Connecting and Inspiring the Future Volunteer Leaders of the Islands
Celebrating the Leadership Sanibel-Captiva Alumni
Explore the inspiring journeys of Sanibel Captiva Leadership alumni, who have gained invaluable insights and forged lifelong connections. Through immersive experiences, they’ve developed a profound understanding of community leadership, fostering positive change across Sanibel and Captiva.
The experiences shared by Sanibel Captiva Leadership alumni have enlightened them on local government, business, economy, environment, and community needs and many other areas of importance. Through hands-on learning and engaging discussions, alumni gain a deep understanding of how these areas interconnect and impact the community. This holistic approach equips them with the knowledge and skills to drive positive change, making them effective leaders who are well-versed in addressing the diverse challenges and opportunities within Sanibel and Captiva. Join this esteemed network and transform your leadership potential today.
Alumni of Leadership Class 2024
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.
Alumni of Leadership Class 2022
Joey Almeida, Owner Joey’s Custard
Joey Almeida of Joey’s Custard on Sanibel was born in Buffalo, New York, but, he says, “I did most of my growing up down here.”His family started the original Starz Pizzeria in Fort Myers, so Almeida got an early taste for the restaurant business. After serving in the Army from 2012 to 2015, Almeida returned to Sanibel to launch a place of his own, Joey’s Custard, where he serves up ice cream, custard, frozen yogurt and sorbet as well as breakfast sandwiches, panini and coffee drinks.
Jim Brady, CEO alliantgroup
Jim has 40 years of delivering global and domestic professional leadership, with 25 years as a partner serving clients and running P&L businesses, including nine years as Regional Managing Partner for Deloitte within the Central Atlantic and Southeast regions. Most recently as COO and Vice Chairman (2015-19), Jim played a key role in the development and execution of Grant Thornton’s strategic initiatives and championed the operational integration of Grant Thornton’s businesses and capabilities. Jim completed his BS degree in Business Administration from Bryant University, Smithfield, RI and is a licensed CPA in several states.
Annie Campbell, Development Director BIG ARTS
A Traverse City, Michigan native, Campbell earned a Bachelor of Science in psychology from Michigan State University, master’s degree in education from Aquinas College, certificate in fundraising management from Indiana University and certificate in strategic leadership from Harvard University.
She has worked in the nonprofit industry since 2001 and began her career at an organization called Disability Network Northern Michigan. Prior to her management position at BIG ARTS, Campbell served as development director for the PACE Center for Girls in Immokalee and community director for the March of Dimes.
She has served on several nonprofit boards, including the board of directors of Child and Family Services, Artists Creating Together, Third Level Crisis Center, and Benzie Housing Council. She currently serves on the board of directors for the Sanibel-Captiva Rotary Club and Eva’s Closet and Foundation in Fort Myers.
Calli Johnson, Owner/Operator Bailey’s General Store
Calli Johnson is part of the 4th generation of owner operators at Bailey’s General Store on Sanibel. She works alongside her parents and siblings to run Bailey’s and its family of companies. She graduated from the University of Florida with her Master’s in Business Administration and a Masters in Mental Health Counseling. She will be the chair of the Sanibel Captiva Chamber of Commerce next year. In addition to her work at Bailey’s, Calli works as a research diver and Dive Safety Officer at FGCU’s Water School.
Jane Majeski and her husband Paul split their time between Sanibel and Demarest, NJ. She has been walking the beaches of Sanibel for over 50 years. Her parents lived on Sanibel for 25 years before retiring to Shell Point in 2015. The community, the beaches, and the wonders of nature are what have made Sanibel and the islands a place that her family has enjoyed for years.
Jane graduated with a BA in Economics from Ohio Wesleyan University. She was employed by Great West Assurance in Baltimore, MD marketing large group employee benefits and annuities. After marrying Paul, she was transferred to the Great West North Jersey office where she worked until she joined forces with her husband at Music Trades; the leading trade magazine for the music industry since 1890. During her tenure at Music Trades, she played key roles in finance, marketing, and sales. After their third son was born, Jane transferred her energies to raising their boys and giving back to the community. She has served on numerous organizations including: President of the Demarest Library, PTA Board, Elder of Presbyterian Church at Tenafly – Chair of Finance and Stewardship, member and past President of Garden Club of Englewood (GC of America member), and serving on the Demarest Board of Education for nine years. She has been active in various social clubs and enjoys spending time with her children and grandchildren, walking the beaches of Sanibel, playing golf and appreciating all the natural beauty of the islands.
Jane was honored to be a part of the Charitable Foundation of the Island’s inaugural Leadership Sanibel-Captiva Class of 2022. It was an incredible experience that needs to be shared with others to keep the Sanibel Plan alive and strong.
