32 Business Spotlight
The COASTAL STAR
February 2018
Business Spotlight
Delray’s St. Patrick parade will have fresh idea from students at Lynn
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Lynn University College of Business and Management class taught by Professor Matteo Peroni created a campaign to boost awareness and fundraising efforts for the 50th annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Delray Beach to be held March 17. The students presented their ideas at the Boca Raton office of the public relations firm TransMedia Group and talked about how to implement them with the firm’s client and event organizer, the nonprofit Code 3 Events, Inc. The students’ ideas consisted of raffles for vacations to Ireland, a group fitness event, a pet fashion contest, a beauty contest and a parade founder Maury Powers look-alike contest. This year, the “St. PETricks Day” pet fashion contest was selected to be implemented. To take part, bring your pet dressed up in St. Patrick’s Day attire to Old School Square on March 16. Registration starts at 6:30 p.m. The fee to enter your pet will be $20. Costume categories are: Kiss Me I’m Irish, Lucky Leprechaun and Samrockin Pooch. Winning pets will be featured on the Dezzy’s Second Chance Rescue Float at the parade. For information visit www. stpatrickmarch.com. Victory Media, Military Times and Military Advanced Education & Transition have all named Palm Beach State College to their 2018 lists of schools that best provide veterans, service members and their families with the higher education and support they need to pursue civilian careers. Victory Media designated the college a “2018 Gold Top 10 Military Friendly School,” placing it seventh among large public postsecondary institutions in the U.S. The college ranks eighth nationwide among twoyear institutions on the 2018 Military Times Best
Colleges list, and it earned the designation of “Top School” in Military Advanced Education and Transition’s 2018 Guide to Colleges & Universities. “The college is unique,” said Matthew Watkins, its Veterans Affairs coordinator, “with a total of three veterans resource centers, 16 VA student workstudy positions, three student veterans clubs, three veteransspecific academic advisers, and two VA benefits certifying officials. All of our staff members are veterans or come from a military family, and we all feel there is no greater calling than serving those who have served us.” For information, call 868-3380 or visit www. palmbeachstate.edu/ VeteransServices. The Greater Boynton Beach Chamber of Commerce announced its 2017 business award winners during a gala in January at Benvenuto restaurant. Delonyx Cortez of the YMCA of Boynton Beach won the young professional of the year award; Habitat For Humanity was named the nonprofit of the year; the health care initiative of the year award went to the Boynton Beach Healthcare Center; Miller Land Planning won the business of the year award; the women’s business of the year award went to Roses Realty Services; John Campanola, New York Life, received the new member of the year award; and Judy Saxton of Practical Billing received the Harvey Oyer Jr. award for community involvement and corporate citizenship. The Boca Chamber will host its 12th annual Diamond Award Luncheon on Feb. 23 at the Boca Raton Resort and Club’s Mizner Center, 501 E. Camino Real. The Chamber will recognize a professional woman in Boca Raton and South County who contributes to the vibrancy
Rebuilding Paradise, BVI Hurricane Recovery Polo Club, Wellington — Jan. 10
Manalapan travel agent Annie Davis, owner of Palm Beach Travel, has strong personal ties to the British Virgin Islands. She recently coordinated a benefit auction to promote the rebuilding of that area, which suffered overwhelming damage in last fall’s hurricane season. Sponsors included the British Virgin Islands Tourist Board, Etihad Airways, Eau Palm Beach, Prime Catch, The Moorings and Delray Plastic Surgery. They partnered with Automobili Lamborghini America to provide auction items and services that raised more than $40,000. ABOVE: (l-r) Tucker Thompson, sailing broadcaster; Sheroma Jacobs, BVI Tourist Board; Colin Aldridge, owner of Jost Van Dyke Scuba on Virgin Gorda and survivor of Hurricane Irma; Davis, and Giovanni Pellerito, Automobili Lamborghini America national manager. Coastal Star photo of the community, Barbara Cambia, executive director of the Hannifan Center for Career Connections at Lynn University. Cambia serves as chair of the Chamber’s tourism committee and helped launch the first Boca Restaurant Month in September. Under her leadership at Lynn, internship participation has increased by more than 250 percent and freshman engagement by more than 100 percent. She has partnered with the Chamber to create Future Leaders of Tomorrow, a three-week student leadership program. In addition, the Chamber will honor its 2018 Pearl Award recipient, Skylar Mandell, a graduate of its Young Entrepreneurs Academy and founder of the Florida Sea Turtle Co., which sells bracelets, accessories and clothing at nearly 20 Florida retail locations. Also, her company donates 10 percent of its profits to sea turtle conservation organizations. For information or to attend, contact Chasity Navarro at 395-4433, ext. 233, or email her at cnavarro@ bocachamber.com. The Sears department store
owned by Seritage Growth Properties at Town Center in Boca Raton is one of 39 nationwide that will close by early April. In a statement, Seritage said that it plans to redevelop the site of the Sears store. MCA Delray Preserve Owner LLC sold the 188-unit apartment complex Delray Preserve, at 2001 N. Federal Highway in Delray Beach, to IMP Delray LLC for $60.35 million, according to property records and news reports. MCA Delray Preserve Owner is an affiliate of Orlando-based Zom Living. IMP Delray is an affiliate of a Boston-based partnership between GID and CalPERS. Zom paid $11 million for the development site in 2015, according to data from Real Capital Analytics. ESG Kullen paid $7.5 million for 93 residences at the 275-unit Murano, 15005 Michelangelo Blvd., Delray Beach, to USO Norge Murano LLC, an affiliate of Norwegian investment firm Obligo, in December. According to news articles, the New York-based firm plans to renovate and sell them off individually for about $200,000 each starting in June 2019. MidCap Financial Services provided an $8.4 million loan to cover purchase and renovations. The Obligo affiliate paid $8.8 million for the units in 2009. Penn-Florida Cos. recently announced the new sales team for The Residences at Mandarin Oriental, Boca Raton. The team is led by Douglas Elliman Development Marketing’s Elena Christodoulou as vice president of sales. Christodoulou has procured $1.2 billion in sales for luxury pre-construction residences and has been recognized as a leader in luxury real estate sales throughout the world.
Elena Christodoulou (center), sales chief for The Residences at Mandarin Oriental, with Alex Murillo and Marie Mangouta. Photo provided Joining her as regional sales directors are Marie Mangouta and Alex Murillo. Demolition of the former SunTrust and Citibank buildings is underway to clear the way for the next phases of Via Mizner, an urban resort in the heart of downtown Boca Raton. With the first phase, 101 Via Mizner Luxury Apartments, already complete and leasing, demolition is the next major milestone in the construction of the next two towers: Mandarin Oriental, Boca Raton, the city’s first five-star hotel in over a decade, and The Residences at Mandarin Oriental, Boca Raton, a collection of 92 private homes. Now at contract, demolition marks the last chance for buyers to secure pre-construction pricing. The Residences at Mandarin Oriental, Boca Raton, will feature garden suites and an exclusive penthouse collection. Residents will have preferred access to the amenities and service of the Mandarin Oriental. The Sales Gallery is located at 10 E. Boca Raton Road and is open daily. To schedule a presentation call 922-8335 or visit www. moresidencesbocaraton.com. Premier Estate Properties broker/agent Ron Lennen was elected president of Greater Fort Lauderdale Realtors and named a trustee for its charitable foundation. The D’Angelo Liguori