The Mortgage Lenders Association of Greater Charleston named its 2007 officers: President Susan Druschel, Susan Druschel & Associates LLC; Vice President Rhonda Marcum, Carolina Mortgage Services Inc.; Secretary/Treasurer Debra Farr, First Federal; and Past President Chuck Stewart, First Federal. The 2007 board of directors is: Bill Degner, Triad Guaranty Insurance Corp.; Diane DeGarady, DHI Mortgage; Todd Huss, First Federal; Steven Morse, BB&T Correspondent Lending; Joanie Paulling, Community First Bank; Daniel Vallini, attorney; Steve Wichmann, Heritage Trust Federal Credit Union; and Vickie Wilkinson, Wells Fargo Home Mortgage. Degner was named the association’s associate of the year. Harry Smith, senior vice president for Bank of America, was named 2006 mortgage lender of the year.

Corrigan Gallery and Robert Lange Studios joined The Charleston Fine Art Dealers’ Association.

William “Bill” Wilkes, a local Earth Team volunteer, was named the 2006 National Earth Team Individual Volunteer of the Year.

The BB&T Charleston Food + Wine Festival was recognized with an award for best brochure at the 2006 Annual Conference & Trade Show for South Carolina and North Carolina festival and event planners. 

Mike Murphy, who has been part of Hanckel Marine for more than five years, earned certification as a Yamaha Master Technician.

GEL Engineering LLC was awarded an “A” safety rating by ISN Review and Verification Services, a division of the ISN Software Co.

Todd Kenney, of Charleston’s Kuhn & Kuhn law firm, passed the S.C. state bar exam.

Weichert, Realtors – Dean-Kelby acquired Knoxville, Tenn.-based Heath Shuler Real Estate.

Verispan’s annual ranking of the Top 100 Integrated Health Networks in the nation ranked Roper St. Francis Hospital at No. 61, up two spots from last year. Roper is the highest-ranking S.C. health system and one of only two in the state to make the Top 100. The ranking, now in its 10th year, grades networks on integration using a 100-point scale based on system operations, clinical quality, efficiency and breadth of services.

American Chemical Society’s Committee Matters appointed Jeremy M. Stipkala of Stipkala LLC in North Charleston as an associate for 2007. In that position, Stipkala will advise the society on recent cases, pending legislation and policy changes at the Patent and Trademark Office that impact the chemistry community.on Patents and Related

Bill Hyatt, manager of HEPACO’s Charleston Response Center in Ladson, received a Field Service Award from CSX Transportation Hazardous Material Systems at its annual Public Safety & Environment Safety Training & Technical Conference. HEPACO received CSXT’s 2006 Performance Quality Award. The awards recognize excellence in service and professionalism.

Philip Lader, a Charleston-based partner in Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, has been named a trustee of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.

J. Ronald Jones Jr., an attorney with Clawson & Staubes LLC, has been appointed to the board of Healing Farm Ministries, a local nonprofit serving families and individuals touched by developmental disabilities.

Two Charleston residents and one Charleston business were recipients of 2007 Stars of the Hospitality Industry awards for South Carolina. Betty Murray of the Wentworth Mansion won hospitality employee of the year. Terri Haack of Wild Dunes Resort won hotelier of the year. Sticky Fingers Restaurant Group in Mount Pleasant won the Good Earthkeeping Award. All award winners were selected by their peers as members of the Hospitality Association of South Carolina and were chosen from nominations submitted by industry representatives.

Young Clement Rivers LLP appointed D. Jay Davis Jr. to chair of the firm’s professional liability practice group.

Quince Cody left his position of president and CEO of the Greater Summerville/Dorchester County Chamber of Commerce to become manager of the Century 21 Properties Plus office in Summerville. 

Jerry Gazes, senior vice president of First Financial Holdings Inc. of North Charleston, has been named the 2007 human resources professional of the year by the S.C. Chamber of Commerce and the S.C. State Council of the Society for Human Resources Management. 

Charleston designer/illustrator Wade Harris has been commissioned by AARP to illustrate an article in an upcoming issue of AARP The Magazine. Harris has been assigned three illustrations in all, a feature illustration and two spot illustrations, for an article on hair replacement and hair growth.

The S.C. National Heritage Corridor awarded two grants totaling $24,000 to Charleston County nonprofits that promote economic development through tourism. The awards were given to the town of Mount Pleasant for construction of the Sweetgrass Pavilion at Waterfront Memorial Park and to the Carolina Lowcountry and Atlantic World Program at the College of Charleston for Commemoration and Collaboration: A South Carolina Tourism Summit.

Elliott Davis LLC, an accounting and business advisory firm, has been selected as a professional service partner by SC Launch!

Andra L. Watkins, principal of Positus Consulting LLC, has been appointed to the board of advisors for the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art. Located at the College of Charleston, the Halsey Institute provides the Charleston community with rotating installations of the world’s best contemporary art.

Golf Digest magazine selected The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Golf Resort, designed by Pete Dye, as the most challenging course in the United States in its March 2007 issue. Difficulty was determined by using a combination of the U.S. Golf Association’s “slope rating” and “course rating” from the course’s back tees.

Will Russell, partner in Charleston-based accounting and business advisory firm Jarrard, Nowell & Russell LLC, has been named to the finance committee of the Greater Summerville/Dorchester County Chamber of Commerce. 

Sandlapper Real Estate agent Troy Watson announced the launch of his new Web site, www.troywatsononline.com.

Embassy Suites Hotel Charleston Airport and Convention Center received the Total Quality Score Award from the Embassy Suites Hotels brand. The hotel ranked 19th in quality among the brand’s system of more than 180 hotels throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and South America.

