Business Notes
SCBWA TO HOLD MONTHLY LUNCHEON
The Sanibel Captiva Business Women’s Association (SCBWA) will hold its monthly luncheon on Feb. 24 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. at The Community House, at 2173 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel.
Part of its 2026 Program Series, the guest speaker will be advertising executive Tom Libonate on “Real Beauty: Behind the Groundbreaking Dove Beauty Campaign.”
He will share decades of marketing experience building and leading an ad agency that partnered with major global brands. Libonate will delve into the Dove campaign, an effort created in collaboration with Ogilvy & Mather that helped redefine beauty messaging in mainstream advertising. He will share behind-the-scenes perspectives on how bold creative thinking and strategic partnerships helped shape a culturally impactful campaign and what businesses can learn from purpose-driven brand work.
The Charitable Foundation of the Islands and 100+ Women Who Care Sanibel & Captiva Islands are sponsoring the luncheon.
The cost is $35 per person and includes lunch.
To register or more information, visit https://bit.ly/SCBWAJAN.
BANK OF THE ISLANDS TO PRESENT SESSION
Edison National Bank/Bank of the Islands will host a fraud, scams and identity theft session with local law enforcement on Feb. 21 from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at its Cleveland Avenue Office in Fort Myers.
Presented by a Lee County Sheriff’s Office representative, it will entail an open discussion and question-and-answer session to help residents recognize and report scams and detect, protect and report fraud and abuse.
Seating is limited.
To RSVP or for more information, contact Liz LaForce at 239-466-1800.
Edison National Bank is at 13000 S. Cleveland Ave., Fort Myers.
SCBR PROJECT RENAMED BEACHVIEW
Reconstruction is underway at the Sanibel Captiva Beach Resorts’ (SCBR) Beachview Villas on Sanibel — initially renamed the White Pelican Villas and formerly the Beachview Cottages.
It will feature luxury accommodations designed for peace, privacy and a refined coastal stay. The plans include spacious villas with generous indoor and outdoor spaces, full kitchens, and shared community areas intended for gathering with family and friends.
A new website for Beachview Villas is live at https://beachview-villas.com/.
Reservations are expected to open in the spring, with an anticipated opening in the summer.
The Beachview Cottages were destroyed by Hurricane Ian in 2022. The project reflects the SCBR’s long-standing commitment to restore places that hold meaning for the island and its visitors.
The Beachview Villas is at 3325 West Gulf Drive, Sanibel.
WOMEN WHO CARE KICKS OFF SEASON
100+ Women Who Care Sanibel & Captiva Islands hosted its first meeting of the season on Feb. 10 at the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Association of Realtors on Sanibel, bringing together 146 members.
After an hour of presentations and consideration, members voted to direct the group’s pooled donation to Trailways Camps as the first grant recipient for 2026. Two additional nonprofits, Roots for Resilience and the Zonta Club of Sanibel-Captiva, were recognized for their presentations.
Florida Trust Wealth Management is the season sponsor for the 100+ Women Who Care program, which is powered by the Charitable Foundation of the Islands.
To become a member or for more information, visit SanCap100.org.
MARINE LAB SPOTLIGHTED IN NEW VIDEO
The Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF) reported that water quality monitoring plays a critical role in understanding and protecting Sanibel’s estuaries.
NexSens Technology, which helps power the SCCF Marine Laboratory’s River, Estuary, and Coastal Observing Network (RECON), explores this in its new video, “How Mixing Waters Shape Ecosystems in Sanibel, Florida.”
In the video, viewers get an inside look at how Southwest Florida’s waterways face mounting pressures from harmful algal blooms, red tide, nutrient pollution, managed lake releases, hurricanes, and other environmental stressors.
It features Marine Laboratory Manager A.J. Martignette and Marine Lab Director Eric Milbrandt, Ph.D., and highlights how RECON tracks salinity, nutrients, temperature and other key indicators that drive and shape the coastal ecosystems.
To watch the video, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ls4NeVNPvEo.
