SRQ Magazine | March 2022 | Home of the Year

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Contents home of the year

march 2022

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Home remains the most significant architectural place we experience throughout our lives. It represents safety, ownership, privacy, stability and personality. As we continue to investigate the role that homes play in our daily lives, the annual SRQ Magazine Home of the Year Competition invites local architects, builders, interior designers and landscape artists to present us with new notions of home environments by submitting their recent residential projects. Year after year, the competition redefines the spaces where we live and thrive—broadening the discussion of what a home represents and what it can ultimately be with today’s building strategies, renovation techniques and regional trends. From seaside to streetside, inside and out, these award-winning domains celebrate and contribute to a growing legacy of innovative home design. Compiled by Hannah Peterson | Edited by Barbie Heit.

This page:

Leader Design Studios’ Home of the Year Award Winning Courtyard House, photography

by Ryan Gamma Photography.

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contents

march 2022

MARKETING FEATURES 43 ELITE AGENTS DANIELLE DIETRICH DAWN MERRITT THE MURRAY GROUP CARISSA PELCZYNSKI ANDREW AND NATALIE TANNER THE WARREN GROUP ALEXIS ZIBOLIS 87

DOMICILE DESIGN WORKS AT WEST FLORIDA DISTRIBUTORS LEE WETHERINGTON HOMES M&M MATTSON MONTGOMERY CARPETS TRADE MARK INTERIORS YODER HOMES

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Seventh generation circus bareback horse rider, Ermes Zamperla is Sarasota’s very own piece of living history. Alpine Steakhouse—a fixture in the Sarasota dining community for nearly a half-century—has emerged from an intensive revamping with a new look and outlook.

New Crew SRQ—an inclusive rowing team pioneered by a student at New College of Florida—is racing into top-level rankings. Circus veteran sisters, Kay and Ellian Rosaire share their love for exotic animals at the Big Cat Habitat.

culture city

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Three years after her passing, Master Painter Eleanor Merritt makes her way to The Ringling Museum. The Herbarium at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens— home to more than 117,000 collections of flora—is a wonderland of tropical beauty.

forage

that calls itself “the drink of joy,” Boombacha Kombucha is a Sarasota-made staple that is, well…booming.

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Local Good Hero Jim Tollerton shares wisdom and lessons learned from a lifelong passion for helping people succeed.

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Southeast Asian cuisine goes contemporary casual at Stiks. A brew

HOME OF THE YEAR AWARDS SHOWCASE 67 AWARDS SPECIAL SECTION 2022 HOTY WINNERS Explore the award-winning residential spaces created by local architects and builders who have been honored with the prestigious SRQ Home of the Year Award for the 2022 program.

Cover: Home of the Year Platinum Winner Leader Design Studio’s ‘Courtyard House’ residential project in the Best Overall Home Above $2 Million category, photography by Ryan Gamma Photography.

This page: Lao curry noodle soup from Stiks, New Crew SRQ and Boombacha kombucha, photography by Wyatt Kostygan.

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MARCH 2022 CEO / PRESIDENT / EDITOR IN CHIEF

LISL LIANG VP OF PHOTOGRAPHY + VIDEO

Wyatt Kostygan MANAGING + BRANDED CONTENT EDITOR

Barbie Heit CONTRIBUTING SENIOR EDITORS

Andrew Fabian, Phil Lederer, Brittany Mattie, Jacob Ogles CONTRIBUTING EDITORS AND ARTISTS

Ariel Chates, Chris Leverett, Abby Weingarten, Woody Woodman DESIGN CONTRIBUTOR Winona Nasser EDITORIAL+DESIGN INTERNS

Arianna Boenker, Dylan Campbell, Grace Castilow, Nilyana Rodriguez EXECUTIVE PUBLISHER

WES ROBERTS SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS AND ENGAGEMENT

Ashley Grant DIGITAL MARKETING + ENGAGEMENT MANAGER

Hannah Peterson ACCOUNTS + CLIENT SERVICE AND DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

Robinson Valverde SALES AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT EXECUTIVES

Suzanne Munroe Julie Mayer Magnifico Rob Wardlaw CLIENT SERVICES ASSOCIATE

Gabriella Alfonso MARKETING ASSOCIATE

Grace Castilow

SRQ MEDIA ADVERTISING GROWMYBUSINESS@SRQME.COM 941-365-7702 x1 SUBSCRIPTIONS SUBSCRIBE@SRQME.COM 941-365-7702 x2

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: the Monday Business Edition, the Wednesday Philanthropy Edition, the 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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STORIES ABOUT THE LOCAL PEOPLE, PLACES AND EXPERIENCES THAT DEFINE OUR HOMETOWN

Below: Ermes defies gravity from atop his horse

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BAREBACK BRAVE Ermes Zamperla — a 7th generation circus bareback horse rider — is Sarasota’s very own piece of living history.

Dylan Campbell

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srqist OF ALL THE HORSEBACK RIDERS IN SARASOTA, ONE STANDS ALONE. He is both a relic and a young man — a living, breathing piece of history, a remnant of the city’s past as a circus town. Time cannot contain him, however, and through the vigor of his riding he ushers the past into the future. It takes a lot, however, to be that bridge between eras. It takes your childhood, your chance at living a ‘normal’ life. It takes your body, subjecting you to years of hard falls, broken bones, and bruised skin. Most of all, perhaps, it takes your mind — it requires a willingness to trick your brain into doing the impossible, over and over again. Ermes Zamperla is a 7th generation circus bareback rider, a member of one of the only families in the world to uphold this tradition of riding. He has been performing since the age of six, touring the world and sharing with all the oldest form of circus. Looking back on a memory that still makes him laugh, Ermes recalls a show in the Montreal-area when with the Tarzan Zerbini Circus as a young child. His role was to pose as a member of the audience before running into the circus ring just as his brother Gino finished his act with the ponies. “I remember going to run into the ring then being grabbed by this big French-Canadian security guard. Since he didn’t speak English, someone had to tell him that I was a part of the show. I thought that I was in so much trouble.”

Now nearing 30, Ermes has accumulated a wealth of experience including touring with the Ringling Bros. and working as a stuntman and horse wrangler for AMC’s hit zombie apocalypse series, The Walking Dead.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY WES ROBERTS.

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Ermes’ family and their heritage of riding hail from Italy, where the style of circus bareback riding originated. Back in the golden days of the circus, the Zamperla name was synonymous with bareback riding. “ We’re definitely the last of a dying breed in terms of standing on horses’ backs, in the United States we’re the last family that does it. Even in Europe there’s not a lot of people that do it.”Because of the immense difficulty of the craft, many other families have abandoned the tradition. It is a skill that has taken Ermes, the youngest of four brothers, a lifetime to master. “Ever since I can remember we were touring, training horses, and moving around. As a child, it was very difficult to keep friends and make new friends, when you’re traveling across Europe or South America for eight months out of the year.”

When on tour, Ermes’ work ranges from horse expositions to Renaissance festivals and of course, circuses. While all that he does falls under the blanket term of Equestrian Circus riding, his craft includes distinct styles with differing heritages. In Renaissance festivals, Ermes will often take part in both Jousting and Roman Riding — an act where he stands atop two horses at once. At horse expositions and circuses, Ermes will unveil his expertise in circus bareback riding and Cossack riding, two distinct forms of trick riding. Circus bareback riding entails performing flips and acrobatics from atop the horse. Cossack riding — a discipline that originates from the Russian Cavalry and is the basis of modern-day, competitive vaulting — features a special saddle that allows Ermes to perform tricks at high speeds. Such tricks include ‘under the belly’ where from atop the saddle Ermes will clamber underneath the horse and back up the other side.

“It just requires so much out of both the horse and the human — you have to be an acrobat on top of having a real connection with the horses,” says Ermes.

Sounds dangerous? That’s because it is.

“I love the speed, the danger, and how much you have to believe in yourself to accomplish these stunts. It doesn’t matter if you’ve done it a thousand times, every show is different.

Every audience is different. I can feel that fear before I go into the ring, but as soon as the curtain opens, all of it goes away. There’s just complete silence.” The ability to conquer that fear, however, is what pushes Ermes to put his body on the line time and time again. That doesn’t mean that the adrenaline rush comes

without a cost. Ermes recounts a particular stretch of shows he did at a large arena in Toronto, where his horse Murdock, a grullacolored American Quarter Horse Cross that stands at 15’2 hands tall, had the chance to build up an unusual amount of speed while Ermes was performing ‘under the belly’.

“Because the arena was so big, Murdock could really reach with his legs and build up more speed than usual. At the end of each show, my sides would be black and blue from him reaching and hitting me with the back of his legs. That’s why I would say I didn’t perform in seven shows, I ‘survived’ seven shows.”

For Ermes, whose stable includes Murdock, now 16 years old, along with a trio of other horses, the amount of trust between horse and rider necessary to perform death-defying stunts in front of a sold-out arena far exceeds the parameters of the typical horse-owner relationship. It’s more like the bond between fighter jet pilot and co-pilot or rally car driver and navigator — a partnership forged in danger in the pursuit of glory.

Their partnership is indicative of the special relationship that many in the circus and performing arts community have with their animals. By cultivating an understanding of his connection with Murdock, Ermes hopes to dispel the negative connotations the outside world often has of people who work with animals.

“We’ll communicate through a look that he gives me before we go into a trick. If I fall, he stops. If I’m under the weather, he takes care of me. I’ve been through so much with Murdock, from flying him around the world to performing for hundreds of crowds, that our relationship is indescribable. We have an incredible amount of trust in each other and a level of connection that most people can’t comprehend.” says Ermes.

For Ermes and Murdock, however, that bond wasn’t built overnight. “I don’t think that he’d had very good experiences before he came into my hands — sometimes I wasn’t sure if I’d get Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde,” says Ermes. “It took awhile for us to trust one another, but he kept on trying for me. It took three years, but eventually he became my best horse.”

When not on tour, Ermes helps others train and work with problem horses. One horse, a wild California Mustang, who had landed two people in the hospital, left a particular mark on him. “After a couple of weeks, I thought

I had made really good progress, but when I was cantering him in front of his owner he bucked me clean off his back. A week later, his owner called and told me that her husband had gotten hurt at work and they couldn’t afford to keep him any more — I was faced with the choice of taking the horse or seeing him go to the slaughter pound.”

Unable to live with that blood on his hands, Ermes adopted the horse and named him Agi — short for Agrius which means ‘wild’ in Greek. Because Ermes’ stable is so talented, he was able to take his time training Agi. After two years, Agi became disciplined enough to perform in shows with Ermes.

Agi was never destined for a life in the circus ring, however, and has been gifted to Ermes’ girlfriend Amanda, who is giving Agi a future as a vaulting horse.

That same love for horses also now inspired Ermes to prepare the next generation of riders locally through a circus bareback riding clinic at Rosaire’s Riding Academy this past January to engender interest in the discipline and instill confidence.The singleday clinic was open to riders of all skill levels ages eight and up. The motivation for it came last summer while Ermes, sidelined with an ACL tear, was helping out Ellian Rosaire at the Academy’s summer camp.

“I see so many kids shut down when they get in uncomfortable positions with a horse.

I told Ellian that I just wanted to help these kids gain more confidence and not to be such a victim to their own ride.” The objective of the clinic was never to create the world’s best trick rider — that, as seen in Ermes, takes a lifetime of lessons. “I want kids to understand how to be the aggressor and not the victim when they get into an uncomfortable position. How to not give up when your horse is having issues or gets afraid of something.

How to not panic when faced with a sticky situation. Circus bareback and stunt riding are all about having tremendous amounts of determination and self belief. By learning about it, I hoped to instill those same values in these young riders.”

For all that Ermes’ work takes — the time spent on the road, his chance at a normal childhood and the wear on his body—it gives him more in return. It gives him peace.

It gives him purpose. Most importantly, it gives him a path—one different from the rest of the world, paving the way for anyone daring enough to follow. SRQ srq magazine_ MAR22 live local | 19

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This page: Owner Matt Rebhan and his family welcome meat lovers back into Sarasota’s oldest premier steakhouse restaurant, meat market (butcher shop) and small specialty grocery—all under one roof. Alpine Steakhouse: 4520 S. Tamiami Trl, Sarasota, 941-922-3797, alpinesteak.com, @alpinesteakhouse.

DRY AGED & FAMILY FORGED

Alpine Steakhouse— “family owned and argued over for 50 years”.

Abby Weingarten

A RESTAURANT REMODEL HAD BEEN ON THE BACK BURNER FOR YEARS AT ALPINE STEAKHOUSE. But after a family tragedy, followed directly by a global pandemic, Matt Rebhan was finally ready to forge ahead. “I’d been wanting to do this for a long time but it was put on hold for several reasons,” says Rebhan, whose infant son, Logan, died of cancer after a one-and-a-half-year battle in March 2020. “We just decided it was time to move forward this summer.” A fixture in the Sarasota dining community since 1975 (and the Florida home of the TurDucKen), Alpine has now emerged with a new look and outlook. “Any company that’s been around for almost 50 years, and is still doing well is very much an accomplishment,” Rebhan says. “We, of course, could not have done it without our loyal customer base—some who have been coming that whole 47 to 48 years.” The last few years have certainly been some of the most challenging. “In this town, there is so much growth happening that places can be overlooked and passed by if there is no effort put into maintaining and improving,” Rebhan says. With that in mind, the Alpine team redid its meat display cases, restrooms and front-of-the-house flooring. Still in process is a climate-controlled wine cellar (for more than 600 bottles), which will likely be completed soon. Now the restaurant’s past—which started with revolutionary New York City butcher Karl Ehmer before Rebhan’s grandfather, Henry, took over (it’s still a father-son operation with Mark and Matt Rebhan)—is merging with its hopeful present. Alpine is the first and only place in Florida that sells fresh TurDucKen—a Cajun dish comprised of a whole boneless turkey stuffed with a whole boneless chicken, a whole boneless duck, and a mix of sausage and seasoned bread dressing. Also on the menu are prime dry-aged steaks, braised duck confit, traditional German specialties like wienerschnitzel and sauerbraten, Japanese Kobe burgers and New York reubens. “We’re grateful for the past and present,” says Rebhan, “and optimistic about the future.” SRQ 20 | srq magazine_ MAR22 live local

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY WYATT KOSTYGAN.

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This page: Founder/Owner Toni Ginsberg-Klemmt continues to steer towards an inclusive crew club for adaptive athletes. N ew Crew SRQ athletes row at Nathan Benderson Aquatic Park: 941-284-9175, newcrewsrq.com.

ROWING THE DISTANCE

New Crew SRQ is racing into top-level rankings.

Abby Weingarten

NEW COLLEGE OF FLORIDA THESIS STUDENT ANTONIA “TONI” GINSBERG-KLEMMT is transforming the rowing landscape—or rather, waterscape—in Sarasota. Her team, New Crew SRQ, became the first multi-school collegiate rowing team on the Suncoast a year ago, and she and her athletes have since been winning regattas and gaining international attention. In fact, in February, a renowned coach from Oxford, England, named John Hill joined the team as a guest coach. “I’m so excited about the growth of New Crew,” says Ginsberg-Klemmt, the team founder/captain, who is also an award-winning entrepreneur. “My goal is for New Crew SRQ to be an inclusive space for adaptive athletes from all backgrounds and abilities in the rowing capital of the U.S.” Ginsberg-Klemmt, a rower since seventh grade, is a 2018 graduate of Pine View School who is double majoring in physics and environmental studies at New College. She even won a coveted 2021 OZY Genius Award for a portable, solar-powered vehicle carport she invented. She founded New Crew SRQ in 2019 and, in March 2021, it became an official club and partnership between New College and the Suncoast Aquatic Nature Center Associates Inc.—the nonprofit organization that operates Nathan Benderson Park for Sarasota County. In November, New Crew SRQ rowers competed against athletes from across the state in the “Head of the 941” regatta and earned numerous accolades—including several first- and second-place finishes. Ginsberg-Klemmt continues to broaden her vision for the team. “I have been working with my good friend and mentor, Bob Berry from Benderson Park, on coaching blind rowers with his company, Remote Coxswain—as well as adaptive rowing for amputees and paraplegic athletes,” she says. “I’m just continuing to expand our team’s core values of positivity and inclusion—for all types of rowers to blossom.” SRQ

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY WYATT KOSTYGAN.

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The Rosaire sisters, Kay and Ellian, have a knack for handling all sorts of exotic animals. Born into a circus family, the two share a love for performance and entertainment. These days, they no longer go out on the road with their shows, but instead, devote their time to providing a loving environment to animals in need at Big Cat Habitat & Gulf Coast Sanctuary, a nonprofit home for rescued animals located on Palmer Boulevard in Sarasota. Kay and Ellian recently met with SRQ Magazine’s Wes Roberts to share their experiences from the past and present.

THE ROSAIRE SISTERS And Their Menagerie INTERVIEW AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY WES ROBERTS

This spread, left to right: Through her work at the Riding Academy, Ellian connects people with horses. Bob, Marley and Ziggy are lemurs that act more like energetic toddlers with Kay Rosaire. Ellian, age 5 or 6, carried by a circus chimp.

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About Big Cat Habitat and Gulf Coast Sanctuary Big Cat Habitat and Gulf Coast Sanctuary is an ever-growing large-animal rescue in eastern Sarasota County. Founded in 1987 by Kay Rosaire, the non-profit sanctuary is a permanent home for dozens of exotic animals, offers placement for animals in need, and works to educate the public about animal care and conservation. 7101 Palmer Blvd., Sarasota, bigcathabitat.org. About Rosaire’s Riding Academy Rosaire’s Riding Academy & Pony Rides LLC is a family owned and operated equestrian farm that provides personalized services and unique event offerings. We love teaching riders of all ages how to handle, love, respect and enjoy these beautiful animals. For those who don’t wish to ride we offer ground handling and grooming sessions. 901 East Road, Sarasota, 941-356-3993, rideapony.com.

SRQ: When did you know that your family was a circus family with all these generations of circus legacy? Kay Rosaire: Pretty early on, really for me, because as a kid, my mom had a comedy dog act and my dad had a comedy bear that he worked with on stage. We’ve done a lot of comedy in our family and we worked with lots of stars. I remember we worked with Laurel and Hardy and I sat on Oliver Hardy’s lap. He was drinking Wild Turkey and laughing with his big old belly which made me start to fall off his lap. His wife was there and she put me back on. So, we knew we were different from the very get go. We are fortunate that we’re able to take our circus careers, which were pretty much worldwide, and bring it home to Sarasota. Ellian Rosaire : I started performing as a toddler at around age two. That was the beginning of my career. I used to come in dressed as a ballerina and dance with the chimp and then, I would get up on his shoulders and stand up. I did acrobatics with the chimp and I was a little superstar. I used to be cute.

Do all of the Rosaire children work with all types of animals, or do you each have a specialty?

Ellian: We all work all kinds of animals and we all help each other with whatever needs to be done. But each one of us leaned toward a different animal. With me, it’s hoof stock .horses, camels, etc. And with Kay, it’s the big cats. Big, big cats were our sister Pam’s area, and our brother, who has passed, was the bear guy. It’s basically the animal that you’re attracted to and that you’re interested in. That’s what makes us good at what we do because we pick the right animals.

Was there something special you learned when you were growing up about the understanding of animals? Kay: My father, from back when he was a young man, was phenomenal. He just had this thing for animals anywhere. It sounds silly, but he went into the forest and the birds landed on him. He even trained wild deer. It’s like Ellian with the horses. She turns bad ones around in a week. Ellian: Our dad would get problem animals and they would no longer be a problem.

Are there universal truths about being an animal person? Kay: Absolutely. Animals are good judges of people. I had a Doberman and I would take her to the beach and she’d be playing and having a fun time. And then some guy walked by and after dozens of people had passed, she would just turn around and look at him and just kind of keep her eyes on him and follow him down the beach until he was gone. They know bad people. And vice versa. You have to be the right person to be doing whatever you’re doing with the animals. And you have to pick the right animal for

the thing that you’re doing. Ellian: And it’s understanding the animal that you’re dealing with–being able to read them.

I know what the horse is going to do before it does it. We all have a connection.

When you guys were kids growing up, was there rivalry between the kids? Did you argue over which animals you would each care for? Ellian: Rivalry? It was more like who was going to be better in dad’s eyes. Kay: I’ve been around lion cubs my whole life on TV shows and movies. But the lion from the movie The Cross Eyed Lion had passed and they needed a new young lion. He was at our place for a couple of months and right away, I said “I’ll take care of the lion.” So I fed him and I cleaned him and I got really close to this lion and that’s when I thought I could work with lions. And then from there to tigers and it just kind of evolves. I think that’s how it evolved with all of us. Dad was a horse trainer, he had lions, he had chimps. Our sister Pam was around the chimps. She connected with the chimps.

