The Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce would like to thank the following sponsor

Chamber E-gram                                            03/9/10

Advancements & Recognitions

We are pleased to announce that Healthy Learners Midlands is the recipient of the Daybreak Adult Care Services February Charity Giveaway. On Thursday, March 4th, 2010 Joyce Romero, Daybreak’s Marketing Director presented a check for $500 to Teri Stomski, Midlands Advisory Board Chairperson, Jo Pauling-Jones, Executive Director and Cindy Poole, Midlands Coordinator & Assistant Executive Director.

Healthy Learners, a ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System, is devoted to removing children’s health barriers to learning with love and compassion. Healthy Learners currently serves 143 schools in ten school districts across South Carolina. There are five sites located across the state; one in Allendale and Georgetown (Lowcountry), Richland & Lexington (Midlands), Dillon (Pee Dee) and Greenwood (Upstate). Since its inception in 1992, Healthy Learners has provided over 6,500 children with access to basic health care services.

HAYNSWORTH SINKLER BOYD ADDS SEVEN ASSOCIATE ATTORNEYS

With the recent addition of seven associate attorneys, Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, P.A. now has 141 lawyers in its combined six office locations.

Both the Columbia and Greenville offices have each added three new lawyers, with one addition in the Charleston office.

Charleston, SC Office – 134 Meeting Street, 3rd Floor (29401-2240); Ph: 843.722.3366
Charleston native Stafford J. (Mac) McQuillin III joined Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd’s Charleston office as a litigator focusing on general defense litigation, with a concentration in premises liability, personal injury, products liability, and insurance coverage issues.  McQuillin earned a J.D, cum laude, from the University of South Carolina (USC) in 2009, and a B.A., magna cum laude, in Political Science also from USC in 2005. Prior to joining the Firm, McQuillin clerked for South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford and South Carolina Senator George E. (Chip) Campsen III. McQuillin is a member of The Defense Research Institute, Inc., South Carolina Bar, Charleston County Bar Association, South Carolina Defense Trial Attorneys’ Association (SCDTAA), Charleston Lawyers Club, Torts/Insurance and Trial Appellate sections of the South Carolina Bar Association.  He can be contacted at mmcquillin@hsblawfirm.com.

Columbia, SC Office – 1201 Main Street, 22nd Floor (29201); Ph: 803.779.3080
L. Foster Girard joined the Columbia office of Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd concentrating on corporate finance and commercial transactions.  His practice includes drafting and negotiating financing documents and commercial contracts as well as advising clients on general corporate matters, including choice of entity, entity formation, and governance documents.  The Simpsonville, SC native earned his J.D. from the University of South Carolina in 2009, and his B.S. in Business Administration from The Citadel in 2006, where he received the coveted Mark W. Clark Honor Committee Award.  He can be contacted at fgirard@hsblawfirm.com.

A native of Hopkins, SC, Ashley V. Myers, practices in Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd’s Columbia office.  She focuses her practice on bankruptcy matters and creditors’ rights litigation and assists in the representation of lenders in commercial and consumer distressed debt actions.  Myers received her J.D. from The University of Toledo College of Law in 2009, where she also served as a recruiter following graduation.  While in law school, she participated in the Civil Legal Clinic and received the Patrick Burns Memorial Award for the best clinical student.  A Lettie Pate Scholar, Myers received a B.A. in psychology from Spelman College in 2005.  She can be contacted at amyers@hsblawfirm.com.

S. Ross Shealy is a litigator in the Columbia office of Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd.  Shealy focuses his practice on general civil litigation matters, including defense of products liability, premises liability, professional negligence, insurance, and construction cases.  A native of Cayce, SC, Shealy received a B.S., in Economics from the United States Naval Academy in 1999. He received his J.D., magna cum laude, from the University of South Carolina in 2009.  He earned a Master’s degree in Engineering Management from Old Dominion University in 2003, and did graduate studies at the University of South Carolina School of the Environment. Prior to joining the Firm, Shealy served as an Instructor of Naval Science at the University of South Carolina and as a Submarine Officer for the United States Navy for three years.  He is also an active public speaker and political commentator. He can be contacted at rshealy@hsblawfirm.com.

