SRQ Magazine | January 2024

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Contents january 2024

an anchor for the arts 44

After a rough year—or 10—it’s a new day on Palm Avenue, as a whole cluster of new, relocating and returning galleries have set up shop near the southern end, threatening to revitalize the once-famous gallery scene that made Palm Avenue an art collector’s destination.

WRITTEN BY PHIL LEDERER | PHOTOGRAPHY BY WYATT KOSTYGAN

the way to wellness 56

Integrative healthcare is an approach that combines conventional medicine with complementary and alternative therapies to address the physical, mental, and emotional aspects of a person’s well-being. This holistic model recognizes that health is influenced by a variety of factors, including lifestyle, environment, and individual circumstances. WRITTEN BY KATE WIGHT | PHOTOGRAPHY BY WYATT KOSTYGAN

the great outdoors 62

The cooler temps of January make it a great time to get out and enjoy nature and what better way to experience the great outdoors than by camping? For all in-tents and purposes, we’ve rounded up four local campgrounds for your next perfect adventure. WRITTEN BY LAURA PAQUETTE | PHOTOGRAPHY BY WYATT KOSTYGAN

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contents january 2024

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Croquet every day keeps the doctor away–unless that doctor is John Goldener, retired pediatrician and president of the Sarasota Croquet Club. Sarasota’s Alice Bixler was inducted into the National BMX Hall of Fame in October 2023 for her contributions to the sport. With an ocean of creative ideas, chef Jeremy Thayer joins the Daiquiri Deck team. Pine View School eighth-graders shoot for the stars, sending their science experiment to the International Space Station. Former professional baseball player, Sue Zipay, hosted

the 2nd Annual All-American Women’s Baseball Classic Tournament in Sarasota this past November. Marie Selby Botanical Gardens recently anointed Dr. Uzi Baram as their Director of Public Archeology. Ingrid Carozzi, the founder of Brooklyn-based Tin Can Studios, plants the seeds of floral inspiration at the Founders Garden Club of Sarasota’s annual Flower Talk.

culture city 41

Pamela Olin brings figures to life with her creative sculpting techniques. A look at the galleries anchoring the Palm Avenue art scene.

forage 102

New marquee Wellen Park concept brings style and ambiance to south county at The Banyan House Restaurant.

giving coast 107 Without a personal agenda or political aspiration, Mary Kay Henson provides opportunities for children to succeed.

last flight 112

Cover: Creative comforts with Timberline Glamping Co. run by franchise owners Anayancy and Alex Escarpanter, the Sarasota branch, image courtesy of Timberline Glamping Co. This page: Curated local camping gear; local sculptor Pamela Olin working in her home studio; and, The Banyan House Restaurant’s local Golden Beet Salad is both earthy and refreshing, photography by Wyatt Kostygan.

Hosana Fieber shares a bit about herself in our latest Last Flight feature, giving us a glimpse into the life of this newest Tervis CEO.

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JANUARY 2024 CEO / PRESIDENT / EDITOR IN CHIEF

LISL LIANG EXECUTIVE PUBLISHER

WES ROBERTS SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS AND ENGAGEMENT

Ashley Grant ACCOUNTS + CLIENT SERVICE AND DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR

Robinson Valverde SENIOR SALES AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT EXECUTIVE

Suzanne Munroe SALES AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT EXECUTIVE

Nichole Knutson Rob Wardlaw VP OF PHOTOGRAPHY + VIDEO

Wyatt Kostygan MANAGING EDITOR

Barbie Heit CLIENT MARKETING+ DIGITAL PROGRAMS MANAGER

Gabriella Alfonso DIGITAL MARKETING + EVENTS MANAGER

Megan Mitchell CONTRIBUTING ART DIRECTOR + SENIOR DESIGNER

Virginia Jankovsky EDITORIAL ASSOCIATES

Dylan Campbell Emma Dannenfelser Laura Paquette CONTRIBUTING EDITORS + ARTISTS

Andrew Fabian, Kari King, Phil Lederer, Chris Leverett, Jacob Ogles, Kate Wight

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GET SRQ DAILY The magazine in your hands offers enormous insight into our community, but the most informed in our community follow our constant coverage of Sarasota and the Bradenton Area in SRQ Daily. The electronic newsletter is a must-read in thousands of inboxes. Check our special editions: Monday Business Edition, Tuesday Foodie Edition, Wednesday Philanthropy Edition, Thursday Family and Education Edition, Friday Weekend Edition and the much-discussed Saturday Perspectives Edition, featuring a diverse range of opinions from the region’s top pundits and newsmakers. SIGN UP ONLINE AT SRQMAG.COM/SRQDAILY

ORIGINS OF “SRQ” The “SRQ” in SRQ magazine originates from the designated call letters for the local Sarasota Bradenton International Airport.

“SR” was the original abbreviation for the airport before the growth in total number of airports required the use of a three-letter code. Letters like “X” and “Q” were used as filler, thus the original “SR” was revised to “SRQ,” much as the Los Angeles airport became “LAX.” As a regional publication committed to the residents of and visitors to both Sarasota and Manatee counties, SRQ captures the place that we call home.

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This page: John Goldener strives to provide members of the Sarasota County Croquet Club with physical, mental and emotional wellbeing through the game of croquet.

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STORIES ABOUT THE LOCAL PEOPLE, PLACES AND EXPERIENCES THAT DEFINE OUR HOMETOWN

PLAY CROQUET

The Solomon Trophy Event Brings Competitive Croquet to Sarasota. Barbie Heit CROQUET EVERY DAY KEEPS THE DOCTOR AWAY— unless that doctor is John Goldener, retired pediatrician

and president of the Sarasota Croquet Club. The Club, which is nonprofit and volunteer-driven, was founded approximately 25 years ago by a woman named Jackie Jones. Over the years, it has undergone significant growth and development making it the largest public croquet club in the country. Goldener himself started playing croquet at age 65. He retired at 69, moved from Philly to the Sunshine State and began playing at least three days every week, which he says is just about the age when most people start playing. Currently the average club member is 75 with many members well into their 90s. As president, Goldener says he is clearly interested in helping the club grow, but most importantly, he is promoting physical, intellectual and emotional wellbeing through the vehicle of croquet.

“As a retired doctor, I'm concerned about people's health and welfare,” he says. “Playing croquet, you walk about one mile an hour so if you play for three hours, you've walked three miles, or 6,000 steps. You also need to bend and stretch. Most 90-year-olds don’t do that as part of their daily routine.” But physical activity is not the only benefit Goldener sees. “The goal of this game is to try to score multiple wickets in one turn by hitting the balls and getting extra shots, but you have to keep track of that, so there's a mental or intellectual part of playing and that's good for seniors.” Last but definitely not least, Goldener sees croquet as a benefit to the participants’ emotional wellbeing. “We have an epidemic of loneliness in the United States among the elderly. A majority of the people over 75 are single PHOTOGRAPHY BY WYATT KOSTYGAN.

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and they're alone and physically and emotionally vulnerable. We provide a social connection–the glue that holds a community together. So people that are alone can come out here and meet others just like them–and it doesn’t matter if they’re male or female– the founder of this club is a woman and I still think she has the lowest woman's handicap in the United States.”

The Sarasota Croquet Club is not just for seniors, however. This past November, the Club and the United States Croquet Association, in partnership with Visit Sarasota County, hosted the prestigious Solomon Trophy, a triennial event pitting the best croquet players from the United States against their counterparts from Great Britain at Wellfield Park in Venice. This historic competition took place srq magazine_ JAN24 live local | 15

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on the newly improved lawns and state-of-the-art facilities of the Sarasota County Croquet Club, marking the first time the Solomon Trophy event has graced Sarasota County. The competition featured the six best association players from the United States playing against the six top players from Great Britain. The selection of Sarasota as the event's host location underscored the club's commitment to maintaining a world-class playing surface, and it is an acknowledgment of the quality of the club's lawns.

Damon Bidencope is the president of the US Croquet Association. He works to provide resources in a scalable way so that clubs can function better and has helped Goldener bring the event and its players to Sarasota. “This tournament was started back in the 80s when some representatives from England, where the game was played a lot, came and visited the United States and John Solomon gave this cup to have an exchange back and forth between England and the US,” he shares. “It really helped the US get on its feet 16 | srq magazine_ JAN24 live local

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40 years ago in terms of developing player exposure to top play and establishing international connections and there's a lot of camaraderie and pride in which country takes home the trophy.”

Stephen Mulliner, a championship-winning English international croquet player has been enjoying competitive play for decades. “Croquet of all its forms is a mixture of the physical, the consciously mental, tactical, strategic and the psychological,” he shares. “I've been fascinated with it for a long time and it's kept me out of trouble. My wife is now getting a bit of a dividend because she can travel to nice places like Sarasota.” When the exciting and prestigious five-day event came to a close, Team USA claimed victory, taking the 2023 Solomon Trophy for the third time and the first since 2011. Overall, Great Britain leads Solomon play 23-3. Goldener was thrilled to host the event locally and is hopeful that more residents will follow the doctor’s orders and come to check out the Sarasota County Croquet Club and one of the fastest growing sports in the U.S. SRQ

Visit To learn more about the Sarasota County Croquet Club, visit sarasotacountycroquet.com

PHOTOGRAPHY BY WYATT KOSTYGAN.

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PICKING HER LINE

Below: BMX racing has evolved into one of the country's fastest growing and most thrilling sports.

Sarasota resident Alice Bixler played a pivotal role in the growth of BMX racing not only in Florida but across the country. Dylan Campbell

“EVERYBODY PICKS THEIR LINE AND ONCE YOU KNOW HOW YOU’RE GOING TO GO AROUND THE TRACK, you just hang on tight and aim

for that spot,” says Alice Bixler. Bicycle Motocross is in Bixler’s blood. Literally. Born into a motorcycle family, Bixler’s father owned Hap’s Cycle Sales in Sarasota. Once known for exclusively selling motorcycles, Hap’s has now expanded their inventory to BMX bikes and cruisers as well–the result of a decision that Bixler made in 1974, when she took her son and the neighborhood kids to the local BMX track in Sarasota. It was a decision, it turns out, that would change the course of her adult life.

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“I got involved in Bicycle Motocross in the early 70s, because the neighborhood kids knew I was a motorcycle lady and that I had a trailer and a van to take their gear to the local track,” says Bixler. “It sounded like something fun, my son was four and a half years old and he wanted to try it out as well, and that’s how we got to the BMX track. Once there, they needed someone to score the races and I used to score motorcycle races, so I volunteered.”

From that day on, Bixler never stopped volunteering.

In October, Bixler was inducted into the National BMX Hall of Fame as a Lifetime Achievement Inductee for her contributions to the sport of BMX racing. What began in the early 70s as a mother volunteering at her children’s sporting events, snowballed into so much more. Because while most parents might just bring apple slices and sports drinks, Bixler brought something else entirely–an intense passion for the burgeoning sport and the people surrounding it.

In the early 1970s, BMX racing was only just beginning. Inspired by the motocross racers of their time, children in Southern California began racing their bikes on dirt tracks and not long after that, the high-speed sport became a national phenomenon.

In 1974, the Sarasota BMX track–now the oldest continuously running BMX track in America–was built and people like Bixler flocked to the sport. In 1979, 20 | srq magazine_ JAN24 live local

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after a few years of volunteering, and even competing in the 24 inch cruiser class, Bixler became even more involved when she joined the board of the newly established Sunshine State BMX Association (SSA), an organization designed to grow BMX in Florida and organize the state championship series. Soon after, Bixler became the State Race Commissioner of Florida.

During Bixler’s 28 years as commissioner, not only did she shepard countless improvements to Sarasota’s BMX track, she was responsible for Florida becoming nationally renowned as one of the largest and most prolific BMX programs in what was then the National Bicycle League (NBL). In the NBL’s President’s Cup, a state against state competition that pitted the best riders in various age groups against each other, Bixler was the coach for Florida’s team. Florida won the President’s Cup 23 out of the 26 times the event was held. “The SSA is probably the largest BMX program in the country,” says Bixler. “Some of the tracks in Florida are the best in the nation. I’d say the quality of our tracks and the amount of training offered here are what has made us so dominant–in Sarasota we have training programs every Saturday for all skill levels from kids who’ve never set foot on the track to the really fast kids trying to be Olympians. Any child that can ride a bike can come out and we’ll start teaching them.” SRQ

Above, left to right: Young athletes enjoy racing around Sarasota's BMX track, the oldest continuously-running BMX track in the country. Alice Bixler has been instrumental in making Florida one of the hotspots for BMX racing.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY WES ROBERTS AND COURTESY OF ALICE BIXLER.

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GOOD VIBES. GOOD EATS.

Daiquiri Deck’s new Corporate Chef and Director of Culinary Jeremy Thayer adds his twist to the eatery’s fun flavors. Laura Paquette WHETHER YOU LIVE IN SARASOTA OR ARE VISITING ON A TROPICAL GETAWAY,

chances are you like to kick back and relax at a local eatery like Daiquiri Deck. Founded in the early 1990s, Daiquiri Deck restaurants have become favorite local institutions beloved for their wall of playful daiquiris, welcoming atmosphere and classic beach grub. Renowned chef Jeremy Thayer joined the Daiquiri Deck team as a consultant in August of 2022 and became the company’s Corporate Chef and Director of Culinary this past January, where he’s launching his spirited take on nostalgic and comforting dishes that echo the brand’s laid-back vibe.

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Thayer graduated from the Culinary Institute of America, worked as a senior sous chef for Wegmans Market Café and was a chef instructor and chef de cuisine at the Statler Hotel at Cornell University.

Through his connections at Wegmans, he learned about an effort to serve food at Ground Zero during 9/11. For two weeks, Thayer and other chefs cooked up meals and transported them to first responders at Ground Zero, and he says that it was the most humbling life experience he’s ever had. Upon moving to Florida, he left his mark at Sarasota establishments like Grove, IMG Academy, Mattison's Restaurants and the Sarasota Art Museum’s Bistro. “I’m not one of those chefs that likes to boast about my accomplishments.

I feel like I’ve been lucky, have worked hard and been fortunate with the jobs and places I’ve worked for, and they’ve all been great,” he says.

After meeting with Ed Rensi, a restaurant consultant and regular at Bistro, Thayer learned of a potential opportunity to collaborate with Daiquiri Deck’s key players who were looking to grow and open more locations. He interviewed with Daiquiri Deck’s President, Matt Grover, and Main Owner, Troy Syprett. “I took their menu, and we condensed it down and gave them a bunch of cool new ideas. I did two tastings with them to let them see what they could have working with the same ingredients that they currently have in their kitchens, and they were just kind of blown away by that,” he adds. About a week later, Grover and Syprett offered Thayer the company’s corporate chef job, which he accepted.

While refreshing the restaurant’s menu, Thayer visited Daiquiri Deck’s various locations as well as other local restaurants. “I’m not a Floridian, but I did spend a lot of time here growing up. When I moved here from upstate New York in 2005, I fell in love with everything that South Florida has, and I love the food and having everything at your fingertips all year round. I looked at the menu and wanted to fit into their culture of good vibes, good food, good people and good times, and I went back to my roots of growing up in upstate New York and loving foods that were more regional and central to the area where they originated,” he says. “I did a little bit of investigating

PHOTOGRAPHY BY WYATT KOSTYGAN.

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Visit Daiquiri Deck; Daiquiri Deck Siesta Key Village, 5250 Ocean Blvd., Sarasota, 941-349-8697, Daiquiri Deck Island of Venice, 300 W. Venice Ave., Venice, 941-488-0649, Daiquiri Deck St. Armands Circle, 325 John Ringling Blvd., Sarasota, 941-3883325, Daiquiri Deck South Siesta Key, 1250 Stickney Point Rd., Siesta Key, 941-312-2422, Daiquiri Deck Anna Maria Island, 107 Bridge St., Bradenton Beach, 941-253-3300; daiquirideck.com.

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Below, clockwise: The Calabacitas Bowl is made with zucchini , yellow squash, pickled red onion, red pepper, sweet corn, black beans, avocado, pico de gallo, cilantro lime aioli and rice; Jeremy Thayer in the Daiquiri Deck; kitchen; and, Jambalaya with crawfish, sausage, shrimp, peppers, onions, celery, scallions, tomatoes, garlic and rice.

with other restaurants to see what other people were doing, and I wanted Daiquiri Deck to be different and stand out.” One challenge Thayer experienced was crafting dishes that were elevated yet approachable.

