September 22, 2008 - Brevard Business News

Transcription

BBN
Vol. 26 No. 38
Brevard
September 22, 2008
Business
News
A Weekly Space Coast Business Magazine
Former Marine, author
James Dicks is keynoter
for Veterans Conference
By Ken Datzman
James Dicks, who served in the U.S.
Marine Corp. in the 1990s and went on
to become an author and successful
entrepreneur, will headline the eighth
annual Brevard Community College
Small Business Development Center’s
Veterans Conference.
The event will be held on Tuesday,
Sept. 23, at the Maxwell C. King Center
for the Performing Arts on the BCC
campus in Melbourne. The program is
scheduled from 8 a.m. to noon and will
feature a full slate of speakers, including
local experts. The registration fee is $52
(includes breakfast). To register, visit
www.bcctraining.com or call 433–5570.
Networking opportunities and
exhibits also will be available at the
conference, which is sponsored by The
Veterans Business Outreach Center at
BCC, the Economic Development
Commission of Florida’s Space Coast,
The Boeing Co., Northrop Grumman,
United Space Alliance, and the Small
Business Development Center.
A resident of greater Orlando, Dicks’
presentation is titled “Operation Financial Freedom.” His motivational speech
“hopes to enlighten fellow veterans,
servicemen, and businessowners” on the
benefits and financial freedom in owning
a company, said Vicky Peake, director of
the Small Business Development Center
at BCC in Melbourne.
“With the economy being in a state of
flux and the lack of job opportunities for
returning veterans and veterans in
general, we thought this would be a very
timely topic,” she said. “Joellen Moore of
United Space Alliance and Deborah
Melvin of The Boeing Co. had the
opportunity to meet with Dicks. They say
he’s a fantastic speaker.”
Dicks served as a Marine from 1994 to
1997, and was honorably discharged.
Today, he is president of Premiere Trade
LLC. His 288–page hardcover book,
“Operation Financial Freedom,” is
published by McGraw–Hill.
It has sold more than 365,000 copies
on amazon.com. The back cover of the
Please see Veterans Conference, page 19
BBN photo — Adrienne B. Roth
Vicky Peake is director of the SBDC at BCC in Melbourne. Her organization puts on the annual
Veterans Conference. The event is geared to help military veterans learn about entrepreneurship and
the government resources that are available to them. Mike Hogan of Orlando founded Road Warrior,
a firm that helps veterans start mobile–service businesses. He is a client of the SBDC.
How Ginnie Mae differs from Fannie, Freddie
By Kathleen Pender
Scripps Howard Service
investors.
Ginnie Mae insures the bond, for a
fee. But it doesn’t own any bonds itself.
As time goes on, “the bank collects
mortgage payments from borrowers and
passes payments to Ginnie Mae, which
passes them through to investors,” says
Ginnie Mae spokeswoman Terry Carr.
If a borrower defaults, the bank can
foreclose and collect from FHA or VA.
But the bank is responsible for making
the pass–through payments whether or
not the borrower pays.
“If the bank can’t make all or part of
the pass–through payment, Ginnie Mae
makes sure that bondholders continue to
get their promised payments,” Carr adds,
If loans default and FHA or VA
Please see Ginnie, page 16
PRESORTED STANDARD
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PAID
BREVARD BUSINESS NEWS, INC.
With all the activity surrounding
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, some
investors are wondering whether they
should be worried about their Ginnie
Mae funds.
Ginnie Mae is a government–owned
corporation that guarantees bonds
backed by home mortgages that have
been guaranteed by a government
agency, mainly the Federal Housing
Administration and the Veterans
Administration.
Ginnie Mae–insured bonds have
always had the explicit backing of the
federal government.
However, Fannie and Freddie have
become so big and important that
everyone assumed that if they ran into
trouble, the government would back
them up. The housing bill signed by
President Bush last week appears to do
just that.
Here’s a look at what Ginnie Mae
does:
A borrower goes to a bank and asks
for a loan. If he qualifies, he might be
offered a loan guaranteed by the FHA.
The FHA was created, long before
subprime loans became widely available,
to help borrowers who couldn’t get
conventional home loans because they
had low credit scores or limited resources.
A bank or other institution bundles a
group of FHA mortgages and sells a bond
backed by mortgages in the pool to
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Two Brevard teachers named
finalists for excellence award
VIERA –Two Brevard elementary science teachers
have been named Florida finalists for the Presidential
Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science
Teaching (PAEMST).
Michelle Ferro, of West Melbourne Elementary
School for Science, and Wendy Shelden, of Ralph
Williams Jr. Elementary School, will be recognized as
two of the three Florida finalists at the Florida Association of Science Teachers (FAST) Conference in October.
The three Florida finalists’ applications will be
reviewed by a national selection panel and one will be
selected as the Florida national finalist. The Florida
national finalist will be announced in the spring and
then will be honored at an awards ceremony for all state
finalists.
“It is highly unusual for two teachers from the same
county to be Florida finalists and this may be a first,”
said Ed Short, elementary science resource teacher for
Brevard Public Schools.
The PAEMST is the highest recognition that a
kindergarten through 12th–grade mathematics or
science teacher may receive for outstanding teaching in
the United States.
“Ms. Ferro is one of those rare, dedicated professionals who expands her impact beyond her classroom,” said
Principal Tom Westermeyer. “She is a great science
teacher but also models enthusiasm to staff and
parents. In 25 years as a principal, she is the best
science teacher I’ve ever had the privilege to work with.”
Awardees serve as models for their colleagues,
inspiration to their communities, and leaders in the
improvement of mathematics and science education.
Ferro and Shelden are also members of Brevard’s
Elementary Science Leadership and Training Cadre.
“Ms. Shelden is extremely creative and highly
committed to teaching science and integrating math
into her daily lessons,” said Principal Cynthia Ford.
“She goes out of her way to bring in hands–on projects
to foster learning. Her students are enthused about
being in her class and consistently show academic
growth.”
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Carmine Priore, president of the Florida League of
Cities, has appointed Melbourne District 2 City Councilman Mark LaRusso to the Florida League of Cities
Finance and Taxation Legislative Policy Committee.
The committee will deliberate financial and taxation
issues concerning cities for the upcoming 2009 Legislative Session. The committee meets four times before the
Legislative Session in Tallahassee. “It is an honor to be
appointed to this very important position during these
fiscally challenging times across the state,” said
LaRusso. “The citizens of Melbourne can count on me to
honor their concerns and carry the message for lower
taxes and sensible government spending by working
closely with our representatives to Tallahassee.” The
Florida League of Cities was founded in 1922 as a
means of uniting municipalities throughout the state.
Since then, the Florida League of Cities has become the
largest municipal league of its kind in the United
States. LaRusso began his term as council member in
2004 and was re–elected in 2006. His current term
extends until November 2010.
Call Adrienne Roth at 321-951-7777 or visit BrevardBusinessNews.com for Advertising Information
SEPTEMBER 22, 2008
BBN
DIGEST
Two HRMC staff members
receive FHA ‘Hero’ awards
ROCKLEDGE — Two members of Health First’s
Holmes Regional Medical Center staff have been
presented with “Hospital Hero” awards by the Florida
Hospital Association. Carol Garrett, trauma quality
improvement analyst, and Bonnie Rudolph, chief
nursing officer, are the only Brevard County recipients
of the prestigious FHA awards.
Garrett began her nursing career when Dwight
Eisenhower was president. She has spent half a century
blazing a trail in her field. Garrett worked for NASA in
the 1960s on the first manned space flights of the
Mercury Program. She has also served as a paramedic
and volunteered with the Harbor City Volunteer
Ambulance Squad.
Garrett later taught classes and was a clinical
instructor for paramedic students at HRMC in
Melbourne. She was one of the first nurses to take
Advanced Cardiac Life Support training and later
became an ACLS instructor. Garrett was also the “first
nurse at HRMC to ever defibrillate a patient.”
Rudolph recently traveled to Peru to help victims of
last year’s earthquakes there.
She oversees more than 1,300 nurses at both HRMC
and Health First’s Palm Bay Community Hospital, as
well as 25 nursing units. She was awarded the
Governor’s “Point of Light” award for “helping hundreds
of oxygen– dependent, paralyzed, and disabled residents
in Brevard County following the hurricanes of 2004.”
