The complete collection of photos is available at www.snapfish.com.
 Username lfweb@flchamber.com and password leadership.

Calusa Region's
2008 Arcadia Rodeo
 

LF Rodeo Days Organizer
Mac Martin (XXII) & Victor Milt

Adrienne Garcia (XVII), Ed Duarte, Tom Hollingsworth (XVI)
& Marie York (XVI)

Margaret Callihan (XXV)
Chairman, President & CEO 
Suntrust Bank, Southwest
 

Class XXIII's Audrey Ring,
Nelly Khouzam, & Lisa Kitei

Bill Blizzard (XVI) &
LF President Wendy Abberger

Colleen Castille (XX)
Owner, GoGreen Strategies
 

"Mutton Busting" at the Rodeo

Become a Leader Among Leaders
Join the LF Leadership Team

I hope this finds each of you well with family, activities and work. First of all, I want to thank you for your continued commitment to Leadership Florida. Even though we are only halfway through our fiscal year, thanks to the efforts of so many in the organization, we have already accomplished so much. The Presidential Primary debate, the 2nd Annual Sunshine State Survey, three of five Class Program sessions, regional events, e-casts, and many more activities have helped further our mission, increased the profile and the platform of the organization, and added value for our members.

As immediate past chair, it is my privilege to serve as chair of the Nominating Committee for the upcoming year -- which begins essentially at the conclusion of this year's Annual Meeting. In addition to myself, others serving on the Nominating Committee include our incoming chair Mario Trueba (XIX), the president of the Florida Chamber Mark Wilson (XXVI), and four members of Leadership Florida chosen by the Council of Advisors.

Nominating and ultimately choosing the leadership for Leadership Florida is a very tough task. The Nominating Committee needs to ensure a smooth transition into the following year, recognizing the longterm goals and objectives of the organization, and that is served to a degree by having strong continuity in leadership. At the same time, we recognize that unlike many organizations, every one of our members is, by his or her very nature as a leader in Florida, capable of serving in a leadership capacity, and deserves the opportunity to do so if he or she has the desire and the time to commit.

To that end, I'm writing to ask you to please consider serving in a leadership position during the coming year, and if you believe that you have the time to do so, let us know by completing the form on the following page and faxing (850-521-1229) or e-mailing it to Wendy Abberger at wabberger@leadershipflorida.org, by no later than Friday, April 4. For a description of the responsibilities of service on the Board of Directors, Regional Councils, and Councils of Advisors click here.

Whether you decide to take on a leadership role or not, your participation in Leadership Florida, through recruiting future members, paying dues, and/or attending regional or statewide programs, we very much appreciate your continued commitment to the organization and look forward to seeing you at upcoming events!
 

Sincerely Yours,

Jeff Bartel (XIII)
Immediate Past Chair
 

Leadership Florida's members create some of our most rewarding "but for Leadership Florida" experiences. Through a pictorial review and first hand accounts, this e-Cast will share with you some of these special events.

Decision 2008: Debate

Just days before the critical Florida primary, Leadership Florida took the national stage when we partnered with NBC/MSNBC News, the Florida Press Association, and Florida Public Broadcasting on Decision 2008 Florida - The Race for President of the United States. This live, nationally-televised debate among five Republican candidates was held on January 24 on the campus of Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton before a live audience of 1,200 and a nationally televised audience of 2.6 million, MSNBC's highest rated debate up to that time. Regrettably, the penalty invoked on the Democratic candidates by the DNC prohibited them from campaigning in Florida, so they were unable to accept our invitation to participate in the debate planned for them for January 27.

For eight months, Debate Co-Chairs Debra Jacobs (X) and Rhys Williams (XXII) oversaw the many complexities involved in producing an event of this magnitude. Their commitment, attention to details big and small, and their generous spirits guided the work of their fellow volunteers and the LF staff. This debate, like those produced by the partnership created by Leadership Florida in 2006 for the Gubernatorial and US Senatorial races, was the brainchild of former LF Chair Ron Sachs (X), and was strongly supported by the leadership of LF Chairs Jeff Bartel (XIII) and Teala Milton (XIV). There is no way Leadership Florida could have carried out its many responsibilities without the incredible volunteer support of those who worked for days (and nights) on end at the debate site. In addition to Jacobs, Williams, and Milton, on-site volunteers included Lena Juarez, Virginia Dailey, Ron Ishoy, and Lilly Ho-Pehling (all from Class XXV), Nancy Kilgo (XXIV), Jon (Class VII) and Lori Levinson and daughters Jodi and Loren (who fed weary volunteers and staff multiple times!), CLF-ers Judi Cineas (VI), Noemi Coltea (V), Whitaker Leonhardt (VIII), photographer Katie Nolan Shephard (VII), and Christian Waugh (IX), and Connect Florida member Joe Hansen. Other non-member uber-volunteers who made the trek to Boca to help us were photographers Betsy Barfield and Amy Ishoy, Samantha Marriott, Philip Alongi II, Will Melanos, and Julia Briley. Without ALL of the above, we couldn't have done it!

