Author: epidevelopment

South Carolina SHRM State Council Honored with Platinum Excellence Award
For Elevating Human Resources, Improving Workplaces
This marks the second consecutive year the Council has received this outstanding recognition

Charleston, SC. – April 16, 2021 – The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), the world’s largest HR professional society, presented South Carolina SHRM State Council with the 2020 Platinum Excellence Award. The Excel award is SHRM’s top honor, recognizing outstanding achievements in state council operations and a commitment to providing meaningful program and services to HR professionals.

“So much of SHRM’s positive impact on our workplaces can be traced back to the dedication of our chapters and state councils like the South Carolina SHRM State Council. I’ve seen firsthand how these leaders drive meaningful changes to build workplaces where employers and employees can thrive together,” said Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., SHRM-SCP, president and chief executive officer of SHRM. “The Platinum EXCEL Award not only honors South Carolina SHRM State Council’s accomplishments in 2020, but it’s also a testament to the hard work it took to get there.”

SC SHRM’s submission highlighted five successful initiatives, including its commitment to increase dual Chapter/SHRM membership. SC SHRM also partnered with the RECON Network and participated in the Veteran Employment & Transition Summit to inform Veterans, their spouses and the business community about the needs and resources available to them. Additionally, in partnership with North Carolina SHRM State Council, provided quality speakers, volunteers and judges for the Carolina’s HR Student Conference and Case Competition. The Council held its leadership conference, its goal to educate Chapter leaders about SHRM, SC SHRM, their roles, and how to handle difficult situations. Lastly, the Council participated in the GiveSmart Pilot Program, a virtual silent auction platform and donated monies raised to the SHRM Foundation.

Along with South Carolina SHRM State Council’s notable win, 4 local chapters also earned Excel Awards for 2020, highlighting the organization’s commitment to HR excellence. Columbia SHRM, Greenville SHRM, Spartanburg HR Association and Sumter HRMA all won Platinum awards.

“These awards are a testament to our commitment to upholding our mission, which is to
serve, advise and empower South Carolina workforce communities through education,
partnerships and connections,” said SC SHRM State Director, Teresa Vaughn, SHRM-SCP, VP of Human Resources for Johnson & Johnson, Inc. headquartered in Mt. Pleasant, SC. “I am incredibly proud of the Council and our individual Chapters’ work – it is a true honor to receive this recognition from SHRM and we look forward to celebrating these exceptional accomplishments at our annual conference in September.”

About the Society for Human Resource Management
SHRM, the Society for Human Resource Management, creates better workplaces where employers and employees thrive together. As the voice of all things work, workers and the workplace, SHRM is the foremost expert, convener and thought leader on issues impacting today’s evolving workplaces. With 300,000+ HR and business executive members in 165 countries, SHRM impacts the lives of more than 115 million workers and families globally. Learn more at SHRM.org and on Twitter @SHRM.

About South Carolina SHRM State Council
South Carolina SHRM State Council is the state affiliate for the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). SC SHRM facilitates services and programs for the collective interest of the state’s SHRM and local chapter membership, and promotes activities that serve and advance the human resources profession. Its primary objective is to support the mission and initiatives of SHRM through education. South Carolina SHRM State Council is a 100 percent volunteer organization consisting of 14 SHRM-affiliated chapters across the state. For more information, go to sc.shrm.org.

GREENVILLE, S.C. – Rebuild Upstate was awarded GuideStar’s 2021 Platinum Seal of Transparency for the fourth year in a row.
This award is the highest level of recognition that GuideStar gives to nonprofit organizations. GuideStar is the world’s largest source of information on nonprofit organizations. Data and intelligence is filtered through the GuideStar industry-leading data services, analysis, APIs and subscription products. It then provides people with the best information needed to compare non-profits, make smart donation decisions and helps to build connections.
“Rebuild Upstate believes strongly in having transparency at all levels,” said Chris Manley, President/CEO of Rebuild Upstate. “As a nonprofit organization, we serve the community, and are proud to strive toward fiscal accountability to the community at large.”
The Platinum Seal of Transparency Award aligns with the values of Rebuild Upstate. Rebuild Upstate has prided themselves on financial transparency and using best practices. This is important for an organization of its size to ensure financial stewardship of donations and funding for the long-term sustainability of the organization.

