SBWire

The economic recovery has arrived and is in full swing. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the total number of individuals filing for unemployment benefits has plummeted to the lowest level in more than four decades. In addition, private employers have added jobs to the workforce for seven straight years in a row.

OnRamp, a leading high security and hybrid hosting provider with data center facilities in Texas and North Carolina, is pleased to announce that Toby Owen will join the company as Vice President of Product Development. Owen brings 18 years of experience in product development, hosting and cloud, information security and application architecture. In this role, Owen will lead the strategic vision and delivery execution of the full suite of secure hybrid hosting, colocation, private cloud and managed services.

Dr. Darcy Ward and Dr. Jennifer Greenfield, doctors of chiropractic at Center for Chiropractic & Wellness, a North Raleigh chiropractic center located at 8300 Health Park, have announced that Dr. Kira Cervenka has joined the practice as a chiropractic physician. Dr. Cervenka will use her experience in holistic medicine to deliver excellent care to patients through traditional chiropractic techniques including spinal and extremity adjustments, myofascial trigger point therapy, postural modification and nutritional counseling.

Dean Ogan, owner of Rocky Top Hospitality, has announced The Rocky Top March Madness Challenge, a bracket challenge promotion which will give participants a chance to win one of five prizes. The first place winner will receive a $1,000 cash prize, second place prize will be a $400 gift card, third place prize will be a $300 gift card, fourth place will be a $200 gift card and the fifth place prize will be a $100 gift card. Gift cards are redeemable at any of the Rocky Top Hospitality restaurant locations. Participants have the option to create and submit brackets online or by printing the brackets and bringing them to The Mash House Brewery & Chophouse at 4150 Sycamore Dairy Road in Fayetteville, N.C. Tribeca Tavern at either 6004 Falls of Neuse Road or 500 Ledgestone Way in Cary, N.C., or Draft Carolina Burgers & Beers at 510 Glenwood Ave. on any or all game days where they can enjoy daily discounts on certain menu items, drink specials and craft beers.

The NC Center for Women in Public Service (NCCWPS), a nonpartisan organization that prepares women for elected and appointed offices statewide, has announced that its intensive, nonpartisan training program, the Women in Office Institute, will be held Thursday, June 28 through Sunday, July 1 and Thursday, July 26 through Saturday, July 28 at William Peace University, located at 15 E. Peace St. in Raleigh.

Paragon Commercial Bank, North Carolina’s first business-only bank, has announced that the bank completed $13,842,098 in loans to new and renewed accounts for small businesses in the 2011 calendar year. The bank transacted $1,597,000 in loans to nine new accounts and $12,245,098 to 51 existing customers.

Douglas Carroll Salon, a nationally and internationally recognized salon in the beauty industry, has announced that its Jbat Boutique will host a trunk show showcasing Uvo Luxury designer handbags on Thursday, March 22 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at 6325-27 Falls of Neuse Road. Uvo Luxury owner Gigi Karmous-Edwards co-designed one of the brand’s most popular handbags in both style and functionality, The Lisa, with Lisa Vanderpump. A Bravo TV reality star on the “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” Vanderpump is a successful entrepreneur, designer and author of “Simply Divine: A Guide to Easy, Elegant, and Affordable Entertaining.” The trunk show will include cocktails, light hors d’oeuvres and 10 percent off any Uvo Luxury handbag that is purchased during the event.

William Peace University, a private four-year university located in downtown Raleigh, has announced that it will be hosting the 7th Annual Softball Doubleheader game against Meredith College, an independent private women’s college in Raleigh, on Tuesday, March 20 beginning at 2 p.m. Playing in support of the fight against breast cancer, all proceeds donated from the event will go to the Pretty in Pink Foundation, a nonprofit organization serving breast cancer patients with limited or in many cases no health insurance benefits. The doubleheader runs in conjunction with the National Fast Pitch Coaches Association’s (NFPCA) annual StrikeOut Cancer event, where the NFPCA partners with the American Cancer Society® to support women’s cancer research. The event will include two NCAA conference games between student athletes of both campuses, with the first pitch thrown by local breast cancer survivors, as well as on-site dunking booths for students to dunk both Meredith College and William Peace University faculty and staff.

Scott McLaughlin, President of Strategic Connections in Raleigh N.C., was recognized as one of Business Leader’s “Top 50 Entrepreneurs in the Triangle” for 2012. The coveted awards were revealed at a banquet at Brier Creek Country Club in Raleigh on February 23, 2012.

Home, a nonprofit agency fighting poverty and homelessness in Wake County, will host “My Story, My Song,” an evening of entertainment with country music star Jimmy Wayne on Friday, April 13 from 7:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. at the Marriott Downtown Raleigh – State Ballroom, located at 500 Fayetteville St. During the event, Wayne will provide special music, as well as share his journey from homeless teen to country music success story. Wayne, a native of Kings Mountain, N.C., is a survivor of homelessness and a staunch advocate for homeless youth. To overcome his difficulties, he turned to music, and has now experienced success with several country hits, including the three-week #1 country hit “Do You Believe Me Now,” as well as “I Love You This Much” and his cover of the 1976 Hall and Oates classic, “Sara Smile.” He is also the author of a novella, Paper Angels.

