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Lydia Caffery Wilbanks with Kellen Communications, Russell Longcore with Abigail Morgan Austin Publishing Company, and Nir Levy and Spencer Barkoff with Campus Bubble

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Lydia Caffery Wilbanks/Kellen Communications FacebookLinkedin

Considered an expert in understanding and forecasting customer trends, Lydia has extensive experience in new business development and target market analysis. In her role as Vice President of Business Development for Kellen Communications, she is responsible for increasing the company’s footprint in the Southeast. In addition to this, she started and continues to lead the editorial direction for Haute Pink, Inc., an online magazine and eccomerce platform that was launched in 2012.

Prior to starting Wilbanks Agency, Lydia held executive positions in New York City with Macy’s Herald Square, Ann Taylor and Henri Bendel as well as serving as Sportswear Editor of the Tobe Report and Worldwide Marketing Director of Cotton Incorporated. After relocating to Birmingham, Ala., she became Creative/Marketing Director for Avondale Mills in Sylacauga, the second largest textile in the South with more then 1 billion in revenue.

She has been honored as one of Birmingham Business Journal’s “Top Women” (2004), nominated by the national Stevie Awards twice for Best Entrepreneur (2006, 2007) and currently serves as a judge for their annual awards event. Ms. Wilbanks has been recognized as a Birmingham Business Journal Rising Star Finalist (2007), the agency was nominated for the Birmingham Chamber Small Business of the Year Award (2009).

Russell Longcore/Abigail Morgan Austin Publishing Company FacebookLinkedinTwitter

Russell Longcore is a writer, an Internet Marketing Consultant and lifelong Entrepreneur. He is President of Abigail Morgan Austin Publishing Company (named after the grandkids), which is the parent company for all his entrepreneurial efforts. He owns SuperArticleDirectory.com, a global article directory, with over 150,000 authors that have posted over 1 million articles. He also owns Masterpiece Energy LLC, which has marketing contracts for gas and electricity, mobile phone service and with the FlexKom Customer Loyalty program. Russ also is President of Cornerstone Claim Services, an insurance claims consulting company. Russ has written thousands of articles over the past ten years. He has also written the five-volume “Secrets Revealed” series of books, available at Amazon.com. “Insurance Claim Secrets Revealed”, his first book, is the most widely read book about insurance claims in the history of insurance.

Russ is blissfully married to Deborah Richards, International Voice Actor, Audio Producer, Voiceover Coach and Demo Producer. They have three grown children.

Nir Levy and Spencer Barkoff/Campus Bubble FacebookLinkedinTwitter

Nir Levy is a co-founder of Campus Bubble, the Academic Community Network just as LinkedIn is the professional community network, and Facebook is the social community network. Campus Bubble provides academic institutions with a student powered, cross-platform, private online community, focused on user generated content, group management, and community engagement. The Academic Community Network allows students, faculty, administrators, alumni, and invited vendors to connect and share content via user created groups called “Bubbles.” Bubble provides a network of users the ability to share targeted content exclusively with their community. Interactive features facilitate community-wide discussions and disseminate media-rich content relevant to community participants. Campus Bubble provides a proprietary, cloud hosted, device agnostic platform for closed social networking.

 

 

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Special Edition: Georgia Society of CPAs

Today’s episode features guests who are members of the Georgia Society of CPAs.

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Joel Pascaner/Stephen M. Berman & Associates Linkedin

Joel L. Pascaner is a tax partner specializing in high net worth individuals, privately held entities, partnerships, S corporations, estates and trusts, not-for-profit organizations, and state and local tax matters. He also has extensive experience representing taxpayers before the IRS as well as numerous other taxing jurisdictions.

Joel is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants, and The Leaderhship Team of the Tax Section of the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants. He has been an at-large member of the GSCPA Council. In addition, he has served as the Chairman of the Tax Section of the GSCPA as well as both the Federal Tax Legislation and the Georgia Tax Legislation Subcommittees of the GSCPA Tax Section, where he was involved in the drafting and introduction of proposed legislation. He is also a Past Chairman of the Depreciation Committee and the Tax Accounting Problems Committee of the NYSSCPA. Mr. Pascaner was a member of the GSCPA 2006 Tax Forum Planning Committee and served as Moderator at the Forum’s Luncheons with Georgia Tax Commissioner Bart Graham. He was awarded “2006 Distinguished Section Leader” by the GSCPA and served on their Task Force on Employment. Joel is a member of the Atlanta Tax Forum and the Atlanta Estate Planning Council. He is a graduate of the Philanthropic Advisor Leadership Institute and was awarded the “Best in Client Satisfaction Wealth Manager” by Atlanta Magazine for years 2009, 2010, and 2011.

