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Vol. 27 No. 15 April 13, 2009 A Weekly Space Coast Business Magazine

Please see Singularity University, page 16

PRESORTEDSTANDARD

US POSTAGEPAID

BREVARD BUSINESSNEWS, INC.

Unique, upstart university intends to solve world’s problemsBy Al SaracevicScripps Howard Service

A new university is sprouting up in the

San Francisco area this summer with an

ambitious charter: solving the world’s

biggest problems.

Singularity University, which will be

housed on the NASA Ames base near

Mountain View, Calif., and begin classes in

June, is the brainchild of Ray Kurzweil and

Peter Diamandis.

The school hopes to attract students

from a cross section of emerging disciplines

— including nanotechnology, biotechnology

and information technology — to tackle

huge issues facing humanity. Pandemics

and global health care concerns would be

typical in scope and import.

“We are reaching out across the globe to

gather the smartest and most passionate

future leaders and arm them with the tools

and network they need to wrestle with the

grand challenges of our day,” said

Diamandis, who is best known for his

current work as chairman and CEO of the

X Prize Foundation, a group that gives $10

million awards to teams working on

breakthroughs in fields such as space

travel and genomics.

“There is no existing program that will

offer the breadth and intensity that SU will

offer,” he said.

Unlike a traditional university,

Singularity will consist of a single, nine–

week course of study every summer, during

which 120 students from a cross–section of

disciplines will mix together to tackle

weighty issues. Tuition will be $25,000.

Candidates will be chosen mostly from

graduate and post–graduate programs

around the world.

Singularity will also be offering three–

These experts from around the globe recently discussed sustainability at a roundtable at Florida Tech. Water was the hot–button topic.From left, in back: Fan Chunliang, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Imre Hronszky, BME; Gerhard Banse, Institute for TechnologyAssessment and Systems Analysis, Karlsruhe, Germany; Gordon Nelson, Florida Tech; and Miklos Fule, Budapest University ofTechnology and Economics (BME). At table: Virender Sharma, Florida Tech; Medardo Tapia Uribe, Universidad Nacional Autonomade Mexico; Janos Szlavik, BME; and Mike Slotkin, Florida Tech.

BBN photo — Adrienne B. Roth

Please see Water Issue, page 19

Experts from around the world see water as issueBy Ken Datzman

Unsafe water sources are having a profound impact

around the world, from Mexico to China, creating serious

implications for human health. Worldwide, hundreds of

millions of people do not have sustainable access to

drinkable, or potable, water and they lack basic sanitation

services.

Typically, water–supply networks deliver potable water

but many countries have not invested in the infrastruc-

ture. The World Health Organization says 1.6 billion

people die every year from diseases attributable to the lack

of access of safe drinking water and basic sanitation. Most

of these deaths are children under age 5 in developing

countries.

China, the most populated country in the world, with

1.3 billion people and growing, is grappling with this issue

because only 40 percent of its water meets health stan-

dards.

“In general, the environment is the biggest challenge

facing China,” said Dr. Fan Chunliang, a professor with

the Institute of Policy and Management at the Chinese

Academy of Sciences in Beijing.

“We have sacrificed the environment for economic

growth during the past 20 years. China has grown at an

incredible rate, with an explosion of commercial enter-

prises, especially many small businesses. Today, the

Chinese government is taking numerous measures to

protect the environment.”

According to the State Administration for Industry &

Commerce, China’s economy has fostered the creation of 5

million small businesses over the last decade. Generally,

BBN Brevard Business

News

APRIL 13, 2009Call Adrienne Roth at 321-951-7777 for Advertising InformationBREVARD BUSINESS NEWS / 2

BBN DIGESTThompsons host foundationball to thank event sponsors

Health First Foundation’s 27th annual Benefit Ball

Sponsor Party was held March 24 at the Lake Washington

home of Wayne and Susan Thompson.

This was a thank–you party for sponsors of the Health

First Ball, set for April 18 at the Clemente Center in

Melbourne. This year’s ball theme is “Breakfast at

Tiffany’s” and the proceeds will benefit VitalWatch, an

electronic intensive care–unit.

The sponsor party was underwritten by Berman,

Hopkins, Wright and LaHam, CPAs.

Among those attending were: Dave and Kim Brown,

Rita Moreno, Wayne and Susan Thompson, Mike and

Gwen Means, Larry and Jan Garrison, Shay and Monica

Rowe, Phil and Jeanne Farmer, Bjorg Hermansen, Dr. Jim

and Andrea Schaffer, Darcia Jones Francey, John

Hopkins, Joe Sofia, Dick and Gail Beagley, Dr. Harris and

Debbie Cherin, Michael and Carol Dana, Rich and Sandra

Wagner, Rusty and Sherrell Fischer, Roy and Jan Pence,

Joe and Pennie DiPrima and Brain and Sallie Curtin.

They were joined at the event by: Mark and Kim

Mikolajczyk, Dr. Tim and Jackie Hollingsworth, Walter

and Dottie Gatti, Daniel and Judy Gizinski, Roy and Pat

Wright, Sandra Henry, Dr. Bob and Gloria Mandel, Dr.

Carl and Roslyn Smedberg, Rob and Ashley Perers, Scott

and Vicki Baughan, Melissa Flammio–Clark, Susan

Vallette, Bob and Susan Walters, Jennifer Murtha,

Cynthia Paul, Bob Stover and Jane McCallum, Joseph and

Sandy Grutta, Polly Molnar, Dr. James Palermo, Brendan

and Mary McCarthy, Bob and Michelle Parsons, Mitch and

Sandy Smith, Robb and Lisa Morrission, Pam Bridges and

Jeanene Donilon.

Skip Wren Insurance opens in VieraSkip Wren Insurance, established in 1979, will

celebrate the grand opening of its Viera location from 11

a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 25. The address is 8255

N. Wickham Road, next to the Brevard Zoo and Wendy’s.

Community members of all ages are invited to meet the

agency staff. There will be activities for children, food,

prizes, hourly drawings, and a chance to win an iPod

Touch. Skip Wren Insurance, celebrating its 30th year

serving Brevard County, provides all lines of personal and

business coverage. The agency also has a location on Palm

Bay Road. Visit www.SkipWrenInsurance.com for more

information.

Chamber recognizes Canaveral Yacht ClubThe Better Business Development Council of the Cocoa

Beach Area Chamber of Commerce presented its Out-

standing Business of the Month award to Linda Mueller,

first vice commodore with the Port Canaveral Yacht Club

in Cape Canaveral. “The Port Canaveral Yacht Club was

selected by the BBDC because of its continuing support of

the Cocoa Beach Area Chamber of Commerce and its

dedication to excellence,” said Tami Tomlinson, chair of the

BBDC Outstanding Business of the Month Committee.

“We are honored to go through the process of recognizing

outstanding businesses and look forward to extending our

congratulations to all each month.” For more information,

contact the Chamber at 459–2200 or visit

www.cocoabeachchamber.com.

KEEP AMERICA

WORKING

By Ed O’Donnell, President,O’Donnell’s Quality Pontiac Buick GMC Truck

Like many of you, I was fascinated by the political theater that played out on TV as the leaders of thebig three, General Motors, Ford and Chrysler went before congress to make a case for short term bridgeloans. I couldn’t believe that many of our legislators knew so little about the Domestic car industry yet thebig three’s future was in their hands. It was like going back in time. General Motors, Ford and Chryslerwere being treated like they were Nash, Studebaker and Desoto. Specifically, there were three areas wheremyths and half truths seemed to dominate. One-Nobody buys domestic products. Two-Domestic qualityand reliability can’t compete with the import manufacturers and Three-The domestics are way behind thecurve in producing fuel efficient vehicles. To these three misguided assertions I have one word, False. Iwould like to respond to these three myths with facts. First, “Nobody buys our products”. Oh really?General Motors has held the number one spot as the Worlds largest automobile manufacturer for 77 yearsuntil the worst recession since the great depression of 1929 hit in 2008. Now that they are briefly numbertwo in the industry, does that mean their building products that people don’t want to buy? Pepsi recentlytook over the number one spot from Coke. Does that mean that Coke Cola is making products that Ameri-cans don’t want to drink anymore? Myth number two, “Domestic quality and reliability can’t compete withthe import manufacturers. This myth is easy to crumble in a hurry. Chevrolet Silverado and Malibu finishednumber one in their class in the 2008 J D Powers Initial Quality Survey. And how about this. The 2009Buick Lacrosse was ranked J.D. Powers top midsized car. Incidentally, both Buick and Jaguar finishedahead of Toyota’s expensive luxury brand Lexus. Now, what about myth number three,”Domestic brandsare behind the curve in fuel efficiency”. Again the facts prove otherwise. General Motors has 15 2009models that exceed 30 miles to the gallon. The GMC Sierra full size pick up truck has a better overall fuelmileage rating then any other full size pick up truck in its class. To date, GM has delivered 3.5 millionvehicles that are compatible with ethanol based fuels. GM is making a much bigger part of our FuelSolutions Strategy then you would be lead to believe. They have recently invested 30 million dollars toconstruct a new facility to produce the lithium-ion battery pact that will power their hybrid vehicles.

