Business Briefs

New Headquarters Under Construction for Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation

The team at Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation has moved into temporary headquarters to make way for construction of a new landmark building on its current site off Park Avenue in Winter Park. Nicknamed “The Edyth” after the organization’s late philanthropic founder, it is expected to be completed in 2022 and include meeting space for the community. The building is part of the foundation’s mission to strengthen and support nonprofit organizations and promote philanthropy in Florida.

Designed by SchenkelShultz Architecture with construction led by general contractor Jack Jennings & Sons Inc., The Edyth will feature a glass facade, a two-story atrium and three levels, each with a distinct purpose. It is designed to resemble a theater to honor Edyth Bush’s love and advocacy for the arts and the foundation’s history of supporting the Central Florida arts community.

Meeting rooms and open space for the community to gather will occupy the first floor of the new building and will be available for the public to reserve for intimate performances, art exhibitions, yoga classes and meeting space for local organizations. The second floor, named “The Archibald” in honor of Edyth Bush’s husband, will house a community board room equipped with state-of-the-art technology. It will also contain office space for another nonprofit organization to rent. The foundation’s offices will take up the third floor of the building.

“Our new home will reshape our ability to serve the Central Florida community in a very dramatic way, and everyone on our team is very eager to welcome

this next chapter of our 47-year history,” said David Odahowski, the foundation’s president and CEO. “Our intention is to create a gathering place that will spark creative new ideas, connect individuals and organizations doing good in the community, and provide the tools, space and resources many nonprofit organizations would not have access to otherwise.”

Beacon College in Leesburg Ranks Among Best in South

For the first time since it was founded in 1989, Beacon College in Leesburg has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report as being in the top tier of colleges and universities in the South. The liberal arts school is America's first accredited baccalaureate institution dedicated to educating primarily students with learning disabilities, ADHD, dyslexia and other learning challenges.

Beacon College ranked No. 31 among 121 schools named in the Best Regional Colleges South category for 2021. The “Regional Colleges” category applies to schools that focus on undergraduate education but award fewer than half their degrees in liberal arts fields.

“Our inaugural ranking from the U.S. News & World Report confirms that Beacon College is an innovative leader in educating students,” said Dr. Shelly Chandler, Beacon College provost. “Coupled with our No. 1 rankings from Peterson’s and BestValueSchools.com for being the top school for those who learn differently, it is confirmed that our graduation and retention rates are impressive.”

Business Innovation Education

Rob Deininger Named to a Top Role in AdventHealth’s Local Operations

AdventHealth has named a new president and CEO for what it calls its Central Florida division’s “quaternary hub,” which includes AdventHealth Orlando, AdventHealth for Women and AdventHealth for Children. Rob Deininger assumes his role on Nov. 9 and will report to Jennifer Wandersleben, CEO of acute care services for the Central Florida Division – South Region. He replaces Brett Spenst, who recently accepted a position as care division finance officer with Adventist Health, a Roseville, Californiabased health system serving more than 80 communities on the West Coast and in Hawaii.

Deininger has been with the organization since 2010 and most recently served as president/CEO for AdventHealth Fish Memorial, a 179-bed acute-care hospital in Orange City. Since March, he has also served as the incident commander for AdventHealth’s COVID-19 System Command Center.

Over the years, he has served in various leadership roles within AdventHealth including vice president of operations for AdventHealth Orlando, vice president for research operations and administrative director of the AdventHealth Translational Research Institute. In his new role, Deininger will lead in the strategic development, planning and growth for the Orlando market. Before starting his career in health care, Deininger spent 12 years in commercial aviation, logging more than 9,000 flight hours in large aircraft.

