Business Briefs

Employers Needed For April

Teen Job Fair

HC DrugFree is seeking businesses and nonprofit organizations to exhibit at the 2nd Annual Teen Job and Activity Fair for Howard County high school students on Saturday, April 13 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Centennial High School.

The Teen Job & Activity Fair offers employers an opportunity to meet with hundreds of prospective teen employees, to showcase their goods and services, to conduct mini-interviews and to hand out job applications. Businesses may also offer special presentations to the students. The cost to exhibit is $25.

The event will also showcase educational activities, community service opportunities and recreational activities that are available to high school students throughout Howard County. Exhibit space is free for nonprofit organizations.

HC DrugFree is a volunteer, grassroots organization comprising Howard County parents, educators, agency representatives and other community members dedicated to helping parents guide their children away from using tobacco, alcohol and other drugs.

To request an exhibitor registration form or for more information, please contact Laura Smit at 410-799-4879; fax 410-799-3510, or e-mail hchealthychoices@ yahoo.com.



LB&B Acquires Solar Microsystems

LB&B Associates Inc., a diversified services company based in Columbia that provides services to both the U.S. Government and commercial customers, has acquired Solar Microsystems, Inc., a local Maryland company that manufactures industrial rackmount computers, monitors and keyboards. The company has become a subsidiary of LB&B Associates Inc. and is now known as Solar Microsystems, LLC.

LB&B Associates Inc. began operations in 1992 and, under the leadership of the President and CEO Lily A. Liang Brandon, has grown into a company that currently provides employment to more than 1,000 personnel, with operations in 25 states.



Magellan News

Magellan Behavioral Health has been selected by United Rentals, Inc. to provide employee assistance and online training services to approximately 17,000 employees throughout the country.

Magellan's online training program is designed to train supervisors and managers on the sensitive issues of sexual harassment, diversity and violence in the workplace.



Career Day

Laurel High School is holding its annual Career Day on Wed., April 24.

Guest speakers representing a variety of careers are needed to speak to the students.

For information, visit www.geocities. com/Athens/Forum/5417 under the Career Day link.



Sexual Harassment Training

The Sexual Trauma Treatment, Advocacy and Recovery Center, Inc. (the STTAR Center) has received funding to provide training on sexual harassment in the workplace.

The training will educate employees regarding what constitutes sexual harassment, steps to take if you are being harassed, the consequences of harassing behavior and the personal liability of management for engaging in or allowing sexual harassment.

The training is free of charge with tax-deductible donations accepted. Call 410-290-6432 for information or to schedule training.



BWN Scholarships

The Business Women's Network of Howard County is accepting applications for two annual scholarships to be awarded in June. One scholarship will provide financial assistance to a female Howard County high school senior pursuing post-secondary studies; the second is for an experienced woman planning to enroll in a full- or part-time educational program.

For applications, visit www.bwn-hoco.org or call 410-740-0126.



Educational Partnership

Limo Limo of Laurel has partnered with Deep Run Elementary School to establish activities, events and programs to teach students about establishing and running a small business.

Limo Limo will provide guest speakers and provide incentives for school-based initiatives that are tied to behavior and grades.



Leadership U

Applications are due by March 15 for Leadership U, a student leadership program under the auspices of Leadership Howard County.

Interested high school sophomores can apply at www.leadershiphc.org to learn about their own leadership strengths and how our community works.



Corridor Transportation Introduces New Bus Service

The Corridor Transportation Corporation has begun Connect-A-Ride service in Piney Orchard serving the Odenton MARC Station, the Arundel Crossing Industrial Park and the Route 170 Industrial Corridor.

Weekday service on the newly created M Route will begin at 6:37 a.m. and run consistently throughout the day to correspond to the MARC morning southbound and evening northbound schedules.

For route and schedule information call 301-470-2248 or visit the CTC web site at www.corridortransit.com.



CA Health Fair

The Columbia Association will sponsor a Health Fair on Saturday, April 27 at Lake Kittamaqundi from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Funded by a grant from The Horizon Foundation, the fair will include free health screenings, information on health issues, and demonstrations of exercise activities and equipment.

There will also be food and entertainment. To be a vendor or to volunteer, call Carol Wasser at 410-715-3161 or e-mail carol.wasser@columbiaassociation.com.



Contract For a2z Inc.