He leaned into his love for Cajun Creole flavors and French-influenced New Orleans cuisine in creating the Good Ole Po Boys, which he hopes will transport patrons back to Mardi Gras of days gone by or conjure up other nostalgic memories of the sandwich. He also experimented with seafood in the lobster pasta, with marsala, shiitake mushrooms, cream sauce, arugula and shaved parmesan tossed in a pappardelle pasta. “When I made that and gave it to Troy in our second tasting, he immediately said ‘This needs to be a signature dish.

This screams Daiquiri Deck.’ We get a lot of tourists, so for me, it was trying to put something on the menu that was a little upscale, but not so intimidating where

people felt like ‘I don’t feel comfortable with that or this isn’t the place that could have this kind of good food,’” he says. Thayer also incorporated his whimsical style into the brunch menu, crafting dishes like coconut shrimp and waffles that blend the bounties of the sea with breakfast icons.

For Thayer, cooking represents more than the assemblage of ingredients. “I’m a dad of three kids, and everything used to revolve around our dinner table. I feel that food is something like breaking bread, where you can bring people together,” he adds. “This happens a lot during Thanksgiving and the Feast of the Seven Fishes, but I think we can have that every day with good food that brings people together, releases endorphins that make them happy and have good moments with friends, family and strangers out in the restaurant.” SRQ

PHOTOGRAPHY BY WYATT KOSTYGAN.

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TRAVEL BACK IN TIME Uzi Baram, Director of Public Archeology at Selby Gardens, shows us there’s a lot to learn from the past. Dylan Campbell

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DR. UZI BARAM IS A TIME TRAVELER OF SORTS. “My passion is to interpret and represent the past,” says

Dr. Baram, who in August joined the staff of Marie Selby Botanical Gardens as the Director of Public Archaeology. Dr. Baram comes to Selby Gardens after 25 years of teaching at New College of Florida, where he was a professor of anthropology and created New College’s Public Archeology Laboratory. In 2019, Dr. Baram was awarded the Archaeological Conservancy Award by the History and Preservation Coalition of Sarasota County–he is best known locally for his work in the discovery of the early 19th-century settlement of Angola, a maroon community along the Manatee River that was a haven for escaped slaves and Native Americans deprived of their traditional lands.

Left: After 25 years of teaching at New College of Florida, Dr. Uzi Baram has joined our local botanical gardens as Director of Public Archaeology, shown at the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, Spanish Point campus.

Dr. Baram’s arrival at Selby Gardens comes just three years after the organization purchased Historic Spanish Point–a 29 acre museum and environmental complex that is home to some of the area’s most prominent archaeological remnants dating back to nearly 5,000 years ago and lasting two thousand years. The creation of Dr. Baram’s position is twofold: not only is it an attempt by Selby Gardens to better understand and protect the land they now own, but it is also a way to educate the community about the area in only a way that an expert who has spent the better part of two decades studying the land can do.

“This region of Florida is really understudied but contains a really fascinating mix of histories that I felt as a community member people needed to know about,” says Dr. Baram. “There’s just so much here in terms of interesting material, phenomenon and landscapes– between Tampa Bay and Charlotte Harbor we have material remains of humans going back more than 14,000 years. I think sharing that history enlivens this place and as people get to know this heritage they'll have better connections to this place and to each other.”

The land at Historic Spanish Point contains layers upon layers of history–literally. Baked into the ground over the course of thousands of years, lies a prehistoric shell mound or midden, a mound created from the shells of nearby marine life and domestic waste. “At Historic Spanish Point, we have evidence from the Archaic Period, going back nearly 5,000 years and lasting two thousand years, of what’s known as a shell ring–these giant mounds typically found on the coastline around the Southeast. This one is in the shape of a horseshoe with a height of 4.5 meters and a diameter of 140 meters,” says Dr. Baram. “People were living as hunter gatherers and on a seasonal basis, would come to this spot and create these large scale monuments to which they’d return to have festivals, share information, exchange mates and the rest. That went on for thousands of years.”

PHOTOGRAPHY BY WES ROBERTS

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A large part of what Dr. Baram does at Selby Gardens is interpreting the past–using evidence and contextual clues to determine what might have occurred and how it factors into where we are today. At Selby Gardens, Dr. Baram will not be excavating. He does, however, have enough data to provide theories about what life might have been like 1220,000 years ago, in the Paleo-Indian period. Today, for instance, we live in the age of rising sea levels. However, 20,000 years ago, during the last Ice Age, the sea levels were much lower–the west coast of Florida would have protruded 50 miles further into the ocean. However, as the glacial ice melted away, those water levels eventually began to rise. “For generations after generations the people of this Paleo-Indian period got used to the coastline coming in. The stories they would tell is that when you went to the coastline it was always closer, however eventually that pattern stopped and the sea levels stabilized until around 30 years ago,” says Dr. Baram. “We’re living in the age of rising sea levels and are trying to make sense of it, it’s a challenge for us. For the archaic era people, the challenge was ‘why isn’t the sea coming towards us anymore?’. It changed. It seems that they marked the coastline with these big monuments and would come once annually, where they would get food from the coast, have big celebrations and check that it hadn’t moved.”

Dr. Baram’s sense is that these monuments or shell middens like the one found at Spanish Point, were used by the people of that time to mark the areas of the coast to show that sea levels had stabilized. In an era of accelerated climate change, it’s not only interesting but critical to look back on how humans dealt with rising sea levels, even if it was thousands of years ago. “In the last 30 years, seas are rising, which means that this area that has been stable for 6,000 years is now getting eroded by wave action. One of the difficult questions is what do we do?” says Dr. Baram.

“We’re in a really interesting situation where we can learn from these ancient people how to make sense of climate change and focus on how to deal with it as well.” SRQ

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SHOOT FOR THE STARS Local middle school students send their science experiment to the International Space Station. Emma Dannenfelser

Below, left to right: Eighthgraders Felix Ratner, Rugan Suresh, Yatharth Kakkad and Rishik Yellua hope to join the next generation of scientists and space explorers.

FOUR PINE VIEW SCHOOL STUDENTS SHOT FOR THE STARS AND LANDED ON THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION (ISS). Through the

Student Spaceflight Experiment Program (SSEP), the eighth-graders designed a unique research project, achieving the honor of sending the experiment on SSEP Mission 17 to the ISS aboard the SpaceX Falcon 9 that launched in November. The journey started in September 2022 for Rugan Suresh, Felix Ratner, Rishik Yellu and Yatharth Kakkad. While some students at Pine View participated during class for a grade, the teammates participated for no credit, simply out of inherent curiosity and passion for science. The boys were friends before deciding to work together on the experiment, but the year-long endeavor brought them even closer through teamwork and collaboration.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY WYATT KOSTYGAN.

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“Seeing something that our team has spent so much time on, collaborating with the various researchers and professors that made the entire project possible, was truly a moment I can state as a highlight of my life,” shares Kakkad. SSEP is a nonprofit created in 2013 by the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education that gives students from fifth grade through college the chance to create an experiment that will be executed in microgravity by astronauts. It begins with students submitting an experiment proposal to their community’s committee, which could be a whole county or town, or individual schools like Pine View, which had around 350 students participating. SSEP Mission 17 received 2,261 submitted proposals and 12,859 participating students in the competition. The selected experiments came from students across the nation and overseas, with one from students in Canada and another from Ukraine.

The group’s experiment tests the effect of microgravity on microalga Chlorella vulgaris and its ability to remove nitrogen and phosphorus from wastewater. The team chose this specific topic because microalga water purification systems could one day make a pivotal contribution to space research. “We take water for granted even though it's not easily accessible for everyone. As we travel to the next frontier, we still need water as a source of fuel. You can go three minutes without air, three days without water and three weeks without food, so we thought ‘why don't we take on those three days?’,” says Suresh.

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The sheer wonder of watching the SpaceX rocket launch into space from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral took Ratner’s breath away, rendering him speechless in the unforgettable moment that culminated after a year of hard-work and dedication. The group’s teacher, Marie Rosander, shared in the enthusiasm. “The kids were so excited and were jumping up and down the whole time, with their family and teachers there supporting them. Seeing all their hard work and that rocket being launched had me in tears. You can't describe it—it's one of those once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for them, and for me,” she says. “This is what science should be like. If we can inspire students to know that nothing is impossible, that’s what I want from it.”

For the boys, SSEP has given them more confidence in their abilities and more ambition to chase their dreams.

“This project has built more confidence in myself and my capability to do big things; it’s a truly amazing and quite rare experience,” says Yellu. After the experiment is completed, the team will write a research paper on their findings, a paper that will be cited by professional scientists in the future, showing how the program not only gives students the ability to learn more about space and science but also take control of their future by working on issues that will be prevalent for the next generation. “It's a wonderful thing to be able to work on real science and send a real experiment to the ISS,” says Ratner. “We're going to get real results, and those results could have longterm impacts. It could alleviate water shortages and help push humanity further into space.” SRQ

Above, clockwise: The boys researched and fine-tuned their microalga experiment at both Mote Marine and University of South Florida research labs; the experiment was launched into space aboard the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that took off on November; watching the rocket take-off was a memory the boys will never forget. "Watching the Falcon 9 rocket take off was astonishing, mesmerizing and certainly a once-in-alifetime moment," Yellu says.

IMAGES COURTESY OF PINE VIEW SCHOOL.

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SUE ZIPAY THROWS LIKE A GIRL Baseball lifer Sue Zipay wants women to have a professional league of their own once again. Dylan Campbell

SUE ZIPAY HAS ALWAYS LOVED BASEBALL. The sport had always been a part of her, a piece of her identity growing up as a “tomboy” in

Hingham, Massachusetts. But when Sue reached high school, something changed. Baseball was no longer her sport–girls weren’t allowed to play. Instead, she had to play softball, a sport that she hadn’t spent years playing, adoring and excelling at. Sue never forgot that moment. That was in 1952. Flash forward 71 years and Sue still loves baseball. No surprise there. What is surprising, however, is that in the 70-odd years after Sue was forced to leave baseball there still isn’t a place for women in the sport. And that fires Sue up.

“I’ve had girls who are 13, 14, 15 years old come crying to me about how now that they’re out of Little League they have to switch to softball and that they don’t like softball and I think to myself, that was me so many years ago,” she says. “I had to play softball while I looked over at the boys baseball team in school and knew that I could play as well as they could.”

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IMAGE COURTESY OF SUE ZIPAY.

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Below, clockwise: The long legacy of female athletes helps to inspire Sue Zipay's case. Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan of USA after the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup Final match between USA and Netherlands; Thibus Ysaora (France) - Kiefer Lee (USA) during FIE Fencing Grand Prix 2020 - Inalpi Trophy Sword; 9-Time Grand Slam Champion Billie Jean King during 2019 US Open opening night ceremony at USTA National Tennis Center in New York.

Sue, now a grandmother and resident of Englewood, is working to change that. While the passing of Title IX in 1974 prohibited sex-based discrimination in any school or education program and gave way to a considerable increase in the funding of and participation in women’s student athletics, it also pushed more and more girls into softball.

If a female student athlete wanted to play baseball past Little League, they had to find

a club team of their own. If they wanted to receive athletic scholarships or play at the next level, it’d have to be in softball.

That’s why Sue is championing the cause, having held the 2nd Annual All-American Women’s Baseball Classic Tournament, a 34 | srq magazine_ JAN24 live local

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three day event hosted by American Girls Baseball in Sarasota this past November.

The tournament, which included 52 female baseball players from across the country– many of whom were recently selected to be on USA Baseball’s 2023 National Team–featured four teams with eight professional coaches as well as a free skills clinic hosted by tournament players. It’s an effort by Sue and other likeminded individuals to give girls a place to play.

After all, once Sue graduated high school, she had a place to play the sport she loved.

In 1953 and 1954, Sue played professional baseball for the Rockford Peaches in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL). Yes, that league, the one immortalized in the 1992 film A League of Their Own, a league started in 1943 by Major League Baseball executives to keep the sport in the public eye whilst many a big league star went off to serve in World War II. “I’d just graduated from high school and my softball coach said, ‘Sue, do you know that there’s a professional baseball league for women in the Midwest?’ and I couldn’t believe it, I thought she was kidding. It just so turned out that the chaperone for the Peaches lived about 30 minutes away from where I grew up in Hingham, Massachusetts,” says Sue. “So I met her, threw a few balls in the driveway and two weeks later I got a contract in the mail from Rockford with train tickets to South

Bend, where they were having their Spring Training. And so I went, at 18 years old, having never been out of the state and scared to absolute death, with high hopes of becoming a millionaire professional baseball player.”

Like a Broadway show, the Peaches played eight games a week, with two on Sunday.

While her two years with the Peaches didn’t make Sue a millionaire–hardly any professional athlete, male or female, was making that much at the time–it did fuel her love of the game. She spent her summers with a host family in Rockford, Illinois, her days practicing and her nights playing game after game after game. That fire has continued to burn in Sue since her playing days, motivating her to put on this tournament in the hopes of getting a women’s professional baseball league up and running once again. “Here’s my vision. On the west coast of Florida, we’ve got all of these Spring Training stadiums from the Orioles to the Braves and so on. We only need four of them,” says Sue. “If each of those stadiums could adopt a team, like say the Peaches or the Blue Sox, we could run a league in the winter time, during those months where the stadiums are looking for entertainment. I don’t know how to go about enticing these stadiums to take a good look at this concept, but I do know that all of the people that come down here in the winter would love to see these women play.” SRQ

IMAGES COURTESY OF MIKOLAJ BARBANELL, LIVE MEDIA AND LEONARD ZHUKOVSKY.

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This page: Ingrid Carozzi and one of her signature flower arrangements.

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FLOWER WHISPERER At the Founders Garden Club's annual Flower Talk, florist Ingrid Carozzi shares her journey with the medium and how the industry has evolved in the last decade. Laura Paquette IN A GLASS VASE ON A TABLE AT THE SARASOTA YACHT CLUB, A STUBBORN STEM OF HELLEBORE REFUSES TO YIELD TO FLORIST INGRID CAROZZI’S EFFORTS TO COAX IT INTO ANOTHER POSITION. “A flower arrangement is

like a school class of kids that always need to be smiling,” she says. “There’s always the shy one, the naughty one and the one that wants to steal all the attention. Flowers are quite special in that way.” Carozzi, a true flower whisperer, trims the wayward stem, letting it settle into its chosen position.

At Flower Talk, the Founders Garden Club of Sarasota’s annual demonstration luncheon, Carozzi plucks orange double tulips, hot pink peonies and other flowers from their designated vases to create a masterpiece of color and texture. “I want the arrangement to look like a little garden that exploded in the vase,” she adds. In 2013, Carozzi, a florist, author and teacher, founded Tin Can Studios, which has done everything from museum installations, fashion runway displays, store pop-ups, the Time 100 Most Influential People event for Time Magazine and weddings for esteemed clients like Katie Couric’s daughter.

After a decade of working with flowers, Carozzi has learned how to transform a lovely piece of nature into something even more stunning. She grew up in Stockholm, Sweden, a city built upon 17 islands. “There’s water and trees everywhere, and it’s very lush. There, you have access to the woods in a different way,” she says. “It’s not like here, where everything is a national park. Nature is for the people, so you’re out in it all the time. I think that’s one of the reasons I’m drawn to flowers without even knowing it.” Moving from Swedish forests to New York City’s urban jungle in 2000, Carozzi studied communications at Pace University and graphic design at Parsons The New School for Design, landed a role with the Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce and later became a graphic designer. While doing branding work for a company that recycled and reused salvaged wood, Carozzi received an inquiry from her former Chamber of Commerce boss, asking if she would be interested in making flower arrangements for a green summit event the chamber was hosting. “I was surprised that she was asking me because I’d never worked with flowers before. She said ‘I know you’re good with concepts and you have a great eye, and I’d like something conceptual,” she adds.