The big three’s financial problems are not product related. I just disproved those myths. Our carindustry is in trouble mainly due to uneven playing fields like no levy of import taxes on the importmanufacturers like we face when we export vehicles to foreign countries. That’s a government problemcaused by the same Senators and Congressmen that were putting the big three on trial. We face highermanufacturing costs due to the rising cost of health care in this country. That’s an issue we hear aboutevery election year but it’s still not fixed. And yes, I can’t leave out some mismanagement by the AutoExecutives. The Domestic Auto Manufacturers have to take some responsibility and I think they are. Ithink it is important to look at the reasons the Domestic Automakers are having problems from a factualview point and not a warped media selling newspapers type view. I hope that I have done that here.

In closing I would like to ask this. Why would our Senators and Congressmen hand out billions ofdollars to financial institutions like AIG providing them with golden parachutes and no accountability forthe funds and then turn around and put the backbone of America, Automobile Manufacturing, on trialbefore the world? Our automobile industry is one of the last strongholds our country has on manufactur-ing. Whether you buy a GM car from me or a Ford or Chrysler from another Dealer, remember, buyingAmerican is supporting America and protecting millions of American jobs in this country and secondly,the money you spend on a domestic vehicle stays in this country. You will be doing your part to insure aspeedy economic recovery.

SEPARATE FACTS FROM MYTHS

321-633-9300

1855 West Hwy. 520 � Cocoa

www.heywereincocoa.com

Visit BrevardBusinessNews.com for Advertising InformationAPRIL 13, 2009 BREVARD BUSINESS NEWS / 3

APRIL 13, 2009Call Adrienne Roth at 321-951-7777 for Advertising Information

BBN EDITORIAL

BBNBrevard

Business

News

BREVARD BUSINESS NEWS / 4

4300 Fortune Place, Suite DWest Melbourne, FL 32904

(321) 951–7777fax (321) 951–4444

BrevardBusinessNews.com

PUBLISHERAdrienne B. Roth

EDITORKen Datzman

OFFICE MANAGERFrank Schiffmann

Brevard Business News is published every Monday byBrevard Business News Inc. Bulk Rate postage is paid atMelbourne, FL and Cocoa, FL. This publication servesbusiness executives in Brevard County. It reports onnews, trends and ideas of interest to industry, trade,agribusiness, finance, health care, high technology,education and commerce.

Letters to the Editor must include the writer’s signatureand printed or typed name, full address and telephonenumber. Brevard Business News reserves the right to editall letters. Send your letters to: Editor, Brevard BusinessNews, 4300 Fortune Place, Suite D, West Melbourne, FL,32904, or email [email protected].

Subscription Rates for home or office mail delivery are$26.00 for one year (52 issues). Send all addresschanges to: Circulation Department, Brevard BusinessNews, 4300 Fortune Place, Suite D, West Melbourne, FL,32904, or email [email protected].

John “Dick” Lyon, vice president of Florida operations

and program manager for ASRC Aerospace Corp., has

been selected by the National Space Club Florida Commit-

tee to receive its 2009 Dr. Kurt H. Debus Award.

Lyon will be honored at the Debus Award Dinner on

Saturday, April 18. The formal event, which begins at 6:30

pm, will be held at the Debus Conference Facility at the

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.

“The Space Club is proud to honor Dick for this

prestigious award,” said National Space Club Chair Roy

Tharpe. “Dick’s almost 50 year service to our nation’s space

program has spanned from his work for NASA during the

Apollo era with Dr. Debus to his current role at ASRC,

which is supporting the next era of human spaceflight. His

dedication toward excellence has been both steadfast and

noteworthy in its influence in our space program.”

The Debus Award was created by the National Space

Club Florida Committee to recognize significant achieve-

ments and contributions made in Florida to American

aerospace efforts. It is named for KSC’s first director, Dr.

Kurt H. Debus.

Dick Lyon to receive prestigious Debus Award at April 18 eventIn Lyon’s present role as vice president and leader of an

ASRC Aerospace team of 600, he supports NASA in the

design and development of KSC ground checkout and

servicing systems for the nation’s next human space–flight

endeavor to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

From 1997 to 2003, he led an engineering–development

contract run by Dynacs Engineering Co. at KSC that

received a special agency–wide award for the most

significant innovation of the year, a design that allowed a

“timely and safe repair of the space shuttle at the launch

pad.”

Before his industry roles, Lyon had a 34–year career as

a KSC civil servant, with leadership positions as a senior

executive for 17 years. This included serving as chief of the

Shuttle Design Project Office, director of project engineer-

ing, director of mechanical and structural engineering, and

deputy director of design engineering through the turnover

of the Launch Complex 39B shuttle launch pad.

He was also deputy director of payload operations

during the Spacelab and Hubbell Space Telescope

timeframe, was the KSC program manager for Space

Station, and retired as the director of logistics.

Arriving at KSC in 1964, Lyon was assigned the role of

planning and managing the layout of ground–servicing

equipment for the Apollo and Lunar Module spacecraft at

Launch Complexes 34, 37, and 39. In this role he worked

with many NASA icons, leading design–review discussions

with Dr. Debus and Dr. Von Braun and familiarizing Dr.

George Low and the Apollo astronauts with the mobile

launcher and launch pad.

As the project manager for the Space Nuclear Power

and Lunar Surface Experiments, Lyon worked directly

with Dr. Debus to establish ground–breaking policy for

handling nuclear materials at KSC. As the KSC expert, he

“worked directly with the Atomic Energy Commission and

was among those who briefed President Jimmy Carter and

the seven original Mercury astronauts during their visits

to KSC.”

During the early 1970s, as an employee in the Shuttle

Engineering Project Office, Lyon negotiated KSC’s role for

developing unique ground– support systems with the

NASA flight hardware development centers, which

resulted in establishing KSC’s responsibilities for ground

systems development.

He moved into roles of increasing responsibility in

design engineering while leading the design and imple-

mentation of KSC’s space–shuttle facilities and systems,

such as the landing facility and pads A and B at Launch

Complex 39.

As KSC’s Space Station program manager, Lyon took

on the task of convincing senior NASA management to

build the current Space Station Processing Facility (SSPF).

He continued to provide leadership for the design and

implementation of the SSPF, which could successfully test

and integrate almost any space payload configuration.

Lyon has also served in many other capacities during

his KSC career including as president of the NASA

Kennedy Management Association, chairman of the 27th

Space Congress, chairman of the Center Awards Commit-

tee, and was a featured speaker at numerous events

including a Nickelodeon TV production on the Space

Station.

The Debus award was conceived and first presented in

1990 as an adjunct to the Robert J. Goddard award, given

each year by the National Space Club in Washington, D.C.,

to an individual who stood out in the aerospace field on a

national level.

The award focuses on efforts in Florida and includes

individuals associated with launch vehicles, spacecraft

operations, ground–support services, range activities,

space education and spaceport research and development.

Each honoree is presented with a copy of the Debus Award

Trophy, a stainless steel kinetic sculpture dubbed “Ribbon

of Space,” by its contemporary artist creator Elijah

Herschler.

For reservations contact LaDonna Neterer at 383–6135

or [email protected]. The Web address is

www.nscfl.org.

April 30 benefit in Viera to honor Alzheimer’s advocate StecklerThe Brevard Alzheimer’s Foundation will host a fund–

raiser from 6:30 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, April 30, at One

Senior Place, 8085 Spyglass Hill Road, in Viera.

The event will pay tribute to Joe Steckler, “a champion

for Brevard’s elderly and those impacted by Alzheimer’s

disease.” The benefit is open to the public. A tax–deduct-

ible donation of $25 per person or $40 per couple (payable

at the door) will benefit the foundation.

Steckler is a retired U.S. Navy captain. He is the former

executive director and founder of the Brevard Alzheimer’s

Foundation (1995) and Joe’s Club, a not–for–profit

organization that provides adult day care, respite, support

and education services for dementia patients and their

families in Melbourne, Micco and Titusville.

Last year, the foundation provided more than 156,000

hours of adult day–care services and 19,423 hours of free

in–home respite care, serving an average of 90 families

each month.

Stecker hosts two local radio shows and writes a regular

newspaper column for “Florida Today” about issues that

affect the elderly. Recognized as an expert in elder affairs,

he was recently invited to assist Gov. Crist’s office to

develop a state–backed eldercare plan.

