How is Keep Lee County Beautiful, Inc. improving Lee County?
January Newsletter
Community News and Upcoming Events
Message From The Chair of Keep Lee County Beautiful, Inc.

For more than 30 years, Keep Lee County Beautiful has worked with its members, local businesses and volunteers to provide opportunities for grassroots stewardship of the unique place we call home. We all understand that the local economy depends on a clean and welcoming natural environment.

Even though the COVID-19 pandemic forced us to change the way we approached some events and led to the canceling of others, people still came together in small groups, socially distanced of course, to work on various beautification efforts. The many hours we spent indoors this year led us to a renewed appreciation of time spent outdoors.

It is my honor to chair this organization for the next two years. I encourage each of you to consider how your time, talent or treasure can be used to help Keep Lee County Beautiful. Is the beach your happy place? Plan to join us in February when we plant sea oats to help stabilize shorelines ravaged by Hurricane Eta storm surge or take part in Monofilament Madness as we clear monofilament fishing line from mangroves - making the waters safer for birds and sea animals.

If your interests run closer to home, why not organize a few friends and neighbors to do a litter sweep in your neighborhood during the Great American Cleanup on March 6? This is the nation's largest community improvement program and takes place annually in an estimated 15,000 communities nationwide. In 2019, KLCB provided supplies to 54 neighborhood coordinators who removed 32,000 pounds of litter from the local community.

Have you gained a few pounds during COVID, as I have? This month, we are bringing Sweden's latest fitness craze - plogging - to Lee County. The term is an English-Swedish mash-up of words jogging and the Swedish term "plocka upp," meaning pick up. Pick up litter, in this case. It's a trend that is just starting to catch on among American exercisers who are fed up with litter along their route. And, the good news is that according to the Swedish-based fitness app Lifesum, a half-hour of jogging plus picking up trash will burn 288 calories for the average person, compared with 235 burned by jogging alone.

Please join us in doing beautiful things! Although we are an affiliate of the national organization Keep America Beautiful, 100% of your donations are used locally.

Thank you!!!
Molly Schweers
Chair, Keep Lee County Beautiful, Inc.
Keep Lee County Beautiful Is Proud To Introduce Our 2021 Executive Board Members.

These four officers of Keep Lee County Beautiful's Board of Directors will hold these positions for the next two years. We are extremely grateful for the guidance they will provide to our organization, we feel confident that with their wealth of knowledge and experience assisting us we will reach new heights of both service to our local community, and improving the environment.
Molly Schweers - Chair
Molly Schweers, a nationally accredited and award-winning public relations professional, creates public outreach and education programs for the Lee County Solid Waste Department. She also serves as the department's public information officer and is the primary contact for media, speaking engagements, site tours, and the department's website.

A self-professed "trash nerd", she has directly provided information about proper recycling and minimizing your personal waste stream to more than 200,000 people over the past six years.

Molly holds a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from New Mexico State University and a Master of Public Administration from Florida Gulf Coast University. She has been employed with Lee County government for nearly 15 years.

A third-generation New Mexican, she and her husband have lived in Fort Myers for nineteen years and have two grown children.

Molly's mission is to raise community awareness of how important proper solid waste management is to a community's overall quality of life.
Todd Hoagland - Vice Chair
Todd Hoagland is currently a Code Compliance Supervisor with the City of Cape Coral. Prior to his career in code enforcement in 2015, he retired after 25 years in law enforcement in New Jersey. He has earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Colorado State University in 2001 and Master of Administrative Science from Fairleigh Dickinson University. As an instructor for the Florida Institute of Government, he instructs on aspects of the Fundamentals of Code Enforcement, Administrative Aspects and Officer Safety. Todd is currently the President of the South West Association of Code Enforcement, an active member of the Florida Association of Code Enforcement membership and education committees, and a member of the Board of Directors for Keep Lee County Beautiful. He resides in Cape Coral with his wife and 3 children who all enjoy volunteering with KLCB.
Ron Kitlas - Treasurer
Ron Kitlas brings 30+ years global business experience in public, private equity and family owned businesses. During that time he had 15+ years experience in the C- suite as an HR Leader for Division Presidents and Functional Business Leaders. He is a well-rounded executive with experience in B2B and B2C selling models across technology, consumer products, intermediary supply, professional and retail service industries.

Kitlas graduated from the University of Detroit and the Michigan State University School of Law. He is certified as a green belt in Six Sigma / Process Excellence and earned an International Coaching Federation (ICF) professional certificate in Leadership Coaching for Organizational Performance. He has earned the Professional Coaching Certification from ICF and is the author of Leading and Influencing a primer for the newly appointed manager.

Kitlas has served on numerous community and civic organizations including Keep Lee County Beautiful, American Red Cross and the 57th Street Hilton Owners Association.

