Local Buzz

When baseballs break windows someone gets in trouble. When Rachel Balkovec broke a glass ceiling it was cause for celebration. The Tampa Tarpons have tapped Balkovec to be manager of the team in the next baseball season, making her the first female everyday manager in minor league history. Balkovec previously was a hitting coach for

Kevin Shukur has been named West Florida Market president for First American Bank. Effective immediately, Shukur will lead the West Florida corporate banking team and provide full-service banking from the bank’s Tampa headquarters. Most recently, Shukur headed up BBVA USA’s West Florida Market, having founded it in 2013. BBVA was recently acquired by PNC. “I

CR Fitness, Crunch Fitness’ largest franchisee, has named Tony Scrimale as its chief executive officer. Scrimale has more than 25 years of experience in the health and fitness industry. His experience includes club development, regional management, sales and operations. He started in the fitness industry by selling club memberships and cleaning gyms. In 1997, Scrimale

Action Zone, an entrepreneur support organization that serves military community members in establishing, or growing, their businesses, has named Kishima Garcia as its new executive director. Garcia is an entrepreneur, United States Air Force veteran and a military spouse. She previously was executive vice president of human capital and strategy at Quiet Professionals. “Inviting Kishima

ProVise Management Group named Eric Ebbert as chief executive officer, effective immediately. Ray Ferrara, who is the founder of ProVise and was the previous CEO, will remain as executive chair and chief compliance officer. Jon Brethauer will succeed Ebbert as ProVise’s president. “I look forward to setting the stage for our future growth as we

When Ed Ellsasser steps into his new role as chairman of CEO Council of Tampa Bay, in January, he will have his hands full. After all, outgoing Chair Hugh Campbell, president of AC4S Technologies in Tampa, once said that leading active troops in the military was easier than leading a large group of type-A business

The co-founders of College Hunks Hauling Junk and Moving, Nick Friedman and Omar Soliman, will be featured on the season premiere of CBS’ “Undercover Boss” on January 7. The episode follows Friedman and Soliman as they wear disguises and work alongside their employees. Friedman and Soliman have shared exclusive teasers from the episode with Tampa

Ideal Agent, a Tampa-based real estate technology company that connects home sellers with agents across the United States, added GHS Holdings to its investor list, which is led by Chairman Harsha V. Agadi. Agadi is a serial entrepreneur of multiple public, and private, companies such as Church’s Fried Chicken, Friendly Ice Cream, Krystal, Little Caesars

Andy Mayts is in the process of officially starting his tenure as chair of the Tampa Bay Chamber. “As we start off the new chamber year, we’re going to be committed to several different initiatives that are in works,” Mayts says. Leadership development, supporting active military, spouses of military and veterans, were a few of

Hands Across the Bay is hosting a VIP grand opening of its first Donation & Empowerment Center tonight at 13247 38th Street N., Suite A, Clearwater. This event is a VIP private grand opening but the center said it will host private tours for whoever would like to visit the center after it opens to

Fowler White, currently operating from Tampa in temporary space, in the One Urban Centre, is collaborating with a broker to locate permanent office space in Tampa. Shareholder Adam B. Cooke, who is Florida Bar Board Certified in Admiralty & Maritime Law, says the opening of the Tampa office is being driven by client demand. The

Community leaders in the Tampa Bay area will be working together, this spring, to build a home for a local family, in Pinellas Park Habitat for Humanity of Pinellas and West Pasco Counties launched its inaugural CEO Build, led by honorary chairs Mindy Grossman, president and CEO of WW (formerly Weight Watchers) and Bill Brand,