Collier EDC named finalist for state award

The Economic Development Council of Collier County (EDC) major economy building initiative Project Innovation, has been nominated and selected as a finalist in IT Florida’s statewide awards program in the category of Excellence in Business Recruitment and Retention. Award recipients will be announced at IT Florida’s Annual Awards Gala and Tech Forum on November 10, 2009, at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort.

IT Florida is membership organization that represents Florida’s diverse information technology communities on a statewide basis, and will be celebrating its 10th Anniversary with its highly anticipated Awards Gala and Tech Forum. Participants in the Gala will include Florida House Speaker Designate Dean Cannon; State CIO David Taylor; Dr. Ken Ford, Chair of the NASA Advisory Council and Director of the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition; State Representative Marlene O’Toole; Earnie Franklin, Chair of IT Florida and President of Incepture; Roger Berry, CIO for Disney Parks and Resorts Worldwide; and representatives of numerous small businesses and IT-enabled corporations throughout Florida.

There were over 243 applicants in this years IT Florida awards program. Earnie Franklin, Chair of IT Florida, states “As an industry, we are proud to announce this slate of remarkable finalists, who represent the forefront of Florida’s knowledge economy,”

William O’Neill, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the EDC commented “From efforts to bring the community together in the Project Innovation programs, with over 2,000 participants, and over 65 community endorsers, has helped build a solid foundation by which this new and diversified economy can grow and prosper for our community. To be nominated and to be selected as a finalist is proof that our initiatives, that we are creating right here in Collier County, are building on not only our local economy, but in the entire state of Florida. It is an honor to have Project Innovation selected as a finalist.”

Project Innovation is identifying the means of creating a culture that will attract high wage employees and an environment that will support world class talent. The process has focused on bringing community wide consensus on the importance of economy-building, a step needed to enable substantive change; fostering creativity in identifying new opportunities, an approach needed to develop sustainable economy; and collaboration on delivering needed resources and initiatives, a strategy needed to put ideas into action. And has two simple but critical goals:

Over 60 community organizations are endorsers of Project Innovation; these include the public sector, education and non-profit organizations that played a crucial role in the advancement of the initiative. Project Innovation endorsers include: Jeff Kottkamp, Florida Lt. Governor, Ave Maria University, CenturyLink, Children’s Museum of Naples, City of Naples, Collier Building Industry Association, Collier County Audubon Society, Collier County Board of Commissioners, Collier County Medical Society, Community Foundation of Collier County, Conservancy of Southwest Florida, District School Board of Collier County, Eastern Collier Chamber of Commerce, Economic Development Council of Collier County, Economic Development Foundation, East Naples Civic Association, EDC 3G Coalition, Edison State College, Education Foundation of Collier County, Express Employment Professionals, FGCU - Small Business Development Center Network, Florida Gulf Coast University, Florida Wildlife Federation, GAIN, Growing Associates in Naples, Gateway Triangle Community Redevelopment Agency, Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce, Greater Naples Better Government Committee, Gulf Coast Venture Forum, Gulfshore Association of Condominiums, Hodges University, Hispanic Chamber of Southwest Florida, HR Collier, Immokalee Community Redevelopment Agency, Immokalee Foundation, iTECH - Immokalee Technical Center, Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida, Leadership Collier Foundation, League of Women Voters of Collier County, Marco Island Chamber of Commerce, Marco Island City Council, NAACP, Naples Alliance for Children, NAIOP National Association of Industrial & Office Properties, N.A.P.L.E.S., Naples Area Board of Realtors, Naples Backyard History, Naples Botanical Garden, Naples Chapter, Jackson Laboratory National Council, Naples, Marco Island, Everglades, Convention & Visitors Bureau Naples Town Hall Distinguished Speakers, NCH Healthcare System, Peridot Condominium Association, Inc., President’s Council, Regional Business Alliance of Southwest Florida, Royal Palm Academy, Ruby Condominium Association, Inc. at Lely Resort, SCORE, Southwest Florida Chapter of BioFlorida, Southwest Florida Regional Technology Partnership, Southwest Florida Workforce Development Board, Southwest Regional Manufacturers Association, Tamiami Angel Fund, Inc., The Young Professionals of Naples, United Arts Council of Collier County, Urban Land Institute - Southwest Florida District Council.

Information: (239) 263-8989 or eNaplesFlorida.com.

