• AXIA Public Relations hired Mark Pettus as its director of digital engagement. His job includes combining search engine optimization and page-rank strategies with design and copy to increase web and social media traffic. Pettus is the former executive editor of the Ponte Vedra Recorder and its subsidiary publications, First Coast Register, The St. Johns County Business Ledger, Currents and The St. Augustine Underground. He also is a former multimedia reporter and editor for The Florida Times-Union’s St. Johns Sun.
• Riverside Avondale Preservation said Torrie Parette will serve as the interim director of the Riverside Arts Market after the recent resignation of Teri Coutu until a director is hired. The preservation board assembled a search committee to fill the position.
• Ginny Myrick, of Myrick Policy Group Inc., will chair the inaugural Urban Land Institute North Florida “Awards for Excellence.” The awards will recognize development projects in North Florida. Nominations are due Aug. 30. The four award categories are private sector, public sector/open space/nonprofits, Downtown and visionary leader. The winners will be recognized Oct. 4 at the Museum of Contemporary Art. For information about eligibility and applications, visit www.northflorida.uli.org.