When Rudolph is not helping someone, she is
instructing others on how to help others. She teaches in
the master’s of health–care administration program at
the University of St. Francis and also serves as an
adviser to the University of Central Florida School of
Nursing.
Rudolph has been a key cog in establishing education
programs for the nursing staff at Health First hospitals.
Finally, Rudolph is active in several community
agencies whose mission is to help developmentally
challenged individuals.
FHA’s “Hospital Hero” award recognizes the best
hospital employees across the state of Florida. The
program spotlights their “heroic on–the–job actions, or
exceptional talent and dedication.” The two HRMC
nurses will be formally presented their awards during a
ceremony in Orlando in October.
Area students receive scholarship money
Seven area students have received $12,000 in
scholarship money from the Rotary Club of Indialantic.
“Every year a portion of the money raised from our
annual ‘Moon River, Music and Magic’ goes toward our
scholarship program and each year the selection process
gets harder and harder,” said Jay Anderson, education
committee co–chair. “The students this year were all 3.9
or 4.0 grade–point average scholars with exceptional
poise and an impressive thirst for knowledge.” The
students and family members were invited to attend a
Rotary luncheon held at the Eau Gallie Yacht Club in
Indian Harbour Beach. The winning students are:
Jessica Pollack, Satellite High School; Linda Yue,
Satellite High; Caroline Roller, Satellite High; Erinn
Murry, Satellite High; Ian Dawley, Melbourne High;
Sally Mac Donald, Melbourne High; and Jason
Panzarino, Melbourne High.
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EDITORIAL
Study indicates gene therapy for blindness improves vision
By John Pastor
All three people who received gene therapy at the
University of Florida to treat a rare, incurable form of
blindness have regained some of their vision, according to a paper published online in Human Gene
Therapy.
The patients — one woman and two men ranging
from 21 to 24 years old with a type of hereditary
blindness called Leber congenital amaurosis type 2 —
volunteered to test the safety of an experimental gene–
transfer technique in a phase 1 clinical research study
conducted by UF and the University of Pennsylvania
with support from the National Eye Institute of the
National Institutes of Health.
In this form of LCA disease, photoreceptor cells
cannot respond to light because a gene called RPE65
does not properly produce a protein necessary for
healthy vision. In the study, researchers used an
adeno–associated virus — an apparently harmless
virus that already exists in most people — to deliver
RPE65 to a small area of the retina.
Not only were there no ill effects other than routine
postsurgical soreness, the subjects said the vision in
their treated eyes was slightly improved in dim
lighting conditions.
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PUBLISHER
Adrienne B. Roth
EDITOR
Ken Datzman
OFFICE MANAGER
Frank Schiffmann
Brevard Business News is published every Monday by
Brevard Business News Inc. Bulk Rate postage is paid at
Melbourne, FL and Cocoa, FL. This publication serves
business executives in Brevard County. It reports on
news, trends and ideas of interest to industry, trade,
agribusiness, finance, health care, high technology and
commerce.
Letters to the Editor must include the writer’s signature
and printed or typed name, full address and telephone
number. Brevard Business News reserves the right to edit
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32904.
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changes to: Circulation Department, Brevard Business
News, 4300 Fortune Place, Suite D, West Melbourne, FL,
32904.
“The patients report seeing brighter areas and
perhaps some images, but basically the message is
that this is treatment is fully safe,” said William W.
Hauswirth, a professor of ophthalmology and member
of UF’s Powell Gene Therapy Center and the UF
Genetics Institute.
“One thing we did not do is suppress the patients’
immune systems, which was done in two other LCA
clinical trials that were under way,” said Hauswirth,
who began studying the adeno–associated virus as a
vehicle to deliver genes into living animals more than
30 years ago. “Theoretically, the idea was that it might
be necessary to suppress the immune system because
we are using a vector that might activate the body’s
defenses and cause a harmful response. However,
immune suppression itself carries a risk of infections
and other problems. Clearly we have shown there is no
need to do that in this case.”
Dr. Samuel Jacobson, a professor of ophthalmology
with the Scheie Eye Institute at the University of
Pennsylvania, is the study’s principal investigator.
“This groundbreaking gene therapy trial builds on
15 years of research sponsored by the National Eye
Institute of NIH,” said Dr. Paul Sieving, director of the
NEI.
“The study has partially restored vision in three
young adults, and it demonstrates that gene therapy
can be effective in treating human vision disease.
Many human diseases are inherited in families and
result from mutations in single genes. These genetic
conditions are particularly suited to potential treatment by gene therapy. This trial to treat vision loss
from the condition of Leber congenital amaurosis is an
important demonstration of proof of principle and
shows that we are on the right track. We can now
invest in further work to refine, and ultimately to
expand, genetic treatment approaches.”
Results published today focus on the health of the
entire retina, not just the tiny portion that received the
gene therapy. A detailed examination of the therapy’s
effectiveness in the treated portion of the eye will
appear in an upcoming issue of the Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences. Two other recent LCA
clinical trial reports appeared recently in “The New
England Journal of Medicine.”
“The safety study itself is a milestone, but when we
see a benefit to the subject — that is a truly a welcome
bonus,” said Dr. Barry Byrne, a professor of molecular
genetics and microbiology and director of UF’s Powell
Gene Therapy Center, which manufactured the viral
vectors used in the study. “Improvements in someone’s
medical condition are ultimately what we are after.”
LCA2 affects about 2,000 people in the United
States and is one of several incurable forms of blindness collectively known as retinitis pigmentosa, which
in turn affects about 200,000 Americans.
Children with LCA2 experience major visual
disability that can lead to total vision loss in adulthood. Although vision loss is severe, the structure of
the retina — including its connection to the brain —
can remain relatively intact for decades before the
photoreceptor cells degenerate.
Study researchers from the University of Pennsylvania also include Artur Cideciyan, Dr. Tomas
Aleman, Sharon Schwartz and Lili Wang.
Dr. Shalesh Kaushal, Thomas Conlon and Sanford
L. Boye, from UF, and former UF Pediatrics Department Chairman Dr. Terence Flotte, now with the
University of Massachusetts Medical School, also
contributed to the research study.
Byrne, Hauswirth and UF have interest in a
company that explores the use of therapies using the
adeno–associated virus. UF, Penn and Cornell
University hold a patent on gene therapy technology.
Florida teachers to get lesson in weightlessness on Sept. 30
The Northrop Grumman Corp. Foundation will launch nearly 60 Florida teachers into “weightlessness” as part
of the foundation’s Weightless Flights of Discovery program.
The goal of the program is to inspire the next generation of scientists, mathematicians and engineers, critical
areas where the U.S. has fallen behind globally. Teachers from all over the state applied for the program just as
the school year ended in May, and 60 were chosen from nearly 200 applications.
Florida school districts represented are: Bay, Brevard, Broward, Calhoun, Citrus, Collier, Duval, Flagler,
Hillsborough, Marion, Martin, Orange, Palm Beach, Pasco, Polk, Seminole, St. Johns, Volusia and Washington.
Those selected attended a workshop in mid–August at Northrop Grumman’s Melbourne facility.
The Space Coast flight will take off from the Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility on Sept. 30.
Northrop Grumman Foundation’s Weightless Flights of Discovery is an innovative hands–on training program
that gives teachers an “out–of–this–world” experience as a way to help them inspire their students to pursue
careers in science, technology, engineering and math.
Area teachers prepared for the zero–gravity flights this summer by attending workshops and designing
experiments to execute while in zero–gravity in order to test Newton’s Laws of Motion. Following the flights, the
teachers will bring “their in–flight experiences, enthusiasm and videotaped experiments into the classroom,”
where they will be integrated into lesson plans.
Visit www.northropgrumman.com/community/weightless.html for more information about the program.
Volunteers sought for removal project
The Brevard County Parks and Recreation Department is seeking volunteers to commemorate National Public
Lands Day by assisting in removing invasive grapevine at Riverwalk Nature Center in Rockledge on Saturday,
Sept. 27, from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. The project involves pulling and cutting the grapevines near the boardwalk.
Volunteers will need to bring their own work gloves; long sleeves and pants are highly recommended. Water will
be provided, and the first 50 participants will receive a commemorative poster. For additional information, call
Brandon Smith at 433–4490.
