Dawn appointed to Florida Council on Arts and Culture

Florida Senate President Kathleen Passidomo has appointed Elysia Dawn, Executive Director of United Arts Collier, to the Florida Council on Arts and Culture. The council is comprised of 15 members who have been appointed to advise the Secretary of State regarding cultural grant funding and on matters pertaining to arts and culture in Florida. Appointments are determined by the Governor, President of the Senate and Speaker of the House, in consultation with the Secretary of State. Dawn is a Naples native and returned home to step into the role of Executive Director of UAC in November of 2022 following her work at The Metropolitan Museum of Art and as a professional ballet dancer touring worldwide. Since her return, she was selected to become a member of Leadership Collier Class of 2024 and has reinvigorated the arts at UAC and in Collier County. She will continue in her role as Executive Director of UAC in addition to joining the Florida Council on Arts and Culture.

Hoffmann Family of Companies acquires Naples-based transportation company

Naples-based private equity firm Hoffmann Family of Companies acquired Dolphin Transportation Specialists, a transportation provider with a fleet of more than 165 vehicles, including sedans, SUVs, vans, Mercedes Sprinters, minibuses and motor coaches. Dolphin Transportation, founded by Francis Papps and Tim Rose, operates out of Naples with additional locations in Miami, Tampa/Sarasota, Fort Myers and Marco Island. Hoffmann officials said Rose will continue to lead Dolphin as president and assume the role of president of Hoffmann Transportation Enterprises. In his expanded role, he will collaborate with Tamir Rankow and Randy Smith, directors of the Hoffmann Family of Companies, to drive future acquisitions and enhance customer service offerings across the transportation portfolio. Dolphin Transportation specializes in premium transportation and coordination services for large events, groups and corporate clients nationwide.

Grace Place receives $15K grant from Christ Child Society of Naples

Grace Place for Children and Families received a $15,000 grant from the Christ Child Society of Naples. This contribution will support the Bright Beginnings program, which provides vital early childhood education to young learners while equipping their parents with tools to foster their children’s development. Bright Beginnings is designed to ensure that children in the Golden Gate community are ready for kindergarten by focusing on early literacy, language and social-emotional skills. The program also allows parents to learn English and essential child development skills, helping them support their children’s education at home and in the classroom.

Seacrest appoints Mahler as Head of School

After an extensive national search, Seacrest Country Day School reached inward to appoint David Mahler as the school’s seventh Head of School, effective immediately. The search was conducted by the Search Committee of the Board of Trustees in collaboration with national recruiting firm RG175. Mahler emerged as the standout candidate among more than 40 highly credentialed applicants, according to information provided. “We are elated with the outcome of this search,” said Shan O’Fee-Byrom, chair of the Board of Trustees. “David Mahler’s student-centered leadership, vast experience, and vision align perfectly with the values and mission of Seacrest. His tenure as our Interim Head of School has already demonstrated his ability to guide our community toward a bright future.” The Search Committee’s comprehensive process narrowed the pool to four finalists, with Mahler ultimately being chosen for his deep understanding of independent education and proven track record. Mahler, who joined Seacrest in March 2024 as Interim Head of School, will bring more than 30 years of experience as a teacher, coach and educational leader.

STARability raises $90K at Run, Walk & Roll 5K

More than 530 participants joined STARability Foundation’s seventh annual Run, Walk and Roll 5K on Oct. 19 at Paradise Coast Sports Complex in Collier County. The event, which featured a record-breaking number of participants, raised more than $90,000, which will be used to meet the community’s growing needs by expanding STARability’s innovative, life-transforming programs and services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Pelican Isle Yacht Club completes $20M marina, seawall reconstruction

Pelican Isle Yacht Club in North Naples recently received a final Certificate of Completion for the complete rebuild of the PIYC Marina following damage caused by Hurricane Ian in September 2022. The project addressed 1,500 linear feet of sea wall, 113 concrete floating slips, 70 timber slips with IMM Quality Boat Lifts and seven floating aluminum slips. This project was completed in less than 20 months, and select sections accommodated returning vessels as early as December 2023. The rebuild included complete demolition of the existing facility, new concrete floating docks for the floating slips, timber and Wear Deck fixed docks and Quality IMM lifts ranging from 27,000-pound to 54,000-pound capacity. All electrical, plumbing and fire protection systems were newly designed and installed, with the finished facility maintaining the original footprint, but showcasing the latest innovations in resiliency and functionality.

Beach regrading to start at north Collier County beaches

Regrading at Barefoot Beach and Vanderbilt Beach will start this week and last about two weeks, Mondays through Saturdays during daylight hours. Sand removed from properties after Hurricane Milton and piled onto county beaches will be graded to allow for beach restoration. Restoration work will occur from approximately Reference Monument R-1 near Bonita Beach Road to R-15 near the southern terminus of the Barefoot Beach Preserve, and from R-17 south of Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park to R-30 south of Vanderbilt Beach Road. Barefoot Beach Preserve will remain closed. Vehicular traffic and parking will be restricted/unavailable at Barefoot Beach Access during recovery efforts. The Vanderbilt Beach Parking Garage will be open.

First phase of Collier affordable senior housing development completed

McDowell Housing Partners completed construction of a 160-unit affordable senior housing development on Rattlesnake Hammock Road just east of Collier Boulevard in Collier County. The first phase includes 91 one-bedroom, one-bath units and 69 two-bedroom, two-bath units. Apartments are reserved for seniors earning at or below 30% to 60% of the area median income, with rents ranging from $586 to $1,408 monthly. The five-story apartment building includes surface parking, a clubhouse, a media room, a pickleball court, a dog park, a gazebo, BBQ grills, an on-site free food program run by Collier County and an office for free health screenings managed by Healthcare Network. Phase II will add 160 units and is slated to open by the end of the year.