Carozzi gathered salvaged wooden crates and filled them with flowers for the event, which was attended by the King and Queen of Sweden. “There was a woman who PHOTOGRAPHY BY WES ROBERTS

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walked into the room, and she started crying because she thought it was so beautiful, and it reminded her of the farm she grew up on in Sweden,” Carozzi says. “It struck a chord with me, and I felt that maybe this was something I should be doing.” Not wanting the event’s arrangements to go to waste, Carozzi gifted them to local cafes. A few days later, event planners and other individuals were asking her to do floral work for them. Within a year, she was featured as the Best Florist in New York Magazine and had a book deal. “I started Tin Can Studios in 2013 thinking that I’d be doing smaller events, but it turned into large-scale installations with sustainable methods,” she adds.

Tin Can Studios blossomed into existence as the floristry industry was on the cusp of a new era. “I started out ten years ago, and floristry looked different back then. It had stagnated,” Carozzi says. Symmetrical shapes, bland color palettes and a restrained use of materials had come to dominate the industry.

In Brooklyn, where Tin Can Studios was born, a revolutionary movement was sprouting up. “We used a different method of arranging the flowers that’s more painterly and has an organic shape and style,” she adds.

“My flowers usually spill out to the sides like a Dutch master’s still life.” Her arrangements and installations are known for their playful personalities and air of wild abandon that enraptures the viewer.

“I group different colors because I don’t like having polka dots or stripes. I tell different stories, so my arrangements are more like a book with chapters and characters. When we do flowers for events, none of the arrangements fully match each other. I say that they’re sisters, not twins. That way, your eye moves around, sees different stories and looks at all of them so that each arrangement has its own little moment,” Carozzi says. She applies her signature style to largescale installations—like floral chandeliers and hanging displays and shares tips in her two floral design books, Handpicked and Flowers by Design. srq magazine_ JAN24 live local | 37

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srqist THE PROCESS “We do a lot of design meetings with clients. To me, it’s about helping the client tell a story and figuring out the message they’re trying to convey. I like to get inside their heads and understand. Not every client can articulate what they’re looking for, so there’s a lot of discussion. We create mood boards, color palettes and a detailed sketch of what we think they’re looking for. We go back and forth a couple of times with design conversations. I love making sure that the client gets what they envisioned while coming up with the best answer to what that might be.”

Carozzi and her team have a vocabulary for their work, using words like headlights for two flowers that look the viewer straight in the eyes, and the term tentacles for flowers that droop down the sides of the vase, both of which are to be avoided. While budding florists need not become fluent in the jargon of the flower industry, Carozzi encourages them to adopt sustainable practices in their arrangements. “A big part of my work and company is working with sustainable methods and educating people and clients,” she adds.

Upon moving to New York, Carozzi recognized that the United States didn’t have the same culture of environmental stewardship that she’d grown up with in Sweden. “I saw entire vases going into the garbage.

They would just toss the whole arrangement with the vase and everything,” she says. “I used to do a lot of salvaged and recycled vases, and lately I’ve been using more antique ones.” Along with conserving her vases, Carozzi makes every effort to use sustainable materials and methods when possible. Instead of the standard itchy green floral foam, the Tin Can Studios team fills vases with coated chicken wire, which is reusable, holds the flowers in place and allows the florists the flexibility to move them around as they create each arrangement. “If you look around the world and in this country, I would say most florists still use floral foam to keep the flowers in place, and it’s really bad for the environment,” she adds. Like floral foam, bleached and dyed flowers are also unwelcome in the studio.

“It’s one thing with clothing where you’re going to have an object for a long time, but with flowers, they’re going straight to the landfill. We compost all of our flowers, and we can’t compost bleached ones,” Carozzi says. When her team needs to add extra color to the flowers, they apply a water-based milk paint that’s 100 percent natural and organic. Even flowers without dyes and bleach can be harmful if they’re invasive species, a new hot topic in the floristry world. “As much as possible, we try to use local, seasonal flowers,” she says.

Tin Can Studios moved into a new space in Long Island City, a neighborhood in Queens, New York, where Carozzi hopes to continue teaching and building large-scale installations, with the long-term goal of growing a rooftop flower garden. She estimates that 99 percent of her work uses sustainable methods that honor the flowers’ natural beauty. “Giving and receiving a gift with flowers triggers dopamine and oxytocin, and there’s a very strong reaction when people love flowers. It’s funny how everyone has some kind of story about them. In my latest book, I feature several men, and they have these stories from their childhood about giving their teacher flowers or giving their mom a bouquet of something, even just dandelions, but they remember the feeling that flowers give. It’s magical,” she adds. “When I work with flowers, I think, ‘You’re so incredibly beautiful.’ They’re like a gift to humans, and the ephemeral quality of flowers is a reminder to live in the here and now.” SRQ

TIPS & TRICKS FOR STYLE & LONGEVITY Invest in a nice vase that’s not too big.

“Oftentimes, people have a large vase and they cut all the flowers the same length, so they disappear in this big vase,” Carozzi says. Her rule of thumb is onethird vase to two-thirds flowers, a ratio that gives them room to shine.

When possible, choose local flowers that are in season. To avoid invasive species, Carozzi takes advantage of an app called PictureThis. “At the market, you can snap a picture and it’ll tell you everything you need to know,” she says.

Cut flowers at various heights to add asymmetry and depth.

Make sure that there are no leaves in the water, as they allow bacteria to build up which kills flowers faster.

Group different colors together to create a book with unique chapters.

Feed your flowers with flower food to help them last longer.

Use sharp clippers to cut stems.

“If you use an old pair of clippers, you block the stem, and water can’t go up to the flower,” Carozzi says.

Use a pin frog, a small metal tool with pins that hold the flowers in place, or coated chicken wire instead of floral foam.

Learn more: Tin Can Studios, 646-580-8745, tincanstudiosbk.com.

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LOCAL PERFORMING AND VISUAL ARTS+CULTURE

culture city

A RETURN TO FORM Pamela Olin brings figures to life with her creative sculpting techniques. Phil Lederer

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culture city HIDDEN AWAY IN A GARAGE LIKE MANY OTHERS IN SARASOTA, a cheerful god breathes life into her creations. Made of metal and fire, all long limbs and lumpen bodies, they emerge as things primal and ancient, cave paintings animated by flame. They rejoice in their creation, the subtle bend and play of their stretched and slender forms evoking wonder and exuberance, curiosity and vitality. And for a sculptor in the wake of personal tragedy, the strange figures represent a surprising return to form.

Spread, left to right:

Pamela Olin refers to herself as “an artist who specializes in formative art.”

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Each figure begins, as so many of Pamela Olin’s sculptures do, with the steel. Malleable but sturdy and with none of the brittleness of aluminum, it’s been her medium of choice for at least 30 years. “It literally sings the right song in my hands,” she says. And armed with a MIG welder and a plasma cutter, she can make it sing pretty much any song she wants.

First, she builds the armature—crafting the thing’s skeleton from steel welding rods, bent and posed just so.

Then, armed with that MIG welder and a handful more welding rods, she gives it form, layering its anatomy in drops of molten steel, painting first bone then muscle and finally flesh in gleaming liquid metal. It cools and hardens like a magma flow, a skin all knobbly pits and protrusions, oozings and imbalances. Olin loves it all the more for its supposed flaws. “Perfection is overrated,” she says, “and kinda boring.” Arranged on bases of scavenged olive wood or steel, the weld spatter from their creation its own decoration, their long slender limbs, at last complete, accentuate the careful posing, their subtle arcs evoking attitudes seemingly beyond their simplicity. With names like “Progress” and “Seeker” and “We Rise Together,” they wield strange scepters and appear transfixed by the basic geometry of their world. Coated in pewter or copper or that blue Disney paint with the glitter mixed in, they invite you not to take any of this too seriously.

But as happy as they seem and as cheerful as their god appears, their mere presence today speaks also to their recent absence, as the artist who once found endless joy in the human form abandoned its shape for five long years.

“They were out of my vocabulary,” Olin says. Because if terrible pain has the power to inspire great art then it can also stopper it up. And following the sudden loss of her husband, Olin found herself unable to create as she once did. “So I went back to basics,” she says, and began playing with cubes and other simple shapes, reveling in their purity and crafting ever more complicated structures and installations from their ordered forms.

No figures, no faces. Five years. Until they suddenly returned, unbidden but welcome all the same. “They crept in quietly, like the fog,” Olin says with a smile. “On little catfeet.” And she took it as a sign telling her it was time to start again. “I have dealt with, I have processed, and I have come back to the beginning,” she says.

Today, the figures come freely and Olin will be juggling as many as a dozen projects at once, each in some stage of concept or completion. Welder in one hand and plasma cutter in the other, Olin finds her center. “There’s a lot of focus and breathing and bracing and balance,” she says.

“There’s a lot of zen.” And as each new figure is brought to life, she is reminded of what she loves so much about steel: They will never break. If they do, she can fix them. “And where you weld them,” Olin says, “they are stronger.” SRQ PHOTOGRAPHY BY WYATT KOSTYGAN

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Artist Meg Krakowiak brings “happiness to homes” through artwork created in her Palm Avenue studio.

AN ANCHOR FOR THE ARTS AFTER A ROUGH YEAR—OR 10—IT’S A NEW DAY ON PALM AVENUE, as a whole cluster of new, relocating and returning galleries have set up shop near the southern end, threatening to revitalize the once-famous gallery scene that made Palm Avenue an art collector’s destination. “I’ve always loved Palm Avenue and I love that it’s art-centered again,” says Nikki Sedacca, owner of Burns Gallery on Palm—a relocated and revamped 530 Burns Gallery, previously of Burns Court. “We all do better, having each other here,” she says. Mara Torres, the artist/owner behind MARA Art Studio and Gallery, relocated from the Rosemary District, agrees. “It’s becoming, again, what it used to be,” she says. “And when someone’s looking for art, they’re going to come to Palm Avenue.”

They join fellow gallerists Meg Krakowiak, the lone force behind Meg Krakowiak Art Gallery and Studio, a Palm Avenue presence for the past seven years, and the sole newcomer to the group, Deena King and Define Gallery.

Unplanned but not unwelcome, they constitute an ad hoc arts alliance and a fresh entrenchment for the arts on Palm Avenue. “It’s terrific,” says Krakowiak. “I wish every single store was a gallery.”

WRITTEN BY PHIL LEDERER | PHOTOGRAPHY BY WYATT KOSTYGAN

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Krakowiack is known best for her vibrant use of color.

THE LONE RANGER MEG KRAKOWIAK ART GALLERY AND STUDIO The only solo act on the strip, Meg Krakowiak has held court at her Palm Avenue studio/gallery for seven years now, where window-shoppers and sidewalk-strollers can often find her hard at work, spattered in pigment and a big smile painted on her face. An acrylic artist with the eye of an impressionist, she works big and she works quick, crafting landscapes, seascapes and great floral scenes in large scale and eye-popping color. And for Krakowiak, it all comes down to the color, walking the streets and beaches for natural inspiration she can take to her canvas. “Then I try to exaggerate the color I see,” she says, “to help other people see the colors when they’re out and about.” Always exploring and recently inspired by the works of Syd Solomon, Krakowiak’s latest adventure sees the artist intent on developing her own abstract style, hopefully to be unveiled sometime this year.

Showing this month: Whatever Krakowiak has been working on.

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THE RETURNING CHAMPION 530 BURNS GALLERY ON PALM With Burns Gallery on Palm, Nikki Sedacca returns to her old stomping grounds, having opened her first gallery in the historic Mira Mar building 37 years ago, before picking up stakes and opening 530 Burns Gallery in Burns Court. This latest venture marries Sedacca’s love for fine art with her eye for interior design, showcasing both in a corner location full of natural light. Dubbed a “lifestyle gallery,” visitors will find everything they need to decorate their space, from the perfect painting and glass sculpture to home goods and designer jewelry. A native Floridian and longtime Sarasotan, Sedacca’s curatorial style reflects her upbringing, bright and coastal and modern. Artists on the roster include all artists previously with 530 Burns, such as plein air artist Linda Richichi and 3D painter Joan Konkel, as well as newcomers like Tammy Keller, Debbie Dannheisser and Grace Howl, all known for their exuberant colors. Future projects for the gallery include a cocktail table collection, created in collaboration with artisans working in marble, wood, metal and even concrete.

Showing this month: A group show highlighting the entire roster at Burns Gallery on Palm.

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This page:

With 530 Burns Gallery, Nikki Sedacca blends the worlds of fine art, unique jewelry and beautiful home goods.

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THE SEASONED PRO MARA ART STUDIO AND GALLERY

Making the shift from Rosemary to Palm, MARA Art Studio and Gallery winnows its roster just a bit, with artist/ owner Mara Torres carefully curating a select list of professional artists exclusive to the gallery. Contemporary and largely non-representational (with the odd exception), the gallery boasts a high concentration of sculptors, with both Ralph Berger and Pamela Olin working in raw steel, Ashley Rivers and Jack Shapiro in stoneware and ceramic, and David Erdman in wood, shaping and polishing it with the fluidity of a passing river. On the painting side, Torres’ own work is joined by that of abstract expressionist Midge Johnson, oil paintings from Lori Childers, and the multifaceted portraits of Javi Suarez, whose layered compositions capture whole lives, communities and movements in a single frame. Christina Jensen Vicente rounds out the roster with textile art and wallhangings.

Showing this month: ChromaShock, a group show celebrating the raw power of color, looking to push the boundaries of traditional color palettes and embrace the range of chromatic expression.

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THE NEW KID ON THE BLOCK DEFINE ART GALLERY AND STUDIO

Eclectic and energetic, informal and maybe even approaching sensory overload, walking into Define Art Gallery feels like walking into an artists’ clubhouse, where every turn reveals some unexpected project or painting—and that’s the way owner and artist Deena King likes it. “Be different” is her only rule and Define’s guiding light as King assembled her roster of more than 20 artists, including more than a few refugees from Art Uptown and famed New York City sculptor Ro Daar, a recent transplant to the Sarasota scene. From Carolyn Marx, photographing layered paint compressed between plates of glass, to the oddball sculpturings of Melanie Carlstein, where found objects become strange and whimsical figures, Define is looking to, well, define itself by attracting artists working outside the mold and exploring the possibilities of process. And with digital artist Diana De Avila on the roster, the gallery is among the first to foray into augmented reality art.

Showing this month: Abstract acrylics from Gillian St. George, elevated pop art from Camille Enkeboll and mosaic landscapes in watercolor and ink, almost surreal in their stillness, from Ian Begg.

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THE WAY TO WELLNESS FORGE YOUR OWN PATH TO GOOD HEALTH BY EXPLORING ALTERNATIVE AND INTEGRATIVE APPROACHES TO WELLNESS. WRITTEN BY KATE WIGHT | PHOTOGRAPHY BY WYATT KOSTYGAN

Integrative healthcare is an approach that combines conventional medicine with complementary and alternative therapies to address the physical, mental and emotional aspects of a person’s well-being. This holistic model recognizes that health is influenced by a variety of factors, including lifestyle, environment and individual circumstances. Integrative healthcare emphasizes a patient-centered approach, considering the whole person rather than just treating symptoms. Integrative wellness practitioners come from various fields and often collaborate to provide a comprehensive approach to health. Acupuncturists (APs) use traditional Chinese medicine techniques to balance the body’s energy flow and promote health. A Doctor of Oriental Medicine (DOM) might blend acupuncture with other modalities like herbal medicine and cupping.

Chiropractors (DCs) use adjustments and other therapies to address issues with the spine and musculoskeletal system, while licensed massage therapists (LMTs) utilize manual techniques to address physical discomfort and promote relaxation. Professionals in the field of nutrition and dietetics like applied clinical nutritionists (ACNs), licensed dietitians (LDs) and registered dietitians (RDs) can address nutritional deficiencies and create personalized nutrition plans. Certified wellness coaches (CWCs) can help patients set and achieve their personal health and wellness goals. Health looks different for every individual. So it stands to reason that the path to wellness is similarly unique. Five local practitioners share the stories of how they got into the alternative wellness field, and give insights into their specialized modalities of care. SRQ

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THE WAY TO WELLNESS

HOLISTIC EASTERN MEDICINE FIVE PETAL HOLISTIC HEALING CENTER Dr. Angela Rauter, AP, DOM has always been drawn to the arts. As a promising young dancer, Rauter was accepted into prestigious performing arts schools including Juilliard and the Boston Conservatory before ultimately deciding to study at SUNY Purchase. She continued dancing throughout her twenties and her career eventually brought her to the acclaimed Sarasota Contemporary Dance company where she stayed for six seasons. Despite her successes, Rauter knew her dancing career had a shelf life.

