Southwest Florida: Congressman Byron Donald's Introduces Algal Blooms Act

SPRING 2022

VOL. 2 NO. 4

SPRING ISSUE

CONGRESSMAN DONALDS INTRODUCES THE PROTECTING COMMUNITIES FROM HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS ACT

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CONGRESSMAN DONALDS INTRODUCES THE PROTECTING COMMUNITIES FROM HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS ACT

Congressman Byron Donalds (R-FL) recently introduced the H.R. 7206 Protecting Communities from Harmful Algal Blooms Act, which allows for the inclusion of ‘algal blooms’ to the applicability of Major Disaster Declarations to preserve vital marine ecosystems.

“Water is Florida’s most important natural resource and serves as the heart & soul of Southwest Florida,” said Rep. Donalds. “I’m committed to advancing bipartisan policies that promote the preservation of our waterways against potential long-term damage resulting from harmful algal blooms. This bill gives state and local leaders the opportunity to request federal funding to protect their waterways for future generations to come. I’m thankful for my colleagues’ support in this effort to protect our nation’s marine ecosystems.”

“I’m proud to team up with Congressman Donalds to give Governor DeSantis the resources needed to clean up harmful algal blooms (HAB) as they arise. Keeping Florida’s coastline and waterways clean not only helps protect South Florida’s precious ecosystems for our children and grandchildren to enjoy for generations to come, but it is instrumental in protecting South Florida’s economic engine.

I urge Speaker Pelosi to pass this legislation through the House expeditiously to get Florida these vital resources,” Rep. Gimenez said.

“Unfortunately, Floridians are all too familiar with the environmental and economic damage that harmful algal blooms can inflict,” said Rep. Bilirakis. “This critical legislation will empower the Governor to seek a disaster declaration and accompanying federal support when these harmful situations arise. I also remain committed to investing in critical research regarding the best strategies for prevention, mitigation, containment and clean-up. We must protect our pristine coastline and the vital industries it supports.”

“Harmful Algal Blooms (HBA) not only pose a serious threat to the health of many of our nation’s estuaries, like the Indian River Lagoon, but are also dangerous to the economies and communities along their shores,” said Rep. Bill Posey, founder and co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional Estuary Caucus. “This important legislation will help give states and local governments more tools to fight and mitigate their effects.”

“Coastal communities in Florida have suffered for decades as a result of the massive toxic discharges from Lake Okeechobee by the Army Corps,” said Rep. Mast. “The federal government has played a huge role in causing this public health crisis, but they aren't taking responsibility for their actions. This bill would give the State of Florida and local governments another tool to recoup costs from the federal government for the damage they are causing.”

Co-Sponsors of this legislation include: Representatives Gus Bilirakis (FL-12), Kathy Castor (FL-14), Mario Diaz-Balart (FL-25, Scott Franklin (FL-15), Carlos Gimenez (FL-26), Al Lawson (FL-05), Brian Mast (FL-18), and Bill Posey (FL-08).

Mercer Advisors Acquires Cordasco Financial Network, Inc. Mercer Global Advisors, Inc. ("Mercer Advisors"), a full-service wealth management firm and national Registered Investment Adviser (RIA), today announced the acquisition of Cordasco Financial Network, Inc. ("CFN"), a respected wealth management firm headquartered in Naples, Florida. CFN serves over 400 clients with assets under management (AUM) of approximately $510 million. CFN was founded by Steve Cordasco, CEO, in 2011. CFN offers comprehensive financial planning and portfolio management to high-net-worth individuals, families, and corporate clientele. CFN's team will be joining Mercer Advisors.

With a staff of retirement specialists, CPAs, insurance consultants and more, CFN's team combines expertise in a variety of fields to design and implement customized solutions that help guide their clients towards economic success. CFN's recommendations are custom tailored to accommodate their clients' dreams and financial goals.

Commenting on the transaction, Founder Steve Cordasco stated: "I've built an RIA firm that delivers 'taxcentric' financial planning advice and employs multiple CPAs to make sure client tax consequence is considered and optimized as part of their overall financial planning experience. Contextually, we focus on where life meets wealth. In this regard, we provide multidisciplinary advice to our clients through CFP® professionals working hand-in-hand with our CPAs to provide holistic advice to our clientele. Our business model is successful, we are growing fast, but we lack the scale and leverage necessary to accommodate our growth with back-office responsibilities gobbling up valuable time and resources. I saw David Barton, Mercer Advisors Vice Chairman, speak at an industry conference and he coined the phrase, 'You either need to build scale, or join it, if you want to remain competitive.' I decided to join it rather than build it. I also loved Mercer Advisors' family office business model with in-house estate planning, tax return preparation, and corporate trustee services, which was a perfect fit with our business model. Of course, being able to offload back-office responsibilities to Mercer Advisors will add significant excess capacity to me and my team freeing us up to service more clients, and win new ones."