Rosen Inn Lake Buena Vista

The Rosen Inn Lake Buena Vista reopened Oct. 7 with a “virtual” ribbon-cutting and a new name. Attending the event: Jennifer Rice Palmer, director of guest services, Rosen Hotels & Resorts; Mike Waterman, chief sales officer, Visit Orlando; Bob Coletti, general manager, Rosen Inn Lake Buena Vista; Joshua Rosen, sales manager, Rosen Hotels & Resorts; owner Harris Rosen; Josh Squires, assistant general manager, Rosen Inn Lake Buena Vista; Angie Snyder, director of sales and marketing, Rosen Inn Lake Buena Vista; and Jordan Evans, director of Central Florida sales, The Walt Disney Company. The former Clarion Inn Lake Buena Vista, located less than two miles from Walt Disney World, is one in the collection of eight award-winning Rosen Hotels & Resorts in Orlando. The AAA Three Diamond hotel has 640 guest rooms.

Tourism Growth

Disney+ Series ‘The Right Stuff’ Filmed at Sites in Central Florida

When Disney+ kicked off the highly anticipated TV series “The Right Stuff” on Oct. 9, it held special meaning for Central Florida. Like the 1983 film of the same name, the series from National Geographic and Warner Bros. follows the early days of NASA and the lives of the seven Project Mercury astronauts and their families. From July to December 2019, the Orlando region served as the series headquarters and provided most of the filming locations.

The Orlando Economic Partnership’s Orlando Film Commission worked with the project during preproduction and production, finding and securing locations, processing all permits and facilitating conversations between the production and government partners including the City of Orlando and Orange County. Over the course of 185 production days, the series helped boost the Orlando regional economy by employing nearly 600 local professionals, reserving more than 7,500 hotel room nights, securing location and sound stage rentals, and renting equipment, hiring caterers and more.

“By bringing together multiple partners throughout the industry and across the region, we were able to leverage our authentic locations and experienced crew and talent, proving what film in Orlando looks like — creative, experienced and innovative — all while significantly stimulating the economy,” said Sheena Fowler, Orlando film commissioner and Orlando Economic Partnership vice president of innovation.

Inspiration

Central Florida to Host 17 NCAA Championships From 2022 through 2026

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has tapped the greater Orlando area to host 17 championship events from the fall of 2022 through the spring of 2026. Those include the popular Division I first and second rounds of the men’s basketball championship series in 2023 at the Amway Center in downtown Orlando, along with the men’s and women’s tennis championships at the U.S. Tennis Association (USTA) campus in Lake Nona. The University of Central Florida (UCF) will serve as a co-host of each.

championships, 86 were up for bid simultaneously over a four-year cycle, resulting in the NCAA awarding more than 450 host sites at once on Oct. 14. More than 3,000 bids were submitted from 46 states and Washington D.C., which included 68 bids the Greater Orlando Sports Commission submitted from Central Florida.

Of the NCAA’s 90 annual experience to learn Applications are being

NCAA championship events attract spectators and families from across the United States, driving significant impact to hotels, restaurants and attractions

in Central Florida. The events awarded to the region during this bid cycle are expected to drive a more than $27 million impact to the region. Before COVID-19 caused the cancellation of the NCAA’s spring 2020 championships, Central Florida had hosted at least one NCAA national championship or regional

Tourism Orlando Leadership Program Celebrates 20 Years, 1,000 Graduates

The Tourism Orlando Leadership Program, an initiative of the International Drive Resort Area Chamber of Commerce, is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Held one day a month, the program immerses local leaders in a 10-month aspects of the tourism industry, from marketing to operations.

It had a rough start when its original kickoff day was Sept. 11, 2001, said Maria Triscari, President and CEO of the I-Drive chamber. “We had to cancel the first day of class due to the tragedy of our country that day. We moved the kickoff date to October and began the program with extreme security measures that were implemented during that time.”

More than 1,000 people have graduated from Tourism Orlando. championship every year since 1996.

accepted at www. internationaldrivechamber. com for the 20th season kickoff, which will be Dec. 4 at Universal Orlando. P

WANT TO SHARE YOUR NEWS?

Do you have some news you’d like us to share with the community? Please be aware that we work two to three months in advance of our publication date. Submit press releases and announcements to press@i4biz.com.

Business Innovation Education