Fort Myers Florida Weekly

IN THE NEWS / ON THE MOVE


HELTON

HELTON

Weekly farmers market continues at Mercola Market

Working with the Chamber of Commerce of Cape Coral, natural health store Mercola Market of Cape Coral continues to host its Mid-Cape Sunshine Farmers Market every Tuesday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at its centrally located campus at 125 SW 3rd Place.

“The Mid-Cape Sunshine Farmer’s Market has shown great success with nearly 30 vendors offering organic, homemade goods and more, even after the devastation that Hurricane Ian brought to our community,” said Patrick Rossi, campus operations manager at Mercola.

Running through April 2023, the weekly market showcases a variety of goods, from organic produce and homemade bread to handmade jewelry and home décor.

For more information about both events, visit capecoralfarmersmarket.com.

Pink Shell Beach Resort & Marina resumes stays

Pink Shell Beach Resort & Marina, a beachfront destination resort on Estero Island, has reopened its Captiva Villas building, home to 43 guest rooms, and Jack’s Restaurant to provide accommodations and dining for relief workers, construction workers, contractors, insurance adjusters and local residents.

KEEFE

KEEFE

“Our main priority is to continue to play our part in supporting relief efforts along with our local residents and staff,” said Robert Boykin, chairman of Boykin Management Company, which owns and operates Pink Shell. “We are incredibly grateful to our team and the local authorities who have been instrumental in helping us reach this milestone.”

The reopening of select guest rooms and one restaurant will provide housing and meals to those brought in to support cleanup and restoration efforts, in addition to bringing back additional employees. Plans for a complete renovation of the property are currently in the design stage with the goal of welcoming back guests to the new Pink Shell Beach Resort & Marina at the end of 2024.

“With a long road and a lot of work ahead of us, it is important to recognize the pivotal role we have to play in rebuilding our community,” said Mr. Boykin. “The Pink Shell Beach Resort & Marina has been proud to be a part of the Gulf Coast for more than five decades. We know that we will build back better than before.”

The Captiva guest rooms will be available by reservation only and require a two-night minimum stay. For more information about reservations, call 855- 582-2904 or email bookings@boykin.com. Additional information and regular updates on the resort’s recovery efforts are available at PinkShell.com or follow via social media (@pinkshellresort) on Instagram and Facebook.

Suncoast Credit Union announces retirement of 46-year employee

After a 46-year-career at Suncoast Credit Union — the only job she has ever held — Cindy Helton has retired. She most recently served as the executive director of the Suncoast Credit Union Foundation.

Ms. Helton began her career at Suncoast as a student intern from Tampa Bay Technical

High School on Sept. 1, 1976. Throughout her career, she’s served multiple roles in a variety of departments at Suncoast, climbing the leadership ladder with each move. In 2014 she assumed the helm of the foundation upon the retirement of her predecessor. Ms. Helton has played an instrumental role in Suncoast’s philanthropic efforts and community impact relishing the role of humanizing the impact, of the foundation in a way that distributed more than $26 million in funds during her tenure.

“It has been my personal joy to serve in this role and to meet the people who carry out the works that we help fund,” said Ms. Helton. “I will always remember the faces of the children, the gratitude of those who understand and explain the need for the funds and especially for a job that sees the importance of being a true community servant.”

In 1990, the Suncoast Credit Union Foundation was established to benefit children and their families and to support educational initiatives. Since its inception, the Foundation has raised and donated over $36 million to the communities the credit union serves. Every time a Suncoast member uses their debit or credit card, two cents are donated to the Foundation.

“It pains us all to bid farewell to Cindy,” added Kevin Johnson, president and CEO, Suncoast Credit Union. “She brings a high level of energy to the role, and she cares deeply about the work of the foundation. She also has a great understanding of our history and growth, since she has been here the longest. We hate to lose her, but we’re also humbled and grateful for her service to those we serve.”

Keefe elected stockholder at Henderson Franklin

Henderson, Franklin, Starnes & Holt, P.A. has announced that real estate attorney Colby Keefe has been elected a stockholder. She relocated to Southwest Florida to join the firm’s real estate department and has steadily worked to distinguish herself as a highly effective representative for condominium and homeowners associations.

Ms. Keefe understands the complex nuances of association operations and works closely with board members, management firms and community association industry professionals. She is known for providing her clients with clear counsel on a broad range of issues, including the interpretation and amending of governing documents, contracting with vendors, zoning ordinances, liability policies, collections, foreclosures and compliance with applicable state and federal laws such as the Fair Housing Act. Not surprising that the Florida Association for Women Lawyers named her a “Leader in Law” in 2020.

In the community, Ms. Keefe is a member of the South Gulf Coast chapter of the Community Association Institute and is a former president of the St. Johns Association for Women Lawyers. She is also a seasoned speaker and provides continuing education and board certification courses to condominium association managers.

She is based out of the firm’s Fort Myers office and can be reached at Colby.Keefe@henlaw.com or by phone at 239-344-1184. For more information, visit www.henlaw.com.

Andrew Short to lead UF entomology and nematology

Andrew Short will join the University of Florida as professor and chair of the UF/ IFAS department of entomology and nematology. His tentative start date is May 15, 2023.

Mr. Short will lead the highly ranked department of nearly 80 faculty members based in Gainesville and around the state of Florida.

