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The Mathis Report: ArdentX moving to a bigger space PAGE 4

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Record & Observer The District may get a new name

LAW DAY 2021

JACKSONVILLE

Christian wins RecordGeorge & Observer Lawyer of the Year JACKSONVILLE

Developer Preston Hollow plans a May 25 groundbreaking for the Downtown Southbank project.

Record & Observer F Record & Observer

Inspire to Rise founder Aida Seeraj wins the Liberty Bell Award.

STAFF WRITER

or his work

administering financial aid

appropriatedJACKSONVILLE by the city for residents facing eviction or foreclosure, Christian George is the 2021 Jacksonville Daily Record Lawyer of the Year.

PAGE 9 MORE LAW DAY n The Liberty Bell Award is presented to Aida Seeraj, founder and CEO of the nonprofit Inspire to Rise Inc. Page 12 n Some annual events were canceled by the pandemic, but the Rendezvous on the Rooftop cocktail party and silent auction raised money for Dreams Come True. Page 13 n What the rule of law means to members of Jacksonville’s legal community. Page 14

BY MIKE MENDENHALL

Photo by Katie Garwood

2021 Jacksonville Daily Record Lawyer of the Year Christian George accepts the award from Editor Karen Brune Mathis.

After seven years of planning and delays, dirt is moving at The District site on the Downtown Southbank. Developer Preston Hollow Capital LLC plans a May 25 groundbreaking that could include a project name change. “In mid-to-late May, a lot of activity is going to start being evident on the site and we’ll be coming out May 25 with an update on all fronts as it relates to the property (and) the timing,” said Ramiro Albarran, Preston Hollow managing director of origination and structuring. “There may be a name change but I’m not ready to release that yet.” In an April 23 interview, Albarran said the Dallas-based real estate capital firm will not be a vertical developer on the project and will market the individual property parcels at the 32-acre site to other developers. Since Preston Hollow assumed control of The District’s development company Elements Development of Jacksonville LLC in October, private interest to build at the site increased, according to Downtown Investment Authority CEO Lori Boyer. She said April 23 those talks prompted Preston Hollow to request the Downtown Development Review Board to approve changes to The District’s site plan. The Downtown project would bring retail and restaurants, office space, hotel, residential units, a public marina and new riverfront SEE THE DISTRICT, PAGE 8

What’s Trending: Jaguars head coach buys a house PAGE 2 The Bar Bulletin: Making mental health a priority PAGE 15 The top 10 sales of the week in residential real estate PAGE 20

THE BASCH REPORT

Fortegra IPO withdrawn as parent’s stock slips Plus: Stein Mart stock is canceled. PAGE 3 VOLUME 3, NO. 49 • ONE SECTION

WHAT’S TRENDING

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6, 2021 THURSDAY, MAY JACKSONVILLE DAILY RECORD / JACKSONVILLE RECORD & OBSERVER

Big news doesn’t break just on Thursday. Here’s a look at some of the top stories published over the past week online at JaxDailyRecord.com and in the Jacksonville Daily Record that you may have missed.

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Jacksonville Record & Observer is a free weekly business newspaper available in The 5,785-square-foot, four-bedIt appears Jacksonville Jaguars head Downtown Jacksonville and key business nodes throughout Jacksonville. To find a room, five-bathroom home was built coach Urban Meyer has settled on location near you, visit jaxdailyrecord.com/rack-locations. in 2007. a home in Jacksonville, on the same The two-story home, with a partial street as his former University of Editorial content focuses on news and trends, with a concentration on development, third floor, features an elevator, butFlorida quarterback, Tim Tebow. real estate, construction, law, companies, economic and industry trends and how local ler’s kitchen, game room, heated pool Jacksonville Jaguars head coach and state government affects business. Urban Meyer and his wife, Shelley Jean and spa and summer kitchen. It sits on 0.72 acres. Meyer, sold their home in Dublin, Ohio, STAFF Meyer coached the University of for $1.75 million. Florida from/2005-10. The Shelley Jean Meyer Revocable Director Publisher / Matt Walsh of Gators Advertising Jay Lesowitz Tebow, who played under Meyer, Trust purchased a home April 16 for mwalsh@jaxdailyrecord.com jlesowitz@jaxdailyrecord.com bought aCoordinator home at 12394 Royal Troon $2.15 million at 12450F.Royal Publisher Emeritus / James BaileyTroon Jr. Advertising / Codi Gildberg Lane in 2019 for $2.99 million. Lane in the gated Glen Kernan Golf & adassist@jaxdailyrecord.com jbailey@jaxdailyrecord.com Country Club in South Jacksonville. Editor / Karen Brune Mathis

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THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2021

Tiptree cancels Fortegra IPO offering

The parent company hoped the deal would unlock value for its stock. Tiptree Inc. said in March it hoped an initial public offering of The Fortegra Group Inc. would unlock value in the subsidiary that was not reflected in Tiptree’s stock price. The strategy worked, for a while anyway. Fortegra, a Jacksonvillebased specialty insurance company, is the major operating subsidiary of New Yorkbased Tiptree. It bought the company for $218 million in 2014. Fortegra publicly filed for its IPO on March 15 and proposed terms for the sale April 20, saying it hoped to sell 8.3 million shares at $15 to $17 each. The April 20 filing said Tiptree would retain 48.46 million shares of Fortegra after the IPO. If the shares were sold in the midpoint of its range, $16, that would make Tiptree’s stake worth about $775 million. Tiptree has 32.55 million outstanding shares of its own stock. If its Fortegra stake was worth $775 million, that would make the stake worth $23.81 per Tiptree share, far above its trading price. Tiptree closed at $6.51 on March 15 before the Fortegra IPO filing was made public. The stock began rising after that, reaching $10 on April 19 before the proposed IPO terms were filed. The terms sent the stock even higher to a peak of $15.48 on April 26. Tiptree’s strategy of lifting its value through the Fortegra IPO seemed to be working. However, Tiptree abruptly canceled the IPO on April 29, the day Fortegra’s shares were expected to begin trading on the New York Stock Exchange. Tiptree’s stock, which had already fallen back from its high three days earlier, dropped

File image

Fortegra Financial Corp. at 10751 Deerwood Park Blvd. in Deerwood Park Center.

as much as $4.51 to $8.04 on April 29. The stock ended down 33% last week, making it the fifthbiggest loser in U.S. markets, according to investing website Seeking Alpha. Tiptree said in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing it withdrew the IPO because of market conditions and the “high value” it places on Fortegra. That indicates Wall Street didn’t see the same value and the company couldn’t get the IPO price it wanted. Before it withdrew the IPO, Tiptree said in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing that Fortegra’s adjusted earnings rose 46% to $12.8 million in the first quarter. That followed adjusted earnings growth of 32% to $43.4 million in 2020, according to Fortegra’s IPO filings. “Tiptree remains committed to supporting Fortegra continuing its growth trajectory and views the specialty insurer as a core operating business in the Tiptree family of companies,” Tiptree said in its filing explaining the withdrawal.

Stein Mart stock is canceled Stein Mart Inc. went public in 1992, a time when IPOs were not as common. The Stein Mart era as a pub-

lic company officially came to an end last week as the fashion retailer’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy plan became effective April 28. Stein Mart filed notices with the SEC saying as of the effective date, “all shares of the Company’s common stock and all outstanding options to purchase common stock will be cancelled.” Stein Mart closed the last of its stores in October and essentially went out of business at that point. The steinmart.com website was relaunched by Retail Ecommerce Ventures, which acquired Stein Mart’s intellectual property in bankruptcy court. That online business is not connected to the former Jacksonville-based company.

Panhandle growth helps St. Joe The St. Joe Co. reported a big increase last week in firstquarter revenue, with the real estate developer saying it is benefiting from growth in the Florida Panhandle. St. Joe was a longtime Jacksonville-based conglomerate with interests in several industries plus large landholdings in the Panhandle. It sold off its industrial businesses to focus on developing that land and moved its headquarters to the region in

Accounting gain lifts FRP earnings FRP Holdings Inc. reported a large increase in first-quarter earnings because of a gain related to a real estate partnership project in Washington, D.C. As a result of that gain, Jacksonville-based FRP had earnings of $28.4 million, or $3.03 a share, compared with earnings of $1.6 million, or 16 cents a share, the previous year. The gain related to accounting for its ownership interest in a project called The Maren, one of two riverfront mixed-used projects developed by FRP near the Nationals Park, home of the Washington Nationals baseball team. FRP said leasing at the two projects has been strong despite the COVID-19 pandemic and it expects a return to normal activity to help its business at the sites. “The fact that baseball has started back up with fans in attendance should only further interest in our properties and bolster revenues for our retail tenants,” the company said April 3 in a news release.

Institutional investors buy GEE Group shares

GEE Group Inc. reported no major institutional investors before its secondary stock sale last month. But after its sale of 83.3

million shares, which significantly increased the number of outstanding shares, five firms filed SEC statements showing significant investments in the Jacksonville-based staffing company. One of those firms already made a profit on its investment. FiveT Investment Management Ltd. reported it bought 10 million shares at 60 cents each in the April 18 offering but then sold 5.04 million of those shares at prices slightly above 60 cents. That sale lowered FiveT’s stake in GEE Group to 4.7%, below the 5% threshold that requires firms to file their ownership interests with the SEC. GEE Group used proceeds from the stock sale to pay off debt. “Following our recently completed successful followon equity offering, the repayment of this debt represents another important milestone and substantially improves the Company’s current financial position and balance sheet in addition to benefiting GEE’s future financial results,” GEE Group CEO Derek Dewan said in a news release.

THE BASCH REPORT

MARK BASCH CONTRIBUTING WRITER

2010. It now is headquartered in a Panama City Beach office park it owns. St. Joe more than doubled its first quarter revenue to $41.3 million and recorded earnings of $3.2 million, or 5 cents a share, reversing a loss in the first quarter of 2020. In a news release, CEO Jorge Gonzalez said the revenue growth was significant because the winter quarter is normally its slowest time of the year. “We believe that this is an indication of Northwest Florida becoming less seasonal and more of a year-round resort destination as well as an increase in the number of residents that are choosing to live here full-time,” Gonzalez said. “We believe these trends will continue and we have been positioning the Company accordingly,” he said.

