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John McKinney of CRB Atlanta

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John McKinney – CRB Atlanta

CRB, a leading provider of engineering, design and construction services for customers in the biotech, pharmaceutical and life sciences industries, has expanded into Atlanta with a dedicated office and local leadership team. Atlantan John McKinney, a proven leader in the field of engineering and design, will serve as Core Team Leader for the office located in the Palisades Office Park in the central perimeter area. Georgia’s status as a burgeoning hub for the life sciences industry along with CRB’s growing local client base brought about the decision to open the local office.

The opening of the CRB Atlanta office is a critical step for continuing our growth in the Southeast region,” said McKinney. “The office enables us to more closely engage in this burgeoning life sciences market and enabling us to be even more responsive to our customers in Georgia.”

While its Atlanta office is new, CRB is not a newcomer to the market. The firm is currently working on several major projects for life science and pharmaceutical companies in Atlanta and throughout Georgia, including Baxter, Ethicon, Merial and Alkermes. Based on demand for its specialized services, CRB expects to expand its Georgia portfolio substantially over the next few years.

CRB is a full-service network of engineers, architects, constructors and consultants assisting advanced technology organizations in the planning, design, construction and operational support of facilities across the globe. With world-class technical expertise and an empowered team of 600-plus, we relentlessly pursue and deliver the right solutions to our clients’ technical challenges, no matter how big or small.

Founded in 1984, CRB has twelve production offices located in: Kansas City, Mo.; St. Louis, Mo.; Raleigh, N.C.; Philadelphia, Pa.; San Diego, Calif.; San Jose, Calif.; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Kalamazoo, Mich.; Boston, Mass., Boulder, Colo., Baltimore, Md., and Atlanta, Ga.

Website: www.crbusa.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CRB1984

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/crb-consulting-engineers

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CRB_USA

 

 

Brooke Lucas – Georgia Department of Labor

Brooke Lucas

Brooke Lucas, the Chief of Staff for State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler

Brooke Lucas joined the Georgia Department of Labor in January of 2011 as Deputy Commissioner of Workforce Solutions.  She was hired by then newly elected Labor Commissioner Mark Butler to lead the process of improving the Labor Department’s contributions and connectivity to Georgia’s economic development efforts.

In January of 2012, Brooke was promoted to Chief of Staff.  In addition to managing oversight of daily operations at the Department, Brooke also serves as liaison between the Commissioner’s office, the Georgia General Assembly, the Governor’s Office, 47 Labor Department Career Centers, multiple state agencies and private industry on labor and workforce issues.

In the fall of 2012, SWAT (Special Workforce Assistance Team) was created to identify workforce system improvement opportunities across Georgia.  SWAT is a grassroots approach to full employment in Georgia’s most threatened communities – economically depressed areas with high unemployment rates.  SWAT works with communities to raise awareness of economic realities, develop and employ effective response strategies, and gain support for Georgia Department of Labor and its workforce partners.

In the spring of 2013, the Business Services Unit was created to strengthen GDOL labor exchange activities through an innovative combination of new computer efficiencies and personal attention from specialized front-line staff.  This combination ensures GDOL labor exchange is a smoothly functioning job matching system, making connections between the business community’s varied workforce needs and fully trained job-seekers with skillsets that match those needs.   By proactively working with workforce partners to help job-seekers build those specific skill sets, Georgia’s businesses will continue to keep pace with emerging technologies and successfully compete in our global economy.

A native of Metro Atlanta, Brooke is a graduate of Mercer University, where she received her Bachelor of Arts.  Brooke is currently enrolled at the Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia in Atlanta.  She is scheduled to receive her MBA in May of 2014.

C. David Moody of C. D. Moody Construction and Sanquinetta Dover of DoverStaffing

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C. David Moody/C. D. Moody Construction

A recognized leader in the construction industry, C.D. Moody Construction has been delivering quality projects since 1988. They are recognized as one of Atlanta’s Top 25 Commercial Contractors and ranked as one of its top 100 Private Companies.

C. D. Moody Construction

 Sanquinetta Dover/DoverStaffing

Entrepreneur, mentor, and philanthropist SANQUINETTA DOVER is President/CEO of DoverStaffing and DoverSolutions and founder of DoverStaffing, Inc. With more than 30 years of business experience servicing major metropolitan markets with her distinctive leadership style, Ms. Dover has extensive experience in staffing, training, and project management.

