The Junior League of Charleston Inc. has elected its 2007-2008 board of directors: Tracy Blanchard, president; Holland Williams, president-elect; Greer Polansky, community vice president; Anne Walpole, membership vice president; Sarah Corley, fundraising vice president; Lisa Craig, marketing vice president; Kristy Lewis, treasurer; Sandra Drolshagen, assistant treasurer; Lise Ibsen, recording secretary; Kristen Cummings, nominating chair; Kim Durst, strategic planning chair; and Suzi Parcell, sustainer board advisor. These women will lead the league into its 85th year of serving the Charleston community.

The Charleston Convention & Visitors Bureau in June presented the S.C. State Park Service with its Golden Pineapple award in recognition of the park service’s renovation of the Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site. Across the Ashley River from downtown Charleston, Charles Towne Landing first opened in 1970. After an extensive renovation, the park now features a Visitors Center with 12 rooms of exhibits about the settlement’s history.

The award recognizes leadership in tourism.

LowCountry Pit Bull Rescue has announced its 2007-2008 board members: Melissa Sanders, president; Alicia Domina, vice president, adoption coordinator and event coordinator; Jessica Texiera, financial officer, foster home coordinator and fundraising coordinator; Kat Riley, webmaster; Donna Eadie, intake coordinator; and Lindsay Street, public relations coordinator. LowCountry Pit Bull Rescue is a connection and re-homing resource for stigmatized dogs, especially of the American pit bull terrier descent.

U.S. Rep. James Clyburn, D.S.C. has been recognized by the Humanities Foundation and local dignitaries for his ongoing support of affordable-housing initiatives.

Olde Park Home Owners Association President Chris Staubs has received the 2007 Civic Pride Award from the town of Mount Pleasant in recognition of his efforts to improve the town’s appearance. Mount Pleasant Mayor Harry M. Hallman Jr., Public Services Chairman Kruger Smith and Mount Pleasant Pride Committee members Bob Glenn, Betty Gilbert and Carolyn Yarbrough presented the award to Staubs during a Town Council meeting in July.

South Carolina Federal Credit Union has won two bronze Telly Awards for its “Twins” TV commercial and accompanying jingle, which were part of a marketing campaign begun last fall. The credit union won in the categories of Local TV–Music/Jingle and Local TV–Banks. The commercial was introduced as part of the credit union’s rebranding initiative, which launched in October 2006. Telly Awards honor outstanding work in TV, film, video and the Internet.

The Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority reached a one-day record ridership on June 29 of 19,688 trips. The previous one-day ridership record of 16,501 trips was achieved during the Ride CARTA Weeks campaign in summer 2006.

Sara Tanis of Mount Pleasant’s The Scratch Pad was one of 20 finalists chosen by the Invitation and Stationery Alliance for the first annual eNVee Honors. Individual retail stores, dealers and designers were invited to enter their custom-made invitations, announcements, cards and stationery sets using a variety of paper stocks and embellishments. The honorees were chosen based on their creativity and unique approach to custom design.

Craig McKenzie and Kirk Alexander of GEL Engineering LLC’s Stack Testing Group have received the Qualified Source Testing Individual certification from the Source Evaluation Society.

The American Association for Justice presented Motley Rice LLC co-founding attorney Ron Motley with the David S. Shrager President’s Award at the association’s annual convention in July. The award is given to an American trial lawyer who is consistently in the forefront of litigation by creatively and ingeniously using litigation to safeguard and protect American consumers and the civil justice system. 

Rosalie Dellenbach has been elected president of the S.C. Division Board of the International Association of Administrative Professionals for 2007-2008. Dellenbach has been an employee of Charleston County government since 1978 and a member of the administrative professionals association for 20 years.

Half-Moon Outfitters’ new corporate office and warehouse in North Charleston has won the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Platinum rating. The LEED rating system recognizes projects for having sustainable site conditions, selecting environmentally preferred materials, providing a healthy indoor environment, and using water and energy efficiently. Half-Moon is the nation’s 25th new construction or major renovation project to receive the rating and is the first to do so using newer, more stringent criteria. It also is among the first LEED projects in the state of South Carolina.

The South Carolina Bar Association has named its committee chairs for 2007-2008. Chairs include: Joseph T. Belton of Wills & Massalon LLC in Charleston, International Law Committee; Carolyn H. Blue of Tecklenburg Law Firm LLC in Charleston, Continuing Legal Education Seminars Committee; and M. Dawes Cooke Jr. of Barnwell Whaley Patterson & Helms in Charleston, Commission on Judicial Independence.

Joseph M. Baker, president of Mount Pleasant’s Alcus Financial Group, was a featured guest recently on the South Carolina Business Review radio show hosted by Mike Switzer.

