BUSINESS FOCUS
Briefs
BB&T to acquire S.C. agency
BB&T Insurance Services, the nation's sixth
largest insurance broker, has plans to expand its
coastal South Carolina operation with the acqui
sition of the Grand Strand's largest insurance
agency.
Puckett, Scheetz & Hogan. a coastal property
insurance specialist, provides a full range of risk
management services for businesses and families
from its Myrtle Beach headquarters and a branch
office 4n nearby Pawleys Island.
The merger would give BB&T the largest
insurance market share in greater Myrtle Beach, a
little more than a year after gaining the No. 1
banking market share in the same area.
The transaction is expected to be completed
early this month. Terms were not disclosed.
Puckett, Scheetz & HogarT President Mike
Hogan founded the agency in 1989. It began as a
coastal branch of the former Puckett, Scheetz &
Hagler agency based in Greenville, S.C. It now
has 50 employees, all of whom will remain with
"BB&T- Puckett, Scheetz & Hogan" following
the acquisition.
Aggies receive grant from AT&T
The Office of Summer Sessions and Outreach
at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical
State University received a $25,000 grant from
the AT&T Foundation to implement; Project
Something New: Newly Empowered Youths to be
decision makers through wireless technology.
The 18 weeks Saturday Academy Program that
begins in the fall provides an opportunity to work
with middle school students enrolled in the
Guilford County School System, who are less
likely to advance in subjects such as, science,
technology, engineering and math. The purpose
of the project is to create a science, technology,
engineering and mathematics laboratory tutorial
program for underserved middle school youths
attending a Guilford County School in southeast
Greensboro.
The project will consist of an on-site tutorial
and mentoring program using academic resources
and podcasting to deliver multimedia interactive
education, to assist participating students with
classroom assignments by providing immediate
feedback. The proposed initiative will link up
with the Guilford County School's website lesson
homepage to obtain homework assignments for
those participating in the project.
United Healthcare's Pittman
elected to term on AHA board
Austin Pittman, president of United
Healthcare in North Carolina and South Carolina,
was elected to a two-year term on the American
Heart Association Mid
Atlantic Affiliate board of
directors at its June meet
ing.
The American Heart
Association's Mid-Atlantic
Affiliate serves Maryland,
the District of Columbia,
Virginia, North Carolina
and South Carolina. Also
joining the class of 2010
Pittman are Richard Foster, M.D.,
SVP of the South Carolina
Hospital Association, Jay Mahaffey, SVP, Bank
of America, and Pam Morris.
Pittman just recently completed a two-year
term as chairperson for the Guilford Heart Gala,
increasing profits by 41 percent from 2007 to
2008. Throughout Austin's involvement with the
American Heart Association, United Healthcare
has been a $ 1 5 ,000 sponsor for the past two years
and was a presenting sponsor for 2006 for the
Guilford Heart Gala. United Healthcare is also a
$12,000 Heart and Stroke Walk sponsor and has
active walk teams
"We are so thrilled to have Austin Pittman
join our visionary group of dedicated profession
als," said Board Chair Leonard L. Edloe. "He
brings great insight on how and where we need to
focus our Association's energy to build stronger,
healthier lives for our Mid-Atlantic neighbors."
Seattle's Virginia Mason
Medical Center loses EEOC case
SEATTLE (Seattle Medium/NNPA) - The
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity
?Commission (EEOC)has announced that Virginia
Mason Medical Center has agreed to provide
$195,000 and other relief to settle a federal law
suit charging that the non-profit health organiza
tion unlawfully fired a female employee due to a
back injury.
According to the EEOC's lawsuit, surgical
technician CaTina White had worked at Virginia
Mason's facility in Seattle's First Hill area for
over three years when she sustained an on-the-job
injury to her back and took medical leave.
White was 32 at the time of her injury in
2004. When she returned to work with a medical
release that restricted her from heavy lifting and
prolonged standing, Virginia Mason informed her
that she could no longer perform her job under
these restrictions. The EEOC charged that
Virginia Mason failed to reassign White to vacant
equivalent positions for which she was qualified
and could perform, and unlawfully terminated her
due to her disability.
Smith to spend year away from Wake
Sociology professor is
off to Colgate
University
CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT
Wake Forest University
Professor Earl Smith will spend
the upcoming academic year
away from the campus. ?
Smith, a professor of sociolo
gy and the Rubin Distinguished
Professor of American Ethnic
Studies at Wake, has been award
ed the Arthur A. Sio
Distinguished Visiting
Professorship in Diversity and
Community by Colgate
University, a school of about
2,700 students in Upstate New
York.
Smith will teach at the school
for the 2008-2009 academic. This
is the first time the professorship
has been awarded to a non
Colgate faculty member.
Smith joined the Wake Forest
faculty in 1996. For nearly 10
years, he chaired the school's
sociology department. Before
coming to Winston-Salem, he
was a professor and dean at
Pacific Lutheran University,
which is near Tacoma, Wash.
