Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida is pleased to announce that Edward Staros, vice president and managing director of The Ritz-Carlton Resorts of Naples, and Mark Wilson, president and CEO of London Bay Homes, will be inducted into its 2017 Business Hall of Fame, Collier County. The laureates will be honored during a dinner and awards ceremony on Thursday, Oct. 26, 2017 with a cocktail reception at 5 p.m. and dinner at 6:30 p.m. at the Naples Grande Beach Resort in Naples. For more information on the event, or to learn about sponsorship opportunities and purchasing tickets, please visit www.JASWFL.org.
The prestigious award recognizes outstanding entrepreneurs who serve as role models for youth through their professional accomplishments and commitment to the community. Staros and Wilson will join a distinguished group of individuals who have been inducted into the Business Hall of Fame since it was founded in 1988.
Staros was appointed vice president and managing director of the Forbes Five-Star, AAA Five- Diamond Ritz-Carlton, Naples in October 1999, moving to Naples from The Ritz-Carlton headquarters, where he served as the brand’s vice president of worldwide operations since 1992. Shortly after his arrival to Naples, Staros oversaw the development of The Ritz-Carlton Spa and The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort and celebrated their grand openings in April 2001 and January 2002.
As the managing director and vice president, he is responsible for the overall operations of both luxury resorts. Staros was the third employee of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, LLC when it was established in 1983, and is one of the founding fathers of the company.
Staros is a profound community leader, currently sitting on the Lutgert College of Business Advisory Board and Resort & Hospitality Management Advisory Board at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU). Through his FGCU involvement, Staros has played an instrumental role in supporting many academic programs and resources, including the state-of-the-art Herbert J. Sugden Hall, home to the university’s hospitality program. Additionally, he appointed the Ritz-Carlton Resorts of Naples to become a founding sponsor of the Naples Winter Wine Festival and he is an honorary trustee of the event, which funds the Naples Children’s Education Foundation, a not-for-profit organization that supports programs to improve the physical, emotional and educational lives of underprivileged and at-risk children living in Collier County. Staros also sits on several local hospitality related boards as well as being a board member of the Florida affiliate of Fifth Third Bank and Ave Maria School of Law.
Staros holds a bachelor’s degree from Florida State University’s School of Business, with a major in hospitality and minor in finance. He is married with two children and resides in Naples.
Wilson, an England native, ventured across the pond in 1984, working first in commercial development before transitioning into custom homebuilding with the 1990 founding of London Bay Construction, Inc. in Southwest Florida, where he serves as the president and CEO. For nearly 30 years, Wilson has relied on his business experience and intuition to stay ahead in Southwest Florida’s luxury housing market, introducing new trends in architecture, interior design, and building techniques and materials long before other local builders. His unique combination of business and building savvy has propelled London Bay Homes as one of the top builders and developers in the Southwest Florida market, achieving the honor of America’s Best Builder by Builder magazine in 2008, and garnering more than 300 industry awards.
Wilson’s visionary leadership also guided London Bay through the downturn, finding opportunities to continue to grow the business, build assets and expand its portfolio of services. Today, the company offers the full spectrum of building, development and design services, including an in-house team of interior designers, architects and renovation specialists from Marco Island to Sarasota. In addition, the company continues to expand its development operations, by way of its launch of a luxury condominium in Fort Myers Beach – Grandview at Bay Beach, and a large-scale residential project adjacent to Naples Grande Golf Club.
A noted speaker and philanthropic leader, Wilson is active in several professional groups and supports numerous community organizations. An active cyclist and fitness enthusiast, he has also created an unprecedented wellness-focused workplace. The staff have access to a physician specializing in lifestyle health management as well as a dietician, gym membership and monthly wellness-inspired educational sessions and challenges.
Wilson is a graduate of the University of Manchester with a degree in building and engineering and a master’s degree from Manchester Business School. Having climbed the peaks of the Himalayas, and scaling Mount Kilimanjaro, Wilson also enjoys traveling the world with his wife of 27 years – Gemma.
About Junior Achievement:
Junior Achievement is the world’s largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic choices. Junior Achievement programs are delivered by corporate and community volunteers, and provide relevant, hands-on experiences that give students from kindergarten through high school knowledge and skills in financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship. Today, JA reaches 4.8 million students per year in more than 100 markets across the United States, with an additional 5.6 million students served by operations over 100 other countries worldwide. Locally, Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida partnered with more than 150 classroom business volunteers during the 2015-2016 school year to provide more than 8,700 students with Junior Achievement programs in more than 360 classes throughout Collier, Lee and Charlotte counties. For more information on Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida visit www.JASWFL.org, call 239-225-2590 or email info@jaswfl.org.
