Consumer sentiment sours among Floridians in March as national developments dim confidence
Consumers are starting to lose confidence in the Florida economy. A new consumer sentiment survey published by the University of Florida (UF) shows a substantial drop in sentiment in March amid turbulence in the national economy. Consumer sentiment in the state fell 6.6 points per UF’s scale, falling from 84.7 in February to 78.1. It’s the second month in a row that consumer sentiment declined in the Sunshine State and reflects a similar decline in the national consumer sentiment, which fell by 7.7 points. More from Florida Politics.
GuideWell / Florida Blue CEO Pat Geraghty to step down at year end
Pat Geraghty will retire from his role as president and chief executive officer of GuideWell and Florida Blue on December 31, 2025, after serving since 2011. During his tenure, Geraghty, 65, led the transformation of Florida's largest health insurer into GuideWell, a comprehensive health solutions enterprise, with a significant presence in Puerto Rico and across the country while also expanding Florida Blue's reach and impact across the state. More from Florida Trend and the Jacksonville Daily Record.
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» Pat Geraghty, Florida Blue CEO, is Floridian of the Year
EverBank completes acquisition of Sterling Bank and Trust
EverBank Financial Corp. said April 1 it completed the acquisition of Sterling Bank and Trust F.S.B, a deal that expands the Jacksonville-based bank’s branch network in California. EverBank acquired 25 Sterling branches in the San Francisco and Los Angeles markets and one branch in New York. More from the Jacksonville Daily Record.
Progress report: Disney World execs talk theme-park projects
There are multiple projects in the works at Walt Disney World, and executives recently shared updates during a “Behind the Magic” session with members of the media. The newsiest bits may have been that there’s an upgrade coming for Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin ride at Magic Kingdom and the kids-pay-half-price ticket offer coming this summer. Other updates concerned previously announced developments. More from the Orlando Sentinel.
Longtime national nonprofit issues mass layoffs across South Florida amid program closures
A national nonprofit founded over 170 years ago has shut down its local programs and will lay off over 100 staff across South Florida. Cayuga Home for Children, which operates as Cayuga Centers, told the state it will terminate the jobs of 72 workers in Miami Lakes, 16 employees in Port St. Lucie, nine staff in Fort Lauderdale and a team of four in Boynton Beach. More from the South Florida Business Journal.
Arts Business
Saenger Theatre, the Grand Dame of Palafox, turns 100
A century ago, Pensacola celebrated the opening of the Saenger with great fanfare. Visitors to the Saenger marveled at its ornate splendor, a Spanish baroque palace with rococo architectural with gliding curves, ornate sculpted molding, shimmering chandeliers and lushness throughout. Reaction to the stunning elegance has not dimmed in the decades since. Designed by noted New Orleans architect Emile Weil, after renovations through the years, the Saenger is even bigger, and maybe better than ever today.
» More from Pensacola News Journal.
Florida Trend Exclusive
The chef’s toolkit
Entrepreneur Jason Pereira is a chef wearing many hats. He’s a personal and private chef and caterer. He’s active in his family’s hospitality business, based in his native St. Kitts in the Caribbean. He mentors chefs on the business side of their passion. He’s busy drumming up sponsors for his regional Emmy-award-winning public television show, Dock & Dine, in which he visits waterside eateries in Southeast Florida by boat to meet restaurant owners and chefs to prepare and share a meal.
» Read more from Florida Trend.