A mayor, a TV judge, a CEO, an artist, a broadcast exec, and two full-time volunteers. By virtue of occupation alone, this year's Men and Women of the Year are a diverse lot. One thing they all share, however, is a love of Southwest Florida. They choose to live here for many reasons-weather and lifestyle among the most obvious ones. What sets these seven apart is the way in which they've embraced the Gulfshore and contributed to its quality of life. You probably already know something about their accomplishments. But what about their likes and dislikes, their inspirations and their obsessions-the things that make them human? Read on.

Most know her as Judge Judy, the tell-it-like-it-is queen of courtroom TV. But away from the bench, Judy Sheindlin, 62, personifies the iron hand in the velvet glove-chatty and pleasant, but with a no-nonsense edge. When she isn't in Los Angeles taping Judge Judy (currently in its 10th season), Naples is Sheindlin's home base for an active lifestyle that includes snorkeling, antiquing, and catching up with her five children and 11 grandchildren. The impact of her work for the Organization for Retarded Children and Adults, the National Colorectal Research Alliance and North Shore Animal League America has registered on a national scale. Locally, she's best known for her involvement in the Naples Winter Wine Festival. Birthplace: Brooklyn, N.Y. Guiding principle: Keep it simple. Chief inspiration: Parents who gave me a wonderful sense of self. Hoped-for achievement: To exit this world with a good name. Best characteristic: The ability to separate fact from fiction. People might be surprised to learn: That I'm only 5 foot 1. What the Gulfshore needs: A good deli. What it could do without: More traffic. What I love about my work: Everything. What I could do without: Cellulite.

Bill Barnett, 65, hasn't stopped since arriving in Naples 32 years ago. He has been a car dealer, a restaurant owner, a city councilman and, most recently, the twice-elected mayor of his adopted hometown. His long track record as a volunteer includes tenures as president of the American Cancer Society and on the boards of the Collier County Mental Health Association and other organizations. A natural behind the microphone, Barnett also has raised millions for various causes as an auctioneer at philanthropic events. Birthplace: White Plains, N.Y. Hoped-for achievement: To live until the ripe old age of 101 and still have my mental and physical facilities intact. Hero: Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Best characteristic: My effervescent energy and positive outlook on life. Chief inspiration: My love of life and my wife, Chris. People might be surprised to learn: That I was an avid drag racer and a huge collector of doo-wop music. Would trade places for a day with: Any one of my eight grandchildren. One thing I'd change about myself: Learning how to say "no" more often so I could spend more time with my family. What I could do without: Long, boring meetings. Secret obsession: Having a bit part on HBO's Sopranos, Six Feet Under, Deadwood or Curb Your Enthusiasm.

If Dawn Hoffman had to pick a word to live by, it would be "truth." It's a quality she sees every day in her husband, Al, founder and recently retired CEO of mega-developer WCI Communities. He "lives life fully, honestly and with the utmost integrity," she says. Hoffman is the mother of two young daughters, Sophie and Ava, adopted from a Russian orphanage. Energized by the experience, she helped organize Southwest Florida's Camp Kids Hope Program, which places Russian orphans with host families for two-week vacations that often lead to adoptions. Birthplace: Allentown, Pa. Hoped-for achievement: To raise my girls to be compassionate, loving, polite, respectful young women who will make a difference in other people's lives. Best characteristic: My small, thin feet. People might be surprised to learn: I am a true blonde. What the Gulfshore could do without: So many strip malls. Would trade places for a day with: Condoleezza Rice. Great escape: A week at a spa with my best girlfriends. One thing I'd change about myself: To live in the present and glorify everyday life. What I could do without: Negativity and pessimism. Secret obsession: To have a fabulous voice and be a famous singer performing at Carnegie Hall to sold-out crowds.

From the beginning, Bob Chute has been an avid patron of the Naples Winter Wine Festival and its grant-making arm, the Naples Children and Education Foundation, of which he and his wife, Suzanne, are trustees. And the straight-shooting CEO of the Gage Company (a leading distributor of steel pipe, valves and fittings) has never hesitated to show his support, setting the tone for giving with his aggressive bidding style, to the tune of more than $1 million over the last five years. Outside Naples, he funds the international conference between the Vatican and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem to facilitate interaction between Christians and Jews worldwide. Yet Chute would rather not advertise his good deeds, preferring to let his actions speak for themselves. Birthplace: Boston. Guiding principle: Show up on time, work hard, be positive. Would trade places for a day with: The Pope. Greatest achievement: Two great sons. Most admired trait: Simplicity. What the Gulfshore could do without: Alligators. What I could do without: Egotism. Secret obsession: Cleanliness. Great escape: Home. People might be surprised to learn: That it's only rock 'n' roll, but I love it.

Jonathan Green may live and work in Naples, but his spirit never strays far from South Carolina. The 50-year-old artist's vivid oil-and-acrylic paintings afford a colorful glimpse into the Low Country's fast-vanishing Gullah culture, while artfully addressing the struggles of living in a multiracial society. His work can be found in the permanent collections of major museums in the United States and abroad, as well as here at the Philharmonic Center for the Arts. The Phil also premiered Off the Wall & Onto the Stage, a ballet celebrating Green's work, which has received the support of Florida's First Lady, Columba Bush. Birthplace: Gardens Corner, S.C. Chief inspiration: My mother, Ruth Green, who was removed from our community church and returned to become an ordained minister and church leader. Greatest achievement: Surviving the odds and making it from the 1950s to now. Heroes: Richard Weedman [manager of Jonathan Green Studios Inc.], Eloise Stewart Johnson [Green's grandmother] and Mahatma Gandhi. Best characteristic: My smile. Most-admired trait: My ability to support other people in their need for space and dignity. What the Gulfshore needs: More people who value the environment. Would trade places for a day with: Oprah Winfrey-who wouldn't? What I could do without: Bills. Secret obsession: Sweet potatoes, gorditas and Veuve Clicquot champagne.

It's Steve's high-powered position as vice president of Waterman Broadcasting that brought the Pontius family to Fort Myers in 1986. Since then, it hasn't always been easy-especially for Lou, 53, whose recent bout with breast cancer has given her yet another cause to champion. The former high school teacher is the president of the Lee County chapter of the American Heart Association, a longtime supporter of the local Ronald McDonald House and a driving force at Hope Hospice, the United Way and more. Meanwhile, Steve, 52, who co-chaired the 2005 Lee County Heart Ball with his wife, offers support behind-the-scenes. Birthplaces: Dallas (Lou); Bloomington, Ind. (Steve). Guiding principle: Do your best, and don't worry about the rest. Hoped-for achievement: Balance in our lives. Best characteristics: Sense of style (Lou); perseverance (Steve). Great escape: Touring vineyards in Tuscany. People might be surprised to learn: That Lou listens to audio books in the car and Steve is hooked on Harry Potter. Would trade places for a day with: The shoe-buyer for Saks Fifth Avenue (Lou); International Space Station astronauts John Phillips and Sergei Krikalev (Steve). One thing we'd change about ourselves: Procrastination (both of us!). What the Gulfshore could do without: No-see-ums, mosquitoes and hurricanes. What we could do without: Whiny people who don't appreciate what they have.