(l.-r.) Jordan Kornberg of Mast Capital, Pasco County Comm. Jack Mariano & Florida Sports Coast exec. director Adam Thomas were among those who took the first swings on the new driving range at Saddlebrook Resort on Dec. 11. (Photos by Charmaine George & Gary Nager)
Since Mast Capital purchased Saddlebrook Resort & Spa from the resort’s late founder and owner Tom Dempsey back in 2022, the Wesley Chapel community has been anxiously waiting to see what Mast was going to do to update and upgrade what was once the jewel of Wesley Chapel.
To that end, on Dec. 11, Saddlebrook and Mast unveiled the resort’s newly relocated golf driving range with a “first drive” ceremony, a champagne toast and a great party that thunder, lightning and the possibility of heavy rain cut short.
With Saddlebrook’s former driving range along S.R. 54 being replaced with apartments, the range was relocated to a portion of the former Palmer Course, one of two Arnold Palmer-designed 18-hole courses at the resort. But, Mast decided to do away with nine of the Palmer Course’s 18 holes and the new driving range takes up about six of the other nine holes.
When the renovations are complete, Saddlebrook will be left with 27 holes of championship golf.
(Above, l.-r.) Saddlebrook managing director Raj Mohan, Kornberg & Mariano all spoke at the event.
Mast Capital chief investment officer Jordan Kornberg promised that the new driving range “is just the beginning. We will be returning Saddlebrook to its former glory.”
Among those joining Kornberg for the ceremonial first drive (complete with exploding golf balls) were the resort’s managing director Raj Mohan, District 1 Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano and Florida Sports Coast executive director Adam Thomas.
Mohan said he was looking forward to the community seeing the changes now in motion at Saddlebrook and Mariano also expressed excitement for the future of the resort.
Attendees were treated to a picnic-style lunch with fried chicken, beef brisket and curried pork with all the trimmings, as well as enough umbrellas for everyone in attendance, as heavy showers were a looming possibility.
For more information about Saddlebrook Resort, visit Saddlebrook.com or call (813) 973-1111.
Roxanne Coriell, Adam Wilinsky, Antonyia McCray & Bonnie Walters All Still Vying For Top Honors
(L.-r.) 2024 Hillsborough County Teacher of the Year Dr. Clayton Nylund of Blake High, Hillsborough Superintendent of Schools Van Ayres, 2025 Teacher of the Year finalist Roxanne (Roxi) Coriell, School Board chair Jessica Vaughn & Hunter’s Green Elementary principal Nicole Libby. (Photo provided by Hillsborough Public Schools)
Four representatives of New Tampa’s public schools have been announced as finalists for the 2025 Excellence in Education (EIE) Awards.
From more than 13,000 teachers in Hillsborough County, one of five finalists will be named Teacher of the Year at the event, which is hosted by the Hillsborough Education Foundation, in partnership with Hillsborough County Public Schools, on Thursday, January 23, at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Tampa.
(Above, l.-r.) Dr. Clayton Nylund, Jessica Vaughn, 2025 Teacher of the Year finalist Adam Wilinsky, Pride Elementary principal Paulette English, and Van Ayres.
Similarly, one of five finalists will be named the Ida S. Baker Diversity Educator of the Year, and one of four finalists will be awarded Instructional Support Employee of the Year honors.
New Tampa is represented in all three of the categories, including two of the Teacher of the Year finalists.
Roxanne (Roxi) Coriell, a kindergarten teacher at Hunter’s Green Elementary, and Adam Wilinsky, a fifth grade math and science teacher at Pride Elementary, are both finalists for Teacher of the Year.
In addition, Antonyia McCray, the success coach at Freedom High, is a finalist for Ida S. Baker Diversity Educator of the Year.
And Bonnie Walters, Secretary 4 at Tampa Palms Elementary, is a finalist for Instructional Support Employee of the Year.
TPE secretary 4 Bonnie Walters.
On December 2, the finalists were visited by the “Surprise Patrol,” made up of representatives from the Hillsborough Education Foundation, Hillsborough County Public Schools and the EIE event sponsors.
Roxi Coriell was visibly shocked as the Surprise Patrol entered her classroom that Monday morning, the first day back after this year’s Thanksgiving break.“I’m so honored to be the Hunter’s Green Teacher of the Year,” she later said, “and then, every step of the way, has been another complete surprise.”