SEPTEMBER 22, 2008
BBN
DIGEST
Parrish Heathcare Center in PSJ
awarded LEED Silver certification
PORT ST. JOHN — The 72,264–square–foot Parrish
Healthcare Center, owned by Parrish Medical Center in
Titusville, has become the first facility of its kind in
Florida to be awarded the prestigious LEED Silver
certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
The building was designed to highlight the belief that
“health and healing are best achieved when in balance
with nature.” The 33–acre campus includes a 6–acre
nature preserve.
Among the criteria for Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design certification is the demonstration of a commitment to educate the public about
environmental sustainability.
One–way the center has selected to demonstrate that
commitment is through the green touchscreen kiosk
designed by Quality Attributes Software. This innovative and customized kiosk is located in the main lobby of
the center. Visitors to the center just need to “touch the
screen and it comes to life.”
From the kiosk, visitors can learn about the LEED
Green Building rating system and the credits that were
earned in order to achieve Silver certification.
The green touchscreen also teaches viewers about
the building’s energy systems through creative animations, gauges and graphs that show how the systems
work and how they lower electricity and water usage.
“This added feature helps us increase people’s
awareness of the energy we use, which increases our
understanding of the environmental impact that energy
usage has on the environment. That awareness helps
motivate behavioral changes,” said Chris Male, PMC
Medical Center developer.
Without the green touchscreen, many of the buildings “green features” might otherwise go unnoticed, said
PMC’s Chris Fox, director of the facility.
“The kiosk is a great way for Parrish Healthcare
Center to inform the public about how environmental
sustainability is integrated into the healing environment. PMC has long advocated that environments play
an integral role in healing. Building green is just a
natural extension of that belief,” he said.
Parrish Healthcare Center at Port St. John is a full–
service outpatient center that earned accreditations by
the American College of Radiology in the areas of
mammography, breast ultrasound, ultrasound, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging. In
addition to radiology services, the center includes
physician offices, a sleep–disorders clinic, outpatient
rehabilitation, laboratory services, and an array of other
testing devices.
For more information, visit psjhealthcenter.com or
call 636–9393.
Open house for professionals Oct. 14
The Central Brevard Chapter of the International
Association of Administrative Professionals will hold an
open house at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 14, at Courtyard by Marriott, 3425 N. Atlantic Ave., in Cocoa Beach.
Information about membership and professional
certification will be available. The reservation deadline
is Oct. 10. Visit iaapcentralbrevard.homestead.com to
register. For additional information about IAAP, contact
Charlene Spangler at [email protected]. Regular
chapter meetings are the second Tuesday of the month.
SEPTEMBER 22, 2008
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SEPTEMBER 22, 2008
BBN
DIGEST
Julian Bennett wins Google
X–Prize design competition
Julian Bennett, a senior designer at Brandt Ronat +
Company in Merritt Island, has won the T–shirt design
competition for the Google Lunar X– Prize. Google is
sponsoring the contest to further space exploration.
Bennett says he spends a lot of “time thinking about
space.” He has done extensive work for the Space
Foundation, including the design of “The Space Report:
the Authoritative Guide to Global Space Activity (2006
and 2008).”
Google asked for “a creative, original T–shirt that
perfectly captures the spirit of exploration and innovation of the Google Lunar X Prize.” His design can be
viewed at www.googlelunarxprize.org.
“This is purely levitating,” Bennett said. “Becoming a
part, no matter the size, within any segment of our
country’s space exploration spectrum is exactly what I
yearned and gravitated toward since the Apollo days. It
is another method to help support and promote to our
country the need to embrace and embark upon space
exploration further and further.”
The design “clearly communicates” the goals of the
Google X–Prize, a $30 million competition to encourage
a private company to launch a rocket to the Earth’s
moon, have it land safely, deploy a vehicle that will be
able to move 500 meters and also collect data and
transmit that data back to Earth.
The design will be printed on T–shirts and other
items and is available in the Google X–Prize store at
http://www.cafepress.com/glxp/5959462.
Bennett’s design recalls the Apollo program, where
considerably larger vehicles made the same journey. He
remembers when his father, a TV journalist from
Orlando, would cover the launches and the safe return
of the astronauts.
“I grew up here and watched many Apollo launches
and the astronauts’ parade on return,” Bennett said. “It
was where I wanted to go in my future. I was beyond
entranced with any form of aerospace exploration.”
He adds, “In high school, it became obvious that I
would not be ‘the next rocket scientist,’ so I learned that
I could empower my dreams via my artistic and design
abilities within this immense aerospace industry. Also,
through my role at Brandt Ronat and our accomplishments, with many diverse aerospace clients, primarily
the Space Foundation, we have helped open many
wondrous pathways in promoting space. It is cosmic.”
BRPH selected for manufacturing project
BRPH Cos. Inc. recently announced that it has been
chosen to provide design services to EFACEC Transformers Inc., an affiliate of Portugal–based EFACEC
Group, for the company’s new manufacturing facility in
Savannah, Ga. The $65 million complex will include a
235,000–square–foot manufacturing plant for the
production of power transformers and 17,000 square
feet of office space on a 43–acre site. The project has “an
aggressive design–build schedule,” with design having
begun immediately upon contract award and construction scheduled for completion in August 2009, said Brad
Harmsen, BRPH president and CEO. “We are proud to
have been chosen for this exciting project. BRPH
continues to strengthen its reputation outside the U.S.,
developing relationships with international companies,
and growing our business strategically,” he said.
SEPTEMBER 22, 2008
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FLORIDA BUSINESS
5/-5/08
DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
page
2
page 2
FLORIDA BUSINESS
Timothy
O. O.
Cramer
Timothy
Cramer
DEVELOPMENT
7021 Grand CORPORATION
National Drive, Ste 100,
Executive
ViceVice
President
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President
pick up BBN
9-15-08
page 8
Orlando, FL 32819
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Florida
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Florida
7021 Grand National Drive, Ste 100,
Orlando, FL 32819
Timothy
TimothyO.
O. Cramer
Cramer
Executive
ExecutiveVice
Vice President
President
Central/North
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Florida
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Shuler
pick up BBN
9-1-08
page 5
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page 3
MAI designs boat–storage
facility at Sebastian Inlet
MAI Architecture Engineering Construction Inc. of
Melbourne has designed the new Sebastian Inlet
Marina in Micco, which recently opened.
Just north of the Sebastian River Bridge, the three–
acre marina at 8685 U.S. Hwy. 1 features a “massive
facility” for indoor storage of 240 boats up to 40 feet in
length and an additional 2,600–square–foot ship’s store
and captain’s lounge.
Careful design and space planning is what sets the
facility apart, said MAI President Dave Menzel. “We
worked very closely with boat–storage specialists to
create an integrated design for this project. This
building is all about form following function.”
The marina’s predecessor was destroyed in a
hurricane four years ago and “care was taken to ensure”
the bigger, new structure was storm–ready. “This one is
beyond sturdy,” says Menzel. “It’s designed to withstand
winds up to 140 mph, with 12–inch thick concrete
throughout and pylons that go 35 feet into the ground.
It’s not going anywhere.”
Established in 1985 by Menzel, P.E., and partner
Carlos Alvarez, MAI Architecture Engineering Construction provides architectural design and in–house
engineering, space planning and interior–design
services.
In 2002, MAI began specializing in the complete
management of construction projects, taking clients
from initial planning through post–occupancy review.
For more information about the company, visit
www.MAI–aec.com or call 757–3034.
Space Coast Centra–Plex board meeting
The Brevard County Agriculture and Extension
Service and the University of Florida Institute of Food
and Agricultural Sciences will have a Space Coast
Regional Centra–Plex Board meeting at 8:30 a.m. on
Sept. 24 at the Agricultural Center, 3695 Lake Drive, in
Cocoa. This meeting will also be addressing the 2009
Brevard County Fair agenda. For more information, call
the Cocoa Extension Office at 633–1702.
Junior Achievement receives $5,000 grant
Junior Achievement of East Central Florida Inc. has
received a $5,000 grant to support the implementation
of JA programs in Brevard elementary schools that
have higher numbers of low–income students. The
grant was awarded to JA by The Bank of America
Charitable Foundation Inc. Results of independent
studies have shown that students who participate in JA
programs “understand more about personal finances
and budgeting.” Participation in JA for multiple years
during the elementary grades increases student
learning, skills development, problem–solving, and
decision–making, the study says. “We are pleased to
receive this grant in support of our educational program
for elementary school students,” said Scott Sorensen,
president of Sorensen Moving & Storage and JA board
vice chair. “These funds will allow us to implement the
JA programs in more elementary classrooms in order to
reach more students in Brevard County.” JA will use
the grant to implement the program in several area
elementary school classes, recruit and train volunteers
to present the program and purchase the JA program
materials, he said. For more information on JA programs or to volunteer, call 636–1000.
