We are pleased to once again recognize outstanding community leaders with our second annual Leadership Awards. These exceptional people are enhancing our community in important areas such as human services, arts and culture, and our civic and social lifestyles. We are thankful for the guidance, wisdom and passion they bring to their respective fields, and we are proud to feature them on the pages of SCENE Magazine. – Julie Milton, Editor

CREATIVITY
Joseph McKenna
President/CEO, Sarasota Orchestra
What’s in a name? Everything! A symphony by any other name than the Sarasota Orchestra (formerly the Florida West Coast Symphony) wouldn’t convey the comprehensive rebranding and courageous new programming initiatives that it has incorporated over the past year. Its bold new course is reinvigorating its supporters, and attracting and engaging hundreds of baby boomers and younger audiences with programs such as its Journeys to Genius and Pixel Pops series, which masterfully integrate multi-media and innovative ideas that energize a centuries-old form of entertainment with which many young people have been unfamiliar, until now. The architect, creative genius, and instrument of change is Joseph McKenna, President/CEO, Sarasota Orchestra. “When it comes to change,” McKenna says, “you can be defined by it or you can help define it.” McKenna has worn many hats in the music world — conductor, music and executive director, educator, and administrator — which has endowed him with the inimitable ability to be at once a visionary and a creative leader with strong management capabilities. “At the heart of anything successful is something creative,” he explains, but he’ll tell you it takes teamwork. “You rise and fall with how you work together as an ensemble,” McKenna says. “We feel a new energy, and we’re touching all generations.” Bravo!

COMMUNITY ENRICHMENT
Michael M. Carter
President/Owner, Mike Carter Construction, Inc.
Jaymie G. Carter
Professional Volunteer, Homemaker & Mother
In today’s Facebook age where communication is detached and community values are becoming obsolete, Jaymie and Mike Carter are proverbial breaths of fresh neighborly air that harkens back to an age when you could knock on your neighbor’s door for a cup of sugar. The Carters believe that if you live in a community and enjoy its benefits, you have a responsibility to give back. And they walk the talk. Mike has served on multiple boards, including the South Florida Museum, United Way of Manatee County, Manatee Education Foundation, Manatee YMCA, Manatee Chamber of Commerce, and the Manatee Economic Development Council. He incentivizes his employees to follow his lead. Jaymie has been instrumental in the growth of the Manatee Women’s Resource Center, and has served on the Manatee Education Foundation, PACE Center for Girls, South Florida Museum/Bishop Planetarium Advisory Council, Manatee County Library Foundation, Mote Marine Advisory Council, Ringling Museum of Art Advisory Council, and the Sarasota Film Festival board, where she recently completed a year of full-time volunteer work as its Event Coordinator. Nearly 20 years ago, the Carters created a “Mike Carter Grill Team” that donates time and resources barbequing at fundraisers year-round, helping non-profits raise hundreds of thousands of dollars. They live an American dream — baseball, hot dogs, apple pie, and community service.

BUSINESS EXCELLENCE
David E. Sessions
President, Willis A. Smith Construction, Inc.
It’s easy being green, if you’re David E. Sessions, whose state-of-the-art company, Willis A. Smith Construction, is leading the county in creating environmentally friendly commercial building. Sessions leads by example, too. His recently built corporate headquarters is water and energy efficient inside and out. Its reflective roof recaptures rainwater for use, and reduces energy consumption. Eco-friendly interior products, and a natural light design provide a healthier setting for employees, while an abundance of native Florida oak trees act as canopies to shade parking areas and contribute to slowing global warming. His headquarters is a living example that is drawing attention from elected officials, school representatives, environmentalists, and potential clients who tour the facility, and has lead to Sessions forming a small coalition of public and government leaders to change the way water/sewer impact fees are applied to owners who engage in rainwater harvesting and usage. If approved, it will create one of Sarasota’s first green incentives for commercial builders. He has multiple green commercial projects in the works, and he projects that the cutting-edge techniques he’s using today will be written into standard building codes in 10 years. The world would be a better place to live with more business leaders like Sessions, who creates both profitable and environmentally conscientious ways of doing business. “I think everybody wants to understand and do their part to help sustain our planet earth,” Sessions says. “If we all started building more environmentally efficient facilities that require less energy to run, we could significantly reduce fossil fuel consumption and the environmental impact associated with it.”