DOC FORD’S DONATES TO YOUTH HOSPITAL
The Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille on Sanibel and on Fort Myers Beach raised $3,915 in 2025 from its hospital drink program for the Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida in Fort Myers.
For every specialty cocktail sold off its bar menu, the restaurant’s program donates $1.
Doc Ford’s four locations have donated $140,309 in total to the Fort Myers hospital and the John Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg since the program was introduced in 2006.
The St. Petersburg restaurants raised $3,394 in 2025.
Doc Ford’s launched the initiative as part of communitywide fundraisers for the Golisano Children’s Hospital, which opened in 2017. The program earmarks a dollar from the sale of five cocktails.
JOHN R. WOOD ANNOUNCES VP OF SALES
John R. Wood Christie’s International Real Estate has appointed Anna-Marie Ellison as vice president of sales, bringing nearly two decades of real estate leadership, strategic planning and agent development experience to the role.
In her position, she will support offices across the region, working with agents and staff to drive growth, strengthen performance and help individuals reach their full potential both professionally and personally.
Ellison is known for blending operational clarity with a deeply human leadership style, an approach that has earned her invitations to speak at national industry conferences and lead companywide initiatives focused on leadership development and wellness programming.
Guided by a set of leadership beliefs, she emphasizes the importance of relationships, transparency and individualized success. Ellison believes that meaningful growth happens when people feel seen, supported and challenged, and that while strategy sets direction, it is trust and connection that carry organizations forward.
MCQUAGGE NAMED BOARD CHAIR OF PACE
Sanibel Captiva Community Bank announced that Vice President and Director of Marketing Amy McQuagge has been named board chair for the Pace Center for Girls Lee.
She joined the board of directors in 2020. McQuagge has since held several roles, including vice chair, chair of the board development and resource development committees, and a member of numerous event committees.
In 2023, she was nominated for the national PACE Spirit Award for Board Leadership for effective board participation, thoughtful decision-making and the sound allocation of resources to achieve PACE’s mission and goals. For three years, McQuagge co-chaired the Love That Dress! fundraiser.
She joined the bank in 2018 as the first in-house marketing director.
McQuagge also serves on the board of directors for A.N.A.’s Friends and the United Way Campaign Cabinet. She routinely volunteers with other local nonprofit organizations.
LEON PROMOTED TO KITCHEN MANAGER
The HM Restaurant Group has promoted Robbie Leon to kitchen manager at the Bonita Fish Company on Fort Myers Beach.
He has worked in the kitchens of sister restaurants Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille and the Dixie Fish Company for 15 years.
The HM Restaurant Group shared that Leon brings a wealth of knowledge and skill to the position. He is a natural leader with exceptional customer service skills that reflect the stellar experience its guests have come to expect.
The Bonita Fish Company opened in November and specializes in fresh Gulf seafood, casual bites and cold drinks. It offers daily live entertainment, a central bar, sunsets views and dockside dining.
For more information, visit bonitafishco.com or call 239-314-5132.
The Bonita Fish Company is at 702 Fisherman’s Wharf, Fort Myers Beach.
FOUNDATION HOSTS GOLDEN APPLE EVENT
The Foundation for Lee County Public Schools hosted its 39th Annual Golden Apple Teacher Recognition Formal Announcement Event on Jan. 23 at its office in Fort Myers.
Celebrating the 30 finalists for the 2026 Golden Apple Award, it brought together community leaders, education partners and supporters to recognize outstanding teachers who make a lasting impact on students and schools across the district.
Attendees included school board members, foundation board members, the superintendent, sponsors and members of the local business community, along with the Golden Apple finalists.
They enjoyed an evening of networking and celebration, complete with food and beverages, while honoring the finalists’ achievements and contributions to education.
The six teachers selected as the recipients will be honored at the Golden Apple Teacher Recognition Banquet on April 24 at the Caloosa Sound Convention Center & Amphitheater in Fort Myers.
The foundation extended its thanks to the sponsors, partners and supporters whose generosity makes the Golden Apple Awards possible year after year.