men and women of the year 2024.jpg

Men & Women of the Year 2024

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These architects of change are shaping our region’s future through philanthropy, conservation and visionary leadership.

John Cooney

You probably know someone with a home by John Cooney’s Naples firm, Stofft Cooney Architects. Even with the dozens of residences he’s created across the region over nearly three decades, John’s impact is strongest through his nonprofit contributions. 

He recalls the humbling moment when his mother toured the new Stofft Cooney-designed, 30,000-square-foot Baker Senior Center Naples. “My mom, being very similar to a lot of seniors, was saying, ‘Oh, I don’t need this; this is for older people,” he recalls. “When she walked through the building, she was in awe.” Instead of an institutional, hospital-like setting, John’s mother found homey lounge areas, a serene palette, covered patios with planters at various levels for gardening, and lofty spaces with floor-to-ceiling windows. Everything was engineered to support and uplift the center’s nearly 3,000 members. 

The architect believes in giving what, how and where you can. For him, that often means contributing his talent for architecture and the psychological boons of thoughtful design. “That kind of goes unnoticed,” he says. “I was thanked 100 times for reducing my fees on the project and being involved, but it’s really about the architecture.” John’s work has proved transformative for nonprofits like Naples Children & Education Foundation, where Stofft Cooney drafted the headquarters building; Our Daily Bread Food Pantry; The Immokalee Foundation; and the Shelter for Abused Women & Children, which John credits as some of his most gratifying work (“There was no publicity or notoriety at all,” he says). 

The architect aims for the same enhancing effect with the 5-acre campus for STARability Foundation and its Trailblazer Academy, which he and his wife, Carrie, helped establish to provide vocational training, continuing education, and social and community engagement to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The Cooneys were stirred to action 28 years ago after their son, Brett, was diagnosed with autism. Resources were scarce throughout Brett’s childhood and were nearly nonexistent when he reached adulthood. “The need is the overwhelming reason why it’s so popular,” John says of STARability, which has reached critical mass for support in recent years with the Cooneys’ help.  

John is now chairing the campus’ $26 million capital campaign. “It’s a daunting task, but I feel confident,” he says. The project and its specifics are still in progress, but John’s been sketching and dreaming. Thinking about his son and the space he wants Brett to enjoy, John envisions a clubhouse-like setting with the trademark Stofft Cooney transitional contemporary style and tropical elements. “STARability provides a lot of different services, and the building needs to reflect everything they do,” he says. “It’s not just the workplace—it’s a hangout, it’s a social place, it’s an exercise room.” He imagines art and music studios, libraries, a venue for monthly socials, housing and all the amenities members need for enriched daily living. “The disabled adult population has been not a priority,” John says. “It was a forgotten population, and now it’s not—and it’s getting better and better each year.” —Stephanie Granada

Kristen Coury

We’re calling on Gulfshore Playhouse founder and producing artistic director, Kristen Coury, for an encore. When we first honored the multihyphenate director as a Woman of the Year in 2013, Kristen made two predictions for her growing nonprofit theater company: “We’re going to have a new building, all our own. And we’re going to win a Tony.” 

One of Kristen’s premonitions is realized this season with the opening of Cole Porter’s toe-tapping musical comedy Anything Goes on the Broadway-sized Moran Mainstage of Gulfshore Playhouse’s new $72 million Baker Theater and Education Center. While they’re still working toward the lauded award, the theater’s education director, Steven Calakos, earned two consecutive Tony Award Honorable Mentions for Excellence in Theatre Education in 2022 and 2023. And Kristen has more in store. 

The New York City transplant is best known around town for her successes in growing Gulfshore Playhouse from a one-woman operation in her condo to a multimillion-dollar earning nonprofit. However, her influence in Southwest Florida runs much deeper than the buzzy regional theater. “I’m looking forward to becoming more of a communitarian, where I can help however I can, wherever I can,” Kristen says. She’s an active board member of the Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, and the newest addition to the charitable Wynn’s Market family since marrying descendant and Sunshine Ace Hardware president Michael Wynn. 

