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Stevens Construction has been awarded the pre-construction and construction management services for Lakes Park Children’s Dentistry and Orthodontics, an 8,050-square-foot office for Dr. Oliver Favalli, DMD, announced Mark Stevens, company president.

Located at 7117 Congdon Road, the 5,550-square-foot orthodontic facility will feature ten treatment rooms, an orthodontic bay, X-Ray, lobby, reception, consultation rooms, administrative offices and game area. The remaining 2,500-square-feet will be available for lease.

The project is scheduled to begin in winter of 2012. Christopher J. Lee Architects, Inc. is the architect of record.

With offices in Fort Myers and Orlando, Fla., Stevens Construction specializes in providing construction management, general contracting and consulting services to clients and design professionals. Other services include site and design team selection, budgeting, project scheduling, permitting, cost and quality control and warranty service. The company builds healthcare, commercial and hospitality facilities. For information, visit www.stevensconstructioninc.com or call 239-936-9006.

Physician and author Andrew Weil, one of the world’s foremost authorities on health, wellness and integrative medicine, will host the next event of the Naples Town Hall Distinguished Speaker Series on Wednesday, Feb. 1 at 6 p.m. at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort in Naples. The Harvard M.D. combines traditional and alternative medicine, advancing the practice of integrative medicine which takes account of the whole person (body, mind and spirit). Renowned as the “father of integrative medicine,” Weil will enchant attendees with his passion for inspiring others to live their healthiest lives.

“Dr. Weil has bridged tradition and innovation in his medical work. His holistic approach to medicine is pioneering,” says Rick Borman, Naples Town Hall Distinguished Speaker Series president and producer. “It’s an honor to have Dr. Weil present his healthful insights during the 2012 Naples Town Hall Distinguished Speaker Series.”

Named one of “the world’s 100 most influential people” by TIME, Weil worked for the National Institutes of Health before traveling to North and South America and Africa to study the ancient tradition of medicinal plants and how other cultures treated disease. Today, Weil serves as the Director of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona’s College of Medicine, which is known for revolutionizing the ways people use plants, mind/body interactions, and nutrition to heal their bodies and improve their quality of life. The author of six No. 1 New York Times bestsellers, Weil’s eleventh and latest book Spontaneous Happiness was released November 2011.  Here, Weil redefines the notion of happiness and demonstrates the limitations of the biochemical model of mental health.

Dr. Weil inspires many with his integrative medicine approach through platforms such as DrWeil.com, his monthly column featured in Prevention Magazine or one of his many guest appearances on shows including Dr. Oz, Oprah, Good Morning America, NPR’s Fresh Air, The Today Show and many others.

Dr. Weil headlines the Feb. 1 event of the sold-out 2012 Naples Town Hall Distinguished Speaker Series. The other two remaining speakers for the 2012 lineup include world-renowned endurance artist, David Blaine on Thursday, March 1; and former Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice on Tuesday, March 20. Visit www.NaplesTownHall.org or call 239-659-6524.

In addition to the series lineup, Naples Town Hall Distinguished Speaker series is hosting a Special Event featuring Fox News Anchor Bret Baier on Saturday, Feb. 25 at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort in Naples. To secure tickets to the special event, visit www.NaplesTownHall.org or call 239-659-6524.

Naples Town Hall Distinguished Speakers is the premier non-profit lecture series in Naples, Fla. Continuously operating and producing four lectures per season since 1983, Town Hall was the first to bring cultural programming to the area and remains the forerunner in presentation of world leaders, experts in the fields of economics, history and science, as well as cultural icons. Past speakers have included several former U.S. Presidents including George H.W. Bush, Gerald Ford, and George W. Bush; media icons Sam Donaldson, Tim Russert and Cokie Roberts; as well as global leaders such as Benazir Bhutto and President of Israel Shimon Peres.

The Conservancy of Southwest Florida announces the appointment of Robert L. Heidrick to the role of chairman of the Conservancy of Southwest Florida Board of Directors. In addition, six new community and business leaders were elected to serve a four-year term as members of the Conservancy board of directors. The elections took place during the Conservancy of Southwest Florida Annual Meeting held on Jan. 17 Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club with more than 700 members in attendance.

Heidrick replaces outgoing chairman Dolph von Arx, who led the Conservancy during its “Saving Southwest Florida Capital Campaign” and served as board chair from 2008-2012. In addition to Heidrick, the officers of the Conservancy Board of Directors include Vice Chairman Andrew D.W. Hill; Conservancy President & CEO Andrew McElwaine; Treasurer George Gibson and Secretary Sue Dalton.

