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Atlanta Connector Nominee Ted Schwartz And Project Management Evangelist Frank Payne . . . It’s All About RELATIONSHIP.

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Atlanta Connector Nominee Ted Schwartz And Project Management Evangelist Frank Payne Agree . . . It’s All About RELATIONSHIP.


Ted Schwartz / Ackerman & Company

Real estate is one of the largest corporate budget expenses, along with human resources and information technology. For that reason, choosing the location of its office, retail, or industrial facility is one of the most important decisions a company can make. Ackerman has the expertise and market knowledge to advise corporations on how to select the location that best meets their corporate financial, operational, and other business objectives.

Ackerman & Co. has been the exclusive agent for tenants locally and nationally ranging in size from 1,000 square feet to more than 200,000 square feet. Our tenant representation services focus on advising clients with such real estate decisions as site selection, property disposition, portfolio management, project management, and lease negotiation. Ackerman has been the exclusive agent for tenants locally and nationally ranging in size from 1,000 square feet to more than 175,000 square feet. Our tenant representation services focus on advising clients with such real estate decisions as site selection, property disposition, portfolio management, project management and lease negotiation.

 

Frank Payne / PQC International

The PQC International culture is a unique blend of merits acquired from the U. S. Army and outstanding business values of Proctor & Gamble, where Chairman and CEO, Frank Payne gained his foundation.

PQC International is a global consulting firm that builds Powerful, Quantitative, Creative offerings and delivers exceptional BPO, Consulting, Education, Engineering, Events and Technology services. PQC International is a steadily growing, privately-held company that currently employs over 200 people worldwide.

They serve Fortune 1000, Global 500 and rapidly evolving companies in North America and across the world. Their clientele includes: food and beverage manufacturers, information technology, construction management, healthcare and energy companies, and government agencies.

Talented people are at the heart of PQC International. Founded in 1991, PQC has thrived on a singular business concept: provide an enjoyable work environment and offer ample opportunity, integrity and commitment. At the heart of their company are people who are experts in their respective fields, passionate about what they do, and committed to driving results for clients. .

Atlanta Connectors: Penny Morriss, Dino Thompson-Sarmiento, And Darrah Brustein

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Today we sat down with three more of Atlanta’s Best Connectors — each nominated by one or more of their peers within the arena they serve:

 

Penny Morriss

Originally from Texas, Penny moved to Atlanta in 1987 from Dallas without a job. Her first job was with Prentiss Properties as the first office building concierge in Atlanta at the IBM Tower in Midtown three months after it was completed. She was hired some 7 years later by Intercontinental Concierge Corp. based out of Washington D.C., to be their General Manager here and built up their business in the office market. After three years, in 1997 Ms. Morriss started Concierge Services Of Atlanta, Inc. February 14th is their 15 year anniversary and they provide concierge services in Office Buildings and Condominiums with 70 people on the payroll.

Dino Thompson-Sarmiento

Dino is founder of Blue Flame Resources a Public Relations company focused on the Latino market. He also writes a food blog called “Dino Dish” and is a contributing writer at Fenuxe Magazine. He is Senior Advisor for GLAAD in the Atlanta area and  is a staple in the Latin community supporting the LAA and other organizations benefitting the advancement of the community at large.

Darrah Brustein

Darrah is an Atlanta transplant, by way of Philadelphia and Baltimore. She holds a BA from EmoryUniversity in Religion and Italian, which she naturally parlayed into a career in wholesale apparel sales. Ready for a new challenge, she joined forces with her twin brother to go into business brokering credit card processing to find the best solution for businesses with a lower cost, no contract, and free equipment.  Learn More at EquitablePayments.com

Michael Smith, Andrew Sullivan And Josh Schlieman: Serving Clients Through Trusted Referral Partners

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Today, Michael Smith with Law Firm Andrew, Merrit, Reilly & Smith, L.L.P. and return guests Andrew Sullivan and Josh Schlieman with Sullivan & Schlieman Wealth Management LLC discussed Serving Clients Through Trusted Referral Partners.