Greenville Office – 75 Beattie Place, 11th Floor (29601-2119); Ph: 864.240.3200
James Harvey Cleveland IV practices corporate, healthcare, and immigration law in Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd’s Greenville, SC office.  He received a J.D., cum laude, and an International Master of Business Administration (I.M.B.A.) from the University of South Carolina in 2009.  A native of Greenville, SC, his undergraduate studies include a B.S., cum laude, in business economics from the University of South Carolina in 2004, and a semester abroad studying international politics, finance, and Maori society at Otago University in Dunedin, New Zealand.  Prior to joining the Firm, Cleveland interned at a tourism company in San Jose, Costa Rica, helping the company to expand into new markets.  He can be contacted at hcleveland@hsblawfirm.com.

Based in the Firm’s Greenville office, Robert D. Thomas focuses on business litigation matters, including shareholder disputes and breach of contract claims.  A native of Albany, Georgia, Thomas received both his J.D., cum laude, in 2009, and his B.A. in 2006, from the University of Georgia.  While in law school, he participated in a civil externship with the Indian firm Priti Suri and Associates in New Delhi, working on arbitration memorandums and intellectual property rights in India.  He also taught English at an English language institute in Trujillo, Peru, and at an Athens, Georgia nonprofit teaching English to members of the Hispanic community.  As a part of Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, Mr. Thomas participated in on-site cleanup in Waveland, Mississippi, and constructed storage sheds for families whose homes had been destroyed by the storm. He can be contacted at rthomas@hsblawfirm.com.

Kimberly Witherspoon is the newest member of Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd’s public finance practice in Greenville, SC.  A native of New Zion, South Carolina, she earned her J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center in 2009, where she was a Law Center Scholar and member of the Federal Bar Association and William B. Bryant American Inn of Court. She was active in the Law Center’s Appellate Litigation Clinic and contributed to briefs submitted to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. While in law school, Witherspoon was an intern at the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for Magistrate Judge Dianne Brenneman and Magistrate Judge Michael McCarthy. She also served as a law fellow for U.S. Representative and House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn. Following law school, she served as an intern to The Honorable R. Bryan Harwell, U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina, where she conducted research relating to social security and federal transportation law. Witherspoon received a B.A., magna cum laude, from Furman University in 2006.  She can be contacted at kwitherspoon@hsblawfirm.com.

Mungo Homes Awarded for Home Design & Sales Executives

Mungo Homes received Regal Awards for two new product designs and for sales excellence by two community sales agents.

The annual Regal Awards are sponsored by the Sales & Marketing Council of the Greater Columbia Home Builders Association.

The Mungo family has been building new homes and communities in the Midlands since 1954.  With the philosophy of quality, value and integrity, Mungo was recently named the 38^th largest builder in the country and is the only builder in South Carolina ever honored with the prestigious National Housing Quality Award.

Providence Hospitals Welcomes New Physician to Providence Northeast Family Care

Allison Hamada, M.D., is one of the newest physicians to join the staff at Providence Hospitals. Dr. Hamada is board-certified in Family Medicine and will practice at Providence Northeast Family Care located on the campus of Providence Northeast Hospital.

Dr. Hamada received her medical degree from the George Washington University School of Medicine in Washington, D.C., and completed her residency at Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital in Whittier, Calif.

A native of California, Dr. Hamada earned her bachelor’s degree in molecular and cell biology at the University of California Berkeley.  Dr. Hamada, an avid volunteer, previously served as a volunteer physician at the First Day Health & Wellness Clinic in Whittier, Calif., and as a volunteer case worker at the Suitcase Clinic in Berkeley, Calif.

Dr. Hamada resides in Northeast Columbia with her husband, Andreas, and their 19-month-old daughter Skyla.  She is fluent in Japanese and enjoys reading, gardening, practicing yoga and playing tennis in her spare time.

CHRIS ARTHURS JOINS SCOTT McELVEEN, L.L.P.

Chris Arthurs has joined the staff of Scott McElveen, L.L.P., as Staff Accountant, Assurance and Advisory Services.  Chris graduated from Bob Jones University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting.