Joining One Senior Place to sponsor this event are The

Retreat at Watersong Senior Living Community in Viera,

Joe’s Club, and We Help Brevard (a not–for–profit senior

resource–referral organization). Watersong Executive Chef

James Tsamoutales (formerly of World Beat Café in

Melbourne) will offer a smorgasbord of gourmet hot and

cold hors d’oeurves for the event, in addition to fine wines.

Following the fund–raiser, on May 1 One Senior Place

will host the second annual Memory Health Day from

noon until 4 p.m.

One Senior Place will also showcase and sell raffle

tickets to an original 1970 Dodge Hemi Challenger

convertible, donated from Boniface Hiers Auto Dealerships

in Melbourne. The winner will be announced at a May 30

barbecue fund–raiser at Wickham Park for the Brevard

Alzheimer’s Foundation. For more information, visit

www.winahemi.org.


BBN DIGESTSymetrics Industries receivesleading manufacturing award

Symetrics Industries LLC of Melbourne has been

recognized as a winner of the 2009 Progressive Manufac-

turing 100 Awards, selected by “Managing Automation

Media,” a publication of Thomas Publishing Co. LLC.

Symetrics was named to the “PM100” for its “Manufac-

turing Systems Modernization Initiative,” the company’s

multiyear project comprising deployment of new manufac-

turing systems to automate and streamline operations,

and improve data flow throughout the organization.

Symetrics credits several advancements over the last

four years to allow it to realize a “67 percent increase in

revenue” while slightly decreasing the shop floor popula-

tion through attrition. Among those advancements are:

l Capital improvements such as an added surface–

mount technology line, selective solder capability, and

automated optical inspection.

l An improved, easy–to–use, comprehensive quality

database system that allows decision–makers at all levels

to know the current and historical quality levels at

incoming, in–process, and outgoing intervals.

l “Vastly improved” in–process quality levels that then

required less rework time, cost, and resources. Symetrics

has realized an 80 percent improvement in its in–process

quality metrics over the past four years.

l A comprehensive business–metrics program of

measurement, reporting, investigation, and corrective

actions relating to metrics that have been identified for

every department, tied to customer satisfaction.

l New systems such as Product Data Management and

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), in conjunction with a

paperless strategy that puts all drawings and work

instructions at the fingertips of operators electronically by

providing each one with a wireless terminal. The terminal

also saves time by allowing operators to make ERP

transactions from their own workstations.

“Our Epicor 9 ERP system brings together information

from all aspects of our business to provide ‘one version of

the truth,’ via one set of data,” said Peter Volkert, director

of information systems for Symetrics.

“This greatly reduces and eliminates errors of the past

caused by different information on different spreadsheets

throughout different departments. Every user on the

Epicor system — ‘from shop floor to top floor’ –now has the

ability to see exactly where the product is in each stage of

production. Better information and more consistent

information equal fewer mistakes and less wasted time,

money, and material,” he said.

David Broussell, editor–in–chief of “Managing Automa-

tion Media,” said in the face of “one of the worst economic

downturns in history, these winning companies dramati-

cally underscore how the manufacturing industry will not

only get through this period, but emerge in an even

stronger position once a recovery takes hold.

“The projects that enabled these companies to become

PM100 winners reflect great creativity and inventiveness.”

Symetrics and the other PM100 winners will be

honored and presented with their awards at the Progres-

sive Manufacturing Awards Gala to be held on the last day

of the “Progressive Manufacturing Summit 2009: Redefin-

ing the Business of Manufacturing in Turbulent Economic

Times,” June 9–11, at the Ritz–Carlton in Sarasota.

Junior Achievement

new ad emailed

KEEP AMERICA

WORKING

By Ed O’Donnell, President,O’Donnell’s Quality Pontiac Buick GMC Truck

Like many of you, I was fascinated by the political theater that played out on TV as theleaders of the big three, General Motors, Ford and Chrysler went before congress to make acase for short term bridge loans. I couldn’t believe that many of our legislators knew so littleabout the Domestic car industry yet the big three’s future was in their hands. It was like goingback in time. General Motors, Ford and Chrysler were being treated like they were Nash,Studebaker and Desoto. Specifically, there were three areas where myths and half truths seemedto dominate. One-Nobody buys domestic products. Two-Domestic quality and reliability can’tcompete with the import manufacturers and Three-The domestics are way behind the curve inproducing fuel efficient vehicles. To these three misguided assertions I have one word, False. Iwould like to respond to these three myths with facts. First, “Nobody buys our products”. Ohreally? General Motors has held the number one spot as the Worlds largest automobile manufac-turer for 77 years until the worst recession since the great depression of 1929 hit in 2008. Nowthat they are briefly number two in the industry, does that mean their building products thatpeople don’t want to buy? Pepsi recently took over the number one spot from Coke. Does thatmean that Coca Cola is making products that Americans don’t want to drink anymore? Mythnumber two, “Domestic quality and reliability can’t compete with the import manufacturers. Thismyth is easy to crumble in a hurry. Chevrolet Silverado and Malibu finished number one in theirclass in the 2008 J D Powers Initial Quality Survey. And how about this. The 2009 Buick La-crosse was ranked J.D. Powers top midsized car. Incidentally, both Buick and Jaguar finishedahead of Toyota’s expensive luxury brand Lexus. Now, what about myth numberthree,”Domestic brands are behind the curve in fuel efficiency”. Again the facts prove other-wise. General Motors has 15 2009 models that exceed 30 miles to the gallon. The GMC Sierrafull size pick up truck has a better overall fuel mileage rating then any other full size pick up truckin its class. To date, GM has delivered 3.5 million vehicles that are compatible with ethanol basedfuels. GM is making a much bigger part of our Fuel Solutions Strategy then you would be lead tobelieve. They have recently invested 30 million dollars to construct a new facility to produce thelithium-ion battery pact that will power their hybrid vehicles.

The big three’s financial problems are not product related. I just disproved those myths. Ourcar industry is in trouble mainly due to uneven playing fields like no levy of import taxes on theimport manufacturers like we face when we export vehicles to foreign countries. That’s agovernment problem caused by the same Senators and Congressmen that were putting the bigthree on trial. We face higher manufacturing costs due to the rising cost of health care in thiscountry. That’s an issue we hear about every election year but it’s still not fixed. And yes, I can’tleave out some mismanagement by the Auto Executives. The Domestic Auto Manufacturershave to take some responsibility and I think they are. I think it is important to look at the reasonsthe Domestic Automakers are having problems from a factual view point and not a warpedmedia selling newspapers type view. I hope that I have done that here.

In closing I would like to ask this. Why would our Senators and Congressmen hand out billionsof dollars to financial institutions like AIG providing them with golden parachutes and no account-ability for the funds and then turn around and put the backbone of America, Automobile Manu-facturing, on trial before the world? Our automobile industry is one of the last strongholds ourcountry has on manufacturing. Whether you buy a GM car from me or a Ford or Chrysler fromanother Dealer, remember, buying American is supporting America and protecting millions ofAmerican jobs in this country and secondly, the money you spend on a domestic vehicle stays inthis country. You will be doing your part to insure a speedy economic recovery.

SEPARATE FACTS FROM MYTHS

321-633-9300

1825 West Hwy. 520 � Cocoa

www.odonnellspontiacbuickgmc.com


BBN EVENTS


Writers’ meeting open to publicThe Melbourne chapter of Florida Writers Association

will meet at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 15, at the West

Melbourne Library, 2755 Wingate Blvd. The program will

feature Rik Feeney’s workshop, “Publishing 101: Tradi-

tional, Self–Publishing, or POD (Which is Right for You?).”

For more information about the meeting, call 455–2986.

Commissioner Infantini to host meetingBrevard County Commissioner Trudie Infantini, who

represents District 3, will host a town hall meeting in

Micco on Friday, April 17, to encourage residents to speak

with her about community issues. The meeting will be held

from 9 to 10:30 a.m. at the South Mainland Public Library,

7921 Ron Beatty Blvd. Brevard County’s District 3

includes portions of Melbourne, Palm Bay, Malabar,

Grant–Valkaria, Micco and the beachside communities

from Indialantic south to the county line. For more

information, call the District 3 office at 952–6300.

Safe–boating program offered in CocoaCoast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 46 and Brevard County

Parks and Recreation Department will offer a boating–

safety course from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 18,

at Lee Wenner Park, 300 Riveredge Blvd., in Cocoa. The

$40 per–person fee includes course materials and lunch.

The course will cover all aspects of safe boating, including

Homeland Security, types of boats and engines, federal

and state requirements, and aids to navigation. Many

insurance agencies recognize this presentation, which is

approved by the National Association of Safe Boating Laws

Administration, and will offer a reduction in rates on

insurance. Visit http://www.a0700406.uscgaux.info for

more details. Call 877–835–3760 to make a reservation or

send an e–mail message to [email protected].

