OCTOBER 26, 2011
A Special Publication of
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Summerville Journal Scene
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Words from Watts This marks the fifth year The Summerville Journal Scene has chosen ten women from the excellent nominations sent in by readers. This year’s honorees highlight a spectacular mix of professions. Women to Watch has grown to include a reception at which this year’s notable women are joined by family and friends. What we’ve discovered each year are women who serve as an inspiration to others, not only in their professional lives but also in their personal lives. The management team of The Journal Scene look forward to awarding the presentation-quality framed photo and story as a remembrance of the honor. This year’s honorees follow an impressive list of past winners:
2007 Rita Berry Loren Bethea Vi Matheny Deb Campeau Jill Henry Monica Karam Vicki Ellis Kristin Sagliocco Kathy Randall Holly Patterson
2009 Debbie Miler Cristy Sanders Kelly Williams Naomi Nimmo Lynn Haney-Singleton Becky Ford Jan Parsons Tiffany Provence Tony Fivecoat Annette Young
2008 Barbara Dunning Babette Hamilton Jenny Horne PJ Johnson Alix Kassing Sharon Laney Kay Phillips Candy Pratt Georgia Toney Diane Walker
2010 Lori Dibble Alessa Bertoluzzi Bette Century Thomas Betty Settle Deborah Cloutier Jan Waring-Woods Kelly Knight Laura Perdue Marie Williams Susan Morris
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
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Summerville Journal Scene
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
MAITE MURPHY Multi-faceted
BY JIM TATUM The Journal Scene
udge, mom, wife, public servant, community volunteer are just some of the many hats Maité Murphy wears these days – and she wears all of them well. But her motivation runs far deeper than mere personal success. Being involved, setting a positive example, and making a difference have always been key elements to Murphy’s approach to life. She has enjoyed a successful and interesting career in law, literally moving from one side of the bench to the other, from prosecutor, private practice, to judge, in the space of a few years. She has also served as past president of the Dorchester County Bar Association and is a member of the SC Women’s Bar Association. She works, or has worked, with a number of community organizations, serving on the board of directors for the Summerville YMCA, the
See MURPHY Page 14
Photo by Paul Zoeller/Journal Scene
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development board of Children in Crisis. She is a past board member of Meals on Wheels and is an active volunteer with the Summerville Miracle League and the “Women Build” project for Habitat for Humanity. She is a member of the Summerville Rotary Club and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. “Maité is one of the finest young women that I have ever been associated with,” noted Edward Carter of Appraisal Services of SC. “She is an active member of our community and has consistently demonstrated her dedication to making Summerville and Dorchester County a better place to live.” Murphy says it is important to show our children by example to give back to the community of which we are a part. “You have to love what you do, and you try to make a difference through your work, as well as through service to your community,” she noted. “I think community service is an important aspect of being a good citizen – and we have such a great community here in
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The entire Palmetto Primary Care Physicians’ family would like to congratulate:
Lissa Lara
CFO, COO Primary Care For being chosen as one of the 2011 Women to Watch
You deserve a homegrown physician. Visit www.homegrownphysicianlocator.com to find a physician near you. SJ05-623677
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Summerville Journal Scene
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
ANGIE CRUM Making a difference for an entire community BY STEFAN ROGENMOSER The Journal Scene
ngie Crum has answered the call in her community. Crum was born and raised in Ridgeville, the second oldest of 10 siblings. She has lived in the small town her entire life. In 1999 Ridgeville lost its only school and became a bare, vacant spot with no place where community members could reach out for assistance, Crum says. “I come from a family of 10. It was hard times . . . Sometimes we didn’t have food to eat. When I was 10 years old I said, ‘Wouldn’t it be nice if somebody could help out?’ “My father worked at the Navy Yard, but got sick. My dad fell on hardship. I made a promise to myself and said I’m going to be there for the community if they need me. I am happy the way things have turned out . . .”
See CRUM Page 15
Paul Zoeller/Journal Scene
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In 1999 Crum founded the Ridgeville Community Resource Center. She has been CEO from day one and hasn’t looked back. About 50 people a week visit the RCRC. It is a food pantry for needy families, senior citizens and infants, offers computer classes on Thursdays, a mobile library stops by monthly and Crum helps community members with woes and hardships. Crum calls it a one-stop shop that provides a combination of services. Crum wants to create jobs in the community and enrich life for youths. The center is a licensed WorkKeys job skill assessment test site. Crum recently helped a family find medical assistance. A patient had cancer but couldn’t afford medicine the doctor prescribed. Crum interviewed the patient and sent a cover letter to introduce them to a primary physician. With Crum’s help, the pharmaceutical company allowed the patient to have the medication they needed for more than six months,
I am proud of all the 2011 Women to Watch Award Recipients. Thank you for what each of you do for your community. You all work
Congratulations to Angela Vest and all of the 2011 Women to Watch recipients from Kelly Williams and the staff at AllCare Living Services!
hard to make Summerville a better place to live. Congratulations on your great honor. You deserve the highest praise!