Heidrick was vice Chairman and managing director of Spencer Stuart’s Global Industrial Practice, which accounted for over 20 percent of the firm’s revenues. At the same time, he was responsible for senior-level executive search engagement and dedicated more than half of his time to conducting assignments for the firm’s Board Services Practice. Heidrick received the McGinley Award in 2007, given annually to the partner who exemplified the spirit of the firm by delivering the highest level of service. Heidrick is also on the Board of Directors of the Forum Club of Southwest Florida, Naples; Rush University Medical Center (Vice Chairman), Chicago; and Glenwood School for Boys & Girls (Vice Chairman), Chicago.

“On behalf of the Conservancy and the board of directors, I welcome Bob to the role of chairman,” said McElwaine. “His extensive corporate leadership combined with his passion for the Conservancy mission will be instrumental as we introduce the new, expanded Conservancy campus to the public.”

Heidrick is joined by six new board members: Wilson Bradshaw, president of Florida Gulf Coast University; Dennis C. Brown, co-managing regional office attorney for Bond, Schoeneck & King; Jane Pearsall, a former Conservancy Capital Campaign cabinet member; Anne Drackett Thomas, retired senior manager of Proctor and Gamble; Jay Tompkins, a retired former partner at Columbia-Naples Capital LCC; and Nancy White, a former legislative assistant and a licensed real estate associate. They replace outgoing board members Edie Andrews, Jenny Cheng, Maureen Lerner, Kermit Sutton and Eva Sugden Gomez. The new board members join existing Conservancy board members Dawn Allyn, Ted Corbin, Paul Corddry, John Fumagalli, John R. Hall, Lois Kelley, Kenneth Krier, Lisa Merritt, Patsy Schroeder, Lynne Shotwell, Lynn Slabaugh, Jeannie Smith, Tucker Tyler, Gene Windfeldt and Ian Wright.

About the Conservancy of Southwest Florida:
The Conservancy of Southwest Florida began in 1964 when community leaders came together to defeat a proposed “Road to Nowhere” and spearheaded the acquisition and protection of Rookery Bay. The Conservancy is a not-for-profit grassroots organization focused on the critical environmental issues of the Southwest Florida region with a mission to protect the region’s water, land and wildlife. This is accomplished through the combined efforts of environmental education, science and research, policy and advocacy and wildlife rehabilitation. The Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic treats more than 2,400 injured, sick and orphaned animals each year and releases about half of them back into their native habitats. The Conservancy of Southwest Florida and Nature Center is located in Naples, Fla. at 1450 Merrihue Dr., off Goodlette-Frank Road at 14th Avenue North. For information about the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, call 239-262-0304 or visit www.conservancy.org.

GCM Contracting Solutions has completed construction of a new-to-market franchise, Elevation Burger, located at 9902 Gulf Coast Main St. at Gulf Coast Town Center in Fort Myers. Elevation Burger is a new, quick-serve restaurant offering fresh, 100 percent organic, grass-fed beef and other organic and healthy food choices. The 2,200-square-foot Fort Myers location will seat approximately 60 people.

Gregory S. Coleman with GCM Contracting Solutions is the project manager. Frederick Goglia, Arcvision, Inc. is the architect.

GCM Contracting Solutions, Inc. was founded in 1988 by Robert Brown, owner and president. The Fort Myers-based company is a design-build general contractor providing turnkey services and specializing in tilt-up concrete construction. The GCM family of companies includes General Contracting, Tiltwall & Concrete, Revolution Walls and Ready Mix divisions, as well as architectural and structural design services.  For more information, call 239-334-8800 or visit www.GCMContracting.com.

Christopher J. Shields, a partner at Pavese Law Firm, has received his board recertification in real estate law from The Florida Bar. Board certification is the highest level of evaluation by The Florida Bar of the competency and experience of attorneys in the 24 areas of law approved for certification by the Supreme Court of Florida. Shields first became board certified in 1991.

According to the Florida Bar, seven percent of eligible Florida Bar members – about 4,500 lawyers – are board certified.  Board-certified members of The Florida Bar are the only Florida attorneys allowed to identify themselves as “board certified,” “specialist,” “expert” or to use the letters “B.C.S.” for board certified specialist.

Board certification is valid for five years, during which time the attorney must continue to practice law and attend Florida Bar-approved continuing legal education courses. To be recertified, lawyers must meet requirements similar to those for initial certification.