David Barton, Vice Chairman, who led this transaction on behalf of Mercer Advisors added: "Steve is an entrepreneur and great leader. He's also very good at business development. Steve's talents are rare and together we'll leverage one another's strengths to aggressively expand our Florida presence, including his satellite offices in the Northeast where we already have a heavy office footprint. Steve has also assembled a strong team which is very important to us. In our industry, you are only as good as your talent, and I believe our combined talent is superior. This transaction is a true win-win for all concerned."

Dave Welling, Chief Executive Officer of Mercer Advisors said, "Steve has built a great business and strong team, and they are highly respected wealth management professionals. In all respects, this union adds to our culture, our expertise and our commitment to local markets. We look forward to working together as we strive to deliver outsized results for our clientele."

Add 296 GTBa- heading Ferrari’s new mid-rear-engined berlinetta sports car

The 296 GTB, the latest evolution of Maranello’s mid-rearengined two-seater berlinetta, was premiered today during an online event broadcast on Ferrari’s social media and web channels.

The 296 GTB redefines the whole concept of fun behind the wheel, guaranteeing pure emotions not just when pushing the car to its limits, but also in day-to-day driving situations.

The 296 GTB ushers in an authentic revolution for Ferrari as it introduces a new engine type to flank the marque’s multi-awardwinning 8- and 12-cylinder power units: a new 663 cv 120° V6 coupled with an electric motor capable of delivering a further 122 kW (167 cv). This is the first 6-cylinder engine installed on a road car sporting the Prancing Horse badge; it unleashes its massive 830 cv total power output to deliver previously unthinkable performance levels and an innovative, exhilarating and unique soundtrack.

The car’s name, which combines its total displacement (2992 l) and number of cylinders was chosen, with the addition of the GTB (Gran Turismo Berlinetta) acronym in finest Ferrari tradition, to underscore this new engine’s epoch-changing importance to Maranello. It is not simply the living, beating heart of the 296 GTB, but it also ushers in a new V6 era that has its roots deep in Ferrari’s unparalleled 70-year-plus experience in motor sports.

The very first Ferrari V6, in fact, featured a 65° architecture and debuted on the 1957 1500 cc Dino 156 F2 single-seater. This was followed in 1958 by bigger displacement versions on the frontengined sport prototypes – the 196 S and 296 S – and F1 cars, such as the 246 F1 which powered Mike Hawthorn to the F1 Drivers’ Championship title the same year.

The 296 GTB is the first Ferrari road car to sport a V6 turbo with a vee with an angle of 120° between the cylinder banks, coupled with a plug-in electric motor. This new V6 has been designed and engineered from a clean sheet by Ferrari’s engineers specifically for this installation and is the first Ferrari to feature the turbos installed inside the vee. Aside from bringing significant advantages in terms of packaging, lowering the centre of gravity and reducing engine mass, this particular architecture helps deliver extremely high levels of power. The result is that the new Ferrari V6 has set a new specific power output record for a production car of 221 cv/l.

Thanks to its 663 cv and 221 cv/l, the 296 GTB’s ICE sets the new specific power output record for a production road car. Central to achieving this result was the introduction of the 120° vee configuration with equally-spaced firings as well as the positioning of the turbos inside the vee which produces a much more compact engine and optimally distributed masses.

The architecture is also ideal in terms of combustion sequence and the integration of the intake plenums and the engine supports on the intake sides of the cylinder heads. The engine is thus lighter and more compact because of the elimination of the plenums and exterior supports, while the fluid-dynamics benefit from the reduction in volumes, boosting intake efficiency. The 120° vee architecture, which offers more space between the cylinder banks than a 90° vee, meant the turbos could be installed centrally, thus significantly reducing the unit’s overall size and the distance the air has to cover to arrive in the combustion chamber, maximising the fluid dynamics and efficiency of the intake and exhaust line ducts.

Golisano Children’s Hospital Announces Pediatric Neurosurgery Program in collaboration with Johns Hopkins Keeping kids close to home, while providing innovative and life-saving care to the children in our region, is the mission of Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida.