While fundraising for the new building, she also forged a relationship with the City of Naples, resulting in a land donation—an acre converted into a public parking garage near the theater for better downtown access. And, 10 minutes away, the group is almost done building their new 25,000-square-foot production center, which comes with an influx of jobs for behind-the-scenes creatives and trade programs for high school thespians. “We’ll be able to weld, paint and build, and construct sets, costumes and props,” she says. 

The Playhouse’s opening marks an essential step for the surrounding Naples Design District. The campus—which includes a secondary conservatory stage, a full-service kitchen and bar, classrooms for the ever-growing education program, and lushly decorated gardens that are always open to the public—is designed to attract passersby to explore the neighborhood. “When you buy a ticket to see something at the theater, you’re going to valet park, grab something to eat and potentially buy a pair of shoes or go for a drink—there’s a lot of money spent around the theater,” Kristen says. 

The director’s next prediction: the thriving arts scene will only magnify amid Naples’ growth.  And, Gulfshore Playhouse intends to be at the heart of the action. —Jaynie Bartley

James Evans

James Evans can talk science with the best of them. Among his academic cohorts, he expounds on ‘trophic relationships of ichthyoplankton and gelatinous predators’ and ‘freshwater inflows’ in Estero Bay—primary subjects of his graduate research at Florida Gulf Coast University. But, when James talks to a non-scientist, his wealth of knowledge unfurls in a way that is understandable, unintimidating and, perhaps most importantly, empowering.

With 25 years on the island, the CEO of the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF) and former director of resources for the City of Sanibel is one of the region’s most impactful voices in wildlife protection, water quality and coastal resilience. His superpower lies in his ability to translate rigorous science into resonant calls to action for a wider audience. 

While he was with the city, James launched a comprehensive water-sampling program, identifying numerous instances of elevated levels of nutrients that can cause devastating algal blooms like red tide. The findings prompted sweeping changes, including the region’s first ordinance regulating nutrient-rich fertilizers in 2007 and the construction of a $20 million advanced wastewater treatment plant. “We can’t be hypocritical and point our fingers at someone else when we’re not doing everything we can on our island to reduce those nutrient sources,” he says.

James grew up on a farm in Northeast Ohio, where he worked with his dad and roamed the countryside. “Farmers, hunters and fishermen—they were the first conservationists,” the avid angler says. Without the means to pay for college, the environmental scientist enlisted in the U.S. Army before pursuing higher education. The experience shaped him; James, who rose to sergeant, projects a calm competence and an ability to connect with people regardless of background or beliefs. “I pride myself in trying to find common ground,” he says. “We can work together toward a common goal, so we don’t have to be in these camps.”

Sanibel and Captiva Islands will need this skill in shaping their futures as they balance post-storm rebuilding, population growth and preservation needs. With issues like the proposed expansion of South Seas (which would nearly triple the resort’s number of units), SCCF provides expertise and data indicating how proposed changes would impact ecosystems, wildlife and residents’ quality of life. Instead of opposing development, James advocates for controlled growth. 

The CEO and his organization are laser-focused on the region’s environmental health, eyeing key properties for protection from the islands to the Everglades: “Part of my legacy will be that ‘science to solutions’ approach, ensuring we are developing wonderful science ... to drive future decisions and policies that will make Southwest Florida a better place to live, work and recreate.” —Jennifer Reed

Anne Fleming

The recently retired general manager of Naples’ Waterside Shops, Anne Fleming, looks out onto her garden as a storm moves in, casting glistening diamonds inside her verdant pocket. It is that rhythm, nature’s cycle, that returns Anne, if only briefly, to her childhood. 

Born into a generational farming family in Salinas Valley, California, her memories are marked by waves of viridescent lettuce, plump melons and sweet yellow onions, connecting one chapter of her life to another. “The town I grew up in is not much different from Collier County,” she says. Part of the prosperous Monterey County, the area has tony towns like Pebble Beach and Carmel-by-the-Sea, existing near Salinas’ migrant agricultural communities like Alisal, where about 30 percent of the population lives in poverty. “[It’s] much like Immokalee,” Anne says.  