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2008 Award Recipient
Kelly Williams 2009 Honoree
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Photo by Paul Zoeller/Journal Scene
ELENA FURNARI BY ROGER LEE The Journal Scene
typical day for Elena Furnari could begin with a discussion about curriculum changes or school safety, but more times than not it ends with a ball game, play or concert. As the principal of Fort Dorchester High School, Furnari is forced to focus much of her time on the big picture. Ensuring her school is keeping up with the times, meeting state and federal test standards and regulations, and providing a safe environment where students can learn are among a seemingly endless list of responsibilities she bares. However, Furnari feels it is equally important for her to pull herself away from her office and meetings so she can have a more direct impact on the more than 2,000 students at her school. That is why she makes it to as many student activities as she can. “Whenever people ask me how many kids I have, I tell them 2,100 because I see every student at this school as my kid, “Furnari said. “I
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want to do what is right for them and what is best for them.” It was a desire to help others that led her to a career as an educator. “I knew I wanted to be in some sort of service industry and what better than one where you serve kids,” she said. “Early on, I just kind of knew I wanted to teach and I wanted to coach and I did that for the first nine years of my career. At first I didn’t have any interest in administration, but I’m glad things worked out the way they did. Being in administration allows me to have a bigger impact with the students.” She is in her 20th year as an educator and her second as the FDHS principal. Furnari is a member of the Summerville High School Athletic Hall of Fame who played for the Green Wave’s first fast-pitch softball team. She was also on the school’s volleyball and girls’ basketball teams. She went on to play basketball for Erskine College, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education. Later, she received a master’s degree in elementary education from See FURNARI Page 14
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Shaping young lives
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Summerville Journal Scene
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
MELONY ARE Putting passion for community to work BY LESLIE CANTU The Journal Scene
ommunity stewardship is more than a catchphrase for Melony Are. It’s a way of life for this woman who’s had a hand in many of Summerville’s most memorable events. “It’s a great town to be part of. It’s exciting to think what it can be,” she said. Are grew up on the Isle of Palms and visiting her grandparents in Summerville. She spent many an afternoon at the Tastee Freez across from Summerville High School. When her husband David retired from the military, the family voted on where they wanted to live. Having moved 17 times in 20 years, they had plenty of choices, but Summerville just felt like “home.” The globe-trotting lifestyle of a military family was formative not only for her chil-
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dren but for Are. When she graduated from the College of Charleston, she hadn’t spent much, if any, time outside South Carolina. Two weeks later she was married and two weeks after that she was in Germany. She cried every day. Five years later, she was managing a staff of 18 people, using German as the common language amongst the international crew, and had to be dragged kicking and screaming from the country, she said. Living and working with a diverse group opened her eyes to different viewpoints and helped her accept people for who they are. Those are life skills, she said, and she’s happy that military life imparted those skills to her children, Danielle, a junior at USC, and Clayton, a sophomore at Pinewood Prep. “They’ve been the different kid,” she said. Both will always be the first one to walk up to a new kid in school and to make people feel welcome, she said. See ARE Page 15
Photo by Paul Zoeller/Journal Scene
MARTHA GREEN
Provides health care plus much more BY ROGER LEE The Journal Scene
n between providing care to patients and making recommendations to the state board of medical examiners, Martha Green makes snacks for little leaguers and leads Children’s Church. Green, who has 15 years in as a physician assistant, excels not only at her profession, but also as a community servant. “In addition to working in a private OBGYN practice, Martha is an instructor at MUSC who trains physician assistant students,” said Maite Murphy, who nominated Green as a Woman to Watch. “With much compassion and skill, she has tended to women’s health care needs for years. She provides a healing touch for her patient’s physical as well as emotional needs, drawing from many years of education and training as well as her experience as a loving mother, wife and daughter. She is highly respected by her peers in the medical community and loved by her patients.”