Shields joined Pavese Law Firm in 1984 and became a partner in the firm in 1990.  He primarily practices in the areas of subdivision law, master planned residential, commercial and mixed use communities and provides legal counsel to numerous New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) developers, builders, lenders and community associations throughout Southwest Florida. Shields has extensive experience in the design and operation of all aspects of condominium and homeowner developments including obtaining regulatory approvals for developing and marketing these communities.  In addition to representing developers, builders, lenders and successor developers, Shields represents more than 400 condominium and homeowner associations throughout Southwest Florida and leads the real estate and community law division of Pavese Law Firm. Shields is a Board Certified Real Estate Lawyer, Florida Bar Board of Legal Specialization and Education, and a member of the Florida Bar’s Condominium and Planned Development Committee of the Florida Bar’s Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section. He is a frequent speaker on condominium and real estate law topics.

Within the Southwest Florida community, Shields serves on the editorial board at Gulfshore Business Magazine and the school board at Bishop Verot High School. He has previously served on the local chapter Board of Community Association Institute, the Chamber of Southwest Florida board of directors and as General Counsel to the Lee Building Industry Association.  In February 2010, Gulfshore Business Magazine named Shields as “One of 14 Go To Lawyers in Southwest Florida You Want In Your Corner”. Shields has been named to the list of Florida Super Lawyers® in the Real Estate Edition each year since its inception and was named to the list in the 2010 Corporate Counsel Edition, a consumers’ guide that recognizes the top five percent of attorneys in each of 31 states as selected by their peers and through the independent study of Law & Politics magazine.

Pavese Law Firm is a full-service law firm with offices in Fort Myers, Cape Coral and West Palm Beach. The firm provides a broad range of legal services for individuals, families, small businesses and large corporations. Practice areas include agricultural, banking and finance, bankruptcy, business and taxation, civil litigation, community association, employment, environmental and water, estate planning, probate and trust, family, land use and government, and real estate law. Established in 1949 as a one-person general practice firm, Pavese Law Firm has grown into one of the largest legal practices in Southwest Florida. With a long history of service to Southwest Florida, Pavese Law Firm has played a significant role in the growth of local businesses, communities and major development projects. For more information, visit www.paveselaw.com or call 239-334-2195.

On Monday morning, representatives from Lee Building Industry Association (BIA) Builders Care, got a big surprise.  The Aubuchon Team of Companies, led by Gary Aubuchon and Jeff Miloff, surprised the group with a donation of nearly $7,500.00 instead of the $3700 first indicated.  Amongst hugs and company VIPs, the Aubuchon Team of Companies presented a new check to Heidi Taulman, executive director Lee BIA Builders Care.

“We continue to be impressed with the services provided by Builders Care and their partners in the building industry, said Gary Aubuchon.  “And we are excited to be a part of the team to help more families in our area.”

Each year, The Aubuchon Team of Companies hosts a fundraiser for local charities through its Helping Hands for the Holidays event.  The 2011 holiday event raised over $11,000 for local charities. To date, The Aubuchon Team of Companies has donated over $30,000 over the past five years to help the Lee Building Industry Association (BIA) Builders Care program provide free home repair services to disadvantaged Lee County residents.

“This is such a wonderful surprise and an awesome commitment to the community, Builders Care and the industry,’’ said Heidi Taulman Builders Care executive director.  Gary Aubuchon, president of The Aubuchon Team of Companies, serves on the board of directors for the Lee Building Industry Association as an ex-officio.

Builders Care is the nonprofit charitable arm of the Lee Building Industry Association (BIA). Its objective is to provide emergency repairs and construction services to elderly, disabled and economically disadvantaged people who are unable to obtain home repairs through traditional means. Builders Care enlists the volunteer services of Lee BIA members and leverages grants and donated materials to provide construction and remodeling services to qualified homeowners throughout LeeCounty. Builders Care is headquartered at the Lee BIA offices at 10501 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy., Suite 104 in Fort Myers. Donations can be made online at www.LeeBuildersCare.org, or to the Builders Care general fund at BB&T Page Field branch at 4959 South Cleveland Ave. inFort   Myers. Moreinformation is available by calling 239-938-0056.

The Conservancy of Southwest Florida hosted more than 700 members at the organization’s annual meeting held on Jan. 17 at Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club. In addition to board elections and the Board of Directors’ annual report to members, the meeting featured keynote speaker Fabien Cousteau, an ocean explorer, environmental activist, filmmaker and grandson of world-renown ocean explorer Jacques Yves Cousteau. In addition to sharing highlights of his family’s underwater adventures, Fabien Cousteau spoke to members about his recently launched “Plant-A-Fish Initiative” aimed at promoting mangrove restoration.