A2z Inc. has been chosen by E.J. Krause to handle the online trade show for the 2002 Maryland Technology Showcase. Specifically, E.J. Krause will use a2z's web-based software, a2zShow, to facilitate the call for presentations, to manage speaker information, to sell booth space online and to create a web site for the event.

Started by the State of Maryland to highlight local technology companies, the Maryland Technology Showcase claims to attract the largest, highest-qualified business-to-business and business-to-government audience in the Mid-Atlantic area. The 2002 event will be held December 4-5 at the Baltimore Convention Center. Information will be available on the web site for potential exhibitors and speakers.



Up Year For Clear Choice

Clear Choice Carpet & Upholstery Care, specializing in controlled-moisture carpet cleaning, announced a record-breaking year in 2001with revenues up over 19%.

The company has been cleaning carpets in the Washington/Baltimore area for almost 12 years now.



New Contracts For Baylights

Baylights Compensation Consulting, LLC has been retained by America's Community Bankers Association to design and develop a base compensation program and incentive programs for all employees of the association.

Baylights has also been retained by PADCOM, Inc. to design and develop a sales incentive compensation plan for its domestic sales force that will be flexible enough to grow with the organization.



ISKY To Target "Orphaned" Businesses

iSKY Inc., a global provider of outsourced customer care services, has been contracted by Cable & Wireless, the global telecommunications group, to identify U.S. companies who are about to lose or who have already lost their Internet service because their current network service providers are experiencing operational or financial difficulties.

Under the program, iSKY will call U.S. companies to track concerns about potential losses of Internet service as well as overall levels of satisfaction with their current Internet Service Provider (ISP). In addition, iSKY will identify particular Internet and other communications services needs these companies may have which Cable & Wireless can provide.



Columbia Hosts 200 School Teachers

More than 200 middle and high school science and math teachers from Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. came to Howard Community College in February to learn about opportunities to participate in cutting-edge corporate and university research.

The Saturday workshop, intended to help teachers bring real-life experience into the classroom, was developed by a new partnership between HCC, The Johns Hopkins University (JHU), and the National Science Foundation (NSF).



Melwood Hires Dever Designs

Melwood, a nonprofit social service agency providing resources for the social-economic inclusion of people with disabilities, chose Dever Designs of Laurel to develop a custom marketing kit and exhibit displays.



COLA Contract

COLA, a national health care accreditation organization, has contracted with Preferred Health Partnership of Tennessee, Inc. to perform Healthplan Employer Data and Information Set chart collection and abstraction services.

COLA's service in a unique program that offers managed care organizations a convenient, cost-effective way to meet or exceed the National Committee on Quality Assurance standards.



Chocolate Ball Coming Up

The Arc of Howard County will host the 5th annual Chocolate Ball on Saturday, March 16, 7 p.m.-midnight, at the Kossiakoff Center, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory.

The event is black tie optional and includes dinner and dancing. Chocolate desserts created by area chefs and caterers will be the featured attractions in an auction that will include a wide array of other items, as well.

For tickets and more information, call 410-730-0638, ext. 227.



National Wildlife Birthday Party

A day-long celebration at the Patuxent Research Refuge National Wildlife Visitor Center on March 16 will celebrate the 99th anniversary of the National Wildlife Refuge System.

From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., there will be music, children's activities, live animals, tram tours and many other activities at the center which is located off Powder Mill Road between the Baltimore-Washington Parkway and Rt. 197 in Laurel.



Free Internet Accounts

The Howard County Library is offering free Sailor Cruise Accounts to library cardholders.

These accounts offer free dial-up Internet access from a customer's home computer. In addition to being free, Sailor Cruise Accounts are free of advertising and come with statewide toll-free dialing.

Cardholders who are at least 18 years old can ask for an account form at any library branch.



MicroLink Growing

MicroLink, LLC, a technical services firm, has been ranked by Purple Squirrel Magazine as the second fastest growing IT services firm in the nation.

The list was compiled based on a growth rate over the previous three years. MicroLink's growth rate was 2,010%.



Office Space

Laurel Historic District

People in Business

Panzer Promoted

Harvey Panzer, vice president for Service at the Encompass Central Maryland Office in Columbia, has been named president of a new business unit, established in the Encompass Capital Region to consolidate systems service for Maryland, the District of Columbia and Virginia. The new Encompass Capital Region Services Solutions unit combines the systems service responsibilities of the offices in the region.



