Achievers

GARY MCNAIR, a 35-year broadcasting veteran, has joined Raycom Media ‘s NBC affiliate, WECT as vice president and general manager. McNair comes to WECT-TV 6 from the NBC affiliate, WBOYTV in Clarksburg,W.Va., where he was senior vice president and general manager. He also had oversight responsibility for WTRF-TV, the CBS/FOX affiliate in Wheeling,W.Va. McNair has also managed stations in Kansas (KSNT Channel 27 – NBC, Topeka) and New Mexico (KBIM Channel 10 – CBS, Roswell). Under his leadership, KSNT was named mediummarket Station of the Year three times by the Kansas Association of Broadcasters. Prior to working in New Mexico, McNair held marketing and production positions at WSAZ (NBC) in Huntington, W.Va. He is a graduate of Marshall University.

President DEBBIE ELLIOTT and office manager MIRANDA HARWELL, employees of Talk PR Inc., successfully completed the N.C Department of Agriculture Consumer Services’ Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUB) Entrepreneurial Seminar. The Office of Historically Underutilized Businesses is an advocate for minority, women and disabled-owned businesses who conduct business in North Carolina. HUBs must be at least 51 percent owned by a minority, woman or disabled owner and help to increase business and reduce opposition to these agencies. Established in 1990, Talk PR, Inc. is a full-service public relations and advertising agency headquartered in Wilmington.

WILLIAM SUTTON, MD of Wilmington Orthopaedic Group, recently received his Subspecialty Certificate in Orthopedic Sports Medicine. Sutton is the only orthopaedist to receive the Subspecialty Certification in Sports Medicine in the Wilmington area. Qualifications for receiving the certificate included the submission of more than 400 case reviews and passing the national exam in orthopedic sports medicine. Sutton has been with Wilmington Orthopaedic Group since 1993. He specializes in sports medicine and arthroscopic surgery of the knee and shoulder, as well as trauma, joint replacement and general orthopaedic procedures. He serves as head team physician for the University of North Carolina Wilmington and is a member of the Arthroscopy Association of America, the American Orthopedic Society of Sports Medicine and Clinical Professor of Surgery at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Intracoastal Realty agents and managers, ANDREA WEST, APRIL MCDAVID, ASHLEY GARNER, ASHLEY MCDAVID, CHUCK MEHNER, DAVID EGGLESTON, EYVONNE WILLETTS, GALE MCDAVID, GINNY TYNDALL, JIM GOODMAN and MICHELLE CLARK recently attended an all-day Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) Designation course. The CRS Designation consists of teaching systems and strategies to enhance real estate brokerage professional skills.

WILLIAMS MULLEN has been named a Go-To Law Firm for Leading Technology Companies by American Lawyer Media (ALM), based on a recent survey. According to ALM, the surveys and research focused on several areas of legal services, including litigation, corporate transactions/mergers and acquisitions, labor and employment, intellectual property, securities and international.

Platinum Corral LLC, a 22- unit Golden Corral franchise operator, has announced that owner BILLY SEWELL has been named Restaurateur of the Year by the North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association (NCRLA). Sewell owns Golden Corral franchises in Wilmington, Asheboro, Concord, Hickory, Burlington, Jacksonville, Reidsville, Eden, Lexington, Wake Forest and three locations in the Triangle.

KIM RUDDER and MARK MONROE have joined Lumina Mortgage as loan originators. LORI HARRILL has joined Lumina Mortgage as a loan processor.

March of Dimes North Carolina Southeastern Division appointed the following 2008 board of directors at its recent meeting: JENNIFER MANOCCHIO, Sweeney Marketing and Public Relations; KIM RATCLIFF, WECT co-host of Carolina in the morning; DEBORAH CONARD, Port City Executive; COLLEEN MALONEY, WCTI News Channel 12 anchor; KIM PEDDIE, Thomas & Hutton Engineering Co.; JENNIFER PETERKEN; JUSTIN QUEEN, Blu Zeus Interactive Marketing; CAROL ROGERS, New Hanover Regional Medical Center; CONNIE RONNER, SunTrust; GAIL SMITH, New Hanover Regional Medical Center; and JEFF WEST, Time Warner Media Sales.

Will Power Fitness has been selected as the exclusive fitness training organization at the new Port City Health Club and Spa which opens March 1at 2250 Shipyard Blvd., Suite 10. WILL CHANDLER is managing member of Will Power Fitness LLC. He is certified in strength and conditioning as well as senior fitness by the Interactive Fitness Trainers of America. He also is a candidate for certification by National Federation of Professional Trainers. Chandler is a graduate of the University of North Carolina Wilmington with a bachelor’s degree in business administration.

STRAHAN ASSOCIATES, PC, recently merged with CENTREPOINT ARCHITECTURE, PA. The new organization will retain Centrepoint Architecture’s name and corporate headquarters. Centrepoint Architecture is a full-service architectural, engineering and interior design firm with more than 25 employees in its Raleigh and Wilmington offices. Strahan Associates provides complete architectural, planning and interior design services to clients throughout the United States.

Colonial Marketing Group Inc. of Wilmington recently expanded to include NBC media veteran CAROLYN CANDEBAT as a senior account executive. Candebat adds an additional 20 years of media experience to Colonial Marketing Group’s team of media specialists. She holds a bachelor’s degree in advertising from Penn State University School of Journalism and has been employed by WECT-TV for the past six years. She will manage national and regional accounts, offering strategic media placement for clients’ advertising campaigns.

BO BURCH, chief principal of Human Capital Solutions Inc., recently became a member of Bio- Partners Search Group LLC. Bio-Partners are a partnership of highly experienced, successful recruiters specializing in key talent for pharmaceutical, biotech/life sciences, medical device, bioinformatics, information technology and health care corporations.

