Education

Seeking national glory, one contest at a time

March 16, 2016 By B.C. Manion

They may be too young to know the ways of the world, but they certainly know their way around it.

Several area students have qualified to be semifinalists in the 2016 Florida National Geographic State Bee, earning the right to compete at Jacksonville University on April 1.

Area semifinalists and their schools are:

Reece Kaplan, Carrollwood Day School
Hirsh Kabria, Charlie Walker Middle School
Riju Datta, Corbett Preparatory School
Ethan Rampersaud, Dr. John Long Middle School
Noah Pearlman, Hillel Academy
Samuel Glickman, Martinez Middle School
Shlok Patel, Raymond B. Stewart Middle School
Landry Samuels, St. Anthony School
Rishi Nair, Williams Middle Magnet School

The semifinalist competition is the second level of the National Geographic Bee competition, now in its 28th year.

School Bees took place in schools with fourth- through eighth-grade students throughout Florida, to determine each school champion.

School champions then took an online qualifying test.

The National Geographic Society has invited up to 100 of the top-scoring students in each of the 50 states, District of Columbia, Department of Defense Dependents Schools and U.S. territories to compete in the state Bees.

Each state champion will receive $100, the National Geographic book “The National Parks: An Illustrated History” and a medal, and will journey to Washington D.C., to represent their state in the National Geographic Bee Championship at National Geographic Society headquarters, from May 22 through May 25.

The national champion will receive a $50,000 college scholarship and lifetime membership in the National Geographic Society. The national champion will also travel (along with one parent or guardian), all expenses paid, to Alaska’s coastal wilderness, including Glacier Bay National Park, in recognition of the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service.

The 2016 National Geographic Bee Championship final round will be moderated for the first time by journalist and humorist Mo Rocca.

Test your knowledge
How would you fare as a National Geographic Bee contestant? Here’s a sampling of the type of questions the Bee includes:

To fish in Lake Winnipesaukee [wi-neh-peh-SAW-kee] and ski near Franconia Notch, you would travel to which state – New Hampshire or South Dakota? (New Hampshire)

Visitors to Biscayne National Park in Florida can go fishing and lobstering along the shore of which kind of habitat – mangrove or desert? (Mangrove)

Sea kayakers can explore hundreds of islands off the Dalmatian coast of which European country south of Slovenia? (Croatia)

For centuries, the Chinese emperors lived in seclusion in the Forbidden City, which is located within what present-day city? (Beijing)

Published March 16, 2016

Chalk Talk 03/16/2016

March 16, 2016 By Mary Rathman

(Courtesy of The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce)

Citizens of the Month
The Greater Dade Chamber of Commerce recognized student Citizens of the Month for February, selected for exemplary effort, achievement and contribution to their school, family and community. Those honored were Nikki Lang, Academy at the Farm; Ava Mazurkiewicz, East Pasco Adventist Academy; Christian Williams, Saint Anthony Catholic School; Aubrey E. Prescott, Centennial Elementary; Maria Campos, Lacoochee Elementary; Ahmy S. Arca Jr., Pasco Elementary; Grace Harrison, Rodney B. Cox Elementary; Tyler Albritton, San Antonio Elementary; Gabriel Bishop, Centennial Middle; Garion D. Pope, Jr., Pasco Middle; Samuel Baldwin, James Irvin Education Center; and Jackson Hancock, Pasco High.

Head Start applications being accepted
The Pasco County Schools Early Childhood Programs Department will have open application days across the county for Head Start and Early Head Start for 2016-2017.

Expectant mothers and parents/guardians of infants, toddlers and children through age 4 may apply. Eligibility is based on family need and income.

Locations, dates and times are as follows:

Alice Hall Community Center, Zephyr Park, 38116 Fifth Ave., Zephyrhills, on March 29, April 26 and May 23, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
RCMA-The Stallings Building, 15029 14th St., Dade City, on April 20 and May 17, from 8:45 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Lacoochee Elementary School, 38815 Cummer Road in Dade City, on April 20 and May 26 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
District Office Complex, Portable 23, 20425 Gator Lane in Land O’ Lakes, on April 28 and May 25 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.

For required documents and information, visit PascoSchools.org/ecp, or call Alexis Russell at (727) 774-2730 or (813) 794-2730.