Luncheon, fashion show April 18 in MimsThe Holy Spirit Council of Catholic Women will host a

“A Step Back in Time” luncheon at noon on Saturday,

April 18, at Holy Spirit Church, 2309 Holder Road, in

Mims. The event will include a fashion show of the

“replicas of wedding gowns that were worn as far back as

1811, plus gowns from foreign countries.” Tickets for

advance reservations are available by calling 269–4553.

Tickets are $12 for adults. There are special rates for Girl

Scouts and the leaders of the organization.

‘Guys are Great’ celebration scheduledThe fifth annual “Guys are Great” celebration of

growing up will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on

Saturday, April 18, at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 3450

Kilmarnoch Lanes, in Titusville. The event is for boys 10 to

13 years old and their interested accompanying adults.

The program kicks off at 9 a.m. with a flag ceremony and

military drill conducted by the Astronaut High School

Junior ROTC. For event registration and information, call

BETA of Titusville, Inc. at 264–0446. Jess Parrish Medical

Foundation is sponsoring the event. The keynote speaker

will be Dr. Douglas Barimo of the North Brevard

Children’s Medical Center. The celebration will include a

Community Resource Fair showcasing activities available

for youth. A refreshment break will feature sandwiches

from Pumpernickel’s. The fee to attend the celebration is

$3 per individual, or $5 total for two or more boys from the

same family.

Health First

new ad emailed

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Call 321-434-5665 or toll-free at 1-800-716-7737. Go to www.healthfirsthealthplans.org.Or visit us at 6450 U.S. Highway 1 Rockledge, FL 32955.

FOR A HEALTHY BUSINESS,YOU NEED HEALTHY

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That’s why Brevard businesseschoose Health First.

Visit BrevardBusinessNews.com for Advertising InformationAPRIL 13, 2009

BBN EVENTS


Riverside Bank funds scholarshipsRiverside National Bank says it remains “committed to

education” by providing college scholarships for local

youth. For the past three years, Riverside has offered its

scholarship program and each year the bank has awarded

$1,000 to 18 college students throughout Florida. Students

are selected based on their academic goals, community

service and “essays about why they deserve the money.”

Students attending either a two– or four–year post–

secondary school are eligible to enter. These scholarships

“are unique because the students can use the money in any

way they want to, in order to help offset the expense of a

college education.” The application and rules are posted at

www.riversidenb.com. Applications can be submitted

online or by mail. The 2009 scholarship program deadline

is May 31.

Builders Care and HBCA team upBuilders Care and the Remodelers Council of the Home

Builders and Contractors Association of Brevard will host

a “Green Cleaning” yard sale from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on

April 18 and 19 at Home Solution Specialists, 255 Barnes

Blvd., in Rockledge. The yard sale will bring awareness of

Earth Day on April 22. Area builders and remodelers will

be selling excess materials, such as cabinets, lumber,

flooring, appliances, paint, hardware, and roofing materi-

als. Remodelers will be available for a free consultation.

There will be concessions as well as activities for young-

sters. Proceeds will go to Builders Care, a nonprofit charity

that provides maintenance and care to seriously deterio-

rated homes belonging to low–income, the elderly and

disabled homeowners. For more information about the

event, contact Cindy Foley at Home Solution Specialists.

Her telephone number is 632–4530.

Chamber to host job fair at BCC in TitusvilleThe Titusville Area Chamber of Commerce will host a

Career and Job Fair from 4 to 7 p.m. on April 21 at

Brevard Community College in Titusville. The purpose of

this event is to provide a “one–stop opportunity for

individuals looking for career information, as well as

provide diligent job–seekers the chance to find employ-

ment.” It is being coordinated by the Chamber’s Education

Committee in conjunction with a variety of organizations,

including the Brevard County Public Schools, Brevard

Community College and Brevard Job Link. The Chamber

is seeking businesses or organizations that are willing to

provide information about career opportunities within

their fields or organizations. It’s also seeking educational

institutions that provide secondary learning opportunities

or vocational training, and businesses or organizations

that are currently looking to hire employees. Contact Carol

Wilson for more information at [email protected].

Red Cross babysitter’s training courseThe American Red Cross babysitter’s training course

will be offered at the Teen Warehouse at Tom Statham

Park Community Center, 7101 S. U.S. Highway 1, in

Titusville, on Thursday, April 23 and April 30, from 6:30 to

8:30 p.m. The course will instruct young people ages 12 to

16 years in babysitting, first aid and resume skills. The fee

for the four–hour course is $35 (includes supplies and

training manuals). Registration is required and the course

is limited to the first 10 participants. Call Jann Rollins at

264–5105 to enroll.

Job Link

PICK UP bbn4-06-09

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Health care is a calling—it is a calling to serve. Unlike anyother profession, we are invited to share in the mostprofound moments in people’s lives. That’s why we—yourParrish Medical Center care partners—promise to providehealing experiences for everyone all the time.™

We hold ourselves accountable to ensure we are fulfillingour promise to you.

That’s why we voluntarily invite frequent and stringentreviews of our service and quality practices.

That’s why we’re extremely proud of the many awardsearned on your behalf.

These awards prove we take extraordinary care ineverything we do.

We thank our friends and neighbors of North Brevard forthe privilege and honor to serve you.

Sincerely, Your PMC Care Partners (employees, physicians, and volunteers).

For a complete list of awards PMC has earned on your behalf, please visit parrishmed.com/awards.

Seven Joint Commission disease-specificGold Seals earned—more than all but seven hospitals in the U.S.: primary stroke,

diabetes, heart failure, acute coronary syndrome, wound care, breast health, and palliative care.

Three-time winner of America’s #1 HealingHospital award by the Baptist Healing Trust(Nashville, TN). Internationally recognized for its healing environment.

Designated as a National Spirit of Women PremierHospital for excellence in women’s health.

2009–2010 Hospital of Choice Award winner by theAmerican Alliance of Healthcare Providers.

Opened Florida’s first Silver LEED certified “green”outpatient center; named LEED Project of the Year byCentral Florida Chapter of the U.S. Green BuildingCouncil in 2008.

Modern Healthcare’s Spirit of Excellenceaward winner for service.

H E A L I N G E X P E R I E N C E S F O R E V E R Y O N E A L L T H E T I M E ®

951 N. Washington Avenue • Titusvilleparrishmed.com/awards


BBN DIGESTDr. Badgett, Dr. Wheeler namedWuesthoff Physicians of the Year

In celebration of National Doctors Day, Wuesthoff

Health System chose Dr. Dwayne Badgett and Dr.

Jayanthi Wheeler as the 2009 “Physicians of the Year” for

Wuesthoff Medical Center–Rockledge and Wuesthoff

Medical Center–Melbourne.

Dr. Badgett, a vascular surgeon, was named Physician

of the Year for Wuesthoff Rockledge. He is the medical

director of the stroke center and described as a “phenom-

enal surgeon who provides the best of patient care, while

treating both staff and patients with the utmost respect.”

A graduate of Boston University School of Medicine, Dr.

Badgett came to Wuesthoff from the University of Medi-

cine and Dentistry of New Jersey School of Osteopathic

Medicine, where he was employed as an assistant profes-

sor of clinical surgery. Dr. Badgett holds board certifica-

tions in both general and vascular surgery, and is a

member of the American Board of Surgery.

Dr. Wheeler, Physician of the Year for Wuesthoff

Melbourne, is a graduate of Christian Medical College, in

Vellore, India. She graduated with a bachelor of medicine

and surgery degree. Dr. Wheeler performed her internship

at Newton Wellesley Hospital/Tufts University School of

Medicine in Newton, Mass., before completing her

residency at the Hospital of Saint Raphael/Yale University

School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn.

Dr. Wheeler is described as “a compassionate, friendly,

understanding physician that everyone can always count

on.”

Lawler relocates her practice to MelbourneKathy Lawler, a licensed marriage and family thera-

pist, has relocated her practice to 1700 W. Hibiscus Blvd.,

in Melbourne. For the past four years she has worked at

the Catholic Charities in Cocoa. In Melbourne, Lawler’s

office hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Thurs-

day. Her office phone number is 271–6900. Lawler’s

practice specializes in marriage and family therapy. “I

work with individuals, couples and families,” she said. “My

role as a practitioner is to provide a safe, nonjudgmental,

trusting environment where my clients and I work

together to reach attainable goals.” In addition to her

specialty, Lawler holds professional certifications in a host

of areas including rapid–trauma resolution, parent–

coordination training, and domestic–violence training.

