Movers and shakers, rising stars, the new guard. Call them what you will-Southwest Florida's future is in the hands of these dynamic young professionals. For the third straight year, we're saluting an exceptional group of individuals under 40 years old. Executives, educators, public servants and many other professionals make up this year's diverse list. We sought people who have distinguished themselves on the job and in the community-folks who will help usher our bustling region into the future and overcome the challenges that will be encountered along the way.

Our editors reviewed a multitude of worthy nominees-and they had to make some tough calls. So if you didn't make the final cut, you might just see yourself on the list next year. We're confident this year's 40 under 40 will be the ones to help maintain Southwest Florida's fine quality of life and set standards for new generations of leaders. Read on and catch a glimpse of our future.

Cindi Alpert

Talent, ambition and a winning personality have fueled the career of WAVV general sales manager Cindi Alpert, 34, who got into radio as an on-air morning traffic reporter in Columbus, Ohio, while she was still a college student.

"I went up in the traffic helicopter every day before classes started," says Alpert, who soon was known by such nicknames as Hel-en Wheels, E-laine Change and I-Vanna Merge. While she enjoyed being an on-air personality, her true love is sales, which she's done for WAVV since 1997.

But her sales focus hasn't kept her out of the limelight. In addition to participating in charity tournaments for the Executive Women's Golf Association of Naples, Alpert regularly sings the national anthem to open games for the Florida Everblades and the Miami Heat. Her latest goal: rising to the challenges of working mom after the recent birth of daughter Caroline.

-Pamela Krol

Brad Black

With a passion for real estate, an interest in business development and a bit of luck, Brad Black, 33, helped lead Stock Development from a startup in 2001 to a company with $608 million in revenues in 2004.

Black moved to Southwest Florida in 1994 and worked in land development before joining Stock. "It was pretty much me and Brian [Stock] at his kitchen table," he says. As chief financial officer and chief operating officer, Black credits Stock's ability to make quick decisions and buy property at good prices as the reasons for its success. He enjoys being involved in all aspects of the business, which has more than 500 employees.

"The most exciting thing is seeing our employees grow and come to work where everybody feels it's not a job," he says.

He saw that last September, when for three weeks, Stock's staff, including its country-club cooks, fed at least 500 hurricane victims a day. "We still have people sending letters and pictures saying thank you," he says.

-Lori Johnston

Brandee Bryant

Although Brandee Bryant has lived in Southwest Florida for only a year, she now oversees one of Fort Myers' most important annual events-February's Edison Festival of Light. At 26, she's the youngest executive director in history; and although her youth might initially cause some hesitation from others, "as soon as anyone gets to know me, there's no problem. I'm definitely a go-getter," she says.

"She came into the job with skills and talent beyond her years," says Tom Smoot, president of the festival's board of directors. "She has been instrumental in dramatically expanding the capabilities of our organization."

Previously a promoter for Feld Entertainment, Bryant works year-round to produce the homage to Thomas Edison. "I don't think people realize the amount of preparation that goes into this event-and that my job is not over at the end of February," she says. "But I'm lucky to have the opportunity to bring Edison to the forefront of people's minds. The more I learn about him, the more fascinated I am."

-Beth Luberecki

Jason Camp

Succeeding in professional sports, whether as an athlete or a business professional, requires toil and perseverance. Jason Camp knows the drill well.

"The harder I work, the luckier I get," says Camp, 32, tournament director of the ACE Group Classic. Under Camp's guidance, the Naples golf tourney drew record crowds and yielded more than $330,000 for local charities.

Camp has worked his way up through several sports positions, including serving as assistant director of spring training for the Florida Marlins in 1997, the year they won the World Series. He became the youngest vice president in the NHL when he was with the Florida Panthers from 1999 to 2003.

Camp, who began his career working as an intern for the Marlins while attending the University of Florida, cites honesty and the ability to grow partnerships as keys to success in his field.

"A bad reputation can grow quickly in this industry," he says. "But so can a good one."