The Charleston Trident Association of Realtors presented Raymond J. Case, owner of Coldwell Banker Commercial Atlantic International Inc., with its 2006 Commercial Realtor of the Year Award at the Commercial Investment Division meeting.

Converse A. Chellis III, director with Dixon Hughes PLLC, has been elected to serve as the chairman of the S.C. Captive Insurance Association’s board of directors. The SCCIA promotes the formation and growth of captive insurance companies within the state of South Carolina.

Andrea L. Wozniak, CEO of East Cooper Regional Medical Center, became a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, a national professional society for health care leaders.

Sharon Kirby was presented with the 2007 Jolly K. Parent Leader Award as part of the Parents Anonymous National Training Institute. Kirby helped to establish a Parents Anonymous Group in the Lowcoutnry in 1999. The Jolly K. Award is given to a Parents Anonymous member who exemplifies strong parental leadership.

A record number of attendees visited the 2007 Charleston Boat Show. According to JBM & Associates, producers of the 27th annual show, overall attendance was 10,170, an 11% increase in attendance from 2006 and a 20% increase in attendance over the past three years.

Stephen Herlong & Associates Inc., an architecture firm on Isle of Palms, won three Best in American Living Awards for its residential designs on Wadmalaw and Kiawah islands. Stephen Herlong & Associates received Best in South Atlantic Region and Best One-of-a-Kind Custom Home up to and including 4,000 square feet for the Middleton residence, located on Wadmalaw Island. The interior design department of the firm, including Theresa Bishopp and Sarah Melancon, was also recognized for its exceptional design as it took home an award in the Best Kitchen in a Home 5,001 square feet and over category for the Shea-Boyle residence, located on Kiawah Island.

Charles J. Baker III, a principal of Buist Moore Smythe McGee PA, has been appointed to serve on the Charleston County Board of Zoning Appeals. One of nine members, Baker was appointed by  Charleston County Councilman Dickie Schweers and will serve until Dec. 31, 2010.

Stella Nova Spa Salon, owned by Peter and Ginger Evans, was named one of the 200 fastest-growing salons in North America by Salon Today magazine.

Charleston-based Banks Construction Co. has received the 2006 Carolinas Associated General Contractors Pinnacle Award for Best Highway-Heavy Project for its work as prime contractor on the interchange of Interstate 26 and Ashley Phosphate Road.

Women Making a Difference appointed the following members to its 2007 governing executive committee: Ida Becker, Darci Grady, Marcie Jacobs, Kristen Lane, Catherine McCullough, Kenton Morrison and Elizabeth Sinkler.

The Dunhill Staffing Systems of Charleston received the Platinum Award from Dunhill’s national headquarters, reserved for those offices that reach the highest level of recruiting fee revenue. The local franchise ranked as the No. 2 producing office in the nation. Katie Whitman, vice president, received two awards: a Platinum Award as a top recruiting consultant and the Million Dollar Award. Marie Crosby, staffing manager for temporary services, received the MVP Award, recognizing the employee who made the biggest impact on the overall success of their office.

The Lowcountry Housing Trust Inc., a regional nonprofit dedicated to funding affordable housing, announced its 2007 board of directors: Karen Abrams, Prudential Carolina Real Estate; Tom Baker, TBA/SC Inc. Architecture; George Bresnihan, U.S. Navy and Amoco, retired; Michael Chase, Eqqus Mortgage; Phillip Ford, Charleston Trident Home Builders Association; Vince Graham, Graham Holdings; Peggy Huchet, New Jersey State Housing Trust, retired; Bob Holt, Charleston Development Corp.; Joanna LeClair, Wachovia; Colin Martin, Signet Human Resource Management; Jack PenaSoto, Bank of America; Florence Peters, city of Charleston; Whitney Powers, Studio A; Robert Prioleau, Blue Ion; Peter Ricciardi, Smart Family; Matt Sloan, Daniel Island Co.; Debby Waid, Humanities Foundation; Henrietta Woodward, Lowcountry Housing and Economic Development Foundation; and Tony Woody, Thomas & Hutton Engineering.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held for Summerville’s Brownsville Neighborhood Revitalization Project. The project is designed to rehabilitate housing in the Brownsville community.

A regional business and management forum recognized Donna Fenley, a financial advisor for Edward Jones in Mount Pleasant and Daniel Island, for her excellence in business management skills.

East Cooper Montessori Charter School celebrated its groundbreaking and first capital campaign.

Extra Virgin Oven opened a restaurant on East Montague Avenue in North Charleston. Previously, the company catered private parties and sold its product at farmers markets.

Mount Pleasant ArtFest celebrated its 11th anniversary.

Charleston-based Lulan Artisans woven products were showcased in the green design lounge at Global Green USA’s third annual Global Green Pre-Oscar Party at the Avalon in Hollywood, Calif. Lulan’s primary aim is to enhance weavers’ economic development in Southeast Asia, creating sustainable livelihoods and improving quality of life in the broader community. Lulan’s design process begins with its weavers and dyers, a holistic approach that honors the rhythms, growth cycles and regional specificity of its all-natural materials. Dyes are natural or low-impact, to be environmentally sensitive.

GEL Analytics, a part of Charleston-based GEL Group Inc., successfully completed an unannounced general inspection by the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA routinely conducts unannounced inspections of drug development and manufacturing companies in order to ensure their full compliance with current Good Laboratory Practice and Good Manufacturing Practice regulations. After a thorough review of standard operating procedures, training records, instrumentation and facilities, no citations were issued. This is the first such audit for GEL Analytics.

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