Spear Castillo rises up in the world of luxury hotels

Deborah Spear Castillo, ’83, certainly knows what it’s like to climb the corporate ladder, not to mention the world of five-star travel.

In the summer of 2010, she was named vice president of hotel sales for Loews Hotels, one of the country’s top luxury lodging companies with 19 hotels located in the United States and Canada.

Blevins helps turn St. Augustine Amphitheatre into one of the country’s top outdoor venues

When Troy Blevins took a job with St. Johns County Recreation and Parks, he never thought it would lead to hobnobbing with big time celebrities like Ringo Starr, Aretha Franklin and Toby Keith. Blevins, ‘89, just wanted to help the county by creating youth sports programs.
“I figured I’d be in the gym and be ‘Coach Troy’ for the rest of my life,” the 43-year-old admits. “I didn’t think I’d be the guy in charge of 43 miles of beaches, 4,500 acres of parks and all of the boat ramps. And I definitely didn’t think I’d be running a concert venue.”

Vreeland bucks media trends by making Atlanta magazine a success

Despite many news outlets claiming that print media and magazines are dying, there are certainly success stories. Talk to industry insiders and they’ll tell you the magazines that will succeed are ones that are smart, creative, niche-based and personal to their readers. One of them is the Atlanta-based Occasions Magazine, founded by 2002 Flagler graduate Heather Vreeland in early 2009.

Occasions was originally a web-only idea by the communication major, who previously served as a director of marketing for a spa company and a bridal consultant for David’s Bridal. Vreeland wanted to focus solely on weddings before she discovered that there was a craving for events of all kinds by local residents. She also noticed a hole in resources for the Atlanta area.

Williams’ ocean-themed creations showing up in New York, Japan and even Urban Outfitters

It’s easy to spot the inspiration for Ty Williams’ art: bearded sea captains, smiling fish, flotillas of brightly colored boats, surfboards of all shapes and sizes.

Of course, when you split your childhood between the U.S. Virgin Islands and Maine, an unshakeable fascination with the ocean comes naturally. That fascination, combined with his unique artistic style, has helped land the 2007 Flagler grad several high-profile exhibits, installations and even work for well-known surf companies and retailers.

Alumna tackles environmental issues in her adopted language and country with new book

Alumna Margaret Fenwick’s love of learning has taken her places: not only from St. Augustine to Spain, but also toward an impressive career writing, blogging and speaking about environmental issues.

Ponce 100 – What is 1888? 200 – What is hours on the clock and/or months of the year? 300 [...]

Ginger Riggs is a writer, editor, and graphic designer. Riggs studied creative writing under the tutelage of Page Edwards Jr., Richard Yates, Virgil Suarez, Elizabeth Stuckey-French and Robert Olen Butler. Riggs’ short fiction has appeared in the “Tampa Review.” Riggs spent nearly a decade as a journalist, writing and designing for papers all around Florida. In addition to many features and columns, Riggs has done profiles of musicians Merle Haggard and Waylon Jennings and filmmaker Mohammad Bakri. Riggs is working on a biography of Waylon Jennings.