Linda L. Gunter of Seagrove purchased an old mill and remodeled it into a bed and breakfast, the Mill House at Richland Creek, in Randolph County. The historic property serves as the location for elegant gatherings, including special occasions and meetings.

“The Outer Banks Cookbook: Recipes & Traditions From N.C.’s Barrier Islands” by North Raleigh’s Elizabeth Wiegand, went into its second printing. The regional cookbook drew interest far from North Carolina. It has been featured in newspapers from Baltimore to Omaha to California, and it’s being sold in the U.K., Japan, Australia, Japan and India.

Chatham Artist Guild member Joyce Bryon has returned to her roots, teaching pottery skills at Central Carolina Community College.

Several Triangle authors came out with new novels, including:
• “Child of the South,” a gripping tale in which loyalty, duty and love collide in a devastated South, published by Penguin and written by Joanna Catherine Scott of Chapel Hill, author of “The Road From Chapel Hill.”
• “Reunion,” a heartfelt drama about buried secrets, published by Random House and written by Therese Fowler of Raleigh, whose debut novel was “Souvenir.”

Sandra W. Mitterling, an attorney in Raleigh law firm Ragsdale Liggett, has been elected a new partner. Mitterling concentrates in insurance defense and commercial litigation. She is admitted to practice in N.C. state courts as well as U.S. District Court for the Eastern, Middle and Western districts of North Carolina, the Fourth Circuit Federal Court of Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court.

The Richards Advantage, the local McDonald’s franchisee, announced its event coordinator team: Julie Barberio of Kildaire Farm Road, Cary and Cameron Village, Raleigh; Christy Clayton of Crossroads, Cary; Teresa Connor of Western Boulevard, Raleigh; Tara Haynes of Lake Boone Trail, Raleigh; and Scharmen Konieczka of Millbrook, Raleigh.

Sarah M. Place, president and CEO of Place Trade Financial, a global, full-service financial services and online trading firm, announced the firm is celebrating seven years in the Triangle and plans to increase the number of financial advisors this year. Also, Carly Spowart is the new marketing assistant in Place Trade Financial’s downtown Raleigh branch office.

Décor Coach of Apex received the 2008 Angie’s List Super Service Award, which goes to companies that have achieved and maintained a superior service rating on the Web site. Décor Coach, owned by Jodi Schavone, is dedicated to helping Triangle homeowners become less overwhelmed with decorating. 

August Cohen of Raleigh-based GetHiredStayHired.com, which assists professionals with resumes, interviews and job-search strategies, earned the certified professional resume writer designation.

Cary’s ReEnchant Planet Earth, a woman-owned and operated global initiative created to inspire, empower and educate people, joined with Enlightus.com to create a Global Learning Institute. 

Elaine Buxton, president of Confero, announced that the firm was named one of the top 100 women-owned businesses in North Carolina for 2008 by DiversityBusiness.com. The Web site conducted its ninth annual survey of more than 650,000 businesses in the United States for the awards, which are based on annual gross sales. Confero is a Cary-based customer experience measurements firm specializing in mystery shopping services and customer satisfaction surveys for the retail, automotive, banking and food industries.

Mary Larsen, owner of Raleigh’s Mary Larsen Designs and GrowYourDesignBiz. com, will speak at the International Window Coverings Expo in Atlanta in May.

Ashley Harrington Andrews was promoted to associate account executive in the public relations department of Howard, Merrell & Partners, the Raleigh-based strategic branding and advertising agency.

Barbara Clark, a wedding planner at An Elegant Affair in Raleigh, has renewed her membership in the Association of Bridal Consultants.

Katie Page of Minding Your Matters Organizing earned certificates of study in client administration and understanding the needs of the elderly from the National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization.

Six stylists from Raleigh-based BLO, including Rachael Clark, Melanie Horan, Theresa Lyon, Jessica Richards and Brittany Wilson, became Redken-certified haircolorists, having passed the training program and certification exam, which includes written, practical and scenario testing. 

The N.C. chapter of the Public Relations Society of America announced its newly elected officers and directors for 2009. Officers include: Sarah Lamm of the UNC General Alumni Association — vice president and membership chair; Meredith Blalock of RBC Centura — secretary; and Cindy Gardiner, APR, of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of N.C. — immediate past president and programs co-chair. Among newly elected directors are: Kathy Bartlett, APR, of GlaxoSmithKline — accreditations chair; Rebekah Powers of AlertNow — awards co-chair; Steffi Kinton of the UNC General Alumni Association — Public Relations Student Society of America chair; Gena Renfrow of Reach Communications — programs co-chair; Kelly Mills of Gibbs & Soell — Web site/database/Job Bank chair; Katherine Smart, independent consultant — assembly delegate and Valerie Egel of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of N.C. — assembly delegate.

The Raleigh-Durham chapter of Executive Women International announced its 2009 board of directors: Rhonda Lowe, president; Deb Dinkle, vice president; Mary Margaret Harris, treasurer; and Scharmen Konieczka, membership director.

