Arts

The second book of poetry by Maureen A. Sherbondy of Raleigh, “Praying at Coffee Shops,” is forthcoming in March from publisher Main Street Rag.

A new series by Dianne T. Rodwell is displayed this month at Artspace in Raleigh.

Author Elizabeth Gilbert was selected to speak at the Center for Women Writers at Salem College in Winston-Salem. A book signing followed the program. Her most recent book is the No. 1 New York Times best-selling memoir “Eat, Pray, Love,” about the year she spent traveling the world alone after a difficult divorce.

Valeria X. D’Alcantara of Hillsborough wrote an original short story that has been published in the newly released “Chicken Soup for the Soul Delectable Series – Chocolate, Coffee, Tea and Wine.”

A portrait by Cara Galati, of f8 Photo Studios in Raleigh, was chosen for Lifetime TV’s on-line “Faces of Breast Cancer” campaign.

A piece by Raleigh artist Suzy Andron, titled “Healing Waters,” was selected to represent the month of March in the Women’s Health Information Center calendar project for 2008.

“Runt: The Omega Wolf,” a book by Sheila La'more of Raleigh, was printed by PublishAmerica.

Business

Eileen Batson of Batson Group Marketing and PR in Raleigh, is now offering the Ribbon Gift and Incentive program.

Blueplate PR, a public relations agency in downtown Raleigh, was contracted to work for Sedna Films of Santa Monica, Calif. Blueplate PR is owned and operated by Kim Weiss.

Jennifer C. Strickland of Apex has joined DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen of the Triangle as a designer.

Dawn Cupero, owner of Vines Bistro, Cary’s newest Italian restaurant, hosted the “Taste of Malibu” wine dinner this month.

Eileen Stevie, president of Stevie Organizing Services in Cary, presents “How to Stow Your Stuff After the Holidays!” this month at My Girlfriend’s Closet boutique in downtown Apex.

Raleigh’s Blue Water Spa/Michael Law MD Aesthetic Plastic Surgery announced the following:
• Kile Law, owner of Blue Water Spa, was interviewed for an article titled “Transplanting Your Practice,” which will appear in Plastic Surgery Products magazine.
• After extensive training under plastic surgeon Dr. Michael Law, physician’s assistant Amy VanVooren and registered nurse Jenny Bullock now administer Botox and Restylane.
• Katie Yaduskey added coordinator of charitable giving to her list of responsibilities at the spa.
• Office manager Amaris Balkus has taken on the additional role of manager of patient relations. • Spa manager Mari Beth Hedeman now heads up training and development for aesthetic laser services. Nicole Bucalo, account executive in the public relations department at Howard, Merrel & Partners, was recently named by Triangle Catalyst magazine as one of the Top 10 Young Professionals Under 35 in the Triangle.

Dr. Lisa Roberts, owner of Gynecology and Laparoscopic Surgeons, in Raleigh, is participating in the 36th Global Congress of Minimally Invasive Gynecology to teach practice courses and lead discussions.

Lou Jurkowski, CEO of BJAC, a Raleigh design firm, announced that Dana Mortensen joined the firm as an interior designer.

Fine Living TV Network selected the following professional organizers for its new series, Time Makeover:
• Perri Kersh of Chapel Hill, founder of Neat Freak, a consulting business
• Geralin Thomas of Cary, certified professional organizer for the National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization
• Cyndy Ratcliffe of Wake Forest, founder of Organizing Solutions
Janice Cutler announced the opening of her shop, North Raleigh Florist, a full-service provider of fresh and silk flowers, rentals for special events and custom bouquets as well as baskets and balloons. The company has launched a Web site at www.northraleighfloristinc.com.

Lorana Price, CEO and founder of Holy Cow Branding in Cary, announced that the firm has won two MarCom Awards for outstanding creative work from the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals.

The N.C. Department of Crime Control and Public Safety announced the graduation of the following women from the 24th Alcohol Law Enforcement basic school: Rebecca Lynn Best, Mary Ziglar Williams and Lauren Dee Wilson.

Suzanne Mauget was named general manager of Bogart’s American Grill in Raleigh.

Mechanics and Farmers Bank CEO, Kim D. Saunders of Durham, was asked by U.S. Rep. Melvin Watt to speak before a subcommittee of the House Committee on Financial Services in Washington, D.C.

Beth McCauley was hired as head of lower school at Trinity Academy of Raleigh, a K-12 college preparatory school.

Centrifuge Media, a multimedia, audiovisual and technology solutions company in Morrisville, announced that Jennifer Gillman was named office manager.

