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Potential economic impact of professional licensures for lawfully present workforce to be unveiled at March 25 event

A report authored by Clemson University researchers that explores the economic impact of allowing lawfully present workers to receive occupational and professional licenses in various sectors will be unveiled to the public on March 25 in Greenville. Co-hosted by Hispanic Alliance and Ten at the Top, the Allied4Work event will also include an overview of S.C. House Bill 3288 and a panel discussion on the opportunities and challenges for the lawfully present workforce in South Carolina.

“The community of lawfully present immigrants is a rapidly growing portion of the Upstate’s workforce. We look forward to a productive, data-driven discussion on strategies that will enhance the economic vitality and quality of life in our ten-county region and the state as a whole,” said Dean Hybl, executive director of Ten at the Top.

“Our goal is to shine a light on opportunities to engage the Hispanic population, and other lawfully present members of the workforce, in building prosperous communities for everyone across the state,” said Adela Mendoza, executive director of Hispanic Alliance. “We invite people from all industries, backgrounds and cultures to join us in dialogue and collaboration to build bridges towards equitable policies and a thriving future for all South Carolinians.”

Date and Time
● Monday, March 25, 2024
● 8:15 a.m. Doors open
● 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Event

Location
Clemson ONE Center, 1 North Main Street, Greenville, S.C. 29601

Registration
The event is free and open to the public. Register online at: hispanicalliancesc.org/allied.

Speakers
● State Representative Neal Collins (R – Pickens)
● Brandy Amidon, mayor of Travelers Rest
● Nina Cano Richards, attorney and co-founder, Spanglish Consulting
● Scott Cochran, president, Spartanburg Methodist College
● Jason Zacher (panel moderator), president and founder, Bridge Public Strategy Group

Fast Facts
● Seventeen percent of South Carolina’s workforce is currently employed in a licensed field.
● There are at least 5,500 individuals in South Carolina with approval and authorization from federal authorities to be employed who are barred by state law from obtaining licensure to work in fields such as real estate, nursing and education.
● According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, South Carolina ranks 4th among states by 2030 with a nursing shortage.
● According to the Center for Educator Recruitment Retention and Advancement (CERRA), the teacher shortage in South Carolina was at an all-time high at the start of the 2023-2024 school year with more than 1,600 vacancies.
● S.C. House Bill 3288 is a one-sentence bill to allow people who have current and valid employment authorizations approved by federal immigration authorities to be eligible for occupational or professional licensure if all other applicable requirements are met.

About Hispanic Alliance
The Hispanic Alliance is the largest convener of ideas, individuals, and institutions collaborating to advance Hispanic communities across South Carolina. With the mission of fostering collaboration and connectivity among people, resources, and cultures to build thriving communities, the Hispanic Alliance envisions a vibrant and inclusive community where everyone has access to opportunities for success and prosperity. The Hispanic Alliance is a nonpartisan organization that faithfully advocates for diversity, equality, acceptance, understanding, and embracing the American dream. For more information, visit HispanicAllianceSC.com.

About Ten at the Top
Comprised of public, private, and civic leaders from across the ten-county Upstate South Carolina Region, Ten at the Top was created to connect and encourage regional collaboration through data-driven research and regular convening of leaders and citizens to address key issues facing the region. Ten at the Top works with regional partners to foster collaboration and strategic planning to enhance the economic vitality and quality of life for Upstate residents both today and as the region continues to grow. For more information, visit www.tenatthetop.org.

Screenagers Film Series Tackles Mental Health in South Carolina Schools

Right now, record numbers of young people are dealing with unprecedented levels of stress, anxiety, anger, depression, and other mental health issues that can lead to negative — and often tragic — outcomes if not properly addressed.

With that in mind, the Social Emotional Learning Alliance for South Carolina (SEL4SC) held multiple public and private screenings of the documentary films Screenagers Next Chapter and Screenagers Under the Influence in 2023 and has more lined up in 2024.  Filmmaker and physician Dr. Delaney Ruston takes the conversation around screens and teens to the next level with Screenagers: Under the Influence. This documentary addresses vaping, drugs in the digital age and examines how technology shapes substance use by teenagers.

