GNL Connection

Greater Naples Leadership, Inc.
www.gnlwebsite.org

GNL Connection

February 2008

In This Issue

Women's reunion

March 12 luncheon

Community Service Fair

Class Reps

February 15 luncheon report

Brynn Bruijn profile

Ave Maria trip

Class Days

Alumni in the News

Board Highlights

Quick Links

Home Page

Calendar of Events

Mission Statement

Community Suport Policy

Board of Directors

Print & Go Link

February newsletter

Fair photos

Class Representatives

I - Dean Van Nest

II - Sam Hinkle

III - Jeannette
Boucher

IV - Peter Cullman

V - Bill Kroeschell

VI -Art Shafer

VII - Jane Borchers

VIII - Farron Winges

IX - Gretchen Green

X - Mike Messner

XI - Susy Warren

Chair - Joyce Coughlan

Greetings,

I'm always proud of Greater Naples Leadership, but I've never been more proud than I was on Tuesday, February 12, 2008, the day of our Community Service Fair. Our mission statement reads, in part: "To provide proven leaders with a UNIQUE opportunity to learn . . ." The Fair was certainly UNIQUE! There are many definitions of the word "unique," but the one I prefer is "worthy of being in a class by itself or extraordinary." That was our Fair. UNIQUE.

This Fair, perhaps more than any event I've ever seen in GNL, touched at the heart and soul of our organization and our mission. One Fair exhibitor told me, "Frank, I've gotten so many opportunities here today that my head is spinning." A representative of another agency sent me an e-mail before 7 a.m. the morning after the Fair, beginning: "The GNL Fair just rocked."

The Community Service Fair Organizing Committee, headed by Marsha Murphy and Ben Tiley, consisted of the following: Jeanne Bolds, Mary George, Jinny Johnson, Ilene Leff, Rich Matthes, Bob McCarthy, Sondra Quinn, Dina Sewell, Art Shafer, Don Shapiro, Carol Shaw and Jen Walker. Ann Berlam (in photo with Frank), our past president, was instrumental in our being able to procure Edison College as the very appropriate site for the Fair.

We also had more than 30 other GNLers setting up tables, stuffing bags, unloading vehicles and serving as ushers. They all spent many, many hours of hard work preparing for the Fair. Please join me in expressing thanks to them for all that was accomplished.

What was accomplished was fulfilling our mission as never before: UNIQUELY.

Thank you from the President of GNL.

Frank Gorke

For Women Only

Dana The sixth annual Women's Reunion will take a look at "The Pressure to be Beautiful: Where Does it All Come From?" on Thursday, March 6, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., at the home of Barbara Teaford (Class IX). The speaker will be Dana Vannoy, Ph.D., professor of sociology emeritus at the University of Cincinnati and founding director of the women's studies program there.

Dana has published many books and articles and edited "Gender Mosaics: Social Perspective," a book for undergraduate and graduate instruction in sociology, gender studies and women's studies. She is also a freelance art photographer.

Appetizers and desserts will be served. A $5 donation at the door is requested to cover costs.

All women who are alumnae or members of Class XII or Class XIII are invited to the reunion. Please RSVP by March 3 to Karen Danni at the GNL office, 213-9211, or by e-mail to: GNLoffice@GNLwebsite.org.

Will We Run Out of Water?

Join us for the March 12 Alumni Luncheon, when Jennifer Hecker of the Conservancy of Southwest Florida will talk about what's in store for all of us as Lake Okeechobee and our aquifers continue to lose water. Will we be able to water our lawns and golf courses? Are we running out of our most precious commodity, drinking water? How will this impact our economy?

Hecker is a natural resource policy manager for the Conservancy, specializing in water resource policy, listed species policy, Everglades restoration, environmental lands acquisition and management, and natural resources legislation.

All alumni and Class XII members are encouraged to join us on Wednesday, March 12, from 11:45 to 1:30 p.m. at Moorings Park, 120 Moorings Drive, off Goodlette-Frank Road, just south of Pine Ridge. The cost is $15, payable at the table. Reservations are required for all attendees; and cancellations must be made no later than March 10. RSVP by March 5 to Karen Danni at the GNL office, 213-9211, or by e-mail to: GNLoffice@GNLwebsite.org.

A Fair to Remember

sign

The atmosphere was electric as nearly 70 exhibitors, aided by their staff and volunteers, greeted in excess of 300 attendees at the GNL Community Service Fair at Edison College's Collier Campus on Tuesday, February 12. Invited guests included GNL members as well as those from AAUW, Leadership Collier, The League Club and Young Professionals.