Michael T. Smith is a partner with the law firm of Andrew, Merritt, Reilly & Smith in Lawrenceville. His practice concentrates on two primary areas of law: (1) probate/estate and conservatorship/guardianship work; and (2) business and corporate work.

Smith is serving his 18th year as the county administrator/county conservator for Gwinnett County. He recently led the firm’s efforts to launch www.probateGeorgia.com, a comprehensive website that addresses matters relating to estates, trusts, guardianships and conservatorships, including estate planning, probating and administering wills, administrations of estates without wills, will challenges, guardianships of persons, conservatorships, fiduciary services and litigation, for individuals and their family members, as well as business/corporate work.

 

Sullivan & Schlieman Wealth Management LLC is the No. 1 LPL Financial firm in Georgia and among the top 1 percent in the nation.*

The firm’s co-founders, Andrew Sullivan and Josh Schlieman, and their team have a combined 50 years of experience in the financial industry. Services include wealth management, estate and tax planning and risk management.

Prior to forming Sullivan & Schlieman Wealth Management, LLC in 2008, Andrew was a financial advisor and senior vice president at SunTrust Investment Services for nearly 20 years. While at SunTrust, he was consistently recognized as a top bank representative in the United States by Bank Investment Marketing Magazine.

He has been in the financial services industry since 1989.Josh has been involved in financial planning and investment services his entire career. Before forming Sullivan & Schlieman, he was assistant vice president at SunTrust Investment Services, where he worked in partnership with Andrew, from 2003-2008.

Both co-founders pride themselves on constructing well-designed and efficient portfolios to address clients’ needs and reallocating those portfolios, as appropriate, due to significant changes in the market and/or changes to a client’s personal situation.

* based on year-to-date revenue as of 12/30/11

 

The opinions voiced in this show are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. To determine which investments may be appropriate for you, consult with your attorney, accountant, and financial advisor or tax advisor prior to investing. Securities at Sullivan & Schlieman Wealth Management, LLC are offered through LPL Financial, Member FINRA/SIPC.

 

Fisher & Phillips’ Terri Stewart Talks Labor Law Plus Atlanta’s Best Connector Series Featuring Michael Blake With HA&W And Faye Vantreese With The Peachtree Financial Group

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When Terri Stewart talks Labor Law, we listen — and so should you . . .

We opened today’s show with Stewart, and discovered that numerous local, state and federal laws create a complicated legal landscape for employers in the state of Georgia and elsewhere.

Terri Stewart is an attorney in the Atlanta office of Fisher & Phillips LLP.  She represents management in all areas of labor and employment law in state and federal courts as well as before state and federal agencies.

Her practice focuses on the defense of employment related lawsuits in trial and appellate courts, encompassing a variety of issues, including claims arising under Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, and related state claims such as trade secret infringement, restrictive covenants, breach of contract and tort actions.

Terri also frequently advises employers on reductions in force, drafts employment agreements, personnel policies, separation agreements and releases, and conducts onsite training on topics such as employment law compliance and avoidance of harassment claims.  Terri was listed in the 2011 edition of Georgia Super Lawyers – Rising Stars. For the honor, lawyers throughout the state are asked to nominate the best attorneys under 40. After nomination, researchers evaluate candidates based on peer-recognition, client-relationships and professional-achievement – only selecting the top 2.5%.

Terri was also chosen to be a member of the L.E.A.D. Atlanta Class of 2012.  L.E.A.D is an initiative of Leadership Atlanta designed to equip young professionals with key leadership skills and knowledge early in their professional and community service careers.

In 2011, Terri received the “40 under 40” Award by the Atlanta Business Chronicle. The award honors the top 40 business people in Atlanta under the age of 40. Terri was recently featured on Fox 5 Atlanta News regarding the legal impact of social media on employment law and on CBS Morning News for What Not to Wear in the Workplace.

