Thursday, September 30, 2010

The MedZilla Report for September 2009 - Care Grows Again in September and - Surprisingly - Pharma Sales Jobs Up Too

The MedZilla Report for September 2009 - Care Grows Again in September and - Surprisingly - Pharma Sales Jobs Up Too

Even as more Americans on the whole were out of work in September, health care industry continued growing, adding 19,000 new jobs. But more surprising was the fact that companies have begun posting new pharmaceutical sales jobs.

Marysville, WA (Vocus) October 28, 2009

Employment in healthcare (http://www. medzilla. com) and related fields continued to grow, even as more Americans found themselves out of work in September. Although 263,000 jobs were lost in the U. S., the health care industry saw an increase of 19,000 jobs - 15,000 of them in ambulatory health care services. The unemployment rate in health care was up 1.7 percent from September 2008, but none of the health care job types tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed a negative change from August 2009 to September 2009.

While 19,000 healthcare industry jobs were created in September, they seemed to be spread fairly evenly across the U. S. Only North Carolina and California saw an increase of more than one percent in total job postings; only Massachusetts saw a decrease of more than one percent. No state's total number of jobs posted by employers changed by more than 1.5 percent in either direction. Most of the new jobs posted were in product development, management, and - surprisingly - sales, one of the health care and pharmaceutical job categories hit hardest by the U. S. recession. "It's possible that companies who let go of a lot of sales representatives have reached the minimum number of reps they can keep on staff and still be viable," said Dr. Frank Heasley, president and founder of MedZilla. com, the internet's leading source for healthcare related employment. "We've seen more health system layoffs these past few months than anything else."

September bucked the trend - at least a little bit - as Eli Lilly, one of the biggest pharmaceutical companies, announced that they would be laying off more than 1,000 people over the next 27 months. Teva and AstraZeneca both said they would be cutting jobs as well; however, they only planned to lay off fewer than 115 people apiece, which, when it comes to pharmaceutical company layoffs, is a very small number. Still, health systems and hospitals (http://www. medzilla. com) announced the bulk of the job eliminations in health care in September, most notably in the Northeast. The pattern observed in August - that these groups have had to eliminate specialty programs - continued into September, with outpatient behavior health and substance abuse centers closing in Massachusetts, a center that serves the mentally retarded closing in Tennessee, and the closing of a gay and lesbian center in San Jose that supports those affected by HIV. Additionally, hospitals have begun making cuts that dramatic television has foreshadowed for several years - for example, 32 nurses at Good Samaritan Hospital in Lebanon, Pa., were let go, albeit with severance packages and placement assistance (Patriot News). Many layoff announcements focused on the firing of highly paid executives, but when a hospital announces across-the-board cuts, it is likely going unsaid that nurses are being displaced as well.

For those displaced, though, there is hope - companies in eight states significantly increased their efforts to find qualified employees, with five showing jumps of two percent or more. Only four states significantly reduced their candidate searches, and only Florida and New Jersey backed off by more than five percent. The candidates most likely to be contacted worked in clinical research (http://www. medzilla. com) - companies seeking potential employees in that specialty increased their search efforts by 3.5 percent overall. In terms of job seekers, numbers remained statistically flat in all states except Texas, which saw a rise of 1.2 percent.

For almost the entirety of 2009, health care and education have been seen as somewhat recession-proof. While jobs have been cut in health care, it has grown an average of 22,000 jobs per month - down from 2008 but still on the rise; in contrast, education has subsisted on furloughs and program cuts until this month, when universities and even a school system in the U. S. announced layoffs due to the economy. This is not a trend yet, but it could extend to significant job losses in the field of health care education - especially at the collegiate and post-graduate level.

Dr. Heasley suggested that it is probably too soon to hope that the tide may be turning. "In October, the Dow - which many believe is the leading economic indicator in the U. S. - closed above 10,000 for the first time in a very long while. However, stock market indices simply reflect investor confidence, and have little to do with actual economic health - unemployment is the real measure of this recession, and the human misery it is causing. Although official estimates of unemployment are currently around ten percent, if you include people who have given up, the real figure is closer to 20 percent, and it doesn't look like that's going to change significantly any time soon."

About MedZilla. com:
Established in mid-1994, MedZilla (http://www. medzilla. com) is the original and leading web site to serve career and hiring needs for professionals and employers in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, medicine, science and healthcare. The MedZilla jobs database contains about 7,500 open positions. The resume database currently contains over 285,000 resumes with 16,800 less than three months old. These resources have been characterized as the largest, most comprehensive databases of their kind on the web in the industries served.

Medzilla® is a Registered Trademark owned by Medzilla Inc. Copyright ©2009, MedZilla, Inc. Permission is granted to reproduce and distribute this text in its entirety, and if electronically, with a link to the URL www. medzilla. com. For permission to quote from or reproduce any portion of this message, please contact MedZilla, Inc. at press(at)medzilla(dot)com.

Press Inquiries
Phone: (360) 657 5681
Sales(at)medzilla(dot)com

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Tuesday, September 28, 2010

BoxTone Management Software for BlackBerry Platform Big Hit at Lotusphere 2008

BoxTone Management Software for BlackBerry Platform Big Hit at Lotusphere 2008

BoxTone(R), the award-winning expert in mobile user management, announced today that visitors from more than 150 enterprises and agencies have helped make the company's management and monitoring software for the BlackBerry platform a big hit at Lotusphere 2008, January 20-24, in Orlando, Florida, hosted by IBM.

Columbia, MD (PRWEB) January 23, 2008

BoxTone(R), the award-winning expert in mobile user management, announced today that visitors from more than 150 enterprises and agencies have helped make the company's management and monitoring software for the BlackBerry platform a big hit at Lotusphere 2008, January 20-24, in Orlando, Florida, hosted by IBM.

BoxTone experts have been on hand in Booth 619 on the Lotusphere 2008 show floor to share best practices for managing and monitoring BlackBerry smartphone users provisioned to the BlackBerry Enterprise Server for IBM Lotus Domino platform; to demonstrate the company's own management and monitoring software; and to offer BlackBerry platform health advice.

"From the initial release of BoxTone management and monitoring software in 2005, we've been obsessed with mobility issues unique to the IBM Lotus Domino platform," said Brian Reed, Chief Marketing Officer, BoxTone. "Thanks to that focus, combined with our record of innovation, BoxTone continues to add the largest Domino companies to our client list, including most recently a Fortune(R) 100 General Merchandiser, and a Forbes(R) Global 500 Household Products company."

Reed also cited BoxTone's proven ROI for the software's success, noting that after being deployed to Houghton Mifflin's mixed BlackBerry Enterprise Server for IBM Lotus Domino and Microsoft Exchange environment, BoxTone succeeded in addressing all of corporate IT's requirements (http://www. boxtone. com/Houghton-Mifflin/Houghton-Mifflin-mid. html) -- enabling the publishing giant to more proactively troubleshoot BlackBerry issues (often before users are even aware) and to eliminate significant overhead tied up in terminated smartphones.

As a service to the enterprise BlackBerry smartphone community BoxTone also announced its latest educational Webinar, "Enterprise BlackBerry Platform Management: How to Deliver Great Service to Users on an IBM Lotus Domino Platform" (https://www1.gotomeeting. com/register/374171197), which will run live on Thursday February 14, 2008 at 11:00 a. m. eastern standard time.

BoxTone software centrally monitors and manages in real-time several hundred to tens of thousands of users provisioned across multiple geographies, multiple BlackBerry Enterprise Server for IBM Lotus Domino, and multiple wireless carriers (http://www. boxtone. com/Products/blackberryDomino. aspx). BoxTone clients routinely report 80 percent reductions in both mean-time-to-repair (MTTR) and help desk escalations, as well as lower cost to serve, improved service levels, and better IT resource allocation.

About BoxTone
BoxTone(R) -- the only software to measure and correlate every BlackBerry email and application flow for every user and group across all communication links -- is trusted by the world's leading enterprises and government agencies to manage, monitor and support the mission critical BlackBerry platform. Armed with BoxTone's unprecedented 3-D visibility and role-specific consoles, IT help desk, operations and engineering can collaboratively reduce support costs, accommodate rapid device growth, and guarantee the high quality of service that mobile users demand. Learn more from the expert in mobile user management at www. boxtone. com].

BoxTone and the BoxTone logo are trademarks of BoxTone. The BlackBerry and RIM families of related marks, images and symbols are the exclusive properties and trademarks of Research In Motion Limited. All other product or company names mentioned are used for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners.

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Storming Robots Learning Center, Helping to Build a Generation with Robotics Science as Part of Its Culture

Storming Robots Learning Center, Helping to Build a Generation with Robotics Science as Part of Its Culture

Storming Robots Robotics Learning Center is the first learning center in New Jersey offering multi-disciplinary Robotics programs for youth, as well as the LEGO MINDSTORMS Center provides hands-on LEGO robots workshops. Its programs aim to inspire children's interests in robotics and science technologies by developing their intellect in fundamental engineering concepts, mathematics, strategic thinking, and problem solving.

Branchburg, NJ (PRWEB) July 17, 2004

Storming Robots, the first learning center in New Jersey offering multi-disciplinary Robotics programs for youth as well as the LEGO MINDSTORMS Center provides hands-on LEGO robots workshops. The majority of exercises utilize the popular Lego, Mindstorm and Robotics Kits as learning tools. Its programs aim to inspire children's interests in science technologies by developing their intellect in fundamental engineering concepts, technology, mathematics, strategic thinking, and problem solving.

Be Fascinated by Your Own Built LEGO Robot

The popularity of LEGO among children is undisputable. Do you remember the wonderful feeling of completing your own LEGO construction with your own hands? It is even more fun programming your LEGO Robots to move on command. However, don't think it is a trivial task. It requires planning, problem solving, analysis and programming. Under proper instruction, children further develop their applied mathematics skill, fundamental engineering concepts, strategic thinking, and programming knowledge.