HGE principal Nicole Libby says Coriell is an innovator who genuinely deserves the nomination.
“Mrs. Coriell is an exceptional educator who truly embodies the qualities of a dedicated and impactful teacher,” Libby says. “Her ability to create an engaging, nurturing, and inclusive learning environment sets her apart and makes her incredibly deserving of this recognition.”
Meanwhile, at Tampa Palms Elementary, principal Angela Gluth says secretary Bonnie Walters, who has worked at the school for 27 years, is the heartbeat of their campus.
(l.-r.) School Board member Lynn Gray, Antonyia McCray, Freedom principal Kevin Stephenson & School Board Vice Chair Karen Perez
“If she were to win at the District level, it would mean everything to us,” Gluth says. “It would be an opportunity for everyone to know what we already know about how special and amazing she is. She doesn’t necessarily want the recognition, but I can’t think of a more deserving person.”
Congratulations to all four of the finalists, as well as to all of the teachers and school staff members who were chosen to represent their respective schools as nominees for this year’s EIE awards. That complete list appears below.
New Tampa’s 2025 Hillsborough Education Foundation EIE Awards Nominees
Chiles Elementary
Teacher of the Year: Felicia Sell, 2nd Grade Teacher
Ida S. Baker Diversity Educator of the Year: Marie Exantus, Varying Exceptionalities (VE) Teacher Instructional Support Employee of the Year: Cristhian Valladares Murillo, Night Crew Leader Custodian
Clark Elementary
Teacher: Brittany Long, 5th Grade Teacher
Ida S. Baker: Donna Clark, ESOL Resource Teacher
Support Employee: Alena Plumb, Secretary 1
Heritage Elementary
Teacher: Heather Leitzke, Access Points Teacher
Ida S. Baker: Lauren Sturlaugson, Media Specialist
Support Employee: Aracely Garcia, Head Custodian
Hunter’s Green Elementary
Teacher: *Roxanne Coriell, Kindergarten Teacher
Ida S. Baker: Michelle Lilius, ESOL
Resource Teacher
Support Employee: Ivan Vazquez Rico, Custodian
Pride Elementary
Teacher: *Adam Wilinsky, 5th Grade Teacher
Ida S. Baker: Christine Goff, School Counselor
Support Employee: Alexandria DeJoseph,
Principal’s Secretary
Tampa Palms Elementary
Teacher: Elizabeth DaSilva, 3rd Grade Teacher
Ida S. Baker: Lindsay Vizzi, Speech Lang. Pathologist
Commercial lender Vanessa Ng (photos) knows that busy entrepreneurs who want to grow their businesses don’t have time to call a bank, apply for a loan, wait to hear back and then call a different bank if they’re turned down by, or just not sure they like, the first option.
That’s why she works for CommLoan, a company that allows her to help business owners apply for a loan through a streamlined process that provides many options to meets their needs quickly.
“CommLoan is really efficient and can provide a quote to the borrower within minutes,” Vanessa explains. “We have a database of 750 lenders we work with through a proprietary system called CUPID, and, in some cases, it will give us back 300 options.”
CUPID, which stands for Commercial Underwriting Pricing Index Data, is an innovative platform developed by CommLoan, a company that was founded in 2014 in Scottsdale, AZ, by long-time mortgage banker Mitch Ginsberg. CommLoan lends nationwide, except in Nevada and North and South Dakota.
Vanessa joined CommLoan about a year ago, adding commercial lending to her 12-year career as a residential lender.
She currently works with business owners all over the country and says she is hoping to increase awareness of CommLoan locally in the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel areas.
Vanessa is originally from South Tampa and graduated from the University of South Florida with a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Finance in 2012. She went straight into the mortgage business out of college and first moved to New Tampa for five years, and then, to Wesley Chapel, where she now lives in Estancia at Wiregrass Ranch.
“There is a lot of expansion and growing businesses in Wesley Chapel, Dade City and Zephyrhills,” she says, “and I’m trying to help out those entrepreneurs.”
She says she often provides loans for new commercial properties, such as gas stations or car washes, multifamily properties and single-tenant-use buildings, such as medical offices.