On Tuesday, December 21, Golisano Children’s Hospital announced a new pediatric neurosurgery program, a collaboration with Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, designed to further fulfill that mission and expand healthcare services in Southwest Florida.

The new program will allow children who have neurological conditions which require surgery to receive that high level of care at Golisano Children’s Hospital instead of traveling outside of the area to larger cities, like Miami or St. Petersburg.

“We are so proud to be able to offer this service to the children and families in our community,” said Alyssa Bostwick, chief nurse executive and vice president of operations at Golisano Children’s Hospital. “There is a huge need in our region for pediatric neurosurgery, and more importantly, it’s growing every year. Due to the population growth in Southwest Florida, and younger families moving to the area, we’re seeing more and more children who need our services. This neurosurgery program, in affiliation with Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, has been two years in the making and we know it will have a major impact.”

The affiliation with Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital began in 2019 when the two organizations entered into an agreement to expand care for kids across Florida’s west coast by working together to deliver the highest quality care, leverage resources and create better value for families.

“When we began this collaboration with Golisano’s two years ago, our goal was to help expand care for children across the west coast of Florida,” said George Jallo, M.D., neurosurgeon, vice dean and physician-in-chief at Johns Hopkins All Children’s and medical director of the hospital’s Institute for Brain Protection Sciences. “As we looked to hone into our neurosurgery specialty, we’re proud of the work our team has done to train nursing staff and advanced practice providers and grow this program so that children in Southwest Florida have access to the right pediatric experts.”

Through the affiliation, the two children’s hospitals collaborate in several ways, including pediatric research studies and protocols, telehealth counseling and consultations, educational conferences, and the recruitment of a dedicated pediatric neurosurgeon to be based out of Golisano Children’s Hospital.

Through the extensive recruiting process, Dr. Theodore Spinks, a pediatric neurosurgeon with more than 15 years of experience, has been chosen to lead the neurosurgery program at Golisano Children’s Hospital.

He recently joined the team and has already performed several surgeries, allowing families to stay in Southwest Florida to receive this high level of care.

Initially, Dr. Spinks and the team at Golisano Children’s Hospital will focus on the management and treatment of brain and spine tumors, spina bifida, Chiari malformation, tethered cord, minimally invasive brain and spine surgery, and complex spine surgery. Additional services will be added over time.

“Location should never be a barrier for families,” said Dr. Spinks, chief of the neurosurgery program at Golisano Children’s Hospital. “Before this program, kids who needed that higher level of neurological care likely would have had to go to St. Petersburg or Miami, but now, they’re able to receive that care here at Golisano Children’s Hospital. We are so proud to be able to offer this life-saving service to the kids in our community.”

Golisano Children’s Hospital is extremely grateful for all the different events, organizations and community members that helped support this project, which is 100% funded by philanthropy. Leadership donors currently include The Bruning Foundation, Dave and Cheryl Copham, Amanda Cross and the Theodore Cross Family Charitable Foundation, The Fernandez Family Foundation, Bill and Julie Vitner, Barbara’s Friends, the Boston Red Sox Celebrity Golf Classic, The Fred B. Snite Foundation, The Forest Country Club, Gateway Trinity Lutheran Church, the International Jaguar Festival, Jersey Mike’s Subs, the Porsche Parade and SanCap Cares. The cause also has received a $1 million challenge grant from The Wasie Foundation.

Learn more about Golisano Children’s Hospital at GolisanoChildrensSWFL.org.

Learn more about Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital at HopkinsAllChildrens.org.

Supply Chain Issues Not Affecting True Fashionistas Resale And Consignment Store As Covid-related supply chain issues continue to deplete stocks of items consumers need and prefer at various businesses across the board, True Fashionistas (TF) confidently reports that there has been no slowdown of item availability in their inventory. True Fashionistas customers also continue to consign luxury designer goods and buy new selections from their authenticity-guaranteed collection at a brisk pace heading into the holiday shopping season.

True Fashionistas owner Jennifer Johnson

True Fashionistas' success mirrors secondhand sales throughout the U.S., as recently verified in the first annual Reuse Report by online marketplace Mercari. The report projects that Americans will spend over $160 billion on secondhand items in 2021 alone. True Fashionistas, Florida's largest designer resale store, has also seen a recent uptick in sales and, concurrently, has upgraded their website to accommodate the surge in global traffic. Their brick-and-mortar store is also set to move into a larger space in December 2021 to offer an improved in-person shopping experience.

