Roger Manis, Author at Business RadioX ® Page

Rome-Floyd Chamber Small Business Spotlight – Hillery Sawyer of Speakcheesy and Alma Roman of Farmer’s Insurance

May 22, 2020 by Roger Manis

Rome Business Radio

Rome-Floyd Chamber Small Business Spotlight - Hillery Sawyer of Speakcheesy and Alma Roman of Farmer's Insurance

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Hillery Sawyer – Speakcheesy, Owner

Speakcheesy was founded in 2014 as a spark of an idea between three friends. Rome did not offer a late-night food option and they wanted to fill that need. What better than cheese and bread to get you through a late night in our downtown hub? Hot late-night food wasn’t the only dream, the friends wanted to create a concept that was versatile, appealed to the masses, provided comfort and took you down memory lane with the nostalgia of childhood. Together the friends incubated the idea, the name, initial menu, and branding, in just a few short weeks, by hosting a late-night pop-up grilled cheesery on Broad Street allowing customers to vote for their favorite original grilled cheese recipes with their dollars. The friends learned a lot about cheese, each other, and business over the six months they spent popping up on Broad Street. At the end of 2014 the friends chose different careers, but this was still a dream Hillery wanted to make happen! She partnered with local non-profits like the Chieftains Museum and growing local festivals like Going Caching to get the word out about her unique concept. By winter 2015, now sole owner, Hillery Sawyer had raised the $8,000 she needed to bootstrap this business from the help of friends and a quick repay loan from the Maker village. She successfully paid the loan off by March of 2016 and started booking around Rome from the parking lot of Redmond Regional to River Dog Outpost and headed off down the road to Atlanta, Athens, and even South Carolina. Now equipped with a new Teammate and husband, Benjamin Mitchell who dreams of cheese right alongside Hillery they set off for Speakcheesy’s Spring Music and Craft Festival US road tour taking the truck across state lines to over 15 music and art festivals across the south in order to fuel their expansion into a commercial prep kitchen and gastropub. In summer of 2019 Speakcheesy had the opportunity to partner with local brewery Rome City Brewing to make their gastropub dream a reality right here on Broad Street across from the space they hosted their very first pop-ups six years ago. Hillery’s heart is as big as it is cheesy. You can support Speakcheesy’s growth and journey by trying one of our many gourmet grilled cheeses or full menu at RCBC, ordering curbside or delivery, or simply grabbing a t-shirt or gift certificate for your friends and family!

Alma Roman – Farmers Insurance, Alma Roman Agency, Agent/Owner

Roman is one of 9 siblings born in the state of Guanajuato, Mexico to a blue-collar mother and father who migrated to the United States in search of the “American Dream”. At 9 years old, she moved to Rome in 1993 and she has considered it her home ever since. She graduated from Rome High School in 2002. After High School, she chose to be a stay at home mother to raise both of her children, Javi Roman (14) and Katelyn Roman (17). In 2004 through 2007, she worked in the medical field, working for The Harbin Clinic interpreting for the growing Spanish speaking population of Floyd County. From 2007 to 2009, she worked in retail and customer service for Lowes Home Improvement. From 2009 until now, she entered what she considers to be her career position, the insurance industry. She began in customer service and became the only team member in the history of Alfa insurance in Georgia to start as a Customer Service Rep and earn the position of business Owner/Agent. In 2016 she opened Farmers Insurance – Alma Roman Agency on 5 W 5th Ave, Rome, GA. She is happily married to Joel Paul McCool, and proud mother to 5 children: David McCool (11), Savannah McCool (20), Kassidy McCool (15), Katelyn Roman (17), and Javier Roman (14).

Rome Floyd Chamber Small Business Spotlight – Doug’s Deli, Mel and Mimi’s, and the Rabbit’s Nest

May 12, 2020 by Roger Manis

Rome Business Radio

Rome Floyd Chamber Small Business Spotlight - Doug's Deli, Mel and Mimi's, and the Rabbit's Nest

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We are joined by Lisa Smith of The Rabbit’s Nest of Rome, Ben and Doug Bowling of Doug’s Deli, Mimi Weed of Mel and Mimi’s, and Thomas Kislat and Jeanne Krueger of the Rome-Floyd Chamber of Commerce in this Small Business Spotlight show. We discuss many things related to the pandemic, specifically adjusting business models to the new reality and how to engage customers across digital platforms.

