BuzzWorthyitems of note
Evan Askins has joined his father
Bill Askins at Nichols Insurance in
Clearwater, which specializes in health,
life and Medicare policies.
Susan Crockett, president and CEO
of Clearwater’s Ruth Eckerd Hall, is
honored that the Academy of Country
Music has chosen the hall as one of five
nominated theaters for its theater of
the year distinction. The winner will
be announced in August at the historic
Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. In
2019, Pollstar named Ruth Eckerd Hall
the #1 venue in Tampa Bay, # 3 in the
state of Florida, #7 in the United States
and #9 in the world of theater venues
with 2,500 seats or less.
Paul Wilborn has won the gold medal
for fiction from the Florida Book Awards
for his first short story collection, Cigar
City: Tales from a 1980s Creative Ghetto.
Well-known for his time at the Tampa
Tribune and the St. Petersburg Times,
Paul is busy as the executive director of
the Palladium Theater in St. Petersburg
and performing with his wife, actress
Eugenie Bondurant.
Bob Roperti, founder of Jiffy
Reprographics, was awarded the title of
Mr. Clearwater by Amplify Clearwater,
the newly merged Clearwater Chamber
of Commerce and Clearwater Beach
Chamber. Bob was chosen for this
prestigious award in recognition of
his involvement and leadership in the
community over the years.
Rabbi Joshua Lobel was welcomed
to Temple B’nai Israel during a special
installation reception at the temple in
Clearwater, which he now leads.
Marchilene Harlee of Riverview
has been appointed the new program
director of the Tampa Bay Women’s
Business Centre at the Helen Gordon
Davis Centre for Women nonprofit in
Tampa. The center offers programs
designed to educate, empower and
66 TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE | MAY/JUNE 2020
Jeanne Reynolds,
Pinellas County
Schools’ performing arts
specialist, and
Sharon Reid-Kane,
education and outreach
officer/vice president at
the Marcia P. Hoffman
School of the Arts at
Clearwater’s Ruth
Eckerd Hall, were
selected to participate
in the prestigious
Partners in Education
meeting for professional
learning, leadership
development and
networking at the
Kennedy Center in
Washington, D.C. The
Hoffman School is one
of the largest providers
of arts education and
outreach in the nation,
reaching more than
45,000 students
each year.
GRAM
PHOTO COURTESY SHARON REID-KANE
Christopher Swink, senior director at BNY Mellon Wealth Management in
Tampa, thanked internationally known architect Yann Weymouth, designer of
St. Petersburg’s James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art, for sharing the
story of the designing and building of this incredible museum during a reception at
the museum sponsored by BNY Mellon and the Tampa Bay Businesses for Culture
and the Arts.