Tina Marie Avila and her husband
Javier of Dunedin’s Casa Tina Mexican
restaurant held their 24th annual Dia de
Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration
in Pioneer Park, where a play written and
produced by Tina, a fashion show, costume
contest, live music and folkloric dancing
was followed by a candlelight procession
down Main Street.
Linda Gross, the owner of Advice
Solutions advertising agency in Lakewood
Ranch, has rejoined the board of directors
of Designing Women Boutique, a nonprofit
consignment shop that benefits local arts
and human services organizations that she
helped to start.
Ken Burke, the Pinellas County Clerk of
the Circuit Court and comptroller, received
the National Association of Counties’ 2016
Achievement Award for his “Same Day
Juror Pay Mobile Workstations” initiative.
68 TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE
Senior Creative Manager
Jennifer Fleming of Goodwill
Industries-Suncoast Inc.
greeted guests as they
boarded the Yacht StarShip
for its annual Ghoulwill
Bash fundraiser, which
helps support people with
employment challenges
in their efforts to achieve
their full potential.
| JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017
Kelly Renner, a mother of
premature twins, chaired
this year’s March of Dimes
Signature Chefs Auction
at the TPepin Hospitality
Centre in Tampa to raise
funds to improve the health
of babies and to help end
premature births and other
serious infant health issues.
Martine Meredith Collier
has become the executive
director of the Arts Council
of Hillsborough County. She
will replace Art Keeble, who
is retiring after 32 years of
service. Collier is a certified
fundraising executive who
holds a Master of Arts
ARTS COUNCIL OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY
degree in arts administration
from Goucher College in
Baltimore, Maryland, and a
Bachelor of Fine Arts degree
in theater from the University
of Memphis in Memphis,
Tennessee.
St. Petersburg’s Admiral Farragut Academy has begun the
largest capital campaign in its history for its new multipurpose
building. Capt. Robert Fine Jr., longtime head of the school,
says the school’s new campus center will provide a gathering
place and demonstrate the school’s commitment to provide its
students with the best facilities for their education. Farragut
was established in 1933 to serve students in pre-kindergarten
through grade 12 with an international boarding program in
grades 8-12. In 1936, the academy was approved as an Honor
Naval School by an act of Congress and is world renowned
for its signature academic programs including aviation,
engineering, naval science, leadership, scuba diving and
marine science.
ADMIRAL FARRAGUT ACADEMY MARC MENCHER
Ron and Sherry Sacino were thrilled
that the board of directors of Sherloq
Solutions, a nonprofit charitable
organization that was formerly
known as Merchants Association of
Florida, decided to donate $1,000 to
the charity of choice to 100 of their
guests at their holiday party for a
grand total of $100,000.
NORAA ELAINE ZAGAMI
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