BUSINESS OBSERVER

+ Abate named chair of Boys and Girls Club Board
Attorney Tony Abate, of Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP, has been named chairman of the Board of Directors of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Sarasota County. 

Abate’s practice involves commercial disputes in the form of business litigation and alternative dispute resolution, including arbitration and mediation, with an emphasis on construction, probate and trust and eminent domain litigation. He is board certified in construction law, one of only 292 lawyers statewide to receive this distinction, and is AV peer review rated by Martindale-Hubbell. Abate received his juris doctorate from Southern Illinois University and his bachelor’s, with honors, from Northern Illinois University.

+ ASID FWC chapter honors Andrew Guenther for service
The American Society of Interior Designers Florida West Coast Chapter at its Sept. 18 annual meeting recognized Andrew Guenther, of Advanced Electronic Systems Integrators, LLC, for his four years of service as director at large.

“Andrew has been a valued and tirelessly active industry partner for many years,” said Sarah Colandro, ASID Florida West Coast Chapter president, in a press release.

ASID is the organization for professional interior designers and offers education, training, business support and advocacy to more than 36,000 members.

+ Game on Nation moves to the HuB Incubator
President and founder of game on Nation, Steve Shenbaum, announced that his company is moving from its Bradenton location into office space at the newly renovated HuB Incubator in Sarasota. Shenbaum and his expanded team of consultants will continue to provide interactive communication, leadership and character development training in the community while focusing on growing their corporate teambuilding program nationwide.

“My team and I are so excited to remain in the Bradenton/Sarasota community and be surrounded by so many creative business leaders,” said Shenbaum in a press release.

+ Van Wezel boasts new LED lights
The Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall made efforts to increase its efficiency with the installation of 25 new LED lighting fixtures outside the building Tuesday, Oct. 16. The installation was part of FPL’s pilot project to evaluate the efficiency of emerging LED technology. As part of the pilot program, FPL will install test lights at several public venues across the state at no charge to the participating municipalities and will monitor and analyze the performance of the new devices through 2013 and beyond.