Virtual event to honor Naomi Bloom, Mariel Goss and Robin Krivanek
Pace Center for Girls, Lee County has announced its virtual 2021 Grande Dames Tea on March 11, when Pace will honor three local women – Naomi Bloom, Mariel Goss and Robin Krivanek – for their significant impact on the community.
Pace’s annual Grande Dames Tea honors women who exemplify the organization’s guiding principles and have made an impact through their roles in business, community and philanthropy. The inspirational event recognizes the unique perspectives and powerful insights that these women have gained in life, and honorees will share their wisdom during a Q&A session led by the young women of Pace. The virtual program will be complemented with a performance by the Pace girls and prize drawings.
“We invite the community to join us for an afternoon of inspiration as we recognize our community’s most revered women – this year with a virtual twist,” said Meg M. Geltner, executive director at Pace Center for Girls, Lee County. “This time-honored Pace tradition celebrates the female spirit while recognizing the wisdom that comes with time, and learning from these women’s lives is an unforgettable opportunity.”
Presented by the Gunterberg Charitable Foundation, the 13th annual Grande Dames Tea event will take place at 1 p.m. on Thursday, March 11. Virtual tickets are $15 per person. A virtual tea party sponsorship is $500 and includes virtual streaming access for eight people, recognition during the livestream and a tea party kit with tea, dessert and handmade gifts from the Pace girls. Proceeds from the event benefit Pace and its strength-based, gender-specific programs that guide Pace girls in finding their voice and achieving their potential.
Bloom became the leading independent voice, business strategy advisor and platform architect, market influencer, blogger and speaker about enterprise class human resource management software. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English literature from the University of Pennsylvania and a Master of Business Administration from Boston University. In her half-century career, she changed fundamentally the architectural foundations of human resource management software, launched her own consultancy, Bloom & Wallace, in 1987, worked through several generations of technology evolution, and became the leader of her field before retiring in 2018. A Fort Myers resident for over 20 years, Bloom has served on the board of the Florida Repertory Theatre for 14 years, 10 as vice-chair, and is a supporter of many local cultural and community service organizations.
Goss has held an influential role in shaping the Sanibel Island community. Moving to the island in the early 1970s, Goss sought to create a way for their children to get to and from elementary school safely. She formed the Sanibel Bike Path Committee dedicated to the creation of a paved bike path on Sanibel, while her husband, Porter Goss, championed for the incorporation of the city and became the City of Sanibel’s first mayor. Mariel Goss’ efforts were instrumental in raising the funds and support needed to bring the vision for the first 2.5-mile section of the city’s bike path into reality. She has also served on the Friends of the U.S. National Arboretum for 13 years and is a supporter of many causes, including those related to the environment and historic preservation.
Krivanek has been a voice of action in government and community. She earned a master’s degree in biology from the University of Florida and worked as a research biologist before she became the first woman to be elected as Supervisor of Elections in Hillsborough County. She held this position for 18 years and championed efforts to re-envision the voter registration and polling processes. Upon retirement, she moved to Sanibel in 1993 and shared her passion for science by joining the board of directors for the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF) and the City of Sanibel’s Vegetation Committee. Today, she has just completed her second term as a trustee for SCCF, is past-president of the League of Women Voters of Sanibel, volunteers for FISH of Sanibel-Captiva and attends the Sanibel Congregational United Church of Christ.
To register and learn more about the event, visit www.PaceCenter.org/GrandeDames or call 239-425-2366.
