►The Columbia Restaurant Group bought the Sarasota location of its restaurant on St. Armands Circle, which includes the Columbia and Cha Cha Coconuts, as well as upstairs space leased by other businesses.
►Stratum Health System, parent company of Tidewell Hospice in Sarasota, named R. Scott Gassett executive vice president and chief innovation and business development officer.
►Sarasota medical technology and consumer health care products company Omeza appointed Desmond Bell its chief medical officer.
►Dr. Alan Valadie, Dr. David Cashen, Dr. Douglas Constant, Dr. Steven Schafer, Dr. Eric Sundberg, Dr. Richard Bundschu, Dr. Gennady Gekht, Dr. Avinash Kumar and Dr. Laura Ottaviani were nine Coastal Orthopedics physicians in Bradenton that was recently recognized as members of the Castle Connolly Top Doctors list for 2019.
►Jim Kuhlman, former CEO and president of Premier Community Bank, has been named community president for CenterState Bank’s Sarasota/Manatee market.
►Waterline Marina Resort & Beach Club appointed Lacey Lloyd-Jones as general manager of the boutique waterfront hotel on Anna Maria Island.
►Suncoast Aquatic Nature Center Associates, a nonprofit organization created to manage Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota, elected Ronald Shapo as chair of the board of directors and selected two new directors, Randy Mallitz and Michael Taaffe.
►The Team Tony Cancer Foundation, a Sarasota-based nonprofit organization that provides free peer-to-peer cancer support and resources to cancer patients, survivors and caregivers in the community, recently appointed Melissa Ferlazzo its development director.
►Gulfstream Property and Casualty Insurance Co. in Sarasota appointed Ronald Natherson Jr. as president and CEO.
►Tampa-based Bavaro’s Pizza Napoletana & Pastaria has opened a location in downtown Sarasota.
►The Sarasota law firm Gurley & Associates has changed its name to Gurley Herbert to reflect the new partnership of David Gurley and Joseph Herbert.
►Mattamy Homes US named Bob Meyn president of the company’s Tampa-Sarasota-Naples division.
►Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, owner and operator of the Westfield Siesta Key in Sarasota, selected Ian Black Real Estate to partner on leasing for the shopping center, which comprises more than 400,000 square feet of gross leasable space, with current tenants including Macy’s, Chico’s, CinéBistro, Bravo Coastal Kitchen & Bar, Connor’s Steak & Seafood, Lucky’s Market and LA Fitness.
►Meals on Wheels of Sarasota named its 2019 board of directors, including Lisa Krebs-Knepp, vice president and trust relationship officer for Bank of America Private Bank, as board president, Debra Douglas, a retired insurance executive, as vice president; Jane Knaack-Esbeck, CEO of Andrick & Associates, will remain as secretary, and Jody Maxwell, partner at Mercurio & Maxwell, will continue as treasurer.
►Neuro Challenge Foundation for Parkinson’s, a Sarasota nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life of people with Parkinson’s and their caregivers, welcomed Mary Jo Heider as its first development director.
►Friendship Centers, a nonprofit that serves adults older than 50 in southwest Florida, recently appointed Ruth Frazier as its chief development officer.
►Bluerock Real Estate of New York acquired the 10-story DeSota apartment building in downtown Sarasota for $80.3 million.
►Shareholders at Helios Technologies, parent company of Sarasota-based Sun Hydraulics, approved an amendment to its articles of incorporation to change the name of the corporation to Helios Technologies Inc.
►Forza Wealth Management moved its office from downtown Sarasota to the enclave of Snug Harbor, in south Sarasota, at 7701 Holiday Drive.
