Men & Women of The Year 2010

Dr. Allen Weiss
CEO, NCH Healthcare System

Since taking over as the chief executive of NCH Healthcare System in Naples in 2000, Dr. Allen Weiss has led by three maxims: “quality, operational efficiency and fiscal responsibility.” The Philadelphia native’s commitment to all three can best be seen in his recent campaign to turn NCH into a completely paperless hospital.

“We can’t afford healthcare at the current rate. There’s a 25 percent—some say 30 percent—inefficiency rate among hospitals,” Weiss says. One way he’s combating those costs is by using electronic medical records. “If we can harness the power of electronic medical records, we can become much more efficient.”

Weiss arrived in Naples in 1977, having attended medical school and completed both his residency and internship at Columbia University. After 25 years in private practice, he was asked to lead one of Southwest Florida’s largest employers. “I thought I could make a large difference,” he says. “I’m proud and surprised in the transformation our hospital has achieved in the last 10 years.”

Person he admires most: Abraham Lincoln. He never wavered from the courage of his convictions. Needed to improve the quality of life here: Improve our educational system so that everyone from birth to old age would maximize his or her potential for personal growth, community support and global contributions. What he would change about himself: I would seek more work/life balance. Message to his younger self: Relax. He’d like to share a meal with: Thomas Jefferson. Once when President John F. Kennedy was entertaining a group of Nobel Laureates, he said that this was probably the greatest gathering of intellect in the White House since Jefferson dined there alone. Special movie: Shane. Still on his bucket list: I wonder about one day writing a book about some of the interesting experiences I have had during my life. —Spencer Campbell

Dolph Von  Arx
Chairman, Conservancy of Southwest Florida

The state of the economy is at the forefront of many people’s minds these days, but Southwest Florida’s will soon be on the rise if Dolph von Arx has anything to say about it. The retired CEO of Planters Lifesavers Co. is making strides toward diversifying the local economic base by helping to attract a biomedical committee and working toward boosting the area’s clean technology. “We’re too dependent on developments, real estate and tourism,” he says.

Von Arx has been improving the quality of life in Southwest Florida since he moved here in 1984, with stints as chairman of the Regional Business Alliance of Southwest Florida and board member of the Economic Development Council, as well as contributions to several other art, business and healthcare organizations.

Person he admires most: Sharon, my wife of 52 years. … and within Southwest Florida: Myra Janco Daniels for her vision with the Philharmonic Center for the Arts. Needed to improve the quality of life here:Higher water quality standards, including the western part of the Everglades. Quality he admires most in others: Integrity. What he’d change about himself: Become a better listener. Alternate career choice:I’d be a shepherd. I think it’d be a wonderful, fulfilling life outdoors. Message to his younger self:Spend more time with my three children. He’d like to share a meal with: Teddy Roosevelt, to discuss his remarkable accomplishments in establishing the national park system and conserving our natural resources. People would be surprised to know: I have an obsession with Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey ice cream. Special book:The Swamp by Michael Grunwald. His greatest hope for the future:A better educated, more tolerant world.  —Jennifer Freihofer   

Simone Lutgert
Capital Campaign Chair, Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples

Raising money for children is a perfect fit for Simone Lutgert. A self-proclaimed big kid at heart who loves acting silly, she joined the board of the Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples, or C’mon, about four-and-a-half years ago and has been an integral part of raising about $20 million of its $25 million capital campaign goal.

Lutgert can’t wait until the museum opens in 2011. “I think it’s going to change the quality of life here,” she says. “It’s going to be like a town square, where parents, grandparents and friends of the family have a place to take kids.”

She has been involved with the Naples Winter Wine Festival since she started dating her husband, Scott Lutgert, a founding trustee, about eight years ago. The couple has a combined total of seven children and seven grandchildren. “I love [the festival] because we can help a lot of different charities,” she says.

Lutgert moved to Naples 14 years ago from Memphis, Tenn. Her charity involvements include Naples Botanical Garden’s Hats in the Garden, the Magnolia Ball and the Women of Means Outreach Program at the Shelter for Abused Women & Children.

People she admires most: My parents instilled in me my values, work ethic and sense of family. Quality she admires most in others: The confidence to be themselves and be honest. What she would change about herself: I would stop being so demanding on myself. Alternate career choice: Interior designer. Message to her younger self: Trust and believe in yourself. Special songs: I Will by the Beatles describes unconditional love for my children and grandchildren; Someone Like You by Van Morrison was our wedding song. Her secret obsession: It’s no secret, but I have an obsession with shoes and clothes. Still on her bucket list: Real retirement. Her greatest hope for the future: I’d like to see people start taking responsibility for themselves.   —Denise Scott

Tom Everist
Chairman and Co-founder, Imagine Solutions Conference