Cooper Levey-Baker

2 weeks ago | sarasotamagazine.com | Cooper Levey-Baker

Editor's note: On May 1, 2025, a federal judge blocked the nationwide permit that would have allowed for the addition of industrial fish farms off the coast of Sarasota, forcing Ocean Era, the company spearheading the project, to apply for individual permits issued by the Army Corps of Engineers after inspection of each area.

1 month ago | sarasotamagazine.com | Kim Doleatto |Lauren Jackson |Cooper Levey-Baker |Megan McDonald |Megan Mcdonald

That’s a question those of us at Sarasota Magazine found ourselves asking again and again as we set out to compile a list of the region’s most influential individuals. Does power mean the ability to sway local government? Or does it come from having a huge national following? Does being wealthy make one powerful? Or does real power come from donating to causes important to you? These are all questions we debated, and they each helped shape our thinking in putting together this list.

2 months ago | sarasotamagazine.com | Cooper Levey-Baker

A critical and box office failure at the time of its 1981 release, the comedy Honky Tonk Freeway, which was partly filmed in Sarasota, is due for reappraisal. With a stacked cast that includes Beau Bridges, William Devane, Jessica Tandy and Peter Billingsley (aka the kid from A Christmas Story), and direction by John Schlessinger (best known for Midnight Cowboy and Marathon Man), it’s a silly, ensemble-driven hoot.

2 months ago | sarasotamagazine.com | Cooper Levey-Baker |Kim Doleatto |Lauren Jackson |Megan McDonald |Megan Mcdonald

Meet eight people who are making our region a better place. Plus: Eat like a local, meet Pittsburgh Pirates phenom Paul Skenes and tour 10 buildings that have shaped Sarasota's history. Lee DeLieto Sr. Helps Young People Thrive“We’re teaching woodworking, plumbing, electrical. That’s crucial, because many of those families need as much income as they can bring home.”David Shuel Helps People Find Work and Support After Being Incarcerated“These guys come here and they’re wounded. They’re hurt.

2 months ago | sarasotamagazine.com | Cooper Levey-Baker

Thirty years ago, a friend of Lee DeLieto Sr. invited him to a Christmas party thrown by the local Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota County. DeLieto, a commercial realtor with Michael Saunders & Company, had always believed in giving back and had even once considered entering a seminary to become a priest. Meeting Boys & Girls Club kids at that party made him realize that this was where he could make his biggest mark.