Smith also spent 15 years teach
ing sociology at Washington
State University.
He is also a prolific writer
who has published extensively in
the area of the sociology of13
sports. He is the author of "Race,
Sport & the American Dream"
(2007), as well as "African
American Families" (2007). He
Photo by Todd Luck
Professor Earl
Smith sported a
Colgate
University t-shirt
at a recent com
munity event
held by the
Darryl Hunt
Project for
Freedom and
Justice. Beside
him is his Wake
Forest colleague,
Professor Angela
Hattery
expects to publish three books in
the next year, "Sport and Social
Theory," "Interracial
Relationships Across the
Colorline" and "Interracial
Intimacies."
It's in the Bag
^ Pace Communications Photo
Exclusively Weddings' Christopher Thomas-Moore (far right) presents more than $6,000 to the United Way of Greater Greensboro's
KathyCates as other Exclusively Weddings employees look on. The Greensboro-based online weddings superstore raised the money dur
ing its recent yard sale, where overstock items were sold to the public.
News veteran
promoted
at PR agency
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
Pam Cook-Longworth has been promoted
to vice president at Annese Public Relations.
She had been the director of Client Services
since joining the company in 2006 and has
more than 17 years of experience in media,
primarily in television news. Cook
Longworth served as news director of
ABC45 and UPN48.
In the last two
years Pam has suc
cessfully cultivated
new business relation
ships, as well as pro
vided superior account
services, event plan
ning, media planning
and media training,"
said Betsy Annese,
president ot Annese Cook-Longworth
Public Relations. "Her
hard work and breadth of knowledge about
communications have helped deliver high
levels of service and quality to our clients.
She is well deserving of this promotion."
As the company's vice president, Cook
Longworth will focus on nurturing relation
ships with a diverse client base, including
financial institutions, construction compa
nies, home d6cor manufacturers, non profit
organizations.
"I look forward to the new challenges and
opportunities that this role will bring," Cook
Longworth said. "Working on the Annese
team has been, and continues to be, a great
experience."
Cook-Longworth received a bachelor's
degree in public relations from Appalachian
State University, and began her broadcasting
career at WGHP-TV in High Point. That led
to jobs with WFMY in Greensboro and
WCNC in Charlotte.
Cook-Longworth, a native of Dobson,
lives in Kernersville wijh.her husband. Jim
Longworth.
At Your Service
Jobs likely for those who excel in banquet servers course
CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT
In an effort to put more local people to work in
these economically challenging times. Goodwill
Industries of Northwest North Carolina and
Forsyth Technical Community College have part
nered with Twin City Quarter
to offer a relatively fast certifi
cation program for banquet
servers.
Those in the profession can
make up to $30,000 a year and
certification increases the
chance ( by 90 percent) that a
server will be hired, according
to Tempy Albright, job devel
oper for Goodwill.
"I was exploring future
opportunities for our clients
and found this was a real need
in the community because
there are many openings and
companies no longer hire
untrained individuals" said
Albrignt. " itiey are picKy
because they can be."
The six-week Banquet Server Certification
Course will run Aug. 1 1 - Sept. 23. Classes will be
held Monday through Thursday from 6-9 p.m. at
the Marriott Downtown, which is one of the prop
erties managed by the Twin City Quarter.
Albright says the course will be taught in a
"real world" setting to teach students to prepare
function rooms to meet the needs of banquet
guests. Training in quality customer service and
the rules and regulations of alco
hoi service will also be provided.
Students who successfully
complete the course will leave
with a certificate in both career
readiness and in banquet set-up
and service.
In addition, graduates of the
program are guaranteed an inter
view with officials at Twin City
Quarter, which also includes the
Embassy Suites and Benton
Convention Center. The Quarter
has a great need for certified
servers, according to Assistant
General Manager Jen Prpich, who
said that those that excel in the
program will be hired.
The cost for the certification
course is $93, and those interested may register by
calling 336-761-1002. Scholarships are available
for those who qualify.
Foxx legislation focus on new payment method
CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT
A piece of legislation sponsored by N.C. Fifth District's
Virginia Foxx has passed through the U.S. House of
Representatives.
Foxx says the the Electronic Pay Stub Act would save taxpay
ers money by giving federal employees the option of receiving
their pay stubs electronically.
"Moving to all electronic pay stubs is a common sense step for
the federal government to take," said Republican Foxx. "This leg
islation gives every federal employee the opportunity to receive
their pay stub via a secure web site instead of in the mail. It will
save millions in taxpayer dollars, dramatically reduce paper con
sumption and reduce the risk of identity theft for federal employ
ees."
Many private companies, corporations and state governments
like Florida, Idaho, Kentucky, South Dakota and Nebraska already offer the option of accessing employ
ee pay stubs electronically.
Foxx - who will face Democrat Roy Carter in her re-election bid in November - believes that e
stubs are also safer than sending pay stubs via ground mail, since they may reduce the chance of them
getting lost or falling into the wrong hands.