History fair at Porter Campus
Pasco-Hernando State College will host a Wesley Chapel History Fair on March 31 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., at the Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, 2727 Mansfield Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.

Participants will hear stories and anecdotes relating to the area’s rich and colorful history with special presentations.

Madonna Jervis Wise will discuss her newest book, “Images of America: Wesley Chapel.”

Thomas Touchton, founding chairman of the Tampa Bay History Center, will introduce the historical connection with Wesley Chapel and his exhibit at the center.

Angelo Liranzo, librarian, will provide a hands-on demonstration of local historical resources.

For information, visit PHSC.edu.

Constitutional essay contest
Pasco County Tax Collector Mike Fasano, as part of Clerk & Comptroller Paula O’ Neill’s Constitutional Officers Essay Contest, will accept entries at his office. The contest runs through March 31.

The contest is for Pasco County middle school students in sixth to eighth grade. Students of Pasco’s public/charter, private, nonpublic and home-schools can participate.

In 500 words or less, students must answer the question “Do You Think Taxes Are Too High or Too Low? Why?”

Entries will be reviewed on how well the student communicates his or her response, as well as overall essay structure, appearance and readability.

Students in public/charter schools are asked to submit their essays to their principal, who will forward them to the tax collector’s office.

Students in private, nonpublic or home-schools may send essays directly to Greg Giordano, director of customer relations, Pasco County Tax Collector’s Office, 8731 Citizens Drive, Room 120, New Port Richey, FL 34654.

Entries will be accepted up until 5 p.m., March 31.

For questions, call Greg Giordano at (727) 847-8179.

Scholarship essay contest
The Holliday Karatinos Law Firm PLLC Scholarship Program is sponsoring an essay contest to help high school seniors and college students in Florida interested in pursuing an institution of higher education.

Students can submit a one-page essay of 600 words on Personal Injury: Concussions in Sports, addressing whether they think there is enough emphasis on safety in sports to prevent concussions, and what the student thinks should be done to curb concussions in high school athletics.

Applicants must be a U.S. citizen or legal permanent U.S. resident, be accepted to an institution of higher learning, and a high school senior (who is 18 years of age or older, or has written parental consent) or college student (two-year tech, four-year university, colleges, undergraduates).

A combined total of $4,500 in scholarship grants will be awarded.

The deadline for essay submissions is April 1. Winners will be contacted and announced by April 15.

For complete details, visit Holliday Karatinos Law Firm PLLC on Facebook.

Freedom student is going to West Point

March 9, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

A Freedom High student recently received an appointment to the U.S. Military Academy in West Point.

Dean LaGattuta received word that he’d been accepted into the prestigious service academy on Jan. 20. He accepted the appointment on Jan. 31.

Ironically, LaGattuta, 18, was visiting the West Point, New York campus when he received the good news.

Freedom High senior Dean LaGattuta received his appointment to the U.S. Military Academy on Jan. 20. He accepted his appointment on Jan. 31. (Courtesy of Dean LaGattuta) — Freedom High senior Dean LaGattuta received his appointment to the U.S. Military Academy on Jan. 20. He accepted his appointment on Jan. 31.
(Courtesy of Dean LaGattuta)

“It was just complete disbelief. I really couldn’t believe that I found out while at West Point,” the high school senior said. “It was just a dream come true that I was appointed.”

LaGattuta will report to West Point on June 27, shortly before his birthday.

“I’ll be spending my nineteenth birthday getting my head shaved,” he said, with a chuckle.

LaGattuta also applied to the U.S. Naval Academy, but has yet to hear back about his appointment status.

However, he has always viewed the U.S. Military Academy as his top choice for post-secondary education.

“Just hearing from West Point so early, and then speaking with my admissions major, he’s the one that really sold me on West Point—that they really wanted me—and that’s what really encouraged me to go there,” LaGattuta explained.

The ambience of the campus and its rich history were two aspects that stood out to LaGattuta, as he was weighing his college options, which also included the University of Central Florida, the University of Florida, George Washington University and Georgetown University.

“I love the seclusion of the area. I love being by the Hudson River. It’s just an incredibly beautiful campus, surrounded by rolling hills—something we don’t have here (in Tampa),” he said.