Two New At Susquehanna Bank

Kim Andreone Hughes has been appointed vice president/manager of the Howard County branch of Susquehanna Bank in Columbia. She has 24 years of banking experience, most recently with First Union Bank. Kathleen Ashby has been appointed vice president of Real Estate at the bank. She has 15 years of real estate lending experience with The Columbia Bank and Chesapeake Bank.



Horowitz Reopens CPA Practice

Matthew R. Horowitz, CPA, has reopened his practice, providing both personal and corporate income tax preparation, along with accounting services, financial planning services, business advisory services and representation before tax authorities.

A Certified Public Accountant since 1984, Horowitz was recognized as the U.S. Small Business Administration's Accountant Advocate of the Year, 1998-1999. He holds membership in several professional organizations, including the Maryland Association of Certified Public Accountants, the Columbia Business Exchange and the Howard County Chamber of Commerce.



Saini Joins Saini Orthodontics

Dr. Raj M. Saini, of Saini Orthodontics (a practice in Columbia since 1970), a clinical professor at New York University College of Dentistry and a Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics, has announced that his son, Dr. Tarun "Ty" Saini, is joining the practice.

Dr. Tarun Saini earned his D.D.S. with honors in Orthodontics at NYU and completed residency programs at Staten Island University Hospital and NYU.



COGS Hires Lazarofsky

Jeanette Lazarofsky is the new administrator of the Coalition of Geriatric Services.

She was formerly program administrator for Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland and is currently the project coordinator for the Howard County Health and Human Services Study.



Vergauwen Joins KAWG&F

Matthew J. Vergauwen, MSCE, CCA, A+ is a new network administrator with KAWG&F, a regional certified public accounting and consulting firm.



Rubin Elected Managing Partner

Marc Rubin, CPA, has been elected the managing partner of Berman Goldman & Ribakow LLP, a regional CPA firm located in Columbia.

Stanley Holzman, CPA, former managing partner, has been elected to chair the firm's Executive Committee. BGR, which specializes in real estate, valuations, financial planning and all aspects of tax planning, recently celebrated its 62nd year in business.



Vulcan Joins DBED

Mark A. Vulcan has been named chief administrator of the Tax Incentive Group of the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development (DBED).

Vulcan served as an assistant state comptroller since 1997. In his new capacity, he will administer the tax incentive programs and credits assigned to DBED, assist with the formation of policy and legislation, analyze the effectiveness and value of incentives and help advise the department as it considers financial assistance to businesses.



MacKenzie Hires Gill

MacKenzie/ONCOR International has welcomed to the company Meghan C. Gill as sales and leasing associate with its sales and leasing division.

Gill will focus her efforts on commercial sales and leasing, focusing primarily on office and flex product in the Baltimore- Washington Corridor from the company's office in Columbia. Her background includes marketing for The Rouse Company, which supplied her with unique knowledge of the Baltimore-Washington Corridor marketplace.



Wooldridge Joins Severn Graphics

Russell Wooldridge is a new sales executive for Severn Graphics, Inc., a digital commercial photo lab.

Formerly with Showcase Portable Exhibits in Virginia, he is responsible for marketing portable display systems for trade shows and large format retail banners.



New Hires At G1440

G1440 has hired Joe Petti as vice president of Healthcare Solutions. A 16-year health care and technology veteran, he will provide senior leadership for the establishment of a health care practice group that will sell G1440's core services and technology

in the health care market and develop new technology that focuses on integrated health care. The company has hired Richard Hackett and Peter Hurley as account executives to sell "i1440," its proprietary web-based system that captures, tracks changes and reports on key information about foreign nationals for visa classifications.



Vantage House Names Whary

Vantage House Retirement Community has named a new director of Dining Services. The Columbia-based life care facility has selected Jeff Whary, formerly of Cornwall Manor in Cornwall, Pa. The Pennsylvania native began as executive chef/production manager at Cornwall and was promoted to the director of Dining Services.



Williams Joins BUCS Federal

Kenneth M. Williams has joined BUCS Federal Bank as vice president of Commercial Accounts.

Williams, former president of the Howard County Chamber of Commerce, will be located in the bank's Columbia office.



Croxson New Amerix President

Amerix Corp., a service provider to the debt management industry, has named Mike Croxson as president. Croxson joined Amerix in 1999 as chief human resources officer and was promoted to chief operating officer in 2000. He has been responsible for all facets of business operations including revenue generation, direct consumer and business client services, human resources and organization development.



