Editor’s Columns

With many deserving nonprofits in SWFL, deciding where to invest your philanthropic dollars is challenging.

A few weeks ago, while riding up a chairlift with my two grandchildren, ages 8 and 12, I looked over at them and marveled. Here I was at 60-something, skiing with my grandkids.

Early on in my career, I mentioned to an executive I looked up to at the office that I loved my job. The retired Marine colonel looked sharply at me and with a terse tone said, “Young lady, we do not have a job here, we are performing a duty by serving our community.”

Years ago, one of my mentors, Russell Budd, taught me how to present situations for effective decision-making in five minutes.

“I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him,” President Abraham Lincoln said.

Not many local businesses can say they’ve been around since the creation of Collier County, but one local law firm has the bragging rights that its founder helped create Florida’s 62nd county almost a century ago.

Business connections are useful and can make a difference in your career, but do you have any connections that are powerful and make a difference in your community?

A few weeks ago, I wrote about letting your children choose volunteer projects. My vegetarian daughter, who has a passion for cooking and dancing, is excited to show off her grilling skills.

In the summer of 2017, my daughter and I backpacked into the Grand Canyon. After months of training, we hiked down the steep terrain, loaded down with backpacks and camping gear.

I once drove from Florida to Acadia National Park in Maine, only to find the door locked and no one to let me in. It was during the fall of 2013, and that year’s government shutdown left many travelers stranded and frustrated.