True Fashionistas owner Jennifer Johnson said, "Although we were initially concerned about depleted inventory due to supply chain problems, we have been pleasantly surprised to see the opposite happen. The numbers that consign their designer pieces with us are up from a year ago, and the people shopping with us have steadily increased as well over the past five years."

The Mercari report indicates that 62.9% of the adult American population, or approximately 165 million people, have sold at least one secondhand item in the past 12 months. This finding aligns with both TF sales and consignment numbers, as True Fashionistas continues to be a popular destination for those looking to freshen their designer collection at a lesser cost in southwest Florida.

For more information about True Fashionistas and to contact Jennifer Johnson, please call 239-596-5044 or email Jennifer@truefashionistas.com

Avelo Announces Nonstop Connecticut to Sarasota Avelo Airlines today announced the addition of its sixth Florida destination – Sarasota-Bradenton. Beginning in January, Avelo will fly between Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (SRQ) and Southern Connecticut's Tweed-New Haven Airport (HVN).

The service on Boeing Next Generation 737-700 aircraft starts January 13, 2022. With the addition of Sarasota-Bradenton, Avelo will now serve six destinations in Florida. SRQ joins Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Orlando, Palm Beach and Tampa.

"We are excited to offer this new, convenient and affordable direct service between Southern Connecticut and Sarasota-Bradenton," said Avelo Chairman and CEO Andrew Levy. "With our very low fares and HVN's unmatched convenience, traveling between Connecticut and The Sunshine State is easier than ever."

The flight will operate Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Flight 306 departs SRQ at 5:50 p.m., arriving HVN at 8:40 p.m., on Tuesdays. Thursdays and Sundays flight 306 departs SRQ at 7:45 p.m., arriving HVN at 10:35 p.m. Return flights will operate Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Flight 305 departs HVN at 2 p.m., arriving SRQ at 5:10 p.m., on Tuesdays. On Thursday and Sundays flight 305 departs HVN at 3:55 p.m., arriving SRQ at 7:05 p.m.

Situated along Florida's picturesque southwest coast, Sarasota's white-sand beaches, turquoise gulf waters and year-round outdoor lifestyle make it the perfect winter escape. In addition to Sarasota's postcard-perfect coastline, visitors enjoy flavor-erupting dining, world class shopping and a diverse arts and entertainment scene. From Longboat Key south to Venice, Sarasota is an ideal gateway for visitors seeking unique and memorable experiences – or simply a beautiful and quiet spot to recharge.

"We are thrilled that Avelo Airlines has chosen Sarasota Bradenton International Airport to be part of their air service network. With low fares and convenient nonstop service, passengers will have an affordable connection between two high-demand destinations. We look forward to welcoming Avelo Airlines to SRQ and we're confident their service will be a great success and expand in the future," said Rick Piccolo, Sarasota Bradenton International Airport president, chief executive officer.

Best known as the home of Yale University, New Haven is the second largest city in Connecticut and is part of the New York metropolitan area. The coastal city has experienced—and continues to enjoy—a renaissance. Within an easy stroll from the New Haven Green are more than 100 distinctive restaurants, offering something for every palate, and the city abounds with theaters, museums, and shopping destinations to satisfy all interests and tastes.

New Haven has a rich cultural heritage, from museums and theatres to music festivals and entertainment throughout the year, including the New Haven Jazz Festival, the annual St. Patrick's Day Parade, and the Wooster Square Cherry Blossom Festival that regularly bring thousands of visitors to the city.

"For years we've talked about expanding air service to and from Connecticut and Avelo's decision to add non-stop service between Sarasota and New Haven - their sixth destination at the airport - will finally give customers an affordable and reliable option to get from the gulf coast to growing hub in New England," said Tweed-New Haven Airport Authority Executive Director Sean Scanlon.

Amidst the crowds, long lines, lengthy walks and traffic congestion encountered at other airports frequented by travelers to and from the region, HVN offers a refreshingly smooth and simple alternative hometown airport experience. HVN's adjacency to multiple major highways and commuter railways make it Connecticut's most convenient and easily accessible airport.

Avelo is investing $1.2 million to help upgrade and modernize facilities and operations as part of an overall $100 million project at HVN which will include a new terminal and extended runway spearheaded by airport operator Avports. Avelo and HVN are hiring more than 100 aviation professionals by the end of the year who will be based at the airport.

Avelo is the first airline to offer nonstop flights between HVN and Florida. Avelo's arrival to HVN also marks the largest expansion of service at HVN in more than 30 years.

