U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist, D-St. Petersburg, is scheduled to visit several minority-owned businesses in Pinellas County today. According to a news release, Crist’s itinerary will take him to Tabitha’s Exquisite Touch Beauty Salon and Heavy’s Food Truck, both in St. Pete, as well as Funky Flamingo in Gulfport. The purpose of the Congressman’s visits is to share information with business owners about how they can obtain financial relief via the recently passed American Rescue Plan.
Chicago-based Northern Trust Wealth Management has made a number of leadership changes at its Florida offices. Thomas Oliveri has been promoted to president of the firm’s West Florida region, an area that stretches from Tampa to Naples. He succeeds Charles Mueller, who’s retiring after 32 years with the firm. Oliveri previously served as Northern Trust Wealth Management’s senior market executive for Broward County. He will be succeeded in that role by Eric Vainder.
Tom Brady has signed a 4 year contract extension that effectively replaces the final year of his original 2 year contract. The extension includes 3 voidable years, which allows the team to spread out the salary cap impact. Brady's team-first move provides $19 million in much needed cap relief next year. The Bucs were already over the cap while trying to retain as much of the Super Bowl championship team as possible. As with Brady's original deal, the agreement includes plenty of incentive dollars for achievements.
Dane Kuplicki, an optometrist at VIP Eye Care & Optical Boutique in St. Petersburg, plans to run for the District 8 seat on St. Petersburg City Council. Kuplicki, 34, was born and raised in Seminole. He graduated from Seminole High School and went to the University of South Florida St. Petersburg, where he earned bachelor’s degrees in finance and pre-optometry. District 8, on the west side of the city, is bordered by 38th Avenue North, Tyrone Boulevard and I-275. Current District 8 Council Member Amy Foster is term limited and cannot run for re-election to the seat.
Benjamin Patz, also known as Parlay Patz, has pleaded guilty to a charge of transmitting threats in interstate or foreign commerce and faces up to five years in federal prison. Patz, 24, is a resident of Napa, Calif., and a high-profile sports gambler. According to his plea agreement, he threatened, via social media posts, to kill four Tampa Bay Rays players and their family members following the Rays’ loss to the Chicago White Sox on July 20, 2019. He also threatened a Chicago White Sox player. The FBI investigated the case as part of its Integrity in Sport and Gaming Initiative, an effort to tackle illegal sports gambling and combat threats of influence from criminal enterprises. Patz’s sentencing date has not yet been set.
Jobsite Theater's well-received production of Robert Askins' irreverent comedy Hand to God is onstage through Sunday, art the David A. Straz Center in Tampa. Meanwhile, a videorecording of the show has just been made available for streaming through the Straz website, and will be there through March 21.
The St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport is hosting a job fair on Tuesday, March 16 for its tenant businesses, including airline and concessionaire jobs. Among those hiring are Allegiant Airlines, Hudson Group, SSP America and American Facility Services. The Transportation Security Administration also will be onsite to provide information on positions soon to be available at the St. Pete-Clearwater airport and other locations. No advance appointment is needed for the job fair, which will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the airport at 14700 Terminal Blvd. in Clearwater. Click here for more details.
Jabil has announced expansion plans for its newly acquired paper bottle technology. Jabil (NYSE: JBL), the largest company headquartered in St. Petersburg, will invest $25 million in a Manteca, California plant it acquired when the company bought Ecologic Brands earlier this year. The investment also includes building a new paper bottle plant in Tortosa, Spain. The expansion will create the first paper-based scaled technology in the market, a news release said. The company said it is making the investment in response to significant demand in the consumer packaged goods market. Jabil cited a Euromonitor report that showed consumers say they are three times more likely to prefer paper-based packaging over alternatives that leverage metal or plastic.
Tampa Bay Partnership President and CEO Rick Homans announced on Wednesday that he will step down from the organization in November, when his employment agreement expires. Homans has led the Tampa Bay Partnership, a coalition of CEOs focused on regional research, public policy and advocacy, since November 2015. Prior to that, he was president and CEO of the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corp., now known as Tampa Bay Economic Development Council. Partnership Chairman Chad Loar said the organization will form a search committee that will begin work in April to find Homans’ successor. In an email to the Catalyst, Homans, whose background also includes stints in politics and publishing, said he’s leaving because he’s “ready to take on a new adventure in life,” and with his contract ending in a few months, the time is right to begin the succession planning process. “Right now,” Homan said, “the partnership is well-respected, financially secure and it’s pushing an exciting and impactful work program. This is the best time to seek a new leader.”
Beginning in May, Amtrak will restore full, daily service to 12 of its long-distance routes that had been scaled back because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The rail service will also recall more than 1,200 employees who had been furloughed during the crisis. The Silver Star line, which runs from New York to Miami with a stop in Tampa, will resume full service as of June 7. Updated schedules can be viewed at Amtrak.com as well as on the Amtrak app.
Omnivore, a Clearwater-based tech company that focuses on operational challenges facing the restaurant industry, has named Dan Singer CEO and Shane Whitlatch chief revenue officer. The appointments come on the heels of Omnivore’s successful Series A funding round, which in 2018 raised $13 million from notable investors including The Coca-Cola Company, Performance Food Group and Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik. The investments, according to a news release, have significantly fueled the company’s growth, with more than 24,000 locations using Omnivore. Prior to joining Omnivore, Singer served as vice president of finance at FairWarning, a Tampa cybersecurity firm. Whitlatch also comes from the cybersecurity industry, having previously worked for Austin, Texas-based CynergisTek as senior vice president of sales.
The Tampa Bay Rays have released their promotional schedule for the 2021 season. All fans, while supplies last, will receive a Rays schedule magnet, presented during the April 9-11 opening series against the New York Yankees. On April 13, vs. the Texas Rangers, fans will receive a replica of the American League championship trophy, while attendees of the May 29 game vs. the Philadelphia Phillies will take home a car flag. Player bobbleheads will be given away at the June 9, June 26, July 6, July 31 and Aug. 21 games. On Sept. 4, vs. the Minnesota Twins, fans will receive a tote bag. The Rays' promotional schedule also includes special giveaways for fans age 14 and under. Visit the team’s website for more details.