-Pamela Krol

Chris Cifatte

No story is too big-or too small-for WINK-TV news anchor Chris Cifatte, 38. While working his way up at stations in Greenville, S.C., and Salisbury, Md., he covered the sort of news events young reporters dream about-from the late Pope John Paul II's visit to Baltimore and the 2000 presidential debates to the death of racing legend Dale Earnhardt. But making an impact locally gives Cifatte the most satisfaction these days. As Channel 11's anchor, recently named to succeed retiring veteran Jim McLaughlin in the 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. broadcasts, Cifatte comes to the aid of wronged consumers with his Call for Action segment. And he's proud his recent reports on human trafficking in the area are helping to give viewers "top-of-mind awareness of the issue."

But for Cifatte, simply getting the word out isn't enough-it's about results: Since it first aired more than 15 years ago, Call for Action has recovered almost $2 million for Southwest Florida residents. "It's as close to directly helping people as you can get on television," he says.

-Hobart Rowland

Brian Dunn

During a late-night trip to the kitchen for some ice water, Brian Dunn, 38, closed his freezer door and saw some artwork by his niece fall off the refrigerator.

Dunn, chief executive officer of Serefex, figured he could fix it with a product that had already been developed by his company: a patented coating product called Attracta Magnet.

Dunn hopes his Fridge Tape, which is sticky on one side and magnetic on the other, will become a household name and ensure Serefex's survival. Walgreens, Ace Hardware and Do It Best sell the product, and Publix is the latest retailer to order Fridge Tape.

Dunn says Serefex still has a ways to go with Fridge Tape, and it's already taken hard work to turn around the Naples company, which was more than $2 million dollars in debt just a couple of years ago.

"There was a real heartfelt plea to make this work and save this company," says Dunn. "We're going to build this into a successful, growing company."

-Lori Johnston

Mike Early

As a founder of Synergy Networks, Mike Early, 37, has experienced many milestones with the fast-growing business Internet provider.

Last year's hurricane season was definitely one of those times. Among the customers using the company's data center and Internet access was Waterman Broadcasting, which saw its Web site traffic increase by 3,000 percent with its coverage of Hurricane Charley.

"We realized how many people used their Web site to see what was going on," says Early, Synergy's vice president of sales and marketing. "We got accolades because we never went down."

Founded in 1999, Fort Myers-based Synergy now has more than 2,500 customers in Florida, mostly businesses.

"It's been hard work," he says. "Our vision is building an organization where we believe in mentoring young businesspeople who want to come on board and learn from us," he says.

-Lori Johnston

Eric Feichthaler

To say that Eric Feichthaler was a dark horse in this year's Cape Coral mayoral race would be an understatement. A political novice, the 33-year-old tax attorney faced Arnold Kempe, an incumbent old enough to be his grandfather. Advocating can-do leadership and smoothing Cape Coral's rocky relationship with the rest of Lee County, Feichthaler poured $100,000 of his own money into the campaign. It paid off: He's now Cape Coral's second youngest mayor ever.

An only child in a poor household headed by a disabled father, Feichthaler relied on hard work and the generosity of others to advance. His college education-first at the University of Miami, then at Georgetown and New York universities-was paid for in part by scholarships from Cape Coral organizations. And while his law practice took him as far away as Melbourne, Australia, he found his way back home. "As far as I'm concerned, I've never left," he says, adding that he has no future political ambitions, "just to serve Cape Coral."

-Hobart Rowland

Ryan Goldberg

Ryan Goldberg, 33, credits the opportunities he's been given, along with a can-do attitude, for his business success. "I stay away from negativity. It's not about placing blame; it's about how we, as a team, can make things better," he stresses.

As regional president for AmSouth Bank, Goldberg leads 150 employees at 13 branches in Lee and Charlotte counties. He's been with the bank for 12 years and is responsible for all retail and consumer banking, small business and commercial mortgages, and wealth management.

