BUSINESS BUZZ: Selby Gardens meets fundraising challenge with Willis Smith donation

• A leadership gift from Willis A. Smith Construction to the Campaign for Marie Selby Botanical Gardens’ Master Plan has seeded a double matching opportunity for new gifts, which will enable the fundraising goal for the project’s first phase to be met. The Willis Smith donation leverages Selby Gardens’ existing Campaign Capping Challenge, which has been matching every gift dollar for dollar for Phase One of the Master Plan. Now, any new gifts up to $250,000 will effectively be tripled. The Campaign Capping Challenge was launched in October 2021 Plan. Phase One will include a new welcome center, a state-of-the-art Plant Research Center with a new herbarium, laboratory and library, off-site roadway improvements and numerous new garden features with more open space.

• Sarasota Yacht Club has again been selected as a Platinum Club of America, one of only 30 yacht clubs in the country to earn the distinction from the esteemed Club Leaders Forum.

Platinum recognition is given to the top 5% of private clubs. Sarasota Yacht Club ranked 14^th in the U.S., up two spots from its previous ranking.

Platinum status has been the pinnacle of recognition in the private club industry since it was established in 1997. The panel considered seven areas of excellence as a guideline: universal recognition, respected membership, amenities, facilities, exceptional service, governance and fiscal management.

Sarasota Yacht Club was also designated by the Club Leaders Forum as a “Platinum Club of the World” in 2022, one of only 50 private yacht clubs selected internationally.

• Hale Law, a personal injury law firm in Sarasota, is accepting nominations for Hale Law Teacher of the Year.

Any high school teacher in Sarasota or Manatee counties who has completed at least one full academic year is eligible. Anyone may submit a nomination.

The winner will receive a prize of $1,000 from Hale Law.

Nominate a teacher at https://halelaw.com/news/teacher-of-the-year/ by May 11. Vote at the site May 12-May 19.

• Lawson Group Architects, of Sarasota, is celebrating its 40^th anniversary.

LGA was founded in 1983 as an architecture, planning and interior design firm. The firm has evolved from traditional architecture to a more comprehensive and consultative approach that has allowed the company to adapt and thrive, expanding its reach beyond Florida to encompass projects across the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

LGA has been involved in more than 1,700 projects and more than $13 billion in construction value. The firm’s portfolio includes high-rise urban buildings, multifamily residential, adaptive reuse, mixed-use developments, urban and suburban office buildings, university campus buildings and senior housing communities.

For the past 10 years, Architectural Record magazine listed the company as one of the Top Design Firms in the U.S. Recently, Building Design and Construction’s List of US Largest Architects recognized LGA as the sixth largest Senior Housing architect, 52nd largest Multi-family architect, and 12th largest Religious Facility architect in the US.

This year’s edition of Build magazine’s Design and Build Awards named LGA as the Best Sustainable Architectural Consultancy Firm 2023 - Florida.

• SRQ Tiger Bay Club will present former Rep. Adam Kinzinger as keynote speaker for its annual luncheon June 1, at noon, at Michael’s on East, 1212 S. East Ave., Sarasota.

Kinzinger, a former U.S. Air Force pilot, was a U.S. representative from Illinois from 2011 to 2023. He was one of the youngest members of Congress and yet, as deputy Republican whip, was in the top half of seniority in the full House.

Following the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol, he founded the organization Country First. Kinzinger joined the Air Force in 2003 and served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. He is currently a pilot in the Air National Guard.

• Gettel Toyota of Bradenton has earned the 2022 Southeast Toyota Elite Award.

The dealership is the only one in the district to win this award, one of the highest honors a Toyota dealer can receive. It has won the award for the third year in a row.

• David Weekley Homes, one of the nation’s largest privately held builders, was recognized with six honors at the Manatee-Sarasota Building Industry Association’s 2023 Parade of Homes Awards. This brings the company’s total to more than 840 awards for product design and more than 1,445 overall.

The Captiva model home in the North River Ranch – Cottage Series community, was recognized with multiple honors, including Best Overall in Category 13. Other awards included Best Curb Appeal, Best Kitchen, Best Master Suite, Best Floor Plan and Best Architectural Detail.

The Manatee-Sarasota Building Industry Association’s Parade of Homes Awards recognizes design and building excellence, and is part of the annual Parade of Homes, an open house which offers the public access to view a wide variety of custom and model homes in communities throughout the area.

• The American Heart Association has awarded Crystal Clean Green Cleaning national platinum-level recognition for its commitment to employee health and well-being as measured in the association’s 2022 Workforce Well-being Scorecard.

The Scorecard evaluates factors such as mental health policies, organizational well-being strategies to address burnout, health equity measures and employee financial resources to comprehensively assess an organization’s culture of health.

Nearly 400 organizations completed the Scorecard in 2022 and were recognized with an achievement level of platinum (9%), gold (45%), silver (32%) bronze (9%) or completer (5%).

• Pines of Sarasota, a nonprofit rehabilitation and senior care community, has earned the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for Nursing Care Center Accreditation by demonstrating continuous compliance with its performance standards. The Gold Seal is a symbol of quality that reflects a health care organization’s commitment to providing safe and quality patient care.

Pines of Sarasota underwent a rigorous on-site review Feb. 21-22, 2023. During the visit, a team of Joint Commission reviewers evaluated compliance with Nursing Care Center standards spanning several areas, including emergency management, environment of care, infection prevention and control, leadership, education and competencies, medication management and quality assurance.

• Verizon has completed a major, multiyear redesign of its network in Sarasota, with new cell sites, expanding coverage, and more fiber, adding capacity . Verizon customers in and around the city will now be able to take advantage of the new network upgrades including faster speeds, including through its premium, high-band spectrum in the Rosemary District; new availability with 5G Ultra Wideband service now available in 50% of the Sarasota network, including in the downtown Sarasota area, as well as St. Armands, Avondale, Pinecraft and Bellevue Terrace; increased capacity on the fiber connections in the Sarasota area so they can carry 10 times more data; and more home and business internet options.

• The Central West Coast chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association is grateful to its annual sponsors, who have provided financial as well as in-kind support for the association’s professional development and networking activities.

CWC-FPRA’s annual corporate sponsors for the 2022-23 program year are Caldwell Trust Co. and Next-Mark; these two companies provided significant financial support to assist in the presentation of monthly professional development events and networking opportunities.

Joe Curley, a 50-year FPRA member, has continued his financial support of the local chapter, as well as serving as an at-large member of the board.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota and DeSoto Counties has donated the use of its Lee Wetherington Boys & Girls Club location for CWC-FPRA’s monthly programs. Sir Speedy has, again this year, provided graphic design and printing services for event programs and other promotional materials.

The award-winning local PR association meets monthly for professional development luncheons and networking.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Willis A. Smith Construction pushes Selby to fundraising goal