Developer Peter Rummell is scheduled to be inducted into the University of Florida’s Kelley A. Bergstrom Real Estate Center’s Hall of Fame this month.
A news release said the event is Feb. 24 during the Real Estate Trends & Strategies Conference at the Hyatt Regency Orlando.
The Hall of Fame, established in 2008, honors leaders whose lifetime of service has positively shaped the real estate industry, according to a news release.
Rummell has been involved in the real estate development industry for more than four decades. He began in 1971 with Sea Pines Co., which developed Hilton Head, S.C., and Amelia Island.
Other stints included Disney Development Co. and The St. Joe Co.
RummellMunz is developing The District on the Southbank.
He and his wife, Lee Ann, have two children, Mahala Hunter and Harry Stevenson II.
Stellar completes Flagler College five-story parking garage
Stellar recently completed construction on a Flagler College parking garage in St. Augustine, which staff and students began using last month.
The garage is one piece of Stellar’s current construction on the campus.
It began work in May on projects totaling $22 million, with construction of a residence hall and commons building. A news release said the two should open this summer.
The 185,000-square-foot garage has 551 spaces on five levels.
The release said because of the sandy environment near the river, Stellar used a ground improvement technique consisting of drilled holes that were filled with grout. After hardening, the foundations for the three buildings were poured.
Tech takes the stage with a little dance
Science professor Heather Knight and her robotic sidekick, Ginger, entertained Jacksonville Women’s Network members and guests Thursday at the group’s 18th annual Speaker’s Forum. Knight spoke about “Robots and Humans: The Intersection.” She completed her doctorate in robotics at Carnegie Mellon University and among a long list of accomplishments, she is featured on TED.com for her Robot Comedy performances. Knight told the 150 participants at the Adam W. Herbert University Center at the University of North Florida that art and technology should collide. Instead of STEM – science, technology, engineering and math — Knight said she prefers STEAM, adding “art.” As Ginger’s programmer, Knight gave life to the robot as a comedian — and a dancer.
University of North Florida building is renamed Roy Lassiter Hall
The University of North Florida dedicated English Hall, Building 8 as Roy Lassiter Hall.
The Tuesday dedication honored Roy Lassiter Jr., vice president emeritus and founding faculty member, for his leadership during the campus’ early stages, according to a news release. He joined UNF in 1970.
Building 8 is an academic and business center, including housing the Department of English, Writing Program and Language Computer Lab, as well as the ticket box office and Chick-fil-A.
Lassiter was there in 1970 when city and state leaders broke ground on the first four buildings on campus, the release said, and in 1972, when the university opened as an upper classman only-institution with 2,027 students.
He was UNF’s first vice president for academic affairs and served as dean of faculties as well as professor of economics.
FSCJ fire academy earns top state honor for second time
Florida State College at Jacksonville’s Fire Academy of the South recently received a top state honor.
The program was named 2016 Florida Fire Service Training and Education Provider of the Year. It also won the award in 2010, according to a news release. Only one other program has won the award more than once.
Of the state’s 40 training centers, FSCJ’s fire academy was among four that received nominations.
Key elements of the nomination were recognition of Director Sheldon Reed as a member of the National Fire Protection Technical Committee on Fire Training Center Design and the implementation of the public safety drone program.
Six advance to finals of Rotary Oratory competition
Six Northeast Florida high school seniors won the regional phase of the 2017 Rotary Oratory competition held by the Rotary Club of South Jacksonville.
They will advance to the finals Feb. 16 at the University of North Florida, where the winner will receive a $5,000 scholarship and the second-place finisher will earn a $2,500 scholarship.
This year’s topic asked students to argue which area of concern Rotary should place its resources, with those areas include promoting peace, fighting disease and growing local economies, according to a news release.
The regional winners, who received $500 scholarships, are:
• Fernandina Regional: Madison Moore, Yulee High School
• Jacksonville Regional: Shruti Murali, Stanton College Preparatory School
• Orange Park Regional: Guy Fisher III, Ridgeview High School
• South Jacksonville Regional: Maria Ribeiro, University Christian School
• St. Augustine Regional: Natalie Costello, Ponte Vedra High School
• Westside Regional: Gabe Wise, Douglas Anderson School of the Arts
Girl Scout cookies still going strong after first sales in 1917
Selling Girl Scout cookies isn’t just going door-to-door anymore.
There are goals to set, sales strategies to hone, websites to build and displays to prepare in the 100th anniversary of Girl Scouts selling the cookies.
The tradition started in 1917 in Oklahoma when a troop baked and sold cookies to fund a service project, according to a news release.
Since then, hundreds of millions of boxes have been sold to support girls’ efforts to make the world a better place. Last year, more than 1.1 million boxes were sold.
New this year is the S’mores cookie, with chocolate and marshmallow filling between graham crackers. It joins long-time favorites such as Thin Mints and Tagalongs.
“When someone buys a box of Girl Scout cookies, they are directly supporting the Girl Scout mission of building the next generation of female leaders and change-makers,” said Mary Anne Jacobs, CEO for Girl Scouts of Gateway Council.
Profits stay with the local council and are reinvested into projects like sewing beds for animals in shelters, building “buddy benches” on school playgrounds and developing economic opportunities for women in Ethiopia, according to the release.
Girl Scouts are taking orders in person and online. Booths will be set up Feb. 8-March 12. To find one, visit girlscouts-gateway.org/FindCookies.