SBWire

In today's world, people want information at their fingertips in a matter of seconds. As people search for a family dentist they are looking for professional expertise and quality care. Hamby Family Dental Center recently launched a new website that is aimed at giving patients all the information they need about their specialized dental services.

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.

Carol Daley, owner of at Ease boutiques in Raleigh and Cary, has announced that at Ease will provide clothing for a fashion show being held by the Cary Area Chapter of Hadassah on Thursday, Nov. 18 at Prestonwood Country Club, located at 300 Prestonwood Parkway. The event begins at 6:30 p.m. with a buffet dinner followed by the fashion show. Tickets cost $36, and at Ease will offer ticketholders a 20 percent, one-day discount at the boutique. “Models for Charity,” a group of professional women and men who model for charitable organizations in the Triangle area, as well as two Hadassah members, will walk in the fashion show. All money raised at the event will go to the Hadassah Medical Organization in Israel.

Sid Mitchener, partner at Vaco Raleigh, LLC (www.vaco.com), an executive placement and consulting firm, has announced that Troy Knight, managing director of Vaco’s design and media division, will address members of the Professional Engineers of North Carolina society on Thursday, Nov. 18 at 11:30 a.m. at the Capital City Club, located at 410 S. Wilmington St.. Knight will discuss gaming and immersive learning and its impact on the state as well as how it relates to the engineering field.

TradeMark Residential Properties, a division of Raleigh-based Coldwell Banker Commercial TradeMark Properties (http://www.cbctmp.com) has has been named one of the top Apartment Property Management Firms by Triangle Business Journal. The list takes into account the number of units and communities managed in the Triangle area. TradeMark Residential Properties manages over 1,600 units that span eight communities in the Triangle real estate market.

Nancy McFarlane, president of MedPro Rx, Inc. a provider of specialty pharmacy services to clients with chronic illnesses who need clotting factor, announced that the pharmacy sponsored the Virginia Hemophilia Foundation’s “A Family Overnight” event at the Virginia Living Museum on Sept. 17. Children and their parents spent the night at the museum and took part in an educational program on bleeding disorders, an exhibit tour and planetarium show.

Eric Hobbs, president of Technology Associates, a full-service technology solutions and support firm, has announced that Jeremiah Rumball has joined the firm as a support services specialist. In this position, Rumball will be responsible for providing technical support for clients via telephone, e-mail and on-site. He is also charged with performing preventative maintenance on client workstations and servers, assuring all monitored services are operational and making on-site repairs. Prior to joining Technology Associates, Rumball provided internal technical support for Cisco Systems, Inc. as well as freelance services.

Josh Keene, has been appointed Board Member at Large to the Insurance Accounting & Systems Association’s (IASA) and is also reappointed to the Accounting & Assurance Advisory Task Force of the Virginia Society of CPA’s.

Confero, Inc. President And CEO Named To 2010 Steering Committee To Encourage Women’s Participation on N.C. Boards And Commissions

Sid Mitchener, partner at Vaco Raleigh, LLC, an executive placement and consulting firm, has announced that Andrea Wun has joined the firm as a technical recruiter. With more than four years of industry experience, Wun will be responsible for identifying and assessing quality candidates for information technology (IT) job opportunities.

Janice Cutler, president and owner of North Raleigh Florist, has been named a sponsor of the Greater Raleigh chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) luncheon on Nov. 17 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Hotel Indigo, located at 151 Tatum Drive. NAWBO luncheons take place once per month and include a focus on one main topic for discussion. The topic of the November luncheon will be “Playing to Your Strengths and the Strengths of Others,” and will feature keynote speaker Vickie Bevenour, founder of the RDW Group, inc., who will share insights into how she coaches companies in measuring success.

Coldwell Banker Commercial TradeMark Properties has announced that Mark Howe and Sonya Wagner, real estate advisors at the firm, represented both the buyer and seller of a 7,600-square-foot building and land, located at 1005 and 1007 Investment Blvd. in Apex. The 4.1-acre property is located near downtown Apex and U.S. 1, and includes a flex building as well as an additional vacant lot. The property sold for $600,000.

Bayer CropScience, one of the world’s top innovative crop science companies in the areas of crop protection, non-agricultural pest control, seeds and traits, has been nominated and selected as a finalist for the 2010 North Carolina Technology Association (NCTA) 21 Awards in the category of green technology company. Winners will be recognized at the annual awards gala on Wednesday, Nov. 10 at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel at 4700 Emperor Blvd. in Durham, N.C., presented in conjunction with title sponsor Grant Thornton. The theme for this year’s event is “A License To Excel,” and more than 600 business and technology leaders from across the state are expected to attend.

Diane Kuehn, president and CEO of VisionPoint Marketing, has announced that the firm has completed a website redesign project for longtime client Affordable Care, Inc. (http://www.affordablecare.com) and its consumer website, Affordable Dentures (http://www.affordabledentures.com). The company provides dental care at an affordable price through its dental practices in 37 states.

The Chef’s Academy (http://www.thechefsacademy.com), the Culinary Division of Harrison College, a 108-year-old, nationally accredited institution that offers more than 30 degree programs in five schools of study, has announced that it is a silver sponsor for the 9th Annual Collectors Gala to be held Saturday, Nov. 20 from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. The event benefits Artspace exhibitions, educational programming and community outreach to children and adults in difficult circumstances. Guests will be able to purchase local and nationally recognized artwork through a live and silent auction as well as artwork displayed around the building.

