GSA Technology Council

Deb Sofield, Greenville Commissioner of Public Works and former member of Greenville City Council, was awarded the Order of the Palmetto, the highest civilian honor awarded by the Governor of South Carolina. Members of the Greenville Legislative Delegation presented Sofield the award at The First Monday in Greenville Club.

The Order of the Palmetto was created in 1971 to recognize lifetime achievement and service to the state of South Carolina.

Deb Sofield has been active in local politics for many years and has served on the board of First Monday of Greenville (a Republican Political Forum) for more than twenty years. She served two terms on Greenville City Council and in 2007 was elected as a Commissioner of Public Works, Sofield the first woman to win an election to the commission since its inception in 1918.

Deb Sofield was recognized for her work in training men and women for public office.

via: www.debsofield.com

TPM, a technology and large format graphics company, recently announced the hiring of 4 new employees to their firm. TPM is headquartered in Greenville, SC with two other offices in Columbia, SC and Charlotte, NC. Due to exceptional growth, TPM has been in the process of finding additional employees to assist in the development of new technology and service offerings.

TPM has hired Charles Conley to their Charlotte office as an Application Engineer. Conley will provide technical support for Autodesk software.

TPM has also hired Kim Cope to their firm. Cope will be responsible for Business Development for the TPM Charlotte office.

Frankie Lineberger will serve the firm as Canon Major Account Executive. Lineberger previously worked at MOM and IKON and brings over 20 years of sales and marketing experience to the TPM team.

Bill Weatherford has been hired as a Canon Technical Support Specialist. Weatherford will provide technical expertise to customers, enabling them to implement the right solutions for their application workflows. Prior to joining the team at TPM, Weatherford worked at IKON in the service industry.

via TPM

The Worthwhile Company, Inc. of Greenville, SC hired Leslie Ciesielski as a full time Web Developer and SEO Specialist. Leslie will also aid the First Impression Team in client training and support. Her addition to the team will improve customer support and expand Worthwhile’s growing infrastructure.

Leslie has a B.S. in Computer Science and recently graduated with her MBA.  Studying new technologies and learning how they make life easier are some of her favorite areas of interest.

The Worthwhile Company, Inc. is a Greenville, South Carolina based software development, Web design, Web hosting, and network support team.

via Worthwhile

 KeyMark Inc. welcomes their newest employee Trudy M. Crowley. Trudy joins KeyMark as a staff accountant. She is responsible for the accounts payable procedures and serves under the Director of Finance and Legal, Dan Christie.

KeyMark is a document management systems integrator located in Liberty SC. They provide document capture, management, and workflow systems to help customers increase efficiencies and decrease operating costs. KeyMark provides services to various industries and business departments including, but not limited to: healthcare, government, insurance, lending, accounts payable, account receivable, and human resources. They were recently recognized by Inc. magazine as one of the 5000 fastest growing companies in America in 2007. Due to their exceptional growth, they have been able to hire highly qualified individuals like Trudy to fill strategic roles within the organization.

Trudy comes to KeyMark from Resurgent Capital. She has 30 years of experience in accounting and a degree from DeKalb Technical College. She also holds a CEBS (Certified Employee Benefit Specialist) certificate.

via KeyMark

Greenville, SC — AssetPoint, a provider of Maintenance Management software and industry best practices consulting, announced today that that it has promoted one employees and added a new employees to its growing staff.
 
Jane Black was promoted to Director of Technical Services at AssetPoint.  She has over 23 years of product development and project management experience in the Information Technology industry.  Her most recent experience includes working with AssetPoint clients on their integration solutions with multiple ERP systems.  Her product development experience focused on supply chain management and accounting areas.   Additional work experience includes managing IT systems used to support field project construction sites for a major engineering and construction firm.  Jane graduated from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro with a Bachelor of Science degree.
 
Dave Kotrady joined AssetPoint as Director of Solutions Architecture.  He has over nine years experience in IT consulting and he specialized in Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) applications for one of the world’s largest providers of management and technology consulting services.  He frequently served as the lead technical role in software implementations incorporating web-based applications, mobile and wireless technologies, disparate application integration, and business intelligence requirements.  His clients spanned both commercial and public service enterprises and crossed a variety of industries, including pharmaceutical, manufacturing, facilities maintenance, and both military organizations and their contractors. 
 
In addition to his nine years as a technology consultant, Dave’s background includes four years overseeing operations in manufacturing and six years as a Naval Officer.  He completed his Bachelors degree at the University of South Carolina in 1988, and later returned to earn an MBA from the Moore School of Business in 2003.
 
“We are continuing to experience significant growth due to increased demand for our TabWare EFX  product coupled with our aggressive growth strategy and we are delighted to have these highly talented professionals on our staff.”  said Eric Miles, President and CEO of AssetPoint.

via AssetPoint

Google Inc. today announced that Patrick Pichette will be named Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Most recently, Mr. Pichette served as President of Operations at Bell Canada, a leading global communications company. 

