North Fulton Business Radio Archives - Page 47 of 71

ATL Developments with Geoff Smith: Ribbon Cutting for the new Assurance Financial office in Roswell, GA

December 3, 2021 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

ATL Developments with Geoff Smith: Ribbon Cutting for the new Assurance Financial office in Roswell, GA

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ATL Developments with Geoff Smith: Ribbon Cutting for the new Assurance Financial office in Roswell, GA

On this special edition of ATL Developments, North Fulton Business RadioX® host John Ray broadcast live from the ribbon cutting of the new Assurance Financial office in Roswell, led by Geoff Smith. John interviewed several key Assurance Financial executives who attended the celebration as well as real estate agents who came to support Geoff. The turnout was amazing, and Geoff was so busy that John and Geoff didn’t get to have a conversation until the next day by phone! Congratulations to Geoff and the rest of the Assurance Financial team on the new Roswell office!

Regular episodes of ATL Developments with Geoff Smith are broadcast from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

Kenny Hodges, President & CEO, Assurance Financial

Kenny Hodges is the President and CEO of Assurance Financial. After working with Wells Fargo for seven years out of college, he founded Assurance Financial in 2001 and has grown the company to over 20 branch offices supported by two operations centers. He is a licensed mortgage banker through the National Mortgage Licensing System Registry and has 27 years of mortgage lending experience. Kenny earned a B.S. in Entrepreneurship Management from Louisiana Tech University where he was elected to serve as the Student Government Association President. He is an active member of the Mortgage Bankers Association and the Louisiana Mortgage Lenders Association where he is a past Board President. He is a member of Young Presidents Organization (YPO) Louisiana and is a past Chapter Chair. Kenny currently serves on the Louisiana Tech University College of Business Dean’s Advisory Board. Kenny is married with three children and resides in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Clavis Smith

Clavis entered the mortgage business in 1989 and has held numerous positions in mortgage origination and sales production before moving exclusively into sales leadership in 2014. He joined Assurance Financial in 2018 as the Eastern Regional Sales Manager. His experience in retail mortgage production provides great guidance and support to branch leaders and loan production personnel. Clavis is also very active in both state and national Mortgage Banker’s Associations advocating on issues to support the industry. He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and currently resides in Glen Allen, VA with his wife. He has four children and one grandchild, and enjoys fishing on the Chesapeake Bay or playing tennis and golf in his spare time.

Chris Bartelski, Realtor and Educator

Chris’ passion for helping his wonderful clients find their home comes from his family house. Filled with 2 energetic boys, 2 cats, and a dog, it’s everything he ever wanted. It’s a gift that he will never take for granted. Using his experience as a marketer and associate broker, his purpose is to help you find your happy.

Website | LinkedIn

Damian Cook, Atlanta Branch Manager, Assurance Financial

Damian Cook is a Branch Manager and Loan Officer in the Atlanta Branch of Assurance Financial. Recognized for outstanding service, Damian has helped more than 775 clients become homeowners. Over 95% of borrowers who participated in a survey gave Assurance Financial the highest satisfaction rating. 100% of those rated Damian Cook’s attention to detail and customer service excellence as their primary reasons for the high satisfaction rating.

A native Georgian, Damian is involved with several organizations; he is as an active member of Dunwoody Baptist Church, Committee Chair of Young Life Perimeter North, and a volunteer of the Atlanta Food Bank. Damian enjoys CrossFit and traveling and spending time with his wife and three children. He graduated from the University of Alabama and received his master’s degree from Mercer University.

Damian is a recipient of the 2013, 2014 and 2015 Mortgage Bankers Association of Georgia Gold Award, and the 2016 Mortgage Bankers Association of Georgia Platinum Award. He is licensed with the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry in the state of Georgia.

Michael Hernandez, The Hernandez Group

Michael & Roxie joined the Atlanta Board of Realtors in July of 1995. Roxie immediately began helping buyers and sellers with their real estate needs, earning “Rookie of the Year” while Michael finalized the sale of his family business.

In 1998, Michael joined Roxie forming the Hernandez Group. They have since added a full-time Team Coordinator, several agents specializing in buyer representation, a full-time Business Development Department and a Multi-Lingual Agent, further improving the level of service they provide their clients.

The Hernandez Group is dedicated to building relationships and committed to providing the highest level of customer service that is embodied by all in their office. They take the extra steps necessary to fully grasp their clients’ needs: whether it’s buying or selling their first home, downsizing from their estate home, starting an investment portfolio with rental property, giving advice such as whether to build onto their current home or move to a larger home or looking for land to build their perfect home.

