Award-winning restaurateur Michael Klauber will be honored as the 2017 Boundary Crosser at SCOPE’s Annual Celebration on October 11.
The Boundary Crosser leadership award, founded by SCOPE in 2005, honors a person who ‘connects people across lines that traditionally divide community.”
“The decision was unanimous,” said SCOPE Board Chair Tom Tryon. “Michael has been a driving force for a community vision of a vibrant, Sarasota waterfront destination.” As volunteer leader of Bayfront 20:20, Klauber brought together a diverse group of residents, neighborhood groups, businesses, foundations and governments in support of the project.
The Sarasota Bayfront is a parking lot with a million-dollar view according to Virginia Haley, president of Visit Sarasota and one of Bayfront 20:20’s founders. Klauber and others thought Sarasota could do better; members of the EDC, Great Sarasota Chamber of Commerce and Visit Sarasota as well as civic and community leaders began touring cities with restored waterfronts for ideas.
According to then county commissioner Jon Thaxton, it was a trip to a restored waterfront in Tennessee that was the seed of the vision for Klauber. “Why can’t we do this?” said Klauber. “What we have is more beautiful than anything we’ve seen so far.”
Klauber’s passion for the project inspired initial funding from Gulf Coast Community Foundation. Klauber is now a member of the Sarasota Bayfront Planning Organization, which is working to implement the community’s vision and hoping to break ground in 2018. Sarasota Bayfront 20:20 was recently renamed “The Bay.”
SCOPE founded the Boundary Crosser award in 2005. Previous Boundary Crossers include Dr. Barbara Shirley, Carolyn Johnson, Cathy Layton, Sandra Terry, Christine Jennings, Dr. Larry Thompson, Diane McFarlin, Pam Truitt, Dan Bailey, Isabel Norton, C.J. Fishman, Bob Richardson and Syd Adler. Find out more at http://www.scopesarasota.org/boundary-crosser-page.
SCOPE, Sarasota County Openly Plans for Excellence, is a community engagement organization in Sarasota County with a mission is to connect and inspire citizens to create a better community. Reservations are being accepted now for SCOPE’s Annual Celebration on Wednesday, October 11 at Michael’s on East from 5:30 to 7:00pm. Hors d’oeuvres, wine and beer will be served; tickets start at $50.00 for individual seats. To RSVP or sponsor, contact Kim Noyes at SCOPEboundarycrosser@gmail.com or call 941-925-2970.