“If we invest in nature, nature will invest in us,” said Cousteau to attendees.

“Carrying on his family’s legacy, Cousteau brings an inspiring message of the importance that environmental stewardship to the health and future of our land, water and wildlife,” said Conservancy President Andrew McElwaine. “His story resonates with our members and challenges each of us to do more to protect our planet for generations to come. We invite our members to take this message to the community and encourage their neighbors, friends and colleagues to join us.”

With more than 4,000 members, the Conservancy relies on its member dollars to help support the day-to-day financial operations.

“Our members are the backbone of the organization,” says Jack Hannings, Director of Membership and Annual Giving for the Conservancy of Southwest Florida. “In addition to providing operational funding, our membership base gives us strength to support our public policy efforts and is our conduit to educating the community on the critical needs of Southwest Florida’s environment.”

While highlighting the role of Conservancy members, McElwaine and outgoing board chair Dolph von Arx also recognized outgoing board members Edie Andrews, Jenny Cheng, Maureen Lerner, Kermit Sutton and Eva Sugden Gomez with service awards. In addition, Conservancy Co-Director of Environmental Science Dave Addison was honored with a retirement award and Nick Batos, former Chairman of The Brooks Concerned Citizens with a leadership award for mobilizing the community to protect critical wetlands from development. A highlight of the awards ceremony came as McElwaine presented outgoing chair von Arx with a Yogi Berra baseball, signed by Berra with his infamous quote: “when you come to a fork in the road, you take it.”

“Throughout his tenure as board chair and throughout the Conservancy ‘Saving Southwest Florida’ Capital Campaign, when Dolph von Arx came to a fork in the road, he kept the destination in focus and led the way for the Conservancy, board and members to exceed our highest goals,” said McElwaine. “We are grateful for his unwavering dedication, leadership and support.” Also during the annual meeting, new board members were welcomed and will serve a four-year term. They include Wilson Bradshaw, president of Florida Gulf Coast University; Dennis C. Brown, co-managing regional office attorney for Bond, Schoeneck & King; Jane Pearsall, a former Conservancy Capital Campaign cabinet member; Anne Drackett Thomas, retired senior manager of Proctor and Gamble; Jay Tompkins, a retired former partner at Columbia-Naples Capital LCC; and Nancy White, a former legislative assistant and a licensed real estate associate. In addition to welcoming the incoming board members, Robert L. Heidrick, was elected chair of the Conservancy of Southwest Florida board of directors. Having recently retired as an active partner of Spencer Stuart, Heidrick continues to serve as an adviser to the firm, focusing on the client relationships. He was vice Chairman and managing director of Spencer Stuart’s Global Industrial Practice, which accounted for over 20 percent of the firm’s revenues. At the same time, he was responsible for senior-level executive search engagement and dedicated more than half of his time to conducting assignments for the firm’s Board Services Practice. Heidrick received the McGinley Award in 2007, given annually to the partner who exemplified the spirit of the firm by delivering the highest level of service. “Bob brings years of global corporate expertise and heartfelt passion for the Conservancy mission to the board’s leadership,” says McElwaine. “We are pleased to welcome him to the role of board chair. Under Bob’s leadership, we’ll introduce the nation’s premier new Nature Center and explore new opportunities to enhance education and impact policy changes that will benefit Southwest Florida for generations to come.”

About the Conservancy of Southwest Florida: The Conservancy of Southwest Florida began in 1964 when community leaders came together to defeat a proposed “Road to Nowhere” and spearheaded the acquisition and protection of Rookery Bay. The Conservancy is a not-for-profit grassroots organization focused on the critical environmental issues of the Southwest Florida region with a mission to protect the region’s water, land and wildlife.  This is accomplished through the combined efforts of environmental education, science and research, policy and advocacy and wildlife rehabilitation. The Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic treats more than 2,400 injured, sick and orphaned animals each year and releases about half of them back into their native habitats. The Conservancy of Southwest Florida and Nature Center is located in Naples, Fla. at 1450 Merrihue Dr., off Goodlette-Frank Road at 14th Avenue North. For information about the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, call 239-262-0304 or visit www.conservancy.org.