“Once you reach your forties, your body just cannot do the things it used to do,” she says. “I knew that the life or career of a dancer has a limit, but it’s kind of neat because you get to live two lifetimes.” While art was important in Rauter’s formative years, science has also played a big role in her life. At the age of twelve, Rauter was diagnosed with recurrent respiratory papillomatosis, a condition characterized by the growth of benign tumors or papillomas throughout the respiratory tract. In the years since, she has endured 17 surgeries to remove growths and scar tissue from her airway and vocal folds.

As she prepared to transition away from dance and enter a new phase in life, Rauter was interested in exploring her scientific side. Medicine is as much of an art as it is a science, and that duality appealed to her. She enrolled in an intensive five-year program at the East West College of Natural Medicine, where she graduated with a Master’s Degree in Oriental Medicine. In 2014, Rauter founded the Five Petal Holistic Healing Center in Sarasota where she uses a combination of modern and traditional techniques to treat her patients. “I consider myself first and foremost a Doctor of Chinese Medicine,” Rauter explains. “But I’m certainly deeply respectful of Western medicine and I’m so glad that it exists. I would not be alive without it.” This philosophy is evident in her practice. Recognized by the Florida Department of Health as a primary care physician, Rauter can perform standard medical testing services in her office including blood tests, urinalysis, hormone panels and imaging. But when she designs personalized health plans for patients, she will include a variety of treatments including visceral manual therapy, herbal medicine and whole food supplements. She notes that acupuncture is the foundation of her practice. “Obviously my expertise is in holistic and Eastern medicine,” Rauter says. “But my approach to medicine is to use everything. I do not take sides.”

— Five Petal Holistic Healing Center, 2033 Wood St. #115, Sarasota, 941-315-6858, five-petal.com

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THE WAY TO WELLNESS

HEALING POWER OF FOOD JBS NUTRITION From a young age, Julie Bender RDN, LDN, CWC believed in the healing power of food. “I grew up in Pennsylvania. We had a huge garden and my mom canned so much of our own food, so I really saw the value of eating off the land,” Bender says. “Then in high school I took a chemistry class and learned about food and what is happening when we break it down and extract the essential nutrients that help all our body systems work. It fascinated me.” Bender went on to earn a degree in nutrition and became a registered and licensed dietitian. For the next several years she worked in conventional medicine, coaching and counseling patients about food and managing outpatient nutrition centers at two major hospitals. Even back then, she felt that something was lacking. “Despite feeling rather successful in my work, I always felt I was missing a tool set,” she explains. “I didn’t have answers for some of my clients, and I really felt like I could do more in some circumstances.” Bender did eventually find that tool set, but first she had to become the patient.

“A little over ten years ago I really started to struggle with my own health after being healthy for most of my life,” she says. “I started to experience brain fog, rashes, digestive issues, fatigue, just one thing after another. This was despite doing all the “right things” like sleeping, working out and eating healthy.”

Bender visited conventional doctors, but all her tests and labs came back normal. In an effort to understand what was happening to her body she spent two years receiving intensive training on functional nutrition, which is a more holistic approach to diet. She also began working with holistic practitioners and a functional and integrative doctor. With their help, she finally discovered that her symptoms were a result of mold toxicity. While she was on her own personal health journey, Berner opened JBS Nutrition & Wellness, where she takes an integrative approach to helping patients who are dealing with complex gut and autoimmune conditions. While her background in conventional medicine has been invaluable, she enjoys the freedom of getting to spend ample time with her patients and provide individualized care which may include testing, nutrition counseling and supplements. “A personalized approach is foundational to my practice,” Bender says. “We really need to appreciate and understand that each person is wonderfully unique. There’s not just one approach that will work for everyone. We’re all different, and that’s what makes us so amazing.”— JBS Nutrition, 214-986-1024, jbsnourishwell.com

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ACUPUNCTURE PATHWAY DANEE BARNETT WEIGHT LOSS & WELLNESS Many practitioners find their way into the alternative medicine field later in life. Dr. Danee Barnett, AP, DOM was one of them. She was in her forties when she enrolled in acupuncture school.“My husband and I had a sailboat and two small children. Like everybody that has a sailboat, we thought we were going to sail around the world,” she explains. “I thought acupuncture would be a good thing to have under my belt for helping care for my own family, and I thought perhaps I could work in anchorages.”

Barnett and her family never did end up sailing around the world, but her interest in acupuncture stuck. In 1998, she graduated from the East West College of Natural Medicine in Sarasota where she studied acupuncture, homeopathy and traditional Chinese medicine. Her newfound knowledge of alternative therapies would soon come in handy.

“Right after I graduated from acupuncture school, I was diagnosed with breast cancer and endometrial cancer,” Barnett shares. Under the care of an oncologist, she underwent chemotherapy, radiation and surgery to fight the cancer itself. She also turned to acupuncture, homeopathy and meditation to help alleviate the side effects of the cancer treatments. Barnett’s experience as both a patient and a practitioner gave her a unique insight into how alternative medicine and modern medicine could go handin-hand. After her recovery, she studied at the Memorial Sloan Kettering

Cancer Center in New York in their integrative acupuncture therapy program. There, Barnett earned a certification in acupuncture for cancer patients, and also learned about the importance of diet.

“At Sloan Kettering they were adamant that being overweight was a problem, especially in patients with breast cancer or colon cancer,” Barnett says. Concerned about her own weight, she developed a weight loss plan for herself and her family. They were so successful at losing weight and keeping it off, that Barnett focused on fine-tuning the program for her clients. While she does still offer acupuncture and herbal medicine services, her weight-loss program has become a big part of her practice. There are four elements to Barnett’s weightloss program, which she refers to as Nutritional Rehabilitation. The elements include weekly acupuncture to combat what Barnett calls “head hunger” or emotional eating, an amino acid formula, weekly B-complex vitamin injections, and a custom homeopathic formula to reduce physical hunger.

Barnett’s personal experiences have led her to work with cancer patients, but she’s clear that she’s part of a bigger picture. “I like to term myself as integrative rather than alternative,” she says. “If someone comes to me for cancer treatment and they aren’t under the care of an oncologist, I will not see them. It’s unrealistic to think that you can get some acupuncture and cure cancer because you cannot. You need both.” — Danee Barnett Weight Loss & Wellness, 330 S. Pineapple Ave., Sarasota, 941-365-0812, daneebarnett.com srq magazine_ JAN24 live local | 59

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THRIVING IN INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE LONGEVITY WELLNESS CLINIC Dr. Cynthia Clark, AP, ACN has always had a voracious appetite for knowledge. “Growing up, I was a studious little bookworm,” Clark laughs. “I was great in school and I loved learning. I happily identified with being a nerd.” In college, she decided to push herself to try new things. A self-described “ninety pound weakling”, she enrolled in a lifeguarding class her first semester. After spending her teenage years lifting books instead of barbells, Clark struggled with the physicality of the class. But like any dedicated student she went above and beyond by running, swimming and lifting weights outside of class to build up her strength and stamina. The class instilled in her a passion for physical activity that would ultimately go hand-inhand with her love of learning. “I studied martial arts for 13 years, and during that time I took a class in anatomy and physiology out of interest of what was happening inside the body,” she says. “I was fascinated.” After graduating from college, Clark embarked on more conventional career paths. She owned a technology consulting firm before becoming the chief operating officer of a company that built luxury homes.

But when the housing bubble burst, she found herself at a crossroads. She thought about getting back into the IT industry and was in the process of interviewing with Microsoft, but something didn’t feel right.

“I did some soul searching about what would be the most important thing for me, and I thought working miracles was about the coolest thing I could imagine doing,” Clark says. “I had only had acupuncture a few times, but I’d had some profound healing experiences as a result. I knew there were things happening inside of me that I didn’t understand. There was a whole system that was totally new to me and really powerful and relevant. So that’s how I ended up in Chinese medicine school.”

After studying to become a Doctor of Oriental Medicine, Clark went on to open the Longevity Wellness Clinic in 2012. She uses her training in both Eastern and Western medical theory to treat clients with a wide array of health issues, including disorders of the digestive, musculoskeletal, reproductive and nervous systems using modalities like acupuncture, cupping, gua sha and Chinese herbal medicine. Clark has thrived in the integrative medicine field, in large part because it feeds into her love of learning.

“One thing I really love about my practice is that every single one of my clients is my teacher. We’re on the journey together and we have permission to explore,” Clark says. “I’m still the nerd I was when I was a little kid and now I’m always learning new things.” — Longevity Wellness Clinic, 528 48th St. Ct. E, Bradenton, 941-923-9355, longevitywellnessclinic.com

Spread, left to right:

Dr. Cynthia Clark of Longevity Wellness Clinic shares her passion for knowledge; Dianna Manoogian of Salt of the Earth spices up the Sarasota wellness scene; and, Dr. Susan Stone of Stone Integrative Wellness Therapies blends ancient medicine with groundbreaking techniques.

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SALT THERAPY SALT OF THE EARTH Dianna Manoogian comes from a long line of entrepreneurs, but she never planned to become one herself. After working in the corporate world she took time away from work to raise her children. But that all changed seven years ago when she visited her cousin in Massachusetts and saw the salt cave she had built in her hair salon. “I thought, ‘That’s kind of cool. We don’t have anything like that in Sarasota,’” Manoogian recalls. “My husband said, ‘You should do that.’”

When Manoogian and her husband returned home they began looking at real estate, and within six months Salt of the Earth had opened its doors. “Salt therapy does do other things, but first and foremost it’s great for all sorts of respiratory issues,” Manoogian says. “When you breathe in micro-particles of salt it helps to open up your airways and alleviate symptoms from allergies, asthma, bronchitis and coughs. It’s like a toothbrush for your lungs. And salt therapy also helps to build your immune system.”

Salt therapy may sound new but there’s actually historical precedence for it. In the 1800s, a Polish physician observed that salt mine workers didn’t experience the respiratory issues and lung diseases that plagued other types of miners. A century later, German hospital patients hid in salt caves to escape bombing during World War II. Their doctor noticed that patients suffering from respiratory issues soon showed improvement. Salt therapy may be the main attraction at Salt of the Earth, but Manoogian also offers other services. This includes the Bella Facial Rejuvenation service, which Manoogian describes as all-natural and non-invasive. She has also recently added Vibro Acoustical Loungers, which offer sound, heat and light therapy all at the same time. Manoogian might not have planned to become an entrepreneur, but she knows she’s landed in the right place. “The universe put me here to do this,” she says. “I’m just a vessel for people to find and understand other ways to heal the body.” — Salt of the Earth, 4037 Clark Rd., Sarasota, 941-702-8300, sotesarasota.com

COLLABORATIVE ALTERNATIVE STONE WELLNESS INTEGRATIVE THERAPIES Sometimes our biggest challenges in life can lead to our greatest successes. Dr. Susan K. Stone, DOM, AP, CRST exemplifies that concept. At the age of 43, Stone was dealing with both the loss of her mother and the end of her marriage. As if those changes weren’t enough, Stone was also looking to switch careers after spending fifteen years as a yoga instructor in order to better support her young daughter.

Stone had always believed in the benefits of alternative medicine and had begun seeing an acupuncturist to help her find balance and deal with grief. He suggested that she would make an excellent practitioner in the alternative medicine field and urged her to look into the East West College of Natural Medicine in Sarasota. Stone was interested, but worried about committing to three and a half years of schooling.

“I was bouncing things off a dear friend and she said, ‘Susan, three and a half years is going to fly by no matter what, so you might as well do something that can change your life,’” Stone says. It was a compelling point. Stone enrolled at the East West College of Natural Medicine, graduating in 2011 with a master’s degree in Oriental Medicine and a B.S. in Professional Health Science. For Stone, it was all worth the time and effort. “Given what the last ten or twelve years of my life have been like, I can’t imagine not having done this,” she says.

For Stone, one of the appealing aspects of alternative medicine is a sense of collaboration and community. She credits another local practitioner, Dr. Eric Winder D.C., with sparking her interest in fascia. Fascia is a connective tissue that is found throughout the human body, forming a three-dimensional web that surrounds and supports muscles, bones, organs and other structures. When fascia is damaged or restricted it can cause a multitude of issues including balance issues, muscle dysfunction,and chronic pain. Stone believes that trauma to the fascia can persist long after you think an injury has healed. “Let’s say you were ten and you had a fall off your bike,” she explains. “Or you stand up and hit your head. Even if you shake it off, it might not allow the fascia to really move and glide like it should. All these things can leave a mark and change the way your body develops. You might forget, but your body remembers.”

Stone uses an array of modalities in her practice, including acupuncture, infrared sauna therapy, Chinese medicine and more. Patients dealing with pain or limited mobility are often treated with acupuncture, fascial work or a combination of the two. Stone has now created her own style of fascial release therapy called Fascia Reset(™) and is considered a leader in the field. Not bad for someone who got a bit of a late start. “It’s hard when you’re 18 or 22 to figure out what you want to do with your life. Sometimes you have to kind of live your life to figure out what you want to do with it,” Stone says. “But I wouldn’t change a thing.” — Stone Wellness Integrative Therapies, 804 40th St. W., Bradenton, 941-896-9746, stonewellness.com

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The Great

Outdoors The cooler temps of January make it a great time to get out and enjoy nature and what better way to experience the great outdoors than by camping?

For all in-tents and purposes, we’ve rounded up four local campgrounds for your next perfect adventure.

WRITTEN BY LAURA PAQUETTE PHOTOGRAPHY BY WYATT KOSTYGAN

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THE GREAT OUTDOORS

While sea turtles nest on the beach from May to October, shore birds like osprey roost there in the winter time, and manatees and dolphins are often spotted in the water.

Turtle beach is a little, intimate campground.

AN OASIS AT TURTLE BEACH Did you know that you can camp steps away from the sandy shores of the Gulf Coast? At Turtle Beach Campground, both tent and RV campers can enjoy a getaway in paradise. The campground features full electrical hookups, sewer, water, cable and free Wifi. “We have direct beach access to the Gulf,” says Campground Manager Daniel Traficante, “and there’s a lagoon right across from Turtle Beach Park with kayak vendors that offer tours and rentals, and boat launch.”

Another fun feature of Turtle Beach is the Breeze Trolley, which runs up and down the key seven days a week from 8am8pm. “It’s a great way to get around without a vehicle, and it can take you to Siesta Beach or down to Siesta Village, where there are all the restaurants and shops,” Traficante adds. Families will enjoy the playground at the nearby Turtle Beach Park, and all campers can partake in the picnic area, grills, tiki huts and community restroom and laundry facility. While sea turtles nest on the beach from May to October, shore birds like osprey roost there in the winter time, and manatees and dolphins are often spotted in the water. “Turtle beach is a little, intimate campground,” he says. “We’ve only got 38 rentable sites, and many people come back on holiday weekends or during January, February and March, so we have a lot of the same people and it really becomes a little community.” —Turtle Beach Campground, 8862 Midnight Pass Rd., Sarasota, 941-861-CAMP (2267), sarasotacountyparks.com.

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THE GREAT OUTDOORS

CREATURE COMFORTS WITH TIMBERLINE GLAMPING CO. Run by franchise owners Anayancy and Alex Escarpanter, the Sarasota branch of Timberline Glamping Co. at Oscar Scherer State Park is the best of both worlds for an outdoor escape. “Everyone wants to spend time in unique ways, create memories that look and feel different from a hotel, they want their kids to experience something different, and they want to get back into nature, but they don’t always know how,” says Anayancy. “Glamping is special because it’s made for people who want to experience nature and be in the outdoors without sacrificing comfort, and Sarasota and Venice offer something similar, where luxury and lifestyle are a priority.” Campers can stay in a Double Safari Tent measuring 320 square feet, with two queen-size beds, a Keurig and coffee, a mini-refrigerator, rugs, lamps, a diffuser, electrical outlets and air conditioning and heating units. There’s also a fire pit, string lights, two camp chairs and a picnic table to create the perfect setting.

The Deluxe Safari tent offers a king-sized bed and two sets of bunk beds with luxurious bedding as well as a select coffee blend K-cup and grill with a cooking grate.

