|
TODAY'S
FOCUS
New Web site connects seasoned execs, entrepreneurs
By CHUCK WILLIAMS
Chairman, ThinkTEC
Special to CharlestonCurrents.com
FEB.
8, 2010 -- Do you have extensive expertise in your product or service
but limited business knowledge? Do you need help commercializing
your idea or running your business? Could you use someone to offer
advice and guide you through challenges in your business?
Williams |
If
you answered yes to any of these questions and are an entrepreneur
that has been in business over a year, then EXECnetSC can assist
you. EXECnetSC has launched a new website, www.execnetsc.org
to allow executives and entrepreneurs to connect and communicate
in a social media environment.
Often
an entrepreneur launching a company has extensive expertise in his
or her product or service area but limited knowledge in commercializing
his or her idea or running a business. In order to get a company
started and have a better chance for sustainability and/or obtaining
funding, an entrepreneur needs the experience of a seasoned executive
on his or her management team
EXECnetSC
is a bank of retired and semi-retired seasoned executives who can
serve in leadership positions for start-up ventures and small businesses
and assist them with the growth and sustainability of the company.
Entrepreneurs and small-business owners can log into http://www.execnetsc.org
and create a profile with their criteria.
Once
an executive and entrepreneur agree to a match, contact information
is shared and the two parties negotiate their working relationship
directly. All assignments are voluntary, and there is no obligation
to accept a suggested match. Matches are made based on need, background,
experience, availability and demand.
Different from a traditional mentor program, EXECnetSC facilitates
the placement of business leaders in management roles and on company
boards. The assignments may be short term (less than one year) or
long term (a year or longer) and may include positions as board
director, president, CEO, CFO, COO or chief technical officer. There
may also be compensation involved.
EXECnetSC
was created in 2007 by the Innovation Division of the Charleston
Metro Chamber of Commerce and SC Launch! The concept came about
at a ThinkTEC Innovation Summit when a speaker remarked that to
improve a start-up's chance of succeeding and receiving funding,
it is important to have seasoned help on the management team. For
more information about EXECnetSC, please contact Jill Galmarini
at 805-3015 or visit http://www.execnetsc.org.
Chuck
Williams is the chairman of ThinkTEC,
which works to facilitate tri-county area start-up companies, grow
existing business and attract new business in the high-tech arenas.
These efforts include industry-specific conferences, public policy
and legislative initiatives, program development, and educational
events.
CURRENTS
Whatever
happened to all of those mules?
By
ANDY BRACK, publisher
FEB.
8, 2010 -- American photographer Walker Evans is remembered, in
part, for his iconic Depression photographs of three poor, tenant
farming families in Alabama in 1936. Published as part of the 1941
book, "Let us now praise famous men," Evans piercing photographs
portrayed barefoot children, their worn mothers and their tired,
sunburned farmers with pained, pained eyes.
Brack |
But
two photographs in Evans' series were different. They included mules.
[See
some of his photographs.]
"Mules
did everything," remembered retired Army Corps of Engineers
Maj. Gen. Carroll LeTellier of Charleston during Saturday breakfast
at the Marina Variety Store. Mules pulled plows. Mules graded roads
and plowed snow. Mules pulled carts from farm to town. Mules filled
the countryside during the depression. In short, mules ruled.
These
days, mules are pretty hard to find. About the only place you can
see them with some regularity around here is in downtown Charleston
when you spy them pulling tour wagons packed with often overweight
tourists.
Back
in 1930, there were about 5.4 million mules in the United States,
according to Census data. Today? 283,806 mules and donkeys, according
to 2007 Census numbers, which combined both types of animals into
one category. South Carolina had 188,895 mules in 1930, compared
to 1,620 mules and donkeys today.
So
what happened? Mechanization and World War II.
"When
the army started to get tanks, mules pretty much went by the wayside"
because they weren't needed to pull artillery and do other work
that could be done by machines, said Leah Patton, registrar of the
American Donkey and Mule Society in Lewisville, Texas.
Farmers
started plowing with tractors. Farm families started traveling by
car or truck. Because mules, a cross between a horse and donkey,
are sterile and can't breed, the species' numbers dropped dramatically.
Patton's
society has more than 70,000 donkeys and mules registered in an
attempt to keep alive the interest in the animals. Most people,
she noted, don't register mules because they are only around for
their lifetimes.
But
mules are still revered in some corners where people use them for
more recreational purposes -- showing them and riding them. And
you can still find them hard at work in developing countries where
people live off the land and don't have enough money for tractors.