Children learn robotics by integrating basic mechanics, mathematics, design and programming.

Learning Tools include LEGO MINDSTORMS components, graphics user interface (GUI) programming languages such as RCX Code and ROBOLAB, along with other LEGO accessories. The MINDSTORMS' core comprises of various sensors along with a main building block housing an autonomous LEGO microprocessor named RCX which communicates to a PC through its Infra-Red port. You may think the LEGO Robotics Kit was created for entertainment value only but don't underestimate the benefit and intricacy of these tools. These robotics devices are much more than meet the eye. The same components are used at the college level and for PHD robotics classes.

Sponsoring a Robotics Youth Club and Robots Tournament

In order to promote awareness of science in robotics, Storming Robots is sponsoring a Robotics Youth Club for children aged between 9 and 15. Children will periodically meet at the Storming Robotics center. The center provides all software, computers, and LEGO MINDSTORMS Robotics components for members to conduct their robotics activities and exploration. Membership is free, but the major requirements for participation are enthusiasm, interests in math and science, thirst for challenges, and respect for others. If interested, you may signup online at http://www. storming-robots. com (http://www. storming-robots. com). Because the first year enrollment is limited to 8 - 16 children, an assessment may be given as part of the membership enrollment process.

Members will participate in the annual FIRST LEGO League Robots Tournament as well. The FIRST LEGO League is an internationally known robotics program for children. Annual tournaments allow teams to conduct hands-on robotics design and authentic scientific research. For those with higher aptitudes in math and other science areas, Storming Robots will also make available other related contests, such as the National Continental Math League Contest.

Multidisciplinary Robotics Classes and LEGO Workshop for Youth

LEGO Robotics activities integrate LEGO construction with fundamental engineering concepts and strategic thinking. Most challenges involve a team of two to four members. At the end of most programs, children create an open-solution project by building their own robots, programming it and making a short presentation of their invention. For the more comprehensive programs, parents are invited to watch these presentations.

Storming Robots offer robotics programs which addresses the National Science, Math and Technology Standards.

Storming Robots utilizes robotics curriculum developed by the renowned robotics institutions as its guidelines. These institutions include: the Robotics Academy (a division of the National Robotics Engineering Consortium from the Carnegie Mellon University) and the Tufts University Engineering Continuous Education. These programs address the National Science, Math and Technology Standards. Storming Robots also participates in various related communities to include educational events which focus on software and educational program development involving LEGO RCX (the brain of the robotics kits).

See Some LEGO Bots...

Storming Robots has posted some of its simple robots in its activities page. Click to view some of the activities and programs currently available. Note all bots are made from scratch, i. e. starting from a couple of LEGO bricks.

You may also visit http://mindstorms. lego. com/eng/inventions/default. asp (http://mindstorms. lego. com/eng/inventions/default. asp) to look at some inventions.

To sign up, the children need to be aged 8 or over. You may sign up online at www. storming-robots. com or email to classes@storming-robots. com. Note that each class size is limited to 8 children, while workshop is limited to 16.

The tentative Opening Date will be October 15th of 2004. If interested, you may sign up in advance and receive 25% off your first month class and workshop fees. Check the Storming Robots program site for possible early classes in August and September of 2004. All robotics challenges have open-ended solutions. The challenge is only limited to how far the child is capable to reach.

Cool experiences, Indeed!

Contact Information:

Elizabeth Mabrey

908-534-9996

Pr@storming-robots. com

STORMING ROBOTS

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Monday, September 27, 2010

Most Popular Employee Benefits in UK - New Research

Most Popular Employee Benefits in UK - New Research

According to the Benefits Research 2007, published by Employee Benefits magazine, one in four employers now offer flexible benefits. However, most UK companies (57% of respondents) still offer staff a traditional 'core' package of employer-paid benefits.

London, OH (PRWEB) May 23, 2007

According to the Benefits Research 2007, published by Employee Benefits magazine, one in four employers now offer flexible benefits. However, most UK companies (57% of respondents) still offer staff a traditional 'core' package of employer-paid benefits.

The research, sponsored by JPMorgan INEST, also found that the types of core benefits that are typically offered have barely changed in recent years: life assurance (offered by 62%), employee assistance programmes (offered by 51%), increased number of annual leave days for long service (offered by 44%) still top the popular perks tables.

This year's research split out the different types of pensions on offer (defined benefit final salary, defined contribution money purchase, group personal pension (GPP) and stakeholder pensions), however taken as a whole the pensions top the poll of core, employer-paid benefits. "This is a good thing because our research into employee attitudes in 2006 'What employees really want' (http://www. employeebenefits. co. uk/cgi-bin/item. cgi? ap=1&id=1810 (http://www. employeebenefits. co. uk/cgi-bin/item. cgi? ap=1&id=1810)) showed that pensions are still highly rated," said Debi O'Donovan, editorial director of Employee Benefits.

Group personal pensions have overtaken defined benefit pensions as the most commonly offered type of pension. This trend is expected to continue as final salary schemes continue to close, leading to greater activity in the market among major pensions providers such as Standard Life, Norwich Union, Legal & General and Scottish Life. What we won't know until 2012 is what impact the government's incoming National Pension Savings Scheme will have on this landscape.

A trend to watch is the size of companies offering flexible benefits plans. There is great interest in flex among medium-sized companies to meet the demands of the recruitment market. This has led to the emergence of a many easy-to-administer off-the-shelf flexible benefits administration packages. Key providers in the flex admin market are Thomsons Online Benefits, Vebnet, You at Work and Motivano; many have paired up with major benefit consultants such as Watson Wyatt, Hewitt Associates, Mercer HR Consulting and Towers Perrin.

Under voluntary benefits schemes gym membership, healthcare cash plans, travel insurance and childcare vouchers top the list. The provider market for these types of affinity products has shrunk, for example Bringme is concentrating on flex, and Brinc has lost its backing from HBOS. However Marsh is still very active and new players such as Asperity are emerging.

KEY RESEARCH FINDINGS:

The research was conducted during January and February 2007 among 378 readers of Employee Benefits magazine and users of http://www. employeebenefits. co. uk/ (http://www. employeebenefits. co. uk/). The respondents were drawn from all types of organisations, half of which were privately owned (55%) and 17% were from the public sector. 48% were from organizations with more than 1,000 staff.

19% of employers offer a flexible benefits scheme to all staff and 8% to some.
52% of employers offer a voluntary benefits scheme to all staff, while 6% do offer them to some.
60% of employers offer benefits through salary sacrifice to all staff, while 12% offer this to some employees. Where they do offer benefits through salary sacrifice, 42% of this group pass the tax and national insurance savings back to employees, while 18% split the savings with them.

View full Benefits Research 2007 (http://www. employeebenefits. co. uk/item/2538)

NOTES FOR EDITORS:

Employee Benefits magazine is a UK-based publication which launched in 1997. It is read by nearly 10,000 compensation & benefits managers and HR people specialising in reward in British organisations.
Employee Benefits runs a number of information services - including the Employee Benefits Exhibition & Conference, the Employee Benefits Summit and www. employeebenefits. co. uk.

It has been conducting in-depth research on key benefits areas since 1997 has built up a highly regarding database of surveys which are available free here: Employee Benefits Research (http://www. employeebenefits. co. uk/research/). These include:

Salaries and perks for benefits experts 2007
Employee Benefits Fleet Research 2007
Employee Benefits/Towers Perrin Flexible Benefits Research 2007
Employee Benefits/Aegon Trustee Solutions Pensions Research 2006
Employee Benefits/HSA Healthcare Research 2006
What employees really want research 2006
Employee Benefits Financial Education Research 2006

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Sunday, September 26, 2010

Pennsylvania Reclaimed Wood Flooring Company Has Positive Outlook for 2011 Despite Downturn in Building Industry

Pennsylvania Reclaimed Wood Flooring Company Has Positive Outlook for 2011 Despite Downturn in Building Industry

While many companies in the hardwood and reclaimed flooring industry are looking towards 2011 with great apprehension, given the economic downturn that hit the building industry particularly hard, The Woods Company of Chambersburg, PA, has a positive outlook for the upcoming year.

(Vocus/PRWEB) January 10, 2011

While many companies in the hardwood and reclaimed flooring industry are looking towards 2011 with great apprehension, given the economic downturn that hit the building industry particularly hard, The Woods Company of Chambersburg, PA, has a positive outlook for the upcoming year.

In 2010 they began taking proactive steps towards positive forward motion for The Woods Company in the coming year. They have invested in resources that have allowed them to evaluate their performance in recent years and strategize for 2011. In addition, two long-time industry professionals, Mark Glover of Catalyst Professional Resource Center and Connie Glover, CMarie Marketing Studio are collaborating with the company to fine-tune the sales and manufacturing operations and reinvigorate the marketing effort.

“Sales are strong,” says Barry Stup, The Woods Company owner. “November and December are typically the quietest months of the year in our industry, and we saw an increase in sales and shipped orders. That’s a positive sign as we enter into the new year.” And as a result, two new sales team members have joined The Woods company: Debra Russell, who comes to the company with eight years of reclaimed wood flooring experience and will be covering the mid-Atlantic and southwest regions, and Peter Mazzone, an enthusiastic addition to the sales support effort with a background in the IT/Communications industry.

The Woods also believes in promoting from within: Karen Durning, a loyal and solid sales support associate for over 13 years, was promoted to full time sales focused on Pennsylvania, Maryland, and the northeast. And industry veteran Rick Guynn is being repositioned as the National Dealer Manager, applying his 25 years in the industry towards the development of key retail partnerships.

In order to be more engaged with the customers, The Woods Company is stepping up their social media presence, active on Facebook at The Woods Company, and on Twitter @thewoodscompany.

The company is also investing in research and development for new versions of flooring products, including an engineered line that is scheduled to launch later in the year. A new print ad campaign and educational programs dedicated to the architect profession will raise awareness of the sustainable aspects, eligibility for LEED credits, and applications of their reclaimed timbers as well as flooring.