Chris maintains professional affiliate memberships with the South Carolina Association of Public Accountants (SCACPA) and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). Chris is in the process of becoming fully licensed as a Certified Public Accountant.

MG&C’s David Bornemann Accepted to SC Bar’s Young Lawyers Leadership Academy

The law firm of McAngus Goudelock & Courie is pleased to announce that attorney David Bornemann has been accepted into the South Carolina Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Leadership Academy Class of 2010.

The Young Lawyers Leadership Academy is a highly selective program designed to equip young lawyers with networking opportunities, professionalism training, community awareness and other skills necessary to give back to the profession, enhance their professional growth and position themselves as leaders in the community.

Mr. Bornemann practices workers’ compensation defense in MG&C’s Columbia office. He received his law degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law, where he served as president of the Student Bar Association, was a member of the John Belton O’Neal Inn of Court and founded the Law School Advocates, a student organization designed to represent the school in various capacities. David also holds his bachelor’s degree in finance and marketing from the University of South Carolina. He is a member of the American Bar Association, South Carolina Bar Association, Richland County Bar Association and South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Educational Association.

Joel W. Collins Receives Inaugural ABOTA Chapter Service Award

Collins & Lacy, P.C. is pleased to announce that Joel W. Collins was awarded the 2010 Chapter Service Award by the South Carolina Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA).  The award was created this year by the Executive Committee of the South Carolina Chapter of ABOTA and will be named after Mr. Collins and called the Joel W. Collins South Carolina ABOTA Chapter Service Award in future years.

The award was created and awarded to Joel for his exemplary service to the South Carolina Chapter.  Mr. Collins was recognized for his efforts for ABOTA on a national level, having served as President of the ABOTA Foundation in 2008, as well as his tireless work on developing the first James Otis Lecture Program for South Carolina which was host to 135 selected high school students at the South Carolina State House on September 18, 2009. 

The ABOTA Foundation was established in 1991 to provide education to the American public about the right to trial by jury and to promote the professional education of trial attorneys.  Mr. Collins served as the 2008 President of the Board of Trustees of the ABOTA Foundation, and was a featured speaker at the 2008 ABOTA-sponsored conference, Judges and Attorneys in Interaction: The Commonalities and the Differences in Portuguese and American Legal Systems in Lisbon, Portugal.  He has also played a key role in numerous “Masters in Trial” presentations throughout the U.S.

Mr. Collins was the recipient of the 2002 Jeter E. Rhodes, Jr., Trial Lawyer of the Year Award, presented by the South Carolina Chapter of ABOTA.  He is a member of the International Society of Barristers, Litigation Counsel of America, and serves as a board member of the South Carolina Chapter of the National Safety Council.  In 2005, he received the James Petigru Compleat Lawyer Award from the University of South Carolina School of Law. Mr. Collins has been listed in the Best Lawyers in America® for his work in white collar criminal defense, and has also been selected as a South Carolina Super Lawyer.  He is also listed as one of South Carolina’s preeminent attorneys according to Martindale-Hubbell.

Allyson Way Hank Elected to Home Builders Board

Sovereign Homes, a Mungo Company, is pleased to announce that Allyson Way Hank has been elected to the Home Builders Association of Greater Columbia.  Allyson has been with the Mungo organization since 2002, and was most recently a project manager for Sovereign Homes and Mungo Homes.  Prior to joining Mungo Homes, Allyson was vice president of Way Construction Company, a custom residential and commercial construction company and family business.

Allyson is among a small percentage of women who head building companies.  The National Association of Home Builders reports that less than 10 percent of the construction industry is made up of women, and only a fraction of the companies represented have women at the helm. 

A native of Orangeburg, South Carolina, Allyson is a Phi Beta Kappa, Magna Cum Laude graduate of Wofford College.

Columbia Conference Center Earns ConventionSouth Magazine’s Readers’ Choice Award for 6^th Straight Year

Columbia Conference Center was selected as a ConventionSouth magazine’s Readers’ Choice Award winner – an honor that names it one of the top 100 meeting facilities in the nation. The award was created to recognize excellence, creativity, high customer service, and outstanding professionalism in the meetings and convention industry.