SEPTEMBER 22, 2008
BBN
DIGEST
Eskimo Ice opens multiple
vending machines in county
BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
This August marked the opening of three separate,
locally owned ice–vending machines in Brevard County.
Although common throughout Texas, Georgia and
Florida’s Panhandle, these freestanding, automated ice
houses are a new occurrence here.
Twice the Ice machines sell 16–pound pre–bagged
packages of ice for $1.50. The ice is also available in 20–
pound bulk. The machines are equipped with a purified
water system, yielding a gallon of water for $.25. All ice
is chewable and, like the water, tested to Department of
Agriculture state standards, said Jason Cheek, co–
owner of Eskimo Ice.
Current locations include the BP gas station on
Babcock Street, one–half mile South of Florida Tech;
Black Dog Bait & Tackle, on Ocean Drive in Melbourne
Beach; and The Boathouse Pub in Grant, south of
Jorgenson’s Landing on U.S. 1.
Catering to fishermen, boaters, construction workers
and beachgoers, the machines are “placed for optimum
accessibility and convenience,” he said. Customers
simply pull up to the machine, insert cash or coins and
select “bag” or “bulk” button. Unlike non–vending
options, customers can bring their own cooler to “receive
the best possible value while avoiding handling bags.”
There will be about 12 additional machines installed,
anywhere from south of Patrick Air Force Base to the
Sebastian Inlet, said Cheek, a certified public accountant. His business partner is James Bailey, an attorney.
They collectively own and operate seven ice–house
locations across the Panhandle.
“Ice can get downright expensive and now, more than
ever, every penny matters,” Cheek said. “Having fished
and boated for 15 years, I understand how important it
is to have your cooler full when you’re out there, and,
unfortunately, how quickly costs add up. Our goal is to
provide Brevard the most inexpensive, convenient way
to purchase ice and purified water. And I think we are
well on our way.”
Cheek can be contacted at (404) 408–1308, or send
an e–mail message to [email protected].
BILL CUNNINGHAM
Business Advisers International
JIM DAVIS
OEMS
SUSAN EVANDER
Technology Insights
CAROLYN FAUSNAUGH
Florida Institute of Technology
JOSH FIELD
Space Coast Business Media Group
LEASHA FLAMMIO-WATSON
Flammio & Schultz Financial Group
Wachovia Securities, LLC
DON KRAMER
One Senior Place
Sept. 30, 2008 / 6–9 pm:
2008 Founders Forum
Entrepreneur of the
Year, Founders
Bernie Simpkins
Forum
Join the celebration for the 2008 Entrepreneur of the Year,
Bernie Simpkins – Brevard business leader, philanthropist,
community champion, and founder of S&S Enterprises.
The September meeting is the first Founders Forum meeting
in the 2008-2009 series. Attendance is limited so early
registration is strongly recommended.
pick up BBN
9-15-08
page 8
Season Underwriter:
Meeting Sponsors:
MIKE McBRIDE
EDC of Florida’s Space Coast
McBride Woodbridge Marketing, LLC
Artemis IT
VICTORIA PEAKE
Space Coast Business
Florida Small Business Development
Center at Brevard Community College
SANDY PFRIMMER
Florida Small Business Development
Center at Brevard Community College
2008 - 2009 MEETING SCHEDULE
LOCATION, TIMES & COSTS:
Crowne Plaza Melbourne Oceanfront
2605 N. Highway A1A, Indialantic, FL
$35 with pre-registration
$40 at the door
$20 students, with pre-registration
6pm - 7pm Networking and Intros
7pm - 8pm Dinner
8pm - 9pm Program
Make your reservations at
www.foundersforum.com
Contact the Florida Small Business
Development Center at BCC at
433-5570 or 433-5573 to learn more.
Learn
Sept. 30, 2008
Entrepreneur of the Year
Share
TRAVIS PROCTOR
Artemis IT Solutions
Nov. 18, 2008
Taking the Entrepreneurial Plunge
Connect
JULIE SONG
Jan. 27, 2009
Money Matters
@ Brevard’s #1
March 24, 2009
Marketing Madness
Resource for
May 19, 2009
President’s Panel
Entrepreneurs
Economic Development Commission
of Florida’s Space Coast
RAVI SUNDARARAMAN
Acuere, LLC
New shop seeks works by artists
Michelle’s Gifts To Go in downtown Melbourne, a
new shop, is seeking local artists to display their works.
The business is at 614 E. New Haven Ave. Contact
Michelle Bell at 250–0666 or stop by the shop. The
shop’s e–mail address is [email protected].
Dr. Girjashanker earns credential
Internal medicine and urgent–care specialist Dr.
Ramesh Girjashanker, who is with Health First
Physicians’ Walk–in Clinic in Cocoa Beach, was recently
certified by the American Board of Urgent Medicine. Dr.
Girjashanker is a member of the medical staff at Cape
Canaveral Hospital in Cocoa Beach. Dr. Girjashanker
was awarded his medical degree from the University of
Texas–Galveston. He performed his residency at the
University of South Florida in Tampa. Dr. Girjashander
is also certified by the American Board of Internal
Medicine. For more information or to schedule an
appointment with Dr. Girjashanker, call 868–8313.
However, no prior appointments are necessary for
walk–in, urgent–care patients at the Cocoa Beach clinic,
which is located at 105 S. Banana River Blvd. For more
information, go to www.Health–First.org.
SEPTEMBER 22, 2008
ABI
next in series
BBN
BUSINESS
Historic Cocoa Village Playhouse to open Broadway series with
‘Jekyll & Hyde’ musical; tickets on sale, auditions set for ‘Peter
Pan’ and other shows; community open house for new annex
By Ken Datzman
COCOA — The Historic Cocoa Village
Playhouse, a unique venue in the region that
allows businesspeople and other amateur
actors of all ages to show off their theatrical
talents on stage, is set to open its 19th season of
performances.
This season, the nonprofit organization also
will unveil its newly built technical–support
annex, a 15,000–square–foot facility that was
supported through fund–raising in the community. The Playhouse’s capital campaign is
ongoing as the theater is being upgraded in
phases. The 490–seat Playhouse auditorium
was constructed in 1924.
The Playhouse will kick off its main format,
the Broadway on Brevard series, on Sept. 26
with “Jekyll & Hyde: The Musical.” The show
runs through Oct. 12. This Broadway performance is based on “The Strange Case of Dr.
Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” a novel by Robert Louis
Stevenson.
“We have a very ambitious lineup of shows
for our 19th season, and all the shows feature
local, volunteer performers,” said Playhouse
Executive Director Staci Hawkins–Smith. “We
are always in need of performers. Without the
performers, our organization can’t put on a
show. We are really going to need people for
‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’ and ‘Elton John
and Tim Rice’s Aida,’ a musical drama.”
Hawkins–Smith said there are a lot of
talented amateur actors in Brevard County,
including a number of businesspeople, “who
really enjoy their time on stage.” They include
Matthew Johnson, Rick Roach, Amanda
Edmands, Lisa Rhodes, Michael Delk and
Brian Smith.
In addition to “Jekyll & Hyde,” the Broadway on Brevard schedule includes: “Peter Pan,”
Nov. 14 to Nov. 30; “Gentlemen Prefer
Blondes,” Feb. 6 to Feb. 22; “Elton John and
Tim Rice’s Aida,” April 3 to April 19; and “The
Fantasticks,” May 8 to May 17. Additional
Playhouse shows are: “The Mark Baker Family
Christmas,” Dec. 13; “The Cocoa Village
Performers Cabaret,” Jan. 10; and “1776.” The
latter show is scheduled for April 21 at the
Maxwell C. King Center for the Performing
Arts in Melbourne.
Playhouse season tickets are on sale and
include four of the five Broadway on Brevard
shows. Season ticket prices are: adults, $84 per
person; student or senior citizen, $76; and
children (12 years and under), $56. Call the
Playhouse box office at 636–5050 for reservations and ticket information, including individual show prices and group discounts.
