Engage Estero: A Community Engagement Association, celebrates 25 years of service to the greater Estero area in 2024.
On January 15, 2025 volunteers and civic leaders currently and formerly active in impacting the future of the Greater Estero area gathered to celebrate 25 years of grassroots involvement resulting in a distinctive and established community which actively participates in the growth and direction of its future.
Speakers Bob Lienesch, Jim Gilmartin and Brawley Adams spoke on the history, present and future of both Engage Estero and Estero as a community. We celebrated the many individuals who contributed to the formation and appearance of the area.
Formed as a grassroots organization of residential community leaders in 2004, the nonprofit organization (known as the Estero Council of Community Leaders) has been a driving force in shaping the community.
Development isn’t the only topic of concern for the 100+ volunteers that make up Engage Estero. The organization has a long history of environmental protection work with a focus on the preservation of the DR/GR, restraining the growth of mining and protecting water quality in our river and bay.
Education is another area where Engage Estero has had a huge impact. The 2– 5–8 Educate Junior Achievement initiative has mobilized scores of volunteers in Estero classrooms to teach elementary and middle schoolers about financial literacy. Engage Estero is also proud to be the main sponsor of Breaking Par at Grandezza, a fundraiser for LEAD Estero, which is a nonprofit by students for students that provides scholarship and training for Estero High School students.
Healthcare in Estero, particularly the championing of a 24/7 emergency room, was a decades long commitment of the organization and had a huge impact on the presence of Lee Health Coconut Point. So much so that the facility memorialized Don Eslick’s contribution with a plaque on their Fifth Anniversary.
As Estero continues to grow, transportation planning becomes ever more essential. Engage Estero was very active and in opposing interchanges at 951 and at I-75 that would’ve put pressure on Estero roadways along with compromising important watershed quality. Estero also tracks efforts such as the Corkscrew Road widening, informing residents through original research on time frames, delays, and other developments that affect our future roadways.
Original research and communication have been a key element to Engage Estero’s activities for its entire 20 years. It has existed. Engage Estero has a reputation as a dependable and objective source of Estero specific updates, particularly in regards to potential changes and how residents can impact decision-making. The nonprofit also publishes local success stories, and a calendar of events specific to our area to help our community become closer.
Driven by volunteers, Engage Estero depends heavily on the passion and skills of a group of individuals who care about the present and future of our community. There is room for everyone no matter what their concern whether it be environmental issues, healthcare education, transportation, development, or safety there’s a place that you can play in the future of both our community and Engage Estero as an organization.
Engage Estero is an all-volunteer, nonpolitical, nonprofit Community Engagement Association. We exist to inform citizens of significant community issues and encourage citizen engagement to impact the quality of life in greater Estero favorably.
Board Member
Brawley is a finance professional. His determination to help others has led him and his family to Estero, where he serves his clients at OMNI Financial Services. He’s passionate about helping clients pursue their financial goals and enjoys public speaking, playing disc golf, and spending time with his family. He is excited to be a part of Estero’s future.
Board Member
Karen has worked in healthcare in various capacities for 35 years. She completed her undergraduate degree from the University of Toledo and is completing her master’s degree in healthcare administration. Karen has been a resident of the Estero community for the past five years and is a vested member. She offers a unique skill set as she represents both Lee Health and the citizens of Estero
Board Member
Before moving to Florida in 2000, Lou worked for the U.S. Navy for over 37 years. As Deputy Supervisor of Shipbuilding at General Dynamics Electric Boat Division, he oversaw the Navy’s on-site office of more than 400 personnel and managed the design and construction of the U.S. Navy’s 688, Trident, Seawolf, and Virginia Nuclear Submarine Programs. Lou and Louise are highly active in giving back to the Estero community.
Board Member
Reas Graber was born and raised on a farm in Breda, Iowa, and worked for 43 years in the transportation industry. He moved to Estero in 2012 and is a prolific volunteer. He believes in making Estero the best place to live in Southwest Florida.