AmSouth encourages its employees to get involved in their communities; and Goldberg, a Florida State University grad, has done just that. He is active in the Foundation for Lee County Schools, the United Way and Junior Achievement. In that program, says Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida president Victoria Stephan, he's been "an outstanding role model and exemplary leader."

-Lauren Bernaldo

Heather Henning

Building is in Heather Henning's blood. As a fourth-generation family member leading the Henning Group, she has decades of success to draw upon. But the 30-year-old company president also has fresh ideas to keep business booming in the new millennium.

Henning, who earned a degree in structural engineering from the University of Iowa, began as an intern for the Henning Group and worked her way up through the ranks, doing everything from pouring concrete to project management. "I think people realize that I have worked hard for my accomplishments, which is something that everyone can respect," she says.

Although Henning plans to expand the company during her reign, she is determined to do so with an eye to future generations, who might not be able to count on today's explosive growth.

"It would be easy to get short-sighted in a market like Naples," she says. "But I plan to run the company with the same integrity as the generations before me."

-Pamela Krol

David Hoffman

David Hoffman looks at water a little differently than most of us do.

As a hydrogeologist with Johnson Engineering in Fort Myers, Hoffman, who turns 35 this month, works with government agencies, developers and agricultural interests. He helps develop water resources for irrigation, identifies which aquifers are best to serve their needs, helps secure the nod of regulatory agencies and protects the resource.

Hoffman earned his bachelor's in geology at the University of Connecticut in 1994 and master's at the University of Cincinnati in 2000. And he will begin the Executive Master of Business Administration program at Florida Gulf Coast University soon.

While water draws folks to Southwest Florida, the liquid does make his job a challenge, he says, because of ever-changing regulation, concerns about water quality and the environment, and clients with tight timelines. It's a field of unknowns and little data.

"I feel like I'm a detective a lot of the time," he says.

-Lori Johnston

Jeff Jerome

Jeff Jerome is helping to make some business owners' dreams of owning a business in paradise a reality. As an account executive with the Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce, Jerome, 36, helps business owners network and get the exposure they need, whether it's a startup or an established company with growth plans.

"They're really in need of getting their company out there and getting recognized in the community," he says.

Jerome also is involved in the community, doing fund raising for groups such as the American Cancer Association and the Marco Island YMCA. At the chamber, his job spans the worlds of marketing, membership services and advertising, allowing Jerome to use his experience in retail management to work with entrepreneurs, listen to their needs and help them fulfill their goals.

The avid biker, boater, hiker and rock climber admits he's found his place in paradise. "You can't go wrong here, as far as opening a business or living here," he says.

-Lori Johnston

Vincent June

When Vincent June stumbled across an ad for a position at Florida Gulf Coast University in the mid-1990s, the idea of working at a new university and being back in his home state appealed to him.

"All I could see was opportunity," says June, 35.

And June, who now serves as dean of student affairs and is the only African-American dean at FGCU, embraced those opportunities. June moved in 1997 to Southwest Florida from Pullman, Wash., where he earned his master's in management/finance and doctorate in higher education-student affairs at Washington State University.

Having grown up on Florida's east coast, June uses his connections with principals to recruit students from that side of the state. He has helped the university raise millions in grant money, and he has served on the board of the Quality Life Center of Southwest Florida.

"As long as it makes a difference and impacts people's lives in a positive way, then I know I've done something good," he says.

-Lori Johnston

Carlos Kelly

Carlos Kelly, 35, came to Fort Myers as a law student to work as a summer associate for Henderson Franklin. That eventually turned into a full-time job, and he's been with the firm ever since.

Kelly specializes in property disputes, business torts, construction claims and contract-based disputes. He likes handling disputes because they're "complex-something I can really sink my teeth into."

But he also sinks his teeth into charitable endeavors. After Hurricane Charley, he organized his firm's efforts to assist low-income storm victims. He also serves on the board of the Young Lawyers Division of the Florida Bar. "Carlos does a lot of good stuff besides practicing law," says Henderson Franklin's John Noland, chair of commercial litigation practice area. "He's very conscientious."

