Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
People on the Move
Education
Dr. John Hayes, a long-time franchise practitioner and educator, has been appointed as the Titus Chair for Franchise Leadership and director of the new Titus Center for Franchising at Palm Beach Atlantic University, effective August 2017. The Titus Center for Franchising, endowed by a gift from UFG CEO Ray Titus, will offer academic courses in the Rinker School of Business to cover all aspects of franchising, an internship program and opportunities for job shadowing and training at United Franchise Group. The center also will provide professional education in franchising.
Public relations, marketing
Nicole Cornella joined Fort-Lauderdalebased Kip Hunter Marketing’s public relations department as director of public relations. Cornella has 10 years of industry experience, previously overseeing public relations for luxury Swiss-watch brands at The Swatch Group where she managed U.S. communications. She also held roles at agencies in New York and South Florida in the luxury goods, consumer products, and hospitality and technology sectors, including Max Borges Agency and Waggener Edstrom Communications.
Real estate
James Choate, Sami Nassimiha, Cindy Orlinsky, Vaida Picker, Cecilia Safirstein,
David Schneider, Daniel Serrano, and Bo Surrency —have joined Esslinger Wooten-Maxwell’s Aventura office as associates. Fort Lauderdale-based real estate development firm Stiles, announced recent appointments to its senior management team. Ryan Karlin, who has held roles in both retail brokerage and development throughout his 14-year career at Stiles, has been promoted to president of Stiles Retail Group. Justin Siemens was promoted to vice president and development officer within the Real Estate Investment Group.
Howard Elfman of South Florida Luxury Home Team, and Weichert Realtors Best Beach in Fort Lauderdale, has been named the Realtor of the year for 2016 by the Greater Fort Lauderdale Realtors. He is the organization’s outgoing 2016 president. The award program is based on several industry factors including general activity at state, local and national levels, community activity, business accomplishments and contributions to the Greater Fort Lauderdale Realtor Association. NAIOP South Florida, a commercial real estate development organization, has announced its officers and executive committee of the 2017 board of directors: Greg Martin of Avison Young is president; Marc Kopelman, Raymond James Financial, treasurer; Patty Bedley, Legacy Bank of Florida, secretary; and
Marty Busekrus of HFF, national board representative. Kyle Jones, Stiles Corp. is immediate past-president and Heidi Davis-Knapik, Gunster, is president-elect. Executive committee members are: Darcie Lunsford, Butters Realty and Traci Miller, Miller Construc-joined tion Co.. Additionally, the 2017 board includes an active Emeritus Board: Stiles Corp. vice chairman Doug Eagon; Colliers International executive vice president John Geisen; Alice
Lucia-Jackson, recently retired senior vice president, from JLL; Miller Construction Co. president Harley Miller; Liberty Property Trust vice president Andy Petry; Stearns Weaver Miller Weissler Alhadeff & Sitterson shareholder George Pincus; Akerman LPP managing partner Eric Rapkin; Avison Young principal and managing director Pike Rowley; Sharpe Project Developments, Inc. president
Orlando Sharpe; Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC shareholder Adele Stone; and Treadwell Franklin partner Eric Swanson. Bilzin Sumberg announced that real estate attorney Karyl Argamasilla has been recognized by the Miami chapter of Commercial Real Estate Women as its Mentor of the Year. Argamasilla focuses her law practice in complex commercial real estate. Platinum Properties, a Keyes Family Co., announced that luxury real
estate veteran Candace McIntosh has re- the company.
Arden Karson has joined CBRE as senior managing director for South Florida. Karson will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of CBRE’s South Florida business operations.
Retail
Miami-based VMR Products, the parent company of e-cigarette/vapor products brand, V2 , announced recent senior level promotions. Miriam Martinez-Sorto was promoted to vice president, e-commerce Martinez-Sorto & online marketing and will oversee VMR’s online B-to-C marketing efforts and merchandising domestically and internationally. Matthew Peon was promoted to vice president, operations.
Law
J. Thomas Cookson joined Shutts & Bowen LLP’s Miami office as a partner in its corporate practice group. Cookson was previously Of Counsel with Akerman in Miami.
Michael Haggard, managing partner of The Haggard Law Firm, has become the president-elect of the National Crime Victim Bar Association. Haggard has been an association member for 15 years and a board member for 10.
Finance
U.S. Century Bank named Ramon Abadin to its board of directors. His addition expands the board to six members. Abadin is the immediate past president of the The Florida Bar. Federal Capital Partners appointed Bruce Gago as vice president — acquisitions, a newly created position that will establish a South Florida office.
Human resources
Tina Brown, a 15-year veteran in accounting and business management for corporate and nonprofit entities, has joined The Commonwealth Institute of South Florida’s board of advisors, a nonprofit organization devoted to advancing businesswomen in leadership positions. Lindy Smiley, senior vice president and global head of human resources of Starwood Property Trust Inc., also joined the board.
Health, wellness
Innergy Meditation has appointed Claire Santos as the director of remarkability for the new Miami Beach meditation studio. Sarah Pana was named Plaza Health Network’s director of clinical innovation and education. Dr. Murugesan Manoharan, M.D., has joined the Miami Cancer Institute at Baptist Health South Florida as the Institute’s chief of urologic oncologic surgery and director of robotic urologic surgery.
Cultural
Organizers of Miami-Dade College’s Miami Film Festival 34th, scheduled for March 3–12, have announced its jury members for its competition categories. For the festival’s signature Knight Competition, presented by The John S. & James L. Knight Foundation, jurors are: Michel Franco, filmmaker; Grainne Humphreys, programmer, and Bahia Ramos, arts program director at Knight Foundation. Jury for the HBO Ibero-American Feature Film Competition: Leslie Cohen, vice president of film programming at HBO; Hector Medina, actor and Shrihari Sathe, director and producer. Jordan Ressler Foundation Screenwriting Prize jurors are: Sebastian Cordero, filmmaker; Ana Guevara, filmmaker and Brandon Harris, professor, filmmaker/festival programmer/editor. Jurors for the Cinema-Slam, showcasing the work of undergraduate and graduate students in Miami/South Florida film schools are: Andrew Garcia, filmmaker; Jose Jacho, vice president, operations, Film-Gate Miami and Tiffany Lighty, filmmaker.