Business Milestones [Winston-Salem Journal, N.C.]

Jan. 17--NewBridge Bank has appointed Eric Morrison as the area executive in its Lexington, High Point and Thomasville markets. He was previously the commercial-banking manager in Lexington.

Also, NewBridge Bank has named Terry Freeman a senior vice president and commercial-relationship manager. He has more than 30 years of senior-level banking experience and most recently was a regional executive for a large banking organization in the Triad.

Mary Paradiso recently joined the staff of Crisis Control Ministry as an executive administrative assistant. Paradiso moved to Winston-Salem from Atlanta in 2007 and shortly after started volunteering at Crisis Control as an interviewer.

The NC Triad Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure recently appointed Leigh Satalino as a community-outreach manager and John Richardson as an event-planning and development associate. The Komen NC Triad Affiliate serves Alamance, Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Guilford, Randolph, Stokes, Surry, Wilkes and Yadkin counties.

Davenport Marvin Joyce & Co. LLP in Greensboro has made several promotions. Tracy Valentine, a certified public accountant, has been promoted to tax supervisor. Valentine joined DMJ in 2007 and specializes in providing individual and business tax-compliance and planning services. Jonathan Peddrick has been promoted to senior health-care consultant at DMJ Healthcare Consulting, a division of Davenport Marvin Joyce & Co. Peddrick joined the firm in 2007.

Fifth Letter in Winston-Salem said that Kathryn Binkley has joined the graphic-design studio as a project manager. Binkley will handle new business opportunities, relationship management and traffic coordination.

Maurices specialty store recently named Amy Flowers-Harris as a store manager in Lexington. Flowers-Harris is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the store, including sales performance, visual presentation and personnel recruitment and training.

BB&T has hired Michelle Gregory as a mortgage-loan originator based at the BB&T financial center at 1100 S. Stratford Road. She has more than 20 years of mortgage experience.

James Allison of REMAX Realty Consultants has earned the Certified Distressed Property Expert designation, having completed extensive training in foreclosure avoidance and short sales.

Michael P. Barr, the chief executive officer of the Greensboro Regional Realtors Association, is being honored by the National Association of Realtors with the REALTOR association Certified Executive designation for excellence.

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans has announced that Habitat for Humanity of Forsyth County will work on one of 181 homes it will finance nationwide in 2010 as part of its Thrivent Builds With Habitat for Humanity program. Habitat Forsyth will partner with Thrivent's Yadkin River Chapter to build the house.

The N.C. State Board of Certified Public Accountant Examiners has approved these applicants for licensure as certified public accountants in the state of North Carolina: Jonathan Chesley Allen of Boone; Paul M. Demere, Melissa Lynn Mikita and John Berendt Speckhard of Greensboro; Robert Edward Kilgore of High Point; Seth David Prevette of North Wilkesboro; Erin G. LaVoie of Rocky Mount; Kristie Ann Weiss of Summerfield; and Heather Marie Cook, David Louis Stark and Aiping Ying of Winston-Salem.

The N.C. Department of Labor has honored Arbor Acres United Methodist Retirement Community with a certificate as a participant in the Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program. The program recognizes companies for a commitment to the safety and health of their employees.

Forsyth Technical Community College's new Web site at www.forsythtech.edu recently won a Gold award in the 2009 National Council of Marketing and Public Relations District 2 Medallion Awards. The college received Silver awards for the Forsyth Tech Foundation brochure and the Education Bond Referendum multimedia campaign, and a Bronze award for its magazine, Tech Quarterly. Forsyth Tech's marketing communications are produced in collaboration with The Bloom Agency.

Dr. Andrew Wayne Kelly, who has a dental practice in of Clemmons, has been recognized as a Fellow of the American Academy of Implant Dentistry. He is one of 287 dentists who hold this membership.