Tell us about the Rosaire family. Ellian: Our parents came from two different circus families in England and they were Irish too. Our mother’s family actually went back farther than our dad’s generationally in the business. But it was pretty cool because they both had shows and they ended up together and had eight children. All the kids were the performers in the shows too, and also played the music in the band, all multi talented. Our mother, Betty Kays, was an amazing woman. She had been in the riding act, vaulting with her brothers and she did a lot of things prior to getting with my father. And when they married, she put together a hilarious dog act with like 20 dogs. She worked that for years and years and years. And our father was an all around performer. He’d also been an aerialist, an acrobat, an animal trainer–he did it all. Kay: He performed on the rings. That’s actually how our dad ended up being totally animal because he was doing rings. He had a dislocation, and broke his back.

And he was in the hospital for two years because back then, it was fatal when you broke your back. They said he would never walk again and within no time at all, he was performing again. He took what he always had, the love for animals, and he made a little zoo. He was always getting animals like chimps and bears. We lived in wagons that were pulled by horses when we were little kids because we were born in the forties. Ellian was a one-year old in Switzerland when they were on tour with the circus there years later, she’s our youngest sister. My dad built a truck into a motorhome. He did it twice. The first one he did with a double decker bus and we lived upstairs. And then they had a little bedroom downstairs and a full kitchen, bathroom, everything. Later,

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This spread clockwise: Ellian and her team teach people of all ages how to handle, love, and respect and enjoy horses A true circus family, Betty Kays (Kay and Ellian’s mom) with her comedy dog act, Derrick Rosaire (dad), a true animal lover with one of his horses, and a young Ellian, already getting in on the act, riding a circus elephant..

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he actually got a bigger van and raised the roof and made this huge mobile home by hand and we lived in it when we were little kids. They had a partition in the back so that the horse stood in the middle and then the dogs were on the side, in the back of where we lived in the front. At one point we were in Spain and he bought another horse because the one was getting unhealthy and had problems. So he found a beautiful Andalusian Pino in Spain. And my mom was actually pregnant with Ellian and he couldn’t fit where the other horse was. There was a door between us and the animals. So they opened the door and cut the floor out and they made a door out of the floor so that when we wanted to travel, they lifted that door up. And the other horse came right in the front and was in the living room of the bus. So as we drove, the horse stood in the living room. So this little horse was in front of the old horse and the old horse was jealous because he was in the living room getting treats and the old horse bit him and ended up on the living room couch, on my mom. My dad said “Stay calm. I’ll get him down, just stay.” And that is a true story. Bizarre, but true.

Tell us about the work that you’re doing now.

Ellian: Kay and I are both promoting the human-animal connection. My new, not-for-profit, is called the Horse Connection. We’re trying to connect people with horses and we are pulling from our history, from our family history. Just like here at the Big Cat Habitat, we have the bird show with Linda and Dallas. My niece does the dog act. She’s got a whole bunch of little dogs–all rescued. They’re really adorable.

We’re here for each other. Kay: Big Cat Habitat is where we’re doing some conservation work. We are starting with some other conservation groups, mostly in Florida, because there’s less red tape. And these animals that we have here are potentially going to be future breeders. We’re actually buying them with the endowment we had from a lady. And we’re going to try to breed some lemurs and clouded leopards.

Ellian: These animals are in danger of being extinct so this is conservation. People need to see animals. Otherwise, what interest do they have in saving anything? When they see them in person, it hits their heart.

What are the origins of the Big Cat Habitat? Kay: We started it because we could. The first step of the Big Cat Habitat was that I built my own place for my own training and to take care of my animals in the winter, keep them busy and active. And then one day my dad called me and he said, there’s some guys here and they’ve just bought a tiger and they’re gonna take it to South America or somewhere and can they leave it with us for a couple of weeks while they do all the paperwork? And I said, sure, why not? We never heard from them ever again, they just dumped it basically. So I said, well, we’ll take care of it. We had that tiger for years. His name was Nadu and we had him till he died. The word got out and we became a nonprofit.

What does it cost to feed the big cats? Kay: We just spent $38,000 on a truck load of meat. That’ll last us, hopefully about eight months.

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And Ellian’s penchant for saving horses, when did that start? Kay: The horses first came in 2007 or 2008. That same time we got all the animals because people were going broke.

The stock market crashed. There were people that had wild animals, exotics and were feeding them, and suddenly lost their property, and had no money to feed them. It was the same with the horses. Ellian: They were tying them on fences and leaving. They were dumping them in state parks. But the origin of my experience with horses comes from our riding academy in Pennsylvania.

There was a time when the whole family came off the road. Our father had gotten hurt and couldn’t drive to go on the road so he became the curator of the Erie zoo, which was appropriate because he’d already had experience with different species of animals. We actually put a show together in the zoo that had a nice amphitheater and he trained the zoo animals and we all performed with the animals that belonged to the zoo. It was awesome.

Different animals, even deer and elephants. As my sisters got older they needed more stuff to keep busy. So Dad started a riding school and they were the instructors. I grew up at the riding academy.

I just figured the other day that I started doing riding lessons for adults approximately 50 years ago. I don’t tell people that because then I sound old. I’ve always done riding lessons. Later, when I was married and my boys were in school, it was getting harder to pull kids in and out of school so we made the decision that we would benefit our children the most by coming off the road completely. That’s when I decided to open the

riding academy of my own and horses came to me from different people from different situations. I had an awesome man who was getting out of polo, who gave me his horses and helped me a big way starting with that. And people that had horses that they couldn’t deal with, misbehaving, people that couldn’t afford to keep their horses and so on.

And so now you’ve built this place that you’re expanding? Ellian: Broadening it, yes.

One of my problems has always been that I don’t have a covered arena. So I’m weather restricted. If it rains today, I won’t have any riders after school.

Kids with social and behavioral disorders, if they can’t ride, it can be a real emotional upheaval. And that’s the reason that I really need to get this notfor-profit thing rolling so that I can get enough funding to put up an arena so that I’ll be able to accommodate everybody properly.

Tell us about your dreams for the future? Kay: Well, one of the things that we’ve been talking about has always been to make this whole area, like the Central Park of Sarasota.

That’s what it should be. We’re only open four hours a day. We feed the animals after the people leave so they’re alert and waiting in the morning.

Zoos typically feed animals early and then they’re asleep for visitors. We make it more interesting, more personal than the zoo. When folks come here, they can pet the goat. They can feed a bear.

They can feed a tiger on a stick. They can come and do yoga with the tigers and lemurs. We’ve been doing this stuff for years.

Will your family be involved in the Big Cat Habitat in the future? Kay: We all have children. Our succession is that my son and my grandchildren will take over this and do the same mission that I’ve always been on, which is now the human-animal bond. And we will still rescue any animal that needs help. And we’ve had to adapt. COVID has had an impact on us.

Obviously we were closed for three months. We just didn’t let anybody in. So we started doing the encounters where people came just with their family and they’d have a special room. They can hang out with the lemurs, feed them and play with them. It’s helped save us–we do it with the lemurs, the fox, the female wolf. We have the wallabies and one of the most popular is the sloth.

We actually are a destination. We get emails from people planning their trips from France and all over Europe. They come and they love it. When people are leaving, I bring my golf cart over and thank them for coming. People hug me and get teary eyed, because they’ll never in their life ever get this close to a predator because it just doesn’t happen. Ellian: You wouldn’t believe how many people tell me that our place is their happy place.

You don’t have to ride a horse to enjoy it. It’s just being in an area with a loose horse and allowing him to do whatever he is driven to do, whether he comes up to you or he turns his back on you, just learning to be there and read the animal. And you’ll see it as riders evolve. At the beginning they know nothing and eventually they’re out there doing a lot of really cool stuff. It’s magical. SRQ

Opposite page: Circus veterans, Kay (top) posing with one of her many big cats. Comedy giants of early American cinema Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy at party with the three Rosaire sisters (bottom right).

This page: Patriarch Derrick Rosaire had a way with all types of animals–a trait he clearly passed on to his children. Historical images courtesy of Kay and Ellian Rosaire. Ellian (bottom) with a show horse.

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LOCAL PERFORMING AND VISUAL ARTS+CULTURE

culture city

“ONE DAY” AT THE RINGLING

A story of mothers, daughters and the mark of a master painter. Phil Lederer DR. LISA MERRITT REMEMBERS TALKING WITH HER MOTHER ABOUT “ONE DAY . . .” This was before the Merritt matriarch’s

passing in 2019 but after the lung cancer diagnosis a dozen years prior and Eleanor Merritt was still painting, through the pain and through a terrible knowing—that her story would end a certain way. She had come to accept that her breakout as an artist would likely not happen in this life, so she and her daughter would talk about that mythical “one day” instead, when the rest of the world would catch on to what these two already knew in their hearts to be true—that Eleanor Merritt was a master artist. “I promised her we would have an exhibition,” Lisa says today. And with Remembrance, currently on exhibition at the Ringling Museum, she fulfills that promise. It wasn’t easy.

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IMAGES COURTESY OF THE RINGLING MUSEUM.

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This page: Eleanor Merritt, Here Comes the Sun, Mixed Media with Beads.

An artist’s legacy can be difficult to parse and there’s a reason some people make a profession out of doing so. In Eleanor Merritt’s case, her legacy lay sprawled across near seven decades of unceasing activity. From her time as a rising star at the High School for Music and Art and Brooklyn College to her years on the Suncoast, Merritt never seemed to stop moving and building. She taught art for 27 years in Long Island, became the first African-American chair of the District Art Department and was an early member of the Long Island Black Artist Association and co-founded the Women of Color of Art. She traveled the world in search of inspiration and brought it back to Sarasota, where she served on the board of the arts council and The Ringling Museum, served as president of the Venice Art Center and became a member of the Florida Artists Group, Women Contemporary Painters and the Petticoat Painters. She was an educator, a community leader, an administrator and even a volunteer docent for 25 years. And for almost 70 years, she never stopped painting.

Much of the work, Lisa could recall in some form or another. She grew up helping her mother hang shows and remembers carting paintings around town for delivery or display. Sometimes she even sat for her mother’s paintings, absorbed into her creative process, and will still refer to some of those early works as her “brothers and sisters.” Imagine her surprise at finding a whole bunch of siblings she never knew she had, when the initial accounting of Merritt’s studio unearthed a substantial additional body of work that no one had ever seen.

“It just made me love her even more, if that was even possible,” Lisa says.

Stored in unassuming racks like so much loose material and scrap resources, entire studies were squirreled away, iterations and variations on a theme showing an artist in full exploration mode. Luckily for its discoverers, Merritt also kept meticulous notes. “She was extremely fastidious in documenting her work,” Lisa says, and that included not only organizing the drawings and paintings themselves, but keeping track of her sales and correspondence with collectors, writing notes on the stories behind individual pieces and making sure that the medium and its message were never easily parted.

“She was self-curating,” Lisa says. “It makes you further grasp the range of who she was.”

But grasping the entirety of her mother’s legacy still proved elusive. Enter Mike Solomon, a celebrated artist with more than 30 years of experience in navigating and evaluating artist estates, including that of his father, Syd Solomon. “Relatives of artists always think they’re great,” says Solomon, and it’s his job to determine if they’re right. Delving into an artist’s estate, Solomon srq magazine_ MAR22 live local | 35

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culture city This page: Eleanor Merritt, Remembrance, Mixed Media on Paper.

not only catalogs what can be found in the studio or in the galleries but seeks out as much of their work as he can find, wherever it may be. In collections, on magazine covers, in one-off shows and strange forgotten corners where only a helpful signature on the canvas remembers the hand that made it. He wants it all. And through the entirety of his evaluation, he holds one question at the forefront: Does the work transcend the personal story?

“It has to,” Solomon says.

In his initial survey, Solomon found about 200 different works of art to Merritt’s name—and only about half of that did the Merritt estate have control over or even know where they were. “It’s four or five times that now,” says Solomon, as two more years of investigation continued to uncover more and more from the artist that wouldn’t quit. But Solomon had already seen enough. “I was f*!@ing blown away,” he says. “This was a serious artist with serious chops.”

Surveying the work, Solomon quickly identified at least three to four major styles or modes that Merritt embraced, and for each of them he found 30-50 paintings tracing the artist’s engagement with each idea. “She explored all of them very thoroughly,” he says. “And a show could be done on each of her styles.” He identified clear throughlines in her career—themes and areas of interest that she used her painting to investigate and uncover. Some were topical, such as exploring the power of the human form, the need for humanitarianism and the role of women and especially women of color in history and society. Others were material, evidenced in Merritt’s continual experimentation with new mediums, going from oil to acrylic to conte crayon to mixed media, working on canvas, on cardboard, on paper and even on tapa cloth from Jamaica.

Even Merritt’s earliest work, in high school and college, showed the artist that she would become.

“Some people have natural talent, but they cruise on it,” Solomon says. “This was somebody who took that talent and worked very hard, was very disciplined and pushed it as far as they could push it.”

In the end, he would arrive at a single conclusion: “Eleanor was a master,” Solomon says. “In every way, she more than qualifies.”

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IMAGES COURTESY OF THE RINGLING MUSEUM.

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The next step was the Ringling Museum.

Over the course of her career, Merritt exhibited all over New York and Connecticut, from the Black History Museum and the Langston Hughes Cultural Center to the University of Connecticut and the Craftery Guild. In Sarasota, her work could be seen in shows at Art Uptown Gallery, Art Center Sarasota and more. The Arts & Cultural Alliance of Sarasota even organized a retrospective in 2016, entitled Sixty Years of Painting: 1957-2017. And she was no stranger to The Ringling Museum, having served on the board and been a popular docent for more than 25 years. But an exhibition was something else entirely.

Lisa went to The Ringling in her mother’s stead, to make the case for her mother’s legacy and propose a solo exhibition. Solomon accompanied. They met with Executive Director Steven High, who knew Eleanor Merritt through her contributions to the museum, and Solomon told him that the museum had an opportunity in front of it—to “discover” a serious artist, right in its backyard, long overdue for recognition. High said he would curate the exhibition himself.

On display at The Ringling through August, Remembrance gives viewers an abbreviated journey through Merritt’s prolific career, using 22 paintings to highlight styles, themes and important works.

“A show could be done on each one of her styles,” says Solomon, who performed the initial curation with Lisa, before handing the project over to High. The earliest piece, Untitled, comes from 1950, when Merritt was still in school and only 17, showcasing the talent that so stood out. And paintings like Metamorphosis aka Transformation, Corn Goddess and Remembrance highlight the artist’s singular blend of abstraction and figurative work, something that Solomon was sure to include. “It’s a particular genre that is just fascinating,” he says. “And I wanted several of them.” He was just as adamant about including Merritt’s Spirit Catcher and Mourning, Soweto Series, both of which were made with conte crayon and evince an aesthetic both decidedly Merritt yet distinct from her other works. “That’s an

area of work that really needs to be looked at,” says Solomon. “She was an unbelievable drafts-woman and those show it the best.”

Other paintings have more personal stories that only a daughter would know. Lori Merritt remembers when her mother made Angel of Mercy 911 in 2001, acrylic on tapa cloth. “That got her to her core,” she says. And Lisa will always remember the self-portrait her mother painted in 2007, following her cancer diagnosis, the image fierce and defiant as flame. “It showed her power,” she says.

“That her life force was strong.” And she will remember Just Breathe, painted in 2014, when the diagnosis got worse. “She was painting like there was no tomorrow,” Lisa says, and it kept her going. “There’s no doubt.”

Painted in 2018, Blue Embrace is the latest of Merritt’s work to be found in the exhibition, a fitting blend of figurative and abstract, warm despite a blue that could otherwise be chilly, and one of the last marks of a master.

After the exhibition comes down in August, three of the paintings will remain with The Ringling as part of the museum’s permanent collection. And the museum has also launched the Eleanor Merritt Fellowship in her honor, a yearly fellowship program for recent college graduates from populations under-represented in arts administration, who have an interest in curatorial arts or arts administration.

From there, there are tentative plans for future exhibitions, traveling shows, maybe even a book. “This exhibition is just the tip of the iceberg,” says Solomon.

“And the iceberg is huge.”

But for the sisters Merritt, Remembrance will always hold a special place. “It’s an affirmation of 60 years of artistry,” says Lori. “It’s the opportunity to breathe new life into her artwork.” And weeks after the opening reception in the Ringling Courtyard, Lisa still gets emotional thinking about that moment, facing a crowd gathered to celebrate her mother’s art, which lay just beyond the door to the gallery.

“It was an incredibly full moment,” she says. “I felt her spirit with me.

“It’s good.” SRQ

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culture city

TROPICAL TAXONOMY

The Herbarium at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens—home to more than 117,000 collections of flora—is a wonderland of tropical beauty. Abby Weingarten

YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE A BOTANIST, TAXONOMIST OR CONSERVATIONIST TO APPRECIATE THE HERBARIUM AT MARIE SELBY BOTANICAL GARDENS,

but it certainly helps with plant pronunciation. Inside this Sarasota trove of flora, each tongue-twisting species has its own unique majesty.

“Our Herbarium is modest but mighty,” says Greg Luberecki, the Vice President for Strategic Communications at Selby Gardens. “Even at 117,000 specimens, it’s relatively small in size compared with some herbaria around the world (which may contain several million specimens), but it is world-renowned for its collection of epiphytic (air) plants.”

And it is always evolving. As Selby Gardens continues to grow (an impressive, long-term master plan is in the works), the 1974-created Herbarium is blooming right along with it. For those who may not know, an herbarium is technically a collection of preserved plant specimens and other plant data that is used for scientific study.

It is a library, of sorts, used by taxonomists for plant identification and classification, and it provides baselevel knowledge that is critical to conservation and the biological sciences. While it may take a specialized eye to 38 | srq magazine_ MAR22 live local

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distinguish between the classifications and items inside the Herbarium, it only takes a love of nature and beauty to marvel at it. The specimens are carefully arranged in a way that is both educational and accessible to the public.

“The specimens in the Herbarium are dried, pressed and mounted on paper for filing. They follow a format of including specific information, such as a description, where it was found, who found and who confirmed it,” Luberecki says. “And a lot of volunteer work goes into helping to preserve, mount and document the specimens. According to Selby Gardens botanist Elizabeth Gandy, every hour in the field collecting requires about eight hours back in the office, properly curating the collection.”

For botanical collectors and curators, this is an absolute passion project. Selby Gardens is the only botanical garden in the world that is dedicated to the display and study of epiphytic orchids, bromeliads, gesneriads and ferns, and other tropical plants. The organization was founded in 1973 and is now comprised of a 15-acre downtown Sarasota campus and a second campus (opened in 2020) at Historic Spanish Point.

Together, both locales encompass 45 acres of space.

This page: Curatorial

Assistant Elizabeth Gandy examines a gesneriad specimen in the Selby Gardens Herbarium. To preserve their form, texture and color, plants collected in the field are carefully arranged and spread flat between thin sheets (known as flimsies), then dried, usually in a plant press, between blotters or absorbent paper.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY WYATT KOSTYGAN.

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culture city

Top to bottom: Vice President for Botany Bruce Holst with an orchid specimen from the spirit

collection. This gesneriad specimen collected in Peru was identified as Seemannia sylvatica.

But scientists from Selby Gardens don’t just stay in one place. They have ventured into some of the earth’s wildest regions—from the tropics to the subtropics—to identify, study and gather rare plants. Within the Herbarium alone are 40,000 Orchidaceae (orchids); nearly 13,000 Bromeliaceae (bromeliads); and 9,400 Gesneriaceae (gesneriad flowering plants). There are 6,500 collections just from the state of Florida. Approximately 2,000 specimens are added to the Herbarium annually, with most of the plants collected by Selby Gardens’ staff members on their far-reaching expeditions.

“These specimens are often—though not always— the result of traveling to remote places, and discovering and documenting things that haven’t been described for science before,” Luberecki says.

Among the current finds in the Herbarium are some historically significant specimens, like the #000001 specimen (the first-ever accessioned species, which is a terrestrial orchid from Spain collected by Selby Gardens co-founder and world-renowned botanist, Dr. Carlyle Luer). Other collections maintained by Selby Gardens’ botany team are the spirit collection (specimens suspended in liquid for preservation, which number in the tens of thousands), the carpological collection (dried specimens that retain their threedimensionality), and the research library. The horticulture team tends to the living plant collection.

“Even though the Herbarium can seem like a dry subject (literally), we stress the excitement of discovery that it represents,” Luberecki says. “Even specimens collected locally can be incredibly meaningful to science and conservation, as well as beautiful in their own right. It’s all about the excitement of discovery and literally documenting life on Earth, including the diversity and distribution of species.”