UCF offers master’s in informaticsThe University of Central Florida will offer the first

master’s degree program in health–care informatics in the

state beginning this fall. The program will train students

for the expanding, high–tech hospital work force that

develops information systems for patient diagnosis and

billing. The federal government has asked universities to

help address an anticipated need for 40,000 new health–

care informatics professionals in the next decade. Starting

salaries for graduates typically range from $57,000 to

$84,000 annually, UCF says. The online Health–Care

Informatics program will begin with 20 students, and

administrators expect the enrollment will increase to 40

students by the fifth year. Students will take classes online

but also will visit the College of Health and Public Affairs’

Informatics Research Laboratory.

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Other Presenters

Ms. Anne Richardson TRACE International Inc.

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BBN BUSINESS


By Ken Datzman

VIERA — The tens of thousands of seniors

who live in Brevard County now have access to a

business–referral service at no cost, a niche that is

being filled by a new nonprofit agency.

We Help Brevard is looking to build relation-

ships with hundreds of businesses in the region

over the long term, “certifying” these companies

and recommending their services and products to

seniors and caregivers. These services include

everything from air–conditioning repair to roofing

to financial planning.

The organization was formed in December as a

standalone entity whose mission is to assist the

growing number of seniors in the county locate

businesses that have gained the We Help Brevard

“elder–friendly stamp of approval.”

Richard Rossell, executive director of We Help

Brevard, said the startup was the vision of Chris

Stagman, executive director of the Brevard

Alzheimer’s Foundation Inc. The two worked

closely together setting up the We Help Brevard

structure.

“Over the years, the Brevard Alzheimer’s

Foundation has received many calls from people

asking for recommendations of businesses in a

host of areas, from air–conditioning to plumbing

services,” said Rossell, who has worked with the

senior–care community in the county for more

than 20 years and has sat on a number of area

nonprofit boards.

“Chris saw an opportunity in the market to

help seniors locate reputable companies. His

vision was to help people in the community. We

were first going to offer this service through the

Brevard Alzheimer’s Foundation. But as we went

forward, we realized that people might think we

were only interested in helping Alzheimer’s

patients. We Help Brevard is reaching out to the

entire senior community which is growing not

only in Florida but also around the nation,”

Rossell said.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in six

states, including Florida, more than one in every

four residents will be age 65 and older in 2030. “I

have talked to a lot of people in the community

and they say this type of program is really needed

because of the expanding senior population,” said

Rossell, whose team has been very active

addressing organizations and businesses.

We Help Brevard received a grant from the

county for the program, Rossell said. The Brevard

Alzheimer’s Foundation is underwriting the

salaries of the We Help Brevard staff. The

We Help Brevard, a new nonprofit organization, reaches out toseniors in the community by offering a no–cost referral serviceof ‘certified’ businesses; housed at One Senior Place in Viera

experienced team includes program administra-

tors Michael Windom and Al Yorston. “I am proud

of the team we have assembled. We all have the

same vision for this venture — to assist the senior

community,” Rossell said.

Windom manages the referral side of the

operation. “It’s a balancing act right now between

growing the business side and the referral side,”

he said. For referral inquiries, send an e–mail to

[email protected] or call 253–6326.

Don Kramer, who owns One Senior Place,

provided the office space, phone system and

Internet service for We Help Brevard, “which is a

big plus,” said Rossell, who is on the community

board of Riverside National Bank in Brevard.

We Help Brevard has “certified” roughly 75

businesses for participation in the program. There

is no cost to businesses.

“Of the tens of thousands of businesses in the

county, we are trying to find the ‘best–of–the–best’

service providers for our senior callers. The

categories range from A to Z — air–conditioning

repairmen to plumbers to financial planners,

elder–law attorneys and veterinarians. We are

covering the whole gamut,” said Windom, a

former small–business owner in Brevard and a

35–year resident of the county.

Windom said We Help Brevard has identified

120 business categories. “And we would like to

have three businesses per category in order to

give seniors a choice. But we also realize the

county is 72–miles long, and logistics is playing a

role in how we set up the program. So, we are

planning to triplicate the 120 categories.

“For example, We Help Brevard will have 120

categories for Central Brevard (Cocoa, Merritt

Island and Cape Canaveral); and the same for

both the Melbourne and Titusville areas. With

three business suppliers per category, we will

have a database of more than 1,000 We Help

Brevard certified businesses as the program

grows.”

We Help Brevard will make direct referrals to

the businesses once they become certified. The

organization will help educate businesses about

the special needs of seniors.

Windom said the certification processes

includes a one–on–one interview with the

businessowner, due–diligence paperwork checks

of insurance coverage and state license, as well as

checks with the Better Business Bureau and the

Chambers of Commerce. The business must also

attend a workshop conducted by We Help

Brevard.

Rossell said his organization recently held a

training–awareness workshop for the 14 branch

managers of Riverside National Bank in the county, reviewing the special

concerns of seniors.

Once a business is recommended to a senior in the community and the

service is rendered, We Help Brevard follows up with a call to see if the

business met the consumer’s expectation, said Windom. “We want to make

sure we don’t have anybody involved in the system that is not taking our

seniors’ interest to heart.”

We Help Brevard will “collaborate with 211 Brevard,” said Yorston, a

native Floridian who has worked for the Brevard County government the

past 15 years, including time with the Housing and Human Services

Department.

A not–for–profit, 211 Brevard connects people and social services by

providing information, referral, and crisis intervention and training.

“We want to be able to provide a service similar to 211 Brevard because

we expect to have repeat callers as the program grows into a success and the

customers are pleased with the services. We want to be able to track the calls

on the client side and also be able to demonstrate to businesses, either

through a monthly or quarterly report, how many referrals we are sending to

them and the types of businesses that are in demand from seniors in the

community,” Yorston said.

We Help Brevard has identified 120 business categories in the senior market and isworking to build a large database of elder–care friendly service providers that it willrecommend to seniors when they call requesting information. There is no cost to thesenior or to the participating business. From left: Michael Windom, program admin-istrator; Al Yorston, program administrator; and Richard Rossell, executive director.


Visit BrevardBusinessNews.com for Advertising InformationAPRIL 13, 2009

BBN BUSINESS


By Ken Datzman

In today’s economy, businesses large and

small are scrambling to create more efficiencies

throughout their organizations in order to better

compete in one of the most challenging environ-

ments in years.

Businesses these days are battling not only

their competition, but also the economy.

As a result of a rising–cost and decreasing–

revenue scenario for many businesses, an

increasing number of companies are wringing

greater efficiencies from their communications

platform.

“Businesses have a sense of urgency in

looking for ways to control costs while becoming

more efficient with their communications

needs,” said Brian Craven, director of public

affairs and communications for Bright House

Networks in greater Orlando.

Bright House has cut a clear path to the

doors of businesses in Brevard County and in

Central Florida with its customized Network

Business Solutions suite of services, which

focuses “on each businessowner’s needs. It offers

businesses an opportunity to do much more

communicating for less money.”

In an effort to help companies better compete

in a downsized economy, Craven said Bright

House has expanded its service offerings for

large customers, and has enhanced its products

for home–based businesses as well as for small

and medium–size enterprises.

The Bright House team has been in the local

market, educating commercial customers about

the service offerings the company has rolled out

to the business community.

“For small and medium businesses, Bright

House Networks offers a host of services,

including ‘Business Phone,’ high–speed Internet

access, as well as remote–data backup, user–

level security, and wireless workplaces,” he said.

Craven adds, “The health–care industry is an

example of the kind of business that can benefit

from Bright House Networks Business Solu-

tions’ products and service offerings. Small

medical and dental practices, laboratories,

clinics and other care–focused businesses are

depending more and more on technology for

everything from filing claims to managing

patient information.”

He says technology is reshaping the health–

care industry. “Technology is not just about

improved patient care; it is essential for routine

communications and regulatory compliance, and

Bright House Networks expands service offerings for businesses,as tight economy forces companies of all sizes to look for ways tobecome more efficient and save on their communications costs

is in the midst of constant change. A data

explosion is occurring thanks to the growing use

of digital imaging and increased storage

demands for the maintenance of patient records,

which is mandated by both government and

insurance regulations.”

President Barrack Obama recently an-

nounced that, acting in conjunction with

Congress, he is prepared to make the immediate

investments necessary to ensure that within five

years all of America’s medical records are

computerized.

For Tessie Lee of Edgewater Internal

Medicine, a critical need for the busy office is

affordable business–phone service, she said.

“We follow up with a lot of patients and when

we call out of our 386 area code, it has always

been long distance. The Business Solutions

Business Phone service we are getting from

Bright House Networks is very cost–effective

because we make a lot of long–distance phone

calls. With their service, we can call without

additional long–distance expense because it is

part of the package,” Lee said.