Kraft Heinz coffee sales drop The Kraft Heinz Co. reported coffee sales dropped 23.6% in the first quarter to $210 million, according to its quarterly SEC filing. However, the food conglomerate didn’t address the coffee business at all during its quarterly presentations to analysts last week. Kraft Heinz’s main coffee brand is Maxwell House, and its lone remaining U.S. Maxwell House plant is its Downtown Jacksonville facility at 735 E. Bay St. Financial news reports have said for more than two years that Kraft Heinz would like to sell the Maxwell House business as it restructures its operations, but company officials have never talked publicly about it. Kraft Heinz’s total firstquarter sales rose 3.9% to $6.39 billion and earnings rose by 14 cents a share to 72 cents. MBASCH@ JAXDAILYRECORD.COM

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THE MATHIS REPORT

ArdentX moving to bigger HQ, warehouse space

KAREN BRUNE MATHIS EDITOR

The transportation and logistics company says its sales are up $50 million from last year. ArdentX LLC, a Jacksonville-based transportation and logistics company, intends to relocate its headquarters and launch a warehouse at Freebird Commerce Center in North Jacksonville. The move more than triples ArdentX’s office space, launches its warehousing venture and will double the capacity for employees and truck owner-operators. “I’ve been doing this 40 years,” founder and CEO Chuck Miller said April 26. “We are just really good at what we do. We over-communicate and our service is unbelievable.” Miller says the freightbrokerage company always is available, and staff works on weekends. He expects $120 million in sales this year, up from $70

million last year and $50 million in 2019. He said customers include Clorox, Procter & Gamble, Anheuser-Busch, General Motors, Ford, US Foods, among others. ArdentX also has been the No. 1 carrier for COVID-19 tests nationwide, he said. The ArdentX.co site says its customers include the food, paper, electronics, government and machinery industries. (The site is .co rather than .com because that was used by an out-of-state marketing company.) Miller said ArdentX is investing $1.8 million in the headquarters project, at 13225 Vantage Way, No. 110. He hopes to relocate the business from the Southpoint area by September. ArdentX will lease 51,692 square feet of space at Freebird. Miller said the company will use about 42,000 square feet for warehousing and 10,000 square feet for offices and amenities for employees, such as a gym, locker rooms, kitchen, lounge, game room and more. The city issued a permit April 23 for build-out of 13,500 square feet of space. Emerald C’s Development Inc. is the contractor for the $877,477 build-out. Micamy Design Studio is the interior designer. The North Jacksonville location in Jacksonville International Tradeport takes it closer

Photo by Karen Brune Mathis

Chuck Miller, owner, founder and CEO of logistics company ArdentX, with his son, Connor Miller, chief operating officer. They are expanding the company and moving from Southpoint to Freebird Commerce Center.

to Jacksonville International Airport for air freight and also is near Amazon.com’s Pecan Park Road fulfillment centers. Miller said ArdentX employs 50 people and he hopes to double that with the move. Hiring would start about a month before the relocation. ArdentX will need customer service and warehouse workers, brokers, dispatchers and owner-operators who own their own equipment. He said ArdentX owns 50 trailers and it contracts with truck owner-operators. He

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intends to double that number. Miller said 30 trailers are coming in June, boosting the number to 80. Then he intends to order 20 more. ArdentX also owns a box truck and wants to have at least five for local work and expedited shipments. COO Connor Miller said ArdentX uses the box truck for local delivery, less-thantruckload, last-mile and expedited loads. Its headquarters now occupy 3,246 square feet of office space at 6675 Corporate Center

Parkway, Suite 300, in 95 Corporate Center in the Southpoint area. State corporate records show that ArdentX is led by Charles E. Miller III as president. The ArdentX.co site says he founded the company in 2003 as United Transport Services. It changed to ArdentX in 2019. “As the transportation industry evolved Chuck understood that he would need someone with an innate understanding around the technology involved to continue grow-

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THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2021

RESTAURANT NOTES

Photo by Karen Brune Mathis

ArdentX’s box truck in the parking lot at 95 Corporate Center, the current headquarters. The company wants to have at least five for local work and expedited shipments.

ing. So in 2015, Connor Miller came on board and United Transport Services became ArdentX,” the site says. Connor Miller, Chuck Miller’s son, is listed on the site as co-founder. Connor Miller, 27, is chief operating officer. He has taken over the daily operations of the business and said revenue has doubled. Chuck Miller said he changed the name to reflect the meaning of “ardent” and to add the X to avoid a conflict with other corporate names using the word. He said ardent means passionate and wholehearted. “That is want we are, ardent.” Miller, 58, also has a foundation, C.E.M. Foundation, which focuses on helping the community, especially children. He also has an investment group, ArdentX Holdings. Miller said Newmark Phoenix Realty Group Director Rich Antzcak represented ArdentX in the lease deal. Scannell Properties of Indianapolis is the property owner and developer of Freebird Commerce Center. Cushman & Wakefield of Florida LLC Senior Directors Jacob Horsley and Tyler

Newman and Senior Associate Taylor Calfee represent the property. Freebird Commerce Center comprises two buildings. The ArdentX lease fills up the rest of the 156,000-square-foot Building 100. Home improvement retailer Lowe’s Companies Inc. leases 104,000 square feet there for a last-mile delivery facility for bulky items such as appliances, riding mowers, grills and patio furniture. Miller said ArdentX is talking with Lowe’s about a contract. Building 200 is a 117,750-squarefoot building that Horsley said April 26 is fully available. The site is at southwest Duval and Airport roads, west of Interstate 95. Luke Feldman, senior associate at NAI Hallmark, represents 95 Corporate Center. He said ArdentX’s lease term ends next year and the space is on the market. KMATHIS@JAXDAILYRECORD.COM @MATHISKB (904) 356-2466

Human Bean to Clay County: The Human Bean coffee shop wants to open a 600-square-foot drive-thru shop along Blanding Boulevard opposite Bear Run Boulevard in Orange Park in Clay County. EnVision Design & Engineering is the civil engineer. Human Bean representative Hannah Maynard said the location is set to open in July or August. The Human Bean opened its first drive-thru espresso stand in 1998 in Ashland, Oregon. It expanded to surrounding cities in Southern Oregon and began franchising the brand and system in 2002. The Human Bean brand currently has more than 200 locations open or under development in 23 states. Tropical Smoothie to Dunn: The city issued a mobility fee calculation certificate for a 1,678-square-foot Tropical Smoothie Cafe on about a half-acre at 1290 Dunn Ave. in North Jacksonville. The site is at Dunn Avenue and Haverford Road, west of Interstate 95. Dyne Development LLC of Little Rock, Arkansas, is the developer. Dyne Hospitality Group is the largest Tropical Smoothie Cafe franchise in the brand, with 90 projected to be open by year-end. Wendy’s at Beachwalk: St. Johns County is reviewing a permit application for Wendy’s on 1.13 acres on the south side of County Road 210 West in Beachwalk. The 2,371-square-foot fast-food restaurant will have a drivethru. The property owner is 4th Avenue Partners LLC of Fort Lauderdale.

Crosshill Blvd. in OakLeaf Town Center. Philadelphia-based Five Below Inc. focuses on “tweens, teens and beyond offering trend-right, high-quality products, with extreme $1-$5 value, plus some incredible finds that go beyond $5.” Mavis Tires to Dunn: The city issued a permit May 3 for Mavis Tires & Brakes at 910 Dunn Ave. National Custom Inc. is the contractor for the 6,137-square-foot store at a cost of $685,000. Dollar General to Pritchard Road: The city is reviewing a building permit application for a Dollar General store at 9075 Pritchard Road. The 9,100-square-foot store is planned on just less than an acre at Pritchard and Jones roads. Concept Construction of North Florida Inc. is the contractor for the $475,000 project. Sherwin-Williams to World Golf Village: St. Johns County issued a permit for construction of a 7,470-square-foot Sherwin-Williams paint store at a cost of $926,000 at 295 Commerce Lake Drive at World Golf Village in St. Augustine.

DEVELOPMENT NOTES

Banfield to Collins: The city issued a permit for Tim Young Construction Inc. to build a 4,552-square-foot shell building at $590,000 for Banfield Pet Hospital at 7923 Parramore Road near Costco Wholesale in Collins Town Center in Southwest Jacksonville. David S. Ware Architects is the architect for the shell building on 0.51 acres. Build-out would be permitted separately.

Five Below to OakLeaf: The city issued a permit April 20 for Horizon Retail Construction Inc. of Wisconsin to build-out a 9,372-square-foot retail space for Five Below at a cost of $225,000 at 9625

VyStar to St. Augustine: St. Johns County approved a permit for the $1 million interior remodeling for VyStar Credit Union at 165 Florida 312 W. in St. Augustine.

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Gilberto “Gil” Balli was named assistant special agent in charge of the FBI Jacksonville Resident Agency branch. He will oversee all operations in seven FBI offices in Daytona Beach, Ocala, Gainesville, Tallahassee, Panama City, Fort Walton and Pensacola. Orange Park Medical Center, an HCA Healthcare affiliate, named Pete Long-Innes as chief operating officer of Orange Park Medical Center. He most recently was COO of Frankfort (Kentucky) Regional Medical Center, also an HCA affiliate. He has 12 years of experience within HCA Healthcare. At-Large Group 1 City Council member Terrance Freeman joined Read USA as its first full-time CEO. Read USA is a nonprofit that has provided a quarter of a million free books to more than 73,000 children in Duval County since 2011. The University of North Florida named Karen B. Patterson

as provost and vice president of academic affairs. She has served as interim provost and vice president since Sept. 20. She has been at UNF since 1999, serving in roles that include associate vice president for faculty development, dean of undergraduate studies and associate vice president for faculty resources.

– human resources at bestbet Jacksonville & Orange Park.

Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry appointed Memorial Hospital President and CEO Bradley Talbert to the JaxPort board of directors. City Council unanimously approved the appointment April 13.

Bolles Associate Head of School Mike Drew announced Natalia Aycart as the Bolles director for global learning and engagement, a new position. Previous roles include the global learning and multicultural affairs coordinator and foreign language educator at St. Paul’s Episcopal Day School in Kansas City, Missouri.