Jeanne Krueger of Rome Floyd Chamber of Commerce, Amanda Farrell of Farrell’s Frames, and J.J. Johnson of Smoothie King

May 6, 2020 by Roger Manis

Rome Business Radio

Jeanne Krueger of Rome Floyd Chamber of Commerce, Amanda Farrell of Farrell's Frames, and J.J. Johnson of Smoothie King

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Jeanne Krueger from the Rome/Floyd Chamber of Commerce, Richard Montanaro from the UGA Small Business Development Center, and Scott Preston from Synovus Bank

April 11, 2020 by Roger Manis

Rome Business Radio

Jeanne Krueger from the Rome/Floyd Chamber of Commerce, Richard Montanaro from the UGA Small Business Development Center, and Scott Preston from Synovus Bank

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Jeanne Krueger was promoted to President and CEO of the Rome Floyd Chamber in July of 2019. In January 2019, Jeanne Krueger stepped into the leadership role of Interim Director for the Rome Floyd Chamber. With determination and focus to serve fellow colleagues in their excellent Chamber work and to consistently advance the Chamber’s pro- business message while communicating a confident and constructive image throughout the community, member engagement and investment has been significant.

Krueger’s professional career began in 1987 when she began working for the Metro Atlanta Chamber. She spent most of her career managing membership sales and retention, and business development for the Metro Atlanta Chamber prior to starting work at the Rome Floyd Chamber. Jeanne works to put best sales and marketing practices in place through establishing quantifiable goals and developing strategies along with cultivating long-lasting relationships.

A native of Rome, Georgia, Jeanne has been married to Mark Krueger, Managing Partner, Morehouse Group, CPAs, for 32 years. They have two children, Shelby, daughter and Spanish teacher, also a millennial living in downtown Rome, Georgia. Anderson is their 22- year-old son who is a graduate of Kennesaw State University and is working toward a medical degree.

Richard Montanaro brings more than 20 years of experience as a senior executive to his role as a University of Georgia Small Business Development Center (SBDC) area director. Montanaro’s industry experience includes textile and apparel manufacturing, specialty chemical manufacturing, and investment banking/consulting with responsibility for facilities and relationships in the US, Mexico, Central America/Caribbean, Spain, Northern South America and China.

Mr. Montanaro grew up in North Georgia attending high school in Dalton, receiving his undergraduate from Berry College in Rome, GA and receiving his MBA from Kennesaw State University. While Richard has spent the last several years working across the United States and internationally, he has always maintained his home in North Georgia. Mr. Montanaro speaks both English and Spanish fluently and is learning Brazilian Portuguese.

As President of the Synovus Bank Northwest Georgia Division, Scott Preston leads 90 team members with approximately $1 billion in assets. The NWGA division encompasses Rome, Cartersville, Calhoun, Dalton, Chickamauga, and Lafayette. Scott began his banking career during graduate school in 1991. After receiving his MBA, he began working at a small bank in Southwest Georgia as a lender, then made one more stop at another financial institution in Columbus, Georgia before beginning his career at Synovus Financial Corp in 1997.

Upon joining Synovus at the corporate office in Columbus, he worked in various capacities, including credit administration, loan review, product development and treasury management. While he was in Columbus, Synovus was named the #1 company to work for in the United States by Forbes magazine in 1998. It was there that Scott learned about applying a mindset of Servant Leadership in the workplace.

In 2004, after Synovus attempted on multiple occasions to buy a bank in Jacksonville, Florida, Synovus decided to start a bank from scratch for the first time. Scott was assigned to join a team in Jacksonville which became the Synovus Bank of Jacksonville. The team started the bank with zero assets, funded by a $10 million capital infusion by Synovus, and grew the bank to over $600 million in assets in a 12-year period.

While in Jacksonville, Scott served as Executive Vice President and COO before moving to Rome in 2016 to assume the role of President of the Synovus NWGA division. Scott graduated from Valdosta State University with his Bachelor of Business Administration, from Troy State University with his MBA, and received his graduate banking school degree from Indiana/Purdue University.