The next screening is to be held at Philip Simmons High School on Daniel Island The film Under the Influence will be shown on Monday, March 25 at 6:00 p.m. Then again on Monday, April 8 at 6:00 p.m. the film will also be shown at James Island Charter High School on James Island. Both showings are free and open to the public. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and snacks and drinks will be available. Following the screenings, there will be a Q&A session with a panel of experts.

“These films are invaluable tools in helping parents and children have meaningful discussions about crucial mental and emotional health issues,” said Wendy Methvin, Executive Director of SEL4SC. “We are honored to have an opportunity to make a positive impact in the lives of families across South Carolina with this series.”

Screenagers uses a distribution model limited to community settings. This model brings parents, kids, teens, educators, and other professionals together to start a conversation about how the issues raised in the films impact their lives and what they can do about it. The films are primarily shown in schools, churches, synagogues, community centers, and other local settings. Parents are encouraged to bring their kids to the screenings.

Parents, students, educators, PTAs, religious organizations, medical practices, and workplace groups in South Carolina can book their own screenings of Screenagers NEXT CHAPTER and Under the Influence by contacting Wendy Methvin, Executive Director of SEL4SC at wmethvin@sel4sc.org.

SEL4SC is a 501c3 non-profit organization dependent on donations. They are looking for partners and donors to join them in promoting high-quality life skills education across South Carolina. Visit SEL4SC.org or contact them at info@sel4sc.org to learn how you can invest in the future of the state.

B.C. Killough named 2024 Thomson Reuters Stand Out Lawyer

Charleston business and patent attorney Bill Killough named to 2024 Thomson Reuters Stand-Out Lawyers list

CHARLESTON, SC – Kim Lahey & Killough law firm is pleased to announce that B.C. Killough has been named to the list of “Stand-out Lawyers” by Thomson Reuters. Each year, thousands of senior in-house legal counsels from around the world nominate the top three attorneys they have worked with during the past year.

Bill Killough has been recognized for decades by his peers in publications such as The Best Lawyers in America, South Carolina Super Lawyers and Charleston Business Magazine’s Legal Elite. Best Lawyers named him the “Corporate Lawyer of the Year” for the Charleston area in 2015. These client-nominated attorneys are “real stand-out lawyers [and] are distinctive because, in combination with their technical competence, they offer business savvy advice, deliver exceptional service, or integrate well with the client team,” according to Thomson Reuters.

Bill Killough practices law in the areas of intellectual property and business law, including commercial transactions. He is a registered patent attorney and has obtained more than 350 patents for clients and filed more than 1500 trademark applications on behalf of clients. He has experience as an intellectual property litigator, with at least one of his cases setting precedent. As a certified mediator, Killough assists parties in intellectual property and corporate disputes in coming to a resolution outside of a courtroom.

With offices in Greenville and Charleston, SC and Brevard, NC, the Kim, Lahey & Killough Law Firm is devoted to helping clients achieve their business goals and establish, enforce, and leverage their intellectual property rights from the Upstate, to the Lowcountry to across the globe. For more information, visit the firm’s website at kimandlahey.com.

2024 Charleston Jazz Festival FINALE: Charlton Singleton & Contemporary Flow ft. The Abdiel Iriarte Experiment

April 21
Charlton Singleton & Contemporary Flow
Abdiel Iriarte Experiment
Firefly Distillery
4PM

** IMPORTANT** This is an outdoor event. Bring your own chairs or blankets to sit on. Please leave all dogs and outside food and beverage at home.

4:00PM: The Abdiel Iriarte Experiment:
 Experience an electrifying performance like no other as The Abdiel Iriarte Experiment takes the stage at the 2024 Charleston Jazz Festival Finale! This hard-driving band is a force to be reckoned with, combining the best of Afro-Venezuelan-Cuban rhythms with a modern jazz twist.