The show features news and interviews from South Carolina’s public companies and business leaders and can be heard throughout South Carolina.

SunTrust Bank has opened its newest branch location at 404 Johnnie Dodds Blvd. in Mount Pleasant. It is the bank’s 11th location in the Charleston area since entering the market in April 2006, and the third SunTrust branch to open in Mount Pleasant. 

Kiawah Island Real Estate sold 99 Surfsong Road in June for a record-breaking $8.4 million. The transaction marks the island’s most expensive resale home ever sold. The prior record was set last year when 36 Ocean Course Drive sold for $7.775 million.

The Physicians Eye Surgery Center is offering two intraocular lenses for patients with cataracts, ReSTOR IOL and Acrysof Toric IOL. The lenses provide restored vision at all distances. The Physicians Eye Surgery Center is Charleston’s only independent, physician-directed ophthalmic surgery facility.

John Chitwood, owner of Renaissart Graphic Design, was selected by the International Society of Photographers for an Outstanding Achievement in Photography award.

Charleston residents Andrew Birgel and Ry Hudnall have been named members of the 2007 Executive Council of New York Life Insurance Co. Members of the executive council are among the most successful of New York Life’s elite sales force of approximately 10,000 licensed agents.

The nominating committee for the Charleston Baseball Hall of Fame has released the names of 12 individuals and/or teams from which the Class of 2007 will come: the 1955 Cannon Street YMCA Team, represented the first black Little League team in South Carolina; The Citadel’s 1990 College World Series Team; Bill Bustle, long-time Charleston Southern University coach; Bryce Florie, signed out of high school and played with Red Sox, Padres, Brewers and Tigers; Anthony Jenkins, a standout on The Citadel’s 1990 College World Series team; Alfred von Kolnitz, served as athletic director for the College of Charleston in the 1930s; T. Ashton Phillips, local entrepreneur who donated generously to local baseball programs from youth leagues to the college programs; Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr., serves as one of Charleston’s best promoters of the game of baseball; Modie Risher, a standout three-sport athlete at Burke High School; Charlie Smith, local Chicora/North Charleston standout at all levels and played professionally with several teams including third base for the Yankees; D.K. Walters, Veteran American Legion coach; and Richard Wieters, two-time Southern Conference Player of the Year and played for the Braves and White Sox minor league organizations.

The Young Agents Committee of the Independent Insurance Agents of North Carolina has named Johnson & Johnson Inc. Managers CMGA of Charleston 2007 Broker of the Year. The award is presented to the broker that has demonstrated support for association activities and commitment to the independent agency system. This is the second year the company was awarded the designation.

The Harvard University Club of South Carolina has announced its 2007-2008 officers: Eli Poliakoff, president; Cedric Porter, HAA regional director-Carolinas; Alex Estevez, vice president-Upstate; Baron Hanson, vice president- Coastal; Ed Poliakoff, vice president-Midlands; and Gatis Gatgounis, secretary and treasurer.

Charleston Regional Development Alliance has elected its 2007-2008 board of directors: Robert Pratt, chairman; executive committee members, Sean Bennett; Mitchell Bohannon; William A. “Bill” Finn; and Jimmie Gianoukos; board members, Richard Buckner; Jim Bryan; Paul Campbell; Taylor Clarkson; Elinor Cohen; Ron Coward; Scott Fennell; Dwayne Green; Chip Hood; Gayla McSwain; Ron Mitchum; Wayne Pearson; Thom Penney; Mark Pilgrim; Bob Pitts; Tony Pope; Robby Robbins; Travis Rockey; Whit Smith; and Jan Waring-Woods.

Greyson Kerley of North Charleston, Kathryn Mercer of Hanahan, Nicholas Pomata of Wadmalaw Island and Mary-Kate Spillane of Summerville have been accepted to the South Carolina Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics. They join 60 other students from 25 counties as the class of 2009. The South Carolina Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics is a public, residential high school for academically talented and motivated juniors and seniors.

Allison Skipper, public relations associate at the S.C. State Ports Authority, has been named “Rookie of the Year” by the South Carolina chapter of the Public Relations Society of America. The award recognizes a younger member of PRSA who has been in the profession for three years or less.

Andra L. Watkins, principal of Positus Consulting, will chair the service projects committee for the East Cooper Breakfast Rotary Club for the upcoming fiscal year. She also is a member of the club’s board of directors.

Billy Ellison of Colliers Keenan has been selected for membership by the Realtors Land Institute, headquartered in Chicago. Ellison joins more than 2,500 land-specialist members of RLI throughout North America.