Ron resides in Fort Myers with his wife Laura.
Melissa Kruse - Secretary
Melissa Kruse is a native Floridian who has called the beautiful Lee County home since 2003. She joined Passarella & Associates, Inc., an ecological consulting firm, in 2004 where she is the Marketing Director. Melissa earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Florida State University and a Master of Arts degree in Marketing Communication from the University of Denver. She has a serious sweet tooth, loves FSU football, pugs, photography, graphic design, watching wood storks and roseate spoonbills from her backyard on the Caloosahatchee River, and spending time with her husband and three children. Melissa volunteers with the United Way on an Allocations Team and joined the Keep Lee County Beautiful Board of Directors in 2020. She is honored to have been selected as the incoming Secretary.
Sponsor now and have your company logo or name proudly displayed on the back of this 2021 event t-shirt.
Sponsorship Opportunity
Great American Clean-Up
March 6, 2021
This event is an amazing opportunity to get your company's name in the public eye. By becoming a sponsor your name or logo will be displayed on the back of our event shirts, placed on banners, and on our event webpage, plus you will receive valuable media exposure leading up to and after this event. Then there is the greatest benefit of all, knowing you are helping to preserve and protect our precious environment.

CLICK HERE to become a sponsor today and let the Lee County residents know that you care about protecting the world we live in.

Would You Like To Lead a Community Cleanup
The Great American Clean-Up takes place all throughout Lee County. We will be cleaning, waterways, shorelines, roadways, parks, illegal dumpsites, and anyplace else that we find trash and debris that is a blight on our community. If you would like to help lead a site please email mike@klcb.org for additional information. A registration page for available sites that you may volunteer at will be opening soon.
7 New Year's Resolutions To Protect Our Environment
  1. Recycle properly - visit Lee County's recycling WEBPAGE to get information on the five materials that belong in your recycle cart.
  2. Repurpose old items. Often that old item can be made into something new. If you have no use for it and it is only slightly used donate it rather than throwing it away so it may continue to be used.
  3. Drink from a reusable bottle rather than drinking bottled water.
  4. Limit meat consumption. Change your diet to include more plant-based meals. This will help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions caused by livestock.
  5. Stop using single-use plastic bags, instead use reusable bags when you shop.
  6. Lose the plastic straws. Replace them with your own metal or bamboo straws. CLICK HERE to purchase environmentally friendly bamboo straws.
  7. Conserve water - Water is life, try to use as little of this precious resource everyday by following a few simple tips.
  • Turn off the water tap when you brush your teeth.
  • Use the dishwasher.
  • Reduce your shower duration.
Sajel Dodia Joins KLCB!
Keep Lee County Beautiful is excited to announce Sajel Dodia as our new Environmental Education & Outreach Coordinator. Sajel will inspire and educate others on how to protect and preserve the environment.

Sajel graduated from the University of Florida where she studied Biology and Environmental Science. She grew up in Naples and moved back after college. She is a huge nature lover and spends most of her free time outdoors gardening, practicing yoga, and visiting her favorite beaches.

Email Sajel@klcb.org to schedule a virtual or live presentation for your group or organization.
Start Plogging With KLCB!
Every Wednesday
8:00 AM - 9:00 AM
The word "plogging" is derived from the Swedish phrase "plocka up", which refers to picking up garbage while you are out walking or jogging. Keep Lee County Beautiful will be meeting at a new location every Wednesday between 8:00 am and 9:00 AM.

The first plogging event will be taking place on January 6. Volunteers should meet at Six Mile Corporate Park which is located at 12140 Carissa Commerce Court.

Our second plogging event will be on January 13. We will be meeting at the Bunche Beach Preserve, 18201 John Morris Rd. We will be cleaning John Morris Rd from the entrance to the beach to the intersection of John Morris Rd/Summerlin Rd.

Additional locations and dates will be updated on our Facebook event site.
Support Those That Support Us

The business community needs our support now more than ever. Keep Lee County Beautiful would like to encourage you to help these businesses that have been supporters of ours. Through their support, we have been able to carry out our mission to inspire, educate, and engage the Lee County community in improving, beautifying, and protecting our environment.

Below we highlight a few of our business supporters that we hope you will be able to assist in these trying times by giving them your patronage.
Quigley Eye Specialists: They are a Florida medical and surgical practice specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of vision disorders. Quigley Eye provides the highest quality eye care available for cataracts, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, cornea conditions, dry eyes, and droopy eyelids using state-of-the-art technology.

Their proven dedication and thoughtful attitude towards their patients has made them SWFL #1 choice for cataract surgery. They have eight convenient locations to better serve you. Visit their webpage or call one of their locations to schedule an appointment.

Adventures In Paradise: Take a paradise cruise to see why people fall in love with the sea. Explore and take a journey to discover dolphins, manatee, sea horses, osprey, and pristine beaches brimming with seashells. The waters of Sanibel and Captiva provide for some of the worlds best boat cruises, let the Stewart family guide you to the best fun-filled adventures. 239-472-8443

Tuckaway Cafe: Located at 2301 Estero Blvd on Fort Myers Beach, this cafe is ideally located for breakfast, brunch, lunch or even an evening sandwich. If you prefer you can order takeout. They are open daily from 7am to 8pm. Their food is spectacular and sure to please.
239-463-5398
Would you like to help keep Lee County beautiful!

Keep Lee County Beautiful, Inc. is a non-profit that has always strived towards coordinating programs and events that will beautify and improve our local community. We are also strongly focused on protecting the environment by removing litter and debris throughout our county. One of our main goals is improving both our residents and visitors awareness of proper trash disposal and recycling procedures. Our ultimate goal is to someday not need to have large scale cleanup projects. To achieve all of our goals we could use your help. If you would like to make a small, tax-deductible donation, please visit our membership page by Clicking Here.

We thank you for your support!

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