• Smith Hulsey & Busey partner Cynthia Jackson was sworn in Tuesday as a United States bankruptcy judge. She was appointed by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals and replaces retiring Judge Arthur Briskman in the Orlando Division of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Florida. Jackson has been with Smith Hulsey & Busey for more than 29 years and practiced bankruptcy and insolvency matters throughout the U.S.
• The Salvation Army's 27th Annual Celebrity Chefs Tasting Luncheon & Silent Auction is planned March 14 at the Osborn Center. The event is 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Among the more than a dozen celebrity chefs are John and Mark Davoli, owners of Metro Diner; Kelly and Terri Harris, owners of Village Bread Café; Deanna Stephens, senior corporate chef of Winn-Dixie Stores Inc.; Peterbrooke Chocolatier. The menu includes appetizers, salads and sides, soup, entrees and desserts. Tickets are $30. For information, call The Salvation Army at 301-4841.
• The Jacksonville Aviation Authority announced that Southwest Airlines will begin daily scheduled service Sept. 29 from Jacksonville to Chicago's Midway Airport. The flight from Midway will depart at 12:10 p.m. and arrive in Jacksonville at 3:25 p.m. The service will depart Jacksonville at 4:50 p.m. and arrive in Chicago about 6:20 p.m. It is the first nonstop air service from Jacksonville to Midway. American and United Airlines fly to Chicago's O'Hare Airport from Jacksonville.
• Gov. Rick Scott appointed Carleen Van Siclen to the state Board of Clinical Laboratory Personnel. Van Siclen is an education coordinator with Mayo Clinic Florida. Her term began Monday and will end Oct. 31, 2015. The board exists to protect the public health, safety and welfare of Florida residents from the hazards of improper performance by clinical laboratory personnel, according to its website.
• The law firms of Adams and Reese LLP and Volpe, Bajalia, Wickes, Rogerson & Wachs announced the firms merged, effective last Friday. The merger was announced by Adams and Reese Managing Partner Charles P. Adams Jr. and Volpe Bajalia shareholder Timothy Volpe. Volpe will serve as partner overseeing the Jacksonville office of Adams and Reese. Partners joining the firm are Volpe, Michael Lee, Matthew McLauchlin, John Rogerson III and Alan Wachs. Joining as special counsel are Michael Duncan, Christopher Harris and Leslie Wickes. Associates include Daren Anderson, Kyle Jacobs, Jamie Olinto and Caroline Prieto. The expansion marks the first Jacksonville office of Adams and Reese and the fifth
in Florida.
• PwC US announced that Rick Moyer has been named managing partner of the firm's Jacksonville office. He succeeds Don Cameron, who served for five years and will continue to remain in the market. Moyer's experience includes time with trade organizations such as the Mortgage Bankers Association and the Asset Securitization Forum. PwC, also known as PriceWaterhouseCooper, specializes in audit and assurance, tax and consulting services. The Jacksonville office is at 50 N. Laura St., No. 3000.
• Northeast Florida Counts has extended the deadline for its 2012-13 Change Agent Leadership Scholarship program to March 15. The program is available for high school and college students and "recognizes students' visionary aptitudes and leadership abilities in creating a plan to transform a Northeast Florida community of their choosing into a vibrant and healthy place to live, work and play," according to a news release. Applications and information regarding eligibility can be found at nefloridacounts.org. The scholarships will be announced during a ceremony in mid-May. Northeast Florida Counts is a free, online health resource for the region of Baker, Clay, Duval, Flagler, Nassau, St. Johns and Volusia counties. It helps planners, policymakers and the community study issues and identify improvements for healthful outcomes.
• As part of its Leadership Series, ImpactJAX will host City Council President Bill Bishop from 6-7:30 p.m. today at Council Chambers. Bishop will share behind-the-scenes stories of past Council votes and discuss the City budget and Downtown investment, according to a news release. Following the event, a networking social is scheduled at the Museum of Contemporary Art. The event is free for ImpactJAX members and $10 for others.
• The Urban Land Institute North Florida will host Jacksonville Transportation Authority CEO Nathaniel Ford at its members-only breakfast series at 8 a.m. March 21 at the Haskell Building. The event is limited to the first 35 institute members who register.
• Attorney Joe Dill has joined the Tritt & Associate firm. Dill has more than 26 years of experience as a practicing attorney in the areas of bankruptcy, business and commercial litigation, construction, contracts, debtor and creditor, real property, probate and trust law. He received his Juris Doctor from the University of Florida College of Law.
• University of North Florida President John Delaney announced the advancements of Ann McCullen and Sharon Ashton. McCullen, UNF assistant vice president of development, has been named the university's interim vice president for institutional advancement and interim executive director of the UNF Foundation. She will fill the position left vacant by Pierre Allaire, who resigned to become vice president and chief development officer at Baptist Health, until a national search for a permanent replacement has been completed. Ashton has been promoted to vice president of public relations. She formerly was assistant vice president of public relations and has been with the university for nine years.