After Selby’s master site plan is realized (a 10year process that is estimated to cost $67 million), the Herbarium and other facets of the facility will be featured even more prominently. Selby will offer representation and interpretation of the material in the collection in the Welcome Center, so visitors will be greeted by a wider array of specimens and information.

There will be periodic tours of the research facility and greater access to the library of rare books. Selby Gardens is also collaborating with other herbaria worldwide to provide digital data and images from the collection to the scientific community.

“For example, we are part of a National Science Foundation grant with 16 other institutions to digitize our collections. This collection and documentation is the first part of the scientific process,” Luberecki says. “In essence, Selby Gardens wants to share what we have with the entire world, and that involves both immediate (but safe) access for visitors, and digital access for everyone.” SRQ 40 | srq magazine_ MAR22 live local

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2022 ELITE AGENTS

DANIELLE DIETRICH, PA 2021 Coldwell Banker International President’s Elite 2022 Coldwell Banker Global Luxury Agent 2021, 2022 Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist Danielle Dietrich, PA, began her career in Real Estate in Brentwood (Los Angeles), CA in 2009, where she began working for The Solomon Team specifically as their Marketer, while creating and branding them at the highest National level. Danielle’s luxury real estate background began at a young age, right out of college, yet never intimidated her.

She won several awards in her 20’s and nothing was stopping her. In 2016, Danielle had made what she thought would be a hard decision, moving to Sarasota, FL to be closer to her parents who reside in Venice, FL and starting her career over from scratch in a new territory and on a different coast. Danielle’s success in Real Estate upon moving to Florida only floored and she quickly became named amongst the top 15% agents nationwide!

As she made the adjustment to beautiful Sarasota, FL Coldwell Banker Realty was the firm that would allow her to grow exponentially as she had done in CA, except this time individually not in a team atmosphere.

Danielle brought not only her Marketing and Advertising Degrees with her, but her strong work ethic along with her celebrity business management expertise from the most cut-throat industry in the US, Los Angeles, CA. Danielle’s highest priority has always been her clients.

She values her relationship with her clients and prides herself in guiding her clients to that close table successfully and making sure her clients trust in her every step of the way. The communication, support, services, and expertise that Danielle provides to her clients is of an elite status. The commitment she has to her clients shows in her numbers, in 2021 Danielle closed out over $22 million in sales and over 54 units; sent over $10 million pending for 2022 and has even closed over $5 million in the first month of the new year, January 2022! As the uncertainty of the real estate market builds, it is important to work with a luxury REALTOR® that has skin in the game, experience, elite negotiation skills and serves her clients whether it is buying, selling, or investing, Danielle’s passion to exceed her client’s expectations and commitment to serve each client with exceptional services is demonstrated by her results, ethics, and her in-depth local market knowledge of the Greater Sarasota real estate market. Danielle’s global connections set her apart from other agents and her exceptional guidance makes her invaluable to her clients. There is never a situation or a transaction that Danielle will not think outside the box and do all she needs to get the deal done. Locally she specializes in the Sarasota, Venice, Nokomis, LWR, AMI, LBK, Bradenton, Parrish, Palmetto and Englewood areas. Nationally throughout the entire US and yes, she is a Global real estate expert as well! She just sold brand new construction in the Dominican Republic and Mexico! Call Danielle to assist you with all your real estate needs, whether it is residential or commercial, Danielle specializes in both as an RCC and she assists all her clientele, both nationally and internationally.

Coldwell Banker Realty Danielle Dietrich, PA CLHMS RCC REALTOR c: 603.767.9166 | o: 941.493.1000 e: Danielle.Dietrich@cbrealty.com danielledietrichsellssarasota.com 44 | srq magazine_ MAR22 elite agents 2022

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2022 ELITE AGENTS

dawn merrill Compass is the #1 independent brokerage in the United States by 2020 sales volume.* Whether you are buying, selling, or renting a home—Compass is here to streamline your experience with trusted agents, strategic marketing, and industry-leading technology. At Compass, we believe no barrier should stand between where you are and where you belong. Utilizing intuitive technology and having over 25,000 agents**, we deliver a personal real estate experience in Sarasota and beyond. Your home. Our mission.

With nearly two decades of real estate experience, Dawn

Merrill is a distinguished professional and top-producing Realtor in the Southwest Florida market. Originally from New Jersey, Dawn has lived in Sarasota for 45 years and brings a wealth of market knowledge and expertise to Compass. Her business knowledge paired with her extensive background in luxury design and custom home construction is what makes her a leader as a licensed Realtor. She represents buyers, sellers, and investors in homes and condominiums throughout Sarasota and Lakewood Ranch. From start to finish—preparing a property, building the structure, choosing the finishes, decorating the interior, listing the home, pricing it right, marketing it and selling it—Dawn’s expertise has been transformative for her customers in the build, purchase, or sale of their homes. Dawn has fulfilled many roles in the real estate field throughout her career—as an interior decorator and designer of model homes, as a top-performing sales professional for custom-built homes, and as part-owner of Arox Land Development as a licensed Certified Building Contractor. Paired with the powerhouse Compass technology and service offering, including analytics software, staging & renovations, and a team of HQ marketing advisors, Dawn is equipped with top-of-the-line tools and services that facilitate a speedy hassle-free transaction. Her attention to detail, work ethic and talent have earned her several awards and accolades, including being ranked in the top 1.5% of realtors in the US for small teams by volume in 2021

by Real Trends and multiple Platinum Sales Awards from the Manatee-Sarasota Building Industry Association. In a market teeming with opportunity and excitement, Dawn is a familiar face to many and an active member of the Sarasota community. ** RealTrends defines “independent” as firms that are corporately owned but don’t franchise. Agents are defined as all licensed agents on the Compass platform.

Dawn Merrill c: 941.915.7126 1515 Ringling Blvd, Suite 320, Sarasota FL 34236 compass.com/agents/dawn-merrill/ Instagram/Facebook: @dawnmerrillrealtorsrq

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2022 ELITE AGENTS

bev murray Bev Murray believes that success in real estate is not simply a case of matching people to houses. In order to get the best outcome for both buyer and seller, the process should be clearly defined and executed from the outset. This means listening to and identifying a customer’s motivations and needs, working closely to achieve their goals, implementing cohesive multimedia marketing plans, and negotiating sales contracts successfully.

Bev Murray has worked as a highly successful realtor in Sarasota since moving from the UK in 1999. Alongside sister company Murray Homes, she is responsible for over $400 million of real estate bought, sold and built in the area. Specializing in residential and vacant land purchasing and development sales, she is ranked in the top half of one percent of over 50,000 Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices agents nationwide.

Fluent in French and Spanish, Bev is a certified real estate negotiation expert (RENE), Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist® and a member of the National Association of Realtors and the Global Business Council.

Bev keeps a close eye on real estate marketing, technology and local market trends and is proud of Sarasota’s status as a leading destination for relocation, leisure and retirement.

Bev graduated with a Bachelor of Honors degree in Modern Languages and Marketing and a post graduate diploma in Retail Management from Manchester Metropolitan University, England. She worked in the United States, Europe and the UK for a blue-chip multinational corporation and then joined Michael Page International as a recruitment consultant for the BBC and other media and marketing organizations in central London. She lives north of downtown Sarasota in the museum area with her husband and three teenage sons. In her spare time she enjoys boating, running, playing tennis and serves as the president of the Sarasota High School soccer booster.

“There is no doubt that my role as a real estate agent has become even more important in the past 24 months. Clients rely on my knowledge and expertise in this highly pressurized, competitive market”.

The Murry Group Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty 3192 Fruitville Rd, Sarasota, FL 34237

c: 941.724.4995 | o: 941. 225.7355 www.murraygroupusa.com

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2022 ELITE AGENTS

carissa pelczynski Whether my client is buying or selling, my number one goal is to make the entire transaction as stress free as possible.

Carissa Pelczynski has built a reputation for providing exquisite customer service. Originally from Long Island, NY but tired of the cold weather, high taxes, and daily grind of NY life, Carissa, her partner Kevin and their four children took a leap of faith, packed up all of their belongings and headed to Sarasota in 2019. After looking at over 100 homes from Venice up to Lakewood Ranch and researching many neighborhoods and schools, they found the perfect home in Lakewood Ranch. Carissa refers to it as “the best decision we ever made.” Her extensive research of local schools and neighborhoods led her to pursue her dream career in real estate.

With the luxurious trendy appeal and their marketing being a step up from the competition, Carissa found her home as an agent at Preferred Shore Real Estate. In just two years at the firm, she boasts an impressive record: •

•

2020 Rookie of the Year— 2021 top associate in closed sales of $21,521,123.00 with over 40 homes sold.

To date in 2022—over 50 homes / 30 Million+ in pending contracts

When a client meets with Carissa for the first time, they will find that she is honest and upfront. Sometimes called “a workaholic” she will go above and beyond to find them the perfect home and hopefully, build lifelong friendships.

Buying or selling a home is always an emotional decision.

Carissa works to help her clients relocate to waterfront paradise as easily as possible and promises to be there with them every step of the way.

Carissa Pelczynski 50 S Lemon Ave. Suite 302. Sarasota FL 34236 c: 631.872.3411 e: CarissaTheRealtor@gmail.com CarissaPelczynski.PreferredShore.com

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2022 ELITE AGENTS

Andrew and Natalie Tanner “Fulfilling lifestyle dreams and creating outstanding results and value by delivering the highest quality of service that exceeds the expectations of our clients — every transaction, every day.” This client-focused vision and mission elevates Andrew and Natalie Tanner above and beyond with highly-evolved core values that guide their client relationships: inclusive, dependable, inspired, accomplished, intentional and notable.

As we look forward to 2022, we look back at 2021with gratitude for the many opportunities we had to be of service to clients. Significantly, we assisted sellers in implementing end-to-end strategies that realized lucrative ROIs, and negotiated successful purchases for buyers to win the home of their dreams in a highly-competitive resale market.

Ourspecialty is Sarasota’s high-end real estate market. We know this market inside and out, and provide valuable guidance and advice to support impactful decisions. Nothing compares to the level of personal attention we commit to every relationship.

We pledge to get to know you and give you the luxury of unhurried time. We provide the tools, the staff and the know-how to cover every detail. Our service is second to none. And we create outstanding results to put more money where it belongs -- in your pocket.

Ouroutlook for this year is “Connect 2022.” Connect with vision, connect with gratitude, connect with value—connect with you! We are here for you and ask that you give us the opportunity to represent you in your next real estate transaction. We look forward to getting to know you.

ANDREW AND NATALIE have built a distinguished

reputation providing outstanding results in Sarasota’s luxury real estate market. As members of the Peter G. Laughlin Group, one of Sarasota’s top real estate groups, they consistently assist clients in making choices that positively impact their lifestyles and wealth.

Premier Sotheby’s International Realty Andrew Tanner c: 941.539.0998 Natalie Tanner c: 941.539.0989 PeterGLaughlin.com 48 | srq magazine_ MAR22 elite agents 2022

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2022 ELITE AGENTS

Warren group sarasota Warren Group Sarasota prioritizes quality of relationships over quantity of transactions. This ensures a personalized client experience that instills confidence and promised results. Warren Group Sarasota prides itself on more than 19 years of dedicated service to the Sarasota, Bradenton, and Lakewood Ranch Communities. Our sincere desire is for all our clients to love where they live.

Coldwell Banker Realty Warren Group Sarasota 8334 Market Street, Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202 Pat Warren c: 941.350.7044 Julie Warren c: 941.350.7439 Patrick Warren c: 941.400.4436

The Warren Group has built a reputation for the highest level of integrity and diligence for their clients over 18 years of dedication to their local Sarasota and Lakewood Ranch communities. PAT WARREN left a career as a CPA and entrepreneur after 10 years in Vail, Colorado and along with his wife JULIE WARREN and their three kids, relocated to Lakewood Ranch over 20 years ago. Julie, a seasoned sales professional from the pharmaceutical industry and a successful Interior Design consultant in Vail, brings next-level energy and professionalism to the team, plus unmatched marketing and staging expertise. Pat’s financial experience, market knowledge and negotiating acumen, combined with Julie’s marketing and design passion make for a powerful team, dedicated to their clients’ realization of their Real Estate goals as part of a family, the Warren Group family.

THE WARREN GROUP recently announced the addition of Patrick Warren to the team! Patrick recently graduated

from the University of Florida with a degree in Advertising and Marketing, bringing another level of marketing power to help us sell your home quickly and efficiently. Patrick has a tremendous level of commitment to his clients and an unmatched work ethic, all targeted to help serve his clients’ real estate needs.

Patrick was born in Vail, Colorado and moved with his fam-

ily to Lakewood Ranch when he was three years old. He’s always been a hard worker and committed to his education and athletics. Patrick competed in golf and lacrosse in high school, eventually landed a lacrosse scholarship at Rhodes College and ultimately received a Marketing degree from the University of Florida. He currently works on new client development and marketing as well as listing and selling homes in this amazing market. His talents combined with the experience and expertise of Pat and Julie combine for a powerful family team, all targeted to help you achieve your Real Estate goals! LET OUR FAMILY VALUES BRING YOU HOME!

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2022 ELITE AGENTS

alexis zibolis Alexis Zibolis holds the distinction of Coldwell Banker’s Top 100 agents in Florida and is one of the top Listing Agents in Sarasota and surrounding areas. With over $45 million in sales this year alone, Alexis’ clients choose to work with her because of her attention to detail, unmatched ethics, professionalism, unparalleled marketing skills, experience, and her “down to earth” disposition.

Compared to the competition last year, Alexis closed on 9 more listings than any other agent in Lakewood Ranch, sold her listings for more, and sold them 28 days sooner. With these impressive stats, Alexis consistently demonstrates her ability to exceed client expectations. Her listings sell faster and for more money because she understands the individuality of each listing and how to make them stand out above the competition. Her marketing plans are tailored to fit each listing and to highlight the distinctiveness of every detail including design and staging. She is able to anticipate the ebb and flow of the area’s market to plan and guide her sellers accordingly. Her knowledge about the area, communities, and the constantly fluctuating market help her buyers to make informed decisions. Because of Alexis’ concierge approach, unique strategies, outside-of-the-box thinking, and innovative marketing style, she has become the area’s “go to” luxury agent. Her uncompromising commitment to her clients’ needs makes her truly unique and the ideal person to assist in buying or selling your next home. This is why Alexis is known for her... Passion. Prestige. Precision.

Coldwell Banker Realty Lic#: SL3371142 8334 Market St. Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202 c: 941.725.3060 e: Alexis@ZibolisGroup.com www.ZibolisGroup.com

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forage LOCAL EPICUREAN ADVENTURES AT THE TABLE

Below: The fresh roll shrimp is bright and dense, with a nice accent of mint complementing the peanut sauce.

THINK INSIDE THE BOX

Southeast Asian cuisine goes contemporary casual at Stiks.

Andrew Fabian

IT’S DIFFICULT TO IMAGINE A MORE LOADED QUESTION than, “what do you want to be when you grow up?” Parents want their kids to climb the mythical ladder of upward mobility, believing that their kids’ lives will be easier and more fulfilling if they could just heed the advice of dear old mom and dad. This is especially true in the restaurant business, where nights, weekends and holidays offer no quarter from the toil of a hot kitchen.

But what if the family-owned restaurant is already successful? What if the kids feel at home in it? What if they have some exciting new ideas to take the restaurant into the future? These questions are answered at Stiks.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY WYATT KOSTYGAN.

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forage Occupying the former space of A Taste of Asia on Tamiami Trail, which was owned and operated by Lam and Selina Lum for over a decade, Stiks is the freshly updated concept from daughter Nikki Lum-Kleiber and son-in-law David Kleiber. Rather than reinvent the menu altogether, the aspiring married pair transformed it into a brighter, more health conscious, customizable set of offerings loaded with gluten free, vegan and vegetarian options. What they did reinvent was the way that food is delivered, adopting a fast-casual model to go along with the hip décor that lends the space more the feel of an airy lounge than a sit-down restaurant.

The most pressing concern for anyone savvy enough to have incorporated A Taste of Asia’s Lao curry noodle soup into their dining routine is whether or not the dish disappeared in the modernized concept. Fear not: the soup remains. “It was by far one of the most popular dishes at A Taste of Asia,” says Lum-Kleiber, “so there was no way we could get rid of that.” Bursting with lemongrass aromatics, the coconut milk broth comes loaded with enough housemade red curry base to excite the taste buds with a mild, well-balanced heat. Scallions and cilantro up the earthy tones, while rice noodles, bean sprouts and purple cabbage fill it out into a nourishing bowl of everything delicious about Southeast Asian cuisines. Stiks did make a conscientious addendum to the original Lum preparation, however, by offering both a vegan version (with vegetable broth) and non-vegan

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version (with chicken broth). To cap it off, diners choose between meat proteins, vegan proteins or shrimp.

For noodle lovers, a wonderful pad Thai offers something familiar and perfectly acceptable when you don’t want to get bogged down in all the delicious permutations available on the menu. The sweet potato noodles, conversely, feels more like an event. Thin sweet potato glass noodles—so called on account of their transparency—get stir fried with onion, scallion, cilantro and bean sprouts, as well as the diner’s choice of proteins.

The aroma itself whets the appetite immediately, a characteristic of onion seared over high heat that feels almost as primordial as grilled meat. Dense and filling, the noodles on their own add a good deal of heft to the dish that seems at odds with the small to-go container it comes in. But, when purchasing anything other than a soup, Stiks offers the option of little fried chicken morsels as an add-on. Rest assured, no meat is needed for this meal to bifurcate in two, but it is freshly fried chicken.

A nam sod chicken is about as bright and peppy as a top-40s chart topper. Made with diced chicken, julienned ginger, onion slivers, scallions, peanuts and cilantro, the whole collection of bits gets tossed in a tangy and savory mix of lime juice and fish sauce. Similar in flavor profile to Peruvian ceviche, this fresh and perky meal leaves a lingering fullness on account of its high-protein composition. Similarly, the fresh roll shrimp packs a lot of bright flavors into a seemingly small dish that belies

Above left to right: Nikki Lum-Kleiber and David Kleiber carry the torch of a family-owned restaurant into the future. Sweet potato glass noodles offer a starchy base for the delightful taste of wok-seared scallions.

A revamped modern space invites a new wave of foodies looking for modern Southeast Asian cuisine. The Lao curry noodle soup that put A Taste of Asia on the map returns as a customizable dish that now comes as a vegan option.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY WYATT KOSTYGAN.

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its lengthy feeling of fulfillment. That brightness comes primarily from the fresh mint leaves inside the sticky rice paper, while the extended sense of feeling full comes from the shrimp and rice noodles inside.

But, if any dish truly exemplifies the way the young restaurateurs have found ways to freshen up time-honored dishes, it’s the orange chicken and orange tofu. Listed under the “sweet n’ sticky’’ section of the menu, the fried chicken bits or fried tofu cubes come tossed in an orange sauce that bursts with actual orange flavor (the Kleiber’s use copious amounts of orange zest in it) while retaining that familiar stickiness that makes certain sauces such a guilty pleasure. Of course, it’s also nice to bite into a piece of lightly breaded chicken at Stiks and immediately get to the meat rather than wonder if the morsel is really just a clump of breading like in many take-out joints.

For a cool sweet treat, Stiks offers an assortment of Southeast Asian staples like Thai sweet iced tea and boba.

The taro boba, purple and silky like a satin pillowcase, tastes something like cereal milk infused with an earthy electrolyte drink, a combination that sounds odd on paper but is a joy in practice. A brown sugar black tea boba is truly exceptional, however. The combination of caramelized sugar with the slight bitterness of black tea makes this boba a case study in how to blend opposites. Though it helps that both flavors reside in a rich, creamy base, it is nonetheless an artful invention with lovely results.

Returning to the original set of questions, we find optimism and promise. As the Lum’s hand off their legacy to a second generation, the familiar flavors remain. But those flavors have been adapted to the modern fixation on dietary designations and clean eating, as well as the requirement in the “new normal” that a restaurant be nimble, adaptable, quick and casual. At Stiks, the kids are very much alright. SRQ srq magazine_ MAR22 live local | 55

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forage

This page: Rob Manley keeps the fermentation process alive with effervescent flavors and bubbly brews.

HERE COMES THE BOOM-BACHA Boombacha Kombucha is a Sarasota-made staple that is, well . . . booming.