Guests can purchase add-ons like cornhole, giant Jenga, bike rentals and gourmet s’mores kits to enhance their getaway. “With everything here and accessible, guests’ time is better used, instead of having to pack all of the things,” Anayancy adds. Aside from the amenities, campers can enjoy 15 miles of trails with an herb garden, butterfly area, nature center and freshwater lake with a small beachfront in Oscar Scherer State Park. Visitors with binoculars might spot scrub jays or bald eagles in the park, or see aquatic friends while kayaking, swimming and fishing. “Glamping is a beautiful way to experience nature by hearing and seeing different things with your inner explorer and seeker while feeling like you’re on a journey,” says Anayancy. “It feels so good to be part of people’s journeys, vacations and time away where people feel like they’re getting back to themselves.” —Timberline Glamping Co., 1843 S. Tamiami Trail, Osprey, 941-777-3114, sarasota.tlglamping.com.

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FIRESIDE FAVORITES Recipes For a Wilder Way of Eating Camping Cookbook, $40, Florida Provisions Co., 1561 Lakefront Dr, Suite 109, Sarasota, 941-274-0470; Howler Brothers Voltage Quilted Pullover, $185, Compound Boardshop, 3604 S Osprey Ave, Sarasota, 941-552-9805; Field Company Cast Iron Care Kit, $50, Toadfish Shucker’s Bundle, $94, Field Company Cast Iron Skillet, $145, Camp Craft Cocktails, Paloma and Cranberry Martini, $25 each, Florida Provisions Co., 1561 Lakefront Dr, Suite 109, Sarasota, 941-274-0470; Human Gear reusable utensils, $3.99 each, Environeers, 5373 Fruitville Road, Sarasota, 941-371-6208. Sourced and compiled by Emma Dannenfelser.

THE GREAT OUTDOORS

WHEN ADVENTURE CALLS, ANSWER, AND BE SURE TO PACK THE BEST GEAR TO MAKE YOUR CAMPING EXPERIENCE UNFORGETTABLE.

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THE GREAT OUTDOORS

Campers can chart the Braden River at the kayak launch or tell stories around the community fire pit.

A SLICE OF OLD FLORIDA AT LINGER LODGE RV PARK A beloved Bradenton staple, Linger Lodge dates back to 1945. In 1968, husband and wife Frank and Elaine Gamsky purchased the establishment. The taxidermied creatures, including an alligator and fox, that have come to define Linger Lodge became a part of its identity thanks to Frank, a veterinarian. “He made the place what it is,” says Ruth Hofer, an asset manager for Linger Lodge’s current owner. “We had him involved in the renovations, and he was very excited about what we did. We continued his spirit and added the taxidermy in our clubhouse and office.” In addition to seeing live animals like bald eagles and turtles, guests can choose between river lots, located on or near the water, or jungle lots, located throughout the property. Visitors passing through overnight can park at the lodge lots, outside of the campground’s gates. Each RV site has full hookup capacity with electricity, water, sewer and, for the modern-day explorer, free Wi-Fi. Amenities include the clubhouse with a pool table, a big screen for movie night, a kids’ corner, a gym, a resort-style pool and hot tub and sunbeds. The bathhouse features a laundry facility and four family bathrooms with a shower, sink and toilet, allowing for increased privacy similar to a hotel. Campers can chart the Braden River at the kayak launch or tell stories around the community fire pit. Hungry voyagers can indulge in local favorites at the Linger Lodge Restaurant, which is adjacent to the campground. After a day of adventuring in the great outdoors, settle in for special programs like arts and crafts sessions or movie nights, and enjoy true Florida hospitality. —Linger Lodge RV Park, 7116 85th St. Court E., Bradenton, 941-739-9313, lingerlodge.com.

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THE GREAT OUTDOORS

EXPLORATION ESSENTIALS Rumpl Orignal Puffy Blanket, Rainbow Fade, $125, Environeers, 5373 Fruitville Road, Sarasota, 941-371-6208; Turtle Box speaker, $399, Eno DoubleNest Hammock, $74.95, Zoom Tube Monocular Telescope, $75, Compound Boardshop, 3604 S Osprey Ave, Sarasota, 941-5529805; Cotopaxi Packing Cube System, $50, 16oz Wide Mouth Electric Magenta/Clementine Sustain Nalgene Bottles, $13.99 each, Mystery Ranch Backpack, $89, Environeers, 5373 Fruitville Road, Sarasota, 941-371-6208. Sourced and compiled by Emma Dannenfelser.

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THE GREAT OUTDOORS

GO COUNTRY AT HUNSADER FARMS Hunsader Farms in Bradenton is a breath of fresh air for campers looking for an off-the-grid experience a stone’s throw away from urban life. In 1967, the three Hunsader brothers bought the farm and transitioned from life as Wisconsin dairy farmers to Florida tomato growers. Over time, the farm has added features like a petting zoo and U-pick programs. In 2020, the farm opened its KOA (Kampgrounds of America) campground, inviting visitors to travel back to a simpler time.

Guests can choose from several types of accommodations, from RV and tent sites to other abodes like cabins, Conestoga wagons, silos and glamping tents, each with its own features and amenities, such as a kitchen or bathroom. Activities include fishing and an obstacle course. For an authentic down-home feel, head to the farm for a U-pick of produce like strawberries, which can be picked through March, when flowers bloom across the farm. Visitors can also grab a bite at the Eat Shack and enjoy it with their fresh pickings. “We have a lot of locals that get to come out here where it’s out in the open where there’s no traffic and no sounds,” says Manager Austin Hunsader. “You can see all the stars in the sky, and you almost feel like you’re in a different state at night. It’s so beautiful and relaxed compared to being in the city.” —Hunsader Farms, 5500 C.R. 675, Bradenton, 941-322-2168, hunsaderfarms.com.

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TOP DOCTORS 2023 PEER REVIEW MEDICAL RESOURCE

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BRADENTON LAKEWOOD RANCH SARASOTA VENICE NORTH PORT PALMETTO ANNA MARIA ISLAND HOLMES BEACH

HONOREES

SPECIAL ANNUAL SUPPLEMENT PUBLISHED BY SRQ MAGAZINE | SECOND PRINTING

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SECOND PRINTING

TOP DOCTORS

WE ARE DEEPLY GRATEFUL to the medical and nursing professionals who are dedicated to supporting our community through this challenging time. The individuals who are being honored in this year's prestigious SRQ TOP DOCTORS | PEER REVIEW program have received the overwhelming support of colleagues in the medical professional communities of Greater Sarasota including Palmetto, Anna Maria Island, Holmes Beach, Bradenton, Lakewood Ranch, Sarasota, Venice and North Port, Florida. The Colorado-based team at DataJoe Research facilitates all aspects of the online peer-voting process and conducting government references. We appreciate the doctors who participated in the program this past summer by sharing their thoughtful nominations—it is their insight that makes it possible for us to provide the readers of SRQ Magazine with this noteworthy guide to the highly-regarded doctors in the region.

METHODOLOGY DataJoe Research is a software and research company specializing in data collection and verification, and conducts various nominations across the United States on behalf of publishers. To create the "top doctors" list, DataJoe Research facilitated an online peer-voting process, also referencing government sources. DataJoe then tallied the votes per category for each doctor to isolate the top nominees in each category. After collecting nominations and additional information, DataJoe checked and confirmed that each published winner had a current, active license status with the state regulatory board. If we were not able to find evidence of a doctor's current, active registration with the state regulatory board, that doctor was excluded from the list. In addition, any doctor who has been disciplined, up to the time-frame of our review process for an infraction by the state regulatory board, was excluded from the list. Finally, DataJoe presented the tallied result to the magazine for its final review and adjustments.

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SECOND PRINTING

TOP DOCTORS CARDIOLOGY

DERMATOLOGY

Bilkoo, Pareena

O'Donoghue, J. Morgan

Millennium Physician Group 3231 Gulf Gate Dr | Ste 101 Sarasota, FL 34231-2406 941-922-6447; Lic.#ME103980 Morsli, Hakim

Intercoastal Medical Group 965 S Beneva Rd Sarasota, FL 34232-2401 941-366-1888; Lic.#ME103882 Ramos, Mark J.

Intercoastal Medical Group 965 S Beneva Rd Sarasota, FL 34232-2401 941-366-1888; Lic.#ME100823 Satya, Y. Emmy

Millennium Physician Group 3231 Gulf Gate Dr | Ste 101 Sarasota, FL 34231-2406 941-922-6447; Lic.#ME81682

CARDIOTHORACIC SURGERY Vesco, Paul A.

Sarasota Memorial Health Care System 1540 S Tamiami Trl | Ste 303 Sarasota, FL 34239-2921 941-917-8791; Lic.#ME108379

COSMETIC SURGERY Jiles, Emily

Emile Jiles D.O. 4143 Clark Rd Sarasota, FL 34233 941-231-7691; Lic.#OS15739 Sessa, Alberico J.

O'Donoghue Dermatology 1952 Field Rd Sarasota, FL 34231-2316 941-926-7546; Lic.#ME80793

ENDOCRINOLOGY DIABETES AND METABOLISM Kozlow, Wende M.

Intercoastal Medical Group 943 S Beneva Rd Sarasota, FL 34232-2476 941-379-1777; Lic.#ME100611 Majchel Koss, Deborah

Intercoastal Medical Group 11715 Rangeland Pkwy Bradenton, FL 34211-9529 941-538-0077; Lic.#ME123174 Perez, Jesus

Intercoastal Medical Group 943 S Beneva Rd Sarasota, FL 34232-2476 941-379-1777; Lic.#ME86942

FAMILY MEDICINE Bentze, Michael J

Intercoastal Medical Group 11715 Rangeland Pkwy Bradenton, FL 34211-9529 941-538-0001; Lic.#OS9174 Brus, Mark H

Sarasota Memorial Health Care System 6128 S Tamiami Trl Sarasota, FL 34231-4029 941-923-5882; Lic.#ME69127

Sarasota Surgical Arts 4143 Clark Rd Sarasota, FL 34233-2403 941-923-1736; Lic.#ME96256

GASTROENTEROLOGY & INTERNAL MEDICINE Khazanchi, Arun

PREMIERE • GI 11505 Palmbrush Trail | Suite 200 Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202 941.334.9040 | premiereGI.com

GASTROENTEROLOGY Andari, Ronald

Florida Digestive Health Specialists 11505 Palmbrush Trl | Ste 200 Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202-2904 941-361-1100; Lic.#ME140338 Caire, Michael

Florida Digestive Health Specialists 101 Riverfront Blvd | Ste 700 Bradenton, FL 34205-8823 941-748-2417; Lic.#ME117430 Loewe, Charles

Florida Digestive Health Specialists 3325 S Tamiami Trl | Ste 200 Sarasota, FL 34239-5142 941-952-9223; Lic.#ME43998 Matheus, Tonantzin

Florida Digestive Health Specialists 11505 Palmbrush Trl | Ste 200 Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202-2904 941-361-1100; Lic.#ME100744 Mishra, Avantika

Florida Digestive Health Specialists 11505 Palmbrush Trl | Ste 200 Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202-2904 941-361-1100; Lic.#ME138694 Rascon-Aguilar

Florida Digestive Health Specialists, Gastroenterology Associates of Manatee 1886 59th St W | Bradenton, FL 34209 941-794-1980; Lic.#ME93817

Ivan Estuardo

Florida Digestive Health Specialists, Gastroenterology Associates of Manatee 1886 59th St W | Bradenton, FL 34209 941-794-1980; Lic.#ME93817 Shah, Nihar

Sarasota Memorial Health Care System 1852 Hillview St | Ste 301 Sarasota, FL 34239 941- 262-0400; Lic.#ME136945 Southerland, John

Florida Digestive Health Specialists 3325 S Tamiami Trl | Ste 200 Sarasota, FL 34239-5142 941-952-9223; Lic.#ME85007 Summerlee, Robert

Intercoastal Medical Group 11715 Rangeland Pkwy Bradenton, FL 34211-9529 941-538-0092; Lic.#ME118680

GENERAL SURGERY Browning IV, Robert

Intercoastal Medical Group 11505 Rangeland Pkwy Bradenton, FL 34211-4041 941-362-8662; Lic.#ME115061 Mets, Joseph

Intercoastal Medical Group 3333 Cattlemen Rd Sarasota, FL 34232-6056 941-341-0042; Lic.#ME140716 Rao, Arundathi

Sarasota Memorial Health Care System 5880 Rand Blvd | Ste 101 Sarasota, FL 34238-5118 941-917-4753; Lic.#ME102122

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TOP DOCTORS Willkomm, Christopher M

Reichel, David T.

Yenari, Jon

Sarasota Memorial Health Care System 200 Healthcare Way | Ste 101 Venice, FL 34275 941-261-2000; Lic.#ME107405

Intercoastal Medical Group 3333 Cattlemen Rd Sarasota, FL 34232-6056 941-371-3337; Lic.#ME79284

Intercoastal Medical Group 3333 Cattlemen Rd Sarasota, FL 34232-6056 941-379-1700; Lic.#ME87923

HAND SURGERY

INTERVENTIONAL CARDIOLOGY

ONCOLOGY

Boyette, Melissa M.

Coastal Orthopedics 8000 SR 64 East | Bradenton, FL 34212 941-792-1404; Lic.#ME103549 Chan, David

Suncoast Orthopaedic Surgery & Sports Medicine 836 Sunset Lake | Blvd Ste 205 Venice, FL 34292-7556 941-485-1505; Lic.#ME113787 Dillingham, Christopher L.

Sforzo | Dillingham | Stewart Orthopedics + Sports Medicine 5831 Bee Ridge Rd | Ste 300 Sarasota, FL 34233-5090 941-378-5100; Lic.#ME107087 Sforzo, Christopher R.

Sforzo | Dillingham | Stewart Orthopedics + Sports Medicine 5831 Bee Ridge Rd | Ste 300 Sarasota, FL 34233-5090 941-378-5100; Lic.#ME83510 Simmons, Sara P.

Coastal Orthopedics 8000 SR 64 East | Bradenton, FL 34212 941-792-1404; Lic.#ME113187

INTERNAL MEDICINE Cogburn, William E

Millennium Physician Group 1287 US 41 Bypass S Venice, FL 34285-5545 941-202-0500; Lic.#ME58550

Yaryura, Ricardo A.

Intercoastal Medical Group 965 S Beneva Rd Sarasota, FL 34232-2401 941-366-1888; Lic.#ME73423

NEUROLOGY Cantero, Julio

Intercoastal Medical Group 2881 Hyde Park St Sarasota, FL 34239-3228 941-906-7155; Lic.#ME94218 Cherian, Rejo P.

Sarasota Memorial Health Care System 1921 Waldemere St | Ste 701 Sarasota, FL 34239-2913 941-917-8900; Lic.#ME135878 Concha, Mauricio

Intercoastal Medical Group 2881 Hyde Park St Sarasota, FL 34239-3228 941-906-7155; Lic.#ME69547 Szabo, Zsofia

Sarasota Memorial Health Care System 1921 Waldemere St | Ste 701 Sarasota, FL 34239 941-917-8900; Lic.#ME146951

OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY Lipman, Malorie

Sarasota Memorial Health Care System 1921 Waldemere St | Ste 802 Sarasota, FL 34239 941-917-7888; Lic.#ME149928

Dattoli, Michael J.

Dattoli Cancer Center & Brachytherapy Research Institute 2803 Fruitville Rd Sarasota, FL 34237-5344 941-957-1221; Lic.#ME58562

ORTHOPEDIC SURGERY Cashen, David V.

Coastal Orthopedics 8000 SR 64 East Bradenton, FL 34212 941-792-1404; Lic.#ME99185 Cuff, Derek J.

Suncoast Orthopaedic Surgery & Sports Medicine 836 Sunset Lake Blvd | Ste 205 Venice, FL 34292-7556 941-485-1505; Lic.#ME95587 Harkess, John W.

Coastal Orthopedics 8000 SR 64 East Bradenton, FL 34212 941-792-1404; Lic.#ME132666 Kumar, Avinash G

Coastal Orthopedics 8000 SR 64 East Bradenton, FL 34212 941-792-1404; Lic.#ME82887 O'Daly, Andrés E.