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Saturday, September 25, 2010

Dr. Randy Morris and His Center's Embryo Donation Program Featured on NBC5 News in Chicago, Illinois

Dr. Randy Morris and His Center's Embryo Donation Program Featured on NBC5 News in Chicago, Illinois

The news program ran a feature discussing embryo donation as a possibility after people's in vitro fertilization procedures, and features an interview with Dr. Randy Morris as well as some of his patients.

Naperville, IL (PRWEB) February 21, 2008

NBC5 News in Chicago, Illinois featured a special report on the growing trend of embryo donation (http://www. ivf1.com/embryo-donation) by couples that have undergone in vitro (http://www. ivf1.com) fertilization and are left with unused embryos. While many embryos remain frozen with an uncertain future, some couples have opted to donate their extra embryos to needy couples and women who are unable to conceive naturally or with in vitro fertilization. The story on NBC5 News features an interview with Dr. Randy Morris of IVF1, a Chicago area in vitro fertilization (http://www. ivf1.com/In-Vitro-Fertilization/) center.

During the news story, Dr. Morris discusses the benefits of embryo donation and how the program at his fertility treatment center, IVF1, works. After couples undergo in vitro infertility treatment (http://www. ivf1.com/infertility/) and have donated the leftover embryos, potential recipient couples get to sort through the histories of the donors they are presented with, including the donor's education, physical characteristics, ethnic background, and medical history, although the identity of the donor remains anonymous. This allows the patient to select embryos with a likelihood of having the characteristics desired in a child.

Dr. Morris does discuss the possibility of problems associated with the anonymity of embryo donation during the process, although he dismisses it as highly unlikely to cause any unforeseen issues. This is in response to the recent news about twins separated at birth who later in life met, fell in love, and were married only to discover later on that they were, in fact, twin brother and sister. Dr. Morris' response is that with the small number of cases of embryo donation, this is an unlikely event that should not be a concern for infertile couples.

About IVF1
IVF1 is a fertility center with offices in Naperville and Chicago, Illinois providing patients with a number of cutting-edge fertility treatments. The center specializes in infertility testing, in vitro fertilization, ICSI (http://www. ivf1.com/lab-icsi/), preimplantation genetic diagnosis, and a number of other treatments to help people with infertility. The clinic provides a number of options for couples and women who are experiencing trouble conceiving naturally, and provide plenty of helpful information about fertility at IVF1.com as well.

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InstallBuilder 7 Released, Simplifies Development of Multiplatform Installers for Java-based Applications

InstallBuilder 7 Released, Simplifies Development of Multiplatform Installers for Java-based Applications

InstallBuilder 7 is a powerful tool for building professional, multiplatform installers for crossplatform applications, such as those written in Java© or Qt©.

San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) December 13, 2010

BitRock Inc, the leading provider of cross platform deployment tools and services for software companies and enterprise IT departments, today announced the release of InstallBuilder 7. The new release of InstallBuilder is focused on ease of use and speed of development and includes enhanced functionality for packaging Java-based applications, expanded documentation, and improved compression that reduces the size of generated installers, among other improvements.

InstallBuilder is a multiplatform tool for developing software installers, native packages and crossplatform DVDs. It enables developers to quickly package their software for distribution to customers or end users within their organization. The 7.0 release makes this process faster and easier than ever. New Java-specific functionality allows developers to bundle Java Runtime Environments and create native Java launchers. A new built-in XML editor enables developers to switch seamlessly between using the GUI development environment and editing installer project files by hand. Updated, more comprehensive documentation makes InstallBuilder easier to learn and use and improved compression reduces the size of generated installers by removing duplicated files within installer package.

“Our goal with InstallBuilder is to make the process of building crossplatform software installers as painless as possible,” said Daniel Lopez Ridruejo, BitRock’s founder and Chief Technology Officer. “We’re excited to release InstallBuilder 7.0, which includes a number of new features, such as a new function for searching actions and rules, which will further simplify and speed the installer building process for developers.”

Fully functional evaluation copies of InstallBuilder can be downloaded from http://installbuilder. bitrock. com.

About BitRock:
BitRock provides tools and services to help software companies build their businesses. Working with BitRock enables software vendors to deliver their software in easy to install packages, gain more insight into their customer base and offer value-added services such as automated updates to their customers.

Founded in 2003, BitRock is a privately held software company with offices in Seville, Spain and San Francisco, USA. BitRock's clients range from large corporations and governments to independent software vendors and educational institutions, as well as the leading commercial open source companies.

Please visit http://www. bitrock. com for additional information.

Java is a registered trademark and/or service mark of Oracle in the United States and/or other countries. Qt is a registered trademark and/or service mark of Nokia in the United States and/or other countries.

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Friday, September 24, 2010

John P. Boyko Appointed Examiner for 2005 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award

John P. Boyko Appointed Examiner for 2005 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award

John P. Boyko of Summit Business Solutions, Inc., located in Westbury, N. Y. has been appointed by Hratch G. Semerjian, Acting Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), to the 2005 Board of Examiners for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. The Award, created by public law in 1987, is the highest level of national recognition for performance excellence that a U. S. organization can receive.

Westbury, NY (PRWEB) May 27, 2005

John P. Boyko of Summit Business Solutions, Inc., located in Westbury, N. Y. has been appointed by Hratch G. Semerjian, Acting Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), to the 2005 Board of Examiners for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. The Award, created by public law in 1987, is the highest level of national recognition for performance excellence that a U. S. organization can receive.

As an Examiner, Boyko is responsible for reviewing and evaluating applications submitted for the Award. The board is composed of approximately 500 leading experts selected from industry, professional and trade organizations, education and health care organizations and government.

Those selected meet the highest standards of qualification and peer recognition. All members of the board must take part in a preparation course based on the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence and the scoring and evaluation process for the Baldrige Award.

Awards may be given annually in each of five categories: Manufacturing, Service, Small Business, Education and Health Care and are awarded by the President of the United States. Awards have been presented to 60 organizations, including the 2004 Award recipients: The Bama Companies, Texas Nameplate Company, Inc., Kenneth W. Monfort College of Business and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton.

Information about the Baldrige National Quality Program and the application process is available from the Baldrige National Quality Program, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Administration Bldg., Room A600, 100Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-1020, telephone: 301/975-2036. Information also can be found on the Baldrige National Quality Program’s website at www. baldrige. nist. gov.

The Award Program is managed by NIST, a program of the Commerce Department’s Technology Administration and is administered by the American Society for Quality (ASQ) in Milwaukee, WI. For further information about John Boyko contact 516/414-3741 or email: jboyko@summitbizpro. com.

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SherpaTools for Google Apps Now Available in the Google Apps Marketplace

SherpaTools for Google Apps Now Available in the Google Apps Marketplace

Available free of charge, SherpaTools provides IT managers and business users with previously unavailable admin and corporate directory functionality.

Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) March 9, 2010

Cloud Sherpas announced today that SherpaTools for Google Apps has been added to the Google Apps Marketplace (http://bit. ly/SherpaTools)™, Google's recently launched online storefront for Google Apps™ products and services. SherpaTools is a free application from Cloud Sherpas that enhances the functionality and ease-of-use of Google Apps for both IT administrators and business users. Delivered as a service and easily installed with just a few clicks, SherpaTools works with Premier, Education and Partner editions of Google Apps and addresses many of the most common customer feature requests.

"Cloud Sherpas has migrated tens of thousands of users from dozens of enterprises and institutions to Google Apps," says Michael Cohn, Founder and CEO of Cloud Sherpas. "SherpaTools for Google Apps was developed in response to our customers' demand for additional IT management tools and end-user workflow capabilities. In simple terms, SherpaTools lets you 'Do More with Google Apps.' And with the new Google Apps Marketplace, it's easier than ever for Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) to market and distribute their integrated solutions."

Directory Manager, the first module available in SherpaTools, provides administrators with a familiar interface for managing user profiles, shared contacts and groups. Directory Manager also includes an instant messaging bot that allows users to query the corporate directory from any Google Talk™ client, including mobile devices.

SherpaTools for Google Apps is currently available to the Google Apps community for free while the product remains in beta. SherpaTools modules in development include compliance tools, user provisioning and de-provisioning workflow templates, and a robust end-user contacts directory. To add SherpaTools for Google Apps to your Google Apps domain, visit (http://bit. ly/SherpaTools (http://bit. ly/SherpaTools)).

"We are very excited to have Cloud Sherpas in the Google Apps Marketplace," adds Scott McMullan, Google Apps Partner Lead for Google Enterprise. "Cloud Sherpas has helped migrate thousands of users to Google Apps, and now, through the Google Apps Marketplace, they are joining a rich ecosystem of integrated apps that work seamlessly with Google Apps, allowing IT administrators to extend Google Apps to meet more of their business needs. We are happy to offer SherpaTools to the millions of Google Apps users who have embraced the cloud."

The Google Apps Marketplace makes it easy for more than 2 million Google Apps customers to discover, purchase and deploy integrated business applications and related professional services. By integrating with user account and application data stored in Google Apps, these cloud applications provide a simpler user experience, increase business efficiency, and reduce administrative overhead. To learn more, visit google. com/appsmarketplace (http://google. com/appsmarketplace).

Google Apps brings simple, powerful communication and collaboration tools to organizations. With Google Apps, users can use applications such as Gmail™ webmail service, Google Talk™ instant messaging service, Google Calendar™ calendaring service, Google Docs™ program, Google Sites™ web application, and Google Video™ for business on their own domain to work together more effectively. Best of all, it's all hosted by Google, so there's no hardware or software to download, install or maintain.