Moving to Naples from Michigan—where she worked for The Forbes Company, which owns Waterside—Anne immersed herself in her new hometown with gusto. Over her 11 years at the eminent shopping center, Waterside magnified its luxury retail cachet. Rolex, Veronica Beard, Zimmermann and the new Hermès all came in under her tenure. 

Anne has long believed in the idea of using businesses as agents for good, and her Forbes employers provided her  the latitude to partner with nonprofits of her choosing, Early on, she turned to Naples Children & Education Foundation and The Guadalupe Center. The groups’ work to break the cycle of poverty through education rang true for Anne. “My first job was as a teacher’s aide with Project Head Start, helping preschool children from non-English speaking families prepare for kindergarten,” she says. 

Partnering with more than 10 charities annually, Anne helped spin Waterside into more than a retail hub; the rarefied center became a cultural and community touchstone. “We had 1,000 employees who came to work daily knowing which charities Waterside supported and why we believed in them. They learned each nonprofit’s mission and the population they served,” she says. The organizations’ messages coursed through the high-traffic center, from shop to shopper. Off-the-clock, Anne served on the board of the Women’s Foundation of Collier County, and she has supported STARability Foundation since moving to town in 2013. 

Anne—whose retirement sounds more like a theory than a fact—recently signed on to oversee the expansion of STARability’s resale shop. She also has a new venture consulting for emerging businesses looking to tap into the Naples market. “Because it’s not just business—companies here root themselves in the community,” she says. “They take note of what [is needed] and find a way to help.” —Chanda Jamieson

Kiran Gill

Plastic surgeon and owner of Naples Aesthetic Institute, Dr. Kiran Gill, is many things to her patients: a healer, an artist, a shoulder to cry on, a friend to laugh with, an advocate. Today, Dr. Gill orchestrates a cadre of nurses, doctors and aestheticians with the poise and precision of a conductor, providing clients across the region with cosmetic and reconstructive surgical care, noninvasive procedures and luxuriant aesthetic services, all in a serene, spa-like environment. Her newly built, state-of-the-art Naples Aesthetic Institute (by lauded architect David Corban) redefines the standard of care in Southwest Florida. Her clients are loyal, and for good reason. 

When Dr. Gill arrived in Naples in 2015, the Georgetown University graduate saw a need. Among the myriad plastic surgeons across the region, few specialized in breast reconstruction—a critical point of care for recovering patients. Dr. Gill filled the gap, becoming one of the first physicians many patients saw after their diagnosis. “My job at that first meeting is to hold their hands and explain what’s happening in a way that helps them realize there’s a light at the end of the tunnel,” she says. 

Through the process, Dr. Gill was struck by how many individuals she encountered were uninsured or underinsured. “The other thing is, a lot of women didn’t even know that insurance covers breast reconstruction,” she says. Dr. Gill soon got involved with Physician Led Access Network of Collier County (PLAN), which connects uninsured patients with free care, and the Bosom Buddies support group, where Dr. Gill often served as a keynote speaker, providing resources, guidance and support.

As she established her practice, the surgeon poured back into her community, contributing to philanthropic events like Hats in the Garden (Naples Botanical Garden) and Angel Ball (Community School of Naples), as well as organizations like STARability Foundation, The Shelter for Abused Women & Children, and Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples.

Thanks to Dr. Gill’s efforts to expand access to care and awareness for breast cancer reconstructive procedures, more local surgeons have taken up the mantle, allowing the physician to invest in other aspects of care, like her ‘mommy makeovers.’ “I’m a surgeon. I cut and sew,” she says. “But it’s not just about looking better.”  In many ways, Dr. Gill believes, aesthetic procedures are also reconstructive. The former D1 volleyballer openly talks about her ‘tummy tuck’ with patients, how it initially felt selfish, but that it was one of the best decisions she’s made for herself.

