MarksGray shareholder L. Johnson Sarber was elected president of the Florida Defense Lawyers Association. He joins four other MarksGray attorneys who have served as president of the group: James Rinaman (1972), Robert Gobelman (1983), Frank Perritt (1988) and Gerald Weedon (2001). Sarber has been a member of the association since 1998.
• The Republican Party of Florida and CNN chose Jan. 26 for the CNN/RPOF Republican Debate in Jacksonville. Party Chairman Lenny Curry is a Jacksonville businessman and also chairs the Duval County GOP. “With a date exactly halfway between the South Carolina and Florida primary dates, this debate will be the must-attend event for this great field of Republicans,” Curry said. So far, there have been debates in Tampa and Orlando. The Republican National Convention is scheduled in Tampa next year.
• The Florida First Coast Chapter of Associated Builders & Contractors said a meeting is planned among leaders of ABC and several other building groups with City administrators in the next few weeks to talk about staff and management changes in City government, including the Building Inspection Division.
• Michael Crumpler of the Law Offices of Michael C. Crumpler was inducted as 2011-12 president of the E. Robert Williams American Inn of Court. Also inducted for one-year terms were Alan Gordon, vice president, counselor; Compensation Claims Judge W. Ray Holley, treasurer; Michael Rudolph, secretary; Tara Sa’id, administrator; and Allison Hauser, past president. The E. Robert Williams Inn was established in 2007 and consists of 56 workers’ compensation attorneys and judges of compensation claims.
• Howard Caplan has joined the Lewis, Longman & Walker firm’s Jacksonville office as Of Counsel. His areas of practice are commercial and corporate, franchise, intellectual property, real estate, environmental, sustainability, manufacturing, business and technology. There’s a welcome reception from 5-7 p.m. Tuesday at the Riverside offices.
• The Vision is Priceless Council has joined Vistakon and Marco Ophthalmic to offer free vision and glaucoma exams to uninsured people in Northeast Florida through its Project See clinics. The council will announce an $81,000 grant today from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida Foundation to support the partnership. The announcement is at 4 p.m. at the Vision Care Institute at 7500 Centurion Parkway. Patients will be seen from 9 a.m.-3:45 p.m.