About Cloud Sherpas
Cloud Sherpas (www. cloudsherpas. com (http://www. cloudsherpas. com)) is a cloud computing systems integrator and application developer. As a Google Apps Authorized Reseller and leading Google Enterprise partner, we have migrated tens of thousands of users from legacy, on-premise messaging systems to Google Apps and Google App Engine, helping organizations adopt cloud computing to innovate and dramatically reduce their IT expenses. SherpaTools for Google Apps (www. sherpatools. com (http://www. sherpatools. com/)) is a free app from Cloud Sherpas that enhances the functionality and ease-of-use of Google Apps for both administrators and end-users.

Google, Google Apps Marketplace, Google Apps, Gmail, Google Talk, Google Calendar, Google Docs, Google Sites, and Google Video are trademarks of Google Inc.

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Thursday, September 23, 2010

H&R Block Announces Plan to Open 1 Million Bank Accounts for Free and Significantly Cut the Cost of Refund Lending

H&R Block Announces Plan to Open 1 Million Bank Accounts for Free and Significantly Cut the Cost of Refund Lending

Company outlines goal to connect underserved clients to financial mainstream through low-cost banking and high-yield savings solutions.

Kansas City, MO (PRWEB) September 7, 2006

H&R Block Inc. (NYSE: HRB) today announced plans to open low-cost bank accounts for free for 1 million of its tax return clients and significantly reduce the cost of refund anticipation loans for the 2007 income tax season.

At its annual meeting of shareholders, H&R Block Chairman and CEO Mark A. Ernst outlined a four-part plan that includes a next generation, low-cost bank account; new high-yield savings products; and enhanced financial education to better serve its tax clients.

“H&R Block has a long history of helping American families (http://www. hrblock. com/bank/advice/index. html) get the most from their financial lives,” Ernst said. “The steps we’re taking today build on that legacy by helping millions of our clients access the banking system in a unique way to reduce their costs and take another step toward a brighter financial future.”

The company will utilize its nationwide network of 12,500 tax preparation offices to enable clients to open bank and savings accounts conveniently during income tax season.

1. New Low-Cost Banking Solution

H&R Block has set a target to open 1 million, next generation bank accounts for free to give clients the benefits of direct deposit of their income tax refund as well as easy bill payment and purchases, and ATM withdrawals without risk of overdraft fees. The new account blends the features of a traditional bank account with the benefits of a pre-paid card to offer secure, convenient and low-cost services that meet the needs of H&R Block’s clients.

Accessed with the new H&R Block Emerald Pre-paid Card, this next generation bank account will be opened for free and features easy account access, no overdraft fees, no minimum balance requirement, no transaction fees for purchases, FDIC insurance, and convenient monthly statements. In addition, the bank card provides a way to avoid high check-cashing fees for the nearly 3 million H&R Block clients who do not have a bank account. The card account can also accept payroll and other deposits at thousands of retail locations nationwide.

“With direct deposit of a tax refund into an H&R Block Bank account, clients can receive their tax refunds in less than half the time of a mailed IRS check,” Ernst said. “And clients can avoid fees for tax refund loans or check cashing that together can cost $145 or more just at tax time. With year-round use, added savings averaging $460 annually are possible.”

In reaction to H&R Block’s announcement, Ellen Seidman, executive vice president of Shorebank Corp. and former director of the Office of Thrift Supervision said, “Using its understanding of the desire of consumers to combine the safety of an insured bank account with liquidity and pricing transparency, H&R Block Bank (http://www. hrblock. com/bank/bank_products/index. html) will provide consumers who have traditionally not used bank accounts with access to lower-cost solutions at scale.”

2. High-Yield Savings Solutions

In addition to its low-cost banking solution, H&R Block announced two new savings accounts that will enable its clients to turn their tax refunds into savings. At 5.25 percent annual percentage yield (APY), H&R Block’s new Easy Savings Account and Easy IRA offer among the highest rates of return in the country for FDIC-insured deposits.

The Easy Savings Account, designed as a basic emergency fund, offers convenient access at ATMs. The Easy IRA enables clients to save for retirement using a tax-advantaged account that makes it simple to claim the Retirement Saver’s Credit, a federal matching incentive for low - and moderate-income savers.

Both accounts have no minimum balance requirement and no opening or annual account maintenance fees for H&R Block’s retail tax clients. The annual fee is also waived for non-H&R Block clients who maintain a $300 minimum balance. 

“For many Americans, the day they file their tax return is the one day of the year that they have managed to accumulate a non-negligible sum of money. As such, their tax refund represents a terrific opportunity to generate some long-term savings,” said Dr. Richard H. Thaler, professor of behavioral science and economics at the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business. “What H&R Block has done is create a structure in which taxpayers can take advantage of that opportunity. By allowing them to open an account and directly deposit a portion of their tax refund, reluctant savers are much more likely to act. This creates a potentially powerful tool to help solve one of the most important problems facing our country.”

3. Reducing the Cost of Refund Lending

H&R Block, in cooperation with its partner HSBC Taxpayer Financial Services, will significantly reduce the cost of refund lending for the upcoming tax preparation season.

For a $2,800 refund anticipation loan, which is the average loan size for H&R Block, the cost could be reduced more than 40 percent compared to last year. This same $2,800 refund loan can cost as little as $60, including a finance charge of less than 1.1 percent, when the loan is combined with a bank account. As an 11-day loan, the finance charge on this $2,800 loan translates to a 36 percent APR, which meets benchmarks suggested by many consumer advocates.

“Used in combination with an H&R Block Bank account, lower-cost loans can be a bridge to entering the financial mainstream,” Ernst said. “I’m hopeful that our action will trigger price cuts and reforms throughout the RAL industry.”

Today’s action builds on past H&R Block efforts to improve refund lending. Over the last several years, the company has reduced refund lending fees, improved client disclosures and tax preparation training, incorporated suggestions from consumer advocates, and supported stronger RAL regulation to ensure that consumers can make more informed choices.

“Today’s announcement represents a dramatic and profound step forward in the tax preparation business for low and moderate income Americans,” said Steven Dow, executive director of Community Action Project of Tulsa County, one of the nation’s largest providers of free services for low-income taxpayers. “H&R Block’s decision to promote savings and simultaneously reduce the cost of banking services and the cost of loans is a monumental and welcome shift in the operating philosophy of the commercial tax preparation business.”

4. Improving Financial Education and Advice

To expand its financial education and advice programs, the company will upgrade its H&R Block Advantage Report, a free report that customizes tax tips, budgeting, borrowing and savings information, alerts to government benefits, and action plans for each tax client.

“Many middle-income Americans have been left behind as traditional financial institutions focus on those with higher incomes,” Ernst said. “Tax time is a unique moment during which we can meet our clients’ distinct needs with planning and advice that’s simple and actionable.”

Steven Brobeck, executive director of the Consumer Federation of America, acknowledged H&R Block’s efforts, saying, “The Consumer Federation of America supports any of H&R Block’s efforts that benefit lower-income households by lowering the cost of essential banking services, by providing new and effective savings opportunities, and by informing clients how to lower banking costs and build personal wealth.”

The company said it plans to introduce additional financial advice and education tools for the 2007 income tax season.

About H&R Block

H&R Block Inc. (NYSE: HRB) is a leading provider of tax, financial, mortgage, accounting and business consulting services and products. H&R Block is the world’s largest tax services provider, having prepared more than 400 million tax returns since 1955. The company and its subsidiaries generated revenues of $4.9 billion and net income of $490 million in fiscal year 2006. The company operates in four principal business segments: Tax Services (income tax preparation and advice via in-office, online and software solutions); Mortgage Services (non-prime mortgage originations and loan servicing); Business Services (tax, accounting and consulting services for midsized businesses); and Consumer Financial Services (investment and financial advisory services, retail mortgage loans and banking products). Headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., H&R Block markets its services and products under three leading brands – H&R Block, Option One and RSM McGladrey. For more information visit our Online Press Center at www. hrblock. com.

For Further Information

Kate O’Neill Rauber, 816-932-8418

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Danisco Wins Top Honor for Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting

Danisco Wins Top Honor for Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting

Leading European Institute recognizes Danisco A/S as winner of the Best CSR report of a company listed on NASDAQ OMX Copenhagen A/S (C20)

Copenhagen, Denmark (PRWEB) December 8, 2010

The 2009/10 Danisco CSR report entitled “Ingredients for Sustainability” was recognized today by The Institute of State Authorized Public Accountants in Denmark (FSR) with its top award, citing the report’s focus on a systematic and holistic CSR approach to drive performance and leadership globally.

“We are extremely positive and humbled by this designation,” explained DaniscoCEO Tom Knutzen. “This award provides recognition for the extensive work we have undertaken to embed sustainability and social responsibility into our business and value chain.”

The award, led by FSR and the Danish Commerce and Companies Agency, was offered for the 16th time to spread awareness of CSR in the Danish community and to motivate and inspire a greater focus on civic responsibility. The importance of the award was further highlighted in 2009 with the adoption of new legislation requiring that the top 1,000 Danish companies disclose material CSR impacts and strategies in their financial reporting.

To determine the nominees, FSR has developed an expert panel comprised of highly qualified certified public accountants and consultants with strong working knowledge of CSR and CSR reporting. The nominees are then judged by an independent panel of business representatives, business organizations, educational institutions and government authorities. This year, three awards were given based on company size and one special award was given for the best CO2 accounting.

“The fact that we have been recognized by FSR demonstrates our strong commitment to embedding sustainability throughout our organization and to communicating our programs and philosophies to a wider audience,” said Jeffrey Hogue, Vice President, Sustainability. “This year we took a fresh approach to our annual sustainability report, now in its ninth year, and focused on materiality, stakeholder engagement and our global sustainability context. We plan to build upon this achievement by further exploring sustainability opportunities for ourselves and our customers as we work to bring innovative solutions to a growing world.”

In addition to its leadership in Europe, Danisco is also a sustainability innovator in the U. S. The company’s California-based industrial and environmental biotechnology division, Genencor, is a pioneer in sustainable enzyme technology. Genencor improves process and product performance for a variety of industries. In collaboration with customers, technology leaders and other stakeholders, Genencor supplies competitive, biobased solutions, which create value throughout the supply chain – from renewable raw material to finished product.

