Bennett Brown, 52, joins Jacksonville-based CNB Inc. as president and chief operating officer of its subsidiary, CNB National Bank, and as executive vice president of the holding company. Brown takes over following the resignation of Cory J. Coughlin. CNB National currently operates 11 branches in northeast Florida with assets of $311 million. Brown was formerly president of Compass Bank in Jacksonville, a subsidiary of Birmingham, Ala.-based Compass Bancshares. His successor is Robert E. White, 55, who joined Compass Bank in 1992 and served most recently as president of its northeast Florida community banking division.
Coral Gables-based Commercebank promoted Lucrecia Gonzalez, 42, to senior vice president, international personal banking. She will manage the bank's international deposit activities in Latin America. Gonzalez has been with the bank for 12 years. Commercebank has more than $1 billion in assets with offices in Miami-Dade and Broward counties.
Consumer Products
Tupperware Corp. named Betty Palm, 46, to the new post of president of Tupperware U.S. She will be responsible for the company's U.S. direct sales. Palm joined the Orlando-based company in August 1998 as senior vice president sales and marketing for Tupperware North America, a post she will continue to hold.
Hospitality
Greg Buchanan, 41, joins Orlando-based Darden Restaurants as senior vice president of development for Bahama Breeze, one of Darden's three restaurant chains along with Red Lobster and Olive Garden. Buchanan was formerly senior vice president of development and CFO for restaurant company Friday's Hospitality Worldwide.
Law
Tampa-based law firm Carlton Fields elected Sylvia H. Walbolt, 58, as chair of its board of directors. Walbolt, who has been with the firm for 36 years, is the first woman to lead the board. She has served as president of both the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers and the Florida Bar Foundation.
Real Estate
The Codina Group appointed O. Ford Gibson, 45, president and COO of the Miami-based commercial real estate development company. Gibson, formerly president of the Codina Development subsidiary, takes over the position left vacant by Gov. Jeb Bush. Robert Ferranti replaces Gibson as Codina Development president.
TechnologyGerald Morris joins Orlando-based eMAX Inc., a multimedia family entertainment, software and telecommunications company, as president of eMAX Communications, one of four divisions. Morris, 51, has 29 years' experience in the telecommunications industry, including 22 with AT&T and Sprint. eMAX also appointed Todd F. Morse, 43, president of the company's Video Group. He previously worked in telecommunications with Time Warner.
Gary E. Kaiser, 53, a local government and public safety manager in central Florida, has been appointed president and chief operating officer for Lake Mary-based HTE Inc. The company develops, markets, implements and supports software applications designed specifically for government organizations and utilities. Kaiser has worked in Seminole County government for more than 25 years, serving since 1996 as manager and chief executive for the county. Cindy Coto, deputy manager, will fill in as acting county manager until a replacement is found.
Transportation
AirTran Airlines named veteran airline executive Robert L. Fornaro, 46, president of the Orlando-based company. He will oversee marketing, sales, finance and planning. Some of Fornaro's duties previously were handled by outgoing vice president Jeffrey MacKinney and others by Joe Leonard, who has served as chairman, CEO and president since joining AirTran in January. Leonard will remain chairman and CEO. Fornaro was senior vice president of planning at US Airways and is credited with helping turn around the airline. He also has held posts at Braniff and TWA.
Utilities
St. Petersburg-based Florida Progress Corp. named Edward J. Moneypenny, 57, to the post of senior vice president and chief financial officer. Since 1988, he has been CFO of Dallas-based Oryx Energy Co. He replaces Jeff Heinicka, 45, who has been senior vice president and CFO for both Florida Progress and its Florida Power subsidiary since 1994. Heinicka remains senior vice president and CFO for Florida Power.
-- Mindy Tanenbaum