 

In the next two segments of today’s program we featured two Atlanta’s Best Connectors nominees, Michael Blake and Faye Vantreese:

Michael Blake is Director of Valuation Services at Habif, Arogeti & Wynne, LLP. Michael’s background includes transactional roles in investment banking and venture capital. He has fifteen years of valuation experience including transaction support, intellectual property appraisals, fair value accounting, litigation, and valuations for securities-related engagements. He also has five years of experience in managing and performing assignments on stock option and warrant valuation, hedging instrument valuation, purchase price allocation and goodwill and long-lived asset impairment testing.

Michael’s valuation experience includes information technology, medical devices, healthcare drug development, restaurants, computer hardware, electronic entertainment, telecommunications, broadcasting, alternative energy, publishing, business services, e-commerce and Internet-driven services, aerospace, paper & timber, beverage, media, manufacturing, and private equity.

Michael received his Bachelor’s Degree, Cum Laude, in Economics and French from Franklin & Marshall College and his Masters of Business Administration Degree from Georgetown University. Michael is the co-founder and president of StartupLounge.com, an online podcast and forum resource for entrepreneurs and private company investors. He was a Nominee Finalist for the 2009 Turknett Foundation Leadership Character Award and a Nominee Finalist for the 2009 TechAmerica Spirit of Endeavor Award. Michael was named to the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s 2009 Up and Comers List for the top 40 executives under the age of 40. Michael’s professional and academic affiliations include:

  • Chartered Financial Analyst Institute
  • Phi Beta Kappa
  • Atlanta CFA Society
  • Georgia Tech/Emory TI:GER Advisory Board
  • American Finance Association
  • Institute of Business Appraisers
  • American Society of Appraisers
  • Ukrainian-American Chamber of Commerce

Click here to read Michael’s personal blog, UNBLAKEABLE.

 

Seven years ago Faye Vantreese moved to Atlanta and knew about 5 people.

“I moved into the Financial services industry which is all about connecting with people, getting your message out there and helping families and businesses reach their financial goals. I figured out pretty quickly I needed to start connecting with a lot of people pretty quickly if I was going to survive in a very competitive market. I started by asking who were the most connected people locally in my area, reached out to them and asked what their were doing. It was the smartest thing I could have done. ”

Check Out Faye’s Public LinkedIn Profile Here

Learn more about her firm, The Peachtree Financial Group Here

 

 

 


 

I-Business Network CEO Gary Feldman And Global Sales Director Lesley Dubin: How The Cloud Is Changing Business, Plus Les Adkins With Orange SMS: How To Cut Through The Noise Of Social Media

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We opened today’s show with I-Business Network CEO Gary Feldman and Global Sales Director Lesley Dubin describing exactly How The Cloud Is Changing Business . . .

Gary Feldman

A pioneer in the ASP market, Gary Feldman formed I-Business Network in 1999 as an outsourced application hosting service focusing on mid-market ERP systems.  Landed first ASP agreement with Sage Software (State of the Art), Advanced Software Development Company and SAP Americas (for SAP Business One).  Gary drove I-BN to innovate ERP deployment through the use of pre-configured databases with rapid deployment and predictable subscription fee pricing. Leads the constant upgrade of technology and services for Cloud/Application Service Provider (ASP) services.

One of the first ASP’s in space to provide virtualized services and cloud computing to midmarket and was recognized by Dell.  Successfully developed tools and techniques for automation of both technical and ERP provisioning for SAP Business One and Sage MAS Online to reduce total cost of ownership through cloud computing.   Former executive with Accenture, CPA and CIO for mid-market company.  Began career as a CPA specializing in audit and accounting information systems with BDO Seidman and founded consulting practice with regional CPA firm.

Lesley Dubin

Lesley Dubin is the Director of Global Sales and Marketing for I-Business Network responsible for new client acquisition.  Responsibilities include both direct ERP sales to small to mid-size business and cloud services through our channel of solution partners and extended business members. Formerly a District Sales Manager with Microsoft, Lesley was responsible for creation and rollout of programs for Microsoft Dynamics business partners representing NAV, GP, AX and Solomon.  Additional responsibilities included improving brand awareness, program development, training and certification and other similar programs designed to increase the productivity and efficiency of the ERP sales channel.