That includes working with the firm's summer associates. "People mentored me," he says. "So it's my duty to provide that training and mentoring to the next generation."

-Beth Luberecki

Cecilia Kemmer

Cecilia Kemmer, 36, started college as a music major specializing in the flute. "But I decided I didn't want to make a hobby a career," she says, so she studied pharmacy instead.

Kemmer has practiced nuclear and retail pharmacy locally since 1994, currently working the overnight shift at the Walgreens at Bonita Beach Road and U.S. 41. Because she works one week then has the next week off, she can pursue other interests, including helping with the Florida Pharmacy Association's continuing education program in nuclear pharmacy.

Kemmer's three-year-old Web site, www.swflnonprofit.net, offers information about 39 area nonprofits as well as a calendar of events. "She has an appreciation of the mission and vision of so many different organizations that focus on different needs in our community," says Judith Yevick of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Southern Florida. "She's proven herself, year after year, to be concerned about the community in which she lives."

-Beth Luberecki

Renée Kennedy-Edwards

In a perfect world, happiness and success at work would come naturally to everyone. But most of us have to work at it-and Renée Kennedy-Edwards would be happy to give you a boost. As the founder of Coaching4Success, the 36-year-old former psychotherapist helps employees and their higher-ups de-stress, communicate more effectively and get organized, boosting motivation and morale-and hopefully the company's bottom line. And she admits that folks are just as disgruntled in sunny Southwest Florida as anywhere else. "There's this façade down here that's equated with happiness," says Kennedy-Edwards, who has offices in Bonita Springs and Fort Lauderdale. "You assume when you move here you'll be happy. Then you're not happy."

For Kennedy-Edwards, combining her psychologist's insight into human nature with her business training was a natural fit. But, she emphasizes, "I don't do counseling. Counseling looks into the past. Coaching stays in the present and moves into the future."

-Hobart Rowland

Kimberly Komorny

Kimberly Komorny knew early on that a banking career was in her future. At age 14, Komorny started her ascent in the industry as a summer intern at the former Naples Federal Savings and Loan Association. Since then, the 39-year-old single mom has risen through the ranks at various local banks. As assistant vice president in credit processing for TIB Bank in Naples, she's responsible for all administrative and sales functions.

After hours, Komorny is a regular school volunteer at Calusa Park Elementary School, where her 10-year-old son, Reed, is a fourth

grader. There, she helped start the Character Counts Awards, which recognize such qualities as honesty, fairness, kindness and helpfulness.

Especially drawn to charities that assist children, she's also been a volunteer at the Naples Winter Wine Festival for the last two years.

"Kim is one of those individuals who does a lot of hard work behind the scenes," says TIB spokesman Clay Cone.

-Pamela Krol

Rick and Amy Lademann

If Southwest Floridians are looking better than ever, some of the credit should go to Rick and Amy Lademann, personal trainers-and newlyweds-who operate Lademann Sports and Fitness in north Naples.

Since his early 20s, Rick has worked with the Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Clippers, Denver Nuggets, Chicago Bears and Florida Marlins. Now 30, Rick uses his knowledge and experience to help everyday people, as well as athletes. Rick's clients are prescreened to ensure they have the ability and dedication to make a difference in their lives.

Amy, 32, a professional instructor of pilates, yoga, Nia and dance, works with a variety of clients "to help them achieve that wonderful moment when mind and body actually start working together."

The couple met at a gym in Denver, but love living in Naples, where the climate and environment encourage fitness. "I believe we have just the right thing in the right place at the right time," says Rick.

-Pamela Krol

Johnny Limbaugh

Whether he's fielding complaints about traffic or working with politicians to land funds for road construction, Johnny Limbaugh, 39, is at the center of the region's transportation plans.

"A lot of my time is spent talking to the public or answering letters," says Limbaugh, the Florida Department of Transportation's Southwest Area office manager. To the many who ask why it takes so long to complete road projects, like making I-75 six lanes, he's learned to explain in understandable terms the processes that can make a project take eight to 12 years from concept to concrete.