Looking ahead, Dr. Gill hopes to establish a youth volleyball club to share the lessons the sport instilled in her. But, for now, her schedule is booked. On top of her practice, charitable work, growing medical-grade skincare line and new facility, she is a proud wife and self-proclaimed ‘soccer mom,’ making each day count. —Emma Witmer

Matthew Kragh

In the ’70s, architect Matthew Kragh’s family began their annual trek from Indiana to Southwest Florida. The much-anticipated yearly vacations cultivated a love of place that would, in time, prove providential. “I spent many, many nights in a sleeping bag on the floor of my grandparents’ The Glades [Golf & Country Club] condo,” Matthew says. During one Naples spring break, the family drove down Gulf Shore Boulevard in his grandfather’s prized Cadillac. “I saw a $1 million beach house for sale, and it blew my mind,” the architect recalls. 

Cut to a few decades later, and the founder of MHK Architecture is at the forefront of shaping the town he fell in love with as a child. His firm’s fingerprint permeates myriad commercial projects (Baker Park, Naples Square, Stella, The Mark on 8th, and the upcoming Huxley and Rosewood Residences Naples, to name a few). Meanwhile, MHK homes have become emblematic of the New-Old Naples, with their oversized brackets, louvered shutters and white-on-white facades. Since launching in 2009, the firm has grown to include nine studios across four states. 

But, Matthew’s heart remains embedded in the local community. Earlier this year, he was inducted into Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida’s Business Hall of Fame as a as a laureate. Although he’s scaled back on nonprofit board commitments in recent years to spend more time with his family, he continues to channel his altruism through his firm and their pro bono projects. “[We] try to stick with what we do best,” he says. Currently, that includes designing a home for Habitat for Humanity, a large-scale facility for First Tee and Youth Haven’s new campus.

The most impactful build on MHK’s boards is the redesign of the iconic Naples Pier, which was destroyed in 2022 by Hurricane Ian, leaving a gaping hole in the city’s core. Tasked with the seventh rebuild for the pier following a storm, Matthew knew they had to do things differently and called in coastal resilience experts to help design a new superstructure to withstand hurricanes. While the new iteration will look different, Matthew says the landmark will continue to embody the essence that keeps him and others rooted in the region. “I have the best memories of putting my kids in their baby backpacks or bike seats and riding from Royal Harbor down to the pier,” he says. “It was always a big thing. We would park the bike, walk to the end of the pier, and stop to buy them a SpongeBob Popsicle or ice cream.” 

Today, ‘Dad’ is the role Matthew treasures most. “I just try to be the best father I can for these kids while they’re at this age and try to encourage them to grow up to be good human beings,” he adds. —Melanie Warner Spencer 

Joe North

At Fort Myers’ North Law Firm, work is a family affair for patriarch Joe North. He runs the firm with his wife, Benita, the firm’s promotions manager; their attorney son; and Joe’s father, who serves as a guiding force, offering sage wisdom. Joe’s tween grandsons are set to continue the legacy. While it’s all hands on deck in the office, behind-the-scenes community work fuels the North dynasty. 

Joe grew up in Dunbar, where the sun-drenched streets echo the vibrancy of collective living. “The community is like a circle,” he says. “Everyone contributes to keep it going; we all benefit from its strength and unity.” 

Known affectionately as the ‘Unofficial Mayor of Fort Myers’ and the ‘Senator of Dunbar,’ Joe embodies the neighborhood’s ethos. His contributions range from sponsoring events like the Haitian American Community Coalition scholarship gala and the City of Palms Classic basketball tournament since 2016 to lending his digital billboards for Lee County high schoolers to celebrate accomplishments. 

Initially, Joe was taken aback by the honorary titles. But, he soon recognized the monikers as signs of respect from his neighbors. Joe doesn’t take the designations lightly. “I feel a deep sense of responsibility to live up to these titles,” he shares. “They carry weight, and I want to honor them by making a positive impact.”  

In 2022, Joe was granted a key to the City of Fort Myers to commemorate his standing. The North name graces Dunbar High School’s football field, and the city recently announced plans to rename his childhood home’s Barton Street after him. Through all the accolades, the native son doesn’t see himself as a benefactor but as a member of a supportive ecosystem where success is shared and reciprocated. “None of what I’ve done [could have been accomplished] without the support of the community,” he says.  