Bankruptcy Finance and Legal Manager Michael Weathers will be in charge of handling client files and related court and lending compliance issues for the new Jacksonville office of Bankruptcy Auto Advisors LLC. Melissa Smith has been promoted to vice president – finance and DeLynn Zebouni was promoted to vice president

Cmdr. Juan Rosario assumed the role of director for administration at Naval Hospital Jacksonville. He previously served as executive assistant for operations plans and readiness at the Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery.

Shannon Blankinship becomes executive director of Riverside Avondale Preservation on May 17. She currently is advocacy director of St. Johns Riverkeeper and last year became chair of Resilient Jax. She succeeds

Warren Jones, who is retiring. The Jacksonville Arboretum & Botanical Gardens board of directors elected two new members for 2021 and hired a volunteer coordinator. New board members are Susan Carr, program manager for the North Florida Land Trust, and R. Dean Scott, president of R. Dean Scott Architect Inc. Marti Schmidt was hired as the arboretum’s first full-time volunteer coordinator. Baptist Health announced two new board chairs and new members of the Baptist Health, Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville, Baptist Medical Center South, Baptist Medical Center Nassau and Wolfson Children’s Hospital boards of directors. Cleve Warren was appointed to the Baptist Health System board. He is chief investment officer for Florida State College at Jacksonville. Rachael Tutwiler Fortune, president of the Jacksonville Public Education Fund, and

Penny W. Schmidt

Savannah Feustel joined the Jewish Federation & Foundation of Northeast Florida as marketing assistant.

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Marsha Oliver, vice president of community and inclusion at the PGA Tour, were appointed to Baptist Jacksonville’s board. Michael Diaz was named the Baptist Jacksonville board chair. He is co-founder and CFO of St. Augustine Distillery Co. and chair of FabTech Supply. Marcy Stoudt joined the Baptist South board. She is CEO of Revel Coach. Michael Ammiano joined the Baptist Nassau board. He is senior vice president and commercial account director at Harden, a Gallagher Company. Michael DuBow was named the board chair for Wolfson Children’s Hospital. He is a trustee with the Community Foundation for Northeast Florida and vice president of the Jacksonville Jewish Center board of directors.

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PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

Balli

JACKSONVILLE DAILY RECORD / JACKSONVILLE RECORD & OBSERVER

JaxDailyRecord.com

THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2021

COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE

Top commercial sales of the week FROM STAFF

Here are the top 10 commercial real estate sales in Northeast Florida, comprising Baker, Clay, Duval and St. Johns counties. The sales were recorded April 26-May 2.

File image

Canada-based JMJ Property Holdings sold the Pickwick Apartments in Mandarin for $26 million on April 22.

DUVAL

BAKER

$26,000,000

$12,752,000

$5,900,000

$3,937,000

$3,676,901

3580 Pall Mall Drive, Jacksonville

1816 Kings Ave., Jacksonville

401 Ellis Road, Jacksonville

Panther Preserve Parkway, Jacksonville

13907 Arnold Rhoden Road, Sanderson

Type: Pickwick Apartments Parcel size: 15.02 acres No. of units: 152 Buyer: Hilltop Pickwick LP Seller: Pickwick Jax LP Previous sale: $14,800,000 in 2017

Type: Jax Mini Storage Parcel size: 2.36 acres Building size: 99,000 square feet Buyer: TGA T1 SC San Marco LP Seller: Liberty Storage Jacksonville San Marco LLLP

Type: Warehouse Parcel size: 4.96 acres Building size: 104,448 square feet Buyer: Exeter 401 Ellis LLC Seller: 401 Ellis LLC Previous sale: $2,800,000 in 2014

Type: 62 residential lots in The Preserve at Panther Creek Phases 3A and 3D Parcel size: Not available Buyer: KB Home Jacksonville LLC Seller: Panther Creek Preserve LLC

Type: Cannabis production facility Parcel size: 15.41 acres Building size: 117,483 square feet Buyer: RWB Florida LLC Seller: High Street Capital Partners LLC Previous sale: $3,676,901 in 2020

DUVAL

CLAY

ST. JOHNS

$3,150,000

$3,000,000

$2,626,310

$1,420,000

$1,121,587

3323 Loretto Road, Jacksonville

1401 Atlantic Blvd., Neptune Beach

210 W. Walker Drive, Keystone Heights

21 Hypolita St., St. Augustine

Modesto Drive, St. Augustine

Type: Undeveloped residential subdivision Parcel size: 22.56 acres Buyer: Southbelt Park Ltd., IGS Diamond S Inc. and Irving G. Snyder, Jr. Seller: Cissell Real Estate Holdings LLC and the Murel G. Cissell Living Trust

Type: Motel Parcel size: 3.31 acres Building size: 66,573 square feet Buyer: Neptune Beach Inn LLC Seller: RR Neptune Beach Owner LLC Previous sale: $6,100,000 in 2017

Type: Wendy’s Parcel size: 1.88 acres Building size: 3,133 square feet Buyer: Wincrest Properties LLP Seller: WEN South LLC Previous sale: $1,558,000 in 2021

Type: Thai House & Sushi Bar Parcel size: 0.07 acres Building size: 2,172 square feet Buyer: Mikma Properties LLC Seller: Susan Talpalar and the Susan G. Talpalar Living Trust

Type: 24 residential lots in the Village of Valencia Phase 4 Parcel size: Not available Buyer: Dream Finders Homes LLC Seller: DF Valencia I LLC

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JACKSONVILLE DAILY RECORD / JACKSONVILLE RECORD & OBSERVER

THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2021

The District

THE DISTRICT

The future land use map for The District. Yellow is residential; orange is residential and retail; red is mixed-use, retail, hotel, residential and office; and purple is restaurants.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

park space to 32.21 acres east of the Duval County Public Schools headquarters on the Southbank. DIRT MOVING

J.B. Coxwell Contracting Inc. crews started infrastructure work at The District on April 5, building a $965,105 surface parking lot for the adjacent Duval County School Board building. The lot is part of a land swap between Duval County Public Schools and the project’s Community Development District. The CDD is a state-regulated extension of city government that allows developers and communities to secure financing for constructing, acquiring, operating and maintaining public infrastructure improvements. In exchange, the CDD will receive a parcel south of the school board building. J.B. Coxwell expects to need 131 days to complete the parking lot, according to DPFG Management & Consulting LLC, which represents the CDD.

PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP

Preston Hollow says more site work will begin soon. The CDD is negotiating with a general contractor to rebuild the St. Johns River bulkhead. Albarran said that the contract should be final by the May groundbreaking ceremony. The CDD closed on $35.56 million in bonds in December for its portion of the estimated $58.349 million in site infrastructure improvements it will split with the city, most of which must be finished before buildings can start to rise. The CDD will pay for roadway, water, stormwater, sanitary sewer and electrical connections that will be owned by JEA, according to the engineering report. The CDD also is responsible for the construction of a pedestrian promenade; a public marina; an acquisition of 5.35 acres for road right of way; and the 1.73-acre parking lot for the school board headquarters that

JaxDailyRecord.com

will be owned by the schools. City Council approved $82 million in city financial incentives for Element that include an up to a $56 million Recapture Enhanced Value Grant. Council amended the agreement to allow Preston Hollow to hire up to three general contractors to build out the infrastructure to avoid construction delays. The DIA will pay up to $23 million for cityowned infrastructure. The public contribution covers the construction of new riverfront city parks and a bulkhead; a boardwalk and trails; a water taxi stop; and extensions to Prudential Drive, Broadcast Place, Riverside Drive and the Southbank Riverwalk to support and connect The District to Downtown. NEW SITE PLAN

The Downtown Development Review Board will be asked to consider changes to the site plan at its May 13 meeting that could increase building height limits on two of the individual project parcels to 50 feet. Documents filed by CDD engineering firm Kimley-Horn and Associates Inc. say the changes will allow three-floor town houses

with potential rooftop decks to be built near the southeast corner of the development. Kimley-Horn’s report also shows mixeduse, hotel, office, retail and residential parcels on the west half of The District property. The engineering firm reports the change would “promote a mix of uses within the development and provides greater flexibility in accommodating the end-users.” The District’s tallest building could be up to 350 feet, according to Kimley-Horn’s presentation. Albarran said he could not say if the estimated $600 million in total investment promoted for years by The District’s former co-leads Peter Rummell and Michael Munz is still the target. Preston Hollow assumed control of the project Oct. 16 when it became title manager of landowner Elements, previously owned by RummellMunz Equity LLC. Preston Hollow helped Elements buy the 32-acre site in July 2018 from JEA, which had cleared a former generating station from the property. MMENDENHALL@JAXDAILYRECORD.COM (904) 356-2466

DEVELOPMENT TODAY These are the largest commercial building permits by job cost issued May 4 by the city of Jacksonville. HOSPITAL, INSTITUTIONAL Baptist Medical Center, 836 Prudential Drive, No. 1006, contractor is Commercial Construction Services Inc., 3,903 square feet, bariatrics tenant build-out, $300,000. INDUSTRIAL Sarnova, 2619 Ignition Drive, No. 2, contractor is Dav-Lin Interior Contractors Inc., 130,567 square feet, tenant build-out, $2.45 million. APR Energy, 2619 Ignition Drive, No. 4, contractor is Dav-Lin Interior Contractors Inc., 42,038 square feet, tenant build-out, $500,000. Simpson Strong-tie Co. Inc., 8701 Jesse B Smith Court, contractor is Dav-Lin Interior Contractors Inc., 102,548 square feet, alteration, $139,981. OFFICE, BANK, PROFESSIONAL Ascension St. Vincent’s Medical Group Cardiology, 1824 King St., No. 300, contractor is Tower Contracting Co. of Northeast Florida Inc., renovation, $169,766. Wounded Warrior Project Inc., 4899 Belfort Road, No. 190, contractor is Dav-Lin Interior Contractors Inc., 2,608 square feet, alteration, $142,316. SIGNS Dragons Vape, 5966 Moncrief Road, No. 3, contractor is Advanced Electrical Contractors Inc., wall sign, $2,200. Compiled by Daily Record Staff

your trusted

Dear Karen Brune Mathis: a icemail and for mailing me vo ur yo for ch mu ry ve Thanks your tors. I greatly appreciate ac ntr Co p To a’s are the copy of follow-up. king; d your colleagues are ma an u yo rk wo lid so the Keep up useful jective, well-written, and ob st mo the is al dic rio your pe nsume on a daily basis. business information I co Thanks again, John Glover President

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JACKSONVILLE DAILY RECORD / JACKSONVILLE RECORD & OBSERVER

JaxDailyRecord.com

THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2021

LAW DAY 2021 LAWYER OF THE YEAR

George led eviction relief program

He coordinated the system to help distribute money that was part of the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act.