Limbaugh's work spans six counties, including Collier, Lee and Hendry, which means he's honed his skills at building consensus. And he's used to the hot seat, representing the DOT at public hearings and forums. Married and with two teenage children, he previously served as director for the Collier Metropolitan Planning Organization. "I grew up in Southwest Florida-[this is] my opportunity to help Southwest Florida grow up," he says.

-Lori Johnston

Brian Lucas

Growing up, Brian Lucas, 31, the grandson of Bonita Bay founder David Shakarian and the son of the company's chairman, David Lucas, saw the first homes rising in Bonita Bay. He also remembers riding in a Jeep around The Brooks when it was empty land.

After college and work in Maryland, Lucas returned to Southwest Florida last year (with wife, Lee, and 21-month-old son, Grant) with plans to eventually lead the company. As regional vice president/new market areas, Lucas is involved in various aspects of the Bonita Springs-based business, including applying technical skills gained from consulting experience with Accenture to Bonita Bay operations. He's also spending time with executives to learn the business.

"I'm here to soak up everything I can," he says. Eventually, he sees himself defining the company's vision. "My mission is not to be the day-to-day operations guy," he says. "It's more of a long-range strategic, take-it-to-the-next-step role."

-Lori Johnston

Mark Maerten

Mark Maerten's career is community service-international community service. Maertern, 34, works with Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization (ECHO), which improves farming techniques-and thus fights hunger-in 180 different countries. "The unique thing about us is not the weird crops we grow, it's the network of people," says Maerten, department of communications and public relations director.

Maerten came to ECHO's North Fort Myers headquarters, to donate rare bamboo plants and ended up working for the organization. "I realized everything I was interested in was here, so I took the job," he says.

This University of Maryland grad educates the public about ECHO. Through the Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce, he helps other nonprofits develop marketing techniques. "Mark combines an amazing way with people and high principles for accuracy in communication," says ECHO's executive director, Martin Price.

-Lauren Bernaldo

Sebastien Maillard

When Sebastien Maillard, 33, and business partner Nicolas Birello set out to recreate a quintessential intimate French bistro, it helped that they had real-life examples to follow. Maillard is a fifth-generation chef from France; he and Birello ran a family restaurant in Martinique before founding Le Lafayette off of Third Street South in Naples four years ago.

Although the restaurant business is full of potential pitfalls, the two have based their business model on what Maillard feels are the essentials: quality ingredients, classic French cooking techniques and complete attention to the customer.

There is only one nightly seating in the cozy Provence-style dining room, which Birello and Maillard designed themselves. Diners find the restaurant by word-of-mouth, and Maillard, who seemingly works around the clock during season, also caters for long-time clients. His ultimate challenge is not the mastery of any particular dish or the start of a restaurant empire, "but to make all our guests happy."

-Tracy Jones

Deborah Mason

As area manager of Manpower Temporary Services in Fort Myers and Naples, Deborah Mason, 34, believes she can find the hidden treasure in anyone.

"Everybody has a skill, and we find the best in everyone and put it to work," says Mason, who places an average of 350 workers a week in jobs.

Mason didn't always envision being involved in the family's franchise, which her father owns; she planned on being a nurse. She attended Mount Carmel College of Nursing in Ohio, but instead earned her business degree at International College in 1998 while working at Manpower.

Mason finds satisfaction in knowing she has done something different to create change in someone's life, whether through Manpower or her volunteer work with the North Naples Rotary Club, Naples Junior Woman's Club and the Economic Development Council of Collier County.

-Lori Johnston

Teresa Morgenstern

Looking at what fills Teresa Morgenstern's proverbial plate is enough to make anyone feel tired. Her Naples company, WordPlay, is a one-woman shop in which Morgenstern acts as a public relations consultant and freelance writer for various clients. She has volunteered her time and talents to organizations such as the Immokalee Child Care Center, Women In Need of Growth Services and Taste of Collier. And the 39-year-old widow is a supermom to her kids, ages two and five.