Organizations

Janice Russell, Katie Page and Kc Coolbaugh of the Minding Your Matters Organizing team in Cary donated services as a raffle item for the Wake County SPCA Fur Ball.

The Chapel Hill Town Council celebrated the cycling achievement of Chapel Hill resident Kerry Hagner, Gold Medal winner of the World Special Olympics tournament.

Laveda Miles was guest speaker at the Raleigh-Durham Chapter of the American Advertising Federation’s 2007-2009 ADDY Awards Workshop. She gave insight into the advertising industry’s largest competition as well as an educational overview on the Addy Awards’ submission guidelines, regulations and entry fees.

The N.C. Healthy Start Foundation announced the appointment of new board member Dorothy Cilenti. As the deputy director for Management and Operations at the N.C. Institute for Public Health at the University of North Carolina, School of Public Health in Chapel Hill, Cilenti brings more than 20 years of public health experience to the foundation's board of directors. In addition, the organization noted the appointment of Terry Alston Jones as the First Step campaign coordinator.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi gave a speech as part of Meredith College’s Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Presidential Lecture Series in Raleigh.

Ragsdale Ligget law firm in Raleigh announced the following:
• Carrie Barbee, associate attorney at the firm, was named to the board of the Frankie Lemmon School and Development Center.
• Sandra Mitterling, attorney in the firm’s litigation department, was reappointed to the N.C. Bar Association’s Women in the Profession Committee for 2007-2008.

Adrienne K. Lumpkin, president of Alternate Access in Raleigh, introduced 2007 Academy of Women inductee in the entrepreneur category, Michelle Rich Goode, during a reception at the governor’s mansion.

Leigh Griffin Duque is the new chief development officer of Girl Scouts – North Carolina Coastal Pines.

Julie Clark, senior community banker at the Garner branch of Crescent State Bank, was named to the 2007-‘08 community relations committee of the Wake County Board of Education as a representative of Garner.

Michelle Wingate, account executive with MMI Associates, a Raleigh-based public relations firm, was named to the American Heart Association’s 2008 Triangle Heart Gala auction committee.

MRPP, a media agency in Cary, annou-nced that CEO Sheila H. Ogle was appointed to the board of trustees of Wake Technical Community College in Raleigh.

Judy Fourie, president of J. Fourie & Co. in Cary, an insurance company specializing in health, was named chair of the Red Cross Ball, an event to benefit the American Red Cross.

The Hamner Institutes for Health Sciences in Research Triangle Park announced that Dr. Sheila Collins, a senior investigator and director of The Hamner’s programs in endocrine and translational biology, was the keynote speaker for the Alice Aycock Poe Center for Health Education’s annual meeting.

Kathy Higgins, president of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation, and Liliana Berman, Wake County family nurse practitioner, were honored with the 2007 John Rex Endowment Hands of Health Award.

Wag Pet Boutique of Raleigh, in partnership with three pet-friendly organizations, announced that the Presents 4 Pets collection drive raised more than $10,000 in donations. The program benefits those working at the grassroots level to care for thousands of homeless dogs and cats. Pam Guthrie and Dan Headrick own Wag Pet Boutique.

Real Estate

Linda Craft and her team is ranked 17th in the United States, according to the recent Re/Max report “Top 100 Teams – United States, which is based on residential commissions paid.

Re/Max United welcomed Rosaland Dennis of Raleigh and Norma Higdon of Apex.

Exit Select Realty of Cary announced the following:
• Beth Bunting, who has been affiliated with Exit Realty for nearly four years, joined the office.
• The company’s youngest realtor, Sarah Sutton, received the Cambridge Who’s Who award.

Coldwell Banker Howard Perry and Walston announced the following:
• Cindy Faulkner has joined the East Wake office as a sales associate.
• Connie Batten, Frances Valentine, Elizabeth Warren, Joyce Mitchell, Judy Wheeler and Linda Scholar received the national 2007 Best in the Business award from Quality Service Certified.
• Keri Sikes is a new sales associate for the Neuse Road office.
• Karen Ross joined the HPW Market Title Insurance Division as manager.
• Anette Nordvall earned the accredited buyer representative designation from the Real Estate Buyer’s Agent Council of the National Association of Realtors.

Fonville Morisey Realty announced:
• Barbara Green, a sales associate with the Preston office in Cary, earned her e-PRO certification from the National Association of Realtors.
• Sue Roper is a new full-time associate at the Brier Creek office in Raleigh.

ERA Pacesetters Realty said Lisa Ligouri, Nikki Belsito, Terri McCall and Roxana Gonzalez were leaders for the month of October.