“We were excited and humbled to receive this award,” said Mike DuBose, owner of Columbia Conference Center. Kim Inman, Vice President of CCC, responded, “Our goal is to provide the best conference and meeting facility in the state. With every event we host, we look for ways to improve our service and add value to our offering. This award reflects our efforts in outstanding customer service.” In 2008 and 2009, Columbia Conference Center’s owner donated all profits to local schools and charities as part of the company’s mission to improve lives.

Nominations for the award were solicited from meeting and event planners throughout the United States. Winners were chosen by an awards selection committee based on the quantity and quality of nominations and from interviews with planners who made the nominations. Only the top 100 out of approximately 2,000 nominated meeting sites, convention centers, and visitors’ bureaus received this great recognition.

Columbia Conference Center is located off of Fernandina Road between Piney Grove and St. Andrews roads. It is a full-service, luxury facility offering in-house catering, the latest technology for conferences, meetings, and trainings and a complimentary business center for guest use. Its facilities are also ideal for social events such as wedding receptions and corporate celebrations. For more information, visit the Columbia Conference Center website at www.columbiameetings.com or call 803-772-9811.

Scott McElveen, LLP nAMES NEW PARTNERS

Scott McElveen, L.L.P., a full-service, certified public accounting and business consulting firm in Columbia, is honored to announce that Tony Perricelli, CPA has been named Partner, Tax and Advisory Services.  Tony graduated Cum Laude from Winthrop University with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and earned a Master of Taxation degree from the University of South Carolina.  Tony has 11 years of experience preparing and reviewing tax returns, assisting business clients with tax and regulatory issues, and consulting on financial matters.  He works with a broad range of business clients and is also a Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor.

Scott McElveen, L.L.P., is also honored to announce that Michael Slapnik, CPA has been named Partner, Assurance and Advisory Services.  Michael graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of South Carolina and has twelve years of auditing and accounting experience in South Carolina assisting professionals and business owners with all areas of assurance and advisory services.  He specializes in preparing financial statements and performing internal control audits of public companies. 

Palmetto Health Foundation Announces New 2010 Board Members

Palmetto Health Foundation has announced the addition of new members to the boards of Palmetto Health Foundation, Palmetto Health Cancer Centers, Palmetto Health Children’s Hospital and Palmetto Health Hospice and Palliative Care.

Palmetto Health Foundation new board members:

Robert Dozier, CoastalStates Bank

Bucky Drake, Drake Development and Realty Company

Dr. Lilly Filler, Women Physicians Associates OB/GYN

Lex Knox, Jr., Terminix Service, Inc.

Jodie McLean, Edens & Avant

Ethan Nord, Jr., business entrepreneur / philanthropist

Dr. Andrew Sorensen, Health Sciences SC

Dr. Gerald Wilson, Midland Surgical Associates

Hal Wray, Wray Automotive

Palmetto Health Cancer Centers new board members:

Dee A. Bennett, volunteer/community leader

Steve Bryant, Systemtech Inc.

Cathy Cauthen, Edens and Avant

Bob Davis, Hammond School

Deans Fawcett, community volunteer

Barry R. Taylor, SCANA Corporation

Palmetto Health Children’s Hospital new board members:

Susan Heath, Trinity Episcopal Cathedral

Charlotte Lindler, M.D., Pediatric Associates

Marie McGehee, Colonial Life

Andrew Painter, First Community Bank

Jeffrey Reeves, Wachovia Bank

Carrie Smith, community volunteer

Palmetto Health Hospice and Palliative Care new board members:

Van Kornegay, Kornegay & Moseley Funeral Home

COLONIAL LIFE EMPLOYEES WIN TOP COMPANY SERVICE AWARD

Twenty-eight employees at Colonial Life were named winners of a prestigious company award and were selected to attend the Aspire Customer Service Training & Recognition Conference May 2 through 5 at Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club in Orlando, Fla. The company winners are: Tracey Adkins, Sharon Amick, Candi Anderson, Kathi Baumgardner, Roxana Brygger, Avery Carter, Dana Chisolm, Lorenzo Commander, Edie Hall, Jackie Hopkins, Joyce Jacobs, Bornita Johnson, Barbara Kirkland, Teresa Melton, Christina Mitchell, Mark Myers, Pamela Parry-Heller, Monique Peterson, Wachovia Player, Annie Prendergast, John Quattlebaum, Melissa Riley, Donna Sloan, Michelle Whitsett and Martha Wilson.

