GSA Technology Council

Ralph Heredia is the Vice President of business development and co-founder of Zipit Wireless, Inc., in Greenville, S.C. He is directly responsible for all aspects of product development, innovation, research, marketing and customer/partner relationships. Heredia is also the inventor of Zipit’s first & second Wireless Messenger instant messaging devices for teens and pre-teens introduced respectively in late 2004 & and 2007.

Heredia has more than 28 years of experience in the consumer electronics, personal computer and multimedia industries. Prior to helping establish Zipit, he helped established the Consumer Media Systems division at Aeronix in 2002. In addition, he has also held management and product development positions with several mid-sized technology companies, including Escient/OpenGlobe and avACTIVE. Heredia was also the systems architecture manager for Cirrus Logic. Prior to that, he held several positions, including senior principal analyst for NCR Corporation and was a member of the technical staff at AT&T’s Bell Labs (now part of Lucent Corporation), where he worked for almost 14 years.

He has worked in a management, product development or marketing role on developing the technology used in many of today’s “staple” electronics products including MP3 players, DVD recorders and players and Internet radio receivers.

Heredia has had an extensive education in all aspects of electronics and computer sciences, has authored a chapter in the Wiley Encyclopedia of Electrical and Electronics Engineering in 1999 and has been granted eight U.S. patents for various inventions related to the technology field. A dedicated husband, and father of two sons, Heredia enjoys music, hiking/camping with the Boy Scouts and socializing with friends.

Ralph will speak to the GSA Technology Council at it’s January 2010 Learning Lunch.

ScanSource, Inc. has announced that Steven R. Fischer has been elected as its new Chairman of the Board of Directors. Mr. Fischer has served as a director of the Company since December 1995 and is succeeding James G. Foody, who has served as Chairman of the Board since December 2005 and as a director of the Company since December 1995. Mr. Foody will continue to serve as a director of the Company and has been designated as Chairman Emeritus.

“It has been a great honor to serve as Chairman of the Board these past four years and to be a part of the ScanSource story,” said Mr. Foody. “It’s been a privilege to serve together with Steve on the Board, and I look forward to seeing him take on this new role and lead the Board into 2010.”

“I wish to thank Jim for his hard work and service as Chairman and will seek to continue his legacy of leadership as I accept this new responsibility. I am very excited about ScanSource’s future and the opportunities for growth,” said Mr. Fischer.

Mr. Fischer is currently a financial consultant and serves as a director of Falconstor Software, Inc. Mr. Fischer served as president of North Fork Business Capital Corporation and its successor, Capital One Leverage Finance from July 2004 to July 2008, and served as president of Transamerica Business Capital Corporation from September 2000 to February 2004, as Executive Vice President and Division Manager of Transamerica Business Capital Corporation from October 1997 to September 2000, and as senior vice president and regional manager of Transamerica Business Capital Corporation from March 1992 to October 1997.

via: ScanSource

The Clemson University Restoration Institute will host one of the energy industry’s top executives at a Dec. 8 energy summit that is expected to help shape South Carolina’s energy future.

Jeffrey R. Immelt, chairman and chief executive officer of General Electric, will be the keynote speaker for a “Summit on Renewable Energy: South Carolina Job Opportunities in the Green Economy.”

The summit is hosted with GE Energy.

The meeting will help lay the groundwork for a potential renewable energy cluster, establish public policy and foster partnerships in South Carolina that could create thousands of jobs from the Upstate to the Lowcountry.

The summit is by invitation only and will be held at the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR).

The public can watch the summits via the Internet at www.clemson.edu by clicking on the live video link.

Keynote speaker Immelt is the ninth chairman of GE, a position he has held since 2001. He has held several global leadership positions since joining GE in 1982, including roles in the company’s plastics, appliance and medical businesses. In 1989, he became an officer of GE and joined the GE Capital Board in 1997. In 2000 he was appointed president and chief executive officer.

Immelt is a member of The Business Council and sits on the board of the New York Federal Reserve Bank.

The summit will feature a series of roundtable discussions covering job creation, technology and policy and incentives.

Panelists will include Nick Rigas, director of the renewable energy focus area at the Restoration Institute; Joe Taylor, secretary of the S.C. Department of Commerce; Sen. Paul Campbell, chairman of the state Wind Feasibility Legislative Committee; and Jim Turner, chief operating officer of Duke Energy.

The day includes a tour of GE Energy’s manufacturing plant.

via: Clemson University

Here is another sneak preview of more items that will be showcased at the upcoming 6th Annual Gadgetfest on December 9, 2009.

Goog411 Google’s new 411 service. With GOOG-411, you can find local business information completely free, directly from your phone. You can access 1-800-466-4411 from any phone, anywhere, at anytime.

HP PhotoSmart Enjoy and share favorite pictures with family and friends, all without a computer! With the Digital Picture Frame, which has a high-resolution (800 x 480) display, plus 512MB for storing lots of photos. It works with most memory cards, plus has a built-in USB port for connecting a thumb drive.

Amazon Kindle See up close the Amazon Kindle, the revolutionary e-book reader from Amazon.com which features paper like display, 3G Wireless, long battery life plus access to Over 360,000 books, including 101 of 112 New York Times® Best Sellers, plus U.S. and international newspapers, magazines, and blogs.

There is still room for you to showcase gadget and tech tools that are making your life and business better. We would like each presentation to be 3-5 minutes each. Contact us if you would like to demonstrate something at Gadgetfest.

Don’t forget save your spot!