Joel has authored numerous articles in professional and industry publications including the CPA Journal and the Taxation for Accountants.

He has served on the Board of Directors of the Interfaith Disabilities Network and is currently on the Board of Trustees of Georgia Shakespeare.

Prior to joining Stephen M. Berman & Associates, L.L.C., Joel practiced as a tax professional with Laventhol & Horwath and Peat Marwick.

Joel is a CPA and received his Bachelor of Science in Accounting at The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania as well as his Masters of Science in Taxation at the Long Island University.

John Masters, CPA, PC Linkedin

John Masters earned his Bachelor of Science degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1969, followed by his Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business in 1975, and finally his Doctor of Jurisprudence degree in 1979. During this period he was employed eight years in the Computer, Aerospace, and Electronics industries. During 1979 he was admitted to the Georgia Bar and received his certificate to practice as a Certified Public Accountant in Georgia and Alabama.

John has been active in professional, civic, and political activities throughout his career. He presently serves on the Georgia Society of Certified Pubic Accountants Professional Ethics Committee, and recently completed his term as Chairman of the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants Tax Section. He has served as a SBA Score/Ace Volunteer Consultant, taught in the Junior Achievement Program and been a Future Business Leaders of America sponsor. He administered the “Call the Expert” on taxation program for 21 years at WGST News Radio where he also appeared as Tax Series Guest/Host. He has participated in various other radio and television tax related programs, testified at administrative hearings including the Georgia Special Council on Taxation, and held positions in other organizations.

John has taught courses at Oglethorpe University, Clayton Junior College (now Clayton State College) and the Becker CPA Review Course. For the last several years he has been an active member of the Dekalb Peachtree Squadron, Georgia Wing, of the Civil Air Patrol where he currently holds the rank of Major, and has been an active member of the Northside Atlanta Jaycees and the Decatur Dekalb Kiwanis Club. His is currently a member of the American Bar Association, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Georgia Bar Association, Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants.

John practices in Atlanta, Georgia principally in the areas of taxation and accounting, taxpayer representation before administrative bodies and tax tribunals, and related fields.

 

 

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Special Edition: “Speaking Insights” with the National Speakers Association Georgia

NSA GeorgiaThe Georgia chapter of the National Speakers Association mission is simply this: We are a supportive community that inspires, educates and provides networking opportunities to those who want to develop their speaking careers or use speaking to enhance their businesses. Our members include professional speakers, aspiring speakers, authors, consultants, salespeople, trainers and vendors for the speaking industry. We meet in the Atlanta area the third Saturday morning each month. You can learn more at www.nsageorgia.org.

“Speaking Insights” is a quarterly program of the Georgia chapter of the National Speakers Association. Each show will feature professional speakers who share their insights on how to succeed in the speaking business.

Our Co-Hosts:

NSA Georgia president (2013-14) Desmond “Dez” Thornton is an idea enthusiast with a natural ability to transform complex ideas into simple, sequential steps. His passion for words and commitment to service led him to discover his labor of love, professional speaking. He spreads this love by dedicating himself to the advancement of professional and beginner speakers who strive to articulate their vision with the clarity and enthusiasm necessary to inspire action. Dez can be reached at dez@desmondthornton.com.

In an attention-deficient, entertain-me-now, wait-while-I-post-that-on-my-Facebook kind of world, the typical business presentation doesn’t measure up. NSA Georgia president (2014-15) Kelly Vandever works with organizations and individuals whose presentations need to get results. An award-winning speaker herself, Kelly helps clients improve their presentations using old school and hi-tech techniques, all while annihilating bullet points and making this world a better place for business audiences everywhere. You can reach Kelly at SpeakingPractically.com, at 770-597- 1108, tweet @KellyVandever, or www.facebook.com/speakingpractically.

