• Jacksonville Community Council Inc. has named CSX vice president Randy Evan chair of its community improvement study, Neighborhoods at the Tipping Point. Evans has an extensive background in developing neighborhoods. He was executive director of Richmond Renaissance, a nonprofit organization that worked on rebuilding Richmond’s inner city neighborhoods. The study committee will meet every Tuesday beginning Oct. 8 and continue through March. To participate, call 396-3052 or visit JCCI’s website at www.jcci.org. Study committees are open to the public.
• Jane Rollinson has been named senior vice president and chief marketing executive for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida. She will be responsible for the development of company strategy and policy as it relates to marketing and sales.
• The Jacksonville Port Authority has begun production of a free quarterly publication, Jaxport Quarterly, focusing on port news and projects. Copies will be distributed throughout Jacksonville and it’s available online at www.jaxport.com.
• The Florida Thoracic Society, medical section of the American Lung Association, has elected new officers. They are Dr. Richard J. Thurer, president; Dr. Gene G. Ryerson, president-elect; and Dr. Kenneth W. Wasson, secretary/treasurer.
• Sandy Friend has been named national director of training for The Loop Pizza Grill. Friend will be responsible for developing and implementing constructive training programs for new employees and will act as liaison for additional training resources to better train existing employees.
• Trish Ridgway-Kapustka has joined the Kurtis Group as director of business strategy. She will be responsible for account management, new business development and marketing and public relations strategy.
• John C. “Charlie” Wright III, a firefighter for NAS Jacksonville, received the 2001 All-Navy Firefighter of the Year and the 2001 Department of Defense Firefighter of the Year awards.
• The Jessie Ball duPont Fund has awarded $153,000 to The Salvation Army to fund the children’s case manager position at the Red Shield Lodge homeless shelter and to support the Food for Families Program. The grant will be disbursed over a three-year period.
• The Jacksonville Transportation Authority and the City’s Adult Services Division are creating a senior smart card program for area seniors who use City services. The program will cost JTA about $120,000, plus a matching $60,000 from the City.
• Christopher C. Kauffmann has been named director of seaport security for the Jacksonville Port Authority.
• Theatreworks has named its board of directors for 2002-03. They are Linda Cobb Ingham, president; Sidney Simmons, vice president; Kim Anderson, secretary; and Georgia Jefferson, treasurer. Board members are Dianne Dawood, Joan Monsky, Kim Anderson, Martha Barrett, Betty Asque Davis, Kim Dewan, Jeffrey Dunn, Carolyn Gentry, Lenox Godfrey, Suzanne Lamb Holley, Marcia Morales Howard, Linda Cobb Ingham, Georgia Jefferson, Katharine Loeb, Michelle McIntyre, Ladson Montgomery, Daniel Moses, Gertrude Peele, Pamela K. Phillips, Cheryl Riddick, Cyndi Schmidt, Sidney Simmons, Georganna Walker, Sara Weiss, Andrew Wheeler, Wanda Willis and Alicia McKenzie.