Florida Today

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Sidoti qualifies for Million Dollar Round Table.

Prudential Financial, Inc. has announced that Carmen Sidoti, a premier agent with The Prudential Insurance Company of America's Sunshine State Agency in Melbourne, has qualified for membership in the Million Dollar Round Table, one of the life insurance industry's most prestigious organizations. MDRT membership is based on excellence in customer sales and service, and only a small percentage of life insurance and financial services professionals qualify for membership each year. Sidoti is a resident of Melbourne.

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Thompson receives impact volunteer award.

United Way of Brevard has announced that Jeff Thompson has been selected as the recipient of the 2008 Kathy King Community Impact Volunteer Award. The honor was recently bestowed on Thompson at a breakfast that included all 150 of United Way's Community Impact volunteers. Thompson is an attorney practicing in Suntree. The award's namesake, and its recipients, personify character, integrity and caring, the United Way said. Thompson has been actively involved with United Way as a Community Impact volunteer, helping to distribute funds raised by United Way to health and human service programs in Brevard. His passion has been programs serving Brevard's children and youth.

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Watson named senior director at TyraTech.

Kim Watson has been named senior director of business development at Melbourne-based TyraTech, a pioneer of safer, effective and natural active ingredients for the pesticide, animal health and human functional food markets. Watson will identify new commercial development partnerships and market opportunities to expand TyraTech's traction in the international institutional, agricultural, consumer, and animal and public health markets. He has more than 20 years of experience in discovering, developing and commercializing new technologies in the agricultural chemical industry. Prior to joining TyraTech, Watson served as director of product acquisitions and licensing at FMC Corporation in Philadelphia. He also spent several years working with Bayer Australia, where he was a technical development officer and responsible for the marketing and distribution of proprietary agricultural chemicals. Watson is an active member in industry associations, including the Licensing Executives Society, and holds 18 technology patents of his own.

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Spaniol named top rep at Genworth convention.

Gerald Spaniol, registered representative, investment adviser representative, was recently presented with the "Top Representative" award by Enrique M. Vasquez, president, Genworth Financial Investment Services, at the organization's 10th annual National Convention. Spaniol's Rockledge-based practice serves approximately 100 clients with $50 million in assets. The award recognizes a financial services professional whose dedication and commitment has placed him among the top of his industry peers.

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Lockheed staff recognized for community sevice.

Employees at Lockheed Martin at Kennedy Space were recognized for their community service at the recent Volunteer Appreciation Ceremony. Local employees recorded over 9,000 hours on the company community service Web site during 2007. Jonsie Ivey and Michael Lynn Smith received a gold service pin for over 500 hours of community service. Staff awarded a silver pin for 250 to 499 hours: Christine Brown, Larry Easley, James Scott Harmon, Adrian Laffitte, Danny Sweat, James Teele and Karen Wargo. Staff receiving a bronze service pin for 100 to 249 hours: Jill Boyd, Marjorie Crawford, Stephanie Ebright, Eric Fricker, Nahyomy Garcia-Figueroa, Nancy Godfrey, Axel Hohl, George Kraft, Lizzeta Mort, David Ott, Jackie Petit, Kenneth Skidmore, Steve Smith, Eric Smitt, Bruce Weston, Shane Wylie and Herbert Yamada.

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SunTrust hires Frank.

SunTrust Bank has hired Susan Frank as vice president of commercial banking. Ray Sandhagen, chairman, president and chief executive officer of SunTrust Bank, Central Florida, made the announcement. Frank is a commercial relationship manager based at the Babcock Center office in Melbourne and will be responsible for managing and expanding commercial client relationships in South Brevard County.

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Vector Marketing opens Melbourne office.

Vector Marketing has opened a new sales office in Melbourne run by Branch Manager Jehon Amen. The office at 2107 S. Babcock St. will be used for the recruitment and training of new sales representatives as well as for team meetings. After first working as a sales representative, Amen worked her way up through the company, becoming an assistant manager before receiving her most recent promotion.

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Sirounis earns top producer award.

Bob Sirounis, owner and broker of Harbor City Business Brokers of Melbourne, earned the Top Dealmaker Award for 2007 in the Top Regional Producer category at the annual Business Brokers of Florida Awards Banquet in Orlando for having sold the most businesses in the Central Florida district. Co-owner and broker Mike Sirounis earned honorable mention for being in the top five dealmakers for completed business deals. Also recognized for outstanding sales in Business Brokerage and awarded the Multi Million Dollar Plus Award were Kevin Beaugez, Rodney Eubank, Bob Sirounis and Mike Sirounis. Harbor City Business Brokers received awards in all categories, which demonstrates professionalism and expertise.

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Compiled by Cara Stidham, FLORIDA TODAY. Please e-mail Business Newsmakers to business@floridatoday.com and include "newsmakers" in the subject line. Only high-resolution, JPG-format photos will be considered for publication.