Mike Sammond Archives - Page 13 of 25

Philip Bernardi with Oconee State Bank

April 27, 2018 by Mike

Beyond The Cupola

Philip Bernardi with Oconee State Bank

00:00 /

“Beyond the Cupola” allows invited customers, community, and team members of Oconee State Bank to have an opportunity to share their stories of success and inspiration, and/or how the Remarkable culture of Oconee State Bank has inspired them to mark lives in their own right.

Philip Bernardi/Oconee State Bank

In the early 1900s, there were banks in all the small towns of Oconee County… Bishop, Bogart, Eastville, Farmington and Watkinsville. When the Depression came along in 1929, all the banks went broke and Oconee County was without a bank for the next 30 years. Farmers and small merchants had to travel to Athens for their banking needs.

In 1958, a group of community leaders recognized the need for a bank in Oconee County and started a process of getting the necessary approval for a state chartered community bank. In 1959, the FDIC approved a community bank and Oconee State Bank opened its doors for business on February 1, 1960 with 3 employees and a small corner office on Main Street in downtown Watkinsville.

Today, Oconee State Bank has 3 full-service financial centers located in Oconee County, GA as well as a website which serves as an “Internet Branch.” The vision of the founders continues today. Oconee State Bank is proud to provide an unparalleled commitment to personalized service, value-added products, and a deep sense of responsibility to the communities they serve.

NORTH ATLANTA’S BIZLINK: Kali Boatright – President and CEO of the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce

April 20, 2018 by John Ray

North Fulton Studio

NORTH ATLANTA'S BIZLINK: Kali Boatright - President and CEO of the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce

00:00 /

Deborah Lanham, Kali Boatright, Nicole Sterghos

Kali Boatright/GNFCC

Kali Kirkham Boatright is the new president and chief executive officer of the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce. Boatright led the Douglas County Chamber from a near bankrupt organization when she arrived in 2004 to a flourishing business organization with strong financial stability. To accomplish the success, she inspired staff and volunteers to create new sponsorship opportunities and events, as well as a Chairman’s Club for membership investment and community engagement. She has most recently been instrumental in a community-wide economic and community development initiative with elected leaders, business leaders, and non-profit professionals collaborating for change transformation.

Boatright is a graduate of the U.S. Chamber’s Institute for Organization Management and a Georgia Certified Chamber Executive. In addition to her chamber responsibilities, she currently serves as vice president of the Technical College Foundation Association of Georgia, chair of the Georgia Chamber Small Business Federation on the Georgia Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, executive board member of the Regional Business Coalition, and member of the WellStar Douglas Regional Health Board. She is a past chair of the Georgia Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives, founding board member of Brighten Academy Charter School, and past president of the Junior League of Douglas County.

In 2017, Boatright was honored by her peers in the chamber industry when she received the Georgia Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives Legacy Award. As the association’s most prestigious award, it recognizes long-term executives who have excelled over a period of years in leading and innovatively building their chamber. The award is based on the demonstration of excellence in areas of chamber leadership, organizational management, service to the profession, community reputation/involvement, and personal attributes.

Travis Butler with Butler Properties and Josh Collins with Oconee State Bank

April 19, 2018 by Mike

Beyond The Cupola

Travis Butler with Butler Properties and Josh Collins with Oconee State Bank

00:00 /

Travis Butler/Butler Properties & Development

Butler Properties & Development is a full service commercial real estate development and management firm specializing in national retail client services to include turn-key build-to-suits, ground leases, joint ventures, and fee developments. The company has also been successful in numerous multi-family, office, and industrial projects.

The firm also has a successful track record in complicated real estate financial transactions to include arbitrage, asset re-positioning, loan acquisitions, bond debt, tax-free exchanges, and defeasance.

Josh Collins/Oconee State Bank

Carl Schuessler with Mitigate Partners and Susan Boland Butts & Keith Fenton with Hi-Hope Service Center

April 19, 2018 by Mike

Gwinnett Business Radio

Carl Schuessler with Mitigate Partners and Susan Boland Butts & Keith Fenton with Hi-Hope Service Center

00:00 /

Carl Schuessler, Susan Boland Butts, Keith Fenton

Carl Schuessler/Mitigate Partners

Mitigate Partners is an intentionally small “concierge” consulting firm offering a unique approach to benefits management to a select group of clients. Mitigate Partners provide insurance, risk management, cost containment, and employee benefits consulting services. They have chosen collaboration over competition and maintain healthy relationships with a cadre’ of like-minded consultants and resources throughout the region. Being open to and encouraging the ideas of others allows them to remain on the cutting edge of thinking in their area of expertise, rather than developing the myopic view of the world that so often occurs in single source benefit brokerage shops.

