DeKalb Business Today Archives - Page 4 of 6

DeKalb Business Today – September 25, 2015

September 26, 2015 by angishields

Dekalb Business Radio

DeKalb Business Today - September 25, 2015

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On this edition of DeKalb Business Today, host Matt Holmes looks at how Leadership DeKalb is making a difference in the DeKalb County business scene. Executive Director Maria Balais talks about her role in enhancing the leadership skills of program participants young and old. Chris Chavez, Metro President of DeVry University and Chairman of the Board of Leadership DeKalb, talks about the program from the perspective of someone who’s been through it.

Maria Balais/Executive Director of Leadership DeKalb

Maria Balais is a seasoned Non-Profit Executive with over 15+ years of experience in community affairs. She has had proven success in organizational management and fundraising, development and promotion of philanthropic and community affairs programs.

In her current role, Maria is the Executive Director for Leadership DeKalb. In the last three years, she has provided leadership in elevating their core program by making the core program relevant to current issues in the community. These outcomes include the implementation of the new program day, Integrity & Ethics and an updated Diversity & Inclusion day. This has resulted in the organization having its largest class ever which brought in over 180K in tuitions raised. Maria has led the organization to reorganization involving staff and other resources. She has cultivated donors and increased sponsorships resulting in reduced negative equity by 100%. Maria Balais has strengthened the pipeline for human capital to take on leadership roles in the community.

Previously, Maria Balais managed her consulting firm that provided corporate and not-for-profit organizations with community outreach, communications, organizational development and program management services. Her consulting firm executed a five-month long Diversity Leadership program for top business and community leaders, reigning in over $200,000 in sponsorships and tickets sales. She developed and managed the organizational strategy for diversity management institute, resulting in a successful execution of several high-profile public outreach events. Prior to consulting, she managed the ING Corporate Foundation and led community relations at Troutman Sanders, LLP.

As a community advocate, Balais serves on the Emory Board of Visitors. She has served on the boards of the League of Women Voters Atlanta-Fulton Chapter, Provost Academy Georgia, Anti-Prejudice Consortium, and the Atlanta Downtown Neighborhood Association. She is a graduate of the Leadership Atlanta Class of 2006.

Maria holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Agnes Scott College. She has resided in Downtown Atlanta for 19 years and is a proud Mom to C.J., a student at Centennial Academy Charter School.

Maria Balais is a woman that means business.

Chris Chavez/Metro President of DeVry University, Board Chair at Leadership DeKalb

DeKalb Business Today “Lunch Hour” – September 18, 2015

September 19, 2015 by angishields

Dekalb Business Radio

DeKalb Business Today "Lunch Hour" - September 18, 2015

00:00 / 00:39:31

On the latest edition of DeKalb Business Today, we delve into the worlds of banking and cloud computing. Judy Turner and Rosemarie Codling from Private Bank of Decatur explain why banking local is the best way to go. Bill Seybolt shares how Cumulus Global is making small- and mid-size businesses more efficient and more productive by taking them into the cloud.

Judy Turner/Private Bank of Decatur President

Judy Turner is President of Private Bank of Decatur. She is responsible for all Decatur market initiatives. In 2015, Judy celebrated 50 years in banking in Metro Atlanta, having started with Citizens & Southern National Bank in the Personnel Department. She worked in Auditing, became one of the first Personal Bankers when C&S started that program, and became an officer of the bank in 1974. A year after C&S became NationsBank (1995), Judy had an opportunity to go to work in the Decatur Office of Bank South. Three years later Bank South was purchased by NationsBank and several community leaders felt a need for a community bank in Decatur. They looked to Judy to organize and lead Decatur First Bank, where she was President and CEO. In November of 2011, Judy had the opportunity to join Private Bank of Buckhead to organize and open Private Bank of Decatur.

Community involvement has always been important to Judy, who currently serves as President of the Decatur Book Festival, Trustee of the DeKalb History Center, Treasurer of Seniors Helping Seniors and as a member of the Junior League of DeKalb Advisory Board. She has served on the boards of both the Community Bankers Association and the Georgia Bankers Association, as well as Leadership DeKalb, the Development Authority of DeKalb County (former Chair), and the DeKalb Medical Foundation.

Judy lives in Decatur with her husband Roy. They have a daughter and twin grandchildren.

