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Where Commitment Meets Community:

Chris Lombardo’s Impact

n our beautiful town of Naples, it’s easy to live on the surface, Children’s Museum of Naples, and Friends of the Collier County
enjoying the sunshine, the restaurants, the golf courses, and Museum, to name a few, where his passion helped transform a tiny,
I the beaches. But Chris Lombardo believes that real fulfillment one room museum into a thriving 5 acre landmark. “We raised
doesn’t come from being entertained; it comes from taking initiative, $8 million, moved the building, and tripled the museum’s size,”
giving back, and becoming part of the solution. Lombardo recounts. “We even tracked down vintage Everglades
For over 40 years, Chris Lombardo has been doing exactly that. As logging trains, brought them back on semi-trucks, and rebuilt a
the managing partner at Woodward, Pires & Lombardo, P.A., Chris railbed behind the museum with the help of the retired tracklayers
is one of Southwest Florida’s top-rated family law attorneys, known and marine reserves.”
for his deep experience in civil and commercial litigation, appellate Chris’s leadership extends to local beautification efforts, too. As
law, personal injury, and contracts. But law is only part of his story. Chair of the Pine Ridge Association, he organized neighbors to plant
Lombardo’s real mission, his guiding principle, is helping others, and trees along US-41. By the time the county stepped in, the residents
he’s spent decades putting that mindset into action. had already done their part, and saved thousands of dollars in the
“I tell people all the time,” Lombardo says, “you can either live in a process.
community or live the community. I choose the latter.” He’s also one of Naples’ most beloved charity auctioneers.
That choice is evident in his long list of community contributions Partnering with the late Bruce Thalheimer of Thalheimer Jewelers,
and civic engagement. For 26 years, 20 of them as Chairman, “The Bruce and Chris Show” became a staple at fundraising events
Chris Lombardo has served on the Board of Fire Commissioners for the American Heart Association, Cancer Society, Chamber of
of the North Collier Fire Control & Rescue District. Under his Commerce, LegalAid, and countless schools and community groups.
leadership, the District not only improved emergency logistics, such In 2022, following Hurricane Ian, Chris joined forces with
as implementing the beach marker location system for faster rescue country music star Ira Dean and other local organizers to launch
response, but also pioneered mental health support for emergency Boots in the Sand, a benefit concert that raised $1.2 million in just
responders. Of all his achievements, Chris believes none has been 45 days for hurricane victims. “This was about neighbors helping
more impactful than his work to establish mental health programs for neighbors. That’s the spirit of Naples.”
firefighters and first responders. From his beginnings as a graphic artist, to practicing law, to
After learning about UCF RESTORES, a PTSD treatment tending to his cattle ranch in LaBelle, Chris’s career path reflects his
program for veterans developed by Dr. Deborah Beidel of University hands-on, purpose-driven approach. But the thread that ties it all
of Central Florida, Chris championed its expansion to Collier’s together is his belief in people, and in the power of community.
frontline responders. The result? The Resiliency Command Center, When asked how much he’s raised over the course of his life,
the nation’s first mobile behavioral health unit tailored specifically Chris doesn’t offer a number, despite generating an estimated $1
for first responders, born in Collier County, now funded by the state. million in just the past six weeks. “It’s about seeing something that
“These men and women are trained to save lives. But they don’t needs to be done and doing it.”
always know when they need help. We wanted to change that.” For Chris, making a difference isn’t about recognition, it’s about
In addition to writing legislation in Tallahassee for a more responsibility. He is inspired to step forward when help is needed,
equitable approach for firefighters’ retirement, securing future to find solutions when problems seem too big, and to bring people
sites for new stations, rehabbing emergency vehicles, and more, together when it matters most. His work reflects a lifetime of
his stewardship doesn’t stop at emergency response. A true civic stepping up, offering support, and creating meaningful change.
force, Chris has served on boards for Shy Wolf Sanctuary, Golisano

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