“I am incredibly excited to work with and steer such a vibrant community of faculty, students and professionals in the department of entomology and nematology,” Mr. Short said. “Its people, programs and facilities are world-class and uniquely positioned to address a range of pressing entomological challenges facing society, including protecting public health, feeding the world, fighting invasive species and preserving biodiversity.”

Mr. Short is currently professor and associate chair of graduate studies in the department of ecology & evolutionary biology at the University of Kansas, and senior curator in the university’s Biodiversity Institute.

Mr. Short’s research focuses on the diversity, biology and evolution of aquatic beetles, with field work taking him and his students on dozens of expeditions to Costa Rica, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, the Brazilian Amazon and elsewhere. He has received funding from the National Science Foundation and serves on the governing board of the Entomological Society of America.

For Mr. Short, joining a land-grant institution like UF is a return to his educational roots. He attended two land-grant institutions, the University of Delaware and Cornell University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree and doctorate, respectively. Before that, he was an active member of the 4-H program in his home state of Delaware and volunteered and worked at his county Extension office.

Sales and leasing news from RE/MAX Realty Group Commercial

Agents with RE/MAX Realty Group’s Commercial Division recently reported the following sales and leases. All transactions are in Southwest Florida unless otherwise noted.

Sales

Anthony James Leopardi Sr. for Leopardi Leeber Trust: 41,818 SF space located at 3150 Old Metro Pkwy., Fort Myers for $1,300,000 to Ronald and Sharon Palmer. Jim McMenamy with RE/MAX Realty Group, Commercial Division represented the seller and Adam Palmer with Land- Qwest Commercial represented the buyer.

TSY Holdings Inc: 5,196 SF building located at 8111 Broadway Ave. E., Estero, for $775,000 to Pruitt Family Real Estate Holdings LLC. Pam Wittenauer-Bratton, CCIM with RE/MAX Realty Group, Commercial Division represented the seller and Diane Orta with Core Realty represented the buyer.

Hamilton Ann H. TR & Howard William T. Jr. TR: 1.7 acres located at 4301 Palm Beach Blvd. and 4320 New St., Fort Myers, for $550,000 to Properties of S & O, LLC. Michael J. Frye, CCIM with RE/MAX Realty Group, Commercial Division represented the seller and David Zorn with D.R. Zorn & Associates represented the buyer.

Hemaprasad Reddy Kasireddy & Venkata Ramaneswar Rao Muvva: 1.73 acres located at 2140 Flint Dr., Fort Myers, for $315,000 to Odineos Enterprises, LLC. Pam Wittenauer-Bratton, CCIM with RE/ MAX Realty Group, Commercial Division represented the seller and Diane Orta with Core Realty represented the buyer.

Sandra Helenbrook & Angela Verhaagh: 1,520 SF located at 15670 McGregor Blvd., #105, Fort Myers, for $305,000 to Senior Placement Services, LLC. Pam Wittenauer Bratton, CCIM with RE/MAX Realty Group, Commercial Division represented the seller and David Sepulveda with CRE Consultants represented the buyer.

Rosso Realty LLC: 2,648 SF located at 3443 Tamiami Trl., Unit 1A & 3, Port Charlotte, for $305,000 to CRWL LLC. Gary Rushing, ACP with RE/MAX Realty Group represented the seller and Nicole Mantha with Keller Williams Realty Gold represented the buyer.

Battista Farms has been sold for $8,700,000. The business and real property at 19490 S. Tamiami Trail (U.S. 41) was sold to Juniper Landscaping/Bregal & Liberty 44 LLC for $5,450,000. Darius L. Cochran / RE/MAX Commercial Realty Team handled the transaction. Battista Farms also sold 220 acres at 2650 SR 31 to Lonely Lake LLC for $3,250,000. Darius L. Cochran with RE/MAX represented Battista Farms and Juniper Landscaping.

Leases

SW Coast Properties LLC: 15,938 SF space located at 13830 Jetport Commerce Pkwy., Suite 1, Fort Myers, to Sky Chefs Inc. Michael J. Frye, CCIM with RE/MAX Realty Group, Commercial Division represented the landlord and Dan Miller with Colliers represented the tenant.

HB Family Limited Partnership: 10,520 SF office building located at 13525 Bell Tower Dr., Fort Myers, to SANCAP Group Real Estate Company, LLC. Michael J. Frye, CCIM with RE/MAX Realty Group, Commercial Division represented the landlord and Coleen Frye, ACP with RE/MAX Realty Group, Commercial Division represented the tenant.

Business Center 4307 LLC: 1,600 SF office space located at 4307 Del Prado Blvd., Suites 4 & 5, Cape Coral, to ELO Roofing. Rachael Guertin and Michael J. Frye, CCIM with RE/MAX Realty Group, Commercial Division represented the tenant and Vince Honc with Premier Plus Realty represented the landlord.

Calypso Equity LLC: 800 SF space located at 16521 San Carlos Blvd., Suite 220, Fort Myers, to Teachout Chiropractic & Wellness Center. Abigail Kesslak, ACP and Michael J. Frye, CCIM with RE/MAX Realty Group, Commercial Division represented the landlord and Pam Wittenauer-Bratton, CCIM with RE/MAX Realty Group, Commercial Division represented the tenant. ¦

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