Another Leadership Florida member made us all proud by playing a very key role in the debate. St. Petersburg Times Editor and Chairman Paul Tash (IX) joined NBC's Brian Williams and Tim Russert in posing questions to the candidates. Tash chose his questions from among the many submitted by Florida residents through the debate partners' web site, www.beforeyouvote.org.

The two premier sponsors of the debate were AARP and Environmental Defense. In addition to their help in underwriting the cost of producing the debate itself, their generous contributions also funded a one-hour television program on key political issues affecting Floridians, which was broadcast live from FAU just prior to the debate itself. The program was produced by WPTV, a Miami-based Florida Public Broadcasting station, and was aired live throughout Florida on Florida's PBS stations, which reach 99% of the viewing public.
  

"AARP was pleased to help bring this important debate to Floridians and all other Americans," said Lori Parham, AARP Florida state director. "Some 3.8 million Floridians are uninsured and millions more are worried about their financial security, yet Washington remains mired in partisan gridlock. AARP and Divided We Fail believe it's time for action and answers on these vital issues." Gerald Karnas, Director of the Florida Climate Change Project for Environmental Defense said that, "The debate provided an invaluable service by focusing the Presidential campaign on issues - like climate change - that are important to voters so that we can learn where the candidates stand."

Teala Milton
Leadership Florida Chair

“I still find it amazing that one phone call, to Wendy Abberger and Ron Sachs, to one amazing group, Leadership Florida, provided NBC News and the American voters with a terrific opportunity.  From start to finish, this was truly an enjoyable project and we could not have asked for a better debate. My thanks to Leadership Florida and all of the wonderful women and men that make it the outstanding organization that it is."

"I had the distinct pleasure of serving as the main host for Senator McCain and his campaign staff. Working closely with Sen. McCain's Director of Advance, Davis White, we laid out a game plan for the evening. It was my responsibility to give Mr. White a tour of the facility and the necessary walking paths, coordinate the arrival of the Senator and his entourage, escort Mrs. McCain to her seat for the debate, and lead the head staffers to the media filing center immediately following the debate. I was also able to remain in the viewing room with the Senator's staff and enjoy the debate with full commentary from McCain's closest advisors. It was a once in a lifetime experience and made me proud to be a member of Leadership Florida."
 

Whitaker Leonhardt (CLF VIII)
Georgetown University Graduate
National Representative, Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity

"Being a candidate host for Mayor Rudy Giuliani was certainly an amazing adventure. I had the opportunity to be close by while Mayor Giuliani's Florida Campaign Chair, Leadership Florida member and Attorney General Bill McCollum (XX) answered questions from the media. What impressed me most about General McCollum was his last interview that night. He was approached by a high school student; nothing fancy, just a small camera and he had to ask his questions while behind the camera. I was delighted to see General McCollum give him the same attention and courtesy as he had all the major network reporters. I was also very impressed by the wealth of knowledge Mayor Giuliani surrounded himself with."
 

Judi Cineas (CLF VI)
Lynn University Graduate
Therapist, The Chrysalis Center

"The opportunity to serve as Governor Mitt Romney's host on behalf of Leadership Florida was both unexpected and exciting. I established routes for the Governor's party to travel around FAU, assisted the Governor while he prepared for the debate, and ensured that all members of the campaign had everything they needed. The best part was watching the debate with the Governor's campaign manager, press secretary and sons. I witnessed a campaign respond by the second to the changing current of the race. Of course, I was proud to serve as a part of Leadership Florida's very professional management of the debate. And those aren't my words. The Romney campaign made it very clear that LF took better care of them than any other debate organizer had."
 

Christian Waugh (CLF IX)
President, University of Florida Law School Republicans
Co-Founder, Republican Law Students of America

Samantha Marriott 
May 2008 Graduate, Florida State University
Political Science/American Studies

"Of all the "but for Leadership Florida" experiences I've had, serving as a Candidate Host to the Ron Paul Campaign was definitely one of the most interesting. As the clear underdog in the race, Dr. Paul was the only candidate to appear in the Spin Room after the debate, as the other candidates were still being pursued by the media on the debate stage. I also gained an appreciation for what a very different viewpoint can bring to the discussion. All in all, I felt very privileged to be afforded a behind-the-scenes view of America's political process."
 

Brandon Fields
Leadership Florida Intern
May 2008 Graduate, Florida State University