Corporate Leadership in the Arts
For more than two decades, Ross, Earle, Bonan, Ensor & Carrigan, P.A. has demonstrated that strong corporate leadership extends beyond the workplace and into the community. Founded 23 years ago by Deborah Ross, David Earle, and Liz Bonan, the firm has built a longstanding tradition of giving back and supporting organizations that make a meaningful difference throughout the Treasure Coast.
That commitment is especially evident in the firm’s nearly decade-long partnership with MartinArts. For nine years, Ross, Earle, Bonan, Ensor & Carrigan has been a corporate annual sponsor, providing both financial support and hands-on involvement in programs and events. The firm has also provided special sponsorship support for ArtsFest, helping make one of Martin County’s signature cultural events possible.
The firm’s commitment goes beyond writing a check. Its attorneys and staff regularly volunteer their time, including working gates and supporting the many moving parts of ArtsFest. For the firm, community involvement is a shared responsibility—and an opportunity to encourage its employees to become active participants in the community where they live and work.
Liz Bonan has been a particularly strong champion of MartinArts. In addition to representing the firm as a longtime corporate supporter, she served on the MartinArts Board of Directors and Executive Committee and as Board Chair, later serving as immediate past chair. Although term limits have brought her formal board service to an end, her involvement with MartinArts has continued. She remains an enthusiastic supporter of ArtsFest, performances, exhibitions, and other programs.
For Liz and the firm, the value of the arts is deeply connected to the quality of life of the entire community. The arts bring people together—whether gathering at ArtsFest, attending a performance, exploring a gallery exhibition, or celebrating the accomplishments of young artists and performers.
The firm has seen firsthand the importance of investing in the next generation. Through its support of MartinArts programs, including the MartinArts Awards and the Marvin S. Cone High School Juried Art Show, the firm helps provide recognition, encouragement, and opportunities for young people throughout Martin County. Seeing students celebrated for their artistic accomplishments reinforces the firm's belief that community investment can have a lasting impact.
That philosophy extends to the workplace as well. Liz encourages the firm's younger staff members to become involved in the community and experience the rewards of giving back. By encouraging employees to volunteer at ArtsFest and participate in local initiatives, the firm helps foster a culture in which community service is part of professional life.
For Liz, supporting the arts is both a responsibility and a personal joy. As someone who finds tremendous fulfillment in performances, exhibitions, and community events, she understands the arts not simply as an amenity, but as an essential part of a rich and well-rounded life.
She believes that businesses and professionals have an important role to play in sustaining the arts. When public funding and arts education resources are limited, community support becomes even more critical. Corporate investment helps ensure that arts organizations can continue creating experiences, educating young people, supporting artists, and bringing the community together.
After years of involvement, Liz describes what the arts mean to her simply: “A rich life.”
That sentiment reflects the philosophy that has guided Ross, Earle, Bonan, Ensor & Carrigan’s commitment to MartinArts: that successful businesses have a responsibility to invest in the communities they serve, and that a vibrant arts community makes those communities stronger, more connected, and more fulfilling places to live.
MartinArts is honored to recognize Ross, Earle, Bonan, Ensor & Carrigan, P.A. with the Corporate Leadership in the Arts Award for its sustained commitment to the arts, its investment in the community, and its exemplary model of corporate citizenship.
