Tag Archives: Awards and Honors

NotaryCam’s Henry Smith Named 2020 HW Tech Trendsetter

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- NotaryCam(R), the pioneering leader in online notarization and original provider of mortgage eClosing solutions, today announced that Henry Smith, Director of Notary Operations, has been named a 2020 Tech Trendsetter by housing finance trade publication HousingWire as part of its second annual HW Tech Trendsetter Awards(TM) program, recognizing the most impactful and innovative technology leaders serving the housing economy.

With the onset of COVID-19, remote online notarization (RON) technology played a critical role not just in moving the housing market forward, but also keeping it from grinding to a complete halt. While helping NotaryCam to maintain its stellar reputation for customer service (and managing a tenfold-increase in month-over-month transactions), Smith also led the development of NotaryCam's remote ink notarization (RIN) product, as many states chose to authorize RIN in lieu of RON in their emergency orders, to ensure homebuyers and real estate professionals in every state could utilize the NotaryCam platform to complete their closing ceremony in accordance with their individual state's permanent and/or temporary authorization.

"Since joining NotaryCam in 2012, Henry has made himself an invaluable member of the team, evidenced once again by his performance in 2020," said NotaryCam founder and CEO Rick Triola. "Henry led the development of NotaryCam's Concierge Service to accommodate RIN, to help NotaryCam host a greater majority of remote closing ceremonies in a socially-distanced world. Additionally, he ensured NotaryCam's notaries were equipped to manage a 10x increase in demand for digital closings in the first half of the year."

HousingWire's 2020 Tech Trendsetters are made up of product and technology leaders who have been indispensable in bringing innovative tech solutions to market for housing industry clients. Similar to the HousingWire Tech100, which honors the 100 most innovative companies in mortgage and real estate tech, Tech Trendsetters recognize the people that drive innovation for their mortgage and real estate clients.

"Our Tech Trendsetters award recognizes a group of leaders who were critical to the outstanding performance of housing and real estate during this pandemic, finding innovative solutions when everything changed on a dime," said HousingWire Editor in Chief Sarah Wheeler. "We're very proud to celebrate their achievements and honor the impact they've had at such a crucial time."

For the full list of 2020 HousingWire Tech Trendsetters, visit https://www.housingwire.com/articles/introducing-the-housingwire-2020-tech-trendsetters.

About HousingWire

HousingWire is the most influential source of news and information for the U.S. mortgage and housing markets. Built on a foundation of independent and original journalism, HousingWire reaches over 60,000 newsletter subscribers daily and over 1.0 million unique visitors each month. Our audience of mortgage, real estate and fintech professionals rely on us to Move Markets Forward. Visit https://www.housingwire.com/ or https://www.solutions.housingwire.com/ to learn more.

About NotaryCam

After pioneering the world's first multi-party/multi-state remote online notarization (RON), career real estate executive Rick Triola founded NotaryCam and completed the first mortgage remote online closing (ROC) in 2014. Today, NotaryCam is the leader in online notarization and mortgage eClosing solutions, having notarized documents worldwide for hundreds of thousands of customers in all 50 states and more than 150 countries. The company's patented eClose360(R) platform delivers the "perfect" online mortgage closing in every jurisdiction and supports all eClosing scenarios - RON, IPEN or Hybrids - with a flexible workflow for document recording and unparalleled identity verification, security and customer convenience. NotaryCam also proudly maintains an industry-leading 99.8 percent customer satisfaction rating.

Visit https://www.notarycam.com for additional information or to get a document notarized today.

NotaryCam, the pioneering leader in online notarization and original provider of mortgage eClosing solutions, today announced that Henry Smith, Director of Notary Operations, has been named a 2020 Tech Trendsetter by housing finance trade publication HousingWire as part of its second annual HW Tech Trendsetter Awards program.

Related link: https://www.notarycam.com/

International Paper Company – Richmond Container in Richmond, VA Receives Their Sixth ‘Star’ Designation Under the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry’s Voluntary Protection Program

RICHMOND, Va. /ScoopCloud/ -- Commissioner C. Ray Davenport announced today that the International Paper Company - Richmond Container in Richmond, Virginia, has been re-approved as a STAR Worksite under Virginia's Occupational Safety and Health (VOSH) Voluntary Protection Program (VPP), the program's highest level of recognition. The facility was honored with their sixth Certificate of Recognition issued on 11/30/2020.

"The management and employees of this facility have exemplified true leadership in the area of occupational safety and health, and I commend them for embracing the cooperative spirit of VPP," said Commissioner Davenport. "I congratulate International Paper Company-Richmond Container on the occasion of their recertification as a VPP STAR Worksite."

International Paper Company's commitment to providing a safe and healthy workplace for its employees is demonstrated by its very low injury and illness rates. The facility has a total three-year average for the TCIR (Total Case Incident Rate for injuries and illnesses) of 2.2 compared with a Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) national rate of 2.5 for this industry, representing a TCIR rate 12% lower than the national average for the industry. The DART rate (Days Away, Restricted, or Transferred injury and illness cases) is 0.3, compared with the 0.7 national rate, which is 57% below the national average for the industry.

As part of the recognition for achieving STAR status under VPP, the worksite is entitled to fly the VPP "STAR Worksite" flag. The site is the only VPP STAR site in Virginia and currently one of 49 for International Paper Company in the United States. VPP includes two levels of participation, Merit and STAR, with STAR being the highest. Similar voluntary protection programs are conducted in other states across the country.

The process for reaching STAR status is very extensive. Since the inception of VPP in 1996, only 68 STAR worksites have been recognized, and only 37 Virginia companies currently retain the STAR/Merit designation. International Paper Company has set a standard of excellence that is second to none.

In Virginia VPP STAR, a cooperative relationship is formed between the VOSH program, the employer, and employees which include the agreement of company leaders to operate exceptional safety and health management systems that meet a rigorous set of occupational safety and health criteria. Participation in the program is voluntary and involves employees in all aspects of the company's safety and health management systems. Requirements include an application, submission of written safety and health policies and procedures, demonstration of successful implementation of programs through injury and illness rates that are below the national average, and an intensive weeklong inspection by a team of VPP experts.

Businesses that participate in VPP substantially improve safety and health protections for employees. VPP STAR sites regularly report decreased bottom line costs associated with reduced injury and illness rates and improved productivity and employee morale. Reducing private sector employer costs associated with injuries, illnesses, and fatal accidents enhances a company's economic viability and competitiveness, and increases available capital for reinvestment, expansion, and new hiring.

DOLI operates six recognition programs. These include:

- Virginia STAR is a cooperative relationship between the VOSH program, the employer, and the employees that include the agreement of company leaders to operate exceptional safety and health management systems that meet a rigorous set of occupational safety and health criteria. Participating employers agree to voluntarily participate in the program and to directly involve employees in all aspects of the company's safety and health management systems. Requirements include an extensive application process, submission of written safety and health policies and procedures, demonstration of successful implementation of those programs through injury and illness rates that are below the national average for the employer's industry, and an intensive weeklong inspection by a team of VPP experts.

- Virginia BEST (Building Excellence in Safety, Health and Training) is a strategic partnership between the DOLI and the Associated General Contractors of Virginia (AGCVA) that recognizes AGCVA members who voluntarily implement highly effective safety and health management systems to benefit construction workers and reduce or eliminate injuries, illnesses, and fatalities on construction sites in Virginia.

- Virginia BUILT is a new strategic partnership between the DOLI and the Associated Builders and Contractors of Virginia (ABCVA) and is designed to encourage and recognize ABC-VA members who voluntarily implement highly effective safety and health management systems to benefit construction workers and reduce or eliminate injuries, illnesses, and fatalities on construction sites in Virginia. The Virginia BUILT program incorporates the ABC STEP program (Safety Training Evaluation Process) as the gateway to participation in Virginia BUILT.

- Virginia CHALLENGE is a formal three stage recognition program that dramatically improves safety and health at the worksite and prepares the company to apply for Virginia STAR recognition.

- VOSH-VADOC CHALLENGE is a strategic partnership between the DOLI and the Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC) to recognize safety and health excellence at correctional facilities around the Commonwealth. Three stages of participation in VADOC Challenge prepare a site to apply for Virginia STAR recognition. Virginia has the only two correctional facilities in the nation to have received VPP STAR status, Augusta and Lunenburg Correctional Centers. Additional information can be obtained by contacting the DOLI office closest to you at www.doli.virginia.gov or contact Milford Stern, VPP Manager, (540) 562-3580, ext. 123, or Milford.Stern@doli.virginia.gov.

- The Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP) recognizes businesses of 250 employees or fewer and is administered by the DOLI Consultative Services Division. Contact Tracy Michaud, Consultation Program Manager, (804) 786-8707 or tracy.michaud@doli.virginia.gov.

DOLI also offers free On-Site Consultation Services to help employers better understand and voluntarily comply with VOSH standards. Priority is given to high hazard workplaces with 250 or fewer employees and all services are offered to employers at no cost. These services helps employers identify and correct potential safety and health hazards by conducting walk-through surveys, abatement advice, on-site training, and program assistance to develop safety and health programs. Additional information can be obtained by contacting the DOLI office at https://www.doli.virginia.gov/about/doli-offices-statewide/ or Tracy Michaud, Consultation Program Manager, (804) 786-8707, or tracy.michaud@doli.virginia.gov.

The Virginia Occupational Safety and Health (VOSH) program is financed in part by a grant from the U. S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), under §23(g) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. The Virginia State Plan is funded by a grant of $4,332,400 federal funds, which constitutes 50% of the State Plan budget excluding any state overmatch funds. Zero percent, or $0.00 of the State Plan budget, is financed through nongovernmental sources.

The Virginia On-Site Consultation Cooperative Agreement program is financed in part by a grant from the U. S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), under §21(d) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. The Virginia Consultation program is funded by a grant of $1,189,200 federal funds, which constitutes 90% of the Virginia Consultation program budget excluding any state overmatch funds. Zero percent, or $0.00 of the Virginia Consultation budget, is financed through nongovernmental sources.

Commissioner C. Ray Davenport announced today that the International Paper Company - Richmond Container in Richmond, Virginia, has been re-approved as a STAR Worksite under Virginia's Occupational Safety and Health (VOSH) Voluntary Protection Program (VPP), the program's highest level of recognition. The facility was honored with their sixth Certificate of Recognition issued on 11/30/2020.

Related link: https://www.doli.virginia.gov/

LBA Ware’s Lori Brewer Named HousingWire Tech Trendsetter for Innovations in Compensation Management, Business Intelligence for Mortgage Lenders

MACON, Ga. /ScoopCloud/ -- LBA Ware(TM), a leading provider of incentive compensation management (ICM) and business intelligence (BI) software solutions for the mortgage industry, announced today that company Founder and CEO Lori Brewer has been named a 2020 HousingWire (HW) Tech Trendsetter. Each year, the highly anticipated HW Tech Trendsetters list honors 50 housing technology leaders whose products are driving innovation in mortgage and real estate.

An accomplished entrepreneur and technology leader, Brewer earned recognition for conceptualizing and building CompenSafe(TM), the first and only mortgage-specific ICM platform, and for the release of LimeGear(TM), a turnkey BI platform for mortgage lenders that provides visibility into multiple levels of data. Both solutions have fulfilled mortgage lenders' need for custom technology solutions that automate traditionally manual business processes. Brewer was also credited with the January 2020 launch of LBA Ware's Loan Originator Compensation Report, which provides compelling insights into mortgage compensation trends each quarter.

Brewer is a past recipient of HW's Vanguard Award. In 2019, she was named a Mortgage Bankers Association Tech All-Star, and earlier this year she was among the inaugural class of NEXT Powerhouse Award winners.

"I'm honored to have earned a spot among the top thinkers and doers in mortgage technology," said LBA Ware Founder and CEO Lori Brewer. "I've spent my career helping banks, credit unions and mortgage companies solve problems through technology. My mission has always been to build solutions that optimize the way my clients work and deliver the data insights they need to maximize their potential."

"Our Tech Trendsetters award recognizes a group of leaders who were critical to the outstanding performance of housing and real estate during this pandemic, finding innovative solutions when everything changed on a dime," said HousingWire Editor in Chief Sarah Wheeler. "We're very proud to celebrate their achievements and honor the impact they've had at such a crucial time."

To view the complete list of 2020 HW Tech Trendsetters, visit https://www.housingwire.com/articles/introducing-the-housingwire-2020-tech-trendsetters/.

About LBA Ware(TM):

LBA Ware is a leading provider of cloud-based software for mortgage lenders. Since 2008, LBA Ware has been on a mission to help mortgage companies reach new heights with software that integrates data, incentivizes performance and inspires results. Today, lenders of all sizes, including some of the nation's top producing mortgage companies, use LBA Ware's award-winning technology to enhance lender experiences and maximize the human potential within their organizations. A 2020 Inc. 5000 fastest-growing private company, LBA Ware is headquartered in Macon, Georgia. For more information, visit https://www.lbaware.com/.

About HousingWire:

HousingWire is the most influential source of news and information for the U.S. mortgage and housing markets. Built on a foundation of independent and original journalism, HousingWire reaches over 60,000 newsletter subscribers daily and over 7.5 million unique visitors each year. Our audience of mortgage, real estate, financial services and fintech professionals rely on us to Move Markets Forward. Visit https://www.housingwire.com/ or https://www.solutions.housingwire.com/ to learn more.

Twitter: @LBAWare @HousingWire #hwtechtrendsetters #mortgageindustry #mortgagetechnology #mortgagelending #BI

LBA Ware, a leading provider of incentive compensation management (ICM) and business intelligence (BI) software solutions for the mortgage industry, announced today that company Founder and CEO Lori Brewer has been named a 2020 HousingWire (HW) Tech Trendsetter.

