• James S. Groh and Paul Young have joined the real estate department of Holland & Knight LLP’s Jacksonville office. Groh, who transferred to Jacksonville from the firm’s Miami office, represents banks, insurance companies, conduit lenders and other investors in commercial real estate transactions. He handles acquisition, construction and permanent financing transactions on behalf of domestic and international lenders and borrowers. Young relocated to Jacksonville from Holland & Knight’s Ft. Lauderdale office. He will continue to practice real estate transactional matters, lender representation and title insurance law.
• Julie Gordon Johnson has been promoted to regional vice president of the Arthritis Foundation Florida Chapter Northeast Branch. She has been with the foundation for almost five years as the executive director in Jacksonville.
• Democratic gubernatorial candidate and State Sen. Darryl Jones is scheduled to speak to the Duval County Democratic Party today at 7 p.m. at the Communication Workers of America Hall. For information, call 355-0805.
• spiller vincenty gallery is hosting a reception for its new exhibition of Andy Warhol photographs Friday at 7 p.m. The show features a portfolio of original photographs, which Warhol published in 1980. The exhibition runs through March 9. For information, call 398-1606.
• Joan Whitfield received the I.M. Award for exception service for her work at the I.M. Sulzbacher Center for the Homeless. Whitfield has worked at the center since 1997 in a variety of roles. Currently, she is a supportive living coach, visiting formerly homeless, disabled people living in apartments as part of the Homeward Bound program.
• The First Coast Car Council is raffling a 1989 IROC-Z Camaro to benefit the Ronald McDonald House of Jacksonville. The winning ticket will be drawn Sept. 14 at the Car, Truck and Motorcycle Show.
• The Florida Bar and Florida Supreme Court are sponsoring law and posters contests as part of Law Week 2002. The contests are open to elementary, middle and high school students in Florida. Entries must be postmarked by March 29. For details, visit the Supreme Court’s website, www.flcourts.org or call 1-877-826-8167.
• T. Keith Perry has been named executive vice president of CenterBank of Jacksonville. Perry, a member of CenterBank’s original organizing team, has over 20 years of experience in the financial industry.
• Brad King, assistant vice president of First South Bank’s Ponte Vedra Beach office, has been named Mortgage Loan Officer of the Year for Northeast Florida for the fifth consecutive year.