Inside this Week's Member Highlights
Member News- The Dikman Company Announces Several Commercial Property Lease Renewals
- Tickets Now on Sale for the 2015 Valspar Championship
- Port Tampa Bay Supports Operation Reveille, Collaborative Homeless Veterans Initiative
- Absolute Mobile Solutions Helps the Florida Holocaust Museum Reach Future Generations with New Interactive Website
- Launch of Conversa Brings New Communications Strategies to Local, State and National Organizations
- Abe Brown Ministries Gets $1.5 Million to Help Ex-Cons Start Over
- Moffitt Healthy Kidz Program Encourages Youth to Live Tobacco Free
- Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney | Fowler White Boggs Announces Consolidation of its Tampa Offices
- Banker Lopez Gassler P.A. Receives Seven First-Tier Rankings in the 2015 U.S. News - Best Lawyers® "Best Law Firms" Guide
- GrayRobinson Shareholder Named to the Academy of Hospitality Industry Attorneys
- Carlton Fields Jorden Burt Earns Perfect Score on Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index for Sixth Consecutive Year
New Hires & Promotions
- Banker Lopez Gassler P.A. Welcomes New Associates
- Elevate, Inc. Welcomes New Team Members
- ChappellRoberts Promotes From Within and Adds to Account Service Team
- Tucker/Hall Welcomes New Senior Account Supervisor
Member News
The Dikman Company Announces Several Commercial Property Lease Renewals
The Dikman Company announced that they have completed a total of three renewal lease transactions including:- Savia and Coffee House & More renewed its lease of 7,252 sq. ft. at Centreport 60 on Adamo Drive in Tampa.
- Solution One Maritime, LLC renewed its lease of 15,000 sq. ft. at 2721 E. Adamo Drive in Tampa.
Tickets Now on Sale for the 2015 Valspar Championship
Tickets are now on sale for the 2015 Valspar Championship presented by BB&T, including the concert by The Band Perry on Saturday, March 14, at ValsparChampionship.com. In addition, shoppers can now pick up Valspar Championship tickets and select merchandise during the holiday season in the tournament’s kiosk at Countryside Mall, not far from the entrance to the Cobb Movie Theaters. The kiosk will open for business starting this week. VOLUNTEERS – SIGN UP NOW The Valspar Championship is taking applications for volunteer positions now. There are exciting opportunities in transportation, suite services, laser scoring and other committees. Contact Doug Laseter or Shirley Gresham at 727-942-5557 or [email protected]. Back to TopPort Tampa Bay Supports Operation Reveille, Collaborative Homeless Veterans Initiative
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L to R: Antoinette Hayes Triplett, CEO, Tampa-Hillsborough Homeless Initiative (center), receives a proclamation from Mark Sharpe and Sandy Murman, on behalf of the Hillsborough County Commission, Tuesday, November 11. Scores of volunteers were on hand to assist with Operation Reveille in a variety of ways, primarily processing veterans into the homeless placement program. Paul Anderson, president & CEO, Port Tampa Bay; Sandy Murman, Hillsborough County Commissioner; General Lloyd Austin, U.S. Army/Commander, U.S. Central Command; and Bob Buckhorn, Mayor of Tampa, all take part in the collaborative homeless initiative.[/caption]
Port Tampa Bay was very pleased to spend Veterans’ Day hosting scores of veterans, volunteers and other participants in the homeless veterans initiative Operation Reveille, Tuesday, Nov. 11, at the port’s Cruise Terminal 6. Operation Reveille is a program of the Tampa-Hillsborough Homeless Initiative, along with the City of Tampa and Hillsborough County, with the goal of ending veteran homelessness in Hillsborough County by Veterans Day 2015. Read more...
