SCBWA to hold monthly luncheon
The Sanibel Captiva Business Women’s Association will host its monthly luncheon on Nov. 16 from noon to 1 p.m. at the Sundial Beach Resort and Spa, at 1451 Middle Gulf Drive, Sanibel.
The guest speaker is Doris Colgate, co-owner, president and chief executive officer of the Offshore Sailing School, which is based out of Fort Myers. She will present “The Business of Sailing.”
“We are thrilled to have Doris speak to our group,” SCBWA President Taylor Clarey said. “Doris brings a rich history of successfully navigating the waters of being a female in a male dominated industry since the 1970s.”
Colgate began her career in the typing pool in New York City and found her way to co-owning and operating the Offshore Sailing School since 1988. She and her husband, Steve, grew the company from a one-branch two-instructor operation, to a multiple-location school with more than 160,000 sailing graduates since it opened on City Island, New York, in 1964.
“Perseverance and being solution-driven are the keys to success,” Colgate said. “When met with a challenge, don’t give up, just change your approach.”
That mentality has served her well over the last four decades, landing her recognition as a PACE Center for Girls Grande Dame, among other accolades. In 1994, Colgate received the Betty Cook Memorial Lifetime Achievement Award from Boating Magazine and the International Women in Boating for her work in the marine industry. In 1996, she and her husband were honored with the SAIL magazine Industry Award for Leadership. In 2010, they were honored with the Junonia Award from the Beaches of Fort Myers-Sanibel for the level of tourism support their company contributes to Southwest Florida.
The couple’s memoirs were recently published in a biography, “Offshore High,” a shared story of their lifetime of sailing all around the world and the adventures of running a successful business. The book is authored by award-winning sailing journalist Herb McCormick, an editor-in-chief with Cruising World magazine and yachting correspondent for The New York Times.
“We couldn’t have chosen a better time to have Doris speak to us,”Clarey said. “Having just released ‘Offshore High,’ she will share excerpts from the book with our group, offer advice on overcoming obstacles and thriving in the workplace, and thoughts on making a difference in one’s community.”
To register, visit https://sancapbwa.eventbrite.com and pick in-person or Zoom. Cost is $30 for lunch with the speaker, or a donation to the SCBWA Continuing Education Scholarship Fund for Zoom.
For more information or updates, visit https://www.facebook.com/SanCapBWA.