For the fifth year, sisters Cindy Hynes and Joyce Kerns handled thousands of cases of baked goods as voluntary coordinators of Girl Scout cookie sales in Orange County.

For the ninth consecutive year, Lavendar and Lace donated to SAFEchild, Wake County’s non-profit child-abuse-prevention agency, said Marjorie Menestres, the group’s executive director. Lavender and Lace, located in Raleigh’s Cameron Village, sells elegant linens, sleepwear, toiletries and bath items and is owned by Jeanne Clay.

Susan Maravetz, personal and wellness coach and founder of The Essential Path, became president of Raleigh’s Chix in Business and delivered a program on stress management.

Triangle Commercial Real Estate Women, an organization that provides a forum for fostering relationships among those in the field, announced its 2009 board of directors. It includes: Conni Tucker, Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce — president; Laura Hulsey, RBC Center — president-elect; Marie Stapleton, Bank of America — membership; Camille Stell, K+L Gates Law Firm — public relations; Angela Murphy, Ross Deckard Architects — special events; Lisa Jackson, Wachovia — treasurer; Jill Wells Heath, Mulkey — past president; Heather Denny, McDonald York Construction; Susan Hayden, Fidelity National Financial; Eve Pilkington, GVA Advantis Construction; Jenna Geigerman, BJAC; Pat O’Quinn, Paragon Commercial; Jane Brasier, S&ME; Kerry Saunders, NAI Carolantic — executive administrator. The group’s committee chairs include Suzanne Griffin, RBC Bank — membership; Nancy Clemons, John R. McAdams Co. — public relations; Cindy Anderson, RSM McGladrey — finance; Brent Jayes, Meetings on Cue — Champion Awards; Denise Bennett, Focus Visions Mortgage Group and Denise Bennett Business Strategies – sponsorship; Lucille Zane, American Asset — community involvement; and Marirose Steigerwald, Workforce Chemistry — programs and networking.

Kathy Beacham joined Coldwell Banker Howard Perry and Walston as a broker associate. 

Allen Tate Realtors announced:
• Jill Morin joined the Wake Forest-Rolesville office.
• Marjorie Black joined the Brier Creek office.
• Julie Keelan received top honors in recognition of her outstanding sales achievements for 2008.
• Sue Doninger Greer, of the Raleigh-Glenwood office, was named marketing representative for Finley Crest, a new community in North Raleigh.
• Laura Sutton joined Allen Tate Mortgage Services and will be based in the Falls of Neuse, Raleigh, office.

AnnMarie Janni, a Raleigh-area Realtor, has received top honors in recognition of her outstanding achievements.

ERA Pacesetters Realty announced that sales leaders for the month of February included Nancy Guenther, Terri McCall, Pat McElroy, Elisabeth Smith, Mallika Perera, Lisa Ligouri and Debbie Bell.

Tracy Santrock, a sales associate with Fonville Morisey Realty in Cary, was awarded the certified residential specialist designation by the Council of Residential Specialists. Also, Cindy Doan joined the firm as a full-time sales associate in the Chapel Hill office.

RE/MAX United Realtor Louise Griffin is the 2009 president of the Raleigh Woman’s Council of Realtors.

Realtor Gennell Kessler joined the Cary office of Coldwell Banker Advantage.

Penny Washington, CEO of Wake Health Services, a private, nonprofit medical practice serving 25,000 patients in Wake and Franklin counties, announced the new board members who began serving terms in the first quarter of this year. They include: Melissa Barnes, support specialist for Community Alternatives of N.C.; Sandlin Davenport, administrative manager at Duke University Hospital; Tara Minter, research assistant with the N.C. Council for Women/Domestic Violence Commission; Tamara Oyejide, patient recruitment manager for Kendle International; Desiree Peterson, an advocate for people with disabilities and Rhonda Raney, an attorney who’s assistant secretary for the N.C. Dept. of Crime Control and Public Safety.

Medical aestheticians at Raleigh’s Blue Water Spa made the following spa-service donations:
• Samara Bauer, Mari Beth Hedeman and Michelle Preston — $3,000 to the Carolina Hurricanes Kids N’ Community Foundation.
• Jennifer Hassett and Thearadise Beaver — $6,000 to the American Heart Association’s Triangle Heart Ball.

DiabetesSisters, a one-year-old, Durham- based nonprofit whose mission is to create unity and empowerment among women with diabetes, received a capacity building grant of almost $10,000 from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of N.C. Foundation.

WakeMed Children’s Diabetes & Endocrinology received the 2009 Provider of the Year Award from the American Diabetes Association. Also, Kim Warlick, RN, children’s diabetes and endocrinology patient educator, received the association’s Cure Care Commitment Award.

Marie Mantle, Lia Watson, Markie Hayes, Ariana Hedeman and Becki Sharpe, staff members of Michael Law MD Aesthetic Plastic Surgery in Raleigh, delivered more than 8,000 pounds of food to the Interfaith Food Shuttle as a result of client donations.