In addition to serving as Chair of the Rome/Floyd Chamber for 2020, he is also a Board Member of the Rome Floyd Development Authority, Free Clinic of Rome, Network Day Center, and the Shorter University Ledbetter College of Business. He previously served as a Board Member of the Florida Bankers Association, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the International Learning Center of Jacksonville, and a United Way loaned Executive.

He and his wife, Jennifer, have two children: Emily, a senior at the University of Georgia, and Jackson, a 6th grader at Darlington School. Scott and his family reside in Rome and are members of the First Baptist Church.

Stephanie Scearce of Georgia Northwestern Technical College, and Greg and Leigh Kosater of Interim Health Care

March 4, 2020 by Roger Manis

Rome Business Radio

Stephanie Scearce of Georgia Northwestern Technical College, and Greg and Leigh Kosater of Interim Health Care

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Stephanie Scearce serves as Vice President of Economic Development for Georgia Northwestern Technical College (GNTC). As Vice President, Stephanie is responsible for the effective and successful implementation of GNTC economic development initiatives, including customized contract training and continuing education programs, within the college’s nine county service area. In partnership with various local and state partners, Stephanie is actively involved in the recruitment of new business and the expansion of existing businesses, and serves as the single point-of-contact for workforce training needs within GNTC’s service area.

Prior to joining GNTC, Stephanie worked for the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) as Northwest Georgia’s Regional Project Manager from 2015 – 2018. There, she helped facilitate new job creation and investment throughout her 15-county region by assisting companies with expansion needs and opportunities through state incentives and resources.

From 2009 – 2015, Stephanie was Executive Director of the Fannin County Development Authority. As Executive Director, her role was to promote rural economic development in Fannin County by creating jobs through product development, new industry recruitment, and existing business expansion.

Stephanie graduated from Kennesaw State University in May 2008 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Communications where she received a scholarship to play for the women’s basketball team. She is also a graduate of the TVA Rural Leadership Institute, Georgia Tech Basic Economic Development Course, the Georgia Academy for Economic Development, and is a Georgia Certified Economic Developer through the Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia.

Leigh and Greg Kosater have been involved in healthcare and helping others for over forty years. They continue to do that with Interim Health Care. Having dealt personally with the challenges involved with aging family members and the need for quality at home care givers, they embarked on a journey to assist others.

Leigh, a Rome native received her undergraduate and graduate degrees in speech pathology from the University of Georgia. As a therapist, she worked in a variety of settings, including public schools, home healthcare, medical/rehab settings, as well as instructor at the university level. She is currently studying to complete the national certification requirements to become a Certified Senior Advisor.

Greg graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in pharmacy. He enjoyed many years working with patients as a retail pharmacist, as well as supporting them in his many roles in managed care. His focus has always been the patient and their needs. He has a deep understanding of the health care industry and the many complications associated with it.

Nicole Popham of Legacy Properties and Severo Avila of the Rome News Tribune

February 26, 2020 by Roger Manis

Rome Business Radio

Nicole Popham of Legacy Properties and Severo Avila of the Rome News Tribune

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Nicole Popham is a real estate agent with Legacy Properties. She has been a licensed Realtor since 2016. Before that, she worked in property management. In October 2018 she joined a brand new real estate company called Legacy Properties and obtained her brokers license 2019. She says the purpose of her being a Realtor at Legacy Properties is to bring a new light into real estate. Real estate is something she is very passionate about but she also like to have a little fun with it too! Whether you are buying, investing, or selling, she says you will receive an honest and knowledgeable realtor.

Severo Avila is the Features Editor as well as a humor columnist for the Rome News-Tribune. He’s known for his sarcastic (and sometimes controversial) columns which have been entertaining Rome News Tribune readers for years. He moved to Rome from Kentucky where he attended undergrad and grad school at Murray State University.

Talking Jobs with Etowah Employment: Jennifer Cole and Nat Massey of F&P Georgia

February 21, 2020 by Roger Manis

Talking Jobs with Etowah Employment

Talking Jobs with Etowah Employment: Jennifer Cole and Nat Massey of F&P Georgia

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Jennifer Cole is the Human Resources Manager for F&P Georgia. Born and raised in northwest Georgia, she attended Reinhardt University before joining the United States Army. While serving her country, she became an Intelligence Analyst and was at one time stationed in South Korea.