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Photo by Paul Zoeller/Journal Scene
Green is one of three PAs who serve on the advisory committee that makes recommendations to the S.C. Board of Medical Examiners concerning ways to improve and modernize the PA profession. She is also a co-chair for the South Carolina Academy of Physician Assistants’ Continuing Education Committee. A former vice president for the academy, Green was awarded that organization’s prestigious PA of the Year Award in 2007. But she didn’t become a PA for accolades. “The everyday things are more important,” she said. “When someone thinks enough of you to come back or refer a family member or friend to you it’s nice. When I was younger I just wanted to find a career in medicine that was fulfilling and physician assistant seemed like a perfect fit for me.” It turned out to be just that. “It is a great niche for someone who wants to care for people but doesn’t want to invest the time or money into medical school,” she said. “I wanted a career and a family. I think sometimes women get a false sense that we can have it all, but as a PA who is also a mother I feel I’m as close to having it all as you can be. I have a busy See GREEN Page 15
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SARAH COLEMAN-LEE ‘Helping people is my niche…’ BY JIM TATUM The Journal Scene
o meet Sarah ColemanLee is to encounter pure, positive energy. That she has drive and ability is obvious. After a 22-year career in the Air Force in the health care field, she started a full time real estate career in 2008, at the height of the market meltdown. She wasn’t completely unschooled – she had discovered real estate investing while still in the military and had enjoyed doing that. Still, her timing would have most likely deterred even the most confident souls from going into that field. Yet in her first two years as a realtor, Sarah Coleman-Lee was named Rookie of the Year and a Realtor of Distinction. Not bad for a relative newcomer – especially someone entering a business field that was experiencing one
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of the worst collapses in history. “I’ve won other awards, but those two, especially, mean a lot to me,” she said. “I truly feel a passion for real estate. I love it.” LaVondalyn J. Watson of UPLIFT Marketing and Designs, who nominated Coleman-Lee as a Woman to Watch, noted Coleman-Lee’s ability, passion, and sense of customer service. “Her tagline is ‘going the extra mile’ and make no doubt about it, Sarah Coleman-Lee does just that,” Watson said. “I have never seen anyone so giving and so committed to making the lives of people better – family, friends and complete strangers. She’s been a realtor with Agent Owned Realty Summerville for only 4 years, and in that time period she has out-produced many in her company – not for monetary reasons, but because she genuinely does everything she can to help her clients get into the home of their dreams. She’s not your “show and sell” realtor. She actually connects her clients with See COLEMAN-LEE Page 14 Photo by Paul Zoeller/Journal Scene
LISSA LARA Mentoring the young; passing it on BY LESLIE CANTU The Journal Scene
issa Lara had a long career in accounting behind her when she moved here in 2004, but no experience in the health care field. Today she’s helping to lead the dramatic growth of a major physicians group and managing operations for its 35 partner-doctors. Lara is the CFO and COO for Palmetto Primary Care Physicians, which has locations in five counties and is building a new 20,000-square foot corporate headquarters near Charleston Southern University. When she was named CFO in 2007, she said, the group had 12 locations, 20 partners and 165 employees. Today it has 25 locations, 35 partners and 450 employees. She’s currently working with five practices that are interested in joining. She’s hesitant to speak solely about herself at first, but as she warms to the topic of the compa-
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ny’s growth and innovations, her enthusiasm is clear. “I feel like I’ve had a big hand in the growth of the company,” she said. But it wasn’t without work. “The deficit in medical knowledge -- I had to work extra hard,” she said. “I’m not afraid of hard work. I wanted to make a career change.” Now she tries to mentor younger people in the office to show them how hard work can make a difference. She was lucky enough to have people who had a positive affect on her when she was starting out, and she wants to pass that on, she said. Things were quite different when Lara graduated from college in 1987. She joined a work world in the midst of transition. Women weren’t completely new to the workforce, yet bias and sexual harassment were still common. She never felt lesser, however. “I was brought up to believe gender didn’t really matter,” she said. Her efforts have not gone unnoticed by other See LARA Page 14
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Summerville Journal Scene
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
CYNDY JACKSON Establishing a civic center The Journal Scene
lthough Cyndy Jackson is the first Executive Director for the Arts Business Civic Coalition of Summerville/Dorchester County, she has helped manage non-profits more than 15 years. The ABCC’s mission is to establish a Summerville Civic Center, which can be used for arts performances, training classes, galas and conventions. It will be a multi-purpose, multi-use facility, she says. “There is no place here that can hold more than 250 people,” Jackson says, adding that St. George and Ridgeville have such civic centers and Summerville doesn’t. A Summerville Civic Center would also mean a home for the Summerville Community Orchestra.