Related link: https://go.lbaware.com/

FormFree Founder Brent Chandler Named HousingWire Tech Trendsetter for Second Year

ATHENS, Ga. /ScoopCloud/ -- FormFree(R) today announced that Founder and CEO Brent Chandler has been named a HousingWire Tech Trendsetter for a second consecutive year. The list honors executives, product leaders and technology professionals bringing the latest digital lending technology to market for their mortgage and real estate clients.

Chandler was recognized for driving innovation and challenging the status quo at FormFree, an award-winning provider of lending technologies setting industry standards for simplicity, accuracy and safety. Under Chandler's direction, FormFree has pioneered the effort to modernize and democratize credit decisioning with its AccountChek(R) and Passport(TM) products used by millions of consumers and thousands of lenders, including over 60% of the industry's top-50 lenders.

In the last 12 months alone, FormFree has announced new partnerships with Blue Sage and Ocrolus, enhanced its integration with Encompass Consumer Connect and earned a new patent for its proprietary technology. Currently, Chandler is working to bring FormFree's Passport(TM) all-in-one verification service to the blockchain. By enabling on-demand access to consumers' tokenized ATP information - including asset, employment, identity, income, credit and public records data retrieved directly from financial institutions and other authoritative sources - FormFree hopes to make mortgage underwriting even speedier while improving access to credit for low- and middle-income families in accordance with the OCC's Project REACh.

"Making loans simpler and safer for everyone is our philosophy. To accomplish that, we've built trusted financial solutions that are more intuitive and responsive than the industry's legacy technologies," said Chandler. "Our products are enhancing the lending experience for all people, and we will continue to challenge convention into the future."

"Our Tech Trendsetters award recognizes a group of leaders who were critical to the outstanding performance of housing and real estate during this pandemic, finding innovative solutions when everything changed on a dime," said HousingWire Editor in Chief Sarah Wheeler. "We're very proud to celebrate their achievements and honor the impact they've had at such a crucial time."

The 2020 HW Tech Trendsetters will be profiled in the December/January issue of HousingWire magazine. Winners were selected by a panel of HousingWire editors and reporters based on their accomplishments and professional success over the last 12 months. The complete list of HW Tech Trendsetters can be found online at https://www.housingwire.com/articles/introducing-the-housingwire-2020-tech-trendsetters/.

About FormFree:

FormFree is a market-leading fintech company whose revolutionary products AccountChek and Passport are building a more inclusive credit decisioning landscape by encouraging lenders to view borrower ability to pay (ATP) more holistically. To date, thousands of U.S. lenders and brokers have ordered millions of FormFree's patented verification reports representing over a trillion dollars in loan verifications. FormFree delights borrowers and lenders with a paperless experience, reduces origination timelines by up to 20 days and offers automated analysis and standardized delivery to lenders and investors using a secure ReIssueKey(TM). For more information, visit https://www.formfree.com/ or follow FormFree on LinkedIn.

About HousingWire:

HousingWire is the most influential source of news and information for the U.S. mortgage and housing markets. Built on a foundation of independent and original journalism, HousingWire reaches over 60,000 newsletter subscribers daily and over 7.5 million unique visitors each year. Our audience of mortgage, real estate, financial services and fintech professionals rely on us to Move Markets Forward. Visit https://www.housingwire.com/ or https://www.solutions.housingwire.com/ to learn more.

Twitter: @RealFormFree @HousingWire #hwtechtrendsetters #mortgageindustry #fintech

FormFree today announced that Founder and CEO Brent Chandler has been named a HousingWire Tech Trendsetter for a second consecutive year. The list honors executives, product leaders and technology professionals bringing the latest digital lending technology to market for their mortgage and real estate clients.

Related link: https://www.formfree.com/

College Planning Support Program Student, Samuel Patterson, III, Selected as 2021 Rhodes Scholar

MARIETTA, Ga. /ScoopCloud/ -- The Foundation for Ensuring Access and Equity announced today that Samuel Patterson, III, has been selected as a 2021 Rhodes Scholar. Patterson, a graduate of Walton High School in Marietta, Georgia, participated in the foundation's nationally recognized College Planning Cohort Program.

In 2017, as a participant in the Turner Chapel AME Church Cohort, the program's founders and curriculum developers, Mychal and Nina Wynn, introduced Patterson to the Meyerhoff Scholars Program at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County (UMBC).

Patterson recounts, "I did not have a single friend, counselor, or teacher who was familiar with 'UMBC,' let alone the Meyerhoff Scholars Program." The Wynns nominated Patterson to the program and introduced him to former Florence School District 3 (SC) Cohort student, Mikayla Hanna, an undergraduate at UMBC (Meyerhoff Scholar and 2015 Gates Millennium Scholar) with aspirations of pursuing a PhD in bioinformatics.

Wynn notes, "Our program focuses on assisting students in identifying the postsecondary pathways aligned with their 'body of work.' In this manner, we have students who begin college at technical or community college, in-state public universities, and at the country's most selective private colleges and universities. The body of work for some students has resulted in their selection as Gates Millennium Scholars, Posse Foundation Scholars, Northeastern University Torch Scholars, Elon University Odyssey Scholars, NC A&T Dowdy Scholars, North Carolina Central Cheatham-White Scholars, QuestBridge Scholars, University of Richmond - Richmond Scholars, and in the case of Sam, a Meyerhoff Scholar and Rhodes Scholar."

Patterson is one of only 32 American students to be selected each year as Rhodes Scholars, which awards a full scholarship for graduate study at the University of Oxford in England. Patterson is one of two students from Georgia, and only the second Rhodes Scholar in the history of UMBC.

Patterson's father, Kirk, an educator and consultant, comments, "My wife, Angela, and I will be forever grateful that the College Planning Cohort Program guided our son into a school, program, and scholarship that was not on his radar and on a pathway toward becoming a Rhodes Scholar."

Learn more at: https://www.accessandequity.org/

Foundation for Ensuring Access & Equity, P.O. Box 70457, Marietta, GA 30007.

*PHOTO link for media: https://www.Send2Press.com/300dpi/20-1201s2p-Samuel-Patterson-III-300dpi.jpg
*Caption: Samuel Patterson, III.

The Foundation for Ensuring Access and Equity announced today that Samuel Patterson, III, has been selected as a 2021 Rhodes Scholar. Patterson, a graduate of Walton High School in Marietta, Georgia, participated in the foundation's nationally recognized College Planning Cohort Program.

Related link: http://www.accessandequity.org/

Utah Business Magazine Names SimpleNexus Among Utah’s Best Companies to Work For

LEHI, Utah /ScoopCloud/ -- SimpleNexus (https://simplenexus.com/), developer of the leading digital mortgage platform for loan officers, borrowers, real estate agents and settlement agents, has been recognized as a 2020 Best Company to Work For by Utah Business magazine. SimpleNexus earned recognition as one of the top employers in the state on the basis of employee evaluations. The company will be honored along with other winners during an awards luncheon at the Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City on December 8.

Utah Business magazine's rigorous vetting process examined key factors of the SimpleNexus work environment, including flexibility, pay equity, vacation time and quality of management. SimpleNexus' unique culture and HIVE (hungry, innovative, vibrant and empathetic) core values were praised by employees for emphasizing collaboration and delivering value for clients.

This recognition follows SimpleNexus' recent inclusion on two independent rankings of Utah's fastest-growing companies, Utah Valley Business Q Magazine's UV50 and MountainWest Capital's Utah 100. SimpleNexus was also featured on the 2020 Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing privately-held companies in the United States and the 2020 Deloitte Technology Fast 500 list of North America's fastest-growing tech firms.

"Our work-hard, play-hard mindset allows employees to thrive and fuels our ability to build best-in-class solutions for the homebuying journey," said SimpleNexus CEO Matt Hansen. "It's our people and shared culture that have helped us turn customers into SimpleNexus fans and kept us on a growth trajectory."

About SimpleNexus, LLC:

SimpleNexus is the digital mortgage platform that enables lenders to originate and process loans from anywhere. The company's best-in-class, easy-to-use app connects loan officers to their borrowers, real estate agents and settlement service providers to easily communicate and exchange data in a single location throughout the entire loan life cycle. Loan officers can manage their loan pipelines, order credit, run pricing, send pre-approvals and sign disclosures - all on the go.

Twitter: @SimpleNexus @UtahBusiness #UtahBusiness #digitalmortgage #utahbestcompanies

SimpleNexus, developer of the leading digital mortgage platform for loan officers, borrowers, real estate agents and settlement agents, has been recognized as a 2020 Best Company to Work For by Utah Business magazine. SimpleNexus earned recognition as one of the top employers in the state on the basis of employee evaluations.

Related link: https://simplenexus.com/

Dominion Energy – Surry Power Station in Surry, Va. Receives Their Fourth ‘Virginia Star’ Designation Under the Department of Labor and Industry’s Voluntary Protection Program

RICHMOND, Va. /ScoopCloud/ -- Commissioner C. Ray Davenport announced today that Dominion Energy Surry Power Station in Surry, Virginia, has been recertified as a Virginia STAR Worksite under Virginia's Occupational Safety and Health (VOSH) Voluntary Protection Program (VPP), the program's highest level of recognition. The facility was approved on November 23, 2020 with their third recertification since originally being certified on April 13, 2005.

"I am very proud of the Dominion Energy Surry Power Station for embodying the VPP commitment to safety and health, day in and day out, as they strive to make Virginia a better and safer place to work and live," said Commissioner Davenport. "I congratulate Dominion Energy Surry Power Station in Surry, Virginia, on the occasion of their recertification as a Virginia STAR Worksite."

The Surry Power Station's commitment to providing a safe and healthy workplace for its employees is demonstrated by its very low injury and illness rates. The worksite has a total three-year average for the TCIR (Total Case Incident Rate for injuries and illnesses) of 0.17 compared with a Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) national rate of 0.20. This represents a TCIR rate that is 15% lower than the national average. The site's three-year average DART rate (Days Away, Restricted, or Transferred injury and illness cases) is 0.03, compared with the 0.10 national rate, which is 66% below the national average.

As part of the recognition for achieving STAR status under VPP, the worksite is entitled to fly the "Virginia STAR" worksite flag. The Surry Power Station is the second VPP STAR site in Virginia and one of three VPP STAR sites in the United States. VPP includes two levels of participation, Merit and STAR, with STAR being the highest. Similar voluntary protection programs are conducted in other states across the country.

The process for reaching Virginia STAR status is extensive ensuring that the very best programs qualify. Since the inception of Virginia's VPP in 1996, only 72 Virginia STAR worksites have been recognized, and only 35 Virginia companies currently retain the Virginia STAR designation. The Surry Power Station has set a standard of excellence that is second to none.

In Virginia VPP, a cooperative relationship is formed between the VOSH program, the employer, and employees, which include the agreement of company leaders to operate an exceptional safety and health management system that meets a rigorous set of criteria. Employers agree to voluntarily participate in the program and directly involve employees in all aspects of the safety and health management systems.

Businesses that participate in VPP substantially improve safety and health protections for thousands of employees through cooperative efforts to reduce injuries, illnesses, and fatal accidents. Virginia STAR sites regularly report decreased bottom line costs associated with dramatically reduced injury and illness rates (an average of over 50% below the respective industry average), improved productivity and employee morale. Reducing private sector employer costs associated with the above-mentioned enhances a company's economic viability and competitiveness while increasing capital.

DOLI operates six recognition programs including:

1 - Virginia STAR, a cooperative relationship between the VOSH program, employers, and employees including the agreement of company leaders to operate exceptional safety and health management systems that meet a rigorous set of occupational safety and health criteria. Requirements include an extensive application process, submission of written safety and health policies and procedures, demonstration of successful implementation of those programs through injury and illness rates that are below the national average for the employer's industry, and an intensive weeklong inspection by a team of VPP experts.

2 - Virginia BEST (Building Excellence in Safety, Health and Training), a strategic partnership between the DOLI and the Associated General Contractors of Virginia (AGCVA) that recognizes AGCVA members who voluntarily implement highly effective safety and health management systems to benefit construction workers and reduce or eliminate injuries, illnesses, and fatalities on construction sites in Virginia.

3 - Virginia BUILT, a new strategic partnership between the DOLI and the Associated Builders and Contractors of Virginia (ABCVA) and is designed to encourage and recognize ABC-VA members who voluntarily implement highly effective safety and health management systems to benefit construction workers and reduce or eliminate injuries, illnesses, and fatalities on construction sites in Virginia. The Virginia BUILT program incorporates the ABC STEP program (Safety Training Evaluation Process) as the gateway to participation in Virginia BUILT.

4 - Virginia CHALLENGE, a formal three-stage recognition program that dramatically improves safety and health at the worksite and prepares the company to apply for Virginia STAR recognition.

5 - VOSH-VADOC CHALLENGE, a strategic partnership between the DOLI and the Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC) to recognize safety and health excellence at correctional facilities around the Commonwealth. Three stages of participation in VADOC Challenge prepare sites to apply for Virginia STAR recognition. Virginia has the only two correctional facilities in the nation to have received VPP STAR status, Augusta and Lunenburg Correctional Centers. Additional information can be obtained by contacting the DOLI office closest to you at www.doli.virginia.gov or Milford Stern, VPP Manager, at (540) 562-3580, ext. 123, or Milford.Stern@doli.virginia.gov.

6 - The Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP) recognizes businesses of 250 employees or fewer and is administered by the DOLI Consultative Services Division. Contact Tracy Michaud, Consultation Program Manager, (804) 786-8707 or tracy.michaud@doli.virginia.gov.