After leaving the service, she worked as a textbook distributor before entering the auto industry. While at Neaton Rome, she worked in every aspect of Human Resources. In 2012, she was promoted to Assistant Manager and managed the HR Department until leaving in 2017.

She feel very blessed to be a part of the F&P Georgia family. She loves people her goal is to not only add value to the company and the community where I live and work but help people along the way.

She serves on two boards: Floyd College & Career Academy & GREIA (Greater Rome Existing Industries Association.

She and her husband Michael have three children; Sam, Mitchell & Lauren…. and one fur baby, a 2 year old German Shephard, Jett. She enjoy being active, to include: running 5Ks, biking, hiking with our dog at every State Park in Georgia as well as Atlanta Sports (particularly the Atlanta Falcons and the Atlanta Braves).

Nathaniel Wilson Massey, III, generally know as “Nat” is a Senior Manager with F&P Georgia. He was born in Columbus, Georgia and raised in Rome. He attended East Central where his lovely wife now teaches, East Rome Junior High, and East Rome High School.

Nat went on to study architecture at the University of Tennessee. He worked for Buckley and Associates as a lowly intern as they designed the Forum and adjacent government building. Realizing that architecture was not for him, Nat transferred to Berry with much joy in his heart where he studied Business Administration. Graduating in 1993, Nat followed his interest in manufacturing to work in Chattanooga for Rock Tenn Co.

He drug his poor loving wife around the Southeast working in various plants and then for a company named Kennametal. Following the birth of his second child in late 2003, Nat and Amy decided the best place to raise their young family was back in their home town, Rome.

Nat was lucky enough to get hired on at F&P Georgia. Starting as a supervisor on second shift in early 2004, Nat worked his way up to eventually attaining the Senior Manager title. Nat is currently working with the HR team. He is very proud of the work they have done to help make F&P a true “Manufacturing Family”.

Layton Roberts is a sixth generation native of Rome and Floyd County. He is a graduate of Darlington School and obtained his undergraduate degree in Molecular and Pathogenic Microbiology from the University of Georgia.

In 1996, Roberts helped organize the staffing of the “largest peacetime event in history”- the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta where over 20,000 individuals were hired by his staffing service, Randstad North America

In 2007, Roberts purchased Etowah Employment, Northwest Georgia and Northeast Alabama’s oldest and largest staffing company (Employment Innovations, Inc.). His companies, Employment Innovations, Employment Alliances, Hire Transport and Workforce Holdings, currently employ over one thousand people each year in Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Utah and California, as well as internationally, in Italy and Mexico with Pirelli North America.

Layton Roberts has spoken to many groups throughout the years on employment skills, employment trends in the United States, and how to retain employees in the workforce.

He has contributed to several publications including, A Fresh Look at Employee Retention, The Randstad North American Employee Review and Staffing Industry Analyst.

In 2012, Roberts, an avid art collector, created a traveling art exhibit entitled, The Faces of Christ. Roberts has arranged this exhibit to include twelve pieces of art from his personal collection by artists such as Dutch artist Gerrit van Honthorst, Italian Baroque-period artists Guido Reni and Carlo Dolci as well as an original etching by Rembrandt van Rijn. According to Veni Vedi Vici (V3) Magazine, Roberts says, “For me it’s very personal. Faith expresses itself in words and in pictures, and words will always evoke pictures in the mind before the painter ever depicts what is seen.” Other paintings in Roberts’ collection include paintings by Winston Churchill, Paul-Emile Pissarro, and Achille Leonardi.

In 2014, Roberts was the chairman of the Ellen Axson Wilson Celebration, honoring the life and art of Rome’s own First Lady of the United States. This Celebration was formed in conjunction with the Rome Area Council for the Arts, The Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and the Woodrow Wilson House (Washington, D.C.). Roberts owns two of Ellen Axson Wilson’s paintings which have been exhibited nationally. He has overseen the construction of a bronze statue of First Lady Ellen Wilson which is placed in Rome’s Town Green.

