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January 17-23, 2019
Mathis Report: Tru by Hilton planning area expansion PAGE 4
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JACKSONVILLE CITY COUNCIL ELECTION JACKSONVILLE
Preferred Freezer seeking city grants
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CANDIDATES JACKSONVILLE
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Company wants to develop a $46.7 million cold storage warehouse, create at least 40 jobs.
BY SCOTT SAILER
EDITORIAL RESEARCH DIRECTOR
The city is considering up to $1.2 million in grants for Preferred Freezer Services to develop a $46.7 million cold storage warehouse in Northwest Jacksonville and create at least 40 full-time jobs. The Northwest Jacksonville Economic Development Fund Advisory Board recommended approval Tuesday for a $100,000 Northwest Jacksonville Business Infrastructure Grant to Preferred Freezer Services. In addition, the Office of Wendland Economic Development intends to propose a Recapture Enhanced Value grant of up to $1.1 million, according to OED Executive Director Kirk Wendland. The grant would refund 50 percent of the increase in ad valorem taxes generated by the project over the first five years of operation. The incentives require City Council approval. Preferred Freezer Services, a national refrigerated storage warehouse company, would use the Northwest grant to help install a water line to the site, according to Wendland. The company proposes to develop the 222,824-square-foot
Record & Observer
SEATS THE CAWTON REPORT
The field is in place for Election Day on March 19.
N
DAVID CAWTON STAFF WRITER
ow that qualifying has ended for the March unitary elections in Jacksonville, the candidates running for City Council have just a few months to win over voters. The election is scheduled March 19. If no candidate secures 50 percent of the votes, plus one vote, the top two candidates will face off in a May 14 runoff election.
Florida lawmakers warned about economic headwinds PAGE 3 A look at law firm’s new home at Wells Fargo Center PAGE 10 OBSERVER MEDIA GROUP
When the January qualifying period ended at noon Jan. 11, two incumbent council members automatically won reelection without facing a challenger. City Council President and District 3 representative Aaron Bowman will serve a second term, as will Danny Becton, who represents District 11 in Southeast SEE CAWTON, PAGE 8
SEE PREFERRED, PAGE 8
THE BASCH REPORT
Stein Mart holiday sales disappoint ‘Perfect storm’ of events. PAGE 6 VOLUME 1, NO. 33 • ONE SECTION
Jacksonville Daily Record/Jacksonville Record & Observer
WHAT’S TRENDING
Page 2 • Thursday, January 17, 2019
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Jacksonville Daily Record, Jacksonville Record & Observer and Realty-Builder are a division of Observer Media Group Inc. Photos by Karen Brune Mathis
The WD’s Taproom in the Neptune Beach Winn-Dixie at 1209 Atlantic Blvd.
GROCERY STORES Drink and shop at Neptune Beach Winn-Dixie People who enjoy drinking an adult beverage while strolling through the aisles of a grocery store now have another place to do that. The Winn-Dixie at 1209 Atlantic Blvd. in Neptune Beach is offering eight beers and 12 wines, as well as other beverages and meal options. The addition to the store is part of the national chain’s WD’s Taproom concept, which includes pub-style seating areas with flat screen TV’s. The beers, including local craft brews, will be available for $2 a pint. Wine — red, white and sparkling — will cost $3 for a 5-ounce glass. The Neptune Beach store has scheduled a grand opening for the Taproom from 5-7 p.m. Friday and is offering a free 32-ounce growler to the first 50 customers.
Established in 1912, the Financial News & Daily Record, now the Jacksonville Daily JACKSONVILLE Record, is published Monday-Friday and is the Official Court Newspaper of the Circuit Court and publisher of public notices in Duval County. Jacksonville Record & Observer is a free weekly business newspaper available in Downtown Jacksonville and key business nodes throughout Jacksonville. To find a location near you, visit jaxdailyrecord.com/rack-locations. Editorial content focuses on news and trends, with a concentration on development, law, companies, economic and industry trends and how local and state government affects business. Realty-Builder is a monthly publication connecting Northeast Florida’s real estate professionals and homebuilders. Content focuses on timely news, information and trends affecting residential real estate sales and construction, as well as events and legal issues impacting the industry. Visit Realty-Builder.com to request your free copy.
Plans for San Marco Publix are still a go Plans for a Publix Super Market at a years-delayed development called East San Marco are still on, according to the developer and the grocery chain. “Things are still moving forward with ESM, just nothing specific to update with just yet,” said developer Regency Centers Corp. spokesman Eric Davidson, senior manager of communications. The site is at Hendricks and Atlantic boulevards. With the potential project now 17 years in the making, the land remains vacant at 1532 Atlantic Blvd. and signs continue to announce its upcoming presence. In April, Regency Centers Corp. Chairman and CEO Martin E. “Hap” Stein said the project will be just Publix and shops and restaurants, not apartments.
STAFF Publisher / Matt Walsh mwalsh@jaxdailyrecord.com
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Sprouts wins permit to renovate at Town Center
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In a necessary step for Sprouts Farmers Market to open its first Jacksonville store by June, the city issued a permit for renovation of the former Best Buy in The Markets at Town Center. Catamount Constructors Inc. of Roswell, Colorado, is the contractor for the $2.5 million project. It will renovate the 30,162-squarefoot store at 4893 Town Center Parkway. Phoenix-based Sprouts announced last week it would open the first Jacksonville Sprouts during the second quarter. It is leasing the space. Sprouts, which operates more than 300 stores in 19 states, says it specializes in fresh, natural and organic products “at prices that appeal to everyday grocery shoppers.”
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APARTMENTS Florida Baptist buildings coming down Former Florida Baptist Convention buildings are coming down at 1230 Hendricks Ave. Realco Recycling Co. Inc. will demolish the office, bank and warehouse at the site at a cost of $349,000, according to a permit issued Monday. The 3.41-acre site is slated for redevelopment into 345 apartments, parking and 5,500 square feet of retail space.
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BANKING Report: Deutsche Bank to cut Jacksonville jobs Deutsche Bank AG, which announced plans last year to reduce U.S. operations to cut costs, is moving about 60 accounting jobs from Jacksonville to Mumbai, India, according to a Bloomberg News report. Deutsche Bank spokeswoman Kerrie McHugh would not confirm the job cuts in Jacksonville or say how many employees the Germany-based bank currently has at its Jacksonville offices. “We regularly review our footprint and look for ways to raise operational efficiencies that enhance client experience and improve shareholder returns,” she said by email. “Our presence in Jacksonville is an essential part of our regional footprint in the Americas, and we place great value in our Jacksonville operations,” she said.
DISTRIBUTION CENTERS Winsupply coming to Westside Industrial Park Winsupply Inc. will open a 272,480-square-foot regional distribution center that is under construction at the Westside Industrial Park in Jacksonville. Winsupply Support Services Group President John McKenzie said the plan is to hire 35 to 50 people. The company, which distributes construction and industrial supplies and equipment, said it plans to open the facility in the second half of this year. The distribution center sits on 22.3 acres at 6282 Imeson Road. Pattillo Industrial Real Estate Senior Vice President Peter Anderson said construction should be completed by April.
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Jacksonville Daily Record/Jacksonville Record & Observer
Thursday, January 17, 2019 • Page 3
Expert: Beware of economic headwinds ECONOMIC TRENDS
Florida lawmakers warned that as the economic expansion nears a decade, the potential for a recession is building.