DOLI also offers free On-Site Consultation Services to help employers better understand and voluntarily comply with VOSH standards. Priority is given to high hazard workplaces with 250 or fewer employees and all services are offered to employers at no cost. On-Site Consultation Services helps employers identify and correct potential safety and health hazards by conducting walk-through surveys (without citations or penalties), abatement advice, on-site training, and program assistance to develop safety and health programs.

Additional information about On-Site Consultation Services can be obtained by contacting the DOLI office closest to you at https://www.doli.virginia.gov/about/doli-offices-statewide/ or by contacting Tracy Michaud, Consultation Program Manager, (804) 786-8707, or tracy.michaud@doli.virginia.gov.

The Virginia Occupational Safety and Health (VOSH) program is financed in part by a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), under §23(g) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. The FFY21 Virginia State Plan is funded by a grant of $4,332,400 federal funds, which constitutes 50% of the State Plan budget excluding any state overmatch funds. Zero percent, or $0.00 of the State Plan budget, is financed through nongovernmental sources.

The Virginia On-Site Consultation Cooperative Agreement program is financed in part by a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), under §21(d) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. The FFY21 Virginia Consultation program is funded by a grant of $1,189,200 federal funds, which constitutes 90% of the Virginia Consultation program budget excluding any state overmatch funds. Zero percent, or $0.00 of the Virginia Consultation budget, is financed through nongovernmental sources.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Jennifer L. Rose, CSP
VOSH Cooperative Programs Director
jennifer.rose@doli.virginia.gov
804-786-7776

Commissioner C. Ray Davenport announced today that Dominion Energy Surry Power Station in Surry, Virginia, has been recertified as a Virginia STAR Worksite under Virginia's Occupational Safety and Health (VOSH) Voluntary Protection Program (VPP), the program's highest level of recognition.

Related link: https://www.doli.virginia.gov/

RMA’s Consulting Strategies Result in Multiple Client Wins at FRA Awards

POMPANO BEACH, Fla. /ScoopCloud/ -- RMA (www.rma.us.com) is proud to announce that their city clients won three of the fourteen awards bestowed by the Florida Redevelopment Association, including the prestigious President's Award. RMA provides staffing services for the West Palm Beach CRA and provides economic development and real estate consultancy services for the City of Deltona. The FRA award ceremony was presented virtually on November 19, 2020.

RMA has been staffing the West Palm Beach CRA since 2014, and the firm was thrilled when FRA announced that the top award across all categories, the President's Award, recognized the Historic Northwest marketing campaign, which was entered in the Cultural Enhancement category. The West Palm Beach CRA also won in the Capital Project and Infrastructure category for the Clematis Street revitalization. In the City of Deltona, RMA's vision and unique deal-making was instrumental in the City's win in the Management Programs and Creative Partnerships category.

"We are thrilled to have our clients recognized for their excellence by the FRA," said Sharon McCormick, Director of Business Development and Attraction for RMA. "RMA is comprehensively focused on excellence, from visioning to implementation. Our consulting firm becomes a committed partner with the leadership of each city, bringing our expertise and innovation in multiple disciplines to the revitalization process."

Throughout the past decade, RMA has been instrumental in a dozen FRA wins for city clients including West Palm Beach, Pompano Beach, Margate and North Miami.

Each year, FRA accepts entries for the annual awards from its members in a variety of categories, ranging from annual reports to cultural enhancement. The entries are examined for effectiveness and completeness - including the narrative, supplemental material and compliance with the submittal instructions.

A cross section of Florida redevelopment professionals, individuals and business organizations judge and rank all of the entries and select the winners.

ABOUT THE AWARD-WINNING PROJECTS:

Category: Cultural Enhancement (Won the President's Award)

The Historic Northwest, located just north of Downtown West Palm Beach, is a long-standing neighborhood enriched with a deep and significant culture spanning back to the 1890s and early 1900s. It was here that African-Americans established institutions, businesses and ultimately a way of life that would carry on for generations to come. Now with the help of the Northwest community, the West Palm Beach Community Redevelopment Agency is working to renew the renaissance of a place where you're encouraged to "find your rhythm, explore your roots and live your destiny" through a unique variety of complimentary programs and initiatives.

Category: Management Programs and Creative Partnerships

The City of Deltona hired Redevelopment Management Associates (RMA) to create a Strategic Economic Development Plan for a business park and manufacturing related recruitment. An economic development approach with a real estate-based foundation was used to develop a plan for an Innovation District, Logistics and Commerce Centers on 240 acres near Central Florida's transportation corridor. RMA also helped implement the plan by attracting Deltona's Portland Industrial Park developer that brought Amazon as an anchor tenant. This development will provide 500 full-time jobs with an average annual payroll over $16 million and deliver a $100 million project to the tax base.

Category: Capital Project and Infrastructure

With a rich history beginning in 1894, Clematis Street is the most iconic street in the City of West Palm Beach. To invigorate the street and advance efforts to attract new businesses, the street was transformed with modern infrastructure improvements and vibrant design elements that improved the experience and quality of life for residents, businesses and visitors. The project began with the 300 Block as a pilot to guide the future design of the street, followed by the 100 and 200 blocks. Extensive public input led to a curbless design of the street featuring large shade trees, wider pedestrian-friendly sidewalks, and narrower travel lanes.

About RMA:

Founded in 2009 by Kim Briesemeister and Chris Brown, RMA is comprised of a phenomenal team of leading experts in economic development, real estate for governments, marketing, urban design, and financial analysis. RMA, headquartered in Pompano Beach, Florida is a highly experienced, full-service economic redevelopment consulting and management firm, specializing in revitalizing core areas and corridors for cities, counties, and special districts nationwide. The co-founders are also the authors of one of the definitive books about city redevelopment, "Reinventing Your City: 8 Steps to Turn Your City Around."

Learn more at: https://rma.us.com/

Media Contact:
Kay Renz
Kay@KRPRmediagroup.com

RMA is proud to announce that their city clients won three of the fourteen awards bestowed by the Florida Redevelopment Association, including the prestigious President's Award. RMA provides staffing services for the West Palm Beach CRA and provides economic development and real estate consultancy services for the City of Deltona. The FRA award ceremony was presented virtually on November 19, 2020.

Related link: http://www.rma.us.com/

Pompano Beach CRA Wins FRA Award for Atlantic Boulevard Bridge Enhancement

POMPANO BEACH, Fla. /ScoopCloud/ -- The Pompano Beach CRA is proud to announce that the Atlantic Boulevard Bridge Enhancement is the 2020 winner of the Best Transportation Transit Enhancement category at the annual Florida Redevelopment Association (FRA) Awards, which were bestowed November 19, 2020.

Focused on creating a sense of community and adding art elements to the transportation in Pompano Beach, the Pompano Beach CRA developed a bridge that would serve as a landmark, as well as offering a sense of place and destination whether traveling by land or water. This project serves multi-functional uses with its nautical themed infrastructure. Elements included in the enhancement include grand bridge entrances, repurposed pedestrian walkways and tender house facade improvements. It is now a symbolic welcome for residents and visitors.

"We are honored to have this outstanding project recognized by FRA," said Nguyen Tran, CRA Director. "And we appreciate everyone who worked with us on the beautiful transformation of this bridge including the City of Pompano Beach, Currie Sowards Aguila Architects, Burkhardt Construction and artist Dennis Friel."

One of the most stunning features of the bridge are two large sails at either end which feature a computer-operated lighting system that allows the sails to change colors for special occasions. This "sail" theme continues the style that was launched with the City's Pier Parking Garage.

Each year, FRA accepts entries for the annual awards from its members in a variety of categories, ranging from annual reports to cultural enhancement. The entries are examined for effectiveness and completeness - including the narrative, supplemental material and compliance with the submittal instructions. A cross section of Florida redevelopment professionals, individuals and business organizations judge and rank all of the entries and select the winners.

About the Pompano Beach CRA:

The City of Pompano Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) was created in 1989. It has two independent districts: Northwest CRA and East CRA established by City government for the purpose of carrying out redevelopment activities that include reducing or eliminating blight, improving the economic health of an area, and encouraging public and private investments in a CRA district.

The Pompano Beach CRA is funded through Tax Increment Financing (TIF). The funds are collected as property values increase and a portion of that increase is captured by the Agency. TIF raises revenue for redevelopment efforts without raising taxes. For more information: http://www.pompanobeachfl.gov/pages/cra

About FRA:

FRA is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to assisting Florida professionals and volunteers in community revitalization efforts. With its mission of "transforming spaces, revitalizing places," FRA is committed to providing a forum for its more than 300 members to share knowledge and common experiences regarding revitalization opportunities and issues throughout Florida.

Media contact:
Kay Renz
Kay@KRPRmediagroup.com

The Pompano Beach CRA is proud to announce that the Atlantic Boulevard Bridge Enhancement is the 2020 winner of the Best Transportation Transit Enhancement category at the annual Florida Redevelopment Association (FRA) Awards, which were bestowed November 19, 2020.

Edupoint Selects Genesee Intermediate School District in Michigan for 5th Annual Partner for Life Award

FLINT, Mich. /ScoopCloud/ -- Edupoint® Educational Systems, creator of the industry-leading Synergy® Education Platform for K-12 student information and learning management, is pleased to announce that Sue Gilliam, former Director of Technical Services for Genesee Intermediate School District (GISD), has been selected as the recipient of the company's 2020 Partner for Life Award. Bob Weathers, Edupoint Founder and CEO, and Rob Wilson, Edupoint President and Chief Innovation Officer, recently notified Gilliam about the award by phone.

GISD is an educational leader in Genesee County, Michigan, delivering high-quality, innovative educational programs and support services to students, parents, and educators across its consortium of districts. GISD partnered with Edupoint in 2012 when the district selected Synergy as the SIS provider for its member districts.

"When we first implemented Synergy, Bob Weathers came to visit and was surprised to find a small team with many new people," Sue Gilliam said. "Typically, we would have rolled out a project this size over three years, but everyone was so excited we decided to do it all at once. I was impressed with Bob and Rob Wilson from the get-go. There was so much integrity and helpfulness. They did whatever they could do to make us successful and it was huge to have that kind of support."

The Edupoint leadership team was impressed with Sue and GISD as well. During a period of rapid growth in 2014, Edupoint recruited GISD to provide Synergy training support to some of the company's implementing districts across the U.S. In 2016, GISD became Edupoint's Synergy support provider in Tennessee. The district's Technology & Media Services team currently provides support and training services to 34 districts and charter schools in Michigan and 37 districts in Tennessee.

"Edupoint saw us doing good things and their response was to reach out and ask us to do more with them," said Luke Wittum, Assistant Superintendent of Technology and Media Services. "That partnership has helped us grow as an organization, supporting our own systems right here in Genesee County and continuing to grow our expertise, which benefits our constituents. It's been a win-win partnership."

"Sue and GISD have been wonderful representatives for Edupoint," Bob Weathers said, "always willing to go above and beyond. Sue worked very closely with many different contacts here at Edupoint and her focus on relationship building led directly to the strong partnership we have today. We wish her all the best."

Sue Gilliam retired in July after 12 years with GISD. In recognition of Gilliam's and GISD's valued contributions, Edupoint has awarded $10,000 to GISD to be granted as a student scholarship based on criteria of the district's choosing.

About Edupoint Educational Systems

For over 35 years, the leadership of Edupoint Educational Systems has provided well-designed, technologically advanced student data management systems that empower K-12 stakeholders to improve student achievement. Synergy Education Platform by Edupoint is an industry-leading student data management ecosystem built to fit the way educators already work, with seamlessly integrated student information management, learning management, MTSS, assessment, special education management, and analytics. Synergy is unique among K-12 student data management solutions in providing an array of role-based mobile apps designed to give all stakeholders access to the tools they need when and where they need them. Thousands of schools nationwide choose the Synergy Education Platform to support 5 million students in 21 states.

Learn more at: https://www.edupoint.com/.

*IMAGE link for media: https://www.Send2Press.com/300dpi/20-1120s2p-pfl-award-300dpi.jpg

Edupoint Educational Systems, creator of the industry-leading Synergy Education Platform for K-12 student information and learning management, is pleased to announce that Sue Gilliam, former Director of Technical Services for Genesee Intermediate School District (GISD), has been selected as the recipient of the company's 2020 Partner for Life Award.

Related link: https://www.edupoint.com/

SimpleNexus Makes Deloitte Technology Fast 500 List for Cutting-Edge Mortgage Technology, Triple-Digit Revenue Growth

LEHI, Utah /ScoopCloud/ -- SimpleNexus (https://simplenexus.com/), developer of the leading digital mortgage platform for loan officers, borrowers, real estate agents and settlement agents, has earned a spot on the Deloitte Technology Fast 500(TM) list for a second time. For 26 years, Deloitte has recognized the fastest-growing technology companies in North America, honoring firms that define the cutting edge by combining technology and entrepreneurship to transform the way business is done.

This year's Fast 500 rankings are based on percentage revenue growth from 2016 to 2019. SimpleNexus ranked #143 on the list with revenue growth of 834%. Overall, 2020 Technology Fast 500(TM) companies achieved revenue growth ranging from 175% to 106,508%, with median growth of 450%. SimpleNexus previously ranked #102 as a Technology Fast 500(TM) award winner for 2019.

SimpleNexus has rapidly grown to serve over 300 mortgage companies and more than 27,000 loan originators across the nation since its inception. The firm's native mobile app and best-in-class mortgage point-of-sale (POS) technology supports the homeownership journey from engagement to eClosing and brings together borrowers, loan originators and partners in a single platform.

SimpleNexus has already earned several accolades for its revenue growth in 2020, landing a spot on the Inc. 5000 list of America's fastest-growing companies for a third consecutive year and ranking in the top 10 of Utah Valley Business Q magazine's UV50 and MountainWest Capital's Utah 100 lists of the fastest-growing companies in the state.

