Business Notes
NOMINATIONS OPEN FOR INDUSTRY AWARDS
Sponsored by the Horizon Foundation, Horizon Council and Lee County Economic Development, the 2024 Industry Appreciation Awards is accepting nominations.
In its 31st year, the awards recognize Lee County businesses and their leaders that drive the local economy, employ the workforce and shape their industries.
This year’s categories include Large Business of the Year, Small Business of the Year, Large Manufacturer of the Year, Small Manufacturer of the Year, Partnership Award, Supplier Diversity Award, Innovative Technology Award and Community Spotlight Award.
The nomination deadline is June 30; self-nominations are allowed.
The Industry Appreciation Awards event will be held on Oct. 25 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Caloosa Sound Convention Center, at 1375 Monroe St., Fort Myers.
For more information or to apply, visit IndustryAppreciationAwards.com.
SAN CAP COMMUNITY BANK BEGINS REBUILD
Sanibel Captiva Community Bank reported that it has started rebuilding the McGregor Branch, at 15975 McGregor Blvd., Fort Myers.
The building experienced considerable flood damage from Hurricane Ian and required major reconstruction. Since the storm, the team has been operating out of a mobile banking trailer on-site.
Demolition of the damaged building is complete and construction of the new one is expected to begin in August. Extreme Painting and Contracting will construct the new building, which was designed by Moore & Spence Architects and Island Interiors of Sanibel.
The new building will feature a coastal contemporary design, along with a two-lane drive-thru, drive-up ATM, solar panels, safety deposit boxes and a community room with video conferencing capabilities. The community room will be available to customers and community organizations to use at no cost during business and after hours.
OFFSHORE SAILING SCHOOL SELECTS BUILDER
Offshore Sailing School Chairman and founder Steve Colgate announced that Tartan Yachts, of Painesville, Ohio, was selected as the new builder of the Colgate 26 keelboat after a search.
The boat was designed by naval architect Jim Taylor and Colgate, an Olympic and America’s Cup sailor. The year that it debuted, the Colgate 26 was awarded Boat of the Year in the Pocket Cruiser Division by Cruising World magazine.
A boat for round the buoy racing, the Colgate 26 is also popular for daysailing and it is used for teaching sailing fundamentals and racing techniques at sailing schools, including the Offshore Sailing School. The U.S. Naval Academy has 42 of them in its fleet, which it calls the Navy 26.
Headquartered in Fort Myers, the Offshore Sailing School sells the Colgate 26.
For more information, visit Colgate26.com.
SHELL MUSEUM ATTENDS COA CONVENTION
The Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum & Aquarium participated in the 2024 Conchologists of America (COA) Convention on June 12-15 in Melbourne.
Curator and Science Director Dr. José H. Leal presented the talk “Life After the Flood: Exhibits Renovation at the National Shell Museum & Aquarium,” which included an outline of the revamped displays in the Living Gallery of Aquariums and preview of the exhibits planned for the redesigned Great Hall of Shells.
Leal is a past president of the COA board and a longtime member of the organization’s leadership.
Museum Executive Director Sam Ankerson is also a COA board member. Ankerson, along with marine biologist and Collections Assistant Chris Whitt, were also in attendance for the convention.
An international organization dedicated to shell enthusiasts at all levels of interest, the COA has maintained a close connection with the museum and the Sanibel and Captiva communities.
CABAI JOINS TRUST COMPANY’S FIDUCIARY TEAM
The Sanibel Captiva Trust Company recently welcomed Virginia “Ginny” A. Cabai as senior vice president and fiduciary officer to its in-house team of attorneys.
She administers trusts and estates for families and business owners, builds relationships with successive generations and assists them with future planning.
Prior to joining the company, Cabai served for several years as senior vice president and trust and estate administrator at FineMark National Bank & Trust in Naples. She administered trusts and assisted clients in understanding their current estate plans, as well as provided guidance and recommendations for developing plans and achieving their wealth transfer goals.
In addition to an earlier career at the Merril Lynch Trust Company in Boca Raton, Cabai more recently served as vice president and trust officer at US Trust in Naples, where she administered revocable trusts for grantor beneficiaries and irrevocable trusts for spouses and beneficiaries. She was fluent at guiding beneficiaries through the detailed process of estate settlement.
Cabai obtained her Bachelor of Arts in criminology and law at the University of Florida in Gainesville, her juris doctor at the Stetson University College of Law in St. Petersburg and her LL.M. in taxation at the University of Miami’s School of Law in Coral Gables.
She is a member of the Florida Bar, Collier County Women’s Bar Association, Collier County Bar Association and the UF Alumni Association. Cabai is also a board member and Scholarship Committee chair of SWFL Gator Club.
Her office is within the company’s Bell Tower location in Fort Myers.