Consumer sentiment steady The Florida Consumer Sentiment Index from December 2017-18 97.5
101.3
98.3
98
97.5
100.2
97.7
100.6
98.6
98.1
97.8
98.1
95
BY MARK BASCH CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Florida’s economy remains strong as 2019 begins but with much uncertainty on the national level, state lawmakers were warned last week to prepare for the possibility of recession. “There is a lot of volatility right now, a lot of global issues right now and some national headwinds coming,” said Amy Baker, coordinator of the Florida Legislature Office of Economic and Demographic Research. “That is something to bear in the back of your minds as you develop the budget for the next go-around,” Baker said last week in a presentation to the Florida House Ap p ro p r i a tions Committee. The ecoBaker nomic expansion will be 10 years old in June, she said. “It is a very long expansion and we know it’s reaching its mature stage and the late stage of that expansion,” she said. “That tells us we need to start watching what’s happening and thinking about what’s happening in the future.” Baker said Florida’s economy may be affected by factors “largely that had nothing to do with Florida.” They include fading stimulus from the federal income tax cuts that took effect a year ago, the impact of tariffs and a tighter monetary policy by the Federal Reserve Board. Florida’s economic metrics are mostly good, Baker said, but residential construction activity is lagging. “It has been weak, at least (compared to) what we’re used to, coming off the Great Recession,” she said. “But, the supersize strength that we’ve seen in tourism has compensated for it.” The reliance on tourism for
Dec. 2017
Feb,
April
June
The Walt Disney Co.
the state economy makes Florida vulnerable to a national or global downturn. “Tourism is such a strong part of our economy right now that anything that happens that weakens it is problematic for us,” Baker said. Her office’s report on the financial outlook cited data from Moody’s Analytics that projected the possibility of a national recession in the next 12 months between 20 percent and 43 percent. It also said a survey at a Yale CEO Summit found almost half of business leaders expect a recession by the end of 2019 and a poll of chief financial officers at
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a Duke University conference also found half expect a recession this year, with 82 percent expecting one by the end of 2020. “We’re in the middle of a very fluid, very volatile time,” Baker said. Although there are risks in the economy this year, consumers in the state are feeling more confident, according to a monthly University of Florida survey released last week. UF’s Bureau of Economic and Business Research said its Florida Consumer Sentiment Index rose 3.1 points in December to 98.1, reversing four consecutive months of decline. “Overall, Floridians are more
optimistic this month. Looking ahead to 2019, the gains in consumers’ future expectations about the economy are very positive signs,” Hector Sandoval, director of the bureau’s economic Sandoval analysis program, said in a news release. All of the components of the index rose in December, including opinions of consumers’ personal finances. The index of expectations of U.S. economic conditions over
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the next year rose 1.9 points to 93.8 and the index of expectations for the U.S. economy over the next five years rose 2.6 points to 92.8. “Despite the recent volatility in the stock market and the partial government shutdown, the year is ending with an overall positive economic outlook and high level of consumer confidence among Floridians,” Sandoval said. “Looking forward, we expect consumer sentiment in January to remain around the observed average of 2018.”
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Jacksonville Daily Record/Jacksonville Record & Observer
THE MATHIS REPORT
5 Tru by Hilton hotels planned for area KAREN BRUNE MATHIS EDITOR
The chain’s first location in Town Center Promenade is open; city is reviewing plans for a site near JIA. Make that five area locations for Tru by Hilton. The brand opened its first area hotel, will start development on a second and plans for two more in Jacksonville and one in St. Augustine. A Tru by Hilton representative said the 98-room, fourstory Tru by Hilton Jacksonville St. Johns Town Center at 4640 Tropea Way in Town Center Promenade has opened. It is owned and managed by Kana Hotel Group. Its general manager is April Erstad. The representative said an 82-room hotel along Merrill Road near Interstate 295 is targeting a 2021 opening. That four-story Tru by Hilton is planned at 2700 Jane St., east of I-295 in the Arlington area. Near Jacksonville International Airport, the city is reviewing site plans and JEA issued a service availability letter for a 105-room Tru by Hilton hotel at northeast Ranch and Airport roads. Property records show the vacant 2 acres are owned by USA Express Inc. of Miami. The hotel would be built behind the former Wendy’s outparcel and across Ranch Road from the Quality Inn Airport. Site plans show a five-story, 50,000-square-foot building. The civil engineering firm is Taylor & White Inc. The proposed developer said he was not ready to announce the deal, calling it preliminary.
Photo by Jay Schlichter
Tru by Hilton Jacksonville St. Johns Town Center at 4640 Tropea Way in Town Center Promenade is open.
The Tru by Hilton representative said hotels also are planned in the Mandarin area of South Jacksonville and in St. Augustine, but she had no details about those. Tru by Hilton says the brand was developed using consumer and owner feedback and focuses on a cross-generational appeal focusing on a “new, affordable hotel experience.” The brand says it’s “vibrant, affordable and young-atheart.” It offers free breakfast and Wi-Fi; coffee service; a fitness center; and a 24/7 “Eat. & Sip.” market. The lobby includes a table and board-game center and workspaces along with the ability to “print from anywhere in the hotel with free wireless printing.”
Guests will stay in “smaller, more efficiently designed rooms with space for everything you need and nothing you don’t.” The rooms include “comfortable beds,” 55-inch TVs, a mobile desk, large bathrooms and more.
Downtown Hyatt Place plans advance Plans are in motion for development of Hyatt Place Jacksonville along Water and Hogan streets Downtown. The nine-story, 128-room hotel with rooftop event space and a patio are in review for a city development number. The Downtown Development Review Board approved the final development plans in October.
The project is planned west of the SunTrust Tower, to be renamed VyStar Tower. Mainstreet Capital Partners, through Mainstreet CV 76 S Laura St. LLC, is developing the limited-service hotel. It will include a pool area, fitness center and other amenities. Paul Kilgallon with Mainstreet Capital Partners said in October the group expected to begin permitting in the first quarter of 2019.
VanTrust moving ahead on Building C VanTrust Real Estate LLC submitted site plans to the city for its proposed 308,000-square-foot industrial facility along an extension of Cold Storage Road in Imeson
International Industrial Park. Plans show that “Building C” would be developed on about 17.9 acres and offer 324 off-street parking spaces. No tenant is identified. VanTrust Executive Vice President John Carey said he had no comment. EnglandThims & Miller Inc. is the civil engineer. It’s the second building for VanTrust in the park. VanTrust also is working on a 500,000-square-foot warehouse development nearby. It said previously it intended to start construction of a 500,000-square-foot speculative building for completion in fall 2019. The site is part of VanTrust’s 3 million square feet of development rights for the 156 acres
RETAIL NOTES
Walmart to renovate store at River City Marketplace Walmart will invest more than $1 million to renovate its River City Marketplace Supercenter. The city is reviewing a permit application for a full-store interior alteration of the store at 13227 City Square Drive. Plans show a scope of work that includes cleaning, prepping and painting exterior and interior walls; an upgraded pharmacy that includes a health service room; and upgrades to the photo lab, garden center, restrooms, offices, break room, customer service, grocery, entry, signage, auto center, vision center and money center. n Tractor Supply Co. intends to build
a store in Yulee in Nassau County. The St. Johns River Water Management District is reviewing a permit application for a store at southwest Florida A1A and Pinewood Drive. Plans show an 18,800-square-foot building and a
15,000-square-foot fenced outdoor display area on 4 acres. n First Coast Energy LLP intends to demolish the car wash at its Daily’s gas station and convenience store at 4991 Gate Parkway south of Butler Boulevard and add additional parking spaces and provide “a better overall flow” on the site, said spokeswoman Andrea Kane. The city is reviewing a permit application for C&R General Contractors Inc. to demolish the structure. n Ticon Commercial Inc. received a site and building demolition permit to take down an almost 5,000-square-foot building for development of an almost 7,400-square-foot AutoZone at 13997 Beach Blvd. n St. Johns County issued permits for
Photo by Monty Zickuhr
Walmart plans a $1 million renovation of its store at River City Marketplace in North Jacksonville.
