President and CEO D.T. Minich and Experience Kissimmee were recently named U.S. Travel Association's 2017 Grassroots Travel Champion. This annual award is presented to one travel organization for exhibiting leadership in grassroots advocacy and community outreach. Minich and Experience Kissimmee won for efforts to advance travel friendly federal policies on a local level.

Gunster, Florida's law firm for business, has significantly expanded its management team with the promotion of four shareholders to leadership positions. Promotions include Lila Jaber (pictured), of Tallahassee, to regional managing shareholder; Derek E. Bruce (pictured) and Allison E. Turnbull to Orlando office managing shareholders, and Bill Adams to Jacksonville office managing shareholder. Jaber will work closely with managing shareholder Bill Perry to advance the firm’s strategic direction, including recruiting and integrating top talent in north and central Florida, and enhancing the firm’s presence in Tampa, Orlando and Tallahassee. Bruce and Turnbull will focus on Orlando while Adams oversees the growth of Gunster’s Jacksonville office. The new management team brings diversity in experience, as well as in terms of practice and geographic areas.

Gunster, Florida's law firm for business, has significantly expanded its management team with the promotion of four shareholders to leadership positions. Promotions include Lila Jaber, of Tallahassee, to regional managing shareholder; Derek E. Bruce and Allison E. Turnbull (pictured) to Orlando office managing shareholders, and Bill Adams (pictured) to Jacksonville office managing shareholder. Jaber will work closely with managing shareholder Bill Perry to advance the firm’s strategic direction, including recruiting and integrating top talent in north and central Florida, and enhancing the firm’s presence in Tampa, Orlando and Tallahassee. Bruce and Turnbull will focus on Orlando while Adams oversees the growth of Gunster’s Jacksonville office. The new management team brings diversity in experience, as well as in terms of practice and geographic areas.

Angie Kenyon has joined BBX Capital as Vice President of Real Estate for their MOD Pizza ("MOD") Franchise in Florida. BBX Capital is MOD's exclusive franchisee for the state of Florida with the goal of developing up to 60 MOD locations throughout the state over the next five to seven years. Kenyon comes to BBX Capital with over 20 years of real estate experience and was most recently Regional Director of Real Estate for Pei Wei where she oversaw the opening of more than 50 restaurant locations in Florida and throughout Eastern United States.

Tripp Scott today announced that it has joined forces with Ericks Consultants, a Fort Lauderdale and Tallahassee based lobbying firm that focuses on representing businesses and governmental entities before Florida's state and local governments. Tripp Scott's new government affairs practice will be called TSE Consulting. [Pictured: Candice Ericks]

Sen. Chris Smith Named by Senate President to Serve on the Constitution Revision Commission

Tripp Scott today announced that Sen. Chris Smith, an attorney with the law firm, has been appointed by Florida Senate President Joe Negron to serve on Florida's Constitution Revision Commission (CRC.) Smith was among 9 appointments to the commission by Sen. Negron.

Amy Das has joined Vernis & Bowling of Palm Beach, P.A. practicing in Condominium and Homeowners’ Association Litigation, Director and Officer Liability, Florida Department of Children and Families complex cases involving child abuse and other general civil litigation matters.

Meagan Chiamardas, who has been with VISIT FLORIDA since 2008, served most recently as Associate Brand Director. In her new role, Chiamardas will be responsible for overseeing consumer-facing marketing programs that drive both short- and long-term goals.

Nelson Mongiovi, who has been with VISIT FLORIDA since 2013 as Director of Marketing Operations, has been promoted to interim Chief Marketing Officer. In his new role, Mongiovi will be responsible for determining overall domestic and international marketing strategies and facilitating integration among various departments.

Staci Mellman, a seasoned creative marketer with a proven track record of developing strategic marketing initiatives that increase awareness and brand values, has been promoted to interim Vice President, Global Brand for VISIT FLORIDA. In her new role, Mellman will lead the development of integrated marketing initiatives and long-term strategic planning.

