A look at major career developments in the area.
Jacksonville Symphony hires new bass trombonist
The Jacksonville Symphony has announced the appointment of Jason Sato as bass trombone for the 2026-27 season. He will begin his role at the start of the season in September.
A native of Austin, Texas, Sato previously served as acting bass trombone with the St. Louis Symphony and has performed with leading ensembles including the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Boston Pops and Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra.
An active orchestral musician, Sato was a fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center in 2024. He has been recognized as a finalist in both the International Trombone Association’s George Roberts Bass Trombone Competition in 2023 and the Edward Kleinhammer Orchestral Bass Trombone Competition in 2024.
For more information and to view the full list of the Jacksonville Symphony’s musicians, go to JaxSymphony.org.
AVI appoints McKenzie Ogburn to new post
As part of its continued focus on customer experience and strategic growth, AVI has announced the appointment of McKenzie Ogburn as the company’s first-ever head of client solutions.
The newly created role reflects AVI’s ongoing investment in strengthening customer relationships, enhancing communication and providing tailored logistics solutions that support clients across a variety of industries.
Ogburn joins AVI with a strong background in logistics, transportation, business development and client relations. A Jacksonville native, she has been active in the logistics and supply chain industry since 2018 and holds dual bachelor’s degrees in international business and transportation & logistics from the University of North Florida.
Prior to joining AVI, Ogburn spent five years in the warehouse staffing industry, most recently serving as a top-performing business development manager.
In her new role, Ogburn will work closely with AVI customers to help identify logistics solutions, support account growth, and strengthen client partnerships across the company’s warehousing, transportation and value-added service divisions.
Slade joins Ponte Vedra Beach office of real estate business
Lissa Slade has joined Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Network Realty as a Realtor in its Ponte Vedra Beach office.
A longtime Beaches resident, Slade has more than 30 years of experience in sales and leadership, along with more than 12 years as a real estate adviser.
Slade has called the Beaches area home for more than three decades, offering her clients invaluable local insight and a deep understanding of the Northeast Florida lifestyle. Throughout her career, she has achieved more than $80 million in sales volume and has been consistently recognized as a top-performing professional.
For more information, contact Slade at 904-200-5435 or lissa.slade@floridanetworkrealty.com and LSlade.FloridaNetworkRealty.com.
The Ponte Vedra/Nocatee office is located at 333 Village Main St., Suite 670, Ponte Vedra Beach. Broker/Manager, Erin Spalding, who can be reached at 904-285-1800, Erin.Spalding@FloridaNetworkRealty.com, and floridanetworkrealtycareers.com.
GreenPointe Holdings promotes McKenna to development manager post
GreenPointe Holdings has announced the promotion of Nick McKenna to development manager, North Florida Region. In his new role, McKenna supports all aspects of land development and construction projects across North Florida including GreenPointe’s newest community in Tallahassee, TalisTrails.
Since joining GreenPointe in 2024 as assistant development manager, McKenna has contributed to key projects and supported master-planned community development efforts throughout the region. Before joining GreenPointe, he worked with a privately held regional homebuilding company in Ohio.
McKenna earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in real estate from Ohio State University.
— Compiled by Shaun Ryan
