Local Buzz

Kevin Thibault has joined American Structurepoint as a principal in its Florida Transportation Group. In his new role, Thibault will work with the Florida Department of Transportation, local municipalities and transportation agencies to advance infrastructure goals across the state. Thibault most recently served as chief executive officer of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, overseeing operations

Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida opened a new, full-service, branch in Tampa’s Midtown district. Located at 1150 Assembly Drive, Suite 200, the new branch is part of Seacoast’s broader strategy to enhance access to personalized financial services and support economic growth across Hillsborough County, according to a statement. “We’re excited to continue broadening our presence

T&T Construction Management Group, a woman-owned specialty concrete contractor, has expanded its operations by opening a new office and work yard, in Tampa. This marks the company’s fourth location across the Eastern United States as it celebrates 30 years in business. The Tampa expansion will enable T&T Construction Management Group to enhance its services in

CR Fitness Holdings, the largest franchisee of Crunch Fitness, acquired nine 24 Hour Fitness gyms located in Miami and Orlando. The acquired facilities will undergo renovations to adopt Crunch Fitness’s “3.0” design, enhancing their amenities and offerings. The gyms, located in Doral, Homestead, Miami Gardens, Plantation, Apopka, Kirkman, Lake Mary, Orlando Park and Winter Park,

Tampa General Hospital has named Jennifer Crabtree as president of the Tampa Medical & Research District, effective Oct. 1. Crabtree, who will also serve as senior vice president of Tampa General, will lead the strategic direction and continued development of the district, a growing hub of health care, research and biotechnology tied to Tampa General

The Tampa Bay Lightning and the Vinik Family Foundation have named Irv Cohen a Lightning Community Hero, honoring his work in economic development, nonprofit leadership and community innovation across the region. Cohen, a former Wall Street executive who held senior roles at JP Morgan, relocated one of the company’s major divisions to Tampa Bay as

Two Tampa-based companies—Trofeo, a Microsoft cloud services provider, and NextPath Career Partners, a national recruiting firm—have formalized a strategic partnership to offer unified technology and staffing services to clients. The collaboration combines Trofeo’s experience with Microsoft Azure and cloud implementation with NextPath’s expertise in talent placement for IT and professional roles. Trofeo will serve as

Developers behind Hotel ORA + Private Residences have launched a high-end, $880,000, virtual reality experience to market their new $675 million luxury condo-hotel project, in downtown Tampa. Created by South Florida-based firm YUPIX, the 20-minute virtual tour uses drone footage, AI-enhanced visuals and 3D renderings to immerse potential buyers in the proposed South Beach-inspired development.

Berger Singerman, a business law firm with offices throughout Florida, has opened a new 7,500-square-foot office, in downtown Tampa, and added two attorneys to its business reorganization team. Edward J. Peterson III joins the firm as a partner, bringing more than 25 years of experience in bankruptcy and insolvency law. He will be based in

The Institute for Strategic Policy Solutions and the Pinellas Beaches Chamber will host a public forum featuring updates from local beach mayors on the state of beaches in Pinellas County, while the county separately announced extended deadlines for storm-damaged property compliance. The mayoral forum will be moderated by former Bay News 9 anchor Al Ruechel

The Bank of Tampa has appointed Charlton Laird as senior vice president and chief digital officer, where he will lead the bank’s digital strategy and transformation initiatives. Laird brings more than 20 years of experience in digital banking and financial services. He most recently served as president of digital banking at Equity Bank in Wichita,

Achieva Credit Union has appointed Rey Navarro as market president for its South Market, which includes Cape Coral, Estero, Fort Myers, Lehigh and Naples. Navarro brings more than two decades of experience in banking and leadership, including roles at Wells Fargo and Bank of America. At Wells Fargo, he served as a branch manager focused