CFI Leadership Programs Concluded With Arts & Culture

The Charitable Foundation of the Islands (CFI) hosts an annual leadership program called Leadership Sanibel-Captiva to foster new leaders in Sanibel and Captiva. This unique program seeks to identify and empower the next generation of community leaders while ensuring a vibrant future for the islands. It’s a comprehensive 8-week program that exposes its 13 participants to all aspects of island life, from the rich history of Sanibel and Captiva to the current state of affairs.

The program’s first four sessions were hugely successful and focused on the themes of Government, the Environment, Social Services, and Business/Community Prosperity. They included talks with community leaders and officials, trips to the islands’ nonprofit organizations, tours of our natural habitats, and information-gathering sessions with local business leaders.

From the Leadership Sanibel-Captiva Planning Committee

It has been our pleasure to be working through the creation of a stimulating and exciting leadership program that will engage and inspire the 2024 class to move into greater understanding and service to our community. We purposely kept the 2024 class very small for manageability and quality assurance. As resources allow, we will be increasing the class size in future years. Please feel free to call or email with any input and ideas. This is a community program and we welcome all voices.

2024 Leadership Planning Committee

Leadership Sanibel-Captiva Sessions

Opening Session January 18

Government January 25

Environment February 8

Health, Wellness & Social Svc. February 15

Business & Community Prosperity February 29

Arts & Culture March 7

Closing Session March 14

LEADERSHIP CLASS OF 2024

The Leadership program planning committee is proud to announce the members of the Class of 2024 who will experience five-day-long, deep-dive sessions ranging from government to arts and culture with the rare opportunity to go “behind the scenes” to explore the resources and issues affecting Sanibel and Captiva’s quality of life and future.

MARVELL BRADLEY, Real Estate Agent

Marvell Bradley is an island native who attended the Sanibel School. He works in real estate after years in pharmaceuticals. He is a member of the J.N Ding Darling Outreach Committee and a former youth minister at Saint Michael’s and All Angels’ Episcopal Church.

KYLE DeCICCO, President/CEO, Sanibel Captiva Community Bank

Kyle DeCicco is the President and CEO of Sanibel Captiva Community Bank.  In 2021, at the age of thirty-six, he was named Bank President and a member of the Board of Directors. In 2023, he became President and Chief Executive Officer making him only the second CEO since the institution was created in 2003. Kyle is a graduate of the Florida Bankers Association Florida School of Banking and the American Bankers Association Stonier Graduate School of Banking at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He is on the board of directors for The Foundation for Lee County Public Schools and serves as treasurer and on the Grant Selection Committee.

NANCY ELTING, Educator

A lifelong educator, Nancy Elting was a teacher and administrator at The Spence School, an independent K-12 girls’ school in New York City. She served as interim head of the school and of a South Bronx charter school before retiring. She and her husband split their time between Millerton, New York and Sanibel. She has been a Northeast Community Center board member for 8 years.

PAULA FRIEDMAN, Molecular Biologist/Art Gallery Owner 

Molecular biologist Paula Friedman worked as a research scientist for 30 years in the fields of molecular oncology and pharmacogenomics. She completed her undergraduate work at Dartmouth College and earned her doctoral degree at Columbia University. She worked at Abbott Laboratories on molecular oncology products, as Associate Director of the Center for Personalized Therapeutics at the University of Chicago, and as a senior research scientist for Northwestern University’s Center for Pharmacogenomics. She owns Bernay Fine Art, a public art gallery in the Berkshires. She has been a Sanibel resident since 2016, belongs to Zonta and volunteers for F.I.S.H. and Community Housing & Resources. 

MELISSA HALLIBURTON, Founder & CEO, BringFido

Melissa Halliburton is the founder and CEO of BringFido, the world’s largest pet-friendly travel website. Originally from California, Melissa spent 9 years in Massachusetts and 12 years in South Carolina. She and her family moved to Sanibel in 2021 after a monthlong “workcation” turned into a permanent vacation.

