People on the Move: Regions Bank appoints Jim Branch to market executive; The St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce announces annual awards

Promotions, hirings and happenings for business people in Northeast Florida. Send items to [email protected]

• Regions Bank appointed Jacksonville native Jim Branch to market executive in the Jacksonville area. He has nearly 20 years of mortgage banking experience, the past 13 with Regions. Branch is a graduate of the University of North Florida and served for eight years in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. 

• Swisher named John Haley its chief growth officer and Jeff Rossi its senior vice president, sales and marketing. Haley oversees the company’s new corporate growth department. He will focus on the growth, innovation, strategy and structure of Swisher, and oversee sales and marketing, strategic growth, innovation and business analytics. Rossi, previously vice president, trade marketing and category development, will oversee both sales and marketing functions, including the trade marketing group.

Swisher also announced Joe Augustus, Chris Casey, Lee Creasman and Glenn Goodroe have been named executive vice presidents. All previously were senior vice presidents.

• Southeast Toyota Distributors, which says it is the world’s largest independent distributor of Toyota vehicles, promoted Casey Gunnell Jr. to group vice president. Gunnell will be responsible for the company’s parts distribution center and the three vehicle processing centers at Talleyrand Port Processing and at the Westlake Industrial Park in Jacksonville and in Commerce, Georgia.

• The University of North Florida named Scott Bennett as vice president of administration and finance effective Jan. 11. He has served in the role as interim vice president since Feb. 1. He is responsible for overseeing more than 20 departments. He has been at UNF since 1999. 

• Leadership Jacksonville recognized Ju’Coby Pittman as the 2020 Tillie K. Fowler Distinguished Leadership Award recipient. Pittman is president and CEO of Clara White Mission and represents District 8 as a member of the Jacksonville City Council.

Leadership Jacksonville also named two honorary members: 

Nancy Broner, executive director emerita of OneJax, volunteer and former member and past chairman of the Duval County Public School Board. 

Linda Berry Stein, community leader, volunteer and philanthropist. She has been particularly active with causes related to the Jacksonville Humane Society, arts, education, Jacksonville University, and the mentoring of students at JU and the University of North Florida.

•  Jax Federal Credit Union appointed Jenna Dobbins to its board of directors, re-elected three current directors and appointed a member representative, Senovia Portis. Dobbins is the global head of human resources for Pontoon Solutions. In addition to her appointment, the credit union’s members approved board-appointment Rodomir Desir. Dobbins and Desir fill retiring director seats with terms ending in September 2022. Incumbents Joseph Sharp and Pat O’Neill were re-elected as board members for the standard three-year term. Portis will serve as a member representative, a nonelected role. 

• St. Johns Riverkeeper created the Dr. A. Quinton White Jr. For the River Award and gave the first award to White. The award recognizes people who have made substantial contributions over their lifetime to the St. Johns River. White is the executive director of the Marine Science Research Institute at Jacksonville University and professor of biology and marine science at JU. He helped to establish the annual Lower St. Johns River Basin State of the River Report that has informed policymakers and the public about the health status of the river for 13 years.

• The St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce announced annual awards:

Chairman’s Award for Outstanding Leadership and Support of St. Johns County Businesses Through COVID-19: Joy Andrews, St. Johns County deputy county administrator.

Public Policy Member of the Year: Michael Scine, owner, Scine CPA Advisors.

Chamber Members of the Year: Arleen Dennison, college advancement coordinator, First Coast Technical College, and Orville Dothage, senior manager, Northrop Grumman.

Among other awards:

Fred Schroeder Economic Development Council Member of the Year: Firehouse Subs.

Small Business of the Year: St. Augustine Distillery.

President’s Award: Skip Marsh, Flagler Health +.

Chamber Ambassador of the Year/Gene Morse Award: David Permenter, N2 Publishing.

Ponte Vedra Beach Division Ambassador of the Year/Grace Hayes Award: Kari Zerrahn, Anderson Agency of NE Florida.