Page 90 - Life In Naples Magazine - November 2015
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THE QUIET QUESTProfessionals Seeking Citizenship.
by Mike Reagen
“ ”Citizen Member Editorial Board
PART TWO OF A FOUR-PART SERIES
N ote: Many of our well-educated foreign-born citizens who States Agency for International Development USAID, as well
have studied and migrated here have powerful, varied as foreign governments, and non-profit organizations. From his
stories and strong opinions. We asked several who are office in Naples he works in projects through Latin America and
Collier County citizens to share both. We asked them why and how The Caribbean. His community involvement includes business,
they came here and what advice they would give to others, including economic development, government, and public education. He
our policy makers. Here goes: founded the Council of Hispanic Business Professionals CHBP, and
recently ran for the School Board of Collier County.
HONG LONG
REY PEZESHKAN
Born: Laos. Today, VP, Position Logic, a division of
RacoWireless. Named twice in INC Magazine’s list Born: Iran. Today, Rey Pezeshkan is Founder,
of top 500 entrepreneurs in the USA. RacoWireless President and CEO of PK Studios, Inc., a planning
has 147 employees, 40 in its Position Logic , architecture, interior design, graphics, construction
Division Office in Naples and 40 in its Dominican services firm in Naples, FL whose team of planners,
Republic Office. 60 percent of these professionals and architects have designed over 5,000 dwelling
are foreign-born computer code experts. units throughout Southwest Florida from high
rise construction, to multi-family and single-family planned
NICOLA SMYTHE communities.
Born in Zimbabwe. Today, Massage Therapist, ROWAN SAMUEL
NCH’s Whitaker Wellness Center. 10,000
members during season belong to NCH’s Born: Zimbabwe (Rhodesia). Today, with John
Wellness Centers where they enjoy in a variety of R. Wood Properties focusing on sales of Naples
services including 87 specially programs. luxury property including waterfront, beachfront
and golf course communities. A serial entrepreneur
EKKEHARD GRAMPP and successful businessman, Rowan Samuel used
his 20 years as an advertising agency executive and
Born: Formerly East Germany. Today, retired direct marketer to Co-Found the Naples International Film Festival,
Business counselor (consultant) and former one of Florida’s most vibrant and exciting new film festivals. “As a
Chairman, SCORE Naples, which covers Collier first generation immigrant, my family lost everything as part of a
County and Bonita Springs. This SCORE Chapter civil war in Zimbabwe. It took three years for us to get our Visas to
has been consistently ranked among the 10 best come to the US (legally). We were lucky in that we had family here
out of 350 in the USA because among others they in the US who lobbied for us, helped with the paperwork and then
conduct (counsel) an average of 150 counseling sessions (business housed us until my parents got jobs with enough income to enable
clients) each month. us to move into our first home,” Samuel says.
CATHY CHRISTOPHER AYSEGUL TIMUR
Born: Jamaica. Today, Director of Sales & Marketing, Inn on Fifth, Born: Turkey. Today, Aysegul Timur is a
Naples. The Inn comprises two buildings with a total of 188,000 Professor and Chair of Business Administration
square feet. In 2013, 56,000 adults plus 8,000 children from across and Public Administration Programs at the
the USA and overseas stayed at the hotel. Johnson School of Business, Hodges University.
A health economist specializing in statistics for
LUIS BERNAL strategic planning, among other areas of expertise,
she has led several regional comparative analyses on best economic
Born: Colombia. Today, international development consultant development practices.
specialized in program monitoring and evaluation. His clients
include the Inter-American Development Bank, the United Next Month: Fleeing for Freedom: Get Prepared and Get Serious
90 Life in Naples | November 2015