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Jackson came on board the ABCC two years ago as treasurer, but as the coalition became more organized Jackson stepped up as its first executive director to oversee its day-to-day operations. One of her first tasks was writing the 501 (c) 3 letter, which Jackson says went smoothly. ABCC has partnered with the town and county government and Dorchester District 2 schools to get a consulting firm to conduct a feasibility study to assess the community’s interest. “If there isn’t a need and the community doesn’t want it, there’s no need to build a white elephant.” The study should be complete by January, Jackson says. If everything goes well it will be at least 2013 before the town has its own civic center, according to Jackson. “We have such a quality of life and I think it grows on that. It’s not just the arts. Chamber galas have to go out of the Town of Summerville.” A civic center hosting conventions would help local hotels, restaurants and stores, Jackson says. See JACKSON Page 14
Paul Zoeller/Journal Scene
November 13, 1-5pm
at Woodlands
Inn
Tickets $35 until Nov. 6; after $50 843.225.2789 or www.ABCCsummerville.org
Congratulations to Cyndy Jackson Executive Director of ABCC for being a “2011 Woman to Watch” ~ The Board of Directors SJ07-626459
Sponsored by the Arts Business Civic Coalition
SJ04-626937
BY STEFAN ROGENMOSER
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
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JENNIFER SCHLETTE Feeding community, body and soul BY JIM TATUM The Journal Scene
o meet Jennifer Schlette is to meet someone who is always looking for ways to help. Schlette, who lives in Moncks Corner with husband Bob and daughter, Noelle, maintains a very busy and active life, a life of service to others, all across the Lowcountry. She serves on a number of boards and advisory councils, including working with the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture as well as the executive board for the SC Farmer’s Market Council. In addition, she is a Master Gardener and active partner with the Clemson Extension Service. As Manager of Emergency Services and Critical Care at Summerville Medical Center, Schlette is ultimately responsible for helping people in dire need. She enjoys her work and says
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emergency medicine was something she wanted to do from the first time she ever worked in an emergency room. “I knew, the first time I ever did it, that I wasn’t going anywhere else,” she said. “In the ER, you are coming into people’s lives at a time when they really need help, and you are making a difference in their lives, usually very quickly – and that’s gratifying.” But what about before they need that kind of help? What if you could actually do something to help keep them out of the emergency room? What if you could actually teach people to help themselves be better? Schlette has found ways to do just that, says Laura Perdue, who nominated Schlette as a 2011 Woman to Watch. As a health professional, Schlette is known as a strong leader, able mentor, and knowledgeable, valuable resource across the entire Trident Health System. “Jennifer is a leader among leaders with a grace and generosity and a positive role model that is
Paul Zoeller/Journal Scene
See SCHLETTE Page 15
Congratulations to Angela Vest and all of the Women to Watch honorees! Kay Phillips, 2008 Women to Watch
Sharon Laney, 2008 Women to Watch
Angela Vest, 2011 Women to Watch with Al Bradham, owner of Disaster Care by Carpet Care Services.
Jan Parsons, 2009 Women to Watch
PJ Johnson, 2008 Women to Watch
843-871-9628 www.disastercare.net SJ07-626463
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Summerville Journal Scene
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
ANGELA VEST
Marketing entrepreneur has heart for children BY LESLIE CANTU The Journal Scene
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ngela Vest is a highly dedicated, customer-focused, inspirational professional. That’s how her fellow Rotarian and client Al Bradham sees her, and what prompted him to nominate her as one of the
Women to Watch. Even more than her business credentials, it’s her “personality, spirit and integrity that serve to make her the obvious choice,” he said. Vest has lived in the area since 1997. A native of West Virginia, she said the weather drove her South. “I’m not a cold weather gal,” she said. Her husband Brian, also from West Virginia, has apparently retained an appreciation for the cold. You can tell which one planned their vacations by the temperatures at their destinations, she joked. How she even has time for vacation is Photo by Paul Zoeller/Journal Scene
another question. Vest runs her own marketing and public relations business, Vest Solutions, and devotes time to the Rotary Club and the Greater Summerville Dorchester Chamber of Commerce. The Rotary Club’s Gift of Life program, which she chairs, is especially important to her. The program brings in children from impoverished nations who need heart surgeries and covers all costs associated with their care and room and board for the child and a parent while here. The club has been sponsoring about two children per year. Vest rejoices in recalling a family that had identical twins with identical heart defects. The club brought them here and was able to get the problems fixed. “We gave them both their girls back,” she said. In addition to bringing children here, Rotary works to send doctors overseas to perform surgeries on multiple children and to teach doctors there how to do surgeries. Meet one of these children, Vest said, and ---See VEST Page 15
136 West Richardson Ave. Summerville P. (843) 832-1120 Toll Free: (888) 833-1120
www.murphylawfirmllc.com SJ04-627235
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The Greater Summerville/Dorchester County Chamber of Commerce
CONGRATULATES all of the 2011 Women to Watch! Tori Burke-Koskela
Kara Martin
Member Services & Leadership Dorchester
Communications/Marketing Kara provides all communications and marketing support for the Chamber. In addition to managing the websites and electronic communication, she works with the local media to ensure coverage and visibility of the many events and initiatives that the Chamber sponsors and supports.
Tori helps members get the most from their Chamber membership. If you have any questions about how to get involved and connected through our numerous councils and programs just give her a call. Tori also facilitates the Leadership Dorchester program.
The mission of LEADERSHIP DORCHESTER is to emphasize diversity and develop proactive, forward-thinking leaders that can identify and offer unique solutions to specific community issues. The primary objective is to increase awareness, knowledge, and understanding of the region’s economy and community networks while developing the future community and political leaders of Dorchester County.
Jackie Tucker
Programs & Events
Jackie provides program and event services for the Chamber and helps members sponsor or volunteer for events and programs. She also helps members enjoy and understand opportunities available through sponsorship, attending and volunteering at programs and events.
Marie McLeod
Account Executive
Marie is primarily involved with membership sales and retention. She considers each member a business partner and enjoys working with each member to ensure they get the maximum benefit of their investment and that their expectations are met.
