Monte Ahuja is the founder of Transtar Industries, which is the leading U.S. Company in the distribution of automotive transmission replacement parts to the aftermarket. Mr. Ahuja started the company after his completion of his MBA at Cleveland State University where he graduated with honors (Beta Gamma Sigma). Mr. Ahuja received his Masters Degree in mechanical engineering from Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. Although, Transtar Industries has been restructured and has a new equity partner, Linsalata Capital, he remains a key investor and Chairman of the company.

Transtar has earned dozens of awards for its outstanding growth and community involvement. Monte has also received numerous awards including, Distinguished Alumni Award from Cleveland State University, International Executive of the Year Award, Ellis Island Medal of Honor, Runner-up for the National Entrepreneur of the Year and many more recognitions and awards. He has also appeared on a TV series as one of the most distinguished NRI’s from India and was inducted into the Inside Business Magazine, Northeast Ohio Business Hall of Fame.

Monte served as Trustee of the Cleveland State University Board for nine years and its Chairman of the Board for six years. He is the Chairman of the board for the University Hospital System of Cleveland, on the Executive Committee for United Way, and on the board of the Ohio Business Alliance for Higher Education and the Economy.

Usha received her Ph.D. in mathematics at Ohio State University. She has previously taught at University of Maryland, Kent State University, Cuyahoga Community College and Cleveland State University. She served on the College Board in Cleveland, the India Association Board and University Hospitals Development Committee.

Monte and Usha have been married for 37 years and have two daughters, two grandchildren, and a son-in-law. Ahujas have been a part of the Naples Winter Wine Festival Board of Trustees for one year.

An accomplished international businesswoman, Patricia Aluisi enjoyed a long career in law, real estate and construction management. Starting her career as a partner in a Baltimore law firm, she then relocated to London to serve as General Counsel of Bovis LTD, before becoming a director of the firm and heading the public/private partnership group overseeing international projects such as the Petronas Towers, EuroDisney and facilities at the Barcelona Olympics. Re-entering the workforce after raising her daughter Jordan, she served as chief operating officer of MB Real Estate in Chicago for a decade before retiring in 2021. She has also been a consultant to the Brennan Group and was a founding member of Qorval Partners, LLC.

Patricia has always been active in her communities, serving on the board of Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Illinois; an advisory board at DePaul University promoting women in entrepreneurship; the board of the Community School of Sun Valley; the board of the Company of Fools (a non-profit professional theater group) and the board of Boys and Girls Club of Collier County. She is a Founding Trustee of the Naples Children & Education Foundation (NCEF), serving both as secretary/treasurer and board member, and is also a member of Class IV of Greater Naples Leadership.

She has been recognized at Chicago Bisnow’s Power Women in CRE ceremony and was chosen as one of Crain’s “2019 Notable Women in Commercial Real Estate”. GlobeSt.com’s inaugural national Women of Influence Awards named Patricia as the “Gold Winner – Mentor of the Year.” Patricia is a member of the Chicago Network.

She earned a J.D. from the University of Maryland School of Law (member in good standing of the Maryland Bar) and a BA in Urban Studies from the University of Maryland (magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi, Omicron Delta Kappa, Outstanding Senior Woman) and completed an Executive Management studies program at Oxford University.

Now with her husband of 10 years, John Montague, she splits her time between Sun Valley, Idaho and London where Jordan is a senior at the Royal Veterinary College. She currently serves on the board of the Sun Valley Museum of the Arts, where she co-chaired its wine auction in 2020.

Lee R. Anderson, Sr. is Chairman of the APi Group of companies, headquartered in St. Paul, Minn. APi Group Inc. is made up of 36 separate construction, manufacturing and fire protection companies operating out of 160 international offices. The fire protection, detection and alarm division is the second largest such company in the United States and the largest in Canada. APi’s total sales are in excess of $1.2 billion. APi is one of the region’s fastest growing, highest return of earnings corporations in Minnesota as well as a member of Forbes 400 largest private companies.

Lee is a Director of Pan O’Gold “Country Hearth” Baking Company. He is also a lifetime trustee at Breck School, a trustee on the board at the University of St. Thomas, International Seakeepers Society and the Naples Children & Education Foundation. He is the recipient of “Entrepreneur of the Year” from St. Thomas’ School of Entrepreneurial ship and also the “L. B. Hartz Professional Achievement Award” from the University of Moorhead, College of Business and Industry. In 2008, Lee was inducted into the Minnesota Business Hall of Fame and in 2009 he earned the national Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award in the real estate, hospitality and construction category. He is a member of Minnesota Executives Organization, World Presidents Organization, Chief Executive Organization, Aquatennial Foundation Board and a regular member of the Boone & Crockett Club. In addition, he is a Heritage Member of Ducks Unlimited, a Golden Club Member of U. S. Sportsmen’s Alliance and a Foundation Director of FNAWS, Foundation for North American Wildsheep. Lee is a 1957 graduate of Breck School located in Minneapolis, Minn. and a graduate of the class of 1961 from U. S. Military Academy at West Point with a degree in civil engineering. He holds a Doctor of Law degree from University of St. Thomas in honorarium.

Ann Bain, is a native of Holyoke, Mass. She graduated with a BA in international relations and economics from Colgate University in 1985. Upon graduation, she moved to Boston to join Shawmut Bank’s Corporate Lending Training Program. After seven years, Ann left Shawmut as a vice president to go to State Street Bank, in Boston. In 1996, Ann left banking to pursue her interest in the golf industry. She spent two years as general manager and clothing buyer for Boston-based Boston Links and one year as an analyst for Bain, Willard Companies. Ann retired in 1998 to focus on family and not-for-profit endeavors. She has previously served on the advisory board for The Posse Foundation and Suskind Young at Arts in Boston.

Ronald Davis Balser graduated from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in economics. In 1961 Ron entered the insurance industry and looked to the emerging area of executive benefits. Ron was a founder of Balser Companies, a nationally recognized advisor to Fortune 1000 companies. The company was sold in 2007.

Since selling the business, Ron has been active in the Art World. He is the founder of Balser Art Ventures, LLC, a design, production and distribution company which promotes his personally produced works of art. His photography, electronic prose, engraved granite benches and sculptures are in private and public collections throughout the country.

Ron and Barbara founded the Wharton Executive Education Advisory Board where Ron Chaired the Board for 20 years, and has served on Boards of Wharton Undergraduate School, Santa Fe Opera, Atlanta’s High Museum of Art, M Life and Balser Companies. He currently serves as a National Commissioner of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), and is member of the ADL National Executive Committee, is a trustee of ADL Foundation, a member of the American Friends of the Israel Museum, serves on the Advisory Board of The Peggy Guggenheim Collection, The U.S. Board of Historical Royal Palaces, The Board of the Artis-Naples Baker Museum of Art, and is a trustee of the Naples Children and Education Foundation. NCEF sponsors the Naples Winter Wine Festival, the world’s largest charitable wine auction, benefiting children at risk. He is recipient of the 1999 Alumni Award for Distinguished Service from University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. In 2006 Ron endowed the Barbara B. Balser Lifetime Achievement Award for ADL lifetime leadership.