Abby Weingarten

IT IS KNOWN AS “THE DRINK OF JOY,” and Boombacha Kombucha is spreading that upbeat and flavorful vibe all over the local map. This Sarasota staple, made by New College of Florida alumnus Rob Manley is, in a word…booming, now more than ever. Launched in 2018 by Michael Warner and Natalie Helm, Boombacha has been Manley’s sole project since he took over as owner in January 2021. “I love fermentation and had done a lot of different kinds of fermentation at home prior to this,” says Manley, who increased sales by 95 percent in the past year. “Now I’m doing the entire process—from labeling bottles to fermenting the product as a one-man team, with some help from my wife on social media.” Kombucha is an effervescent, fermented tea with numerous nutritional benefits, like improving digestion and immune health. Currently, Boombacha is available at 10TEN Fitness, Homestead Hydroponic Farm, Lab SRQ (coworking space), O&A Coffee and Supply, and FushiPoke. There are four flavors: Lemonade, Passion, Ginger Lime and Smooth Operator (the latter is a bestseller, with its hibiscus and lemonade flavor combo). “I got interested in fermentation through cooking. I started cooking in college and couldn’t get enough of it,” Manley says, adding that he was most inspired by a book called The Noma Guide to Fermentation. Manley graduated from New College in 2015 with a degree in marine biology, and his time at the honors college of Florida helped groom him into the entrepreneur he is now. The experience showed him how to manage his time responsibly and be self-sufficient, “which has been the key factor in my ability to operate and grow my business while being the only current employee,” he says. And there’s more to come. “In the far future, I’d honestly love to have stores like 7-Eleven or Wawa carry Boombacha. I have such a soft spot for convenience stores. I come from Wauchula, where there isn’t a lot of choice outside of fast food or convenience stores, so I fondly remember them,” Manley says. “I just want fermented foods and kombucha, specifically, to reach the masses.” SRQ 56 | srq magazine_ MAR22 live local

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY WYATT KOSTYGAN.

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2022

HOME YEAR P R E S E N T S

T H E

OF THE

Home remains the most significant architectural place we experience throughout our lives. It represents safety, ownership, privacy, stability and personality. As we continue to investigate the role that homes play in our daily lives, the annual SRQ Magazine Home of the Year Competition invites local architects, builders, interior designers and landscape artists to present us with new notions of home environments by submi ing their recent residential projects. Year a er year, the competition redefines the spaces where we live and thrive—broadening the discussion of what a home represents and what it can ultimately be with today’s building strategies, renovation techniques and regional trends. From seaside to streetside, inside and out, these award-winning domains celebrate and contribute to a growing legacy of innovative home design.

COMPETITION PRODUCED BY SRQ MAGAZINE | HANNAH PETERSON THANK YOU TO OUR JUDGES, LISTED ON PAGE 86.

PROGRAM PARTNER

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BEST OVERALL HOME — OVER $2 MILLION

PL ATINUM

COURTYARD HOUSE L E A D E R D E S I G N ST U D I O

Located in the Hudson Bayou neighborhood of Sarasota, this private retreat is designed to embrace the seamless indoor-outdoor lifestyle the clients desired. The home is nestled amongst neighboring houses, and the layout looks inward to a lush tropical courtyard, creating a private and secure respite from the dense community. With no existing mature trees on the property, the site provided a blank canvas. The house was pushed to the setbacks, allowing space for an expansive screened courtyard at the center of the home. At the rear of the property, a dense wall of plantings serves as a natural backdrop to the swimming pool/spa and firepit area. A large covered porch, with retractable insect screens, spans between the main house and the guest house for the resident’s live-in father. Guests arrive to the home through the screened courtyard, featuring a large reflecting pond and lush tropical plantings. A vertical louver wall allows airflow to the courtyard while maintaining privacy. Upon entering the home, guests are greeted by an expansive light filled living room with 13’ high ceilings and clerestory windows. The living room opens inward to the courtyard as well as outward toward the swimming pool, surrounding the residents by nature and water. The living room and courtyard buffer the primary suite and garage from the guest suite and offices, providing comfort and privacy for all. Strategically-located site walls define a dedicated guest house terrace at the rear of the property maintaining privacy for the multi-generational family.

The home is detailed with a natural and crisp material pale e, reflecting the client’s fondness for simplicity and tranquility. A variety of woods, include white oak, cypress, and walnut are used throughout and provide a sense of warmth to complement the smooth white walls and regionallysourced limestone. Cabinetry is carefully designed and expertly cra ed to minimize clu er while maximizing functionality. The home achieved a National Green Building Standard Gold rating, and photovoltaics provide 97% of the required electricity. Throughout the home, one can hear trickling water from the courtyard reflecting pond, imbuing a relaxed and natural ambiance to everyday life.

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Architect: Chris Leader, AIA Contractor and Builder: JM Meyer Construction (James Meyer) Interior Design: SAWA Design Studio (Punit Patel) Kitchen Cabinets: SAWA Design Studio / Sarasota Architectural Woodworking (Margaret Hoskinson Bell) Bathroom: SAWA Design Studio / Sarasota Architectural Woodworking (Margaret Hoskinson Bell) Carpets and Flooring: Behr Snyder Group Landscape: DWY Landscape Architects (David Young) Photographer: Ryan Gamma Photography.

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BEST OVERALL HOME — OVER $2 MILLION

WATER’S EDGE TROP ARCHITECTURE GOLD

Architect: TROP Architecture (Steffani Drass) Contractor and Builder: Boston Light Developers Interior Design: TROP Architecture (Steffani Drass) Kitchen Cabinets: Devi ori Cabintry Carpets and Flooring: Sticks and Stones (Heather Darling) Landscape: Borden Landscape Design (Tim Borden) Pool: Designed by TROP; Built by Pool Design Concepts (Judy Hess) Photographer: Ryan Gamma Photography

The connection to the surrounding natural elements was the driving force for the design of this modern home. Located in a quiet neighborhood, the home focuses on the open sky and sea and creates a calming, tropical oasis. The home is situated on a triangular shaped lot with over 200 linear feet of southwesterly facing bay frontage overlooking Big Pass, Lido Key and O er Key. The living space of the home is elevated as a result of being in the Coastal V-zone. A gated walk-through at ground level prominently serves as the front door to the home. As you pass through the pedestrian gate you are greeted with a vibrant garden courtyard that leads through to the bay beyond and also to the main outdoor staircase. The main living area is spacious and comprised of the living room, kitchen and dining spaces. This main living area is surrounded by natural, indirect light on all four sides. Strategic windows and forty feet of sliding glass door openings provide an expansive overlook to the dynamic bay views and swaying palms. Every room in the home parallels the water’s edge and has an adjoining covered terrace to enjoy the yearlong tranquil breezes.

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BEST OVERALL HOME — OVER $2 MILLION

S I LV E R

VISTA

DSDG ARCHITECTS

Overlooking a mainland yacht basin is a spacious modern estate. The five bedroom, five and a half bath main house reaches its wings toward the water as a two-story guest house guards the street access. Upon entering the estate, a Royal Palm Tree lined soccer pitch runs along the driveway to a motor court. Short run staircases raise visitors to an elevated plinth and virtually unobstructed water vista from the front door. The high-soaring great room roof cantilevers out fi een feet on each side while the glass clerestory delicately anchors the roof down giving the appearance that the roof is floating. The outdoor living is connected to the home with two sets of twelve-foot-tall sliding glass doors, expanding the living space outdoors. Green walls so en the area from rigid to tropical as the same wood cladding warms the exterior. The rear elevation features two wings, the primary bedroom wing juts out farthest to catch a view of the open bay and bridge beyond from the pillow. The second-floor wing opposing the bedroom mimics light and dark as the cantilevered wood volume contrasts the white stucco and glass. The kitchen features a large and spacious ‘L’ shaped island with an elevated eat-in countertop flanking the island to form the last leg ‘U’. Other special rooms in this home are a billiard room and bar, a teen playroom and home theater. A second-floor gym area with balcony allows cycling outdoors. Designed to age in place, the home is equipped with an elevator and showers with barrier-free entry.

Architect Mark Sultana, AIA NCARB-DSDG Contractor: Voigt Brothers Construction (Michael Voigt) Interior Design: Bea Pila Design (Bea Pila) Kitchen Cabinets: Cucini Ricci (Werner Venter) Bathroom: Gormans (Jennifer Fontaine) Carpets and Flooring: Sticks and Stones (Heather Darling) Landscape: DWY Landscape Architects (David Young) Pool: Florida Play Structures and Water Features Photographer: Ryan Gamma Photography Other: Marc Bolduc

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BEST OVERALL HOME — BETWEEN $1 TO $2 MILLION

SKYFRAME PL ATINUM

DSDG ARCHITECTS

Situated along an arterial canal of Bird Key, the design of this waterfront retreat was conceived as a place for family gathering while maintaining a strong sense of privacy. This three thousand square foot home has three bedrooms, three bathrooms and a den to support the small family atmosphere. As you approach the site through a carefully manicured hardscape, the entry of the home is revealed by large expanses of glass that highlight a floating staircase. Ascending to the primary living level, you become oriented to experience the water views from the living room and kitchen open floor plan. Featuring fourteen-and-a-half feet high ceilings, the tall walls of sliding glass blur the boundary between inside and outside and bring the blue and green hues through its expansive glass. The connection to the water is reinforced by expansive balconies connecting the living room, kitchen, and primary living suite. The remaining two bedrooms are tucked behind the family room and offset from the primary volume to create privacy while highlighting framed views of Sarasota Bay. Exposed concrete is paired with contrasting clean white stucco and warmed with natural wood ceiling elements. The wood carries from outside to in via operable glass walls while also warming the interior stark white kitchen and walls. Skyframe’s minimalist modern design and use of tall glazing perfectly situates the residence in its environment and creates a peaceful retreat that blends livability and natural immersion.

Architect Mark Sultana, AIA NCARBDSDG Contractor: Voigt Brothers Construction (Michael Voigt) Interior Design: Mindy Voigt Kitchen Cabinets: Main Street Kitchen and Bath (Liceth Page) Bathroom: Ferguson Kitchen and Bath Carpets and Flooring: Sticks and Stones (Heather Darling) Landscape: Mulle Brothers (Peter Mulle ) Pool: Water Designs of Sarasota (Joe Dudash) Photographer: Ryan Gamma Photography.

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BEST OVERALL HOME — UNDER $1 MILLION

GAMMA BETA PL ATINUM

Architect: Nebula Design Build (Jimmy Thornton) Contractor and Builder: Josh Wynne Construction (Josh Wynne) Interior Design: Nebula Design Build and Josh Wynne Construction Kitchen Cabinets and Bathroom: IKEA Landscape: Josh Wynne Construction (Josh Wynne) Pool: Pools by Ron (Ron Schulz) Photographer: Ryan Gamma Photography.

NEBULA DESIGN BUILD This home was born from the idea that a remarkable home could be designed to the specific needs of the client and constraints of the site, executed to the standards found in high-end waterfront homes, and be built quickly, for less than $250 per square foot, in a market where $500 per square foot and 16 months bought an average custom home. It was a tall hill to climb. Inspired by pioneers like Joseph Eichler, the design/build team was looking to develop this concept as a beta test for a bigger purpose.

The site offered challenges. While there was plenty of space, it was li ered with mature pines. The budget would not allow for traditional land clearing so we arranged to have the trees picked up by a mill, at no cost, for use as timber. Land development, permi ing and so costs consumed 20% of the budget, adding to our challenge. Our goal was to execute the home in under 7 months. On the third day of site work, Florida issued a statewide lockdown due to the novel coronavirus. Our goals began to look una ainable as subcontractors changed protocols, material supplies started to disappear, and schedules became less an absolute and more like wishful thinking. We persevered. Ultimately, we completed this home in 7 months and 3 days, for $252 per square foot, including change orders. The program was complex, so we used simple geometries to meet our goals. The client needed a semi-detached studio that could also serve as a guest suite. A dog-trot divides the primary spaces, doubling as circulation and adding architectural interest. The interior layout wastes li le space to circulation, furthering our efficiency.

Exterior living spaces were important, and we managed to provide over 1,100 square feet of covered, well detailed outdoor space, seamlessly integrated with the interior volumes. These spaces make up over 35 percent of the program, adding to our cost challenge. The finishes are humble, simple and ubiquitous. We focused on detailing, natural light, and texture to create dynamic interiors on a budget. The result is a remarkable home, with a level of detail in finish that rivals homes over $1,000 per square foot. It is certified NGBS Gold. Beta testing complete. It can be done.

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BEST OVERALL INTERIOR DESIGN

PL ATINUM

COURTYARD HOUSE LEADER DESIGN STUDIO

Architect: Chris Leader, AIA Contractor and Builder: JM Meyer Construction (James Meyer) Interior Design: SAWA Design Studio (Punit Patel) Kitchen Cabinets: SAWA Design Studio / Sarasota Architectural Woodworking (Margaret Hoskinson Bell) Bathroom: SAWA Design Studio / Sarasota Architectural Woodworking (Margaret Hoskinson Bell) Carpets and Flooring: Behr Snyder Group Landscape: DWY Landscape Architects (David Young) Photographer: Ryan Gamma Photography

The residents of this new home envisioned a warm, modern and private abode. A natural material pale e is used throughout and features subdued and timeless architectural finishes. Accent colors draw inspiration from the client’s red-toned artwork, prominently placed in the dining area, and are peppered throughout the home in furnishings, accessories and the front door. Satin-finished white oak floors imbue a sense of warmth throughout the home.

Regionally-sourced coral stone cladded walls that flow seamlessly from exterior to interior. Finely cra ed casework pieces provide texture, functionality and visually anchor spaces throughout the home. The centerpiece of the kitchen is a meticulously-cra ed 13-foot-long island. The large, multifunction island is designed for prep, entertaining and also eat-in dining. A walnut countertop and side panels define the entertaining/dining area of the island, while an inset white quartz counter distinguishes the prep area. Counter stools are located on both sides of the island to provide a conversational se ing and varied views to the home and landscape. The dining space, featuring the owner’s red-toned artwork, houses an heirloom dining table, which was paired with walnut Bernhardt ‘Charlo e’ chairs. A delicate Vibia ‘Wireflow’ pendant light was selected to not obstruct views of the art or landscape beyond. The living room furniture was designed to accommodate a variety of seating needs for the residents. A custom, modular coffee table anchors the room. The table integrates fabric covered cubes (which can act as either o omans or stools for overflow seating) and was cra ed to display the clients’ personal touches. Inset terrazzo tiles provide durable surfaces for drinks. A pair of gray-toned sofas and accent Barcelona chairs are positioned to capture the entry courtyard, pool views and TV viewing. Light red accent pillows provide texture and tie to the colors of the client’s artwork. The natural material pale e extends into the bathrooms through the use of natural stone/wood accents on the walls and white honed quartz countertops with walnut cabinets. The result is a sophisticated, warm, tropical-modern home that dissolves the lines between interior and exterior spaces.

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BEST OVERALL INTERIOR DESIGN

SHIBUSA H I V E ARCH I T ECTS

A er the purchase of a long and narrow property along Big Sarasota Pass, the owners’ desire was for the design of their future home to reflect their simple, uncomplicated but refined lifestyle. With simplicity of form and materials, the conceptual idea for this project derives from the Japanese word shibusa. This concept encompasses an enriched, subdued appearance or experience of intrinsically fine quality with economy of form, line, and effort, producing a timeless tranquility. With the li of the structure above base flood elevation as a zoning requirement, the owners’ aspiration was to inhabit modest but carefully interconnected pavilions that levitate above the tropical landscape. The simplicity of form is achieved through the configuration of the L-shaped structure that is composed of two rectilinear pavilions. Containing the public aspects of the program as well as the owners’ quarters, the main pavilion is carefully carved out to open itself toward the water views of Big Sarasota Pass. This uninterrupted view becomes the common datum that links the spaces of the open floor plan and the adjacent rooms. Separated from the main pavilion by a transparent twostory entry stair, the private elements of the program are gathered in a long and narrow volume. The orientation of the guest pavilion takes advantage of the internal courtyard containing a tropical garden with lap pool while also providing additional water views.

The cantilevered extension of this volume above the private courtyard entry screen enhances the essence of the floating structure as if it was reaching out to capture the views of Bayou Louise on the opposite side of the property.

Architect: Hive Architects (Joe Kelly, AIA and Gwen Leroy-Kelly, AIA) Interior Design:: Hive Architects (Joe Kelly, AIA and Gwen Leroy-Kelly, AIA) Kitchen Cabinets: West Wood Manufacturing (Russ Edwards) Landscape: : DWY Landscape Architects (David Young) Photographer: Ryan Gamma Photography Other: Modulo Design Studio

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BEST OVERALL INTERIOR DESIGN Architect: Sto Cooney (Jenny Haire) Builder: Perrone Construction (Ricky Perrone) Interior Design: Angela Rodriguez Interiors (Angela Rodriguez) Kitchen Cabinets: Sarasota Architectural Woodworking (Margaret Hoskinson Bell) Bathroom: Angela Rodriguez Interiors (Angela Rodriguez) Photographer: Ryan Gamma Photography

HAPPY PLACE ANGELA RODRIGUEZ INTERIORS S I LV E R

Upon entry to this home, everyone smiles. Designed as a getaway for the owners and a welcoming place for friends and family, The Happy Place interior is light, bright, and luxurious, and seems to float effortlessly over the water. The beauty of natural stone and wood materials is showcased throughout, with custom detailing at every turn. Under direction from the owners that no ceiling be boring or plain, the interior design team thoughtfully detailed the coffers and trim work that make each room a 360 degree experience. The great room makes a grand statement with its 10-foot tall, custom designed doors that slide open electronically to reveal the TV. Meticulous care was taken by the interior design team when designing this feature to plan around the constraints of structural columns and HVAC equipment, without appearing to sacrifice the design of this main visual focal point of the first floor. In the kitchen, exotic Cristallo quartzite shines on the countertops and backsplash against a combination of white oak and white painted custom cabinetry. Power receptacles are concealed into the millwork so that nothing interrupts the beauty of the materials. Designed to provide the feeling of a private resort retreat, the main suite bedroom and bath welcome in the beauty of nature alongside more custom, interior design details. The bathroom utilizes warm limestone on the floors and walls, visually leading the eye straight out to the outdoor shower and waterfall. Dual vanities provide generous personal space to either side of the spacious steam shower, which features dramatic, book-matched porcelain slabs on the walls and ceiling. Four guest suites each offer a different design experience, while keeping continuity with the home and its waterfront se ing. The outdoor areas are designed to entertain a crowd in comfort and style.

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BEST KITCHEN

PL ATINUM

COURTYARD HOUSE L E A D E R D E S I G N ST U D I O

The home is nestled amongst neighboring houses, and the layout looks inward to a lush tropical courtyard, creating a private and secure respite from the dense community. The kitchen anchors the open-plan living space of this home while simultaneously capturing views to the pool courtyard and the covered outdoor living space. The centerpiece of the kitchen is a meticulously cra ed 13-foot-long island. The large, multifunction island is designed for prep, entertaining and also eat-in dining. A walnut countertop and side panels define the entertaining / dining area of the island, while an inset white quartz countertop distinguishes the prep area. Counter stools are located on both sides of the island to provide a conversational se ing and varied views to the home and landscape. The L-shaped perimeter of the kitchen features painted white cabinets and white quartz counters, emphasizing the Brazilian quartzite backsplash and walnut clad upper cabinets. The sink is set in front of a long backsplash window, providing natural daylight and views to the tropical landscape while maintaining privacy from neighboring properties.

Architect: Chris Leader, AIA Contractor and Builder: JM Meyer Construction (James Meyer) Interior Design: SAWA Design Studio (Punit Patel) Kitchen Cabinets: SAWA Design Studio / Sarasota Architectural Woodworking (Margaret Hoskinson Bell) Bathroom: SAWA Design Studio / Sarasota Architectural Woodworking (Margaret Hoskinson Bell) Carpets and Flooring: DWY Landscape Architects (David Young) Landscape: DWY Landscape Architects (David Young) Photographer: Ryan Gamma Photography.

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BEST KITCHEN

WATER’S EDGE TROP ARCHITECTURE

The kitchen is anchored as the central node and hub of the home.

The outdoor grill and covered dining terrace are a direct extension of the kitchen through a 15-foot wide sliding glass door opening.

Subzero appliances are hidden behind cabinetry panels. Recessed pulls integrated into the burnished brass and painted cabinetry lend minimalist lines. The colors used in the kitchen were inspired by the Dolce Vita quartzite backsplash. The backsplash anchors a long steel shelf for the everyday cook’s items. The kitchen island includes a blackened oak slab that cantilevers out to provide seating for six. Five lava stone pendants hang above the seating area.