two retail buildings at the Shoppes of St. Johns Parkway at northwest Country Road 210 and St. Johns Parkway. The one-story flex retail buildings are planned on either side of the Earth Fare grocery store that will anchor the center. Records show a construction cost of $788,570 for the 12,350-square-foot Building A at 160 Shops Blvd. and $575,000 for the
9,138-square-foot Building C at 90 Shops Blvd. Sleiman Enterprises is the owner and developer. n Ticon Commercial Inc. is the contractor for the proposed Valvoline at 13357 Beach Blvd. The 3,074-squarefoot building is listed at a construction cost of $550,000.
Jacksonville Daily Record/Jacksonville Record & Observer
Thursday, January 17, 2019 • Page 5
it bought from Imeson International Industrial Park Inc. in September for $18.4 million. VanTrust is calling its property Imeson Park.
Tumi plans store at Town Center Tumi wants to open at St. Johns Town Center. The city is reviewing a permit application for a $75,000 buildout for Tumi in almost 1,500 square feet at 4812 River City Drive, No. 107. Tumi is based in Edison, New Jersey. The luggage, backpack, travel bag and accessories store was founded in 1975 by entrepreneur Charlie Clifford, a former Peace Corps volunteer and importer of leather bags from South America. Samsonite International S.A. bought Tumi Holdings Inc. in August 2016. Tumi became an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Samsonite.
Tumi
The Tumi store in the Lenox Square Mall in Atlanta. The luggage and accessories retailer is planning a store at St. Johns Town Center.
Rooker nearing construction at Perimeter West
Rooker Properties LLC took another step toward developing a 155,820-square-foot warehouse on the Perimeter West Industrial Park property it bought in October. The city calculated a mobility fee of $123,454 for the project, designed on 22.29 acres along Perimeter Industrial Parkway West. Tetra Tech Inc. is the civil engineer. The city also issued a conditional capacity availability statement for the project, which comprises 15,000 square feet of office space and 140,820 square
feet of warehouse use. Atlanta-based Rooker bought the undeveloped sites in Perimeter West on Oct. 18 for $2.95 million. Vice President Cason Bufe said in early November the company was not ready to announce development plans. Rooker bought 38.92 acres in three parcels at northeast Interstate 295 and Pritchard Road, records show. The St. Johns River Water Management District is reviewing a permit application for mass grading plans by Rooker at the site. Those plans show two future industrial sites of 22.29 and
2018
10.48 acres and a 6.15-acre commercial site. The project comprises mass clearing, grading and stormwater management facilities.
Site plans filed for NorthPoint building
Pattillo Industrial Real Estate submitted site plans with the city for the 279,000-square-foot NorthPoint Building 12B building planned at 12090 New Berlin Road in NorthPoint Industrial Park. Pattillo Vice President Peter Anderson said in November that the speculative building is
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designed for one or two tenants. He said construction would start upon permitting and be completed this summer.
City reviewing application for Wayfair foundation
AllianceFlorida at Cecil Commerce Center master developer Hillwood applied for a permit to build the foundation for Wayfair Inc. The Conlan Co. is the contractor for the $1.63 million project at 13483 103rd St. in West Jacksonville. Wayfair will start construction on or before Jan. 31, according to
the city’s economic development agreement signed Nov. 15 with the company. On Dec. 3, the city confirmed that Boston-based Wayfair Inc. will open a 250-job distribution center at the site. Hillwood immediately applied for permits to build the 1 million-square-foot shell building and complete a small portion for office space. The online retailer of home furnishings will lease the building and open the $72 million center on 80 acres next to an Amazon.com fulfillment center. Dallas-based Hillwood applied for permits Dec. 4 to build the 1,012,567-square-foot Wayfair center at a cost of $49 million and build-out 16,280 square feet of office space at a cost of $3.5 million. That totals $52.5 million. The foundation cost boosts that to $54.1 million. The city issued a site-clearing permit Oct. 31 for 90.19 acres, more than the area designated, at a cost of $390,000. The city said the building will be completed by year-end 2020 and the jobs created by the end of 2021. The city incentives agreement says Wayfair will invest $50 million into real estate and $22 million into machinery, equipment, furniture and fixtures. City Council approved a $3.3 million city Recapture Enhanced Value grant, payable over 10 years, in October. The grant is based on the additional property taxes generated by the project. KMATHIS@ JAXDAILYRECORD.COM @MATHISKB (904) 356-2466
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Page 6 • Thursday, January 17, 2019
Jacksonville Daily Record/Jacksonville Record & Observer
THE BASCH REPORT
Stein Mart sales drop for holiday season
MARK BASCH CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Jacksonville-based company blames the disappointing results on “a perfect storm of events.” After reporting improving sales trends in the second and third quarters, Jacksonvillebased fashion retailer Stein Mart Inc. had a disappointing holiday season. The company said comparable-store sales dropped 3.3 percent in the NovemberDecember period. Comparable-store sales are sales at stores open for more than one year and are considered a key indicator of a retailer’s performance. Stein Mart doesn’t normally announce sales results until the end of the quarter, but its late Friday report preceded a presentation Monday to the ICR Conference in Orlando, a major annual investor event. “Clearly our sales were disappointing,” CEO Hunt Hawkins said at the conference, which was broadcast over the internet. Stein Mart President MaryAnne Morin said the disappointment resulted from “a perfect storm of events” in the fourth quarter. One problem was Stein Mart’s ongoing strategy to rely less on promotions and more on everyday low pricing to attract shoppers. “Whereas that strategy worked for us throughout the rest of the year, it didn’t work quite as well in Q4,” Morin said. She also said Stein Mart spent less on marketing in the holiday season than it did in the past. “It was planned, we’ve all signed up for it, but it turned out that the way we spent the money wasn’t as efficient as we originally planned,” she said. One mistake was spending all of its television ad money on national cable shows as opposed to also advertising on local channels, Morin said. “We’ll take all these learnings as we move into 2019,” she said. Morin said Stein Mart will be using more technology and marketing data to find what customers want. Another initiative this year will be a “Stein Mart SMart Rewards” Program, which will combine its credit card and preferred customer programs. The rewards program will launch in the fall, Morin said. Morin joined Stein Mart in February 2017, a month after Hawkins was named permanent CEO. “Our leadership team has been in place for just under two years and we have accomplished a lot during this time frame, moving with strategic
File image
Stein Mart CEO Hunt Hawkins and President MaryAnne Morin. The fashion retailer reported comparable-store sales dropped 3.3 percent in the November-December holiday period.
urgency,” Hawkins said. “But we recognize we have a lot more to do.” Hawkins remains optimistic about Stein Mart’s direction and in Friday’s news release announcing the holiday sales drop, he said fiscal 2018 operating results will still be “significantly better” than 2017. At Monday’s conference, Hawkins said the management team has “touched every aspect of our business” to improve operations over the last two years, and some moves are already successful. “Others are still being finetuned and we are still learning from that,” he said.
