Powerful Friends presentation shows off Boca movie upgrades

The rumble of a locomotive in “Toy Story 3” filled the Boca Grande Auditorium before the Friends of Boca Grande annual meeting and, combined with the crisp picture, assured board directors money had been spent wisely upgrading failing equipment. Executive Director Marta Howell had arranged for a snippet of the movie to be shown to give directors a sampling of the recent investment at work. The Friends had managed to raise more than $42,000 in roughly one month and still need just $4,761 to pay off the entire sound and video upgrade cost of $46,793. “It's unbelievable, really,” Howell said. “This Boca Grande community is really something!?? We are close to filling the gap but we need one last push of funds to take us over the top.”

Howell asks donors to earmark contributions for the Friends of Boca Grande Community Center fund for technical difficulties.

The way Howell took charge when the aged theater gear unexpectedly failed was just one more example of her leadership qualities, according to Friends Board Chair Pat Chapman. Howell is also helping Fust Library in its executive search in an unprecedented example of island nonprofit leadership collaboration.

“One of the best things that has happened to us this year is the hiring of our first executive director,” Chapman said.

The annual Friends of Boca Grande Board meeting is a model of efficiency that tends to last less than 30 minutes. This one was no different ending in a tidy 20 minutes.

After unanimously electing Suzanne Fuller to a second term and installing Roger Lewis for his first, the board named Dee Wheeler to a non-voting position as an honorary board member for life.

The meeting concluded after a report from Friends of Boca Grande Treasurer John Kissinger. Although donations were down in 2010 compared with 2009, Kissinger said 2011 giving is already showing a marked improvement.

“I can assure you the financial condition of the Friends of Boca Grande remains quite good,” Kissinger said.

The Friends' assets did take a 4.9 percent hit in 2010 declining to $1,195,994 with a $51,270 investment value drop and the loss of $11,351in cash compared with 2009.

Kissinger said he expected the stock market run-up and increased donor activity to end the downward turn this year.