For civic officials and business leaders in Jacksonville, the problem has never been getting people to come to downtown. The problem has been getting them to stop and visit.

         Each year millions of visitors pass through the heart of downtown en route to various destinations south. But only a small percentage actually stop in Jacksonville.

       “We are seeing a troubling trend,” said George Harrell, president of AquaJax, a local advocacy group. “While there has been a significant increase of visitors to Florida in recent years, we have actually had a decrease of visitors to Jacksonville.

Jacksonville, Fla., March 7, 2013 -- Freedom Boat Club is pleased to announce Austin Hammond has been promoted to Director of Dock Operations.  Hammond previously served as dock manager for the main office at Julington Creek Marina. 

Hammond is no stranger to the water.  He started boating and fishing with this father in his 14-foot Jon boat on the fresh water Trinity River in Texas when he was a boy.  The family moved to Florida in 1997 and continued boating in an 18x8-foot SeArk center console aluminum boat all along the St. Johns river and surrounding flats.  While in high school, Hammond worked at West Marine, selling boat equipment and accessories and spending his time talking about what he loved, boating and fishing.

    Lisa Almeida, well-known across north Florida by her alter-ego, Lisa the Boatanista, might need a new moniker after the recent business accolades she has received. Call her Lisa the Late Bloomer.

    It is not that Almeida did not achieve a significant amount of success earlier in her professional career: she did. But the former corporate sales and marketing executive is enjoying a new level of success as an entrepreneur in the marine industry.

    In recent weeks, Almeida, co-owner of the Freedom Boat Club franchises in Jacksonville and St. Augustine, has received two major honors: