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BloomBoard Partners with Barry University to Fill Florida’s Persistent Teacher Vacancies

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1 year ago

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Offering paraprofessionals an on-the-job pathway to a bachelor’s degree in education will build a local educator pipeline for schools across the state

MIAMI, Feb. 20, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — According to the Florida Education Association, nearly 10,000 of the state’s public school teaching positions were vacant at the beginning of the 2024–2025 school year, with especially acute shortages in high-need areas such as Exceptional Student Education. To fill these vacancies, BloomBoard, a leading talent development provider for K–12 school districts, has partnered with Miami-based Barry University to launch an innovative on-the-job bachelor’s degree program for aspiring educators.

“Tapping the immense talent pool that already exists in our schools can decrease the teacher shortage in Florida—and in other areas around the country who choose to enroll in our program,” said Dr. Pablo Ortiz, provost of Barry University.

The J.E.T. (Job Embedded Teaching) Pathway program provided by Barry University and BloomBoard allows paraprofessionals and staff who are already employed in schools to continue working in the classroom as they earn a Bachelor of Science in education, with specialization options in Early Childhood, Elementary, and Exceptional Student Education.

“This partnership creates an affordable pathway to bring qualified teachers into the classrooms where they’re needed the most,” said Dr. Pablo Ortiz, provost of Barry University. “Tapping the immense talent pool that already exists in our schools can decrease the teacher shortage in Florida—and in other areas around the country who choose to enroll in our program.”

Candidates with associate degrees who are currently working in a school can enroll in the program as part of a cohort sponsored by their district. Every candidate who earns their bachelor’s degree and passes all the required certification assessments will be eligible for a full teaching certificate in Florida.

“Our collaboration with Barry University creates a sustainable pipeline of qualified, passionate teachers,” said Sanford Kenyon, the CEO of BloomBoard. “At a time when some schools are scrambling to fill vacancies with teachers who aren’t certified in the field they’re teaching, this program will deliver Florida’s students the credentialed, dedicated teachers they need and deserve.”

School districts in Florida, such as Hernando County School District, have already found success working with BloomBoard to implement job-embedded teacher advancement programs. Hernando County School District Superintendent Ray Pinder explained: “Through our partnership with BloomBoard, we found an untapped resource to help fill our instructional openings. Our Associate Teacher Substitute Program enables us to remove the barriers of time and cost and to support people who live in our community in becoming certified teachers.”

School districts interested in participating in the J.E.T. Pathway program can learn more by contacting Michelle Licata of BloomBoard (michelle.licata@bloomboard.com) or by visiting https://bloomboard.com/program/florida-teacher-apprenticeship.

About Barry University

As South Florida’s largest private Catholic institution of higher learning and as one of the leading universities in the nation for promoting social mobility, Barry University is preparing students for the future workforce by offering them more than 100-degree programs in a variety of disciplines and giving them the tools and real-world experience that transform concepts into impact. Barry’s programs center on experiential and service learning, responding to market conditions and addressing critical societal needs. Barry graduates are socially conscious leaders in many industries and in their communities. Learn more at Barry.edu.

About BloomBoard

BloomBoard is a talent development provider that enables K–12 school districts to grow, advance and retain educators by making professional education a benefit of employment. The company offers turnkey programs for school districts to move educators forward at all points of their professional journey. Its platform connects districts to higher education institutions that offer certification and degree programs using a unique, on-the-job instructional model. BloomBoard helps to assess needs, build and implement plans, and celebrate educator success. Visit bloomboard.com to learn more.

Media Contact

Kristen Plemon, PRP Group, a Hawke Media company, 1 6169942869, kplemon@hawkemedia.com, PRP.group

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prweb.com/releases/bloomboard-partners-with-barry-university-to-fill-floridas-persistent-teacher-vacancies-302381511.html

SOURCE Barry University

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XLCS Partners advises Concurrent Utility Services on sale to UniTek Global Services

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37 minutes ago

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July 23, 2026

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NASHVILLE, Tenn., July 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — XLCS Partners, Inc., a leading middle market investment bank, is pleased to announce that it served as exclusive M&A advisor to Concurrent Utility Services LLC on its acquisition by UniTek Global Services, Inc., a portfolio company of New Mountain Finance Corporation (Nasdaq: NMFC) and its affiliates, and BTG Pactual Strategic Capital.

Headquartered in Miami, Florida, Concurrent is a licensed general and electrical contractor providing infrastructure development and maintenance services to electric utilities, telecom providers, and land developers throughout the Southeast United States. The company’s capabilities span overhead and underground utility construction, professional telecom services, emergency service restoration, in-building networks, environmental services, and data center development. Backed by a safety-first culture and an experienced workforce, Concurrent has built a strong regional platform and a reputation for quality across the markets it serves.

UniTek is a leading digital infrastructure services provider supporting the expansion of fiber and data center connectivity across the U.S. and Canada. With over 600 employees and 60 locations, UniTek delivers a full suite of infrastructure services. The acquisition of Concurrent accelerates UniTek’s Power Services Division, which launched in July 2025 to broaden the company’s maintenance, repair, upgrade, and new infrastructure development services for the power sector. Concurrent’s established Southeast footprint and power capabilities directly complement UniTek’s existing broadband and data center infrastructure platform, positioning the combined company to capitalize on growing demand for resilient, modernized power infrastructure. Concurrent will continue to operate under its established brand, maintaining uninterrupted service for its customers.

“Selling Concurrent was one of the biggest decisions of my career, and Anthony, Jay, and the XLCS team guided us through every step with professionalism and genuine care for our people,” said Steve Sarno, CEO of Concurrent. “They stayed fully engaged throughout, gave us honest and thoughtful advice, kept our best interests front and center, and delivered an outcome that exceeded our expectations. I would recommend them without hesitation to any owner considering a transaction.”