Looking ahead, the personal injury attorney is helping develop a new cultural center in Roberto Clemente Park with the Lee County Black History Society. Joe donated $100,000 last year as a catalyst for the long-planned $20 million project to reignite Dunbar’s rich artistic legacy and cement the neighborhood’s place in Fort Myers’ history. “We need to raise awareness and secure support for these institutions,” Joe says. “Their preservation is crucial for maintaining our cultural heritage.” —Nikki Miller-Ka 

Elizabeth Star

Elizabeth Star begins every morning with a cup of coffee, her planner and a mantra to be her best self. Whether she’s off to host a Youth Haven luncheon for fellow patrons summering up north or addressing a crowd for her Women Lifting Women (WLW) platform, she’s prepared for anything. Before heading out the door, she gives her polished look a final once-over. “When I feel together, I am together,” she says.   

The Port Royal doyenne has been a philanthropic force since moving to Naples with her husband, Stanley, and their son nearly 30 years ago. She started by participating in Community School of Naples’ Angel Ball. From there, she was frequently called upon to chair events for David Lawrence Centers (where she sat on the foundation board for six years), the American Cancer Society and the American Red Cross, always inspiring radical generosity through emotional touchstones that connect guests with the cause. 

She continues to push issues close to her and Stanley’s hearts locally and nationwide, like in North Carolina, where they have pledged millions for scholarships and entrepreneurial programs at Duke University School of Law (Stanley’s alma mater) and funded the college’s Star Commons gathering place. 

In all her endeavors, Elizabeth takes a targeted approach to giving, identifying key issues and joining power players to stoke change. 

In 2022, when she heard about the nearly 100 unhoused senior women living in Collier County, Elizabeth was aghast. “Being a woman in your 80s is difficult enough, right? Just imagine not having a home,” she says.

She took the helm at Women Lifting Women, an initiative from Women’s Foundation of Collier County (WFCC) that provides financial support and wraparound resources to unhoused senior women (Pillar 1), mentorship and career development opportunities for young women and girls (Pillar 2) and an endowment to fund the programs long-term (Pillar 3). The year before she joined the cause, WFCC raised $55,000; the next year, with Women Lifting Women and Elizabeth at the helm, the nonprofit brought in $1 million. 

It’s no wonder Youth Haven recently courted the dynamo to chair their big capital campaign to replace the campus’ Telford building. The vital-but-outdated, 50-year-old facility serves as the central hub for the organization’s displaced kids. 

This month, Collier Community Foundation bestows Elizabeth with the Robert C. Cosgrove Award for philanthropic service, reflecting her dedication to creating a brighter future, one dollar, one meeting, one cause at a time. “If my name is associated with a certain goal, I’m going to make sure we achieve it.” —Addison Pezoldt 

Ralph Stayer

Poets often compare recipes to small poems—they keep what kept us. The former CEO of Johnsonville Ralph Stayer spun the craft that sustained him as a child into America’s largest private sausage brand, selling his family recipe brats in nearly 50 countries. 

At his core, ‘The Sausage King’ is the son of a butcher. His parent’s heirloom bratwurst, shaped by their Austrian and Slovenian heritage, launched the global brand in 1945, starting as a small-town butcher in Johnsonville, Wisconsin. After college, Ralph joined the family business and encouraged his parents to move from retail to wholesaling while keeping the person-to-person connection at the center of the company.  

Ralph takes the same personal approach with his philanthropy. “My job is to make sure every person I’m connected with has the best opportunity and the encouragement needed to develop themselves fully,” he says. 