 

We wrapped the show with Orange SMS Consulting’s Les Adkins sharing  tips for how to cut through the noise of all the Social Media and Social Media Marketing that is out there right now — and describing what Social Strategy is, and why your business needs one.

Les Adkins is the founder and CEO of Orange SMS Consulting, an organization that helps companies and organizations integrate social media strategies that follow their corporate or organizational objectives using a methodology called POST-People, Objective, Strategy, Technology.

His organization provides several tools and services to their clients to create a unique Social Media Strategy for the individual organization.The mission of Orange SMS is to help integrate Social Media into an organization making it Productive, Relevant and Fun; Helping Businesses connect and build a relationship with their employees, customers, vendors and prospects; to affect change and promote brand awareness.

Prior to forming Orange SMS, Les Adkins spent 25 years in the sales industry selling and training teams and customers successfully in technology, business services, entertainment, marketing and advertising.  He has created revenue in excess of over 250 million for organizations, created additional revenue streams for organizations and has been a consistent leader in the industries he has worked with. In the last 7 years he has been working closely with Social Media Experts and developing Social Media Strategies integrating them into programs that are designed around relational onboarding, employee communication, customer relationships, learning, branding and improving the bottom line. All of the programs work on building trust with your audience to achieve your objectives.

Les Adkins has been called by his colleagues a thought leader in Social Networking, Social Learning and Social Media and “get’s it” in understanding how Social Networking is changing how companies do Business.  Les Adkins is an international consultant, speaker, author and trainer sharing his knowledge of how Social Media is changing the world in which we live.

Orange SMS and partners work with Fortune 100 companies such as NetApp their clients have included Oracle, MTV, Adobe, GE and many more.  He has an MBA with a Global Management emphasis and has been certified in HBDI (Herman Brain Dominance Instrument) Whole Brain Approach; a way to determine someone’s thinking process and understand your own to transform business and technology.

He is a Dale Carnegie Sales and Leadership graduate and also has several other certifications in sales, SPIN Selling, Consultative Selling, Guerilla Warfare and Elite Consulting through Total Inter Action in Australia.  You can read his blog (mysylbert.com/your-social-media-blog/)  Follow on Twitter @mysylbert or connect on LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/in/lesadkins .

Girl Scouts Of Greater Atlanta CEO Marilyn Midyette, Tulix Systems’ Louis Lewow, And Derek van Dam With Swipe For Change

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Girl Scouts is the premier leadership development organization, partnering with and inspiring girls through educational, cooperative, and philanthropic experiences to provide the necessary foundation for the next generation of woman leaders and active citizenship within their immediate communities and beyond.

On March 12, 2012, Girl Scouts will celebrate 100 years as the largest girl-serving organization in the nation, and will honor their rich legacy of developing girl and young women leaders.  This celebration provides a unique opportunity to both reflect on the tremendous opportunities provided to all girls by Girl Scouts founder Juliette Gordon Low, and to rally around support for the next century of Girl Scout leaders.

The Girl Scouts mission is to build girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place.  Girls who are inspired to make a difference in their world, and who have the necessary life skills—become the next generation of successful business leaders, collaborators and community builders.

Marilyn W. Midyette is the Chief Executive Officer of Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta, Inc.  As Chief Executive Officer, Mrs. Midyette’s responsibilities include oversight of the council’s strategic planning process, finance and operations management, marketing and communications, fund development, membership growth, volunteer support and development, program delivery, and compliance.

Prior to joining Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta in October 2008, Mrs. Midyette was the Regional Vice President of the Business Services Group at Sprint Communications. She was responsible for strategic leadership, P&L for the consultative sales organization, and personnel management in the areas of marketing, product management, engineering, pre and post-sales support, finance, legal, customer service, HR, real estate, network operations and service management.

Mrs. Midyette is a graduate of the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, VA. She is also a member of the 2010-2011 Harvard Business School’s Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management program and a graduate of Leadership Atlanta’s Class of 2011.  In addition, she is a recipient of 2010 Womentics POW! Awards, which honors purposeful women and received a Proclamation from the Atlanta City Council in recognition of her strong leadership, integrity, business acumen and abilities.

