Mentor Profiles

JOHN ANNIS
Fellow Match - Sean McCartney

My wife, Regina and I have two boys.  Daniel (19) is finishing up his second year at MCC and Anthony (13) is a student at Braden River Middle School.  I am originally from a small town in Massachusetts.  I joined the Marine Corps right after high school and retired 25 years later.  I’m currently the Sales & Marketing Manager for the Herald Tribune Media Group.

I am actively involved in my neighborhood and community in East Manatee.  I’m a Community Activities Board Member, Neighborhood Chairperson and voting member of the Summerfield Park and a Modifications Committee Member.  I’ve recently joined the United Way of Manatee County and other groups in Manatee.

My family is an inspiration to me, my wife is a marathon runner and my boys are both great student athletes.  Since we have settled down, I’ve really enjoyed spending more time at home and family things.  I hope to help my community by being involved with other people motivated toward change.  I’m very flexible, willing to listen to other points of view and committed to success.

MICHELLE BUNDY
Fellow Match - Jolene Smith

My name is Michelle Bundy and I am 37 years old. I have lived in Sarasota for 28 years. I just graduated in May 2007 from the University of South Florida with my Bachelor Degree in Early Childhood Education. I am employed by Children First Head Start/Early Head Start of Sarasota County. I have been employed by Children First for 11 years. I worked as a teacher for 6 years and have been an Area Supervisor for 5 years. I enjoy working with children and families in our community. I knew when I was younger that I wanted to work with children and I love what I do. To me I see my job as a challenge everyday because there is always something new to learn from the children and new thing that I can teach my staff. I am involved with many other agencies in our community and I attend trainings on a monthly basis so I am aware of what is happening in the world of child care.

I would like to be a mentor because I feel like I have something to share with others. I look at myself as a mentor to the teachers I supervise and I would like to help out in the community.

TERRI DAVIS 
Fellow Match - Ashlee Wortham
 

My husband Paul and I have been married for 20 years and have two sons, Jaime who is studying Aerospace Engineering at the University of Central Florida and Matthew who is in the eighth grade at the Manatee School for the Arts. I have a M.A. degree in Criminal Justice Administration from USF and graduated from Gannon University with a B.S. in Business Administration. I am also an Alumni with GLI (First Fellows Class). My community involvement is as the Youth Group Leader for the Middle School students at St. Francis Xavier Cabrini Parish in Parish. Our group is currently working on projects involving the elderly and homeless children.

I am the President of the MSA, PTO; Vice-President of my homeowners association and was actively involved with the planning of our Church’s Fall Festival. I am also working with the General Manager of the UCF Ice Hockey team to find funding for the team. My work involvement includes active membership in the Manatee County Juvenile Justice Council, Chairperson of the Juvenile Assessment Center Advisory Board, Tampa Bay Area Intelligence Agency, Florida Intelligence Unit and I am a member of the Florida Department of Law Enforcements’ Child Abduction Response Team.

RUTH LANDO
Fellow Match - Jae Langston Williams

My husband, Michael, and my two children, Rebecca and Max, and I moved to Sarasota from Pittsburgh, PA in 1995 and immediately became immersed in our new lives here. I began volunteering as a marketing and PR assistant for the Florida Winefest & Auction and through that five-year commitment, began to meet people and integrate myself into the community. As a former TV news and public affairs producer, assignments manager and writer in Pittsburgh, I was anxious to connect with publications and clients in Sarasota while staying very involved with my children’s schools and activities plus my husband’s new retail business. By 2000, I was freelancing for a wide variety of commercial and nonprofit entities and worked part-time as communications officer for the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. In June 2007, I accepted the full-time position of Communications Director and cut back my freelancing writing to one article a month (“At Lunch with…”) in Style magazine of the Herald-Tribune.

MELYNDA LEE
Fellow Match - Cesar Gomez

I was publisher of the Herald-Tribune Media Group’s Manatee County bureaus since October 2005, which includes publishing a daily edition, three weekly editions and a city magazine. I also serve as publisher of the Herald-Tribune’s magazine group and chair the magazine and niche publication committee of the New York Times Regional Media Group.

Prior to my Manatee County assignment, I was named Director of Marketing at the Herald-Tribune Co. in February of 2005, leading the company’s marketing and branding efforts and strategic planning for the newspaper, special publications and products, event marketing and SNN-Channel 6.

Employed by the Herald-Tribune since 1997, I was bureau publisher in Charlotte County from early 2002 until 2005. During that time a North Port bureau was opened and the North Port daily edition was created; the company’s first weekly product – HT Englewood – was re-launched in broadsheet format and Charlotte Life, the newspaper’s first city magazine, was published. Prior to 2002, I served in various sales management positions in the newspaper’s advertising department.

My career with the Herald-Tribune Media Group has afforded me the opportunity to play an active role in many community organizations that include United Way, YMCA, Girl Scouts, chambers of commerce, education and mentoring. Inspired by my love of visiting diverse communities and cultures, I want to see the same positive changes take place in Sarasota and Manatee counties that I’ve seen transpire in other evolving communities. My attraction to the community organizations to which I contribute is driven by the depth of impact those organizations can make.

Before joining the Herald-Tribune Co., I worked as a graphic designer, art director, account executive and director of marketing with various companies in Atlanta, Baltimore, Washington D.C. and Jacksonville.

A native Floridian from Jacksonville, I graduated from the University of North Florida in 1985, receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.

ELMA J. McKAY
Fellow Match - Kelsey Hitchingham

No bio available at this time. 

RICHARD ULRICH
Fellow Match - Leigh Llewelyn

Richard A. Ulrich, born in Akron, Ohio, is a senior partner in the Sarasota law firm Judd, Ulrich, Scarlett, Summonte and Dean P.A. He received his B.A. in English with a minor in Political Science from Bowling Green State University and his law degree from the University of Akron. He has represented condominium and homeowner associations, individuals and corporations for over 22 years. Dick has served on numerous local boards and committees and is a member of the Sarasota County and Florida Bar Associations. As President of the Sarasota Civic League, member of the Sarasota Memorial Hospital Human Resources Committee, past member of the City of Sarasota Charter Review Board and former Chairman of the Florida Bar Grievance Committee, he is committed to community involvement. Dick has two daughters, Katie and Sarah.