JEFFREY A. SIMMONS has joined ECB as vice president and business banker for the Wilmington branch located at 1724 Eastwood Rd. in the Progress Point Center. Simmons began his banking career in 1985 with BB&T and later moved to RBC Centura. In 1995, he joined Interstate Johnson/Lane as a financial advisor and worked in the brokerage industry for more than 10 years. As a business banker with ECB, Simmons will focus on business development in Wilmington and New Hanover County.

CAL MORGAN has joined Worsley Real Estate Company as a commercial real estate appraiser. Morgan graduated from the College of Charleston in 1997. As an associate member of the Appraisal Institute, he continues to work towards his MAI designation. He has experience appraising a variety of commercial and special use property types throughout the Carolinas. He joined Worsley Real Estate in October.

KENDELL CANGELOSI and ELIZABETH MALOTT have joined the Wilmington office of RSM McGladrey as a tax senior associate and a client service representative, respectively. Cangelosi brings more than two years of accounting experience. Originally from Raleigh, Cangelosi earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from N.C. State University and a master’s degree in accounting from Appalachian State University. Malott’s previous work experience includes one year of audit and assurance experience at a national accounting firm. Malott holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Arizona.

The principals of Cardinal Relocation Group (CRG) -- RICHARD ROSS, JOHN T. MUSANTE and ALASTAIR MCEWAN – recently announced they have signed definitive agreements to acquire 100 percent of Cardinal Moving and Storage (CMS), a successful relocation and home delivery business operating throughout the Carolinas. Ross, an industry veteran with more than 17 years of experience, will assume the role of CEO of CMS.

Freedom Franchises Inc., based in Hampstead, recently awarded a Freedom Lawns franchise license to KATHLEEN SMITH and JOSEPH GRADY of Charleston, S.C. The Charleston franchise is the fourth Freedom lawns location to open in the last 12 months and the seventh franchise license to be awarded since the company began franchises 24 months ago. Freedom Franchises President Mark A. Tamn has announced that the company will continue its aggressive expansion in the southeastern United States this year with franchise outlets in Hilton Head, S.C. and Savannah, Ga.

PHIL DAY has joined Verity Companies, based in Ocean Isle Beach, as business development director. Day’s career spans more than 35 years when he began with Bell Laboratories and AT&T, where he was the sales director for the United Kingdom and Ireland. He went on to work as the managing director for the UK and Scandinavia with MCI and the managing director for Europe, Africa and the Middle East with Verizon. The Verity Companies (Verity) have been located in Ocean Isle Beach since 2005 and was formed in 2002 as Verity Management Solutions LLC, a business management consulting firm. Since its inception, Verity has expanded its lines of service to include property inspections and property maintenance.

DR. RICK LAWSON was hired as the Children’s Museum of Wilmington’s new executive director. Lawson has been a member of the Wilmington community for 15 years and has been active in education at several levels. He was a school principal for 30 years and has served as an adjunct faculty member at Cape Fear Community College for the past three years. He received his Master of Arts and Education Specialist degrees from the University of Virginia and his Doctor of Education degree in Curriculum and Administration from California Coast University in Santa Ana.

SEAN SKUTNIK has joined the Wilmington office of EXIT Homeplace Realty.

Cape Fear Biofuels, a local nonprofit, welcomed four new members to its board of directors: BILL LADD, ASHLEY FUTRAL, RONNEY BRADSHAW and MARK JABALEY.

Maximum Design & Advertising Inc., a full-service destination lifestyle marketing firm, is proud to announce that a logo created by the company’s senior designer, ARRICK MAURICE, has been selected as the winning design in the North Carolina Builder Institute’s (NCBI) new logo competition.

COLLINS AND CLARK REAL ESTATE TEAM at Intracoastal Realty has retained COLONIAL MARKETING GROUP to design and implement an image branding campaign and media placement. Collins and Clark specializes in listing and selling Wrightsville Beach properties. LOVITT MOTOR COMPANY has retained Colonial Marketing Group to create, produce and place all new broadcast media and creative print design. Located on Carolina Beach Road, Lovitt Motor Company offers on-lot financing for all buyers who might need it. KIRK PIGFORD CONSTRUCTION has retained Colonial Marketing Group for development of print ad design and media placement on behalf of their company, as well as the residential properties they develop including AVALON WEST, BELLE MEADE PLANTATION and JUNIPER CREEK. Kirk Pigford Construction Inc. builds a wide variety of homes beginning with starter homes to estate homes.

CHARLES DAVIS has joined Plantation Building Corp. as the chief financial officer. He brings 15 years of financial experience in corporate and commercial real estate lending. Davis started his career at Wachovia in 1994 and eventually joined Sun Trust in 1996, where his primary responsibilities were with commercial lending. Davis obtained his undergraduate degree in finance from Winthrop University and currently is working toward his MBA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

KIM HENNES, co-president of and creative director for Clove Marketing, Inc., recently attended the annual Country Radio Seminar held in Nashville, Tenn. Attendees were updated on the latest in industry trends, the impact that satellite radio and Internet radio will have on listening audiences and the newest in radio station ratings systems -- the People Meter. Clove Marketing is a full-service advertising and marketing agency that has been serving the Wilmington area since 1999.

Talk PR employees SUSAN CRISPELL and LINDSAY FLETCHER recently completed a one-day, professional development seminar entitled Pitching Secrets of the Pros. The seminar was sponsored by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and hosted by Margo Mateas, a nationally renowned PR expert. Mateas used workshops and role-playing exercises to teach attendees how to secure more media coverage and to strengthen relationships with the media. Crispell is an account executive with Talk PR and Fletcher is a junior account executive.

E-mail information for Achievers to editor@wilmingtonbiz.com.