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Absolute Mobile Solutions Helps the Florida Holocaust Museum Reach Future Generations with New Interactive Website
In an increasingly digital world, the ability to serve a broader audience with the important message of preserving human dignity has never been greater. The Florida Holocaust Museum recognized the potential to extend the reach of its resources to future generations of tech savvy individuals and how the Internet can help them enhance their mission beyond the walls of the museum. Aiding them in this important initiative, Absolute Mobile Solutions, a Tampa digital marketing agency that specializes in responsive website design, produced an interactive website that will not only brand the museum in a fresh way, but also provide a dynamic platform for utilizing the museum’s comprehensive educational resources. The new website (www.flholocaustmuseum.org) features an engaging design with specific emphasis on making the museum’s offerings easily accessible. Read more... Back to TopLaunch of Conversa Brings New Communications Strategies to Local, State and National Organizations
A new full-service, minority and women-owned communications firm, Conversa, recently opened its doors in Florida, offering local, state and national organizations public relations, public affairs and public research support. Founded by partners Arlene DiBenigno, Kelsey Lehtomaa Frouge, and Sarah Beth Hopton, the team uses its combined experience to develop comprehensive campaigns that create conditions for effective change. Employing traditional and digital tools, along with in-house research capabilities, Conversa builds mutually beneficial relationships between an organization and its publics, influencing public policy by shifting public opinion. Read more... Back to TopAbe Brown Ministries Gets $1.5 Million to Help Ex-Cons Start Over
Excerpt from the Tampa Tribune: "Abe Brown Ministries, a non-profit Tampa agency that has been working to help ex-convicts rejoin society since 1976, is putting to work $1.5 million in state money for a training and job-placement program. The state appropriation, along with $350,000 from the Hillsborough County Commission, will help the ministry adopt Ready 4 Work — started by President George W. Bush to help former prisoners get jobs. The money will help manage clients’ cases, coach them on behavior, train them in employability, and place them in jobs." Read more... Back to TopMoffitt Healthy Kidz Program Encourages Youth to Live Tobacco Free
Excerpt from the Tampa Bay Times: Nikki Ross-Inda likes to carry around a plastic container full of thick, brownish liquid. A child might mistake it for Aunt Jemima syrup, but Ross-Inda intends to make sure kids understand the "jar of tar" — the approximate amount of tar that passes through a smoker's lungs each year from smoking half a pack of cigarettes a day — represents one of the 4,000 chemicals contained in cigarettes. Sixty of those chemicals are known to cause cancer. Read more... Back to TopBuchanan Ingersoll & Rooney | Fowler White Boggs Announces Consolidation of its Tampa Offices
Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney | Fowler White Boggs signed a commercial real estate lease to consolidate its Tampa offices on two floors in the SunTrust Financial Centre in mid-2015. The firms merged in March in one of the largest law firm combinations of 2014. The consolidation of the firm’s legacy offices in Tampa will bring together more than 50 attorneys, including the head of Buchanan’s national healthcare practice, Dale S. Webber. Webber will continue as co-managing shareholder of the Tampa office with Hala A. Sandridge, head of the firm’s appellate practice. Read more... Back to TopMember Events
Society of Emotional Intelligence Presents: Certified Emotional Intelligence Coach Training Dec. 10-13
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Member Accolades
Banker Lopez Gassler P.A. Receives Seven First-Tier Rankings in the 2015 U.S. News - Best Lawyers® "Best Law Firms" Guide
Banker Lopez Gassler P.A. is pleased to announce 7 of its practice areas have been ranked “Tier One” (the highest rating) by U.S. News Media Group and Best Lawyers. The rankings provide a comprehensive view of the U.S. legal profession that is unprecedented both in the range of firms represented and in the range of qualitative and quantitative data used to develop the rankings. Click here to view a full list of Banker Lopez Gassler’s Best Lawyers 2015 rankings. Back to TopGrayRobinson Shareholder Named to the Academy of Hospitality Industry Attorneys
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Richard Blau[/caption]
GrayRobinson Shareholder Richard M. Blau was named to the Academy of Hospitality Industry Attorneys (AHIA) Board of Directors at their fall meeting in Phoenix, Arizona.
The AHIA was formed by a group of attorneys from across the United States who represent clients engaged in the hotel, restaurant, hospitality, travel, meeting, convention, tourism and related industries. The Academy is committed to promoting professionalism and education and improved communication to create a network of competent, experienced attorneys to improve legal services to clients in the hospitality industry. Membership in AHIA is open to lawyers with more than 10 years’ legal experience in the hospitality industry and have at least 50% of their clients in the hotel, restaurant, meeting, convention, travel, tourism and related hospitality industries. Membership includes both in-house corporate counsel and lawyers in private practice.
Richard Blau is the chair of GrayRobinson's Alcohol Beverage and Food Department and presides over the firm's Alcohol Industry Team. Richard and his colleagues focus on the rules, regulations, and business practices that govern the marketing, sale, and consumption of distilled spirits, wine, beer and other licensed beverages.