About Danisco
With a rich and innovative portfolio, Danisco is a world leader in food ingredients, enzymes and bio-based solutions. Using nature’s own materials, science and the knowledge of our 6,800 people, we design and deliver bio-based ingredients that meet market demand for healthier and safer products. Danisco’s ingredients are used globally in a wide range of industries – from bakery, dairy and beverages to animal feed, laundry detergents and bioethanol – to enable functional, economic and sustainable solutions. Headquartered in Denmark and operating from more than 80 locations, Danisco’s key focus is to become our customers’ First choice and a truly market-driven global business. Find out more at http://www. danisco. com.

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Hotter N July 4th Annual Basketball Camp

Hotter N July 4th Annual Basketball Camp

The Dallas, TX based non-profit organization Mentoring Brother 2 Brother, Inc. will have it annual basketball camp July 5-9, 2004. Visit our website at http://MB2B. org for more information.

Dallas, TX (PRWEB) June 24, 2004

The Dallas, TX based non-profit organization Mentoring Brother 2 Brother, Inc. will hold its annual Hotter N July Basketball Extravaganza. The camp will run from July 5-9 designed for youth between the ages of six and eighteen will be held at the Tommy Allen Recreation Center in Dallas. Registration ends June 30, 2004. Go to the Mentoring Brother 2 Brother, Inc. website, http://MB2B. org (http://MB2B. org) and click the "Hotter N July" link for more information.

About Mentoring Brother 2 Brother, Inc.

The mission of the Mentoring Brother 2 Brother Program, Inc. is to provide positive role models that will develop leaders by instilling qualities such as: leadership, integrity, character, accountability, responsibility, discipline, and self-esteem to young men between the ages of six and eighteen. The Mentoring Brother 2 Brother (MB2B), program was created five years ago to mobilize these young men through personal empowerment, community service and educational tutoring to direct their paths away from the streets, gangs and prison by energizing them to become productive and responsible citizens that can and will constructively contribute to society. The Mentoring Brother 2 Brother program recently received a Proclamation from the City of Dallas, Mayor Laura Miller and Mayor Pro-Tem Donald Hill; and the MB2B program was also highlighted in the April 27, 2004 Dallas Morning News Metro Plus section.

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Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Nonprofit and Higher Ed Board Governance Expert Authors New Book--More Than Just Money: Practical and Provocative Steps to Nonprofit Success

Nonprofit and Higher Ed Board Governance Expert Authors New Book--More Than Just Money: Practical and Provocative Steps to Nonprofit Success

Allen J. Proctor, author and principal of Proctor’s Linking Mission to Money, has released his second book on nonprofit board governance, More Than Just Money: Practical and Provocative Steps to Nonprofit Success, available for purchase in individual as well as bulk orders on linkingmissiontomoney. com.

Columbus, Ohio (PRWEB) September 30, 2010

Allen J. Proctor, author and principal of Proctor’s Linking Mission to Money, has released his second book on nonprofit board governance, More Than Just Money: Practical and Provocative Steps to Nonprofit Success (http://www. linkingmissiontomoney. com/books_mtjm. php (http://www. linkingmissiontomoney. com/books_mtjm. php)).

The book is available for purchase in individual as well as bulk orders on linkingmissiontomoney. com.

“This is a book that everyone involved with nonprofit organizations will find both useful and inspiring,” said E. Gordon Gee, President, The Ohio State University. “Whether you are a staff member, a board member, or a volunteer for such an organization, you are an important stakeholder in its sustainability. More Than Just Money provides invaluable information, practical steps, and provocative lessons to increase the probability of success for your organization.”

Based on Proctor’s 30 years of experience in helping to drive the success of renowned nonprofit organizations—The Ohio State University, Harvard University, Columbus Partnership, Coalition Against Family Violence and COSI to name a few—More Than Just Money: Practical and Provocative Steps to Nonprofit Success takes the complicated, even arcane world of nonprofit board governance and finance and makes it cogent, understandable and achievable through concise, easy-to-read chapters.

More Than Just Money shows organizations and institutions of all sizes and scopes that by asking the right questions, understanding the roles that all departments play in the bigger financial picture, and knowing how to effectively rise above challenges, nonprofits will be governed well and yield successful financial and programmatic outcomes. “The success of nonprofits and higher education institutions truly is about more than just money,” Proctor said. “I believe that true success is achieved when operations and finances stay true to core mission and values.”

More Than Just Money is the perfect complement to Proctor’s first book, Linking Mission to Money: Finance for Nonprofit Board Members (http://www. linkingmissiontomoney. com/books_lmm. php (http://www. linkingmissiontomoney. com/books_lmm. php)). Other Linking Mission to Money products are available at the new LinkingMissiontoMoney. com (http://www. linkingmissiontomoney. com/index. php (http://www. linkingmissiontomoney. com/index. php)).

About Allen Proctor and Proctor’s Linking Mission to Money®
Author Allen J. Proctor, founder and principal of Linking Mission to Money, has nearly 30 years of experience evaluating the financial health of organizations, developing effective business strategies, and enhancing organizational effectiveness. Allen has regularly developed innovative solutions to the financial and performance challenges of nonprofit organizations and for-profit corporations. Allen has worked with clients to build a solid financial and strategic base for their future growth and presented workshops and seminars for audiences of all sizes. To learn more about linking your organization’s mission to money, follow Proctor’s Linking Mission to Money® on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

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Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Online Language Courses with a Difference - Verbalplanet. com Brings Learning a Language to Life on Skype

Online Language Courses with a Difference - Verbalplanet. com Brings Learning a Language to Life on Skype

Online language courses on Verbalplanet. com are a great way to get the benefits of one to one language training and tuition without any of the hassles of travelling, large class sizes or lack of an available language tutor. The leading language learning website, is at the forefront of the shift towards online language education with it's entirely web based approach utilizing Skype internet telephony.

(PRWeb UK) June 26, 2010

Learning a foreign language is all about practice, which is why anyone seriously wanting to learn a language with a high degree of fluency should make every effort to find a qualified language teacher to practice and learn in partnership with.

Up until recently many people have chosen to learn a language, often unsuccessfully, in isolation due to lack of an available teacher or a reluctance to try out their language skills in public. Verbalplanet. com; the online language training and tuition website can offer a solution. Their online language classes (http://www. verbalplanet. com) are a great way to get the benefits of one to one language training and tuition without any of the hassles of travelling, large class sizes or lack of an available language tutor.

Verbalplanet. com offers a different and uniquely web based system to learning a language which puts the student in touch with a personal online language teacher via Skype, the leading internet telephony service. What also sets Verbalplanet. com apart from other solutions is the flexibility the site offers, with students being able to choose an online language tutor from anywhere in the world and schedule language classes around work or family commitments using a personal online tuition diary.

At the heart of Verbalplanet's solution is a belief that learning a language is all about real people engaging in real conversation. All lessons undertaken through the Verbalplanet site are 100% interactive with a tutor lead approach which focuses on verbal communication skills. Tutors and students can also share electronic materials and documents through Skype before, during or after the lesson.

"Now using the internet anyone can bring learning a language to life in a way not possible with traditional self study methods. An online language course (http://www. verbalplanet. com) through Verbalplanet. com is a great way to build confidence as well as perfecting your accent and building fluency. A student that lacks confidence in their own ability will thrive under the guidance of an online language tutor." says Andy Moore of Verbalplanet. com.

Online private language lessons also enable the tutor to devote their attention to the student for a significant period of time, focusing far more on that particular student’s needs and abilities than is possible in a crowded classroom. The web based system provided by Verbalplanet aims to provide professional language training (http://www. verbalplanet. com) at an affordable price whilst allowing the student to relax in familiar surroundings allowing them to feel more confident and more willing to discuss areas of difficulty.

Verbalplanet. com operates around a market based format so students have the ability to shop around and select a private language teacher according to a range of criteria including price, location, available lesson times and feedback from previous students. The number of language tutors listed on Verbalplanet. com has been increasing steadily which means that it's possible to select a tutor that matches specific learning requirements or who is available at specific times of the day. Included with every teacher listed on Verbalplanet. com is a profile of their teaching background, qualifications and teaching approach, which allows the user to get to know a potential language tutor before booking lesson time. The availability of free trial lessons by many of the tutors listed on the site also means that it is possible to evaluate the service for free before committing to buying further lesson time.

“One of the biggest benefits of learning a language online is that distance is no longer a barrier to education and the web can provide the learner with a truly interactive experience. For example, using Verbalplanet. com anyone learning Spanish can take online Spanish lessons (http://www. verbalplanet. com/learn-spanish. asp) from the comfort of their own home with a private Spanish tutor, regardless of where they happen to be in the world.” Adds Moore.

In addition to their online language tuition service, Verbalplanet. com also provides extensive supplemental material, including a range of audio lessons for MP3 players covering most of the world's major languages, structured language courses in MP3 format for French, Spanish, German, Italian, Mandarin and more, together with a range of online or desktop language dictionaries, making any student's quest to learn a language a smooth and convenient one.

About Verbalplanet. com

Verbalplanet. com is a language training and tuition service which facilitates online language classes between language learners and native speaking language tutors around the globe using the Skype internet telephony service.

Http://www. verbalplanet. com (http://www. verbalplanet. com)

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Operation Poster: Help Us put an Embrace Diversity Poster in Every Classroom

Operation Poster: Help Us put an Embrace Diversity Poster in Every Classroom

We are trying to encourage parents and other community members to donate an Embrace Diversity poster to classrooms in their local schools, thereby enforcing a positive message about diversity every day to students. The posters were created at the request of teachers.

Chaska, MN (PRWEB) October 20, 2006

It is no secret -- today’s classrooms are filled with a variety of diverse students. And while this provides many wonderful opportunities for students to learn about each other and different cultures, it can also at times create tension. It is the goal of diversitypromotions. com to help promote positive messages about diversity in any way they can with their line of “Embrace Diversity” products. At the request of teachers, a poster was created featuring the Embrace Diversity logo and a positive message that teachers can hang up in their classrooms to continually enforce positive messages about diversity.