XLCS acted as the exclusive M&A advisor to Concurrent, and the transaction was led by Anthony Contaldo, Partner, and Jay Cremer, Vice President. The transaction was completed on July 1, 2026.

About XLCS Partners, Inc.

XLCS Partners is a leading global investment banking firm providing M&A advisory services. Visit www.xlcspartners.com for more information.

Media Contact: 
Kendra Span 
kspan@xlcspartners.com
615-379-7783

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/xlcs-partners-advises-concurrent-utility-services-on-sale-to-unitek-global-services-302833542.html

SOURCE XLCS Partners, Inc.

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XLCS Partners advises Concurrent Utility Services on sale to UniTek Global Services

Published

37 minutes ago

on

July 23, 2026

By

NASHVILLE, Tenn., July 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — XLCS Partners, Inc., a leading middle market investment bank, is pleased to announce that it served as exclusive M&A advisor to Concurrent Utility Services LLC on its acquisition by UniTek Global Services, Inc., a portfolio company of New Mountain Finance Corporation (Nasdaq: NMFC) and its affiliates, and BTG Pactual Strategic Capital.

Headquartered in Miami, Florida, Concurrent is a licensed general and electrical contractor providing infrastructure development and maintenance services to electric utilities, telecom providers, and land developers throughout the Southeast United States. The company’s capabilities span overhead and underground utility construction, professional telecom services, emergency service restoration, in-building networks, environmental services, and data center development. Backed by a safety-first culture and an experienced workforce, Concurrent has built a strong regional platform and a reputation for quality across the markets it serves.

UniTek is a leading digital infrastructure services provider supporting the expansion of fiber and data center connectivity across the U.S. and Canada. With over 600 employees and 60 locations, UniTek delivers a full suite of infrastructure services. The acquisition of Concurrent accelerates UniTek’s Power Services Division, which launched in July 2025 to broaden the company’s maintenance, repair, upgrade, and new infrastructure development services for the power sector. Concurrent’s established Southeast footprint and power capabilities directly complement UniTek’s existing broadband and data center infrastructure platform, positioning the combined company to capitalize on growing demand for resilient, modernized power infrastructure. Concurrent will continue to operate under its established brand, maintaining uninterrupted service for its customers.

“Selling Concurrent was one of the biggest decisions of my career, and Anthony, Jay, and the XLCS team guided us through every step with professionalism and genuine care for our people,” said Steve Sarno, CEO of Concurrent. “They stayed fully engaged throughout, gave us honest and thoughtful advice, kept our best interests front and center, and delivered an outcome that exceeded our expectations. I would recommend them without hesitation to any owner considering a transaction.”

XLCS acted as the exclusive M&A advisor to Concurrent, and the transaction was led by Anthony Contaldo, Partner, and Jay Cremer, Vice President. The transaction was completed on July 1, 2026.

About XLCS Partners, Inc.

XLCS Partners is a leading global investment banking firm providing M&A advisory services. Visit www.xlcspartners.com for more information.

Media Contact: 
Kendra Span 
kspan@xlcspartners.com
615-379-7783

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/xlcs-partners-advises-concurrent-utility-services-on-sale-to-unitek-global-services-302833542.html

SOURCE XLCS Partners, Inc.

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Fathom Applauds Introduction of the FRONTIER Act, the First Federal Blueprint for Independent AI Verification

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37 minutes ago

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July 23, 2026

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Reps. Lori Trahan (D-MA-03) and Jay Obernolte (R-CA-23) introduce a bill to build a competitive marketplace of independent verifiers for frontier AI models.

WASHINGTON, July 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Fathom welcomes the introduction of the FRONTIER Act, the most complete federal framework yet for independent, third-party verification of frontier AI. The legislation is built to earn public trust as AI technology continues to accelerate. As frontier systems begin to take autonomous action in the world, the gap between what these models can do and our ability to keep them in check is widening. FRONTIER is the starting point to close that gap.

“AI governance keeps running into the same wall. The technology is hard to measure and it moves faster than any law can keep up with,” said Andrew Freedman, Co-Founder and CEO of Fathom. “Trying to write the perfect rules and freezing them in place won’t work. What will work is a competitive market of independent verifiers who are accountable for real-world outcomes and who the government can actually count on. The FRONTIER Act shows we can move fast and still get this right.”

The bill gets the fundamentals correct. It sets one public standard – the adequate mitigation of catastrophic risk – and holds both the AI companies and their independent verifiers accountable to it. FRONTIER does not freeze a single testing method into statute. Instead, it licenses competing verification organizations, allows them to sharpen their methods, and gives the government the power to revoke a license when a verifier’s work does not hold up in the field. That is how you build a system that keeps pace with the science instead of falling behind it.

Fathom thanks Reps. Trahan and Obernolte for their leadership, and for their courage in releasing a discussion draft, inviting scrutiny, and incorporating substantive improvements from across the field. One priority improvement as the bill advances: giving the government a fuller range of tools to act upstream – for pushing companies to close identified gaps in risk mitigation early, rather than only once a catastrophe is imminent. We are committed to working with these sponsors, committees of jurisdiction, and Congressional leadership to continue refining the bill in the weeks and months ahead.

About Fathom
Fathom is an independent nonprofit whose mission is to build a governance architecture that helps society navigate the transition to a world with AI by fostering trust, safety, and innovation. Fathom has developed and championed the independent verification model for AI and works with policymakers across the country to put it into practice. Learn more at http://fathom.org.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fathom-applauds-introduction-of-the-frontier-act-the-first-federal-blueprint-for-independent-ai-verification-302833546.html

SOURCE Fathom AI Inc.

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