GSA Technology Council

Acumen I.T., a Greenville-based technology company, has announced the addition of Jim Holman to its team. Holman joins Acumen as a Senior Solutions Consultant and Project Manager, expanding the firm’s consulting staff to support ongoing growth. Holman will operate a satellite office in Atlanta, GA, enabling Acumen to expand its presence in the Atlanta market.

Holman brings more than 17 years of manufacturing systems experience to his position, having been implementing and supporting the Microsoft Dynamics GP application for more than 12 years. Prior to joining Acumen, he was a Dynamics GP Consultant for one of Microsoft’s largest partners/resellers in the United States. He has been providing consulting services for business flow, manufacturing, distribution processes, and analytical reporting to help clients improve and re-engineer business processes, identify redundancies, eliminate non-essential procedures and reduce costs.

“We are very fortunate to add a consultant with Jim’s background and experience,” says Steve Nevelle, practice manager for Acumen’s Business Applications Management (BAM) Division. “His consulting expertise and manufacturing background will be an asset to our clients and our expanding team.”

Before moving into consulting, Holman worked as an IT Manager for a Fortune 500 specialty chemical company, where he was responsible for the implementation and support of several software and hardware projects, including the Microsoft Dynamics GP application.

David Pence, CEO of Acumen I.T., adds, “Jim’s years of manufacturing systems experience have enabled him to expertly determine the key software systems requirements of manufacturing and distribution personnel at all levels of an organization. His experience in large manufacturing companies has given him the ability to relate to financial, sales, manufacturing, and logistics professionals. Jim’s ability to understand and speak their same language is a key factor in the repeated requests he has received to be the national manufacturing and distribution lead consultant in many ERP/MRP implementation projects.”

via: Acumen I.T.

Immedion, LLC, South Carolina’s only dedicated data center and managed services provider has hired Natalia Muska as their new Manager of Marketing and Communications. Natalia will be responsible for all of Immedion’s communications and marketing objectives. She will play a vital role in expanding Immedion’s market presence through on-going market research, copywriting, pr and media relations efforts.

Natalia comes to Immedion from KeyMark Inc. where she served as a Marketing Communications Specialist for three years. Prior to her work with KeyMark, she was a Marketing Specialist with Fluor Corporation. Natalia has over six years of marketing and communications experience and holds a master’s degree in professional communications from Clemson University. In 2008, she was the recipient of the Carolina’s chapter of the Business Marketing Association’s (BMA) Best in South Carolina Pro Ad award for work she did on KeyMark’s annual Horizons Conference.

“We’re very excited to have Natalia on our team,” said Frank Mobley, CEO of Immedion. “Her experience and enthusiasm are the perfect fit for us. Immedion strives to put our customers first and to always stay ahead of the curve by being proactive and anticipating our customer’s needs. Part of that is having a strong marketing and communications strategy. We have hired an exceptional staff of professionals and Natalia is a positive addition to our dynamic group.”

via: Immedion

Longtime South Carolina legislator and former U.S. Ambassador to Canada David H. Wilkins was unanimously elected chairman of the Clemson University board of trustees Friday, July 17, beginning a two-year term. He has served on the board since 2007.

“I am humbled and honored to be elected chairman and am grateful to my fellow board members for their trust and support. Clemson University has been an important part of my life for a very long time,” he said. “I look forward to working closely with the board and the administration to make sure Clemson serves the future as well as it has served the past.”

David H. WilkinsWilkins is a partner at the law firm of Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP and chairs the Public Policy and International Law practice group.

He was appointed by President George W. Bush to become the 21st U.S. Ambassador to Canada, serving in that capacity from June 2005 to January 2009. During his tenure, he helped resolve many high-profile issues between the two nations, including a decades-old softwood lumber trade dispute and is credited with strengthening the relationship between the United States and Canada.

Prior to his appointment as ambassador, Wilkins practiced law for 34 years in Greenville.

He was elected to the S.C. House of Representatives in 1980 and served for 25 years. He was chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and was speaker pro tem before being elected speaker of the House in 1994, a position he held for 11 years making him the third longest-serving speaker in the state’s history. In 2001, he served as president of the National Speakers Association. Wilkins, appointed by President Bush, served on the Board at West Point from 2002 to 2005. He also served in the U.S. Army and the U.S. Army Reserves.

A native of Greenville, Wilkins attended Clemson University on a full athletic scholarship and served as captain of the tennis team. He earned his undergraduate degree in history from Clemson in 1968 and his law degree from the University of South Carolina in 1971.

He previously served on Clemson’s Board of Visitors and received the Alumni Association’s Distinguished Service Award in 2003.