The prices include a $2 building–fund fee
per ticket, which goes toward the repayment of
a loan from Brevard Community College. BCC
owns the Playhouse. Its board of trustees
approved a loan of up to $900,000 so the
Playhouse could start construction on the
annex.
This season, the Playhouse’s actors will have
space to comfortably move around as they
prepare for their performances. The annex
expansion, on the east side of the existing
facility, includes a costume preparation and
storage area, dressing rooms, a workshop and a
studio, as well as bathroom facilities.
“The annex has its certificate of occupancy
and we have been moving in one department at
a time,” said Hawkins–Smith. “We are working
in the annex with rehearsals, costuming and
set–building. We have done a lot of backstage
work since July 20. This is a dream come true
for the Playhouse.”
The Playhouse will host an open house at
noon on Friday, Oct. 17, to show off the $2.5
million annex to the community. The Playhouse is looking to raise roughly $678,000 to
complete the annex project, she said. “There are
things we still need, including a wood dance
floor and mirrors for the dance studio. Once we
finish raising $678,000, we’ll turn our attention
to renovating the upper balcony of the Playhouse and the theater seats. This is a historic
building, so the fund–raising will be ongoing in
the community as we make improvements in
phases.”
The wood flooring is needed to accommodate
dancers from the Brevard Ballet Theatre. The
group performs a series of shows at the
Playhouse.
Dr. Maxwell King, former president of
Brevard Community College, is the honorary
chairman of the Playhouse’s capital campaign
fund.
Over the years, the Playhouse has provided
the launching pad for many youngsters in the
region to learn about acting through its “Stars
of Tomorrow” program, serving youth 7 to 17
years old. Hawkins–Smith says the program,
which was established in 1992, meets once a
week, from October through June, with a
holiday break. “Stars of Tomorrow” has grown
from eight youngsters in 1992 to more than 120
participants each season. “We normally do two
shows and a holiday presentation,” she said.
“But this season we are expanding the ‘Stars of
Tomorrow’ schedule and it’s a pretty big
undertaking.”
The 2008–2009 lineup features these
performances: “Happy Holidays Showcase,”
Dec. 16–17; “Willy Wonka Jr.,” June 5–7;
“Disney’s Jungle Book Kids,” June 12–14; and
Staci Hawkins–Smith is executive director of the Historic Cocoa Village Playhouse, a
facility that was constructed in 1924. Her organization recently received the certificate
of occupancy for its new 15,000–square–foot technical–support annex. The Playhouse will host a community open house Oct. 17 to show off the annex.
“Bye Bye Birdie,” June 26–28. “We are declaring June to be Children’s
Month at the Playhouse. And, we are thinking about hosting a summer
workshop for children,” she said.
Here is the audition schedule for the Broadway on Brevard series and
for the Stars of Tomorrow program. No experience is necessary to
audition for the performances.
l “Peter Pan”: Saturday, Oct. 4, 10 a.m. (children 12 years and under);
Sunday, Oct. 5, at 6 p.m. (males 13 years and over); and Monday, Oct. 6,
at 7 p.m. (females 13 years and over).
l “Playhouse Performers Cabaret”: Tuesday, Nov. 18, at 7 p.m. (For this
audition, you must have already performed on the Playhouse stage in a
musical).
l “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes”: Monday, Dec. 8, at 7 p.m. (females 13
years and over); and Tuesday, Dec. 9, at 7 p.m. (males 13 years and over).
l “Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida”: Monday, Feb. 9, at 7 p.m. (females
13 years and over); and Tuesday, Feb. 10, at 7 p.m. (males 13 years and
over).
l “The Fantasticks”: Monday, March 23, at 7 p.m. (males and females 17
years and over).
l “Stars of Tomorrow”: Monday, Sept. 29, at 5:45 p.m. (7 to 10 years old);
Tuesday, Sept. 30, at 5:45 p.m. (11 to 12 years old); Wednesday, Oct. 1, at
5:45 p.m. (13 years old to high school graduation).
SEPTEMBER 22, 2008
BBN
BUSINESS
Berman Hopkins Wright & LaHam a cornerstone of business
community for 50 years — to host client–appreciation events this
fall as it marks half century; makes ‘Top 100 for Working Families’
By Ken Datzman
VIERA — Berman Hopkins Wright &
LaHam is celebrating its 50th anniversary in
2008 in Brevard County and the independent
certified public accountant firm is turning the
spotlight on its clients.
As it marks this entrepreneurial milestone,
Berman Hopkins is reaching out to the
businesses and individuals who have maintained relationships with the firm and have
played an important role in the company’s
long–running success and growth in the
market.
“Reaching the half–century mark is a huge
milestone for any business, and being in the
public–accounting arena I think it’s an even
bigger accomplishment,” said Phil Hayes, one
of the firm’s seven partners. “We wouldn’t be
here for 50 years without having great clients.
Our success is a result of our clients’ success.
So, this celebration of 50 years in the marketplace really is about our clients.”
He said Berman Hopkins has built a roster
of longtime clients, the cornerstone of a
successful business. “I haven’t researched it,
but I bet we have a couple of clients who have
been aboard for 50 years. I do know we have
clients who have been with us for 30 years and
longer. To maintain those kinds of relationships, you really have to be attuned to their
needs and be there for very stage and turn of
their business.”
Berman Hopkins will host a 50th anniversary client–appreciation event on Oct. 16 at
the Duran Golf Club in Viera. Tee time is 1
p.m. A social will follow at 5:30 p.m. “We hope
to bring all of our clients together at this
gathering and thank them,” Hayes said.
The company will follow up with another
such event on Nov. 16. This one will be at
Berman Hopkins’ new, company–owned
corporate headquarters at Spyglass Plaza on
Spyglass Hill Road. The evening cookout will
be held outdoors on the facility grounds, under
a tent. Former “alumni” of Berman Hopkins
will be invited to the function.
“We will be welcoming Berman Hopkins
alumni — people who worked for the firm and
then perhaps went into private accounting or
another area,” Hayes said. “A lot of times
these accounting professionals become our
clients because we do work for the company
they represent. Many of them remain in
Brevard and are very good accountants. This
will be an opportunity for us to visit with
former Berman Hopkins team members and
show our appreciation.”
Lewis Berman founded the firm in 1958. In
SEPTEMBER 22, 2008
the early 1980s, CPA John Hopkins merged
his practice with Berman’s, creating a larger
company and building the foundation for
future growth. Berman retired years ago.
Today, the partners are Hopkins, James
LaHam, James Wright Jr., Ross Whitley, Ed
Moss Jr., Brian Nemeroff and Hayes.
Berman Hopkins expanded into the
Orlando market in the early 2000s with the
acquisition of Winter Park–based Moss and
Reeves, P.A., a 13–year–old firm headed by
CPA Ed Moss, a University of Florida graduate. With offices in Melbourne and Central
Florida, the Berman Hopkins team currently
comprises 85 people.
Hayes said that the company “is definitely
poised to grow. We have the infrastructure in
place to catapult us to the next level.”
He adds, “And Berman Hopkins’ long–
range future is very clear. We’ve spent three
years putting together a very solid succession
plan for the practice.”
Hayes spent 10 years in the banking
industry before transitioning into the accounting world. “It was a big change for me.” He’s
been with Berman Hopkins for eight years.
Hayes became a partner of the practice in
January 2006.
A graduate of the University of California
at Davis, Hayes is the first, and only, non–
CPA to hold partner status at Berman
Hopkins.
He has a bachelor’s degree in managerial
economics from UC and a master of business
administration from Webster University. He
earned both degrees with high academic
distinction, magna cum laude. “The firm has
really given me the opportunity to grow,” said
Hayes, who completed a program offered by
the National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts and holds the Accredited
Valuation Analyst designation.
Berman Hopkins was recently named to
the 15th annual Orlando Sentinel “Top 100
Companies for Working Families.” The
program is sponsored by Workforce Central
Florida.
“It’s an honor to be part of a group of
companies in Central Florida that are
considered the best places to work,” Hayes
said. “We continually strive to create a family–
friendly environment at Berman Hopkins
where people want to come to work and enjoy
what they are doing.”
He said Berman Hopkins “has incorporated
a lot of family time and family events, including picnics and movie nights.”
