LOCAL LAW FIRM CREATES MAGIC
Magic Moments and Hill Hill Carter Franco Cole & Black, PC surprised 16-year-old Marquisha Jones with the news of her “magic moment” – receiving a computer and iPad with voice adaptive technology along with mounting equipment for her wheelchair. Jones has dreams of becoming a lawyer. Hill, Hill, Carter and Magic Moments teamed up to help her better pursue her dreams after suffering a spinal cord injury in 2015 that left her a quadriplegic. Marquisha thought the lawyers would be speaking with her about their profession to encourage her to continue to pursue law as her career choice after hearing about her story. “We were very moved by Marquisha’s story, the tragedy that happened in her life and her positive attitude. Despite her setbacks, we know that with determination, the right resources and encouragement from her community, she can reach any goal she sets her mind to. We hope her new computer equipment will assist her in furthering her education and reaching her full potential. Montgomery is blessed with a legal community that is involved in charitable organizations such as Magic Moments. This is just a small representation of what our legal community does,” said Spud Seale, Shareholder at Hill Hill Carter Franco Cole & Black, PC. Magic Moments is the only wish-granting organization dedicated exclusively to children in Alabama suffering with chronic life threatening diseases.
AUM RENEWS SHRM ALIGNMENT
Auburn University at Montgomery’s College of Business has announced that its BSBA in Human Resource Management curriculum has been recognized for its alignment with the Society for Human Resource Management’s (SHRM) Curriculum Guidebook and Templates. SHRM is the world’s largest HR professional society, representing 285,000 members in more than 165 countries. “One key impact of the renewed alignment is that SHRM will allow college seniors with at least 500 hours of internship or practical HR experience to take the professional certication exam (SHRM-CP) beginning next December,” said Dr. Ed Arnold, professor of Human Resource Management. “But, to qualify, they have to be in a college where the curriculum has been approved.” As an SHRM-certi ed college, AUM’s College of Business is listed on the society’s website, which is visited daily by thousands of managers in industry. “That means executives and hiring managers will be familiar with AUM when they see it on candidates’ resumes,” Arnold added. Worldwide, only 440 programs in 330 educational institutions have been acknowledged by SHRM as being in alignment with its suggested guides and templates.
PRATTVILLE BAPTIST HOSPITAL CEO LEADS MARCH OF DIMES EFFORT
More than 10,000 Alabama babies will be born premature this year, and Eric Morgan is working with the March of Dimes to change this. As the Chief Executive Officer Prattville Baptist Hospital, he knows how important the March of Dimes mission is to families all over the state. As a father of two, he has taken on the role of the 2017 March for Babies Chair to raise awareness and grow funding to help babies born preterm or with birth defects. Morgan has made the commitment to lead the effort to raise $290,000 for the overall campaign goal. March for Babies, the March of Dimes’ largest fundraiser, funds research and educational programs aimed at helping moms have healthy babies. Last year in the River Region, more than $277,000 was raised. This year, Morgan and his Executive Leadership Team will focus on recruiting new companies to participate and lead the community in making a di erence for the health of moms and babies. Central Alabama residents can sign up at www. marchforbabies.org.
HAMPSTEAD HOSTS “TASTE & TOUR” BENEFIT
The Samaritan Counseling Center hosted a fundraising “Taste & Tour” event in early April at the Hampstead community. The event gave attendees the opportunity to take guided tours of more than 15 decorated homes with food and drink tastings throughout, then enjoy more food and refreshments at The Tipping Point in Hampstead’s Town Center. The “Taste & Tour” also featured live music and prize drawings. All proceeds from ticket sales went to The Samaritan Counseling Center, which provides counseling and mental health services to thousands of individuals and families in the River Region.
ALABAMA WORLD TRAVEL CELEBRATES ANNIVERSARY
Alabama World Travel in Montgomery has reached an exciting milestone: 45 years in the highly competitive travel agency business. Founded in 1971, Alabama World Travel (AWT) has grown to become a trusted travel planning resource for its growing clientele. AWT’s team of 13 employees possesses more than 150 combined years of personal travel and travel planning experience, a passion for travel, a commitment to excellence and genuine care for other people. They see AWT as more than a business; it’s a place they help people create memories that last a lifetime. It’s also a “family” of people who look forward to coming to work every day, engaging with each other professionally and personally. AWT celebrated its 45 Year Anniversary on January 31 with an Open House at its location on Taylor Road. Long-time clients and friends, former employees, travel partners from near and far and service partners in the community came and enjoyed a grand reunion. Mayor Todd Strange presented Liz Sutton with a Key to the City.