Following stints as a radio voice, newspaper reporter and public relations manager for WCI Communities, Morgenstern launched her firm in January 2000. She is also a founding member of the Public Relations Society of America on Florida's west coast.

The lives of Morgenstern and her children took a sad turn nearly two years ago when beloved husband and dad Brett lost his bout with cancer. In the face of it all, she has remained strong, steadfast and philosophical. "God has a plan for everyone," she says.

-Pamela Krol

Karen Mosteller

Karen Mosteller, 38, was a high school senior who enjoyed accounting classes when she first began working for Gail Markham. She started out doing data entry and eventually worked her way up to partner. "Gail was my mentor," says Mosteller. "If I didn't have Gail, I don't know if I would be where I'm at."

Today Mosteller, a certified public accountant, helps local businesses run more efficiently, providing assistance with everything from accounting to software training. "Whatever their woes might be that keep them up at night, I take that burden off their shoulders. And that gives me all the satisfaction in the world," she says.

"I never worry about what Karen's doing or how she's doing it," says Markham, founding partner of Markham Norton Mosteller Wright & Co. "She's methodical. She always follows through; and she never quits. She is such a good example of somebody starting in high school and having a vision and pursuing it."

-Beth Luberecki

Janeen Paulauskis

Walk into the Fort Myers Beach Town Hall and you'll spot Janeen Paulauskis. Just look for the bare feet. "I do not wear shoes," Paulauskis, 37, admits. "I give 110 percent to everything I do, but I need to be comfortable."

Who wouldn't want to be comfortable when working two jobs?

Not only is Paulauskis the finance director of Fort Myers Beach, a role recently tested by Hurricane Charley, but she's also the executive director of the five-year-old Fort Myers Beach Film Festival. That festival, says town manager Marsha Segal-George, "wouldn't have happened except for Janeen."

For Paulauskis, who moved to Fort Myers Beach from Chicago in 1997, it's a labor of love. She's a big fan of independent films and attends at least one movie a week. "I love the whole aspect of going to a theater and watching the big screen," she says.

-Beth Luberecki

Caryn Rasnick

While some might cringe at the thought of spending workdays with parents and siblings, Caryn Rasnick loves working for her family's business. Rasnick, 36, is vice president of client services at Self Insured Plans LLC in Naples. "My family is very close," she says. "We have a strong work ethic-not an entitlement perspective." That attitude has quickly moved her from data-entry to vice president.

Rasnick moved to Naples from Chicago in 1999 to be part of the insurance business started by her father and brother. She describes herself as "a jack of all trades" and says her job keeps changing with changes in the insurance industry. "I am usually the one given the job of 'do whatever we need to do to become compliant [with new laws],'" she says.

Rasnick also works with community organizations like the Naples Junior Woman's Club, for which she was president last year. She says working for a family business gives her the flexibility and support to pursue many worthy community projects.

-Katie S. Betz

Laska Ryan

Laska Ryan, 37, spent this year preparing for two summertime arrivals: the birth of her daughter and the opening of Southwest Florida International Air-port's $438-million Midfield Terminal Complex. As senior manager of aviation marketing communications at the Lee County Port Authority, she spreads the word about the terminal.

After graduating from Florida Southern College in 1990, Ryan joined the Port Authority in 1993 on the cusp of a milestone-changing the airport's name from regional to international. "I've enjoyed being a part of all of the growth at the airport," says Ryan, who also has an eight-year-old son with her husband, Michael.

Her efforts have been recognized. Ryan was named Public Relations Professional of the Year by the Southwest Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association in 2001.

"I'm definitely someone who always has one more thing to do before they head out the door," she says.

-Lori Johnston

Gina Sabiston

Whether she's keeping teens from dropping out of school or saving historic properties, Gina Sabiston, 37, uses tenacity and diligence.

The Fort Myers native is a teacher at Academy High, an alternative drop-out prevention high school. Sabiston's accomplishments there have garnered her national recognition by the Carnegie Foundation, which studied the success of her use of volunteer projects, including wetland restoration at Bunche Beach Preserve and the Garbage to Gardens project in at-risk neighborhoods, which help keep students in school.