When you work with the Hernandez Group you get the full service and attention their highly qualified team believes you deserve.The Hernandez Group specializes in: Single Family Homes, Luxury Homes, Estate Sales, Condo/Townhomes, Lease Purchase Programs, New Construction, Relocation (In/Out of Georgia), Investment/Rental Properties,1031 Tax Free Exchanges & Self-directed IRA’s.

Geoff Smith, Host of ATL Developments with Geoff Smith

ATL Developments with Geoff Smith covers all things economic development in the Atlanta Metro area. From everything inside the Beltline to Avalon and beyond, Geoff Smith interviews the movers and shakers making the ATL one of the best places to live, work and play. An archive of past episodes can be found here.

Geoff Smith is a mortgage banker with Assurance Financial working with Real Estate agents and homebuyers to help them get happily to their closing table. Geoff is an authority on the latest economic development trends shaping the Atlanta Metro area. His interviews reveal an inside perspective at how things get done in the ATL.

Geoff is an active member of his community serving on the Board of Directors of the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce, as well as holding the position of chairman for the Chamber’s Education Committee. He is also Secretary of the Roswell Youth Baseball Association and coaches his sons in football, baseball and basketball. Geoff enjoys golf, camping and traveling with his wife and two sons. He is a graduate of the University of Georgia.

Debra Forrest, Forrest Consulting & Associates, Inc.

December 3, 2021 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

Debra Forrest, Forrest Consulting & Associates, Inc.

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Debra Forrest, Forrest Consulting & Associates, Inc. (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 416)

With a deep background in commercial real estate valuations, Debra Forrest, President and Principal Broker at Forrest Consulting and Associates, brings value-added experience to her brokerage practice. Debra and host John Ray discussed various aspects of the current commercial real estate market, common mistakes tenants make, the value of appraisals, tax assessments, and much more. North Fulton Business Radio is broadcast from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

Forrest Consulting & Associates, Inc.

Forrest Consulting & Associates, Inc. (FCA) is an emerging commercial and investment real estate practice offering clients comprehensive solutions when buying and selling commercial properties. Our specialty is maximizing value in commercial assets. Our goal is to help clients get it right from the start because the value is created when you buy. and avoid overpaying. FCA solution strategies are designed to help:

1. Business owners open new locations that maximize production
2. Investors increase equity through the process of acquiring, managing, and disposing of assets
3. Commercial property owners reduce tax liabilities

Forrest Consulting & Associates, Inc. is a registered brokerage firm with the Georgia Real Estate Commission.

Company Website | LinkedIn | Facebook

Debra Forrest, President & Principal Broker, Forrest Consulting & Associates

Debra Forrest brings 24-years of experience in commercial real estate valuations into her brokerage and asset management practice. Her analysis has helped clients make investment and financial decisions involving retail, office, multi-family, commercial land, distressed properties and more.

Debra is a retired Georgia Hearing Officer, presiding more than eight years over property tax appeals at the Fulton County Board of Equalization. She has rendered fair market value decisions in disputes between county tax appraisers and owners of complex commercial properties throughout Atlanta, Midtown, Buckhead, Sandy Springs, and many in Alpharetta, including the Avalon development.

She is a graduate of the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) with a B.B.A. in Real Estate and has been in real estate ever since.

Debra is a licensed Georgia Real Estate Broker and Certified General Real Property Appraiser. She is a member of the Atlanta Commercial Board of Realtors and Candidate Member of the CCIM Institute (Certified Commercial Investment Member).

Questions and Topics Discussed in this Episode

What is the difference between real estate vs real property?
What are the different types and lease structures and how do you help prospective tenants understand the terms?
What tenants should know when leasing office space for their family business.
What tenants should know when leasing retail space for their family business.
What is the biggest concern business owners have when buying or selling commercial real estate?
Do you perform Broker Price Opinions (BPO)?

North Fulton Business Radio is hosted by John Ray, and broadcast and produced from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta. You can find the full archive of shows by following this link. The show is available on all the major podcast apps, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, Amazon, iHeart Radio, Stitcher, TuneIn, and others.

Renasant Bank has humble roots, starting in 1904 as a $100,000 bank in a Lee County, Mississippi, bakery. Since then, Renasant has grown to become one of the Southeast’s strongest financial institutions with over $13 billion in assets and more than 190 banking, lending, wealth management and financial services offices in Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia and Florida. All of Renasant’s success stems from each of their banker’s commitment to investing in their communities as a way of better understanding the people they serve. At Renasant Bank, they understand you because they work and live alongside you every day.

