21 Intriguing Floridians

NATURE—Peggy Goldberg’s experiences with diving, photography and farming have parlayed into a unique career. In the 1960s, she explored scuba diving in the Chesapeake Bay, despite the water’s low visibility. Once Goldberg and her husband, Bill, moved to Florida, she acquired certification and became an instructor in the mid-1980s. Since then, she has become a U.S. Coast Guard-licensed captain, a master scuba diver trainer, and a Handicapped Scuba Association instructor and cave diver.

“As I continued diving, I wanted to share my experiences with others, so not only did I teach scuba, but photography, as well,” Goldberg explained.

Her passion for photography sparked 50 years ago, which led to capturing underwater images. Both her land and underwater pictures have garnered international awards, earned placement in books, magazines and exhibits, and earned revenue via commercial contracts. Goldberg shares her ability and experience on guided diving and photography trips around North Central Florida. She also is a consultant for the entertainment industry.

Peggy and her husband raise livestock on their Marion County farm. The Goldbergs previously bred and trained Arabian race horses, and now they raise miniature zebu cattle, which are more heat- and disease-resistant. To learn more, visit www.goldenimages-photo-scuba.com.

POLITICS—Gwen Margolis of Bay Harbor Island has helped shape Florida government for 30 years. Her career began in 1974, when she was elected to the Florida House of Representatives. After three re-elections, she moved on to the Florida Senate, where she chaired Finance, Tax and Claims, and Appropriations committees to deal with the budget crisis. When she became president of the Florida Senate in 1990, Senator Margolis broke gender barriers as the first woman to serve as president in any U.S. Senate.

Last year, Margolis was inducted into the Florida Women’s Hall of Fame, created by the Florida Commission on the Status of Women. As Senate president, Margolis made history for her policies on open records and tough ethics on public officials.

“The committee looks for women who have dedicated their lives to Florida and have transformed the state in some way,” said Carrie Lee, chair of the Women’s Hall of Fame committee. “What’s most outstanding about Gwen Margolis is that she was first to accomplish many things as a woman in a time when women were less likely to be leaders.”

She later worked for the Miami-Dade County Commission and returned to the Florida Senate from 2002 to 2008. Today, Margolis is a realtor in Miami-Dade County, where a Sunny Isles Beach city park was named in her honor.

LAW—Alan Crotzer spent 20 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. Although he had an alibi and did not match the physical description given by the victims, he was identified as one of three assailants and convicted on charges of sexual battery, kidnapping, burglary, aggravated assault, robbery and attempted robbery. In 1981, he was sentenced to 130 years in prison.

“I would have died in there,” Crotzer said.

Little hope remained for Crotzer when he contacted the Innocence Project, a then-New York-based litigation and public policy organization that exonerates inmates through DNA evidence. Three years after contacting the group, Crotzer’s DNA proved that he could not have been the attacker. He was freed in 2006 and awarded compensation for his prison time in 2008.

Despite losing two decades of his life, Crotzer holds no resentment toward the justice system or anyone else.

“I’m not bitter because what good would it do me?” Crotzer said. “I went into jail at 20 and came out 45. I grew up in there. I learned a lot of things about people. There is good and bad in everyone…. I care about what I do, working with children.”

Today, he works with at-risk youth through the Department of Juvenile Justice. He guides them toward productive, fulfilling lives instead of letting them fall through the cracks, toward a life of crime. As a board member of the Innocence Project of Florida, Crotzer also speaks out against wrongful incarceration. For more information, visit www.floridainnocence.org.

CONSTRUCTION—As the founder and owner of Breaking Ground Contracting in Jacksonville, Mary Tappouni has redefined construction through green, sustainable building practices.

Breaking Ground specializes in commercial contracting, green building, remodeling and historic renovations, design/build services, general contracting, construction management, preconstruction services, and LEED, OSHA and NCCER training. What sets the company apart is Tappouni’s ecological conscience.

“I have always cared about the environment,” Tappouni said. “But it wasn’t until I started my company that I saw how technology and innovation surrounding green building can be fully incorporated in business. It’s not just how we build but how we run our business.”

Tappouni is certified to provide LEED construction, education and consultation services to clients. Her commitment also extends to her employees, to whom she offers encouragement for adopting green living practices, such as financial incentives for purchasing fuel-efficient vehicles. She is further raising awareness of green building in the construction industry by publishing a series of books for children and the community entitled Me and Green.

Her work has gained national notice. Tappouni was recently named the 2009 Small Business Person of the Year for the state of Florida by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

“My personal philosophy is to be economically profitable while taking care of the planet and people working in that space; all three come together.”

ATTRACTIONS—Iris Larson and her husband, Bob, became tourism legends when they opened Larson Lodge in the early 1970s, the first hotel built on West 192 to accommodate Disney visitors. The Larsons’ brand of Southern charm in a new tourist hotspot guaranteed them loyal guests and a successful business.

Tom Lang, director of the Kissimmee Convention and Visitors Bureau, described the Larsons as hospitality pioneers. To them, visitors were not only guests, but new friends. They would even mail handwritten cards, inviting guests to visit again, Lang said.

The Larsons were inducted into the Florida Tourism Hall of Fame in 2001 for their contributions to Osceola County’s tourism industry. Also, the Iris Larson Hospitality Endowment they established fosters a new generation of Florida hospitality professionals.

Dedicated to Florida’s youth, Iris supports Take Stock in Children, a statewide program for education. Middle school students sign a contract promising to stay out of trouble, maintain a certain grade point average and volunteer within the community. If they honor their contract, students are granted funds for two years at a community college and two years at a university.

“I feel lucky to know her,” said Osceola County Commissioner Ken Smith, a former educator who taught Iris’s children. “She is one of the most energetic people I’ve ever met. Her mind is always looking for something new to challenge not only herself, but her family and community.” Learn more about Take Stock in Children at www.takestockinchildren.com.

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