Rosemarie Codling/Private Bank of Decatur SBA Portfolio Manager

Rosemarie Codling is SBA Portfolio Manager and Banking Officer for Private Bank of Buckhead and Decatur, which includes PrivatePlus Mortgage. She recently celebrated 20 years in banking.

Her 20-year banking career began in New York, though the majority of it has been in the Atlanta market, with the past 10 years focusing on SBA lending. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration/Management from Bernard M. Baruch College and a Master’s degree (with Distinction) in Banking from Mercy College.

The bank added its SBA program in 2008 and by the next year the bank was designated a Preferred Lender by the U.S. Small Business Administration. That designation has continued to be renewed. Preferred Lenders are allowed to expedite the processing of SBA loans because of their depth of experience with SBA lending. PLP status means that the bank’s borrowers have 24-hour or less turn-around from SBA once their loan has been approved at the bank level. A Preferred Lender also is allowed to make certain unilateral changes or addendums to the loan without having to wait for SBA’s approval.

“One of Rosemarie’s chief roles is to help small- and medium-sized businesses acquire loans for a broad range of business and business start-up purposes,” Brent says, “beginning by helping demystify SBA lending for anyone who might be seeking business lending solutions.”

Away from the bank, the Jamaican native is involved in her church and enjoys reading about Eastern philosophy and history, and talking with people from other cultures and learning more about them. She has a college-aged son. Rosemarie and her family – three generations – reside in Lawrenceville.

Bill Seybolt/Cumulus Global Cloud Advisor

Cumulus Global measures success by their customers’ results. As a Cloud Solutions Provider, they help small- and mid-size businesses, nonprofits, governments, and educational institutions move from in-house systems to cloud computing solutions. Partnering with both Google and Microsoft – and more than three dozen cloud services – they focus on their customers’ goals, objectives, needs, and priorities and bring forward the best solution.

In 2013, Bill Seybolt left one career in information technology and began anew in sales, joining Cumulus Global earlier this year. He brings a great deal of insight around collaboration, organizational change and how to adopt a new way of work as well as specific strategies outside the traditional workplace to succeed. You can read about it all over at www.the30secondcommute.com.

DeKalb Business Today – September 18, 2015

September 19, 2015 by angishields

Dekalb Business Radio

DeKalb Business Today - September 18, 2015

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On this edition of DeKalb Business Today, we focus on the great things happening in the East Metro DeKalb Community Improvement District (CID). Local business owners Nicole McGhee Hall, Van Jakes and Lloyd Nurse discuss ways that they – and their businesses – are helping to make East DeKalb a hot spot for innovation and investment.

Nicole McGhee Hall/Founder & Chief Consultant at Nickel Works Consulting, LLC

Ms. Hall is the founder and lead consultant at Nickel Works Consulting. She has a B.S. in Civil Engineering and has been primarily focused in the area of transportation in her 20+ years of work experience. She is a Certified Professional Services Marketer (CPSM) through the Society of Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) and is adept in business development/marketing, government relations, community engagement and Community Improvement Districts (CIDs).

She has worked with multiple CIDs in the Metro Atlanta area providing Administration, Expansion, and Formation Services. She is a 2014 Atlanta Regional Leadership Institute graduate and a Georgia Academy for Economic Development graduate. Nicole’s team works for businesses, in communities and with the governments.

Van Jakes/Owner-Operator of Jake 22 Management Company

Van Keith Jakes attended Kent State University from 1979-1983. He was a four-year starter as corner back and the captain of the football team during his senior year. He graduated from Kent State in 1983 with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice.

Van played with the Kansas City Chiefs during the 1983 and 1984 seasons. He joined the United States Football League (USFL) and played with the Jacksonville Bulls in 1985. After the demise of the USFL in 1985, he returned to the National Football League (NFL). In 1986, he began a three-year career with the New Orleans Saints. Van then played with the Green Bay Packers during the 1989 and 1990 seasons. He retired from the NFL in 1991.

Van became a McDonald’s Owner Operator in August 1992 where he opened his first restaurant in Tampa, Florida. In May 1994, he sold his Tampa store for four stores in Atlanta, Georgia. In the summer of 1996 he acquired two additional stores. Currently, Van owns and operates three McDonald’s restaurants in the Stone Mountain/Lithonia area of Dekalb County; Panola Road, Turner Hill Road, and Fairington Road.