*
* *
How
'bout dem Saints? Times were jubilant around our home Sunday night
with the 31-17 Super Bowl victory by the New Orleans Saints over
the Indianapolis Colts. My wife, Courtenay, and her pair of brothers,
all of whom were born and grew up in New Orleans, have been waiting
all of their lives for a Super Bowl win. It'll be gumbo at supper
tonight.
Andy
Brack, publisher of CharlestonCurrents.com, can be reached at: publisher@charlestoncurrents.com.
FEEDBACK
Send
us a letter
Have
a comment or want to vent? If you have something to
say about leadership in South Carolina, the state of baseball
today, good barbecue or something about your community's government,
drop us a line to: editor@charlestoncurrents.com.
Please send no more than 200 words and include contact information
(phone number, hometown) so we can get in touch with you.
SPOTLIGHT
Maybank
Industries
The
public spiritedness of our underwriters allows us to bring CharlestonCurrents
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Industries, LLC of Charleston, SC. With broad experience in
commercial and government operations, Maybank Industries applies
deep-rooted commitment to teamwork, reliability and personal service
to provide innovative business solutions for project development,
information technology, logistics, vessel design, shipping agency
services and marine terminal operations, both locally and internationally.
Maybank Industries applies a powerful blend of professional expertise
to research, analyze and develop tailored solutions with thorough
plans of action, combining a heavy dose of common sense to solve
today's needs that can adapt to changing or evolving requirements.
More: Maybank
Industries and Maybank
Systems.
GOOD
NEWS
Battery,
restaurants offer 'Kids Eat Free' deal to soccer players
The
Charleston Battery has teamed up with two local restaurants - The
Buccaneer and Queen Anne's Revenge- - to offer the "Battery
Tuesdays -- Kids Eat Free" promotion for local youth soccer
players. Beginning Feb. 16, children who come to either restaurant
on a Tuesday wearing any team's soccer jersey will eat for free.
"We
are always looking for new ways to support and encourage our local
youth soccer players, and we thought this partnership with The Buccaneer
and Queen Anne's Revenge would be helpful to local soccer players,"
said Andrew Bell, president of the Charleston Battery. "Hopefully
we'll see a lot of our young fans in the restaurants on Tuesday
nights!"
Queen
Anne's Revenge is located at 160-B Fairchild St. on Daniel Island.
The Buccaneer is located downtown at 5 Faber St.
Nominations
sought for Workplace Flexibility Awards
If
your company offers programs such as flex time, job sharing, telecommuting
or a health/wellness program, it could be in the running for a 2010
Alfred P. Sloan Award for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility.
Nominations are now being accepted for the award, which salutes
employers of all types and sizes across the country for using workplace
flexibility as a tool to enhance business and employee success.
Workplace
flexibility is a way to define how, when, and where work gets done
and how careers are organized. It is not a one-size-fits-all policy
or program, but a myriad of work options that reflect job responsibilities,
life situations, and individual and organizational needs. Examples
include compressed work weeks, job sharing, part-year work, phased
retirement, and flex careers, including caregiving leaves and sabbaticals.
The
deadline to apply for the awards is March 12. The application process
takes place in two rounds. First, employers nominate themselves
by completing
an online application. Second, a sample of employees from qualifying
applicants will be asked to take a survey about their access to
workplace flexibility programs and about the company's culture.
Winners
will be honored at the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce's annual
meeting on June 3. Past winners from the Charleston area include
AAI Services Corporation, Barling Bay LLC, Booz Allen Hamilton,
Call Experts, Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce, Community Management
Group, EMES LLC, KFR Services Inc., Lowcountry Graduate Center,
LS3P Associates, Morris Financial Concepts Inc., the Noisette Company,
Santee Cooper, Scientific Research Corporation, Stanley Inc., and
Tegron LLC.
Literacy tutors
needed to help adult students learn basic skills
The
Trident Literacy
Association is looking for volunteers to help teach adult students
the basic skills of reading, writing and mathematics, as well as
English as a second language, GED (General Education Diploma) preparation
and basic computer use. A free tutor orientation session will be
held from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Feb. 17 at the organization's North
Charleston office, 5416-B Rivers Ave.
Trident
Literacy serves adults ages 17 and up in the tri-county area who
want to improve their literacy or prepare to take the GED. No particular
educational background is required to be a tutor; TLA officials
say patience, flexibility and a desire to help others learn are
the primary requirements for tutors. Materials and support are provided,
and programs are student-directed.
Volunteers
are needed at all Trident Literacy sites, including downtown Charleston,
North Charleston, Summerville, Goose Creek and Moncks Corner, as
well as numerous satellite locations throughout the Lowcountry.