Julie Bradwell has received the highest award granted by the N.C. Recreational Therapy Association, the 2009 Ray E. West Distinguished Member award. She is a licensed recreational therapist at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

Greg Johns, the owner of Johns Plumbing Heating and Air Conditioning and Dr. JohnsH2O, recently completed 32 hours of training to become one of the first certified "GreenPlumbers" in North Carolina. The required courses included water-efficient products, heating and cooling appliances, hot-water heating and solar hot water.

Lomax Construction said that Travis Langley and Jim Melvin have passed the accreditation exam offered through the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design arm of the U.S. Green Building Council. By passing the exam, Langley and Melvin have earned their LEED Green Associate credentials.

The Nussbaum Center for Entrepreneurship in Greensboro said that AACS Call Center recently graduated from its incubation program. AACS Call Center is a call center and administrative-service company owned by Lisa Bowling that offers "remote receptionist" services.

Betty Quick and Jim Cooney, attorneys at Womble Carlyle, have been named the top attorneys for their practice area in their respective markets by an independent publication. Quick was named the 2010 Trust & Estates Lawyer of the Year for the Triad market, while Cooney was named 2010 Bet-the-Company Litigation Lawyer of the Year for Charlotte. The honors are given by Best Lawyers, which publishes the annual "Best Lawyers in America" list.

The American Foundation for the Blind has elected Cynthia A. Watson to its national board of trustees. She is a new-business development manager for Winston-Salem Industries for the Blind.

Drs. Jeffrey Carter and Luke Neff, general-surgery residents at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, have received the 2009 Carl A. Moyer Resident Award. This award is given annually by the American Burn Association for the best research paper submitted by a resident or medical student.

AAA Carolinas has honored several accommodations and restaurants in the Triad for superior quality and service with AAA Four Diamond awards. Four Diamond accommodation winners, all in Greensboro, were: the Proximity Hotel, winning for the second year; the O. Henry Hotel, 11 years; and Grandover Resort & Conference Center Golf & Spa, 11 years. Di Valletta in Greensboro was honored as a Four Diamond restaurant for the fourth year.

The Greensboro Regional Realtors Association has presented these GRRA Awards: REALTOR of the Year -- Bruce Williams, Re/Max 1st Choice; Committee Member of the Year --Christopher 'Drew' Showfety, Emerson Commercial Properties; Jack H. Brown Memorial Award -- Carolyn N. Banks, Yost & Little; Ronald J. Smith President's Award -- Sharon Lankford Dameron, Keller Williams; GRRA Fellows Award -- Lolita Malave, Yost & Little; GRRA Fellows Award -- Barbara Mann, Re/Max Realty Consultants; GRRA Fellows Award -- Gina Hensley, Presidia Real Estate Group; William D. Seawell Sr. and Jr. Award -- John E. Newman, Re/Max of Greensboro; GRRA Hall of Fame -- Lynn Black, Yost & Little; GRRA Hall of Fame --Samuel H. Zealy Jr. (Posthumous), Wrenn-Zealy Properties; Elaine H. Ernest Visionary Leadership Award -- Sandra O'Connor, Allen Tate REALTORS; and GRRA Public Service Award -- Robbie Perkins, NAI Piedmont Triad.

Leap Realty LLC in Winston-Salem was recently recognized at the 2009 N.C. Technology Association's Awards as a finalist for Leading Environmental Steward Company.

n Sandee Hamrick has been awarded the Certified Residential Specialist designation by the Council of Residential Specialists. She is an ecobroker with Leap Realty.

Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Forsyth County has made several new appointments to its board of directors for 2009-2012: Yolanda I. Smith, a recruiting-team leader and assistant vice president at Wachovia Corp. a Wells Fargo company; George Walker Douglas, a senior vice president at Douglas Battery Manufacturing; Alvin Fitzgerald Borders, the director of employment for the Winston-Salem Urban League; April Broadway, the president of DreamCatchers Educational Consulting Inc. and managing partner with Infinity Consulting Group LLC; Vicky Denny, the director of the Contact Center at Allegacy Federal Credit Union; Tina J. Stamos, a self-employed tax-consulting expert who serves individuals and small businesses.

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