BIO
Antonio (Tony) Allegretti is a liaison for Heartland Home Health Care and Hospice (a local agency of HCR-Manorcare). Tony consults with healthcare professionals and families about the benefit of Hospice. He passionately notes to everyone he knows and meets that nearly 70% of people who are eligible for the Hospice benefit, die without it. Hospice is available regardless of ability to pay. And 98% of families of Hospice patients would recommend it (NEJM).
Currently Tony is teaching Providing the Hospice Benefit in a Skilled Nursing Facility. . On December 2, 2008 new Conditions of Participation (CoPs) for hospice will go into effect. This is the first time the conditions are specifically outline the expectations for hospices that provide care to residents residing in skilled nursing/nursing facilities and Intermediate Care Facilities for Mental Retardation (SNF/NF/ICF/MR). Tony has trained each facility in Heartland’s Hospice service areas in Florida and South Georgia. In Florida this inservice awards state continuing education credits.
Before working for Heartland as a marketing consultant and then directly with the company, Tony was and remains to be an in-city investor/developer, volunteer marketing consultant, and advocate for the arts and Downtown neighborhoods. Recently named one of Jacksonville’s 40 most promising up and comers by the Business Journal, In November of 2008 Tony was awarded the 2008 Corporate Citizen of the Year Award from 904 Magazine and Downtown Vision.
As a consultant Tony’s clients are diverse with a focus on urban neighborhoods. Comfortable as a developer and entrepreneur, Tony co-owns the popular Burrito Gallery in downtown Jacksonville, FL. Voted best burritos, Folio Weekly. He also has development interests as a partner that include the conversion of Public School 24 into loft condos (1951market.com) and the conversion of the Haydon Burns Library into a new urban mix of uses featuring 120,000 feet of existing building and an additional three stories of residential in phase II (TheLibraryJax.com). The Burrito Gallery (BurritoGallery.com), Gallery Restaurant Group, LLC is also finalizing designs for an urban market downtown called City Market, Uptown Market (a deli/market) is currently under construction at 3rd and main in Historic Springfield. The Burrito Gallery Atlantic Beach will begin construction in 2009’.
Tony worked as special assistant to Mayor John Peyton (Jacksonville, FL) 2005-2006. As special assistant Tony initiated the “Take Me to the River” campaign, a summer-long arts, crafts, and musical celebration on the St. Johns River. Tony also served as co-chair of “Jax Parks…Get Out There!” a weeklong event introducing the citizens of Jacksonville to its parks system, the nations largest.
Tony also made history as the public art consultant for Downtown Vision, Inc. At DVI, Tony worked as a founder of the extraordinarily popular First Wednesday Art Walk Downtown. Through the Art Walk and its predecessor, the 100 Windows of Art program, Tony has helped to re-invigorate and re-introduce the city’s Downtown with local art, music, and an active street-front. In 2004, Tony was awarded the coveted Individual Award by the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville for his role in initiating and organizing DVI’s Art Walk and other inclusive events in the urban core. Other noteworthy accomplishments include helping found the Electro Lounge on NPR by finding corporate underwriting, and co-founding the world’s largest job board (at the time, 2000). Tony was also a member of the Mayor’s Convention Center Task Force committee and served the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission on the Retail Task Force committee.
Tony is the Vice President of the board of Riverside Avondale Development Organization (RADO) and a member of Public Space Jacksonville. He is also on the board of the Jacksonville Asian American Alliance. Renowned as a speaker with pop, Tony has spoken about topics related to the quality of life, urban life and redevelopment as well as marketing and public relations initiatives to numerous businesses, healthcare organizations, and civic organizations including, Jacksonville Economic Development Commission, Jacksonville Community Council, Inc., Leadership Jacksonville, JCCI Forward, Downtown Vision, Inc., Impact Jax, AIGA/The Professional Organization for Design, International Association of Business Communicators, Florida Public Relations Association, International Council of Shopping Centers, Visit Jacksonville, Visit Florida, and more both as a keynote and as a panelist. Tony has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of West Florida. He lives in Springfield with his wife and two children.

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