LOCAL BUSINESS MARKS SIX DECADES
WorkForce Walker Personnel, LLC, a locally, women-owned staffing agency, celebrated its 60th anniversary in April. WorkForce Walker Personnel, LLC, was founded by the Walker Family in 1957. In the beginning, they were located over another well-known Montgomery establishment, Chris’ Hot Dogs on Dexter Avenue. At that time, staffing consisted of permanent placements only. The Walkers’ success was swift, and their growth necessitated the need to include temp-to-hire and temporary placement services. In 1979, WorkForce, the company’s industrial staffing division, was established. As their business continued to grow in size and services offered, the company expanded to several locations throughout the River Region before returning their operations to downtown Montgomery in 1995. WorkForce Walker Personnel is co-owned by Founder and President, Mavis Walker, along with her daughter, Beth Walker McBride, who serves as the company’s Vice President and oversees the daily operations. “It is very exciting to look back at all that my mother has accomplished in the 60 years since she founded the company. It is a true honor to be a part of this legacy,” Walker McBride said. As their company has evolved, services now include professional, clerical and industrial sta ng resources in the River Region and professional placement services across the country.
ZOO WEEKEND OFFERS FAMILY FUN
The City of Montgomery and the Montgomery Area Zoological Society invited all to the 41st annual Zoo Weekend in mid March. The two-day event featured a festival-style environment with live entertainment, rides, games, inflatables, animal presentations and tasty treats. The family friendly event also featured a rock-climbing wall and the Jo Don Petting Zoo, where guests were able to touch and feed animals as well as ride ponies and camels. Started in 1976 to raise funds to support capital improvement projects, Zoo Weekend is a cherished tradition in the River Region. Throughout the years, proceeds from this event have supported the construction of new habitats for African elephants, American alligators and North American river otters. The event also serves as a membership drive for the zoo, with discounted annual membership rates.
LOCAL RESTAURANT GM APPOINTED TO HOSPITALITY BOARD
The Vintage Year’s General Manager Chase Brown was recently appointed to serve on the board for the Alabama Restaurant and Hospitality Association. The Alabama Restaurant and Hospitality Association is a non-pro t corporation, dedicated to serve the needs of the foodservice hospitality industry in the state of Alabama. The Association provides educational programs, membership services, legislative and government relations, informational services, and promotes the industry for its members. “It’s an honor to be selected to the Alabama Restaurant & Hospitality Association Board of Directors for a two-year term. I plan on using this platform to help our youth in the culinary eld through demonstrations, career days and many other engagements that give vision and hope. I feel it is our responsibility to teach these kids about the skills and abilities that will attribute to a more prosperous career,” said Brown.
FOOD BANK DONATION
The Montgomery Area Food Bank got a huge boost in its ability to get food to people across the state recently thanks to a generous donation from Publix Super Markets. Publix donated a new refrigerated food truck to the Food Bank, a gift valued at $150,000. The truck will help ensure that many residents get healthy foods like fruits and vegetables that need refrigerating during shipment. “If we didn’t have these refrigerated trucks, it would hinder our mission and ultimately it would affect the people,” said food bank CEO Richard Deems. “This will enable this effective organization to be more effective to touch those that’s in a greater need in the local community,” said Publix Media and Community Relations Manager Dwaine Stevens.
EMPLOYEES NOW OWN INFORMATION TRANSPORT SOLUTIONS
Information Transport Solutions, Inc. (ITS), a leading provider of broadband and network services to education, government and industry in the Southeast, announced that its Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) Trust has acquired 100 percent of the outstanding shares of company. This was made possible by founder Tomi Selby selling her remaining company stock to the employees of ITS, effective March 6, 2017. “Employee ownership was one of the main reasons I originally joined ITS. This important step further ensures that employees can share in the company’s success,” said Je Drury, CFO. “I thank Tomi for her leadership and vision in making the ESOP a reality.” Selby founded ITS in 1998 and it has grown - because of its employees and leadership - to become a leading information technology rm in Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Mississippi. The full-employee ownership of ITS will fuel further expansion efforts.