Mr. Pichette brings nearly 20 years of experience in financial operations and management in the telecommunications sector, including 7 years at Bell Canada, which he joined in 2001 as Executive Vice President of Planning and Performance Management. During his time at Bell Canada, he held various executive positions, including CFO from 2002 until the end of 2003, and was instrumental in the management of the most extensive communications network in Canada and its ongoing migration to a new national IP-based infrastructure. Prior to joining Bell Canada, Mr. Pichette was a partner at McKinsey & Company, where he was a lead member of McKinsey’s North American Telecom Practice. He also served as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Call-Net Enterprises, a Canadian telecommunications company, from 1994 to 1996. Mr. Pichette earned a BA in Business Administration from Université du Québec à Montréal and an MA in Philosophy Politics and Economics from Oxford University, where he attended as a Rhodes Scholar. He is also chairman of the board of Engineers Without Borders (Canada).

Reporting to Google Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Eric Schmidt, Mr. Pichette will start on August 1, and he will assume responsibility for the company’s financial operations and become CFO on August 12.

“Patrick brings the expertise and track record of a successful CFO, along with the hands-on business experience of a seasoned operations executive,” said Dr. Schmidt. “This strong combination of skills and experience will be an important addition to Google’s executive management team and will support our ongoing efforts to increase value for our users, advertisers and partners.”  Schmidt added, “On behalf of all my colleagues at Google, we welcome Patrick and, once again, thank George Reyes for all that he’s done for Google.”

“Google is a great company with a phenomenal brand and an outstanding management team,” said Pichette. “As an avid user of Google products, I’ve admired the company for many years and am excited about working with my new colleagues in Mountain View and around the world.”

via Google

Greenville, SC — This week Tyler Minard of Duncan, SC joined BigBlueHat for his 3 month internship. Tyler is a recent high school graduate with an interest in web development and computer networking. For the first several weeks, Tyler will be adding to his knowledge about HTTP, HTML, and other web technologies.

While at BigBlueHat Tyler will have the opportunity to work on the BlueInk Content Management System  and several client projects. His work will include adding new features written in PHP, working with the front-end interface of BlueInk, and helping BigBlueHat migrate much of its code to the REST-based architectural style.

“It was good to find that Tyler already knew so much about HTTP and Web Technology,” said Benjamin Young, President of BigBlueHat. “The initial survey showed he’s very capable of getting involved with our projects quickly.”

Tyler’s internship will last for approximately three months, after which he’ll begin his first term at Spartanburg Community College. From there, he plans to transfer to the University of South Carolina Upstate where he will pursue a degree in the Information Technology field.

BigBlueHat is a web-manufacturing company that creates custom web sites and web-based software for clients around the world. Its chief product is the BlueInk CMS, a proprietary content management system that accommodates both the designer and the end user with an easy-to-use interface.

via BigBlueHat

Alan F. Ciamporcero, Verizon regional president in Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina, has announced he will retire July 25 after nearly 20 years in the telecommunications industry — the last 10 with Verizon.

Michelle A. Robinson, currently senior vice president for Verizon’s Southern region, will assume Ciamporcero’s responsibilities in the three states, as well as in Alabama and Georgia.

Robinson will assume responsibility for Verizon’s public policy, government and external affairs matters in the five-state region.

“Alan’s legacy is one of leadership and accomplishment for Verizon and its employees in Florida and the Carolinas,” said Colleen McCloskey, Verizon senior vice president-state public policy and external affairs.  “He worked tirelessly to secure the required franchises that now enable Verizon to bring choice in cable television to hundreds of thousands of Floridians over our company’s all-fiber-optic network.

“Michelle — with 12 years of experience in the communications industry –will build on Alan’s foundation as Verizon continues to transform into the nation’s leading broadband and entertainment company amid fierce competition in the Southeast,” McCloskey said.

Ciamporcero said, “My career has been fulfilling and fun.  I’m particularly pleased to have been part of the Verizon transition to the new networks that will help our country meet its future economic and environmental challenges.”

Robinson said, “Verizon has the best employees and offers the best products in the Southeast market.  I’m eager to get started.”

Ciamporcero joined Verizon predecessor GTE in 1998 as liaison to the Federal Communications Commission.  He went on to serve in positions of increasing responsibility in public affairs and regulatory matters before assuming his present position in January 2003.  Prior to Verizon, Ciamporcero worked on the staff for the U.S. House of Representatives, as a law clerk for the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and as an antitrust attorney for Pacific Telesis.

Robinson began her Verizon career 10 years ago and has held a variety of positions in public policy and government relations.  Prior to her present job, Robinson was vice president for Verizon in California, where she was responsible for the company’s public policy positions before the state Public Utilities Commission.

Robinson holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from UCLA and a master’s degree in public policy analysis from the University of Southern California.  She will relocate to Tampa.

via Verizon

Spartanburg, SC — Exopack announces that Gary McDaniel has been named Senior Vice President and General Manager, Plastics Business. In his new role, Gary will provide strategic leadership and overall P&L responsibility for Exopack’s Plastics Business.

Gary has 30 years of experience in the packaging industry, including serving as a past Chairman of the Flexible Packaging Association. His most recent position was with Altivity Packaging (formerly Smurfit Stone Container, Inc.), where he served as Vice President and General Manager of their Flexible Packaging Division. McDaniel also serves on the Board of Directors of Oberweis Mutual Fund.

