» Veteran economic developer Neal Wade has been hired as executive director of the Bay County Economic Development Alliance. Wade most recently was senior vice president of economic development for St. Joe Co. He replaces Janet Watermeier, who resigned.

» Kirby Kemper, a nuclear physicist and vice president of research for the past eight years at Florida State University, plans to retire once a replacement is found. He was named the university's Robert G. Lawton distinguished professor in 2002. Annual research dollars at FSU have increased from $50 million to $215 million under his leadership.