- November 25, 2024
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Last year, we wrote 11 stories about people to watch in 2011. Check out Sports Editor Andrew O’Brien’s column on Page 23 for a look at what four high school athletes accomplished last year.
And here is a look back at what our news selections did in 2011:
Stewart Maxcy
Director, Race to the Top
One of the primary functions of the Race to the Top program was to develop a new teacher evaluation system and set it up with performance-based pay. In 2011, Stewart Maxcy led the way to having the teacher evaluation system approved and implemented. An evaluation system for principals is next.
David Ottati
CEO, Florida Hospital Flagler
David Ottati was selected last year because of the continued growth of Florida Hospital Flagler, which added technology such as the da Vinci Surgical System, a doctor-controlled minimally invasive surgery-bot. The hospital also added the PET-CT 600, a rare and advanced medical scanner, and received the highest possible Stage 7 designation for its Electronic Medical Records Adoption Model, making it the first in Florida and the 66th in the United States.
A new 34,000-square-foot medical facility is under construction at Cobblestone Village, near Walmart, bringing medical resources closer to Palm Coast residents.
Ottati, who also oversaw the dissolution of Enterprise Flagler in 2011, was honored as a top CEO by the Jacksonville Business Journal.
J.J. Graham
Curator, Hollingsworth Gallery
In the past 12 months, J.J. Graham has increased Hollingsworth Gallery from two units at City Marketplace to four. Thirteen artists now work in seven studios, and there is also space for a members gallery.
The gallery also houses the new City Repertory Theatre (see Page 22 for a story on Director John Sbordone).
Milissa Holland
County Commissioner
A year ago, Milissa Holland stuck her neck out and proposed creating an economic development organization that would steer and unify the county’s efforts to revitalize the economy. Today, after many meetings and summits, we have the Economic Opportunity Advisory Council. It certainly wasn’t all Holland’s work, but looking back at what she proposed, you could say that she got the conversation started that led to the EOAC. Time will tell if it will be successful.
Holland also has been a voice for marketing Flagler County as a tourism destination. She and others at the Tourist Development Council made about 20 presentations to organizations throughout Flagler to educate people about how to use their events and other efforts to benefit the community.
Jon Netts
Mayor, Palm Coast
In addition to being re-elected in 2011, Jon Netts was a leader in Palm Coast’s economic development efforts. But he said it wasn’t just the Business Assistance Center that made an impact (see Page 17 for a story on Joe Roy and the Business Assistance Center). Netts said the focus on obtaining grants for rehabilitating neighborhoods was also significant.
In the next year, Netts said, the city is planning to expand its efforts to the regional level, as well, because the city won’t recover without the region recovering along with it.
Margaret Combs, David Ragnar
MH Operations
The creators of the MicroHose were not on the same page as their investors, apparently. Local governments succeeded in luring the company to town in 2010, but the projected 83 jobs never came to be, and Flagler County booted the company out of the 20,000-square-foot space at the airport when the company was unable to pay rent.
Raul Zambrano, Sharon Atack, Dennis Craig
Judges
Judges Zambrano, Craig and Atack were busy with more than 19,600 new cases filed in 2011. They were also able to clear 1,700 backlogged foreclosure cases during the year.
According to Seventh Judicial Circuit Public Information Officer Molly Justice, “The Florida Supreme Court has recognized the need for additional resources in Flagler County and certified the need for an additional county court judge in its annual certification for the Legislature.”
Atack, who has been on the bench for 17 years, announced she will retire in 2013.