LAWYER OF THE YEAR

BY MAX MARBUT ASSOCIATE EDITOR

In recognition of his leadership when the Jacksonville Bar Association volunteered to administer financial aid appropriated by the city for residents facing eviction or foreclosure, Christian George is the 2021 Jacksonville Daily Record Lawyer of the Year. The award was presented by Daily Record Editor Karen Brune Mathis at the JBA’s annual Law Day meeting and luncheon at the Omni Jacksonville Hotel on May 5. Mathis said the Daily Record gave its first Lawyer of the Year award in 1986 to honor Jacksonville lawyers who not only are at the top of their game, but also are providing exemplary and impactful community service. Recipients also must demonstrate the standards and characteristics of the association’s values, and demonstrate professionalism and integrity. Jacksonville City Council approved the eviction and foreclosure relief program in December. The legislation designated $6.8 million for the relief program after the city received $168 million from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act. The JBA board of governors appointed George chair of the committee that coordinated the program. It worked with association staff and temporary employees who helped people apply and then processed the grant requests. “The city reached out to find a partner for something that hadn’t been done before. Being a community-focused organization, we volunteered to help. If you’ve got a problem, hopefully lawyers can solve it. We are happy that we could administer it and get millions of dollars into the community,” George said after the program closed in March. Residential tenants could

Photos by Katie Garwood

Christian George, 2021 Jacksonville Daily Record Lawyer of the Year, speaks after winning the award at the Jacksonville Bar Association annual Law Day meeting and luncheon May 5 at the Omni Jacksonville Hotel.

receive up to $5,000 and businesses up to $10,000 after meeting qualification requirements. Through the JBA program, applications were approved for about $3.2 million for more than 1,000 residential tenants and $315,000 for 63 commercial tenants who were behind on rent and mortgage payments because of the coronavirus shutdown. The remainder of the money will be returned to the city to sustain the rent relief program, now being administered by United Way of Northeast Florida. One business that took advantage of the program was, before the pandemic, one of Downtown’s busiest lunch destinations. The pandemic made it nearly impossible to meet monthly expenses. Allan DeVault is managing partner of Black Sheep Restaurant Group, owners and operators of Black Sheep in Five Points, Orsay in Avondale and Bellwether at 100 N. Laura St. He said Bellwether was hit the hardest of the three when so many people who went to their Downtown offices Monday-Friday before COVID-19 were sent

Carla Miller, the 2020 Jacksonville Daily Record Lawyer of the Year, accepts her award in person from Editor Karen Brune Mathis. The Law Day luncheon was virtual last year because of COVID-19.

home to work remotely, essentially ending the strong midday business at the restaurant. “We were about to tell our land-

lord we couldn’t pay the rent. We were grateful to get the help,” DeVault said. Also at the meeting, JBA Presi-

All-Inclusive full service office space located in the heart of Downtown. Office space with synergy. Adjacent to the Duval County Courthouse. Bigger image for your company without the bigger price tag. Schedule a tour today!

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2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986

Christian George Carla Miller Kathy Para Mike Freed Alan Pickert Stephen Pajcic III Lori Boyer G. Ray Driver Jr. Giselle Carson George Gabel G.E. Schulz Jr. Cindy Laquidara W.C. Gentry Robert Rhodes Howard Coker Robert Spohrer William Scheu Jr. Circuit Judge Karen Cole Rick Mullaney Jake Schickel E. Lanny Russell Robert Harris Joseph Milton Audrey Moran Howard Dale Mark Hulsey William Brinton James Rinaman Jr. Hank Coxe William Scheu Jr. David Foster J. Shepard Bryan Charles Towers Jr. Tracey Arpen Jr. Daniel Coffman Jr. Hugh Cotney

dent Michelle Bedoya Barnett announced results of the 2021-22 board of governors election. John Weedon was elected to succeed Fraz Ahmed, who resigned from the board to become the association’s president-elect. Weedon will join re-elected incumbent board members Brian Coughlin, Christian George, Jamie Karpman, Blane McCarthy and Asghar Syed when the new board and 2021-22 JBA President Michael Fox Orr take office July 1, Barnett said. MMARBUT@ JAXDAILYRECORD.COM (904) 356-2466

JACKSONVILLE DAILY RECORD / JACKSONVILLE RECORD & OBSERVER

THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2021

JaxDailyRecord.com

CLAY COUNTY

ST. JOHNS COUNT

LEGAL AID

LEGAL AID Benefactor Council ($10,000 +)

AT&T

Florida Blue Foundation

The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida

Mike and Crystal Freed

Elite Parking Services

Gunster Law Firm

Nemours

Hancock Whitney

Pajcic & Pajcic, P.A.

Harrell & Harrell, P.A.

Thomas Fitzpatrick Slater

Fannin Johnson Group

Farah & Farah, P.A.

Patricia Hogan

Jacksonville Justice Associat

President’s Council ($5,000—$10,000) Akerman Bedell, Dittmar, DeVault, Pillans & Coxe, PA Coker Law Creed & Gowdy, P.A. Eartha M.M. White Charitable Fund

Edwards & Ragatz, P.A. Richard Fannin Fidelity Charitable Jacksonville Jaguars Foundation, Inc. Clay Lee

Morgan & Morgan, P.A. Moseley, Prichard, Parrish, Knigh Jones, P.A. Vystar Credit Union Michael R Weatherby

Executive Council ($1,000—$5,000) American Endowment Foundation

Harry & Sylvia Livingston

Orthofix, Inc.

Ali and Jamie Shelton

Elizabeth M. Head

Kathy and Bud Para

William G. Shelton Jr.

Audrey Amerson

Maria Henderson

Paul Pitel

Shuster & Saben, LLC

Bishop & Mills

Miriam Rose Hill

Drew Prusiecki

Spohrer & Dodd, P.L.

Jonathan P Bochese

Corinne Cotton Hodak

Lauren Vickroy Purdy

Cyndi Stevenson Campaign

Joe Bucher

Wayne Hogan

John Joseph Rahaim II

Mitchell Adam Stone

Steven Michael Bush

Shane Hunt

Regency Group, Inc.

Robert Taylor

Matthew F. Carlucci

iTP Partners

M Louise Robbins

Shawn Thomas

Tim & Stephanie Cost

Bill Johnson

Rogers Towers

James Floyd Waters III

Sean B Cronin

Charles Beaumont Lembcke

Thomas Carl Santoro

Joshua A Whitman

Collette Bridget Cunningham

The Livingston Family

Diana Bolling Davis

Main Street America Group

Katy Jean Ann DeBriere

Mastercraft Builder Group LLC

Lisa Anne DiFranza

Amy Michelle McGuiness

Donahoo & McMenamy PA

McKesson Medical-Surgical

Durant, Schoeppel & Decunto, PA

Marcia Sanders Mederos

Dutra Group

Carroll Keith Meiser

Florida Power & Light

Matthew Meiners

Millard Fowler

Milam Howard Nicandri Gillam & Renner, P.A.

Byron Giddens

David Miller

Glazier, Glazier & Dietrich

Michael Payne Milton

Global Realty of North Florida

National Christian Foundation

Jason Haider

NGM Charitable Foundation

Nova Danielle Harb

We Can Never Say It Enough... Since 1937, there’s been a place to turn when

justice and fairness seemed impossible, elusive, or out-ofreach: Jacksonville Area Legal Aid.

Because of your support, JALA's legacy of "leveling the legal playing field" for those in need will carry o

Please accept our thanks on behalf of our clients, our board of directors, and our staff.

James A. Kowalski, Jr President & CEO Jacksonville Area Legal Aid

tion

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g on.

r. O d

JaxDailyRecord.com

JACKSONVILLE DAILY RECORD / JACKSONVILLE RECORD & OBSERVER

THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2021

Associates of JALA ($350—$1,000) Aaron R. Cohen, P.A Beverly Abbott Abel Bean Law, P.A. Fraz Ahmed Marianne Lloyd Aho Alexander Law Practice, P.A. Mark Gorman Alexander Heidi Reamer Anderson Catherine Hora Anderson Averitt & Alford, PA Tina Ayoub Bank of America - Charles Schwab Bank of America Employee Giving Campaign Earl Middleton Barker Jr. Kathryn Reed-Long Barney Drake M Batchelder Thomas M Bell Robert Eric Eric Bilik Ann Margaret Bittinger Blackburn & Company, L.C. Rhonda Burns Boggess Kristen Nicole Bohlman Sarah Harriet Bohr The Bolles School James P. Bolling Karen Bowden Dana Gibson Bradford II Laura Anne Bradley David S Brecher Garrett L. Briggs Donna Brooks D. Rodney Brown Joseph Shepard Bryan Jr. Phillip Arthur Buhler Brandi Bullard Maureen Bush Timothy Ryan Buskirk William P Byrne John Francis Callender Joseph Vincent Camerlengo Jr. Jason Eugene Campbell Maria Constantine Carantzas Hugh Alfred Carithers Jr. Sharon M Caserta Christopher Lee Casey John Warren Caven Jr. Ali Chahlavi Christopher David Chamberlain Kenneth Geoffrey Charron Kimberly Vinnick Cheiken Lorie Lee Chism William Voltaire Choisser Valerie Caswell Chritton Mary Cottrell Cobb Lisa C Cohen Steven Patrick Combs David Christopher Cook Kevin Bayly Cook Terry Daniel Cordell Timothy John Corrigan CourtFunds Charles William Curtis III Daniel Joseph D'Alesio Jr. Lawrence Charles Datz Robert Dawkins Blake F Deal III Jon Patrick DeBardeleben Poppy Decunto Candy Dice Vivile R Dietrich Sunshine Dillard-Andriano Emily Kerns Dillow Geoffrey B Dobson Paul Michael Doolittle Christopher Michael Drury David D. Duncan Jana Ellis Nellie Katherine Estes Nathan Evans Michael Tomme Fackler Steven Michael Fahlgren James E. Farah James Ahlers Farson Andrew J Fawbush

