July 2023 Meeting

Shark Tooth Sports Car Club
JULY 12, 2023 Meeting Minutes
STSCC attendees: Ken and Kathy Maher, Bill and Dawn Mendes, Ed Cashman, Rick and June Dilella, Rich Gruenberg and Judy Umbreit, Steve Iannone, David and Bobbe Lytle, Phil Mannino, Roger and Margo Maple, Tom and Carol Rossi.
Guests: Ken Salo, Frank and Karen Henneberg, Rich and Lisa Glynn.
The meeting was called to order at 5:30 PM by club president Ken Maher and commenced with the Pledge of Allegiance.
Post Meeting Dinner: Dinner following the meeting will be held at Pinchers, Venice.
Club Leadership: It was noted that two elected positions, Vice President and Treasurer, will be expiring on January 1, 2024. Although it is to be determined if either of the incumbents will be seeking re-election to those positions, if any member is interested in running for either of those positions, please contact president Ken Maher. Please see the PowerPoint presentation for a current listing of all elected and appointed positions.

Club Partners: No change. Please see the PowerPoint presentation for a complete listing of all current club sponsors.
Guest Speaker: Originally scheduled speaker, Jared Hilston, of Sarasota Lamborghini was not present.

Membership Director Report: Presented by Bill Mendes.

No new members or projected members to report.
At a leadership meeting it was decided that the club should have a welcome kit/handbook, which Bill Mendes has drafted. Copies were presented to members and is available for review on the PowerPoint presentation.
Bill Mendes presented a first draft of a membership recruitment handout, for review, that is being currently worked on.
Club T-shirts are being worked on which will be provided to members who sign up for future auction driving positions.
Please see the Membership Director Report in the PowerPoint presentation for membership details.

Secretary Report: Presented by Ed Cashman.
A motion to approve the June 14, 2023 minutes as posted on the website was made by Judy Umbreit, seconded by Bill Mendes and approved by voice vote.

“Sharks on Vacation”:
A photo greeting from Hawaii from Alex and Renate D’Angelo.




Quartermaster Report: Presented by Ken Maher.
No new information to report.
Please see the Quartermaster’s Report in the PowerPoint presentation for shirt and embroidery pricing.


Treasurer Report: Presented by Ken Maher.

The club’s financial position remains fiscally sound.
Please see the Treasurer’s Report in the PowerPoint presentation for specific financial details.

Social Events: Presented by Ken Maher.
Recent past events highlighted were the June 19th dinner hosted by Phil and Denise Mannino at Brine Seafood and Raw Bar, Sarasota and the July 1st tour of the St Pete Pier and lunch at Doc Ford’s Rum Bar and Grill hosted by Dave and Janice Love.
Upcoming social events noted were the Club Danube River Cruise, Aug 2 – 13, hosted by Ken and Kathy Maher, the Bishop Museum and Planetarium tour, Aug 29th, hosted by Bill and Dawn Mendes, and the Bok Tower Gardens tour, Sept 21st, hosted by Rich Gruenberg and Judy Umbreit.
The July club dinner sponsored by Gary and Sara Spinazze will be held on July 17th at Le Colonne, St. Armands Circle.
Please see the Social Events report in the PowerPoint presentation for additional information and future scheduled events.

Social Media: Presented by Ken Maher.
A reminder, hosts are responsible for taking photos at club events and gatherings and submitting them to Jen for inclusion on the web site.
Please see the PowerPoint presentation for information on guidelines for taking photos as well as how to follow the club on Instagram and Facebook.

Vice President Report: Presented by Ken Maher.
This is the slow season for organized car shows. Please see the PowerPoint presentation for a list of ongoing car events in the area.
In keeping with members expressed interests, and in an effort to increase club representation at car shows, it is intended to focus on a smaller number of specific car shows, which will then be designated as “Club Shows”.
Please see the Vice President Report in the PowerPoint presentation for additional details.


President’s Report: Presented by Ken Maher.

Club leadership meeting was held on June 29th.
It was felt that the club should increase its membership cap from 25 to at least 30, as there will always be changes with some members leaving the club.
Will look at possibility of adding 10 new memberships which, if approved, would bring membership total to 35.
To make the planning of social and dinner events easier, it was agreed that when an invitation is sent out, members should RSVP that they either will or will not attend.
An Associate Membership program to the club has been proposed. Ken Maher will send the details for this non-voting membership to all members for their consideration.
Future guest speakers to be scheduled include Tire Kingdom, O’Reilly Auto Parts, and Ideal Classic Cars.
A road trip to the National Corvette Museum in Bowling green, KY in early Oct was proposed.
Upcoming collector car auctions, driving experiences for club members, are Carlisle, Nov 10 and 11 at Lakeland, FL and Premier, DEC 1 and 2, at Punta Gorda, FL.
The Aug 9th club meeting is cancelled due to member participation in the Danube River cruise.

Benevolent Committee: Presented by Margo Maple.
Thank you letters were received from the Venice Area Mobile Meals for the club’s April contribution, and the Venice Police Department for the club’s June contribution.
July’s $500.00 contribution will be divided with $250 going to the Venice Area Chamber of Commerce for the construction of a flagpole and sitting area at Heritage Park honoring first responders, and $250.00 to the South County Food Pantry.
August’s contribution to the Venice Theater will be matched by the Gulf Coast Community Foundation.
Please see the Benevolent Committee’s Power Point presentation for additional details.


Get to Know a member:

Steve Iannone shared his background. Originally from Brooklyn, NY, during college he worked as an over the phone EKG tech for a pet veterinarian. Trained as an electrician, he became a NY police officer for 30 years. He served in various capacities in the NYPD, eventually running a team of detectives in a counter terrorism unit charged with protecting corporate America entities, including sports stadiums. His numerous responsibilities included active shooter training and he was tapped to establish what is referred to as the “NYPD Shield” program that established partnerships with other cities’ police departments throughout the country for sharing information. The program eventually went international as well. His most “gratifying” moment with the NYPD was one time when working “plain clothes” he met an artist named Michele, who would become his wife. Today, in addition to his interest in cars, he is an avid blues harmonic player.


Now You Know:

Rick Dilella shared the story of a famous 1970 Dodge Challenger known by the name of “The Black Ghost”. It’s undefeated Detroit street racing exploits become legend. It went missing for many years, only to be rediscovered in 2016 by the original owner’s son. It was finally sold at auction earlier this year for over $1 million.
Ken Maher shared the story of the naming of Chicago’s O’Hare airport. It was named for Navy WWII pilot, LCDR Edward H “Butch” O’Hare, a Chicago native, who received the Medal of Honor for arial combat in the Pacific. Interestingly, he happened to be the son of a lawyer for Al Capone.
Next Meeting:
The September meeting will be on Wednesday 9/13 beginning at 5:30 PM.

Adjournment:
The meeting was adjourned at 6:28 PM.