"Since the very beginning, SimpleNexus has put the needs of customers at the center of everything we do - a business model that has allowed us to drive revenue in tandem with user satisfaction," said SimpleNexus CEO Matt Hansen. "This year has posed new challenges for borrowers and lenders alike, and we see our continued growth as a clear indicator that our solutions are contributing to the resilience of one of our economy's most vital sectors."

The complete list of Deloitte Tech Fast 500 winners can be found at https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/technology-media-and-telecommunications/articles/fast500-winners.html.

About SimpleNexus, LLC:

SimpleNexus is the digital mortgage platform that enables lenders to originate and process loans from anywhere. The company's best-in-class, easy-to-use app connects loan officers to their borrowers, real estate agents and settlement service providers to easily communicate and exchange data in a single location throughout the entire loan life cycle. Loan officers can manage their loan pipelines, order credit, run pricing, send pre-approvals and sign disclosures - all on the go.

About Deloitte:

Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, a UK private company limited by guarantee ("DTTL"), its network of member firms, and their related entities. DTTL and each of its member firms are legally separate and independent entities. DTTL (also referred to as "Deloitte Global") does not provide services to clients. In the United States, Deloitte refers to one or more of the US member firms of DTTL, their related entities that operate using the "Deloitte" name in the United States and their respective affiliates. Certain services may not be available to attest clients under the rules and regulations of public accounting. Please see www.deloitte.com/about to learn more about our global network of member firms.

Twitter: @SimpleNexus @Deloitte @DeloitteOnTech #Fast500

SimpleNexus, developer of the leading digital mortgage platform for loan officers, borrowers, real estate agents and settlement agents, has earned a spot on the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 list for a second time. For 26 years, Deloitte has recognized the fastest-growing technology companies in North America, honoring firms that define the cutting edge by combining technology and entrepreneurship to transform the way business is done.

Related link: https://simplenexus.com/

Johns Manville in Richmond, Virginia Receives its Second ‘Star’ Designation Under the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry’s Voluntary Protection Program

RICHMOND, Va. /ScoopCloud/ -- Commissioner C. Ray Davenport announced today that Johns Manville in Richmond, Virginia has been approved as a STAR Worksite under Virginia's Occupational Safety and Health (VOSH) Voluntary Protection Program (VPP), the program's highest level of recognition. The facility was honored with their first Certificate of Recognition issued on January 21, 2015.

"This outstanding achievement in occupational safety and health has come through the dedication and hard work of Johns Manville management and employees", said Commissioner Davenport. "I commend the Johns Manville facility in Richmond, Virginia, for embracing the cooperative spirit of VPP, and congratulate them on their hard-earned recertification as a Virginia STAR Worksite."

The Johns Manville commitment to providing a safe and healthy workplace for its employees is demonstrated by its very low injury and illness rates. The facility has a total three-year average for the TCIR (Total Case Incident Rate for injuries and illnesses) of 2.3 compared with a Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) national rate of 3.0 for this industry, representing a TCIR rate 23% lower than the national average for the industry.

As part of the recognition for achieving STAR status under VPP, the worksite is entitled to fly the VPP "STAR Worksite" flag. The Richmond site is the only Johns Manville VPP STAR site in Virginia and currently one of nine sites in the United States. VPP includes two levels of participation, Merit and STAR, with STAR being the highest. Similar voluntary protection programs are conducted in other states across the country.

The process for reaching STAR status is extensive to ensure that only the very best programs qualify. Since the inception of Virginia's VPP in 1996, only 72 STAR worksites have been recognized, and only 35 Virginia companies currently retain the STAR/MERIT designation. Johns Manville has set a standard of excellence that is second to none.

In Virginia VPP, a cooperative relationship is formed between the VOSH program, the employer, and employees which include the agreement of company leaders to operate exceptional safety and health management systems that meet a rigorous set of occupational safety and health criteria. Employers agree to voluntarily participate in the program and to directly involve employees in all aspects of the company's safety and health management systems. Requirements include an extensive application process, submission of written safety and health policies and procedures, demonstration of successful implementation of those programs through injury and illness rates that are below the national average for the employer's industry, and an intensive weeklong inspection by a team of VPP experts.

Businesses that participate in VPP substantially improve safety and health protection for thousands of Virginia employees through cooperative efforts to reduce injuries, illnesses, and fatal accidents. VPP STAR sites regularly report decreased bottom line costs associated with dramatically reduced injury and illness rates (an average of over 50% below the respective industry average), and improved productivity, and employee morale. Reducing private sector employer costs associated with injuries, illnesses, and fatal accidents enhances a company's

economic viability and competitiveness, and increases available capital for reinvestment, expansion, and new hiring.

DOLI operates six recognition programs. These include:

- Virginia STAR is a cooperative relationship between the VOSH program, the employer, and the employees that include the agreement of company leaders to operate exceptional safety and health management systems that meet a rigorous set of occupational safety and health criteria. Employers agree to voluntarily participate in the program and to directly involve employees in all aspects of the company's safety and health management systems. Requirements include an extensive application process, submission of written safety and health policies and procedures, demonstration of successful implementation of those programs through injury and illness rates that are below the national average for the employer's industry, and an intensive weeklong inspection by a team of VPP experts.

- Virginia BEST (Building Excellence in Safety, Health and Training) is a strategic partnership between the DOLI and the Associated General Contractors of Virginia (AGCVA) that recognizes AGCVA members who voluntarily implement highly effective safety and health management systems to benefit construction workers and reduce or eliminate injuries, illnesses, and fatalities on construction sites in Virginia.

- Virginia BUILT is a new strategic partnership between the DOLI and the Associated Builders and Contractors of Virginia (ABCVA) and is designed to encourage and recognize ABC-VA members who voluntarily implement highly effective safety and health management systems to benefit construction workers and reduce or eliminate injuries, illnesses, and fatalities on construction sites in Virginia. The program incorporates the ABC STEP program (Safety Training Evaluation Process) as the gateway to participation.

- Virginia CHALLENGE is a formal three stage recognition program that dramatically improves safety and health at the worksite and prepares the company to apply for Virginia STAR recognition.

- VOSH-VADOC CHALLENGE is a strategic partnership between the DOLI and the Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC) to recognize safety and health excellence at correctional facilities around the Commonwealth. Three stages of participation in VADOC Challenge prepare a site to apply for Virginia STAR recognition. Virginia has the only two correctional facilities in the nation to have received VPP STAR status, Augusta and Lunenburg Correctional Centers. For additional information contact the DOLI office closest to you at www.doli.virginia.gov or Milford Stern, VPP Manager, at (540) 562-3580, ext. 123, or Milford.Stern@doli.virginia.gov.

- The Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP) recognizes businesses of 250 employees or fewer and is administered by the DOLI Consultative Services Division. Contact Tracy Michaud, Consultation Program Manager, (804) 786-8707 or tracy.michaud@doli.virginia.gov.

DOLI also offers free On-Site Consultation Services to help employers better understand and voluntarily comply with VOSH standards. Priority is given to high hazard workplaces with 250 or fewer employees and all services are offered to employers at no cost. These services helps employers identify and correct potential safety and health hazards by conducting walk-through surveys (without citations or penalties), abatement advice, on-site training, and program assistance to develop safety and health programs. For additional information contact the DOLI office closest to you at https://www.doli.virginia.gov/about/doli-offices-statewide/ or by contacting Tracy Michaud

The Virginia Occupational Safety and Health (VOSH) program is financed in part by a grant from the U. S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), under §23(g) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. The FFY21 Virginia State Plan is funded by a grant of $4,332,400 federal funds, which constitutes 50% of the State Plan budget excluding any state overmatch funds. Zero percent, or $0.00 of the State Plan budget, is financed through nongovernmental sources.

The Virginia On-Site Consultation Cooperative Agreement program is financed in part by a grant from the U. S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), under §21(d) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. The FFY21 Virginia Consultation program is funded by a grant of $1,189,200 federal funds, which constitutes 90% of the Virginia Consultation program budget excluding any state overmatch funds. Zero percent, or $0.00 of the budget, is financed through nongovernmental sources.

MEDIA CONTACT
Jennifer Rose
Director of Cooperative Programs
Virginia Department of Labor and Industry
Jennifer.Rose@doli.virginia.gov
804-786-7776

Commissioner C. Ray Davenport announced today that Johns Manville in Richmond, Virginia has been approved as a STAR Worksite under Virginia's Occupational Safety and Health (VOSH) Voluntary Protection Program (VPP), the program's highest level of recognition. The facility was honored with their first Certificate of Recognition issued on January 21, 2015.

Related link: https://www.doli.virginia.gov/

NUSTAR L.P. Virginia Beach Terminal in Virginia Beach, Virginia, Receives the Virginia ‘Star’ Designation Under the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry’s (DOLI) Voluntary Protection Programs

RICHMOND, Va. /ScoopCloud/ -- Commissioner C. Ray Davenport announced today that the NuStar L.P. Terminal in Virginia Beach, Virginia, has been certified as a Virginia STAR Worksite under the Virginia Occupational Safety and Health (VOSH) Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP), the agency's highest level of recognition for excellence in safety and health management systems.

"This outstanding achievement in occupational safety and health has come through the dedication and hard work of NuStar L.P. Virginia Beach Terminal employees and management. I commend NuStar L.P. Virginia Beach Terminal for embracing the cooperative spirit of VPP, and congratulate them on their hard-earned certification as a Virginia STAR Worksite," said Commissioner Davenport.

NuStar L.P. Virginia Beach Terminal's commitment to providing a safe and healthy workplace for its employees is demonstrated by its low injury and illness rates. The Virginia Beach facility has a total three-year average for the TCIR (Total Case Incident Rate for injuries and illnesses) of 0.0 compared with a Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) national rate of 2.8, representing a TCIR rate 100% lower than the national average for the industry. The site's three-year average DART rate (Days Away, Restricted, or Transferred injury and illness cases) is 0.0, compared with the 2.0 national rate, which is 100% below the national average for the industry.

As part of the recognition for achieving Virginia STAR status under VPP, the worksite is entitled to fly the Virginia "STAR Worksite" flag. The NuStar L.P. Virginia Beach Terminal facility is the company's only STAR Worksite in Virginia and is one of 33 NAES VPP STAR sites currently in the United States. VPP includes two levels of participation, Merit and STAR, with Virginia STAR being the highest. Similar voluntary protection programs established in other states across the country.

The process for reaching Virginia STAR status is extensive to ensure that only the very best companies qualify. Since the inception of Virginia STAR in 1996, only 72 STAR worksites have been recognized, and only 35 Virginia companies currently retain the STAR/Merit designation. NuStar L.P. Virginia Beach Terminal's site has set a standard of excellence that is second to none.

Virginia businesses that participate in VPP substantially improve safety and health protection for thousands of Virginia employees through cooperative efforts to reduce injuries, illnesses, and fatal accidents. VPP STAR worksites regularly report decreased bottom line costs associated with dramatically reduced injury and illness rates (an average of approximately 50% below the respective industry average), and improved productivity and employee morale. Reducing private sector employer costs associated with injuries, illnesses, and fatal accidents enhances a company's economic viability and competitiveness, and increases available capital for reinvestment, expansion, and new hiring.

DOLI operates six recognition programs. These include:

1 - Virginia STAR is a cooperative relationship between the VOSH program, the employer, and the employees that include the agreement of company leaders to operate exceptional safety and health management systems that meet a rigorous set of occupational safety and health criteria. Participating employers agree to voluntarily participate in the program and to directly involve employees in all aspects of the company's safety and health management systems. Requirements include an extensive application process, submission of written safety and health policies and procedures, demonstration of successful implementation of those programs through injury and illness rates that are below the national average for the employer's industry, and an intensive weeklong inspection by a team of VPP experts.

2 - Virginia BEST (Building Excellence in Safety, Health and Training) is a strategic partnership between the DOLI and the Associated General Contractors of Virginia (AGCVA) that recognizes AGCVA members who voluntarily implement highly effective safety and health management systems to benefit construction workers and reduce or eliminate injuries, illnesses, and fatalities on construction sites in Virginia.

3 - Virginia BUILT is a new strategic partnership between the DOLI and the Associated Builders and Contractors of Virginia (ABCVA) and is designed to encourage and recognize ABC-VA members who voluntarily implement highly effective safety and health management systems to benefit construction workers and reduce or eliminate injuries, illnesses, and fatalities on construction sites in Virginia. The Virginia BUILT program incorporates the ABC STEP program (Safety Training Evaluation Process) as the gateway to participation in Virginia BUILT.

4 - Virginia CHALLENGE is a formal three stage recognition program that dramatically improves safety and health at the worksite and prepares the company to apply for Virginia STAR recognition.

5 - VOSH-VADOC CHALLENGE is a strategic partnership between the DOLI and the Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC) to recognize safety and health excellence at correctional facilities around the Commonwealth. Three stages of participation in VADOC Challenge prepare a site to apply for Virginia STAR recognition. Virginia has the only two correctional facilities in the nation to have received VPP STAR status, Augusta and Lunenburg Correctional Centers. Additional information can be obtained by contacting the DOLI office closest to you at https://www.doli.virginia.gov/about/doli-offices-statewide/ or contact Milford Stern, VPP Manager, at (540) 562-3580, ext. 123, or Milford.Stern@doli.virginia.gov.

6 - The Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP) recognizes businesses of 250 employees or fewer and is administered by the DOLI Consultative Services Division. Contact Tracy Michaud, Consultation Program Manager, at (804) 786-8707 or tracy.michaud@doli.virginia.gov.