Architect: TROP Architecture (Steffani Drass) Contractor and Builder: Boston Light Developers Interior Design: TROP Architecture (Steffani Drass) Kitchen Cabinets: Devi ori Cabintry Carpets and Flooring: Sticks and Stones (Heather Darling) Landscape: Borden Landscape Design (Tim Borden) Pool: Designed by TROP; Built by Pool Design Concepts (Judy Hess) Photographer: Ryan Gamma Photography

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BEST BATHROOM Architect: Leader Design Studio (Chris Leader) Contractor and Builder: JM Meyer Construction (James Meyer) Interior Design: SAWA Design Studio (Punit Patel) Kitchen Cabinets: SAWA Design Studio / Sarasota Architectural Woodworking (Margaret Hoskinson Bell) Carpets and Flooring: Behr Snyder Group Landscape: Coast Outdoor Services (Ray Waldin) Photographer: Ryan Gamma Photography

BAYVIEW HOUSE PL ATINUM

L E A D E R D E S I G N ST U D I O

This 3,400 square-foot home is situated on a beautiful Longboat Key bayfront lot. The residents envisioned a warm, modern home designed to capture the dramatic bay views and provide a seamless indoor-outdoor lifestyle. A natural material pale e is used throughout the home, and has been carried throughout this tranquil primary bathroom. Upon entering the bathroom, one is greeted by a sculptural vessel tub, silhoue ed in front of a stained-wood accent wall. The tub is positioned in front of a large picture window, providing the occupant a view of Sarasota Bay, filtered through the lush tropical landscaping. A wallmounted tub filler and control valves reduce visual clu er. Full height sheer curtains so en the space. The private shower area is screened from view beyond the bathtub and features large clerestory windows and a frameless interior glass door, bringing abundant natural light into the space. A private water closet is concealed behind a floor-to-ceiling mirrored wall, which reflects light and water views into the room. Large format honed limestone tile clads the walls, and provides a subdued backdrop for the wall-mounted walnut vanity, topped with a custom white concrete trough sink with a honed finish. A slender band of walnut wraps around recessed medicine cabinets, keeping the counters free from clu er. Flush-mount linear sconces provide abundant light while using the vanity. The result is a sophisticated, warm, tropical-modern bathing space.

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BEST BATHROOM

HAPPY PLACE GOLD

P E R RON E CON ST RU CT I ON

Affectionately named ‘Happy Place’ by its owners, this British West Indies style custom residence was designed as a tropical haven outfi ed to take full advantage of its breathtaking waterfront views of Sarasota Bay and offer a boater’s oasis from the everyday. The home rests on the site slightly canted in response to capturing waterfront views from nearly every room and the desire to maximize the living space of the lot. The interiors of the home draw from the abundance of natural light reflecting off the sparkling waters of the bay as well as the shared passion of the owners for an indoor-outdoor lifestyle. With a coastal contemporary motif, clean white and organic materials are used in harmony throughout to create a tranquil space. The owners joy for life and entertaining can be found in every detail, including a home theater with a wet bar and projection screen, a master suite with expansive views of the Ringling Bridge, a decadent spa-like master bathroom with steam shower, soaking tub and private outdoor shower with a cascading water feature to tie in the experience. True to West Indies style architecture, the exterior is clad with limestone details, sun drenched terraces, louvered coverings, and a dramatic roofline with flared eaves. The Caribbean influence blurs the lines between indoor and outdoor living perfect for opening up the whole house to feel the bay breeze.

Architect: Sto Cooney (Jenny Haire) Builder: Perrone Construction (Ricky Perrone) Interior Design: Angela Rodriguez Interiors (Angela Rodriguez) Kitchen Cabinets: Sarasota Architectural Woodworking (Margaret Hoskinson Bell) Bathroom: Angela Rodriguez Interiors (Angela Rodriguez) Landscapes: Hazeltine Nurseries (Michelle Hazeltine) Pool: Water Designs of Sarasota (Joe Dudash) Photographer: Ryan Gamma Photography

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BEST REMODEL | RENOVATION

Architect: Sweet Sparkman Architecture and Interiors (Jerry Sparkman) Contractor: Josh Wynne Construction (Josh Wynne) Interior Design: Sweet Sparman Architecture and Interiors (Jerry Sparkman) Kitchen Cabinets: Elite Woodworking Bathroom: Chad Myna Landscapes: Florida Native Plants Photographer: Ryan Gamma Photography

TRIANGLE RANCH PL ATINUM

S W E E T S PA R K M A N A R C H I T E C T U R E

Composed of 1,143 acres of lush Myakka landscape, Triangle Ranch had remained in the hands of one of Florida’s original Pioneer families for over a century before becoming a designated “Florida Forever” conservation area. Now, under the care of a new owner and the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast, Triangle Ranch has been restored to its optimum ecological function and become a living showcase for Florida’s natural beauty. Nestled amongst Triangle Ranch’s pristine wetlands and along the winding Myakka River lies a cluster of structures entrenched in Old Florida charm. Sweet Sparkman Architecture and Interiors was charged with creating two modest 12’ x 12’ Florida Cracker-inspired co ages to complement a 1936 pecky cypress co age rescued from demolition and relocated from Siesta Key. Each cabin has its own unique characteristics and charm emphasized with small-scale simplicity. Described as a “victory for nature,” each cabin was designed and constructed with harmony and respect for the surrounding natural forces. A classic elevated block foundation perches each co age safely above the floodplain and couples an authentic look with energy independence through passive solar design. A combination of solar panels, passive cooling with cross ventilation, smaller more efficient AC units, insulated impactresistant windows and elevated structures were all contributing factors that led to the project’s National Green Building System Certified Gold Status, Certified Zero Energy, and a HERS index of -15. According to RESNET and Energy Star, the relocated and renovated 1936 pecky cypress co age is among the most energy-efficient structures ever renovated in the United States. Beyond the energy efficiency, sustainability was achieved through the use of locally sourced, reclaimed and salvaged materials like the Pecky Cypress cladding. Salvaged plumbing fixtures, door and cabinetry hardware, vintage lighting fixtures and restored appliances were used to complete the interior. A great deal of the furniture is re-used or made with reclaimed wood.

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BEST LANDSCAPE | OUTDOORS

PL ATINUM

WATER’S EDGE TROP ARCHITECTURE

As you enter the property, you are greeted with multiple layers of green on green landscaping of unique specimens. The driveway serves a dual purpose as its dimensions are laid out to transform into a regulation sized pickle ball court when needed. A pedestrian gate is located at grade and centered in the mass of the home, welcoming visitors into a secluded courtyard. The suspended bridge above the entry courtyard holds the main foyer, but also provides ample shade to the garden below. The home’s main axes of floor plan and pool lay out parallel to the water’s edge. Along this main axis are seven covered, outdoor terraces. At the ground level, two hanging daybeds overlook the pool area and are surrounded by shellstone planters filled with palms, cascading ice plant, philodendrons and several types of bromeliads. The pool is designed for laps, but also holds a long bench seat on one side and a sun shelf for chaises at the far end. A wood deck platform is framed flush between the pool and spa shell stone coping to allow walking space between the two. A fire pit with built-in seating is a great gathering spot for cool nights. A large Tabebuia tree, the City of Sarasota’s designated tree, existed when the property was purchased and is home to a protective Osprey. This tree along with the coconut palms lend privacy from passing boaters, but also movement and connection to nature at the home’s elevated height. A spiral staircase leads from the pool gardens up to the main terraces to allow for easy outdoor entertainment and connection between the different terraces.

Architect: TROP Architecture (Steffani Drass) Contractor and Builder: Boston Light Developers Interior Design: TROP Architecture (Steffani Drass) Kitchen Cabinets: Devi ori Cabintry Carpets and Flooring: Sticks and Stones (Heather Darling) Landscape: Borden Landscape design (Tim Borden) Pool: Designed by TROP; Built by Pool Design Concepts (Judy Hess) Photographer: Ryan Gamma Photography Other: Coast Outdoor Services

HAPPY PLACE GOLD

PERRO N E CO N ST RU CT IO N

Affectionately named ‘Happy Place’ by its owners, this British West Indies style custom residence was designed as a tropical haven outfi ed to take full advantage of its breathtaking waterfront views of Sarasota Bay and offer a boater’s oasis from the everyday. The home rests on the site slightly canted in response to capturing waterfront views from nearly every room and the desire to maximize the living space of the lot. While artfully shaping the given confines of the land the design team and contractor were able to preserve the large footprint of the home and add additional outdoor living and recreation space. Such feats of ingenuity include abu ing the multi-level pool against the structure complete with a gro o and water curtain, as well as extending the decking out over the bayfront to the docks for bonus outdoor living space suspended over the water.

Architect: Sto Cooney (Jenny Haire) Builder: Perrone Construction (Ricky Perrone) Interior Design: Angela Rodriguez Interiors (Angela Rodriguez) Kitchen Cabinets: Sarasota Architectural Woodworking (Margaret Hoskinson Bell) Bathroom: Angela Rodriguez Interiors (Angela Rodriguez) Landscapes: Hazeltine Nurseries (Michelle Hazeltine) Pool: Water Designs of Sarasota (Joe Dudash) Photographer: Ryan Gamma Photography

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BEST SUSTAINABILITY

Architect: Chris Leader, AIA Contractor and Builder: JM Meyer Construction (James Meyer) Interior Design: SAWA Design Studio (Punit Patel) Kitchen Cabinets: SAWA Design Studio / Sarasota Architectural Woodworking (Margaret Hoskinson Bell) Bathroom: SAWA Design Studio / Sarasota Architectural Woodworking (Margaret Hoskinson Bell) Carpets and Flooring: Behr Snyder Group Landscape: DWY Landscape Architects (David Young) Photographer: Ryan Gamma Photography

COURTYARD HOUSE PL ATINUM

L E A D E R D E S I G N ST U D I O

Achieving a National Green Building Standard Gold rating, this home merges energy efficient systems and a high-performance building envelope with thoughtful passive design techniques. The backbone of the house is a high-performance building envelope. Composed of insulated, thermallybroken storefront windows, a highly reflective Energy Star membrane “cool” roof with R-30 spray foam insulation, and concrete block walls filled with bio-based core-fill insulation. Energy consumption is minimized by efficient building systems, which include three high-efficiency, variable-speed zoned air conditioning systems, gas tankless hot-water heating, Energy Star appliances and LED lighting controlled by a Lutron lighting control system.

Water use is limited with low-flow plumbing fixtures, dual flush toilets and an efficient drip irrigation system. An in-wall pest control system eliminates the need for pesticides in the house, and low VOC paints and adhesives were utilized for superior indoor air quality. Passive design techniques include deep overhangs to shade south facing glass and reduce heat gain, high clerestory windows to provide natural daylight and limit the need to utilize indoor lighting, and strategically-located operable windows and doors for passive ventilation. The house features a 13.6 KW roof mounted photovoltaic array, generating 97 percent of the electricity used in the home.

Solar hot water heating warms the pool in cool months, demonstrating that energy-efficiency, comfort and thoughtful design can go hand-in-hand.

2022 JUDGES David Poorman’s childhood was a blend of farm and beach, having moved at an early age from Ohio to Naples, Florida. A er enrolling in the architecture program at St. Petersburg Junior College, he went on to receive a Bachelor of Design from the University of Florida and a Master’s in Architecture from Princeton University.

He lived for ten years in downtown Chicago, working and travelling for Perkins and Will and then for David Woodhouse Architects. In 2010, David established David Poorman Architect LLC (DPA) in Naples, an award-winning firm specializing in small-scale residential and commercial projects inspired and informed

by Florida’s natural resources and climate.

DAVID POORMAN, NAPLES, FL

BRUCE SPARANO, NEW YORK CITY, NY

Bruce Sparano is a licensed architect in the Untied States. He practices residential, municipal and commercial architecture, in addition to real estate consultation and development. Bruce is a member of the American Institute of Architects, the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards, the United States Green Building Council, the Preservation League of New York State, and the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation. —Thank you to our 2022 Home of the Year Awards Judges.

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Domicile 2022 HOM E+D E S IG N PORTFOLIO

DESIGN WORKS AT WEST FLORIDA DISTRIBUTORS

Local home experts share guidance and hottest trends for new ideas and inspiration in building and decorating.

DESIGN WORKS AT WEST FLORIDA DISTRIBUTORS With over 50 years in business, Florida Design Works is the area’s premier provider of tile, flooring, stone, custom cabinetry, and countertops. We provide exclusive access to the world’s leading tile brands, such as MiR Mosaic, Atlas Concorde, Florida Tile, AKDO, Jeffrey Court, and Iris Ceramic, offering homeowners a unique variety of luxury flooring, backsplash, and stone-look options. Current trends for our luxury customers continue to be the Marvel Shine Series from Atlas Concorde. marble look, but lifestyle dictates the need for a heartier product to withstand wear and tear. This product offers the look of marble, but with a natural, heartier material of porcelain tile that better withstands wear and tear. The large format wall and floor tile remain popular as well, offering dramatic design elements. In cabinetry, natural wood colors and textures are making a comeback. Designers are incorporating color and wood elements to balance the room and infuse it with comfort and distinction. For our countertop customers, quartz is still all the rage and the use of allwhite or gray solid surfaces is very popular. Customers are also reverting to countertops with design elements to create unique focal points and design elements, but in more subtle patterns. We invite you to stop by our Sarasota showroom—located off of 301 just south of University Drive—to explore our collection of more than 40,000 tile samples, thousands of state-of-the-art countertop options, and array of cabinets. We can also be found at one of our three additional showroom locations in Fort Myers, Naples, and Jacksonville, and provide product specification for builders and designers in Miami and Tampa/St. Pete. As the largest product showroom in the area, we are sure to have the perfect finishing touches to help you create your dream room – whether a kitchen, bathroom, bar, wine room, closet or just about any space looking for storage, organization, or unique style.

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Domicile M&M WALLCOVERINGS AND BLINDS M&M Wallcoverings and Blinds has been a leader in the sale of high-quality Hunter Douglas blinds, shades and shutters for three decades. M&M’s 3,000 square foot gallery showcases operable Hunter Douglas window treatments as well as the company’s large display of wallcoverings, custom draperies, valances, upholstery, bedding and pillows. Clients are able to test and operate M&M Wallcoverings and Blinds’ exciting displays of motorized window treatments. Both on trend and now available at a more accessible price point, motorization capabilities have been integrated into the popular Solar Shade style as well as Silhouette, Pirouette, and Duette styles. M&M has also shared that wallcoverings are increasing in popularity.

From Grass Weaves to bold, geometric patterns, clients are opting to create focal walls that tie the colors and decorative elements in their rooms together. Also trending for 2022-- tailored draperies and stationary side panels that frame windows by adding texture, pattern, and color. The possibilities are wide ranging so M&M offers their expert decorating services, product knowledge, and passion for their trade in the form of in-home consultations, which are always free of charge. A family-owned and operated business, M&M Wallcoverings is proud to have been named a premier Hunter Douglas gallery. This allows for M&M to provide the very highest quality at very competitive pricing.

M&M WALLCOVERINGS AND BLINDS

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LEE WETHERINGTON HOMES

LEE WETHERINGTON HOMES

LEE WETHERINGTON HOMES Lee Wetherington Homes is a custom home builder known for timeless designs and consistent delivery of the highest quality construction. With over 40 years of experience constructing homes in Sarasota and Manatee Counties, our projects take place in some of the area’s finest neighborhoods and master planned communities, as well as home sites owned by our very own homeowners throughout the area. Our design process consists of three key parts: the plan, the build, and the finishing touches. First, a prospective homeowner will meet with our on-site Sales Professional to discuss their wants and needs. From there, a loose design plan gets developed, pulling in our in-house architectural designer for homeowners wishing to design their home from the ground up. Once created, an initial CAD is generated, making minor tweaks until the design is perfected, and then a final floor plan is presented to the buyer at their homesite. Lastly, homeowners will be taken through our new home design center by our interior designer, where they will make selections to all their finishes, from flooring and cabinets, to paint, plumbing fixtures and countertops. Once each project is complete, our CEO personally walks through each home before it closes to make sure it meets the stringent Lee Wetherington Homes Quality Standards. When it comes to current trends, we continue to see an interest in outdoor living as homeowners seek to expand their livable space, as well as cleaner, minimalist and more modern designs.

LEE WETHERINGTON HOMES

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Domicile

TRADE MARK INTERIORS Trade Mark Interiors offers full service interior design services for both residential and commercial spaces, with a focus on new construction and renovations.

For this recent whole home renovation project in Lakewood Ranch, we transformed dated interiors into a modern home with calming neutrals that are perfect for both entertaining and relaxing. Over the past two years, many people found themselves at home a lot more, making multifunctional spaces of great importance to many homeowners. Another trend we have been seeing is a shift to zen interiors with neutral bases and white walls for homeowners who are looking to curate a comfortable, inviting space. Incorporating nature by bringing greenery inside and merging indoor and outdoor living spaces is also a popular style for homeowners wanting to create a nice flow throughout their home. When clients work with us, we take the time to really get to know them and make sure they receive our whole team’s input and perspectives. This is a highly collaborative process and we are with you every step of the way, or From Plans to Pillows® as we like to say! Here at Trade Mark Interiors, we use both interior design and psychology backgrounds to be able to better understand client needs, manage multiple perspectives on a project, and design interiors that have a positive impact on mood and functionality. We really take the time to get to know you so that we can ensure it’s a good fit for both the client and our design team. Whole home renovations and custom builds can take a year (or longer), so you really want to make sure you’ll work well together with your designer.

MONTGOMERY CARPET PLUS

MONTGOMERY CARPET PLUS Started by Vern Montgomery and his sons in 1998, Montgomery’s CarpetsPlus COLORTILE (MCP) is a family-owned business with over 45 years of experience specializing in quality flooring, installation, and design services. From carpet, tile, and laminate to luxury vinyl plank, hardwood, and custom area rugs, this “Premier Flooring Destination” nestled in Venice is equipped with knowledgeable and professional staff that will guide you with transforming your living space into a dream come true. Along with buying and installing a wide range of products—with many being in-stock and readily available—Montgomery’s also provides exemplary floor cleaning services, utilizing a truck mounted hot water extraction system to maintain your new carpet and clean tile and grout. Their design process begins with inviting customers to explore their 4,000+ square foot showroom, featuring over 30 different flooring installations to see and walk on. From there, customers are able to browse and choose from thousands of take-home samples and schedule a free in-home measuring service and free quotes. Featured is a recent condo project in Englewood, FL, displaying the latest trend of Luxury Vinyl Plank flooring installed by MCP throughout the kitchen and living area. Get your flooring needs done by Montgomery’s CarpetsPlus COLORTILE and see first-hand why they’ve been voted “Best Place to Buy Floor Covering” every year since 2003 by the readers of both local newspapers, the Venice Gondolier and Sarasota Herald Tribune.

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YODER HOMES

Guided by their company core value of “unquestionable integrity,” Yoder Homes is a well-established contractor specializing in custom-build homes, remodeling projects, room additions, and historical renovations. Over the past decade, Yoder Homes has built a reputation as a reliable source for homeowners looking for a superior level of expertise and proficiency to incorporate unique interior features into their homes. From Coastal Contemporary to Traditional Modern, Yoder Homes implements these highly sought-after styles through the use of natural materials and clean rectangular lines. Inside the home, phone app-driven products—such as smart appliances, lighting controls, robotic vacuums, door locking mechanisms, and transitional window films—are also growing in popularity. With extensive experience in the field, Yoder Homes brings expert planning, design, and craftsmanship to every project. Their team can work directly with clients from start to finish or can collaborate with architects to manage the construction side of a project. Yoder Homes also offers custom cabinetry, storage solutions, hardware installation, flooring and window coverings, and maintains a state-of-the-art showroom to display their wide range of high-quality cabinetry and resources. Whether a client is seeking a new home or looking to renovate, Yoder Homes is dedicated to incorporating practices that support long-term sustainability to projects so integrity and craftsmanship can be enjoyed well into the future.

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Domicile 2022 S P R I N G H OM E P OR TF O L I O

SPRING 2022 HOME PORTFOLIO FEATURED PARTICIPANTS DESIGN WORKS AT WEST FLORIDA DISTRIBUTORS 4500 Carmichael Ave. Sarasota, FL 34234 (941) 355-2703 floridadesignworks.com LEE WETHERINGTON HOMES 7590 Fruitville Rd. Sarasota, FL 34240 (941) 922.3480 lwhomes.com

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M&M WALLCOVERINGS AND BLINDS 4801 S. Tamiami Trail, Ste. 7 Sarasota, FL 34231 (941) 925.7800 mmwallcoveringsblinds.com YODER HOMES 500 Central Ave. Sarasota, FL 34236 (941) 758-4028 yoder-homes.com TRADE MARK INTERIORS 1371-A, Boulevard of the Arts Sarasota, FL 34236 (941) 879-9494 trademarkinteriordesign.com MONTGOMERY’S CARPET PLUS 825 E Venice Ave, Venice, FL 34285 (941) 488-1810 mcpcolortile.com

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STORIES FROM OUR PHILANTHROPIC COMMUNITY

giving coast THE GREAT CONNECTOR Local Good Hero Jim Tollerton shares wisdom and lessons learned from a lifelong passion for helping people succeed. Barbie Heit. Photo by Wyatt Kostygan

JIM TOLLERTON STILL HAS MONTHLY LUNCH DATES WITH HIS HIGH SCHOOL ENGLISH TEACHER, BEV WRIGHT. “She

made me read Ode to a Grecian Urn by John Keats 100 times, until it really sunk in.

