Jerry Neff, SMA board member, to be honored by Army Officer Candidate School Hall of Fame
SMA board member headed to Army OCS Hall of Fame
Army Brig. Gen. Jerry Neff (Ret.), a member of the Sarasota Military Academy board of directors and a longtime bank executive in Sarasota and Manatee counties, will be inducted into the U.S. Army Officer Candidate School Hall of Fame on May 6 at Fort Moore in Columbus, Georgia.
The OCS Hall of Fame was established in 1958 to honor graduates who have distinguished themselves through valorous combat leadership or superior service.
“I see this honor as a recognition of what I’ve accomplished not only in my military service, but in my service to the community,” Neff said. “Much of that service has been focused on assisting soldiers in the transition from military to civilian employment.”
Neff joined the Illinois National Guard in 1960 at age 18, transferring to the Florida National Guard and graduating from Florida OCS in 1964. While working his way up in the military, Neff pursued a financial services career in Sarasota-Manatee, starting in 1962 as a clerk at National Bank of Sarasota. He advanced to hold executive positions at First Florida Bank of Bradenton, First Florida Bank of Manatee County, and later as president of American Bank of Bradenton. His banking career spanned 47 years.
Neff attended U.S. Army College and retired from the Guard in 1999 as deputy commanding general, 32nd Army Air and Missile Defense Command, Orlando. His active duty assignments included the 1972 Democratic and Republican national conventions in Miami Beach; the 1980 Mariel Cuban refugee crisis; Hurricane Andrew in 1992; and Operation Desert Fox in Iraq in 1998. Neff's awards include the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal (with Oak Leaf Cluster), the Army Achievement Medal (with Oak Leaf Cluster), and the Florida Cross, the highest award given to a member of the Florida Army National Guard.
Neff, a graduate of Excelsior University in Albany, N.Y., served nine years on the school's board of trustees. In 2018, he was appointed by Florida Speaker Richard Corcoran to the board of directors for Veterans Florida and serves as treasurer, working to help veterans start businesses and transfer skills learned in the military to civilian employment.
First Sarasota Anime-Fest at Carlisle Conference Center
The inaugural Sarasota Anime-Fest featuring more than 100 vendors and a variety of events is Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Carlisle Conference Center, 3727 Bahia Vista St., in Sarasota.
The Sarasota Anime-Fest includes fandoms of multiple genres catering to a wide spectrum of interests, including comic books, magazines, toys, games, movies, television, anime, manga, cosplay, artwork, sketches and apparel. In addition, comic industry professionals and fandom celebrities will be in attendance, including anime voice actors Tiffany Grant and Phil Parsons.
Also scheduled are anime panels and trivia. For more information, visit sarasotaanimefest.com.
Fundraiser for Children First raises more than $570,000
Children First recently hosted its 24th annual Fairytale Ball at Michael’s on East, raising more than $570,000 for the Head Start facility that serves children from birth to 5 years old from low-income families.
Children First board chair Keith Johnson and vice president of philanthropy Jessica Rogers also recognized recent awards for Children First, including USA Today Top Workplaces and The NonProfit Times Best Nonprofits to Work for Nationwide.
The event, which featured a performance by children from the Sarasota Ballet, was co-chaired by Hank and Phyllis Battie. The presenting sponsor was PGT Innovations. Visit childrenfirst.net.
Around and about
Author Gerald Kostecka, a North Port resident and creator of the Dream Dragon children’s character, has a new book, "What If? Volume One: Outlandish Theories That Might Actually Be True." The book explores speculative questions and theories that could, against the odds, turn out to be true, including theories involving Bigfoot and aliens. Kostecka's previous works include "Ride the Wave," "Market King," and "New You." Kostecka's books are available at Amazon.
· Sarasota Paradise of the United Soccer League will open their season on May 19 in Miami and host their home opener against Swan City at Sarasota High School on June 1. For information, including tickets and volunteer opportunities, visit sarasotaparadise.us. For sponsorships, contact Marcus Walfridson, founder and president of Sarasota Paradise, at 941-780-0321 or mw@sarasotaparadise.us.
· Piano Friends, who have been entertaining Sarasota audiences for more than 16 years, will perform at Bee Ridge Presbyterian Church, 4826 McIntosh Road, on Saturday from 1:30-3:30 p.m. The free performance includes pianists from intermediate to international skill levels. International virtuoso concert pianist Eleonora Lvov will play the grand finale. (axhandle@comcast.net).
Submissions by Wilma Davidson, Jason Bonafide, Carmine De Santo, Evan Ackerman, Gerald Kostecka, Candice Brown-McElyea, and Debye Bernard.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: SMA board member gains Army Officer Candidate School Hall of Fame
