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People

By Times Staff Writer
Published March 28, 2005

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Michelle Wise has been named an account director for Schifino Lee Advertising, Tampa. Wise was partnering director for Robert Mondavi Woodbridge Wine in Tampa.

James "Jim" Baker has been named assistant division manager for the water/wastewater department for Ash Engineering Inc., Tampa. Baker was an environmental manager for Coronet Industries, Plant City.

First Housing Development Corp., Tampa, announces these appointments: Lynn Coovert, senior vice president of the closings and servicing department; and William Metler, senior credit underwriter for the credit underwriting and loan analysis department. Coovert was senior vice president at MMA Financial, Clearwater; and Metler was multifamily mortgage revenue bond manager for Florida Housing Finance Corp., Tallahassee.

Carol Sanabria has been promoted to processing coordinator and loan officer for Freedom Mortgage Funding, Tampa. Sanabria was senior processor.

Stephen G. Kolaga has been named a senior builder working out of the Tampa Bay Golf and Country Club in Pasco County for the Tampa division of U.S. Home. Kolaga was a building inspector for Pasco County.

David C. Banker has joined the Tampa law firm of Bush Ross Gardner Warren & Rudy PA as a shareholder. Banker concentrates in the areas of products liability, medical malpractice and employment discrimination and previously was a shareholder at Shook Hardy & Bacon LLP, Tampa.

The law firm of Ruden McClosky announces these appointments: Rabian M. Brooks III has been named a partner at the firm's St. Petersburg office; and James Porter has been appointed to the Hillsborough County Charter Review Board. Brooks was a resident and is a member of the firm's litigation practice group and concentrates in the areas of complex and commercial litigation, commercial landlord tenant litigation, lease negotiation, banking litigation, commercial foreclosure, loan restructuring and asset recovery; and Porter is a partner and member of firm's land use practice group, and concentrates in the areas of land use, zoning and land use litigation.

Saxon, Gilmore, Carraway, Gibbons, Lash & Wilcox PA, Tampa, announces that Robert P. Giesen and Hans C. Beyer, have joined the firm as partners and Cheryl J. Lister has been elected a partner. Giesen was an associate for Hillier & Associates, Boca Raton, and concentrates in the areas of golf, resort and leisure services; Beyer was a partner at Buchanan Ingersoll, Miami, and concentrates in the areas of creditors' rights and bankruptcy; and Lister was an associate and concentrates in the areas of state and federal litigation.

The Ronald McDonald House Charities of Tampa Bay announces officers and new members to its board of trustees. Officers are: Edward Ameen, chairman; Jeff Harring, president; Dan Honegger, vice president; Claudia Straw, treasurer; Diane Keane, secretary; and George Meyers, past president. New board members are: Joseph Cresta, Jerry Hill, Tom Powers and Jon Slater. Ameen is co-founder of CellQuest Inc., Largo, and a former McDonald's owner/operator; Harring is vice president of Raymond James & Associates, St. Petersburg; Honegger is managing director at Northern Trust Bank, Tampa; Straw is a managing partner at Foelgner, Ronz & Straw, St. Petersburg; Keane is vice president of national accounts for Impac Funding, St. Petersburg; Meyers is a partner at the law firm of Carlton Fields, Tampa; Cresta is vice president of financial operations at MetLife Insurance Co., Tampa; Hill is circulation director for the St. Petersburg Times, St. Petersburg; Powers is a financial consultant for RBC Dain Rauscher, St. Petersburg; and Slater is a retired GTE/Verizon executive, Tampa.

[Last modified March 26, 2005, 01:12:09]