“I was always a history buff, and it’s all the same architecture as it was 200 years ago. Even the new buildings they’re constructing—they’re matching the architecture to the previous buildings. I just love that feel that you’re not just in history, but you’re also becoming part of history,” he said.

To be considered for the service academy, LaGattuta underwent an application process that seeks to identify candidates who demonstrate leadership skills, have strong moral character, excel in academics and can surpass the required physical fitness standards.

In December, he was one of 14 students nominated for appointment to a United States service academy from the 15th Congressional District by U.S. Rep. Dennis A. Ross.

Eight Tampa area students were nominated, along with four from Valrico and two from Lakeland.

Appointments by service academies are usually made between January and April, and sometimes as late as May, according to Gary Clark, chairman of the District 15 Nomination Board.

Clark said a U.S. service academy (Military, Naval, Coast Guard, Merchant Marine and Air Force) typically accepts only between 1,000 to 1,200 applicants out of the 17,000-plus that are sent in from across the country.

Last year, the District 15 Nomination Board nominated 12 students. Seven received appointments.

A 2014 study by the U.S. News and World Report found the U.S. Military Academy to have a 9.5 percent acceptance rate — the fifteenth most selective among all colleges and universities in the United States.

Knowing that his college years will be spent at the U.S. Military Academy is a weight off of LaGattuta’s shoulders.

“I still have to focus on my (high school) grades, but having that uncertainty of where I’m going to be in the coming months gone, I’m so relieved. It’s just really a blessing,” he said.

The appointment means LaGattuta is obligated to spend at least 10 years in the military, including four years at the Academy and six years on active duty.

“This is really going to be the start of a long journey, and I hope for a long career,” he said. “I definitely see myself surpassing the required amount of years of service, and I’m really looking forward to the years ahead.”

While keeping his career options open, LaGattuta is intrigued by some professions within the military.

“Right now, I’m interested in doing…Army Intelligence or something with cybersecurity, because it’s such a growing necessity, especially in an increasingly technological world in warfare,” the high school senior said.

For now, LaGattuta will be busy for the rest of the school year and over the summer.

He’s currently on the Freedom High varsity tennis team, and is serving as chairman of Tampa mayor Bob Buckhorn’s Youth Leadership Council.

Over the summer, he’ll teach leadership classes at the council, serve meals to the homeless at the Trinity Café and work with underprivileged children at A Brighter Community, the oldest nonprofit preschool in Hillsborough County,

He’s also aware that he needs to take advantage of the time he can now spend with family and friends.

“For the next four years, there’s going to be a limited amount of time that I can see my family and friends once I go up (to West Point),” he said.

Published March 9, 2016

No shortage of ideas for school name

March 9, 2016 By B.C. Manion

Pasco County School Board members have plenty of names to consider for Elementary W, a new school set to open in Wesley Chapel in August.

Forty-one names have been submitted for the board’s consideration. It is scheduled to vote on the issue at its March 15 meeting at 6 p.m.

Several of the names are variations on the same name.

For instance, there are three variations for a school to be named after the Godwin family, or a member of the family — a family with deep roots in the Wesley Chapel area.

Construction work continues on Elementary School W. The school is scheduled to open in the fall. The Pasco County School Board is expected to name the school at its March 15 meeting, at 6 p.m. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo) — Construction work continues on Elementary School W. The school is scheduled to open in the fall. The Pasco County School Board is expected to name the school at its March 15 meeting, at 6 p.m.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

There’s also a couple of suggestions relating to the Porter family, one being Porter Elementary and the other, Porter Ranch Elementary. And, there’s a suggestion for Wiregrass Elementary, which relates to the name of the Porter family’s ranch, which is also the namesake for Wiregrass Ranch High School and Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch. The high school and state college are just down the street from the new elementary school.

There are also suggestions to name the school after the nation’s current president Barack Obama Elementary, or to call it Challenger Elementary, in honor the 30th anniversary of the Space Shuttle Challenger’s explosion.