Led by the talented Abdiel Iriarte, hailing from Valencia, Venezuela, the band promises to deliver an unforgettable experience through their original compositions incorporating wildly creative sounds with keyboards and various electronic instruments. With non-stop energy, the band is known for bringing ‘fire and passion’ to the stage, leaving audiences wanting more.

5:00PM: Charlton Singleton & Contemporary Flow:
Get ready to groove and move with two-time Grammy Award winner Charlton Singleton and his band, Contemporary Flow! With a blend of contemporary jazz, R&B, and original hits from Singleton himself, this outdoor musical experience is not to be missed. Singleton’s vibrant energy is contagious, as he communicates pure joy through his signature trumpet and vocal stylings. Gather your friends and family; this concert is a must-see that you will not want to miss!

Charlton Singleton is a member of the two-time Grammy Award-winning band, Ranky Tanky. He has entertained countless audiences around the world and calls Charleston home. Singleton is the former Artistic Director of the Charleston Jazz Orchestra and current Artistic Director of the MOJA Arts Festival, as well as the Artist-in-Residence Emeritus at the Gaillard Center. Charlton has shared the stage with artists such as Lisa Fischer, Bobby McFerrin, Ruby Dee, Jimmy Heath, Slide Hampton, Houston Person, Darius Rucker, Fred Wesley, Cyrus Chestnut, and more.

“Just watching him conduct, play piano, and trumpet draws you in and captivates you. He turns a non-jazz person into an enthusiast in a single concert.”
–Randi Weinstein (Charleston Jazz Patron), Charleston Magazine

Concert Length: 2.5 hrs (with intermission)

Doors Open: 3:00PM

2024 Charleston Jazz Festival: The Southern Pines

April 18
Charleston Jazz Festival: The Southern Pines
Music Farm
7:30PM
The Southern Pines features two-time Grammy Award-winning vocalist Quiana Parler from Ranky Tanky and some of the Southeast’s finest jazz musicians! This female-driven band was formed with inspiration from South Carolina life and the exhibit Our Own Work, Our Own Way: Ascendant Women Artists from the Johnson Collection at the Columbia Museum of Art. All of their music is written by bandleader Colleen Clark, who has a deep understanding of swing, New Orleans street beats, and blues. Colleen is an assistant professor of jazz at the University of South Carolina, where she coordinates small ensembles, conducts a big band, and teaches drum set studio and jazz history courses. She is the first and only drummer to earn a Doctor of Musical Arts from the world-renowned University of North Texas.

Quiana Parler – Vocals
Lauren Meccia – Saxophone
Matt White – Trumpet
Jesus Fuentes – Piano
Teja Veal – Bass
Colleen Clark – Drums/Bandleader

Concert Length: 60 min (no intermission)
Doors Open: 7:00PM

The Charleston Jazz Festival is sponsored in part by MUSC.

Stasmayer, Incorporated Recognized on CRN’s 2024 MSP 500 List

MSP500 – Pioneer 250

Stasmayer, Incorporated, an IT support and IT security company based out of Charleston, South Carolina, announced today that CRN®, a brand of The Channel Company, has named Stasmayer, Incorporated to its Managed Service Provider (MSP) 500 list in the Pioneer 250 category for 2024.

The MSP 500 list compiled by CRN serves as a comprehensive guide to identifying and recognizing the top Managed Service Providers (MSPs) in North America. MSPs play a crucial role in supporting businesses by offering managed services that enhance efficiency, simplify IT solutions, and optimize return on investment.

The annual MSP 500 list is divided into three sections: the MSP Pioneer 250, recognizing companies with business models weighted toward managed services and largely focused on the SMB market; the MSP Elite 150, recognizing large, data center-focused MSPs with a strong mix of on- and off-premises services; and the Managed Security 100, recognizing MSPs focused primarily on off-premises and cloud-based security services.

