• The Florida Community Reinvestment Coalition announced that Deborah Thompson, owner of Deborah K. Thompson, Consultants, will receive the 2012 African American Builder of Community and Country Investment Award for Florida. The award will be given Thursday at the Florida Community Economic Development Summit — Let’s Do Business Florida event in Clearwater Beach. It will be presented at the “Builder of Community and Country Awards Dinner — Recognizing Leaders Who Build Florida’s Underserved Communities.” Thompson has worked with and supported low-to-moderate income neighborhoods throughout Florida for more than 25 years.
• Community Connections scheduled its Tribute 101 event at 6 p.m. Oct. 4 at the Omni Jacksonville Hotel Downtown. The nonprofit will honor Greg and Ginny Smith with the 2012 Florence N. Davis Award for Community Achievement. For information, visit www.communityconnectionsjax.org.
• Leadership Jacksonville hosted 18 participants at its 2012 New Leadership Summit event. The two-day program was held at The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island. CEOs and other executives who are new or relatively new to Northeast Florida attended. Leadership Jacksonville offers the summit annually. Participants learn about the region’s assets, issues, institutions and leadership from corporate, civic, social and educational leaders. The group size is limited to 20 and participation is by invitation. For information, visit www.leadershipjax.org or call 396-6263.
• Jacksonville-based MediaShare Consulting Group Inc. was recognized nationally in Specialty Retail Report magazine’s 15th annual Visual Victories Awards in the category of “Best Promotional Cart Display.” MediaShare, whose managing partner is Mark Berman, was awarded third place in the national contest for its design and execution of the Alhambra Theatre & Dining’s promotional kiosk at the St. Johns Town Center mall during the holiday season. MediaShare, which handles marketing for the Alhambra, developed the overall strategy for the outdoor cart as well as the cart’s graphic design. Sharing in the execution of the concept were Alhambra Set Design Director David Dionne and Director of Group Sales Shannon Smith.
• Jacksonville University has received $1.9 million to continue its Upward Bound program another five years for students at five area high schools. The federal grant for educational support services will allow JU to serve 89 students total each year at Raines, Ribault, Jackson, Lee and Englewood high schools. Upward Bound is part of the TRIO national program designed to serve high school students who qualify. Students must be first-generation college-bound students and/or meet federal income guidelines.
• Communities In Schools of Jacksonville named Co’Relous Bryant as a site coordinator for the Student Enrichment Program. Bryant is a former student of the program and will provide case management services to Duval County Public Schools students with an emphasis on student attendance and community engagement. Bryant holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from New York University. His previous positions include serving as project manager for a corporate solutions firm, program director for the Children’s Arts and Science Workshops Inc. and program coordinator for Lead America Inc.