Other suggestions call for naming it for people who have contributed to community life, education or society. Those include naming it for: Dave Estabrook, a retired educator; Greta L. Adams, a retired educator; Harriet Hemenway, a founder of what would go on to become the National Audubon Society; Heather Fiorentino, former superintendent of Pasco County Schools; the late Mike Olson, former county tax collector; Sandra and Max Ramos, retired educators; the late Wendell Krinn, former principal of Ridgewood High; and Susan Jordan, the Indiana educator who died while pushing children out of the way of a speeding school bus.

A couple suggestions submitted — Dempsey Elementary and Nancy Browning Elementary — were not accompanied by any details.

Some submissions suggest giving the school a name it could live up to, such as Acceleration Elementary, or Bright Future Elementary, or Growth Elementary, or Hope Elementary, or Love Elementary, or New Horizons Elementary, or Unity Elementary, or Whole Child Elementary, or Wonderful Elementary, or World Change Elementary.

One suggests Yankees Elementary. Another, Galaxy Elementary.

Others want to name it after places, or at least to give it a name that sounds like a place. Those suggestions are Chapel Falls Elementary, Gatorville Elementary, Long Ranch Elementary, Mansfield Elementary, Meadow Pointe Elementary, Ridge Elementary, Wilderness Elementary and Woodside Elementary.

Of course, board members could also come up with a few ideas of their own.

The board meets at the school district’s office complex, Building No. 3 North at 7205 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes.

School name suggestions
–Acceleration Elementary
–Barack Obama Elementary
–Bright Future Elementary
–Brown Elementary
–Challenger Elementary
–Chapel Falls Elementary
–Dempsey Elementary
–Estabrook Elementary
–Galaxy Elementary
–Gatorville Elementary
–Jacob Godwin Elementary
–Godwin Elementary
–E.L. Godwin Elementary
–Greta L. Adams Elementary
–Growth Elementary
–Harriet Hemenway Elementary
–Heather Fiorentino Elementary
–Hope Elementary
–Long Ranch Elementary
–Love Elementary
–Mansfield Elementary
–Meadow Pointe Elementary
–Mike Olson Elementary
–Nancy Browning Elementary
–New Horizons Elementary
–Porter Elementary
–Porter Ranch Elementary
–Ramos Elementary
–Ridge Elementary
–Susan Jordan Elementary
–Unity Elementary
–Wendell Krinn Elementary
–Whole Child Elementary
–Wilderness Elementary
–Wiregrass Elementary
–Wiregrass Ranch Elementary
–Wonderful Elementary
–Woodside Elementary
–World Change Elementary
–Yankees Elementary

Published March 9, 2016

Chalk Talk 03/09/2016

March 9, 2016 By Mary Rathman

A combined total of $4,500 in scholarship grants will be awarded.

The deadline for essay submissions is April 1. Winners will be contacted and announced by April 15.

For complete details, visit Holliday Karatinos Law Firm PLLC on Facebook.

Chamber names Student Citizens
The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce recognized Student Citizens for the month of February, selected for exemplary effort, achievement and contribution to their school, family and community.

The students honored were Jodie Baldwin, The Broach School; Austin Jacobs, Chester W. Taylor Elementary School; Rae-Lynn Agosto, East Pasco Adventist Academy; Sabrina Mraz, Heritage Academy; Nicholas Dester, Hope Ranch Learning Academy; Devin Eubanks, Raymond B. Stewart Middle; Caitlyn Eudy, West Zephyrhills Elementary; Taylor Lee, Woodland Elementary; and Keith Brockington, Zephyrhills High School.

Chorus and orff concert
The All County Elementary Chorus & Orff Concert will take place March 12 at 4 p.m., at the Wesley Chapel Center for the Arts, 30651 Wells Road in Wesley Chapel.

The chorus will perform “Oh Shenandoah,” “Alexander’s Ragtime Band,” “Charlotte Town” and “A Distant Shore.”

The orff musicians will perform “Masquerade Ball,” “Linus and Lucy,” “Do Re Mi,” “We Are Young” and “More Than a Feeling.”

Chris Edwards from Pinellas County will be the guest clinician.

The Cinderella Project is back
Pasco County high school girls who have no budget for prom can once again choose a free ensemble with help from The Cinderella Project.

The project provides brand new and gently used prom dresses, and accessories, at no cost to young ladies with financial need. Donations (dresses, shoes, purses and costume jewelry) are currently being accepted at any Pasco County high school.