He and his wife Barbara, former National Chair of ADL, are Founding members of the Georgia Aquarium, National Museum for Women in the Arts, The Booth Western Museum, and Founding Lifetime Members of the United States Holocaust Museum Circle of Freedom Donors. They received the Atlanta Jewish Federation’s King Solomon Society Award, True Blue Award from Spelman College, and are the first Wharton Atlanta Chapter recipients of The Joseph Wharton Award.
The Balsers were each awarded the Anti-Defamation League’s highly coveted Abe Goldstein Human Relations Award, Barbara in 1994 and Ron in 2006. Barbara served as National Chair of the ADL, and Ron served for 5 years as SE Regional chair. Ron is a former member of American Mensa.
Ron and Barbara endowed the Abraham H. Foxman Exceptional Leadership Award for persons for world leaders who have exhibited exceptional leadership in promoting the ideals of ADL. Each award recipient will receive an original sculpture of “The Spirit of Leadership” by Jesus Moroles, specially designed in conjunction with Ron for these awards.

The Balsers are avid art collectors. Their offices and homes in Atlanta (Impressionist, Modern, Contemporary Art, Photography, Contemporary Art glass and Art Deco/Nouveau fixtures/furniture/glass), Naples (Modern, Glass and photography) and Santa Fe (Western, Contemporary, Glass and photography) each contain unique collections.

Ron has combined his love of the arts with his personal, civic and philanthropic endeavors. In addition to their museum and civic art gifts, Ron and Barbara endowed The Wharton School Balser Art Collection, which includes work by Albers, Dali, Miro, and Warhol. In 2006 they purchased 180 art works constituting The Balser Art Collection at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School, with pieces by Braque, Chagall, Hockney, and Lichtenstein.

In addition to the foregoing, their philanthropy has covered a diverse group of charities, civic and educational endeavors, including Naples Jewish Community Fund, Naples Winter Wine Festival, Naples Philharmonic and Museum, Aid and Comfort of Santa Fe, Santa Fe Community Foundation, Santa Fe Opera, Santa Fe Chamber Music, Camp Sunshine, North Avenue Presbyterian Church, Georgia Student Leadership, and Jewish Federations of Southwest Florida and Atlanta. Barbara B. Balser has been described as an influential change-maker, an intuitive leader and a reliable team player. In community, business and family life she has worked to make a difference in the lives of people, branding each encounter with her own personal style and offering others her personal best.

In a book published by Ellie Wymard entitled, Conversations With Uncommon Women, Barbara attributed the consensus-building leadership style that she exercised in her employee benefits firm to the traditional feminine roles she played in her early years. “I don’t know if I would have had the same strengths, if I had gone right into business after college. I think I bring a certain sensitivity to my relationships.”

Barbara served as Co-chair & CEO of Balser Companies, a nationally-known think tank that designs special benefits programs for companies like Home Depot and UPS, Barbara first entered the finance and insurance arena decades ago as an “exception to the rule,” a woman who was also the family bread-winner. A newly single mother with three young children in the mid-1970s, Barbara built her business helping ordinary working people identify their retirement dreams, family protection concerns and other personal financial goals. Barbara gained understanding of the importance of finding custom solutions for her clients’ lifestyle goals. She acquired critical insights into benefit planning in a time before “human resources” was even coined. As corporations became the chief providers of benefit programs, and women broke through corporate glass ceilings, Barbara was soon consulting in a business she thoroughly enjoyed and became acquainted with other women in powerful corporate positions. A founding member of The Committee of 200, an organization of the top businesswomen in America and internationally, Barbara quickly became part of this sisterhood of achievers. She still cannot find enough hours in the day to accomplish all she would like, and this drive isn’t limited to business.

Her commitment to education, social issues and the arts has resulted in five decades of personal involvement through numerous organizations and projects. A Magna Cum Laude alumna of Boston University, this Richmond, Virginia native played a major role through the Anti-Defamation League and B’nai B’rith Women as president of Support Atlanta Schools, part of an Atlanta coalition of 50,000 women, who together worked to keep public schools open and to foster a smooth transition to the newly desegregated classrooms and faculties.

As a volunteer, Barbara has aligned her time with organizations that reach beyond the norm. It may seem like a tall order to secure justice and fair treatment to all citizens, yet that has been the purpose of the Anti-Defamation League since 1913. Barbara served this international organization as National Chair from November 2003 to November 2006, becoming the first southerner and first woman to hold the post. At the conclusion of her term, Barbara was presented with the newly created Barbara B. Balser Lifetime Achievement Awarded, to be presented thereafter to a person within the ADL Family who has devoted decades of service and leadership advancing the mission of the Anti-Defamation League. She continues to serve the League today as a Trustee of the ADL Foundation and a member of the National Advisory Committee.

Blending her business zeal and passion for learning, Barbara served on the Goizueta Business School Advisory Board at Emory University in Atlanta and the Executive Education Advisory Board at The Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.

In addition, their philanthropy has covered a diverse group of charities, civic and educational endeavors, including the Naples Winter Wine Festival, Aid Atlanta, Aid and Comfort of Santa Fe, the Board of the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, the Friends of the Israel Museum, the President’s Council of the School for Advanced Research, the Santa Fe Opera, the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, Camp Sunshine, and the Jewish Federation of Southwest Florida … just to name a few.

Barbara and Ron have six children and nine grandchildren. Their children and mates are Barton Friedland, Lisa and Dan Balser, Deborah and Jon David Friedland, Jennifer and Jonathan Balser, Ginger Balser Reid, and Laura G. Balser and Matthew D. Smith.

Ron and his wife Barbara are Florida residents, and have homes in Naples, Atlanta and Santa Fe.

Robert A. Clifford is a nationally prominent attorney who founded a firm nearly 25 years ago in Chicago and rose among the ranks to be selected one of the “five most respected and feared plaintiffs’ attorneys in the country” by Corporate Legal Times. He was featured on the cover of the inaugural issue of Illinois Super Lawyers where they called him “Chicago’s Most Likeable Tough Guy.” He currently serves, by court appointment, as Liaison Counsel for the 9/11 litigation pending in the New York Federal Court. Bob has represented victims in every major commercial airline crash in the United States in the last two decades. He also has represented many high-profile clients such as NBC’s Dick Ebersol and his family members who were involved in a chartered jet crash; Bob Collins, Chicago’s most popular disc jockey on WGN morning radio, who was killed in a small plane crash; and a prominent Miami family who lost loved ones in the Chalk seaplane crash off the Florida coast. He represents a number of families in the Comair crash litigation in Lexington, Kentucky, as well as the Chicago family whose six year old boy was killed when a Southwest Airlines jet skidded off the runway at Midway Airport and crashed into his family’s car. He was on the front page of Chicago’s newspapers representing an internationally acclaimed violinist who survived after being dragged by a commuter train when the conductor failed to watch out for her as she exited.