Shoe Carnival projects sales and earnings growth
Stein Mart’s presentation Monday came about an hour after Shoe Carnival Inc. projected continued sales and earnings growth at the conference. The footwear chain controlled by former Jacksonville Jaguars owner Wayne Weaver expects to report comparablestore sales rising 4 percent in the fiscal year ending Feb. 2 with earnings of $2.41 to $2.43 a share, up from $1.15 in fiscal 2017. “Our solid finish to the fiscal year has been driven by broadbased sales increases, with particular strength in our boot, casual and athletic categories,” CEO Cliff Sifford said in a news release. Shoe Carnival projected fiscal 2019 earnings of $2.60 to $2.70 a share, with comparable-store sales rising by a low single-digit percentage. Weaver is chairman of Shoe Carnival and his family is the company’s largest shareholder, controlling about 31 percent of the stock.
CSX Corp. earnings surge $1.01 a share Jacksonville-based CSX Corp. on Wednesday reported fourth-quarter earnings of
$1.01 a share, up from adjusted earnings of 64 cents last year. The company’s operating ratio (expenses divided by revenue) was 60.3 percent, down from an adjusted ratio of 65.1 percent the previous year. The improvement in operating ratio has been a key part of management’s strategy to improve CSX’s financial performance. Revenue rose 10 percent to $3.14 billion, helped by increases in fuel recovery payments and “broad-based” freight volume growth, the railroad company said. The earnings, released after the market closed, were in line with analysts’ forecasts which ranged from 90 cents to $1.07 a share, according to Yahoo Finance.
Kasturi named CEO of Dick’s Wings parent
Seenu Kasturi, who was already serving as chairman and president of ARC Group Inc., was appointed CEO of the Jacksonville-based restaurant company last week. Kasturi is also the largest shareholder of the company, which operates the Dick’s Wings & Grill chain and is expanding with acquisitions of other restaurant concepts. He controls about 21 percent of ARC Group’s stock, according to Securities and Exchange Commission filings. Former CEO Richard Akam will stay with the company as chief operating officer and secretary. Kasturi will continue to serve as chairman and chief financial officer, in addition to his role as CEO. Dick’s Wings has 23 restaurants and ARC Group has recently grown by acquiring a chain called Fat Patty’s. It also has a pending agreement to buy the Tilted Kilt chain. The company said Kasturi is focusing on more acquisitions. “ARC Group is in a period of unprecedented growth, both organic and through acquisitions. In this new capacity as CEO, I look forward to accel-
erating our growth strategy through carefully selected and strategic acquisitions, where we can acquire undervalued assets at attractive multiples and benefit from the tremendous operating synergies,” Kasturi said in a news release. ARC Group expects to have annual revenue of more than $25 million when it completes the Tilted Kilt deal.
Private equity firm buying Marco Ophthalmic
A private equity firm is acquiring a majority interest in Marco Ophthalmic Inc., a Jacksonville-based supplier of diagnostic ophthalmic equipment. Stamford, Connecticutbased Atlantic Street Capital said Friday it plans to merge Marco with another eye care equipment company it owns, Lombart Instrument, into a new company called Advancing Eyecare Holdings. CEO David Marco will become co-chairman of Advancing Eyecare and continue as a “meaningful investor” in the company, Atlantic Street said. Terms of the deal were not announced. In a news release, David Marco said the deal “allows for expanded service capability for Marco and greater technology offerings for Lombart. The combined entity enhances and accelerates our unique abilities to modernize and maximize efficiencies of the eye care platforms.” The deal is expected to be completed during the first quarter. Marco was founded in Jacksonville in 1967. A spokesman for Atlantic Street did not have data available on employees or revenue for Marco. Norfolk, Virginia-based Lombart, which distributes ophthalmic instruments to ophthalmologists and optometrists, was acquired by Atlantic Street in 2016.
Cox television bids expected soon Final bids to buy Cox Enterprises Inc.’s group of 14 television stations, including two in Jacksonville, will be in by Jan. 30, according to a report last week by CNBC. Possible bidders include Tegna Inc., which already owns two Jacksonville stations, the report said. Tegna would have to divest some of the stations if it does have the winning bid for the Cox group. Atlanta-based Cox owns Jacksonville Fox affiliate WFOX TV-30 and operates CBS affiliate WJAX TV-47 under a shared services agreement. WJAX is owned separately by a former Cox executive. The company announced in July it was “exploring strategic options” for its group of stations, saying they could be more successful financially if grouped with a larger operator of stations. Tegna owns 49 stations in 41 markets, including Jacksonville NBC affiliate WTLV TV-12 and ABC affiliate WJXX TV-25. The other bidders for the Cox stations are Hearst, which owns 32 stations, and EW Scripps Co., which owns 51, CNBC said, citing unidentified sources. It said bids for the entire group could be between $2 billion and $3 billion.
Drone Aviation announced $3.8M contract
Drone Aviation Holding Corp. said last week it was “selected by a prime contractor under an initial $3.8 million award,” without announcing further details. Jacksonville-based Drone Aviation, which produces lighter-than-air aerostats and electric-powered drones, reported revenue of about $1 million in the first nine months of 2018.
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Jacksonville Daily Record/Jacksonville Record & Observer
Thursday, January 17, 2019 • Page 7
OFFICE, BANK, PROFESSIONAL Massey
Schulz
Egan
Rienhardt
PEOPLE ON THE MOVE Promotions, hirings and happenings for business people in Northeast Florida. Send items to ssailer@jaxdailyrecord.com
Robert Massey, president and CEO of the Jacksonville Symphony, is leaving the organization. Massey led the Jacksonville Symphony since January 2015. The Symphony board of directors will conduct the search for a successor. Brendan Campion, APR Energy director of business development, joined the Career Resources Center advisory board at Jacksonville University. Campion’s main focus is to promote the center to local businesses and guide the center’s development. The Community Foundation of Northeast Florida added George “Buddy” Schulz, Jr. and George Egan to its board of trustees. Schulz is a partner with Holland & Knight in Jacksonville and chair of the Public and Charitable Services Department. Egan is president and executive officer of the Reinhold Corp., a land-timber management and investment holding company.