Van has many affiliations, hobbies and philanthropic interests. He is a member and past president (1997-98) of the Atlanta Black McDonald’s Owner Operator Association (BMOA), and serves on the Executive Board of the Greater Atlanta McDonald’s Owner Operator Association (GAMOA) and is president of the African American Consumer Market Target Marketing Subcommittee. He is the former president of the Stonecrest Business Alliance, and serves on the SDIA (South Dekalb Improvement Association). He currently works on the McDonald’s Workers Compensation Committee. He has been the chairperson for the Wheels of Dreams Youth Foundation Celebrity Golf Classic where he worked tirelessly to fulfill its mission to “create future business leaders.” In April 2008 Van was inducted as a member of the prestigious organization “100 Black Men of Atlanta”. Van is a member of Antioch A.M.E. Church in Stone Mountain, Georgia.

In 1998, Van received the Women Looking Ahead, Blue Print Award, for Entrepreneur of the Year. He has been cited by the Atlanta Tribune, several years in a row, as one of Georgia’s Top 20 African-American owned businesses. He has also received commendations from Governor Roy Barnes as an “Outstanding Citizen.” In September 2002 he was inducted into the Harvard Cup High School Hall of Fame in his hometown of Buffalo, New York. He is also a current member of the NFL Players Association, while also a Partner in Education with several schools in Dekalb County. In December 2009, he was inducted into the Atlanta Tribune, Hall of Fame with three other local NFL greats. He is an avid golfer and racquetball player. Van is a devoted husband and father to his wife Chrystal and their four children: Leigh, Van II, Jasmine, and Jordan.

Lloyd Nurse/Co-Founder & CEO of Nurse Technologies

Lloyd Nurse is a man of many talents, having worked as a pilot, military officer and business owner with an eye on real estate development. Lloyd immigrated to the United States from his native Guyana, where – in addition to all his other professional pursuits – he took up inventing. He now holds three U.S. patents and has more in the pipeline.

Lloyd co-founded Nurse Technologies, a company geared towards raising awareness of problems related to medicine usage.

DeKalb Business Today – “DeKalb Chamber Golf Tournament”

September 8, 2015 by angishields

Dekalb Business Radio

DeKalb Business Today - "DeKalb Chamber Golf Tournament"

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On a very special edition of DeKalb Business Today, hosts Matt Holmes and Jason Becknell take you to the 11th annual DeKalb Chamber of Commerce golf tournament at historic Druid Hills Golf Club. Some of the top business leaders from in and around DeKalb County spent their day on August 31 hacking away, all to raise money for the Chamber’s efforts to grow and foster business in DeKalb.

Here is a list of business leaders we caught up with at the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce Golf Tournament:

Katerina Taylor, DeKalb Chamber of Commerce

John Kelley, Georgia Power

Ray Gilley, Development Authority of DeKalb County

Al Edwards, CERM

Adrienne White, Center for Civil and Human Rights

Neca Smith, AidevO People Consulting

Thele Moore, American Family Insurance

Dan Bell, Discover DeKalb

Bridget Lewis, Workplace Learning Solutions

Nancy Jester, DeKalb County District 1 Commissioner

Margaret Mason Tate McIntyre, Intown Doula

Monica Selden, Selden Enterprises

Jim McMahan, DeKalb County School Board and McMahan Mortgage

Terrell Patton, Keller Williams Realty

Michael Shields, Surge 365

Fred Daniels, Citizens Trust Bank

Otis Threat, Lieneur

DeKalb Business Today “Power Lunch” – September 4, 2015

September 5, 2015 by angishields

Dekalb Business Radio

DeKalb Business Today "Power Lunch" - September 4, 2015

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On the latest edition of the DeKalb Business Today “Power Lunch”, host Matt Holmes interviews a panel of guests who have each carved out a niche in the DeKalb County food scene. Iberian Pig General Manager Leigh Ann Miller discusses her restaurant’s unique offerings and the role that hospitality plays in cultivating repeat customers. Hilde Friese reflects on her memories of four decades running The Village Corner in Stone Mountain, sharing the secrets that have made her restaurant the go-to German spot in Metro Atlanta. Local food blogger Maria Pinkelton rounds out the panel, offering her views on some of the best spots to eat and drink in DeKalb County.