Board Member
In 1989, Joe and Joni Pavich moved to Estero with their two sons, and the Pavich family became pillars of the local community. Successful in real estate, his most significant impact has been through community advocacy and service in leadership roles in Estero and Bonita Springs. He is the chairperson of Engage Estero, a charter member of the Rotary Club of Estero, and continues to focus on improving Estero’s quality of life.
Board Member
Mike has had a distinguished career in publishing and marketing, including positions at Processing Magazine and as a VP at Grand View Media. He also has a background in journalism and has served in the U.S. Marine Corps. Mike is actively involved in community initiatives and Boy Scouting.
Board Member
Jim is an ex-officio board member. Rather than being elected, he serves on the board because of his position as president of Engage Estero.
President
Jim served in the United States Navy for four years and earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from CUNY. After serving as a NYC police lieutenant, he was the director of management planning for the NY City Health and Hospitals Corporation. He was president and CEO of two Chicago-based Lutheran General Health Care System companies. Subsequently, he founded Coming of Age, a Chicago-based communications company. Jim joined the ECCL, now Engage Estero, in 2015 and was appointed president in 2019
Chief Communications Offcier
Allan was the CEO and chairman of a major international market research consultancy focusing on healthcare, and he received two-lifetime achievement awards for his work in Europe and the USA. In 2020, he co-authored the book “The Global Pharmaceutical Industry: Its Demise and the Path to Recovery,” published by Routledge. He was also a main contributor to the book “Forging a Better Path,” which recognizes those who have made Estero a wonderful place to live.
Chief Business Administrator
With over 20 years of experience as a management consultant, Terry helped business leaders improve employee benefit plans and streamline financial and operational processes. He founded A Third View Medical, LLC, and Smart Decision Services, Inc., advising company and division decision-makers on employee benefit plans, relationships, risk opportunity identification, strategy development, and resource acquisition. Terry served in the US Air Force and holds a BS in Chemistry from Loras College.
Chief Resource Officer
Barry is a certified financial planner and the retired founder of Freedman Financial Associates, Inc. He served on the National Board of Certified Financial Planners as Chairman and President of the Greater Boston Chapter of the International Association for Financial Planning. From 2015 to 2018, he served on the Board of Governors of the Estero Country Club. He also served as the Membership Director of the Estero Council of Community Leaders and on the Village of Estero Design Review Board.
Chief Membership Officer
Lisa has a strong history of collaborating with Senior Executives and Board Members to turn a company’s vision into actionable strategies. She founded a healthcare technology consulting firm and served as the highest-ranking female executive at Allscripts Healthcare. She implemented a new $100M digital health and data strategy with Microsoft, transforming products into cloud-first products. Lisa spent 20 years in various data and technology leadership roles at UPMC, a large healthcare-integrated delivery and financing company.
Engage Estero’s impact is a direct result of tireless hours of effort by a large group of people.
Don was a founding member of the Estero Council of Community Leaders (ECCL), where he was President and Chairman between 2003 – 2012, and Chairman Emeritus after that.
Neal Noethlich has worked hard for years to benefit Estero’s Quality of Life. His efforts include:
Was a founding member of ECCO
Worked with the County to initiate the Community Plan
Negotiated the makeup of the ECPP
Led the effort to develop with a great amount of community input and gain BOCC approval for the Community Plan
Became the first and only Chair of the ECPP
Led the effort to gain County approval of three Land Development Code revisions that:
provide appearance overlays along Corkscrew and US 41
Developed our big box standards
Negotiated our signage standards
Organized and recruited the members of the EDRC
Led the review of hundreds of zoning applications at local hearings that would not have taken place but for the earlier accomplishments
Negotiated with dozens of developer regarding the zoning provisions of their developments
Testified before the Hearing Examiner and BOCC in support of or seeking amendments to major commercial Zoning developments
Named Village Visionary of the Year 2008
Jack became active in Estero, serving on the Community Planning Panel starting in 2005 and acting as its Chairman until Estero became a Village in 2014.