Girls can try on and pick out ensembles on March 12 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Youth and Family Alternatives Building, 38022 River Road in Dade City.

Girls who would like to select a dress and accessories must bring a school ID badge.

For information, or to make a tax deductible cash donation, call (727) 463-4306.

Crews Lake Middle to revive garden
As part of a semester-long “Making a Difference in My Community” theme, Pasco eSchool elementary students will conduct a Garden Day at Crews Lake Middle School, 15144 Shady Hills Road in Spring Hill, on March 12 at 10 a.m.

The students will put new soil in the vertical garden towers, and transplant vegetables they grew from seeds into the new soil.

The produce will be used in school lunches, sent home with students and families, and/or used in community programs such as food pantries.

Volunteers are welcome. Participants can bring a picnic lunch and gloves, and wear clothes that they don’t mind getting dirty.

Saint Leo info sessions
Saint Leo University’s Adult Education Center at Pasco-Hernando State College’s Spring Hill campus will offer a Bachelor of Arts in elementary education in the fall semester.

Information sessions will be offered in Pasco County on March 14 from 11:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., at the New Port Richey campus; and on March 19 at 10 a.m., at University campus in St. Leo.

In Hernando County, sessions will be offered on March 17 at 11:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., at the Spring Hill campus.

Those attending the information sessions will have the application fee waived. For information or to RSVP, visit SaintLeo.edu/RSVP.

Participants will hear stories and anecdotes relating to the area’s rich and colorful history with special presentations.

Madonna Jervis Wise will discuss her newest book, “Images of America: Wesley Chapel.”

Thomas Touchton, founding chairman of the Tampa Bay History Center, will introduce the historical connection with Wesley Chapel and his exhibit at the center.

Angelo Liranzo, librarian, will provide a hands-on demonstration of local historical resources.

For information, visit PHSC.edu.

The contest is for Pasco County middle school students in sixth to eighth grade. Students of Pasco’s public/charter, private, nonpublic and home-schools can participate.

In 500 words or less, students must answer the question “Do You Think Taxes are Too High or Too Low? Why?”

Entries will be reviewed on how well the student communicates his or her response, as well as overall essay structure, appearance and readability.

Students in public/charter schools are asked to submit their essays to their principal, who will forward them to the tax collector’s office.

Entries will be accepted up until 5 p.m., March 31.

For questions, call Greg Giordano at (727) 847-8179.

Round Up at John Long Middle
Dr. John Long Middle School, 2025 Mansfield Blvd., in Wesley Chapel, will host the annual PTSA “Round Up” on April 8 from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

This is its largest community event to support the continued “A” rated education needs of the students. There will be games, prizes, food and a disc jockey.

For information, visit JohnLongPTSA on Facebook, or call (813) 346-6200.

Free math circle program
Saint Leo University, 33701 State Road 52 in St. Leo, is offering its free, weekly Math Circle program for area middle and high school students. The program includes hands-on activities that engage young people and help them sustain an enthusiasm for mathematics.

Sessions are on Thursdays, from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., through May 12 in Lewis Hall, Room 207. There will be no class on March 17, due to Spring Break.

For information, contact Monika Kiss at (352) 588-8836 or .

Parent input sought for grant application

March 2, 2016 By B.C. Manion

Pasco County Schools is seeking federal grant money for a before- and after-school program for some students at Cox and Quail Hollow elementary schools, and wants to hear from parents during the process.

The application requires community input, said Tony Harroun, a senior grant writer for Pasco County Schools.

So, a community night is planned for March 3 at 6 p.m., at R.B. Cox Elementary School, at 37615 Martin Luther King Blvd., Dade City.

Quail Hollow’s community night was set for earlier in the week, on March 1.

The idea is to give parents a chance to weigh in on what they would like to see offered as part of the program, Harroun said.

The emphasis of the before- and after-school program will be on science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics, he said.

But, children may be interested in specific topics in science or other subjects, and the district would like to hear parents’ suggestions, Harroun said.

If the district receives the grant, he estimates that the program at Cox and at Quail Hollow possibly could accommodate about 50 children each.