Dover Staffing

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/DoverStaffing-Inc/228248250589468

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sanquinettadover/

Lee Swerdlin and Karen Dixon-Burroughs of Swerdlin and Company

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Lee Swerdlin and Karen Dixon-Burroughs of Swerdlin & Company

Swerdlin & Company, one of Atlanta’s largest employee benefits and compensation consulting firms, recently acquired Augusta-based Qualified Plan Administrators, Inc. Lee Swerdlin and Karen Dixon-Burroughs of Swerdlin & Company discuss the firm’s growth, as well as the current development in the employee benefits industry. This segment will take a closer look at how companies are changing their benefits and compensation plans to reflect the current economic conditions and advise on how companies will update their employee plans in 2014.

Swerdlin & Company 

Kamal Grant of Sublime Doughnuts and Daryl Dollinger of Atlanta Franchise Group

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Kamal Grant/Sublime Doughnuts

Grant’s love for baking started at a very young age when he realized that sweets make people happy and he wanted to do things to make people happy. When an executive from Dunkin Donuts visited Grant’s high school food service class and discussed his trips to the doughnut research and development lab to taste the experimental treats it sounded pretty sweet. Grant graduated from Marietta High School in 1998. After High School, Grant joined the Navy and was stationed in San Diego on the USS John Young DD-973, a Spruance Class Destroyer. Grant used his enlistment in the Navy as an opportunity to pursue his dream as a world class baker. Grant served as a Baker – E4 – 3rd Class Petty Officers on the USS John Young where he quickly gained the praise of his shipmates because of the delicious cinnamon rolls he baked. The Navy not only gave Grant an opportunity to bake, his travels around the world exposed him to international culinary treats that combined flavors and textures that he had not been accustomed to in the U.S.A. While in Singapore, an ice cream sandwich made of multicolored bread and sweet red bean soup, in Australia, vegemite on toast and Milo, a malt chocolate flavored beverage, and in Dubai, shawarmas made with roti, an unleavened flat bread, and candy made of rosewater are a few of the experiences that would forever change Grant’s approach to baking. Pastries were not just about baking, they also represented culinary art.

Grant’s love for baking led him to the Culinary Institute of America after his enlistment with the Navy. He studied at the Institute from 2002 until 2004 where he focused on high end desserts, plate presentations, classical techniques and the flavors and textures of award winning chefs. During his time at the Institute, Grant interned with the renowned Chef Keegan Gerhard, at the Windsor Court Hotel, who was named one of the nation’s top 10 pastry chefs of 2002 and 2004 by both Chocolatier and Pastry Art & Design magazines. After the Culinary Institute of America, Grant refined his skills of the how and why at the American Institute of Baking where he focused on the Science of Baking. Grant put those skills to use at his first job as a Supervisor at the Flowers Baking Company. During his time at Flowers, Grant learned the value of “High Volume, High Quality” production.

A quick stop to buy doughnuts ended with Grant reading a for lease sign to an empty doughnut shop. The drive home Grant started to think that it was time for his culinary vision to be realized. That vision was named “Sublime Doughnuts”, Grant’s desire to create led him to launch what would represent his vision of baking. Through Sublime Doughnuts, Grant hopes to present the flavors and textures from around the world on a doughnut canvass. Stop by and share in Chef Grant’s sublime creations.

Sublime Doughnuts

 

Daryl Dollinger/Atlanta Franchise Group

Atlanta Franchise Group

 

 

Kelly Dolan with Atlanta Women’s Foundation and Carrie Davis with CARE USA

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Kelly Dolan/The Atlanta Women’s Foundation

Kelly Dolan brings over twenty-five years of experience in fundraising, marketing, event planning and non-profit management to her position as Executive Director of The Atlanta Women’s Foundation. The Atlanta Women’s Foundation’s mission is to be a catalyst for change in the lives of women and girls and to end generational poverty. The organization funds programs and services for the women and girls in the five-county metro Atlanta area. A native of Chicago, Kelly began her career at Leo Burnett, the world’s largest advertising agency. After relocating to Atlanta, she worked at Macy’s South where she developed a segmented marketing program for their tourist markets. She then headed the public relations department for Atlanta-based Wemmers Communications where she worked with healthcare and hospitality clients. She then joined Egleston Children’s Health Care System where she became the head of marketing and created and oversaw the System’s first integrated marketing plan. She was also part of the executive team that oversaw the merger between Egleston and Scottish Rite as they combined and became Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Kelly continued her career in non-profit management as President of the Atlanta Downtown Partnership and then Vice-President of Marketing for Central Atlanta Progress where she created marketing programs for downtown Atlanta. She was President of Kelly Dolan Communications, a firm that specialized in providing strategic communications planning, media relations and special event planning for healthcare and non-profit clients and then became the Executive Director of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Greater Atlanta Affiliate. Komen Atlanta is the largest breast cancer organization in the state. She was then named the Executive Director for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Georgia Chapter managing the statewide organization before accepting her role with The Atlanta Women’s Foundation. Kelly was inducted into the YWCA Academy of Women Achievers in 2012 and was named by Atlanta Woman Magazine as one of the 2009 WOW Women of Atlanta. She has served as a keynote speaker for the Public Relations Society of Georgia and at the Phenomenal Women’s Conference. She is a four-time Public Relations Society of Georgia award winner including her receipt of the prestigious Phoenix Award for overall excellence in public relations. She has also been honored by the Georgia Society of Hospital Marketing and Public Relations with a Best of Show award. An active community volunteer, Kelly is a member of the Cancer Survivor Leadership Coalition of Georgia and the Northwest Girl Scout Council Camp CEO program. She is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and was a past Red Cross Fulton Service Center Advisory Board member. http://atlantawomen.org/  