Victoria Wilson Fernandez Mitchell Fischer Alan M Fisher Gina Fishman Michelle Lea Fusillo Nicole Gardner Gartner, Brock and Simon Glenn Frederick Gaver Julia Gazecka Law Office of W.C. Gentry John F Germany Jr. Toby Elizabeth Gialluca Craig Anthony Gibbs Andrew Scott Glazier Scott Leigh Glazier James Kerr Crain Glober Michael Jay Goldsberry Doris Sussman Goldstein Bryan Collier Goode III Alexander M. Graham Stephanie Ullman Grau Michael T. Gray Rachel D Gray Mark M Green Tara S. Green Greenberg Traurig, P.A. Gwen Griggs Reed W Grimm Renee Danfora Grosse Mattox S Hair Hardesty, Tyde, Green & Ashton, P.A. Whitney Carson Harper Harris Guidi Rosner, PA Paola Parra Harris Heather June Hatcher Catherine Hawks Jonathan Lee Hay Eric Lee Hearn Christopher Howard Henderson Craig Peter Hoffman John Wayne Hogan Sara Holladay Stephen A Hould Margaret Carswell Howell Douglas Hughes John Wilson Humes Jr. International Management Company Aaron James Irving Jacksonville Track Club Jacksonville Women Lawyers Association (JWLA) Laura Fannin Jacqmein Jakab Law, PLLC Jeff & Doris Goldstein Donor Advised Fund Travis David Johnson Bradley R Johnson Jerald J. Johnson Living Trust John Russel Jolly Gordon Jones Jones and McCorkle Richard Keith Jones Matthew R. Kane Kevin Andrew Kane Jamie Wershbale Karpman David Scott Kassenoff Robert William Keep Jr. Lee G Kellison Timothy Patrick Kelly Frederick Heber Kent III Kids First Dentistry Rohit Kirpalani Michael Brian Kirwan Andrew Jackson Knight II Michael Anthony Kolcun Michael Jeffrey Korn Timothy Kotsis James Edward Krause Caroline Elizabeth Kubovy William W. Kurtz Jr. Glenn E. Kushel Kellie LaGatta Christian James Lake Lauren Parsons Langham The Lasky Law Firm

Jeremy Durward Lasnetski Jon Courson Lasserre Richard Lyndon Lasseter Michael Richard Leas Eric William Leb Steven Alan Leitman Andrea Finkle Lennon Lester Bass Campaign Rutledge Richardson Liles Jon M Lindell Longshore DBA Mediators, Inc. Louis R. Lothman Christina Loulan Christopher N. Lyn John Barber Macdonald William Arthur MacQueen Ryan Maloney Ray A Mantle Rodney Stuart Margol Michael David Marrese Marc and Anne Mayo Charitable Fund Michael Mayo Mallory Elizabeth McCarroll Blane Gerard McCarthy Edward McClamma Carolyn McClanahan Jana Rae McCreary Whitney McGuire Michael John McKee Brad Bradford Meadows John G Metcalf Jane Watson Miller Jason Scott Miller Carol Snyder Miller Douglas John Milne Jeffery Bruce Morris George Thomas Morrison Mortgage & Credit Center, LLC Mortgage Specialists International James F Moseley Jr. Shea Michael Moser John Murphy Niels Murphy Banda DeLane Nadeau Lawrence John Najem Jessica R Narducci Rusty Newman NLP Logix Michael Scott Noble Carolyn Ossi Nofal John Henry November Daniel Brunson Nunn Jr. Michael Aziz Ossi Joy Nicole Owenby Paul James Palasz Robert Bruce Parrish Angelo M Patacca Jr. Diane Lynn Paull Mark Pavlick II Paul Ignatius Perez Meagan Hart Perkins Karen Brummert Perrin Phi Delta Phi, Florida Coastal School of Law Philip S. Kinney, PA Dorothy M. Pilcher Joni Alexis Poitier Matthew Polimeni Kelley Presley Michael Steven Price Joseph William Prichard Jr. Greg David Prysock Alan Keith Ragan Lois Virginia Ragsdale Raymond Michael Ravis Jr. David Clifford Reeves Dee D Reiter Robert M Rhodes Gayle Lynn Rice Karen Cynthia Riewe James Curtis Rinaman Jr. Matt Riordan Lewis Levi Ritter IV Diidri Robinson John Thomas Rogerson III

John Edwin Ross Ross Garden Design, Inc. David Daniel Rottmann Rubenstein Law PA Patricia Veronica Russo S. Reeder Henley Oral Surgery Avery Sander John Allen Sapora Alison H. Sausaman Jack Marvin Schemer Terrance Edward Schmidt Penny Wilson Schmidt Jodi Seitlin Markus Ankuan Sermons Ashwin A. Sharma Elizabeth Daley Shaw Shilts CPA, PLLC Howard William Skinner Judy-Ann Smith Alexander G Smith Amanda Farmand Smith Smoak, Davis & Nixon, LLP Nollys Ryan Solarte Jr. Matthew Spohrer Lisa Elizabeth Steely Monique Stelling Barbara Suddath Strickland Thomas Cleveland Sullivan James T Terrell Terrell Hogan Joel Barry Toomey Clay B Tousey III Brent Tuten Lindsay L Tygart Underwood Law, LLC Elmir Vajzovic Vanguard Charitable Heath L Vickers Thomas Waldo James V. Vance Walker II Willie James Walker Thomas Edward Wallace Benjamin Johnson Weaver Jr. Dianne Jay Weaver Weaver & Weaver, P.A. Lauren Mackenzie Weisman Bill White Christine Cannell Whitney Trevor Scott Williams Dale Stewart Wilson Laurel French Wilson Stephen Kyle Winham Jill Witter Michael Allen Wodrich Garry Wood Samantha Wood Jeffrey Alan Yarbrough Rogih Yazgi Evan Jay Yegelwel Rebecca Nikirk Zima

This listing reflects contributions received from law firms, businesses and individuals to Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, St .Johns County Legal Aid and Clay County Legal Aid from January 1 - December 31, 20. Please notify Dennis Harrison, Chief Development Officer, of any errors or omissions to the list by calling (904) 356-8371. If an error has occurred please accept our sincere apologies and we thank you in advance for your understanding. 356657-1

JACKSONVILLE DAILY RECORD / JACKSONVILLE RECORD & OBSERVER

THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2021

JaxDailyRecord.com

LIBERTY BELL AWARD

The career community services advocate’s nonprofit helps children, teens and families access resources.

Liberty Bell Award winner Aida Seeraj and David Thompson, Jacksonville Bar Association Law Week Committee chair.

BY MAX MARBUT ASSOCIATE EDITOR

The Liberty Bell Award was presented to Aida Seeraj, founder and CEO of the nonprofit Inspire to Rise Inc. The Jacksonville Bar Association presents the annual Law Day recognition to someone who isn’t an attorney but has made significant contributions to the legal community or the community at large. A native of Juncos, Puerto Rico, Seeraj came to the U.S. with her family and grew up in Southwest Florida. Seeraj’s first experience with community service was in 1990, when she volunteered with Special Olympics while in high school. She also participated in missionary work helping orphaned children and leprosy patients in Ecuador. After graduating from the University of Dallas in 1998, Seeraj moved to South Florida and then Jacksonville to work for the Florida Department of Children and Families in child welfare, quality management and administration. In 2010, she became women and families program director at

2021 Aida Seeraj 2020 Mary Littlejohn Singleton 2019 Max Marbut 2018 Joseph Stelma Jr. 2017 Pam Paul 2016 Hugh Carithers 2015 Kathy Para 2014 Patricia Morowski 2013 Philip Little 2012 Karen Brune Mathis 2011 Jeffrey Goldhagen

Photo by Katie Garwood

2010 Frank Mackesy 2009 Mary Lou Martinson 2008 Jim Bailey 2007 L. Diane Gill 2006 Sarah Fowler 2005 Bobby Deal 2004 Deborah Gianoulis 2003 Ed Lang 2002 John Rutherford 2001 Tom Patania 2000 Margaret and Glen Mitchell

Sulzbacher, a homeless services provider. Seeraj later became the nonprofit’s executive director of its sibling foster care program. She was executive director in the Jacksonville office of Daytona Beach-based Neighbor to Family Inc., which served abused and neglected children in Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina and South Carolina, from 2012 before establishing Inspire to Rise in January 2019. With the slogan, “Strengthening Families Through Servic-

es,” the nonprofit coordinates local and state programs that help children, teens and families access community resources such as mental health services, life skills and parenting education, tutoring, resource connections, arts programs and mentoring. In partnership with LSF Health Systems and Overdose Data to Action Duval County, Inspire to Rise is a licensed substance abuse treatment provider for prevention, intervention, case management and outpatient services.

L AW Y E R S

In September 2019, the Jacksonville City Council approved a $98,000 grant to allow the nonprofit Volunteers in Medicine to staff a free clinic two days a week at Inspire to Rise’s headquarters at 5927 Old Timuquana Road in West Jacksonville. In addition, Inspire to Rise is supported by The Partnership for Mental Health, a project of Baptist Health and the Delores Barr Weaver Fund. MMARBUT@ JAXDAILYRECORD.COM (904) 356-2466

1999 Pam Basney 1998 David Hicks 1997 Nathaniel Glover 1996 Betty Center 1995 Liz Williams 1994 Larry Rambach 1993 I.M. Sulzbacher 1992 Willye Dennis 1991 Rita DeYoung 1990 Albert Taylor 1989 Jimmy Patrick 1988 Arlene Friedman

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JACKSONVILLE DAILY RECORD / JACKSONVILLE RECORD & OBSERVER

BY MAX MARBUT ASSOCIATE EDITOR

For the second year, the Jacksonville Bar Association’s Law Week activities were curtailed by the coronavirus pandemic. The annual Citizenship Day observance with its traditional naturalization ceremony at the Bryan Simpson U.S. Courthouse was canceled. The annual Law Week party hosted by the Edwards & Ragatz law firm is postponed until later this year. “This year was challenging. Given the pandemic and the things we had to cancel, I think we’ve done all right,” said David Thompson, co-chair with Mary Margaret Giannini of the Law Week Committee. The annual Rendezvous on the Rooftop cocktail party and silent auction was April 19 at Burrito Gallery Brooklyn. Through sponsorships, tickets and bids, the event raised more than $1,130 for Dreams Come True, the nonprofit that grants wishes to children with lifethreatening medical conditions.