The copy on the poster reads:

Education Discovery Knowledge Acceptance

Awaken the world to the wonders of all of our beautiful differences. Spread awareness that all of us are the same in our desires for a good home, food, safety and the comfort of being accepted regardless of appearance and/or beliefs. Experience the joy that comes from embracing all that others different from ourselves have to offer us in an endless number of ways! Embrace Diversity, Embrace Our World!

In order to put a poster in every classroom, diversitypromotions. com is asking parents, community members, and anyone who cares about diversity or educating children to purchase a poster for a classroom in their community. “Teachers already buy so many supplies for their classroom, so we are hoping that others who care will buy the posters and donate them to classrooms in their communities,” said Dr. Leo Parvis, president of diversitypromotions. com, “and to encourage people to help more than one classroom, we are also offering a discount on quantities of 4 or more.”

Posters can be purchased individually for $8.00 a piece, or for a discounted price of $5.00 each if 4 or more are purchased and sent to one address (also saves on postage). The poster is 17” x 24. Posters can be ordered online at www. diversitypromotions. com, click on the “Online Store” button, or by calling toll-free 1-877-564-7335.

What does the Embrace Diversity logo mean? The shapes and colors express diversity in its many forms. The square, angled, is both a diamond and a square, and with it askance, it brings to mind "a square peg into a round hole," which we all in our own diversity, have felt at times. The gear wheel is not only a different shape; it also represents working "in sync," the cog and wheel, moving forward together. The circles are embracing the other shapes, bringing us all together as a whole to make a better world. The whole is greater than the sum of its many diverse parts.

Dr. Leo and Julie Parvis, Terresa and Bob Steinbach are partners in diversitypromotions. com, an online company promoting positive messages about diversity through their Embrace Diversity product line and educational opportunities such as presentations, seminars, articles, and special celebrations such as National Diversity Day and a Multicultural Holiday Celebration. Dr. Parvis is also a cultural diversity college instructor and consultant and has also published a book, “Understanding Cultural Diversity in Today’s Complex World.”

For more information, contact:

Julie Parvis, Marketing Diva, 952-679-4314

Dr. Leo Parvis, President and Diversity Director, 612-386-7102

Digital photo of poster is available by request.

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JK Harris Advisors Financial Planners Earn CFP Designation

JK Harris Advisors Financial Planners Earn CFP Designation

Two financial planners for JK Harris Advisors, LLC, recently earned their Certified Financial Planner Designation after fulfilling the necessary requirements.

NORTH CHARLESTON, SC (PRWEB) September 11, 2005

Frank Hutto and Scott Spann, financial planners for JK Harris Advisors, LLC, have been authorized by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards (CFP Board) to use the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and CFP (with flame logo)® in accordance with CFP Board certification and renewal requirements.

Frank Hutto has worked at JK Harris Advisors since 2001 and is responsible for financial planning and business valuations. Scott Spann joined the JKH Advisors team in March of this year and also is responsible for financial planning and business valuations.

JK Harris Advisors is an affiliate of JK Harris & Company, LLC, the nationÂ’s largest tax resolution firm.

These marks identify those individuals who have met the rigorous experience and ethical requirements of the CFP Board. Hutto and Spann have successfully completed financial planning coursework and have passed the CFP® Certification Examination covering the following areas: the financial planning process, risk management, investments, tax planning and management, retirement and employee benefits, and estate planning. CFP recipients also agree to meet ongoing continuing education requirements and to uphold the CFP Board’s Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility and Financial Planning Practice Standards.

CFP Board, a nonprofit regulatory organization, fosters professional standards in personal financial planning so that the public values, has access to and benefits from competent and ethical financial planning. CFP Board owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and federally registered CFP (with flame logo), which it awards to individuals who successfully complete initial and ongoing certification requirements. CFP Board currently authorizes more than 42,000 individuals to use these marks in the United States. For more about CFP Board, visit www. CFP. net.

JK Harris & Company, LLC, (www. jkharris. com) based in North Charleston, S. C., is the nationÂ’s largest tax resolution firm and has served over 175,000 customers since its founding in 1997 by John K. Harris. JK Harris consultants are available to meet with consumers in over 450 locations nationwide by appointment only. The company also provides services for consumer and commercial debt, student loan debt, investment fraud, financial planning, tax return preparation, and audit representation.

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Saturday, September 18, 2010

One Source Fire Protection Offers Consumers Access to Fire Protection Professionals

One Source Fire Protection Offers Consumers Access to Fire Protection Professionals

One Source Fire Protection, Inc. has launched a new website that will give consumers access to fire protection professionals in their area. This website allows for consumers to relate their specific needs to be easily matched with qualified professionals.

Cincinnati, OH (PRWEB) August 16, 2007

One Source Fire Protection, Inc. (http://www. onesourcefireprotection. com/web (http://www. onesourcefireprotection. com/web)) is proud to announce the launch of their new website. The website provides a unique service that allows for consumers, business owners and general contractors to locate qualified fire protection contractors. The website features a lead generation system that allows individuals to post their fire protection projects online. The system then matches the need with local fire safety contractors.

Many consumers, business owners and general contractors find it very difficult to locate qualified fire protection contractors in their local area. The reason for this is that there may not be many of them in any given area, or each of them may specialize in a certain portion of the industry such as only serving commercial properties or residential properties. What commercial and residential consumers need is a source to turn to where they can always find the professional, qualified services that they need to protect their structure and belongings from fire.

One Source Fire Protection, Inc. is proud of their new website because it gives all consumers just the resource that they are looking for. The company states with pride, "This service is the first and only available industry specific to the fire protection industry." Because the consumers as well as the contractor have both come to the website, the service will likely serve everyone well. This is a service that many have been looking for, and One Source aims to give consumers the resource that they have been in need of.

For more information visit: http://www. onesourcefireprotection. com/web (http://www. onesourcefireprotection. com/web)

About One Source Fire Protection:
One Source Fire Protection, Inc. (http://www. onesourcefireprotection. com/web (http://www. onesourcefireprotection. com/web)) was founded in 2006 and is proud to offer opportunities to both consumers as well as contractors. The company provides a unique online industry directory and project lead generation that is mutually beneficial to the consumer as well as to the contractors. This system is the only one of its kind in the fire safety and protection industry. In addition to the unique website, the company also provides free classified ads; consumers fire education, an industry blog and careers section.

(An http://IPRWire. com (http://IPRWire. com) Press Release)

Contact Info:
Name: Melissa Hawley
Address: 5597 Boomer Road
City: Cincinnati
State: Ohio
Country: United States
Zip: 45247

Web Address: http://www. onesourcefireprotection. com/web (http://www. onesourcefireprotection. com/web)
Business Blog: http://iblogit. com/onesourcefireprotection (http://iblogit. com/onesourcefireprotection)
Phone: 888-833-9009

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Friday, September 17, 2010

Scrap Girls Donates Proceeds to Food for Poor

Scrap Girls Donates Proceeds to Food for Poor

Digital scrapbooking product designers from Scrap Girls pitch in together to help the poorest of the poor.

West Jordan, UT (PRWEB) April 26, 2007

In March of 2005, Scrap Girls created their first collaborative digital scrapbooking collection on behalf of a charity called Food for the Poor, which provides food, housing, health care, education, water projects, micro-enterprise development assistance and emergency relief to the poorest of the poor. Scrap Girls has released new collections of graphics, which are used with popular image editing software such as Adobe's Photoshop and Photoshop Elements or Corel's Paint Shop Pro to create digital scrapbooking layouts, on a quarterly basis since that time.

Syndee Nuckles, a product designer for Scrap Girls said, "I am honored to be a part of this. I have always wanted to do MORE in the way of giving back but haven't - in recent years - been able to really spare a dime. But I CAN help, thanks to Scrap Girls. I can feel good about doing something that normally I would not be able to do."

The newest Food for the Poor collaborative collection, called "Blossom" has been added to the Scrap Girls online store. It can be found in the Scrap Girls Boutique at http://www. scrapgirls. com/store/product. php? id=8452&cat (http://www. scrapgirls. com/store/product. php? id=8452&cat).

Terri Pointer, a Scrap Girls customer commented, "I think it's so wonderful that everyone benefits from such a lovely kit - we as the users and especially the charity."

"It is amazing to see what a healthy percentage of our gross revenues are being donated to Food for the Poor every month," stated Rozanne Paxman, CEO of Scrap Girls. "Our customers have really gotten behind this effort and we are touched by their support."

If you're interested in contributing to Food for the Poor you can visit their website www. foodforthepoor. org or visit www. ScrapGirls. com.

ScrapGirls. com is an internet store specializing in Digital Scrapbooking Supplies, Educational Movie Tutorials and eBooks and Commercially Licensed Graphic Design Products.

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Care2Learn's E-Learning Platform Helps ABHOW Win Aging Services Quality First Award

Care2Learn's E-Learning Platform Helps ABHOW Win Aging Services Quality First Award

ABHOW, American Baptist Homes of the West, a Care2Learn corporate client, was recently recognized by the Aging Services of California, formerly known as The California Association of Homes and Services for the Aging, for their commitment to putting quality first in their care. The recognition comes, in large part, thanks to ABHOW's initiative to train and educate their staff by utilizing Care2Learn's e-learning university, which was customized and branded specifically for them.

Bradenton, Florida (PRWEB) June 23, 2008

ABHOW, American Baptist Homes of the West, a Care2Learn corporate client, was recently recognized by the Aging Services of California, formerly known as The California Association of Homes and Services for the Aging, for their commitment to putting quality first in their care. The recognition comes, in large part, thanks to ABHOW's initiative to train and educate their staff by utilizing Care2Learn's e-learning university, which was customized and branded specifically for them.

