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 Thursday, January 28, 2010 Local Firm Has Lots of heART & SOUL for Manatee Education FoundationSARASOTA, FL - Warren G. Simonds, LEED® AP, Chief Marketing Officer for Willis A. Smith Construction, Inc., a Sarasota based Construction Management firm, and his wife Kathy, are among the honorary hosts for the 3rd Annual heart & Soul Gala and Live Art Auction. Willis A. Smith Construction, Inc., is the Masterpiece sponsor for the third year in a row. The event takes place this Friday, January 29, 2010 beginning at 6pm at the Lakewood Ranch Country Club. Dr. Simonds has been a Board Member of the Manatee Education Foundation for four years and was a significant participant in the establishment of the heART & Soul Student Art Auction. “Huge kudos need to go out to all of the young student artists and their parents who have been so supportive of the artistic talents of their children,” said Warren G. Simonds. He continued, “This event couldn’t happen without the hard work and encouragement of all the art teachers in the Manatee County School System.” Students from Manatee County schools submitted pieces of art for review by a jury of professional artists. The top 25 were selected and will be auctioned off at Friday’s Gala. During the auction, the student artists will be recognized and will receive scholarships ranging from $150 to $1000, in addition to other gifts. Proceeds from the gala and auction benefit the Manatee Education Foundation. SmithBuilt® # # # The Manatee Education Foundation is a not-for-profit organization that provides support to the School District of Manatee County through a variety of programs that benefit students and teachers. The Foundation acts as a liaison between the private sector and the public school system providing avenues for businesses, industry and community involvement in public education. For additional information, please contact Mary Glass at 708-8770. Willis A. Smith Construction, Inc. is a Sarasota based Construction Management firm primarily serving Southwest Florida since 1972. As the oldest construction firm in Sarasota and Manatee counties, the company enjoys the best reputation in southwest Florida for quality construction. They offer clients a solid background in commercial, industrial, educational, healthcare, museum specialty work and sustainable construction. The company is also a member of the Florida Green Building Coalition, U.S. Green Building Council, and Sustainable Sarasota. They now have 13 LEED Accredited Professionals (green building experts) on staff. The firm has made great strides in asserting itself as a leader in ‘green’ construction and has been awarded several contracts based in a large part on their experience in this field. A few of their notable green projects include: Willis A. Smith Construction’s 18,000 square foot Corporate Headquarters Building at Lakewood Ranch, Schroeder-Manatee Ranch corporate offices, Ringling College of Art and Design North Hall and Academic Center and The Wellness Community at Lakewood Ranch. For additional information, contact Willis A. Smith Construction, Inc. at 941-366-3116 or via e-mail at elipoff@willissmith.com.  |
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