National Entrepreneur Center names new president

Welcome to Orlando Business Journal's weekly LinkedIn newsletter. I'm Managing Editor Susan Lundine, rounding up Orlando business news to keep you in the know when time is short.

The National Entrepreneur Center has named?Belinda Ortiz Kirkegard?as its new top executive.

She replaces?Jerry Ross, 65, who last May?announced his retirement likely would take effect by Dec. 31, 2022.?

Kirkegard long has been known as?a champion for Central Florida's small business community.?She has overseen some major efforts that created big local impact.

Learn more about her and her new role here.

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Real estate news of the week

Check out some of the biggest names in local real estate and what they're up to:

• Orlando nightlife operator Team Market Group buys Mills 50 building: An entity related to the firm run by brothers Keith and?Romi Mawardi?paid $1.2 million for two parcels.
• Exclusive: Indiana developer Garrett Cos. cancels Disney-area project on Westgate-owned land: It is not clear whether the land at 2755 N. Old Lake Wilson Road will be put back on the market.
• Wave of new projects with 1,000 apartments enters Orlando pipeline: Expect to see more of those types of deals, said an expert.
• Orlando Health buys more property in Orange County: The nonprofit health system bought the 5.37-acre property for $7.13 million.
• What this Tampa developer envisions for 100 acres in Orlando's Horizon West: 2nd Wave Development is behind a $170 million, mixed-use project on 97.5 acres in southwest Orange County.

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Orlando news bites

You don't want to miss these top stories:

• L3Harris to buy Aeroject Rocketdyne for $4.7B
• Exclusive: DeSantis vs Disney: See the latest on Orlando residents' lawsuit over Reedy Creek
• New Disney tech uses air and water to make robots fly
• PureCycle's Winter Garden facility loses water supply in legal battle

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Restaurant news & notes

We're always hungry for new places to eat. Check these out:

• Jollibee restaurant to expand its Florida footprint: This Filipino-based fast-food eatery is spreading its wings in the Sunshine State, opening its first Orlando location soon.

• California-based Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar chain to enter Orlando market, create hundreds of jobs: The 8,000-square-foot, 315-seat eatery will feature a 1,300-square-foot outdoor patio.
• Osceola County to get new food truck park: The proposal show a seating area surrounded by food trucks.

(Personal note from Susan: If you haven't been to a food truck park, it's worth checking out. It's fun to try different dishes from a variety of places.)

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Nominations & Events

Things to put on your busy calendar:

• Join OBJ on Jan. 10 as we celebrate the retirement of Editor Cindy Barth.
• Nominations now being accepted for 2023 40 under 40 awards: Deadline Jan. 26
• Register now for OBJ's 2023 Economic Outlook, to be held Jan. 17
• Sign up now to come meet the 2023 Inno Startups to Watch, to be held Jan. 19

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Finally ... make your voice heard!

Some?OBJ?polls are live. Let us know what you're thinking.

• Are you concerned about job cuts happening at your company in 2023?
• Do you have a New Year's Resolution for 2023?

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That's all for this week's top headlines, and thanks for supporting?OBJ.

This weekly round-up of Orlando business news was compiled by Susan Lundine,?OBJ's managing editor. Questions? Comments? Concerns? News tips? Send them to [email protected].