Vanessa also helps business owners who have equity in their current properties refinance their existing loans to get cash out, or help those who have a maturing loan and want to refinance.
Vanessa says her loans are for a minimum of $300,000 and can go up to as much as $100 million. She notes that some of these loans are as low as zero percent down.
“CommLoan provides tailored solutions,” Vanessa explains. “So, whether a buyer is looking for no prepayment penalty, a non-recourse loan, or some other specific criteria, I’m able to filter the search for that. Within seconds, I can get the best rates and the best programs for my buyer.”
CommLoan’s hundreds of lenders include everything from large national, commercial and regional banks to midsize banks, credit unions and debt funds.
Easing Frustrations
Vanessa explains that, sometimes, clients come to her feeling frustrated and overwhelmed.
“If someone goes to a bank for a loan, but then gets turned down, it can leave them scrambling if they’re already under contract to buy a property,” Vanessa explains. “Once I understand the scenario, I can send it to a dozen lenders at the same time and, sometimes, I’ll get offers the same day. It’s very different from waiting a week to just get turned down by one bank. These are busy entrepreneurs who don’t have time to waste hours or days trying to get a loan.”
She says her job is to remove the frustration from the process. “I do all of the legwork so you can keep running your business.”
Steven Sockwell and his wife, Lindy, have several investment properties near Rockville, IL. A few months ago, they were working with a Realtor® to purchase a new rental property and the Realtor recommended Vanessa and CommLoan as a lender. Even though Vanessa was far away in Florida, Steven decided to reach out to her.
“Ever since then, she’s been great to work with,” Steven says. “We’ve had several things she’s helped us with, including two transactions from start to finish. She’s very helpful and the transactions have been smooth.”
He adds that Vanessa has, “a wealth of knowledge” and credits her experience with helping them get the properties they wanted.
“She’s a very hard worker,” Steven adds. “Anything I have questions about, she’s able to answer them.”
He says he’s in the process of buying another rental property and that he will continue to work with Vanessa and CommLoan because it’s been such an easy process.
“One thing I’ve noticed about CommLoan is that everything is very streamlined,” he says. “The information in documentation is very straightforward and to the point. It’s so different than going to a local bank here where everything is so convoluted and you have to read, re-read, and re-read again to understand it. Instead, everything is very orderly and tells you want to do next, step-by-step. And, anything we don’t understand, we ask and Vanessa answers quickly.”
Steven says Vanessa also helped him look at his current portfolio of properties and figured out how to use the equity in those properties to, “seize the moment” to buy other properties.
“I didn’t know how to go about doing that and she walked us through it,” Steven says.
He also says working with Vanessa has been so easy, even if he wasn’t in the process of purchasing a property and needing a loan, he would still feel comfortable reaching out to ask her questions.
“She would answer,” he says. “I’m sure of it. She’s a great person to work with.”
For more information, contact Vanessa Ng via email at vng@commloan.com, call or text her at (561) 310-4720 or visit VanessaNg.CommLoan.com.
At New Tampa Performing Arts Center (8550 Hunters Village Rd.). Daniella Mass, “The Liri Pop Princess,” is a composer and young coloratura soprano from Colombia who was featured on “America’s Got Talent.” Tickets cost $15 for a theater seat, $20 for a table seat. To purchase tickets & get more info, call (813) 829-2760 or visit NewTampaArtsCenter.org/events.
When Duncan Pastore was growing up in New Tampa, he played recreational baseball with what is now the North Tampa Athletic Association (NTAA), dreaming of one day playing Major League Baseball.
Duncan became a Wharton High standout who recently signed with the New York Yankees and, at age 24, is currently playing for its Single-A affiliate, the Yankees’ Florida State League (Single A) affiliate, the Tampa Tarpons.
Back in Duncan’s NTAA days, his father Lou was one of the league’s volunteers, ensuring his son and others in the community had a thriving league for youth baseball and softball, even serving as league president.
“Duncan playing with the Yankees is a dream come true,” Lou says. “It’s every kid’s dream to play professional baseball and eventually [make it to] the big leagues. As you move up the ladder from high school to college, the chances of you making it one step further is less each time. The fact that he was able to do it makes me, his mom, and everyone who knows him extremely proud of him.”
And to think, it all started on the fields in New Tampa.