He and his wife, Shelly, have lived in Port Royal for nearly 16 years and have been trustees of Naples Children & Education Foundation (NCEF) for the last three. Earlier this year, they served as chairs for Naples Winter Wine Festival (NWWF), which raised an unprecedented $33 million—$8 million more than the previous year. No one was more shocked than the Stayers, who had assumed the festival’s 24th would be an off year, with patrons eyeing the 25th anniversary. “But then, the most wonderful thing happened—we started calling people for help, and every person we contacted said yes,” Ralph says, his voice warbling. “It’s one of the warmest feelings I’ve ever had in my heart.”  

Before becoming involved with NCEF, Ralph asked the organization various pointed questions, ensuring that the good work was more than just a good feeling. He started with the nonprofit’s impact on Collier County’s juvenile arrest rates. “We discovered the rate dropped from 2010 to 2023 by 50 percent,” he says. “If you extrapolate that across the increase in population, those are hard numbers.”   

In the coming years, he envisions working with other communities on roadmaps for verifiable change. “I don’t have many years left, and I intend to spend them doing as much good as possible,” says Ralph, who also consults for NCH Healthcare System and his wife’s Shelly Stayer Shelter for Victims of Human Trafficking & Domestic Violence. 

His empowerment-based business model is outlined in his bestseller, Flight of the Buffalo, as well as in the Harvard Business Review article, “How I Learned to Let My Workers Lead,” which remains one of the journal’s 100 most reprinted essays. “I’ve sold a lot of sausages, sure, but being able to rally others around a singular principle—we don’t use the people to build the business; we use the business to build the people—changed the workplace for millions and gave them a voice,” Ralph says. “That’s something.” —C.J.

Brian Stock

As far as most people know, K.C. Stock was long the driving force behind Naples’ leading custom home builder and developer, STOCK Development. In a way, it’s true—the senior Stock’s influence and wisdom remain ever-present. But, in practice, it was his son, Brian, quietly building the company since 2001. “It didn’t matter if I owned 50 percent or 100 percent,” Brian recalls. “It was always about us, not me.”

Reverence for his dad, who passed away in 2022, along with the values of humility, hard work and integrity his parents passed down, continue to anchor STOCK’s CEO. “My parents were always believers that you had to learn and work from the bottom up,” Brian says. “As part of having a family business, you had to work harder and lead by example.” 

Starting with four parcels in Lely Resort—where his father began investing after retiring to Naples—Brian carved their path. Where others saw risk in this ‘far out’ area, the Stocks saw potential. The initial plan was to sell the lots, but after 9/11 upended the market, Brian knew they needed to shift and own the process from start to finish: “I said, ‘Dad, it’s the only way we can control our own destiny ... We have to be fully integrated.’” Piece by piece, they developed Lely into a thriving community with resort-style amenities (plus in-house mortgaging and titling, sales and resales, and rentals). 

Now, STOCK spans dozens of master-planned communities, high-rises, luxury apartments and commercial properties in Florida, Montana and Wyoming, and soon, internationally. Every project touts the trifecta of desirable locations, community-centric amenities, and seamless customer support from purchase to residency. 

The strategy has proved effective. “Our average price was $317,000 in 2010,” he says. “This year, our average price will be $3.7 million.” The company’s core strength lies in its leadership’s integrity. During the 2008 financial crisis, while others were renegotiating lower paybacks, Brian repaid every borrowed dollar with interest—despite having to wipe seven years of equity. “You borrow money to pay it back,” Brian says, echoing his father’s words. “No matter how painful, you always do the right thing.” Impressed, the banks later approached STOCK to manage their distressed assets. 

Brian leaned into the same principles when facing opposition over the team’s first high-rise, now The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Naples,  on Vanderbilt Beach. He personally engaged in more than 50 meetings and fielded hundreds of calls. “[We wanted] to make sure they knew we’re from here, we care about the neighbors, we want to do the right thing,” he says. The project broke ground late last year, marking a new era for luxury living in Naples. 

Beyond the builds, the company cements its legacy through Florida Gulf Coast University’s Stock Development Department of Construction Management, which stands as a living tribute to the ethics K.C. championed. “All the time, I’ll drive through new communities, and I think to myself, ‘I sure wish my dad was here to witness this,’” Brian says. “He was always so proud of what we were doing.” —S.G.