Tickets and sponsorships are available for a Naples Town Hall Distinguished Speaker Series Special Event featuring Bret Baier, anchor of Fox News Channel’s “Special Report with Bret Baier.” The event will take place Feb. 25 from 6 – 9:30 p.m. at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort in Naples. Tickets are available starting at $175 per person. To purchase tickets or for sponsorship opportunities, call 239-659-6524 or visit www.NaplesTownHall.org.

Baier will share behind the scenes observations, anecdotes and photos from the Republican presidential primaries and debates. By the special event date, Baier will have moderated five presidential debates; the Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada caucuses and the Florida primary will be history.

During the event, Baier will host a live auction to benefit Children’s National Medical Center and Naples Town Hall. Baier and his wife Amy have two young sons. Born with congenital heart defects, their son Paul underwent multiple surgeries at Children’s National Medical Center. Now 4 years old, Paul is thriving.  The auction winner will receive four round trip business-class flights to Washington, D.C. for a two-night stay at The Hotel Palomar in DuPont Circle, a guided tour of the Supreme Court, a private tour of Capitol Hill, a behind-the-scenes tour at FOX News Bureau led by Bret Baier, attend a live broadcast of “Special Report with Bret Baier” and an exclusive dinner with Bret Baier and The All Star Panel of Charles Krauthammer, Stephen Hayes and Juan Williams.

The Bret Baier Special Event tickets are not part of the sold-out series package for the 2012 Naples Town Hall Distinguished Speaker Series which kicked off with media icon Glenn Beck on Saturday, Jan. 7. Upcoming events include the father of integrative medicine, Andrew Weil on Wednesday, Feb. 1; world-renowned endurance artist, David Blaine on Thursday, March 1; and former Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice on Tuesday, March 20.

Naples Town Hall Distinguished Speakers is the premier non-profit lecture series in Naples, Fla. Continuously operating and producing four lectures per season since 1983, Town Hall was the first to bring cultural programming to the area and remains the forerunner in presentation of world leaders, experts in the fields of economics, history and science, as well as cultural icons. Past speakers have included several former U.S. Presidents including George H.W. Bush, Gerald Ford, and George W. Bush; media icons Sam Donaldson, Tim Russert and Cokie Roberts; as well as global leaders such as Benazir Bhutto and President of Israel Shimon Peres.

Charles Mann has been named managing partner at Pavese Law Firm. In this role, Mann is responsible for managing all aspects of the firm’s operations, including its strategic planning, client relations and overseeing staff and associates. Previously, Mann was co-managing partner with William T. Haverfield, who served as managing partner for more than 20 years and continues his practice at Pavese Law Firm. As part of the company’s succession plan, the partners selected Mann to the position of managing partner.

Mann joined Pavese Law Firm in 2000 and became a partner in the firm in 2005. His practice areas include real estate law with an emphasis on handling various facets of the development process for large residential and mixed-use projects. He represents local and national builders and developers in the acquisition and financing of raw land, negotiation of land bank and joint venture agreements, and creation of property owner associations.

Mann received his undergraduate degree in Environmental Engineering from the University of Central Florida, then went on to obtain a Masters of Engineering in Environmental Engineering from the University of Florida and his law degree from the University of Florida College of Law.

Pavese Law Firm is a full-service law firm with offices in Fort Myers, Cape Coral and West Palm Beach. The firm provides a broad range of legal services for individuals, families, small businesses and large corporations. Practice areas include agricultural, banking and finance, bankruptcy, business and taxation, civil litigation, community association, employment, environmental and water, estate planning, probate and trust, family, land use and government, and real estate law. Established in 1949 as a one-person general practice firm, Pavese Law Firm has grown into one of the largest legal practices in Southwest Florida. With a long history of service to Southwest Florida, Pavese Law Firm has played a significant role in the growth of local businesses, communities and major development projects.

Rick Swain has joined Stevens Construction as superintendent, announced Mark Stevens, company president.

Swain will manage the onsite operations of healthcare projects situated in the Tampa area, ensuring budget and schedule goals are met while maintaining the company’s high safety standards.

Bringing 30 years of experience, Swain has completed 475,000-square-feet of healthcare and commercial construction throughout Florida and California.

With offices in Fort Myers and Orlando, Stevens Construction specializes in providing construction management, general contracting, and consulting services to clients and design professionals. Other services include site and design team selection, budgeting, project scheduling, permitting, cost and quality control, and warranty service. The company builds healthcare, commercial, public and hospitality facilities throughout Florida. For information, visit http://www.stevensconstructioninc.com or call 239-936-9006.