Carrie Davis/CARE USA

Carrie joined CARE in early 2009 and leads strategy to generate increased private support in the Southeast Region of the United States. She has seen CARE’s work first-hand in Rwanda, India, Ecuador, Bosnia and Ethiopia. Carrie began her career as a history teacher within the independent school arena before joining Salem Academy and College in Winston-Salem, North Carolina as director of major and planned giving in 2000. At Salem, Carrie helped lead a $75M campaign that met its original $50 million goal one year ahead of schedule and raised three times more than any prior campaign. Carrie is a graduate of Duke University and holds a Master’s in Liberal Studies from St. John’s College. Carrie lives in Atlanta with her husband and enjoys tennis, gardening, the arts, and culture.  http://www.care.org/index.asp?

James Franklin with TechBridge and Anthony Joseph with Concessions International

Growth Matters

James Franklin/TechBridge

James Franklin was named Chief Executive Officer of TechBridge in July 2011 when he transitioned from his position as Chairman of the Board. James’ service to TechBridge started in 2006 as a volunteer. From there he joined the Board, serving as Products and Services Chair, Digital Ball Chair, and Board Vice-Chair before becoming Board Chair.

Prior to joining TechBridge as CEO, James held executive management positions at a number of IT products and services companies. Most recently, James was General Manager for the Enterprise business segment of Omnilink, a software-as-a-service business. He also worked at Avanade, an Accenture company focused on Microsoft solutions, where he ran the Southeast Region, and HP, where he served as General Manager for HP’s US State Government Consulting business unit. Throughout James’ career he has focused on the delivery of top quality IT products and services for leading brands.

James has a MBA from the University of Maryland and BA in Management Information Systems from the University of Georgia. With generations of family history in Georgia, James is honored to have the opportunity to serve the community through TechBridge.

View James’ LinkedIn Profile HERE

Anthony Joseph/Concessions International

Atlanta-based Concessions International, LLC, founded in 1978, is a dynamic food and beverage concessionaire with operations in eight airports. The company’s portfolio includes franchised, licensed and proprietary concepts, including casual dining, quick service, snack, deli and bar and grill. The company is a franchisee of major national brands including Fresh To Order, Seattle’s Best Coffee, and Einstein Bros. Bagels. CI operates Pemberton Café at the World of Coca Cola and a brick-and-mortar Paschal’s in the historic Castleberry district of downtown Atlanta.

 

 

Lynn Hood with Crackerjack Marketing and Jennifer Copeland with Georgia PROBE

Lynn Hood/Crackerjack Marketing

Lynn Hood is the Top Kernel at Crackerjack Marketing, an integrated marketing firm that helps medical device, bioscience, high tech and business-to-business companies strategically position themselves and increase sales. Crackerjack is the answer for businesses that need a right-sized solution for their marketing, branding or public relations needs.

Lynn has more than 25 years of experience working with agencies and corporations in marketing and communications. Before founding Crackerjack Marketing, she was President of Hood Marketing Solutions for 20 years. Prior to that, Lynn was a senior writer for the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO) and served as Communications Manager for Oglethorpe Power Corporation. She has also worked with Liberty Life Insurance/Liberty Corporation, Southern Vital Record Center, Pearl River Basin Development District and the Appalachia Health Council, and began her career as a reporter for the Augusta Chronicle-Herald.

Jennifer Copeland/Georgia PROBE 

The PROBE College Fair tour is an annual tour of the state of Georgia by colleges and universities across the state and country. More than 150 institutions will participate in over 60 fairs throughout the state from September to November.

 

 

 

Mark Wilson with eVerifile and Kim Anderson with Families First

Mark Wilson/eVerifile

Entrepreneur Mark A. Wilson is the President and CEO of Atlanta-based eVerifile Inc., a privately held company specializing in delivering fast, web-powered workforce screening solutions and support systems for organizations across the globe. Founded in 1999, the company serves organizations in a number of industries, including healthcare, gaming, pharmaceuticals, transportation and utilities. Mr. Wilson acquired eVerifile in early 2012 along with an impressive team of investors.

