BUSINESS OBSERVER

+ Berman named vice president of Sarasota High foundation
Jay Berman, of Professional Benefits, has been appointed to the Sarasota High School Foundation Board and named its vice president.

The foundation, which provides scholarships for students and financial support for many activities, enhances the school’s learning environment by fostering collaboration among the alumni, faculty, students and members of the community.

Berman says he looks forward to spreading awareness about the organization and its supporting role.

+ Mote Marine partners with USF Sarasota-Manatee
The leaders of Mote Marine Laboratory and the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee met Friday, Feb. 10, to sign an agreement that will see the two organizations working together more closely in the future.

The agreement will also lead to the development of new classrooms and teaching laboratories on Mote’s campus.

Dr. Kumar Mahadevan, Mote’s president and CEO, said in a news release, “We’re very excited that this agreement will create new avenues for Mote staff to help educate the next generation of marine scientists and for USFSM faculty to have the opportunity to work with us on our world-recognized research programs.”

+ Arts and Cultural Alliance partners with Film Festival
The Arts and Cultural Alliance will partner with the Sarasota Film Festival for the film component of the second annual YouthArts Fest. The festival’s Education Department staff will curate a short film program in the Selby Library to showcase student work from several free programs, including Kids Reel Life Studio, Reel Life Studio and See Jane Studio at SFF.

The YouthArts Fest will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 21.

+ American Heart Association gives CPR grant to schools
Thanks to funding support from the Suncoast Cardiovascular Research and Education Foundation, the American Heart Association has given the Sarasota County School District a $15,000 grant.
The money is being used for a program called CPR Anytime, which has trained nearly 400 students and staff members in the district’s middle schools and high schools.

Cat Depot increases adoption rate with new foster program
In an effort to find permanent homes for long-term homeless cats, the nonprofit organization Cat Depot has been conducting a trial program.

It placed three test cats in a series of three foster homes for three weeks each. Within a month of their return to Cat Depot, all three felines were adopted. 

Following this success, Cat Depot is moving forward with another 10 cats in this initiative.
Cat Depot is a nationally known, no-kill cat shelter and adoption program.