Bob Clifford finds time to give back to the legal profession in his tireless work for the American Bar Association and several community based groups. He has been honored by numerous prestigious legal organizations. He endowed the first Chair on Tort Law and Social Policy to his alma mater, DePaul University College of Law. The generous gift provides for an annual symposium where academicians, lawyers and judges from around the country, from U.S. Senator John McCain to television personality Bill Kurtis, gather to speak on a timely topic relating to societal needs and the law. He resides in Chicago, Lake Geneva and Naples with his wife Joan. They have two daughters, Erin and Tracy.

Joan Clifford, a former elementary school teacher, recently retired from the Travel Industry where she owned and operated travel agencies in the Chicagoland area as well as in London, England. She currently works as a docent at the Chicago History Museum and serves on the Boards of the Goodman Theatre, Children’s Memorial Hospital and the Chicago Parkways Foundation. She is also involved in many other philanthropic organizations in Chicago. Joan has served as a member of the Grant Committee for the NCEF. In her spare time she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, traveling, reading and working on her golf game.

J.D. Clinton is Chairman of Independent Southern Bancshares (INSOUTH) and INSOUTH Bank. Before selling to E.W.Scripps; J.D. also served as Founder and Chairman of Summit America, a television holding company and previously served as Chairman of Shop at Home Television Network.

Mary Susan Clinton, a native of Savannah Tennessee began her career as a stock broker with Morgan Keegan Headquarters in Memphis, before founding Gallien Global Vision, Inc., an international wildlife documentary company in 1989. Trekking the African countries, her award winning co-productions with Londolozi Game Reserve, Turner Broadcasting, Buena Vista/Disney and The Discovery Channel, have aired in over 100 countries with her presentations in Cannes, France at the annual film trade shows MIP-TV and MIP-COM. She has garnered many awards including an Academy of Cable Entertainment Award for Best International Documentary Special.

Through the years her company has expanded to not only represent television media, but be a key player in retail product placement, image marketing for professionals and distribution to the mass markets. Gallien Global Vision’s focus is to design communication strategies specifically customized to generate the desired impact of the client by positioning, promotion and marketing requirements in today’s economy.

Not only with clients products; her entrepreneurial spirit enticed her to work with chemists after the positive scientific result of active glycolic acid in skin care products was discovered. She was the founder of the medical skin care line, Renaitre. The skin care products were sold in physicians’ offices, international trade shows, Internet sales, Shop at Home and QVC .

Mary Susan and her husband are Founding Trustees of The Naples Winter Wine Festival. She was Merchandising Chair for the Naples Winter Wine Festival in 2001; Auction Day Chair 2002; Co-Chair of the Auction Day in 2004; Non-Wine Lots Chair in 2005 and Merchandising Chair for 2008, 2009 and 2010. Currently, she serves on the Naples Children & Education Foundation Executive Board. J.D has served as Grant Chairman and on the Executive Board. The Clintons are also members of The Napa Valley Reserve.

The Clintons are actively involved with First Baptist Church of Naples, The Community School of Naples, where Mary Susan chaired the Angel Ball in 2001, served on the Committee for Advancement and both are active parents. Mary Susan is also on the Financial Task Force Committee of C’mon. Other past involvements of the Clintons include, Mary Susan being a Board member of Boys and Girls Club of Collier County and J.D. serving as a Trustee. The Clinton’s have been past fundamental in fundraising initiatives for Youth Haven and The Immokalee Foundation.

Mary Susan was named Gulfshore Life’s Woman of the Year in 2002 and Community All Star in 2006. She has served as a Board Member of the West Tennessee Healthcare Foundation, co-chairing the gala benefiting The Neighborhood Health and Healing Clinic in 2006. She currently serves on the advisory and style council boards for Gulfshore Life magazine.

Philanthropic endeavors in Tennessee for the Clintons include having a financial involvement with INSOUTH Bank for the Haywood County, TN “John Clinton Carl Perkins Child Abuse Center”; Boys and Girls Club of Haywood County and Habitat for Humanity. The Clintons have founded and solely support The Clinton Family Christian Foundation benefiting children at risk.

Brian Cobb is the president and principal shareholder of CobbCorp and Managing Director of Media Development Group. Brian has decades of experience in the broadcast industry as an owner, manager and broker, and was a principal and founder of Media Venture Partners before founding CobbCorp. He has been involved in the mergers and acquisitions of more television stations than any other individual in the country. Previously, Brian served as executive vice president of General Electric Broadcasting Company and is a former owner of television stations WTXL-TV (ABC) in Tallahassee and KADY-TV (IND) in Los Angeles. He has served on panels for many trade organizations including the National Association of Broadcasters and National Association of Television Program Executives, as well as being a past president of the National Association of Media Brokers.

Brian has been a trustee of Florida Gulf Coast University, a Founder and former board director of the International Seakeepers Society, and was a member of the Florida Council of 100, a non-partisan organization to advise Florida State government. He is currently on the board of directors of the Broadcasters Foundation of America, the largest charitable organization assisting broadcast families in need.

Denise Cobb had a long career in television, including being an award winning television producer, on-air talent, consultant and station owner. She began her career as an anchor and producer at a CBS station in West Virginia and from there went on to anchor news programs at ABC and NBC affiliates around the country. Denise was one of the original news anchors at CNN and was chosen to anchor the premiere newscast on CNN Headline News, making her the only person to appear on both networks’ first day. After leaving CNN, she helped launch the Travel Channel, hiring staff and helping to format the network. She then went on to form her own production company where she traveled internationally producing TV programs and consulting. When the Cobb’s owned television stations in Florida and California, Denise oversaw the news, public affairs and promotion departments.

Denise has served on the boards of the Guadalupe Center of Immokalee, the Boys and Girls Club of Collier County, Ave Maria University and Career Transition for Dancers-New York, where she twice chaired the auction for its annual gala. Currently, Denise serves on the National Board of Pace Center for Girls.  She has also been involved in committee work for the American Cancer Society, St. Ann’s School, and other local non-profits.

Brian and Denise are founders of the Naples Children & Education Foundation/Naples Winter Wine Festival and continue to support as Emeritus Trustees. Brian chaired the 2002 Naples Winter Wine Festival (NWWF) and together with three other couples, they co-chaired the 2017 NWWF. Brian is a former chairman of the NCEF board and currently serves as the NCEF Lifetime Trustee board member. Denise was the long time chair of the public relations committee.

Together they were named Philanthropists of the Year on National Philanthropy Day in Southwest Florida in 2004 by the Community Foundation of Collier County. Denise was named one of Southwest Florida’s “Men & Women of the Year” in 2000 by Gulfshore Life magazine and in 2002, Gulfshore Life Magazine named Brian a “Man of The Year.”