ABROur Guests:

Martha Lanier is a nationally recognized keynote speaker who provides entertaining and action-packed programs for women’s events. Since overcoming severe stage fright and her fear of skydiving, becoming an Iron Girl Triathlete at 62 and surviving both breast cancer and a heart attack, she inspires the women in her audiences to use humor, a positive mindset and lifestyle changes to turn their challenges into achievements. Her book, Pink Lemonade: Mastectomy Tips and Insights from a Breast Cancer Survivor, provides hope and courage to women who are newly diagnosed, as well as their family and friends. Martha joined NSA Georgia in 2002 and has served five years on the executive board of directors, including president (2006-2007). She can be reached at www.MarthaLanier.com and 404-216-0586.

Ken Futch is a Certified Speaking Professional and author of Take Your Best Shot – Turning Situations into Opportunities. His message helps businesses become more profitable and employees more productive. A former president of NSA Georgia, Ken has been a full-time speaker for over 25 years. He delivers keynotes and seminars that help individuals recognize and take advantage of the opportunities still obtainable in turbulent times. Audiences often describe him as motivational, Insightful, and laugh-out-loud funny. Ken can be reached at ken@kenfutch.com or 770 939-6200.

 

 

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Nicole Henderson with Selsi Enterprises, Linda Hoopes with Resilience Alliance, Marcia West with Clearent Intelligent Processing and Helen James with Marketsearch Insurance Agency

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Nicole Henderson/Selsi Enterprises FacebookLinkedinTwitter

Nicole Henderson is the Chief Imagination Officer at Selsi Enterprises. She is a mompreneur who is using her 14 years of experience to help companies, large and small, improve their internal and external communication strategies. Covering everything from employee engagement to brand development, Nicole helps her clients take their businesses to the next level.

Linda L. Hoopes, Ph.D./Resilience Alliance FacebookLinkedinTwitter

Dr. Linda Hoopes has spent more than 20 years helping organizations build their change capability. She is passionate about helping people learn to thrive in turbulence. Her Atlanta-based firm, Resilience Alliance, has equipped internal and external change practitioners across the globe with tools and materials that help their clients increase their personal and team resilience. Linda was a founding member of Conner Partners; a strategy execution-consulting firm led by change expert Daryl Conner, and has an ongoing association with the firm. Linda co-authored Managing Change with Personal Resilience with Mark Kelly in 2004, and is working on her second book. She is currently an adjunct faculty member in Organizational Development and Leadership at PCOM, and has served on the faculties of the Georgia Institute of Technology, Rutgers University, and Colby College. In addition to her academic background, Linda brings many other influences to her work on change and resilience. She is a musician, a sailor, and a traveler, and is also licensed as a massage therapist.

Marcia West/Clearent Intelligent Processing FacebookLinkedinTwitter

Marcia West is the Atlanta Area District Manager with Clearent Intelligent Processing, the clear and transparent credit card processor, whose aim is to change the image of an industry plagued by hidden fees, ever increasing rates and sometimes misleading sales practices.

Helen James/Marketsearch Insurance Agency FacebookTwitter

 

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Special Edition: TiE Atlanta

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Mark Carlson/Baker Donelson Twitter

Mark is the leader of Baker Donelson’s Corporate/M&A practice group. He helps his clients to structure, negotiate and execute middle market M&A deals, joint ventures and other business combinations as well as general business transactions. Mark’s industry experience includes transactions and strategic initiatives in wireless technology, manufacturing, private equity, financial services, medical devices and international transactions. After law school, Mark initially worked as a strategy consultant for a leading management consulting firm in Boston, and he has served as senior in-house M&A counsel for a large international infrastructure corporation based in San Francisco.

Sid Slover/Learn It Live FacebookLinkedinTwitter

 

 

 

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Special Edition: ProWIN Atlanta

 

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Christy Ziglar/Shine Bright Kids 

Mother, Financial Planner and Niece of Zig Ziglar brings timeless wisdom to a younger generation with her new book “Can’t-Wait Willow!”, the first in the new Shine Bright Kids book series.

Karen Brown Williams/The Williams Firm, P.C. Linkedin

Karen Brown Williams earned her BBA from Howard University, MBA from Boston College and JD from Emory University. She has served as Judicial Law Clerk for Fulton and Dekalb Counties, Public Defender for Dekalb County, Prosecutor for City of Atlanta, Magistrate Court Judge for Cobb County, and worked in private practice in Marietta and Alpharetta. She is published with the State Bar of Georgia and John Marshall Law Review, and has been a speaker for the State Bar of Georgia, Cobb County Bar Association and Atlanta Inn of Court.

Dr. Leonora Camille Austin/No Judgement Leonora, Inc. LinkedinTwitter

Making a difference through counseling, education and health

 

 

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