The Jacksonville Jaguars and the Ed Block Courage Award Foundation announced that Neighbor To Family has been chosen as the team’s Ed Block Courage House Award recipient.
Neighbor To Family is headquartered in Daytona Beach and has offices in Jacksonville. It specializes in keeping sibling groups together.
As the recipient, the organization received $10,000 from the foundation.
“Neighbor to Family’s unique and inspiring work to keep siblings together is a very important issue that we graciously support and their track record of family reunification is a model for the nation,” said team President Mark Lamping in a news release.
A Courage House is a facility that provides support and care for abused children and their families where an NFL franchise is affiliated with the foundation. Each year, every team selects one player as a Courage Award winner for professionalism, strength, dedication to the community.
First Coast Manufacturers Association names Safariland manufacturer of the year
The First Coast Manufacturers Association announced the winners of its 2015 “Excellence in Manufacturing” awards.
It was part of the organization’s third annual manufacturing summit. The winners are:
• Manufacturer of the Year, The Safariland Group. The company was recognized for its safety efforts for employees, a reward system for employee input and its use of lean methodology. The latter was used to identify existing warehouse space for additional business — turning an $800,000 projected cost into annual $17 million in sales and 30 new jobs.
• Workforce Education Award, Saft America Inc. The Paris-based battery manufacturer uses highly technical practices for lithium ion battery systems, requiring educating and developing its largely local workforce.
• Environmental Award, Fleet Readiness Center Southeast. The company has reduced industrial wastewater stream by more than 80 percent, reduced 16 tons of reclaimed rhenium and 91 tons of engine components among other activities.
• Economic Impact Award, Vistakon, now known as Johnson & Johnson Vision Care. The company successfully produced and launched a new multi-focal lens for treating presbyopia.
• Partner of the Year Award, Aerostar SES. The company has served in many leadership roles throughout the years with the organization and conducted business with more than 40 members.
• Founders Service Award, Vac-Con Inc. One of the larger Clay County employers, the company is starting a $10 million expansion that will add 30 jobs to its Green Cove Springs facility.
• President’s Award, Mike Templeton. The former tri-chairman of the manufacturers association assists the industry as an independent consultant at Templeton Manufacturing Solutions. He helped create and develop the organization’s Leadership Academy.
JTA celebrates customers and 60th anniversary
As part of its 60th anniversary, the Jacksonville Transportation Authority recently thanked its customers by visiting its major transit hubs by distributing water and snacks.
The thank-you event was from 7 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Friday.
The JTA, formerly the Jacksonville Expressway Authority, was formed by the state Legislature in 1955. Its mission at the time was to build and expand the expressway system serving Jacksonville. In 1971, the expressway authority took over the Jacksonville Coach Co. and changed its name to what it is known as today.
Study shows Jacksonville among worst at being green
A WalletHub study showed Jacksonville is among the worst at green practices.
Out of 100 cities reviewed by the organization, the city placed No. 94 in the “2015 Greenest Cities in America” listings.
The study used metrics like environmental quality rank, greenness in transportation, greenness of energy sources and green lifestyle and local policies.
Jacksonville didn’t rank better than 70th in any of them, placing worst in environmental quality rank at No. 87. Additionally, it was tied among the lowest for highest greenhouse gas emissions per capita.
Chandler, Ariz.; Hialeah; Louisville, Ky.; Indianapolis; Gilbert, Ariz.; and Baton Rouge, La., were the cities that placed worse.
New York, Portland and San Francisco were the best, respectively.
Pete Carpenter receives Foley & Lardner recognition
Foley & Lardner has announced its third annual National Directors Institute Director of the Year awards, with one of them being Alvin “Pete” Carpenter of Regency Centers Corp.
Created in 2013, the awards recognize exceptional public and private company directors who have exhibited leadership in the boardroom and had a significant impact on the corporate governance activities and performance of the companies they serve. The institute is a symposium focused on boardroom governance.
Carpenter is independent director for the corporation and also is a director of Consol Energy and Stein Mart. He has expertise in corporate governance, strategic management, accounting and audit matters as well as executive compensation.
At Regency Centers the past 22 years, he played a large role in the company’s growth to one of the larger owners of grocery-anchored shopping centers in the U.S.
’Piano Dialogue’ this week
Concert pianists Christina and Michelle Naughton will perform with guest conductor Vladimir Kulenovic as part of “Piano Dialogue” this week at Jacoby Symphony Hall at the Times-Union Center for Performing Arts.
The performances are 7:30 p.m. Thursday and 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
They feature Shostakovich’s Overture, Op. 96, Mozart’s Concerto for Two Pianos in E-flat major, K. 365 and Stravinsky’s Petrushka. It’s Mozart’s only concerto for two pianos.
Kulenovic recently completed his first season as music director for the Lake Forest Symphony and is a 2015 recipient of the Sir Georg Solti Conducting Award.
Tickets are available at jaxsymphony.org.
Edward Waters College to celebrate homecoming
Edward Waters College is celebrating homecoming this week culminating with a series of events themed “Preserving History, Promising Futures.”
The events culminate Saturday with a parade at 10 a.m. starting at Stanton College Preparatory School before heading west toward Myrtle Avenue, south toward Kings Road and west to James Weldon Johnson Middle School.
After, the Alumni Spirit Brunch will be at 11:30 a.m. in the Adams-Jenkins Sports and Music Complex. Keynote speaker will be EWC President Nat Glover.
The annual homecoming football game is 3 p.m. at Stanton.
Hallmark team marketing Salisbury Professional Center
The NAI Hallmark Partners team of Patrick Thornton and Daniel Burkhardt have been selected to market available space at Salisbury Professional Center on behalf of Interra Capital Group.
The 41,102-square-foot building is at 4063 Salisbury Road in Southpoint Office Park.
Interra Capital is based in Houston and focuses on industrial, retail and health care real estate investments. It’s the company’s first Jacksonville acquisition.
Crowley Maritime receives safety award
Crowley Maritime Corp. has been recognized with a 2015 AMS Safety Award by American Maritime Safety Inc.
It comes in part for the company’s implementation of a drug and alcohol awareness program for crewmembers who perform safety-sensitive functions on vessels calling on U.S. ports.
The program contains non-industry standard items. They include searches that prohibit all types of safety-impairing substances, specialized online refresher training and development of an onboard collector’s guide to provide directions during a drug collection.
The AMS Safety Advisory Committee each year presents member companies with safety awards for their dedication to preserve the marine environment and promote safe vessel navigation, operations and maritime work.