Exopack Chairman and CEO Jack Knott expressed excitement over the hiring of McDaniel by saying, “Gary is a recognized leader within our industry. His wealth of flexible packaging experience will play a critical role in defining a path for the continued success of our Plastics Business and will support our efforts to sustain a value commitment to our stakeholders.”

Gary holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Miami University in Marketing and Economics and earned an MBA from the University of Chicago.

McDaniel will be located in Chicago, IL. He will report to Tom Vale, Exopack’s Chief Operating Officer.

via Exopack

Greenville, SC — The Greenville Area Development Corporation has announced  that BP Barber, one of the oldest and largest civil engineering firms in the Southeast, has announced plans to locate its Upstate base of operations in Greenville County in order to better serve its growing client base in the Upstate. Simultaneously, the firm named Erica Huggins as regional manager of the firm’s Upstate operations.

The company has leased and is upfitting 5,000 square feet of office space at 128 Millport Circle in Mauldin, and expects to be fully operational in July 2008. The company intends to add 25-35 full-time employees at the Greenville County location over the next three to five years.

Jobs will include the addition of 10-15 professional engineers with salaries ranging from the low $40,000s to $90,000 and up based on experience. Additional support staff will also be recruited with pay based upon the specific needs and roles. The company currently has in excess of 200 employees across its six-office network.

BP Barber offers a broad range of engineering services, primarily focused in the water services, environmental, urban development, and surveying/GIS arenas. Founded in 1916, the firm provides civil and environmental engineering services to counties, municipalities, special purpose districts, industry, and private developers across its service area footprint. In addition to the new Greenville-based Upstate operations, BP Barber operates regional offices in Charleston, Florence, and Columbia, South Carolina; Savannah, Georgia; and Charlotte, North Carolina.

The firm was recently ranked number 469 among the Top 500 engineering firms nationwide, based on total revenue for design services performed in 2007, by Engineering News-Record (ENR), a weekly trade newspaper for the engineering industry. BP Barber joins an array of leading engineering firms with significant presences or headquarters operations in Greenville County.

“This decision to expand our Upstate operations in Greenville County is all about being able to better serve our client base in the region, and to help position our firm for future growth,” said Keith McLeod, President and Chairman of BP Barber. “This commitment is indicative of the robust business opportunity we see in the Upstate, and the quality of life which we think will be helpful in recruiting and retaining top talent. We’re very excited to become part of Greenville.”

Ms. Huggins, who joined the firm in 1997, relocates from BP Barber’s Columbia office to head the new Upstate operations. A civil engineer with particular expertise in the water services sector – encompassing wastewater, stormwater and drinking water – she holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Engineering from the University of South Carolina. She is active in the American Water Works Association (AWWA), South Carolina Association of Stormwater Managers (SCASM), Water Environment Federation (WEF), and the Water Environment Association of South Carolina (WEASC).  The firm’s market leader for stormwater services, she envisions tremendous growth for BP Barber across all of the company’s service areas in the Upstate.

“With the help of a talented team which we will recruit to our Upstate operation, we anticipate rapid growth for all service areas – including water services, environmental, urban development and surveying/GIS,” noted Ms. Huggins. “We expect a positive reception in the market since we already have numerous well-established client relationships across the region, and because there appears to be no shortage of demand and opportunity for high-quality, high-value engineering services providers.”

She pointed to the firm’s recent appointment to handle due diligence and environmental services for Jafza’s $600 million logistics and distribution park in Orangeburg County as indicative of the firm’s growing reputation for engineering and service excellence.

“That project is a cornerstone of Jafza’s venture into the United States,” said Huggins. “Preserving and protecting the environment will be a top priority for the project, and of all the firms in the world Jafza could have contracted with, they selected BP Barber. We believe that speaks volumes for the wide-ranging engineering capabilities we provide clients, and the emphasis on quality service which is our hallmark and point of pride.”

“Greenville County is an ideal and strategic location for BP Barber to expand into,” stated McLeod. “This area is booming, and is flush with engineering and architectural talent. It also is a highly attractive destination to entice engineers to relocate to, offers a moderate cost of living, and is accessible to the Southeastern growth corridor.  I’d like to extend my sincere thanks to the Greenville Area Development Corporation and the City of Mauldin for their assistance in making this announcement a reality.”

“BP Barber will only strengthen the Upstate’s renowned design and engineering capabilities,” added H.G. “Butch” Kirven, chairman of Greenville County Council. “Their decision to locate a regional headquarters in Greenville is testament to our strong Upstate economy and the bright future for our citizens.”

“We’re pleased that the leadership of BP Barber recognized the opportunity and advantages that Greenville County offers their growing organization,” said Jay Rogers, Chairman of the Greenville Area Development Corporation Board. “The company’s relationships with blue-chip clients and their commitment to providing high quality, environmentally sensitive engineering services that benefit clients, employees and communities makes them a welcome addition to Greenville County’s growing business community.”

for more information visit http://www.bpbarber.com/

via GADC