In 2011, The College of William and Mary Alumni Association awarded Marilyn the Alumni Medallion which is the highest award the association can bestow on a graduate. Recipients are recognized for their outstanding professional accomplishments, leadership and dedication to their community and commitment to their alma mater.

Mrs. Midyette serves as a member of the Regional Board of Directors for the Alzheimer’s Association ofAtlanta, the College of William and Mary Fund Development Board, and is Secretary of the Mt. Paran Northside Citizens Association.  She and her husband Payne have two sons; Payne IV who is a graduate of Vanderbilt University and Reade who is a United States Air Force Academy cadet in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

 

As an Application Service Provider (ASP) and Internet pioneer, TULIX has been delivering applications and hosting services since 1994. TULIX is expanding its worldwide presence to satisfy a growing demand from businesses seeking proven solutions that ensure they can reap the benefits of new Internet technologies while minimizing the risks.

Located in Atlanta at 55 Marietta Street, the company’s worldwide headquarters includes a private, secure network operations center, call center and data center. TULIX assists its clients in maximizing business performance, increasing return on infrastructure investment and meeting business needs through responsiveness and real world experience.

 

Swipe for Change is a social enterprise focused on creating sustainable models in fundraising. Swipe for Change is a fundraising engine designed to create recurring and sustainable donation streams for nonprofit causes by leveraging payment processing solutions.

Merchants that process with Swipe for Change are able to redirect a large portion of their processing fees to a nonprofit close to their heart. As customers shop at their locations with the debit or credit cards, donations are generated without any cost to the consumer or merchant.

It is a triple win scenario, as the business gets to support a cause and gains a competitive advantage without affecting the bottom line. Consumers feel good about making a difference simply by choosing where they shop and are not limited to cause branded products.  Nonprofit causes see a recurring donation from businesses that grows over time and  helps their fundraising efforts and stabilizes their programs.

Derek van Dam hosts the popular Make a Difference Radio show on the Business RadioX TM network airing live each Wednesday 10am Eastern – sharing the amazing stories and exceptional people they meet as Swipe For Change continues our mission to “Making a Difference Everyday”.

 

 

MLK “Serving Your Community Special” Dominique Love: Atlanta Food & Wine Festival Plus Ann Jacobs-Long And Zenobia Godschalk: Women In Technology Girls Get IT Program

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Today we honored the great Martin Luther King and all those who seek to serve with this Special Episode dedicated to lifting others up and serving your community.

Dominique Love is the CEO and founder of two Atlanta businesses:  Corporate Community Outsourcing (CCO) and the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival.   CCO is a philanthropic consulting agency that helps corporations and nonprofits maximize their community impact.  Since creating CCO in 2003, Love and her team have helped dozens of Fortune 500 companies, including American Express Publishing, The Coca-Cola Company, Delta Air Lines, The Home Depot, Newell Rubbermaid, sanofi-aventis, Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., and WellPoint, build strategic community investment programs.

The CCO team has also worked with notable nonprofit organizations, including Atlanta-Fulton Public Library Foundation, Atlanta Celebrates Photography, Hands On Atlanta, Grady Health System, Jewish Family & Career Services, Southeastern Council on Foundations, Quality Care for Children and United Way, to help them achieve fundraising success and stronger, more engaged board members.

In 2010, Love and her business partner, Elizabeth Feichter, turned their passion for food, drink and Southern culture into the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival.  Presented by FOOD & WINE magazine, the Atlanta Festival is the first culinary weekend in the nation focused exclusively on the Southern region.

This four-day event, which debuted in May 2011, is designed by the region’s leading culinary talents and offers guests the opportunity to participation in learning experiences – classes, tasting seminars and panel discussions – tasting experiences, dinners and special events.  The 2012 Festival will take place May 10 – 13, 2012 in Midtown, Atlanta.