402 North Main Street, Summerville, SC 29483 www.GreaterSummerville.org 843-873-2931
Fay Bell
Visitor Center Receptionist As a receptionist, Fay is one of the “managers of first impressions.” She greets each guest that comes in or calls the Chamber and Visitor Center. Fay provides answers to any questions and/or assists in making the visitor’s experience to Summerville/Dorchester County unforgettable.
Rita Berry
Tina Zimmerman
Rita works each and every day to help provide advocacy, resources and business to business opportunities to Chamber members and the community. Her goal, with help from the incredible Chamber staff, is to provide support to the member businesses, and to collaborate with other organizations, agencies and municipalities to make Summerville/ Dorchester County an excellent place to live, work and play.
As the Tourism Coordinator for the Visitor Center, Tina greets over 10,000 visitors each year. She welcomes tourists from abroad, new residents trying to find their way around town, in addition to locals who were born and raised in the area. Stop by and Tina will show you some “Southern Hospitality.”
President/CEO
Tourism
Joann Brooks
Executive Assistant
Not only does Joann provide administrative support to the Chamber Staff, but she also helps the members stay informed about upcoming Chamber programs and events, as well as local community happenings. Maintaining an up-todate Chamber membership database is another way Joann helps provide members visibility in the community.
Susan Worthy
Accounting Services
Susan provides financial services to the Chamber. She can help you purchase a ticket to an event or pay for your membership. She makes sure that your financial transactions go smoothly.
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from page 9 staff members. “Lissa has been a great mentor and leader to the rest of the management team. As a woman in the healthcare industry, it is easy to notice that the ratio of men to women is highly disproportionate – especially in boardrooms. Lissa is a daily reminder to us young professional women in the field that there is nothing standing in our way to achieving the same success,” said Vivian Barajas, the company’s director of marketing. Lara grew up in Virginia and moved around the Southeast as an adult. She then moved to Kansas, but frequently visited South Carolina because her mother was in Florence and her sister in Summerville. When her stepfather became ill, she decided it was time to return East. “Living in middle America, it’s OK, but it’s not like living in South Carolina or North Carolina or Virginia,” she said. Within six months of moving here, her life began to settle into place. She met the man she would marry, Lenny, and his two daughters, and in a year began working as the controller for Palmetto Primary Care. Lara said she loves working in the health care field. She’s involved in every aspect of the organization except for the actual medical care between doctor and patient. By running the behind-the-scenes operations and reaching out through diabetes education classes and the
COLEMAN-LEE from page 9
people who can teach them how to better care for their homes and manage their money so they can keep their homes– and she sits in these classes with them. She is constantly thinking of new ways to serve her clients…TV shows, radio shows, she’s even writing a book to educate them. She genuinely cares.” To Coleman-Lee, the awards represent much more than acknowledgement of business acumen. Rather, it is important to her that her successes, in real estate today and in her years in the military, offer her greater ability to practice her other passion, community service. “It almost doesn’t matter what I do so much as that whatever I do allows me to help others,” she said. “Giving back to the community is so important.” Coleman-Lee said she has always felt a drive to give back to the community for as long as she can remember. One of 12 brothers and sisters raised by a single mother in Mobile, Alabama, she said her mother, Arriee Coleman taught them the importance of giving back to the community. “That was my upbringing – my mother taught us how important that really is,” Coleman-Lee said. “I don’t ever remember not doing community service – helping her do something. We were always doing something to try to help the community.” Coleman-Lee especially has an affinity for women and children causes, giving much of her time, effort, and money to such organizations as the Dorchester Children’s Center and the Ronald McDonald House, to name a few.
Summerville Journal Scene patient-centered medical home concept, she’s part of affecting change and helping people. The speed of change in the field, particularly with technology, is astounding. “Technology is taking health care to places it should have been 15 years ago,” she said. Palmetto Primary Care adopted electronic medical records in 2001, well ahead of the federal prodding that was part of the stimulus act in 2009. The electronic records mean that a patient who sees several providers within the company can be sure that each provider will see the most up-to-date records without having to carry paper files from office to office. The EMRs also alert doctors to potential interactions between drugs. Being sure that there are specialists within the company to attend to patients’ various needs is part of her job. The idea is that patients will be able to get just about all the care they need inhouse. This saves money and gives Palmetto Primary Care greater control over continuity of care. Just last June, the company added neurologists to its cadre of physicians. As much as it’s grown, the company hasn’t completed its strategic growth plan. Lara said there are still plans to grow to 150 providers from the current 90. As passionate as she is about her job, Lara isn’t all work. She’s involved in several charities, of which the American Cancer Society is especially dear to her because of family connections to cancer. She also loves fly fishing, and once or twice a year takes a trip to go freshwater fly fishing. Coleman-Lee and her team also recently hosted its first “Empowering Women” event in Summerville; the event was quite successful, she said. The best part of Coleman-Lee’s business success is that it has provided her more opportunities to give back, she says. She formed Charleston’s Best Realty Team, under the auspices of Agent Owned Realty, on Nov. 1, 2010 and a percentage of the profits the team makes goes directly to a number of women and children’s service organizations. In fact, Charleston’s Best Realty Team sponsors 6 rooms in Ronald McDonald House and several times a year the group actually goes to the facility to prepare and serve home-cooked meals for the families staying there. One of the most important programs she works with is Increasing Hope, a financial training resource not only for people who are trying to buy a home but more importantly for people trying to keep a home. “I got into this because I kept meeting people who simply are not positioned well financially,” she said. “Some have gone through foreclosures and they really don’t know how to get back on their feet again.” Increasing Hope essentially teaches all aspects of financial literacy, from family budgeting to maintaining strong credit and she not only serves on the board of directors, she teaches classes for the program as well. “I am blessed,” she said. “I am blessed and I am glad to be able to do something I love so much. But I’m flying highest when I am out there helping others. I have a lot going on but it’s so much good stuff. I stay energized. It’s what I was meant to do.”