DOLI also offers free On-Site Consultation Services to help employers better understand and voluntarily comply with VOSH standards. Priority is given to high hazard workplaces with 250 or fewer employees and all services are offered to employers at no cost. On-Site Consultation Services helps employers identify and correct potential safety and health hazards by conducting walk-through surveys (without citations or penalties), abatement advice, on-site training, and program assistance to develop safety and health programs. Additional information about On-Site Consultation Services can be obtained by contacting the DOLI office closest to you at https://www.doli.virginia.gov/about/doli-offices-statewide/ or by contacting Tracy Michaud, Consultation Program Manager, at (804) 786-8707, or tracy.michaud@doli.virginia.gov.

The Virginia Occupational Safety and Health (VOSH) program is financed in part by a grant from the U. S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), under §23(g) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. The FFY21 Virginia State Plan is funded by a grant of $4,332,400 federal funds, which constitutes 50% of the State Plan budget excluding any state overmatch funds. Zero percent, or $0.00 of the State Plan budget, is financed through nongovernmental sources.

The Virginia On-Site Consultation Cooperative Agreement program is financed in part by a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), under §21(d) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. The FFY21 Virginia Consultation program is funded by a grant of $1,189,200 federal funds, which constitutes 90% of the Virginia Consultation program budget excluding any state overmatch funds. Zero percent, or $0.00 of the Virginia Consultation budget, is financed through nongovernmental sources.

MEDIA CONTACT
Jennifer Rose
Director of Cooperative Programs
jennifer.rose@doli.virginia.gov

Commissioner C. Ray Davenport announced today that the NuStar L.P. Terminal in Virginia Beach, Virginia, has been certified as a Virginia STAR Worksite under the Virginia Occupational Safety and Health (VOSH) Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP), the agency's highest level of recognition for excellence in safety and health management systems.

Related link: https://www.doli.virginia.gov/

#2020EyesColorado Youth Art Contest Winners Announced

DENVER, Colo. /ScoopCloud/ -- 2020 Eyes Colorado and the Colorado Optometric Association (COA) announce the winners of the #2020EyesColorado First Annual Youth Art Contest. Students grades 1-12 were invited to submit 2D artwork while reflecting on the value of their eyesight through the theme, A Beautiful Sight. The goal of the competition was to engage Colorado students in understanding the value of their eyes and their own eye health. The COA sponsored public health campaign, 2020 Eyes Colorado, seeks to increase eye health awareness throughout Colorado communities.

The contest launched in January of 2020 and due to the pandemic school shutdowns, the entry deadline was extended to October 15, 2020.

More than 170 Colorado students submitted paintings, drawings, digital art, and photography from all over the state. Many participants shared powerful insights on vision that will inspire other students to understand the value of their own vision.

Angelina Blanco, Grandview High School Senior and winner of her age group says, "To see is to experience the world in all its beauty. Without my vision, I wouldn't be able to witness sunsets, rainbows, or the smiles on others' faces-my biggest inspirations."

One winner from each age group was selected based on scoring from the judging panel. Prizes include a $200 donation to each winner's school, the high school winner receives an iPad Pro, the middle school winner receives a SketchBox Premium Subscription, and the elementary winner receives a Green Kids Craft Subscription Box.

The #2020EyesColorado Artist Award Recipients*

Winner Grades 9-12:
Angelina Blanco, Grandview High School

Winner Grades 6-8:
Sophia Orishev, Campus Middle School

Winner Grades 1-5:
Maxim Furmanov, Greenwood Elementary School

*View artwork submissions and the complete list of winners and honorable mentions here - https://2020eyescolorado.org/art-contest/

Entries were scored by local Colorado artists; Matthew Lit, photographer, designer and educator; Alexis Davina, fine arts and portraiture; Julie Babcock, artist of unusual mediums; and Dr. Matt Buchanan, a local optometrist and COA Board Member.

"The level of creativity and depth of thought that these young artists put forth in their entries, is so inspiring. What an immense privilege it was to be on the panel of judges," said Alexis Davina.

Matt Litt explains, "I was continually surprised by the uniqueness and creativity of so many of the entries - especially from the younger artists! Many entries spoke of an inherent artistic ability. What a great experience this has been."

"What an honor to look at so much beautiful creativity and art! It was exciting to see all the different ideas and themes relating to their individual seeing experiences. What a pleasure," noted Julie Babcock.

Stay tuned for the #2020EyesColorado Second Annual Youth Art Competition in 2021.

About the Colorado Optometric Association (COA):

The Colorado Optometric Association (COA) is the professional organization of optometrists in Colorado. Over 600 Colorado Doctors of Optometry are voluntary members of the Association. COA has also launched a public health campaign titled 2020 Eyes Colorado - https://2020eyescolorado.org/.

Since 1892, the COA has assisted its members in providing the highest standard of professional care to their patients by sponsoring continuing education programs for doctors, advocating in local and state governments for programs and laws that represent patients' best interests, and providing information for the public. For more information, please visit http://www.visioncare.org/ or call 303-863-9778.

2020 Eyes Colorado and the Colorado Optometric Association (COA) announce the winners of the #2020EyesColorado First Annual Youth Art Contest. Students grades 1-12 were invited to submit 2D artwork while reflecting on the value of their eyesight through the theme, A Beautiful Sight. The goal of the competition was to engage Colorado students in understanding the value of their eyes and their own eye health.

Related link: https://colorado.aoa.org/

Ombudsman Services Executive Director Named Woman of the Year by Congressman Garamendi

PLEASANT HILL, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- Ombudsman Services of Contra Costa, Solano and Alameda is pleased to announce that Executive Director Nicole Howell has been selected as a 2020 Woman of the Year by Congressman John Garamendi.

In an effort to recognize outstanding women serving in California's Third Congressional District, the Congressman annually invites individuals and organizations to submit nominations of those who have shown a commitment to improving quality of life through leadership and public service.

"This is a tremendous honor," Nicole said during the awards ceremony.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Nicole and the Ombudsman team took to the front lines to distribute personal protective equipment to over 15,000 residents in long-term care. She also participated in efforts for residents' rights by collaborating with local media and testifying on behalf of a movement of residents and their families at the House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee hearing "Examining the COVID-19 Nursing Home Crisis" on June 25. During the height of COVID-19, OSCCSA completed nearly 300 facility consultations and close to 200 individual consultations, providing vital information and resources throughout Alameda County.

"I want to accept this award on behalf of all those people who are fighting the fight for seniors right now, particularly those in long-term care," Nicole said. "Thank you so much. This is beyond what I could have dreamed."

As the Executive Director for Ombudsman Services of Contra Costa, Solano, and Alameda (OSCCSA), Nicole is responsible for ensuring that the nearly 29,000 long-term care residents and their families have access to the highest level of care and respect and, above all, can live free of abuse and neglect.

Since becoming Executive Director, Nicole has grown OSCCSA's budget by nearly 600%, lowered the use of anti-psychotics in Contra Costa County by 10%, and increased facility coverage by unearthing the problems and issues that are being overlooked. She has helped spearhead many new programs in Ombudsman Services and beyond, including the Elder Justice Program Solano, Telephone Reassurance, and Friendly Visiting in Solano County, as well as Healthcare Career Pathways and Residents' Rights in Contra Costa.

About Ombudsman Services of Contra Costa, Solano and Alameda:

Ombudsman Services is the only organization mandated by law to make unannounced visits to long-term care facilities to ensure that residents are free from abuse and are receiving quality care. We have been aiding the community for more than 40 years, and all services are free of charge. We serve Contra Costa, Solano and Alameda counties with our team of highly trained Ombudsman staff and volunteers.

For more information, visit https://www.ccsombudsman.org/.

MEDIA-ONLY CONTACT:
Susie Hays
Susie@Q2Mark.com
760-458-9201

Ombudsman Services of Contra Costa, Solano and Alameda is pleased to announce that Executive Director Nicole Howell has been selected as a 2020 Woman of the Year by Congressman John Garamendi.

Related link: https://www.ccsombudsman.org/

GoodSeeker’s Inaugural Top Story-Rich Employers of Nashville Announced

NASHVILLE, Tenn. /ScoopCloud/ -- GoodSeeker today announced its inaugural Top 20 Story-Rich Employers of Nashville list. After reviewing over 300+ companies headquartered in Music City, the start-up conducted extensive research to find companies that put employees at the forefront - honoring their talents, uplifting their voices, and showing thanks to their contribution.

The first workplace list of its kind, GoodSeeker defines a "story-rich" employer as one that promotes workplace culture, celebrates employee success, and connects talent to its brand in a positive way.

Erik Ayers, CEO of GoodSeeker states, "There's nothing more true to your brand than showing employees that their efforts matter. Organic employee stories help prove and validate employer brand claims; our goal with this list is to highlight special employers who put employee success at the center of their story - even during a pandemic. Candidates need to see who cares."

As to why Nashville was the first city selected, Ayers shares "Nashville is the one of the fastest growing cities in the U.S right now and we wanted to spotlight some of the amazing companies in the region." In 2020, Nashville was ranked the Top U.S City for Job Seekers by MoneyGeek and ranked #2 for Hottest U.S Job Market by The Wall Street Journal.

Using online data and social media monitoring GoodSeeker created a methodology and criteria to determine who was eligible for the list, and an employer's overall "Story Power." The start-up scored and ranked companies based on a variety of factors to indicate a commitment to values, celebrating employee success, and using employee success stories in communications.

Companies include: Premier Parking, Freeman Webb Company, Barge Design Solutions, Inc., Asurion, ADS Security, Churchill Mortgage Corporation, Journeys, Covenant Physician Partners, Premise Health, Williamson Medical Center, Vaco, Bridgestone Americas, National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), Novatech, Inc., Alive Hospice, Advent, Compassus, RJ Young, Lee Company, HealthStream.

Disclaimer: There is no cost or obligation to be considered or included on this list.

More information: https://www.goodseeker.com/top-story-rich-employers-nashville.

About GoodSeeker:

GoodSeeker is a storytelling platform that makes it easy and rewarding for employees and ambassadors to collect success stories and testimonials at work. Based in McLean, VA, the company's organic content creation software connects talent to culture, gives remote teams visibility, and helps employers show candidates and customers what it's like to work with their team. GoodSeeker gives talent greater visibility and empowers talent to be brand ambassadors for marketing and recruiting.

*Image link for media: https://uploads-ssl.webflow.com/5dc836d52058977b4d84ee78/5fac6493fcb2640c61dcb146_GoodSeeker_StoryRich_Nashville.png

GoodSeeker today announced its inaugural Top 20 Story-Rich Employers of Nashville list. After reviewing over 300+ companies headquartered in Music City, the start-up conducted extensive research to find companies that put employees at the forefront - honoring their talents, uplifting their voices, and showing thanks to their contribution.

Related link: https://www.goodseeker.com/

National Rural Water Association presents Idaho Rural Water Association with the 2020 State Association of the Year Award

BOISE, Idaho /ScoopCloud/ -- Idaho Rural Water Association (IRWA) earns the 2020 State Association of the Year Award in the Awards of Excellence competition awarded by National Rural Water Association (NRWA). This is the second time IRWA has earned this award since its incorporation in Idaho in 1987.

The competition consists of seven categories including Outstanding Achievement in Training; On-Site Technical Assistance; Communications Publications and Public Relations; Legislative Initiatives; Member Services and the most prestigious award of State Association of the Year.

Every year a five-member committee is tasked at selecting the state rural water association winners in each of these categories.

"We are honored to receive this prestigious award from National Rural Water Association," says Shelley Roberts, Chief Executive Officer of IRWA. "We are grateful to our members and others that support our Association so we can deliver high quality service to Idaho's rural water utilities and provide statewide training to Idaho's hard working drinking water and wastewater professionals."

About Idaho Rural Water Association

Idaho Rural Water Association (IRWA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation providing training and technical assistance to drinking water and wastewater utility systems in Idaho with populations under 10,000. IRWA is currently comprised of over 365 direct member systems in Idaho. These members elect a seven-member Board of Directors that volunteer their time to govern the Association.

For more information, visit: https://www.idahoruralwater.com/

Media Contact:
Carrie Gilstrap
IRWA Membership & Marketing Coordinator
cgilstrap@idahoruralwater.com
208.343.7001

Idaho Rural Water Association (IRWA) earns the 2020 State Association of the Year Award in the Awards of Excellence competition awarded by National Rural Water Association (NRWA). This is the second time IRWA has earned this award since its incorporation in Idaho in 1987.

Related link: https://www.idahoruralwater.com/

Teenage sensation William Cox wins Fall Classic 2020

RALEIGH, N.C. /ScoopCloud/ -- 15-year-old William Cox of Chad Bryant Racing is continuing his own personal tradition of excellence in auto racing after recently winning the Fall Classic season finale at Orange County (N.C.) Speedway on Oct. 24, 2020.

Battling the best of the best in the region, Cox was able to dominate the night in his Chad Bryant Racing Late Model at the 3/8-mile asphalt oval. Despite qualifying sixth, Cox was able to quickly head to the front and take control of the event early and never look back, leading the most laps in the 75-lap Late Model division race.

"This was a huge win for me and the Chad Bryant Racing team," said Cox. "My goal is to keep winning and my dream to make it all the way to the NASCAR Cup Series. I've had the opportunity to work with some of the best coaches in the motorsports industry and I'm truly blessed for their guidance not only this weekend but their support over these last few years."

Under the leadership of team owner Chad Bryant, Cox was able to put on a clinic in his second race with the Mooresville, N.C. team. The 2016 ARCA Menards Series championship team was able to build on their debut together at Southern National (N.C.) Motorsports Park and accelerate the results quickly by hoisting a trophy.

"I've been around a lot of talented drivers in my career and William is certainly going to turn heads and make statements," offered Bryant. "We're proud of his success at Orange County and look forward to seeing him strengthen his resume not only next year, but down the road too."