Laura and Jim Dixon started HAYNES Corporation in 1972 with Laura’s father Laurance S. Haynes in Jackson, Michigan. At the time the company was involved in the supply of precision engine component parts to the US municipal power plants, marine, off highway and stationary markets. HAYNES dramatically expanded the business of manufacturing and rebuilding fuel injection systems for industrial diesel engines by acquiring strategic product lines from United Technologies American Bosch APF Product Line, the GM/EMD Unit Injector Product line from Diesel Technology Corporation and exclusively supplies several product lines to Caterpillar Inc. HAYNES supplies major companies such as EMD, Caterpillar, GE, Fairbanks Morse, Union Pacific Railroad, Canadian National, Canadian Pacific, BNSF, CSXT and numerous other major railroads throughout the world.

Laura and Jim found their way to Naples in January of 1989 when they acquired the Bendix manufacturing plant from Bendix Allied Signal. In 2013, they continued to expand their Naples manufacturing capabilities by building a new LEED Certified manufacturing plant to consolidate their production operations in Los Angeles, California to Naples, Florida. To date, Laura and Jim have received many prestigious awards such as the 2010 Economic Development Council’s “Excellence in Industry,” 2011 “Florida Companies to Watch” and most recently the coveted 2014 Junior Achievement “Collier County Business Hall of Fame Award.”

After their arrival to Naples, Laura and Jim established many new friends through their love of golf, boating, hosting gourmet dinner parties and passion for fine wines. The Dixons have a very extensive wine collection with many wines from Bordeaux, Burgundy, California and Italy and have contributed wines to numerous charities throughout the years. Laura Dixon was on the board for Youth Haven and was extensively involved with one of Youth Haven’s initial fundraising events which was the Youth Haven Wine Auction. The Youth Haven Wine Auction was transformed to Naples Winter Wine Festival by the original group of trustees whose initiative made it one of the premier wine auctions in the world. In 2010, Laura and Jim became Trustees of the Naples Children & Education Foundation, founders of the Naples Winter Wine Festival because of their love for the auction and for what it has accomplished for the betterment of underprivileged and at-risk children within the community. Jim is a former member of the NCEF Grant Committee and has also served as the Grant Chair, helping to allocate the funds raised at the NWWF. Through the years, the Dixons have contributed to the Naples Winter Wine Festival by both donating lots for the auction as well as purchasing several auction lots. Laura and Jim have raised two children who have graduated from college with business degrees and both have been involved in the family business. This has enabled Laura and Jim to devote more time to their community and the charities dear to their hearts.

Bob Edwards is president and senior PIM portfolio manager of Edwards Asset Management and has been named one of the nation’s top financial advisors by Barron’s for the past eight years, 2011 to 2018. He was recognized for the 11th consecutive year as a Southwest Florida 2018 Five Star Wealth Manager by Gulfshore Life magazine and Five Star Professional. Bob is a frequent speaker on the economy and investments in major markets nationally.

To the Naples community, where he has lived since elementary school, Bob is also known for his altruistic streak. He’s deeply dedicated to the Naples Children & Education Foundation and its Naples Winter Wine Festival, and he is also a champion for the arts. Edwards serves on the board of Artis-Naples and the Baker Museum as well as the Guggenheim Museum in Venice, Italy.

Bob and his wife Terry chaired the 2013 Naples Winter Wine Festival. Terry has served on the NCEF Grant Committee and is currently on the boards of the Conservancy of Southwest Florida and Naples Zoo. She is an emeritus trustee of The Shelter for Abused Women & Children.

Bob and Terry were named Gulfshore Life magazine’s “Man and Woman of the Year” in 2013, and Bob was selected as one of Naples Illustrated magazine’s “Super Men” in 2013. The Naples Daily News chose Bob in 2015 for its “25 Over 50” class, accomplished leaders honored for their vision, talent and impact on our community. The Edwards were named “Stars in the Arts” by the United Arts Council in 2015, and they received the Impact Award from the Naples Art Association in 2016.

Shirlene Elkins was the principal of a catering company in the Washington Metropolitan Area for 12 years. When she relocated to Southwest Florida in 1992 she became involved in the following organizations: Immokalee Foundation; Naples Philharmonic; Naples Museum; Women In Transition; Youth Haven; Boys & Girls Club; Naples Winter Wine Festival; and the David Lawrence Center.

In 1999, Shirlene founded Children’s Charities, which sends local high school seniors to college, based totally on their need rather than grades. Currently there are six children in the program that are attending a Florida State College or University. Shirlene was the Chair of the 2004 Naples Winter Wine Festival.

Grace and Ken Evenstad founded Domaine Serene in the Dundee Hills of Oregon in 1989 with a mission to produce world class Pinot Noir. The Evenstads had faith and confidence in Oregon early on, before there was a national market for domestic Pinot Noir.

Today, Domaine Serene produces wines from seven individual vineyard estates, planted exclusively to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Each estate offers a diversity of soils, clones, rootstocks, microclimates, slopes, and elevations that add distinguishing complexity and elegance to the wines. In total, the Evenstads own over 1,000 acres of land in the hills of Yamhill County, with 360 acres planted to vines.

In 2001, the Evenstads completed construction of their current state-of-the art, five-level, gravity flow Pinot Noir winery. In 2015, Ken and Grace acquired Château de la Crée, the respected wine estate located in the birthplace of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, the renowned Côte d’Or. They are the only Oregon-based vintners to own land and produce wines in Burgundy, France. Parcels are owned in 18 climats throughout the Côte de Beaune in Pommard, Volnay, Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, Chassagne-Montrachet, Santenay and Maranges, 40% of which are Premier Cru.

In 2021, Grace Evenstad expanded their Burgundian vineyard holdings by taking control of the renowned Domaine Christian Confuron et fils estate. This 15-acre expansion increased Evenstad Estates’ vineyard footprint in the Côte d’Or by roughly 60%, adding vineyards in the Côte de Nuits to her current holdings in the Côte de Beaune. The estate is located mainly in Chambolle-Musigny and Nuits-Saint-Georges, including prestigious Grand Cru vineyard blocks in Bonnes Mares and Clos de Vougeot.

In 2017, Domaine Serene opened a new best-in-class hospitality center, the Clubhouse at Domaine Serene, that defined the landscape of fine wine hospitality in the Pacific Northwest.

In Spring 2018, they completed a new winery dedicated solely to the production of Chardonnay and Sparkling wine, the first of its kind in Oregon. The wineries are located on the beautiful Winery Hill Estate in the world-class Dundee Hills AVA.

Having achieved his goal of making the world’s finest Pinot Noir many times over, Ken Evenstad died at the age of 77 in October 2020. Under the guidance of Grace Evenstad, his legacy lives on as Domaine Serene remains focused on excellence in a never-ending quest to produce world-class Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Domaine Serene’s wines represent the achievement that is possible in Oregon, one of the finest regions in the world for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

The Figges moved to Naples from Davenport, Iowa 10 years ago to spend winters here and summers in Sun Valley, ID. The rest of the family (six children, three in-laws and eight grandchildren) love to visit Jim and Sandy in their resort town. Jim has been a collector of wine since 1980 and admits his “hobby” has become a way of life.

