Good Deeds
• SunTrust Bank of Southwest Florida presented $276,000 to six area United Way chapters recently. The donation is a product of the bank’s 2006 United Way campaign, where employee pledges totaling over $200,000 were percentage-matched by the bank in each of its five counties. SunTrust Bank of Southwest Florida extends from Manatee to Collier counties.
SunTrust Bank encourages its employees to support United Way by offering automated payroll deductions, and by providing incentives such as paid vacation days in return for pledges. In addition, employees will have increased opportunities to support United Way and its agencies with the introduction of the bank’s formal volunteer program.
The volunteer program is a web-based solution that coordinates requests received from outside charitable and civic organizations, while the bank recruits employee volunteers to help with those needs from the community. In return, employees who log their volunteer hours through the website receive incentives such as additional days off with pay. “Our goal is to help people and businesses prosper,” remarked Margaret Callihan, chairman, president, and CEO for SunTrust Bank of Southwest Florida
• Habitat for Humanity's All-Women-Built house, received a donation of a one-of-a-kind floor cloth, created by Ringling School of Art and Design's Continuing Studies and Special Programs students. The Floor Cloth workshop, taught by Elena De La Ville in March, created a piece with a tropical beach theme in accordance with the wishes of the new homeowners.
Each student (all women) contributed their talents and painted a section of the floor cloth. The floor cloth was presented to the homeowners by the group on the first week of April.
Real Estate News
• For the fifth straight year, Penny Hill was named the #1 loan officer for Chase in the U.S. Chase has 2100 loan officers located in 300 offices nationwide. The Penny Hill Group was also rated #1 in the US for customer service and satisfaction for Chase. In 2005 Hill and her associates, including senior lending officer Scott Kolbe, closed 642 mortgage transactions totaling 290 million dollars.
Business News
• In 2003 two friends for over 28 years, Susan Jackson and Teresa Collard, caught the scrapbooking bug and decided to start a business in 2006. They wanted more people to join the fun and pleasure out of creating scrapbooks of trips, weddings, baby showers, family events, graduations, Christmas, or anything you like.
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They felt that a business like this was needed on the west coast of Florida. Scrapping for the day gives you an opportunity to get scrapbooking done while being spoiled at the same time—no interruptions, phones, children or husbands. You will also get to meet new friends and share ideas.
Sue and Teresa have all the necessary equipment and supplies for people to use. Learn more about Pac -N- Scrap at www.pacnscrapgetaways.com. They will also come to your home and do theme parties. Call Pac -N-Scrap Getaways at 941-724-1225.
• Bradenton resident Janet Allen,  along with her two partners, Libe Diamant and Marcela Zuchovicki, has launched a specialty coffee company - Jalima Coffee, LLC, which imports a line of high altitude 100% Arabica coffees from Chiapas and Veracruz, Mexico. The name Jalima Coffee was derived by the first couple of letters of each partner's name: Janet, Libe and Marcela.
They have placed their products in approximately 90 specialty stores and gourmet food markets in Florida, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Maryland. You can find Jalima Coffee products locally at Richard's Whole Foods, Morton's Gourmet Market on Osprey Ave., Crescent Beach Grocery on Siesta Key, The Beanz Man on Hwy. 301 and Settimi's on St. Armands Circle. Jalima Coffee is a mission-driven company that has partnered with various organizations to help support ecological and social projects.
The El Triunfo Biosphere Reserve is located in Chiapas, Mexico among the peaks of the Sierra Madre mountains. This 300,000-acre reserve is considered the most pristine and diverse natural areas remaining in Mexico with varied and complex vegetation types including the two most threatened - the rain forest and the cloud forest.
A portion of the sales price of Jalima Certified Organic Coffee, grown in the area surrounding the reserve, is donated to the El Triunfo Conservation Fund. Jalima Coffee is utilizing the services of Andares A.B.P. in Mexico to affix labels on their coffee bags. Andares has a program for handicapped adults and children that provides residential living as well as work opportunities. Jalima Coffee has formed an alliance with the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities. This organization improves access to and the quality of post-secondary educational opportunities for Hispanic students in the U.S. Call 941-727-4393.
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• The Sarasota-based law firm Levin Tannenbaum has announced the association of attorney Stacy R. Costner with the firm. She will be concentrating her practice in the areas of construction, real estate, and business litigation. • Cordia Commons at Bradenton, an independent and assisted living residence located at 1015 7th Avenue East, Bradenton, recently celebrated their one-year anniversary under the leadership of Jo Eisch, the Executive Director of Cordia Commons at  Bradenton. Cordia Commons offers independent living, assisted living care and specialized Alzheimer’s care. Services include three meals per day, transportation; social activities, daily exercise classes, and individualized assistance with bathing, dressing and medication management if needed. The facility is owned by Juniper Communities, a long-term healthcare company based in New Jersey. Short-term stays are available. For more information, call 746-8108.
Appointments
• Comcast of West Florida announced Tara Feather has joined its team as Public Affairs Specialist. Feather will assist the government and public affairs department with implementation of public affairs initiatives, develop and implement grass roots efforts for media relations; manage school initiatives, prepare press releases and talking points; assist in area communication campaigns, public service programs and employee activities; promote greater awareness of airtime, public access and other services available to charitable nonprofit organizations and interested citizens; plan and implement open houses and other hosted events for community officials and members of the public. Feather most recently, worked as Director of Campaign at the United Way of Manatee County.
• Caroline Cohan has joined SRQ Magazine as Marketing Coordinator. Cohan moved to Sarasota from New York this January where she marketed various publishing, entertainment and real estate companies. Most recently, she was Events and Membership Coordinator for the New York Building Congress and Assistant Marketing Director for Forest City Daly/Sterling Glen Senior Living.
| • Cheryl Roberts, RN, MS, recently joined Doctors Hospital of Sarasota as its new Director of Critical Care Services. Roberts was employed at Doctors Hospital of Sarasota from 1999 to 2002. She returns after having been the Director of Cardiac Services at Manatee Memorial Hospital. She has a clinical background in cardiology, neurology, oncology, orthopedics and rehabilitation.
Theresa H. Levering has joined Doctors Hospital as its new Human Resources Director. She has 17 years of HR experience, most recently serving as Manager of Human Resources at H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute in Tampa where she was employed for 9 years.
Accolades
• The Women's Resource Center of Sarasota County (WRCSC) has recognized Program Director Kelley Schofield Anderson for 5 years of service to the center. Founded in 1979, the WRCSC has been helping women achieve emotional and economic independence for over 27 years. The WRCSC touches the lives of over 11,000 women each year. Programs are offered in Sarasota, Venice, Englewood and North Port.
• In its May issue, Child magazine featured The Colony Beach & Tennis Resort as one of the top five selections for the “Best Family Friendly Resorts.” The Colony was chosen by Child’s Advisory Panel of Experts based upon criteria which included: the variety of activities offered on property, cost of the kids’ programs, room design and size, activities families can do together, the range of dining options, water activities, safety considerations, and overall value.
The Colony was specifically lauded for its all-suite accommodations, with a standard accommodation at 850 s.f., beachfront amenities, programs such as the Olympic Challenge and treasure hunts which are designed to promote family-togetherness, tennis instruction for all ages, dining venues that range from a fun and beachside patio for the whole family to enjoy, to the more formal Colony Dining Room – noted by Child as a definite “parents perk”.
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