Rouse Promotes Bryant

Mary Catherine Bryant is a new vice president at The Rouse Company. She will continue as group director in Property Operations, responsible for overseeing the operation of numerous retail properties, including The Mall in Columbia, Owings Mills, Towson Town Center and White Marsh, all in the Baltimore area, Beachwood Place in Ohio, Mall St. Matthews in Kentucky, and Southland Center and Lakeside Malls in Michigan.

Also, she is responsible for the Owings Mills Corporate Center office complex in Owings Mills, Md.



Maggie Brown Honored

Maggie Brown, president of the Columbia Association, was presented the Howard County Business Associate of the Year Award by the Columbia Charter Chapter of the American Business Women's Association for the 2001-2002 term.

The award is presented annually to a notable businesswoman who has contributed greatly to the betterment and enrichment of the Howard County community.



New Partners At Whiteford, Taylor & Preston

Whiteford, Taylor & Preston has announced that the following have been elected to partnership in the firm: Pamela M. Conover, S. Keith Moulsdale, Dwight W. Stone II, Brent C. Strickland and Steven E. Tiller. Joining the firm as Of Counsel are: Karen H. Moore, Andrea Leahy-Fucheck and Edward H. Kim.

Now associated with the firm are: Erika S. Alsid, Amy E. Askew, Adam Cizek, Emily A. Daneker, Stephen B. Gerald, Pamela M. Kessler, Dino C. La Fiandra, Edward U. Lee III, Cameron J. Macdonald, Enayat Qasimi, Joseph D. Vorsteg and Alisa M. Wrase.



New MDs At North Arundel

Five new specialists have joined the medical staff at North Arundel Hospital.

Suzan Abdo, M.D., internal medicine physician; John Ahn, M.D., cardiologist and internal medicine physician; Deyne Bentt, M.D., anesthesiologist; Gerald Hofkin, M.D., gastroenterologist; and Tiffany Osborn, M.D., emergency medicine physician.



Werhane Joins ESIC Initiative

Charles Werhane has been named to head up fund management for The Enterprise Social Investment Corporation's newest community development initiative, The Enterprise Communities Fund.

Drawing on more than 25 years of experience in the commercial real estate business, he directs all investment activities for this unique investment fund.



Grand Prix Board

Kathy Rensin, an active community volunteer from Glenwood, is the new chairperson of the Columbia Classic Grand Prix Board of Directors.

Helping her to plan the 15th annual Columbia Classic to be held Sept. 21, 2002 are new board members Barbara Hashimoto and Del Karfonta and returning members P. Joseph Brown, Jr., Andy Dalal, Dana Fenwick, Abigail Glassberg, Elyse M. Hyman, C. Alad Jefferson, Devin J. Kelehan, Oliver C. Kennedy, Padraic M. Kennedy, Liz Lavine, Darlene Miller, Terri Minford, M.D., Michael Nagle, Stephen A. Newhouse, Sharon Nichols, Roger Pedersen, Donna M. Richardson and Maurice M. Simpkins.

Proceeds from the event benefit the Howard Community College Educational Foundation which provides scholarships.



Staff Officers At HCG

Howard County General Hospital has announced its new professional staff officers for 2002. They are; Kiran J. Parikh, M.D., a general surgeon, as president; David Nyanjom, M.D., a pulmonary and critical care physician, as vice president; and Tuvia Blechman, M.D., a neonatologist, as secretary/treasurer.



New Trustees For Tai Sophia

Tai Sophia Institute's board of trustees has elected two new members.

Wayne B. Jonas, M.D., was formerly director of the Office of Complementary and Alternative Medicine at the National Institutes of Health and is now director of the Samueli Institute and a member of the White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

Rustum Roy, Ph.D., professor emeritus and member of Pennsylvania State University's faculty for 50 years, is a pioneering scientist/social reformer/complementary medicine advocate.



Ellis Joins Advanced Radiology

John W. Ellis, CPA, has been named to the newly created position of director of Business Services for Advanced Radiology.

He is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of all non-clinical functions and developing business relationships in the metro area.

Advanced Radiology has 80 board certified radiologists encompassing 21 outpatient imagine centers and eight hospitals in Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Harford, Howard and Prince George's counties.