David C. Shearer, P.E., a highly experienced civil engineer who has led several major road and bridge projects throughout Florida, has been promoted to vice president of STV. Shearer is the head of the firm's Florida offices and in his new role he will lead business development and operations of STV's Transportation and Infrastructure division throughout the state.

James R. Cardwell, II has joined CareerEdge Funders Collaborative as the senior manager of workforce development to help grow initiatives across Pinellas and Hillsborough counties. He brings over 20 years of experience in executive job coaching, training and teaching, mentoring, job placement and workforce development.

Aztec Group, Inc., a Florida real estate investment and merchant banking firm, is pleased to announce the promotion of Charles Penan to Managing Director. Penan will manage the financing and capital needs of real estate transactions as well as investment sales for Aztec’s clients, including entrepreneurs, commercial developers and institutional investors.

BankUnited promoted Cristina di Mauro to senior executive vice president and Florida commercial banking executive. Di Mauro will oversee the bank's Florida commercial line of business, which includes $4 billion of credit commitments, $3.3 billion in outstanding loan balances, $1.2 billion in deposits and a statewide sales team of 92 associates.

Brightline, the new privately funded express inter-city passenger rail service in Florida, has announced that David Howard will join the leadership team as Chief Executive Officer. Howard is a veteran executive from the sports and entertainment industry. Howard has assumed full responsibility for all aspects of the ground-breaking passenger rail business.

David Kovalik, previously Executive Project Manager, is now Vice President of Project Management at DeAngelis Diamond. Kovalik has 14 years of experience and will oversee all project management throughout DeAngelis Diamond’s four regional offices locations in Naples, FL, Sarasota, FL, Birmingham, AL and Nashville, TN.

Vector Solutions, which provides eLearning and performance support solutions for the architecture, engineering, and construction industries, among other fields, said Victoria Zambito has been promoted to senior vice president of product, content and communication. She was previously vice president of product management and content development.

Broad and Cassel is pleased to announce that Frank P. Terzo and Michael D. Lessne have joined the Fort Lauderdale office as partners, bolstering the health law and bankruptcy practice groups while creating a new health care insolvency service for the firm. This growth announcement is the latest for the firm, which serves clients worldwide from nine offices in Florida.

sbe, the leading lifestyle hospitality company that develops, manages and operates award-winning hospitality venues globally, has announced hospitality executive Chris Sariego is joining as Vice President and General Manager of Delano South Beach in Miami and SLS Baha Mar in The Bahamas. Sariego brings over two decades of experience in the hospitality industry.

Kimberly Berfield, a former deputy secretary of the Florida Dept. of Health and state representative from Clearwater, joins Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital as vice president, government and community affairs. Berfield will spearhead advocacy efforts for the hospital and community mission-based initiatives that promote child health and safety.

Alliance BioEnergy Plus, Inc, has elevated Benjamin Slager to the position of Chief Technology Officer ("CTO"). Slager joined Alliance BioEnergy Plus in the summer of 2016 and was formerly Vice President of Business Development. Slager came to the company after selling his last venture to DSM, a large public international energy and technology company located in Europe.

Heart of Florida United Way, Central Florida’s most comprehensive health and human services charity, has appointed a new president & CEO. Jeffery J. Hayward. Hayward takes the helm at HFUW, a $24.4 million organization and the largest provider of funds to the region’s most critical programs. Hayward was formerly chief of external affairs at United Way of Massachusetts Bay.

Moffitt has appointed Dr. Robert Wenham as the new Gynecologic Oncology Program Chair.

Wenham has served as the Interim Chair over the past few months. He was recruited to Moffitt in 2004 after completing his fellowship in Gynecologic Oncology at Duke University Medical Center.

Wenham sees patients at Moffitt's Magnolia campus and Moffitt at International Plaza.

Moffitt Cancer Center has announced the hire of Matt Kupec as its Executive Vice President & Chief Philanthropy Officer.

A veteran fundraiser, Kupec will establish and execute the strategic vision for the role of philanthropy at Moffitt, working closely with executive leadership to identify and define the institution's fundraising priorities.