Leigh Ann Miller/General Manager, Iberian Pig

Born in Palm Beach, Florida, Leigh Ann Miller grew up with a fond appreciation for the arts, particularly music. After attending Palm Beach County School of the Arts, she performed classically and with major recording artists such as Clarence Clemons and Wynton Marsalis.

While pursuing her first love of music, she found her second love in the hospitality industry. After continuing her education at Cornell University, she found that she wanted to run the show, not just perform in it. She coordinated PGA Tour events, planned functions with many recording artists and opened Jack Nicklaus’ The Bear’s Club in Jupiter, Florida. In 2010, she found her way to Atlanta and The Castelucci Hospitality Group.

Hilde Friese/Founder, The Village Corner

The Village Corner started in 1974 as an all-natural bakery. Two years later, they moved from a back room to their own building and delivered bread all over town and cakes and tortes to select cafes. In 1986, they moved to their present location. Hilde’s son graduated from Johnson & Wales Culinary School and helped develop and expand the menu. In 1996, they added a tavern and in 2014 they started their own brewery.

The business is unique in that they not only have an ethnic restaurant, but they also retained the bakery. German breads and European tortes are all done on the premises. Where else can you go to get a Reuben sandwich on house-baked marble rye, house cured in home-brewed beer, with authentic sauerkraut?!

The Village Corner can accommodate small parties of up to 50 in a private room. Their Sunday brunch, especially on the deck when weather permits, is a favorite. They offer beer samplings of four or six of their own brews and are expanding that continually.

Maria Pinkelton/Foodie, Blogger

Maria Pinkelton is a food and lifestyle blogger, and a resident of the city of Decatur. She moved to the city nearly five years ago because of the good schools, walkability and beer. When she is not dining or spending time with family and friends, she is writing about dining and spending time with family and friends. In order to fund all of this food and leisure Maria works as a communications specialist. She is married and she and her husband have one son and two refrigerators dedicated to beer.

Make sure to read Maria’s blogs and follow her on Twitter!

DeKalb Business Today – September 4, 2015

September 3, 2015 by angishields

Dekalb Business Radio

DeKalb Business Today - September 4, 2015

00:00 / 00:27:47

On this edition of DeKalb Business Today, host Matt Holmes interviews a panel of guests who are working to make a difference in DeKalb County. Charmelle Scott from BusiNeighbor Inc. joins the show to talk about her efforts to help local veterans in need. Dacia Dickey and Virginia Mason discuss how the Resident Services Corporation of DeKalb is working to assist families in the county. We also sit down with a mainstay of local radio; Charlie Sill drops by to talk about his bilingual multimedia company, Bluberry Productions.

Charmelle Scott/BusiNeighbor Inc.

Virginia Mason/Resident Services Corporation of DeKalb

Virginia Mason has worked in the housing industry for the past 14 years working directly with families seeking to establish themselves economically and become self-sufficient. Her housing career came as a direct result of her previous experience as a teacher. Initially working with housing residents to obtain their GED and gain life skills, this parlayed into a position as a Family Self-Sufficiency Coordinator. As an FSS Coordinator, Virginia linked families with community resources to assist them with employment, homeownership and other life goals. Virginia is excited about the new Circles initiative which taps into people’s dreams and goals for a better life and then provides additional motivation and support.

Dacia Dickey/Resident Services Corporation of DeKalb

Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Dacia Dickey attended Coppin State College. She then began working with children with special needs. That led her to an eight year career in the housing industry, including stints with Baltimore City Housing, Public Housing, Atlanta Housing Authority, DeKalb Housing and Resident Services Corporation of DeKalb.

Charlie Sill/Bluberry Productions, LLC

As an audio professional for over thirty years, Charlie Sill has worked with The Weather Channel, local television in Amarillo, Texas, Total Traffic here in Atlanta as well with many other radio stations across the nation. Charlie grew up in Los Angeles in and around the entertainment industry which afforded him the opportunities to work alongside Steven Spielberg, Dustin Hoffman and the late Robin Williams on the set of “Hook”. He also worked with director Kenny Ortega and Christian Bale on the set of “Newsies”. With his passion for the filmmaking process and his talent for voice over work, Charlie has placed himself at the forefront of an ever-evolving technological field. He loves every aspect of the creative process and brings that passion, along with his partner Federico Vasquez, to Bluberry Productions,LLC. Together they form a bilingual powerhouse of creativity which would be an asset to any business or event.