Trident Literacy also needs volunteers to help with community events
and special projects.
Call
747-2223 to register for training or learn more.
RECOMMENDED
"The
High School Reunion Diet: Lose 20 Years in 30 Days"
Everyone
already knows to "eat less and exercise more," so there's
often a question of what else a diet and exercise book can teach
us. This particular one intrigued me because it was written by a
dermatologist [Dr. David Colbert] who is part of a practice with
doctors of different specialties. He has a slightly different focus
than one might expect, emphasizing that good health is about more
than just eating and getting exercise. As a dermatologist, he talks
specifically about the effect our sugary diets have on our skin
and the aging process. It may not be enough to make you put down
that candy bar, but it will encourage you to think about how much
sugar you put in your body.
-
Tina Arnoldi, Mount Pleasant, SC
HAVE
A REVIEW?
If you have a review or recommendation of a book, movie, restaurant
or local arts endeavor, please send no more than 150 words to
editor Ann Thrash.
Make sure to include your name and full contact information.
SC
ENCYCLOPEDIA
"South
Carolina on My Mind"
"South
Carolina on My Mind" became an official state song in legislation
approved by Governor Richard Riley on March 8, 1984. The General
Assembly's intention was "to help inspire pride in our State
and improve the quality of life among all South Carolinians."
The ballad was composed by Hank Martin and performed and recorded
by him and his partner Buzz Arledge. Both were native South Carolinians
and professional musicians in Nashville, Tennessee, and New York
City. Words and music were published in 1979. Martin and Arledge
included it in their album South Carolina on My Mind.
 |
Henry
Grieshaber "Hank" Martin III was born in Columbia in 1944,
brought up in Bishopville, and attended high school in Sumter. Nun
Ellsworth "Buzz" Arledge Jr. was born in 1944 in Sumter.
The two began singing together while in high school. Beginning in
the late 1970s they worked together in Nashville as performers and
established Marledge, a music publishing company. Martin worked
with the singer Dolly Parton and made national radio and television
commercials in Nashville and New York City. He was inspired to write
the state song in part by the poem "A Carolina Love Song,"
composed by his father-in-law, the Reverend Riley Munday, a Baptist
minister, humorist, and sometime poet-in-residence at Columbia College.
The
song's lyrics evoke the state's natural beauty: "I've got South
Carolina on my mind, / Remembering all those sunshine Summertimes,
/ And the Autumns in the Smokies / When the leaves turn to gold
/ Touches my heart and thrills my soul / To have South Carolina
on my mind, / With those clean snow-covered Wintertimes / And the
white sand of the beaches, / And those Carolina peaches. I've got
South Carolina on my mind."
--
Excerpted from the entry by David C.R. Heisser. To
read more about this or 2,000 other entries about South Carolina,
check out The South Carolina Encyclopedia by USC Press. (Information
used by permission.) To
read more about this or 2,000 other entries about South Carolina,
check out The
South Carolina Encyclopedia by USC Press. (Information used
by permission.)
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 THE
LIST
Five big
pats on the back
Seems like
Charleston has been racking up honors from national surveys and
publications ever since the Adventure pulled up on the shores of
the Ashley River in 1670. But in these economic times, we have a
fresh appreciation for how often the hospitality industry here puts
the city in the national and international spotlight. Here are five
recent honors and awards, courtesy of the Charleston Convention
and Visitors Bureau.
- Charleston
was the only destination in the United States to make Lonely
Planet's Top 10 list for 2010.
- About.com
listed The Dining Room at Woodlands as one of the most romantic
restaurants in the Southeast.
- Brad Ball
of the Charleston wine bar Social was the only Charlestonian
to qualify for Regional Young Sommelier competition.
- The French
Quarter Inn and Harbourview Inn earned the top two spots
in the U.S. Luxury Hotel category from TripAdvisor in its 2010
Travelers' Choice Awards, and the French Quarter Inn was designated
as the eighth best luxury hotel in the world.
- Also in
the TripAdvisor awards, the Holiday Inn Historic District grabbed
the No. 6 spot on the list of Top 10 Family Hotels in the
United States.
QUOTE
On
oysters
"He was
a bold man that first ate an oyster."
-- Jonathan
Swift, Irish essayist and satirist (1667-1745)
CALENDAR:
THIS WEEK
(NEW)
Patriots
Point Open House:
5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Feb. 9, Cooper River Room, Mount Pleasant
Memorial Waterfront Park. Patriots Point Development Authority will
sponsor the open house to get public input on its plans for the
future of the naval and maritime museum complex.