The MSP 500 list aims to showcase and celebrate MSPs that are driving growth and innovation in the industry. These service providers not only enable businesses to harness complex technologies but also contribute to maintaining a strong focus on core business goals without stretching financial resources. By categorizing MSPs based on their business models and areas of expertise, the list helps end-users find the right partners to meet their specific needs and challenges in the rapidly evolving technology landscape.

Jennifer Follett, VP of US Content and executive Editor CRN, The Channel Company, emphasized the significance of managed services for businesses at various scales, stating, “Managed services provide a route for businesses of all sizes to maintain efficiency and adaptability throughout their growth journey. The solution providers featured in our 2024 MSP 500 list are introducing cutting-edge managed services portfolios to the market, enabling their clients to achieve success by optimizing their IT budgets. This allows businesses to allocate resources strategically, concentrating on mission-critical tasks that drive future success.”

The team at Stasmayer is honored to make this distinguished list yet again. “Thank you to the loyalty and commitment from our customer and teammates. In a world that’s exponentially more complex than the year prior and where cyber attacks are the norm, things have never been more exciting and opportunity more abundant. There is a stark difference between those that invest the right amount in their business technology and those that don’t. One is a life of happiness and endless possibilities, and the other is a reality of stagnation and despair. Those that have gone through the painful reality of cyberwarfare victimhood are surprisingly the strongest. Tough times make strong people. They survive, they pivot, and they continue on the journey. They are a lighthouse for us all. This trend will continue, and those businesses that invest now have a leg up on their competition in the future. But investing doesn’t mean much without taking it seriously. Just spending money isn’t enough. It’s a mindset, which is why at Stasmayer, we say “We’ve got IT going on! And so do you!” Let’s make it a great year and meet the challenges head on,” said Richard Krenmayer, CEO of Stasmayer, Incorporated.

The MSP 500 list is featured in the February 2024 issue of CRN and online at www.crn.com/rankings-and-lists/msp2024.

About Stasmayer, Incorporated
Stasmayer, Incorporated is an IT support and IT security company based out of Charleston, South Carolina. The main goal of Stasmayer’s Managed IT Department is to be the trusted partner that builds your business of tomorrow, today. Our clients include law firms, professional services, medical practices, manufacturing companies and more throughout South Carolina and North Carolina. To find out more about Stasmayer, visit www.stasmayer.com or call 843.724.3440.

About The Channel Company
The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers and end users. Backed by more than 40 years of unequalled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative new solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. www.thechannelco.com

© 2024 The Channel Company LLC. CRN is a registered trademark of The Channel Company, LLC. All rights reserved.

Pete Neighbour Quartet kicks off the 2024 Charleston Jazz Festival

April 18
Charleston Jazz Festival: Pete Neighbour Quartet
Music Farm
6PM
To kick off the 2024 Charleston Jazz Festival, jazz clarinetist Pete Neighbour presents his unique Swing-Era Jazz for the 21st Century! Originally from London, England, Pete now calls Charleston home and has traveled extensively, performing at New York’s Lincoln Center, the Royal Festival Hall in London, the Cannes Film Festival, and various venues in New Orleans, Paris, Singapore, and Sidney. Pete’s early playing years were heavily influenced by the ‘Swing Era’ of the 1930s and 40s, especially that of Benny Goodman, whom he still holds in great esteem. Today, Pete’s style still encompasses that of Benny and his contemporaries but is much enhanced by other clarinet greats such as Buddy de Franco, Tony Scott, and Eddie Daniels.

Pete Neighbour – Clarinet
Bert Ligon – Piano
Ed Fuque – Bass
Edwin G. Hamilton – Drums

Concert Length: 60 min (no intermission)
Doors Open: 5:30PM

The Charleston Jazz Festival is sponsored in part by MUSC.

Stantec expands Community Development team in South Carolina

CHARLESTON, SC – Stantec, a leading global design and engineering firm, has welcomed Ryan Foss as a Field Service Representative in its Charleston office.

Foss graduated from Vermont Technical College with an Associate Degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering. He has 8 years of experience in highway inspection work as a consultant for the Vermont Agency of Transportation including bridge construction, paving, and full reclamation projects.

