Author: Jasmine

The region’s largest private homebuilder, Neal Communities, donated $2,500 as a Pathfinder Sponsor for TEDxBradenton. Taking place on September 29, 2023, at State College of Florida, the event seeks to highlight local ideas and the area’s rich and diverse talent working to convert those ideas into community initiatives.

The theme of this year’s TEDxBradenton is “Writing the Future,” and 150 attendees, including speakers and volunteers, are expected.

This is the second year the TEDxBradenton event has been held and the second year Neal Communities has sponsored the event. Last year, the private homebuilder gave $1,000 to help offset the operating costs of the event. This year, Neal Communities has more than doubled that sponsorship to $2,500.

Sarah Toedman, a new home sales associate with Neal Communities, is part of a planning committee for the TEDxBradenton event. Toedman worked with a TEDx program at Florida State University several years ago, and because of that experience, she was asked to be part of the planning committee for the inaugural Bradenton event and has continued to serve on the committee.

“We’re excited to be producing TEDxBradenton for the second year,” said Toedman. “Bradenton has so many locals that are doing fabulous things for our community as well as new people moving here every day and bringing new ideas worth sharing.”

The Neal Communities sponsorship will help offset some of the cost for live streaming and production of the event.

“Neal Communities gives back to all of their current local communities that they are building in, throughout the west coast of Florida,” said Toedman. “Spreading ideas to make where you live a better place means a lot to the Bradenton area and people. I am very grateful for the support from Neal Communities in my personal endeavor to give back to this community.”

TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience in the spirit of ideas worth spreading. At a TEDx event, both live and recorded speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection.

This year’s speaker lineup for TEDxBradenton includes Robyn Faucy of Results 1^st as master of ceremony, Mark Gordon of the Business Observer and the Observer Media Group, Travis Ray of Dapper Bowtique, Dominic Marino of Oyster Boys Conservation, Xtavia Bailey of Next Level Coaching and Consulting, author and educator Dr. Richard C. Harris, Andre Hendrix of The Village Health & Wellness, author and speaker Natalie Baird-King, Esq., Mitch Lomazov of EXCELLence Performance, Omar Edwards of the School District of Manatee County, urban designer Elma Felix, Derek Ober of Northwestern Mutual, Carlos Portillo of Suncoast Youth for Christ, Larissa Lippe of Smart Kids Tutor LLC, Chase Pettey of Adventure for All and Shannon Live of Bat City Comic Professionals.

With a core belief that “Where You Live Matters,” Neal Communities has given more than $7.75 million to local charities throughout Southwest Florida and is committed to the communities where they live, work and build. The latest giving is an example of the company’s philanthropic culture.

“We encourage our teammates at Neal Communities to get involved in organizations and events that make a difference in people’s lives and in the communities where they live,” said Pat Neal, founder and chairman of Neal Communities. “We are pleased to be able to support many of those initiatives.”

For tickets and more information about TEDxBradenton, visit www.tedxbradenton.com. For more information about Neal Communities, visit nealcommunities.com/.

Neal Communities has again earned top honors in the large organizations category of a survey designed to recognize Top Workplaces in Sarasota and Manatee and Counties.

The Top Workplaces program surveys employees to collect feedback on the employee experience, culture and other critical areas of employee satisfaction. Surveys went out to thousands of employees in the region, and 25 employers made the winners list. Neal Communities took the top spot for large organizations for the second year in a row.

Employees at Neal Communities receive comprehensive benefits including competitive compensation, attainable bonuses, career advancement and development, comprehensive health care plans, employer-paid life insurance, supplemental insurance, long- and short-term disability insurance, employer-paid ID theft protection, a generous company-matching 401(K), paid time off, a wellness program, tuition reimbursement, employee assistance program (EAP) and employee service awards. In addition, employees have the opportunity to purchase a Neal home at a savings or have work done on their existing home through Neal’s trusted vendors.

“This recognition is a celebration of our employees, their teamwork and their enduring commitment to our organization,” said Tashara Cronshaw, PHR, SRM-CP, vice president of human resources at Neal Communities. “I am incredibly proud to be a part of something so special.”

Neal Communities has participated in the Herald Tribune’s award dating back to 2019 and has won each year. This is the second year the employee survey company Energage has partnered with the Sarasota Herald-Tribune to conduct the survey and identify the top workplaces in Sarasota and Manatee Counties.

Pat Neal, founder of Neal Communities, said, “It’s important to me and everyone here that this is an outstanding place to work. We let our employees know that they have a voice and they are valued for their role in our mutual success.”

In addition to recognizing employees’ contributions and longevity through programs such as Years of Service recognition or annual Guiding Principles Award, which honors an employee who illuminates the principles that guide Neal Communities, the company also listens to employees when it comes to community involvement. Much of Neal Communities’ more than $7.75 million in charitable giving has been to organizations that employees volunteer for or are directly involved in.

To explore opportunities at Neal Communities, visit NealCareers.com.

Southwest Florida’s largest private homebuilder, Neal Communities, donated $5,000 to the Kiwanis Club of North Port Foundation to help with a proposed project to construct a Storybook Stroll reading program and Little Free Library along a walking path at one of North Port’s neighborhood parks.

Pine Park is located inside Country Club Ridge, a North Port neighborhood off McKibben Drive that was devastated by Hurricane Ian. The small neighborhood park includes a volleyball court, playground, picnic pavilion, picnic tables, outdoor grill and a paved walking trail which the Kiwanis Club hopes will one day be the home of a Storybook Stroll program, said Kiwanis Club member Elaine Allen-Emrich.

“We are putting something together for that neighborhood, and many other people in North Port, that will truly be loved,” said Allen-Emrich, who is spearheading the project. “Neal Communities really catapulted this project from a dream to a reality with their donation.”

With a core belief that “Where You Live Matters,” Neal Communities has given more than $7.5 million to local charities throughout Southwest Florida and is committed to the communities where they live, work and build. The Kiwanis Club of North Port’s project is one of the latest programs to be supported by Neal Communities.

“Neal Communities is happy to support organizations that offer enrichment opportunities for our local youth,” said Pat Neal, founder and president of Neal Communities. “This program is a way to encourage children and families to read together.”

The vision is for Storybook Stroll to be constructed with sturdy holders that allow laminated book pages to be viewed along the looped trail. The concept is that children in wheelchairs or strollers will be able to read pages of the book as they move along the pathway. The featured book would be changed throughout the year. The Kiwanis Club also hopes to construct a Little Free Library along the trail to offer copies of the book as part of a “take a book, return a book” honor system.

Allen-Emrich said the Kiwanis Club had raised $4,000 for the project prior to Neal Communities’ donation and estimates it will need another $2,000 before construction can begin. She said the Club intends to continue its fundraising efforts.

“This is designed to help children with reading and learning. So many children have fallen behind during the pandemic and now Hurricane Ian that anything to provide interest in reading is a boost,” Allen-Emrich said.

For more information about the Kiwanis Club of North Port visit www.KiwanisClubofNorthPort.org. For more information about Neal Communities, visit nealcommunities.com/.