JACKSON from page 10
She wants the center to have at least 500 – 600 seats plus classrooms for business training, art classes and after school programs. Some of Jackson’s main fundraising activities have been three interactive dinner theatres at Atlanta Bread Company. All three were sold out, Jackson says. The coalition is coming up on its second “signature event”, the Wine and Art Under the Stars, to be held at the Woodlands Inn on Nov. 13. “It is everything that’s good about Summerville . . . food and wine tastings . . . it will showcase Summerville artists . . . everyone who buys a ticket gets a custom wine glass with the inscription ‘Wine and Art Under the Pines.’” Jackson also worked as business manager at St. Theresa the Little Flower Catholic Church off Dorchester Road. She then worked at the Mepkin Abbey monastery in Moncks Corner and was in charge of special events and volunteers. While working at the church and monastery
FURNARI from page 7
The Citadel and earned a secondary administration certificate from Charleston Southern University. After a year teaching at Sedgefield Middle School, she was hired by Dorchester District Two where she has spent the past 19 years. She was the Principal for Rollings Middle School of the Arts for three years and an assistant principal at FDHS for five years. She taught at Rollings, DuBose and Gregg middle schools as well as at SHS and coached basketball, volleyball and softball. “It’s funny how much of what I did as a coach transfers into administration,” she said. “I’m still trying to put together the best team and have the best team so it involves some of the same strategies.” She says her career has been very fulfilling. “It’s very rewarding to see a student excited because I showed up for a game or when one invites me to their class so I can hear a presenta-
MURPHY from page 4
Dorchester County.” Murphy said she loves the law and has greatly enjoyed her career. She started in private practice and then joined the First Circuit Solicitor’s Office in 1998, ultimately rising to the position of Chief Deputy Solicitor. It was her job to prosecute all violent crimes against women and children in Dorchester, Orangeburg, and Calhoun counties, an experience that would be enlightening in a variety of ways, she said. “It was a very rewarding time,” she said. “It really gave me a feeling that I was doing some good out there. Throughout my career I have been very fortunate to work with so many great people – judges, attorneys, and clients in need. You learn something from each case and experience.” Her next step was private practice – The Murphy Law Firm -- with her husband, State
Wednesday, October 26, 2011 she realize the monks are not that different from anyone else. She got to know the priests and abbots and realized there was no local place for them to go as they aged or became infirm. Jackson was crucial in raising awareness and funds for the St. Joseph’s Residence in West Ashley, which opened in the early 2000s. Now the needs of those priests are being met. “What I’m doing now brings some of those skills to the table,” she says. “You are only as good as the people you surround yourself with. ABCC is very committed and capable. I feel fortunate to be surrounded by a group of people that are so diversified in their talents.” The ABCC is a non-profit and although it’s her full-time job, Jackson’s work there is pro bono. She says her husband, Dist. 6 Summerville Town Councilman Bob Jackson, has been very supportive. Jackson says they both believe in the civic center. Jackson also sits on the Dorchester Foster Care Review Board. She says lots of kids need their forever homes. “I love children. I have five children, seven grandchildren. They’re all sweethearts.” tion or gives me a high-five in the hall,” she said. “One of my favorite days is graduation day. I love watching the students walk across the stage. I take a lot of pride in knowing I helped them reach that goal. That is what we are here for, to help the students reach their goals, whatever those goals are.” Furnari is a member of St. John’s Beloved Catholic Church and Alpha Delta Kappa, an honorary teaching sorority. Mona Caudle, who nominated Furnari as a Woman to Watch, describes the educator as someone dedicated to the students, teachers and parents who works hard to mesh the three together to foster pride in her school. She added that Furnari leads not only by word, but also by example. She is also a person with a strong sense of adventure. It may come as a bit of a surprise to some students, teachers and parents that Furnari owned a motorcycle for a year, once jumped off a cliff in Bouleuse and has stood on the Great Wall of China. She has also coached more than one sports team to an undefeated season. Rep. Chris Murphy. But as interesting and enjoyable as that was, she was soon taking on another challenge – this time from the other side of the bar. Murphy was appointed as a county magistrate in 2009, ultimately serving as Chief Magistrate for Dorchester County before being appointed Master In Equity in 2011. “It’s funny – even when I was a young child, my grandmother would tell me that I should be a judge,” Murphy said. “I guess I was always the mediator in the family.” Busy as she is, Murphy is also very family-oriented and makes it a priority to balance work and community service with an active and happy family life. The Murphy’s two sons, Austin and Jackson, are involved in many activities, especially sports, which keeps the family on the go, she said. “I am very blessed,” she said. “This is such a wonderful place to live and I’m really, truly blessed to be part of such a great team here in Dorchester County.”