And by the tenth time, I finally got it!” he says with a smile. A man whose operating philosophy is “We only get one trip down the track so we have to make a difference every day,” Jim Tollerton has dedicated countless hours to impact what he is passionate about: helping good people succeed.

“The measure of a life is the positive difference we make in other people’s lives.” —Jim Tollerton

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giving coast A SARASOTAN FOR MOST OF HIS LIFE (his family moved here from New York when he was five years old), Jim’s roots in the community run deep. A graduate of Southside Elementary, Brookside Middle and Sarasota High School, where he was the President of the Class of 1964, Jim has been recognized by the Education Foundation of Sarasota with The Alumni of Distinction Award for his local service. “I have the greatest respect for teachers,” he says. “They are some of the best people in the world.’’

Jim has fond memories of growing up in Sarasota: “Eddie Morton was my best friend.

We still have breakfast together once a week.

And I played handball with the same great group of guys here in town for over 40 years.”

Those who know Jim, think of him as “the great connector” because he has been here so long and knows everyone. “He loves connecting people for the betterment of

the community–he has a passion for it,” shares Taylor Collins, Jim’s daughter, who refers to her dad as “Mr. Sarasota.”

One such connection that has had a lasting impact on so many goes back to a wish Jim had on his 40th birthday–to secure the donations necessary to start an Employee Appreciation fund at SMH. Originally, the hospital had a time-in-service recognition program, meaning that for every five, ten, etc. years served, the employee would be recognized. Knowing that the Venice Hospital Board had a recognition program for outstanding employees each month, Jim wanted something similar for employees at SMH. With friends and then HR Director Fritz Sprenger and his Assistant Director, Alison Thurau, the idea was developed and the EXCEL recognition program began in 1987, just after Jim left the Board. Forty percent of the winners over those years are

either still employed at SMH or retired from SMH. “Quite an enviable record, I think,” boasts Jim. Thirty-five years later, his wish is a reality that is still growing strong. In fact, Jim has now endowed it through his own generosity because he feels so strongly about the people of SMH: “I’m convinced that Sarasota Memorial is the best community hospital with the best medical staff and employees in the country.”

A married father of three grown and successful children, Jim started his career as a trust officer at Sarasota Bank. He went into the insurance and benefit business in 1970 and eventually became the owner and President of Professional Benefits Incorporated, a local, independent provider of small business and executive benefits. Following in her father’s footsteps, Jim’s daughter, Taylor now owns the company. “I’m really proud to continue his legacy of 50 years with Professional Benefits. I know the Tollerton family looks forward to serving the Sarasota community for years to come,” she says.

Currently, Jim serves on several local boards, including The Ringling and the Florida State College of Medicine Sarasota Advisory Board where he helps young medical students in our community. The Sarasota campus has 20 third-year and 20 fourth-year students, as well as a Physician’s Assistant program. “We have a sterling advisory board which assists the students integrating into the community while they are here. Our hope is that they will return after residency.” Along with Taylor, Jim hosts a number of the medical students and residents at the FSU Asolo Conservatory each year to see one of the Master’s in Theater student performances.

Humble about his achievements and contributions, Jim shares advice he learned along the way: “There’s no way to avoid the pitfalls in life. We’re all going to have them in one form or another from time to time. The measure of a person is how we respond when we’re down, when things aren’t going the way we’d like. Anyone can be a hero when they’re ‘on top’ but the winner is the one who gets up, brushes themselves off and strides out again.”

On December 9, 2021, James B. Tollerton was an award recipient at the SB2: Philanthropic Agenda and Good Hero Awards Luncheon at the Hyatt Regency Sarasota. A well-deserved award, indeed. SRQ

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LAKEWOOD RANCH AND BEYOND | LIVE LOCAL, LOVE LOCAL

PUBLISHED BY SRQ MEDIA | 2022 SPRING EDITION

LIVING LAKEWOOD

TM

LUXURY DREAMS

DAVID SLOAN OF LUXE DERAM GARAGE

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Spring 2022

Below: CEO Andy Guz of Lakewood Ranch Medical Center and a Lake Club mural of Leonardo da Vinci’s The Annunciation.

LIVING LAKEWOOD

TM

Exceeding Patient Expectations

On the Ranch

In these challenging times, Lakewood Ranch Medical Center remains focused on providing the best possible care and exceeding patient expectations. Those efforts have earned us several recent honors, including:

I continue to be impressed by the resilience and skills of our care teams as they bring sophisticated, quality care to you, our community. Always feel free to reach out to me with your thoughts or questions. Visit lwrmc.com/CEOletter to send me an email.

There has never been a better time than now to live “on the Ranch.” People from around the nation (and the world!) are realizing what many of us have long known—Florida is truly the state that gives us the best possible quality of life. And Lakewood Ranch is among the best places to live in this most desirable part of the country. Our Main Street is filled with beaming smiles and thriving businesses and our trails are outdoor respites for walkers, runners and active people of all ages. New shopping meccas like Waterside Place are whetting our appetites, and we all wait with bated breath to hear what is coming next to one of the fastest growing, and surely the most exciting planned communities in the country. In this edition of Living Lakewood our team interviews four business leaders who share perspectives on where we are, and where we are headed. Local leaders David Hunihan, Allison Imre and Drs. Logan Swaim and Laura Swaim, share insights into the forces and peoples that have made Lakewood Ranch so desirable. They all share the same enthusiasm for what the future holds. We share a morning with the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance’s new CEO and President Brittany Lamont who gives us an incredible context on the business dynamics catapulting the growth. Join us as we dream.

A N DY G U Z

WES ROBERTS

—The patient safety watchdog the Leapfrog Group gave us an “A” Grade and named us a Top General Hospital in its most recent ratings. —The hospital is the first in Manatee County, and one of only 25 hospitals in the state of Florida, to receive a 5-Star Rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. —The Joint Commission certified us as an advanced Primary Stroke Center and the American Heart Association / American Stroke Association recognized our commitment to the highest level of advanced care with a Get with the Guidelines® designation.

LAKEWOOD RANCH MEDICAL CENTER | Chief Executive Officer

SRQ MEDIA | Executive Publisher

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Below: David Sloan on the property where Luxe Dream Garage will

be built to house Lakewood Ranch’s luxury automobiles. Italian artist Luca Mancini sketches a vignette of the Lake Club mural he is creating of Leonardo da Vinci’s The Annunciation,

FEATURES Cultivating Community, 6 The new President and CEO of the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance, Brittany Lamont, works to cultivate a sense of belonging in the community.

Navigation, 10 A listing guide to dining, shopping, private schools, things to do and business resources.

Car Utopia, 16 To the delight of local car collectors and enthusiasts, a Luxe Dream Garage is being developed in Lakewood Ranch.

Modern Day Michelangelo, 18 Luca Mancini, an artist from Italy, paints a mural of Leonardo da Vinci’s The Annunciation on the ceiling of Mary Ann Cricchio’s Lake Club home.

In Conversation, 23 Join Dr. Logan Swain and Dr. Laura Swain of The Roots Health Centers, PLLC on peripheral neuropathy.

Credits: Photos of Luxe Dream Garage and Modern Day Michelangelo, this page by Wyatt Kostygan. Cover Credits: CEO and President of Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance Brittany Lamont, photography by Wyatt Kostygan.

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An interview with the new Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance CEO and President.

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LAKEWOOD RANCH IS AMERICA’S FASTEST GROWING MASTER-PLANNED COMMUNITY, with 2,574 new homes in 2021 alone. To be a part of a community,

however, is one thing, to feel a sense of belonging is another. Brittany Lamont, the new President and CEO of the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance, is working to cultivate a sense of belonging in the community.

CULTIVATING COMMUNITY Brittany Lamont, the new President and CEO of the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance, is working to cultivate that sense of belonging amongst the burgeoning business community - and by extent, the residents of Lakewood Ranch. Soon to be a mother of three, Brittany is a native of the area and has accumulated a wealth of experience in the business world - from her humble beginnings as an intern with the Sarasota Chamber of Commerce to her role today with the LWRBA. Brittany sat down with SRQ Magazine to discuss how her background informs her new role and the challenges businesses face in an exploding community like Lakewood Ranch.

SRQ: HOW DID YOUR TIME SPENT AT THE GREATER SARASOTA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE PREPARE YOU FOR THIS ROLE? Brittany Lamont: I always tell people that I was raised by the business community here in the Sarasota Manatee area. I started as an intern back in 2010, progressing from Communications Manager to Director of Communications Events to Vice President, and eventually, after 11 years, to the role I am in today as President and CEO of the Lakewood Ranch

Business Alliance. I’ve done pretty much every job within a membership organization.

The Sarasota Chamber has over 1,100 members, so I was able to gain an understanding of what chambers of commerce do, how membership works, how events work, and how you provide a strong ROI to your members.

On the customer service end of it, I got to lead some really great projects - I restructured their membership, moved them to tiered membership, restructured events, and got to work on some public policy and political campaigns as well. I always say that each chairman of the board leaves their legacy with you.

You get to learn different things from them. I’ve worked under people like Rick Piccolo from the airport who were geniuses in public policy and community development. I served under people with a communications background like Lisl Liang at SRQ Magazine and with a Human Resources background with Lisa Krouse.

WHAT DOES YOUR ROLE AS PRESIDENT AND CEO OF LAKEWOOD RANCH BUSINESS ALLIANCE ENTAIL? Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance is for all intents and purposes,

very similar to a chamber of commerce. It’s a business membership organization in Lakewood Ranch, which is the fastest growing master planned community in the United States.

As President and CEO of the LWRBA, I get to represent that growth. We represent both Sarasota and Manatee counties. We are meeting with our local officials and keeping our pulse on the issues that are affecting businesses here in the region. What kind of advocacy is needed? What referendums are happening?

In short, my job involves a lot of listening. It’s critical that as an organization, we make sure that we’re representing the collective voices of 600 plus businesses. When I came into this role, I met top to bottom with all of our annual sponsors and investors. I met with former members, current members, and prospective members, all to understand what our value proposition and our niche is out here in Lakewood Ranch. As the leader of a small but mighty team of five, I’m working on how to maximize our resources. We have a very strong volunteer base and great volunteer leadership.

In light of that, I’m looking to create a strategic plan. We turn

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20 years old in 2025. So who do we want to be in 2025? That means we’re examining aspects of membership structure, ROI for our investors, our members, ROI for our sponsors, and strong programming in the region.

WITH LAKEWOOD RANCH BEING SUCH A RAPIDLY GROWING COMMUNITY, WHAT CHALLENGES DO BUSINESSES FACE IN THIS POST-PANDEMIC CLIMATE? Not just here in Lakewood Ranch but everywhere, businesses are facing serious workforce struggles. There is a huge need for workforce of all levels, not only just in hospitality and manufacturing but also in professional services.

Everybody’s looking for talented workforce recruitment and retainment. We’ve also got our eye on affordable housing, which has a big impact on the workforce. So as you’re looking to recruit people from outside of the market here into the Lakewood Ranch region, companies are having to figure out how they’re going to be able to compete nationally. It was one thing when pre-pandemic, you might just compete with firms in the region for workforce.

From a membership based standpoint, our companies have seen phenomenal growth in some really great years.

Because of that strain on the workforce however, they have to be a little bit more strategic in how they’re participating with things outside of their office from joining groups to engaging with nonprofits, chambers of commerce, or EDCs. We have to make sure that the offerings we

have are going to be something that’s going to be worth coming out of the office for two hours and listening to.

ways in which people can participate and create even closer connections together.

WHAT ARE LAKEWOOD

DOES THAT GROWTH BRING

RANCH’S GROWTH INDUSTRIES

A LOT OF HEADWINDS FROM

For the community at large, yes. There’s definitely growth projects and infrastructural work to be done. For us as an organization, that growth makes us ask ourselves, how do we welcome all these new businesses? How do we stay relevant to them, but still create the intimate experiences and connections that this organization has been built upon?I hear from new members all the time that, “I joined Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance, and I got professional and personal connections. I was new to the area. I didn’t know anybody. And I joined a committee or I went to events and I have made some great business contracts, but I’ve also made some really great friends.”

NOW? The growth industries of Lakewood Ranch mimic what you see in Sarasota and Manatee. Something I didn’t know as much when I came out here that I’ve learned is a lot of people live in Lakewood Ranch, but they’re still connected to their firms in the Northeast or consultants or maybe not the brick and mortar that you expect.

There are still a ton of brick and mortar businesses here..but you’re also getting some business professionals that were working elsewhere and then decided to come to live in Lakewood Ranch.

From a business organization standpoint, we’re working on ways to provide businesses that are not brick and mortar with a sense of community and belonging. Doing so is critical, especially from a membership standpoint, as Lakewood Ranch continues to grow exponentially.

HOW DOES THE LWRBA ENGAGE

WHAT KINDS OF RESIDENTS

THE COMMUNITY OUTSIDE OF

AND BUSINESSES DOES

THE OFFICE? Events are a big

LAKEWOOD RANCH ATTRACT?

INFRASTRUCTURE PRESSURES LIKE YOU TALKED ABOUT?

part of it. We also have eight committees. We have really strong committee participation where people are able to get a little bit deeper dive into the Alliance. They’re able to volunteer in capacities in which they have interest. If their interest lies in public policy, maybe it’s our government affairs committee. If you’re a big people person, maybe it’s our membership committee or events committee. We’re constantly working on additional

Lakewood Ranch attracts professionals and moreover, family professionals. I was talking to somebody today who had grown up in Bradenton, moved to Boston for 10 years, and returned to Lakewood Ranch with his family. I hear that story all the time. It’s also a very active community, blossoming with different ways to engage the family. It’s funny, I was informed today that Waterside has the largest cornhole league in the country.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE PRESSURES THAT THE LWRBA FACES AS YOU CONTINUE TO GROW AND ENSURE A HIGH QUALITY OF LIFE? We sit in between the Manatee County and Sarasota County Chamber of Commerce, which are both great at what they do. Back in the day when the recession was there, we all competed for money.

Now we compete for time.

Lakewood Ranch, in general, as we continue to grow, will face the same struggles that other growing communities do: roads, transportation, traffic flow, and the building of schools and other infrastructure.

HOW DOES THE LWRBA PLAN TO ADAPT TO AND COUNTERACT THOSE PRESSURES? That’s a community wide conversation, right? No single-handed membership organization is going to be able to solve some of those problems. However, in this region we all band together. In Sarasota county, we’re all part of a group called COBA: Coalition of Business Associations. That’s where the chambers, the EDCs, Gulf Coast Builders Exchange, Argus, BIA, all get together to talk about these large community issues and speak on behalf of the business community collectively. In Manatee County, we’ve started collaborating with Manatee Business Associations, a similar group with similar objectives to COBA. The greater impact that we have, the greater our reach becomes - we can then connect to our government officials, our elected leaders and let them know that we’re not just one singular group, but a collective representation of a large portion of the population.

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GET YOUR GRUB ON

DINING Another Broken Egg Café

A neighborhood favorite, Another Broken Egg offers breakfast and lunch. Get the Very French Toast topped with bananas, berries, walnuts, cinnamon and whipped cream for a sweet morning, and throw in a mango mimosa to make it even sweeter. Broken Egg offers two-forone specials on domestic beers and house wines on Friday a ernoons.

Breakfast and lunch. 6115 Exchange Way, Lakewood Ranch, 941-388-6898, @anotherbrokenegg, anotherbrokenegg.com.

ATRIA Bread+Coffee

ATRIA Bread + Coffee opened just last year with a focus on artisan sourdough breads made with whole grains. Using minimal ingredients, all bread loaves are milled in-house every morning for breakfast and lunch service and for full service catering which includes gourmet breadboard options, artisanal toasts and housemade spreads. The cafe itself encompasses a modern yet welcoming interior with specialty coffee and tea beverages, as well as baked pastry goods including muffins, cookies, scones and more.4120 Lakewood Ranch Blvd., Bradenton, 941-751-1016, atria.cafe, @atria.cafe

Big Olaf Creamy

Take a stroll down Main Street and stop in this local favorite for a sweet treat. Formerly an Amish enterprise, the new owners’ commitment to quality can be found in every scoop of handmade Amare o Almond, Maple Walnut, Royal Banana Crunch, Bu er Pecan, Plantation Praline and more. Sugar-free options, sorbet and frozen yogurt are available as well.

8151 Lakewood Main St., Lakewood Ranch, 941-907-0151, @bigolafofficial, bigolaflwr.com.

Casa Maya Mexican Restaurant

Find authentic south-of-the-border flavors with a genuine Mayan emphasis at this casual dining locale.

A Guadalajara favorite, signature molcajetes serve up steak, chicken, shrimp, scallops or fish in a heated volcanic stone, mixed with grilled onions, peppers and homemade salsa and fresh tortillas. Other specials include Mayan Fajitas and enchiladas. 8126 Lakewood Main St.,

LIVING LAKEWOOD

Cra Growlers Tasting Room

Check out the first cra beer and growler pub in Sarasota/Manatee.

It is both a spot to purchase and fill 64- and 32-ounce growlers from over 45 taps to take home with you, and a casual place to hang out and down a pint as well as delicious sandwiches, beer bites and shareable items. Its cra taps are filled with a wide array of brews, ranging from Belgian-style ales to ciders, IPAs and a big selection of Florida beers. 8141 Lakewood Main St., N103, Lakewood Ranch, 941-822-8131. @cra growlers2golwr, cra growlerstogo.com.

DimSum King

Conveniently located in the UTC area, DimSum King offers a delicious assortment of small, medium and large traditional Chinese dishes and, most famously, “dim sum all day,” as their mo o declares. With its comfortable atmosphere and expansive menu, this is the perfect spot for a family dinner, date night or anything in-between. 8194 Tourist Center Dr., Bradenton, 941-306-5848, dimsumsarasota.com.

D’Lites Shoppe

D’Lites dapples in keto-friendly and gluten-free ice cream for healthy lifestyles or food allergies. They serve three kinds of cream: D’Lites, a creamy so serve that is low in carbs, sugar and calories; LUV Nice Cream, a coconut milk-based ice cream; and LUV Artisan Ice Cream, a homemade ice cream made with organic ingredients. They also offer daily specials that you’ll have to taste to believe. 8209 Natures Way #107, Lakewood Ranch, 941-362-2006, dlitesshoppe.com.

Ed’s Tavern

The friendly, neighborhood sports bar—complete with a full menu and outdoor seating area, is right next door to the movie theater. Enjoy finger foods and classic bar bites with friends while watching the game, or take a date to the cinema and follow it up with everything from burgers and flatbreads to wings, chili and entrees like the Smoked Pulled Pork Pla er, Jumbo Shrimp and House Smoked Ribs. Don’t forget to explore the rotating taps, free to play trivia nights and live music on weekends.

10719 Rodeo Dr., Lakewood Ranch, 941-907-0400, @edstavernlwr, edslakewoodranch.com.

COULD YOU TELL ME ABOUT THE ROLE THAT LAKEWOOD RANCH PLAYS IN OUR REGION? Lakewood Ranch is a huge tax base for the region, especially Manatee County, which is what the majority of the Lakewood Ranch area sits in. It’s expanding a lot more into Sarasota County with areas like Waterside. Because this area of the region is growing so fast, it’s become all the more important to have a voice in the business community. It’s why the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance was formed: because the folks in this area wanted to have a voice.

SO THEN, HOW IMPORTANT IS A PROGRAM LIKE YOUR YOUNG LEADERS ALLIANCE FOR A BURGEONING COMMUNITY LIKE LAKEWOOD RANCH? For all business

organizations, fostering that next generation of leaders is critical to long-term success. One day these members of the Young Leaders Alliance will be the ones running the company. Sometimes they already are.As you’re trying to retain talent in the region, introducing your young leaders to a group like the Alliance where they do make community connections and give them a voice in this region, hopefully makes them less likely to take a job in a different community. I hope that I can help be a representation of that. I’m 33 years old, and about to be a mother of three. I think it’s really important that our generation does have a voice in the community and that they feel like they are good community partners. And I think our YLA gives them an outlet for that. We introduce them to nonprofits. We give them professional development opportunities. We give them networking communities to build their networking base here.

WHAT DO YOU THINK THE KEY ACTIONS ARE TO POSITION LAKEWOOD RANCH AND THE BUSINESSES OF LAKEWOOD RANCH IN THE NEXT FIVE TO TEN YEARS? I think as the community continues to grow, we will want to support those businesses to truly make sure they have a voice in what are the issues that they’re facing. We have a really strong post-secondary education system here with the colleges and the universities, so how can we continue to encourage young professionals to want to stay in the area and become leaders within the business community?