DeKalb Business Today “Lunch Hour” – August 28, 2015

August 30, 2015 by angishields

Dekalb Business Radio

DeKalb Business Today "Lunch Hour" - August 28, 2015

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On the latest edition of DeKalb Business Today, host Matt Holmes interviews a panel of female entrepreneurs who are making their mark in DeKalb County and all across Metro Atlanta. Real estate executive Jennifer Moore joins the show to talk about her company’s efforts to be the premier commercial and residential outfit in Atlanta. Web designer Adrienne Duncan discusses the importance of mobile sites and why companies are losing money by not being mobile-friendly. Marketing guru Diane Conklin rounds out the panel, making her return appearance to the show to dish on her upcoming implementation event in October.

Jennifer Moore/CEO & Team Leader, Keller Williams Realty Midtown

Jennifer is the CEO/Team Leader for Keller Williams Realty Midtown Office where she shares her passion for leading through service to others. Her vision in the role as team leader is to create a vibrant energy that fills the environment with purpose and passion. She will do this by igniting the flames that are dormant in some and not yet revealed in others. She intends to grow and develop the pillars in the Midtown office while attracting new talent to Keller Williams. She believes in the value of empowering people to “create businesses worth owning and lives worth living” staying true to the vision of Gary Keller.

Jennifer started as a commercial agent with KWCommercial in Atlanta, GA. Jennifer is a team-spirited, and results-oriented individual. She has helped individuals and businesses make transitions for the past 17 years in all areas of their lives. These transitions and moves always begin with a candid conversation about values which leads to the vision for your life and how you are planning to get there. Jennifer has helped 1000s achieve their dreams. With an attitude of service-first combined with boundless energy, she is able to provide customer service and expertise to her clients that is exceptional. Jennifer’s team has been the #1 Ranked team with KW Commercial in the Southeast.

She is engaged in the community and is a sought-after motivational speaker.

Adrienne Duncan/Owner, SDOC Internet Publishing Solutions

Adrienne Duncan, a 15-year veteran of website design and development, is the owner of SDOC Publishing Internet Solutions in Dunwoody. SDOC specializes in mobile technology to ensure the best customer experience any time and anywhere.

SDOC provides customized and unique online solutions to all sizes of businesses and organizations in Metro Atlanta, the USA, and other countries. Ms. Duncan’s philosophy is that websites and the internet are less about source code and machines and more about how they bring people together. Every website has to be built around the people using it. The latest design and function innovations are only as good as the service it provides to the people who visit.

When not working at her business, Ms. Duncan enjoys spending time with her husband and three children. She volunteers at their two schools and is an active member of All Saints Catholic Church in Dunwoody. She is an active alumna member of Phi Mu Fraternity. Ms. Duncan also enjoys the study of history and genealogy and has held leadership positions in both the Georgia Society Daughters of the American Revolution and the Georgia Society of Mayflower Descendants.

What makes SDOC unique is its adaptability to its customers and the technical website development field. Every solution for every client is uniquely crafted to make them stand out from its competition and grow the agility to gain and retain customers in a changing world.

Diane Conklin/President & Founder, Complete Marketing Systems

Diane Conklin is an internationally known author, entrepreneur, coach, consultant, marketing and business strategist, implementation specialist and speaker. Diane is a direct response marketing expert who specializes in showing business owners how to integrate their online and offline marketing strategies, media and message, to get maximum results from their marketing dollars. Diane also shows entrepreneurs and small business owners how to outperform their competition by measuring their marketing, and strategically use multi-media campaigns to stand alone in their marketplace as the go-to provider for their products and services. As the founder of Complete Marketing Systems, Diane and has been involved in numerous campaigns grossing over $1,000,000.00 several times in her career and routinely helps people grow businesses to 6 figures, and beyond, in short periods of time, several times in as little as 90 days.

