“Ninth Leadership Marco class begins 3-month stint”

Ninth Leadership Marco class begins 3-month stint

Posted: 05 Aug 2010 08:38 AM PDT

This is first in a series of three articles profiling the Leadership Marco class of 2010.

Leadership Marco comprises a group of people who have volunteered their time to attend educational sessions on all aspects of Marco Island.

The group will meet every second week for the next three months.

The program, the ninth of its kind under the auspices of the Marco Island Area Chamber of Commerce, seeks to promote future civic and business leaders with the future of the island in mind.

Here are the first three profiles.

Raul Medina

Having spent the past decade in the financial world and being associated with institutions such as Morgan Stanley, Dean Witter and Citibank, Medina has been with SunTrust Bank on Marco Island for the past 10 years.

Prior to that, he worked in the world of retail, and rates stints with the Giorgio Armani Corp. in Costa Mesa, Calif., and San Francisco as his most memorable.

A biker who likes riding classic machines, especially on long hauls, Medina also plays co-ed volleyball at the Greater Marco Family YMCA, as well as coaching his daughter's Y6 soccer team.

"I also like giving my time to the Habitat for Humanity," Medina says. "Most recently I developed a leadership class for the Habitat youth. I am also a proud member of the Noontime Rotary Club, which I greatly enjoy. Most recently I've joined the Cancer Society as one of the logistics volunteers."

Medina applied for the Leadership Marco program on the strength of meeting past graduates.

"I found them to be high-caliber individuals and well-respected leaders in this community," Medina says. "I feel that it will be an honor and privileged to be part of this esteemed group."

Meeting new people is part of the reason Medina is looking forward to the program.

"I look forward to the experiences and friendships the program will provide me," he says.

As for his vision of a future Marco Island, Medina says it is a positive one.

"I feel that this island has lots of opportunity for development. It's a young city and it will only get better as its goes through its growing pains," he says. "I currently don't live on the island, but I am looking forward to that day."

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Jennifer Johnson

As marketing/membership director of the Eagle Creek Golf & Country Club, it follows that Johnson enjoys sports, notably golf and tennis.

Familiar with Marco Island since the late '70s, when she used to vacation here with family, Johnson says she recalls "joyful" times feeding the seagulls at Residents Beach and searching for shells in the sand at Tigertail Beach.

"Those fantastic childhood experiences remain in the forefront of my mind today," Johnson says.

Naturally, one of her latter-day pleasures is long walks on the beach and shelling for treasures.

Johnson decided to volunteer for the Leadership Marco program to learn more about the area, and also to give back to the community she's learned to cherish.

"Marco Island is a magnificent place made up of extraordinary people," Johnson says. "Being a member of such a magical community draws me to get involved in several organizations. I am currently secretary and president-elect of the Marco Island Sunrise Rotary (Club) and sit on the board for Christmas Island Style."

Johnson's vision of Marco in the next 10 years:

"I would like to see Marco Island develop into one of the nation's premier vacation destinations and desired relocation sites. I would like to see subtle changes to the community that would provide opportunity for growth and economic development.

"I would like young families to experience the magic of Marco Island so they, too, can pass their memories onto the next generation."

David Longfield-Smith

A marketer for Costco Wholesale in Naples, Longfield-Smith started working in Orlando at just 13, and bypassed high school for college.

At 19, he joined the U.S. Air Force, serving as a security policeman at Ramstein Air Base, Germany.

"I worked part time selling stereo gear for the audio club (compact discs had just been introduced) and had a lot of fun ... I discovered that I really liked sales and marketing," he says.

He continued to work in Germany after leaving the Air Force, later moving with his family to England, where he was the sales rep for more than 30 companies selling products to the U.S. military in the U.K. and Iceland, most notably Anheuser-Busch, General Electric, and IBM - which had just introduced their first PC to consumers.

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Next career move for Longfield-Smith was to the Bose Corp. in the U.S.

"I helped write the most successful chapter in the company's history by opening Bose-owned stores all across the U.S." he says.

A sailor and kayaker, Longfield-Smith and has been married to Madeleine for the past 25 years, and the family, including daughter, Jenn, and son, Chris, has lived in Fort Myers since 1999.

Madeleine sells real estate for Quail West and West Bay; Jenn is the box office manager for The Florida Repertory Theatre in Fort Myers, and Chris is a theatre major at UCF in Orlando.

Longfield-Smith volunteered for the Leadership Marco program after joining the Marco chamber.

"I was immediately impressed by their community spirit and service," he says. "I am an ambassador for the chamber, and in Leadership Marco to better understand the needs of the businesses, organizations, and people of this special and unique place."

Longfield-Smith says he most looks forward to learning which organizations and groups would benefit from his background and experience.

He visualizes the Marco of the future as more unified.

"Marco Island's location and culture has attracted many interesting and talented people," he says. "I hope that the community, business and private, can work more closely together to identify problems and work towards solutions to protect, repair, and improve Marco Island for future generations to enjoy."

Next week: More Leadership Marco members profiled.

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