 

Ann Jacobs-Long, Director, and Zenobia Godschalk, PR and Communications manager, talked about the Women In Technology’s Girls Get IT program, which collaborates with the Georgia business community to inspire girls in middle and high school to choose careers in science, technology, engineering and math.  Why? Because the statistics are alarming: America lags behind other nations in the number of students majoring in science and engineering at colleges and universities, according to the National Science Foundation.  Additionally, women make up just 9 percent of those receiving engineering degrees – and with your help, we’re changing that statistic.

Zenobia Godschalk is the CEO of ZAG Communications, a technology PR firm working with some of the hottest technology companies in the country. A transplant from Silicon Valley, Zenobia and her team enjoy working as an integrated part of a company’s marketing team to get the story out on today’s mostinnovative, exciting technologies.

Ann Jacobs-Long is a Group Vice President at SunTrust Bank, specializing in PMO leadership, enterprise project management and governance.  A long-time resident of Atlanta, Ann is in her second year as Director of the Girls Get IT Program within the Women In Technology organization.

2011 Spirit Of Endeavor Award Winners: OFS, ViziTech USA, Secure Xperts

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Today we interviewed 2011 Spirit Of Endeavor Award Winners: Dr. Yi Sun with OFS, Stewart Rodeheaver with Vizitech USA, and Darnell Washington with Secure Xperts.

Dr. Yi Sun, lead engineer for Enterprise Local Area Network Lab for OFS, received the TAG-Ed Workforce Readiness Award in recognition of her mentoring work this summer, best preparing her student for a future career in the technology field.

Robert Lingle, Jr., Ph.D. who serves as OFS Director, Fiber Design and Systems Research joined the conversation as well, sharing his perspective on everything from the future of fiber, to preparing today’s youth for tomorrow’s world.

OFS’ corporate lineage dates back to 1876 and includes technology powerhouses such as AT&T (NYSE: T) and Lucent Technologies (now Alcatel-Lucent, NYSE: ALU). Today, OFS is owned by Furukawa Electric, a multi-billion dollar global leader in optical communications.

Headquartered in Norcross (near Atlanta) Georgia, U.S., OFS is a global provider with facilities in Avon, Connecticut; Carrollton, Georgia; Somerset, New Jersey; and Sturbridge, Massachusetts, as well as in Denmark, Germany and Russia.

 

Brigadier General (Ret) Stewart Rodeheaver is President of ViziTech USA.

ViziTech USA bested the Cool Technology category, and Mr. Rodeheaver won the Technology Entrepreneur Award.

The core focus of Vizitech USA’s technology is in training/education, but also provides for several key applications for operational needs.  By experiencing subject matter in an enhanced 3D environment, trainees and operators will absorb information faster, increase their comprehension, and retain matter more effectively, thereby reducing class time and cost, and reducing operational “lag” time.

Products can be tailored and produced to address specific needs, and can be delivered either by a platform instructor and 3D image combination, by recored 3D “stand alone” lessons, or as distance learning through remote, interactive 3D holo-conferencing.

 

Mr. Darnell Washington, President/CEO of SecureXperts is a developer of secure technology solutions that mitigate advanced persistent cyber security threats from foreign and domestic sources that have become a continual problem faced by the government and military for the protection of key critical infrastructure, executive protection, and counter-surveillance activities.

He was the recipient for the Technology Innovation Award for his patented video surveillance solution which makes use of digital certificates and encryption to protect live and archived video streams from interception from unauthorized sources, and can be deployed in law enforcement, public safety, and military applications over the public internet.

The video cameras and archiving systems are cryptographically secure using a security technique known as public key infrastructure (PKI), which is only accessible by authorized individuals with strong auditing and permission revocation capability. His technology solution has a global impact and revolutionizes the way surveillance cameras can be deployed cost effectively and efficiently utilized.

 

About The Technology Association of Georgia (TAG)

The Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) is the leading technology industry association in the state, serving more than 14,000 members and hosting over 170 events each year. TAG serves as an umbrella organization for 30 industry societies, each of which provides rich content for TAG constituents. TAG’s mission is to educate, promote, and unite Georgia’s technology community to foster an innovative and connected marketplace that stimulates and enhances a tech-based economy.

