Business Observer

+ New shoe store strides into Gulf Gate neighborhood
M’Orelli Italian Shoes will open April 11, at 2144 Gulf Gate Drive. All of the shoes in the store are made in the Marche area of Italy, which is known for high-quality and exclusive shoemaking.

Jerry Ciarapica, owner of M’Orelli Italian Shoes, comes from a long line of Italian shoemakers and manufacturers.

There will be a grand opening kickoff sale from April 11 to April 18. The store is open from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. For information, call 923-1031.

+ Courtney DeFilippis joins RE/MAX Alliance Group
Broker/associate Courtney DeFilippis has joined RE/MAX Alliance Group as a team member with Tom Wagner, who specializes in Manasota Key properties. DeFilippis focuses primarily on Palm, Knight and Don Pedro islands.

DeFilippis has eight years of real estate experience and last worked with Islander Properties in Englewood. A longtime area resident, she brings extensive market knowledge.

Prior to her career in real estate, DeFilippis was in hotel/restaurant management in Palm Beach. She has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Palm Beach Atlantic University. She is active in the Englewood United Methodist Church and Young Life, a Christian outreach program in high schools.

The RE/MAX Alliance Group Sarasota office is located at 2000 Webber St.

+ LaHurd receives human resources award from SHRA
Jennifer LaHurd, State College of Florida Manatee-Sarasota director of human resource operations, received the Human Resources Professional of the Year award from Sarasota-Manatee Human Resources Association (SHRA). 

LaHurd, who has been in human resources for 16 years, received the award for serving as a role model for the human resources profession. 

She is a certified senior professional in human resources and was the chair of the 2013 SHRA annual conference.

LaHurd has been employed at SCF since 2005.

+ Icard Merrill welcomes two associate attorneys
The law firm of Icard, Merrill, Cullis, Timm, Furen & Ginsburg, P.A. has added associate attorneys, Robert Young and Jordan J. Riccardi.

“We are fortunate to have these two fine attorneys join our firm,” said President Robert G. Lyons. “They represent our continuing expansion in family law and business law, and we are confident that they will be valuable additions both to our offices and to the communities they serve.”

Riccardi was named an associate attorney at Icard Merrill after serving as a law clerk to firm member Todd Kaplan for the previous year. He earned his Juris Doctor from Ave Maria School of Law in Naples.

Young joined Icard Merrill in February. He received his Juris Doctor from the University of Illinois College of Law, where he graduated cum laude with a pro bono notation for public service.