As a speaker, Diane has shared the stage with the likes of Barbara Corcoran, Joan Rivers, George Foreman, Cal Ripken, Jr., Harry Dent, Marie Forleo and many others. Diane was voted Glazer-Kennedy Marketer of the Year for her innovative marketing strategies and campaigns and was nominated for Atlanta Business Woman of the Year.

This fall, Diane will host her Implementation Coaching Event from October 8-10. Registration is going on right now!

DeKalb Business Today – August 28, 2015

August 30, 2015 by angishields

Dekalb Business Radio

DeKalb Business Today - August 28, 2015

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On this edition of DeKalb Business Today, host Matt Holmes welcomes maybe the most diverse group of businesses in the show’s short history. Bio-One Atlanta owner Paul Cervino shares some of the good and bad from his work in cleaning up crime scenes. Local radio host Jacqlyn Charles talks about her non-profit work at Women Are Worthy. Vonetta Daniels rounds out the panel, tracing her path from military veteran to head of one of Metro Atlanta’s top emerging consulting firms, VYD and Associates.

Paul Cervino/Owner, Bio-One Atlanta

Bio-One Atlanta bills itself as the best choice for assisting victims and their families in cases of suicide, homicide or traumatic death.

Typically, someone will call and speak with the owner directly. The owner, Paul, will then go through in detail the steps that need to be taken. A time is then set for the Bio-One team to complete the job. Payment is addressed after cleanup as it is their first priority to complete decontamination in a discrete and compassionate method for all Bio-One clients.

They partner with cities, police, fire, emergency services personnel, victim services groups, hoarding task forces, apartment complexes, insurance companies and many more to provide the best and fastest service possible.

Jacqlyn Charles/Women Are Worthy

Jacqlyn Charles is the host of Women Are Worthy, a premiere radio show which tackles the many life challenges that women are faced with.

Originally from Brooklyn, New York, Jacqlyn is known for her high energy, positive attitude and engaging personality. As an up-and-coming motivational speaker, she uses her radio show as a platform to hone her talent for inspiring and motivating others to live in a state of excellence.

Jacqyln, who was once homeless, chose the specific format for Women Are Worthy out of a yearning desire to be a part of the solution. She realized that many problems stemmed from the negative relationships that women were having with each other. Jacqlyn uses her show as a vehicle to connect women, bridge gaps, build relationships and spark dialogue among and between women.

Jacqlyn lives her life on purpose with persistence and determination at the helm. Her goal is to inspire greatness in everyone that she comes into contact with. Jacqlyn’s core belief is that no matter what happens today, there is always tomorrow. This is a brand new day and everyone gets a second chance to start fresh.

Vonetta Daniels/President & CEO, VYD and Associates

VYD and Associates was incorporated in 2010 by Vonetta Y. Daniels, an Air Force Veteran with more than 20 years of combined industry and Management Consulting experience with BearingPoint, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and as an Internal Consultant for SunTrust Banks, and industry experience Research, Higher Education, Government, Non-Profits, Education and Community Partners and Financial Services.

VYD and Associates is a certified 8(a) firm, Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone), Economically Disadvantaged Woman Owned Small Business (EDWOSB), Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB) and Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) providing consulting services which include:

 Management & Strategy Consulting

 Health Communications, Marketing & Policy Management

 Organizational Assessment and Organizational Effectiveness (OE)

 Strategic Planning

 Research, Evaluation and Policy

 Performance Measurement & Evaluation

 Program, Portfolio & Project Management

 Program Implementation & Evaluation

 Program and Administrative Support

Vonetta is an alumna of the University of Virginia and Emory University with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics.

DeKalb Business Today “Lunch Hour” – August 21, 2015

August 21, 2015 by angishields

Dekalb Business Radio

DeKalb Business Today "Lunch Hour" - August 21, 2015

00:00 / 00:42:36

On the latest edition of DeKalb Business Today, host Matt Holmes interviews a panel of local entrepreneurs from across DeKalb County. Eric Teusink joins the show from the firm of Williams Teusink to discuss doing real estate law in Decatur. Michael Shields talks about bringing his military experience into the travel industry. Carol Fisher checks in to share the work she’s doing for small businesses at Workplace Partners, while her business partner Bob Wehner explains how LegalShield is helping to serve the needs of many of those companies.