BAILIE FRANCIS JOHNSON, Owner/Operator, Bailey’s General Store 

A Florida native, Bailie is a fourth-generation owner-operator along with her family, of Bailey's General Store and the historic Island Store on Captiva. Bailie is responsible for the financial and administrative operations of the family businesses. She is a graduate of Florida Gulf Coast University’s Lutgert College of Business. She has volunteered for various island organizations, including Community Housing & Resources, and plays an active role in Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation’s Coastal Watch advisory committee.  

DUDLEY MALONE, Investment Advisor

Dudley Malone has spent time on Sanibel and Captiva every year since the early ’70s when his parents became part-time residents. It’s also where he honeymooned. Dudley worked in commercial real estate for 12 years, then 25-plus as an investment advisor with R. W. Baird in Chicago. He recently retired. In 2019, he and his wife purchased a house on Sanibel and have spent much of their time on the Islands since. Over the years, he has supported island organizations such as BIG ARTS, CROW, J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, and F.I.S.H.

SARAH McCLURE, City Commissioner/Mayor/Financial Consultant/Economics Instructor

Sarah McClure served 14 years as a City Commissioner and three as Mayor of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, where she has lived for over 40 years. She previously was a financial consultant with Merrill Lynch and an adjunct Economics instructor. She and her family have owned on Captiva for over 24 years and currently have a private home within South Seas Resort. She earned her bachelor's degree in Economics and History from Cornell University and her MBA from the University of Michigan. She serves on the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum Board and the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy Board. 

BRIAN RIST, Entrepreneur

Brian Rist is the former executive chairman of The Smart Companies, of which Storm Smart is the largest subsidiary. After 26 years of growing Storm Smart into the largest U.S. manufacturer of storm protection products, he now focuses on philanthropy with his wife and is the chairman of the Rist Family Foundation.

JON ROSEN, Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP - Retired

Jon was born and raised in Los Angeles. He earned a bachelor’s degree in accountancy from California State University, Northridge. He was a partner in the professional services firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP for 25 years, retiring in 2007. His area of practice focused on public real estate companies. His not-for-profit experience includes involvement with the 1984 Los Angeles Citizens Olympic Organizing Committee, the Cleveland Opera, United Way of Chicago and Executive Service Corp. He has been a Captiva resident since 2020 and has visited the island since 2011. 

AUDREY STEWART, Owner, Adventures in Paradise Outfitters

Fort Myers native Audrey Stewart is a proud alumna of Florida Gulf Coast University, earning a communication degree with a focus on interdisciplinary studies. She has helped grow her family’s business, Adventures in Paradise Cruises, by bringing its marketing into the digital age. She and her husband operate Adventures in Paradise Outfitters, a local island boutique. Audrey volunteers for the Sanibel School PTA and The Sanibel School Fund and serves on the Children’s Education Center of the Islands Advisory Committee. She is a member of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee, and has volunteered for Sanibel Community Housing & Resources, the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum and as a Guardian Ad Litem for the 20th Judicial Circuit. 

RACHEL TRITAIK, Physical Therapist/Massage Therapist, Island Therapy Center

Rachel Tritaik and her family moved to Sanibel in 2008 from Florida’s east coast. She is a licensed physical therapist and massage therapist with over 25 years of experience. In 2009, she opened Island Therapy Center, a rehabilitation and wellness clinic on Periwinkle Way. Due to destruction in Hurricane Ian, her clinic moved to Fort Myers but she will be returning her clinic to a new location on Tarpon Bay Road this spring. She is President-Elect of the Sanibel Captiva Rotary Club, and has volunteered with FISH and other organizations in the community. Rachel is also a member of the Sanibel Captiva Business Women’s Association and the American Physical Therapy Association.

KEN WASHUTA, Technology Executive

Ken Washuta is a seasoned technology executive who has developed and executed strategic programs for organizations of all sizes. He held progressive technology leadership roles throughout his 40-plus-year career, with a focus on healthcare over the last 25 years. He retired from UnitedHealth Group in 2022, where he was the UnitedHealthcare Community & State (Medicaid) CIO for 10+ years. He lives in Sanibel with his wife and dogs.