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On March 25, 2025, Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida hosted its annual Business Hall of Fame banquet at the Naples Grande Beach Resort, celebrating four distinguished leaders who have significantly impacted our region. Among the honorees were William Price Jr. and Matthew Price of Seagate Development Group, who were recognized for their visionary contributions to commercial real estate development. In an article featured in ​Gulfshore Business, Gary Tasman, CEO and Principal Broker of Cushman & Wakefield | Commercial Property Southwest Florida, praised the Prices, stating “The visionary attributes that Bill and Matt bring to Southwest Florida are game changers. They are true inspirations for everybody in our business and certainly an inspiration to the next generation we’re trying to inspire to develop a culture of legacy leaving things better than you found them, and that’s so important that Bill and Matt are always focused on. They’re just a natural for this recognition.”​Gulfshore Business The event raised $255,500 to support Junior Achievement’s programs, which equip local youth with essential work-readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy skills. For a detailed account of the event and the honorees’ achievements, read the full article on Gulfshore Business:🔗 Junior Achievement of SWFL inducts 4 into Hall of Fame

Gary Tasman: The Real Estate Leader Transforming SWFL and Supporting FGCU Author: Violet Powell This past November, Gary Tasman received an honorary bachelor’s degree in Life Success from Florida Gulf Coast University. In the ceremony, Tasman was awarded the degree by FGCU President Aysegul Timur and was recognized for his commitment to the Southwest Florida area. CEO and Principal Broker of Cushman and Wakefield Southwest Florida, Tasman has been serving this area for over 30 years, both within his professional field and his service outside of it. In 2020, Tasman was a founding member of the Lee County Conservation Board. He found himself motivated by his passion for sustainability. “We have the unique opportunity in Southwest Florida to do things different from what other places in Florida have done,” said Tasman. On the board, Tasman helped ensure sellers had the say in conserving their land and not the government. “Our conscious effort to balance development with open spaces and green spaces and a keen sensitivity to the environmental attributes adds to our quality of life. It’s something I’m very proud to have been involved in,” he said. Here at FGCU, Tasman serves on the advisory board for the Lucas Institute for Real Estate Development and Finance. His firm also provides internships to students. Nathan York is a FGCU alum who interned for Cushman and Wakefield as a student. “It was a real-world learning experience, not just learning the definitions and in class material,” said York. Now as a full-time research analyst within the firm, York credits the opportunity to an email he sent Tasman when looking for internship experience. “I personally reached out in an email to Gary Tasman and asked him for an informational interview, that’s how I acquired the internship from there,” he said. As the Southwest Florida area continues to grow, he has been keeping an eye on how the community will expand. “We’re going to become more intelligent, not just our community, but all over Florida and all over the United States on how we maximize the utility of land, and in a lot of cases that will require additional development or redevelopment,” says Tasman. However, Tasman has strong faith in the next generation of real estate developers in the SWFL area, especially FGCU grads. “The next generation is going to develop in a smarter and more sustainable way than the last generation,” he said. As the community changes, Tasman’s motivation for sustainability has been fundamental for his business. “My guiding principle is that I want to be instrumental in leaving things better than I found them,” Tasman said. As he has lived in the community, he has seen the changes made within it. “Having been a resident and an entrepreneur in this market for 30 years now, it’s very rewarding to me to look back and see the progress that we made as a community,” he said. With the work he has done leaving a positive impact, the results are clear!