Three members were added to Downtown Vision’s board of directors. The nonprofit provides advocacy and services for a 90-block business improvement district. Joining are: Dawn Southworth, general manager of Downtown’s Omni Jacksonville Hotel. Before joining Omni she was director of operations for the San Diego Marriott La Jolla Hotel. Zach Ashourian, co-owner of Ash Properties, a local real estate development company. Ashourian previously was a real estate broker in San Francisco. Ryan Mcintyre, senior vice president of strategic initiative at VyStar Credit Union. Mcintyre joined VyStar in 2018 from Regions Bank, where he was Jacksonville city president. Jim Rienhardt, president of JR Government & Community Solutions, joined the Timucuan Parks Foundation board of directors. Rienhardt worked for the National Park Service for 29 years and has experience in park recreation management. Compiled by Scott Sailer
The medical center said the work should be done in early 2020. FROM STAFF
Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville began a $16 million renovation of the maternity suites at its Downtown campus and expects completion in early 2020. “Now at Baptist Jacksonville, we’ll have a redesigned space for our moms and families that’s as impressive as our state-of-the-art care,” said Michael Mayo, Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville hospital president, in a news release. The center is at 800 Prudential Drive on the Downtown Southbank. A family advisory group comprising mothers and expectant moms were central to the design process to determine what features and amenities in maternity suites were most important to young families, the hospital said. Baptist said every maternity suite will provide a “serene, hotel-like environment with décor and amenities designed to enhance the patient and visitor experience.” The rooms will be equipped with labor and delivery technology for mothers to have the option of “rooming-in,” which allows the
Special to the Daily Record
A rendering of a new Baptist Medical Center maternity suite. For more images, visit JaxDailyRecord.com
baby to be cared for in the mother’s suite after birth. Wolfson Children’s Hospital’s neonatal care is nearby if needed. Renovations include a redesigned entrance on the first floor for “seamless” check-in and evaluation as well as comprehensive renovations to include updated birthing suites, postpartum suites and a nursery. Other features include multiple TVs in each suite to accommodate moms and their family members and visitors; sleeper sofas for family; furnishings designed to support maternal bonding and breastfeeding; private bathrooms; and doorbells with “soothing sounds” for room entry to prevent knocking. The contractor is Haskell Co.
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RESTAURANTS MPI/Regency Walk Inc., 10214 Atlantic Blvd., contractor is Bracey Building Contractors Inc., renovation, $25,500.
North Florida School of Special Education Inc., 223 Mill Creek Road, contractor is Auld & White Constructors LLC, 31,945 square feet, three permits for new building, dumpster enclosure and flag pole, $6.82 million. SIGNS Urgent Care, 10325 San Jose Blvd., contractor is International Signs & Lighting Inc., two permits for wall signs, $2,975. Indigo Float, 11111 San Jose Blvd., No. 70, contractor is Liberty Lighting Inc., wall sign, $1,800. UTILITIES AT&T, 535 Goodwin St., contractor is Ericsson Inc., cell tower upgrade, $65,000. Sprint, 5320 Springfield Blvd., contractor is New-Tech Construction Corp., cell tower upgrade, $65,000. AT&T, 1105 San Marco Blvd., contractor is Ericsson Inc., cell tower upgrade, $65,000. AT&T, 8560 Arlington Expressway, contractor is Ericsson Inc., cell tower upgrade, $65,000. New Cingular Wireless PCS, 10060 Skinner Lake Drive, contractor is Ericsson Inc., cell tower upgrade, $30,000. Compiled by Scott Sailer
New furniture store: JaxCo Furniture is open at 9978 Atlantic Blvd. in the space formerly occupied by Rec Warehouse. The store said in a news release it focuses on millennial and first-time homebuyers with affordable pricing and low-pressure sales. Store on the move: Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery plans to move about 12 miles south to a new showroom at 11511 Philips Highway. The 77,358-squarefoot showroom and warehouse is under construction by Stellar Group Inc. The project is anticipated to be completed by August. The store is now at 3003 Philips Highway. Crowley speeds service: Crowley Logistics expanded its North Atlantic vessel network by increasing the speed of services between the Northeastern U.S., Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and the Caribbean Basin
islands. Crowley increased its cargo capacity by adding flat deck barge 455-4 into service. Crowley now offers six southbound and northbound trips per month between the northeast and San Juan. Learn about sports jobs: The PGA Tour’s Mosaic Group Training U: Sports and Business Education Forum is Jan. 29. Sponsored by The Players Championship, the event will offer minority high school students information about job opportunities in the sports industry. About 200 Duval and St. Johns county students will hear panel discussions and interact with industry and college representatives at TPC Sawgrass. Compiled by Scott Sailer
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Baptist starts $16 million renovation of maternity suites
VyStar Credit Union, 76 S. Laura St., contractor is Dana B. Kenyon Co., 199,625 square feet, two permits for renovation and generator installation, $7.11 million. Register Roofing & Sheet Metal Inc., 4632 Sub Chaser Court, contractor is Auld & White Constructors LLC, 13,366 square feet, new building, $1.1 million. Lutheran Social Services of North Florida Inc., 4615 Philips Highway, contractor is Brogdon Builders LLC, 3,806 square feet, tenant build-out, $500,000. City of Jacksonville, 214 N. Hogan St., contractor is Warden Contracting Corp., 1,689 square feet, tenant build-out, $57,469. Shawnett Boykins, 8565 Lem Turner Road, contractor is FastTrack Builders Inc., 1,120 square feet, renovation, $27,700.
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Cawton: Council candidate field is set lus Holmes. n In District 10, five candidates seek to replace suspended council member Reginald Brown, who is term-limited from running again. Republican Charles Fetzer and Democrats Brenda Priestly Jackson, Celestine Mills and Kevin Monroe all want to represent the Northwest Jacksonville district. n In District 12, Randy White is running to stay in the seat he won in 2018 after Doyle Carter stepped down to pursue another elected office. White’s unopposed win was met with a lawsuit from David Taylor who claimed the special election wasn’t properly advertised. Taylor, a criminal defense attorney, dropped the suit and is qualified to run this spring. n In District 14 in Southwest Jacksonville, Republican Jim Love is term-limited. A mix of Democrats and Republicans are vying to fill the seat which covers a sliver of West Jacksonville that includes the Riverside, Avondale and Ortega neighborhoods. Republicans Randy DeFoor and Henry Mooneyhan join Democrats Sunny Gettinger, Jimmy Peluso and write-in candidate Earl Testy.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Jacksonville. Two new members also won without facing competition. Republican LeAnna Cumber will represent District 5, which covers the Southbank, San Marco and the neighborhoods south along San Jose Boulevard. Outside of council, she is the CEO of LeAnna Cumber & Associates, a firm specializing in consulting for transportation issues. She is a former board member of the defunct Jacksonville Children’s Commission and is married to JEA board member Husein Cumber. LeAnna Cumber takes over from Lori Boyer, who has held the seat since 2011 and is termlimited from running again. Joining Cumber on council for the first time will be K9s for Warriors CEO Rory Diamond. He will represent the Beaches area that comprises District 13. Diamond most recently served as a council member in Neptune Beach. He is a former federal prosecutor for the U.S. Department of Justice and was a deputy associate director at the White House for President George W. Bush. COMPETITIVE RACES
While those races are settled, there still are 15 seats to decide. n In District 1, which covers old Arlington, incumbent Democrat Joyce Morgan is facing a challenge from architect and former council member Bill Bishop. A Republican, Bishop wants a second stint on Jacksonville’s legislative body, where he served two terms from 2007-15. n In District 2, which covers much of Northeast Jacksonville and East Arlington, Republican council member Al Ferraro faces a challenge from Democrat and retired Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Chief Carson Tranquille. n Council Vice President Scott Wilson seeks re-election in District 4. He’ll face Democrat Tim Yost, a Navy veteran and teacher. Yost unsuccessfully challenged State Rep. Clay Yarborough in November. n In District 6, Republicans Michael Boylan and Rose Conry are competing to represent the Mandarin area where council member Matt Schellenberg has served since 2011. Boylan is the former president and CEO of Jacksonville’s NPR affiliate, WJCT. Conry is an entrepreneur and the CEO and co-founder of StaffTime. n District 7, a sprawling area that includes much of North and Northwest Jacksonville and the Downtown urban core, is one of the most crowded races.