The district hopes to receive funding for both schools, so it can provide additional ways to engage children in learning and make it more interesting and fun for them, Harroun said.

The district already has this program at one elementary school and at an afternoon program at three middle schools, including Stewart Middle School, Harroun said.

The application will be submitted for a 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant.

The program it would fund is called STAR, which stands for Success Through Academic Readiness.

Children from private schools also are eligible for the before- and after-school program, but the school district would not be able to transport them, Harroun said.

Parents of private school children who are interested in learning more about the program and who would like to offer suggestions about the programming are invited to the community meeting, he said.

What: Community meeting
Why: To solicit parent input on a potential before- and after-school program.
Where: Cox Elementary School, 37615 Dr. Martin Luther King Blvd., Dade City
When: March 3 at 6 p.m.

Published March 2, 2016

Chalk Talk 03/02/2016

March 2, 2016 By Mary Rathman

Jersey Mike’s Subs supports education
Jersey Mike’s Subs has a new location at 2081 Collier Parkway in Land O’ Lakes.

The franchise owners Bill Atkins and Rick Barrett will hold a sub fundraiser from March 2 through March 6 to support Denham Oaks and Lake Myrtle elementary schools and Pine View Middle School.

The new restaurant is circulating 5,000 coupons through the schools and 5,000 throughout the community. The coupons offer a sub sandwich for a minimum $2 donation to one of three schools. The restaurant will collect the contributions and distribute them to the schools. Customers must have a coupon to be eligible. While donations must be at least $2, they can exceed that amount.

The restaurant is covering the cost of the sandwiches, so the schools get the full benefit from the fundraiser.

“We are so excited to be opening the Land O’ Lakes location and educating the community on what Jersey Mike’s is all about,” Barrett said, in a release. “Jersey Mike’s is not only a great sub shop, but a partner in the community.”

The restaurant’s hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week. To contact this location directly call (813) 949-2929.

Pasco Schools needs input on after-school programs
Pasco County Schools is hosting a meeting on March 3 at 5:30 p.m., at R.B. Cox Elementary School, 37615 Martin Luther King Blvd., in Dade City, to gather input on a grant proposal for a STEAM-focused after-school enrichment program at Quail Hollow and R.B. Cox elementary schools.

The 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant would launch STAR (Success Through Academic Readiness) with hands-on, STEAM-focused enrichment opportunities. Services will be tuition-free for a limited number of children.

If awarded, the grant will fund STAR after-school programs starting in August at both schools.

Schwarzkopf hosted BearFest
Schwarzkopf Elementary School in Lutz hosted its annual BearFest in February, to promote family time. Families played games in the hallways, and Sweet and Sassy did a variety of hairdos for the children. There also were booths set up and themed basket raffle drawings.

The inclement weather was no damper on Schwarzkopf Elementary ‘bear pride.’

The Cinderella Project is back
Pasco County high school girls who have no budget for prom can once again choose a free ensemble with help from The Cinderella Project.

Girls can try on and pick out ensembles at these locations.

March 5 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Longleaf Town Center, 3104 Town Ave., in New Port Richey
March 12 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Youth and Family Alternatives Building, 38022 River Road in Dade City.

Girls who would like to select a dress and accessories must bring a school ID badge.

For information, or to make a tax deductible cash donation, call (727) 463-4306.

International Business Conference at Saint Leo
Saint Leo University, 33701 State Road 52 in St. Leo, will host the annual International Business Conference on March 10. This year’s theme is “Achieving Success in the Global Economy,” and the primary programming is geared for students.

Program session topics will include “Women in Leadership,” Doctoral student presentations on “Keys to Workforce Success in the Global Economy,” “Study Abroad and SERVE trips,” and “Mock Interviews.”

Panel discussions will include “Major Debate: Best Degree for International Business Opportunities,” “Contemporary Issues Related to Information Security,” and “The Affordable Care Act and International Healthcare Tourism: A Look at Recent Changes in Health Care.”

The keynote speaker will be Marshall Larsen, retired chairman, president and chief executive officer of Goodrich Corporation. Larsen will speak at 9:30 a.m., and will discuss the skills, qualities and characteristics necessary to succeed in the global economy.

For information, or special accommodations, contact Dan Tschopp at (352) 588-8238 or .