• Girls Inc. of Jacksonville will honor four women at its Girls’ Rights Week reception May 3 at The University Club. Women being honored are Carol Alexander, executive director, the Ritz Theatre; Pam Chally, dean of the University of North Florida Brooks College of Health; Dottie Dorion, award-winning swimmer and triathlete; and Donna Deegan, founder of the “26.2 with Donna” breast cancer marathon. For information, visit www.girlsincjax.org.
• The Jacksonville Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates recently presented its “Civility Matters” program to a group of Florida Coastal School of Law students. ABOTA Treasurer Josh Whitman organized the event and moderated the program along with Circuit Judge Jim Daniel and attorney Jim D’Andrea. Florida Coastal Vice Dean Terri Davlantes attended the program with 75 Coastal students. Students could ask questions about professionalism issues facing lawyers. The chapter also offers $250 scholarships to the top students in the school’s professional responsibility courses.
• Juvenile justice advocate Rob Mason, who serves as director of the Juvenile Court Unit in the Office of Fourth Judicial Circuit Public Defender Matt Shirk, will chair the Legal Needs of Children Committee of the The Florida Bar under incoming President Gwynne Young beginning July 1. Mason has been an assistant public defender in Jacksonville since 1990.
• Eugene Nichols of Nichols & Pina has been appointed to The Florida Bar Criminal Procedure Rules Committee beginning July 1.
• Jacksonville-based FIS named Greg Montana as chief risk officer. He reports directly to FIS Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Frank Martire, Montana will lead the strategic development and execution of FIS’ enterprisewide risk program. Jacksonville-based FIS provides financial services technology.
• Regency Centers named Dale Johnston as vice president and chief information officer. Johnston will oversee Regency’s information technology team nationwide and advance the company’s technology platforms from Regency’s Jacksonville headquarters. He previously served as vice president and chief information officer for EDENS in Columbia, S.C. Regency Centers owns, operates and develops grocery-anchored and community shopping centers,
• Shaner Hotels appointed Arlene Baldwin as director of sales for the Jacksonville Beach Courtyard and Fairfield Inn and Suites in Jacksonville Beach. She joined Shaner Hotels in July 2009 as a senior sales manager supporting both properties.
• The Mayor’s Economic Development Compliance Task Force will meet at 3 p.m. today in conference room 3C on the third floor of City Hall.
• EverBank Field was named the recipient of the National Sports Safety & Security Facility of Merit Award for the 2011 season. The award is presented by the National Center for Spectator Sports Safety & Security and the facility won for its implementation of the NFL’s altered screening protocols.
• Jacksonville’s unemployment rate fell in March to its lowest level in more than three years, the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity reported Friday. The jobless rate in the metropolitan area fell from 8.8 percent in February to 8.3 percent in March, the lowest since the rate was also 8.3 percent in January 2009. The agency also reported that the total number of nonagricultural jobs in the Jacksonville area rose by 1,500 from March 2011 through March 2012, a 0.3 percent increase.
• The Military Officers Association of America named CSX Corp. the recipient of the 2012 Distinguished Service Award, a recognition of CSX’s continued emphasis on hiring and supporting active duty and veteran men and women. Nearly one in five CSX employees is a veteran of the armed services. In 2012, the company plans to hire about 1,000 veterans, part of its pledge to the White House’s Joining Forces initiative. CSX also supports employees engaged in the National Guard or active Reserve by extending salary and benefits to employees called up to active duty.