The association provides members with access to networking and educational programs; recognizes and promotes Georgia’s technology leaders and companies; and advocates for legislative action that enhances the state’s economic climate for technology. Additionally, the TAG Education Collaborative (TAG’s charitable arm) focuses on helping science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education initiatives thrive. For more information visit the TAG website at www.tagonline.org or TAG’s community website at www.TAGthink.com. To learn about the TAG-Ed Collaborative visit http://www.tagedonline.org/.

 

Mike Wien: Your Specific Edge, Daniel Bowers: Executive Director French American Chamber Of Commerce, And Author Danny Kofke: A Simple Book Of Financial Wisdom

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Mike Wien, founder and senior consultant at Wien & Associates, helps clients grow more consistently and profitably by applying nearly three decades of senior level marketing and sales expertise to their operations. Wien & Associates clients benefit from both time-tested instincts and the predictive power of a 50-point marketing diagnostic tool. Success is delivered in the form of stronger implementation and more predictable sales growth.

Wien’s own track record has been notable for this type of value delivery.
As a senior marketing executive, he has developed marketing programs that increase sales and market share for such major organizations as:

Deloitte & Touche
Cole Taylor Bank
Citibank
Omni Hotels
PepsiCo (Frito-Lay and Pepsi-Cola Bottling Group)

Wien’s most recent role was national director of marketing for Deloitte & Touche, the global audit, accounting and consulting firm. In that position, he drove the e-Business marketing initiative, along with the national industry marketing program, new service development and marketing human capital services.

Mike has a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Colorado State University and an MBA from Northwestern University.

 

Daniel Bowers has served as the Executive Director of the French American Chamber of Commerce – Atlanta, sinceOctober 2010. Daniel received his undergraduate degrees in Finance and French from Rockhurst College in KansasCity, Missouri, and his Masters in Business Administration from Thunderbird – The American Graduate School ofInternational Management in Glendale, Arizona.

Prior to joining the French American Chamber of Commerce –Atlanta, Daniel worked as an investment banker, specializing in middle market mergers and acquisitions and most recently owned his own fine-dining restaurant in Winston Salem, North Carolina. In addition to his training in business administration and finance, Daniel has earned the Grand Diplome de Patisserie from the Cordon Bleu in Paris, France.

As the Executive Director of the French American Chamber of Commerce – Atlanta, Daniel is responsible for promoting and enhancing business opportunities for companies with operations in the Southeastern United States who have business interests in France or are simply interested in French culture and language. The FACC-Atlanta represents some 80 corporations, from major international companies like Delta Airlines and InterContinental Hotels to small, privately held companies. The Executive Director of the FACC-Atlanta is tasked with providing a platform for these companies to interact and create valuable business contacts. This is achieved primarily through hosting or promoting functions or events, educational, social or otherwise.

 

Danny Kofke is currently a special teacher in Georgia. He is also the author of two books – “How ToSurvive (and perhaps thrive) On A Teacher’s Salary” and “A Simple Book of Financial Wisdom: Teach Yourself (and Your Kids) How to Live Wealthy with Little Money.”

Danny has appeared on numerous television shows including Fox & Friends,CNN’s Newsroom, The 700 Club, CNN’s Your Bottom Line, Fox Business Network’s Follow The Money, ABC News Now, FOX Business Network’s Varney & Company, HLN’sThe Clark Howard Show and MSNBC Live. He has also been interviewed on over 200 radio shows and featured in publications such as USA Today, Bankrate.com,PARADE, Instructor Magazine, CBS MoneyWatch.com, FoxBusiness.com, The WallStreet Journal, The Atlanta Journal Constitution, ABCNews.com, Yahoo Finance,USA Weekend, Woman’s Day, Consumer’s Digest, CNN.com, Bottom Line Personal, YourFamily Today and The Huffington Post.

Danny wants to show others if this 35 year-old school teacher can gain financial wisdom, then they can too. I am living proof that a family can live wealthy on little money.