With "need sheets" and literature at each exhibitor table, agency representatives provided the attendees with an excellent picture of their current volunteer needs.

Edu sessions

Christine Williamson and Marsha Murphy

In addition, many were delighted with the well-planned educational sessions that offered fairgoers both technological and cost-cutting ideas for their back-office operations and innovative partnering concepts with for-profit organizations. Others viewed the abbreviated version of the Naples Children & Education Foundation video entitled "Inspiring Tomorrow's Heroes" and heard more about their contribution to our community All three classes, each offered three times, were well attended and enthusiastically received.

BBBS

Elexia Hinote and Sonia Bathol (Director of Volunteers), BBBS

As the event concluded, many exhibitors expressed their appreciation for a venue which offered both volunteer leads and networking opportunities with other agencies.

Kudos to all who made this event so successful, from Marsha Murphy and Ben Tiley's Community Service Fair Organizing Committee to the GNL event-day volunteers and the efficient support of the Edison College staff.

And now, for the real measure of success, we hope that you will take the next step and follow up on those volunteer ideas . . . and spread the word!

(To catch the flavor of the Fair, download a collage of photos by Brynn Bruijn. Be patient; it's a large file and will take a few moments to download.)

Class Reps: connecting GNLers

Coughlan2 The Class Representatives, under the leadership of Joyce Coughlan (Class IX), are doing an outstanding job of building and maintaining the camaraderie and commitment of GNL members that is the hallmark of our organization. Each of the class reps communicates regularly to encourage membership in the Alumni Association, notify classmates of important GNL happenings and solicit news that is published each month in the Connection.

This year we have had an unprecedented number of class reunions with more to come:

Classes I and II had a joint reunion in the fall.

Class III is planning one for late April.

Class IV held their first-ever reunion.

Class V met in late January.

Class VI will hold a barbecue in March.

Class VII had a Happy Post-Holiday gathering.
Class VIII held a dinner in November and will have a spring party in March.

Class IX held a forum on volunteering, followed by a reception, and is planning a social gathering in April.

Class X held a reunion in October and a holiday ladies' luncheon; a spring party is in the works.

Class XI has monthly ladies lunches and had a picnic in January; they will do a pub tour with Class XII members this month and finish the season with airboat rides in April. (Now there's an active class!!)

Hats off to the Class Representatives, who help maintain the social fabric of GNL!

February 15 Alumni Luncheon

Storrar GNL alumni and friends heard Tom Storrar, Coordinator of the Southwest Florida Regional Domestic Security Task Force, detail his organization and the plans in place to protect Florida from terrorist attack.

Noting that a majority of the World Trade Center attackers trained in Florida, he stated that the main focus of the Task Force is detection and prevention, plus quick response in case of threat or attack. Sophisticated telecommunication equipment, robots with precision touch and daily briefings are used in their operations.

Responding to questions from the audience, he candidly acknowledged that he had genuine concerns about the organization of the Homeland Security agency, that the fall of the Castro regime was as likely to precipitate migration from Florida to Cuba as the reverse and that small airports without control towers remain a vulnerable site for terrorist operations.

Intrepid Photographer Views a Curious World

Brynn She's had a life packed with adventure--from underwater photography in the Red Sea and escaping the Lebanon civil war to photographing homes, Europe's royalty and celebrities, then hiding from the Chinese police in Tibet and, finally, living in Naples--all with her trusty camera in hand. Now her view of a "Curiouser and Curiouser" world will be on exhibit as a one-woman show at The von Liebig Art Center during March. Read the conversation Jen Walker (Class IX) had with Brynn Bruijn (Class XI) whose work has been widely honored, exhibited and published.

An Inside Peek at Ave Maria

Ave Maria

photo by Art Shafer

The red carpet was rolled out for nearly 100 GNLers on January 24 as they toured both Ave Maria Town and University. It was a chance to hear from the founder, the university president and the developer and to view the oratory, about which we've all heard so much. Read why those who participated called this a terrific in-depth session and view photos from the day.

Class XII Examines Growth and Human Services in Collier

According to Class XII Team Leader Martha Forbes (Class X), members of this year's Masters Class have had an amazing year to date. Read her report on January's Growth Day and February's Human Services Day, both packed with outstanding presentations and facility tours.

Alumni in the News

Ann Jacobson (Class III) will be honored March 13 by the Jewish Museum of Florida in Miami as a member of Queen Esther's Court at the Purim Ball that recognizes Florida men and women for their exceptional leadership. This well-deserved award recognizes her founding the Holocaust Museum of Southwest Florida and the FGCU Center for Judaic, Holocaust and Human Rights Studies and facilitating the Catholic/Jewish Dialogue of Collier County.