Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Attorney
Douglas E. Walker has joined law firm Williams Parker, bringing over three decades of experience in the construction industry. He focuses his practice on construction law and litigation.
Walker was previously an associate with the law firm in the early 2000s and rejoins from an AmLaw100 firm in Portland, Oregon. Before that, he served as assistant in-house counsel for a Fortune 500 construction company.
Walker works with clients in the construction, development and public contracting industries on contract negotiations and settlements, regulatory compliance and investigations, risk management and dispute avoidance.
Walker holds a JD, a master’s in civil engineering and a bachelor’s from the University of Florida. He is admitted to practice in Florida, California, Oregon, South Carolina and Washington.
Roxie Jerde and Matthew Sauer
It was 343 days ago that the first case of COVID-19 found its way into this place we call home. Since then, we have all changed our lives in previously unthinkable ways – and swiftly, too.
What we all expected to be a brief moment in time has unfortunately become a daily hardship for many of our neighbors, local business owners and families. Fortunately, in the face of so much unknown, people of all ages and means rose time and again to the call to provide strangers in our community stability and security through Season of Sharing during an otherwise overwhelming moment in history.
Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, the need for nurses is seen at the forefront of the community now more than ever.
As the pandemic continues to rage on, leaders in the local health care field have made it a priority to educate the community about the region’s growing need for nurses, who serve on the frontlines of health care.
At a virtual panel event Thursday, members of the local health care field and members of the nonprofit community discussed the need for nurses in the community as health care providers see burnout and fatigue brought on by the pandemic. Educating the community about quality nursing programs is a top priority for them.
With about a month left in the official Season of Sharing fundraising campaign, two local nonprofits have contributed to the fund that has acted as a community safety net in Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte and DeSoto counties for the last two decades.
The Manatee Community Foundation, a supporting agency to the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, and the Charlotte Community Foundation donated to the campaign in the final weeks of the year.
“The support of this critical network by our fellow community foundations, their boards of directors and individual donors speaks volumes about the trust there is for Season of Sharing to be a resource for families and individuals during their most challenging times,” Roxie Jerde, president and CEO of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, wrote in a prepared statement.
Soar in 4 receives $100,000 grant from Manatee Community Foundation
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
A $100,000 grant was awarded from the Success Through Literacy Fund of Manatee Community Foundation to support the Soar in 4 program, an award-winning initiative helping families to become their child’s first teacher.
With leadership by the School District of Manatee County and more than 30 local partner organizations, Soar in 4 gives families tools and support to help their children make learning gains while connecting them to community resources. The grant from Manatee Community Foundation will be used for literacy kids for homes and stipends to School District staff to provide literacy outreach events.