Newmakers (Tampa edition)

Newmakers (Tampa edition)

Accounting

× Marina Raikina joined the Bradenton accounting and consulting firm of Shinn & Co. as a tax senior. Raikina was formerly a tax senior with Deloitte & Touche in Toronto. Neil Unruh also joined Shinn & Co. PA, as an auditor senior.

Automotive

× Christopher R. Narvaez joined the Buchanan Automotive Group as chief financial officer. Narvaez has more than 26 years' of financial experience with SunTrust Banks, most recently as senior vice president for trust business development in Sarasota.

Communications

William E. Carlson Jr. was named president of Tucker/Hall Inc., a Tampa-based public affairs and public relations firm. Carlson served as senior vice president and chief operating officer prior to the promotion. He joined the firm in 1994.

Construction

× Steven Viana, a former Manatee County assistant state attorney, joined Westwater Construction Inc. in Sarasota as public relations and customer liaison. Viana attended the University of South Florida and the University of Florida College of Law.

× Jason Bartz joined Bradenton's NDC Construction Co. as development project manager. Prior to joining NDC, Bartz played two seasons of Minor League Baseball with the Kansas City Royals and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

× Aaron Ulvog was promoted to director of construction for Inland Homes in Sarasota. Prior to joining Inland in 2001, Ulvog served as assistant director of engineering for The Hyatt Regency in Tampa.

Education

× Dr. John Rosen, vice president of academic affairs for Manatee Community College, was awarded the 2002-03 Florida Association of Community Colleges Administrator's Award for Professional Excellence. An MCC vice president since 1998, he helped develop a federally funded grant program to bring work skills into the classroom and faculty professional development.

× Toula Kane joined Cardinal Mooney High School as director of development. She is responsible for the planning, direction and administration of the school's fundraising activities.

Financial

×The CEO for Aclarian Mortgage, a Central Florida mortgage broker, was replaced by Bob DeCecco of Sarasota and Rick Frissell of Valrico. Prior to joining Aclarian, Frissell held several sales positions with Eastman Kodak. DeCecco, previously held the position of chief financial officer of a privately held technology company.

× Ole J. Sorenson of Sarasota's Smith Barney was promoted to senior investment management specialist sponsored by Consulting Group, the managed money unit of Smith Barney.

× Michele Cockrum joined the Sarasota office of Colonial Bank, formerly known as Sarasota Bank, as a financial planner/investment representative. Cockrum previously worked as a relationship banker at Bank One in Fort Wayne, Ind.

× Peter Britton joined Coast Bank of Florida as Manatee County vice president for new business development and investment relationships. Britton was most recently employed with Northern Trust Bank of Florida as vice president of new trust business.

× Andy Timmons joined Bradenton's Peninsula Asset Management Inc. as assistant vice president of sales and marketing. Before joining Peninsula, Timmons worked as a national sales and marketing director for RFG Inc./Excelsior Financial.

× Brad Bishop, an agent with Re/Max Harbor Realty, was elected to the board of directors of the Charlotte Region of First Community Bank of America.

× Darryl LeClair was elected to the board of directors for United Bank, which has eight locations in Pinellas County. LeClair currently serves as CEO, president and chairman of Echelon Development Holdings LLC, a St. Petersburg-based real estate company that develops, owns and manages commercial and multifamily real estate.

× SunTrust Bank Tampa Bay CEO Dan Mahurin was awarded the Chairman's Award by the Florida Chamber for his support of the New Cornerstone vision for the Florida Chamber Foundation.

Mahurin, public policy committee chair of the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce, is an Executive Steering Committee member of Cornerstone, a comprehensive economic development plan for Florida developed by the foundation.

Government

× Gov. Jeb Bush made the following appointments to the Florida Building Commission: Peter A. Tagliarini, 54, of Tampa, architect, succeeds Karl S. Thorne; Craig P. Parrino, 41, of Tampa, vice president of engineering for Florida Engineered Construction Products, was reappointed; and Do Y. Kim, 33, of Valrico, director of technical services for Camron Ashley Building Products, was reappointed.

Home builders

× Alan Anderson, a quality assurance director for Bradenton-based Neal Communities, was named builder of the year by the Home Builders Association of Manatee County. As quality assurance director, Anderson ensures all Neal homes are constructed with top-quality materials. He has been an active member of the Manatee HBA, serving as president in 2003.

× Christine McKinlay joined Sarasota-based John Cannon Homes as director of model and product development.

Insurance

× Gerard O'Reilly was appointed executive vice president and chief operating officer for Sarasota-based Al Purmort Insurance Inc. O'Reilly recently moved to the area from Burlington, Vt., where he was involved in the senior management of a large independent insurance agency for 18 years.

Legal

× Todd Rains, firm administrator for Abel, Band, Russell, Collier, Pitchford & Gordon Chartered, was appointed to the Association of Legal Administrators 2005 Conference Planning Committee. ALA's Conference is the legal administration profession's largest organization for training and continuing education.