This spring, hundreds of boys and girls will have their opportunity to work on their dreams their dreams to follow in Duncan’s footsteps, while others will play just to get outside, have fun and develop skills such as teamwork and sportsmanship in the NTAA.
Duncan Pastore (Source: Nova SE University)
Registration is now open for boys and girls ages three to 16 (as of April 30, 2025) to play baseball and softball with NTAA.
Robert Pickett is the director of baseball for ages 12 and under for the league.
“We’re a thriving and growing league, right in the heart of New Tampa, and a lot of people don’t know about it,” Robert says.
While the NTAA had more than 450 players last season, Robert says an ideal size would be closer to 600-700 playing baseball and softball. “The more teams there are, the more competitive it is,” Robert explains. “I’d rather have 10 teams in each division instead of three. It’s more fun.”
That’s why he and others from the entirely volunteer-run league are increasing their recruiting efforts this year, hoping that new players will grow the NTAA community.
The NTAA plays baseball and softball at two field complexes. One is Eber Field, located near the corner of Cross Creek Blvd. and Kinnan St., and the other is Live Oak Park, located behind Turner Bartels K-8 School.
“Every night the parks are bustling,” Robert says. “If you drive by Eber Field on a Tuesday night, you’ll see games on two fields, concessions are open, families are everywhere,” he says. “You can go hang out and feel the sense of community.”
Registration for the Spring 2025 NTAA season will remain open until mid-January. That’s vastly different than at the nearby Wesley Chapel Athletic Association (WCAA), where registration filled within minutes of opening.
Some parents have asked why NTAA is open for registration while WCAA is completely full. What’s the difference?
According to Robert, it all comes down to capacity.
With the ongoing explosive growth of Wesley Chapel (vs. the nearly-built-out community in New Tampa), there’s simply more demand for WCAA youth baseball and softball than there is space for players.
Because WCAA and NTAA are both part of the Babe Ruth League, there are flexible geographic boundaries, unlike with Little League Baseball programs. So, WCAA’s capacity is crunched by both tremendous growth in its “home” area, and kids from Dade City and Zephyrhills who want to play in Wesley Chapel.
Meanwhile, NTAA’s geographic location makes it sandwiched in between other areas where New Tampa kids can go to play, such as Lutz or Wesley Chapel.
That means there’s still room in the NTAA for kids in nearby Wesley Chapel to be part of a league that is this year celebrating 10 years since switching from Little League Baseball to the Babe Ruth League, which provides more flexibility for players who don’t live in the 33647 zip code.
“It’s a great outlet to have fun,” Lou says of participation in NTAA. “Sports can teach kids a lot about how to grow up and mature and become great leaders and teammates. At the same time, kids can just go out and play and not have to worry about cleaning their room or all the things they have to do.”
Lou says NTAA taught his son to be a role model for other kids, which started with Duncan looking up to the older players, and then wanting to be like them.
“Duncan wanted to break the park’s home run record,” Lou explains, “and then, when he was 12, he did it. The younger kids looking on went chasing for that home run ball as if (Yankees star) Aaron Judge himself had hit it over the fence. They ran it back to the dugout and Duncan signed it and gave it back to them. He learned to be a role model at such a young age, and that’s a big part of who he is today.”
Lou currently actually works for the Yankees as a groundskeeper for George Steinbrenner Field, where the Tampa Tarpons play, and still also maintains the fields for NTAA.
“I have now taken care of every field Duncan has played on since he started playing baseball,” Lou says, adding that he also takes a lot of pride in maintaining the fields so NTAA kids have an outstanding place to play.
In January, Duncan will return to his childhood baseball fields to host a one-day camp for young players, ages 5 to 12, whether or not they are registered to play with NTAA. He will be joined by other professional baseball players who want to give back to their community and mentor young people who want to sharpen their skills.
“Youth Day with the Pros” will be held on Saturday, January 11, at the Live Oak baseball complex. To register, go to NT-AA.com.
Registration for NTAA’s spring baseball and softball season is open now through mid-January. Players must be at least three years old on April 30, 2025, and no older than 16 on that date. Practices, which begin in early February (the season runs through May) are held at Live Oak Park (behind Turner Bartels K-8 School) and Eber Field (at the corner of Cross Creek Blvd. and Kinnan St.). For more information, see the ad below. To register, go to NT-AA.com.
