John Zeller, 45, moved to Naples for a few years as a child in 1961. He returned two decades later and joined the Community School as a science teacher and business manager, living on a sailboat in Old Naples until 1993, when marriage and then a family brought him indoors. Today he's head of the school, where he's expanding the arts program and encouraging students to develop talents in addition to academic skills.

Birthplace: Dover, Ohio.

Most notable characteristic: It's common to pile up issues and let problems overlap, but I try to tackle problems one by one. The best way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time.

What I love about my work: To see a child who struggles for years eventually succeed. All of us can blossom, given enough time, support and love.

Greatest achievement: Placing the emphasis on the community in Community School. I am proud of the renewed vigor present in our students' outreach programs, including the Guadalupe Center, Habitat for Humanity and the future Jewish Community Center.

Heroes: My answer changes-I keep living, learning and admiring. Currently, Enrico Fermi and Richard Feynman, both 20th-century physicists.

Would trade places for a day with: Either the President of the United States or Kofi Annan. I am fascinated by running complex institutions-the challenge of building consensus without compromising core values.

What the Gulfshore needs: The same thing as the rest of America: universal health care.