Three Unum employees who work on Colonial Life’s Columbia campus were also chosen to attend the conference. They are: Jesse Asmus, Betty Livingston and Jim Scott.

The Aspire Conference is a program designed to recognize Colonial Life’s top performers in customer service. The winners are chosen based on their commitment to delivering service excellence, customer focus and support. The conference offers its participants additional training in superior service techniques, as well as activities in Disney’s parks.

LAKE CAROLINA WELCOMES THE NEW YORK BUTCHER SHOPPE & GRILLE AS NEWEST TOWN CENTER MERCHANT

The New York Butcher Shoppe & Grille, a Greenville, S.C. based franchise, has joined the growing list of Lake Carolina Town Center merchants.

Set to open in Lake Carolina’s Town Center in March 2010, this New York Butcher Shoppe & Grille location will be the first expanded model in the franchise. The new location will be a blended model of the franchise’s traditional services while offering a brand new, uniquely designed, full-service restaurant. The New York Butcher Shoppe & Grille also will continue to serve as a full-service butcher shoppe, deli and gourmet grocery.

"The unique concept behind this New York Butcher Shoppe & Grille location is that it is a full-service restaurant and gourmet grocery," said Eddie Hargett, owner of the New York Butcher Shoppe & Grille in Lake Carolina’s Town Center. "We will be able to provide our patrons with a multitude of options: they can dine-in here, shop for some groceries here or even pick up their lunches and dinners to go."

The New York Butcher Shoppe & Grille in Lake Carolina’s Town Center offers a unique mix of selection, quality, atmosphere and customer care unlike any other in this region of the U.S. This location’s "Big City Quality at Small Town Prices" will be a welcoming experience for both new and existing patrons alike.

For more information on the New York Butcher Shoppe & Grille, contact Eddie Hargett at 803.403.3084 or visit www.nybutcher.net.

Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, P.A. Ranked #1 Bond Counsel in South Carolina

Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd’s Public Finance Practice Group is ranked first among bond counsel in South Carolina for 2009, according to The Bond Buyer (February 11, 2010 issue).  The daily newspaper serving the nation’s municipal bond industry has placed the Firm first for South Carolina for five of the last six years. The Firm served as bond counsel for over $1.5 billion of bond sales in South Carolina this past year.

Greenville attorney Robert S. Galloway III leads Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd’s Public Finance Group, which has served as bond counsel, special tax counsel, underwriter’s counsel, letter of credit bank counsel and derivatives counsel in connection with billions of dollars of tax-exempt bond issues for general government, utility, healthcare, housing, schools, colleges and universities, public power, transportation, manufacturing, waste disposal, and energy projects.

Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd also has received national recognition due to public finance attorney and shareholder, Kathleen C. (Kathy) McKinney.  Based in the Firm’s Greenville office, she currently is president of the National Association of Bond Lawyers (NABL), a 3,000-member organization.

Elliott Davis Receives Chairman's Award for United Way Campaign

Elliott Davis, LLC, one of the largest accounting, tax and consulting services firms in the Southeast, is the proud recipient of the United Way of the Midlands Chairman’s Award.

Each year, several area campaigns are recognized for making the biggest difference in the success of the overall campaign.  Elliott Davis received the 2009 Chairman’s Award in the Professionals Unit at the United Way’s Campaign Finale event held on January 26^th.

The firm raised more than $27,000 for the 2009 campaign – an average of $640 per donor.  Criteria used to select award winners included percentage of employee participation, employee giving amount per capita and percentage increase over last year’s campaign. 

“As a firm, it’s important for us to live by example,” said Jim Hazel, managing shareholder of the Elliott Davis’ Columbia office.  “The United Way funds many important programs that are the fabric our community.  We are pleased to support this campaign year after year.”

Since 2001, Elliott Davis’ Columbia office has raised more than $250,000 for the organization.