ABHOW Academy (www. ABHOWAcademy. com), an online continuing education and training portal powered by Care2Learn, is an online learning tool the company utilizes to recruit and retain staff, increase training effectiveness, improve reporting and compliance and reduce training costs. The website allows staff to take orientation training, safety and mandatory training, and a place for them to obtain continuing education to maintain licensure. With this service, dubbed an e-learning "university" by Care2Learn, ABHOW is able to efficiently track and report on compliance. Leslie Warren, Vice President of Employee Development, who recently retired from ABHOW after more than 14 years, led the initiative to offer employees a
Training and education benefit.

According to ABHOW, this e-learning university has been successful for the company because it allows the staff educators from the time and effort required to design, develop, train and administer the training. This time has been re-directed to other critical functions. ABHOWAcademey. com also allows the company to address skills gaps, respond more quickly to individual team and organization performance correction issues, and survey correction plans that involve training solutions. ABHOW also notes that their university has become a distinguishing recruiting tool and benefit.

Nominations for this award are received from association members. A panel selects the award recipients. These are announced at the annual meeting in May every year. The Quality First Awards were added approximately five years ago when AAHSA started the Quality First initiative and issued a Quality First standards document. They asked state associations to declare their commitment to putting quality first. The Aging Services of California (CAHSA) supported the initiative by making these awards an annual 'recognition' at the ASC convention. Award recipients are asked to develop a poster board highlighting their award and these are displayed and recognized at the conference.

Care2Learn's E-learning universities are customized and branded with client company logo and information, proprietary content, career ladders, company announcements and more. They are a valuable recruitment and retention tool in this competitive environment. For information on building your own e-learning university, contact Eric Perry at 1-866-248-0734.

About Care2Learn 
Founded in 2000 by professionals from the post-acute care rehabilitation industry, Care2Learn provides online learning and healthcare content for over 225,000 healthcare professionals with engaging, affordable, easy-to-use online continuing education. It has accredited over 2100 course hours and 100+ in-services for 15 healthcare disciplines, with more courses in production. Care2Learn serves healthcare professionals and their employers worldwide.

Acquired by RedVector, an online continuing education company for the design, engineering and construction industries, Care2Learn continues to grow, by offering customized online e-learning universities to companies who want to offer a training and education benefit to their staff. For further information call 1-866-248-0734 or visit www. Care2LearnSolutions. com

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Wednesday, September 15, 2010

PlusAbroad Launches Spain's First Website Inviting the Boomer Generation to Educational Travel in Europe

PlusAbroad Launches Spain's First Website Inviting the Boomer Generation to Educational Travel in Europe

Spain's first website for active baby boomers has just been launched. PlusAbroad showcases educational travel in Europe with challenges for active adults to engage life-long learning and new experiences. PlusAbroad offers programs related to art, cinema, wine-tasting, cooking, language learning, yoga, music, or low-impact sports such as cycling or walking in Spain, Italy, Holland and Belgium.

Madrid, Spain (PRWEB) July 9, 2007

The concept is not new, but it could never be truer: you are never too old to learn. Spain's first website for active baby boomers has just been launched. PlusAbroad showcases educational travel in Europe with challenges for active adults to engage life-long learning and new experiences. PlusAbroad offers programs related to art, cinema, wine-tasting, cooking, language learning, yoga, music, or low-impact sports such as cycling or walking in Spain, Italy, Holland and Belgium.

Sara Díaz, Programs Director for PlusAbroad clarifies, "Our participants are active adults who are interested in life long learning and who want to combine it with travel in Europe. We generalize a bit for the sake of space by using the word edutainment to explain our programs. We also put emphasis on the word "active" because this is the essential quality required to partake in activities like hiking and cycling in an educational travel program. The plus stands for the extra educational component which is inherent in every one of our programs."

Language learning for active adults
Active adults who are comfortable taking classes with professional teachers and combining cultural activities may find PlusAbroad to their liking. All cultural programs in Spain are combined with Spanish language classes. The programs are designed for adult learners who want to learn Spanish or improve their current language skills while discovering Spanish art and culture first hand with experts. Ms. Díaz again emphasizes that, "Language learning can be a lot of fun and it'll take some of the language fear out of your travel plans."

Why Baby Boomers?
With the longevity revolution, the boomer generation has an unprecedented opportunity to travel, to explore new cultures, to meet new people, to learn a new language...to live the biggest life possible. In 1935, the average person lived to be 63. Today, for those who live to be 64, the average person has nearly 20 years more to live. This will be the longest, most unstructured time of their lives.

About PlusAbroad
PlusAbroad, http://www. PlusAbroad. com (http://www. PlusAbroad. com) is run by a Madrid-based, mixed team of Spanish and American professionals in marketing, business administration, informational technology and communications. It is a provider of educational travel in Europe where "edutainment" and low-impact adventure edu-travel are the key words. Its goal is to empower active adults to travel and learn more. For more information about this topic call Ivo Heemskerk at 34-91-544-4147 from 9:30 am -- 6:30 pm Spanish time.

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Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Northwest Iowa Area Horsemen Build Toward Upcoming Equine Extravaganza

Northwest Iowa Area Horsemen Build Toward Upcoming Equine Extravaganza

Horse Owners, Enthusiasts and Equine Breeders from throughout Northwest Iowa and beyond will again converge in Spencer this coming weekend for the 2nd Annual Harvest Gold Classic Equine Extravaganza, to be held Saturday, September 27 & September 28 at the Clay County Fair grounds complex.

(PRWEB) September 23, 2003

Sponsored by the Mid American Equine Breeders Association (MAEBA) the Harvest Gold Classic weekend fulfills the organization’s stated purpose of “working to build the Midwest horse industry through marketing, education, and competition”.

On the heels of a very successful inaugural event held last year, The Harvest Gold Classic builds upon a foundation of over 30 years of well-known horse events previously conducted by the former Northwest Iowa Quarter Horse Breeders Association. The efforts of the Mid American Equine Breeders Association expand on previous events by more accurately reflecting the diversity of horse breeds found in our region, and the Harvest Gold Classic weekend helps inform current and future horse lover’s by offering an outstanding array of educational seminars and clinics completely free to the public”, states MAEBA President Rich Knudsen of Dickens, Iowa.

The upcoming weekend’s schedule offers a full slate of activities on both Saturday and Sunday, including a Stallion Showcase presenting stallions of different breeds and disciplines, competitive Team Sorting events open to the public, four separate equine clinics covering topics of: equine reproduction, horse nutrition, equine chiropractic and acupuncture, and training of halter horse prospects. “This is really a one-of-a-kind event in the region, where you can peruse horses of many different breeds and backgrounds, watch horsemen work Longhorn cattle in team competition, visit with and learn from other horsemen, even see a “horse chiropractor” in action and more.” According to MAEBA volunteer Kristin Sadler, of Linn Grove, Iowa.

The continued success of many varied horse shows, rodeos, and equine related activities in the region illustrates a strong level of interest in the relationship between “man and horse”. MAEBA was founded to help provide a common meeting ground for the area horse community and those that comprise it, with the Harvest Gold Equine Extravaganza serving as the groups pinnacle event each year. “It is a great opportunity for anyone who enjoys horses and their fellow horse enthusiasts to cap off the year, everyone is welcome to come see what it is all about”, concluded Knudsen

Sarasota Residents Can Now List Their Homes for Sale on the Web For Free

Sarasota Residents Can Now List Their Homes for Sale on the Web For Free

A web site that features local homes for sale by owner.

Sarasota, Florida (PRWEB) September 29, 2007

A new website in Sarasota allows homeowners to list their home for sale on the web. Home sellers can include pictures, links, home information and contact information. Sarasotahomefree. com is offering this service to residents in the areas of Sarasota, Bradenton, Venice and North Port.

Every home listing entry is sent across on RSS feed and allows the home owner to have a permanent link to their home for sale. The links can be used by sellers for advertising purposes and home owners are not charged. The web is used as the main source of information today and having a link for advertising purposes is always a bonus.

SarasotaHomeFree. com offers articles written by real estate experts for buyers and sellers. All writers can include a picture, business links and information about themselves in the articles. The site hopes to become an educational resource for Sarasota county residents by including information about home sales, mortgages, financing and tips for buying the right home. The site is actively looking for contributing writers. Articles are a great way for those in the real estate industry to advertise for free.

Real estate agents can list homes in the realtor listings for $5 a month. Each real estate listing is given its own page and advertising space is available to anyone in the real estate arena. Home lenders and financial consultants are also invited to use the site for advertising purposes.

Both homeowners and agents will benefit from the search engine optimization set in place for each property. Additionally, articles will benefit from the Social Media Optimization used to publicize the articles.

Information on how to list your home or submit articles is available at SarasotaHomeFree. com. Visit and list your home for sale for free today.

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Sunday, September 12, 2010

Online-Learning. com announces affiliation with Ohio University

Online-Learning. com announces affiliation with Ohio University

Online-Learning. com is now affiliated with Ohio University, offering course certification in both Canada and the U. S.

(PRWEB) October 2, 2002

Online-Learning. com (OLL)—a leader in the development and delivery of online courses—is now affiliated with Ohio University, offering course certification in both Canada and the U. S.

Ohio University, cited for its academic excellence by publications such as Princeton Review’s “Best Colleges,” has been ranked 45th among public national universities by U. S. News & World Report in its annual “America’s Best Colleges” edition. The university has an enrollment of some 27,000 students and 900 full-time faculty and offers undergraduate, masters and doctorate degrees in a wide range of subject areas, including arts and sciences, business, communications, osteopathic medicine, and engineering and technology.

The affiliation is with Ohio UniversityÂ’s Office of Community and Professional Programs, which will certify OLLÂ’s non-credit professional development courses upon successful completion. Each course is assigned Continuing Education Units (CEUs) and participants must attain 75% or better on marked assignments. These Certificate Programs provide students with professional status relative to the course subject matter taken, attest to the studentÂ’s competency in the subject matter and helps students qualify for professional relicensing and recertification.