Earlier this year after spending three years of competing in Karts, Mazda Miatas and Legends Cars, Cox was presented with the next challenge in his racing endeavor - the chance to begin testing a Late Model Stock.

Following a successful test and with a dedicated crew behind him, Cox took the next step in his Motorsports path and left his success in the Legends Car behind.

At the tenure age of 15, it didn't take long for people to notice the talent of Cox behind the wheel of a Late Model.

By June, he joined the Carolina Pro Model Series with DLP Motorsports and running a limited schedule with Dexter Canipe of 3D Motorsports. A month later he was in Victory Lane at the historic Tri-County Speedway.

Since the win, he has continued to hone his skills at the legendary Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway - battling some of the best Late Model drivers in the country, adding crucial laps behind the wheel to his growing resume.

Touted as one of the youngest rising stars on track with the driving style of an experience veteran, Cox is certain to continue to attract attention entering the next phase of competition in the CARS Tour in 2021.

For more on William Cox, please visit https://www.williamcoxracing.com/, like him on Facebook, follow him on Twitter (@willcox3racing) and Instagram (@willcox3racing).

For more on Chad Bryant Racing, please visit https://www.chadbryantracing.com/ like them on Facebook (Chad Bryant Racing) or follow them on Twitter (@ChadBryantRace).

About CARS Late Model Stock Tour:

Formed in the fall of 2014 by owner Jack McNelly, the CARS Tour was built out of the remnants of the former Pro Cup Series. The CARS sanctioning body, continuing a desire to create a viable option for quality pavement racing throughout the Carolinas and beyond, formed the dual division CARS Tour.

Featuring both super late models and late model stock cars competing on the same night at the same track, the CARS Tour is the first series of its kind to host two premier divisions under the same banner, at the same track and as part of the same event.

15-year-old William Cox of Chad Bryant Racing is continuing his own personal tradition of excellence in auto racing after recently winning the Fall Classic season finale at Orange County (N.C.) Speedway on Oct. 24, 2020.

Related link: https://chadbryantracing.com/

After, Inc. awarded ‘Disruptor of the Year 2020’ by the Internet Marketing Association for its QuickReg™ Smart Registration Platform

NORWALK, Conn. /ScoopCloud/ -- The Internet Marketing Association held its annual IMPACT Conference on October 2, 2020, where After, Inc., a global leader in warranty and after-market services for some of the largest manufacturers in the world, received the "Disruptor of the Year 2020" Award for its QuickReg™ Smart Registration Platform.

The IMA's conference, "IMPACT20 - The Year of Reinvention," brought together a record 117,000 professionals who explored best practices for identifying new markets, businesses, and innovations with thought leaders and senior executives from Apple, Google, Oculus VR, Amazon, Microsoft, Realtor.com, as well as the country's premier venture capitalists, educational institutions, and non-profits.

"We couldn't be more thrilled to be recognized by the IMA as Disruptor of the Year," said Nate Baldwin, CEO of After, Inc. "We designed QuickReg - a best-in-class, intelligent, cloud-based product registration tool - to help our manufacturing clients drive higher registration rates, customer satisfaction, loyalty and lifetime value throughout the product lifecycle. Just by scanning a QR code, taking a picture of - or texting - the model number, consumers can initiate an automated, personalized registration process that takes less than 60 seconds to complete."

Sean Conrad, CEO of the Internet Marketing Association, shared why it chose After, Inc. for its coveted 'Disruptor of the Year 2020' Award: "After, Inc.'s innovative QuickReg technology will be a game-changer for brands, and represents a unique and differentiated approach to curating the customer experience after the sale. It's the type of innovation that is synonymous with the IMPACT awards, and we congratulate the After, Inc. team on this well-deserved honor."

About Internet Marketing Association (IMA) & IMPACT Awards

The Internet Marketing Association (www.imanetwork.org) is one of the fastest growing Internet marketing groups in the world. Since its inception in 2001, IMA has accrued one of the largest databases of professional members in various fields including sales, marketing, business ownership, programming and creative development.

The Internet Marketing Association's annual IMPACT Awards (www.imanetwork.com/impact20/awards/) exemplify best-in-class creativity, expertise and results achieved by the top practitioners of Internet marketing across every business segment.

About After, Inc.

After, Inc. - https://www.afterinc.com/ - is a global leader in the Warranty Services industry, providing predictive analytics, data-driven marketing strategies, reporting and program administration to some of the world's top brands. After helps manufacturers transform their warranty businesses, driving customer satisfaction post-purchase, higher product reliability, deeper brand equity and additional revenue / profit opportunities. Headquartered in Norwalk, Conn. and with offices in New York City, After, Inc. is part of EPIC Portfolio Group, a unique and innovative retail property and casualty and employee benefits insurance brokerage and consulting firm with 1,300 employees across the United States.

*IMAGE link for media: https://www.Send2Press.com/300dpi/20-1030s2p-disruptor-logo-300dpi.jpg

The Internet Marketing Association held its annual IMPACT Conference on October 2, 2020, where After, Inc., a global leader in warranty and after-market services for some of the largest manufacturers in the world, received the "Disruptor of the Year 2020" Award for its QuickReg™ Smart Registration Platform.

Related link: http://afterinc.com/

Dominic Iannitti Honored with 2020 Lending Luminary Award by PROGRESS in Lending Association

TORRANCE, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- DocMagic, Inc., the premier provider of fully-compliant loan document preparation, regulatory compliance and comprehensive eMortgage services, announced that that its president and CEO, Dominic Iannitti, was recognized as a Lending Luminary award winner in the second annual list of honorees. Winners were announced on Oct. 15 at the 10th annual ENGAGE event, which PROGRESS in Lending held virtually this year.

PROGRESS in Lending says a "luminary" is a person who inspires or influences others. The Lending Luminaries list is comprised of business and technology leaders from multiple areas in the industry, including mortgage bankers, a wide array of lending entities, servicers, technology executives, consultants and more. PROGRESS in Lending cites several key accomplishments that Dominic was a part of in the last in the last 12 months to lead DocMagic to success.

In April of this year, Dominic officially launched AutoPrep, a new technology that enables DocMagic's comprehensive Total eClose(TM) platform to accept documents from any source by "e-enabling" them for paperless eClosings. AutoPrep leverages AI, OCR and machine learning technologies to scan and parse documents, locate all signature and notary regions, then electronically tag them for eClosing, thus changing any document into a fully e-enabled document in seconds. This allows lenders to use loan documents produced by virtually any document provider, from standard documents to partially e-enabled documents. Total eClose then handles an end-to-end paperless eClosing process.

Dominic's addition of AutoPrep to accept documents from any source and "e-enable" them for preparation to complete a fully paperless eClose is a significant R&D investment and technology strategy to help more lenders perform comprehensive eClosings.

"I'm a firm believer that these innovations work to establish much-needed interoperability between disparate systems and critical entities within the Digital Mortgage Ecosystem," Dominic told PROGRESS in Lending. "Our goal is for our industry-leading eClosing platform to be completely open, handling documents from all vendors and sources without any manual effort or additional labor required."

In addition, judges at PROGRESS in Lending also recognized Dominic' efforts this year to help clients adapt to the changing business climate throughout the pandemic that required social distancing measures and work-from-home (WFH) orders. DocMagic's Total eClose platform helped lenders immensely in executing mortgage closings electronically --- from within borrowers' homes. And with emergency Remote Online Notarizations (RON) implemented in multiple states to support social distancing mandates and ensure the housing market flourishes, Dominic ensured that DocMagic quickly and effectively responded to clients' urgent need for RON within its Total eClose platform.

PROGRESS in Lending asserts that the mortgage market is currently filled with uncertainty and will remain in flux for some time to come, and a true Lending Luminary effectively handles and navigates constantly changing market conditions. They have been identified as leaders who are ensuring the future success for their companies and the industry as a whole.

A complete list of this year's 2020 Lending Luminary winners can be found on PROGRESS in Lending's website https://mymortgagemindset.com/the-2020-lending-luminary-award-winners-are/.

About DocMagic:

DocMagic, Inc. is the leading provider of fully-compliant document generation, automated compliance, eSignature and comprehensive eMortgage solutions for the mortgage industry. Founded in 1987 and headquartered in Torrance, Calif., DocMagic, Inc. develops award-winning software, mobile apps, processes, and web-based systems for the production and delivery of compliant loan document packages. The company's solutions connect industry participants, promote collaboration, and data integrity to execute precision-based digital lending transactions. The company's compliance experts and in-house legal staff consistently monitor legal and regulatory changes at both the federal and state levels to ensure accuracy. For more information on DocMagic, visit https://www.docmagic.com/.

Media Contact:
Joe Bowerbank
Profundity Communications, Inc.
949-378-9685
jbowerbank@profunditymarketing.com

Social Media: @DocMagic #2020LendingLuminary #DominicIannitti #Total eClose #AutoPrep

DocMagic, Inc., the premier provider of fully-compliant loan document preparation, regulatory compliance and comprehensive eMortgage services, announced that that its president and CEO, Dominic Iannitti, was recognized as a Lending Luminary award winner in the second annual list of honorees. Winners were announced on Oct. 15 at the 10th annual ENGAGE event, which PROGRESS in Lending held virtually this year.

Related link: https://www.docmagic.com/

SimpleNexus Makes Top 10 in Two Independent Rankings of Utah’s Fastest-Growing Companies

LEHI, Utah /ScoopCloud/ -- SimpleNexus (https://simplenexus.com/), developer of the leading digital mortgage platform for loan officers, borrowers, real estate agents and settlement agents, earned a top-10 ranking in Utah Valley Business Q magazine's UV50 and MountainWest Capital's Utah 100, both lists of the fastest-growing companies in the state.

The highly-anticipated UV50 and Utah 100 lists honor Utah-based companies that have experienced rapid revenue growth in the last three to five years. SimpleNexus, whose platform supports over 300 mortgage companies nationwide, ranked #7 on the Utah 100 and #10 on the Utah Valley's UV 50 list, earning recognition by both programs for the second consecutive year.

SimpleNexus experienced 834% revenue growth from 2016 to 2019. The firm has expanded its team to 120 employees and serves a user base of more than 27,000 loan originators, 123,000 real estate agents and 2.9 million borrowers. To date, the platform has handled over 11 million loans totaling over $2 trillion in volume and touches approximately one in eight home loans originated in the United States.

"Growth at such a large scale is a testament to how SimpleNexus has alleviated crucial pain points in the loan origination process and established a gratifying borrower experience, and we anticipate continued growth based on the warm reception of our highly anticipated eClosing solution just this summer," said SimpleNexus CEO Matt Hansen. "We take great pride as a Utah-based company in being featured in the UV50 and Utah 100 for a second year."

About SimpleNexus, LLC:

SimpleNexus is the digital mortgage platform that enables lenders to originate and process loans from anywhere. The company's best-in-class, easy-to-use app connects loan officers to their borrowers, real estate agents and settlement service providers to easily communicate and exchange data in a single location throughout the entire loan life cycle. Loan officers can manage their loan pipelines, order credit, run pricing, send pre-approvals and sign disclosures - all on the go.

Twitter: @SimpleNexus #digitalmortgage #mortgagelending @UtahValley360 @MWCN #mwcnutah100 #utah100 #UV50

SimpleNexus, developer of the leading digital mortgage platform for loan officers, borrowers, real estate agents and settlement agents, earned a top-10 ranking in Utah Valley Business Q magazine's UV50 and MountainWest Capital's Utah 100, both lists of the fastest-growing companies in the state.

Related link: https://simplenexus.com/

Progenabiome Shares New Data on Fecal Transplant, Sars-Cov-2 at ACG 2020

VENTURA, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- The American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) named Progenabiome "Outstanding Poster Presenter" for its poster: "Successful Bacterial Engraftment Identified by Next Generation Sequencing Following Fecal Microbiota Transplantation for Clostridioides difficile Infection," which will be presented virtually at the ACG Annual Scientific Meeting this week. From close to 2900 posters, only roughly 10% were selected as outstanding posters.

Progenabiome will also present a second poster: "Detection and Mutational Analysis of SARS-CoV-2 From Patient Fecal Samples by Whole Genome Sequencing." The ACG 2020 Meeting will be held virtually on October 23-28, 2020, and both poster abstracts and presentations will be available online in the ACG 2020 ePoster Hall.

Last year, Dr. Sabine Hazan, CEO of Progenabiome, shared groundbreaking data on C.Diff discovered through genetic sequencing at the 2019 ACG Meeting. She is looking forward to sharing newly found data on C.Diff and also COVID-19 at this year's event.

Dr. Hazan also recently published new findings from a phase 2 trial on Eosinophilic Gastritis and Duodenitis in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM.) As a leading clinical trials investigator who has overseen more than 150 clinical trials, Dr. Hazan is dedicated to research and producing validated, verified, and reproduced data.

Strategically placed as a genetic sequencing lab, site, contract research organization (CRO), and now sponsor, Progenabiome has 41 ongoing clinical trials related to immunity and disease, including five COVID-19 studies validating testing, prophylaxis, and at-home treatment protocols for the novel coronavirus.

For more information, visit:
https://progenabiome.com

https://clinicaltrials.gov

https://malibumicrobiomemeeting.com/

ACG ePoster Hall: https://eventscribe.com/2020/ACGPosters/

NEJM paper: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2012047

Media Contact:
Stephanie Davis
sdavis@progenabiome.com

*IMAGE Link for Media: https://www.Send2Press.com/300dpi/20-1026s2p-Progenabiome-data-300dpi.jpg

The American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) named Progenabiome "Outstanding Poster Presenter" for its poster: "Successful Bacterial Engraftment Identified by Next Generation Sequencing Following Fecal Microbiota Transplantation for Clostridioides difficile Infection," which will be presented virtually at the ACG Annual Scientific Meeting this week.

