Elizabeth King

2 weeks ago | yourobserver.com | Elizabeth King

A Longboat Key estate that hit the market this week is Sarasota County’s most expensive listing ever, the listing agent says. Located behind the gates of the Longboat Key Club, the property — known as Serenissima, which means “the most serene” in Italian — features 19,300 square feet of living space overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. The house has six bedrooms, six full bathrooms and two half-baths as well as a 12-car garage.

2 weeks ago | yourobserver.com | Elizabeth King

There is a new leader at the helm of the Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce. Sarah Firstenberger has been named CEO of the nonprofit that promotes businesses and organizations on Siesta Key. Firstenberger, according to a statement, comes to the Siesta Key Chamber from the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, where she was most recently the director of marketing and events. Before that, she was the executive director of Sarasota-Manatee Originals, which champions independent restaurants.

4 weeks ago | businessobserverfl.com | Elizabeth King

A Manatee County commissioner may propose a hiring freeze, citing the current economic downturn. Commissioner Bob McCann plans to raise the hiring freeze for discussion during the board’s June 3 meeting. “A hiring freeze in Manatee County government can improve efficiency and fiscal responsibility by optimizing current staff and preventing unnecessary expenditures,” McCann writes in a memo accompanying the June 3 meeting agenda. Manatee County has more than 2,400 employees.

4 weeks ago | businessobserverfl.com | Elizabeth King

A Sarasota financial firm has been acquired by a Nebraska-based company. SRQ Wealth is now owned by Carson Group, a wealth advisory firm out of Omaha. Carson Group is a subsidiary of Carson Group Holdings LLC, which has $42 billion in assets under management. SRQ Wealth will continue to be led by Managing Partner and Senior Wealth Advisor Steve Martin along with his partners Karin Grablin and Justin Salemy.

4 weeks ago | yourobserver.com | Elizabeth King

A Gulf-front estate in the Sandy Hook neighborhood of Siesta Key has hit the market for $15.5 million. The five-bedroom house spans more than 5,100 square feet, and the property sits on an acre with private beach access. Among the highlights, according to a statement, are the connections between interior and exterior, with balconies accompanying each bedroom, outdoor terraces, a poolside theater, dual fireplaces, outdoor kitchen and fire pit.