- Contributed by the Economic Development Council of Collier County

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Naples remodeler named Florida’s best

Naples remodeling professional William “Bill” Varian, CGR CAPS CGP was named the 2009 Remodeler of the Year by the Florida Home Builders Association (FHBA) last week during a ceremony held in St. Petersburg in conjunction with the association’s Fall Leadership Conference.

The Remodeler of the Year award is the highest ranking honor bestowed upon a remodeling professional within FHBA – a 10,000-corporate member trade association. The award recognizes professional remodelers who have excelled in service to their industry, their association and their community.

Varian, owner of William J. Varian Construction Co., Inc. in Naples, is a 20-year home building and remodeling professional and holds three national remodeling designations. Earlier this year, Varian was named the Remodeler of the Month of May by the National Association of Home Builders.

In addition to his membership with FHBA, Varian is a member of the Collier Building Industry Association (CBIA) where he is a founding member of the CBIA Remodeling Council and currently serves as Chair of the Council. With FHBA, Varian will Chair the FHBA-Remodelers Council for 2009-2010.

His remodeling efforts have been recognized with 8 Sand Dollar Awards for excellence and quality construction. He is a 2007 graduate of BUILD: Building University for Individual Leadership Development – a FHBA program. Varian mentor’s youth interested in the building industry by overseeing 800 students in three area Construction Academies, and he has twice served as Chair of the Future Builders of America Leadership Training Summer Camp.

- Contributed by Florida Home Builders Association

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Blue Chip award program is Thursday

The 15th Annual Southwest Florida Blue Chip Community Business Award program begins at 11:30 a.m. Thursday at Harborside Event Center, 1375 Monroe Street, Fort Myers.

Organizers will announce the winner of the annual award recognizing small businesses in Charlotte, Collier and Lee counties who have overcome adversity to achieve success and share their stories as models for other entrepreneurs.

Keynote speaker Todd Huston survived a boating accident and leg amputation to become the only disabled athlete to hold a world record in an able-bodied sport, climbing to the highest elevations in all 50 states in 66 days and shortening the original record by 35 days.

The finalists to be recognized are: Herman Strackbein Construction Inc., Naples; In Bloom Flowers, Fort Myers; JRL Ventures Inc./Marine Concepts, Cape Coral; Mermaid Manufacturing of SW FL Inc., Fort Myers; and Old Monty’s Restaurant & Pizzeria, Punta Gorda

- Contributed by Sharon Arnold, Gravina, Smith & Matte Marketing and Public Relations

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Huff named marketer for contest

Sue Huff, owner of E. Sue Huff & Associates Inc., a marketing and management consulting firm located in Naples, has been selected for the seventh consecutive year as the official marketer of the Annual Student Essay Contest for the Community College Baccalaureate Association.

Huff, who founded her consulting firm in 1996, has an extensive business background in management, offset printing, newspapers, advertising and the visual arts. E. Sue Huff & Associates assists small to mid-size businesses in developing, administering, and planning their marketing strategies, as well as, providing gap management services for those companies who find themselves with too few senior managers.

Huff says, “We are excited to be chosen again as this year’s essay contest marketing coordinator. Deb Davidson, E. Sue Huff and Associates newest associate, and I will be handling the marketing efforts this year together. We plan to add social media as part of the overall plan and are looking forward to reaching even more students.”

The Community College Baccalaureate Association strives to promote better access to the baccalaureate degree on community college campuses, and to serve as a resource for information on various models for accomplishing this purpose.

The Annual Student Essay Contest is open to any student currently enrolled in a community college, including institutions in the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean. The topic for the 2010 competition is “Why obtaining a four year degree on my community college campus would be or (is) important to me.”

The winner of the essay contest will receive $1,000 and an all expense paid trip to the Tenth Annual Community College Baccalaureate Association Conference in Baltimore, Maryland from March 26-28, 2010. $1,000 will also be awarded to the Student Government Association of the winner’s college. The scholarship prize is provided by Community College Week.

Information: esuehuff.com or (239) 596-7990.

- Contributed by E. Sue Huff & Associates Inc.

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After all, it’s your business.

So we have added this feature to naplesnews.com called It’s Your Business.

Have news about your business to share with Southwest Florida? Send it to business@naplesnews.com and to our Business and Government Content Editor Dave Osborn at djosborn@naplesnews.com. We’ll post these on the Business page at naplesnews.com every day and will publish these as space allows in the daily Business section and Business Monday in the Naples Daily News. Start watching online daily for these postings!

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