Related link: https://progenabiome.com/

NAES Southampton Power Station in Franklin, Virginia Receives the Virginia ‘Star’ Designation Under the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry’s Voluntary Protection Programs

RICHMOND, Va. /ScoopCloud/ -- Commissioner C. Ray Davenport announced today that NAES Southampton Power Station in Franklin, Virginia, has been recertified as a Virginia STAR Worksite under the Virginia's Occupational Safety and Health (VOSH) Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP), the agency's highest level of recognition for excellence in safety and health management systems. The facility was honored with its fourth recertification since being originally certified on December 13, 2004. NAES operates the biomass fueled Southampton Power Station which is owned by Dominion Energy, Inc.

"This outstanding achievement in occupational safety and health has come through the dedication and hard work of NAES Southampton Power Station employees and management. I commend NAES Southampton Power Station for embracing the cooperative spirit of VPP, and congratulate them on their hard earned recertification as a Virginia STAR Worksite," said Commissioner Davenport.

NAES Southampton Power Station's commitment to providing a safe and healthy workplace for its employees is demonstrated by its low injury and illness rates. The Franklin facility has a total three-year average for the TCIR (Total Case Incident Rate for injuries and illnesses) of 0.0 compared with a Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) national rate of 6.4, representing a TCIR rate 100% lower than the national average for the industry. The site's three-year average DART rate (Days Away, Restricted, or Transferred injury and illness cases) is 0.0, compared with the national rate of 2.1, which is 100% below the national average for the industry.

As part of the recognition for achieving Virginia STAR status under VPP, the worksite is entitled to fly the Virginia "STAR Worksite" flag. The NAES Southampton Power Station facility is the only STAR Worksite in Virginia for NAES and is one of two NAES VPP STAR sites currently in the United States.

Virginia businesses that participate in VPP substantially improve safety and health protections for thousands of Virginia employees through cooperative efforts to reduce injuries, illnesses, and fatal accidents. VPP STAR sites regularly report decreased bottom line costs associated with dramatically reduced injury and illness rates (an average of approximately 50% below the respective industry average), and improved productivity and employee morale. Reducing private sector employer costs associated with injuries, illnesses, and fatal accidents enhances a company's economic viability, competitiveness, and increases available capital for reinvestment, expansion, and new hiring.

VOSH operates six recognition programs. These include:

1 - Virginia STAR is a cooperative relationship between the VOSH program, the employer, and the employees that include the agreement of company leaders to operate exceptional safety and health management systems that meet a rigorous set of occupational safety and health criteria. Participating employers agree to voluntarily participate in the program and to directly involve employees in all aspects of the company's safety and health management systems. Requirements include an extensive application process, submission of written safety and health policies and procedures, demonstration of successful implementation of those programs through injury and illness rates that are below the national average for the employer's industry, and an intensive weeklong inspection by a team of VPP experts.

2 - Virginia BEST (Building Excellence in Safety, Health and Training) is a strategic partnership between the DOLI and the Associated General Contractors of Virginia that recognizes AGCVA members who voluntarily implement highly effective safety and health management systems to benefit construction workers and reduce or eliminate injuries, illnesses, and fatalities on construction sites in Virginia.

3 - Virginia BUILT is a new strategic partnership between the DOLI and the Associated Builders and Contractors of Virginia and is designed to encourage and recognize ABC-VA members who voluntarily implement highly effective safety and health management systems to benefit construction workers and reduce or eliminate injuries, illnesses, and fatalities on construction sites in Virginia. The Virginia BUILT program incorporates the ABC STEP program (Safety Training Evaluation Process) as the gateway to participation in Virginia BUILT.

4 - Virginia CHALLENGE is a formal three-stage recognition program that dramatically improves safety and health at the worksite and prepares the company to apply for Virginia STAR recognition.

5 - VOSH-VADOC CHALLENGE is a strategic partnership between the DOLI and the Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC) to recognize safety and health excellence at correctional facilities around the Commonwealth. Three stages of participation in VADOC Challenge prepare a site to apply for Virginia STAR recognition. Virginia has the only two correctional facilities in the nation to have received VPP STAR status, Augusta and Lunenburg Correctional Centers. For additional VPP information, contact Milford Stern, VPP Manager, at (540) 562-3580, ext. 123, or Milford.Stern@doli.virginia.gov.

6 - Virginia SHARP recognizes businesses of 250 employees or fewer and is administered by the DOLI VOSH Consultative Services Division. Contact Tracy Michaud, Consultation Program Manager, at (804) 786-8707 or tracy.michaud@doli.virginia.gov.

DOLI also offers free On-Site Consultation Services to help employers better understand and voluntarily comply with VOSH standards. Priority is given to high hazard workplaces with 250 or fewer employees and all services are offered to employers at no cost. On-Site Consultation Services helps employers identify and correct potential safety and health hazards by conducting walk-through surveys (without citations or penalties), abatement advice, on-site training, and program assistance to develop safety and health programs.

For additional information about On-Site Consultation Services visit https://www.doli.virginia.gov/vosh-programs/consultation/.

Commissioner C. Ray Davenport announced today that NAES Southampton Power Station in Franklin, Virginia, has been recertified as a Virginia STAR Worksite under the Virginia's Occupational Safety and Health (VOSH) Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP), the agency's highest level of recognition for excellence in safety and health management systems.

Related link: https://www.doli.virginia.gov/

Right at Home Boston and North Receive Top Home Care Awards in 2020

SALEM, Mass. /ScoopCloud/ -- Earlier this year, Rosaleen Doherty & Jay Kenney, co-owners of Right at Home Boston and North based in Salem, Massachusetts, were honored by the Right at Home national organization with the 2019 Highest Annual Multi-Territory Revenue Award. With over 400 offices under the Right at Home system each year, the Boston and North franchise was recognized as the top revenue-producing Right at Home among the US for owners with multiple units.

Right at Home Boston and North serves almost 1,000 families a week on the North Shore, in the Merrimack Valley and the Boston area and employs over 300 trained professionals. Right at Home Boston and North grew their employee count by 4% last year and continues to grow today.

Due to circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, the award ceremony, that was to be held at the Right at Home national conference was withheld. However, the award is received with great dignity and appreciation.

Margaret Haynes, COO at Right at Home Corporate in Omaha, NE says, "Thank you for all you and your entire team do each and every day to bring the Right at Home mission to life in your local communities. You run an amazing business and serve as strong role models for the entire system."

RightSpirit Award

In the same online awards ceremony, the Allen Hagar RightSpirit Award also went to Rosaleen Doherty and Jay Kenney. The award is named after the founder of Right at Home and is awarded to the franchisee that demonstrates the highest commitment and an excellent example to other Right at Home businesses for improving the lives of seniors and adults with disabilities.

"In the handful of years the RightSpirit award has been given, it has never aligned with the winner of the highest revenue awards for Right at Home franchises," says Rosaleen Doherty, owner of Right at Home Boston and North. "Right at Home is the vehicle we utilize to do good for others...no matter if it was when we just started almost 20 years ago, or right now."

About Right at Home Boston and North

Right at Home Boston and North is owned and operated by Rosaleen Doherty and Jay Kenney. The company was started in 2002 after Rosaleen and Jay moved to the North Shore to begin their married life.

Right at Home Boston and North provides in-home care services to seniors and disabled adults who choose to live independently through three home care offices in Salem, Somerville and Haverhill Mass. With over 18 years of providing home care services, CareTeam members undergo a thorough background screening and ongoing training in order to provide the best quality home care for the elderly. All Right at Home care is supervised by a team of registered nurses. Through their Dementia and Cognitive Support Programs, Right at Home is known as a leader in dementia home care in the Boston area. The mission is to change the world one human interaction at a time.

Learn more at http://www.rightathomemass.net or call for more information at 877-500-CARE (2273).

Media Contact:
Rosaleen Doherty
978-234-0672
Rdoherty@rightathomemass.com

Earlier this year, Rosaleen Doherty & Jay Kenney, co-owners of Right at Home Boston and North based in Salem, Massachusetts, were honored by the Right at Home national organization with the 2019 Highest Annual Multi-Territory Revenue Award. With over 400 offices under the Right at Home system each year, the Boston and North franchise was recognized as the top revenue-producing Right at Home among the US for owners with multiple units.

Related link: http://www.rightathomemass.net

AARP Maryland Honors Volunteerism and Commitment to Community Service including 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award

BALTIMORE, Md. /ScoopCloud/ -- AARP Maryland is honoring three exceptional Marylanders aged 50-plus for their volunteerism and commitment to service. The awards were formally presented this afternoon before nearly 80 guests at a virtual ceremony.

"This year's honorees set the highest example of what can be achieved when all work together for positive social change," says AARP Maryland State Director Hank Greenberg. "AARP has long valued the spirit of volunteerism and the important contributions volunteers make to their communities, neighbors and the programs they serve."

J. Joseph Curran Lifetime Achievement Award

AARP Maryland presented its 2020 J. Joseph Curran Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award for outstanding community service to Howard County advocate and civic champion, Ted Meyerson.

Named in honor of esteemed statesman J. Joseph Curran Jr., former state representative, lieutenant governor, and longtime attorney general, the Curran award recognizes exceptional individuals who have exhibited a lifetime of exemplary commitment to volunteerism and civic involvement. Meyerson is only the third person to receive this honor from AARP Maryland.

Meyerson is one of AARP Maryland's most active volunteers, as a public speaker, AARP Fraud Watch Network leader, advocate for advance care planning, a technology trainer and legislative advocate.

Meyerson has devoted much of his volunteer service to bettering the lives of older adults, as a member and vice chair of the Howard County Commission on Aging, chair of the Howard County Senior Property Tax Task Force, chair of the Howard County Commission on Aging Advocacy Committee, the state Empowerment Zones for Seniors Commission. He served on the state Committee on Oversight of Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Facilities, was a member of the state Continuing Care Advisory Committee, Howard County Affordable Housing Commission, state Community Options Advisory Committee, Long-Term Care Payment Advisory Committee, and the Howard County Jewish Community Relations Council.

A graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, Meyerson operated his own printing company and was an associate real estate broker. His past organizational affiliations include president of the Printing Industry Association, treasurer of the B'nai Israel Congregation in Rockville and member of their board of governors. Meyerson is the past president of the United Seniors of Maryland, founder and president of the Better Aging Foundation of Maryland, a former Howard Community College adjunct professor, a retired United States Coast Guard Auxiliary member, and a past chair of the State Advisory Council on Quality Care at the End of Life.

"The reason AARP Maryland bestows this award is because of people like Ted who spend a lifetime in service to others," said AARP Maryland Associate State Director for Outreach Jen Holz. "We are always so grateful to have someone who identifies a need and then jumps right in to help."

2020 Andrus Award for Community Service

Dr. Shawn Ashworth of Anne Arundel County is the winner of the 2020 AARP Maryland Andrus Award for Community Service, named for the organization's founder Ethel Percy Andrus.

"Dr. Ashworth has dedicated herself nearly full time to serving others," said Greenberg. "She has been known to dig deep below the surface of an individual to discover their untapped skills and talents. AARP selected Dr. Ashworth for her remarkable service which has greatly benefited the community, supported AARP's vision and mission, and inspired other volunteers."

Ashworth established the nonprofit, Food 4 Thought Community Outreach Services, Inc. (F4COS), with a mission of providing veterans, the homeless and struggling families with nutritional meals, housing referrals, counseling and job skill development. Through the nonprofit, she and a team of volunteers provided weekly meals to over 100 people who call Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI) their home.

The COVID-19 pandemic has not stopped Ashworth's efforts. Since March 13, 2020, the day the state of Maryland shut down due to COVID-19, she has traveled daily to the Maryland Food Bank and other stores to pick up food and distribute to those in need.

As a volunteer with the Asbury Church Assistance Network, Inc. (ACAN) Food Pantry, Ashworth feeds over 300 families daily, donates toiletries, socks, hand sanitizers, and snacks and for the Pasadena and West County police stations, medical personnel at the Baltimore Washington Medical Center, and seniors at Pinewood East Senior Center.

A mother, grandmother and full-time employee of the Anne Arundel County Public School System Ashworth provides support to a local domestic violence shelter in Washington D.C., distributes food baskets during the holidays and conducts a back-to-school book bag event through the local Boys and Girls Club.

AARP Maryland State President's Award

AARP Maryland presented its inaugural State President's Award to Leonor Blum of Baltimore.

After three decades in academia as a history and political science professor at Notre Dame of Maryland University, Blum founded ¡Adelante Latina!, a nonprofit dedicated to helping low-income Latina girls to overcome the socio-cultural, economic and academic barriers they face in pursuing a college career. The program strives to improve high school performance through interaction with expert teachers and caring tutors, with an emphasis on reading comprehension, vocabulary, writing skills and SAT preparation.

The goal of Adelante Latina is for all participants to be accepted into either a 2-year community college or a 4-year college or university with adequate financial support. Today, 90% of ¡Adelante Latina! graduates go on to enroll in college.

"We are honored to present Leonor Blum our first-ever State President's Award," said AARP Maryland State President Jim Campbell. "AARP's mission is to 'empower people to choose how they live as they age,' and Leonor is doing just that. Her intergenerational work bringing retired educators together with Latina girls in Baltimore City is quite extraordinary."

ABOUT AARP

With 870,000 members in Maryland, AARP is the nation's largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering Americans 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. AARP works to strengthen communities and advocate for what matters most to families with a focus on health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also works for individuals in the marketplace by sparking new solutions and allowing carefully chosen, high-quality products and services to carry the AARP name. As a trusted source for news and information, AARP produces the nation's largest circulation publications, AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin.