ADVOCACY
Graci McGillicuddy
Community Child Advocate and Philanthropist
Abused, abandoned, and neglected children in Sarasota and DeSoto Counties have a living, breathing guardian angel looking out for them — Graci McGillicuddy. For the past 25 years, McGillicuddy has been on an unalterable mission to put an end to child abuse in this community through her advocacy work with the Child Protection Center (CPC). The CPC has a plan to end child abuse in three generations, and McGillicuddy is going to make sure they have what they need to reach their goal. “The CPC’s professional, passionate, and mission-driven staff is the hardest working, most committed, caring group of people I have ever known,” she says. “They are making a difference in the lives of children every single day.” McGillicuddy eats, drinks, and breathes her work.  She is undoubtedly working at this very moment on the CPC’s Capital Campaign that will fund a brand new state-of-the-art Child Advocacy Center being built in Sarasota that will treat more abused children, bring collaborating state and local agencies under one roof to help increase prosecutions, provide more comprehensive treatment programs, find innovative ways to protect children, and house a training hub for a nationally renowned child abuse prevention model called Finding Words. She has helped raise $3.2 million, with $1.6 to go, and intends to get it done even if it takes one brick at a time. “It sounds daunting in this economy, but then it’s only 16,000 $100 brick-naming donations,” she says. McGillicuddy also serves on Governor Charlie Crist’s Child Abuse Prevention and Permanency Advisory Council, which guides the policy for the state of Florida governor’s office; and she is a founding member and chairperson of the All-Star Children’s Foundation. Graci McGillicuddy is the poster child for what it means to be an Advocate.

JOSEPH MCKENNA
Q: Who in your life most inspired you?
A: For me, the “who” is “people who do the right thing when it is inconvenient, difficult or unpopular.”

Q: What is your life mantra?
A: Do your best; reflect, learn and don’t look back.

Q: What two things have you found most helpful in bringing an idea to fruition?
A: A great plan, and committed, dedicated people to carry out the idea or plan.

Q: How would you best describe your management style?
A: Collaborative and thoughtful.

Q: Do you see yourself as a visionary? And why?
A: I have always seen the opportunity and potential in things, and have been willing to take the risks associated with making a difference for others. Equally so, I have always said you have a choice when it comes to change; for, without change, nothing is visionary. You can greet change as your companion or you can stand up to it as your foe. Welcoming thoughtful change and embracing the potential in various opportunities has made me a partner in numerous visionary endeavors. For that I am truly grateful.

Q: Of what single accomplishment in your life are you most proud?
A: Attaining the rank of Eagle Scout as a young person – so many valuable lessons and tremendous character development that has since provided an unfailing foundation for every challenge and opportunity.

Q: You’ve worn many hats in the music business. What role has been the most rewarding for you?
A: President and CEO – all my prior experiences have made it possible for me to wear this one. Being an imaginative and effective CEO is made possible by my varied experiences. Every single day, I call upon my prior lives in education, performance, and administration to be an effective CEO. It is very rewarding to be able to call upon such a varied past to make a difference today.

Q: What skill or attribute do you wish you had?
A: I sure would like to master technology with the ease that my children and younger co-workers have exhibited.

Q: What do you most enjoy doing in your free time?
A: Very easy to answer – spending time doing anything with my wife Terri, and daughters, Laura and Lindsay.

Q: What is your advice to those aspiring to make a difference?
A: Find something you care deeply about, and bask in the joy that comes from seeing the results of your efforts. Everything else will fall into place.


MICHAEL M. CARTER & JAYMIE G. CARTER

Q: Who in your life most inspired you?
A: Women, men and children who strive to make a difference in our world. - JAYMIE
A: My two daughters.  - MIKE

Q: What is your life mantra?
A: Live everyday as if it was your last. - JAYMIE
A: Just do the right thing. - MIKE

Q: What two things have you found to be most helpful in bringing an idea to fruition?
A: Gathering a group of talented people, and researching the subject. - JAYMIE
A: To look for new and imaginative ways to accomplish your idea and solicit the support of others who  can help you. - MIKE

Q: What is your philosophy about community service?
A: I feel it is the responsibility of all to support our communities. We have been fortunate and blessed, and we truly believe in “giving back.” - JAYMIE
A: You can’t live in a community and enjoy everything it has to offer — its people, its land, its businesses — without giving back; It doesn’t matter if you’re selling hot dogs at a soccer game or barbequing for a PACE center for girls. The camaraderie of like-minded people is one of its biggest rewards. And it’s good, clean fun. - MIKE

Q: Of what single accomplishment in your life are you most proud?
A: Raising two beautiful, talented daughters. - JAYMIE
A: Professionally – reconstruction of the South Florida Museum. Personally – exposing my family to the many natural environments around the world. - MIKE

Q: What keeps you awake at night?
A: Whatever current project I am working on. - JAYMIE
A: Processing the many elements of my day-to-day responsibilities. - MIKE

Q: What do you most enjoy doing in your free time?
A: Gathering with friends and family. - JAYMIE
A: Boating and Fishing. - MIKE