Wilson has over 25 years of experience in the business information services industry, and has held senior level sales and operations management positions with companies such as D&B, ABF Freight Systems and Whirlpool Corporation.

In 2001, Wilson founded RYLA Teleservices Inc. a true start-up, launched in his basement and named after his two children Ryan and Lauren. As President and Chief Executive Officer, he established RYLA as a nationally-recognized customer support and contact center with more than 3,000 employees and revenues in excess of $100 million. Over the years, Wilson continued to grow the business, serving Fortune 500 companies, government agencies and nonprofit organizations while adding call center locations around the country and creating thousands of full-time and seasonal jobs. The company’s many accolades include Wall Street Journal’s top workplaces, Atlanta Business Chronicle’s 2009 fastest-growing company, and the Inc. 5000 list of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies for four consecutive years. RYLA was acquired in 2010.

Wilson’s vision and leadership has earned a number of prestigious honors, including Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award ® for 2010 and TiE Atlanta’s 2010 Entrepreneur of the Year.

A native of Arkansas, he earned his degree in Business Administration and Management at Wilberforce University. Wilson and his family now live in Atlanta, Georgia.

Kim Anderson/Families First

Kim Anderson is Chief Executive Officer with Families First. Kim is responsible for the implementation and success of the Families First mission while guiding a staff of over 100 employees in 10 locations with an annual budget of $10 million.

Prior to joining Families First, Kim was Senior Director for BoardWalk Consulting providing strategic planning, board enhancement, organizational management and executive leadership for numerous non-profit organizations. Kim previously served as Executive Director of AID Atlanta, the southeast’s largest AIDS services organization.  Before that, Kim enjoyed an extensive legal career in the healthcare arena.  After service with the law firm of Alston & Bird, she became the first General Counsel of Grady Health System, and subsequently served as Vice President & Assistant General Counsel for Magellan Health Systems, a publicly traded behavioral healthcare company, and senior legal counsel for the Atlanta Housing Authority.

Kim is a graduate of Oberlin College and Columbia University School of Law.

 

 

Michael Grindell with 22squared, Meridith Rentz with MedShare International and Tanya Lewis with Equifax

Michael Grindell/22squared

Mike joined 22squared six years ago and currently serves as the Chief Administrative Officer. He had a 16-year career as an Executive for The Coca-Cola Company, where he held senior roles for their largest global business unit. Prior to Coca-Cola, he served in various leadership positions at Citigroup and Federated Department Stores, respectively.

Mike ensures 22squared operates smoothly and delivers results. He is deeply involved in digital, social and 22squareds proprietary analytics and dashboard platforms. He brings a unique combination of business savvy and commitment to 22squared’s people and culture.

In addition to spending time with his family, Mike is an avid Kansas Basketball fan and lifelong runner completing over fifteen half-marathons and two marathons. He serves as board chair for Quality Care of Children, an Atlanta-based organization that serves almost 150,000 children in Georgia each year; Mike has been active in the Atlanta community for many years.

Meridith Rentz/MedShare International

Meridith Rentz is CEO & President of MedShare, an innovative nonprofit with a dual mission to deliver surplus medical supplies to underserved populations around the world while lessening the impact of medical waste across the United States. The organization bridges the gap between surplus and need to improve healthcare and the environment through the efficient recovery and redistribution of surplus medical supplies and equipment to those most in need.

Meridith currently serves on the board of Atlanta-based Quality Care for Children and is a member of the Advisory Council for the Georgia Center for Nonprofits’ CEO Peerspectives Program and the Medical Surplus Recovery Advisory Group. She is a 2010 graduate of Leadership Atlanta and a recipient of Goizueta Business School’s “Guiding Star” Award.

Meridith is an alum of both the Rollins School of Public Health and the Goizueta Business School at Emory University where she received her MPH and MBA degrees as a Woodruff Fellow. She received her BA in Economics from the University of North Carolina as a Morehead Scholar. She is married to Dean Baker and enjoys trying to keep up with three very active and extremely inquisitive sons, ages 11, 9 and 6.

Tanya Lewis/Equifax

Tanya Lewis is a 30 year veteran in global corporate sales and marketing with work experiences spanning 3 distinct industries – Oil and Gas, Beverage/Consumer Goods, and Consumer and Commercial information services. She is currently a Senior Leader with Equifax Inc. in the capacity of VP, Sales Governance & Planning – Mortgage Services, US Consumer Information Solutions. Throughout her career, she served in a variety of leadership roles with accountabilities in sales, marketing, strategic planning, franchise leadership, operations and global customer management.