Elizabeth Piersol, Interior Designer
Elizabeth is the owner of Piersol Design Inc., an interior design firm established in 2003 focused on residential interior renovations and construction. She divides her time between Sanibel and Washington DC, with projects around the country.
She is a graduate of The George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs, and the Trachtenberg School of Public Administration where she received her master’s certificate in non-profit management. Her thesis was on affordable housing for seniors, displaced families, and people with disabilities.
In 2020 she founded the non-profit “Furnish With Care” to provide design and furnishings for families in economic need throughout Lee County. In partnership with other non-profits the goal is to make a house a home for those in financial need. Prior to starting her design firm Elizabeth worked in politics both in the field as an organizer and on Capitol Hill, before shifting to journalism as a TV producer in Washington for news and public affairs, domestic and international politics.
Gerard (Ger) Ronan, Founder, Yankee Home Improvement
Ger emigrated from Ireland in the early eighties, with $80 in his pocket and was lucky enough to live the American dream. He started off working three summers on the boardwalk in Wildwood, NJ, a ski lodge in Alta, UT, and various canneries in Alaska before settling down in Northampton, MA to raise three daughters: Molly, Maeve, and Maura.
A run-in with an unscrupulous contractor who disappeared with a roofing deposit was the impetus to start his own home improvement company, Yankee Home. Doing work in six states Yankee is now one of the largest residential contractors in New England. Over the years Yankee Home has become known as The Thank You America Company™, forging long-term alliances with inspirational individuals who make a difference in their communities. From a 14-year-old boy who created his own homeless charity all the way to an octogenarian building a unique hospice house, the team at Yankee stay connected and involved. Local media companies now come to Yankee to help solve their readers/viewers' chronic construction issues. Grateful for the opportunity this country has afforded him, Ger who was once homeless, still stays in contact with his friend Jake (TheJakeStory.com) who lives on the streets of Philadelphia. On the 3rd day of their inaugural trip to Sanibel, Ger and his wife Anna fell in love with the island and bought a home here.
Susan Ryckman, MSN, RN, CPNP
Susan joined Lee Health in 2012, and served as the VP of Operations and Chief Nurse Executive for Golisano Children’s Hospital of SW Florida until retiring in September of 2020. A Chicago area native, Susan is a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner who held a variety of clinical and leadership roles since completion of her undergraduate work in 1977 at Northern Illinois University. She has a Masters of Science in Nursing from the University of Cincinnati, and served as a clinician and a leader at Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago (now Lurie Children’s Hospital), Columbus Children’s Hospital (now Nationwide Children’s Hospital) and at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, as well as on the faculty of Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Prior to joining Golisano, Susan was the Senior Clinical Director of the Heart Institute at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital for 15 years.
Susan and her husband, Fred (a retired pediatric surgeon), have had a home on Sanibel since 2001. Fred’s parents, Bud and Martha Ryckman, moved to the island in the early 1970’s, and Fred remembers vacationing on the island before the bridge was built! Fred and Susan have 5 grown children and 8 delightful grandchildren, who are the light of their lives. Susan serves on the RMHC Board of Directors, currently as President, and on the local March of Dimes Board of Directors, as well as actively supporting several other organizations focused on the care and nurture of children and families. She and her husband have participated in medical mission work in the U.S. and abroad.
John Silvia, President Dynamic Economic Strategy, LLC
John is currently President of Dynamic Economic Strategy, LLC. Formerly, John was managing director and the chief economist for Wells Fargo Securities until July 2018. John has been a frequent guest on CNBC, Bloomberg (TV and radio), Fox Business and the Nightly Business Report. Before his position at Wells, John worked on Capitol Hill as senior economist for the U.S. Senate Joint Economic Committee and chief economist for the U.S. Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee. John holds B.A. and Ph.D. degrees in economics from Northeastern University in Boston and has a master’s degree in economics from Brown University. John has recently been elected as the new Chairman of the Captiva Erosion Prevention District (CEPD).
Bob Wiesemann, Director of First Illinois Corp
Bob currently serves as Director of First Illinois Corp., Wiesemann Investment Group, Ltd., Cegway Foundation, Inc., and Cegway Farms, LLC. He is the former CEO of Continental Carbonic Products, Inc a dry ice manufacturing and distributing company. Bob completed his BA at Marquette University in Milwaukee, WI.
Michael Wood, M.D.
Michael Wood, M.D. currently serves as a professor in orthopedic surgery for the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. Additionally he is the retired President and CEO of Mayo Clinic entities and the President Emeritus of the Mayo Clinic Foundation. He completed his internship in Surgery at the Presbyterian University Hospital, University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Wood went on to complete his residency in orthopedic surgery at the Mayo Graduate School of Medicine. He followed that with two fellowships at the University of Louisville in Microvascular Surgery and Hand Surgery. He specializes in Brachial plexus surgery and microvascular bone transfer. He is also the former chair of the Development Policy Committee at Mayo Clinic.