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Listed is the first group of participants in the 2008 Leadership Marco Program. Since 2002 it has attracted future leaders and community-minded volunteers to take part in a 12-week series of seminars and tours covering many aspects of the island, including government, history, education, healthcare and schools. As usual, a diverse group of people — ranging from business owners to bankers, to a police officer and an educator — are part of this year’s line-up

Karen Saeks

A nurse by profession, Karen Saeks is the founder of the charitable organization, Bedtime Bundles.

The organization ensures that less fortunate children of migrant workers in the area sleep comfortably in donated bedding and also have decent clothes to wear to school.

Married with three stepchildren and five grandsons, Saeks in the early ’70s worked as a unit clerk at the Jewish Hospital in Cincinnati before going back to school to pursue a career in nursing.

Along the way she performed medical/surgical as well as ER nursing duties, and later managed her husband’s busy surgical practice.

A part-time resident between 2000 and 2004, and now able to call herself a full-time resident, Saeks enjoys cooking and “bringing people together.” She says she has remained faithfully committed to her Bedtime Bundles program since 2006.

On her reasons for participating in the Leadership Marco program, Saeks says she believes it’s a terrific opportunity to learn more about the inner workings of the community, and also a “fabulous tool for networking for Bedtime Bundles.”

As for her hopes/projections/predictions for Marco as a community in the future, Saeks says: “My hope is that our community will embrace BB as a whole. It’s an opportunity for Marco residents to become cohesive in working towards one goal; helping those in our community who have so little.”

Chris Quinton

An Iraq tour-of-duty veteran who met his wife Christine while being demobilized in Germany, Chris Quinton is now a teller with Marine Bank on Marco Island.

He is a Lely High School graduate who has some college classes under his belt, and has been a Marco resident for the past 13 years.

Quinton enjoys softball, fishing, movies and music, and reserves top spot for spending time with his wife and friends.

Like other past and present program participants, Quinton cites giving back to the community as one of his reasons for taking part.

In addition, he says, it will give him insight into the inner workings of the city.

Quinton’s hopes/projections/predictions for Marco as a community in the future: “To see more young people involved in community activities.”

Robin Brown

Along with her husband Alan, Robin Brown owns Island Garden Center on Marco Island.

Mom to Colin, 11, and Megan, 6, Brown is a BSc degree graduate of Nichols College.

Before the birth of her son, she was a controller for a PR firm in Boston, opting to be a homemaker when he was born.

A Marco resident along with her husband and children for the past two years, Brown emphasizes the importance of family values and togetherness.

“My main interests revolve around my family. After church on Sunday -— we usually go boating; Monday night we have family game night, and the rest of the week is filled with the kids sports/extra activities. When I get a chance I like to read,” Brown says.

Her reasons for choosing to be in the program are to learn more about her relatively new community, and to share that information.

Her husband, a 2007 program graduate, prompted her to participate in this year’s program.

Brown’s hopes/projections/predictions for Marco as a community in the future: “As a community (person), I want to make sure that the kids are not forgotten. When we arrived here, we were nervous about Marco being a “retirement” community, but were astonished at all the activities there are for our children as well as ourselves.”

David Homuth

With a career centering “in and around” real estate since 1988, David Homuth is vice president, residential real estate, for T.I.B. Bank in Naples. His duties include mortgage banking.

A Marco resident, Homuth recently married Tiffany. The couple has three children, Cam, Lauren and Erin.

Homuth moved to the area from Minnesota in 1980, immediately securing his real estate license and working for several real estate companies since then.

He notes that Deltona (the company originally responsible for Marco’s development) was one of them.

Homuth achieved national sales recognition while working for U.S. Home Corp., and in 1988 cut his teeth on mortgage banking with the former Barnett Bank on Marco.

Since that time he’s remained in the mortgage business, apart from a two-year hiatus working for Lely Corp. in sales and marketing.

On a social level, Homuth says he enjoys boating, fishing, diving, golfing and travel with family and friends.

His motivation for joining the Leadership Marco Program is to gain a better perspective of the community and to get to know more of the people involved in the community.

Homuth’s hopes for the island’s future: “I would like to see a community that in 20 years we can all look around and say that we love living here, and can still afford to as well.”