Yacht Rental Demand Is Soaring, Coast Yachts Expands Chicago Charter Fleet With Sunseeker Predator 60 Coast Yacht Charter experiences are the essence of the luxury lifestyle. Coast Yachts' fleet of charter yachts are not your typical charter boats. They are hand-picked based upon quality, maintenance reliability and, of course, good looks.

Coast Yachts, the private yacht charter and yacht management company with operations in Chicago, Miami and the Bahamas, is answering the call for larger, newer and more luxurious yachts on Lake Michigan, adding the Sunseeker Predator 60 to its yacht rental fleet in Chicago.

The Sunseeker Predator 60, named City Life, boasts a length overall of nearly 64 feet and a width just shy of 17 feet, creating the most spacious entertaining venue of any yacht in its range. Operating in total compliance with the United States Coast Guard regulations and safety protocols, City Life comfortably holds up to 13 guests and is operated by a licensed captain along with an experienced cabin concierge to attend to City Life's guests' every need. The yacht has a tender garage with water toys, a submersible swim platform, two sun-pads, a large dining table, outdoor seating for all guests, five satellite televisions, a concert quality sound system, a cockpit grill, three refrigerators, a wine refrigerator, two freezers, a Yeti cooler, two heads, two fullsize showers, two queen beds, a saloon lounge, a massive retractable cockpit moon roof and more.

"The demand for our yacht charter and yacht membership programs have reached all-time highs in the past 12 months," says Jason De Palma, Founder of Coast Yachts. "Our member-operated boat club fleet was sold out preseason, and our yacht charter fleet is nearing full capacity. We need more yachts to keep up with the flood of new entrants to the market. We are actively shopping for more boats and pursuing yacht owners who have an appetite for revenue and tax depreciation. City Life is joining the Coast family at the perfect time. She is an amazing yacht, one of the largest and highest quality yacht available for charter in Chicago."

Coast Yachts manages an expanding fleet of company-owned watercraft as well as a privately owned fleet offering management, concierge, cleaning, maintenance and crew services to yacht owners. The Coast Yachts Owner's Club program was designed to make a boat owner's happiest day, every day. There are three levels of yacht care to choose from along with optional charter revenue to offset fixed costs.

For more information about Coast Yachts or to inquire about its programs and services, call 888-733-5885 or visit www.ownthesea.com.

Coveted Designer Mariano "Lavi" Feliciano Join's Luxury Chamber Naples

Kyle A. Cavaliere is being recognized by Continental Who's Who Kyle A. Cavaliere is being recognized by Continental Who's Who as a Distinguished Executive for his excellent work in the field of Business Strategy and Talent Optimization and in acknowledgment of his work as the Owner and CEO of Style Analytics, Inc and President of Luxury Chamber SW FL. Before founding Style Analytics Inc., Mr. Cavaliere worked as the Owner of Cavaliere Ent Inc. Mr. Cavaliere has over ten years of experience in the field.

As the Owner of Style Analytics, Inc., Mr. Cavaliere helps businesses transform their processes and strategies and utilize the talent on staff acquired to form highperforming teams to optimize the company, increase productivity, and maximize efficiency. He specializes in fraud detection and monitoring, finding lost funds, management consulting, and assisting teams as they plan asset protection programs for the future.

He offers introductory consultations, where he discusses his clients' goals, execution of their plans, and helps plan fresh new projects.

Among other tools, he is a Certified Talent Optimization Consultant, and utilizes the Predictive Index as a large part of his management consulting tools. Mr. Cavaliere founded Style Analytics Inc. in March 2021, taking on the role of CEO. He works to implement new business strategies to create ultra-efficient work processes. He is ready to tackle any challenge and put his clients on the path to success. He believes the key to his success is his deep focus, strict discipline, and hard work.

In his newest acquisition in September 2021, Mr. Cavaliere became the President of Luxury Chamber SW FL. The company creates enjoyable cultural networking events by connecting purveyors of luxury goods and services with brand aficionados and philanthropists. They create unique charity events at popular venues, and are proud to share high-quality referrals, educational opportunities, and member benefits with the exclusive list of members and celebrities.

Mr. Cavaliere's most outstanding achievement is opening Style Analytics and Luxury Chamber SW FL, where he loves working one-on-one with his clients to improve their businesses. He looks forward to expanding the companies to a national or global audience.

He holds certifications as a Certified Talent Optimization Consultant and a Certified Business Consultant. To stay abreast of developments in the field, he is an Elite Member of FoundersCard.

For more information and to schedule a consultation, visit https://www.styleanalyticsinc.com/ or email him at kyle@styleanalyticsinc.com