He is involved with Rodney Mims Cook, Jr. and Asa Candler, IV in the Millennium Candler Peace, Justice, and Millennium Gate Prizes, the development of the Atlanta Peace Park, and relocation of The Nobel Peace Summit through his involvement with the Millennium Gate Foundation.

Roberts currently serves on the Boards of Directors for The National Monuments Foundation, The Millennium Gate Museum in Atlanta, The Rome Area Council for the Arts and is a past member of the Darlington School Board of Trustees and the Darlington School Alumni Council.

Layton lives in Rome, GA with his wife, Jennifer and three children, Caroline, Braylen, and Kadin.

Contact Information:

Address: 309 E. Second Ave.

Rome, GA 30161

U.S.A

Phone: 1-888-235-3408

1-706-235-3408

Email address: laytonroberts@etowahemployment.com

Jeana Spears with Professional Accounting and Tax

February 18, 2020 by Roger Manis

BRX National

Jeana Spears with Professional Accounting and Tax

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Jeana Spears started in accounting at a young age working for local car dealers. In 1992, she decided to go out on her own and handle tax preparations for individual clients. She has earned the prestigious Enrolled Agent certification from the Internal Revenue Service. It is the highest credential the IRS awards.

Enrolled agents are federally licensed tax practitioners who may represent taxpayers before the IRS when it comes to collections audits and appeals. To become an enrolled agent, one must take a 16 hour test to maintain status, as well as a required 40 hours of continuing education each year.

A native of Rome, Spears attended to Coosa Valley Tech, and received additional accounting training through the Ford Motor Company. She offers personal tax service and monthly accounting for both individuals and corporations.

She considers her clients part of one big family, and she has retained many of them since 1992.

She does not have a website, and would prefer you reach out to her the old-fashoned way. Her office number is (706)-290-0970.

Holly Lynch of The Season Events and Veronica Martinez of Riverwood Senior Living

February 13, 2020 by Roger Manis

Rome Business Radio

Holly Lynch of The Season Events and Veronica Martinez of Riverwood Senior Living

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Holly Lynch, owner of The Season Events, brings a creative and organized approach to event planning. She graduated from Berry College in 1995 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications and from Kennesaw State University in 2003 with a Master of Business Administration degree with a concentration in Marketing.

Before beginning her own business, she worked in corporate marketing and design. She planned corporate events such as annual meetings, sales seminars, company outings, and customer appreciation events. She also gained valuable marketing, public relations, and design experience.

The Season Events was created in early 2007 to offer professional and personal event planning services to the greater Northwest Georgia area. The Season Events plans social and corporate events, from weddings to annual meetings. The Season has managed multi-day/multi-venue conferences, weddings of all sizes, and destination events outside of Georgia. The unique, personal approach The Season Events brings to each event, along with the dedication of Holly and her team, makes her clients feel like a guest at their own party. The company’s mission is to create meaningful events that connect people to each other. In early 2014, The Season Events hired Ray Harris, a former independent caterer, to become a full-service event planning, catering, and event design company. The company recently opened a second office in Cartersville, Ga.

Holly lives in Rome with her husband and three dogs. She is a member of Providence Baptist Church, the Noon Optimist Club of Rome, and is a volunteer with the Open Door Home and the Community Kitchen. The Season Events is an active member of the Rome/Floyd Chamber of Commerce, the Gordon County Chamber, and the Bartow County Chamber.

Veronica Martinez serves as the Community Consultant for Riverwood Senior Living. She graduated Coosa Valley Technical College in 2006 with an Associates Degree in Marketing. She was introduced to the Senior Living industry in 2008. Throughout the years her experience has taken her from front office Receptionist, to Business Office Manager, Executive Assistant, Sales and Executive Director. Out of all the positions she has held, Sales has been by far the most rewarding, from the discovery of a new resident to the final step of the move in process.

What she believes sets Riverwood apart from other Personal Care Homes is their compassion and their loving family- oriented atmosphere. Facing the challenges alongside a family when they have a life changing decision for a loved one, to seeing the resident thrive in your community is the most humbling experience one could have. Seeing them flourish once again, hearing their individual stories and learning from their life experiences is what brings joy to each and every single employee. With God’s will, she says she will always strive to give her 100% to the residents, their families and her colleagues. Her goal is to always keep a humble heart and open mind.