REPORT: FLORIDIANS WITH DISABILITIES EXPERIENCE TOP JOB GAINS
Floridians with disabilities experienced the biggest jobs gains of any state in 2018, with 23,953 people with disabilities entering the workforce, according to The Disability Statistics Compendium, released by Institute on Disability at the University of New Hampshire and analyzed by RespectAbility. The employment rate for people ages 18 to 64 with disabilities has risen to 37 percent in the U.S., the report also shows, compared with 77.2 percent for people without disabilities. For the full 2018 Annual Disability Statistics Compendium, click here.
MANUFACTURING HIRING EVENT UPCOMING
More than 20 Southwest Florida-based manufacturing companies will participate in the manufacturer hiring event, to be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Feb. 28 at CareerSource Southwest Florida in Fort Myers and Naples. The event will be held at two locations in an aim to fill a wide range of entry-level to professional-level positions. For more information, contact Bill Welch at (239) 931-8282, ext. 1805.
LEE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLANS BAYSHORE OPEN HOUSE
Lee County Department of Community Development staff will discuss proposed changes for the Bayshore community at an open house from 4-6 p.m. on March 12 in the Davidson House at the Lee Civic Center in North Fort Myers. The changes come in the form of proposed amendments to the Lee Plan and Land Development Code; they are based on input from a Bayshore community meeting held in 2018. All amendments will move through the normal process required to amend the Lee Plan with opportunities for public input—one hearing with the Local Planning Agency and two hearings with the Lee Board of County Commissioners. There are 17 distinct community planning areas identified in the Lee Plan. For more information, visit leegov.com/dcd/planning/cp/bayshore or contact podplanning@leegov.com.
EMAIL MARKETING SEMINAR SET
SCORE Naples will host “The New Face of Email Marketing” from 9:30-11:30 a.m. on March 9 at the Naples Accelerator. Barbara Langdon, owner of Marketing Momentum LLC, will present the event. Event attendees are expected to leave with a better understanding of how to incorporate email into their digital marketing activities, tips for creating more personalized email messages, specific suggestions for creating “mobile-friendly” emails, and ideas for how to automate some or all of their email communication. Tickets are $30 when registering online. To register and to make payment, go to scorenaples.org or call (239) 430-0081.
PRSA CHAPTER TO HOST MAKE-A-WISH LEADER
Richard Kelly, chief operating officer of Make-A-Wish Southern Florida, is the featured speaker at the next monthly meeting of the Gulf Coast Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), on Feb. 26 at the Nicklaus Children’s Resource Center in Naples. The meeting will begin at 8:30 a.m. with registration, breakfast and networking, followed by a 9 a.m. program. Kelly will use a case study presentation to discuss how his organization has been able to set itself apart from others by becoming its own content producer and creating a news-gathering team. The program cost is $30 for PRSA members, $38 for nonmembers and $25 for students. Register by Friday at gulfcoastprsa.org. Call (239) 263-2223 with any questions.
ALPERT JOINS ITVANTAGE
ITVantage welcomes David Alpert as sales director. Alpert will be responsible for developing new business and customizing technology solutions to customer needs. Alpert was most recently employed as health care account executive at Gartner Inc. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications and media studies from Florida Gulf Coast University and is a Certified HIPAA Security Professional.
CDH INSTALLS MODEL HOME INTERIORS
Clive Daniel Home has been selected to provide interior design and furnishings for FrontDoor Communities’ Messina IV coach home in the Corsica community of Talis Park in Naples. Clive Daniel Home interior designers Jean Losier and Christina Rosolia provided total interior design and furnishings for the new model. The design duo has also guided interior design for two other Messina models for the developer. In addition, CDH recently installed furnishings for two model homes from national builder Ashton Woods in Marsh Cove at Fiddler’s Creek. Losier and Rosolia collaborated with the Ashton Woods design team to create the interiors.
CHARITABLE NOTES
St. Patrick's Day dinner, dance hosted by nonprofit veterans’ organizations
A St. Patrick’s Day dinner and dance is planned from 5-10 p.m. on March 16 at the Fort Myers Beach Shrine Club. Live music will be provided by Memory Makers. Irish dancers and a comedian will also entertain. A traditional Irish dinner will be served and cash bar will be available. Tickets are $35 each or $65 per pair. Tickets are available at conta.cc/2SurD8z. Proceeds benefit The Southwest Florida Military Museum & Library in Cape Coral and Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida veterans services. Call (239) 652-1613 for more information.
Our Mother's Home to host Chair-A-Tea Party
Our Mother's Home will host its third annual Chair-A-Tea Party from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on April 5 at Bonita Bay Clubhouse in Bonita Springs. The event includes tea, lunch and dessert, raffle prizes, a silent auction of hand-painted chairs and artwork by local artists, a photo booth and live music performed by Luna Muni. Donations of hand-painted chairs and other artwork are still being accepted. All chairs and artwork must be delivered to Our Mother's Home by March 15. Tickets are $50, with proceeds benefiting Our Mother’s Home. Purchase tickets or register donations at ourmothershome.com/chair-a-tea.
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