• It’s a positive sign, says University of North Florida Economics Professor Paul Mason. That’s the nearly 2 percentage-point drop in the Duval County unemployment rate in December from November. “It is interesting that this drop is much larger than the drop for the entire metropolitan statistical area, suggesting that the other four counties (Baker, Clay, Nassau, and St. Johns) did not fare as well in December as Duval did,” he said.
• While still in double digits, Duval’s unemployment rate fell to a seasonally adjusted 10.62 percent in December from 12.58 percent in November and 11.84 percent in December 2009, according to state numbers adjusted for seasonality by the UNF Local Economic Indicators Project.
• Nassau County criminal defense attorney Teresa J. Sopp has been elected vice president of the board of directors of Equinox Documentaries Inc., a nonprofit documentary filmmaker based in Orlando. Equinox produces environmentally based documentaries for PBS and other media outlets. Florida author Bill Belleville and filmmaker Bob Giguere also serve on the board, along with Jacksonville banker David Strickland and Tampa accountant Brian Dreisback. Sopp was involved in the production of the award-winning film, “In Marjorie’s Wake,” a documentary retracing Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings’ 1933 St. John’s River trip.
• Correction: Millie Kanyar is vice president of information technology for the Jacksonville Women Lawyers Association and she is an attorney at the Affinity Law Firm. A photo cutline in last Monday’s Daily Record was not clear about those titles.
• Want to hear from some health experts? The Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce Health Council booked Jacksonville Jaguars Head Trainer Mike Ryan for its Feb. 3 meeting. He’s followed March 3 by Mike Hightower of Blue Cross and Blue Shield; April 7 by Brennan Manna Diamond Florida Managing Partner Mike Freed; and May 5 by St. Vincent’s HealthCare CEO Moody Chisholm.
• Jacksonville-based Advanced Disposal Services Inc. announced a restructuring along with the promotion of two key executives. Charlie Gray and Dave Lavender will each take on the role of regional vice president for the environmental services company. Gray will oversee all operations in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and eastern Tennessee including Nashville. Lavender will oversee all operations in Alabama, Florida, Mississippi and western Tennessee including Memphis. “Consolidating the company into two areas will mean more efficient operations and even more growth,” said Lavender. Advanced Disposal reports it is the fourth largest privately held solid waste disposal company in the United States.
• The Association for Corporate Growth will hear from Wells Fargo Senior Economist Mark Vitner at its meeting March 18. Before then, there’s a mayoral candidates forum at noon Feb. 23 at Epping Forest Yacht Club.