Web Extras

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, in downtown Sarasota, opened the first completed part of its master-planned campus, which adds 188,030 square feet of new facilities and amenities to its botanical gardens complex and restaurant. The new facilities include the Morganroth Family Living Energy Access Facility, which houses a garden-to-plate restaurant, gift shop, vertical gardens, parking and

The Annual St. Petersburg Power and Sailboat Show, Presented by Progressive, is returning to downtown St. Petersburg, from January 18-21. Informa Markets/U.S. Boats, which oversees the long weekend event, has invited locals, and tourists, in the Tampa Bay area to view and explore boats, marine equipment and merchandise.   While the 2024 show will be

Devsu, a provider of software development and technical staff augmentation services, in Orlando, has signed on to sponsor Black Dog Venture Partners’ upcoming VC Fast Pitch, an online event, scheduled for January 11, and the live event on February 8. Black Dog Venture Partners is a business accelerator, based in St. Petersburg. The VC Fast

Quiet Professionals, in Tampa, has been awarded a contract for the Distributed Common Ground / Marine Surface System – Marine Corps (DCGS-MC) Test and Evaluation Support Services from the Naval Information Warfare Center Atlantic. The contract is valued at just over $64 million and will provide critical technical support to DCGS-MC systems. DCGS-MC is a

Nancy Walker, founder and president of Walker Brands, a Tampa-based real estate development branding firm, has stepped down, following the acquisition of the firm from two long-time employees. Tara Robinson and Matt McEachern, who have worked with Walker for decades, will be equal partners in the business. “Tara and Matt were logical choices to continue

The South Tampa Chamber announced its 2024 board of directors. This year’s board will lead the chamber through the second year of a five-year strategic plan. This year’s goals include growing membership through recruitment, and retention, increasing advocacy efforts with the introduction of a new legislative agenda, expanding the chamber’s educational and young professionals programming.

The South Tampa Chamber hosted its 2023 Annual Meeting and Awards, at the Centre Club. Chamber members were recognized during the event with an awards ceremony, including: Member of the Year: Tara Moody, Synergy Technology Solutions Impact Award: Cheryl Jones, Old Republic National Title Insurance Company Volunteer of the Year: Elizabeth Montante, ZIPS Cleaners &

The Dewey Beach Bar & Grill The 8th Avenue Sip & Shop has been rescheduled for December 23, due to the weather in the Tampa Bay area this past weekend. Start with brunch at The Dewey (menu is $40, plus gratuity), then move onto shopping on historic 8th Avenue. There will be live music, snow

Valerie and Jeremy Lavin, the founders of Luminary Global, a St. Petersburg-based, veteran-owned and operated company that provides emergency products to citizens, first responders, safety professionals and the military, have entered into a new venture with four former United States Army Green Berets to form a new company called ViTAC Solutions, which officially launches in

The International Franchise Association has named Nick Friedman and Omar Soliman, co-founders of College H.U.N.K.S. Hauling Junk and Moving, the 2023 Entrepreneurs of the Year. One of the highest honors bestowed by IFA, Friedman and Soliman were recognized for their vision, which started with one beat-up van, to become the largest and fastest-growing junk removal

Angel Gonzalez has been promoted to West Florida division president at SouthState Bank. Gonzalez previously was the Hillsborough market president for SouthState Bank. He has been with CenterState, now SouthState, since 2007, when he began his career as a management trainee. He’s served as the Hillsborough market president since April 2017. “West Florida boasts one

ServisFirst Bank, a subsidiary of ServisFirst Bancshares (NYSE:SFBS), added four new executives in the West Central Florida Region. ServisFirst Bank Tampa added Kaela Lerner as senior vice president, treasury management sales, and Tiffany Rodriguez as vice president, commercial banking officer. George Nicolopoulos joins ServisFirst Bank Sarasota as vice president, commercial banking. Philip de Freitas joins