× Julie Horstkamp was elected shareholder of the Sarasota-based law firm of Kirk-Pinkerton.

Media

× Shannon Luther was appointed market manager and business manager for Clear Channel Radio in Sarasota.

Medical

× Physician Robert Hillstrom of Hillstrom Facial Plastic Surgery in Sarasota was recently voted one of the "Best Doctors in America" in a peer-review survey of more than 30,000 physicians. This two year (2003/2004) designation represents the fourth consecutive time Hillstrom has received this award. In addition, Hillstrom Facial Plastic Surgery was voted one of the "Best Cosmetic Surgery Centers" in Florida Monthly magazine's September issue "Florida's Best of the Best." Hillstrom is past president of the Florida Society of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and past chief of staff at Blake Medical Center.

Municipalities

× Larry Allen joined Sarasota County as director of communications. He will be responsible for external and internal communications, public relations and outreach, as well as communications initiatives for the county commission. He previously worked for the advertising and public relations firm of Baskerville/Swirles/Ward in Sarasota and the News-Journal in Daytona Beach.

Real Estate

× Tracy Seider, a broker with Re/Max Properties, was named Woman of the Year by the Sunrise Chapter of the American Business Women's Association.

× Stephanni Morton was named vice president by Echelon Real Estate Services, St. Petersburg.

Staffing

× Kevin Hudson was promoted to vice president of product management for information technology for Kforce Inc., a Tampa full service professional staffing firm. Pamela Wright, a certified public accountant, was promoted to vice president of product management for finance and accounting; and Rich Hensler was promoted to vice president of pharmaceutical product management.

Other Organizations

× John Brown of the Sarasota law firm of Walters, Levine, Brown, Klingensmith & Thomison PA was appointed legal counsel for the Gulf Coast Builders Exchange, a trade organization for commercial builders and subcontractors.

× Dr. Kathleen Gurney, CEO of Financial Psychology Corp. in Sarasota, was appointed to the panel of experts at the new National Retirement Education Institute, an independent organization dedicated to public sector retirement education.

× The Sarasota Manatee Airport Authority elected new board members: Jack Rynerson of Manatee County succeeds Robert Waechter of Sarasota County as authority chairman; Frank Gurney of Sarasota County replaces Rynerson as vice chairman; and Kathleen Baylis of Sarasota County succeeds Paul Scharff as secretary.

× Isabel Norton of Sarasota, was named a director of Prevent Blindness America, a volunteer eye health and safety organization, as chief volunteer council liaison.

× Lyerna Reed joined Advanced Screening Solutions in Sarasota as a business development manager. Advanced Screening Solutions provides criminal background checks, Social Security, previous employment references and education screenings.

× Vernon Buchanan, chairman and CEO of Sarasota's Buchanan Enterprises, was named chair-elect of the Florida Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. As chairman and CEO of Buchanan Enterprises Inc., Buchanan operates a diverse business portfolio of 20 auto dealerships in Florida and the Southeast, as well as insurance and real estate development companies and retail businesses.

× The Sarasota Association of Realtors has installed its 2004 officers: Nick Figlow, president; Judy Schomaker, president-elect; Bryan Guentner, secretary; Felix Power, treasurer; and Darla Furst, immediate past president.

The new board of directors includes Iva Fadley, Rick Hughes, Tim Loveless, Dan Page, Helen Sosso, Brad Arreola, Judy Arreola, Doris Edwards, Gaia Goldman, David Groom, Tim Crowley, Linda Dooley, Joe Hembree, Don Muenzmay and John Swart.

Brian Kennelly was sworn in as the new 2004 president of the association's Commercial Investment Division. Other CID officers include Janet Robinson, president-elect; Steve Ross, vice president; Diane Lawson, secretary; Karen Cook, treasurer; and John Swart, past president. The new CID Board of Directors includes Charles Palmeri, Anne Merrill, Joe Hembree, Steven Greenfield, Larry Schaper and Nevin Thomas.

The Sarasota Association of Realtors also presented four of its members with awards. Dan Page received "Realtor of the Year." Georgina Clamage was named "Humanitarian of the Year" for her work on the association's Community Outreach Committee. Fred Scheerle was given the "Meritorious Service Award" for his efforts to bring in funds for the group's Political Action Committee. Janis Collier was the recipient of the "President's Award" for hosting the association's weekly marketing sessions.

× The Sarasota Convention & Visitors Bureau elected its new board of directors: president, Sharon Cunningham, president of Cunningham Property Management Corp.; incoming president, Steve Mehas, general manager of the Hyatt Sarasota; and secretary-treasurer, Jay Riley, marketing and public relations director for Epicurean Life. Cunningham has served on the SCVB Board since 1997. Her firm manages six timeshare properties in Sarasota County.