The Rudy Giuliani Presidential Committee has announced county chairs and co-chairs for the Lowcountry region of South Carolina: Tim Callanan and Deanna Trout, Berkeley County co-chairs; Jane Barr, Charleston County chair; and Grant Mishoe, Dorchester County chair.

The South Carolina Bar has named its 2007-08 section council members, including attorneys from the Charleston area. Dunn D. Hollingsworth of Robertson & Hollingsworth is immediate past chair and section delegate of the construction law section; Michael J. Cone of

The Law Office of Michael J. Cone is the chairperson of the consumer law section; C. Steven Moskos of C. Steven Moskos is a council member of the consumer law section; Jennifer Cheek of McNair Law Firm is secretary of the corporate, banking and securities law section; David P. Schwacke of The Schwacke Law Firm is immediate past chair of the criminal law section ; Jennifer Kneece Shealy of the Ninth Circuit Solicitor’s Office is a council member of the criminal law section; and Amy Yager Jenkins of Nelson Mullins Riley Scarborough is chair of the employment and labor law section. Other officers include Allan R. Holmes, Labor Managment Relations Committee chair; L. Gregory Horton, section delegate; Molly Hughes, specialization committee chair; Wendy Wilkie, chair-elect of the environment and natural resources section; John “Blanton” O’Neal IV, council member; Elizabeth “Babs” Warner, council member; Elizabeth “Bett” Myrick, immediate past chair of the Family Law Section; Melissa F. Brown, council member of the Family Law Section; Jeremy Cook, council member of the Government Law Section; Richard W. Lingenfelter Jr., council member of the Government Law Section; Andrea H. Brisbin, vice chair of the Health Care Law Section; Alissa DeCarlo, council member of the Health Care Law Section; David A. Bornhorst, council member of the Military Law Section; Andrew W. Chandler, vice chair of the Probate, Estate Planning and Trust Section; M. Jean Lee, council member of Probate, Estate Planning and Trust Section and Tax Law Section; and Lester S. Schwartz, council member of Probate, Estate Planning and Trust Section and Tax Law Section; M. Jeffrey Vinzani, chair-elect of the Real Estate Practices Section; Paul M. Lynch, section delegate of the Tax Law Section; George “Gem” McDowell Jr., secretary of the Tax Law Section; Shawn Flanagan, council member of the Tax Law Section; Aaron Schaal, council member of the Tax Law Section; James Ledlie, council member of the Torts and Insurance Practices Section; Robert Jordan, council member of the Torts and Insurance Practices Section; James Ward Jr., council member of the Torts and Insurance Practices Section; Justin Lucey, chair of the Trial and Appellate Advocacy Section; David S. Cobb, council member of the Trial and Appellate Advocacy Section; E. Vernon Glenn, vice chair of the Trial and Appellate Advocacy Section; Richard A. Hricik, council member of the Trial and Appellate Advocacy Section; Johnnie W. Baxley III, council member of the Workers’ Compensation Section; Steven E. Goldberg, council member of the Workers’ Compensation Section; and Robert P. Gruber, council member of the Workers’ Compensation Section.

Advertising Service Agency has received two national Public Affairs and Consumer Education Awards for creative advertising and marketing campaigns for the S.C. Department of Public Safety. The awards are presented by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators.

The Lowcountry Manufacturers Council has moved to Trident Technical College in North Charleston.

ServiceMaster of Charleston has received the company’s most prestigious prize, the Marion E. Wade Master Award of Honor. The parent company awards the honor to the ServiceMaster franchise that most embodies the pursuit of excellence and professional management in the ServiceMaster tradition. ServiceMaster of Charleston has received seven expert and three excellence awards in the last nine years.

The Charleston Baseball Hall of Fame has inducted two teams into the Class of 2007: The 1955 Cannon Street YMCA team and The Citadel’s 1990 College World Series team. The 1955 Cannon Street YMCA team represented the first African-American Little League team in South Carolina. The Citadel’s 1990 College World Series Team was the only military school ever to participate in NCAA World Series. 

HALOS has elected four new members to its board of directors: Perry Boxx, news director at Channel 4 news; Sameka Jenkins of Carolina First Bank; Julius F. Scott of Charleston County Juvenile Drug Court; Ed Camp, owner of Camp Creative & Company; and Cynthia Brown, member of Mt. Moriah Missionary Baptist Church. HALOS recently celebrated its 10th anniversary serving children who have suffered abuse and neglect in Charleston County. 

Companion Life Insurance Company has selected TCC of South Carolina as its nationwide claims and benefits administrator for its new FlexMed limited-benefit group health insurance plans. The deal will create up to 15 jobs in Charleston and extend health care coverage to working people.

SUBSCRIBE | REPRINTS | CONTACT US

Phone: 843-849-3100    Fax: 843-849-3122