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Carlton Fields Jorden Burt Earns Perfect Score on Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index for Sixth Consecutive Year
Carlton Fields Jorden Burt is pleased to announce that for the sixth consecutive year, the firm received a perfect score – 100 percent rating – on the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) 2015 Corporate Equality Index (CEI). Carlton Fields Jorden Burt is one of 89 law firms in the country that scored 100 percent. HRC President Chad Griffin said, “In order to achieve a perfect score, a company has to show a deep and serious commitment to treating their LGBT employees fairly and equally on the job. We also look at whether a company is speaking out in the public square to advocate for LGBT equality here in this country and around the world. Carlton Fields Jorden Burt not only meets these standards, they go above and beyond the call of duty, making commitment to equality a fundamental aspect of its corporate values." Read more... Back to TopNew Hires & Promotions
Banker Lopez Gassler P.A. Welcomes New Associates
Thomas (Ted) Kane, Jr., Timothy McHaffie and Eric Hogrefe have joined Banker Lopez Gassler P.A. as associate attorneys. Mr. Kane received his BA from the University of South Florida and his JD from Stetson University College of Law. His practice will focus on automobile negligence, personal injury litigation, property damage litigation, premises liability and wrongful death. Mr. McHaffie received his BA from the University of Florida and his JD from Stetson University College of Law. His practice will focus on construction defect and commercial litigation. Mr. Hogrefe received his BS and JD from the University of Florida. His practice will focus on personal injury protection, personal injury litigation, premises liability, insurance fraud and automobile negligence. Back to TopElevate, Inc. Welcomes New Team Members
Elevate, Inc. has hired , Ansley Kahn, Raquel Sacal, Jerimie Jackson and Mariaelisa Lichoa as Public Relations & Communications Assistants. Ansley Kahn is a recent graduate of the University of South Florida where she majored in International Relations and minored in Economics. As a student, she was an officer and charter member of the United Nations Association club and had the opportunity to travel to New York City and the District of Columbia for internships within the federal government. Ansley has a proven track record for working hard and producing results and looks forward to doing the same during her time at Elevate Inc. Follow Ansley on Twitter @AnsleyAtElevate. Raquel Sacal is a junior at the University of Tampa majoring in PR & Advertising. She hit the ground running as a freshman and was involved in campus organizations immediately. She joined Pi Beta Phi Fraternity for Women, eventually serving as New Member Coordinator and was recently elected to hold the position of VP of Communications. Take time today to follow @RaquelAtElevate on Twitter.
Jerimie Jackson is currently a senior at the University of Tampa majoring in Entrepreneurship and minoring in Spanish. Jerimie serves as a chapter president of Phi Beta Sigma, Fraternity, Inc. as he is also a member of Delta Sigma Pi, Professional Fraternity at the University of Tampa. While being involved with these organizations, amongst others, Jerimie has acquired skills that directly relate to building business relationships, utilizing time management processes, and event planning. Follow Jerimie on Twitter @JayatElevate.
Mariaelisa Lichoa is a junior at the University of South Florida majoring in Marketing. New to Tampa, she has become heavily involved on campus, primarily as a member of the American Marketing Association and the Bulls Business Community. Be sure to follow Mariaelisa’s journey on Twitter @MarAtElevate!
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ChappellRoberts Promotes From Within and Adds to Account Service Team
ChappellRoberts continues to grow its agency talent by hiring a new employee as well as promoting an employee. Megan Federico has joined the team as an assistant account executive and Katy Parsons, APR, was promoted to senior account executive. “As agency owner, my number one focus is the cultivation of our talent,” said Colleen Chappell, president and CEO of ChappellRoberts. “We are proud of our recent team growth and strong employee performance.”
Parsons was previously an account executive within the agency. As a senior account executive, Parsons will be responsible for strategic marketing and communications efforts for agency accounts including The Mosaic Company, Verizon Wireless and SPCA Tampa Bay. She recently joined the selective group of 5,000 professionals in the U.S. who are accredited in public relations.
As an assistant account executive, Federico will be collaborating
with the account service team on idea generation and project management for clients. She is a graduate of Florida State University with a degree in communications, and has a public relations and social media background.
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Tucker/Hall Welcomes New Senior Account Supervisor
Tucker/Hall is proud to announce that Sasha Lohn-McDermott has joined the firm as a Senior Account Supervisor. She will advise clients in the areas of public affairs and crisis management.
Lohn-McDermott most recently served as an assistant statewide prosecutor at the Florida Attorney General's office where she managed multi-agency law enforcement teams in the prosecution of crime throughout the state. During her years with the Attorney General, Lohn-McDermott was recognized annually as a Top Government Attorney by Florida Trend's Legal Elite.
Prior to joining the Attorney General's office, Lohn-McDermott clerked for the Honorable Virginia M. Hernandez Covington in the United States District Court, Middle District of Florida. Lohn-McDermott also practiced with Bush Ross, P.A. in the areas of commercial litigation and bankruptcy.
Lohn-McDermott holds a Bachelor's degree in English, summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, from Florida State University. She also holds a Juris Doctorate degree, cum laude, from the University of Florida Levin College of Law, where she was a member and editor of the Florida Law Review.
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