Special thanks to A&S Culinary Concepts for their support of this edition of North Fulton Business Radio. A&S Culinary Concepts, based in Johns Creek, is an award-winning culinary studio, celebrated for corporate catering, corporate team building, Big Green Egg Boot Camps, and private group events. They also provide oven-ready, cooked from scratch meals to go they call “Let Us Cook for You.” To see their menus and events, go to their website or call 678-336-9196.

Molly Welch, A Second Later

November 30, 2021 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

Molly Welch, A Second Later

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Molly Welch, A Second Later (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 414)

Molly Welch, Founder of A Second Later, joined the show to share her story of how a head-on collision in college, caused by distracted driving, resulting in a traumatic brain injury. She tenaciously fought to recover, finished her college education, and founded A Second Later to spread her story and to warn of the dangers of distracted driving. She and host John Ray discussed her accident, recovery, her work, and much more. North Fulton Business Radio is broadcast from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

A Second Later

It was winter her junior year of college and Molly was writing for “The Plainsman” at Auburn University.

She had completed an interview on a hand-held recorder and was driving back to campus to write her article. Eager to start her latest assignment, Molly briefly looked down to hit the record button on her device, recording the entire accident on tape.

“A second later,” her entire life changed.

n 2017, she produced a public service announcement together with key individuals to help spread her message to drivers everywhere. It aired in several states. From there, she was inspired to start her own non-profit, motivational speaking company, A Second Later. Through her organization, she has been able to tell her story to schools, businesses, professional organizations, civic groups, and even legislators in the State of Georgia.

Help her stop distracted driving by inviting her to speak to your organization, purchasing a car magnet, or simply donating to A Second Later.

Company Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter

Molly Welch, Founder, A Second Later

Molly Welch, the founder of the non-profit organization, A Second Later, has dedicated her life to ending distracted driving. Her mission is to bring awareness to the dangers and realities of distracted driving.

In 2008 while traveling down the highway close to Auburn University, Molly briefly looked away from the road and wound up in a head-on collision. She sustained a traumatic brain injury, and to this day has no use of her right arm, limited use of her right leg, and a softer voice. Since her accident, she has worked tirelessly to help others avoid such a fate.

Questions and Topics Discussed in this Episode

Tell us about your story
What made you choose to start a nonprofit?
What does A Second Later do?
What groups do you speak to?
What’s ahead for you?

Maggie DeCan, Children’s Development Academy

November 30, 2021 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

Maggie DeCan, Children's Development Academy

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Maggie DeCan, Children’s Development Academy (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 413)

The Children’s Development Academy, founded fifty years ago, focuses on high-quality early education and childcare for low-income families in North Fulton. CEO and Executive Director Maggie DeCan joined host John Ray to talk about their mission, why their work is such a compelling long-term investment for the North Fulton community, how she moved from corporate to nonprofit work, and much more. North Fulton Business Radio is broadcast from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

Children’s Development Academy

The Children’s Development Academy (CDA) enjoys a rich history of broad support, built over the past five decades.

Focused on low-income working families in our community, the CDA can serve 156 children each day ages 12 months through 5 years in our full-day early care and learning program, including three Georgia Pre-K classes.

The CDA is NAEYC-accredited (National Association for the Education of Young Children), the highest level of accreditation available to any education program, with a curriculum committed to preparing children to be “ready by five” for school success.

In July 2015, the CDA received the highest rating of three stars from Georgia’s Quality Rated program. The Quality Rated system was designed so that any parent selecting a program participating in Quality Rated can feel confident that they are enrolling their child in a program that is committed to continuous quality improvement and higher quality standards.

Company Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter

Maggie DeCan, CEO and Executive Director, Children’s Development Academy

Maggie DeCan took the helm at the CDA in November of 2016 with considerable experience in both corporate and community leadership as well as having been an active volunteer and financial contributor to the CDA and its mission. With an active board, she has led organizational rebranding as well as driving strategic priorities focused on increased enrollment, sustainable giving, and quality outcomes.

Prior to taking the helm at the CDA Maggie ran day-to-day operations for the HoneyBaked Ham national system as president and COO leading a team responsible for $500MM annually of system sales in 500 corporate and franchise operating units. Her leadership style is built on a focus on the customer and those who serve them. Prior to assuming the role of President and COO, Maggie served as Chief Human Resource Officer.

Before HoneyBaked, Maggie served in human resources for well-known retailers Circuit City, Belk, and Macy’s. Maggie graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science and communications from the University of Michigan. Maggie’s leadership experience extends to the community where she has become a respected educational advocate, receiving an award from the State of GA PTA for visionary leadership. In 2014 she was a finalist for the Turknett Leadership Character Award and in 2015, she was honored by the Georgia Diversity Council as a “Most Powerful and Influential Woman” and in 2016 was a Womentics P.O.W. winner.

