Mission to Succeed
How a Creek student accomplished her lofty goals Kisa Ibrahim was only a fifth-grader when she first felt the thrill of practicing law. During a social sciences class at Quiet Waters Elementary School, she and her classmates put Christopher Columbus on trial—and Kisa acted as the defense attorney. Though she doesn’t remember if she won
Lessons from the Board
Nora Rupert has an office, but as the Broward County School Board representative for District 7, she’s more likely to be somewhere in Coconut Creek, Deerfield Beach and parts of Pompano Beach and Margate. While traveling around the community, she holds panels, meets students and parents, and speaks to local clubs, PTAs and civic groups.
Fields of Dreams
Creek’s parks and rec director makes a career out of fun and games When Wayne Tobey says “baseball was good to me,” there’s no irony in his voice even though he’s using the past tense. Having tasted the glory of winning a district championship at Coconut Creek High School, he had dreams of playing in
5 questions with Nancy Lawther, Education Advocate
Born and raised in the college town of State College, Pennsylvania, it’s no surprise Nancy Lawther is a lover of education. Her love of learning began as a child when her father read to her in French. Both her parents had studied the language, and she found herself wanting to learn as well. Lawther eventually
A World of Wonder
Mary Jane VandenBerge’s family couldn’t go on road trips without her father, Ronald Boender, making several stops to explore nature. “When we rode through the Everglades,” she recalls, “the station wagon would come to a screeching halt because he saw a moth or a spider on a pole and we had to collect it.” Though
Thank You for the Music
As a music teacher at Arch Creek Elementary School in North Miami, Jimmy Michel witnessed firsthand the needy children who weren’t able to pay for music lessons outside of school. Over his 11 years as a music teacher, the Florida Memorial University graduate met talented children whose parents couldn’t afford to pay $50 or more
5 Questions with Pete Skumanich, Former Deputy Police Chief
During his tenure on Pinecrest’s police force, Pete Skumanich helped to build the department by interviewing applicants for stability, education, professionalism and ethical standards. As a Pinecrest police officer since June 1997, and for 27 years with the city of Miami before that, Skumanich represented all these qualities—and much more. After 47 years in law
Here’s to Dad!
When Kenny and Becky Forbes decided to move from Tamarac 13 years ago when their children were little, they looked all over Florida, from Port St. Lucie to Florida’s west coast. When they found Coconut Creek, they found home. After their first Butterfly Festival, “we just knew we made the right choice,” Kenny says. Kenny
Coconut Creek By the Book
A South Creek resident shares photos from his book on city history Few Broward residents understand local history like Dan Hobby. The former executive director of the Fort Lauderdale Historical Society (1980-2000), the Pompano Beach Historical Society (2000-14) and the Sample-McDougald House Preservation Society (2000-16) wrote articles for local publications and books on Broward County
5 Questions with Shannon del Prado
Trial attorney, Pita, Weber & del Prado For Shannon del Prado, nothing is more personally satisfying than helping someone achieve something that they can’t do on their own. Because she’s a lawyer, there’s nothing more professionally satisfying, either. Growing up with a foreign service officer father and a mother who worked for the United States
5 questions with Peggy Fucci
CEO, OneWorld Properties While many people’s dreams ended during the financial collapse of 2008, Peggy Fucci found a new dream. Starting her career straight out of high school as a teller at Northern Trust Bank in Coral Gables, Fucci found she enjoyed the sophistication of working with high-end clients. As she moved up in the
Growing Then, Growing Now
Former Coconut Creek commissioner and state representative Jim Waldman remembers what makes Creek special When Jim Waldman was dropping off his daughter for her first day of school at Winston Park Elementary in 1992, he noticed that the school was overcrowded with portables. Then naïve about politics, the attorney saw it as a sign that Coconut