The Top 100 application consisted of a
series of questions to determine what benefits
are provided in categories of core benefits,
Phil Hayes is one of seven partners of Berman Hopkins Wright & LaHam, CPAs and
Associates, headquartered in Melbourne with an office in greater Orlando. The 85–
person firm, 50 years old in 2008, is celebrating its success with its clients. The firm
has planned events in October and November to recognize and thank their customers.
family–related benefits, work environment, communication, and
training.
Berman Hopkins offers full benefits including health and dental
insurance, and a 401(k) investment plan, in addition to a host of family
activities.
In 2005, the firm established the Berman Hopkins Leadership
Academy in conjunction with Florida Institute of Technology in
Melbourne. The two–day program is a leadership conference for the
practice’s experienced staffers and managers. “The Leadership Academy is a big deal for the company,” said Hayes, who worked closely with
LaHam in putting together the academy program.
The speakers have included Phillip Farmer, former CEO of Harris
Corp., and area entrepreneurs Travis Proctor of Artemis International
and Tim Dwight of Green Turtle Market. Florida Tech faculty members
from the College of Business, College of Engineering, and the College of
Psychology and Liberal Arts also make presentations at the academy.
The workshops typically center on “soft skills,” such as project
management, conflict resolution and negotiating, and are tailored to the
firm’s needs.
BBN
EVENTS
Brevard Commissioner Bolin
to represent the FAC at event
MIMA
pick up BBN
9-15-08
page 17
LEON COUNTY — Randy Hatch, president of the Florida Association of Counties
(FAC) and the Suwannee County Commissioner, has appointed Brevard County
Commissioner Mary Bolin and eight other county commissioners from across the
state to represent the FAC at the Century Commissions’ Water Policy Congress Sept.
25–26 in Orlando.
“Commissioner Bolin is a talented and effective local leader in the state and is an
authority on water conservation and resource protection issues,” said Hatch. “The
FAC delegates are the best commissioners to represent the state of Florida and
Florida’s counties in this critical debate.”
According to the Century Commission, the 2008 Water Policy Congress will work
to develop a comprehensive set of sustainable water–use and supply–action steps. The
Century Commission believes “a long–term water conservation, use and supply plan,
for environmental, agricultural and public consumption purposes” is essential for a
sustainable quality of life in Florida.
Founded in 1929, the Florida Association of Counties is a nonprofit association
representing the diverse interests of Florida’s 67 counties.
New programs begin at community center
The Viera Regional Community Center is expanding its programs to include a
variety of classes for all ages. In addition to the current lineup of Shorin–Ryu Karate,
Tennis, Jazzercise, Baton, Basketball and Fencing, the center now offers Ballroom
Dancing, American Kenpo Karate, a World Corner’s Class, Women’s Self Defense,
and a Backyard Nature class as well as a Senior Social Hour. New choices for
preschool–age children include “Fun Fridays” and “Super Saturdays,” which include a
variety of arts and crafts. Also available for 5– to 14–year–olds is “Homework Helpers,” a program designated to assist children with their homework completion while
improving their grades and self–esteem. Teen volunteers are needed to help with
programs and special events. The Viera Regional Community Center is at 6288
Athletics Lane. Call 433–4891 to register or for any further information.
Free cosmetic seminar at Lawler Centre Sept. 18
The Lawler Centre for Cosmetic Surgery in Melbourne will host a seminar at 7
p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 18. The Lawler Centre is at 1700 W. Hibiscus Blvd., behind
Melbourne Square Mall. Attendees will learn how to “analyze gimmicks vs. proven
techniques, how to be well informed when making important decisions about skin–
care procedures, and the good, the bad and the pitfalls of treatment.” Dr. Lawler, a
board–certified plastic surgeon, has been practicing since 1986. He provides seminars
free of charge to help patients find the information they need to make educated
decisions about plastic surgery. To make a reservation to attend the presentation, call
the Lawler Centre at 724–8193. The Web address is www.lawlercentre.com.
Doctors Goodwill Foundation to host benefit
Hip Chicks
The Doctors Goodwill Foundation of Brevard County will host a benefit for the
American Red Cross and Habitat for Humanity to help those who have been impacted
by the recent hurricanes as well as the devastating floods in India. The benefit will be
held from 6 to 9 p.m. on Sept. 19 at the Holiday Inn Express, 301 Tucker Lane, in
Cocoa. Individual tickets are $50. The theme is “A Taste of the Space Coast” and will
feature international foods. Dress is casual. Visit www.doctorsfoundation.org or call
Sue Tindall, administrative assistant, at 735–6492. The e–mail address is
[email protected].
Surfside in Cocoa Beach to open 50th season
pick up BBN
9-15-08
page 15
The Surfside Players will present “The Moon is Blue,” a romantic comedy directed
by Troy Jones, Sept. 19 to Oct. 5. This performance opens Surfside’s 50th season. The
show was originally presented in May 1959 at the Cocoa Beach Fire House. The story
involves a “very charming and innocently frank young girl who meets a young
architect on the top of the Empire State Building.” The play will be performed on
Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are $18. The Surfside
Playhouse is at 300 Ramp Road in Cocoa Beach. Call 783–3127 for more details.
Tulley to address economic commission
The Space Coast Economic Development Commission will host Titusville Mayor–
elect Jim Tulley at a luncheon at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 24, at the American
Police Hall of Fame in Titusville. The address is 6350 Horizon Drive. The cost is $15
per–person at the door the day of the meeting. To make a reservation to attend the
luncheon, call 269–3221.
SEPTEMBER 22, 2008
EVENTS
BBN
FSEC to host workshop for
Alternative Fuel Vehicle Day
COCOA — The Florida Solar Energy Center will host an alternative fuel workshop
on Oct. 3 as part of the National Alternative Fuel Vehicle (AFV) Odyssey Day.
The National AFV Odyssey Day will be held in 86 different locations throughout
the U.S. this year. Coordinated by the National Alternative Fuel Vehicle Training
Consortium, in a partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Clean
Cities Program, the goal is to promote the awareness and use of AFVs, as well as
promote energy conservation and independence for the U.S.
The Space Coast Clean Cities Coalition, a Florida chapter of the U.S. DOE Clean
Cities Program, has coordinated and organized the Advancing the Choice alternative
fuel workshop locally as part of this national event.
The workshop will feature presentations and discussions about AFV ownership
opportunities, biodiesel production, quality standards for fuel grade, utilizing biodiesel
in current vehicles, and construction of biodiesel fueling stations. Guests will also be
able to test drive AFVs and speak with auto manufacturers and industry experts at
this event.
The workshop will run from 10 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., and the cost to attend is $10.
Register at www.floridaenergycenter.org/go/afv4. For more information, call FSEC
researcher Bill Young at 638–1443, or visit www.clean–cities.org.
BCC
new ad emailed
Open house at First Care Family Physicians
First Care Family Physicians has relocated to 1051 Eber Blvd., suite 101, in
Melbourne. In celebration of the move, the business will host an open house from 10
a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sept. 20. The practice will provide free health screenings, complimentary refreshments, office tours and health–information sessions. “Manny the
Manatee” (the Brevard County Manatees’ mascot) and “Cheerio the Clown” will
attend the event. The husband and wife team of Drs. Eduardo Nevarez and Myredsi
Soto opened First Care Family Physicians in March 2007 after relocating from Puerto
Rico. Their practice offers a full range of medical services including procedures such as
joint injections, laceration repair, and cyst removal. For more information about the
open house, or to make an appointment, call 723–1074.
Meeting to address restoring oyster reefs
Restoring oyster reefs will be the featured topic at the Sept. 25 Brown–Bag Lunch
at Lori Wilson Park in Cocoa Beach. Michelle Snider from the Nature Conservancy
will discuss why the oyster reefs are so important to the Indian River Lagoon, what
has caused them to disappear and what can be done to help restore them. The Central
Area of the Brevard County Parks and Recreation Department offers a series of
Brown–Bag Lunches at the Kelly Slater Pavilion in Lori Wilson Park in Cocoa Beach,
beginning at noon on the second and fourth Thursday of the month. For additional
information, call the Nature Center at 455–1385.
Joint meeting set for Viera Sept. 25
A joint special meeting of the Brevard County Parks and Recreation Department’s
South Area Advisory Board, Wickham Park Advisory Board, and Wickham Park
Referendum Committee will be held at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 25, at the Viera
Regional Community Center, 6288 Athletics Lane. The purpose of this meeting is for
the consultant, SMG Inc., to hear from the advisory–board members regarding the
Wickham Equestrian Center. The meeting is open to the public.