Another area that Craven’s company is

emphasizing with its customized communica-

tions solutions is high–speed Internet. “Much of

the data that drives an organization travels

across the Internet. Business–caliber Internet

access from Bright House Networks Business

Solutions provides the dependable Internet

backbone that a business needs to manage that

growing volume of data,” he said.

A range of plans makes it easy to expand

Internet service, with increased bandwidth as

well as free remote–data backup, and to

preserve critical files in the event of system

failure, fire or other disaster, Craven said. “Also

included in the service package is an Internet–

security suite that effectively blocks viruses and

other threats.”

The Internet is at the center of the technol-

ogy universe and broadband access via cable

modem is probably suitable to meet the current

needs of a business. But as a business continues

to grow and expand, “Bright House Networks

can offer branch–connectivity, higher storage

capacity, direct–fiber access and other services

to ensure that a businessowner’s technology

always keeps pace with his requirements.”

Yet another increasingly popular Business

Solutions service is “Business TV.” Bright House

Networks can help enhance customers’ experi-

ence or keep employees informed with digital

cable that is tailored to meet a company’s

specific needs, Craven said. Programming

includes news, weather and traffic, stock–market reports, entertainment,

sports, and commercial–free music.

Bright House Networks rewards teachers in the region for using cable

programs to help educate students in the classroom. Annually, the

company honors a group of teachers who have been selected as some of the

most innovative educators, as part of the Cable in the Classroom program

that enhances the learning experiences for students.

Along with attending a recognition banquet — the Star Teacher Awards

gala — Bright House Networks recognizes each winning teacher in the

program with a $10,000 cash prize.

Bright House Networks provides the connection and basic cable service

free of charge to virtually all schools in the company’s service areas.

Connected schools receive more than 500 hours of commercial–free,

educational programming each month at no charge through Bright House

Networks membership in Cable in the Classroom.

Businesses are not only battling their competitors, but also a slow–growing economy.To help companies increase their communications capabilities in a cost–effective way,Bright House Networks Business Solutions offers an expanded suite of servicescustomized to meet the individual businessowner’s needs. The Bright House teamincludes, from left: Ronnie Dougan, broadband technician; Brian Craven, director ofpublic affairs and communications; and Dave Bolton, commercial sales supervisor,Business Solutions.



BBN DIGEST


Parrish Medical employees raise$130,000 for transportation van

TITUSVILLE — Parrish Medical Center employees

raised $130,000 in their first three–year employee–giving

campaign that concluded in February with a check

presentation to the Parrish Medical Center board of

directors.

Co–chaired by Thomasina Middleton, PMC financial

analyst, and Nancy Rhinelander, PMC finance program

assistant, the Parrish employee Circle of Giving committee

rallied employees to select a project that would make the

most impact in their community. Funds raised by employ-

ees “were matched dollar–for–dollar by PMC to support

the Healing in Motion van transportation program,” which

brought the program total to $260,000.

In operation since April 2007, the van transports

seniors and others without transportation to and from the

hospital. It will also be used in the same way for transport

to and from the Health Village at Main Street PMC, when

it opens in 2010 on PMC’s campus.

Since the program was initiated, roughly 100 patients

per month have been provided transportation, according to

Deena Ellis, security manager. Security oversees the PMC

van program and the head driver is PMC security officer

Robert Kinne.

“We knew PMC employees really cared about the

community, but I never imagined we could raise the

money, buy the van, hire a driver and put the Healing in

Motion transportation service in place for our community,”

said Thomasina Middleton, one of the first co–chairpersons

for the Circle of Giving and a current committee volunteer.

“I am so proud of my fellow employees and the Circle of

Giving committee that helped make this program happen.”

The Circle of Giving committee is an extension of the

Jess Parrish Medical Foundation. JPMF’s two signature

projects are The Health Village at Main Street PMC and

The Children’s Center. For more information about the

organization, call 269–4066.

16th Children’s Festival set for April 18The Child Care Association of Brevard County Inc. will

host its 16th annual Children’s Festival from 10 a.m. to 4

p.m. on April 18 at Riverfront Park in Cocoa Village. The

theme of this year’s event is “Dr. Seuss’s Birthday Celebra-

tion,” and will feature games, stage performances,

storytellers, arts and crafts, face–painting, fishing and

child–safety activities. Hundreds of vendors will partici-

pate in the event. All activities and refreshments will be

offered free of charge to everyone in attendance, thanks to

the event sponsors — Sam’s Club, Coca–Cola Bottling Co.

of Cocoa, Creative Network Innovations Inc., Lacey’s Lock

Service, E.K. Coggin Plumbing and others.

Jazz and art event April 24 in TitusvilleA “Jazz and Poetry Art Explosion” event will be held

from 5 to 9 p.m. on April 24 in Titusville. The program will

feature art displays in every form, demonstrations,

interactive activities for children, live jazz, poetry perform-

ers and more in Space View Park and downtown

Titusville. Jazz and poetry performers who are interested

in participating should contact Gina at the Titusville

Chamber (267–3036), or send an e–mail message to

[email protected].

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BBN DIGESTWomen’s History Month Awardshonor its first male, four Women

This year’s National Women’s History Month

ceremony at Florida Institute of Technology presented

two awards to five deserving recipients on March 24.

The Green Ribbon Award for Women honors an

individual who is “Taking the Lead to Save Our Planet.”

Nominations included women who have shown leader-

ship in preserving the natural environment and revers-

ing ecological destruction, as well as being innovative in

their business practices to help save the environment.

The first Green Ribbon Award honored Cari Curri,

founder of Kalianas Med Spa and Wellness Center,

which opened its doors in Melbourne in March 2007. The

center, a green materials renovated hardware store, is

working on its Leadership in Energy and Environmental

Design certification.

Presented by the Florida Tech Alumni Association,

the Joan Bixby Award recognizes a Florida Tech staff or

faculty member who enhances the climate for women’s

participation and development on campus. The award is

named in honor of a Florida Tech alumna, who is a

former university administrator and Melbourne resident.

For the first time, the Joan Bixby Award was pre-

sented to a male staff member, Ken Droscher, associate

vice president for advancement. Other winners were staff

members Carey Gleason, assistant vice president for

advancement; and Mary Bonhomme, associate provost

for online learning; and student Melissa Rego, a senior in

aviation management with flight and president of the

student chapter of Women in Aviation, International.

Bixby, who earned a master’s degree in contract and

procurement management in 1975, started her univer-

sity career as development director in 1965. She left

Florida Tech’s employ in 1975 for a career as a govern-

ment–contracting officer and remains an active member

of the university community.

The event’s partners were the Florida Tech Alumni

Association, Women’s Business Center at Florida Tech,

Maloon–Gibson and Associates, Business and Profes-

sional Women Association and Brevard County Woman

newspaper.

Certified General Contractors scholarshipsJim Stivers, president of Certified General Contrac-

tors Inc. of Melbourne, recently announced that Francisco

Villa participated in the CGC Inc. Scholarship Program

for four years, studying at Stetson University in the

master’s music program. Villa continued his education

studying under Gary Hoffman in Austria in the summer

of 2006. He had the opportunity to play with the Boston

Symphony in 2007 and performed at Carnegie Hall in

February 2009. For the last three years CGC has also

funded a scholarship, awarded to Kerri O’Brian in honor

of Clara Zeagle, Jim Stivers’ mother, through the United

Methodist Church. O’Brian is a junior at Gordon College.

And CGC is in its sixth year of funding a scholarship in

honor of Charles Hawkins Sr., through the 100 Black

Men of Orlando. “The future success of our community

and the overall prosperity of our economy rely heavily on

educating our youth,” said Jim Stivers. “CGC plans to

continue to help young people strive to reach their goals.”

We Help Brevard

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BBN DIGEST

Brevard Symphony Orchestra to close55th season with ‘Rhapsodic Variations’

The Brevard Symphony Orchestra will perform at 8 p.m. on Saturday, April 18, at the

King Center on the Brevard Community College campus in Melbourne.

“Rhapsodic Variations,” a piano concerto, will showcase musical portraits created by

composer Edward Elgar.

This performance will feature “three of the most colorful and melodic pieces ever

written.” The concert opens with Ravel’s “Mother Goose Suite,” which brings five fairytales

to life. The second selection, Rachmaninoff’s popular rhapsody on a “Theme of Paganini,”

will be performed by Van Cliburn. Closing the concert and the BSO’s 55th season is what

Christopher Confessore, the BSO music director and principal conductor, rates as “one of

his top five favorite compositions, “Elgar’s Engima Variations.”

“This work is Elgar’s signature piece, the one he is known for composing. If he had not

had the idea to create this piece, we may have never heard of him or his other works and

what a shame that would have been,” Confessore said.

