Local Buzz

St. Petersburg College has announced that Dr. Heather Duncan will be the dean of the Bilirakis College of Education, at St. Petersburg College, as of May 13. Duncan currently is associate dean of the College of Education, at SPC. She attended the University of Florida where she earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and

Strategic Property Partners has shared plans for three new projects, as part of the ongoing development of Water Street Tampa including a residential condominium building, a build-to-suit trophy office complex and an entertainment destination. The office and residential towers will occupy an extension of Water Street, currently under construction, north of the 900 and 1000

Systal Technology Solutions, a global managed network, cloud and security specialist, will open its new Network Operations Center, in Tampa. The facility, staffed by Systal’s engineers, is situated in Tampa’s Westshore District and serves as Systal’s North American hub for managing, monitoring and optimizing network performance for its business. This launch makes Systal one of

PSCU/Co-op Solutions, a St. Petersburg-based credit union service organization and an integrated financial technology services provider, formed a new partnership with Gulf Coast Educators Federal Credit Union, providing the credit union with debit and in-house credit processing, as well as ATM Terminal Driving services. Based in Pasadena, Texas, Gulf Coast Educators FCU has more than

Clearwater Marine Aquarium has welcomed Opie, a young male North American river otter, to its Otter Oasis. Opie joins the CMA family, where he will reside alongside Walle, 13 years old, and Boomer, 4 years old, two otters that arrived at the aquarium in 2012 and 2018, respectively. After several weeks of acclimation behind the

Kahwa Coffee, a St. Petersburg-based coffee chain, opened its newest location, at 6601 4th St N., St. Petersburg. The new location offers a drive-thru service and a walk-up window. The fourth street location also has outdoor seating available. Founded in 2006 by Sarah and Raphael Perrier, Kahwa has become the largest independent coffee roaster in

BayCare has named Jennifer McVan as its vice president of physician affairs, effective April 15. McVan has more than 25 years of experience as a leader, overseeing high-performing teams that advance organizational goals through strategic partnerships, corporate communications, public relations and targeted events. Most recently, she was the senior director of marketing, communications, media and

NextPath Career Partners, a Tampa-based recruitment firm, has appointed Gina Curry as chief executive officer. James Hawly, co-founder and immediate-past CEO of NextPath, will transition into an advisory role as board chairman. “James has done an amazing job leading NextPath these past five years. We have overcome many challenges to become the ‘go-to’ recruitment company

Exclusive Yachts, a subscription-based yachting membership club, has appointed David Arredondo as its new chief executive officer. Arredondo has more than two decades of experience in business transformation, startups and corporate strategies. Based in Fort Lauderdale, he previously helped launch and grow HUBX.COM, a startup that was named one of the fastest-growing companies, by Inc.

A new study from SmartAsset analyzed the places in Florida which have experienced the most wealth generation, over the last ten years. The study measures growth across median income, home value and investment income, in each county, to find the places where wealth has increased the most. Sarasota County ranked no. 5 on the list

Brad Oleshansky, founder and chief executive officer of The Motor Enclave, in Tampa, has joined the board of directors of BRANDT, a manufacturing company and supplier of agriculture inputs, also in Tampa. “When we look for new board members, we are looking for entrepreneurs who know how to see opportunities and take appropriate risks,” said

CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen LLP) promoted Andrew Lepore to principal, in the Tampa Bay Office. Lepore has been with CLA for eight years and is a Certified Public Accountant. He currently serves on the Tampa Connection Board of Directors and the Young Professionals Board for Embarc Collective. “I’m thrilled to applaud and celebrate Andrew Lepore’s advancement and