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
SCHLETTE from page 11
inspiring and infectious to those she comes into contact with on a day-to-day basis,” Perdue said in her nomination letter. “Jennifer has a passion for creating a community that is self-reliant, knowledgeable, and addresses a quality of life both inside and outside the hospital setting.” One way Schlette has worked to help improve the health of the community is through her passion for gardening. Schlette said taking the Master Gardener’s course opened her eyes to many new perspectives, but it wasn’t until the economy took such a downturn that she found new ways to tackle an old problem. With so many people in dire financial straits, it wasn’t long before she found that a large segment of the population was having great difficulty in obtaining groceries at all, much less engaging in healthy eating practices. “We were seeing people in the ER who were literally having to decide whether to buy food for their children, or pay the light bill, or put gas in the car, or any of a number of vital needs,” she said. “That’s really what got us started talking about it.” What they were talking about became the Hunger Ends Now Project (HEN project). “I just thought, ‘we can do this – we can teach people to grow food,’” she said. “No one has to be hungry.”
ARE
from page 8 Are is passing down her passion for helping the community as well. It’s something she picked up without even realizing it from her own parents, who were involved in all aspects of the Isle of Palms community, from the fire department to the recreation department. Whenever she gets involved in something, the kids provide an extra set of hands. “I use it as a tool to keep my children headed in the right direction. My kids need to be community stewards as well,” she said. During the recent Scrumptious Summerville Kitchen Tour, the two were there picking up trash and stocking water bottles. “They’re such troupers,” she said. Are has gotten involved in a number of community groups. She worked with the Arts, Business and Civic Coalition, ARK, the Summerville Exchange Club, the USO and with her church, St. Paul’s Episcopal. Her favorite event, the Summerville Taste of the Town in Azalea Park on Veterans Day, sadly won’t occur this year because of funding problems. She’s confident that it will return, however. Are is so enthusiastic about Summerville that she even sees conflict in a positive light. One of her causes, the ABCC, has sparked debate about whether the town should be pursuing a civic center. Are sees the arguments as proof of how strongly people feel about Summerville. That passion doesn’t exist everywhere, she said. “I don’t think people truly understand what a community spirit there is here,” she said. Are manages her non-profit involvement while
Summerville Journal Scene
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CRUM
“I don’t get any money, but when I see a smile on their face, that’s good enough for me. Seeing that a burden has been lifted, seeing they’ve got somebody that can reach out. “People got special dignity about themselves. That’s how I try to handle them – with care.” Crum is also in her second term on the Dorchester District 4 School Board. She tells constituents she works for them, not the other way around. She was a major force in establishing the JROTC program at Woodland High School in Dorchester. “When you all are not at the meetings I’m your voice. I represent Ridgeville 175 percent . . . I might not be able to accomplish everything, but it’s good to know I can make a difference. “I like Ridgeville because it’s quiet, peaceful . . . it’s a loving, caring environment. You can find love in this community.” For more information about the RCRC call 873-5384.