She has served on the Advisory Board for the Children’s Restoration Network and as Chairman Emeritus Roswell North Elementary Education Foundation, a 501(c) 3 that she helped found in 2009. She is also past president of the Woodstock Junior Service League.

Maggie’s free time is spent first with her family. Her husband of 35 years, Bob, is a high school economics teacher, son Riley a junior UGA and son Brady a freshman at UTK.

Questions and Topics Discussed in this Episode

How did the CDA get its start?
Why is the mission of the CDA important to the North Fulton community?
What are the benefits of early childhood education?
How can the community get involved and help with your mission?
Why did you make the switch from the corporate world to running a nonprofit?
Tell us more about the partnership with Be Rich that you are launching today for Giving Tuesday

Sean Glaze, Great Results Team Building and Author of Staying Coachable

November 22, 2021 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

Sean Glaze, Great Results Team Building and Author of Staying Coachable

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Sean Glaze, Great Results Team Building and Author of Staying Coachable (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 412)

Being coachable is an essential ingredient for successfully navigating change. Author and leadership speaker Sean Glaze argues that a hunger to be better and the humility to admit weakness are two of the key elements of being coachable. Sean joined host John Ray to discuss his fourth new book, Staying Coachable, how he had to endure failure to learn effective leadership, how to use questions as catalysts for positive change, and much more. North Fulton Business Radio is broadcast from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

Great Results Team Building

Great Results is an Atlanta Team Building Company – but Sean travels around the country to deliver laughter, lessons, and the BEST unique teamwork events to organizations just like yours!

…Do you have energy drainers or lone-rangers?

…Are your people over-stressed or disconnected?

…Could you use a fun event to boost morale and trust?

Sean is an experienced facilitator who will prepare a challenging day of unique indoor Atlanta team building activities to address your specific issues, provide a fun-filled set of activities to improve group morale and leadership skills or deliver an energizing and interactive teamwork keynote message at your next conference.

Sean Glaze delivers conference keynotes and team building events that transform employees into winning teammates –

for a more POSITIVE and PROFITABLE team CULTURE!

Company Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter

Sean Glaze, Speaker and Author of Staying Coachable

Sean Glaze is an expert at helping leaders create exceptional team cultures. His programs inspire your people to laugh together so they can have more success working together.

Sean’s four books, The Unexpected Leader, Rapid Teamwork, The 10 Commandments of Winning Teammates, and Staying Coachable are entertaining parables with powerful takeaways for building and leading great teams!

As a successful coach and educator for over 20 years, Sean gained valuable insights into how to develop winning teams – and founded Great Results Teambuilding to share those lessons with smart team leaders… Sean’s engaging conference keynotes and interactive team building event programs equip and inspire the individuals on your team to be Winning Teammates!

What issues are you dealing with now that would disappear if you could build a team culture that inspired accountability, trust, and a team-first attitude?

Get free access to Sean’s Team Leadership Toolbox!

DOWNLOAD OVER 50 USEFUL HANDOUTS & ACTIVITIES TO CREATE A MORE POSITIVE AND PRODUCTIVE CULTURE!

VISIT – WWW.TOOLBOXSTUFF.COM

Questions and Topics Discussed in this Episode

Staying Coachable
Book take-aways
Leading change
Questions as catalysts
Complacency vs Commitment

Jeff Gartland, Relatient

November 22, 2021 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

Jeff Gartland, Relatient

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Jeff Gartland, Relatient (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 411)

Relieving the pain point of patient engagement with their healthcare provider is the focus for Relatient, especially with their recent merger with Radix Health. In this conversation with host John Ray, CEO Jeff Gartland shared how Relatient serves both patient and provider with a solution that involves scheduling, engagement, automation, and the multiple processes that go into successfully managing patient communication. North Fulton Business Radio is broadcast from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

Relatient

Relatient is passionate about assisting healthcare organizations with patient-centered engagement. By helping organizations automate patient-centered outreach and messaging, we help practices, hospitals and health systems facilitate more compliant, and ultimately healthier, patient populations.

The old methods of patient engagement are well-intentioned but ineffective because they overlook a key element: the patient. It’s not enough to push patients to a portal or an app. A patient engagement platform must be designed with the patient at the center, with the patient driving the solutions.

As reimbursement models continue to shift toward outcomes-based medicine, the need for improved patient compliance increases. We all see that reality. The question is, how will your organization meet that need? We’re here to help.

