On the move

Hirings and promotions from the Tampa Bay working world

By Dolly Brosan, Times Staff Writer
Published August 19, 2007

Zenith Houston

Chief development officer, Eckerd Youth Alternatives

Zenith Houston comes to Eckerd Youth Alternatives, a Clearwater provider of services for youth and families, from the Southern Regional Violence and Substance Abuse Prevention Center, where she was program director. Houston has held senior roles at the NAACP as a national program director and manager of corporate development. As an independent consultant, she directed development at the Wonder Foundation. Houston earned bachelor's and master's degrees in criminal justice from the University of South Carolina.

Dominic Provenzano

Assistant general manager, Renaissance Tampa Hotel International Plaza

Dominic Provenzano comes to the Renaissance Tampa Hotel International Plaza from the Renaissance Chicago Hotel, where he was food and beverage director. Previously, the Michigan native worked at the Stouffer Hotel near Sea World in Orlando and the Renaissance Vinoy Resort and Golf Club in St. Petersburg, which he helped to reopen in 1992 as the Stouffer Vinoy Resort. Provenzano earned a bachelor's degree in hotel and restaurant management from the University of Nevada at Las Vegas and has attended Ecole htelire de Lausanne in Switzerland.

Betty Crovato

Commercial network manager for Tampa/St. Petersburg, Fidelity National Title Insurance Co.

In her new role, Betty Crovato will continue to serve as vice president/business development in Fidelity National Title Insurance Co.'s Tampa office. Before joining FNTIC's Florida agency operations, Crovato, a 22-year title insurance veteran, was vice president/business development for the company's national title services office in Atlanta and was in charge of its Florida commercial network. Crovato is active in Commercial Real Estate Women, previously serving on the board of CREW Tampa Bay. She is past president of CREW Orlando.

ADVERTISING

Pat Cote has been named media director at Paradise Advertising & Marketing, St. Petersburg. Cote was media planning supervisor at Doner, Tampa.

CREDIT UNIONS

Linda Attardo has been named regional vice president for Tampa Bay at Eastern Financial Florida Credit Union, Tampa. Attardo was branch manager at SunTrust Branch in Countryside.

FINANCIAL

Casey Christopher has been named a wholesale account executive for the home equity unit at National City Corp., Tampa. Christopher was an inside sales account executive for National City's Centralized Wholesale Sales Group in Cleveland.

INSURANCE

John M. Mulkey has been named managing director and office head at Marsh USA Inc., Tampa. Mulkey was a regional manager with Liberty Mutual Insurance, Orlando.

LEGAL

Amy Leigh Carstensen has been selected to the Gulf Coast Business Review's 2007 40 Under 40. Carstensen is an associate at Carlton Fields, Tampa and is a member of the firm's corporate securities and tax practice group and the wealth preservation and estate planners subgroup.

Lewis F. Collins Jr. has been elected vice president of Lawyers for Civil Justice, a national coalition supporting excellence, fairness and improvements within the civil justice system. Collins is a partner at Butler Pappas Weihmuller Katz Craig LLP, Tampa and concentrates in the areas of defense of insurer bad faith, products liability, intellectual property, class action, drug and medical device, wrongful death, personal injury, employment law and professional liability.

Loretta Comiskey O'Keeffe has been named a grant evaluator for Big Brothers Big Sisters Association of Florida. O'Keeffe is an associate at Arnstein & Lehr LLP, Tampa, and is a member of the firm's litigation department.

James R. Wiley has been appointed to the board of Stageworks Theater. Wiley is a shareholder at Carlton Fields, Tampa and is chairman of the firm's labor and employment practice group and concentrates in the areas of employment discrimination.

Hill Ward and Henderson PA, Tampa, announces these lawyers have been named to Florida Trend's Legal Elite: David S. Felman, John B. Grandoff III, William C. Guerrant Jr., Thomas N. Henderson III, Benjamin H. Hill III, Stephen M. Hudoba, Timothy A. Hunt, C. Howard Hunter, Robert E. V. Kelley Jr., David T. Knight, R. James Robbins Jr., David R. Tyrrell, Dennis P. Waggoner, Alton C. Ward, shareholders. These lawyers have been to Florida Trend's "Up and Coming" Legal Elite: Gregory P. Brown, John C. Connery Jr., Troy A. Fuhrman, Robert M. Fulton and Benjamin H. Hill IV, shareholders; and J. Rocco Cafaro, associate. These lawyers were recognized in the 2007 edition of Chambers USA Guide: America's Leading Business Laywers: Benjamin H. Hill III, Thomas N. Henderson III, David S. Felman, and Alton C. Ward, shareholders; and Dennis P. Waggoner was recognized as a Chamber "Up and Coming" commercial litigator. Waggoner is a shareholder.

MARKETING

Spark, Tampa, announces these appointments: Rob McCormick to art director; Sarah Lajevardi to account executive; and Kimberly Breese to public relations director. McCormick was art director at Push in Orlando; Lajevardi was an account executive at Fry Hammond Barr, St. Petersburg; and Breese was a communications specialist for Tampa Bay WorkForce Alliance, Tampa.

NONPROFIT

Richard "Ricky" Satcher has been elected chairman-elect of the Largo/Mid Pinellas Chamber of Commerce. Satcher will begin his term Oct. 1. Satcher is president and CEO of Largo Medical Center.

REAL ESTATE

Stephanie Landes has been named a marketing associate at Phillips Development and Realty LLC, Tampa. Landes was an account executive/new business at Zelen Communications, Tampa.

RECRUITMENT

T. Mike Oddo II has been named vice president of sales and underwriting at FrankCrum, Clearwater. Oddo was operations coordinator at SunTrust Bank, Tampa.

WRITE US

Job news?

Send On The Move submissions to St. Petersburg Times, Business News Department, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731; e-mail: dbrosan@sptimes.com; or fax: 727 893-8939.

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[Last modified August 17, 2007, 19:52:59]