Gourmet
Wild Game Dinner: 7:30 p.m. Feb. 10, Halls Chophouse,
434 King St., downtown. One of several new events associated with
the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition. Five-course dinner with wine
pairings. Menu includes local oysters, quail, bison ribeye and more.
Cost: $115/person. Tickets: Buy
online or phone 723-1748.
Women
in Business Conference: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 12, Charleston
Marriott. The Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce and the Center
for Women will present the conference, which focuses on integrating
female business professionals into mainstream networks and expanding
their business opportunities by providing access to successful business
leaders in the region. Cost: $75 for chamber or Center for Women
members; $100 for nonmembers. Registration:
Online.
An
Evening with Jack Hanna: 7 p.m. Feb. 12, South Carolina
Aquarium, 100 Aquarium Wharf, downtown. Spend an evening with animal
expert Jack Hanna during his visit to the Lowcountry for the Southeastern
Wildlife Exposition. Guests will be able to meet Hanna, enjoy hors
d'oeuvres and cocktails, and hear stories about his animal adventures
around the world. Cost: $85 per person ($75 for aquarium members,
who can order by calling 723-1748 and giving their member number).
More info: Online
or 723-1748.
Birds
of Prey Brunch: 9 a.m. to noon Feb. 13, Francis Marion
Hotel, corner of King and Calhoun streets, downtown. Jim Elliott,
executive director of the Center for Birds of Prey, will show off
some of his feathered friends in this new event, which is part of
the Southeastern Wildlife Expo. Hearty buffet-style brunch includes
coffee, tea, juice, and bottomless mimosas and Bloody Marys. $42
per person; tickets may also be purchased at the door. Tickets:
Online or 723-1748.
(NEW)
"Masterpieces
of Dance": 7:30 p.m. Feb. 13, Sottile Theatre, 66
George St. Charleston Ballet Theatre will present choreographer
Bruce Marks's "The Lark Ascending" as part of its Masterpieces
of Dance series, which focuses on 20th-century masters and their
work. Marks has spent time in Charleston this month working with
the CBT. The performance will also include the George Balanchine
works "Serenade" and "Rubies." Tickets: $35-$45
($10 off for students). Call 723-7334, visit the box office at 477
King St. or go
online here.
SEWE
Cooking Classes: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 14, Charleston
Cooks, 194 East Bay St., downtown. A new feature of the Southeastern
Wildlife Exposition calendar. The hands-on cooking class will give
participants a chance to prepare fish and wild game, then enjoy
the food prepared in class along with a glass of wine. Cost: $75
per person. Tickets: Online
or 723-1748.
CALENDAR:
ONGOING AND SOON
Third
Thursday: Feb. 18, downtown Summerville. The monthly
Third Thursday promotion in historic Flower Town has a February
theme of "Fall in Love with Downtown Summerville." Stores
will be open until 8 p.m. for shopping and strolling, and restaurants
will be offering dinner. More info: Online
or 821-7260.
ABWA
Game Night: 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Feb. 22, Holiday Inn Express,
120 Holiday Drive, Summerville. The American Business Women's Association's
Jessamine Chapter of Summerville will hold a game night fundraiser
and silent auction to benefit women's scholarships. Open to the
public. Guests are invited to bring their favorite game and/or team.
Prizes, food and beverages provided. Cost: $10 ticket donation.
Reservations requested. Contact Shirlie
Taylor, 873-6769 or get
tickets online.
Arts
in Crisis Tour: 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Feb. 23, Recital Hall,
Simons Center at the College of Charleston. Michael Kaiser, president
of the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., chose Charleston for
his only South Carolina stop on his 50-state Arts in Crisis Tour.
He will speak about current challenges and opportunities for arts
organizations. The Charleston Concert Association is hosting the
program in partnership with the S.C. Arts Commission, the City of
Charleston Office of Cultural Affairs, and the College of Charleston
School of the Arts. Free and open to the public, but advance registration
is required; e-mail or call
727-1216.
(NEW)
Winter
Golf Classic: Feb. 23, Wild Dunes Resort's Links and
Harbor Courses, Isle of Palms. Sponsored by the Charleston Metro
Chamber of Commerce to offer businesses five hours of uninterrupted
networking with key clients, customers or contacts. Tournament (captain's
choice format) includes 60 teams on two full courses; each team
gets 18 holes of golf with lunch and beverages, followed by a reception
and dinner at the Sweetgrass Pavilion. Registration begins at 10
a.m.; shotgun start at 11:30. Cost: $800 per team or $200 per individual.