Coastal Orthopedics 8000 SR 64 East Bradenton, FL 34212 941-792-1404; Lic.#ME126890

Otte, R. Stephen

Coastal Orthopedics 8000 SR 64 East Bradenton, FL 34212 941-792-1404; Lic.#ME141436 Pacana, Matthew

Coastal Orthopedics 8000 SR 64 East Bradenton, FL 34212 941-792-1404; Lic.#ME157260 Shereff, Michael J

Coastal Orthopedics 8340 Lakewood Ranch Blvd 3rd Floor | Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202 941-792-1404; Lic.#ME101274 Stewart Jr, Charles E

Sforzo | Dillingham | Stewart Orthopedics + Sports Medicine 5831 Bee Ridge Rd | Ste 300 Sarasota, FL 34233-5090 941-378-5100; Lic.#ME120483 Sugar, David A.

Sugar Orthopaedics 1630 S Tuttle Ave Sarasota, FL 34239-3108 941-556-6900; Lic.#ME73607 Valadie, Alan L.

Coastal Orthopedics 8000 SR 64 East Bradenton, FL 34212 941-792-1404; Lic.#ME70378

PAIN MANAGEMENT Fura, Abraham J

Ramos Center 100 3rd Ave W | Ste 210 Bradenton, FL 34205-8641 941-708-9555; Lic.#OS16143

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2023 PEER REVIEW HONOREES TOP DOCTORS MEDICAL RESOURCE GUIDE | SECOND PRINTING

HONOREE Cosmetic Surgery

Emily Jiles, DO

SPECIALTIES Body and Facial Cosmetic Surgery TELL US ABOUT YOUR PRACTICE. At Dr. Jiles

Cosmetic Surgery you are never just a number.

We pride ourselves in providing individualized treatment to every one of our patients. Our practice core values are safety, integrity, respect and beautiful results. From getting your customized treatment plan, to your follow-up appointments, you are the prime focus through the entire process. With immediate concierge service available 24/7, you have our expert care at your fingertips.

Dr. Emily Jiles is a cosmetic surgeon with extensive fellowship training with leading experts in the field. Originally from Chesapeake, Virginia, Dr. Jiles knew she wanted to be a surgeon from a very young age. She received her undergraduate degree in biochemistry from Florida State University. From there she attended medical school in West Virginia. After her board certification in general surgery, Dr. Jiles completed a cosmetic surgery fellowship in New York City. She now specializes in cosmetic surgery of the face, breast, and body. Today, she is a member of the American College of Surgeons, the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery, and the American College of Osteopathic Surgeons. Additionally, she is medical director at Florida Robotic Hair Transplant Center where she performs robotic hair transplantation surgeries.

WHAT SETS YOUR PRACTICE APART? Dr. Jiles seeks to revolutionize the approach to cosmetic surgery. Because feeling beautiful and confident starts on the inside, she works closely with like-minded, progressive physician colleagues who are leaders in the fields of functional medicine and weight loss medicine. Do you have those last few pounds to lose before you get a tummy tuck?

The Fit For Surgery program might be perfect for you prior to having surgery with Dr. Jiles! The best part of all is the emphasis on improving habits which will continue to improve your results even after surgery without trying.

DR JILES COSMETIC SURGERY 1958 Prospect Street | Suite 103 | Sarasota, Florida 34239 941.867.7682 | drjilescosmeticsurgery.com

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TOP DOCTORS Ramos, Fabian A.

Ramos Center 100 3rd Ave W | Ste 110 Bradenton, FL 34205-8641 941-708-9555; Lic.#ME71496

PEDIATRICS GENERAL Fleener, Barbara X.

PSYCHIATRY Cohen, Rebecca

Rebecca S Cohen Md LLC 1217 S East Ave | Ste 209 Sarasota, FL 34239-2329 941-559-8500; Lic.#ME112405 Hollen, Jordana

Sarasota Children's Clinic 3920 Bee Ridge Rd | Bldg A Sarasota, FL 34233-1207 941-923-3667; Lic.#ME112055

Bluestone Psychiatry PLLC 5664 Bee Ridge Rd | Ste 203 Sarasota, FL 34233-1504 877-422-9355; Lic.#ME119785

Fleener, Carola

PULMONOLOGY

Sarasota Children's Clinic 3920 Bee Ridge Rd | Bldg A Sarasota, FL 34233-1207 941-923-3667; Lic.#ME52202

PHYSICAL MEDICINE AND REHABILITATION Ottaviani, Laura B.

Coastal Orthopedics 8000 SR 64 East | Bradenton, FL 34212 941-792-1404; Lic.#OS7921

PLASTIC AND RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY Hamwi, Christopher

Florida Plastic Surgery And Medspa 5566 Broadcast Ct | Sarasota, FL 34240 941-800-2000; Lic.#ME135896 Spellman, Andrea

Wright Spellman Plastic Surgery 5911 N. Honore Avenue #120 Sarasota, FL 34243 941-202-0800; Lic.# OS13346

Aranibar, Richard

Pulmonology and Critical Care Intercoastal Medical Group 11505 Rangeland Pkwy Bradenton, FL 34211-4041 941-362-8662; Lic.#ME75531

RADIATION ONCOLOGY Fitch, Dwight L.

Advocate Radiation Oncology 5325 E State Road 64 Bradenton, FL 34208-5534 941-220-6263; Lic.#ME95935 Koshy, Mary

Advocate Radiation Oncology 5325 State Rd 64 Bradenton, FL 34208-1131 941-220-6263; Lic.#ME92795

RHEUMATOLOGY Guzman, Luis G.

PODIATRY

Intercoastal Medical Group 943 S Beneva Rd Sarasota, FL 34232-2476 941-366-3062; Lic.#ME137093

Guzman, Javier

Kelley III, Joe T.

Suncoast Orthopaedic Surgery & Sports Medicine 836 Sunset Lake Blvd | Ste 205 Venice, FL 34292 941-485-1505; Lic.#ME149660

Manickam, Sampath

Millennium Physician Group 8383 S Tamiami Trl | Unit 115 Sarasota, FL 34238-2901 941-497-4069; Lic.#ME133234

SPINE SURGERY Meinhardt, Philip A.

Sforzo | Dillingham | Stewart Orthopedics + Sports Medicine 5831 Bee Ridge Rd | Ste 300 Sarasota, FL 34233-5090 941-378-5100; Lic.#ME103325 Sundberg, Eric B.

Coastal Orthopedics 8000 SR 64 East | Bradenton, FL 34212 941-792-1404; Lic.#ME120448

SPORTS MEDICINE Lamar, Daniel S.

Coastal Orthopedics 8340 Lakewood Ranch Blvd 3rd Floor | Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202 941-792-1404; Lic.#ME88228 Schafer, Steven J.

Coastal Orthopedics 8000 SR 64 East Bradenton, FL 34212 941-792-1404; Lic.#ME77986 Torrance II, Ron

Regenexx 5630 Marquesas Circle Sarasota, FL 34233 941-357-1773; Lic.#OS14664 Valadie, Arthur L.

Coastal Orthopedics 8000 SR 64 East Bradenton, FL 34212 941-792-1404; Lic.#ME71811

UROLOGY Cohen, Louis H

Intercoastal Medical Group 3333 Cattlemen Rd Sarasota, FL 34232-6057 941-379-1860; Lic.#ME111892

VASCULAR SURGERY Edwards, Jeffrey

Sarasota Vascular Specialists 600 N Cattlemen Rd | Ste 220 Sarasota, FL 34232-6422 941-371-6565; Lic.#ME132518 Lepore Jr, Michael R.

Sarasota Vascular Specialists 600 N Cattlemen Rd | Ste 220 Sarasota, FL 34232-6422 941-371-6565; Lic.#ME81013 Nair, Deepak G.

Sarasota Vascular Specialists 600 N Cattlemen Rd | Ste 220 Sarasota, FL 34232-6422 941-371-6565; Lic.#ME99082 Parrack, Inkyong K.

Sarasota Vascular Specialists 600 N Cattlemen Rd | Ste 220 Sarasota, FL 34232-6422 941-371-6565; Lic.#ME137320 Suplee, Ryan S.

Intercoastal Medical Group 3333 Cattlemen Rd Sarasota, FL 34232-6056 941-341-0042; Lic.#ME124998 Wagner, Jason K.

Sarasota Vascular Specialists 600 N Cattlemen Rd | Ste 220 Sarasota, FL 34232-6422 941-371-6565; Lic.#ME139385

Intercoastal Medical Group 943 S Beneva Rd Sarasota, FL 34232-2476 941-366-3062; Lic.#ME85515

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2023 PEER REVIEW HONOREES TOP DOCTORS MEDICAL RESOURCE GUIDE | SECOND PRINTING

HONOREE Gastroenterology

ARUN KHAZANCHI, MD SPECIALTIES Gastroenterology Internal Medicine TELL US ABOUT YOUR PRACTICE. Dr. Khazanchi's

contributions to the medical field have earned him numerous accolades and recognition. Since 2015, he has consistently been nominated as a top doctor in Sarasota and Bradenton, a testament to his out-standing skills and dedication. Despite his impressive achievements, Dr. Khazanchi remains humble and grounded, never losing sight of his primary goal: providing exceptional care to his patients. Dr. Khazanchi's practice is supported by a team of dedicated and skilled healthcare professionals who share his commitment to excellence. From the front desk staff to the nurses, medical assistants and management, the entire team works together to ensure a seamless and efficient patient experience. Their professionalism, compassion, and attention to detail contribute to the overall success of the practice and further distinguish it from others.

Dr. Khazanchi is an exceptional physician who embodies compassion, understanding, brilliance, and a strong work ethic.

Throughout his 25-year career, he has made a significant impact by saving and improving the lives of numerous individuals. His commitment to helping others is unwavering, and he consistently goes above and beyond to provide the best care possible. One of Dr. Khazanchi's remarkable qualities is his availability and dedication to his patients. He understands the importance of being there for them in their times of need and ensures that he is always accessible. His patients find solace in his caring nature and appreciate his tireless efforts to address their medical concerns. In addition to his medical expertise, Dr. Khazanchi is a devoted family man. He shares a beautiful and fulfilling life with his wonderful and supportive wife. Furthermore, he takes great pride in his daughter, who is currently pursuing her education at Duke University. Despite the demands of his profession, Dr. Khazanchi prioritizes his family and nurtures their well-being.

HOW DOES YOUR PRACTICE HELP IMPROVE THE LIVES OF YOUR PATIENTS? Dr. Khazanchi's

practice has significantly improved the lives of his patients through exceptional medical care and a patient-centered approach. With his deep expertise in gastroenterology, he accurately diagnoses and treats various gastrointestinal conditions, providing relief and healing. His compassionate and understanding demeanor creates a supportive environment where patients feel heard and valued. Through personalized treatment plans and open communication, he empowers patients to actively participate in their healthcare decisions. Dr. Khazanchi's practice not only focuses on physical well-being but also addresses the emotional and psychological aspects of patients' lives. By improving their health and overall quality of life, he has made a profound impact on the well-being of his patients.

PREMIERE • GI 11505 Palmbrush Trail | Suite 200 | Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202 941.334.9040 | premiereGI.com Facebook: Premiere GI | Instagram: Premieregipllc

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HONOREES Pediatrics

BARBARA FLEENER, MD CAROLA FLEENER, MD ABOUT THE PRACTICE The Sarasota Children's

Dr. Barbara Fleener, left, earned her Bachelor's Degree at Florida State University and her M.D. degree at Ponce School of Medicine in Puerto Rico. She completed her training at the lauded Washington University St. Louis Children's Hospital after which she joined her mother, Dr. Carola Fleener and D.N.P. Lisa Ann Bernard in practice here in Sarasota. She brought the most up-to-date pediatric knowledge to share with her mother and the pediatric nurse practitioner's years or experience. She is Board Certified by the American Board of Pediatrics.

Dr. Carola Fleener, right, obtained her M.D. degree at the University of Carabobo in Venezuela following which she was in training at All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida and then joined her family here in Sarasota to practice at the Sarasota Children's Clinic in 1988. She is boarded in Family Medicine by ABPS. Lisa Ann Bernard, D.N.P. came up through the ranks, achieving certification as LPN, RN, ARNP and now Doctorate of Nursing Science at the University of South Florida. She is a Certified Lactation Counselor and she has been a member of this team for over 20 years. She has broad expertise and empathy and always provides our patients with that bit of extra attention and caring.

SPECIALTIES Well Care & Immunizations Behavior & Developmental Issues Certified Breastfeeding Support Allergy Evaluations/Treatment

Clinic is a Pediatric Medical Practice which has helped three generations of children grow up healthier since it opened 40 years ago. Our mission is to create a supportive and informal environment that reduces anxiety levels in parents and children and empowers them to participate in achieving their health goals.

We are fortunate to have a highly skilled and dedicated team of professionals helping us to accomplish this goal. We have an open-door policy for all patients— this includes 24-hour access to a physician and the flexibility to help a child who might need to be seen right away. Our practice philosophy is one with a holistic focus and our mission is to provide our families with the best medical care possible within a safe, caring and professional environment .

WHAT SETS YOUR PRACTICE APART? The Sarasota

Children's Clinic has obtained a national award of excellence certifying that we have achieved one of the highest standards of medical practice: we are certified as a Patient-Centered Medical Home by the AAAHC. That means this medical practice provides wrap-around medical and social care to our patients.

Using a Team approach which includes and empowers patient participation, we lead patients through the health care delivery system and show them how to obtain needed resources and services in our community. All three of our providers enjoy giving back to the community and often volunteer time in local churches providing free physicals and school supplies for less privileged children. Our passion for this community motivates us to remove barriers to medical care so it has been the greatest honor to have been chosen by our peers and the community of Sarasota for recognition with the Top Doctors Award!

SARASOTA CHILDREN'S CLINIC The Medical Center of Sarasota 3920 Bee Ridge Road | Building A - Suite.C Sarasota, FL 34233 941.923.3667 | sarasotakidsdocs.com

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HONOREE Cosmetic Surgery

ALBERICO J. SESSA, MD SPECIALTIES Cosmetic Surgery WHAT SETS YOUR PRACTICE APART? Sarasota

Dr. Sessa started his career in dental school, where he learned that a tenth of a millimeter can make all the difference. He then went to medical school and onto oral and maxillofacial surgery at Charity Hospital in New Orleans for six years. This is were he learned to take apart the bony structures of the head and face and put them back together better than before. The training culminated in a year long post-graduate fellowship in cosmetic surgery of the face and body. This is where it all came together. It was at this fellowship, that every day, he along side his mentor performed cosmetic surgery in a private facility. Under this tutelage, he was able to hone his skills performing complex breast, tummy, face, and nasal surgery. This expertise allowed him to come to Sarasota in 2007 and begin practicing at the highest level immediately. Thousands of surgeries completed, five patient choice awards, hundreds of 5-star reviews across multiple platforms, and thousands of thrilled patients. He is a diplomate of both the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery as well as the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. Fellowship director, and American Board of Cosmetic Surgery Board examiner for the past four years.

Surgical Arts, the name says it all! This is where surgical excellence, safety, and art collide. Alberico Sessa, MD is an artist. An expert in Cosmetic Surgery. An expert is defined as 10,000 hours performing a task. 16 years and 10,000 procedures completed at his surgical facility—Dr. Sessa considers himself to be an expert. It's all in the training. Alberico Sessa, MD, is a perfectionist.

The surgery is never completed until it is perfect.

The first questions asked at a consultation are to find out exactly what is the patient’s idea of beauty and what they are concerned about. Then the journey begins. Sarasota Surgical Arts provides an array of Cosmetic surgery to help the breast, body, or the face. Some of the procedures performed: facelift, breast augmentation, tummy tuck, breast lift, breast reduction, liposuction, rhinoplasty, eyelid surgery, Laser skin resurfacing. Non surgical options are also found at Sarasota Surgical Arts: Venus freeze—a skin-tightening procedure that works. Vanquish is an all-in-one treatment to dissolve fat and tighten skin, both painless and inexpensive. A medi-spa, along with a knowledgeable aesthetician, is also onsite. Skin peels, facials, derma planing, “PRP” facials (Vampire), microneedling, as well as micro-blading for eyebrows are performed. We also have our very own skin care line-DR AL’s RX. All Cosmetic Surgery is performed at his private surgical facility. This facility is certified by the Florida Board of Medicine yearly. The anesthesia is provided by a board certified practitioner with 32 years of experience.

