• Don McGeorge has joined the board of directors of Jacksonville-based Acosta Sales & Marketing. McGeorge is the retired president and COO of The Kroger Co., the nation’s largest traditional grocery retailer. He was responsible for all of the company’s supermarket divisions, advertising, customer relationship marketing, manufacturing, merchandising and procurement, pharmacy and retail operations until his retirement in 2009.
• The St. Johns River Ferry will not be receive City funds for its continued operation, according to a letter sent from Mayor Alvin Brown to City Council member Bill Gulliford on Thursday. The letter is in regards to Gulliford’s legislation to establish a St. Johns River Ferry Commission that would operate or engage in a public-private entity to operate the ferry. In the letter, Brown praises the significance of the ferry in the community and local business but said the City “is not in a position to fund ferry operations as it did prior to JAXPORT’s involvement in 2007” given financial constraints. He called the proposed commission “a step in the right strategic direction” for the ferry’s long-term success.
• One more about Brown… he will host the Inaugural Mayor Brown Interfaith Celebration from 7:30-9 a.m. April 20 at the Osborn Center. The event is described as “a breakfast event uniting the faith community in an opportunity to uplift and encourage the citizens of Jacksonville.” Tickets are $25. For more information visit coj.net.
• InterDev, an Atlanta-area provider of managed information technology and security services, hired Mark Aston as the branch manager for its Jacksonville office that will open this month. He previously was director of business development with AKOS Technology Services. Aston is president of the Jacksonville Information Technology Council, a forum of the JAX Chamber.
• Medtronic Xomed’s Surgical Technologies Division will break ground on its planned $14 million, 75,000 square foot headquarters expansion from 3-4 p.m. Monday at its 6743 Southpoint Drive N. facility. The expansion will accommodate 175 new jobs. City Council authorized an economic development agreement between the City, Jacksonville Economic Development Commission and the company in August for the job creation that includes a City investment of $660,000, part of the $2.53 million total incentives package.
• The St. Johns River Water Management District is reviewing plans for the Mayo Clinic Primary Care Center at Hampton Village, described as a 5.5-acre parcel. The project was described as up to a 60,000-square-foot medical office building. Hampton Village is at Baymeadows Road and the Interstate 295 East Beltway. Prosser Hallock is shown as the planning and engineering firm. The Mayo Clinic website shows three area primary care locations – at the Mayo Clinic Campus along San Pablo Road, at the Beaches and in St. Augustine. Mayo Clinic did not comment about the Hampton Village site, issuing a statement. “It is premature to comment on plans that have not yet been finalized,” it said.
• The CoreLogic research firm reported that home prices in Jacksonville, including distressed sales, rose 2.9 percent in February from February 2011 after falling a revised 2.9 percent in January from January 2011. Excluding distressed sales, year-over-year prices rose 2.4 percent in February and by 0.1 percent in January.
• Next up at The Alhambra Theater & Dining is “Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story,” which tells the story of the late recording artist. The production starts Wednesday and runs through June 3. For information, visit www.alhambrajax.com.
• Speaking of the Alhambra, “Hello, Dolly!” starring Sally Struthers ends this weekend. The last performance is 2 p.m. Sunday. Doors open at noon.
• Jacksonville University will host its first Sport Management and Medicine Conference on Wednesday to discuss issues that include the payment of student-athletes, avoiding heat-related practice injuries and concussion prevention. A media panel featuring Florida Times-Union columnists, editors and other local sports commentators will also be featured. The inaugural event will be at the JU Davis College of Business conference rooms. The keynote speaker at lunch will be JU head football coach Kerwin Bell. For information, visit www.ju.edu or email [email protected].
• City Education Commissioner Donald Horner Jr. will discuss a paper he co-wrote with David Hunt, City public information officer, titled “Lifelong Learning: City of Jacksonville as a Business Case Study.” He will discuss the report at the 23rd International Conference on College Teaching & Learning from 8-8:30 a.m. Thursday at the Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort. Horner also serves as a moderator at the conference from 10:30-11:30 a.m. for a panel addressing: “Lifelong Learning: The Big Picture.”
• Dr. Neel Karnani recently earned the designation of Fellow of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. He is medical director at Haven Hospice in Jacksonville.