HEN started as some 20 raised beds on 3 and half acres in the middle of Moncks Corner. The idea was to start a sustainable community garden that could serve as both a resource for food and a model to teach others how to grow it. “The town council was wonderful – they got right on board and allowed us to use the land we’re on now,” she said. In fact, the Moncks Corner garden has yielded 1,055 pounds of produce, which has gone to various churches, food banks, and other areas of need in the community. HEN is now an extensive, multi-faceted community program that includes the Moncks Corner community garden – which now has 88 beds -- and raised bed gardens in four schools in the tri-county area as well as a home for abused children. Her work with communities and schools led to an interesting partnership with Alston Middle School, the launching of the CHEF’s program, which combines the idea of building sustainable gardens with making good food choices and preparing dishes from the foods produced. The underlying point of all this is simple – anyone can grow food in even the most limited of spaces, from small plots to containers -- and Schlette is right there ready to help people learn how to do just that. She also points out that every little effort does, in fact, make a difference. “We’re happy to teach people how to do this – we’re all in this together,” she said. “I guess the bottom line is, if you can do this, you should.” also running her own business, The Vesper Company. After some 20 years as a civilian employee and contractor with the military, Are was pretty familiar with government procedure. When she moved here, she worked for a time for the Greater Summerville Dorchester Chamber of Commerce. On the side, she did consulting work for the Department of Defense and the Army. That side work eventually turned into a full-fledged business helping the departments comply with acquisition laws and regulations. Right now she’s working on a project to help the Army buy radar that will identify incoming mortars. The project has the potential to save lives, she said. “I put a lot of value in what I’m doing,” she said. The detail-oriented work keeps her on her toes. Are is also part of two professional groups, the Charleston Defense Contractor Association and Women in Defense. Through Women in Defense she started mentoring a female cadet at The Citadel. She had no idea that would be so fulfilling, she said – or that her mentee would start bringing friends to be mentored as well! Everyone should have a mentor, Are said. “We’ve been there, done that, and learned some of those lessons,” she said. As Are looks ahead, she still has plenty to do. She’d like to double her business in five years. Her son will be out of the house soon and her daughter finished with college. Watching Danielle launch into adulthood has been a joy, she said. One thing that Are doesn’t see changing – she doesn’t see herself being anywhere but here.
from page 6
she says. Crum’s small, cozy office has vintage chairs and shelves filled with books printed decades ago emanate charm, as does the big computer monitor. She rents the small building at 108 Dorchester Street but recently learned she can buy it from Dorchester County if she raises $20,000. For the past 12 years the resource center has gotten by on private donations and volunteer help, Crum says. Showa Denko started donating funds about three months ago. Crum says she was proud to learn Showa Denko will add 100 jobs next year. “We can provide the training site . . . For me, that would help a lot of mouths, a job. ‘Helping people help themselves’ is our motto.
VEST
from page 12 “you can’t help but be drawn in and get passionate about it.” Besides the Gift of Life, Vest for three years handled the club’s newsletter and works with the Paul Harris Foundation committee. All of Vest’s work with Rotary got her named the club’s Rotarian of the Year for 2009-2010. When Vest isn’t chairing committees at Rotary or the Chamber, she’s working on behalf of her small business clients to increase their business. Vest brings a well-rounded insight into marketing. She worked for eight years as a retail manager, then became an account executive at the Post and Courier. She quickly rose in the ranks and eventually became the ad director at the Journal Scene. Eventually, it wasn’t enough to work for someone else. Vest had always wanted to own her own business. “If I work this hard … I want to do it for myself,” she thought. She knew what she wanted and she was willing to work for it, she said. She started her business just as the economy was crashing. That would be bad for most, but
GREEN from page 8
work load, but not to the point where it is terribly stressful and I have some flexibility.” When Green isn’t treating patients, teaching or addressing ways to improve her profession, she is actively involved with her church and whatever else her sons are into. Whenever there is a need for a team mom at Parks Field or a chaperone for a Pinewood Prep field trip, Green is typically one of the first to volunteer. “More than anything, I’m Garrett’s and Gage’s mom,” Green said. “I put my family first and I’m fortunate to have a career that allows me to do that. I want to be there for my kids and be a part of what’s happening with my kids so I try to be as involved as I can.” At St. Andrews Parish United Methodist
ironically it turned out well for her. Small businesses realized they had to advertise if they hoped to stay afloat and compete with big businesses. Many business owners, though, don’t know much about advertising or marketing. “My role is to take that off their plate so they don’t have to learn it,” she said. She can deal with advertising sales reps, figure out the most cost-effective methods for a particular business, oversee the printing and design of promotional materials and in general come up with a plan and help execute it. Most of her business has come through word-ofmouth, which she loves because it says a lot about how happy her clients are. “What motivates me is their success,” she said. Right now Vest’s business is mostly a one-woman show. She does nearly everything in-house, though she has relationships with contractors to handle certain tasks. She thinks eventually she’d like a business with a stand-alone location and in-house designers working for her so she can handle any type of marketing. That’s probably a few years off, if ever. If it happens, she’ll be happy, and if not, she likes where she is today. “I’m happy with what I’ve got now,’ she said. Church, she is actively involved as a Junior Worship teacher and a member of the Children’s Ministry Team and Ministry in Action Committee. In addition, she regularly leads Children’s Church and Junior Worship and helps coordinate activities for Vacation Bible School and other projects. She is also the vice president of the Legend Oaks Home Owners Association and a volunteer for the annual Gail Ilderton Couch Memorial Golf Tournament that raises money for local student scholarships. Green is a Summerville High School graduate who went on to receive her BS in Biology from Presbyterian College in 1992. She also holds both a BS and Masters degree in PA Studies from MUSC. She works at the James T. Martin, Jr., MD Obstetrics and Gynecology office in the Trident Executive Village.
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Summerville Journal Scene
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
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