A way of life that affects family vacation destinations and even the professional direction of one of their children. Son Peter received his Masters degree in Viniculture and is Central Coast Senior Manager for Franciscan Estate Vineyards, overseeing in excess of 1,800 acres of grapes. Collecting wine has always been fun for the Figges, but seeing wine become a catalyst for raising money for children’s charities in Collier County, takes their joy of collecting wine to a whole new level.

Don J. Gunther retired in June 1999 as vice chairman, director, and a member of the chairman’s leadership council of Bechtel Group, Inc. As vice chairman, he had responsibility for all of the global industry units, all corporate functions including project management, engineering, procurement, construction, information services, information technology and contracts. Don joined Bechtel in 1961 as a field engineer in the Refinery & Chemical Division. Seven months later, he was recalled by the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers to serve during the Berlin Crisis. He returned to Bechtel in 1962 and progressed through a series of increasingly responsible field positions in the United States, Canada, and in Europe over a 38 year career with the company.

Don received a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, and an honorary doctorate from the University of Missouri at Rolla. He recently served on the board of trustees of the university and on the board of the Williams Energy Group. Don is a member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and a former member of the executive board for the Engineering and Construction Contracting Division of the AIChE. He is a past member of the Construction Industry Institute Executive Committee, and received their highest honor, the CII Award of Excellence. During his career Don served on the board of governors of the World Economic Forum, the World Energy Council, the boards of directors of the United States Energy Association, the U. S. – Russia Business Council, the British – North American Committee, and on the board of the United Way in Houston. Texas.

He and his wife, Mosey reside in their home in Naples, Florida. They enjoy all of the aspects of retirement and spending more time with their four children and 12 grandchildren. Don currently serves on the Bay Colony Community Association and Bay Colony Golf Club. He is the retired member of the Estates of Bay Colony Board and retired President of the Remington of Bay Colony Board. He is vice chairman of the Naples Children & Education Foundation and serves as an advisor to Northern Trust Bank, Bonita Springs, Florida.

Rosemary T. (Mosey) Gunther retired to Naples, Florida in 1999 with her husband, Don, after a career spanning almost 40 years with the Bechtel group of companies.

As Don’s career grew and his responsibilities increased over the years, the family was relocated 25 times, from jobsites and offices on the west coast to the east coast of the United States from the northern border in Canada to the southern U. S. border in Texas, including a five year assignment in London, England with global responsibilities.

In addition to relocating the entire family on each of the new assignments, Mosey frequently traveled with her husband over the last 25 years on business trips worldwide jobsites and offices.

One of Mosey’s favorite tasks when relocated was helping establish and organize a Bechtel Wives Group. Developing programs, identifying fund raising events for local charitable enterprises, helping other families settle in, many of them on their first assignment in a new environment or culture, was the fun part of her role as a partner on the Gunther team, and the world wide Bechtel family Mosey and Don have four children, and 11 grandchildren – the fun part of her new career.

Mosey and Don make their home in Naples, Florida. The highlight of retirement is when any of the children or grandchildren come to visit. The most exciting time is the annual arrival of all the children, spouses, and 12 grandchildren, who arrive ready to enjoy the Grandpa planned activities and the predictable mayhem.

Sharon and Chuck Hallberg moved to Naples in 2006 and have been involved in the NWWF for six years, and have a long history of involvement with children’s health and education.

Sharon‘s career spanned 24 years in pharmacy software applications. Her work on a pharmacy program implemented for the military and through the Department of Defense received the Presidential Recognition of Excellence award.

Chuck Hallberg founded MemberHealth, LLC, a pharmacy benefits management company. Among his many accolades, Chuck won the prestigious title of 2007 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the year in the health sciences category in Northeast Ohio.

Together Chuck and Sharon’s growth of Member Health in 2006 earned the accolade of America’s fastest growing private company by earning the #1 position in the Inc. 500.

Both are actively involved with University Hospital of Cleveland’s Rainbow, Babies and Children’s Hospital co-chairing fundraising efforts and serving on the Board of Trustees. The couple has been involved in fundraising endeavors for the Greater Naples YMCA, American Diabetes Association and Cystic Fibrosis.

John and Barbara Jordan became Naples residents in 1999 after the sale of their envelope manufacturing company in suburban Philadelphia. They continue their business interests as managing partners of Jordan Group LLC.

John is a graduate of Oklahoma Christian University. He is co-chair of “Gentle” Men Against Domestic Violence, with a goal to educate boys and young men to break the cycle of family violence. This group is associated with the Shelter for Abused Women and Children in Naples, where Barbara serves as a founding member of the Board of Trustees.

John and Barbara are on the Advisory Boards of shelters in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Shawnee, Oklahoma. They have worked together on the issue of domestic violence for more than 20 years along with other community service projects.

Prior to their marriage in 1985, and joining the family business, Barbara lived in New York. She was in the art publishing business for 18 years and worked with artists as diverse as Andy Warhol to the Norman Rockwell collection, distributing prints and limited editions worldwide.

Barbara received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters degree from Cabrini College, located in Radnor, PA, with the graduating class of May 2008. This honorary degree was conferred for her “leadership and commitment to improving the lives of victims of social injustice.” She was selected one of the “Power of Ten” Women in Naples in 2008 and honored as a “Woman of Initiative” by the Community Foundation in 2009.

They both enjoy special times and golf with family and friends in both Naples and the historic Brandywine Valley in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Rick Kash is the Vice Chairman of the Nielsen Company (NYSE), a business strategy and global information company doing business in 105 countries with 40,000 employees. Kash originally joined Nielsen when The Cambridge Group, the strategy consulting company he founded, was acquired by Nielsen.

Rick is the author of two books, “The New Law of Supply and Demand” (Doubleday 2002), and “How Companies Win” (Harper Collins 2011). In 2012, Fortune Magazine selected “How Companies Win” as the most important book for business leaders to read in that year.

Kash is the cofounder, along with Harvard University, of Genus Oncology, a cancer research company focused on the MUC1 protein. The National Cancer Institute recently named MUC1 the #2 most important target in cancer research amongst a total of 50 targets. The National Football League Players Association Banquet has raised more than $40 million for underprivileged children and families and was cofounded by Rick Kash, John Mackey, and Jack Kemp.

Rick was the President of Chicago’s Better Boys Foundation, an organization serving inner city youth. During Rick’s tenure on the Board, the organization created the early version of what became Head Start, sponsored the first charter school in Chicago, and pioneered the program of serving breakfast to hungry children prior to school which has now become a nationwide Federal program.

Before starting his business career, Rick was a social worker focused on serving underprivileged children and delinquent gangs. During part of his years as a social worker, Rick participated in a unique program called “Street Work,” in which social workers went directly into high-crime neighborhoods vs. offering in-house programs in community centers.

Kash serves on a number of business and community boards including Northwestern University Hospitals and Aditya Birla, one of India’s largest companies.