United Way Days of Caring scheduled
United Way of Brevard will host its Days of Caring community–service events on
Sept. 26 and 27, and Oct. 3 and 4. Currently, more than 60 community–service
projects are available for adoption by groups and individuals. A sampling of projects
includes landscaping, painting, playground improvement, Meals on Wheels, Seniors
at Lunch, data entry, printed materials assembly, and shredding. “Our Days of
Caring initiative is about making it easier for people to ‘Live United’, getting involved
in their community by giving back as a volunteer,” said Rob Rains, president of
United Way of Brevard. “It’s also a great way to learn more about the needs that exist
in Brevard and the wonderful agencies that help meet those needs, each changing
lives for the better.” Supporting this year’s Days of Caring are corporate sponsors
“Florida Today,” Riverside National Bank, Disney Cruise Line, Publix Supermarket
Charities, Rockwell Collins, and Ron Jon Surf Shop. To find out more, or to adopt a
project, contact Kathryn Columbia at 631–2740. Her e–mail address is
[email protected]. Visit www.uwbrevard.org to review the list of projects and to
complete an adoption form.
SEPTEMBER 22, 2008
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Frank Cepollina to address BCC students
Frank Cepollina, deputy associate director for the
Hubble Space Telescope Development Project, will be
the keynote speaker on Thursday, Sept. 25, at 6 p.m. at
Brevard Community College in Cocoa. He will speak to
the BCC Aerospace Technology Program class. The
NASA engineer–inventor, who works at Goddard Space
Flight Center, devoted much of his nearly 50–year
career to the challenges of developing feasible methods
that create necessary reports and improvements to
equipment when it is deployed into space. The event is
free of charge and will be held in the Vocational Building. Cepollina’s accomplishments include
groundbreaking techniques for servicing satellites,
designing new tools and interfaces for astronauts, and
managing the historic 1993 repair mission for the
Hubble Space Telescope. For more information on the
function, call Juanita Curtis at 433–7754.
Celebrating 50 Years
Florida Tech
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Rotary provides many opportunities
FULL COLOR
The Space Coast Rotary Clubs provide business and
professional men and women opportunities to do
community service and promote world peace while
networking at convivial weekly meetings. Fifteen clubs
in Brevard are members of Rotary International, a
service organization with more than 1 million members
in 170 countries. Club members meet each week to
work on community, state, national and international
projects aimed at improving lives, promoting health and
healthy environments, furthering literacy and education, reducing poverty and eliminating polio worldwide.
Local Rotary programs include a dictionary–distribution
project for elementary schools, back–to–school backpack
drives for underprivileged children in the county, and
support for families hit by natural disasters. Call Jim
Hagerty at 242–1840 for information on where and
when Rotary Clubs in the county meet.
“Nearly 50 years ago, Jerry Keuper founded
Florida Institute of Technology with 37 cents and a dream.
Today, his vision is realized in the mission of
Melbourne’s National Research University.
You can support this mission with a contribution to the
Golden Anniversary Campaign. The future is up to you.”
Dr. Dickinson opens practice in Melbourne
150 W. University Blvd.,
Melbourne, FL 32901-6975
http://campaign.fit.edu
EX-609-1007
Dr. J.K. Dickinson, a chiropractic physician, has
opened an office at 1751 Sarno Road in Melbourne. Dr.
Dickinson practices upper cervical chiropractic care. Dr.
Dickinson’s office also offers a non–surgical spinal
decompression system for disc and sciatica problems.
Other services that are available include functional
diagnostic medicine (rebalancing the body’s systems
without drugs), and detoxification. A graduate of
Sherman College in Spartanburg, S.C., Dr. Dickinson
previously was located in Vero Beach before moving his
practice to Melbourne and taking over Dr. Paul Colette’s
practice. The office number is 751–9992.
Prices good July, August and September 2008.
Annual ‘Taste of Titusville’ a big success
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.
The recently held sixth annual “Taste of Titusville”
was “a big success,” says the Titusville Area Chamber of
Commerce. The event “drew more food vendors than
ever before, with over 30 local food establishments”
taking part in the program. “It has become the largest
sold–out charity event for Titusville,” said Pat
Stevenson, the Chamber’s director of operations. “More
than 80 table exhibitors were set–up, offering a variety
of products, services and information.” Stevenson said
more than 1,000 guests attended the function. The
event is a fund–raiser for the Titusville Chamber. The
sponsors included Staples, Publix, Brevard Community
College, Comfort Keepers, “Hometown News,” Cumulus
Broadcasting, Royal Palms Senior Apartments, Bob
O’Connell’s Rental Centre, Randomwears, Brevard
Uniform, Toat, and Winn Dixie.
SEPTEMBER 22, 2008
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Affordable Glass Protection expands
Affordable Glass Protection, a shutter manufacturer
and installation firm, recently expanded to a new
10,000–square–foot business office and manufacturing
plant at 175 West Drive in West Melbourne. On Aug.
14, the firm celebrated its expansion with an open house
and ribbon–cutting ceremony officiated by the
Melbourne–Palm Bay Area Chamber of Commerce.
Affordable Glass Protection has served Brevard
County’s commercial and residential hurricane–
protection needs since 1992. Its owner, Van Jackson,
was recognized as the 2007 Entrepreneur of the Year by
the Melbourne Palm Bay–Area Chamber of Commerce.
His company was voted “Best of Brevard” by “Florida
Today” in 2002 through 2006.
Zonta honors Anderson with scholarship
The Zonta Club of Melbourne has presented its 2008
Jane M. Klausman Scholarship to Alyssa Anderson. A
Melbourne resident, she is a senior at University of
Florida, studying finance. Anderson volunteers at the
Children’s Advocacy Center in Gainesville. She is
seeking a post–graduate position that allows her to
travel. Her parents are Shelly and Robert Anderson.
The scholarship is awarded to a woman in the
Melbourne area for further undergraduate study in a
business–related field. Anderson is eligible for further
scholarships at the Zonta district and international
levels. More information can be found at
www.zontaspacecoast.org.
Discount drug cards available at PMC
Brevard County’s free prescription drug discount
cards are now available at Parrish Medical Center in
Titusville. The card offers savings of up to 20 percent on
medicine. “We applaud the county for taking the lead in
bringing this program to Brevard, and are pleased to
partner with them to further provide convenient access
to the county’s discount–prescription cards,” said Robert
Jordan, PMC board member. “Making the cards
available at the hospital allows the opportunity to
immediately connect people in need of assistance.” Each
household is eligible to receive one card for all family
members. For more information or to obtain a card,
contact the PMC business office at 268–6158.
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Groleau awarded engineering scholarship
Stephanie Groleau, a graduate student working on a
master’s degree in ocean and coastal engineering at
Florida Tech, has earned a $4,000 American Society of
Naval Engineers (ASNE) Headquarters Scholarship. In
addition, she was awarded a one–year honorary student
membership in ASNE, which includes a subscription to
the “Naval Engineers Journal.” On the Dean’s List
during all four years at Florida Tech, Groleau graduated
magna cum laude, earning a bachelor’s degree in ocean
engineering in May 2008. She was named Outstanding
Sophomore in the Department of Marine and Environmental Systems in 2006, was secretary of the Tau Beta
Pi Engineering Honor Society and a member of the Phi
Eta Sigma Honor Society. She holds a scuba–advanced
certification and is a founder of the Florida Tech Sailing
Club. Since 2004, Groleau has worked as coastal
engineering assistant to Professor Lee Harris. Among
her duties have been to deploy wave gauges, maintain a
weather station, and create reports for beach profiling
and artificial reefs. A resident of Aurora, Ill., she
graduated third in a class of 1,000 students from West
Aurora High School in 2004.
SEPTEMBER 22, 2008
Florida Tech Consulting
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Founders Forum will honor Brevard businessman Bernie Simpkins as its 2008
Entrepreneur of the Year at a dinner on Tuesday, Sept. 30, at the Crowne Plaza
Melbourne Oceanfront in Indialantic.
The event gets under way at 6 p.m. with networking. The dinner is at 7 and the
presentation at 8 o’clock.
Simpkins, a graduate of Vanderbilt University, is the founder of S&S Enterprises,
a diversified real–estate investment and development company with holdings in 11
states.
He is a philanthropist, community champion and business leader.