Instead of inviting patients to information and services, why not push the information and services relevant to them, as they need it and in ways which they can quickly respond to it? A patient-centered approach to engagement not only improves outcomes, it improves patient satisfaction.

Company Website | LinkedIn

Jeff Gartland, CEO, Relatient

Jeff Gartland is the Chief Executive Officer of leading SaaS-based patient engagement platform Relatient. He brings over 20 years of experience pioneering healthcare information technology and an aptitude for innovation, growth strategies, and spearheading go-to-market initiatives to the organization, which recently announced a $100M growth equity capital investment from Brighton Park Capital and its merger with Radix Health.

Before joining Relatient, Jeff served as President of the Advanced Analytics & Services business for the Diversified Business Group at Anthem. Additionally, Jeff previously led Ciox Health in transforming the business into a platform for accessing and analyzing the complete health record. He further opened up new market segments across life sciences and precision medicine to enable research efforts leveraging real-world data across all therapeutic areas.

A pioneer in interoperability and analytics, Jeff led the build-out of the nation’s first clinical exchange platform leveraging FHIR standards while at McKesson’s RelayHealth business to support the CommonWell Health Alliance, an industry alliance devoted to the simple vision that health data should be available to individuals and built into provider workflow regardless of where care occurs. Jeff held senior leadership roles spanning health information exchange, patient engagement, clinical revenue integrity, claims and eligibility management, population health, and analytics.

Before McKesson, he worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Health Industry Advisory supporting healthcare providers on strategic physician alignment models, service line growth programs, and financial due diligence and authored the firm’s thought leadership on presidential health policy proposals as part of the Health Research Institute. He has also held leadership positions in several technology ventures and consulting firms.

Jeff holds a B.S. in Management Science from Virginia Tech and an M.B.A. from the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin. He lives in Roswell, GA, with his wife and their two children.

Questions and Topics Discussed in this Episode

Can you share with us a little bit of your background and your role at Relatient?
Can you share a little bit more about your recent appointment as CEO and Relatient’s merger with Radix Health?
Can you share with us more about who Relatient is, what you do, and the technology behind your platform, specifically the scheduling options?
Why is it important for healthcare organizations to have patient engagement solutions?
What significant changes/benefits have you seen in healthcare systems and practices that have adopted your self-scheduling system?

Diane Weinberg, Weinberg Elder Law, LLC

November 16, 2021 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

Diane Weinberg, Weinberg Elder Law, LLC

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Diane Weinberg, Weinberg Elder Law, LLC (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 410)

Interested in the issues involved and lessons to learn from #FreeBritney? Diane Weinberg, Principal at Weinberg Elder Law, joined host John Ray to discuss guardianships, conservatorships (such as the recent case involving singer Britney Spears), protecting the rights of incapacitated individuals, issues to know for families who want to protect their loved ones, how the courts operate in these cases, and much more. North Fulton Business Radio is broadcast from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

Weinberg Elder Law, LLC

As competent adults, we have the legal right to make both good and bad decisions every day. Unfortunately, some individuals lack the ability to process the information needed to make their own decisions. Their intellectual disabilities may be genetic (e.g., a child born with autism) or they may be the result of a traumatic brain injury, illness, or the development of adult-onset dementia. For these individuals, the law provides protection in the form of guardianships and conservatorships.

WEL can help individuals obtain a guardianship or conservatorship of an individual requiring court protection as well as counsel families as to the varies types of guardianships and conservatorships that are available. WEL manages all aspects of the guardianship and conservatorship, from the inception to the final hearing.

For centuries, the law has recognized individuals occupying this position of trust as “fiduciaries.” Fiduciaries include agents under powers of attorney, trustees, guardians, and conservators, and executors and administrators of estates. Fiduciaries owe the highest standard of duty and loyalty to the individuals or entities they protect, and they can suffer significant liability when they fail to do so. Most fiduciaries do their best to perform their assigned duties. Unfortunately, fiduciaries sometimes fall short because they do not fully understand what is expected of them. For example, they may forget to send the required reports to beneficiaries or fail to properly track expenditures.

Sometimes fiduciaries abuse their position:

They may withhold funds from a trust unless the beneficiary takes a certain action.
They may withhold funds because they become angry with the beneficiaries.
They may steal from the people they are supposed to protect.

Weinberg Elder Law, LLC can help distinguish between overwhelmed fiduciaries from those who are abusing their powers, and WEL can advise the parties as to the appropriate course of action.

Elder abuse cases exist where guardianship or conservatorship and a fiduciary dispute intersect with the criminal statutes. At the center of these cases resides a vulnerable population: an elderly person or an adult with cognitive impairment or other disability. Weinberg Elder Law has developed a special interest in protecting our most vulnerable populations from financial exploitation as well as from neglect and physical, sexual, and emotional abuse.