OLL offers online courses for technical writers, information designers and web authoring professionals in the fields of graphic design, technical writing, single-source documentation, screen layout, web client-server scripting, human-computer interaction design and web-based training design. Courses cost between $249 and $499 U. S., take four to 12 weeks to complete and are taught by industry experts using a proven mentored-learning model that has helped OLL achieve student completion rates of over 80%. In Canada, courses are certified through Carleton UniversityÂ’s Sprott School of Business Professional Development Division. Students can now choose to receive a Certificate of Completion from either of these two great schools.

OLL, with over 25 years of experience in distance education, has been delivering courses online since 1995. It offers high-quality content using an instructor-mentoring approach that combines traditional classroom techniques with the communications convenience of the Internet.

Npower and Aberthaw Power Station Enthuses Local School

Npower and Aberthaw Power Station Enthuses Local School

Npower teamed up with Aberthaw Power Station for the npower Enthuse day, which helped year 9 students at Llantwit Major School think about the impact science and engineering has on their lives.

Shirley, West Midlands (PRWEB) February 8, 2009

Npower and staff from Aberthaw Power Station helped 250 pupils take part in npower's 'enthuse' day. Year 9 students from Llantwit Major participated in a range of interactive activities designed to help them think about the impact science and engineering has on their daily lives.

Enthuse (http://education. npower. com/science-technology-engineering-maths/enthuse/index. htm (http://education. npower. com/science-technology-engineering-maths/enthuse/index. htm)), which is part of npower's Brighter Futures Programme (http://education. npower. com/index. htm (http://education. npower. com/index. htm)), is a five year scheme designed to inspire and engage students aged 12-14 years old in science, technology, engineering and maths.

The students were encouraged to think of ways to improve existing products or design a completely new concept, before considering the very real problem of how the UK's future demand for energy can be met and reduced. These activities were followed by a 'facts and fiction' session where the students were given the opportunity to meet with engineering staff from Aberthaw Power Station. To end the day, the pupils took part in a series of hands-on activities relating to the power industry.

Head teacher Dr. Vince Browne at Llantwit Major said: "The variety of activities gave the students an excellent insight into what it would feel like to be an engineer. Also, the opportunity to meet with staff from npower has really brought today's activities to life and gave the pupils a great introduction into the world of work."

Clive Smith from Aberthaw Power Station, said: "The main purpose of today has been to inspire students in science and engineering and share with them the exciting opportunities that the energy industry has to offer."

A year 9 student involved in the activity added: "I think the whole day was good and I liked learning about different careers and I really liked all the 'hands on' activities. My favourite workshop was 'Bright Ideas' as I liked designing a new product which was completely different. I think we should run this event every year for year 9 students."

In 2008 alone, npower (http://education. npower. com/index. htm (http://education. npower. com/index. htm)) 'enthuse' days reached out to over 3400 students across the UK.

More information and free resources for schools and community groups can be found online through the npower education programme (http://www. npower. com/education/ (http://www. npower. com/education/)).

About npower:
Npower is one of the top business energy suppliers to the UK market, serving over 230,000 small to medium sized enterprise sites and around 15,000 industrial and commercial customers, with over 100,000 sites.

Npower business is dedicated to helping UK businesses use energy more efficiently and therefore spend less money on their bills. The company aims to have a positive impact on the communities it serves and reduce its customers' carbon footprint, whilst always improving its service to customers. npower specialises in risk management solutions, including market-leading flexible energy purchasing, energy efficiency and broader energy management functions, tailored to every size of business.

For major energy users, npower Business offers multi-utility management consultancy to enable organisations to improve efficiencies right across the procurement/consumption chain. npower customers include BT, Wembley Stadium plc, AstraZeneca and Sainsbury's.

PR Contact:
Greg Phillimore
Account Director
McCann Erickson
Communications House
Highlands Road
Shirley
West Midlands
B90 4WE
0121 713 3795
Www. npower. com

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Saturday, September 11, 2010

Washington Defense Trial Lawyers to Host Annual Ethics Seminar

Washington Defense Trial Lawyers to Host Annual Ethics Seminar

WDTL's popular annual Ethics seminar is planned for December 9, 2004 in Seattle

(PRWEB) October 23, 2004

Seattle, WA– Washington Defense Trial Lawyers is hosting its annual Ethics seminar on Thursday, December 9, 2004 at the College Club in Seattle. This seminar, chaired by Jeff Tilden of the law firm of Gordon, Murray and Tilden, will cover real-life ethical scenarios and have a lively panel discussion by Linda Eide of the Washington State Bar and Kurt Bulmer, who represents attorneys in front of the Bar’s disciplinary counsel. Registration is $95 for WDTL members, $115 for non-members. Register at www. wdtl. org. Call Kristin Baldwin at (206) 749-0319 for more information and to register.

Washington Defense Trial Lawyers is a statewide association of civil defense attorneys dedicated to the highest professional standards of integrity, excellence and commitment to a fair and just legal system. From informal beginnings in 1956, Washington Defense Trial Lawyers has grown into a vital organization of over 750 members statewide. Our mission is to promote the highest professional and ethical standards for Washington civil defense attorneys and to serve our members through education, recognition, collegiality, professional development and advocacy.

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Competitive Intelligence Society Announces Award Recipients

Competitive Intelligence Society Announces Award Recipients

The Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals (SCIP) will present the recipients of the SocietyÂ’s prestigious awards at the Annual International Conference & Exhibit, Competitive Intelligence for Dynamic Performance, from April 6-9, 2005 at the Hyatt Regency, Chicago, Illinois, USA. SCIP annually recognizes outstanding volunteer members within three different categories of awards: Meritorious, Fellows, and Catalyst.

(PRWEB) February 4, 2005

The Meritorious Award, the highest honor bestowed by the Society, recognizes a single individual who has made significant and meritorious contributions to the competitive intelligence profession. The 2005 Meritorious Award Recipient is Kirk Tyson. Kirk Tyson, of the Perpetual Strategist, has been providing clients with time-based strategic research for more than 25 years. His primary areas of expertise include competitive intelligence, strategic planning, benchmarking, business development and executive information systems. Mr. TysonÂ’s client list includes more than 75 of the Fortune 100 companies, and more than 500 of the Business Week Global 1000 companies. Mr. Tyson is the author of The Complete Guide to Competitive Intelligence, 1998, Competition in the 21st Century, 1996, Competitor Intelligence Manual and Guide, 1990, and Business Intelligence, 1986. Mr. Tyson is also a highly acclaimed seminar leader, and has presented hundreds of seminars in 20 countries. Prior to his own firmsÂ’ activities, Mr. Tyson spent 10 years with Andersen Consulting, and was co-founder of that firmÂ’s strategic services practice. Mr. Tyson holds an MBA in Marketing and a BBA in Accounting.

The Fellows Award recognizes up to three individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the competitive intelligence profession. The recipients of the Fellows award in 2005 include Dr. Paul Dishman, Professor of Marketing at Brigham Young University; Dr. Mark Little, Vice President Business Intelligence, Covance; and Mr. Vernon Prior, Managing Director, Prior Knowledge, Australia.

The Catalyst Award recognizes up to five individuals who through their volunteer services have made important and valued contributions to the Society. The recipients of the 2005 Catalyst awards are: Robert Bugai, President, College Marketing Intelligence; Kathrine Hayes, Principal, EyEonit, Ltd.; David Kalinowski, President and COO, Proactive Worldwide, Inc.; and Christine Wunderlin, Business Applications Consultant, Lexis Nexis.

Please join us at the 20th Anniversary of the SCIP Annual International Conference & Exhibit, April 6-9, 2005, at the Hyatt Regency Chicago, Chicago, IL as we present these prestigious awards to outstanding SCIP members for their service to the profession and the Society. For more information, visit www. scip. org.

About SCIP

The Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals (SCIP) is the only global not-for-profit membership organization for everyone involved with the development and use of competitive intelligence. SCIPÂ’s mission is to enhance the success of its members through leadership, education, advocacy and networking. For more information, visit www. scip. org or call +1-703-739-0696.

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Friday, September 10, 2010

New Algebra Software Shows Visual Learners a Different Way to Think

New Algebra Software Shows Visual Learners a Different Way to Think

Algebra Vision is a new software program that helps visual learners see algebra in a tangible light by letting them move expressions around and apply theorems one at a time.

Bellevue, WA (PRWEB) July 10, 2008

Algebra Vision (http://www. algebravision. com) is a new software program that helps students learn, by providing an environment where they can play with algebra. It lets them experiment with equations, using a whole toolbox of theorems, without the tedium of doing so by hand, and lets them isolate variables by dragging numbers to the other side of the equals sign. It is a learning aid both at home and in the classroom.

"(I)t is a hands-on tool to reinforce the concepts (of algebra). Teachers call that 'tactile mode', and this program does a terrific job in that regard," says Lori Wright, owner of Seattle-based tutoring service The Inquisitive Mind (http://www. theinquisitivemind. com/).

Algebra Vision is only distributed online, and is currently being used in tutoring centers, schools, and homes across the world. It runs on Windows XP/Vista/Mac OSX and costs $19.99(US).

Florida schoolteacher Erika Jarvi says, "I really love (...) that Algebra Vision is available for students as a tool. (...I)t's a great piece of software to show the kids a different way of solving certain topics in algebra. Moving around the pieces of the equation, with the positive/negative sign assigned to the number, is a great way to make sure the kids get the sign right."

This is the first release by Regular Berry Software, a software development company in Bellevue, WA.

About Regular Berry Software:
Regular Berry Software is a developer of educational software. It was founded in early 2008 by Sean Berry, a programmer and math tutor. Berry wanted to give his students something more tangible to play with while they learned algebra - a notoriously abstract subject compared to geometry. For more information, see http://www. algebravision. com (http://www. algebravision. com)

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