About Stantec

Communities are fundamental. Whether around the corner or across the globe, they provide a foundation, a sense of place and of belonging. That’s why at Stantec, we always design with community in mind.

We care about the communities we serve—because they’re our communities too. This allows us to assess what’s needed and connect our expertise, to appreciate nuances and envision what’s never been considered, to bring together diverse perspectives so we can collaborate toward a shared success.

We’re designers, engineers, scientists, and project managers, innovating together at the intersection of community, creativity, and client relationships. Balancing these priorities results in projects that advance the quality of life in communities across the globe.

Stantec trades on the TSX and the NYSE under the symbol STN. Visit us at stantec.com or find us on social media.

Get Fit Where You Live Campaign Creating A Healthier and More Connected Community

The Mount Pleasant Chamber of Commerce (MPCC) and the Town of Mount Pleasant have joined forces once again to encourage residents to support local health and wellness establishments. The campaign begins on March 1 and goes through April 1.

“The Town of Mount Pleasant is proud to once again partner with the Mount Pleasant Chamber of Commerce and to encourage citizens to #GetFitWhereYouLive. Through this effort, we are not only prioritizing health and well-being but also supporting our local business community,” stated Mayor Will Haynie.

Getting fit locally supports the health and wellness establishments that are owned and operated by your friends, neighbors and family members and keeps dollars in our local economy. Every week through April 1, the MPCC will give away a $50 gift card for a health and wellness business to one lucky person who posts a photo of their fitness experience at a participating Mount Pleasant establishment on Instagram or Facebook and follows the instructions on how to enter.

Participating establishments include (as of 2/27/24):
633 Physical Therapy *
Blue Sky Endurance *
Carolina Physical Therapy *
ConciergeOT
D1 Training
Fleet Feet Mount Pleasant
Graze Craze Mount Pleasant *
Iron Tribe Fitness Mount Pleasant
Lowcountry Yoga *
Mount Pleasant Fit Body Bootcamp
Premier Martial Arts *
Prestige Therapeutic Fitness *
RockBox Fitness
Tikvah Health and Wellness
* Denotes MPCC Members

To enter:
Simply post a photo of your fitness experience at a participating establishment on Instagram or Facebook.
Tag @mtpchamber, @experiencemp and the participating location.
Include the hashtag #GetFitWhereYouLive

“The MPCC is excited to once again partner with the Town of Mount Pleasant on #GetFitWhereYouLive, a campaign that inspires our local community to embrace healthy living,” declared MPCC President Kathleen Herrmann. “Get Fit Where You Live supports our local health and wellness establishments. We believe that a healthy community starts with the well-being of its individuals. By supporting local fitness and health businesses, we are not only investing in the success of entrepreneurs but also creating a healthier and more connected community for everyone.”

For more information on how to sign up as a participating business, a list of already participating businesses and how to enter to win $50 please visit https://www.mountpleasantchamber.org/biz-where-you-live and click on the Get Fit Where You Live tab.

About MPCC: Since 1992, the MPCC has brought together business leaders from the East Cooper community for mutually beneficial purposes. The membership is a mix of professions including advertising, publishing, finance, health care, food and beverage, hotel, retail, insurance, legal, and service businesses of every description. MPCC aims to encourage business and community success East of the Cooper. MPCC was named a Noteworthy Network in the 2023 Lowcountry Diversity Leadership Awards by the Charleston Regional Business Journal and Best Activist Group or Effort in Best of the Best 2023 by Moultrie News.

Terracon Promotes Kyle Murrell, P.E. to Principal

Terracon Promotes Kyle Murrell, P.E. to Principal

Terracon announces the promotion of Kyle Murrell, P.E. to the position of Principal. With more than 19 years of experience, Kyle leads the seven offices and over 290 employee-owners in Terracon’s South Carolina region. His responsibilites include leading and managing a diverse group of professional, field, and support staff to provide excellent client service and achieve safe, profitable growth.