In terms of recruitment, bringing people to Florida is not a problem, right? They’re coming in flocks. So, as people come into the area, how can we make sure we have the infrastructure to support them, too? I hope that we are a platform for connections, for growth, for support. I think we are really great at bringing people together, so that’s where this organization can continue to thrive. LL

Lakewood Ranch, 941-907-9449, @casamayalwr, casamayalwr.com.

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GET YOUR DINE ON

The Granary

Established in 2015 this local breakfast and lunch spot boasts a reputation to not disappoint.

Serving traditional dishes with both modern and delicious twists, hand-cra ed caffeine, mimosas and a selection of pastries you will find something to enjoy whatever time of day you visit.. Whether you indulge in a decadent breakfast of pancakes or benedicts, or fish & chips, fresh salad, soup or sandwich for lunch, there’s something here for everyone.

Ideal for families and is dog friendly.

2547 Lakewood Ranch Blvd., Lakewood Ranch, 941-746-2000, thegranarylwr.com.

Grove Restaurant

This latest offshoot from the restaurateurs behind the famed Pier 22 offers a wide variety of cuisine—all with a focus on locally-sourced and fresh ingredients. Seafood lovers will find their fill amongst Shrimp N’ Grits, Stuffed Lobster and Scallop Benedict, while those craving red meat can’t go wrong with the Roast Duckling, New Zealand Rack of Lamb or the Wild Game of the Day. Save room for dessert or an a er-dinner coffee or cocktail. 10670 Boardwalk Loop, Lakewood Ranch, 941-893-4321, @grove_lwr, grovelwr.com.

Hana Sushi Lounge

Roll up expecting an artful mix of raw and refined traditional Asian cuisine—and don’t leave disappointed. Say “Aloha” (shrimp, tempura, cream cheese, mango and coconut) to “Godzilla” (spicy tuna, asparagus, eel and avocado) and “King Kong” (shrimp tempura, kani, cream cheese, scallions, spicy tuna, eel and avocado) and leave feeling “Soul Good” (shrimp, cream cheese, avocado, asparagus, salmon and garlic). For those thinking outside the roll, check out the poke bowl selection and bento box specials. 8126 Lakewood Main St., Lakewood Ranch, 941-907-1290, @hanasushilounge, hanasushiloungelwr.com.

Inkawasi Peruvian

Homestyle cooking in the Peruvian style brings ceviches, empanadas, yucca and more elements to the menu, as well as chifa--a culinary tradition fusing Cantonese Chinese with Peruvian food. The Tallarin Saltado, for example, unites wok-prepared Peruvian flame noodles with green onions, snow peas, peppers and napa cabbage, complete with chicken, beef or seafood. Our Am-

azonian fried rice is a dish you have to try, and the Lomo Saltado is a perfect mixture of two worlds. 10667 Boardwalk Loop, Lakewood Ranch, 941-360-1110, @inkawasiperuvianfood, inkawasirestaurant.com.

Libby’s Neighborhood Brasserie

Like their Hillview location, Libby’s Neighborhood Brasserie in Lakewood Ranch plates lunch and dinner daily, and celebrates with weekend brunches. The locale stylishly serves seasonal New American cuisine with sides of excellent service. If their crispy brussel sprouts, joe’s meatballs, and kale caesar aren’t enough to sell you, some of their best bo les are available half off all day on Wine Wednesdays. 8445 Lorraine Rd., 941357-1570, libbysneighborhoodbrasserie.com/menu-lakewood-ranch.

Lucky Pelican Bistro

Not only is this upscale seafood spot known for its iconic hot and cold selections, including a raw bar and fish market, innovative specials, but its ambience is enough to make this fan favorite your local go-to for lunch, dinner or takeout. 6239 Lake Osprey Dr., Sarasota, 941-907-0589, luckypelicanbistro.com.

rub, cooks it in a barbecue oven for more than 15 hours, and serves it up in a casual and friendly se ing (it’s not called Nancy’s for nothing). The only BBQ open every day, Nancy’s celebrates Free Friday Happy Hour Buffets, Family Meal Deals, and live music every Friday and Saturday night (and alternate Sundays). 14475 State Rd. 70E, Lakewood Ranch, 941999-2390. nancysbarbq.com.

Pacific Counter

A fresh fusion of chef-inspired cuisine and cultures, serving up a mainland mix of coastal classics in the form of sushi bowls and burritos in a colorful, upbeat modern cafeteria space. Select your choice of sushi rice, brown rice, noodles or mixed greens for your base, add proteins such as salmon, Krab, tuna, BBQ or baked chicken, shrimp or vegan and vegetarian options and choose to “roll it” or “bowl it”. Pacific Counter is the passion project of three long time friends who wanted to bridge the gap between the West Coast and East Coast with counter creations— they opened their first brick and mortar location in St. Petersburg, FL — the Lakewood Ranch location is their second location.11581 E State Rd 70 #109, Bradenton, 941-739-8039.

Main Street Tra oria

Find classic, Italian fine dining with an eye for artful presentation at this central hotspot. There is a bar serving Margherita Flatbread and Fried Ravioli, and casual favorites like the Meatball Sub and MST Burger.

Or go full Italiano and order up the Pollo Milanese, Salmon Piccata, MST Gnocchi or Frui i Di Mare. 8131 Lakewood Main St., Lakewood Ranch, 941-907-1518, @mainstree ra oria, mstra oria.com.

McGrath’s Irish Ale House

Paris Bistrot

This family-owned-and-operated bistro serves traditional French cuisine, directly from “Grandma’s recipes books.” Signature menu staples remain the authentic French Onion Soup, Nicoise Salad, Foie Gras, and a vast variety of quiches and dessert crepes, with many chocolate, fruit and ice cream accoutrements. 8131 Lakewood Main St., Lakewood Ranch, 941-388-0564, @parisbistrotlwr, parisbistrotlwr.com.

This neighborhood ale house offers the true taste of Ireland right here in Lakewood Ranch, where community is family. Patrons can enjoy a blend of traditional European family-inspired dishes for brunch, lunch and dinner in a contemporary atmosphere. Kick back with your loved ones for happy hour specials Monday through Friday, and let McGrath’s bring a li le piece of Ireland to you. 8110 Lakewood

Pinchers Crab Shack

Main St., Bradenton, 941-210-4398, mcgrathsirish.com.

10707 Rodeo Dr., Lakewood Ranch, 941-922-1515, @officialpinchers, pinchersusa.com/lakewood-ranchmenu.

Nancy’s Bar-B-Q Lorraine Corners The hype is right. Only

Vibrant, handpainted signs and tropical parrots abound at this downto-earth seafood shack. Decide between a boatload of mussels or addictive crab-and-cheese dip with a kick to start off your meal. Load up on shrimp scampi with secret family spices or jumbo lump crab cakes, before topping your meal off with homemade Key lime pie or a dreamy chocolate cake ice cream shake.

Nancy prepares pork shoulder with her secret-recipe 14-ingredient dry

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GET YOUR EVENTS ON SoFresh

The fast-growing Florida franchise is on a mission to bring fresh, whole foods, rooted in real ingredients.

With a trendy, fast-casual approach, the modern hangout is a go-to for a healthful lunch of salads, wraps, bowls and cold-pressed juices.

SoFresh is also a great option for diet-specific preferences, including vegan, vegetarian, keto, paleo and gluten-free. 11569 FL-70 #106, Bradenton, 941-769-9550, @welovesofresh, lovesofresh.com/location/ lakewood-ranch.

Speaks Clam Bar

With a secondary location on St. Armands, and having just announced a third in central St. Petersburg, it’s no wonder this local seafood spot is award-winning. While enjoying its vibrant bar scene and assortment of sea and land dishes, you’ll feel connected to Sarasota Bay without having to make the commute. 8764 East State Rd. 70, Lakewood Ranch, 941-2327646, speaksclambar.com/locations/ lakewood-ranch.

Tandoor Fine Indian Cuisine

This authentic restaurant serves Sarasotans a traditional Indian dining experience in a laid-back atmosphere. Tandoor’s curry is based on an old family recipe, and they use only the finest ingredients to prepare dishes that are as healthy as they are delicious. Having catered to the community since 2001, they continue to offer dine-in lunch specials Tuesday through Sunday, 50 percent off all bo les on Tandoor Tuesday, and to-go lunch boxes. 8453 Cooper Creek Blvd., Bradenton, 941-926-3077, tandoorsarasota.net.

Thai Spice & Sushi

Explore the authentic tastes of Thailand for lunch and dinner at this local favorite. Prepare your taste buds to experience an infusion of Thai flavors in the house-made curries and sauces, and an ever-changing variety of daily soups. Top off your meal with a slice of coconut cake (a family recipe). 8209 Natures Way #111, Lakewood Ranch, 941-907-4747, thaispiceoflakewoodranch.com.

Truman’s Tap and Grill

Established in 2021, Truman’s serves classic American eats in an inviting, warm atmosphere with a neighborhood feel. You can enjoy sports games over drinks at the bar or a casual meal in the restaurant dining room. This sizable tavern is open

daily for lunch and dinner, and hosts Trivia on Tuesdays, half off all premium bo les of wine on Wednesdays, Bingo on Thursdays, and live music on Friday and Saturday nights. 11161 East State Rd. 70 #100, Lakewood Ranch, 941-755-1800, trumanstap.com

Zenobia Mediterranean and Kebab Grill Toting an impressive

assortment of vegetarian appetizers, lunch specials and authentic dinner pla ers for the entire family, this Middle Eastern gem is guaranteed to satisfy your Mediterranean cravings with classics like falafel, baba ghanouj, house-made hummus and shawarma.

1857 Lakewood Ranch Blvd., Bradenton, 941-900-2722, zenobia-restaurants.com.

THINGS TO DO Community Bike Ride

On the third Saturday of each month (October to March) at 8 a.m., join your Lakewood Ranch Ambassador Greg Spring for a 10-mile, one-hour casual bike ride through Lakewood Ranch.

Meet at the fountains on Main Street.

This is a great way to see the Ranch.

8131 Lakewood Main St., Lakewood Ranch, 941-907-6000, @lakewoodranchfla, lakewoodranch.com.

Community Nature Walk

On the second Saturday of each month (October to March) at 8 a.m., join your Lakewood Ranch Ambassador Greg Spring, for a two-mile, one-hour nature walk on some of the trails in Lakewood Ranch. We will meet at the Pavilion at the Greenbrook Adventure Park. You will be amazed at all of the nature you will see. 13010 Adventure Place, Lakewood Ranch, 941-907-6000, @lakewoodranchfla, lakewoodranch.com.

Farmers’ Market at Lakewood Ranch Sundays start fresh at the

Farmers’ Market at Lakewood Ranch, located in the parking lot of Lakewood Ranch Medical Center. Come experience this curated gathering of the best flavors in the region, including fresh produce, meat, artisanal bread, handcra ed jewelry and art, and prepared foods from 50-plus vendors. The event is every Sunday, year-round, from 10 am to 2 pm.. 8330 Lakewood Ranch Blvd., Lakewood Ranch, on Instagram @themarketlwr and on Facebook @FarmersMarketLWR, themarketlwr.com.

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LIVING LAKEWOOD

WRITTEN BY ABBY WEINGARTEN | PHOTO BY WYATT KOSTYGAN

A LUXE DREAM GARAGE DELIGHTS LOCAL CAR COLLECTORS AND ENTHUSIASTS

Car Utopia

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This spread: David Sloan on location where the garage will be alongside a Mustang and Viper. For more information on Luxe Dream Garage and to reserve a unit, visit luxedreamgarage.com.

CAR COLLECTING JUST GOT EVEN COOLER. In Lakewood Ranch, a Luxe Dream Garage is currently mid-development and in major demand.

Locals are already making reservations for spots in this customizable private motor condo complex. It is essentially slated to be a private community of car (as well as RV and boat) collectors looking to store their most prized possessions and savor some camaraderie. “The response and interest have been very gratifying,” says David Slone, who is a founding partner of Luxe Dream Garage along with Mike McKinney. “There is a large car enthusiast community here. Just go to one of the many car shows around town and see up to 400 cool cars in one place.” Soon, that “one place” to see car eye candy will be located off Interstate 75 and University Parkway, just blocks away from the newly-opened Waterside at Lakewood Ranch.

Luxe Dream Garage project consists of 65 totally customizable units of varying sizes (and they may ultimately be filled with about 300 to 400 cars). Construction is scheduled to begin on July 1, with the first units to be occupied by the end of 2022. A private, two-story, 3,000-square-foot luxury clubhouse will also be completed within the same timeframe.

“The problem many enthusiasts have is where to safely store their cars, RVs, boats or motorcycles when their home garage just falls short,” the founders say, adding that every luxury, highline and exotic brand of car will be represented at the garage. This project solves that dilemma, with style.

The founders invite incomers to “work, play, chill and escape the everyday grind” by joining the community, adding, “the dream is real.”

And launching this garage has been a dream of Slone and McKinney— who both come from a building and developing background—for quite a while. Their team has 70 years of combined development and construction experience, and they have two equity partners that run many successful area businesses. Back in 1984, Slone started a custom home company and built hundreds of residences throughout the next two decades. He completed the 102-unit luxury Hamburg Park townhomes, as well as a $20-mllion business park called Hamburg Business Center. McKinney has owned and managed his own construction company for 30 years and built projects in excess of $35 million. Both Slone and McKinney have a shared passion for cars, too. They know the value of creating a community to fit likeminded people.

“The one problem that is consistent with most collectors is storage, and we wanted to fix that problem here in Lakewood Ranch for at least a few,” the founders say. “There is nothing like this in Lakewood Ranch, but these garages are popping up all over Florida (and the country, for that matter).

It has been very well received so far by the local community. There has been overwhelming acceptance and interest in the project, and we are already 50 percent sold out.” A standard unit is 1,000 to 1,280 square feet, and deluxe units run from 1,200 to 1,536 square feet. These are fully air-conditioned spaces with large overhead doors, impact windows, security locks, vehicle lifts and wet bars. The garage is gated with security features and private access, and the units are made from concrete and steel to withstand Category 4 storms. There will be a private owners’ club and mingling events at the clubhouse, a detail bay, an RV service area, and monthly co-owner dues are about $200.

There is even a philanthropic component to the project, which is greatly important to founders and members. For any units that were reserved by the time of the Exotic Car Show on Lakewood Ranch Main Street, Luxe Dream Garage donated $250 to “Flight to the North Pole,” an organization that brings holiday cheer to terminally ill children. LL srq magazine_ LIVING LAKEWOOD SPRING 2022 live local | 21

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LIVING LAKEWOOD

WRITTEN BY ABBY WEINGARTEN PHOTOGRAPHY BY WYATT KOSTYGAN

ITALIAN ARTIST LUCA MANCINI CREATES A MURAL OF LEONARDO DA VINCI’S THE ANNUNCIATION ON THE CEILING OF A LAKE CLUB HOME

Modern Day Michelangelo

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Connect: For more information on the artist Mancini, visit manciniluca.it. For more information on Da Mimmo Tours of Italy, visit damimmotours.com.

NICKNAMED A “MODERN-DAY MICHELANGELO” BY HIS DEVOTED CLIENTELE, LUCA MANCINI an artist from Italy—came to Lakewood Ranch in the winter for a stunning commission. Throughout early January, Mancini painted a mural of The Annunciation by Leonardo da Vinci on the ceiling of Mary Ann Cricchio’s Lake Club home.

Cricchio—who guides small groups through the Amalfi Coast, Tuscany, Sicily and Venice with her agency, Da Mimmo Tours of Italy—discovered Mancini while living abroad.

“I brought him here from Italy to my newly-constructed home to reproduce a mural of The Annunciation on the ceiling of my great room,” Cricchio says. “I have come to realize that this is a phenomenon for my friends and neighbors. I believe it is because they are just not used to seeing something like this in the United States of America, especially in Lakewood Ranch.”

Mancini was the ideal artist to make this happen, Cricchio says. He was born in the province of Asti, Italy, and studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Turin. He has worked as a figurative painter and interior designer and, throughout the past two decades, worked on projects throughout Turin, Milan, Liguria, the French Riviera and the Amalfi Coast.

Cricchio’s neighbors have absolutely marveled at Mancini’s rendering, she says.

The Lake Club is one of Lakewood Ranch’s most exclusive villages—with custom estate residences inside the gated community— and Mancini’s art adds another level of luxury to Cricchio’s home.“My neighbors have stopped in to see him. I just think it’s such a rarity for Americans to see this,” Cricchio says. “I know Europeans see a lot of churches and palaces but this is really, really interesting to Americans here.”

Cricchio has lived in Lakewood Ranch for less than two years, having relocated from Baltimore, Maryland. She moved to the area with her son, Mimmo, after selling the family’s Italian restaurant, Da Mimmo, in the Little Italy section of Baltimore. Mary Ann Cricchio settled into her new Lake Club home at the end of December 2021.

Cricchio and her late husband, Domenico “Mimmo” Cricchio, were well-known in the Little Italy community of Baltimore for decades. Their restaurant featured signature veal chops, and the locale was famed for sending limos to bring diners to their tables. Da Mimmo

hosted numerous famous entertainers and sports legends, whose photographs lined the restaurant’s Roman Cocktail Lounge. Mary Ann Cricchio worked in the hospitality industry for 42 years and ran her restaurant for 36 years. She served as the chair of both the Restaurant Association of Maryland and of Hospitality and Tourism for the State of Maryland. She sat on the board of the National Restaurant Association, and even represented the United States in an advisory capacity during the Beijing Olympics Committee prior to the 2008 Olympic Games. Her religion has also been a massive part of her life.

“I am a devout Roman Catholic, and I believe that my faith has been the base of our strong family foundation for so many years, even after losing my husband (and Mimmo’s father) in 2003,” Cricchio says. “As such, the project of painting Leonardo da Vinci’s The Annunciation in my home is a way I feel I am honoring God for all the blessings he has bestowed upon us.”

Mancini first painted for Cricchio in her summer home on Italy’s Amalfi Coast; the commission was a depiction of Italian artist Michelangelo’s The Creation of Adam.

The original fresco painting by Michelangelo, which forms some of the Sistine Chapel ceiling, was created between 1508 and 1512.

It illustrates the Biblical creation narrative from the Book of Genesis, in which God gives life to the first man, Adam.

“I was thoroughly impressed with Luca’s work and dedication to the job at hand,” Cricchio says of the painting. “It was a no brainer to bring him to Lakewood Ranch so he could replicate another famous work for my home here.” The Annunciation project was finished in mid-February, before Mancini returned to Italy to complete a “14 stations of the cross”

commission, Cricchio says. “It has been very exciting to experience the development of this mural on a daily basis with an artist of Luca Mancini’s caliber,” Cricchio says. “He has created for me a memory of its development and a work of art in my home that will last for the rest of my life.” But the significance of the piece goes even deeper than that for Cricchio, she says. The Annunciationwas created by Italian Renaissance artist da Vinci between 1472 and 1476. It depicts what was a popular biblical subject in 15th-century Florence: the angel Gabriel announcing to Mary that she would conceive miraculously and give birth to a son (to be named Jesus and called “the Son of God”).

On his website, Mancini states that he has investigated “intimate painting connected to the human soul,” and that his paintings are characterized “by a rare realistic and poetic intensity.” That poetic intensity is evident in Mancini’s work at Cricchio’s Lakewood Ranch home—in an awe-inspiring piece that she and her family treasure. LL

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IN CONVERSATION WITH LAKEWOOD RANCH BUSINESS LEADERSWHOSE BUSINESSES ARE EXPERIENCING AND CATALYZING THE INCREDIBLE GROWTH OF THIS COMMUNITY. INTERVIEW BY WES ROBERTS | COMPILED BY BARBIE HEIT

In Conversation

SPRING 2022 EDITION

DAVID HUNIHAN CEO, LEE WETHERINGTON HOMES

SHARE WITH OUR READERS A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF, YOUR PRACTICE, AND WHAT SERVICES YOU PROVIDE. DR. LOGAN SWAIM, THE ROOTS HEALTH CENTER: My wife Laura and I are co-founders of the Roots Health Centers here in beautiful Lakewood Ranch and could not imagine a better place to be. The last two years have seen ups and downs, but we wouldn’t want to be anywhere else, especially now that people are looking for alternatives in healthcare. DAVID HUNIHAN,

ALLISON IMRE OWNER AND PRESIDENT OF GRAPEVINE COMMUNICATIONS

LEE WETHERINGTON HOMES: I’m the CEO of Lee Wetherington Homes. Lee Wetherington is one of the area’s premier custom builders. He’s been building homes in this area since the mid seventies. We build luxury homes of enduring quality, value and beauty throughout Sarasota county. And we’ve been building homes in the Lakewood Ranch area since its inception. ALLISON IMRE, GRAPEVINE COMMUNICATIONS: I am the Owner and President of Grapevine Commu-

DR. LOGAN AND DR. LAURA SWAIM THE ROOTS HEALTH CENTER

nications and 2022 marks the 20th anniversary of our group.