Registration
here.
Amuse
Bouche: 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Feb. 26, Halsey Institute
of Contemporary Art, College of Charleston, 161 Calhoun St. The
event, the unofficial kickoff of the BB&T Charleston Wine +
Food Festival, benefits the Lowcountry Food Bank's Kids Café
and Backpack Buddies Programs and the Halsey Institute. Jim 'N Nick's
Bar-B-Q will "Pork from Around the World" tastings, and
Whole Foods will offer an open wine bar. Cost: $20 per person at
the door; RSVP no later than Feb. 24 to 747-8146 or mcoombes@lcfbank.org.
(NEW)
Dock
Street Reopening: 6 p.m. April 1, Dock Street Theatre.
Gala concert planned by Spoleto Festival USA for the reopening of
the theatre after three years of renovations. Performances include
a sneak peek of the Spoleto opera "Flora," which was first
performed at the Dock Street in 1736. Events include champagne reception,
performance and seated dinner. Tickets range from $250 to $1,000.
Call 579-3100 or buy
online.
House
& Garden Tours: 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. April 9 and April
10, downtown Charleston. The Garden Club of Charleston offers
its 75th annual walking tour of private homes and gardens in the
Historic District. Homes also feature flowers arranged by garden
club members, and refreshments will be served in one of the gardens.
All proceeds benefit the garden club's year-round maintenance of
several public gardens, including those at the Manigault House,
the Heyward-Washington House, the Gateway Walk and the Healing Garden
at MUSC. Tickets: $35. Details: http://www.thegardenclubofcharleston.org
or 530-5164.
Talk
by Christo: 5:30 p.m. April 13, Memminger Auditorium,
56 Beaufain St., downtown. Internationally known artist Christo
will visit talk about his work in a slide presentation and lecture
sponsored by the Gibbes Museum of Art. Christo and his late wife,
Jeanne-Claude, have collaborated throughout the world on large-scale
art projects using fabric, including wrapping the Pont-Neuf bridge
in Paris, the 24½-mile-long Running Fence in Sonoma and Marin
counties in California, and The Gates in New York's Central Park.
Tickets (in advance only): $25 for museum members, $35 for nonmembers,
and $15 for students (with ID); available at the Gibbes Museum Store,
by calling 722-2706, ext. 22, or online
through April 6.
FOCUS
ARCHIVES
7/1:
Shaffer:
Picky Eaters Group
6/28: Bender:
Fishy Fourth
6/24: Belden:
Society 1858
6/21: Stevenson:
Summer reading
6/17: Handel:
On Jim Fisher
6/14: Reeves:
Summer dress
6/10:Martin:
Garden tips
6/7: Dubrofsky:
Green homes
6/3: McCutcheon:
Young pros
5/31: McFaddlin:
Health benefits
5/27: Ledbetter:
Senior riders
5/24: Myers:
Microloan's impact
5/20: Gadson:
Rural Mission's needs
5/17: Bender:
Bocce bashing
5/13: DeMarco:
Homeless help
5/10: Spencer:
Ending violence
5/6: Westmeyer:
Fish to buy
5/3: Maas:
Spoleto tips
THRASH
ARCHIVES
3/4:
Green
mowers
2/25: Get
outdoors
2/18: Local
guide book for kids
2/11: Reviewing
Jenny's book
2/4: MSNBC
looks at success
1/21: Tell
Mt. Pleasant
1/14: Winter
plant tips
1/7: New
books
BRACK
ARCHIVES
3/1:
Cut
all of the cuts
2/22: A
look at summer camps
2/15: School
district Einsteins
2/8: About
mules
2/1: Bauer
should get out
1/28: Gibbs
at White House
1/25: Friend's
new show
1/18: Rockwell
painting
1/11: Palmetto
Priorities
1/4/10: Piggly
Wiggly visit
BUSINESS
INDIGO
2/4:
Advice
on working with Boeing
1/21: Co-working
group
1/7:
Free
library text questions
LIST
ARCHIVES
3/4:
Tickets
still left
3/1: Eat
& Run
2/25: RiverDogs'
auction
2/22: Recycling
bins
2/18: Designer
data
2/15: SC
Olympians
2/11: Prohibition
cocktails
2/8: Tops
for Charleston
2/4: Sweet
treats
2/1: Free
at SEWE
1/28: Artists'
gift
1/25: Sharks
at Aquarium
1/21: Church
turns 100
1/18: 3
helping Haiti
1/14: Civil
War lectures
1/11: 5
for King Day
1/7: New
at SEWE
1/4/10: Staying
warm
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