Mall at UTC shops for new executives

With Black Friday approaching quickly, The Mall at University Town Center in Sarasota has made upper level management changes.

Amy Grundman, a strategic communication manager for The Taubman Company, which operates the mall, confirmed The Mall at UTC was in the market for a general manager and marketing sponsorship director.

Asked about replacements, Grundman wrote in a text "A seasoned management team of two Taubman employees are in place for the interim to help with the transition."

The general manager had been Lakewood Ranch's Octavio Ortiz since the mall's opening in October of 2014. Ortiz had been in charge of all shopping center operations as well as retailer and community relations. 

UTC, the $315 million shopping center developed by Taubman and Benderson Development Company, is made up of more than 100 speciality stores and restaurants. Ortiz previously had served as general manager of The Shops at Willow Bend in North Dallas, another Taubman property.

Grundman said Kim Dominguez had been the marketing sponsoring director. No other information was given about the changes.