Eric Teusink/Williams Teusink LLC

Eric is an experienced commercial, corporate, and real estate attorney whose practice is concentrated in the areas of corporate formation, corporate governance, commercial litigation and transactions, non-profit law, real estate agreements, real estate litigation, foreclosure, title disputes, real estate tax, real estate tort, business tort, and community association law. Eric serves as corporate counsel for several entrepreneurial companies. Eric has successfully represented business owners, entrepreneurs, developers, and real estate professionals in both state and federal court. In addition to representing clients in court, Eric is skilled in crafting shareholder agreements, property ownership agreements, operating agreements, property management agreements, leases, purchase and sale agreements, promissory notes, and security deeds.

Eric graduated cum laude from the Georgia State University College of Law where he served as Vice President of the Moot Court Board and was a barrister in the Bleckley Inn of Court. Prior to attending law school Eric graduated with degrees in Political Science and Economics from the University of Georgia. Eric is the Past-President of the East Atlanta Business Association, the Co-Chair of the Run Before You Crawl 5K, a member of the 2011 LEAD Atlanta Class, a member of the Urban Land Institute’s 2013 Center for Leadership Class, and serves on both the Georgia State College of Law Alumni Board and the Development Board of the UGA at Oxford Study Abroad Program.

Eric resides in the Grant Park neighborhood of Atlanta with his wife and son. In his spare time he enjoys running, playing tennis, collecting records and vintage books, reading, supporting UGA athletics, and tailgating before every UGA home football game.

Michael Shields/Surge 365 Travel

Michael Shields of MJ Shields Associates of Atlanta, GA is originally from New York City. He is retired military 24 years (4 years U. S. Marines and 20 U. S. Navy). He served in Vietnam in 1968 as a machine gunner and retired as a Chief Petty Officer in 1992. He received a Bachelor’s Degree from St. Leo College in 1995 in Business Management and worked for the Department of Veterans Affairs for 17 years in Atlanta and also retired from. His wife Jacquelyn (a native Atlantian) and family presently live in the Stone Mountain area of Georgia and have been married for 26 years, she is also employed with the Federal Government.

Michael and Jacquelyn are travel professionals with Surge 365 and have been in the travel industry for over nine years. Surge 365 is a brand new company that has a 110 percent guarantee on giving you the ability to become a VIP private member to have the lowest prices on any vacationing anywhere around the world! This membership also comes with a concierge service! This is the newest travel technology! If you love to vacation and travel but you’re just tired of the high cost to do so, then come find out why membership really does have its privileges!

Carol Fisher/Workplace Partners

Carol W. Fisher, L.C.S.W. (Licensed Clinical Social Worker) is a founder and CEO/President of Workplace Partners.

Carol works with Workplace Partner’s Office Coordinator and a network of approximately 30 counselors and training and organizational development professionals to provide services to our client employers and employees.

Workplace Partners LLC was established as Georgia Behavioral Care, Inc. (G.B.C.) in 1995 as a network of counselors and psychotherapists to provide Employee Assistance and Managed Care services.

Early on their provider network focused on sub-contracting to deliver localized services for national and regional Employee Assistance and Managed Care Companies. In our work with these nationally recognized companies, WPP has had an opportunity to work with over 250 employer organizations, many of which are Fortune 1000 companies.

WPP adopted the best practices of these national and regional EAPs and adapted these to smaller more locally based companies to provide full service Employee Assistance Programs.

In 2000, Workplace Partners began providing a full service Employee Assistance and Work/Life program for a local health care system covering over 9,000 lives.

Workplace Partners has also designed and provided extensive training, drug free work place, critical incident follow-up, and organizational development services on a direct contract basis to a number of other businesses in Georgia since that time.

Bob Wehner/LegalShield

Bob is a partner in Workplace Partners as well as serving as the Senior Director and Independent Associate for LegalShield. He is responsible for ensuring that businesses, their employees, families and individuals are provided total access and total freedom enabling each person to speak to an attorney or specialized consultant about their trivial and traumatic matters without worrying about high hourly costs. Bob holds a Bachelors degree in Business Administration from Augusta State University and a Master of Science in Industrial Management, concentration in Finance from Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). He spent over 30 years in corporate banking before joining LegalShield in 2004.

Bob currently serves on the Boards for the National Association of Nonprofits and the National Association of Women Owned Small Businesses.