► Vernon Ellinger was honored at a Tampa Bay Lightning game as the latest Lightning Community Hero. (Pictured above)
► Bank OZK (Nasdaq: OZK) launched its professional practice group with Tampa Bay attorney Diane Morton serving as executive vice president.
► The Port Tampa Bay board of commissioners approved an agreement with Celadon Development Corp. to lease 37 acres for the construction and operation of a paper fiber manufacturing plant.
► The University of South Florida announced a $1.4 million gift from Helios Education Foundation to benefit the Florida College Access Network, a statewide organization hosted at USF with a mission that supports student success.
► Engel & Völkers Florida expanded in the region with Engel & Völkers South Tampa, with Cherie Pattishall and Michael Wyckoff acquiring the territory and leading the new brokerage as license partners.
► BRP Group, a Tampa-based insurance distribution and related services firm, named David Smith president and executive operating officer of its guided solutions division.
► Terrence Wright joined Moffitt Cancer Center as vice president of facilities and support services.
► Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay and Aussie Grill, a fast-casual food concept, announced a multi-year partnership that will support the more than 2,400 youth mentoring relationships across the Tampa Bay community.
► JoAnn Aubry and Chris Smith opened Fasthire Staffing at 6704 E. Fowler Ave., Temple Terrace.
► Skidata, a parking access and revenue management company, was selected to create “frictionless” parking suites for three parking garages owned by Strategic Property Partners in Water Street Tampa.
► Senior architectural designer David Behrens returned to API(plus), an architecture firm in Tampa.
► Fit Bowl Co. Superfood Bar opened at Sparkman Wharf, in Tampa.
► Blue Sky Communities and Metropolitan Ministries celebrated the grand opening of SabalPlace, a 112-unit affordable housing development at 3473 Aegean Sea Way, Building 3409, Seffner.
► The U.S. government awarded Entropy Technology Design, a Tampa woman-owned small business, a contract to further research, and develop, their technology for the detection, identification, tracking and non-lethal disablement of small unmanned serial systems for the Defense Department.
► Katz Acquisition Corp., a Tampa-based bank holding company, acquired Camp Grove Bancorp, the parent company of Camp Grove State Bank in Camp Grove, Illinois.
► DataLink Software, in Tampa, named Todd DeWeese as a senior vice president of provider transformation.
► Memorial Hospital of Tampa, an HCA West Florida facility, appointed Chris Conn its new chief financial officer.
► Fifth Third Bank promoted Tampa-based Esther Marshall to community development and social responsibility market manager for the southeast United States.
► Tampa property owner, and operator, Milhaus, named Dave Brackett as senior vice president of property operations.
► TLR Group, a Tampa real estate investment company, purchased the GTE Tower at 601 N., Ashley Drive, Tampa, for $20.055 million.
► Santosh Mohan joined Moffitt Cancer Center as the new vice president of digital.
► Terrence Cook was promoted to regional vice president for Coldwell Banker Realty’s west central region.
► Coca-Cola Beverages, in Tampa, promoted Thomas Benford to president and chief operating officer.
► Tanner Bailey joined the Skyway Capital Markets managing broker-dealer Solutions team, in Tampa, as regional vice president for the Southeast markets with a primary focus on leading the growth of distribution for Skyway’s Registered Investment Advisors practice.
► Lissette Gonzalez was named senior vice president at Bloomin’ Brands and will oversee the company’s global supply chain.
► Hillsborough County commissioners Les Miller Jr. and Sandy Murman will be joining Shumaker Advisors Florida.
