Careers Briefly Piedmont Out's latest Guest speaker Justin Cantanoso, director of the Wake Forest University Journalism Program, will launch the Piedmont Club's new Executive Speaker Series on Tuesday, Jan. 21 from 11:30 - 1 p.m. He willl speak on "Climate Change and The Race in the Rain Forest" and its impact on local businesses in the Piedmont Toad. A Pulitzer Prize nom inated writer, Cantanoso is also a WFU senior lec turer and former execu tive editor of The Business Journal. The Speaker Series is open to the public. Admission is $25 and includes lunch. The Piedmont Club is also launching a new Business Excellence Series beginning Wednesday, Jan. 16 from 3:30 - 5 p.m. with Steve Raybum, a professional trainer and coach at Sandler Training. The program will be presented the third Wednesday of each month and is free and open to the public. The Piedmont Club is located on the 19th floor of the BB&T Financial Center at 200 W. Second St. Parking is available under the building. For reservations and more information, call 336 724-7077 or visit www.thepiedmontclub.com. Cantanoso Poston takes over Keith Poston has been named president and executive director of the Public School Forum of Ndrth Carolina, fie succeeds Jo Ann Nonis. The Public School Forum is a non-profit policy think tank formed in 1985 to bring busi ness people, policymakers and educators together to focus on educational innovations and research. Its mission is "to shape a world-class public _i i _j ?i - scnooi euucanon tnai sup ports all children in reach ing their frill potential and drives a vibrant North Carolina economy." Poston has more than 20 years of public rela tions, strategic philanthro py, corporate communica tions and crisis manage ment experience. His diverse background includes work with corporate, agency, political and non-profit organizations. He most recently served as the senior direc tor of Community Investment for Time Warner Cable, where he led strategic philanthropy and community engagement for the company's East Coast operations, including North Carolina and South Carolina. New York and Maine. In that role, he was responsible for developing and implementing programs to promote Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM) edu cation as part of the company's primary philan thropic initiative Connect a Million Minds. Prior to that, he served as director of communi cations, responsible for media relations, employee communications and community relations for Time Warner Cable's largest oper ating area in the Carolinas, which includes Raleigh. Durham. Chapel Hill, Fayetteville and Wilmington. In that role, he developed more than a dozen new regional and statewide part nerships to promote STEM education. Poston Broad hurst's new title NewBridge Bank has announced a change of title for Spence H. Broadhurst. one of its key executives, to better define the duties that com prise his position in the Bank. His new title is senior executive vice presi dent. chief banking officer, effective immedi ately. His previous title was senior executive vice president, chief sales officer. Broadhurst will continue to oversee the Bank's fivqjdistinct lines of business: commer cial banking, private banking, retail banking, mortgage banking and wealth management. He will continue to report to Pressley A. Ridgill, NewBridge Bank's pres ident and chief executive officer. "As NewBridge Bank fulfills our vision of being a high perform ing community DanK, it s critical that our existing clients, communities, teammates, shareholders and regulatory agen cies understand the roles and responsibilities of each member of the executive management team," said Ridgill. "Since joining the team earlier this year, Spence has effectively estab lished his leadership of the Bank's five lines of business. We feel the title of chief banking offi cer better reflects his role within the Bank and is more widely accepted in the financial servic es industry." Also continuing to report to Mr. Ridgill are David P Barksdale, senior executive vice pres ident, chief strategy officer; Robin S. Hager, senior executive vice president, chief adminis trative officer; Ramsey K. Hamadi, senior executive vice president, chief financial offi cer; and William W. Budd. Jr., senior executive vice president, chief credit officer. Broadhurst ' ? ^ < ? m\.; r Rle Photo Sylvia Sprinkle-Hamlin heads the local library system. Sprinkle-Hamlin named to Commission by McCrory CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT Gov. Pat McCrory has appointed Sylvia Sprinkle-Hamlin to the North Carolina Public Librarian Certification Commission. Sprinkle-Hamlin is the director of thp Porcufh f nnntv PitKlir VI UIV t VI VII VVUII IJ * U V11V Library system. A longtime librar ian, Sprinkle-Hamlin is on the North Carolina American Library Association, the board of directors for the North Carolina Black Repertory Theatre Company and the Women's Leadership Council of United Way. She is also the executive producer of the National Black Theatre Festival, the bienni al entertainment event that was founded by her late husband, Larry Leon Hamlin. Sprinkle-Hamlin received a BS in educa tion from Winston-Salem State University and a master's in library science from Clark Atlanta University. Michael Y. Taylor, the director of Pender County Public Libraries, was also appointed to the board, to an at-large seat. Sprinkle Hamlin was nominated by the North Carolina Library Association before being appointed by McCrory to the seat on the board that the governor is required to fill. The North Carolina Public Librarian Certification Commission adopts rules and regulations to be followed in the certification of public librarians. It is author i^cu iu ciiauusii auu require writ ten examinations for certified public librarian applicants. Members serve a four-year terms. Jonathan Dills, another Forsyth County resident, was appointed to the state Well Contractors Certification Commission, which is charged with protecting public health and safety by