Katrina began her career in Art and Design after receiving her Bachelor of Fine Arts at Southern Illinois University, and then her Masters in Fine Arts from Columbia College in film production and set design.

Katrina was an Art Teacher in Chicago’s inner city where she found that Art was able to reach and engage students who had little beauty in their lives.

She then was drawn back to the creative process where she became a set designer and decorator for TV Commercials and Movies.

When she moved to Connecticut, she designed and opened a specialty store called Canyon Road which brought together fine art, jewelry and one of a kind furniture. After moving back to her home state of Illinois, Katrina raised her 2 children and became a dedicated Equestrian. Her specialty was 3 Day Eventing, the featured equestrian event in the Olympics

Today, Katrina’s Art is represented in 2 Galleries and she plays competitive tennis in both Naples and Chicago. When not in Naples or Chicago, she and her very soon to be Husband Rick Kash, travel the world pursuing their love of wine and Glass Sculpture.

Since 1999, Carol and Tom Lund have made Naples their home surrounded by great friends and family, not to mention wonderful golf courses and sunsets. During the summer the Lunds enjoy spending time at their lake home in Coeur D’Alene, Idaho. Before moving to Naples, the Lunds lived in Peoria, Illinois where they raised their six children, were very active in the community and where Tom ran his companies.

Tom is widely known as a pioneer of database marketing. His privately held company, Customer Development Corporation (CDC), specialized in database management and marketing for financial institutions and other various companies around the world. In 1987, CDC was honored by Inc. Magazine as the 8th fastest growing privately held company in the country. Tom, who is credited worldwide with many technical and creative innovations in the database marketing industry, also received the coveted “High-Tech Entrepreneur of the Year” award by Entrepreneur Magazine. Tom sold CDC in November of 1998 when he and Carol and their youngest daughter moved to Naples where Tom established Lund Capital Group, a private commercial real estate company that has holdings in various regions across the U.S. Soon after arriving, Tom and Carol became involved with several other families who wanted to start the Naples Winter Wine Festival of which Tom served on the first board of directors.

Carol was on the Board of Trustees at Seacrest Country Day School, served on the NWWF Grant Committee, and continues to be involved with both St. John’s Church and Barron Collier High School, where their daughter attends as a senior. Education and its delivery has always been a passion for the Lunds. They believe that learning should be, “fun for children as well as fascinating in order to engage them throughout their lives.” Their philosophy has been that “every child is uniquely gifted and it is the educator’s responsibility to build upon those gifts”. Because of this, the Lunds founded Praise and Leadership Schools (PALS) based in Peoria, Illinois, which creates a positive foundation in each child and the emphasis on learning is to make each child feel special and to find his/her gifts. The Lunds are joyful in the amount of money and dedication that their fellow Trustees and others have raised through the Naples Winter Wine Festival that has been channeled into impacting the lives of many underserved children in Collier County. They believe the reverberating effect that these gifts the children are receiving through the NCEF organization will impact generations to come and our community at large.

When not doing philanthropic work or tending to their various business ventures, the Lunds spend time with their children and grandchildren, many of whom live in Naples.

Simone Chassin Lutgert was born and raised in Pensacola, FL. She attended Memphis State University in Tennessee where she received a Bachelor of Science in Education. She was a member of Kappa Delta Phi National Honor Society and graduated magna cum laude in 1973. Simone lived in Memphis for 27 years raising her family and working as a sales & marketing executive, and in 1996 retired to Naples, Florida with her family. Simone spends most of her time volunteering for various charitable organizations. She was asked to be an Emeritus Board Member of the Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples, C’MON, after serving 7 years as a Board member and the Capital Campaign Chairman, where she raised over $30 million. Simone served three years as a committee member for the Hats in the Garden Luncheon, which benefits the Naples Botanical Garden. She is a 5 time member of the Magnolia Ball Steering committee, which benefits the Magnolia Endowment for Research and Education at NCH/Lutgert Cancer Center. Simone chaired the 2015 Ball along with her husband, Scott. Simone is co-founder of the Women of Means outreach program at the Shelter for Abused Women & Children. She served as VIP Party co-chairman for the 2012 Naples Winter Wine Festival, marketing and creative director for the 2005 and 2007 festivals, Auction Day co-chair for the 2004 festival, and served on the grant committee for the Naples Children and Education Foundation for 2 years. In addition, Simone and her husband have hosted vintner dinners for over 12 years and are Emeritus members on the Board of Trustees of the Naples Children and Education Foundation/Naples Winter Wine Festival. Simone’s numerous awards include: 2015 25 over 50, Naples Daily News; 2013 Stars in the Arts (along with Scott), United Arts Council of Collier County; 2013 Ken Venturi Award, The Shelter for Abused Women & Children; 2010 Woman of the Year, Gulfshore Life magazine; 2010 Donna Karan’s “Women Who Inspire” and 2010-2013 DK Style Ambassador; 2008 Outstanding Philanthropist (along with Scott), Community Foundation of Collier County; and 2008 Women of Style (now Women of Initiative), n magazine.

Simone enjoys spending time with her family and friends as well as traveling, playing tennis and golf, boating and working out. Together with Scott they have 7 children, 2 sons-in-law, 1 daughter-in-law and 8 grandchildren. In addition to Naples, they spend their summers at Linville Ridge Country Club in the mountains of Linville, North Carolina.

Scott Lutgert was born and raised in Chicago, IL. He attended Stanford University in California where he received a Bachelor of Science in Economics and a MBA from the University of Chicago.

He has been a resident and real estate developer in Naples and Southwest Florida since 1970 and serves as the Chairman of The Lutgert Companies. Through his leadership, The Lutgert Companies developed Park Shore, which includes 17 luxury high-rises. Additionally, the company is developed a total of eight luxury high-rises in Bonita Bay.

Scott has also developed two golf course communities, various shopping centers and office buildings including Estuary at Grey Oaks, Linville Ridge in North Carolina, The Village on Venetian Bay, The Promenade, The Northern Trust Building, Mercato, a mixed use center in North Naples, and most recently the Residences at Mercato. In 1984, Scott founded Premier Properties of Southwest Florida, Inc., to serve as the brokerage company for The Lutgert Companies’ developments. In November of 2010 Premier Properties affiliated with Sotheby’s International Realty; changed its name to Premier Sotheby’s International Realty; expanded throughout Florida; and currently operates offices from Orlando to Marco Island in Florida and offices in North Carolina. It’s headquarters is in Naples, Florida. The Lutgert Companies owns Lutgert Title, Lutgert Insurance, and Premier Commercial Properties. The company also owns many city web sites including www.naples.com, www.bonitasprings.com and www.marcoisland.com.

