• The condo/retail giant Peninsula is coming out of the ground on the Southbank and they’ve named the places you’ll go. It’s the Surf Cafe and the Apogee Lounge.
• The Jacksonville Bar Association moved its meeting Thursday from the Omni to the Radisson because they couldn’t get space for a seminar that followed the luncheon.
• Colliers Dickinson, the commercial property firm in Independent Square has named Elmer Bury as its director of technical services, Matt Entriken as a sales associate and Rodney Cunanan as an administrative assistant.
• Northeast Florida United Way President Connie Hodges has been elected to serve on the United Way of America’s National Professional Council. The council has 64 CEOs nationwide which serves nearly 1,400 member organizations. Also at the United Way, UNF President John Delaney will lead this year’s campaign and Baptist Health Systems CEO Hugh Greene takes the top job next year.
• Congratulations to Melanie Husk, president and co-founder of Husk, Jennings, Galloway and Robinson. At last weekend’s Jacksonville Addy Awards, she became the first woman to be awarded the Silver Medal, which recognizes an individual who has made outstanding contributions to advertising.
• Outgoing JEDC Executive Director Kirk Wendland got a standing ovation at his last public meeting. JEDC Chairman Ceree Harden credited Wendland with putting new incentive policies in place “that would provide a solid foundation for this City’s economic development for the next 20 years.” A slightly choked-up Wendland said his staff’s hard work had been the one constant in a sometimes bumpy ride at the top of the JEDC.
• One facet of the JEDC’s new incentive policy is sure to get a tough examination from the City Council. The new guidelines would let the commission approve incentive deals under $100,000 without Council approval. The current limit is $50,000.
• The finalists have been named for the
Women In Business Awards sponsored by
the Women Business Owners of North Florida: Karen Burdette of Burdette/Ketchum, Julie
Gunn of Make Believe Costumes and
Dancewear, Suzanne Leman of Dynamic
Corporate Solutions, Teresa Fennimore of First Coast Chem-Dry, Kim Knapp of Dental Temps Professional services and Donna Kuldau of Norwalk The Furniture Idea. And the winner is … you’ll have to wait until the luncheon on March 29.
• If you really need to impress you pals, buy the Ortega house across the street from Jaguars Coach Jack Del Rio. It’s for sale.