As Chairman of the Estero Council of Community Leaders, Nick had been actively involved in the process that resulted in the incorporation of the Village of Estero on December 31, 2014. Batos was elected the first Mayor of the Village of Estero.
Bob volunteered to be the ECCL Transportation Chairperson and significantly contributed to developing six transportation districts. He appointed a leader for each district responsible for identifying transportation issues and resolutions at monthly transportation meetings. As a committee chair, he was appointed an ECCL Board member charting the future course of the ECCL and Estero. With the planned retirement of Chairman Don Eslick in Oct 2019, and upon consulting with his wife Janet, Bob accepted the newly created position of ECCL President in June 2019 and significantly contributed to the reorganization of the ECCL.
Barbara Akins was awarded the Village Visionary Award for 2007 for her contributions to Estero’s quality of life on Monday, March 19, 2007. Among her many efforts on behalf of Estero, Barbara Akins serves as President of the Estero Civic Association, is a Board Commissioner of the Estero Fire District as well as the Board’s Treasurer, and she works actively with the Estero Council of Community Leaders.
As Chair of the Estero Design Review Committee, Scotty maintained Estero’s aesthetic appeal. His leadership ensured that new developments were not just structures but representations of the community’s values—buildings that blended with the area’s natural beauty and upheld the high standards outlined in the Estero Community Plan. His work in this role was transformative, laying the groundwork defining Estero’s unique character for years to come.
Bob served as an officer and volunteer of the ECCL from 2011-2019, serving as treasurer and CFO, and member of the incorporation committee.
Levy (right) served as Vice Chair of the Estero Council of Community Leaders and was awarded the 2009 Village Visionary award.
The Village Visionary award was presented to Arnie Rosenthal for his years of devotion and activity benefiting Estero.
Howard Levitan served the ECCL in various roles, including Vice Chair before serving on the first Village of Estero Council. More about Levitan
The Estero Council of Community Leaders (ECCL) awarded Phil Douglas with the ECCL’s 2012 Village Visionary Award for his many contributions to protecting and enhancing Estero’s quality of life. Douglas was a familiar face in the Lee County Commission chambers advocating protection of Estero’s water quality, water quantity and wildlife habitat in the DR/GR by restricting mining and development to those areas which have already been impacted.
Recipient of the inaugural Don Eslick Person of the Year Award, Shields has dedicated years of time and expertise to Estero.
For over 19 years, Jim Shields has provided leadership and commitment to maintaining and improving the quality of life in Estero and, notably, improving education in our community. He created the 2-5-8 Graduate Junior Achievement program, including 135 volunteers, impacting over 2800 students. The Breaking Par Program he started in 2013 has raised $561,000 for educational programs.
Active on the Board of the ECCL, Jim Boesch went on to be a Councilmember and Mayor of the Village of Estero.
Edwards contributed her experience in journalism to provide publicity and communications services to the ECCL for many years.
Involved with the ECCL from 2002-2018, Dronkers was involved in the incorporation process and the Estero Community Improvement Foundation. He spearheaded raising $40,000 in 2010 to landscape the Estero High School road frontage.
Brown is a Founding Member of the Estero Concerned Citizens Organization, ECCL’s predecessor. An active member of the ECCL, he also served the Estero Community Planning Panel as Recording Secretary.
Brown was awarded the 2011 Village Visionary Award.
And the list goes on! So many people contributed.
Nancy Cohen
Dan Delisi
Ned Dewhirst
John Goodrich
Gordon Lyons
Bob Melzer
Tom O’Dea
Al O’Donnell
Bill Prysi
Jim Ramsburg
Roger Strelow
Linda Tecco-Roach
Greg Toth
Frann Wagner
Jim Wallace
A selection of photos from events and campaigns throughout the years.
In 2021, Engage Estero published a history of the organization based on dozens of interviews. The result is available for purchase.
Don Eslick and Neal Noethlich describe the efforts of Estero residents to maintain and ensure the quality of life of the community through grassroots zoning and planning. This video was recorded in 2014, ten years into the effort. Huge thanks to Nancy Cohen for making the videos and sharing them with us.
