The Conversation
Kristi Aiello Senior Director Business Development, Florida Blue
Photo: Laird You’ve held several positions at Florida Blue; what has led to your longevity there? Throughout my career, I’ve looked for roles that have challenged me, provided me with an opportunity to continue learning and expanding my skills, and offered an opportunity for me to contribute to the overall success of the corporation. I also seek out a leader who is supportive, who will provide opportunities for my growth and who will be a mentor to me. My current role not only fits those criteria but also provides the extra added value...
read moreAmber Amerson
Theatre Director, LaVilla School of the Arts Photo: Laird You have a long tenure at LaVilla School of the Arts. Do you see any trends in performing arts education? Are students coming in with ideas from pop culture? Yes. Too many. Today, students are on the forefront of technology. While they have access to many performance examples, it is difficult to teach them how to decipher what is good practice from popular play, lacking a subsistence base. I call this the pains-to-progress practice. Therefore, I...
read moreDavid Ponsler
Blacksmith Photo: Laird You’ve had a long career working with metal. Tell us how that all began and when you first became interested in metalwork. My parents were from Indiana, and my father had wanderlust which is why at 17 he volunteered to serve overseas in WW2. In 1950 he was lured down to Jacksonville to partner with a man making playground equipment out of steel. The company was called Wonderland Products. My mother worked for an accountant until I started school and then she became the bookkeeper for the company. So, at six...
read moreThe Conversation … Heather Surface
Owner/Operator, St. Johns River Taxi You and your husband operate the St. Johns River Taxi, but we hear that plans are to provide more than joyriding between the riverbanks. What changes have taken place and what do you envision changing in the future? Since the time we started operating the river taxi in 2014, downtown Jacksonville has changed significantly. Several tropical storms and a hurricane battered our downtown docks, and Irma completely destroyed the dock at the Jacksonville Zoo. (We had just launched...
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Darren Ronan, Owner/Teacher, Ronan School of Music Photo: Laura Evans You play drums and other percussion instruments, as well as string instruments including guitar, bass, and ukulele. Is there one you consider best at conveying your personal artistic voice? No one instrument in particular helps me express myself more than another. I am very fortunate in that I get to play in many different musical settings so anything I feel I need to express is able to happen. You teach music at Grace Episcopal Day School and then at...
read moreKim Vincenty Founder/President JACK Mental Health Advocacy
Julie Shuford Photography We at Arbus have known you, Kim, since your days as co-owner of the Spiller Vincenty Gallery. Can you take a minute to stroll down memory lane and share a few anecdotes from your art sector days? My dear friend Marilyn Spiller and I co-owned Spiller Vincenty. We loved our years in the Jacksonville art scene and still have wonderful relationships with the artists we met along the way. We were passionate about introducing contemporary art to the Jacksonville market and creating a space where all art forms could...
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The Conversation: Sel Buyuksarac
Chief of Public Affairs and Government Relations, River City Science Academy
Conversation with Janet M. Herrick • Photograph by laird
read moreThe Conversation: Angela TenBroeck
Angela TenBroeck, Chief Executive Officer, Worldwide Aquaponics
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