SARASOTA SURGICAL ARTS ALBERICO J. SESSA, MD 4143 Clark Road | Sarasota, FL 34233 941.923.1736 | SarasotaSurgicalArts.com

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JORDANA HOLLEN, MD HONOREE

Psychiatry SPECIALTIES Women’s Health Mood and Anxiety Disorders Psychopharmacology Psychotherapy

Dr. Jordana Hollen is a Board Certified Psychiatrist with extensive training in psychopharmacology, mood and anxiety disorders, women’s health, ADHD, psychotherapy and TMS. Dr. Hollen graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Honors Program, and she completed her Psychiatry residency training at the University of Florida. She has experience as a medical director and psychiatry instructor for trainees, as well as twelve years of outpatient psychiatric practice.

ABOUT YOUR PRACTICE. At Bluestone Psychiatry, a physician-founded and led practice, we feel grateful to provide our patients and their families with a dignified, compassionate behavioral health experience.

We partner with our patients to build solid connections and trust. Building upon this trust, we incorporate evidence-based treatments including psychotherapy and medication management, as appropriate. Bluestone Psychiatry encourages our patients to set goals, and more importantly, achieve these goals. We appreciate that everyone is unique, and we strive to tailor our treatment plans to each individual. It is an absolute privilege to build these relationships, and we will always strive to create an environment that facilitates the best treatment outcomes.

BLUESTONE PSYCHIATRY, PLLC 5664 Bee Ridge Road | Suite 203 | Sarasota, FL 34233 1.877.422.9355 | Jordana-jhollen@bluestone.health bluestone.health

MICHAEL J. DATTOLI, MD HONOREE

Oncology SPECIALTIES Brachytherapy Therapeutic Radiology

Michael J. Dattoli, MD, is a board-certified radiation oncologist with decades of brachytherapy experience, having performed thousands of prostate implant procedures. Dr. Dattoli attended the University of California at Berkeley and was Valedictorian of his class at Vassar College. He earned his medical degree at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Radiation Oncology Residency at New York University Medical Center and was Special Fellow and Associate Professor of Brachytherapy at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in NYC.

WHAT MAKES THE DATTOLI CANCER CENTER SO SPECIAL? Drs. Dattoli and Soni have trained at the

finest academic cancer research hospitals in the United States and have assembled the largest non-surgical prostate cancer research facility in the world. They have published the highest cure rates with the lowest side effects imaginable and over 50% of patients come to the Dattoli Cancer Center from out-of-state or out of the country after extensively exploring their treatment options.

These results are accomplished using pinpoint precise radiation called "Dynamic Adaptive Radiotherapy" (DART), pioneered at the Dattoli Cancer Center.

Meanwhile, no cancer center in the world has as much experience utilizing brachytherapy. The same technologies are utilized to treat other cancer sites, especially breast cancer, also with unparalleled results.

DATTOLI CANCER CENTER 2803 Fruitville Road | Sarasota, FL 34237 941-957-1221 | Fax: 941.957.0038

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DAVID A. SUGAR, MD, FAAOS HONOREE

Orthopaedic Surgery SPECIALTIES Orthopedic Surgery Sports Medicine Pediatrics Physical Therapy

David A. Sugar, MD is a Board Certified Orthopaedic Surgeon specializing in surgical and non surgical, Pediatric and Adult Orthopaedics. He has been practicing Orthopaedics for the past 25 years here in Sarasota. In addition to providing care to those in our community, Dr. Sugar is very proud of the work he does for those in need in Haiti.

ABOUT THE PRACTICE Sugar Orthopaedics provides individualized, concierge level, personal care for each of our patients. In our relaxed environment, we are able to treat everyone as if they are our own family member.

We provide Orthopaedic care for the entire family for all ages. We provide Physical Therapy in our facility with one on one attention including a gym with diverse equipment and a golf simulator. Dr. Sugar is extremely humbled to be awarded this honor as “Top Doctor”. He could not have accomplished this without his amazing support team.

SUGAR ORTHOPAEDICS 1630 S Tuttle Ave | Sarasota, FL 34239 941-556-6900 | drsugar.md

J MORGAN O'DONOGHUE, MD HONOREE

Dermatology SPECIALTIES All diseases of the skin, hair, and nails Mohs Surgery Laser Treatments Fillers & Botox Aesthetician & Skin Care Boutique

Better healthcare begins immediately upon your arrival at O’Donoghue Dermatology. The practice specializes in delivering state-of-the-art dermatologic care with a personalized touch. Entering his 25th year as a board-certified, Georgetown graduate dermatologist, Dr. O'Donoghue remains passionate about his work. "Our patients are my top priority and I love what I do. We cater to our patients' needs and treat them like family members, not numbers." As a patient, you will have quick access to a real person on the phone, availability for same-day appointments, you will be seen on time, and meet with a provider who listens. With his hands-on approach to medicine, Dr. O'Donoghue and his staff provide high-quality dermatology treatment with a caring, personal touch that sets them apart from the crowd.

O'DONOGHUE DERMATOLOGY 1952 Field Road | Sarasota, Florida 34231 941.926.7546 | dermatologyexperts.com Text us at 941.300.0642

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IVAN ESTUARDO RASCON-AGUILAR, MD HONOREE

Gastroenterology SPECIALTIES - Inflammatory bowel disease - Liver and pancreatic diseases - Endoscopy, colonoscopy, balloon enteroscopy and ERCP - Esophageal disorders

Dr. Rascon-Aguilar is a dedicated and experienced physician committed to providing comprehensive and compassionate healthcare. With 23 years of clinic expertise, he specializes in gastroenterology and hepatology.

Dr. Rascon’s passion for medicine drives his continuous learning and reinforces his commitment to exceptional patient care. He believes in using medications as a last resort and utilizing diet and lifestyle interventions to improve gut health first.

HOW CAN DIET AND LIFESTYLE CHOICES AFFECT GASTROINTESTINAL HEALTH? Diet and lifestyle go hand-

in-hand in having a profound impact on your gut health.

A balanced diet not only promotes regular bowel movements but also prevents constipation. Conversely, consuming excessive amounts of processed foods, high-fat content and spicy foods can lead you down a road to digestive discomfort, acid reflux and gastritis. Hydration also plays a key role, as does maintaining a healthy body weight through regular exercise to reduce the risk of conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome and gallstones. With over two decades of experience in gastroenterology, my goal with every patient is to listen, learn and thoroughly investigate to discover the heart of the problem – and give them choices for treatment, from lifestyle modifications to medications and procedures.

FLORIDA DIGESTIVE HEALTH SPECIALISTS Bradenton | Sarasota | Venice | Englewood and more Check the website for the locations | fdhs.com

RONALD ANDARI, MD HONOREE

Gastroenterology SPECIALTIES - Cancers of the Digestive System - Pancreatobiliary Disorders (EUS/ERCP) - Chronic Abdominal Pain - Esophageal Disorders

Dr. Andari is a board-certified gastroenterologist with specialized training in advanced diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopic procedures. His clinical interests include chronic abdominal pain, hepatobiliary and pancreatic pathology, endoscopic ultrasound and cancer prevention. Dr. Andari completed his internal medicine residency, gastroenterology fellowship and advanced endoscopy fellowship at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia. He provides care to patients in Sarasota and Lakewood Ranch, and he is fluent in Spanish, English and Arabic.

WHAT SETS YOUR PRACTICE APART ? I enjoy

connecting with each patient and creating individualized treatment plans to help them lead a healthy, active life.

In our practice, patients have access to highly advanced therapies and care without the need to visit a large hospital system or an academic medical center. We find that the outpatient setting allows for more coordinated, streamlined care that is convenient for the patient and their family members. The doctor-patient relationship also thrives.

Personally, I find that this human connection, through compassion and alleviating human suffering, is what I love most of being a physician.

FLORIDA DIGESTIVE HEALTH SPECIALISTS Bradenton | Sarasota | Venice | Englewood and more Check the website for the locations | fdhs.com New location: Lakewood Ranch starting March 1, 2024 6600 University Pkwy, | Ste 301 | Lakewood Ranch, Florida

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MICHAEL CAIRE, MD WHY IS COLORECTAL SCREENING SO IMPORTANT?

HONOREE

Gastroenterology

Colorectal screening holds significant importance due to several key factors. Firstly, it plays a crucial role in detecting colorectal cancer at its earliest and most treatable stages, thereby improving survival rates. Moreover, screening can identify and remove precancerous growths or polyps, reducing the risk of cancer development. Given that colorectal cancer often presents no early symptoms, regular screening is essential for early detection. Individuals with a family history of the disease are at increased risk, further emphasizing the importance of routine screening.

Lastly, early detection through screening can lead to less invasive and more effective treatment options, ultimately enhancing a patient’s quality of life.

SPECIALTIES - Colorectal Cancer Screening - Esophageal Disorders

Dr. Michael Caire, a board-certified gastroenterologist in Bradenton, specializes in colorectal cancer screening and esophageal disorders. He earned his medical degree at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, where he was inducted into the Gold Humanism Honor Society. Following this, his internal medicine residency at Virginia Commonwealth University recognized him as the Most Outstanding Senior Resident. He returned to USF Morsani College of Medicine for his gastroenterology fellowship, becoming Chief Fellow.

FLORIDA DIGESTIVE HEALTH SPECIALISTS Bradenton | Sarasota | Venice | Englewood and more Check the website for the locations | fdhs.com

CHARLES LOEWE, MD WHEN SHOULD I CONSULT A GASTROENTEROLOGIST?

HONOREE

If you're experiencing persistent digestive issues such as chronic abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea or constipation, it's advisable to seek a consultation with a gastroenterologist. Additionally, if you have a family history of gastrointestinal diseases, or if you notice changes in your bowel habits, unexplained weight loss or blood in your stool, scheduling an appointment would be beneficial. As a gastroenterologist, I specialize in diagnosing and treating a wide range of digestive disorders, ensuring that you receive accurate evaluations, effective treatments and necessary lifestyle recommendations to manage your gastrointestinal health effectively. Remember, early consultation can lead to timely interventions and improved quality of life.

Gastroenterology SPECIALTIES - Liver Diseases, Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and Barrett’s Esophagus - Biliary Tract, Gall Bladder and Pancreatic Disorders - Endoscopy and Colonoscopy - Mobility and Nutritional Disorders

Dr. Charles Loewe is board certified in Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology and Hepatology. He earned his medical degree from Hahnemann Medical University in Philadelphia, PA, and completed his residencies in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology at Medical College of Virginia (MCV/VCU).

With over 40,000 procedures performed, he's a world leader in advanced endoscopic procedures. Dr. Loewe is CEO of Sarasota Center for Digestive Diseases and Center for Endoscopy and a former assistant professor at FSU. He was recently voted "Best Gastroenterologist" by SRQ.

SARASOTA CENTER FOR DIGESTIVE DISEASE 3325 S. Tamiami Tr. | Suite 200 | Sarasota, FL 34239 941.952.9223 | fdhs.com

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TONANTZIN MATHEUS, MD HONOREE Gastroenterology SPECIALTIES - Esophageal diseases - Pancreatic disorders - GERD/Dysphagia - Irritable bowel syndrome

Dr. Matheus is board certified in both gastroenterology and internal medicine.

She specializes in colorectal screening and GERD/dysphagia and has advanced training in esophageal disorders, including swallowing problems, reflux and digestive tract motility. Dr. Matheus performs in-office capsule endoscopy and colonoscopy screenings and has been practicing for nearly 20 years. Fluent in Spanish and English, she enjoys taking time with her patients to ensure they are fully informed and their questions are answered.

WHAT SETS YOUR PRACTICE APART? I treat patients at all stages of digestive health, from those who have been suffering for years to patients who are experiencing uncomfortable symptoms that are new to them. Each of them is seeking answers and a path to health. Our team takes the time we need to empathize and deeply understand each patient’s lives and the factors affecting their condition. Education is imperative to helping patients regain their quality of life. I strive to combine professionalism, advanced treatments and compassion to amplify our patient’s chance at a healthy, active life.

FLORIDA DIGESTIVE HEALTH SPECIALISTS Bradenton | Sarasota | Venice | Englewood and more Check the website for the locations | fdhs.com New location: Lakewood Ranch starting March 1, 2024 6600 University Pkwy, | Ste 301 | Lakewood Ranch, Florida

AVANTIKA MISHRA, MD HONOREE

Gastroenterology SPECIALTIES - Cancer Prevention - IBD - Women's health - Obesity/nutrition

Dr. Mishra is a board-certified gastroenterologist serving the Sarasota and Lakewood Ranch communities. She has a special interest in obesity and nutrition, cancer prevention, esophageal and reflux disorders and women’s health. She completed her internal medicine residency at Medstar Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, DC, then went on to Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School for her gastroenterology fellowship. Dr. Mishra provides care to patients who struggle with common to complex gastrointestinal and liver diseases.

HOW DOES YOUR PRACTICE HELP TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF YOUR PATIENTS? Diagnosing gastrointestinal

issues can be very nuanced and layered; it requires paying key attention to patients’ symptoms while keeping in mind already diagnosed medical comorbidities.

Patients need to know they’re heard and are working with someone that is invested in their care. An essential part of this doctor-patient relationship is continual patient education and engagement. As physicians, we need to constantly understand symptoms and early screening.

With this work, we can save lives.

FLORIDA DIGESTIVE HEALTH SPECIALISTS Bradenton | Sarasota | Venice | Englewood and more Check the website for the locations | fdhs.com New location: Lakewood Ranch starting March 1, 2024 6600 University Pkwy, | Ste 301 | Lakewood Ranch, Florida

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JOHN SOUTHERLAND, MD HOW DOES YOUR PRACTICE HELP TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF YOUR PATIENTS? We improve the lives of our

HONOREE Gastroenterology

patients by listening to our patients' needs and discussing the latest technology advancements. This will allow our patients to make the best-informed decisions on their care.

We are a practice that believes in a holistic approach to medicine with shared decision making, personal patient care, and offering the latest technology in the field of advanced therapeutics, diagnostics and weight loss options.

SPECIALTIES Crohn's disease Ulcerative colitis

Dr. John Southerland completed his internal medicine residency at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Cleveland Ohio and his gastroenterology fellowship at the University of Florida. He was awarded the Top 10 Physician of the Year Role Model from Sarasota Memorial Hospital in 2005.

Dr. Southerland is married and practices in Sarasota.

REBECCA S. COHEN, MD

SARASOTA CENTER FOR DIGESTIVE DISEASE 3325 S. Tamiami Tr. | Suite 200 | Sarasota, FL 34239 941.952.9223 | fdhs.com

WHAT SETS YOUR PRACTICE APART? I have always approached patient care with the idea of recognizing the complex biological, psychological and situational impact of each person’s presentation. Psychiatric symptoms are the most complicated of any medical specialty, because they potentially impact who you are and how you feel about yourself. My goal with patients is to help them understand their psychiatric symptoms and conflicts, and to work collaboratively with them to improve overall health and well-being. In over a decade of private clinical practice, I have worked with patients in both acute crisis situations as well as with more chronic, debilitating symptoms or difficulties. For some patients, seeking out care can be upsetting or difficult. My goal is to establish a safe and nurturing environment so we can do the work together, establish clear goals for a treatment plan and take proper care of the patient’s needs.

HONOREE

Psychiatry SPECIALTIES Adult Psychiatry Psychopharmacology Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Dr. Cohen is an Interventional Psychiatrist who specializes in Adult Psychopharmacology and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) for the treatment of mood and anxiety disorders. She is launching and directing the most precision-based, state-of-the-art TMS Center in this region in January, 2024 with several outstanding colleagues. Dr. Cohen is recognized as an expert clinician in the area of TMS Therapy and serves on the Board of Directors and other leadership roles for the International Clinical TMS Society.

REBECCA S. COHEN, MD 1217 South East Avenue Suite 209 | Sarasota, FL 34239 941. 559.8500 | drrebeccacohen.com

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DAVID CHAN, MD

Prior to attending medical school at the University of Florida, Dr. Chan practiced as a Senior Physical Therapist at the University of Miami / Jackson Memorial Medical Center for 5 years. It was there rehabilitating victims of head trauma and spinal cord injured quadriplegics that he learned the importance of hand function for independence and quality of life. He went on to complete a hand surgery fellowship at the prestigious Philadelphia Hand Center / Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.