The solution for rescuing and protecting an individual who has been subject to exploitation and abuse is complex. Through Weinberg Elder Law’s experience in these matters over the years, they are uniquely qualified to help both individuals who are being abused and the family and friends who want to protect them.

Company Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | YouTube

Diane Weinberg, Principal, Weinberg Elder Law, LLC

Diane Weinberg focuses her practice on helping families resolve disputes that often impact seniors and individuals with disabilities. Specifically, her practice encompasses guardianships and conservatorships (both contested and uncontested) of adults, conservatorships of minors, fiduciary litigation, and protecting vulnerable populations from abuse and exploitation. A member of the State Bar of Georgia and a Veterans Administration Accredited Attorney, Diane is also a member of the Atlanta Bar Association, the Academy of Special Needs Planners and the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA).

She serves as the State Ambassador for the Georgia Chapter of NAELA. Diane is a Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent-rated attorney and has an AVVO rating of 10/10. In 2020, she was recognized as a Georgia Super Lawyer. Additionally, Diane is a frequent local and national speaker on a variety of aspects of guardianships, special needs trusts, and Medicaid planning and has testified before the Georgia General Assembly.

Because of her special interest in issues involving the protection of vulnerable populations, Diane is the only private practice attorney in Georgia to have earned certification as an ACT Specialist offered through the Georgia Department of Human Services, Division of Aging Services. Currently, she is serving on an unofficial legislative workgroup of the Georgia Bureau of Investigations (GBI). Through her work with the GBI, Diane developed an interest in public service.

In early 2020, Diane made the decision to run for the office of Probate Court Judge of Fulton County. Although she was not ultimately successful, she remains involved in community matters and is a charter member of the nonpartisan Senator Jim Tysinger Saturday Morning Breakfast Forum. She also serves as secretary of the Buckhead Business Association and is an active member of the Sandy Springs Perimeter Chamber of Commerce. Additionally, she was recently named “Best Attorney” in Best of Buckhead 2021 by Atlanta Best Media. Diane earned a B.A. at the University of Pennsylvania and her J.D. from the Emory University School of Law.

Outside of her law practice, Diane lives in Sandy Springs with her husband, Mike, their three sons, and her dogs, Cindy Lou (a rescue) and Sherman. As a family, they are involved in Team Challenge benefitting the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation. Diane has served as a Merit Badge Counselor for the Northern Ridge District of the Atlanta Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America, and she has walked multiple half-marathons for Team in Training supporting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of America.

A self-proclaimed yarn addict, Diane is a member and past treasurer of the Atlanta Knitting Guild, and she is a founding member and current chair of the Stitch N K’vetch group at Congregation Beth Shalom.

Questions and Topics Discussed in this Episode

What is the difference between a guardianship and a conservatorship?
Which one did Britney Spears have and why?
What happens if you become incapacitated and have an ongoing business concern?
Can you create “carve-outs” in a conservatorship?
Is a trust a viable alternative to a conservatorship?
If I own a business and have a family member with a disability, should I put them on my payroll to make them eligible for benefits?

ATL Developments with Geoff Smith: Mitchell Palm, Smart Real Estate Data, and Tom Curtin & Joanne Curtin, Curtin Real Estate Team

November 15, 2021 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

ATL Developments with Geoff Smith: Mitchell Palm, Smart Real Estate Data, and Tom Curtin & Joanne Curtin, Curtin Real Estate Team

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ATL Developments with Geoff Smith: Mitchell Palm, Smart Real Estate Data, Tom Curtin & Joanne Curtin, Curtin Real Estate Team

Tom and Joanne Curtin founded the Curtin Real Estate Team twenty years ago and have excelled in the local real estate market both professionally and as community members. Also joining host Geoff Smith was Mitchell Palm, who discussed some of the recent market data and what those trends may indicate for future activity. Mitchell, Tom and Joanne, and Geoff reviewed what’s working in property sales and purchases, what’s ahead for 2022, and much more. ATL Developments with Geoff Smith is broadcast from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

Mitchell Palm, President of Business Development, Smart Real Estate Data

Mitchell Palm, President of Business Development, Smart Real Estate Data

Since 1996, Smart Real Estate Data has been the premier source for residential real estate information in the Southeast, providing timely and accurate data to the nation’s top builders, developers, appraisers, suppliers, brokers, investors, and banking professionals. Smart Real Estate Data was the only company used for analysis to extend the 2010 housing stimulus in the US Senate at the request of Senator Johnny Isakson.