"To see them go from, 'I'm dropping out of school' to graduating with a college scholarship is really amazing," says Sabiston.

Outside the classroom, Sabiston is a member of the Fort Myers Historic Preservation Commission, and helps to save and restore older properties.

"If someone is passionate about something, they should speak up And that's what I try to do," she says.

-Lori Johnston

Michelle Schweber

From 1996 to 1998, Michelle Schweber, 36, served in the Peace Corps in Romania, working as a nonprofit consultant for an orphanage and gypsy village. "I learned that every problem has a solution," says the Sarasota native. "You just need to think about what that solution could be."

While Schweber may not do a lot of sitting as executive director of the Lee and Collier County chapters of the American Heart Association, she's still arriving at solutions. The chapters raise more than $1.2 million annually-money used to help fund life-saving research. "It's challenging and rewarding," she says. "There's no better job than saving lives."

The outgoing, upbeat Schweber is quick to praise her energetic co-workers and enjoys sharing her fund-raising and event-planning expertise with them. She says her own mentors "helped me understand things and made me a little better at how I tackled projects. It's important to transfer that knowledge to other people."

-Beth Luberecki

Keith Sedita

As operating partner at Fleming's Prime Steak House and Wine Bar in Naples, Keith Sedita, 36, knows what diners want. "I try to create this atmosphere: We're hosting a dinner party for a couple hundred of our closest friends every night," says Sedita, who has worked in restaurants since he was a busboy at 15. "You give them a fun, warm, welcome experience. When it's all over, you thank them and you invite them to do it again."

He also invites people to give. Fleming's Sept. 27 last year opening was a fund raiser for the Community Foundation of Collier County's hurricane victim relief fund. The restaurant has also hosted fund raisers for the American Heart Association and Naples Winter Wine Festival and sponsored the ACE Group Classic benefiting the Education Foundation of Collier County.

Sedita, who moved from Sarasota with his wife, Jill, and son, Demetri, says generosity is part of the corporate culture at Fleming's. And Naples residents, he notes, are extraordinarily generous.

-Lori Johnston

Eileyn Sobeck-Bador

When Eileyn Sobeck-Bador, 38, learned that the Cape Coral Youth Crime Intervention Program was looking for an executive director, she realized the job was "100 percent designed" for her; the Cape Coral High grad had been eager to use her public relations skills.

As the 501(c)(3)'s first executive director, Sobeck-Bador works to keep Cape Coral's young residents out of trouble, encouraging them to come to the city's youth center to play video games, take martial arts and scuba classes, or just hang out. She's also overseeing construction of a 27,000-square-foot skate park that should provide more entertainment options (and keep skateboarders from doing 360s in front of local businesses). "She's putting programs in place that really make a difference in kids' lives," says Debra Webb of the Children's Network of Southwest Florida.

That's exactly Sobeck-Bador's aim. "My parents taught me you need to leave the community better than when you came," she says.

-Beth Luberecki

Tim Toole

Tim Toole, 37, ranks customer service and employee happiness above profit at his Naples Title Inc. "The lack of those things in my past jobs made me realize how important they are," he says.

Toole's strategy is working: In just four years, this Holy Cross graduate has grown his company from two employees to 12 and has an impressive client list to boot. "I'm a grinder," he says. "I don't have grand schemes on how to be successful; I'm diligent and pay attention to the little things, plus I have great employees." Winner of "Rising Star" and "Affiliate of the Year" from the Naples area Board of Realtors, Toole also sits on the advisory board for the Parks & Recreation Department of Collier County.

"He is a smart businessman, an active member of our community and, above all, a good person," says Reid Lennertz, director of career development services at FGCU.

-Lauren Bernaldo

Sharon Torregrossa

A middle child, Sharon Torregrossa, 37, has always had an independent streak.