HONOREE

Orthopaedic Surgery SPECIALTIES Hand Surgery Endoscopic Carpel Tunnel Release Wrist Arthroscopy

WHAT SETS YOU APART FROM THE OTHERS? We believe the most important aspects to providing quality care are establishing a relationship with our patients, educating them regarding their condition, and then presenting them with the appropriate treatment options. Our practice specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of athletic and degenerative conditions of the musculoskeletal system.

Dr. Chan is a fellowship trained, Board Certified Orthopaedic Hand Surgeon.

He is a native Floridian, Chinese-American whose immigrant parents have given him the opportunity to pursue his interests in helping those in his community live a better quality of life. His interests include minimally invasive techniques such as endoscopic carpal tunnel release and wrist arthroscopy, as well as treating other common maladies such as hand and wrist arthritis, trigger fingers, Dupuytren’s contractures, tendon ruptures, and cysts.

DEREK CUFF, MD

SUNCOAST ORTHOPAEDIC INSTITUTE 3030 Executive Dr | Venice, FL 34292 941.485.1505 | suncoastorthopaedic.com

WHAT SETS YOU APART FROM THE OTHERS?

In 2012 Dr. Cuff was invited to join the prestigious American Shoulder & Elbow Surgeons (ASES) society.

This organization is comprised of the leading national and international orthopaedic surgeons specializing in surgery of the shoulder and elbow. Admission into ASES society is by nomination only and based on sustained academic and research contributions to the field of shoulder and elbow surgery. He is one of a small group of surgeons in the state of Florida to be given this honor, and he is one of the few select surgeons on the Gulf Coast of Florida to achieve Active Member status in this organization. Dr. Cuff has a strong interest in clinical and basic science research of the shoulder and elbow. He has published multiple articles in peer reviewed international journals on these topics.

HONOREE

Orthopaedic Surgery SPECIALTIES Shoulder Surgery Elbow Surgery

Dr. Cuff specializes in performing minimally invasive arthroscopic procedures as well as complex shoulder and elbow reconstruction. He utilizes state of the art surgical techniques to treat the full spectrum of shoulder and elbow problems. Dr. Cuff graduated Cum Laude from the University of Maryland School of Medicine. He completed his orthopaedic residency in Baltimore, MD at the University of Maryland Medical System, and a portion of his training was also at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. He went on to complete subspecialty fellowship training in shoulder and elbow surgery in Tampa, FL at The Florida Orthopaedic Institute prior to moving to the Sarasota area.

SUNCOAST ORTHOPAEDIC INSTITUTE 3030 Executive Dr | Venice, FL 34292 941.485.1505 | suncoastshoulder-elbow.com

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forage LOCAL EPICUREAN ADVENTURES AT THE TABLE

DEEP ROOTS New marquee Wellen Park concept brings style and ambiance to south county.

Andrew Fabian

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forage This spread, clockwise: The Banyan Tree’s Pecan Bourbon Bread Pudding and Homemade Butter Pecan Ice Cream is the perfect way to satisfy your sweet tooth; try the seared Ruby Red Tuna starter for a savory, umami punch of flavor; The Banyan Tree’s lush aesthetic takes inspiration from the area’s greenery; and, the local Golden Beet Salad is both earthy and refreshing.

THE RAPID EXPANSION OF SOUTH SARASOTA COUNTY IS SOMETHING THE VALENTINO BROTHERS HAVE BEEN READY FOR SINCE 2003. That’s the year

David and Dennis Valentino took over Donato’s Italian Restaurant, founded by their father in the once sleepy town of Port Charlotte. Since then, the brothers have defined that region’s dining scene with steakhouse, pizza and lobster roll concepts.

With The Banyan Tree, opened this summer, they deepen their roots and expand their offerings. The upscale casual restaurant sits next to the 80-acre lake in downtown Wellen Park, surrounded by lush greenery that provided aesthetic cues to the interior. There, the coastal ambiance gives flip-flops and sundresses the same warm welcome as high heels and sports jackets.

And the menu gives a similar warm welcome to all.

Featuring New American cuisine—much of it cooked over a fruit wood fire—The Banyan House offers a PHOTOGRAPHY BY WYATT KOSTYGAN.

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robust list of small, shareable plates to go along with sizable entrees and signature cocktails, all of it inspired and accessible. A local golden beet salad is earthy and surprisingly filling thanks to the generous portion of goat cheese it’s topped with. Locally grown hydroponic watercress is the primary leafy green, with a small handful of candied pecans providing a dash of sugar and crunch. Pair it with the Banyan cosmo, a blend of vodka, lime, Cointreau, cranberry and raspberry.

The Maryland blue crab tower is a bright and light shareable starter. The crab meat is generous, topped by a creamy, fluffy avocado mousse. The hint of lime in the mousse complements the orange slices served around the tower for a Sunshine State twist on a Mid-Atlantic staple. A seared ruby red tuna is savory with a satisfying firmness. The soy glaze and sesame crust add a nice bit of umami to an otherwise clean flavor profile that lacks the polarizing “fishiness” of many seafood offerings. srq magazine_ JAN24 live local | 103

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On the opposite end of the fishiness spectrum is the hefty housemade linguine with lobster. The massive, meaty tail comes butter poached, the creaminess of the butter blending deliciously with the pecorino cream sauce. Considering the Valentinos’ success with Italian concepts, it’s no surprise that the generous portion of pasta could work as an entree on its own.

And then there’s the meat. The Colorado rack of lamb practically glows with the promise of protein.

Rocky mountain lambs grow a little larger than their cousins in New Zealand thanks to their grain finish, which can add almost a pound to the rack alone. Here, the smoke from the wood grill has a lot of surface area to add flavor. As if the rack wasn’t enough, the addition of Moroccan kefta skewers lets a diner know that the Valentino’s are, unequivocally, here to feed people. Somewhere beneath the lamb are delicious confit marble potatoes and roasted brussels sprouts, while harissa roasted carrots lie in the shadow of the towering rack. Try the accompanying tzatziki. On everything.

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While the menu’s extensive seafood offerings play well to the many transplants for whom Gulf-caught anything is a novelty—and rightfully so—there’s something universally, timelessly likable about a perfectly cooked steak. And the Brasstown ribeye was a perfectly cooked steak. First, while the Valentinos bring the pedigree of a successful steakhouse to The Banyan House, cooking with fire is vastly different from cooking on a range. It’s less predictable, more nuanced.

But by the grace of sweat, trial and error, the Brasstown ribeye is a triumph. Cooked medium rare, it’s so tender it barely requires chewing. The fat is perfectly rendered, the sear even and smokey. Does it come with a side of charred broccolini and an aged cheddar mac-andcheese? Yes, and both are good too. But they are wholly overshadowed by the exquisite steak. The smokiness of the ribeye pairs especially well with The Banyan House’s smoked old fashioned. Michter’s whisky, angostura bitters, luxardo cherries and an orange twist are fine and dandy on their own, but when smoked before serving, the experience is altogether elevated. SRQ

This page, clockwise: The Maryland Blue Crab starter includes a generous portion of crab and fluffy avocado mousse; the housemade linguine with lobster features a butterpoached lobster tail and Pecorino cream sauce; and, try the Smoked Old Fashioned for a unique take on a timeless favorite.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY WYATT KOSTYGAN.

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STORIES FROM OUR PHILANTHROPIC COMMUNITY

giving coast LEVELING THE PLAYING FIELD Without a personal agenda or political aspiration, Mary Kay Henson provides opportunities for children to succeed. Barbie Heit

MARY KAY HENSON AND HER HUSBAND JOE WERE BROUGHT UP WITH THE BELIEF THAT THE ENTRY TO ANYTHING THEY WANTED TO DO IN LIFE WAS ONLY POSSIBLE WITH A GOOD EDUCATION. Being first-

generation college graduates who’ve experienced incredible opportunities, they have made it a priority to share this belief with as many children as possible.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY WYATT KOSTYGAN

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giving coast

Mary Kay grew up in a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio and attended Marymount College in Tarrytown, NY. Her parents, though adamant about having their daughter go to college, had very little social capital and no ability to guide her in college decisions. When a slightly older peer talked to her about the possibility of studying abroad, she decided to venture out and spend her Junior year at the London School of Economics. The experience was life changing for Mary Kay and it inspired her lifelong love of learning and travel. One year out of college, she moved to San Francisco which she calls a glorious place. Her first job was as a computer programmer and later, she joined IBM as a salesperson and eventually became a marketing manager. When she met and married Joe, who was president of a computer company, she decided to retire to avoid any conflict of interest. That’s when she began her journey of volunteerism with a special interest in education.

Fourteen years ago, the Hensons moved from Greenwich, CT to Sarasota.

“Originally, we lived briefly on the East Coast in a gated golf community and found it wasn’t for us,” Mary Kay shares. “We craved a greater connection to a city and a vibrant culture, which Sarasota is brimming with.

Its location also didn’t hurt, being right near beautiful beaches!”

Now both retired and fully focused on giving back, Mary Kay and Joe’s philanthropy is centered mainly around the work they do through The Henson Fund, an organization they created when they first moved to the area to provide children who fall at or below the poverty line with the resources they need to succeed academically. The Hensons collaborate with local educators to develop and implement academically sound literacy and enrichment programs for Title I schools in the area.

“This all began when we noticed a lot of press surrounding the fact that children were not graduating high school, and that really hit home for us,” shares Mary Kay. “Education is what opened doors in our lives.

How could the younger generations excel without it?” At first, the couple made cold calls to schools and charitable organizations to see where they could best help and how

they could make an impact. They were eventually introduced to the principal of Alta Vista Elementary at the time, and learned that the school would greatly benefit from a summer program to prevent “summer slide.” And so, they began their first initiative with a pilot summer program. Since the first program in 2017, the fund’s initiatives and programs have continued to grow, now spanning multiple schools and grade levels.

Working closely with students on a weekly basis, the Hensons noted that children require additional support outside of school

was turned on to reading. And small stories within groups of children come to mind, like going into a STEM classroom and seeing how riveted the kids were to learn was an experience I’ll never forget. And it’s not just the little ones, the same goes for the mentors from our partnership with USF, who work in our programs. Watching them grow with the children, working as a group, and being a support system for each other is inspiring.”

Aside from working in the schools and brainstorming new ways to educate and enrich through academic programs, Mary Kay’s favorite place in the world is “Having had the opportunities our education the beach and she provided, we want to give that ability to go visits it as much as possible. “Though anywhere and do anything to as many children I bring a book with as possible, and we believe that starts through me, I often end education and enrichment.” — Mary Kay Henson up looking out at the ocean. I’ve to succeed academically. That’s where their always found the water to be very spiritual, involvement with All Faiths and UnidosNow watching the waves continue to roll in and comes into play. By working with these out,” she says. organizations, they learn about the needs of While she is no longer a student the families and try to help in ways beyond studying abroad, Mary Kay’s love of travel offering financial assistance, such as with has continued throughout her life. “My new initiatives. husband’s company has had many operations “We live a very privileged life and do overseas and we traveled to Europe and not take it for granted,” shares Mary Kay. Asia often through the years. Then, in his “Having had the opportunities our education retirement, we continued to travel, and provided, we want to give that ability to we have been lucky enough to visit over 40 go anywhere and do anything to as many countries. From my time in Europe, I have a children as possible, and we believe that love for museums, and they are always on the starts through education and enrichment. top of the list when traveling,” she says. Here After all, you cannot dream something if you at home, the Hensons enjoy time with their do not know what is possible.” adorable Havanese Princess named Bella Every day, through the work they do who they say is the definition of love. with their fund, the Hensons find a bunch “My story of hope is not so much about of little stories that add up to tell a much affecting an individual, but the community as greater story of hope. “It took three years a whole,” says Mary Kay proudly. “Children of encouragement for a little boy at Gocio are capable of so much; they just need to Elementary to finally be able to read a book be given the tools to do it. I feel when I was he picked out during one of our program’s growing up education was more affordable years prior, and after that, you could see and easier to take advantage of than it is the positive impact reading what he was today, so I work to create a level playing field interested in had on his motivation to in everything I do.” SRQ Mary Kay Henson was read,” recalls Mary Kay. “I also remember honored as one of SRQ Magazine’s Good Heroes in seeing that spark in the eyes of a little girl I March 2023. worked with every week the moment she

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last flight

TAKING IN THE MOMENT Hosana Fieber, CEO, Tervis. Barbie Heit

there, I head to my home office. I’m known for working long and late hours, but no matter how busy my schedule is, I always find time to take my kids to their various activities. If I have some free time, I like to end the day with an evening walk or curling up with a good book.

Your favorite virtue is. . .

Actually, I have two — honesty and generosity. I strive to embody these qualities and I also appreciate seeing them in others.

When you were a kid you dreamed of . . . From early childhood to freshman year of college, my dream was to become a pediatrician. Anyone who knew me knew my career aspirations, but once I started fainting in my biology classes, I quickly realized the medical field was not in my future!

Your guilty pleasure . . .

Watching television. I love a good murder documentary, but surprisingly, I’m terrified of scary movies.

Thought you had driving to work this morning . . .

The immense gratitude I have for my family. We’re currently planning a quinceañera for my daughter and I’m overjoyed that so many of our family members will be driving or flying to celebrate with us.

Your favorite villains in fiction . . . The Joker and Harley Quinn. They are so animated and committed to each other, making them a great team.

My last supper would include . . . a slice of pizza from Angelo’s in Venice and a cup of coffee.

IN THIS INQUISITIVE Q&A SERIES, we get personal with Hosana Fieber. As Chief Executive Officer of Tervis, she runs the day-today operations of the company, creating and driving a strategic plan for the organization. Pull up a café chair and enjoy a slice of pizza with Hosana at her favorite pizzeria in Venice.

a recent day in the life?

My day begins with a 6 am alarm clock and I start making lunches for three of the four kids before they head to school. Once I drop my freshman off at high school, I listen to a podcast as I head into the office.

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A normal day at Tervis includes backto-back meetings, but I really enjoy taking a break now and again to walk around the floor to touch base with our team members. I’m back on the road in the afternoon to pick up my daughter from school and from

Words you use too often . . . Absolutely and totally.

With two more hours in the day, I would . . . practice yoga. It’s slipped down on my todo list, but I’d love to make it a priority again.

Your favorite music artists . . . Jack Johnson, Elton John, Jason Aldean, almost anything from the 90s and salsa music, especially Marc Anthony.

If not yourself, who would you be? Reese Witherspoon.

Not only does she have an incredible public persona, but I also just absolutely adore her. She is a great example of an entrepreneur that doesn’t sway her ethical boundaries with what fame looks like.

Which cartoon character best represents your personal philosophy? Mirabel from the Encanto movie. She is imperfect, but empathetic, and determined to prove that she belongs.

She keeps a level head and doesn’t make everything about her.

Would you rather have a rewind button or a pause button in your life? Pause button. I don’t think we do enough of the “taking in the moment” while we’re in the “moment”.

If you had your own talk show, who would your first three guests be? Michelle Obama for her level head and family values, Bob Iger for the way he has dealt with adversity at Disney and Howard Schultz for his tenacity and ambition. If I could have a fourth guest, it would be Keanu Reeves because I love his humbleness.

What is the scariest thing you’ve ever done? Continuing to climb up the career ladder.

Accepting a higher position, such as the CEO of Tervis, was incredibly nerve-wracking.

Your favorite food of the moment is . . . stuffed shells made by my husband. He is a great cook, and because we have small children, eating out is very rare!

What song best describes your life right now? Crazy Town by Jason Aldean.

In our hometown, we do too much construction and too little appreciation for what the younger generation will bring to Sarasota.

You have to wear a t-shirt with one word on it, what would it be? Love. SRQ ILLUSTRATION BY CHRIS LEVERETT.

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SAY HELLO TO THE NEWEST ADDITION TO THE SRQ FAMILY

Capturing the stories of our hometown in print, digital and video.

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Reach active, affluent residents creating the life they’ve always imagined on Florida’s West Coast—right alongside new discoveries. From sunup to sundown, you’ll find smiles for miles, spread across neighborhoods, along waterside trails and in Downtown Wellen.

Stay and play all day or simply swing by to take in the sunset by the lake.

Be a Part Of Their Story.

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