For more details, visit www.brevardsymphony.com, where you can view a short video

by Confessore and read detailed program notes.

Tickets range from $34 to $45. Students, teachers and military personnel receive a

discount. Contact the King Center box office at 242–2219, or visit www.kingcenter.com.

Eastminster to host ‘Couples Night’ eventEastminster Presbyterian Church in Indialantic will host “Couples Night” at 8 p.m., on

Friday, April 17. “We’re hoping to strengthen marriages in our community through this

event,” said Betsy Vosburgh, pastors’ assistant. The program includes a free showing of

the popular “Fireproof” movie, “an action–packed love story about a fireman, his wife, and

a marriage worth rescuing.” Pizza for the family and childcare (to age 11) will be provided.

Eastminster Presbyterian Church is located on the corner of Riverside Drive and Fifth

Avenue. The event is open to all couples, regardless of their church affiliation. The

deadline to make a reservation is April 15. Call 723–8371 to RSVP.

Pugh opens Business Resource Center in Port St. JohnDavid Pugh has opened the Business Resource Center in Port St. John. The facility

caters to small–business owners “who are trying to move from their home office to a

professional setting.” For less than $500 a month, “a client gets a furnished office, a

receptionist, a full–size commercial–grade copier, wireless Internet access, a fax, a phone

and use of a conference room,” he said. “We are trying to make it affordable for someone to

start a business, or for that matter, stay in business.” The BRC office layout allows

businesses to “keep the look of a full–service company at a fraction of the cost.”

Titusville’s Sivert is Leadership Bluegrass gradThe International Bluegrass Music Association has announced the graduating class of

Leadership Bluegrass 2009. The graduates include Titusville’s Tommy Sivert, of Gold

Tone Musical Instruments. Leadership Bluegrass, now in its 10th year with more than

225 alumni, is an intensive three–day program of advanced level, interactive–learning

experiences that invites participants to examine the “challenges and opportunities facing

our music along with related leadership issues.” Leadership Bluegrass 2009 was hosted

March 10–12 at BMI in Nashville, Tenn. It was led by Fred Bartenstein, a noted blue-

grass historian. Each year roughly 25 individuals are selected to participate in Bluegrass

Leadership.

Graduate student at Tech wins prestigious awardZiad Saleh, Florida Institute of Technology doctoral candidate in the Geospace Physics

Laboratory in the department of physics and space sciences, received an “Outstanding

Student Paper Award” for his presentation at the American Geophysical Union (AGU)

meeting last fall. The paper, “Properties of the X–ray Emission from Rocket–triggered and

Natural Lightning as Measured by the Thunderstorm Energetic Radiation Array,” was

recognized by the Atmospheric and Space Electricity focus group of the AGU as among the

best of a strong group of student papers at the meeting. The winning paper will be

announced in Eos, an upcoming weekly newspaper of AGU. Saleh is an international

student who grew up in a small village in Lebanon. He received his bachelor’s degree in

physics and electronics from there and his master’s degree in electrical and computer

engineering from the University of Florida. Saleh’s Florida Tech advisers are Dr. Joseph

Dwyer and Dr. Hamid Rassoul, department of physics and space sciences professors.

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Florida Tech Ethics ConferenceApril 14 at Harris in Melbourne

The Center for Ethics and Leadership at the Florida Tech College of Business will host

its ninth annual Ethics Conference, “Ethical Accountability in Today’s Economy: Insights

from Government, Business and Academic Leaders,” on Tuesday, April 14.

It will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Harris Corp. Phillip W. Farmer

Customer Briefing Center, in Melbourne.

The conference will feature Robert Cusick, director of the U.S. Office of Government

Ethics, who will speak from 1 to 2 p.m. Cusick will deliver the keynote address, “Does

National Financial Recovery Require an Ethical Paradigm Shift?”

Cusick was appointed in 2006 by former President George W. Bush to a five–year term

to examine ethics laws and policy in the executive branch of the federal government. The

office has the authority to issue formal opinions in ethics matters, to review the ethics

programs in all departments of the federal government, to assist federal agencies in

achieving ethical compliance and to work with other nations in treaty matters affecting

government corruption.

Cusick received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Louisville and his law

degree from that university’s Brandeis School of Law. He began his legal career as a Navy

judge advocate general officer working first in the headquarters office of the JAG and later

at sea as the legal officer of the attack aircraft carrier USS America.

Dr. Robert Niebuhr, dean of the Florida Tech College of Business, will introduce the

speakers.

The morning will begin with remarks by the Florida Tech Robert L. Long Professor of

Ethics Isabella Bunn and a talk by Anne Richardson, director of member services for

Trace International Inc. A leading resource in addressing problems of corruption, this

nonprofit organization provides practical anti–bribery compliance solutions for multina-

tional companies.

A morning panel, “Educating Future Leaders on Ethical Practices,” will be moderated

by Dr. Roger Manley, Florida Tech professor of business. Panelists include Dr. Robert

McNulty of the Center for Business Ethics at Bentley University.

An afternoon panel, “Corporate Compliance,” will be moderated by John Gronda, vice

president, counsel for labor, employment and employee benefits at Harris Corp. Panelists

will include Allan Sullivan and Lee Stapleton of the Miami law firm of Baker &

McKenzie, and Richardson.

Additionally, the winning team in the 2009 Florida Tech High School Business Ethics

Competition, Palm Bay High School, will make a presentation in late morning.

The conference is cosponsored by Harris Corp. Admission is $25. For more information

and to make reservations, call 674–7327 or send e–mail message to [email protected].

Florida Syngas revamps its Web siteFlorida Syngas LLC of Grant has launched its overhauled Web site at

www.floridasyngas.com. The site details the chronology of the organization and includes a

layman’s description of the technical jargon that is germane to the field of plasma physics,

as well as an animated photograph of an actual toroidal plasma arc. The site also features

the firm’s newest trademark GlidArc, which is the name given to the various geometri-

cally shaped plasma arcs created in the Florida Syngas equipment. A movie clip showing

the working prototype is live on the site. Florida Syngas caters to the renewable energy

market. A variation of GlidArc is used to convert municipal solid waste as well as solid

animal wastes to usable clean energy.

County needs volunteers for waterways programThe Brevard County Boating and Waterways Program is actively seeking participants

for working groups associated with the development of the Brevard County Comprehen-

sive Maritime Management Master Plan (CM3P). These groups will focus on the develop-

ment of ideas associated with the promotion of safe navigation and the coordination of

planning efforts with local, regional and state governments. To view the project goals and

a copy of the county commission–approved CM3P outline, along with meeting notes, visit

www.brevardcounty.us/environmental_management/boating_waterways.cfm. Commit-

ment to a working group will involve about 10 meetings over a four–month period.

Meetings are tentatively scheduled to begin in May. For more information or to partici-

pate in a working group, contact Matt Culver at 633–2016, or send an e–mail message to

[email protected].

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600 people attend Prevent!fund–raiser at the auditorium

More than 600 people attended the recent Prevent! of Brevard Jamboree at the

Melbourne Auditorium. The funds raised help support Prevent!’s programs in the county.

The honorary chairs for the event were Dick and Gail Beagley, Roger and Marilyn

Dobson, John and Darcia Francey, and Bjornar and Bjorg Hermansen. The Jamboree was

chaired by Larry and Beth McIntyre.

The Jamboree’s major sponsors included: Howard and Christine Lance, John and

Ruthann Genoni, Brevard County Sheriff’s Department, Gannett/Florida Today, Harris

Corp., Live TV, Mercedes–Benz, Porsche, Audi of Melbourne, Publix Super Market

Charities, BB&T Bank, Myra Igo Haley, Applied Global Technologies, Jim and Jonnie

Swann, and Clear Channel Outdoor Inc.

Among those attending the Jamboree were: Mary and Jeff Nickles, John and Ruthann

Genoni, Jim Weibert, Bob and Sharon Leichtenberg, Sheriff Jack Parker, Ward and

Debbie Kellogg, Tom and Courtney Hermansen, Tom and Sue Daley, Paul Drinkwater,

Dr. Don Astrab, Rick and Kathryn Theisen, Scott and Joan Sorensen, Carl Coddington,

Col. William Mazyck, Jason Steele, Mason and Mary Williams, Dr. Mike Kaliszeski, Mark

and Kim Mikolayczyk, Larry and Anne Davis, Chas and Vonnie Hoyman, Ken and Liz

Whittaker, Shannon Pittner, Amy Williams, Mel Broom, Peg Zabinski, Frank and Cris

Davies, Gina Kaiser, Harry and Sue Ericson, Paula Tucker, Alex and Pam Litras, Mitch

and Kathryn Varnes, Rita Moreno, Mike and Renee Valletutti, Kay Hemmier and Tim

Deratany.

day and 10–day courses for business executives throughout the year, hoping to give them

a glimpse of the future in their various industries.