The Chef’s Academy, the Culinary Division of Harrison College, a 110-year-old, nationally accredited institution that offers 40 degree programs in five schools of study, has announced the 2012 Top Teen Talent Scholarship, a competition for middle and high school students throughout the United States and the District of Columbia which offers the recipient a full tuition scholarship to study culinary education at the school. Students must select one of three categories of their choice – Culinary, Pastry, or Hospitality Management – and complete a scholarship application on The Chef’s Academy website that includes an essay and recipe submission, as well as either photos of their culinary or pastry creation, or their own 30 second commercial or spotlight of their business idea or concept. Students must submit entries by Friday, April 6 at midnight EST. Submissions will be posted on The Chef’s Academy Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/thechefsacademy) for the public to vote on the winning entries. Voting will end Friday, May 11 at midnight EST, with 15 finalists named (five from each category). The finalists will be contacted Monday, May 14, to prepare for the last round of the competition, which will be held on Saturday, June 2 at The Chef’s Academy’s Indianapolis campus. The style of the final competition will require students to prepare a pre-set menu that will be given to students for practice, prior to the competition day. A judging panel of professionals will determine the winners.

The North Carolina Veterinary Medical Association has announced that it is the official sponsor of the North Carolina Zoo’s Wild Veterinary Camps for the second consecutive year. The camp’s mission is to help young people explore science and veterinary medicine as it applies to wild animals living in zoos or in their native habitats. The Wild Veterinary Camps will give campers first-hand experience working in center treatment rooms, X-ray and lab facilities, along with practice in operating equipment, performing physical exams and more. Campers will also dress the part of a veterinarian. A scrub shirt, name tag and stethoscope are included in the tuition along with lunch and other supplies.

UnWine’d Wine Bar, a European style café, has announced its opening in Olde Cary Commons in the heart of downtown Cary at 201 W. Chatham St., Suite 103. UnWine’d features an Italian style café menu and a large selection of wine by the glass and bottle. The establishment has two sections, a front bar which features live jazz music every Friday night from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m., and a back bar, where guests can enjoy more lively conversation and television. Free wine tastings are available Thursday nights from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The wine bar is open Monday through Saturday from 4 p.m. to midnight.

Monica Smiley, publisher and CEO of Enterprising Women magazine (http://www.enterprisingwomen.com), has announced that the magazine will host its 10th annual Enterprising Women of the Year Awards celebration on Monday, March 12 and Tuesday, March 13. On Monday, the publication will host Connect, Grow & Inspire Workshops provided by experienced women entrepreneurs, as well as Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) Match-Making Sessions coordinated by the Women’s Business Development Center – Chicago (WBDC) at Office Depot corporate headquarters at 6600 North Military Trail in Boca Raton, Fla. On Tuesday, the Hall of Fame luncheon and evening awards dinner will be held at the Ritz-Carlton Fort Lauderdale, located at 1 N. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, Fla. This two day celebratory event is a tribute to top women entrepreneurs from North America and around the globe.

Coats and Bennett, PLLC, an intellectual property law firm, has announced that Anthony Biller, an attorney with the firm, will moderate a panel discussion at the Campbell Law Review’s Annual Symposium on “The New Global Convergence: Intellectual Property, Increasing Prosperity, and Economic Networks in the 21st Century” on Friday, March 16 at 9 a.m. The panel will be a question-and-answer session designed to provide insight into global convergence from a practitioner’s perspective. The all-star panel includes Ken Hammer, general counsel and vice president of corporate affairs at DataFlux; Rob Tiller, vice president & assistant general counsel for Red Hat; Kathy Twiddy, vice president and senior associate general counsel for Quintiles; Eric Wolff, commercial officer for the U.S. Export Assistance Center; and Maury Tepper of Tepper & Eyster, PLLC;.

SfL+a Architects has announced that Robbie Ferris, the firm’s president and CEO, attended a roundtable meeting on job creation and economic growth at the White House in Washington, D.C on Wednesday, Feb. 22. Hosted by the White House Council and Business Forward North Carolina, the event gave attendees an opportunity to meet with senior government officials to discuss how the Obama administration can work with business leaders to improve the state and national economy through various policy changes and initiatives.

Doctor! Doctor! Give me the news! I’ve got a bad case of lovin’… website design. The Triangle Interactive Marketing Association (TIMA) is hosting their second annual Web Doctor event next week and TheeDesign Studio, a Raleigh web design and internet marketing agency, has been asked to participate as one of the “Doctors.”

A lot can happen in 300 years, and an open house at the Queen Anne's Revenge (QAR) Conservation Lab on Saturday, April 21, will demonstrate the process of taking artifacts from ocean floor to museum door.