The Regional Transportation Alliance (RTA), the business leadership group that focuses on advancing regional transportation solutions, will hold its annual meeting to discuss the State of Mobility 2010 on Wednesday, Nov. 17 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Embassy Suites in Cary. Business leaders, elected officials and transportation leaders from across the region and state will gather at the event, which will offer insights into key indicators and trends that impact the mobility, economy and quality of life in our region. Luncheon attendees will celebrate the transportation successes of the past year and participate in an interactive discussion on the potential for improved transit in our market. The event is presented by VisionPoint Marketing, Bank of America, the Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce and MMI Public Relations.

Sepi Asefnia, president of SEPI Engineering & Construction, a firm which provides civil engineering and planning services to private and public sector clients across the southeast, has announced that Jeff Hochanadel has been named transportation department manager. Hochanadel has been with the firm for more than six years. He has also worked as traffic engineer for another firm in the area, but came to SEPI as a project manager and to support transportation engineering projects. Hochanadel’s responsibilities include management of transportation engineering projects, as well as engineering design and analyses.

Cherry, Bekaert & Holland, L.L.P (CB&H) has announced that Sheila Ahler, business development partner at the firm, will serve on the 2010 Women on Board steering committee in support of the NC Center for Women in Public Service (NCCWPS), a nonpartisan organization that prepares women for elected and appointed offices statewide. As a steering committee member, Ahler will serve as an event ambassador for the NCCWPS second annual Women On Board event, scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 30 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Rocky Top Catering, located at 1705 E. Millbrook Road in Raleigh. The event will bring together business and civic leaders to celebrate, recognize and encourage women’s participation on boards and commissions in North Carolina.

Security Management Consulting has earned a ranking of 4415 on the 2010 Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing private companies in America.

Theresa Clark, president of the Raleigh Regional Association of REALTORS® (RRAR), has announced that RRAR member Christina Valkanoff has received the highly coveted “30 Under 30” award from the National Association of REALTORS®. Recipients of the award are recognized for their outstanding career and charitable activities. Despite the economic downturn, Valkanoff doubled her sales from 2008 to 2009 to $10.1 million. She has also led a 5K race raising $13,000 for an agent battling stage IV cancer to receive four rounds of chemotherapy in New York City. That agent is now in remission. Valkanoff and her husband are also owners of several Dairy Queen franchises in order to raise money for Children’s Miracle Network, which funds children’s hospitals. The application process includes 15 written essays and a one-hour long phone interview.

Lou Jurkowski, FAIA and CEO at BJAC, pa, an architectural firm offering professional services for specialized, complex institutional projects, has announced that Jennifer Amster, principal at BJAC, will serve on the steering committee for the Eastern North Carolina chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Dean Ogan, owner of Rocky Top Hospitality, has announced that Hi5 American Restaurant and Sports Bar has been named Best Raleigh Restaurant Open Late by Best of CitySearch 2010. The contest runs nationwide throughout the year and winners are determined by consumer votes.

The North Carolina Veterinary Medical Association has announced that it will co-host the 15th Annual North Carolina Veterinary Conference (NCVC) with the N.C. State College of Veterinary Medicine from Friday, Nov. 5 through Sunday, Nov. 7 at the Raleigh Convention Center, located at 500 S. Salisbury St. The NCVC is the largest event of its kind in the Southeast region. It presents an opportunity for North Carolina veterinarians to earn continuing education hours and learn the latest research findings and information on a variety of topics, including animal acupuncture, animal welfare, business management techniques and more. Open to members of the veterinary profession, more than 1,100 are expected to attend this year’s event.

Dana Jennings, CEO of The NC Center for Women in Public Service (NCCWPS), a nonpartisan organization that prepares women to seek and serve in elected and appointed offices statewide, has announced that the organization will host a Women on Board workshop in November for women interested in appointments to boards and commissions at the municipal, county and statewide levels.

Fuentek, LLC has announced that President Laura A. Schoppe will be a panelist for the “How N.C. Women Just Like You Built Multimillion-Dollar Businesses” panel at the North Carolina Governor’s Conference for Women on Tuesday, Nov. 9 from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Raleigh Convention Center. The conference will feature a variety of panels, including the road to technological success, living sustainably, the legacy of advocacy and helping girls find their political voice.

Bruce Clarke, president and CEO of CAI, Inc., a human resource management firm that helps organizations maximize employee engagement while minimizing employer liability, has announced that the firm will host the 2010 Employment and Labor Law Update on Wednesday, Nov. 3 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Joseph S. Koury Convention Center, located at 3121 High Point Road in Greensboro. Led by attorneys from Constangy, Brooks & Smith, LLP, the training is designed for executives, corporate counsel, HR professionals, managers, supervisors and anyone else responsible for keeping up with the latest developments in state and federal employment law. Topics will include the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Title VII, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), wage and hour, immigration, Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and healthcare reform.

Nancy McFarlane, president of MedPro Rx, Inc., a provider of specialty pharmacy services to clients with chronic illnesses who need clotting factor, IVIg and other medication, has announced that the pharmacy has been recognized by Inc. magazine as one of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies. The Inc. 5000 is a list of the nation’s top 5,000 fastest-growing businesses based on revenue growth from 2006 through 2009.