Andrew Sullivan And Josh Schlieman Talk About Wealth Management, Dale Sizemore Makes Film And TV Permitting Easy, Proforma’s Joe Noonan Describes Trends In Promotional Marketing, And Dan McDade Tells Us The Truth About Leads

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Sullivan & Schlieman Wealth Management LLC is the No. 1 LPL Financial firm in Georgia and among the top 1 percent in the nation.* The firm’s co-founders, Andrew Sullivan and Josh Schlieman, and their team have a combined 50 years of experience in the financial industry. Services include wealth management, estate and tax planning and risk management.

Prior to forming Sullivan & Schlieman Wealth Management, LLC in 2008, Andrew was a financial advisor and senior vice president at SunTrust Investment Services for nearly 20 years. While at SunTrust, he was consistently recognized as a top bank representative in the United States by Bank Investment Marketing Magazine. He has been in the financial services industry since 1989.

Josh has been involved in financial planning and investment services his entire career. Before forming Sullivan & Schlieman, he was assistant vice president at SunTrust Investment Services, where he worked in partnership with Andrew, from 2003-2008.

Both co-founders pride themselves on constructing well-designed and efficient portfolios to address clients’ needs and reallocating those portfolios, as appropriate, due to significant changes in the market and/or changes to a client’s personal situation.

* Based on year-to-date revenue as of 6/30/11

 

Dale Sizemore has had a long career in high technology, selling and deploying “first to market” applications and projects. The common denominator has been “getting information from multiple places and in the form they need into the hands of people so they can make timely, important business decisions”.

Dale discovered his 30+ years in high technology sales, marketing and executive leadership was about to open the door for a new chapter in his life!

After his last employer was acquired, Dale took the entrepreneurial route and had his “AHA” moment December 8, 2010 while reading an article about how challenging it was for communities to facilitate filming and TV production in their communities. After a deep dive into the issue, Dale said “I can fix this problem” and FLIPSFilm was born!

 

Proforma: One Source Connecting You to Your Audience…

Making the right connections is important to your business. Partner with Proforma and ensure that you are making a good connection with your audience every time. Trust our extensive industry experience to effectively promote your company’s brand through:

… With Infinite Resources to Maximize Impact

With 30+ years of experience, Proforma can help maximize the impact of your marketing promotions and customer communications. Our network of experts offers more than1,000,000 custom products and services to help promote your brand. Proforma’s proven* customer satisfaction record and industry recognition testify to our ability to position customers at the top of their industries.

Connect with Proforma, the One Source with Infinite Resources, and achieve unlimited levels of success.

* Based on a 2007 independent study.

 

Best in class companies outperform average companies by up to five times when they apply best practices in lead generation. In Dan’s book, “The Truth About Leads”, he debunks traditional thinking andreveals truths that lead to additional, larger and more profitable wins.

Dan McDade founded PointClear in 1997 with the mission to be the first and best company providing outsourced prospect development services tocompanies with a complex sales process. Prospect development includes timely and effective response management, sales lead generation andqualification and opportunity nurturing.
Prior to starting PointClear, McDade served as president of UST, The Business Marketing Group, a fast growing high-tech business-to-business marketingservices firm.

The company grew over 500 percent during his tenure. McDade and his team provided consulting services to leading technology companiesincluding Sun Microsystems, Texas Instruments, Oracle, SAP, and many others. From 1989 to 1991, McDade was an independent consultant providing direct marketing, telemarketing, and new business development consulting services. Clients included Sears, Exxon, Rodale Press, R.J. Reynolds, and the Ritz Carlton. One of McDade’s earliest assignments was to write the business planthat helped the Ritz Carlton formalize its plan to win the Malcolm Baldridge Award.

McDade’s background also includes 10 years of experience in the direct mail catalog business. As Vice President of Marketing with Jackson & Perkins in Medford, OR., McDade ran what was at the time the 17th largest direct mail company in the country.

Dan is on the TAG Education Collaborative board of directors following two years as Chairman of the Board.