He and his wife of 37 years, Susan, reside in Greenville and have two sons and two grandchildren.

via: Clemson University

AssetPoint, announced today that that it has added Hope Brooks to its growing staff.

Hope Brooks joined AssetPoint as a Marketing Specialist.  She has over fifteen years experience including over 6 years in marketing and sales and over 10 years in manufacturing operations.

She completed her Bachelors degree at the University of South Carolina Upstate in communications.

“We are continuing to experience significant growth due to increased demand for our TabWare products coupled with our aggressive growth strategy and we are delighted to have Ms Brooks on our staff.’  said Eric Miles, President and CEO of AssetPoint.

via: AssetPoint

Yahoo! Inc. has announced that Penny Baldwin has been appointed to senior vice president, global integrated marketing and brand management. She assumes this newly created position immediately and reports to Yahoo!’s chief marketing officer, Elisa Steele.

Baldwin will lead the company’s global brand efforts, and is responsible for developing and executing Yahoo!’s brand marketing approach including brand management, corporate messaging, integrated marketing and advertising.

“One of Yahoo!’s greatest assets is its brand,” said Steele. “Our integrated, global approach is critical to our success and we have a deep business commitment to fulfill our promise to our users, customers and partners. Penny is uniquely qualified to lead the effort and her leadership, experiences, knowledge and skills are excellent additions to the Yahoo! marketing team.”

She is a 20-year veteran of global brand strategy development and execution across all internal and market-facing touch points. Most recently, Baldwin served as Managing Partner of Young & Rubicam Brands, Y&R Advertising and Wunderman Direct Marketing. As agency leader and manager, she was responsible for leading the efforts of large global teams across industries. Her experiences span technology, retail, packaged goods, finance, travel, gaming, wireless communications, entertainment, healthcare and sports marketing.

Baldwin has worked with several Fortune 500 brands including Microsoft, Intel, Oracle, AMD, NetApp, Hitachi Data Systems, Siebel Systems and Hewlett-Packard, among others. She has also worked with leading brands including Cadbury, Schweppes, Foster Farms, Jacuzzi, Wells Fargo, DHL, AT&T and Palm.

“This is a seminal moment for the Yahoo! brand and for the business overall,” said Baldwin. “I am delighted to be part of the leadership team that will take Yahoo! to the next level as we evolve our brand strategy worldwide.”

via Yahoo!

The Greenville Area Development Corporation, the county-chartered organization tasked with promoting and enhancing the economic growth of Greenville County, announced the naming of four Upstate leaders to officer positions on the organization’s Board of Directors for 2009-10.

GADC President & CEO Jerry Howard announced the election of Mike Buiter as chairman, Jo Watson Hackl as vice chair, Scott Case as secretary, and Ray Lattimore as treasurer.

“All four of these leaders are knowledgeable about the Greenville community and have historically played important, participative roles in helping to attract quality jobs to Greenville County,” said Howard in making the announcement. “They will make an exceptional leadership team for our community and for this organization.”

Mr. Buiter is a professor in the School of Business at Bob Jones University where he teaches both graduate and undergraduate classes in accounting, accounting theory, business strategy and entrepreneurship. He is the former vice president of finance for Dr. Pepper/Seven-Up Companies, Inc. prior to retiring in 1995, when he was named chief executive officer of BJU Press in Greenville. He has been a member of the board of directors of the Greenville Area Development Corporation since 2005, is a certified public accountant, and serves on the board of The Wilds Christian Camp.

Ms. Hackl is an attorney with the Greenville-based law firm Wyche Burgess Freeman & Parham, P.A., a Trustee of both the Community Foundation of Greenville and The Children’s Museum, and President-Elect of the Greenville Professional Women’s Forum. Long active in civic causes and a member of the United Way Campaign Cabinet, she is a founder of the SPARKS mentoring program and a Liberty Fellow.

Mr. Lattimore is president and chief executive officer of Marketplace Staffing Services. He is a founding member and past chairman of the GADC, active with the Greater Greenville Chamber of Commerce and United Way of Greenville County, a Liberty Fellow, and a member of the advisory board of BB&T.

Mr. Case is the current Greenville County auditor, a former member of Greenville County Council, and an active supporter of other economic development organizations serving Greenville County, including the Upstate Alliance and Greater Greenville Chamber of Commerce.

The new officers succeed outgoing chairman Jay Rogers, outgoing treasurer Susan Hoag, and outgoing secretary Bill Engle. Mr. Buiter previously served as vice chairman of the GADC.

Since its inception in 2001, the Greenville Area Development Corporation has announced support of more than 140 major projects representing more than $1.9 billion in capital investment and creating in excess of 8,960 new jobs. Private sector support of the GADC has also reached an all-time high, with more than 125 investor companies now contributing to the community’s and GADC’s success.

