Sarasota Lifeguard Honored as Lifeguard of the Year and Awarded National Medal of Valor

Sarasota County Fire Department lifeguard Mariano Martinez was honored with the National Medal of Valor by the United States Lifesaving Association (USLA) and named Lifeguard of the Year by the Florida Beach Patrol Chiefs Association for his brave actions that saved a family caught in a rip current in the Gulf on June 22, 2024, while he was off duty.

Dave Bullock, a longtime local government administrator, has been unanimously appointed by the Sarasota city commission as the city’s interim city manager. Bullock, who is coming out of retirement, previously held significant roles including CEO of the Economic Development Corporation of Sarasota County and Town Manager of Longboat Key.

All Faiths Food Bank was recognized as the second-place winner in the organizational category at the 2025 Sapphire Awards, hosted by the Florida Blue Foundation, which also provided a $50,000 cash award to the food bank.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast achieved the status of a Big Brothers Big Sisters of America Pinnacle Award Winner for program excellence in 2024.

The City of Sarasota received the Smart 20 Award from Smart Cities Connect in recognition of its Smart City Initiative, which encompasses various innovations like monitoring pedestrian and traffic safety, implementing real-time beach and red tide monitoring technology, and providing free WiFi in four city parks.

The Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation honored five local teachers with the annual Ripple Effect Teacher Award, which includes a $5,000 grant. The awarded educators are Rochelle Hilston (Woodland Middle School), Sascha Hyer (Venice High School), Marie Rosander (Pine View School), Suzette Trapani (Phillippi Shores Elementary School), and Jennifer Weinberger (Heron Creek Middle School).

Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation appointed Kaitlyn Kramer Reeves as director of development and Megan Wenger as development officer.

Beneva Weddings and Events announced the hiring of Petra Thomas as events coordinator.

Jessica Rogers, vice president of philanthropy at Children First and a dedicated member of the Junior League of Sarasota, has been selected for the inaugural 2025 class of the 40 Over 40 Award by the Association of Junior Leagues International.

Four employees from the State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota received the 2025 Excellence Award from the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD): Miguel Benitez, Patricia Lakey, Rene Massengale, and Angelique Medvesky.

The Economic Development Corporation of Sarasota County and Visit Sarasota County received accolades during the annual meeting of the Florida Economic Development Council, being honored with the “Pivot and Persist” Award and the Melissa Medley Creativity Award.

Sarasota Memorial Hospital has been recognized by Newsweek in its 2025 rankings of America’s Best Hospitals for Specialized Care.

The City of North Port achieved national recognition for its North Port University program, winning first place in the “community engagement event” category at the Blue Pencil and Gold Screen awards ceremony held by the National Association of Government Communicators.

NDC Construction Company has announced the appointment of Les Snyder as its new president and chief executive officer.

PaceMate, a cardiac remote monitoring platform based in Sarasota, appointed JR Finkelmeier as chief executive officer.

Sarasota Opera welcomed Matthew Glover as its new events and corporate officer.

Sarasota County Schools has announced the new principals for local schools, with Lindsay Gallof taking the role at Brookside Middle School, Eric Idoyaga at Englewood Elementary School, and Trenton Terry at Woodland Middle School.

Key Information

• Miguel Mariano: Received National Medal of Valor.
• Dave Bullock: Appointed interim city manager for Sarasota.
• All Faiths Food Bank: Awarded $50,000 at Sapphire Awards.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters: 2024 Pinnacle Award Winner.
• Smart City Initiative: Earned Smart 20 Award.
• Ripple Effect Teacher Award: Awarded to five local educators.
• Sarasota Memorial Hospital: Recognized by Newsweek.
• North Port University: Won award for community engagement.