About Rebuild Upstate:
Rebuild Upstate serves low-income homeowners with repairs and accessibility improvements to create safe, livable housing in existing homes and neighborhoods in Greenville, Anderson, Pickens, and Oconee counties. Its team envisions a community where everyone has the opportunity to live a life of dignity in a safe home environment in order to maintain and foster strong, sustainable communities. Learn more at www.rebuildupstate.org.

The Employer Provider Interface Council will hold its second WellSpent-Southeast virtual meeting on April 20, 2021 — bringing together business, economic development and health care professionals to discuss ways to improve health status, the health of businesses and the linkage with other drivers of economic growth.
Government leadership and professionals from many business industries including healthcare will convene to learn more about these issues and to participate in the on-going discussion which can help drive meaningful change in the marketplace and the communities of the Southeastern part of the country.
“In the Southeast, we have a thriving economic development landscape which attracts and retains business and industry even though we have the highest rates of chronic disease and other healthcare issues,” said Dr. Randy Vogenberg, board chairman of Employer Provider Interface Council (EPIC) of the Hospital Quality Foundation, which is the agency leading this effort.

To register for this free, online event, go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wellspent-southeast-tickets-150111324011
During the virtual meeting, participants will hear from employers, healthcare professionals, and economic professionals from across the Southeast on how they are addressing the issues and leading the charge to advance value-based healthcare:

AGENDA

8:30 AM Welcome by the Employer Provider Interface Council
Murray Harber, Co-Chair WellSpent Southeast

Summary of first regional event and the state conversations
Randy Vogenberg, Co-Chair WellSpent Southeast

8:45AM Post-Pandemic – What are the Trends and Outlook Moving Forward
Jayson Slotnick, Principal, Health Policy Strategies, Washington, DC

9:00 AM Addressing Healthcare Access and Value
Monty Robertson, South Carolina Hospital Association (Facilitator)
J. Michael Parnell, VP Strategy and Director of Operations, United Health Care

9:25 AM Creating a Better Environment for Innovators in Employer Health Benefit
Jason Parrott, The Boeing Company

9:40 AM The Real World of Economic Development & Digital Health
Ryan Kelley, Business Retention and Expansion International,
Charlie Pollack, MD, Professor of Emergency Medicine, UMMC

9:55 AM Closing
Randy Vogenberg, Co-Chair, WellSpent

Government officials along with business associations and employers have been working together to advance health and healthcare as an economic driver. Employers and healthcare professionals and organizations have been working together to improve the quality, cost, and value to reduce the waste in the system, thereby freeing up resources to deploy in other areas.

“Leaders should attend so they can be part of a community which drives change in the marketplace,” said Murray Harber, Co-Chair WellSpent Southeast. “This conference will give them a chance to learn from thought leaders across the Southeast and nationally, as well as listen to strategies to improve healthcare value, business health and economic impact.”

About WellSpent Southeast:
WellSpent Southeast is about linking business and healthcare within the Southeast region of the US for the purpose of sharing similar issues and experiences around health care trends, problems, and solutions. Exciting new and established healthcare related innovations or economic development efforts are important to improving along with increasing real-world solution opportunities desired by the business community leaders of Southeastern states. Learn more at epicouncil.org.

Forge Search & Consulting announces launch of unique, relationship-oriented recruiting firm, headquartered in Greenville, SC. Forge will help offset upcoming talent compression by leveraging years of recruiting experience to partner with organizations throughout the Southeast.

Greenville, South Carolina | April 7, 2021 — Forge Search & Consulting announces its launch today, led by founder and CEO Rhiannon Poore. Forge’s people-oriented, process-driven approach to recruiting will give clients a distinct advantage in a tight talent market.

Forge will provide professional recruiting services within the industries of accounting & finance, human resources, and marketing. The company also provides recruiting training for companies looking to upskill their in-house HR or recruiting teams.

“We really believe there is a unique opportunity to do recruiting differently,” founder Rhiannon Poore commented. “We want our clients to feel that we are an extension of the company, working by their side to achieve success through finding the right person for the role.”

Poore brings over 15 years of experience in talent acquisition, business development, marketing, and talent development, including close to 10 years at an executive search firm, and 4 years scaling and growing the Talent Acquisition department at a Top 40 public accounting firm.

The timing is right for the launch of Forge, with experts predicting massive turnover in all industries. The Society for Human Resource Management predicts that as many as half of all employees will consider leaving their current role in 2021. Forge intends to help combat this turnover through providing guidance to clients on job design and employee integration, with a detailed process to ensure the right fit.

Forge’s offices are located at 135 S Main St in downtown Greenville, SC.

