St. Johns County ranked healthiest county in Florida
County Health Rankings, a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation program, announced earlier this month that St. Johns County tops the list of the healthiest counties in the state. This year marks the seventh release of rankings by state. New measures implemented this year include frequent physical distress, frequent mental distress, drug overdose deaths, insufficient sleep and residential segregation for black/white and non-white/white populations.
The rankings system designated three areas where the county could improve: adult smoking (at 14 percent), adult obesity (23 percent) and excessive drinking (21 percent).
Of Florida’s 67 counties, neighboring county Duval ranked 48, while Clay and Nassau also placed in the top 10. Gadsden County, located in Florida’s Panhandle, was ranked last.
County water ‘best tasting drinking water in Northeast Florida’
The St. Johns County Utility Department was recently awarded “Best Tasting Drinking Water” in Northeast Florida by the American Water Works Association. The award is based on clarity, taste and other objective criteria. The county’s water will now represent the region in a statewide contest at the Florida Water Resource Conference in April. For more information on St. Johns County Utilities, visit www.sjcfl.us/Utilities.
Legacy Trust names new CFO
Ponte Vedra-based Legacy Trust announced last week that it has hired Kristi M. Quick as Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Quick is a seasoned executive with experience overseeing the finance organization for high-growth companies, most recently serving as VP of Finance for Taylor Foundation Services and CFO for American Sleep Medicine, LLC. A trained CPA, Quick started her career with Deloitte and spent 18 years in ever increasing roles with the finance and operations leadership at Vicar’s Landing.
As CFO for Legacy Trust, Quick will be responsible for ensuring that the company continues to drive growth, capitalizing on the sector’s demand for more personalized financial guidance among the area’s wealthier families. Quick will also manage legal compliance and risk management across the spectrum of financial operations, and be responsible for internal policies as they pertain to human resources, Board governance and shareholder relations.
Quick is a longtime Jacksonville/Ponte Vedra Beach resident. She received her BA in Accounting and her MBA from the University of North Florida. She resides in Ponte Vedra Beach with husband, Charlie, and Thomas, the last of four children at home. For information, call (904) 280-9100 or visit www.legacytrust.com.
First Florida Credit Union proposes merger with Florida Baptist
Jacksonville-based First Florida Credit Union has proposed a new partnership with Florida Baptist Credit Union. If approved, the partnership would mark First Florida’s second merger within two years and provide Florida Baptist Credit Union members with access to the resources of one of Florida’s largest and fastest-growing member-owned financial institutions. First Florida and Florida Baptist Credit Union recently signed an intent to merge agreement.
According to 2015 data from the Credit Union National Association (CUNA), the number of such credit union mergers is anticipated to increase over the next few years due to greater regulatory compliance burdens from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which pose greater challenges for smaller credit unions. In fact, during the first quarter of 2015, there were 89 fewer credit unions nationwide – the most rapid decline since the first quarter of 2002.
The proposed merger requires approval from the Office of Financial Regulation, the National Credit Union Administration and the members of Florida Baptist Credit Union. The membership vote is tentatively scheduled for April, and credit union leadership anticipates finalizing the merger in May. The combined credit union would serve residents in 20 counties, including Duval, St. Johns, Nassau and Clay.
— Kelly H. McDermott
