Community Bulletin and Business Briefs

The Winter Park Chamber of Commerce named the Winter Park-Maitland Observer the Small Business of the Year at its membership awards gala on Friday, Jan. 27. Pictured, from left, are Chamber President Patrick Chapin and Vice President Debra Hendrickson and Observer Publisher Kyle Taylor and editors Jenny Andreasson and Isaac Babcock.

Girls of Maitland win big

The Winter Park Rotary held its annual Boat Parade last month on the Winter Park Chain of Lakes and was won by the Girls of Maitland (Megan Jaffee, Jenna Jaffee, Madison Grasty, Haley Grasty, Madeline Steele, Danielle Flanagan) doing a live performance. They won first place and $500 prize.

Brown bound

Grant Senne, a senior at Trinity Preparatory School and Winter Park resident, recently committed to play football at Brown University. He also made the 3A all-state second football team.

Student honors

Catherine Perkins of Winter Park has been honored with placement on the Dean's List at Wheaton College in Norton, Mass., for the fall 2011 semester. Perkins, a member of the Class of 2014, is pursuing a major in Asian studies.

Blake Habicht, a resident of Maitland, was among more than 1800 students from Wake Forest University who made the Fall Dean's List.

Be a mentor

Junior Achievement (JA) of Central Florida has partnered with the City of Orlando on its “Path Finders” initiative. Volunteers are needed to serve as career coaches and mentors for middle and high school students. For more information, visit www.jacentralfl.org, email [email protected] or call 407-898-2121, ext. 36.

Display your art

The Winter Park Public Library is now taking applications for artists who would like to exhibit their work as part of its continuing Community Room revolving art display during 2012 or the first half of 2013. Artists’ work will be displayed in the Library’s Community room for one-month periods. All interested artists should send an artist statement/biographical sketch accompanied by four to six digital images representative of the work to be displayed to [email protected]. Deadline for submissions is Monday, Feb. 13.

Volunteer for literacy

The Foundation for Orange County Public Schools is asking the community to consider volunteering for one hour a week during the school year, in order to improve literacy in children though the Read2Succeed program. Go to www.foundationforocps.org to register as a mentor today.

Help build wheelchair ramps

The Center for Independent Living (CIL) is in need of donations and volunteers for RAMPAGE, an annual, one-day event on Wednesday, Feb. 25, where volunteers will build wheelchair ramps. To donate, or for more information, please contact Lindsey Koeneman at 407-623-1070 ex. 127 or [email protected]

BUSINESS BRIEFS

Kelly Price & Company, one of Orlando’s leading residential real estate firms, celebrates one of its best years with $130 million in 2011 sales. The more than 300 closed transactions constitute the firm’s ninth year as an established real estate force, jumping nearly 11 percent from 2010 sales and 35 percent from 2009 sales.

Emerson International Inc. recently negotiated a new lease agreement for 1,838 square feet of office space at 2600 Maitland Center Parkway in Maitland.

Rhodes+Brito Architects, based in Orlando, was recently awarded a continuing services contract from Seminole County Public Schools.

NAI Realvest negotiated a new lease agreement for 1,991 square feet of office space in suite 104 at 1015 Maitland Center Commons Blvd.

O,R&L welcomes Trey Vick, executive vice president of Commercial Real Estate Services.

Altamonte Springs-based general contractor and construction manager Roger B. Kennedy Inc. completed work on Legends at Lake Mary Apartments, Building 16, on Rinehart Road in Lake Mary.

Hank Wolf, principal of Henry R. Wolf Architect LLC, has been elected president of the Orlando Chapter of the American Institutes of Architects (AIA) for 2012.

ATHENAPowerLink Orlando, Central Florida’s premier business development and mentor program for female business owners, is pleased to announce the appointment of Beverly Marshall-Luney to the organization’s governing body.

Winter Park resident Ed Baxa, a partner in Foley & Lardner’s Orlando office, has been chosen for the 2012 Florida Bar President’s Pro Bono Services Award for the Ninth Judicial Circuit.

Professional Real Estate Company LLC is proud to announce the Village Plaza, a 23,000-square-foot retail center located in Maitland, Florida, has been leased to 100 percent occupancy.

New Hope for Kids has announced its officers to the Board of Directors for 2012. The officers are Chair Kathy Marsh of Orange County Public Schools, Vice Chair Anthony Martin of Wells Fargo Bank, Treasurer Elizabeth Schneider-Peele of GRB Enterprises, Secretary Barbara Peckett of Clear Channel, Former Chair Cassandra Doty of The Doty Group/Keller Williams Classic Realty, and Executive Director David Joswick of New Hope for Kids.