Since arriving at Smart Real Estate Data, Mitchell has run market due diligence and consulted on hundreds of residential real estate developments throughout the Southeast. He is the primary consultant and account representative for over 70 different real estate companies, including many Fortune 500 companies. His work has been featured on news publications and has been a regular guest on numerous radio shows.

Company website | LinkedIn

Curtin Real Estate Team

Founded in 2001 by Joanne and Tom Curtin, The Curtin Team is a top-rank and award-winning real estate team headquartered in Roswell, GA.

Since its start, the Team has over $620 million in home sales volume and 1850 clients served.

In addition to attending training throughout the year, their team hosts educational workshops on a variety of topics from real estate investing, home trends, and teaching other Realtors best practices.

They truly operate as a Team at Curtin. Each of their Agents and staff members specializes in their core competencies, ensuring the process runs smoothly and clients receive the best service. Currently, the Curtin Team consists of 12 Team members, including a Home Transformation Manager, seasoned support staff, and a top-notch Team of agents.

Company website | LinkedIn | Facebook | YouTube

Tom Curtin, CEO, Curtin Real Estate Team

Tom is the CEO of the Curtin Real Estate Team. Tom began his real estate career in 2001, building the operations side of the Curtin Team with his wife Joanne.
He applies knowledge from previous marketing positions to the real estate business. Together they have built a successful Team of agents with over $500 million in sales and 1700 transactions and consistently ranked one of the top Teams. Tom also operates a Property Management Company, manages a real estate portfolio in North Atlanta and teaches others to create wealth through real estate. Tom is passionate about investing and helping others realize financial freedom. Tom and Joanne helped launch the Keller Williams Realty Roswell Market Center which is one of the top offices in the Southeast Region. Prior to real estate, Tom managed corporate marketing and sales for DirecTV. Because of their mutual ambition, Joanne and Tom work together in building their business and family life. They strongly believe in work-life integration and coach others to do the same. Tom has a business degree from the prestigious Honors Program at the University of Georgia and is a Roswell High Scholl alum. When not at the office, you can find Tom hiking, watching his son play soccer, or traveling.

Joanne Curtin, Co-Founder, Curtin Real Estate Team

Joanne started her career as an Elementary school teacher. Early into her teaching career, Joanne became curious about investing and building wealth. After reading the Rich Dad, Poor Dad series, she made the bold decision to leave her teaching post and move into the real estate business. Soon after, she joined Keller Williams with agents thinking big about their careers.

The Curtin Team began with Joanne selling houses in North Atlanta in 2001 and with husband Tom, they grew it into a team. From it’s start, the Team has over $500 million in home sales volume and 1700 clients served. Growing a real estate team grew into launching a brokerage office. Joanne and Tom earned the opportunity to co-own the Keller Williams Realty Consultants Roswell Market Center after just one year with the company. That eventually grew into a mega agent team office location in the heart of their local town.

In 2018, Joanne co-founded Curtin Team Cares, a non-profit organization, as a way to assist the community in times of need. This passion for helping her local neighborhoods drives the mission to provide local support when it’s needed most and give back to her community.

Joanne is a graduate of the University of Georgia with a Master’s in Education. She continues her teaching in the real estate community. Originally from Dalton, Georgia Joanne resides with Tom, their two beautiful children, and dogs Fluff and Charlie in Milton.

Geoff Smith, Host of ATL Developments with Geoff Smith

Dr. T. Ramon Stuart, President of Clayton State University

November 5, 2021 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

Dr. T. Ramon Stuart, President of Clayton State University

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Dr. T. Ramon Stuart, President of Clayton State University (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 409)

Dr. T. Ramon Stuart, recently installed as President of Clayton State University, joined host John Ray to offer his vision for Clayton State University, the students it serves, and the broader Laker Nation. Dr. Stuart also shared the inspiration for his education journey he received from his mother, some of the high points from his recent “State of the University” address, and much more. North Fulton Business Radio is broadcast from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

Clayton State University

Clayton State University is a public university in Morrow, Georgia. Clayton State University is a part of the University System of Georgia. The campus is located fifteen minutes from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The University has 208 full-time faculty and 356 full-time staff.

The institution was founded in 1969 and was originally known as Clayton Junior College. When the school became a four-year institution in 1986, the institute took on the name Clayton State College. In 1996, the Georgia Board of Regents renamed many higher-ed institutions, with Clayton State becoming Clayton College & State University. In 2005, the name was changed to Clayton State University.

University Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter

Dr. T. Ramon Stuart, President, Clayton State University

Dr. T. Ramon Stuart assumed the role of Clayton State University’s fifth president on July 1, 2021. As the first African American to hold this position, Dr. Stuart joins the university after serving as the provost and vice president of Academic Affairs at Fort Valley State University (FVSU) in Fort Valley, Georgia.

During his six-year tenure at FVSU, Dr. Stuart led the academic colleges and degree programs, aspects of enrollment management such as retention, and other major administrative areas that included a sponsored research portfolio that was the fifth-largest among 26 institutions within the University System of Georgia (USG).

Under Dr. Stuart’s guidance, FVSU witnessed an average retention rate of 75%, increased enrollment, improved the graduation rate by 15% over a two-year period, and led the USG in the number of first-time, full-time freshmen who enrolled in at least 15 credit hours per semester.

Prior to joining FVSU, Dr. Stuart was a faculty member and administrator at West Virginia State University in Institute, West Virginia. His accomplishments there included developing an engineering 2+2 program, aiding in increasing retention by almost 10% over four academic years, serving on the self-study reaffirmation steering committee responsible for achieving a 10-year reaffirmation of accreditation, and helping to increase overall enrollment.

Dr. Stuart is known for his commitment to student success in the classroom and beyond. At the age of 24, he began teaching computer science at West Virginia State Community and Technical College also located in Institute, West Virginia. He excelled in this role and during his second year, peers named him Professor of the Year. Later that year they unanimously elected him to serve as the faculty senate president making him the youngest person to hold that position in the history of the institution. He held that post for two consecutive terms.

Raised in the small coal-mining town of Welch, West Virginia, Dr. Stuart realized at a very young age the transformative impact that education could have on one’s life, one’s family, and ultimately one’s community. That realization has been the driving force behind his motivation to provide opportunities for students to not only obtain their degrees but to excel in their chosen fields.

While serving at FVSU, Dr. Stuart secured over $4 million in grants and scholarship funding to reduce the cost of expenses for students and to help prepare them for careers in coveted STEM fields such as genome engineering, computational data science, and biotechnology.

Identifying the need for talent in the local multi-million dollar film industry and recognizing a shortage of financial technology professionals, Dr. Stuart developed minors in those fields to equip students with the skillsets needed to quickly fill voids in the workforce.

Committed to enhancing community partnerships, Dr. Stuart collaborated with Robins Air Force Base to develop an employment pipeline for students majoring in supply chain management; established an agreement with Georgia Power to create a 100-acre solar farm with a 9,000 square foot demonstration center that serves as a living laboratory for FVSU students and professors; fostered an articulation agreement with Grand Valley State University to offer an engineering transition program; developed 13 articulation agreements with Georgia Technical College System institutions; and worked with Atrium Health Navicent, Houston Healthcare and Phoebe Putney Hospitals to launch health science degrees.

In addition to enhancing their classroom experience, Dr. Stuart recognizes the value in providing students with mentorship and academic coaching to help them overcome challenges which lead to a 6.8% increase in the institution’s six-year graduation rate.

With a focus on the university’s strategic priorities, all steeped in the mission of providing an exceptional student experience, Dr. Stuart increased the number of full-time faculty by 20%, established training to help more than 50% of the university’s faculty develop online courses that met or exceeded Quality Matters requirements and created a Center for Teaching and Learning which increased the number of faculty development opportunities by 127%.

Dr. Stuart received his education in McDowell County Public Schools before going to West Virginia University where he earned undergraduate and graduate engineering degrees from the Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources where he was a National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Fellow. He later went on to earn his doctorate in higher education administration from the Gladys W. and David H. Patton College of Education at Ohio University where he was the institution’s first Southern Regional Education Board Fellow.

It was from his humble beginnings in McDowell County that Dr. Stuart learned the power of the words that reminds us that to whom much is given, much is expected. Those words stuck with him throughout the years and are at the root of his commitment to student success, in and out of the classroom.

Many who encounter Dr. Stuart quickly recognize his dedication to helping others to be their best selves. A true servant leader, Dr. Stuart embodies the American dream, the belief that regardless of where you are born, you can determine and attain your own version of success.

Dr. Stuart resides in south Atlanta with his wife Jamilah, a graduate of Howard University and general manager of a Hilton Hotel in Macon, Georgia, and their daughter, Kayleigh Grace.

Questions and Topics Discussed in this Episode

Why did you choose to lead Clayton State University?
How does Clayton State aim to help students find solutions to challenges?
What did you learn in the listening journey of your first 100 days?
Give a sense of what you presented in your State of the University address.
Speak to how Clayton State has evolved since its beginning.
Talk about the students you serve.
How can businesses support the work of Clayton State University?

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