Grapevine was founded by Angela Massaro-Fain and her partner, John Fain in Canada in 1988. The headquarters moved to Lakewood Ranch in 2005. I began my familiarity with the firm in 2007 as a vendor, and in 2017, when the previous owners decided to move onto the next chapter in their lives, I acquired the firm.

At Grapevine, our positioning statement is creative, strategic, accountable, and with that comes

the human beings who bring all of their different talents and perspectives to the table. So we don’t just put together pretty pictures, we can conceive of an effective and empirically proven method of deploying and delivering results. I would be remiss if not to mention that anybody in advertising who tells you, I can guarantee you results, I can guarantee you’re going to grow your business 100% over the year is misguiding you. What we guarantee is experience–we’re going to listen, we’re going to tell

ENGAGING READERS THROUGH STORYTELLING.

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ABOUT THE PARTICIPANTS DAVID HUNIHAN, CEO, LEE WETHERINGTON HOMES David Hunihan has over 30 years’ experience in home building and was President of Lee Wetherington Homes from 1995 to 2000.

David rejoined Lee Wetherington Homes in June 2021 a er serving as Vice President and Project Manager for Aqua, a 500+ acre, 2894 home mixed-use community in southwest Manatee.

In addition to owning his own home building company, David held leadership roles in several prestigious national home building companies including as Area President of M/I Homes and Director of Sales for Neal Communities. David has been a Licensed Florida Real Estate Instructor, a licensed soccer coach, and has extensive experience training and coaching both adults and children. Originally from New Jersey, David now resides in Bradenton, with Lauren, his wife of 27 years, and has three brilliant and beautiful daughters, Shannon, Samantha, and Ainsley. Lee Wetherington Homes, 7590 Fruitville Rd Sarasota, FL 34240, 941-9223480, lwhomes.com.

ALLISON IMRE, PRESIDENT/ CEO/OWNER, GRAPEVINE COMMUNICATIONS Allison was born and raised in Kansas City by a mother from LA and a father from New Jersey. She was o en regaled by stories of her parents’ bi-coastal upbringing that created a hard-to-suppress wanderlust. Discovering her destiny for a career in communications at an early age playing “radio” with family friend and veteran broadcaster, Pete Gabriel, she landed a coveted position with the Kansas City Royals marketing team, combining her two loves of broadcasting and sports. She has

your story, we’re going to create those raving fans and loyal customers, and we guarantee that we are going to treat your mission and your money as if it were our own.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE LAKEWOOD RANCH AND WHO YOU ARE AS A COMPANY IN THE COMMUNITY? DR. LOGAN SWAIM, THE ROOTS HEALTH CENTER: WAbout seven years ago, we were driving around Florida and we took exit 213 and saw a small town. There was a grocery store and then there was a cow pasture. There were a lot of people biking, running–they were just very active. Everyone seemed so vibrant. We decided we wanted to be in this town. When we first opened, the services that we had provided at the time were chiropractic, with a specialty in prenatal and pediatrics. Since then, we have transitioned to a larger health center and now we provide services to really meet the needs of our community. IMRE: Lakewood Ranch to me is an oasis in a metropolitan area, it’s community and commerce come together. If I want to go to Tampa and hit a Bucks game, or go to a Lightning game, or go experience some of the nightlife or the culture I can. At UTC, I can go to great restaurants, I can shop for great merchandise. I can also visit my friends who own local small businesses. At the same time, I am moments from our cultural center downtown and from world class beaches. And I live in a place where people want to vacation and I love that. As a company, we provide marketing and branding solutions, that’s what we do. The first thing that we try to impress upon people is authenticity matters. Every car dealer, every HVAC company in town wants to work with homeowners in

L I VI NG L AKEWO OD : : MARCH 2022

Lakewood Ranch because there’s a lot of them, it’s a community where it’s likely that once you get one customer your message will spread word of mouth, which is the best form of marketing there is and something you can’t buy.

So in terms of businesses wanting to infiltrate the Lakewood Ranch community, that authentic tone is what we tell them. It is understanding your audience and understanding their pain points. And we don’t sell anything, we provide solutions, that’s what we do. And that’s what people in Lakewood Ranch want more than anything.

TELL US ABOUT THE CHANGES YOU’VE SEEN SINCE YOU OPENED IN THE COMMUNITY. WHAT SORT OF EVOLUTION HAVE YOU SEEN IN LAKEWOOD RANCH SINCE THE PANDEMIC? DR.LOGAN: It’s been really great as more and more people are fleeing New York and New Jersey to come down here. The need for services and maybe what they were used to up north, really allowed us to open the doors.

Those people that are retiring and have the money to move into Lakewood Ranch didn’t want to travel outside of Lakewood Ranch.

They didn’t want to go down to Sarasota. They didn’t want to go to Bradenton. They wanted something in their backyard. And it’s great for us to be able to offer so many different services to meet their needs. DR.LAURA: To expand further, there’s a couple of things that have happened.

Obviously with the pandemic and having a lot of individuals working from home, we saw people with gut health issues because their dietary habits changed and they’re not eating what they used to.

And then we also saw a lot of foot pain, believe it or not. We’ve been helping a lot of people with plan-

tar fasciitis. And then with the new year, weight loss, we’ve been helping people with their goals for that. Our office has grown over the years, but we’re still that mom and pop shop where people like to come and have those services provided. So I think the biggest thing that sets us apart is our gentle approach to how we care for our patients. HUNIHAN: When I first moved from New York, I heard a lot of hype about this community that was coming, Lakewood Ranch. I think the original tagline was: “Lakewood Ranch, the hometown of tomorrow and the community of today.” It’s grown enormously over the years, and now we have employment centers, business centers, shopping and recreation. So you really don’t have to leave Lakewood Ranch.

Before, it seemed like a half hour to an hour journey to get there.

And now it’s where you want to be and you never have to leave.

IMRE: The pandemic changed us in terms of our perspective on relationships, and our potential influence on the advice that we can give, and our emphasis on building relationships and telling stories. In the digital universe video became almost 80% of the actionable advertising online and people were getting their news on Facebook. So we pivoted and have focused a lot more on video with genuine, authentic conversations.

And it doesn’t have to be cinematic quality, it’s just clear, simple, be bright, be brief, be gone, but genuine conversation. And so if there’s one big takeaway from the pandemic and the way we’ve operated, it’s really build your bridges by leading by example.

HOW ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE COMING HERE NOW MAKING THE MOST OF THE LIFESTYLE EXPERIENCE? HUNIHAN: People

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lived in the Virgin Islands, Mexico, San Diego, Lake Tahoe and New Orleans before landing on the Suncoast to become Owner/ President of Grapevine Communications in April 2017. She and her husband, David, are active members of the community and are happily raising their two children, Rip and Ryan, in Lakewood Ranch. She is a graduate of the esteemed University of Kansas School of Communications and worked for 10 years as a Senior Account Executive with iHeart Media/iHeart Radio. She was recognized by Radio Ink Magazine as one of the top Account Executives in the country and was recently awarded the 2021 Bull

By The Horns - Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance, 2020 Localpreneur of the Year - SRQ Magazine, 2018 Above The Crowd Award – Sisterhood For Good, 2017 Standing Ovation Award – Share Care Global. Grapevine Communications, 5201 Paylor Lane, Sarasota, FL 34240, 941.351.0024 – Office, 941.586.4755 – Mobile, grapeinc.com LAURA S. SWAIM, DC, DOCTOR OF CHIROPRACTIC, THE ROOTS HEALTH CENTER Dr. Laura S. Swaim is a Doctor of Chiropractic and is Certified in Webster’s Technique, through the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association, ICPA, which she is also a member of. From a young age, care and compassion, and a love of serving was ingrained in her. She enjoys working with children, adults, and families. Dr. Laura earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology with a minor in Chemistry at Gardner-Webb University. She received her Doctor of Chiropractic Degree from Life University, and graduated Cum Laude. She has extensive clinical post-graduate training in pediatrics and pregnant women. Her knowledge and experience working with pregnant women and children allow her to

moving here are looking for a place to retire, a place to have a second home, a place to relocate their family. They are looking for a home, not just a building. They want good quality healthcare.

They want to make sure that either they can have a place of employment or an easy commute, the recreation and the lifestyle of friends, the activities that they’re used to doing, or worked their whole lives so that now they can do. Lakewood Ranch is now the number one multi-generational community in the United States. It’s number two overall, behind The Villages. It really all went back to the beginning of the vision and the plan that the Uihlein family had in the eighties and with the team they put in place to develop this plan. I believe it took them almost 10 years to get all the approvals in place and get everything done. And here we are over 30 years past that initial planning phase. I think the minute people drive into Lakewood Ranch, they know it’s something different. They see the signage, the boulevards, and how pretty it is and how mature the landscaping is. And they can still get a brand new home or a resale home if they don’t want to build. They’ve done a lot to try and keep consistent value and timelessness in terms of the architectural standards. And they’ve improved as they’ve gone.

They’ve done a good job of planning, the intermix between the commercial and professional and the residential. On every corner, you have a Publix and a Starbucks and the main street downtown with restaurants and nightlife, and they’re just completing Waterside Place, and a downtown area there.

You can do everything you want here. They have literally miles and miles of trails. I just can’t imagine why anybody would want to live anywhere else.

L I VI NG L AKEWO OD : : MARCH 2022

I FEEL LIKE THAT LEADS IN, IN A LOVELY WAY TO THE DOCTORS SPEAKING TO HOW PEOPLE IN LAKEWOOD RANCH CAN TAKE THE BEST ADVANTAGE OF STAYING HEALTHY AND FIT, ESPECIALLY IN A TIME WHEN A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE STILL DISTANCING. DR. LOGAN: I had a firsthand experience this morning. I must have passed six or seven groups of bicyclists on the way into work. They have hundreds of miles of trails, streets and parks to ride. For us, that’s really nice because we’re looking for our practice members to be active, to not just go home and sit in front of the computer. We also have some great workout facilities and some big names, LA Fitness, Crunch Fitness and things like that, that do well. There’s quite a community of active people and human connection is definitely a huge part of people’s health and being outside, enjoying nature and enjoying your neighbors. It’s not just physical health when we look at it, it’s mental health, it’s emotional health, it’s spiritual health, that all gets to be brought together in this community of where we get to live every day.

AS A LOCAL ORGANIZATION, FROM A PHILANTHROPIC STANDPOINT, HOW DO YOU CONTRIBUTE TO THE PARTS OF THE COMMUNITY THAT ARE SO IMPORTANT TO YOU? IMRE: When the pandemic hit, I remembered that Jason Sudeikis and Paul Rudd had started an event with a bunch of other Kansas City natives called The Big Slick to benefit the children’s hospital in Kansas City. It was supposed to happen in March of 2020 and they canceled it. It was devastating because how does this organization replace their biggest fundraiser for the year? When

the pandemic hit us, in April and May of 2020 my revenue dropped 90%. And so in looking at Big Slick and watching what people in Kansas City were doing, I found inspiration. What we did here at Grapevine was not let anybody go and not reduce anybody’s salaries.

We started reaching out to nonprofits again, taking the Big Slick.

We asked “All of your biggest fundraisers for the year, your gala season is caput, how are you going to raise funds?” So we dug in and we contributed our time, talent, and treasure like we had never done before. And it was a beautiful time because even though we were broke, we were together doing good, and making an impact, and it was the right thing to do.

And so when things shifted, we came back with a vengeance and ended up being up in revenue from 2020, 38%. When the rubber hit the road, rather than pout, we said okay, this is our power, and we took advantage of it. DR. LOGAN: One of those cool things that we get to be a part of, because we do get to see so many different walks of life, so many different demographics, is talk about people’s needs and what they would like to have or what they would like to see. And sometimes it’s just in passing conversation. Sometimes it’s a practice member putting on an event that, “Hey, I really need some help with this.” We like to connect those people to put on an amazing event to give back to charity, because they didn’t know each other. So for us to be bridging the gap and also because of our patients desire to help and give back to our community is great. And when you build a reputation that people trust you, you have a certain standard to uphold. We don’t necessarily partner with everyone at this point in our career. But we’re very selective on who we get

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to pick because of the reputation that we have built with those in the community. We try to give back to different organizations to make sure that our communities’ needs are met in so many different ways, whether it’s a clothing drive, a food drive, a gift drive for underprivileged kids, whatever it may be. HUNIHAN: As a company, we’ve been blessed with so much success that it only makes sense to give back to the community.

And giving has always been a part of the Lee Wetherington Homes legacy. All our employees live here in the community, meaning the greater community of Schroeder-Manatee. A lot of us actually live in Lakewood Ranch. Lee’s been here in this area for almost 50 years. I’ve been here for 30.

This is home. So we need to take care of our home. Lee has been a tremendous supporter of the Boys & Girls Clubs here locally, which I think has been a great charity that really invests in our youth and helps people that might not otherwise get opportunities.

Lately, Lee’s been involved in rebuilding some of the Boys & Girls clubs. And in fact, we’re doing an addition right now on the Boys & Girls club in downtown Sarasota.

We have actually built some of the Boys & Girls clubs buildings locally, and worked with the other people that have donated and sponsored. And it’s a lot of people that do that, not just us obviously.

But it’s been a pleasure to be able to do that. And we feel blessed to be able to be a part of it.

TELL US A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THE NEWCOMERS COMING TO THE AREA. IMRE: We’re getting more individuals moving here from New England where they used to go to the East Coast, now they’re coming here. I’m seeing more and more people from Arizo-

na and California relocating here.

So it’s not just those good Midwesterners who are making their way down to the sun coast anymore, we’re getting the bicoastal influence as well. The more people that move here I think the more opportunity it is for Lakewood Ranch and the region in general to grow. What I think I’m seeing is a tremendous focus on what those people who are enjoying good fortune right now are doing in terms of benefiting those who are less fortunate. So while we’ve been virtually the philanthropic capital of the Southeast here in Sarasota, Manatee, I think Lakewood Ranch is really spreading their wings in that respect too with the community fund becoming its own 501C3, with Sisterhood for Good becoming its own 501C3, and with the Players, the longest running arts organization in our community relocating out to this area. I think the good fortune is growing but with that the conscience is growing with it. HUNIHAN: As for our customers, we’ve seen somewhat of a change west recently, I think largely due to COVID. It used to be pretty consistent that we used to see a lot of people from the big five, like Michigan, Ohio, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, those were the consistent states that we saw moving to this area. Now we’re seeing a switch to a lot of people from California, Texas, Georgia, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, you name it. We’re seeing more people from all around the country than we’ve ever seen before. People are realizing now, with the way the real estate market is throughout the country, prices have risen. A lot of people are able to sell their homes for more than they ever expected to be able to sell them for. And they’re taking that money and although we’ve seen our real

estate prices have increased really exponentially, I think that now the median price here is probably at an all time high, but they’re still lower than some of the places where people are coming from. So people from New York, California, they’re getting a bargain. So they sold their houses and they’re coming down here and not only buying a new home, but they’re pocketing some money on top of that. And so we’re seeing buyers really of all walks of life. Our target market, I would say, has been, a luxury, affluent home buyer looking for maybe their retirement home or second home, or their first Florida home. DR. LOGAN: What our office offers specifically is different, at least from a chiropractic standpoint. We don’t do any twisting, popping or cracking.

So that’s weird for a lot of people who are used to the chiropractor they’ve been going to for 40 years, who only did one thing. And that was it. And the fact that we’re different is intriguing and it excites them. So as far as age groups, we’ve always seen pregnant moms and babies, all the way to retirees.

Now it’s just people from different areas of the country who we get to see. We have a large pediatric office and see a lot of kids, but lately, we’ve been seeing a lot more retirees. I recently wrote a book that’s appealed to many new patients, The Truth about Reversing Neuropathy Now: A Cutting Edge Approach to Reversing Peripheral Neuropathy Naturally. So to be a proactive standpoint in reversing some of the chronic conditions that people have that are overwhelming our medical system right now, if there’s a natural way that doesn’t require drugs and surgery, I think that’s a better option and outcome long term for quality of life. DR. LAURA: A lot of those neuropathy patients that Dr.

provide the highest quality care. Dr. Laura is also Certified Advanced Proficient in Torque Release Technique and Auriculotherapy.

Drs. Logan and Laura were drawn to Lakewood Ranch, Florida and knew this was a community in need of natural health solutions.

Since the inception of The Roots Health Centers, Drs. Logan and Laura continually strive to give back and be active in the community. ICPA Webster’s Certified, Advanced Certified Proficient in Torque Release Technique (TRT) LOGAN W. SWAIM, MS, DC, BCN, NEUROPATHY SPECIALIST, THE ROOTS HEALTH CENTER Dr. Logan W. Swaim is a board-certified neuropathy specialist who, together with his wife, Dr. Laura S. Swaim owns a family run practice that is commi ed to delivering results for people to reverse their neuropathy naturally. Dr. Logan brings a tremendous amount of compassion and dedication to every patient he treats and provides care for all ages. He is proud of his knowledge and focus on natural health, wellness and prevention. Dr. Logan completed his training at Gardner-Webb University (B.S. in Biology), Life University (Doctor of Chiropractic and Master’s degree in Sport Health Science) and American College of Physical Medicine (Board Certification in Neuropathy). He is a member of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association, ICPA and is Advanced Certified Proficient in Torque Release Technique (TRT).

Dr. Logan W. Swaim is an Author and has released his new book about a cu ing-edge approach how to reverse neuropathy naturally titled The Truth About Reversing Neuropathy. Masters in Sport Health Science, Doctor of Chiropractic, Board Certified in Neuropathy, ICPA Webster’s Certified, Advanced Certified Proficient in Torque Release Technique (TRT)

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Logan mentions, they don’t want to or are unable to travel to their medical provider. So Dr. Logan has been able to do virtual consultations with individuals in their own house and he’s able to drop ship what they need.

WHAT ARE THE TRENDS WE ARE SEEING IN THE HOME-BUILDING INDUSTRY THESE DAYS? HUNIHAN: I think the big change you’ll see from a construction standpoint is a redesign of the housing and the living space to accommodate more utilitarian, more workspace, more common use spaces, and frankly, a little bit more compartmentalizing than we’ve had. So we are seeing some more segmentation, maybe rooms that can be used for multiple purposes, maybe a formal dining room that has glass doors that can also double as a second office or a classroom during the day, if need be. And I also think we’ll see home house filtration, in terms of the air quality and those kinds of things pick up. We recently were approached by a company that has an air filtration system that was developed for NASA. If you get one of these units in your house and start it running, you could not get an airborne illness because it filters the air that well, that it just kills everything on all the surfaces and in the air, within the space that it works. And we’re looking at how we can hook that up to an air conditioning system for the home, rather than just have a portable unit, to be able to offer those things for our customers going forward.

WHAT ARE THE TRENDS WE ARE SEEING IN THE HOME-BUILDING INDUSTRY THESE DAYS? HUNIHAN: I think the big change you’ll see from a construction standpoint is a redesign of the housing and the living space to

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accommodate more utilitarian, more workspace, more common use spaces, and frankly, a little bit more compartmentalizing than we’ve had. So we are seeing some more segmentation, maybe rooms that can be used for multiple purposes, maybe a formal dining room that has glass doors that can also double as a second office or a classroom during the day, if need be. And I also think we’ll see home house filtration, in terms of the air quality and those kinds of things pick up. We recently were approached by a company that has an air filtration system that was developed for NASA. If you get one of these units in your house and start it running, you could not get an airborne illness because it filters the air that well, that it just kills everything on all the surfaces and in the air, within the space that it works. And we’re looking at how we can hook that up to an air conditioning system for the home, rather than just have a portable unit, to be able to offer those things for our customers going forward.

DR. LAURA AND ALLISON, AS MOMS, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT LAKEWOOD RANCH, THE COMMUNITY YOU’VE CHOSEN FOR YOUR CHILD’S HOME? DR.LAURA: I absolutely love it, I just feel like we’re such a tightknit community in Lakewood Ranch. There’s always something to do here. And I’m always meeting other new moms. There are just so many new families and it seems everyone’s just looking to make friends. IMRE: When we first moved to Lakewood Ranch in February I was pregnant and as we were moving in, I remember everyone was so nice and made a point, and even during COVID to say ‘hi, welcome to the neighborhood’. There were kids out riding bikes, people walking dogs. LL

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