LAW DAY 2021

Law Week event raises money for Dreams Come True JBA members help grant wishes for children with lifethreatening medical conditions.

THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2021

Since it debuted in 2010, Rendezvous on the Rooftop has donated more than $25,000 for the children and their families, said Andrea Siracusa, Dreams Come True director of community relations. “We’re blessed to be supported by the Jacksonville Bar Association. Proceeds from this year will be critical to help us be able to continue our mission,” Siracusa said. As in past years, JBA Siracusa members donated art supplies that will be delivered to West Riverside Elementary School, where students participated in a poster contest with this year’s national Law Day theme, “The Rule of Law – Now.” Because of pandemic restrictions, the artwork will not be displayed at the Duval County Courthouse. Instead, it is posted on the JBA website at jaxbar. org and members of the public may vote for their favorite. The artist whose poster receives the most votes will be recognized at a ceremony at the school.

Photo by Max Marbut

Above: Law Week Committee Co-chairs Mary Margaret Giannini and David Thompson with art supplies donated by Jacksonville Bar Association members for students at West Riverside Elementary School and toiletries donated for clients of Downtown Ecumenical Services. Left: The annual Rendezvous on the Rooftop at Burrito Gallery Brooklyn raised more than $1,130 for the nonprofit Dreams Come True.

MMARBUT@ JAXDAILYRECORD.COM (904) 356-2466

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THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2021

JaxDailyRecord.com

‘ADVANCING THE RULE OF LAW NOW’

The theme of this year’s annual Law Day celebration declares that the rule of law is the “bedrock of American rights and liberties in times of calm and unrest alike.”

LAW DAY 2021

BY MAX MARBUT ASSOCIATE EDITOR

aw Day is the annual opportunity to understand how the law contributes to freedom, justice and equality. In 1957, American Bar Association President Charles Rhyne proposed an observance to celebrate the legal system. A year later, President Dwight Eisenhower was the first to proclaim Law Day to be a national dedication to the principle of government under law. In 1961, Congress, in a joint resolution, designated May 1 as the official date to observe Law Day, codifying that it “is a special day of celebration by the people of the United States … in appreciation of their liberties and the reaffirmation of their loyalty to the United States and of their rededication to the ideals of equality and justice under law in their relations with each other and with other countries; “ … for the cultivation of the respect for law that is so vital to the democratic way of life ... inviting the people of the United States to observe Law Day, U.S.A., with appropriate ceremonies and in other appropriate ways, through public entities and private organizations and in schools and other suitable places.” Each year, the ABA selects a theme for Law Day. This year, it is “Advancing the Rule of Law Now,” declaring that the rule of law is the “bedrock of American rights and liberties in times of calm and unrest alike.” The online edition of Black’s Law Dictionary describes it this way: “The concept of the rule of law goes back to ancient times and it can essentially be summed up by the well-known phrase, ‘nobody is above the law.’ In other words, in a governing system based on the rule of law, everybody is held equally accountable under the same laws. “In contrast, a system that is based upon the rule of men, such as a tyranny, monarchy, theocracy, or oligarchy, occurs when governance, laws, and the administration of justice are determined by the interests of a single person or group of people.”

MMARBUT@JAXDAILYRECORD.COM (904) 356-2466

WHAT IT MEANS TO THEM Here is what the rule of law means to members of Jacksonville’s legal community:

The 2021 Law Day logo.

Andrew Miller disobedience in the pursuit of justice. The courts and our judges are charged with the responsibility to ensure the laws are correctly applied to all. The rule of law, through the court system, should guarantee that we are never treated unfairly or deprived of our rights. It will only be through the adherence and preservation of the rule of law that we as a people can truly be secure, safe, prosperous and free.

President of the Jacksonville Justice Associaton Laws are meant to codify the values of the people they will govern. As those values change, the laws change with them. In order to ensure that our laws and our values conform, those who write the laws must listen to those who will be required to live under them. The values of the people might be expressed in many ways, including votes, civic participation and lawful protest. It is the duty of our lawmakers, and our law enforcers, to respect these voices, as they are the embodiment of our collective values, of our rule of law.

Timothy Corrigan Chief U.S. District Judge, Middle District of Florida In these times of increased polarization, there is still one basic tenet on which virtually all Americans agree: That we are governed by the Constitution and the rule of law. That’s because Americans understand that adherence to the rule of law is vital to our nation’s identity and continuity. Whether it’s obeying traffic laws, paying taxes or respecting a court’s ruling, the vast majority of American citizens willingly comply with the law because they know it’s the price we pay to live in a civilized society. This Law Day, I hope we can all appreciate the principle of the rule of law and remember to never take it for granted.

Cyndy Trimmer President of the Jacksonville Women Lawyers Association I’ll bet if you polled 20 lawyers about what the phrase “rule of law” means, you would get 20 different answers. It is one of those phrases we all understand to be powerful, but the import can be different for each of us. As an advocate for women in the legal profession, I see this year’s Law Day theme as an opportunity for discussion regarding roadblocks to equity within the law, the role of rules and regulations (think presumptive continuances for parental leave as just one example), and where responsibility for advancing solutions lies.

Michael Fox Orr President-elect of the Jacksonville Bar Association

David Dunlap Chapter President of the American Board of Trial Advocates Jacksonville The rule of law is an ambiguous term and may mean different things in different contexts and to different groups of people. Never has this been more true than in the current status of American history in the areas of immigration law; rights of citizens and noncitizens; access to basic human rights; application of the law on an equal and transparent basis; and the boundaries of civil obedience/

Nothing is more important to an organized and thriving society than the rule of law. Whether in a time of war or peace, riots or calm, debate or agreement, the rule of law serves as a guiding light to order and freedom. It gives us the opportunity for accountability and accessible justice. It will not be perfect, but it will always be needed. We should never stop the hard work necessary to advance the rule of law in Jacksonville and abroad.

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THE BAR BULLETIN

THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2021

Bar Bulletin The

PROTECTING RIGHTS • PURSUING JUSTICE • PROMOTING PROFESSIONALISM

INSIDE

PRO BONO FROM THEPRESIDENT PRESIDENT THE

MENTAL HEALTH

COMMENTARY

Judge Guy on the power of apology

MAKE IT A PRIORITY

In the practice of law, apologies are food to the famished. They can impact the present and alter the future and judges appreciate them more than attorneys know. PAGE 17

PRO BONO

Helping serve Rethreaded A virtual legal clinic offers hope for human trafficking survivors. PAGE 16

MICHELLE BEDOYA BARNETT JBA PRESIDENT

The green ribbon is a symbol of Mental Health Awareness Month in May. Green represents hope, strength, support and encouragement for sufferers.

If you are having a hard time, feeling unfulfilled or even lost, seek help.

have a Type A personality. My day starts really early and I have a to-do list that I work and rework throughout the day. Sometimes I work on it in the middle of the night and sometimes in the wee hours of the morning. But never after 9 p.m. I am usually asleep. Throw in a busy law practice, a healthy dose of community and Bar involvement, a husband, three kids, aging parents and an active faith com-

munity and it makes for a lot of balls to juggle. Like most of you, I thrive when I am busy. I realized a long time ago that the area that I fail in miserably is taking care of myself, both physically and emotionally. May is Mental Health Awareness month. I have tried to make my mental health a priority. There have been stages in my professional life when I regularly saw a therapist. My therapist is retired now and thankfully she lets

me call her anytime I need. She helped me learn some skills and helped me understand some things that I have found to be very beneficial in my life and have to regularly remind myself: Set boundaries with your work, with your clients, with your colleagues, with your family, and with your loved ones. Others should not control your emotions. Only I control how I feel. SEE BARNETT, PAGE 19

JBA YOUNG LAWYERS SECTION

Lee High’s historic opportunity Jacksonville has another famous Lee who accomplished more in his life than most anyone could imagine: Joseph E. Lee PAGE 18

YOUNG LAWYERS

Young Lawyers Section election season: We want you Board membership offers personal and professional growth opportunities.

KAYLA HAINES HERRIN JBA YOUNG LAWYERS SECTION

It’s that time of year when the Jacksonville Bar Association Young Lawyers Section board of governors is looking for our next board members. Elections will begin soon and I want to encourage anyone interested to run for

our board and to get involved. For those on the fence, I will tell you a little about my experience. I have been involved with this board for three years now; one year as an ex officio member and two years in my elected seat. Board activity is incredibly rewarding. Over the course of these three years, I have not only met some of my closest friends, but I’ve been involved and led some of our biggest initiatives

and gained leadership skills in the process. I have gained confidence in myself that translates to other parts of my life, including my practice and position at my firm. Other than being the section of the association for young lawyers who either are under age 35 or are in their first five years of practice, we are the charitable arm of the JBA. We plan and host three events every year that raise money for

local charities: A golf tournament, a poker tournament and the YLS Chili Cook-Off. I think the most rewarding part of being involved is being able to raise money for nonprofits that need our help. Over the past three years alone, we have raised tens of thousands of dollars for charities like Clarke School for Hearing and Speech, Learn to Read and Women’s SEE HERRIN, PAGE 19

THE BAR BULLETIN

THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2021

JBA CALENDAR COMMITTEE MEETINGS For all meetings, register at jaxbar.org MAY 6 Mentoring Lunch with Melina Buncome and Rachel Rall 11:30 a.m., The Bearded Pig MAY 11 Elder Law Noon, in person at the JBA office and virtual MAY 11 Judicial Relations Noon, virtual MAY 12 Solo and Small Firm Noon, in person at the JBA office and virtual

UPCOMING EVENTS For all events, register at jaxbar. org MAY 6 COVID Update: Civil Litigation Noon, virtual Special to the Daily Record

The Jacksonville nonprofit Rethreaded offers employment for survivors of trafficking.