At the core of the university’s mission is Kurzweil’s theory of “Technological Singular-

ity,” which theorizes that a number of exponentially growing technologies — such as

nanotechnology and biotechnology — will massively increase human intelligence over the

next two decades and fundamentally reshape the future of humanity.

In his 2005 book, “The Singularity is Near,” Kurzweil predicted that artificial intelli-

gence would soon allow machines to improve themselves with unforeseeable conse-

quences.

“Accelerating technologies is really what the university is focusing on,” Kurzweil said.

“We’re at a point where we can apply these exponentially growing information technolo-

gies to address the pressing problems of humanity. Health and medicine. Poverty.

Democratization.”

Kurzweil, known for his inventions along with his futuristic writings, will act as

chancellor and trustee of the new school. He’ll be joined by Diamandis, who will act as vice

chancellor and trustee, and Salim Ismail, a former Yahoo executive, who will work as

executive director.

Kurzweil and Diamandis began talking about creating the school last year, which led

to a semi–secret meeting on the grounds of NASA Ames on Sept. 20.

Nobel Prize–winning scientists joined up with NASA engineers and executives from

companies like Google Inc. to brainstorm ideas for the new university. In the end, Google

provided some money and NASA provided the physical space to house the school.

Google cofounder Larry Page played a key role in focusing the school’s mission,

encouraging its founders to “address the grand challenges of humanity,” according to

Kurzweil.

“Disruptive innovation usually comes about when you mash together different

disciplines,” said Ismail, who will be the hands–on manager of Singularity U. “It’s

important to note that we intend to complement the Stanfords and MITs of the world. We

hope to bring together the products of those schools and help connect them.”

Singularity UniversityContinued from page 1

Restaurant group to meet in Cocoa BeachThe Space Coast Chapter of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association will hold

its membership dinner meeting at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, April 13, at the Italian Courtyard

in Cocoa Beach. Bill Burke, president of First Commonwealth, will provide a presentation

on the changes in the SBA loan programs. The fee is $35 per person and the event is open

to the public. For more information or to RSVP, call Shelly Siceloff at (407) 478–1067.

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BBN SPECIAL FOCUSWater IssueContinued from page 1these are companies with fewer than 10 employees.

Fan, who earned his doctorate degree from Beijing

University and conducts research in science policy and

society, says China needs to embrace a bold three–prong

vision to better address its environmental challenges.

“First, China needs to invest more money in the

research and development of new technologies that can

benefit the environment. Secondly, we need to improve

managing at the local level and keep open a free flow of

information about the environment. Lastly, it’s very

important to promote participation in public–policy

making.”

Last year, China overtook the U.S. to become the

world’s largest emitter of carbon dioxide, according to the

U.S. Green Building Council. With growth comes new

buildings. The building surge has created an enormous

appetite for energy. Today, skyscrapers are sprouting

everywhere in China.

The Chinese government has set ambitious goals for

reducing emissions and increasing energy efficiency by

2010. A nine–story, modern–looking office building in

Beijing provides one example of how the government is

tackling the problem. China’s Ministry of Science and

Technology built it a few years ago, in collaboration with

the U.S. Department of Energy. In 2005, the structure

became China’s first to receive gold–level certification from

the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design

rating system, recognized internationally as a standard of

excellence.

Fan was part of a global roundtable discussion on

sustainability that was conducted at Florida Institute of

Technology in Melbourne. This gathering took place

following “Sustainability 2009: The Next Horizon,” an

interdisciplinary, two–day forum put on by the Florida

Tech College of Science, the College of Business, and

Budapest University of Technology and Economics.

Experts from a number of countries, including Mexico,

China, Hungary and Germany, gave their opinions at the

roundtable on the future of the environment. The world

population is projected to reach 7 billion people early in

2012, up from the current 6.8 billion, and surpass 9 billion

by 2050, says a March 2009 report by the United Nations.

The hottest topic among the panel was the world’s

water supply. “The issue is not only drinkable water but

also human rights. In the absence of drinkable water, you

don’t have health,” said Dr. Gordon Nelson, dean of the

Florida Tech College of Science and cofounder of the

annual Sustainability Forum that is hosted at the private

Melbourne school on a rotating basis. The 2010 conference

is being planned for Berlin, Germany.

Dr. Nelson’s colleague, Virender Sharma, a chemistry

professor at Florida Tech, conducts research on water

pollution, among other areas of interest. “No question,

water is the major sustainability issue around the world.

As part of my research, I try to develop new technologies

that address these issues. I collaborate with people on

every continent,” said Dr. Sharma.

While China has been growing rapidly, the opposite is

happening in Mexico.

“We are so oriented toward the U.S. economy, with the

North American Free Trade Agreement, I think we are

going to have a more severe economic crisis than the other

Latin American countries,” said Dr. Medardo Tapia Uribe,

a Harvard–educated researcher with Mexico’s national

university, who has published 13 books. “The Latin

American Commission on Economic Studies is forecasting

that for 2009, Mexico will have negative GPD growth.

Even Haiti is projected to grow three times more than

Mexico.”

He says two–thirds of his country’s population lives in

poverty. “The Mexican government can say whatever it

chooses, but I have conducted research on income and

poverty in Mexico that supports this statement.” Dr.

Uribe’s research covers the social sciences and the

humanities. He did his doctoral studies at Harvard under

a Fulbright scholarship of the U.S. government and is now

with Universidad Nacional Autooma de Mexico.

Mexico is facing a steep challenge producing safe,

drinkable water. Dr. Uribe says residents of Mexico’s

southern states “suffer the most when it comes to access to

processable water.”

He said only 30 percent of Mexico’s water “receives any

kind of sanitation treatment. According to the federal

constitution, and every state in Mexico has its own

constitution, this is the task of the municipalities. But the

municipalities receive only 6 cents of every peso toward

waste–water treatment.”

The first priority of the National Commission of Water

is sanitation treatment, he said.

Compounding the challenges facing Mexico is a

powerful drug cartel. Since January of this year, 7,000

people have been killed in the crossfire. “It’s a huge

problem; a lot of violence and a lot of blood. The reports say

Mexico’s existence is being threatened. And we are

supposed to be in a transition toward democracy,” he said.

Dr. Uribe added, “The U.S. and Mexico are neighbors.

We are tied for life. President Obama is doing some

challenging things. We hope this inspires our political class

and also puts its citizens in the picture in order to make

the decisions that need to be made in Mexico.”

The researchers who attended the roundtable agreed

that sustainability must be a global movement in order for

it to be effective.

“Concerning the direction of sustainability, I think we

have three worldly aims,” said Dr. Gerhard Banse, who

works for one of the largest research centers in Europe.

“The first aim is to work out the concept of sustainability

and to bring together all the approaches. Next, is to

conduct research in specific areas, such as biomass

production. And the third direction is to organize the

knowledge transfer from one country to the other, and

from universities to enterprises.”

Dr. Banse is a senior scientist at the Research Centre

Karlsruhe, in Karlsruhe, Germany. More than 3,500

people are employed there, working in engineering and

science fields. Dr. Banse is with the Institute for Technol-

ogy Assessment & Systems Analysis, a unit within the

facility where 40 to 50 people are engaged in research.

Professor Imre Hronszky of the Budapest University of

Technology and Economics (BME) says he believes the

development of nanotechnologies will play a role in

sustainability breakthroughs in the future.

“We have to be engaged in the visionary assessment of

the future of technology, such as nanotechnology. We have

to try to understand the possible impact of these new

technologies. The U.S. began this effort by envisioning

converging technologies. In 12 to 15 years, there might be a

new technology that is mightier than informatics,” said Dr.

Hronszky, who cofounded the annual Sustainability

Forum with Dr. Nelson of Florida Tech.

Dr. Hronszky represents Hungary on a variety of

international boards and committees.

In the end, sustainability will not work unless there is

corporate social responsibility, say BME professors Janos

Szlavik and Miklos Fule, who have written a book on the

subject that will be published in May in a number of

languages, including English, by the Hungary Academy of

Sciences.

“We think the topic is timely, as the world is in the

midst of an economic crisis,” said Dr. Fule, a specialist in

environmental economics. “We have to find new regula-

tions regarding the markets. And I think corporate

responsibility could be one of those tools. Especially in the

banking sector, corporate social responsibility is rather

important.”

“We did about three years of research to develop the

book,” said Dr. Slavik, head of the Department of Environ-

mental Economics at BME. “The research centers on a

host of countries, including Italy, Norway, Sweden and the

United Kingdom.”

BME is the oldest engineering university in Europe. Its

roots go back to 1782. Today, it is one of the largest

technical universities in central Europe.

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