Scott is a member of many local and national associations and is currently on the Board of Directors for Florida Gulf Coast University and Florida’s Council of 100. He has served on the Boards of the Shelter for Abused Women and Children, The Philharmonic of Naples, Patty & Jay Baker Naples Museum of Art, Naples Community Hospital and the Naples Children and Education Foundation/Naples Winter Wine Festival, among others. He has been named a business Leadership Hall of Fame laureate by the Junior Achievement (2002) and Gulfshore Life’s Man of the Year (2004). Scott is the recipient of the Pathfinder Award from the Urban Land Institute (2004); the Outstanding Leaders in Philanthropy Award (2004) with the Trustees of the Naples Children and Education Foundation; the Edison College Foundation LIFE (Leadership In Fostering Education) Award (2007) with his father, Raymond L. Lutgert; the Outstanding Philanthropists Award (2008), and the United Arts Council – Stars in the Arts Award (2013) with his wife, Simone Lutgert.

Mr. Malone was the Founder and Managing Partner of Qorval, LLC., a financial and business restructuring, consulting and advisory firm. He has been the CEO of five Fortune 500 companies in as many industries.

Jim provided his experience and expertise to both business and community endeavors. He was an active board member of two NYSE-listed companies, Regions Financial Corporation and Ametek, Inc. and also served as a member of the Florida Council of 100. He previously served as Chairman of the Board of Governors for the nation’s third largest underwriter of property insurance, Citizens Property Insurance Corp. of Florida from 2008 to 2011. Malone also served as Gov. Jeb Bush’s appointee on the Board of Trustees of Florida Gulf Coast University from 2006 to 2011.

As a founding member of the Naples Children & Education Foundation, Jim served as co-chair of the 2007 Naples Winter Wine Festival.

Linda Richards Malone is a real estate professional with Premier Sotheby’s International Realty, as well as the owner of LRM Design Group. She was previously the co-founder of Ithaka, a luxury homebuilder.

Community involvement has always played a central role in Linda’s life, and no cause is closer to her heart than NCEF. A founding trustee of the Naples Winter Wine Festival, she has held nearly every position it has to offer, hosted a vintner dinner every year except one since its founding, and has chaired the event twice.

For the more than two decades she has called Naples home, Linda has been immersed in Collier County’s philanthropic, arts, and luxury real estate communities. From the time she first arrived, Linda supported organizations that aid at-risk and disadvantaged children, serving on the boards of The Immokalee Foundation and the Boys and Girls Club of Collier County. Currently on the board of the United Arts Council, she has also been a board member of the Community Foundation of Collier County, the David Lawrence Foundation, and the Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples (“C’mon”).

The Community Foundation of Collier County named Linda among its 2003 “Women of Initiative” and the “Outstanding Philanthropic Fundraiser” in 2007. A graduate of Leadership Collier Masters Class V, she was also listed among Florida Weekly’s 2013 “Power Women,” and Gulfshore Life’s 2014 “Men and Women of the Year.”
Linda is a native of Tulsa, Oklahoma, where she was a founding board member of the American Theatre Company, served on the boards of the Living Arts of Tulsa and Tulsa Ballet Theatre, and chaired many significant community events. Before her journey brought her to Naples, she was a board member of BalletMet in Columbus, Ohio, and the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center in Tampa, Florida.

Linda’s extensive travels have taken her to every continent, to the arts and cultural capitals of the world and to many developing countries. A person of diverse interests and experiences, she has lived in Panama and has a working knowledge of Spanish. In addition to travel, Linda enjoys golf, reading and design.

James W. McGlothlin has been Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and President of The United Company since 1987. One of the country’s largest privately held companies, the United Company is headquartered in Bristol, Virginia with interests in financial services, oil and gas, roof supply distribution, golf operations and real estate.

The company started in March 1970 in surface coal mining. Jim founded the company and rode the coal boom through the energy crisis, mining and processing coal for a country hungry for energy. He has guided The United Company from its roots as one of the largest coal operations in Appalachia, into oil and gas, golf course ownership and design, financial services, and industrial distribution and manufacturing.

Along the way, the company evolved from a coal company to an investment and venture firm. United’s financial management division is now its largest: It manages assets, not only for United, but for individuals, endowments, retirement plans and trusts.

Under his leadership, the company has built significant oil-and-gas holdings in Texas and Canada, and invests in a wide variety of businesses, including pharmaceutical, Internet-based campus book stores, a mortgage-service company, and a computer chip company to name just a few.

Jim is married to Fran, an avid art collector and a member of the board of trustees of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

2015 & 2016 Festival Co-Chairs

Sandi and Tom Moran have called Naples home for more than 40 years. Passionate about the community and its children, most of the couple’s charitable endeavors involve partnering with organizations to meet children’s needs, including nurturing their academic success and promoting arts education. As Trustees for the Naples Children and Education Foundation from 2010-2020, Sandi served as Chairman of the NCEF Board of Directors and Tom served on the Grant Committee. They co-chaired the 2015 and 2016 Naples Winter Wine Festivals, collectively raising more than $24 million for underserved children’s services in Collier County. The couple are founding patrons of Opera Naples.

Sandi is a three-time Tony Award winning Broadway Producer with current productions including Hadestown, Moulin Rouge, Mrs. Doubtfire and Tina: The Tina Turner Musical with productions of Moulin Rouge and Tina on the West End in London. She is a board member of Gulfshore Playhouse, in support of which, Sandi and Tom and the Moran Family Foundation recently pledged $5 million towards the construction of the Baker Theatre and Education Center.

Tom is the Chairman, CEO and CIO of Moran Wealth Management®. He has authored articles and been interviewed for Barron’s, The Wall Street Journal, and Naples Daily News and frequently lectures throughout the nation on the economy and financial markets. Most recently he was ranked a Forbes Best-in-State Advisor. Tom has also been designated a Barron’s Hall of Fame Advisor for his ranking as a Top 100 Financial Advisor each year for the last 12 consecutive years. He is a member of the Advisory Councils for Youth Haven and James Madison.

In recognition of their work and impact within Naples, the couple received the 2010 Philanthropist of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award; were honored among Gulfshore Life’s Men and Women of the Year in 2012; and were recognized in 2015 by the United Arts Council as Stars in the Arts for their dedication to arts education.

John S. Mueller is founder and Chairman and President of Relleum, Inc., a venture capital and real estate development company located in Naples, Florida with a satellite office in St. Clair County, Michigan. Under it’s subsidiaries of Granite Development, LLC and Granite Construction Limited, Relleum, Inc. is currently building custom homes in five communities in Lee and Collier counties, Florida.

John was born in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada, raised in Michigan and resided in California for nineteen years before immigrating to Naples in 1986.

John is a 1966 graduate of Michigan State University with a master’s degree in Marketing. He is a fourth generation descendent of the founder of the Mueller Company where he served as Owner/Director from 1975 to 1986. The Mueller Company, headquartered in Decatur, Illinois, manufactured water and gas distribution products and was the world’s largest manufacturer of fire hydrants. At the time of its sale in 1986, the Mueller Company had seventeen domestic and international production facilities and $600 million in annual sales.

John currently serves as a member of the Naples Children & Education Foundation Grant Committee.

John has two daughters and five grandchildren all living in Arizona and/or California.