“Candidates and companies alike face new challenges in today’s rapidly evolving workforce. We are eager to help solve business problems and navigate growth with empathy, clarity, and confidence,” added Poore.

About Forge Search & Consulting
Forge is a people-first recruiting firm that equips growing companies and candidates to succeed in an evolving world. We bring clarity, confidence, and empathy to the search for top-tier talent, and train companies to develop recruiting processes that power sustainable growth. Based in Greenville, SC, Forge partners with companies across the Southeast, leveraging years of experience and an emphasis on relationships. Our integrated services—which range from professional recruiting to holistic talent consulting—share a common purpose: to empower organizations with people who can thrive. For more information about the company and its services, visit forgesc.com.
#####

GREENVILLE, S.C. —One of the Upstate’s most dynamic real estate leaders, Diane Bostrom, has joined Joan Herlong & Associates Sotheby’s International Realty.
Diane comes to Joan Herlong and Associates Sotheby’s International Realty after spending the past three years as a Sales Executive for the Reserve at Lake Keowee. She possesses a wealth of real estate experience having worked with ReMax, Allen Tate, and First Choice Realty in her career. She has earned her Luxury Home Certification and was a top percentage producer at each of her prior real estate stops.
“I carry a huge sense of commitment to both my buyers and sellers,” Diane said. “I would truly call myself a Lake Keowee professional with a great knowledge of all the communities on the lake.”
A native of the Finger Lakes Region in the heart of New York state, her childhood love of agriculture and showing beef cattle nationally led her to the State University of New York (SUNY) College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill where she earned a degree in Animal Science. Diane moved to the Oconee County area of South Carolina in 2009.
“We’re so fortunate to have Diane join us. Her knowledge of the lake market, her expertise in luxury sales, and her tireless work ethic fit perfectly with our company culture. So many of her clients become her friends, because it’s not transactional with Diane, it’s personal,” said Joan Herlong, owner and CEO of Joan Herlong & Associates Sotheby’s International Realty.
About Joan Herlong & Associates Sotheby’s International Realty:
Joan Herlong & Associates Sotheby’s International Realty is one of the leading and most trusted names in real estate in Greenville. Joan Herlong founded the company in 2011 as AugustaRoad.com Realty. In 2017, Sotheby’s International Realty persuaded the company to affiliate and become Joan Herlong & Associates Sotheby’s International Realty. The company has more than doubled in both agent count and production volume since that time. Learn more at www.jha-sothebysrealty.com.

About Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC
Founded in 1976 to provide independent brokerages with a powerful marketing and referral program for luxury listings, the Sotheby’s International Realty network was designed to connect the finest independent real estate companies to the most prestigious clientele in the world. Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC is a subsidiary of Realogy Holdings Corp. (NYSE: RLGY), a global leader in real estate franchising and provider of real estate brokerage, relocation and settlement services. In February 2004, Realogy entered into a long-term strategic alliance with Sotheby’s, the operator of the auction house. The agreement provided for the licensing of the Sotheby’s International Realty name and the development of a full franchise system. Affiliations in the system are granted only to brokerages and individuals meeting strict qualifications. Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC supports its affiliates with a host of operational, marketing, recruiting, educational and business development resources. Franchise affiliates also benefit from an association with the venerable Sotheby’s auction house, established in 1744.

GREENVILLE, S.C. – To keep its place on the cutting edge of real estate technology, the national real estate app Quitchet has recently added a new Travel Time search filter.
Now, real estate agents and home buyers can search active home locations based on time of day travel, combined with other filters, and save it to their search criteria.
“Imagine wanting to only look at houses on the market located within a 20 minute drive from your new place of work,” said Bob Morgan, the president and CEO of Quitchet. “This is where the Travel Time filter comes in.”
Travel Time joins the list of basic and extensive filters that Quitchet offers to customers looking to browse homes that fit their specific needs. Search filters include the most available and even specifics like fenced yard, basement, master on the main floor, walk in laundry and dozens more. Once a potential home that checks all the boxes is discovered, customers can connect and communicate with an agent and conveniently schedule showings with an automated calendar.
The breakthrough app launched in October of 2020 and is currently available exclusively with listings from the Greater Greenville Association of Realtors.
“Quitchet is moving forward with new features and filters, always keeping in mind that our main goal is to serve the needs of customers and agents simultaneously through a comprehensive experience,” said Morgan. “We have been working on this tool for the past six years. We have been refining it to make sure it is what everyone in the selling and buying of a home needs.”

just a test to ensure image function working correctly.