KIRKLAND’S JOINS EASTCHASE CENTRAL
Jim Wilson & Associates, LLC (JWA) has added the specialty retailer Kirkland’s, with over 7,500 square feet, to the store line-up for Eastchase Central, the new shopping center development under construction and located at the mid-point of Eastchase Parkway. Kirkland’s is a well-known name in the Southeast and will join Marshalls/HomeGoods and Five Below in this new shopping venue at Eastchase. “As the developer of Eastchase, Jim Wilson & Associates looks forward to the addition of Kirkland’s, an outstanding retailer, to our new shopping center project, Eastchase Central, opening in the Fall of this year,” said Will Wilson, President of Jim Wilson & Associates.
BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION AT ROSA PARKS MUSEUM
Troy University’s Rosa Parks Museum celebrated what would have been Mrs. Parks’ 104th birthday in February with free tours, musical and theatrical performances and birthday cake. The celebration took place at the museum, located on the Troy University Montgomery Campus downtown. “Mrs. Parks was an American hero and the Rosa Parks Museum at Troy University Montgomery is so excited to celebrate her legacy of courage on her birthday,” said Dr. Felicia Bell, the museum’s director. Constructed on the site of the Empire Theatre where Parks was famously arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a Montgomery Bus, the Rosa Parks Museum opened in December 2000 with the mission of preserving and interpreting the story and lasting legacy of the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
NEW PHARMACY TECHNOLOGY IMPROVES SAFETY
As more and more Americans enter their senior years, the struggle to keep up with medications increases. Turenne PharMedCo, a pharmacy and medical supply distributor based in Montgomery, is working to help make medication distribution easier and safer. The company has committed to enhancing their services to provide more simplified and user-friendly medication packaging. In addition to providing a number of different packaging options such as blister packs, the pharmacy has invested more than $500,000 to upgrade to the latest in automated drug packaging machines and inspection technology. For hundreds of pills at a time, the new ATP2 machines not only sort each medication into individual prescriptions but also packages them in personalized imprinted pouches that inform caregivers and patients about the contents. Clear on one side, the pouches have the barcodes, names and dosages of each prescription on the other side so patients know exactly what medicines they are taking and when they should be taken. Turenne PharMedCo, which serves healthcare facilities throughout Alabama, Tennessee and Kentucky and fills tens of thousands of prescriptions a week, also invested in an extra layer of protection for customers by upgrading its inspection technology to a more advanced InspectRx machine to help validate prescriptions.
BAPTIST HEALTH & MONTGOMERY CANCER CENTER OPEN RENOVATED CLINIC
Montgomery Cancer Center Prattville recently opened its newly renovated 15,000-square-foot space at Prattville Medical Park. The facility is located in the Prattville Medical Park and will deliver cutting-edge cancer care, a team of board-certified oncologists and highly trained oncology nurses. The space holds 24 infusion bays for patients undergoing chemotherapy and immunotherapy along with 10 exam rooms, conference areas and support facilities. “For more than two decades, the Montgomery Cancer Center has provided support, hope and healing to its patients,” said Susan Reed, administrator of the Montgomery Cancer Center. “Bringing this convenience to our patients in Prattville is truly a better service to our community’s future needs.
CADDELL CONSTRUCTION CO. TO BUILD EMBASSY
Caddell Construction Co., an international construction rm headquartered in Montgomery, was awarded a construction contract by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations for the new U.S. Embassy in Asuncion, Paraguay. The multi-building complex will
be situated on a 14-acre site at the same location as the existing embassy. The project will include a New Office Building, U.S. Marine residence, entry pavilion, facilities for the community, support annex and a parking structure. The award of the new embassy in Asuncion is Caddell’s 28th diplomatic facility contract since 2000, and Caddell’s first embassy project in South America. Construction will commence in 2017 with project completion anticipated in 2021
HEALTH SERVICES ADDS CLINIC
Montgomery’s Health Services, Inc. began offering adult walk-in care on weekdays at its River Region Health Center Location in early March. Now, both new and existing patients experiencing acute symptoms of minor illnesses and injuries can “walk in” to the clinic, Monday through Friday, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. With many providers and 10 locations, HSI specializes in providing personalized care for every stage of life.