By serving as a fiduciary and steward of their client’s health plan dollars, and focusing on how to reduce the cost of healthcare (rather than the cost of insurance), they operate more as Population Health Managers rather than as “Brokers”, allowing their team to specialize in cost containment and risk mitigation strategies that result in dramatic reductions in the overall health plan spending of their clients. More than 100 years of combined experience in benefit planning, allows Mitigate Partners to offer clients improved cash flow, “employer friendly health plans”, and lower cost trends over time.

Having spent the past six years deeply engaged in research also makes Mitigate Partners sought-after speakers and authors as well. Their recent speaking engagements have led them to the National Community Pharmacy Association as well as to the Substance Use and the Workplace Community Forum (Opioid Abuse) in Morganton, NC which included North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein in the speaking lineup. Click here to see their interview at the 14th Annual World Healthcare Congress.

Susan Boland Butts & Keith Fenton/Hi-Hope Service Center

Hi-Hope Service Center provides weekday, residential, and employment services for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. They operate a weekday program intended to help individuals to be active participants in the life of their community, including many opportunities for them to make a contribution through volunteering. Hi-Hope Service Center supports individuals seeking competitive employment by helping to reduce the barriers that often times keep them from successfully obtaining and maintaining a job. They operate five group homes nestled in neighborhoods throughout Gwinnett County. Providing round the clock staff ensures that individuals can live in their home over the long term, including aging in place. Hi-Hope believes that their work ensures that adults with developmental disabilities have every opportunity to show themselves as vital contributors to our diverse community.

Bill Bland with Choate Construction, Chris Lamm with A-LIGN Consulting, and Casey Robinson with Envision Office Solutions

April 17, 2018 by Mike

North Fulton Business Radio

Bill Bland with Choate Construction, Chris Lamm with A-LIGN Consulting, and Casey Robinson with Envision Office Solutions

00:00 /

John Ray, Bill Bland, Chris Lamm, Casey Robinson

Bill Bland/Choate Construction

Choate Construction Company is one of the largest general contractors in the Southeast specializing in Preconstruction, Design-Build, LEED Programming / Implementation, and Construction Management services for multiple market sectors. Choate is a 100% employee-owned company and proud to hold an 85% rate of repeat clients. Due to financial strength and depth of expertise Choate’s annual volume has continued to grow, topping $1.2 billion in 2017. Additionally, Choate has received many notable distinctions including being named the 2017 Southeast Contractor of the Year by ENR magazine. Choate’s employees are members of various professional and personal organizations with a strong backbone of charitable involvement. Choate is continually recognized as one of the top corporate fundraisers for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation having raised over $3 million to date.

Chris Lamm/A-LIGN Consulting

A-LIGN was founded in 2009 with the corporate headquarters located in Tampa, FL. A-LIGN provides data security consulting and professional services, including SOC Attestation, PCI Compliance, HIPAA/HITRUST Assessments, ISO Certification Services, FISMA Certification, FEDRAMP Authorization, NIST 800-171 Assessments, GPDR Assessment Services, EU-US Privacy Shield Services, Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Assessments, Penetration Testing Services, and Social Engineering Services. A-LIGN employs approximately 150 professionals throughout the United States. A-LIGN provides industry leading advisory services with a customer-service focus.

Casey Robinson/Envision Office Solutions

Envision Office Solutions is a small commercial office furniture business going on 30 years this year. The company was established in 1988 as a scratch and dent office furniture company. Over the years they have established strong lasting relationships with clients that value the small business aspect but understand that Envision can grow with them as they grow. Envision Office Solutions can help you with your office furniture needs large or small. They handle the process from the “Envision” or design, all the way up to the install of finished product. They specialize in businesses from two employees to over 200. How can Envision help your office?

Steve Filmer with Oconee State Bank

April 12, 2018 by Mike

Beyond The Cupola

Steve Filmer with Oconee State Bank

00:00 /

“Beyond the Cupola” allows invited customers, community, and team members of Oconee State Bank to have an opportunity to share their stories of success and inspiration, and/or how the Remarkable culture of Oconee State Bank has inspired them to mark lives in their own right

Steve Filmer/Oconee State Bank

Ralph Pasquariello with Snellings Walters, Mike Sims with Vinings Bank, and Tony De Feria with tdeferiamedia inc.