Simpkins has a long history of cultivating the entrepreneurial spirit in others. He
established the Bernard W. Simpkins Entrepreneurial Seminar Series at Brevard
Community College, which has attracted successful businesspeople from around the
nation to speak here.
Recently, he donated $1 million to BCC to develop a formal curriculum of entrepreneurship.
The September meeting is the first Founders Forum gathering in the 2008–2009
series. The cost to attend the dinner is $30 in advance and $40 at the door the evening
of the program.
Founders Forum is a non–profit, non–membership corporation “dedicated to
fostering the success of new and existing businesses by creating an environment
where entrepreneurs are motivated, educated, and encouraged to exchange ideas and
information vital to business growth.”
For more information or to register for the Sept. 30 function, visit
www.foundersforum.com or call the Florida Small Business Development Center at
433–5570.
Ginnie
800.838.4488 (Toll Free)
Suite 200C
Melbourne, FL 32901
Founders Forum to honor Bernie Simpkins
321-952-6463
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Continued from page 1
insurance doesn’t cover the full amount, Ginnie Mae makes up the difference.
These bonds are sold mainly to institutions, including mutual funds. Funds that
have Ginnie Mae in their names must invest at least 80 percent of their assets in
Ginnie Mae–backed securities.
Ginnie Maes account for about 10 percent of the mortgage–backed securities
market, says Dan Newhall, a principal with Vanguard Group.
Fannie and Freddie are much bigger and more diversified.
They buy mortgages from lenders that are not government insured but meet
certain standards. Fannie and Freddie package loans into mortgage–backed bonds
and sell them to investors. Fannie and Freddie also guarantee bonds that are packaged and sold by others, as long as the mortgages meet their standards.
Unlike Ginnie, Fannie and Freddie keep some bonds on their own books. They also
buy and hold some mortgage securities packaged by others.
Fannie and Freddie securities are found in a wide variety of bond funds including
government–income funds, which are allowed to buy them even though they had no
explicit government backing, at least until now.
Historically, Ginnie Mae bonds have been considered safer than Fannie and
Freddie securities.
“You don’t have to worry about credit risk with Ginnie Maes,” says Morningstar
analyst Paul Herbert. “They are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S.
government, just like a Treasury bond. That’s not the case with Fannie and Freddie,
although recent steps suggest that if they don’t have the full faith and credit, they’re
pretty close.”
You can still lose money in a Ginnie Mae fund, Herbert adds. If interest rates rise,
the price of Ginnie Mae bonds and bond funds will fall. (Conversely, if interest rates
fall, bond prices will rise.)
Like all mortgage securities, they are also susceptible to prepayment risk. If
interest rates fall, many homeowners will refinance their mortgages and investors
will get back their principal sooner than expected.
“You don’t want that,” Herbert says, because it forces investors or bond–fund
managers to reinvest principal at lower interest rates.
Despite all the drama, Fannie and Freddie bonds haven’t done much worse than
Ginnie Maes. In the past three months, a medium–term fixed–rate Ginnie Mae bond
is down 0.63 percentage point, compared with a loss of 0.61 and 0.68 percentage
points, respectively, for comparable Fannie and Freddie bonds. Over the past 12
months, all three are up roughly 8 percent, Newhall says.
Fannie and Freddie stockholders have fared far worse.
SEPTEMBER 22, 2008
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Veterans Conference
Continued from page 1
book reads: “A realistic program for getting out of debt,
growing your savings, and taking control of your money
and your financial future.”
Even though Dicks has lived with dyslexia throughout his life, he has become one of the nation’s leading
financial educators and inspirational speakers. He has a
Web site (www.jamesdicks.com/military.asp) deigned to
assist military members and their families with one–
stop financial information.
The conference is a way to “empower veterans with
the tools they need to maintain self–sufficiency,” Peake
said.
The program will feature opportunities for attendees
to meet veteran advocates from the Center for Veterans
Enterprise in Washington, D.C., the U.S. Small Business Administration, NASA’s Central Industry Assistance Center, the Procurement Technical Assistance
Center, Patrick Air Force Base, Brevard Small Business
Assistance Council, and the Veterans Business Outreach Center.
“A representative from the Center for Veterans
Enterprise in Washington will talk about a new
program that will be launched in October,” Peake said.
“The CVE is rolling out a veteran–owned business–
verification program, with special emphasis on Service–
Disabled Veteran–Owned Small Businesses.” The
verification logo is a marketing tool for veteran–owned
businesses.
Recently, Gov. Charlie Crist signed into law legislation mandating preference in state contracting for
Florida’s Service–Disabled Veteran–Owned Small
Businesses. The legislation, House Bill 687, aims at
providing preferential treatment to service–disabled
small–business owners who do business in Florida. “The
new legislation begins to level the competitive field for
Florida’s SDVOSBs,” Peake said.
She adds, “We have this new verification program
out of D.C. and a local initiative through the Technological Research and Development Authority and Paul
Secor, who will be one of the conference speakers. Paul
is working on developing a database of veteran–owned
businesses around the state, which will help the owners
access state and federal contracts.”
“It has never been done before and is certainly a step
in the right direction,” adds Sandy Pfrimmer, operations
coordinator at the Small Business Development Center
in Melbourne.
Peake said that her office, which works closely with
veterans who are interested in starting businesses, as
well as with veterans who operate existing enterprises,
“is trying to help the TRDA with its state initiative.
We’re also trying to help gain visibility for the new
verification program that will begin in October.”
Veterans around the nation are starting businesses
of all types. Mike Hogan, a service–disabled veteran
who lives in Orlando and is a client of the Small
Business Development Center in Melbourne, founded
Road Warrior. The firm teaches veterans how to start
and run mobile professional–services businesses. “These
are businesses that typically require very little capital to
get started,” Peake said. “Mike’s thinking is that
veterans can use the skills they have learned in the
military to start mobile businesses.”
Hogan went to school to learn about the profession of
prosthetics and orthotics (artificial limbs and braces)
and earned certification in his specialty. In 1994, he and
his wife Barbara opened their own mobile “limb and
brace” business. For the last 14 years, they have been
caring for homebound, elderly patients who found
coming into a fixed facility for a limb or brace difficult.
Last year, they sold the company. In May 2008, the
Hogans started the Road Warrior program to teach
other veterans and their spouses how to become
entrepreneurs. “They are very successful entrepreneurs,” Peake said.
The government encourages military veterans who
want to start or grow a small business to take advantage of the SBA’s Patriot Express loan–guarantee
program.
Launched two years ago, Patriot Express builds on
the more than $1 billion in loans the SBA guarantees
annually for veteran–owned businesses, and the
counseling assistance and procurement support the
agency provides each year to more than 100,000
veterans, service–disabled veterans, and Guard and
Reserve members.
Patriot Express is a streamlined loan product based
on the agency’s successful SBA Express program, but
with “enhanced guaranty and interest–rate characteristics.”
The Patriot Express loan is offered by the SBA’s
network of participating lenders nationwide and
features fast turnaround times for approvals. “Two area
banks will be exhibiting at the Veterans Conference and
these banks have a special focus on the Patriot loan
program. Attendees will be able to have face–to–have
discussions with the bankers,” Peake said.
Loans are available up to $500,000 and qualify for
the SBA’s maximum guaranty of up to 85 percent for
loans of $150,000 or less. The SBA says nearly 15
percent of Patriot Express loans have gone to military
spouses. After the loan application is approved by the
bank, it is submitted to the SBA for approval. Most
applications are approved by the SBA “within 24 hours.”
The Patriot Express loan can be used for most
business purposes, including start–up, expansion,
equipment purchases, working capital, inventory or
business–occupied real–estate purchases, said
Pfrimmer.
The program features the SBA’s lowest interest rates
for business loans, generally 2.25 percent to 4.75
percent over prime, depending upon the size and
maturity of the loan.
At the Veterans Conference, the Small Business
Development Center’s Mobile Assistance Center will be
parked on site. Businessowners can tour the unit and
learn about disaster preparedness and other issues
dealing with “business interruption.” The unit will
remain on the BCC campus in Melbourne through
Thursday, Sept. 25, Peake said.
Bank FIRST
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SEPTEMBER 22, 2008
s p a c e co a s t m e d i c a l a s s o c i a t e s f o u n d a t i o n
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E304038
LaCita Country Club - Titusville, Florida

September 22, 2008 - Brevard Business News

Transcription

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