Howard expressed appreciation to the individuals whose terms were expiring for their service on the Board and to the community. “Each of these outgoing officers has played a significant role in helping move forward Greenville’s economic development mission and for that we are immensely grateful,” said Howard.

via: GADC

Silverpop has named Adam Needles director of field marketing for Engage B2B (formerly Vtrenz). He will serve both as an advocate for B2B marketers — listening to their needs, participating in dialogue at key marketing conferences and events on behalf of Silverpop, sharing insights on Silverpop’s Demand Generation blog — and also as an evangelist for Silverpop’s Engage B2B marketing platform.

“We’re pleased to have Adam join our team and to play a key role as Silverpop evolves and grows to better serve the rapidly-changing needs of B2B marketers,” said Scott Voigt, vice president of marketing for Silverpop. “He brings new perspectives and fresh thinking to the B2B marketplace. He will be a tremendous resource for B2B marketers who want to learn more about the strategies and tactics of successful lead management programs.”

Needles’ experience uniquely balances traditional B2B marketing programs, including lead-generation, direct-marketing, conferences/events and sales-force support, with more strategic brand development approaches such as thought leadership, public relations and organizational/cultural brand alignment. He previously was vice president of marketing and development for technology-industry analysis firm The 451 Group, where he helped build the firm’s B2B service brand through leading marketplace repositioning, defining the product/service mix and building out a marketing and events team to support significant revenue growth. Prior to that, he co-founded DVG Research, a market-strategy firm, and worked at Citigate Cunningham, a technology public relations firm, where his accounts included Motorola and Platinum Technology (acquired by CA, Inc.).

via: Silverpop

Yahoo! Inc. has announced that the Board of Directors has appointed Tim Morse as chief financial officer. Reporting directly to Carol Bartz, the chief executive officer of Yahoo!, Morse will be responsible for the company’s finance, investor relations, and mergers and acquisitions groups. He will commence employment on June 17, 2009 and will assume the responsibilities of CFO on July 1, 2009.

“Tim has a proven ability to translate strategy into structure, process, and execution, and I am delighted that he will be joining my leadership team to help drive Yahoo!’s growth,” said Bartz. “With his passion for operational finance, global experience, and expertise simplifying complex organizations and managing growth, Tim is a natural fit for Yahoo!.”

Morse has financial experience in both large and small organizations, managing in complex, fast-paced environments and establishing scalable, cost-effective processes and controls. Prior to joining Yahoo!, he was the CFO of Altera Corporation, a semiconductor company specializing in programmable logic devices for communications, industrial, and consumer applications. Morse previously served as the CFO and general manager of business development for General Electric Plastics. A 15 year veteran of GE, he also held a variety of positions at GE Plastics, GE Appliances and GE Capital in North America, Europe and Asia.

“Yahoo! is an amazing brand with a unique combination of assets, and I am extremely excited to be joining a finance team with a deep commitment to financial excellence and fiscal discipline,” said Morse. “I look forward to working with the entire leadership team to continue to focus on driving results and creating value for our shareholders.”

Morse holds a bachelor’s degree in finance and operations and strategic management from the Boston College Carroll School of Management.

via Yahoo!

Network Controls and Electric, Inc. has named Antonio Troiano as the company’s sales manager to direct new business development for the communications network and electrical infrastructure company. “Troiano brings a depth of industry experience to our company and is hitting the ground running. He is a valuable addition to the team,” said Brad Cunningham, President and CEO of Network Controls and Electric.

Troiano, who will report to the company’s Vice President of Operations, is experienced with working with architects, engineers, general contractors and end-users to formulate proper infrastructure plans and provides detailed customer service. He is a 1993 graduate of Clemson University and has worked in the Greenville area since 2004.

Keith Wood, employed with Laurens Commission of Public Works, has successfully graduated from the 2009 Certified Government Chief Information Officers Program offered by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Government. Mr. Wood is part of the inaugural South Carolina-based cohort offered in conjunction with the Municipal Association of South Carolina.

The CGCIO program is the first local government specific program for CIOs in the nation and began in 2004. The program is designed for local government Information Technology Directors and Chief Information Officers whose responsibilities require a broad understanding of management, leadership, and enterprise topics. The course is approximately 240 hours in length. Course instruction covers enterprise issues, strategic technology planning, communication, project management, emerging trends, risk assessment and management, acquisition management, change management, leadership, security, and financial trends.

Keith Wood is one of the 19 South Carolina public sector employees who successfully completed the course this year. Over the course of its five-year existence, the CGCIO program has graduated over 250 public sector IT professionals.

via UNC School of Government