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REFUGE/DDWS
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CITY OF SANIBEL
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SANIBEL & CAPTIVA ISLANDS ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS
From left, Sharon Michie of Cottages to Castles, Sanibel Captiva Islands Association of Realtors Chief Executive Officer Bill Robinson, and Chris Rueblin of Select Vacation Properties.
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CLINIC FOR THE REHABILITATION OF WILDLIFE
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CHARITABLE FOUNDATION OF THE ISLANDS
Brian Rist
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SANIBEL CAPTIVA COMMUNITY BANK
Kim Tryon
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DDWS OPENS REFUGE LIFESTYLES STORE
The “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society-Friends of the Refuge (DDWS) announced the opening of the “Ding” Darling Lifestyles Store on Sanibel, located inside of Home by Rachel Pierce.
It carries a stylish, elevated inventory of eco-friendly home accessories, jewelry and beach attire, alng with J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge logo wear.
A Grand Opening Celebration Sip-n-Shop will take place on April 17 from noon to 4 p.m.
The store will help connect new audiences to the Sanibel refuge, educating about the importance of protecting wildlife. In addition, it will highlight all the refuge has to offer visitors and locals.
Same as the flagship store at the refuge’s Visitor & Education Center, all of the profits from the new shop will benefit conservation education, wildlife research and habitat restoration at the refuge.
DDWS Executive Director Ann-Marie Wildman expressed gratitude for the new partnership with Pierce as it regroups after Hurricane Ian destroyed its former Periwinkle Way store.
The shop will be open Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
In addition to the original Refuge Nature Store, the DDWS operates ShopDingDarling.com.
Home by Rachel Pierce is at 1626 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel.
CITY RELEASES QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER
The city of Sanibel reported that the Spring 2026 edition of the Sanibel Current is available.
It is a quarterly newsletter created in partnership with the SanCap Chamber.
To read the digital copy, visit https://indd.adobe.com/view/cc7ddcf4-47f0-4e43-b1ab-439ed2ca870b or https://www.mysanibel.com/611/Sanibel-Current-Newsletter.
Print copies are available at locations throughout the island community, including City Hall, the chamber and Sanibel Recreation Center.
SCIAR HOLDS EAST CARAVAN MEETING
The Sanibel & Captiva Islands Association of Realtors (SCIAR) held its Member Breakfast and East Caravan on March 19 at its office on Sanibel.
It featured a vacation rental panel made up of representatives from the Sanibel Captiva Vacation Rental Management Association (SCVRMA). The panelists included Patience Jennings of Select Vacation Properties, Sharon Michie of Cottages to Castles and Chris Reublin of Select Vacation Rentals.
Drawing from their years of experience in the local market, they shared perspectives on vacation rental trends, management practices, and the evolving landscape of the Sanibel and Captiva, providing members with knowledge to support their real estate business.
Servpro sponsored the meeting.
CROW ANNOUNCES NEW BOARD
The Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW) extended a thank you to outgoing Board Members Ron Clayton, Roy Gibson, Phaidra McDermott and Laura Rockenberger.
It voiced appreciation for their dedication, leadership and lasting contributions.
In addition, CROW welcomed back for a second term Vice President Fred Weinman, along with Board Members Fred Ryckman and Jason Maughan.
It expressed appreciation for their continued leadership and commitment.
CROW also extended a welcome to new Board Members Barb Lasky, Fran Peters, Matthew Pierce, and Matthew Zwack.
It looks forward to the perspectives and energy that they will bring to the organization.
RIST NAMED AS CFI’S BOARD SECRETARY
The Charitable Foundation of the Islands (CFI) announced the appointment of Brian Rist as secretary for its board of directors for 2026.
He joins an experienced Executive Committee that is leading the foundation’s work to inspire philanthropy, collaboration and leadership throughout the Sanibel and Captiva community.
Rist brings a deep commitment to community engagement and nonprofit leadership. His experience on the board and active involvement in island initiatives reinforce his role in advancing CFI’s mission of strengthening local capacity and supporting collaborative problem solving.
The 2026 Executive Committee also includes: Lisa Riordan as chair, Doug Congress as vice chair, and Mike Bennett as treasurer.
The officers are supported by a dedicated board of directors representing a wide range of community leadership and nonprofit expertise. CFI’s governance structure reflects the foundation’s focus on strategic guidance, fiscal stewardship, and community-centered impact.
JOHN R. WOOD RANKS IN ANNUAL REPORT
John R. Wood Christie’s International Real Estate announced that it is ranked No. 48 in RISMedia’s 38th Annual Power Broker Report.
It is listed among the top 1,000 power brokerages, based on total residential sales volume.
The firm also ranked No. 91 nationwide for total residential transactions completed.
The ranking reflects $4.39 billion in closed residential sales volume in 2025, generated through 4,857 transactions across buyers and sellers.
The 2026 report ranks residential real estate brokerages in the United States by closed sales volume in 2025. It is based on an online survey conducted from January through March 2026, with brokerages verifying their submissions.
SAN CAP BANK PROMOTES TRYON
Sanibel Captiva Community Bank announced the promotion of Kim Tryon to director of construction administration within the loan servicing department.
The move recognizes her leadership, expertise and role in managing construction lending.
Tryon will oversee documentation and disbursement processes for construction loans, supporting commercial and residential financing. She will be responsible for verifying project budgets, reviewing construction draws, and mitigating financial and operational risks throughout the life of the loans.
Tryon will play a key role in safeguarding the bank’s construction loan portfolio by coordinating draw inspections, monitoring project progress, confirming appropriate use of funds, and ensuring adherence to loan agreements and regulatory requirements.
She joined the bank in 2016 as a loan servicing administrative assistant and has since advanced through several positions in the loan servicing administration area. Tryon has developed extensive knowledge of loan servicing operations with a strong specialization in construction lending.