Preferred CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
cold storage distribution facility on 13.04 undeveloped acres on Doolittle Road east of Ellis Road North in Northwest Jacksonville. The project would create at least 40 full-time jobs in the first two years, at an average annual wage of $46,346, totaling $1.8 million in annual salaries, excluding benefits. According to Wendland, the company is evaluating Jacksonville and a few other cities for the project.
Jacksonville City Council district map
At-large district map
AT-LARGE SEATS
Incumbent Reginald Gaffney faces opposition from three other Democrats – Nahshon Nicks, Solomon Olopade and Sharise Riley. n District 8 also will elect new leadership after what could be called an unusual year for the area. Former Gov. Rick Scott suspended Katrina Brown from the council after federal prosecutors
charged her and fellow council member Reginald Brown with dozens of fraud, tax and money laundering charges over the summer. That case is ongoing. The council members are not related. Scott, now a U.S. senator, installed Ju’Coby Pittman to serve out Brown’s term in District 8 and Terrance Freeman to serve in District 10.
The city has issued mobility fee calculation and concurrency reservation certificates for the project. The city calculated a mobility fee of $106,247 to mitigate the traffic impact. Victory Unlimited Construction LLC of Indianapolis is the agent. Willows Development LLC is listed as the property owner. Property records show that Willows Development LLC is in care of John Galiher, of Chatham, New Jersey. Galiher is founder and CEO of Preferred Freezer Services LLC. Willows Development LLC of Jersey City, New Jersey, bought the Doolittle Road property in 2008.
Preferred Freezer Services says it operates 39 full-service temperature-controlled warehouses in nine regions nationwide. It already has a Jacksonville presence. Preferred Freezer Services of Jacksonville LLC operates a 184,043-square-foot cold storage warehouse at 1780 W. Beaver St. on 9.77 acres it bought in 2007 from Farmers Market Inc., part of Beaver Street Fisheries. The company developed that project in 2008. SSAILER@ JAXDAILYRECORD.COM (904) 356-2466
Pittman and Katrina Brown are running along with Tameka Gaines Holly, Diallo Sekou Seabrooks and Albert Wilcox Jr. n District 9 council member Garrett Dennis faces a challenge in his re-election bid to represent West Jacksonville. Dennis was the last incumbent to qualify for re-election. He’s running against fellow Democrat and former NFL player Marcel-
Five of the 19 seats on Jacksonville’s legislative branch represent the entire city through at-large seats. n In At-Large Group 1, with Anna Lopez Brosche running for mayor, five candidates remain in the race: Republicans Gary Barnett, Jack Daniels and Terrance Freeman and Democrats Connell Crooms and Lisa King. n In At-Large Group 2, the seat will have new representation now that John Crescimbeni is term-limited. Democrat Darren Mason and Republican Ron Salem are the only candidates to qualify. n In At-Large Group 3, former Jacksonville mayor and current council member Tommy Hazouri is running for a second term against Democrat James Jacobs. n In At-Large Group 4, council member Greg Anderson also is term-limited from running again. Former council members Matt Carlucci and Don Redman are running along with Republican Harold McCart and no party affiliated candidate Alexander Watkins. nIn At-Large Group 5, incumbent Republican Sam Newby will face competition from NPA candidate Niki Brunson and Democrat Chad McIntyre. DCAWTON@ JAXDAILYRECORD.COM @DAVIDCAWTON (904) 356-2466
Preferred Freezer operates a 184,043-square-foot cold storage warehouse at 1780 W. Beaver St.
Jacksonville Daily Record/Jacksonville Record & Observer
Thursday, January 17, 2019 • Page 9
REAL ESTATE
Top 10 sales of the week BY SCOTT SAILER • EDITORIAL RESEARCH DIRECTOR
Here are the top 10 real estate sales in Northeast Florida, comprising Baker, Clay, Duval and St. Johns counties. The sales were recorded Jan. 7-11.
File image
JinkoSolar and Industry West lease space at 4660 POW-MIA Memorial Parkway at Cecll Commer Center. The building sold for $30.7 million to Richardson Logistics Assets LLC.
$30,734,934
$25.667,833
$4,227,347
$4,081,000
$4,015,251
4660 POW-MIA Memorial Parkway, Jacksonville, Duval County
Grand Wood Drive, Ponte Vedra, St. Johns County
Danube Drive, Jacksonville, Duval County
Royal Pines Drive, Middleburg, Clay County
9340 San Jose Blvd., Jacksonville, Duval County
Type: Jinko Solar/Industry West Size: 35.51 acres Buyer: Richardson Logistics Assets LLC Seller: New World Avenue BLDG D2 LLC
Type: 320 single-family lots and common areas Size: Not available Buyer: Pulte Home Co. LLC Seller: Sonoc Co. LLC
Type: 44 single-family lots at Bella Nika at Tamaya Size: Not available Buyer: HCC Tamaya Residential LLC Seller: Tamaya Loan Acquisition LLC
Type: 59 single-family lots in Greyhawk Size: Not available Buyer: Richmond American Homes of Florida LP Seller: Greyhawk Venture LLC
Type: Sherwin-Williams Paint Size: 0.59 acres Buyer: Pachyderm Properties LLC Seller: Sherwin-Williams Co.
$3,208,845
$2,765,000
$2,700,000
$2,375,000
$1,947,000
Deer Chase Drive, St. Augustine, St. Johns County
3200 Armsdale Road, Jacksonville, Duval County
Florida 207, St. Augustine, St. Johns County
4035 Duval Drive, Jacksonville Beach, Duval County
Blanding Boulevard, Middleburg, Clay County
Type: Timberland Size: 491.82 acres Buyer: First Coast Osceola Lakes LLC Seller: Osceola Lakes LLC
Type: Commercial Size: 2.15 acres Buyer: 3200 Armsdale LLC Seller: Lem Turner LLC and Trinity Place LLC Previous sale: $1,092,000 in 2013
Type: Timberland Size: 26.82 acres Buyer: Brisa Residences LLC Seller: Harry H. and Gwendolyn H. Waldron
Type: Single-family lot Size: 0.26 acres Buyer: James and Phoebe Howard Seller: Elizabeth B. and Rodney S. Margol
Type: Vacant commercial Size: 13.82 acres Buyer: Branan Field Walk LLC Seller: North Florida Land Partnership 1 LLC
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COURTS & LAW
Page 10 • Thursday, January 17, 2019
Jacksonville Daily Record/Jacksonville Record & Observer
LAW FIRM’S NEW HOME Smith Hulsey & Busey completes move to Wells Fargo Center.
BY MAX MARBUT ASSOCIATE EDITOR
S
mith Hulsey & Busey completed its move to Wells Fargo Center. After more than 30 years in offices at One Enterprise Center, the law firm’s attorneys and support staff have taken over the 33rd floor in one of Downtown’s signature office towers. “We were ready for a change,” said Jean Busey, the firm’s executive director. The space is an open floor plan decorated in soft gray tones. It features relocated and new fine art acquired through Steller’s Gallery. Chairman Stephen Busey said the transition from a traditional environment to the more contemporary setting has been an adjustment, but it’s needed for the law firm’s second 100 years. “We have some really talented young lawyers here. This is an opportunity to have an environment that’s conducive to creativity,” he said. The firm’s design committee worked for more than a year before the move with Lori Avampato, senior interior designer with Group 4 Design Inc. “It was a leap of faith to go from something traditional to something more contemporary,” she said. “We are very pleased,” said Jean Busey.