April 10, 2018 by Mike

North Fulton Business Radio

Ralph Pasquariello with Snellings Walters, Mike Sims with Vinings Bank, and Tony De Feria with tdeferiamedia inc.

00:00 /

John Ray, Mike Sims, Ralph Pasquariello, Tony De Feria

Ralph Pasquariello/Snellings Walters

Ralph Pasquariello of Snellings Walters is dedicated to many things and Cyber/Data/Network Liability Insurance is one of them. For the past five years, Ralph has been hosting, moderating and speaking at dozens of conferences on Cyber Liability & Data Breach Risk Management. Ralph is the committee Chairman for the Tech Forum’s annual Cyber Symposium, an advisor to the Georgia Tech Research Institute, and also a member of various organizations including the GNFCC, Technology Association of Georgia, Tech Forum, and several special interest groups. Snellings Walters is also a member of Globix International, providing clients with international liability coverage and representation.

Ralph Graduated from Villanova University and is active in the Atlanta alumni chapter. In the evenings he coaches high school football and he is very active in his community.

Mike Sims/Vinings Bank

Founded in July 2007, Vinings Bank is your locally owned community bank and very proud to be a part of the community that they serve. They are now, and will continue to be, a relationship-based company whose philosophy is based on traditional principles. It is important that they serve as a focal point of knowing, understanding, and responding to the needs of their clients. Vinings Bank regards their customers as neighbors and partners as it gives them a great sense of pride to help customers grow their business, finance personal needs, and achieve their financial goals. Vinings Bank was established to offer something unique by combining community-based banking expertise with services to create an environment that encourages both growth and prosperity. They offer a full range of financial products and services from specialized deposit solutions for both personal and business checking, sophisticated lending options which include customized loan products, and robust cash management services, along with the tools to help businesses compete and grow successfully.

Tony De Feria/tdeferiamedia inc.

Tony De Feria with tdeferiamedia inc. grew up in the newspaper business working in a variety of roles that were initially creative and eventually led him to running marketing and business units. He spent 17 years working for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and before that, the Baltimore Sun, where he installed that paper’s first computer graphics network. After leaving in 2007, he consulted for area community newspapers and was able to grow his business dramatically by finding a niche in state and local government. His company does work in English and Spanish (Tony is a native speaker) and has provided branding services to the State of Georgia’s Human Services division, Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency, Fulton County, and most recently DeKalb County Board of Health.

Matt Hyatt with Rocket IT

April 5, 2018 by Mike

Beyond The Cupola

Matt Hyatt with Rocket IT

00:00 /

Matt Hyatt/Rocket IT

Rocket IT is the IT department for other organizations. Think of them as the company that does both the strategy and support to help people thrive. Their approach focuses on increasing efficiency, decreasing risk, and increasing revenue, which has been recognized with the Gwinnett Chamber’s Overall Impact Regional Business Award, garnered Rocket IT a place on the Inc 5000, and resulted in a 23-year track record of helping people thrive.

STRATEGIC INSIGHTS RADIO: Problem Solving Techniques to Help You Manage Your Business

April 5, 2018 by Mike

Gwinnett Studio

STRATEGIC INSIGHTS RADIO: Problem Solving Techniques to Help You Manage Your Business

00:00 /

David Wilkins/Sterling Rose Consulting Corp

Dave Wilkins has over 30 years experience working for companies such as E&Y, Whitridge Associates, PriceWaterhouseCoopers and IBM in business and technology management and consulting. He is currently the Senior Vice President of Sterling Rose Consulting Corp and the Business Unit Manager for the Business Technology Division of Sterling Rose Consulting Corp. Originally from Michigan, he has a BBA and MBA from the University of Michigan, and he has been a resident of Gwinnett County, GA for over 20 years. In his 30 years in business and technology, he has worked with clients in multiple business sectors including finance, manufacturing, energy, healthcare and government, among others.

About “Strategic Insights Radio”:

“Strategic Insights Radio” is intended to be an interactive radio show hosted by Sterling Rose Consulting Corp. Listeners can Tweet their questions for a live response on the radio to @sterling_rose1 or via @strategicradio. Also, suggestions on business topics that listeners would like to learn more about are welcome. Please send suggestions to info@sterlingroseconsultingcorp.com.