BtoB Solutions, a provider of Internet Hosted Application and Cloud based systems now offers a solution to help the businesses reduce the menace of employee theft. They offer internet-based applications in the form of requisition, purchasing solution or accounts payable solution that will help the employers to track the issues like employee theft. These applications can provide control to the businesses along with compliance and visibility.

Peter Leeds, the penny stock authority, author of "Invest in Penny Stocks," and publisher of the world famous Peter Leeds Penny Stock newsletter at pennystocks.com, warns investors against "the three don'ts of penny stocks." In a new publicly available report, entitled "Pennies to Fortunes," he suggests that people avoid free penny stock picks, free penny stock websites, and pink sheet equities.

The Chef’s Academy, the Culinary Division of Harrison College, a 110-year-old, nationally accredited institution that offers 40 degree programs in five schools of study, invites community members to join its culinary educators for upcoming cooking classes on the institution’s campus, located at 2001 Carrington Mill Blvd. in Morrisville, N.C. Class participants will assist The Chef’s Academy instructors in food preparation and will take home all completed dishes.

Rich Van Tassel, president of Royal Oaks Building Group, LLC, has announced that the company has revamped its website to provide more interactive features that can accommodate the needs and expectations of people looking to buy new homes built in the Triangle and Fayetteville markets that include Internet concierge service to help simplify the entire home buying process and save time for consumers by researching all information regarding the company’s homes. Among the improvements offered for current and prospective clients of Royal Oaks Building Group are the ability to customize floor plans using virtual reality to envision planned home designs, an expanded search listing of new home properties available for sale in Wake and surrounding counties, as well as in Fayetteville, detailed information about all 12 communities handled by the company, and the use of an online chat forum to allow visitors to talk live with a company employee and ask questions or provide comments for instant information and feedback about all projects and business-related activities. The latter emphasis on one-on-one customer assistance is to allow visitors on the website immediate responses regarding any questions they have involving Royal Oaks Building Group, its communities, homes and other services the company provides.

The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), the nation’s largest traditional grocery retailer with 16 stores throughout the Triangle and North Carolina, has partnered with the Muscular Dystrophy Association to sell shamrocks to raise money for MDA summer camps for children, along with helping to fund additional local health care services for children and adults affected by some 40 neuromuscular diseases. Through Saturday, March 17, customers can purchase a shamrock at three different levels: a green shamrock for $1, a gold shamrock for $5 or a platinum shamrock for $10. All donations made at area Kroger stores will benefit the children and adults served by MDA within the Raleigh district.

The LGBT Center of Raleigh announces today that OutRaleigh 2012 will include expo booths and activities that address social, economic and legal inequalities faced by the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. From equal-opportunity employment, to healthcare, to parental rights, festivalgoers will have the opportunity to learn about the struggles different groups face and how they can help. Addressing these issues will be Workplace Options, the world's largest integrated employee support services and work-life provider, Equality NC, Human Rights Campaign, and a variety of faith-based organizations.

Confero, Inc., a national customer experience measurement firm, has announced that president and CEO Elaine Buxton was a preliminary judge for the 2012 Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Buxton was one of 93 business professionals worldwide selected as a judge for the world's premier customer service awards, contact center awards and sales awards. The 2012 Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service were presented on Monday, Feb. 27 in a ceremony at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

William Peace University, a private four-year university located in downtown Raleigh, has announced that Burley Mitchell is the 2012 commencement speaker. Formerly Chief Justice of the N.C. Supreme Court, Mitchell will provide the commencement address to the 2012 graduates of William Peace University on Saturday, May 5. Mitchell, a veteran of the U.S. Navy, served as an assistant attorney general of North Carolina from 1969 to 1972 and a district attorney from 1972 to 1977. A judge on more than 400 decisions, Mitchell has ruled on numerous landmark cases such as Leandro v. State of North Carolina, which argued the issue of equal educational opportunities without bias for all children within the state of North Carolina. Now retired, Mitchell continues to dedicate his time to serving the North Carolina community, through his seat on the board of trustees for NC State University, the University of North Carolina’s Board of Governors, and a chairman of the advisory panel on federal judicial nominees for U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan. His wife, Lou Willett Mitchell, is an active university alumnae from the graduating class of 1962, and the couple co-chaired the largest fundraising campaign in the college's history – the $30 million Promise of Peace Campaign. His mother and grandmother both attended the university as well.

The Chef’s Academy, the Culinary Division of Harrison College, a 110-year-old, nationally accredited institution that offers 40 degree programs in five schools of study, has announced that Chef Brandon Hamilton, chef instructor, has recently released a podcast providing insight into the culinary industry along with the fundamental knowledge the program provides students. In this podcast, Hamilton discusses the career paths previously taken that led him to The Chef’s Academy, the challenges of training students into culinary professionals and the various industry opportunities that come from attaining a culinary degree. Hamilton’s podcast is available for download at http://bit.ly/sxICab.