Robert (Bob) Scott was President and Chief Operating Officer of Morgan Stanley, a global financial services firm with leading franchises in institutional and retail securities and credit services until December, 2003. He continues as an Advisory Director of the company. He was a member of the Morgan Stanley senior management team, which structured the 1997 merger with Dean Witter Discover, as well as head of the Morgan Stanley transition team for the merger. Bob was named Chief Financial Officer of Morgan Stanley Dean Witter at the time of the merger and became President and Chief Operating Officer in 2001.

Bob is a Trustee of Williams College and also serves as a member of the Advisory Council of the Stanford University Graduate School of Business. He was the co-chair of the 2003 U.S. Japan Private Sector/Government Commission. Bob is currently a Director of Genpact, a member of the Board of Trustees of the New York Presbyterian Hospital, Chairman of the American Museum of Fly Fishing and a former Executive Vice President of the Greater New York Council of the Boy Scouts of America.

Karen Scott has worked with Morgan Stanley and Thomas Publishing Co. She is a Trustee of the Naples Botanical Garden and served as Co-Chair of the 2008 Hats in the Garden Luncheon. The Scotts have five children and enjoy fly fishing and gourmet food and wine. They reside in New York.

Bruce Sherman is chairman and chief executive officer of M4 Capital and chairman and principal owner of the Miami Marlins. He represents the fourth ownership in Club history after acquiring the team effective October 2, 2017. Mr. Sherman serves on Major League Baseball’s Executive Council, Long-Term Strategic Planning Committee and International Committee.

In addition to building sustained success on and off the field, improved fan experience and a commitment to the South Florida community have been hallmarks to Mr. Sherman’s ownership as the Marlins continue investing significantly into ballpark enhancements as well as making a positive impact on our future leaders and their families through community outreach and Miami Marlins Foundation programming.

Mr. Sherman retired from his position as the chief executive officer of Private Capital Management (PCM) in 2009. He launched PCM in 1986 and built it into the largest independent asset manager in the southeastern United States prior to selling the firm to Legg Mason in 2001. Following the sale, he retained autonomy over PCM’s portfolio management and investment research and led the company to a prestigious #1 ranking in the country, as measured by Nelson’s “World’s Best Money Managers,” for the ten years ending December 31, 2005. He formerly served on the board of directors of Artis-Naples, the premier center for the performing and visual arts in Southwest Florida.

In 2024, Mr. Sherman received the Horatio Alger Award which is bestowed upon esteemed individuals who have succeeded despite facing adversities and who have remained committed to higher education and charitable efforts in their communities. The Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc. is a nonprofit educational organization honoring the achievements of outstanding individuals and encouraging youth to pursue their dreams through higher education.

He graduated from the University of Rhode Island in 1969 and earned his MBA from Bernard Baruch College in 1973.

Bruce has two daughters and four grandchildren and is married to Cynthia Sherman.

Cynthia was born and raised in New York City. She graduated from Queens College, summa cum laude, double majoring in European history and education. She taught kindergarten in the Stamford public school system for three years and then attended Georgetown University Law Center, where she was a member of the Law Review.

Upon graduation from law school, Cynthia commenced her law career at Rogers & Wells in New York. She was promoted to partner in 1992. She was a corporate partner for eight years, specializing in transactions involving intellectual property ownership, acquisition and transfer, retiring in 2000.

Mr. and Mrs. Sherman founded the Bruce and Cynthia Sherman Charitable Foundation. The Foundation administers the “Sherman Prize” to recognize and reward leading individuals who go above and beyond to make exceptional, pioneering contributions and inspire tomorrow’s innovators in the fight to overcome Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Honorees of the annual awards have hailed from the University of Miami Health System, Cleveland Clinic, University of Chicago and Harvard Medical School, among many others. The Foundation endowed the Bruce and Cynthia Sherman Professorship in Urological Research and Innovation at New York University’s School of Medicine. In 2021, the Foundation partnered with the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine to establish the Palm Beach Vision Health Initiative, a vision screening program for pediatric underserved communities. The Foundation has also aligned with Boca Raton Regional Hospital’s Keeping the Promise campaign that will help innovate and modernize facilities, enhance and add capacity for key services and deliver the highest quality patient care. Additionally, the Foundation proudly supports The Masterpiece Trust, a collaborative initiative between GBH Boston and PBS stations nationwide, to bring the highest quality actors, producers and scripts to American audiences.

Elliott H. Singer is the co-founder and CEO of Pure Wireless, LLC, a Naples, Florida based company that ensures cellular “dead zones” are eliminated and that Fire, Police and EMS personnel are connected when communication is critical. In addition, Pure Wireless developed 911locate.ai to give 911 operators critical building mapping data to help locate callers in distress, direct bystanders and first responders to aid in an emergency, and most importantly save lives.

As founder and former chairman/CEO of A+ Communications, Inc. Mr. Singer grew revenues from under $1 million to over $100 million. Mr. Singer led A+ through a very successful initial public offering in 1993 and through an approximately $300 million merger with Metrocall, where he served on the board of directors for over three years.
Mr. Singer has a Bachelor of Administration from Tulane University and a Master of Business Administration from the Leonard R. Stern School of Business at NYU.

Retta Singer’s charitable contributions include past president of “Hero’s for Heart” for the American Heart Association, member of Davidson County Heart Board and past president of a Ronald McDonald House Christmas fundraiser and member of Un at de Vin (American Cancer wine auction charity event). She was the first female elected as president of a Junior Achievement Company and committee member for Meals on Wheels for the elderly. Retta was employed with American Airlines for 23 years.
The Singers have been married for 32 years and are enthusiasts regarding charities in their community. Their motto is: “Put something back on the table of life, you can’t just take, you must give back.”

Adria and Jerry Starkey are long time residents of Naples and have been leaders in the local and statewide business communities for decades. Each have served on many non-profit boards over the years; they became Trustees of the Naples Children & Education Foundation (NCEF) in 2006 and transitioned to Emeritus Trustees in 2017. Adria and Jerry have each served on the Grant Committee throughout their tenure, and Jerry served on the NCEF Board and as treasurer for several terms. Adria co-chaired the 2014 “Celebrate the Journey” Naples Winter Wine Festival with Anne Welsh McNulty and Linda Richards Malone.

In addition to their passion for NCEF and its mission, along with its beneficiaries and strategic initiatives, they are supportive of other non-profit organizations in Florida. Adria is currently chair of the FGCU School of Entrepreneurship Board of Advisors, vice chair of the Florida Prepaid Board and a board member of the Forum Club. Jerry is board chair of Healthcare Network of Southwest Florida (HCN) and has served on the HCN board for over a decade. He is also on the board of the STARability Foundation and previously served for a decade on the Florida Gulf Coast University inaugural Board of Trustees.

The Starkeys are passionate about education, healthcare and organizations that help underserved children maximize their potential. They are extremely proud to be a part of NCEF and the amazing impact it has had on the lives of so many children in Collier County.