PRO BONO

Virtual legal clinic offers hope for human trafficking survivors

SARAH SULLIVAN THREE RIVERS LEGAL SERVICES PRO BONO DIRECTOR

Three Rivers Legal Services and JWLA partner to help clients at Rethreaded. When the term “human trafficking” is mentioned, many people get the image of men, women and children in the back of a truck or in a shipping container being secretly transported across an international border. The reality of human trafficking is that it happens out in the open in our neighborhoods and communities. Florida consistently ranks in the top states for instances of human traffick-

ing and Jacksonville is situated with the intersection of Interstates 95 and 10 making it easier for trafficking networks to move people from one place to another. Survivors of human trafficking have significant legal hurdles to pass to rejoin society. One of Jacksonville’s nonprofits, Rethreaded, is combating human trafficking by providing employment for survivors. Rethreaded’s mission is to renew hope, reignite dreams and release potential for survivors of human trafficking locally and globally through business. Its program focuses on skillbuilding, financial independence and healing. The project has employed 40 women who are survivors of human trafficking and has provided 60,000 hours of work. On March 23, Three Rivers Legal Services Inc. and the Jacksonville Women Lawyers Association worked together to provide free legal advice to employees of Rethreaded. The event provided direction for legal issues common to survivors of human trafficking such as licensure matters, landlord and tenant conflicts, family law and consumer debt issues. By providing the free legal advice,

THE JACKSONVILLE BAR ASSOCIATION LEADERSHIP President Michelle Bedoya Barnett, Alexander DeGance Barnett President-elect Michael Fox Orr, Orr | Cook Treasurer Fraz Ahmed, Coker Law

Secretary Blane McCarthy, Blane McCarthy Young Lawyers Section President Ashlea Edwards, Akerman Executive Director Craig Shoup

JWLA members assisted the employees in their path to a life free from trafficking. Gloria Love, holistic services coordinator for Rethreaded, commented after the event: “The energy in the warehouse is so great right now. I love how our ladies feel empowered and encouraged.” JWLA members that participated include Laura Boeckman, Ramona Chaplin, Kelli Lueckert, Rusty Mead, BeJae Shelton, Leslie Wickes and LaToya Williams Shelton. “It was an honor to serve the employees of Rethreaded. Just by sharing a little bit of our time and legal expertise, JWLA volunteers provided some hope and healing to women who have been through so much,” said Chaplin, JWLA pro bono liaison.

MAY 12 Wellness Wednesdays Healthy Happy Hour (Walk) Noon, virtual MAY 13 JBA Past Presidents Reception 5:30 p.m., San Jose Country Club MAY 20 JBA Painting with a Twist Night 5:30 p.m., Painting with A Twist in San Marco

MAY 27 JBA Night at the Jumbo Shrimp 7:05 p.m., Bragan Field at 121 Financial Ballpark

Sarah Sullivan is the Pro Bono Director at Three Rivers Legal Services, Inc.Jacksonville. She can be reached at sarah.sullivan@trls.org. To review cases in need of placement, go to floridaprobonomatters.org, and type your county in the general search field. For information on projects and clinics, contact Missy Davenport, chair of the JBA Pro Bono Committee, at missy.davenport@jaxlegalaid.org.

BOARD OF GOVERNORS MEMBERS Brian T. Coughlin Bedell Firm

Shannon Schott Plata Schott

Christian P. George Akerman

Asghar A. Syed Gunster

Jamie Karpman U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Cyndy Trimmer Driver McAfee Hawthorne & Diebenow

Adina Pollan, Pollan Legal

Lindsay L. Tygart Coker Law

EDITORIAL COMMITTEE Editor-in-chief Iana Benjamin Cordell & Cordell Editors Ashlea Edwards Akerman Kirsten Oliver Law Offices of William W. Kurtz, Jr.

THE BAR BULLETIN

THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2021

COMMENTARY

The power of an apology: Perspective from the bench JUDGE JOHN GUY 4TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT

While not required, the act can impact the present and alter the future. The power of a sincere apology is axiomatic. The words “I’m sorry” have long been thought to be the two most powerful words in the English language. Anyone who has spoken those words while looking into the eyes of the wronged knows this to be true. They heal, they move, they allow for a new beginning. As Canadian cartoonist Lynn Johnston once quipped, “An apology is the Super Glue of life. It can repair just about anything.” In the practice of law, apologies are food to the famished. They can impact the present and alter the future and judges appreciate them more than attorneys know. The outcome of courtroom proceedings matters to attorneys, and to clients. But, like those wearing the black robes, attorneys are human. Mistakes are made. Things happen. We fail to live up to the expectations of others and ourselves. An error may be the fault of the attorney, or it may be the fault of someone working with the attorney. It may be an honest mistake. It may be intentional. In the eyes of the court, a sincere apology can hold much greater significance than the misstep. That raises the question of what constitutes a sincere apology. Many have offered that an

apology includes at least four parts: An acknowledgment of error, an expression of regret, an acceptance of responsibility and an offer of restitution. A sincere apology is all of that and void of any ulterior motive. When judges observe an attorney apologize sincerely, they see the attorney is aware a problem exists, the attorney is willing to accept responsibility, the attorney is able to admit the wrong without concern of the potential consequences and, most importantly, a sincere apology demonstrates the attorney is willing to put the integrity of the judicial system above himself or herself. All of this reflects positively on the errant attorney.

When such an apology is made outside of a judge’s presence, and later relayed to the court, it is equally meaningful. Another reason apologies are significant to the court is that they are not required. In the 229 pages comprising the Rules of Professional Conduct of The Florida Bar the words “apology” and “apologize” do not appear. Nor do those words appear in the American Bar Association’s Model Rules of Professional Conduct. While attorneys must “pledge fairness, integrity and civility” in their Oath of Admission to The Florida Bar, nowhere are they mandated to apologize for anything.

Apologies also are a friend to judges. An apology in open court can defuse an otherwise tense situation. Apologies between attorneys often eliminate the need for judicial intervention. Apologies promote trust and model integrity. Almost always, an apology by an attorney instills confidence in the parties and other court observers. To be sure, a concession of fault can be a powerful ally. Contrarily, the avoidance of fault can do great disservice to everyone involved. As in all areas of life, attorneys occasionally stumble in their practice. It’s inevitable. It’s understood. How one handles the fall is what matters.

When faced with such an opportunity, attorneys would do well to give great consideration to the virtues of a sincere apology. “I’m sorry” cures many ills. It takes little time and it costs nothing. Author Mark Matthews said it well: “Apologizing does not always mean you’re wrong and the other person is right. It just means you value your relationship more than your ego.” In the practice of law, an apology can go even further than that. Fourth Judicial Circuit Judge John Guy was appointed to the bench in 2015 after 22 years in the State Attorney’s Office.

LEGAL BRIEFS

Need CLE hours? Check out the JBA website The Jacksonville Bar Association has a CLE video library where you can purchase online CLE presentations and get those CLE credits you need in the convenience of your home or office. You may choose from as few as 0.5 CLER hours to as many as 8.0 CLER hours, including various certification hours. Just select the videos that correspond with the CLE credits you need, purchase them, watch online and submit for credit. Topics include family law, technology law, transactional law and professionalism for new practitioners. Visit jaxbar.org/store

Upcoming CLEs MAY 20 Criminal Background Checks in Health Care 5:30 p.m., Omni Jacksonville Hotel 1.0 CLE approved by The Florida Bar MAY 25 Legislative Update with Chris Hand and Trey Mills Noon, JBA office 1.0 CLE approved by The Florida Bar

Keep involved in the JBA

Key reasons to renew your JBA membership

The driving force behind this organization is the active participation of its members. Please give the association the benefit of your ideas and talents by volunteering to serve on one or more of the committees shown on the JBA website. With your active involvement, this association will flourish. To join or change your committee preferences, open your web profile at jaxbar.org and click on “Join a Committee.”

■ Bench & Bar Holiday Party free to members ■ General and Law Day luncheons free to members ■ Annual golf tournament ■ Free committee participation ■ Access to Attorney Conference Center, Duval County Courthouse ■ Bar Bulletin – First Thursday monthly edition of the Jacksonville Daily Record ■ CLE seminars at reduced rates ■ Optional Lawyer Referral Service membership ■ Savings on exclusive member benefits ■ JBA E-News member email ■ Free listing in website directory with photo

THE BAR BULLETIN

THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2021

YOUNG LAWYERS SECTION PRO BONO FROM THE PRESIDENT

Historic opportunity for Lee High

DAVE CHAUNCEY JACKSONVILLE BAR ASSOCIATION YOUNG LAWYERS SECTION

A solution to the renaming question could honor a member of Jacksonville’s legal community. In June 2020, the Duval County School Board voted to begin the process of exploring possibly changing public school names connected to the Confederacy. While other schools with Confederate-related names likely will change without much debate, adopting a new name for Robert E. Lee High School has been contentious. Yard signs for and against the change have popped up all over the attendance zone. Some of the debates have been ugly and disruptive to the school. There can be a new chapter for Lee High School and this chapter does not need to involve the name Robert E. Lee. Many alumni argue that the name “Lee High School” has been part of the tradition and history of the school for nearly 100 years. Proponents of the name change argue that Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee should not be honored. Consider this: Jacksonville has another famous Lee who accomplished more in his life than most anyone could imagine: Joseph E. Lee. This other Lee is mostly lost to history but, as a community, we can bring back his memory and honor him for being a leader. Joseph E. Lee is one of the great figures in Jacksonville’s

and Florida’s history. He was born in 1849, nearly 12 years before the first shots were fired in the Civil War. After the war, Lee received a law degree from Howard University and moved to Jacksonville in 1873. That same year, Lee was the third African American attorney who practiced in Florida and Jacksonville’s first. He was elected to the Florida House of Representatives three times representing Duval County and also served in the Florida Senate. In 1888, Lee became the first African American judge in Florida, defeating two white candidates in an election. He also was an educator, leading the law department at Edward Waters College. He paved the way for future African American leaders including James Weldon Johnson, John Rosamond Johnson, D.W. Perkins and others. Lee was a minister who received a Doctorate in Divinity. He was a larger-than-life figure in the Florida Republican Party. Lee was appointed U.S. Collector of Internal Revenue for Florida in 1897 by President William McKinley and subsequently re-appointed by Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft. Lee perhaps was the most influential person in Florida during this period. He met with McKinley on several occasions and was visited in his home by Roosevelt. For years, Lee’s papers and other historical documents were kept at the Joseph E. Lee Library Museum that closed decades ago. Now, his documents are preserved by the Jacksonville Historical Society. Duval County School Board Policy 8.59 IV(A), it states that, “The name of the school shall not be of a person (whether living or deceased).” This is generally a good policy. However, in this circumstance, this rule does not preclude the shortening or adjustment of the name to simply “Lee High School,” the name by which most people call the school anyway. It could include the name of

Special to the Daily Record

Joseph E. Lee (1849-1920) was the first African American attorney in Jacksonville.

the school’s magnet, Early College, like the School Board has approved for other schools. It also does not preclude the board from honoring the memory of Joseph E. Lee and his accomplishments at the school or even dedicating the school to his legacy. The school board could ask to host some of the documents that once were within the Joseph E. Lee Library in the Lee High

School library. This is a commonsense solution that provides a way forward. With such a decision, alumni can remain connected to “Lee High School,” proponents could remove “Robert E.” from the name, public funds can be saved on rebranding and the school can honor someone who had a significant historical impact on Jacksonville. This could be a new chap-

ter for Lee High School, a new chapter for Jacksonville and a new chapter of our history that can inspire generations to come. Dave Chauncey is an attorney at Alexander DeGance Barnett, practicing in labor, employment, education and general commercial law. He lives and works in the Robert E. Lee High School attendance district.

