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Finance - Huntington A. James, son of Raymond James Financial CEO Thomas A. James, takes a seat on the board of directors of the company that his late grandfather, Robert A. James, founded in 1962. Young James, 28, joined the firm in 1994 as a syndicate associate, working on the underwriting of equity offerings. An MBA graduate of the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business, he spent two years as a corporate finance analyst at Smith Barney in New York.
Hospitality - CKE Restaurants Inc., the California company that in November took over as Checkers Drive-In Restaurants' major lender, has installed three new officers at the financially troubled Clearwater fast-food chain. Twenty-seven-year industry veteran Richard E. Fortman, 47, takes over as Checkers president and chief operating officer. He had been regional vice president of Carl's Jr., a fast-food chain owned by CKE. Joseph N. Stein, 36, left his post as CKE's senior vice president and chief financial officer to become executive vice president, chief administrative officer and chief financial officer at Checkers. CKE's president and chief operating officer, C. Thomas Thompson, was named CEO and vice chairman of Checkers. Thompson will remain in California.
Legal - Christine Rieger Milton, 49, steps into a new role as executive director of Jacksonville's Mahoney Adams & Criser, one of the city's oldest law firms. She is the first woman to hold the post, which she shares with another partner, Hal Skinner. Milton, a business and fiduciary litigator, also was the firm's first woman board member.
Manufacturing - Marvin Smollar, 51, is out as president and chief operating officer at Empire of Carolina, a Delray Beach maker of plastic children's toys. That announcement came on the heels of Empire's report that sales for fourth quarter 1996 were "significantly lower than expected." The company, which has hired investment bankers to secure additional financing, continues to be led by Chairman and CEO Steve Geller.
James M. Callahan, 55, takes over as president of Vistakon, the Jacksonville-based division of Johnson & Johnson Vision Products that pioneered the concept of disposable contact lenses. He succeeds Gary K. Kunkle, who resigned last fall to become president of Dentsply International, a Pennsylvania maker of X-ray systems. Callahan spent a decade as a top executive of Swiss pharmaceutical giant Ciba-Geigy Ltd.
After more than 35 years in the aviation industry, John Balaguer, 61, will retire as president of Pratt & Whitney's Palm Beach County-based Government Engines and Space Propulsion unit in July. Two Pratt division presidents, Hansel Tookes and Douglas A. North, will take over Balaguer's responsibilities and report directly to Pratt & Whitney President Karl J. Krapek, who is based in Hartford, Conn.
Services - Bradenton-based Staff Leasing, the nation's largest employee leasing company, promoted Richard A. Goldman, 40, to be president. Goldman, who joined Staff Leasing in 1995 as a senior vice president and general counsel, succeeds Jim Manning, who remains as vice chairman.
Technology - Russell I. Pillar, former president and CEO of Precision Systems Inc., has resigned from the St. Petersburg technology company's board of directors. He stepped down from Precision's management in October.
Transportation - Fort Lauderdale's Alamo Rent-A-Car, now a subsidiary of Republic Industries, is restructuring some management posts under the leadership of Chairman and CEO Michael Egan. Tapped as senior vice president and general counsel was Howard D. Schwartz, 47, former partner in charge of Florida operations at law firm Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott. Mary E. Wood was promoted to chief financial officer. Wood, 41, joined Alamo in 1995 after 18 years at KPMG Peat Marwick LLP, where she was a partner for eight years.
Utilities - Kenneth R. Werneburg, 55, was named president of FPL Group International Inc., a subsidiary of the Juno Beach-based utility, FPL Group Inc. He will look for new international investment opportunities and manage FPL's development, ownership and management of electric power projects in Colombia, Indonesia and the United Kingdom.