Russ Davis of Sandler Sales is running a workshop on Thursday for Business Owners and Sales Managers looking to grow their sales.

The session will be about sales management issues and strategies for effectively leading the sales team. While other programs are directed at sales people, this one is for owners and managers looking to build a winning sales force.

There are two types of owners/managers. The first is hunkered down and hoping these difficult business times pass quickly. The second is looking for things that can have an immediate impact on their business over the next 30, 60, or 90 days.

Executive Briefing for Sales Managers
Thursday December 10
8:15 AM – 10:15 AM
Commerce Club

via: Sandler Sales

John Windley, president of South Carolina Bank and Trust (SCBT) announced today that four former Wachovia wealth management executives will lead SCBT’s entry into Spartanburg.

“Founded in 1933, SCBT has been serving the financial needs of South Carolinians for more than 75 years,” said Windley. “Our niche is community banking. We believe in South Carolina and understand the needs of the local markets. This will be our first step into the Spartanburg market, further expanding our commitment to the Upstate and rounding out our presence throughout the state.”

“Bill Coker will lead the team of seasoned executives including, Frank Sanders, Charles Williams and Brian Barker in providing a new dimension to our private banking and wealth management capabilities. The Spartanburg based initiative will eventually include banking and credit services to round out a full service offering,” said Todd Harward, president, SCBT Wealth Management Group.

“We are fortunate to have the exceptional local leadership to be able to take our wealth management and private banking offering to a new level,” said Windley. “Bill, Frank, Charles and Brian add a depth of expertise and style of full service relationship management that we will be able to leverage across the Carolinas.”

A native of Spartanburg, Coker has 27 years of banking experience with Wachovia and its predecessors. Previously, he served as senior relationship manager for Wachovia’s wealth management clients.

Coker earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia and is a graduate of the Stonier Graduate School of Banking at the University of Delaware. He is a Certified Financial Planner and holds his FINRA Series 7 and Series 63 licenses.

“SCBT is committed to the same vision that is to provide comprehensive, objective advice through a fully integrated platform, serviced locally by a team of professionals,” said Coker. “I am looking forward to being part of this entrepreneurial company. There is a great opportunity for a well-capitalized bank to focus on wealth and private banking in Spartanburg and the Upstate market.”

Frank Sanders, also a Spartanburg native, has more than 20 years experience with Wachovia and previously NationsBank in the Trust Department. Frank earned his Juris Doctorate from the USC School of Law and his undergraduate degree from Wofford. Sanders also maintains his CTFA (Chartered Trust Financial Advisor) designation.

With more than 20 years experience in the investment business, Charles Williams has been a portfolio manager for Wachovia since 2003. Williams is a graduate of the Asheville School and the University of North Carolina Asheville. He maintains his CFP (Certified Financial Planner) designation.

Brian Barker has over 10 years experience in the investment management business and has been a portfolio manager for Wachovia since 2003. Barker earned his undergraduate degree in Economics from Clemson University and his MBA from the University of South Carolina in Columbia. Barker is the current president of the SC Chapter of the Financial Planning Association, and maintains his professional designations, CFP (Certified Financial Planner), CTFA (Chartered Trust Financial Advisor) and AIF (Accredited Investment Fiduciary).

via: South Carolina Bank and Trust

Enjoy food, fun and your chance at some great door prizes with your fellow Mac users at the annual GMUG Christmas gathering

Monday, December 14 at 7:00 PM.

Folks are requested to bring a sweet or salty treat to share. Soft drinks and coffee will be provided.

Reminder: There is no Mac Beginnings meeting in December.

Meeting Place for the Party: Grace Baptist Church Fellowship Hall

5020 Old Spartanburg Road, Taylors, SC 29687

(At the Intersection of Brushy Creek & Old Spartanburg Roads)

Directions/Map: http://www.gbctaylors.org/AboutUs/LocationDirections/tabid/77/Default.aspx

via: Greenville Mac User’s Group

The Linux Users Group meets this Thursday evening for our holiday gather. We will be at our standard meeting location and then proceed travel to a restaurant and/or bar for a holiday social gathering.

What: Java Users Group December Meeting
Date: Thursday, December 10
Time: 6:15 PM
Where: Agfa – AGFA Healthcare Building on 10 South Academy Street, Greenville, SC, 29601
Price: Free

via: Upstate Java User’s Group

The Linux Users Group meets Tuesday evening to hear from Steven Edwards. Steven is a Greenville resident who is a former developer with Codeweavers, the group who makes Wine. He’ll be doing a presentation on Wine and/or ReactOS.

What: Linux Users Group December Meeting
Date: Tuesday, December 8
Time: 6:30 PM
Where: Immedion
Price: Free

via: Upstate Carolina Linux Users Group

American Le Mans Series President/CEO Scott Atherton described his visit to Clemson University’s International Center of Automotive Research (ICAR) as “eye-opening”. Atherton toured the acclaimed CU-ICAR facility in Greenville, SC yesterday afternoon and presented an evening address on the Series’ innovations and its green racing initiatives to several hundred at the Carroll Campbell Graduate School for Auto Research/AT&T Auditorium on the CU-ICAR campus.

“I’ve been to many outstanding research centers around the world – from both manufacturer’s and universities,” said Atherton, “but I have never been to one that comprises so many different areas of automotive and motorsports research under one roof involving faculty, students and industry. I was truly impressed by the quality of the facilities, the state-of-the-art equipment and the caliber of the personnel involved. They have a world class program in CU-ICAR and we look forward to expanding our relationship with them.”

via: American Le Mans