COMMENTARY PRO FROMBONO THE PRESIDENT

How the pandemic may impact Generation Alpha

IANA BENJAMIN BAR BULLETIN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

The first generation to be entirely born in the 21st century will soon outnumber baby boomers.

As a family law practitioner, I often think of families and the children within those families. I have seen firsthand the impact that COVID-19 has had on many of these children. The coronavirus is an epoch of our time, a generation-defining event. The effects of this pandemic will have an enduring impact on those who live to tell the tales of the years 2020, 2021 and maybe even 2022. Never in my lifetime did I think that I would be living, working and surviving through a pandemic. Generation Alpha, a term coined by futurist and social researcher Mark McCrindle, are the children born to millennials and the first generation to be entirely born in the 21st century.

This generation comprises more than 1 in 7 people and within the next four years, they will outnumber the baby boomers. By the year 2025, this generation’s offspring population is expected to reach 1 billion in number and they are on trend to be the largest generation in the history of the world. Generation Alpha tend to be digital natives, with a deep level of digital literacy because they will grow up using smartphones and tablets as part of their educational development and for entertainment. They already are shaped by technology and they already shape the social media landscape. A report by Common Sense Media suggests that the amount of time children under age 9 in the United States spent using

mobile devices increased from 15 minutes a day in 2013 to 48 minutes in 2017. According to McCrindle, Generation Alpha will most likely delay standard life markers such as marriage, childbirth and retirement, as did the few previous generations. McCrindle estimates that Generation Alpha will make up 11% of the global workforce by 2030. He also predicts that they will live longer, have smaller families and will be “the most formally educated generation ever, the most technologysupplied generation ever and globally the wealthiest generation ever.” What impact will COVID-19 have on McCrindle’s prediction about Generation Alpha? Will

Generation Alpha be forever altered by the impacts of the pandemic? Will we see a global shift in the way this generation acts, feels, lives, earns, performs and loves? This I know for sure: COVID-19 has left its mark on all of us forever. We have learned a thing or two about resiliency and surviving in the midst of so much loss and grief. Our awareness regarding our mental and physical health is at an all-time high and we are more conscious of taking the time needed to ensure that our wellbeing is nourished. Iana Benjamin is a litigation attorney at Cordell & Cordell and editor-in-chief of The Bar Bulletin.

THE BAR BULLETIN

THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2021

Special to the Daily Record

It was postponed this year because of the coronavirus pandemic, but the annual Young Lawyers Section Chili Cook-Off was and will again be the Jacksonville Bar Association’s largest fundraiser of the year.

Herrin: Give yourself opportunities to learn to lead CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15

Center of Jacksonville. These charities are thankful for the work we do for them, not only raising money, but also raising awareness for their causes. Through these events, the board offers leadership opportunities. As a young attorney, I heard the words of Hilarie Bass, a for-

mer American Bar Association president, that have stuck with me. Her firm leadership admitted that they did not see Bass as partner/leadership material until they witnessed her rise through her organizations and her ability to lead. It is important as a young attorney to give yourself opportunities to learn to lead. Being on this board and being chair of a

committee for one of our biggest events has taught me so many lessons and skills like organization, delegation and leading effectively. If you need any more reasons to consider getting involved, I also have met some of my closest and dearest friends through my involvement with the board. While rolling up your sleeves and working hard to plan these

events, you build strong bonds and relationships with your fellow board members. These relationships, in addition to being valuable on a person level, may even provide referral sources in the future. Reach out to me or any of my fellow board members with any questions you have if you are interested in running and getting involved. On May 15, we will

announce the seats up for election and begin accepting letters of interest. Kayla Haines Herrin is an associate attorney at Smith Hulsey & Busey. She practices in mergers and acquisitions, general corporate law and health care regulatory and compliance matters.

Barnett: I am the one who needs to find a hobby CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15

Be direct. Tell people what you think and how you feel early. A little discomfort early on makes for a smoother relationship long-term. Decide each day what it is that you need to be the best at on that particular day. It is impossible to be the best at everything on the same day. Make time to be childlike and not take yourself too seriously. Ride a bike, jump in the pool,

skate, drink a milkshake, ride the roller coaster, go to the concert and sing out loud. Be vulnerable. The best therapy comes from talking to your friends about your struggles and realizing that everybody has dealt with similar issues. Never expect others to do things the way you do. Never expect others to respond to you the way you would respond. We often confuse stress with being unfulfilled and bored.

Shake up your routine if that is the case. Being bored does not mean you are not busy. My husband does not have a golf addiction. I am the one who needs to find a hobby. It has been quite a few years since my therapist told me this and I am still failing at this. There are so many resources available to lawyers. When Jacksonville Bar Association board member Christian George was president of The Florida Bar Young Lawyers Sec-

tion, he launched a successful campaign among young lawyers that helped so many. Recognizing the tremendous value of the campaign, in 2020 The Florida Bar set up a confidential Mental Health Hotline available to all 90,000 members of the organization. Bar members are able to speak with a mental health professional who can provide crisis intervention and the Bar provides up to three free sessions with a local, licensed mental health

professional. If you are having a hard time, feeling unfulfilled or even lost, I encourage you to seek help. I did. I would not hesitate to do it again. What a difference it has made in my life. Michelle Bedoya Barnett is a founding partner of Alexander DeGance Barnett, focusing on labor and employment law.

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JACKSONVILLE DAILY RECORD / JACKSONVILLE RECORD & OBSERVER

THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2021

Top 10 home sales of week FROM STAFF

Here are the top 10 single-family residential real estate sales in Northeast Florida, comprising Duval and St. Johns counties. The sales were recorded April 26-May 2.

JaxDailyRecord.com

ST. JOHNS

DUVAL

$1,815,000

$1,600,000

233 Rivershore Lane, St. Augustine

13747 Hope Sound Court, Jacksonville

Type: Single-family Lot size: 0.19 acres House size: 4,288 square feet Buyer: Margo Klar and Nathan P. Stuart Seller: Michael A. and Kathleen Difato Previous sale: $1,130,000 in 2009

Type: Single-family Lot size: 0.51 acres House size: 5,063 square feet Buyer: Justin and Ashley Uhlemann Seller: Irving G. and Janet D. Snyder Previous sale: $1,200,000 in 2007

DUVAL

$1,800,000 1331 First St. N., No. 1103, Jacksonville Beach DUVAL

$3,150,000 2041 Beach Ave., Atlantic Beach Type: Single-family Lot size: 0.27 acres House size: 3,748 square feet Buyer: Brian D. and Kelli L. Schneider Seller: Soloman G. and Leslie W. Brotman

About the property: Three-story oceanfront home features four bedrooms, four full baths and two half-baths, a balcony, wine cellar, pool, elevator and dune walkover.

Type: LandMark Condominium Condominium size: 3,694 square feet Buyer: Solomon G. and Leslie W. Brotman Seller: Marsha E. Holmes and the Marsha E. Holmes Revocable Trust Previous sale: $2,250,000 in 2006

ST. JOHNS

$1,565,000 4260 Coastal Highway, St. Augustine Type: Single-family Lot size: 0.26 acres House size: 2,179 square feet Buyer: John Freer Seller: Kevin A. Huaman and the Genesis Trust Previous sale: $1,100,000 in 2016

DUVAL DUVAL

ST. JOHNS

DUVAL

ST. JOHNS

$1,550,000

$2,595,000

$2,350,000

$1,900,000

$1,650,000

917 First St. S., No. 601, Jacksonville Beach

26 La Vista Drive, Ponte Vedra Beach

264 Ocean Blvd., Atlantic Beach

144 Pelican Reef Drive, St. Augustine

4423 Swilcan Bridge Lane N., Jacksonville

Type: Marbella Condominium Condominium size: 5,315 square feet Buyer: Todd L. Sack and Barbara L. Sharp Seller: Mark and Iris Kraemer Previous sale: $2,250,000 in 2015

Type: Single-family Lot size: 0.59 acres House size: 4,636 square feet Buyer: Richard L. MacDonald and Abbey T. Kissel Seller: Virginia S. and Philip O. Meadows

Type: Single-family Lot size: 0.13 acres House size: 3,391 square feet Buyer: Tosh and Jordan G. Lupoi Seller: Steve A. and Tracey L. Shirley Previous sale: $1,499,000 in 2018

Type: Single-family Lot size: 0.58 acres House size: 3,190 square feet Buyer: Jeffrey A. and Adrienne R. Flatland Seller: Constance Smith Previous sale: $1,370,000 in 2015

GRHK-20001 GREYHAWK__JACKSONVILLE DAILY RECORD AD__10.375x8__SEPT2020.qxp_Layout 1 9/4/20 10:12 AM Page 1

Type: Single-family Lot size: 0.55 acres House size: 6,080 square feet Buyer: Brian and Leah M. Kelley Seller: Charles and Sharon Frohman Previous sale: $1,335,000 in 2009

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Site plans, community maps, photos and depictions are for illustration purposes only, are conceptual in nature, and should not be relied upon. GreenPointe Communities, LLC reserves the right to make changes to the foregoing at any time without notice. Home design, pricing, terms and offers are subject to change. See Home Builders’ Sales Consultant for details.

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