Q: Is there any one community project you’ve found to be the most rewarding?
A: I truly enjoy working with organizations at the grass-roots level, lending my experience and time to help them grow. The Women’s Resource Center of Manatee has been my most rewarding. - JAYMIE
A: The South Florida Museum, because of the diversity of the facility and the people it serves — young, retired, school children, and visitors from all over the world. - MIKE

Q: What is your advice to those aspiring to make a difference?
A: Volunteer with an organization that provides services you are passionate about. - JAYMIE
A: The opportunities are endless. Get involved!! - MIKE



DAVID E. SESSIONS

Q: Who in your life most inspired you?
A: When I was growing up, my parents gave me a great foundation. Now my wife, Amy, is my inspiration—particularly in raising two teenagers.

Q: What is your life mantra?
A: Treat people the way you want to be treated; it’s that simple.

Q: What two things have you found most helpful in bringing an idea to fruition?
A: Passion and persistence.

Q: What are you doing to influence your clients’ environmentally-friendly choices?
A: We used our own 18,000 square foot building headquarters as a giant “test tube,” so we could learn the process inside and out. We are “green” by choice, and the knowledge we are sharing with our clients will save them money.

Q: Are you working on any other “green” initiatives that will help transform commercial building?
A: I would like to see lenders provide incentives to owners who construct commercial and residential buildings that meet sustainability goals.

Q: What keeps you awake at night?
A: This uncertain economy and knowing that I have 53 employee’s families that are counting on my leadership.

Q: What single accomplishment in your life are you most proud?
A: Raising a loving and supportive family.

Q: What do you most enjoy doing in your free time?
A: Golfing, woodworking, and travelling with my family.

Q: What skill or attribute do you wish you had?
A: Time management has never been my forte. I think I would like to be a better organizer of my daily activities.

Q: What is your advice to those aspiring to make a difference?
A: Listen to your heart; find a role that you really like and go at it 100 percent. Hard work that you enjoy will keep you young.

Q: What inspired you to institute sustainable construction and environmental preservation in your business?
A: I think the real turning point was when John LaCivita, Warren Simonds, and I attended the USGBC GreenBuild Conference in Chicago. When you see 40,000 attendees and sense their commitment, it changes your perspective.
 
Q: What kind of impact will these “green” construction practices have on Sarasota?
A: It will make our community more energy efficient, water efficient and enhance the overall quality of life.

GRACI MCGILLICUDDY

Q: Who in your life most inspired you?
A: My husband Dennis. He is my inspiration, my encouragement, my comfort and joy. He’s my best friend and partner; with his unwavering support, he gives me wings!

Q: What is your life mantra?
A: “Be the change you wish to see in the world,” by Mahatma Gandhi

Q: What two things have you found most helpful in bringing an idea to fruition?
A: Because an “idea without a plan is just a wish,” the first thing I do is engage creative, energetic, committed people to build a team. In creating this Child Advocacy Center, I have been blessed with the coming together of a really wonderful “Dream Team,” and now we will have that State-of-the-Heart Child Advocacy Center! Secondly, I always try to view obstacles as opportunities. By following my heart, listening, and working hard, everything always turns out for the best!

Q: What keeps you awake at night?
A: Knowing that children are being hurt.

Q: Some call you “The voice of the children in the state of Florida.” What does that mean?
A: Children don’t have a voice; they don’t write big checks, they don’t leave large endowments, and they don’t have lobbyists. Because the leading cause of death in children four and under is child abuse, most of them can’t even talk. I have to be their voice!

Q: What has been your greatest challenge with your advocacy work?
A: The lack of awareness of the pain and suffering inflicted on our most vulnerable children. People haven’t been aware that child abuse even exists in our community. The new center’s visibility is going to change all that. As you drive down Orange Avenue, you will see the lighted Pillar of Hope inside its entrance (a transparent pillar filled with marbles dropped by every child treated at the center that is designed to instill the fact that they’re not alone).

Q: What can the ordinary person do to help support the Child Advocacy Center?
A: Donate! Donate! Donate! No amount is too small or too large when you are saving the life of a child. Everybody can make a difference.

Q: What do you most enjoy doing in your free time?
A: Playing tennis. Spending time with family & friends.

Q: What skill or attribute do you wish you had?
A: My style of management is the squeaky wheel, so I get distracted easily. I wish that I had more follow-through skills, and wasn’t so technologically challenged.

Q: What is your advice to those aspiring to make a difference?
A: In our lives there are many things that catch our eye, but only a few that capture our hearts. My advice is to simply follow your heart!

Q: What will your epitaph read?
A: I leave this earth to be with the children I could not save.