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Advice gains Advantage

Janice Pellar, president of EMCO Technologies, will be featured in the 2008 Woman’s Advantage Calendar. The calendar provides advice from influential women business leaders in the United States and Canada on key issues, including organization, promotion, sales and human resources.

Tax credit offered

Louisiana Economic Development is now offering the Mentor Protégé Tax Credit, which will provide technical and economic benefits to Louisiana-based contractors and emerging construction technology firms. The program was made possible by the Mentor Protégé Tax Credit Program Act of 2007.

Mapping accreditation

Surgisys, a provider of Web-based comprehensive data management software, has created the iMAP suite of solutions that securely gathers, tracks and manages critical patient data and images in anticipation of national health care insurers instituting accreditation mandates for providers of echo and vascular services. Accreditation is voluntary, though reimbursement policies have been enacted by insurers to reward accreditation by the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Echocardiography Laboratories.

Training courses offered

Louisiana Economic Development and the Louisiana Community and Technical College System announced the third training course of the Louisiana Contractors Accreditation Institute. Training begins Oct. 30 and continues through December and will cover construction management designed for small and emerging construction business as well as prepare students for the General Contractors State Licensing Exam. For registration information, go to louisianaforward.com.

A big thanks

WBRZ-TV reporter Claire Hatty received thanks from a United Nations-sponsored workshop for her series of reports on “anniversary reactions” experienced by victims of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Darlyne Nemeth of Bluebonnet Psychological Services delivered the address that thanked Hatty at the 60th annual Department of Public Information/Non-Governmental Organizations Conference at the United Nations.

AWARDS/HONORS

Attorney Burton LeBlanc of Le-Blanc & Waddell was appointed to the Louisiana Attorney Fee Review Board. Members of the board are responsible for the hourly rate for legal fees that the Senate uses to reimburse public officials.

Mark W. Schoen, an attorney with Schoen, Stewart & Adams, and John W. Perry Jr., an attorney with Perry, Atkinson, Balhoff, Mengis & Burns, have been named fellows of the Louisiana Bar Foundation.

Robert C. Schmidt, partner at Adams and Reese law firm, and Alton E. Bayard III and Dickie Patterson of Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz were named in the 2008 The Best Lawyers in America. The award is based on more than 2 million confidential evaluations by the top attorneys in the nation. Fifty-five Adams and Reese attorneys and 144 attorneys with Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz were selected for inclusion in the new edition of Best Lawyers.

Placid Refining Company of Dallas and its refinery in Port Allen were named one of The Principal 10 Best Companies for Employee Financial Security for 2007. The company was selected for its well-rounded employee benefits, especially medical benefits. The award is sponsored by the Principal Financial Group and recognizes growing companies that excel at contributing to their employees’ long-term financial security.

The Baton Rouge Dental Hygiene Association held its first business meeting. Elected officers for the coming year are President Diane O’Connor, President-Elect Jennifer Rogers, Vice President Allison Gulledge, Treasurer Dee Howard, Newsletter Editor Allyson Meacham, CE Chair Mary Kay Montgomery, Webmaster Jennifer Rogers and Fundraiser Chair Danell Deen.

The Advertising Federation of Greater Baton Rouge held its first meeting with new officers. Incoming President Carol Shirley of b52 Design presented the Rising Star award to Kelley Criscoe of the Lane Agency. The board of directors presents the award to a new member who has participated actively in club activities and contributed to the betterment of the club. The incoming executive committee also includes President-Elect Ace Bourgeois, Immediate Past President Hector Gonzalez, Vice President of Workshops Jason Feirman, Treasurer Elizabeth Perry and Executive Director Leslie Cole.

Louisiana Speaks, a long-term planning initiative of the Louisiana Recovery Authority, was honored by the Louisiana chapter of the American Planning Association. Donna Fraiche, chair of the Louisiana Recovery Authority’s Long Term Community Planning Task Force, received the Distinguished Leadership Award. The association also honored the Louisiana Speaks Regional Plan with the Current Topics Award. The Louisiana Speaks Pattern Book received the Public Education Awards, and the Planning Toolkit received the Outstanding Planning Award.

Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center was selected by the National Research Corporation as the Consumer Choice Award winner for the hospital with overall quality and image in the Baton Rouge metropolitan area for the ninth consecutive year. Winners are determined by consumer perceptions on multiple quality and image ratings collected in the Healthcare Market Guide study, the largest of its kind in the nation.

APPLICATIONS

The Baton Rouge affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure announced the availability of grant funds for the 2008 fiscal year. Nonprofit organizations, governmental agencies and educational institutions in East Baton Rouge, Ascension, East Feliciana, Iberville, Livingston, Pointe Coupee, St. Helena, West Baton Rouge and West Feliciana parishes are eligible for funding. The grant cycle runs from April 1, 2008 through March 31, 2009. Eligible applications must be postmarked by 5 p.m. on Dec. 31, 2007. Announcements of funding will be made in April 2008. For more information, contact the grants chairperson at grants@batonrougekomen.org. The complete grant proposal/application is available online at KomenBatonRouge.org.