"You've got to make your own mark," she says. Torregrossa, a graduate of Florida State University, started out as an editor for a travel guide before becoming a real estate advisor for Chico's FAS, where she negotiates store leases for Chico's, White House/Black Market and Soma. "My boss took a chance on me," she says.

That chance has paid off. Torregrossa has been with Chico's for almost five years and volunteers for the company's Relay for Life team, the Heart Walk and United Way. She's also the outgoing president of the Women's Networking Group, which raises money to help put women through college. "I worked full-time through school, stressing about paying for books and dinner-it was tough," she recalls. Now she makes it easier for others. Says Michael Smith, vice-president of community relations for Chico's: "With Sharon it's all about giving, both personally and professionally."

-Lauren Bernaldo

Maribel Perez Wadsworth

Newspapers could stand to have a few more editors like Maribel Perez Wadsworth-especially in Southwest Florida, where cultural diversity is fast becoming the norm.

A Miami native whose parents fled Castro's Cuba, Wadsworth, 32, is the newest assistant managing editor at The News-Press and the youngest senior manager in the newsroom. She oversees the weekly Spanish-language newspaper Gaceta Tropical, the monthly Southwest Florida Parent & Child and the new bi-monthly luxury magazine Grandeur. To say that Wadsworth has been busy since her recent promotion would be an understatement. "I have a lot of to-do lists," she says.

Wadsworth was hired at The News-Press as a business reporter, advancing to lifestyle editor and metro editor before accepting her current position. And as the mother of three young boys, she doesn't see her life getting any easier. "I had my third son in March," she says. "Relatively controlled chaos is what I call it."

-Hobart Rowland

Heather Weiss

Independent marketing consultant Heather Weiss handles an array of clients and projects, including several divisions of the Lutgert Companies. Whether writing copy for promotional pieces or redesigning Web sites, the 30-year-old Naples resident has quickly settled into her career and the community after trotting the country.

A native of Memphis, Tenn., Weiss attended the University of Arizona in Tucson, where she earned her bachelor's degree in business and public administration. She also resided in Park City, Utah, and eventually wound up in Atlanta, where she received an MBA from Oglethorpe University.

But Southwest Florida beckoned; her parents moved to Naples while she was in college. In Naples, Weiss has provided art direction and graphic design for the Naples Winter Wine Festival auction catalogue, and she is involved with various other local charities. Her advice to people beginning their careers: "Don't settle! Take something that you enjoy doing."

-Pamela Krol

Kara Winton

Kara Winton, 37, has covered everything from stand-offs to special events. The Indiana University graduate moved to Fort Myers in 1991 and has seen both sides of breaking events as a News-Press reporter and as the Fort Myers Police Department's public information officer. Last year, Winton, who is married to Pete Winton, Lee County assistant county manager, joined Priority Marketing as a media relations manager.

In her 10 years with the police department, she says the most intense case was the 2001 hostage stand-off at First Union Bank on Palm Beach Boulevard in Fort Myers. With multiple reporters on the scene and the bank's proximity to schools, Winton had to determine when and what to tell the community about the situation, which was resolved with no serious injuries.

Her varied background, she says, has taught her that "whether it's a government agency or a business, it's important for an organization to talk to its public. A fabulous way to do that is through the media."

-Lori Johnston

Lori Yaker

When Lisa Yaker realized doing side work for her friends in the design industry was becoming a full-time job, her husband agreed to partner with her to start her own business. Since starting Design Elements of Florida while pregnant with her twin boys, Yaker has depended on referrals from happy clients to grow her design business to a full-time endeavor. She especially enjoys designing rooms for kids; and, at 28, she often finds she can relate to teens "better than their moms can."

Working from home, Yaker combines the experience and contacts she gained working for Holland Salley and McGarvey Custom Homes with marketing experience as public relations director of the Naples Area Mothers of Multiples club. Now that her twins are two, she plans to expand her business and focus even more on children's design. "I love being on my own," she says. "It's fun to decorate and get paid, and meet friends while I do it."

-Katie S. Betz