HIRES/PROMOTIONS
LOIS MODELL
New job title: Director
Company: Savannah Center for the Blind
Duties: Modell will manage the mission, fundraising, staff and services for the Savannah Center for Blind and Low Vision.
Related work experience: Modell served as the vice president of development for the southeast division of the American Cancer Society in Atlanta and vice president of development for the national Arthritis Foundation.
Education: Modell is a graduate of Georgia College.
COL. RICHARD E. LAROSSA
New job title: Senior Army instructor
Company: Benedictine Military School
Related work experience: LaRossa comes to Benedictine from the 6th Brigade, United States Army Cadet Command at Hunter Army Airfield. He works as a civilian assisting in the oversight of 472 junior ROTC programs and 39 colleges and universities with senior Army ROTC programs.
J. MICHAEL BONNETTE
New job title: Assistant vice chancellor
Company: University of South Carolina Beaufort
Duties: Bonnette is responsible for managing major and annual fundraising operations to engage USCB alumni, Lowcountry residents and the corporate community in providing philanthropic support to the university.
Education: Bonnette earned a Bachelor of Science degree in agricultural education at Clemson University in 1996, and a master of human resource development at Clemson in 1999.
ALLISON BRACKIN
New job title: Intern
Company: Target
Duties: Brackin will be an intern in the Target.com department.
Related work experience: Brackin is an industrial and systems engineer student.
Education: She attends the Georgia Institute of Technology, where she is scheduled to receive a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial and systems engineering.
JACOB GREAVES
New job title: Intern
Company: Target
Duties: Greaves will be an intern in the Target.com department.
Related work experience: Greaves is a student in the logistics and supply chain field.
Education: He attends Georgia Southern, where he is scheduled to receive a bachelor of business administration in logistics.
ALYNA FAINBERG
New job title: Intern
Company: Target
Duties: Fainberg will be an intern in the Inbound department.
Related work experience: Fainberg is a resident advisor at the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Education: Fainberg is scheduled to receive her Bachelor of Science degree in business administration.
STEPHANIE DAMMEN
New job title: Director of marketing
Company: Hussey, Gay, Bell & Deyoung
Duties: Dammen is responsible for marketing plan/strategy development and execution, business development support, pursuit management and proposal management and production for HGBD’s family of companies.
Related work experience: Dammen has more than seven years of marketing and business development experience in the A/E/C industry, with particular expertise in the aerospace, federal/military, industrial, health care, higher education and K-12 education sectors.
Education: Dammen is a graduate of the University of Northern Iowa.
GLORIA SAUGH
New job title: Office manager
Company: Chatham County District Attorney’s Office
Duties: Saugh is responsible for managing the DA’s budget, financial accounts and expenditures, as well as human resource and records management.
Related work experience: Saugh has extensive experience in accounting, budgeting, financial management and human resources.
Education: Saugh earned a BA in computer information systems and an AA degree in accounting and business administration.
TERRY W. COOK
New job title: Vice president and director of information technology
Company: The Coastal Bank
Duties: Cook oversees the development, implementation and use of technology throughout the financial institution, including information systems, telecommunications and daily operating procedures.
Related work experience: Cook served as the vice president and director of technology for The Savannah Bancorp. He has also worked as the network administrator for Martin-Horizon Engineering, data system/network engineer for King Finishing and computer switching technician for the U.S. Air Force.
Education: Cook studied information technology at Air Force Community College and Armstrong Atlantic State University.
CHARLES HANNING
New job title: Director, Savannah Office
Company: Rosser International Inc.
Duties: Hanning will be responsible for coordinating the daily activities in marketing, staffing and operations of Rosser’s Savannah Office.
Related work experience: Hanning has more than 35 years of experience in the design of mechanical systems for healthcare, educational, government and industrial facilities for private and public clients.
Education: Hanning has a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from the University of South Carolina.
KELLE HUNT
New job title: Assets manager
Company: J.T. Turner Construction
Related work experience: Hunt has more than 25 years of experience in real estate, and recently worked with The Savannah Bank as an REO director.
Education: Hunt is a graduate of the University of Florida.
HONORS/AWARDS
Savannah Book Festival elects new officers
The 2013-14 Savannah Book Festival has elected Ann Higbee president and Jack Romanos chairman. Newly-elected board members include Jane Anspach, Amy Condon, Stephanie Duttenhaver, Scott Lauretti and Stratton Leopold. Other officers for the 2013-14 Savannah Book Festival are Will Holland, treasurer; Ben Oxnard, assistant treasurer; and Jenny Long, secretary.
Savannah teacher honored
Janeen McAbee, a second-grade teacher at Shuman Elementary, was named the 2013 Georgia History Teacher of the Year by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, HISTORY and Preserve America. McAbee was selected by a panel of teachers, administrators and academics based on primary documents in the classroom, the level of inspiration provided to students and career achievements in education.
Lodge member honored
Gilbert Engelke Jr. of Savannah, a member of Savannah Lodge No. 1550, Loyal Order of Moose, has been awarded the Pilgrim Degree of Merit, the highest honor that can be bestowed upon a member of the organization. He received the award in the House of God at Mooseheart, Ill., on May 25.
SCAD student honored
Victoria Komery, an interior design student at Savannah College of Art and Design, has won third place in the third annual Sherwin-Williams STIR Student Design Contest. Komery was recognized as a winner in the residential category for the concept, color selection and overall design.
Lawfirm honored
McCorkle & Johnson LLP has been named one of the Best Law Firms for 2013 by U.S. News & World Report. The firm received a Tier 1 ranking in the area of real estate law. Rankings are based on an evaluation process that includes the collection of client and lawyer evaluations, peer review from leading attorneys in the real estate field and review of additional information.
Travel agent honored
Valerie Edgemon, owner of Edgewood Travel, recently accepted the 2013 Kaizen Award in Scottsdale, Ariz. The award was given by Travel Agency Management Solutions for most incremental improvements to the agency’s operations.
Lions Club member honored
Christopher Barbieri, a member and past president of the Savannah Port City Lions Club, received the Ervin Crumbley Award at the Lions Clubs of Georgia State convention in Augusta on June 2.
The Crumbley Award is the highest honor bestowed upon a Georgia Lion at the state level and was given to Barbieri in recognition of 35 years of service during which he served as district governor and a founding board member of the Peach Bowl.
Savannah banker named to board
Brian Foster, president and CEO, First Chatham Bank, Savannah, has been elected by his peers in the coastal Georgia area to serve a one-year term on the board of directors of the Georgia Bankers Association. Foster helped found First Chatham Bank in 2002 and has been a member of the bank’s board since inception.
Savannah woman honored
Celia Dunn has been named 2013 Savannah Country Day School Alumna of the Year. This award honors one alumnus or alumna who has provided extraordinary service to the community or who has achieved outstanding personal, business or professional success.