Names and faces
NAMES AND FACES
Mitchell McKnight, PE, has joined Halfacre Construction Co. as the director of public infrastructure. McKnight brings almost 40 years of experience to Halfacre as a licensed professional engineer.
In his new role, he is responsible for leading and promoting the construction management process for public infrastructure to various public entities, managing staff members, investigating capital improvement programs and providing quality control for plans and specifications.
McKnight has held dual corporate management roles for public infrastructure and transportation services. He has extensive experience with local, state and federal governmental and regulatory agencies.
Most recently, McKnight served as the board chairman for The Circus Arts Conservatory.
Prior to that, he worked for Boyle Engineering and Wilson Miller.
Tim Mitten has joined the sales staff at Wagner Realty's Sarasota office on First Street. Mitten grew up in New York, received a master's degree in telecommunications management and worked for Verizon Communications for 18 years.
He was a member of Junior Achievement's board of directors in Sarasota and is currently helping with Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Suncoast.
Mitten also founded and owns Full Moon Promotions in Sarasota.
David Gustafson has joined Wagner Realty's Lakewood Ranch office. He was born in Illinois but spent most of life in this area.
He is an alumnus of Manatee High School and the University of South Florida. During his tenure with the city of Bradenton as the executive director of the Bradenton Downtown Development Authority, Gustafson was co-creator and lead person on the 2015 Inaugural Bradenton Area Riverwalk Regatta, which drew an estimated 80,000 attendees and produced an $8 million economic impact to the area.
He has been heavily involved with the rowing initiative and helped secure the 2017 World Rowing Championships to be held at Nathan Benderson Park.
Kevin Cooper will join the staff of the Gulf Coast Community Foundation as director of community investment.
In this role, he will work directly with Jon Thaxton, who was named Gulf Coast's senior vice president for community investment.
Cooper is currently vice president for public policy and Sarasota Tomorrow initiatives at the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce. At Gulf Coast, he will work with nonprofits, donors and other community partners to invest foundation grants
and resources into projects that transform the region and improve public policies.
The Florida Home Builders Association has announced its 2015 Florida Housing Hall of Fame inductees including John Wiseman of Core Construction and a member of the Manatee-Sarasota Building Industry Association, who was inducted into the Florida Housing Hall of Fame, Florida Home Builders Association. As president of the Florida Home Builders Association, Wiseman oversaw changes to FHBA fiscal policies and to the membership of the board of Florida Home Builders Insurance Company, resulting in expanded insurance markets and greater dividends for FHBA.
This story was originally published October 18, 2015 at 10:36 PM with the headline "Names and faces ."