Above: Smith Hulsey & Busey Chairman Stephen Busey and Jean Busey, executive director, in the law firm’s new office at Wells Fargo Center. Left: The lobby and reception area. The law firm is on the 33rd floor of Wells Fargo Center. Photos by Max Marbut
The conference room at Smith Hulsey & Busey can accommodate more than 20 people and has a view of the St. Johns River and the Southbank skyline.
Eschewing complete dependence on technology, the traditional law library is near the elevator landing opposite the reception area.
Van Nortwick brought legal help to those who couldn’t afford it The memorial service for the retired appellate judge is Feb. 15. BY MAX MARBUT ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Retired 1st District Court of Appeal Judge William Alva Van Nortwick Jr. died Saturday at Mayo Clinic at the age of 73. A memorial service is scheduled Feb. 15. Van Nortwick was born Aug. 21, 1945, in Morehead City, North Carolina. Raised in Jacksonville, he attended Duke University and the University of Florida Levin College of Law. Van Nortwick was admitted to The Florida Bar in 1970 and
joined Milam, Ade, Birchfield & Mickler in Jacksonville. He was appointed in 1994 by Gov. Van Nortwick Lawton Chiles to the 1st District Court of Appeal and served until 2015, having reached the mandatory retirement age of 70. Van Nortwick then joined Akerman as partner-in-charge of the law firm’s national pro bono practice. Helping people who can’t afford to pay for representation by an attorney was Van Nortwick’s mission throughout his career. Early in his private practice, he helped represent three Afri-
can-American students who were expelled from school after a racially charged incident on a school bus and was successful in getting them reinstated. Van Nortwick later put in more than 200 hours of pro bono service helping establish the Northwest Quadrant Community Health Center, a clinic in a Northwest Jacksonville neighborhood, for which he received the 1995 American Bar Association Pro Bono Publico Award. Van Nortwick’s volunteer service also earned him, among other honors, The Florida Bar Pro Bono Award for the 4th Judicial Circuit, the Robert J. Beckham Equal Justice Award from Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, the Pro Bono Award of The Florida Bar Appellate Practice Section
and The Florida Bar President’s Award of Merit. In 2005, he was the first recipient of the Florida Supreme Court Distinguished Judicial Service Award. After decades of service to The Florida Bar Foundation, Van Nortwick was selected in 2015 to receive the Medal of Honor, the foundation’s highest award. In a statement released Monday, the foundation stated: “Bill was a cherished member and pillar of our Foundation family and his contributions to the cause of justice were countless. He dedicated his life to the Rule of Law, the administration of fair and equitable justice, and to closing the justice gap. Oftentimes quiet and sometimes soft-spoken, he was at all times compas-
sionate, passionate and effective, inspiring us with his intellect, his grace, his disciplined and measured approach, and his kindness to others.” Funeral services are being provided by Beaches Chapel by Hardage-Giddens of Jacksonville Beach. “Bill’s memorial service is currently being planned, but a date has been chosen. For those that would like to attend, please reserve the afternoon of Friday, Feb. 15. Thanks and more information to follow,” said Akerman Jacksonville managing partner Christian George in an email Tuesday. MMARBUT@ JAXDAILYRECORD.COM (904) 356-2466
Jacksonville Daily Record/Jacksonville Record & Observer
Thursday, January 17, 2019 • Page 11
Partner, Jimerson & Cobb
BY MAX MARBUT • ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Jimerson & Cobb partner Patrick Krechowski, who leads the law firm’s governmental relations, environmental and land use practice group, received the Urban Land Institute North Florida’s 2018 Member of the Year Award. He was recognized for his contributions in coordinating ULI’s Technical Assistance Panel program at Jacksonville University and Neptune Beach.
Family: Wife, Jennifer; daughter, Maggie, 11; son, Maxwell, 7
Something that inspires me: My 8-year-old Australian shepherd. Other than pulling away from the Starbucks drive-thru having failed to secure a puppuchino, the animal is always happy.
How did you decide your practice area? And why have you chosen that? My practice focuses on water and dirt. But like many other lawyers, my true practice area is people. I help people with their problems. Whether they’ve created the problem themselves or they are just having a really hard time navigating the bureaucracy that is inherent in our government agencies, I am there to help them. What has been the biggest change in your practice area since you passed the Bar? The thing about working in the area of real estate development is that it
Education: Florida State University, bachelor’s in criminal justice; Nova Southeastern University, J.D. Hometown: I’m an Air Force brat. I was born in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and lived there three different times along with Germany, Tampa, Alabama and Hawaii.
Who or what inspired you to become a lawyer? I graduated from Florida State University with no real idea of what I wanted to do career-wise. Law school was really a last-minute decision for me. But once I decided to do it, I was totally committed to working my butt off until I graduated and passed the Bar exam. Once I did those things, the next step was to find a job working with good people that could help me actually learn how to be a lawyer. That was over 20 years ago and I still find myself looking for (and finding) good people to work with.
How do you relate your undergraduate degree to your practice of law? I don’t. In fact, I rarely relate my law degree to practicing law. In my career, learning to practice law has come from actually practicing law. For more than 20 years I’ve been learning from my clients, my law partners, my opponents, judges, etc. My undergrad degree was an interesting set of courses that I thought I would use as a forensic or homicide detective. But I never did.
Age: 45
IN THE LAW
PATRICK KRECHOWSKI
PATRICK W. KRECHOWSKI
Favorite book: “Where the Red Fern Grows” by Wilson Rawls
Special to the Daily Record
Attorney Patrick Krechowski, left, with Urban Land Institute North Florida Senior Director Carolyn Clark and board Chair Maurice Rudolph. is always changing. Whether it’s politics, new regulations, the Great Recession, urban trends, active hurricane seasons, sustainability or something newer like medical marijuana, there is always change. I love that about environmental and land use law. It’s never boring. What do you think will be the next biggest change in your area of law? I think it has to be our approach to climate change and resiliency. Local governments are facing some huge challenges in the coming years from both a financial and developmental standpoint. And frankly, these challenges transcend the practice of law and involve work that will impact generations to come. What community service have you pursued and why that? I am very involved with the
Urban Land Institute’s North Florida Council. I have been fortunate to assist in developing several Technical Assistance Panels over the past year that have addressed redevelopment problems facing some of our communities. It is rewarding to facilitate a group of experts as they struggle with unique urban challenges facing our community and then develop realworld recommendations to improve the lives of those of us that call Jacksonville home. What’s your advice for new lawyers? Find a good mentor. Practice area, firm/ office reputation, salary and location are all important factors in beginning a career. But if you are starting your legal career without the resources and guidance of a good mentor, I feel for you and your clients.
Book I’m reading now: “Astoria: John Jacob Astor and Thomas Jefferson’s Lost Pacific Empire” by Peter Stark App I can’t live without: Twitter Favorite nonwork activities: Running, playing with my kids at the beach and 10:30 p.m. college football kickoffs after everyone’s gone to bed.