ensuring the integrity and competence of well contrac tors and protecting and benefi cially developing the groundwater resources of the state. Dills is the managing partner/owner of the Law Offices of Jonathan S. Dills, PA.. He also has experience as a claims supervisor and representative with Duke Power and as an assistant financial analyst with RJR Tobacco, Inc. He will serve a three-year term. Dills Sales streak encouraging for Realtors CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT Existing home sales in the greater Winston-Salem region appear to be poised to close at lev els not seen since the real estate boom years of 2003 and 2004, according to the Winston-Salem Regional Association of Realtors. WSRAR released numbers last week that show that existing home sales increased 5 percent in November 2013, compared to November of 2012. That marked the 29th consecutive month that monthly sales had exceeded the same month of the previous year. It was the longest streak of sales increases since the Triad MLS (Multiple Listing Service) was formed in the late 1990s. There were 406 units sold in November 2012, 559 units sold in October 3013 and 427 units sold in November 2013. "We are thrilled that sales have con tinued their momentum into the holiday season," said WSRAR President Krishna Farrell. "It is now all but cer tain that 2013 will have been the strongest year of home sales in our region in the last 10 years." According to WSRAR. home prices continue to hold steady. The average sales price was $152,813 in November of 2013. It was $158,081 in October of 2013 and $147,206 in November of 2012. "As home prices continue to hold steady or increase slightly and interest rates continue to increase modestly, home buying continues to be a great option for those who have been waiting for the best time to buy," said Farrell. "The inventory of homes for sale is at its lowest point in the last three years. Prices will certainly continue to increase. Now really is the best time to buy." ' (H >> JHfl k ll '^^lt More recognitions for Tony Burton CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT Tony Lewis Burton III was recently named the 2013 Omega Man of the Year by the Beta Kappa Kappa Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. of High Point, in which he was initiated in the fall of 1995. Since h e became a member of the "Fab Five + 1" line, Burton has helped to ensure that the chapter meets and exceeds fraternity man dates, and he currently is the chairman of the BKK Foundation Capital Campaign, which strives to support schol arship and youth enrichment programs in High Point. Burton received the honor for his commitment to not only residents of High Point, but those of the entire Triad com munity. Burton is the CEO of Northwest Child Development Centers, which oversees child care facilities that serve more than 700 families in Forsyth, Davie and Stokes counties. Last year, a stretch of Seventh Street near Patterson Avenue was designated "Dr. Tony L. Burton Lane" to salute his years of advocacy on behalf of local children and families." The newest Northwest Child Development Centers site, Mudpies Downtown East, sits along the street. In related news. Burton was recently appointed to the Piedmont Club Board of Governors' Executive Committee after serving on the Board of Governors for the last two years. "We are looking forward to Dr. Burton joining the exec utive committee leadership group," said Piedmont Club Board of Governors Chairman Mike Horn. "He brings an understanding of the goals of the Piedmont Club and of our mission to be a place where a diverse group of individuals can come together to strength en professional, cultural and social relationships." The role of the Board of Governors for the Piedmont Club, a business and social hub located atop the BB&T build ing in downtown Winston Salem, is to work with the club manager to ensure the Financial health and well being of the club and its nearly 1,000 mem bers. The Executive Committee is appointed by the full board to act on its behalf between board meetings and to bring to the full board those matters which are appropriate for their consideration. Burton Fuse-Hall airs concerns about Pell Grant plan SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE Recently, the U.S. Department of Education held the last of four national public forums to discuss the rising cost of education. Held at Louisiana State University (LSU), the final meeting welcomed com mentary from university and college presidents as well as faculty and students from across the country. Among the commentators was Dr. Rosalind Fuse-Hall, presi dent of Bennett College. The focus of the discus sion was the College Affordability Plan, a pro posal that would implement a ratings system among institutions of higher educa tion. If carried out, the amount of federal student aid would be based on insti tutional performance, with regards to the institution's affordability, graduation I and transfer rates, the per centage of students receiv ing Pell Grants and their loan debt as well as the like liness for a student to secure employment upon gradua tion. President Fuse-Hall expressed her "serious mis givings" about the proposed system because of the degree of difficulty it places on institutions that serve low-income and minority students, namely historical ly black colleges and uni versities (HBCUs), women's institutions and other campuses with small enrollment. She argued that the nation can't afford to lose any of these colleges and universities. "If we are to remain globally competitive, then as President Obama has announced, we need 600,000 graduates by 2020. We truly need all our cur rent colleges - women's, tribal, military-service ori ented, HBCUs, religious based as well as those his torically white institutions - in order to maintain our global competitiveness," Dr. Fuse-Hall said. She elaborated on her point by posing the ques See Fuse-Hall on A9 Bennett Photo Dr. Rosalind Fuse-Hall is Bennett's newest leader.