New board members

Four Southwest Floridians have been elected as members of the Uncommon Friends Foundation's Board of Directors. They are Guenther Gosch, Jim McLaughlin, Lee Pitts, and Brenda Stewart. They will serve three-year terms.

Guenther Gosch is President/CEO of Moorings Park, Collier County's leading provider of nursing home based rehabilitation services and in-home health services. He has had a career in public health and long term care, serving as a licensed nursing home administrator and managing full service retirement communities. He holds a Master of Public Health from the University of Minnesota and a MBA from Florida Gulf Coast University.

Jim McLaughlin, former WINK-TV anchor, now operates a free-lance photography business specializing in commercial and corporate photography. He holds a BA in Modern Languages from St. Bonaventure University. McLaughlin started his broadcast career at WCCFFM radio in Punta Gorda in 1976. He was employed by WINK-TV from 1977, starting as Charlotte County Bureau Chief and becoming an anchor in 1980. He served in that position until retiring in 2005.

Lee Pitts is a former vice president at Wachovia Bank, managing the community development-lending department for South Florida. He is the founder of the Lee Pitts Swim School, a nationally recognized swim program established to teach free swim lessons for disadvantaged youth. His publications include over 25 articles on swimming and water safety. Pitts is host and executive producer of the television talk show, "Lee Pitts Live," which focuses on issues and people impacting the minority community in South Florida. He received his Bachelors in Business Administration from Talladega College and his Masters in Economics from Clark Atlanta University.

Brenda Stewart is Executive Director of the Lee County Dental Society, Inc. She has been employed by the organization for the past 13 years. Mrs. Stewart has been an Uncommon Friends Foundation volunteer for a number of years, serving on scholarship, traveling exhibit, and fund-raising committees.