GrayRobinson acquiring Eris Group lobbying firm Camerlengo board-certified in truck accident law
MAX MARBUT ASSOCIATE EDITOR
The GrayRobinson law firm is acquiring the Washington, D.C.-based lobbying firm Eris Group, effective Feb. 1. Co-founded by Doyle Bartlett, who was chief of staff to former U.S. Rep. Bill McCollum, Eris Group specializes in lobbying all branches of federal government. With 13 offices in Florida, GrayRobinson opened in Jacksonville in 2004. “This broadens the scope of our government practice and allows us to connect clients to influential professionals in D.C. and across the U.S. for their government needs,” said Jacksonville co-managing director Jason Burnett. With the acquisition, GrayRobinson’s Government Affairs and Lobbying Practice Group
Jacksonville attorney Joseph Camerlengo is among the first nine practitioners in the U.S. – and the only in Florida – who is board-certified in truck accident law by the National Board of Trial Advocacy, accredited by the American Bar Association. The certification was recognized in August by the ABA for lawyers who specialize in large-vehicle accident litigation. Camerlengo To be certified, attorneys must demonstrate a substantial percentage of their practice is devoted to truck accident litigation, document experience in multiple cases and pass a comprehensive written exam, said Camerlengo. He and his partners in the Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys began the process to establish board certifica-
tion in the specialty more than three years ago in an effort to educate attorneys and elevate the level of practice. “A lot of lawyers advertise for truck accident cases, but the litigation is very complex, similar to aviation or medical malpractice cases,” Camerlengo said. The next step is to establish truck accident law certification through the 50 state Bar associations, “and I’m in charge of Florida,” he said. Camerlengo also is boardcertified by The Florida Bar in civil trial practice. He is a past president of the Jacksonville Bar Association.
Health and wellness CLE is Jan. 30 After mental health and recovery advocate and author Brian Cuban speaks to the Jacksonville Bar Association at its meeting Jan. 30, he will present a substance abuse CLE program from 1:30-4:30 p.m. at the Omni Jacksonville Hotel. Cuban will be joined by co-presenter David Sacks, a Jacksonville labor and employment attorney, and a representative from Florida Lawyers Assistance. In light of the importance of
the topic and the high risk attorneys face from their profession, the JBA is offering the program at no charge to its members and $135 for nonmembers, said Ed Birk, Marks Gray shareholder and chair of the Health & Wellness Committee. The association has applied for 5.0 CLE credits, pending approval by The Florida Bar. Visit jba.org to register.
Freed to receive pro bono award At a ceremony Feb. 7 at the state Supreme Court in Tallahassee, Crystal Freed will receive The Florida Bar Pro Bono Award for the 4th Judicial Circuit. A native of Trinidad and Tobago, she graduated from Georgetown University Law Center in 2003. In 2008, she formed The Freed Firm in Jacksonville to focus on helping victims of human trafficking. Freed co-chaired Northeast Florida’s first Human Trafficking Task Force from 2007-09. As chair of the Human Rights Committee of the Jacksonville Bar Association, she led the Attorneys for Human
Trafficking Survivors project and co-founded a statewide effort, Florida Attorneys for Survivors of Human Trafficking. Freed spearheaded the creation of the Jacksonville Freed Human Trafficking Pro Bono Working Group. In 2014, she helped organize the North American launch of Artworks for Freedom, using art to raise awareness of trafficking. Freed’s other pro bono cases have involved dependency issues, immigration, foreclosure defense, wage claims and landlord-tenant matters.
Rockwell joins Woolsey Morcom John Rockwell joined Woolsey Morcom in Jacksonville as a partner. Rockwell primarily practices in the areas of criminal defense, personal injury and construction law. MMARBUT@ JAXDAILYRECORD.COM (904) 356-2466
THE MARBUT REPORT
comprises 26 lobbyists in Florida and Washington, D.C.
Page 12 • Thursday, January 17, 2019
Jacksonville Daily Record/Jacksonville Record & Observer
JWLA examines benefits of board service Karen Bowling, Giselle Carson and Ramona Chaplin offer insight into the roles they play in leadership. BY MAX MARBUT ASSOCIATE EDITOR
With thousands of nonprofit and for-profit corporations and five institutions of higher education in Northeast Florida, there are myriad opportunities available to serve on boards of directors or boards of trustees. How boards function, what value they provide for their organizations and how to be elected or invited to join a board were the topics of a panel discussion last week presented by the Jacksonville Women Lawyers Association. The panel, moderated by Rena Coughlin, CEO of the Nonprofit Center of Northeast Florida, comprised three women with extensive board service in the nonprofit, for-profit and government sectors. Karen Bowling, director of the University of North Florida Center for Entrepreneurship, is chair of Florida State College at Jacksonville’s district board of trustees. She has served on the board of directors of JEA, Associated Industries of Florida, Jacksonville Humane Society and First Coast Crime Stoppers. Business immigration attorney Giselle Carson is a shareholder at Marks Gray. She’s a past chair of the Jacksonville Aviation Author-
Photo by Max Marbut
From left, Jacksonville Women Lawyers Association President Jamie Karpman; attorney Giselle Carson; Rena Coughlin, CEO of the Nonprofit Center of Northeast Florida; attorney Ramona Chaplin; Karen Bowling, director of the University of North Florida Center for Entrepreneurship; and Ingrid Osborn, JWLA director of programs.
ity board of directors and serves on the board of the JaxSports Council and the Generation W advisory council. Ramona Chaplin is managing member of Law Offices of Ramona S. Chaplin and immediate past president of Jacksonville Area Legal Aid’s board of directors. Coughlin said boards serve a function similar to that of a legislative body in that they provide a “check” on the executive
power. Boards also often control the finances of a corporation of nonprofit and ensure a company or nonprofit remains true to its mission. “Without strong leadership, an organization is much less likely to succeed,” she said. In the case of nonprofit boards, Coughlin said there usually is “a good split of men and women,” but the panel said that men often outnumber women on corporate
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and government boards. Bowling said her board experience has involved sometimes being in the gender minority. “I’m never offended to be ‘the woman.’ That’s what we have to do to create opportunities for women,” she said. “Boards should be diverse and represent the community the organization serves,” said Carson. Asked how to become a board member, Bowling advised choos-
ing a cause or business of interest and attending functions hosted by the organization. “Meet the people and build relationships with the staff and board members. And tell people you’d like to be on the board,” she said. “Think about it like you’re applying for a job. Be proactive,” Chaplin said. She also commented on the aspect of being an attorney who serves on a board who is asked for a legal opinion related to an issue faced by the board. Sometimes, there’s pressure to advise, but ethics and conflict-of -interest rules apply, she said. Carson said boards should consult the organization’s attorneys or retain outside counsel for advice and “I’m not there as their attorney, I’m not there to serve their legal needs.” Before the panel discussion, JWLA President Jamie Karpman announced that the association’s annual project to provide an opportunity for a law student to work as an intern at Jacksonville Area Legal Aid has a new title: “The JWLA Kathy Para Student Internship at JALA,” It will recognize Para, who retired this month as director of pro bono at the civil legal aid law firm. “It’s the perfect way to commemorate her retirement by honoring her commitment to justice and mentoring,” Karpman said. MMARBUT@ JAXDAILYRECORD.COM (904) 356-2466