To learn more, visit https://www.aarp.org/ or follow @AARP and @AARPadvocates on social media.

AARP Maryland is honoring three exceptional Marylanders aged 50-plus for their volunteerism and commitment to service. The awards were formally presented this afternoon before nearly 80 guests at a virtual ceremony.

Related link: https://states.aarp.org/maryland/

Promontory MortgagePath’s Gene Ludwig Named 2020 HousingWire Vanguard

DANBURY, Conn. /ScoopCloud/ -- HousingWire, a national news source for the mortgage and housing industry, has named Promontory MortgagePath LLC founder and CEO Gene Ludwig as a recipient of the 2020 Vanguard Award based on his innovative service to the housing, mortgage, and finance industry.

"The achievements of this year's Vanguards are hard to overstate," said Sarah Wheeler, HousingWire editor in chief. "They are leading some of the most iconic and successful mortgage and real estate companies in the world, and adapting and innovating even in the midst of a global pandemic. The Vanguards represent the industry's best and brightest, and we are excited to celebrate their remarkable accomplishments."

Promontory MortgagePath is a leading provider of comprehensive digital mortgage origination and tech-driven fulfillment solutions. The HW Vanguard Award, now in its sixth year, recognizes C-level industry professionals and business unit leaders for their leadership in and contributions to their respective fields within housing and mortgage finance.

Ludwig founded Promontory MortgagePath with a mission to enable community lenders to participate profitably in mortgage lending by providing them the technology and scalability required to compete. The most recent example is the launch of Transform, a new service delivery model bundling licensed loan coordinators, point-of-sale (POS) technology, and fulfillment services to offer a complete mortgage operations platform from application to close.

Ludwig's leadership and direction have also resulted in significant company growth and client success, which include:

* Earning key endorsements from the American Bankers Association and state banking associations in Georgia, Kentucky, New York, North Carolina, Ohio and Texas

* Adding more than 30 employees across all departments since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic

* Establishing a second fulfillment center in Denver to support the company's growing client base

* Successfully onboarding new clients during the COVID-19 pandemic

* Scaling mortgage operations for existing clients to manage double-digit increases in volume during the current mortgage/refi boom

* Increasing Promontory MortgagePath client pull-through rate by 30%

* Reducing investor delivery cycle times for Promontory MortgagePath's clients by 60%

Ludwig's success at Promontory MortgagePath is the latest in a career-long effort of building and evolving products designed to help community banks be competitive and profitable. A former federal regulator and banker, he served as U.S. Comptroller of the Currency under President Bill Clinton before becoming vice chairman and senior control officer of Bankers Trust/Deutsche Bank.

Ludwig then channeled his banking regulation, risk management, and fiscal policy expertise into establishing two of the nation's most well-respected financial services firms - risk and compliance consultancy Promontory Financial Group (PFG) and fintech provider Promontory Interfinancial Network (PIN). In addition to Promontory MortgagePath, Ludwig also founded Canapi Ventures, a venture capital firm investing in early- to growth-stage fintech companies. Most recently, Ludwig published a book, "The Vanishing American Dream," which examines the plight of lower- and middle-income Americans.

"Mortgage lending and community banking both play a critical role in the U.S. financial system and in lives of everyday Americans. We support community banks' mortgage lending efforts by supplying the technology and services needed to profitably scale operations and compete in today's market," Ludwig said. "Promontory MortgagePath levels the playing field for community financial institutions across the nation. I am grateful to the staff at HousingWire for recognizing those efforts with this year's HW Vanguard Award. I share this honor with the entire Promontory MortgagePath staff who have worked so hard to get us here."

About Promontory MortgagePath LLC | NMLS ID 1532373

Promontory MortgagePath is a fast-growing team of passionate problem solvers on a mission to fundamentally change the way lenders approach their mortgage business. The company combines an intuitive, collaborative digital mortgage platform with modern, comprehensive fulfillment services, giving lenders the progressive technology and scalability required to profitably compete in today's rapidly-changing residential mortgage market. Promontory MortgagePath's founder, former U.S. Comptroller of the Currency Gene Ludwig, is widely recognized as a visionary thinker on the critical issues confronting financial services, and his companies are renowned for their ability to help community lenders resolve their most pressing challenges. To learn more, https://www.mortgagepath.com.

HousingWire, a national news source for the mortgage and housing industry, has named Promontory MortgagePath LLC founder and CEO Gene Ludwig as a recipient of the 2020 Vanguard Award based on his innovative service to the housing, mortgage, and finance industry.

Related link: https://www.mortgagepath.com/

ABI Named on the Adweek 100: Fastest Growing Agencies List

DALLAS, Texas /ScoopCloud/ -- Dallas-Fort Worth-based marketing agency Alpha Business Images, LLC (ABI) has been named to the Adweek 100 Fastest Growing Agencies List - and as one of the Top 5 Fastest Growing US Agencies in the Southwest.

ABI's team composition intentionally breaks the homogeneous mold so common in the advertising industry. Their commitment to diversity-of-thought positions them to create more relevant, effective campaigns, leading to expanded market share and a higher ROAS for their clients. ABI uses their proprietary process Audience 360° to analyze audiences and tailor campaigns ideal for penetrating audience segments. The ABI team avoids a "general market audience" mindset so they can ensure that the values, buying decisions, cultures and languages of their target audiences are reflected in their messaging. In the past three years, ABI's revenue has grown by 57%.

"Our clients are asking, 'How can I get more market share?' and we're proving time and again that we can capture money left on the table. When they grow, we grow. We are committed to providing world-class marketing in our four verticals: Education, Healthcare, Civic and Transportation and Tourism," said Sophia Johnson, the ABI president. "We knew that focus would cultivate our depth-of-industry expertise and engender agency growth organically - and it has."

ABI is a premier Dallas/Fort Worth-based ad agency marketing to domestic and international audiences and is the largest Black woman-owned agency in Texas. By combining data, strategy, creativity and diverse perspectives, ABI makes audience connections that competitors overlook and delivers meaningful engagement between brands and those audiences, across the entire length of the customer journey.

This audience-centric approach has earned the confidence of some of the Southwest's most prominent entities, including DFW International Airport, VisitDallas, Tarrant County College, Texas Woman's University, Southwestern Health Resources and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta.

Learn more at https://www.alphabusinessimages.com/ or visit us on social:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheArtOfInfluence/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/abitheagency.

About ABI

Alpha Business Images, LLC (ABI) is a full-service marketing and advertising firm defined by The Art of Influence. Through its proprietary system Audience 360, ABI analyzes clients' audiences and creates and tailors content that connects to and influences relationships with brands.

Media Contact: Sophia Johnson (ABI); 972-716-0070; sophiaj@alphabusinessimages.com

MULTIMEDIA:
*PHOTO link for media: https://www.Send2Press.com/300dpi/20-1006s2p-abi-team-300dpi.jpg

*Caption: Team ABI: (first row) Jose Palos, Marchella Simon, Dawn Davidson, Satish Dusa, Renee Thompson; (second row) Jeff Meade, Forrest Buchly, Sophia Johnson, BriAnna Morris, Sarah Green; (last row) Qavonte Williams, John Turk IV, Fiorella Murillo, Annette Reid Blaylock, John Turk III.

Dallas-Fort Worth-based marketing agency Alpha Business Images, LLC (ABI) has been named to the Adweek 100 Fastest Growing Agencies List - and as one of the Top 5 Fastest Growing US Agencies in the Southwest.

Related link: https://www.alphabusinessimages.com/

MCT’s Leslie Winick wins HousingWire Vanguard Award 2020

SAN DIEGO, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- Mortgage Capital Trading, Inc. (MCT), an industry-leading mortgage hedge advisory firm and developer of MCTlive!(R), announced that its Chief Strategy Officer, Leslie Winick, has been designated to HousingWire's Vanguard Award list for 2020. Now in its sixth year, the program recognizes executives who have demonstrated outstanding leadership, made a positive impact at their companies as well as the entire mortgage industry.

Ms. Winick is a seasoned leader who has been instrumental in helping MCT hone an unmatched value proposition for lenders that combines innovative technology with superior client engagement and experience. She's also played a large role in ensuring all members of MCT's ecosystem are aligned around common strategies and tactics. Drawing on her rich background in management consulting and financial services, Ms. Winick has successfully applied her strategic planning, operational excellence, and change management skills internally and with MCT partners and clients.

Vanguard Award winners were chosen by the HousingWire editorial board based on tangible leadership within their companies and the industry at large. HousingWire provided details on this year's list, which included 50 total award recipients. All winners are executives, most being of the C-level suite with various sectors of the housing economy represented such as residential mortgage lending, servicing, investing, and real estate. Recipients are chosen by HousingWire's editorial board based on their accomplishments in the last 12 months in both their companies and the industry sector they represent.

"The achievements of this year's Vanguards are hard to overstate. They are leading some of the most iconic and successful mortgage and real estate companies in the world and adapting and innovating even during a global pandemic. The Vanguards represent the industry's best and brightest, and we are excited to celebrate their remarkable accomplishments," said HousingWire Editor in Chief Sarah Wheeler. Ms.

Wheeler also added, "HousingWire's 2020 Vanguards have led their respective companies to spectacular success, as evidenced by expanding products, services, and profits. These 50 winners were carefully selected by HousingWire's selection committee, chosen for their vital contributions to their companies and the dynamic way they are changing the industry." HousingWire states that it sets an extremely high bar for the very competitive contest of HousingWire Vanguard Award winners.

Ms. Winick joins MCT's COO, Phil Rasori (2015), and President, Curtis Richins (2016), as Vanguard Award winners.

About MCT:

Founded in 2001, Mortgage Capital Trading, Inc. (MCT) has grown from a boutique mortgage pipeline hedging firm into the industry's leading provider of fully integrated capital markets services and technology. MCT's offerings include mortgage pipeline hedging, best execution loan sales, outsourced lock desk solutions, MSR portfolio valuations, business intelligence analytics, mark to market services, and the only successful digital marketplace driving the next generation of whole loan sales.

MCT supports independent mortgage bankers, depositories, credit unions, warehouse lenders, and correspondent investors of all sizes within its award-winning, comprehensive, cloud-based platform, MCTlive!(R). Headquartered in San Diego, MCT also has offices in Dallas, Healdsburg, CA, and Philadelphia.

Learn more at: https://mct-trading.com/

About HousingWire:

HousingWire is the leading source of news and information for the U.S. mortgage and housing markets. Built on a foundation of independent and original journalism, HousingWire reaches over 60,000 newsletter subscribers daily and over 1.0 million unique visitors each month. Visit www.housingwire.com or www.solutions.housingwire.com to learn more.

Mortgage Capital Trading, Inc. (MCT), an industry-leading mortgage hedge advisory firm and developer of MCTlive!(R), announced that its Chief Strategy Officer, Leslie Winick, has been designated to HousingWire's Vanguard Award list for 2020.

Related link: https://mct-trading.com/

FormFree CTO Brian Francis Listed Among Top Mortgage Executives as a 2020 HousingWire Vanguard Honoree

ATHENS, Ga. /ScoopCloud/ -- FormFree(R) today announced Chief Technology Officer Brian Francis has been named a 2020 HW Vanguard award winner, an honor given to 50 top executives leading the housing and mortgage finance industries. HW Vanguard honorees are chosen by HousingWire's editorial board based on their accomplishments in the last 12 months for their companies and the industry sector they represent.

As CTO of FormFree, Francis oversees the design and development of the firm's groundbreaking automated asset, employment and income verification products. He recently spearheaded the development of AccountCheck Plus, which builds on FormFree's original AccountChek(R) automated asset verification system by bundling borrower asset, employment and income verifications into one easy report. The system gives lenders the detailed analysis they need to assess a borrower's ability to pay within minutes.

"Brian has continued to refine and expand FormFree's offerings over the last decade, always with an eye on improving the experience for our lender clients and their borrowers," said FormFree Founder and CEO Brent Chandler. "His focus on creating technologies that bring noticeable, measurable efficiencies to the mortgage space has helped our clients reduce time to close by up to 20 days."

Since joining the company 10 years ago, Francis has led FormFree to achieve a number of industry "firsts," including being Fannie Mae's first designated asset verification vendor; the first provider to introduce a single report combining income, asset and employment verification data; and the first to use artificial intelligence to generate digital Verification of Asset and Deposit reports in less than five minutes.

In the last year alone, he has helped FormFree introduce paystub collection and verification to AccountChek Plus; file a patent for proprietary employer data extraction and verification technology; and develop technology so lenders can intelligently pre-fill parts of the Universal Residential Loan Application. Due to Francis' leadership in increasing technology integrations and reseller partnerships, FormFree services are now available for more than 90% of mortgage transactions nationwide.

"One of the highest achievements in the housing industry, the Vanguard award honors the top executives - and they certainly earned it," said HousingWire Magazine Editor Kelsey Ramírez. "In the program's most competitive year yet, 50 winners rose to the top, boasting their outstanding achievements in innovation and leadership. With these leaders at the helm, the future of housing is bright."

The full list of 2020 HW Vanguard Award honorees can be viewed in the October/November edition of HW Magazine.

About FormFree(R)

FormFree(R) is a market-leading fintech company whose revolutionary products AccountChek(R) and Passport(tm) are changing the credit decisioning landscape and encouraging lenders nationwide to incorporate a more holistic view of each borrower's financial DNA. To date, thousands of U.S. lenders and brokers have ordered millions of FormFree's patented verification reports representing over a trillion dollars in loan verifications. FormFree delights borrowers and lenders with a paperless experience, reduces origination timelines by up to 20 days and offers automated analysis and standardized delivery to lenders and investors using a secure ReIssueKey(tm). A HousingWire TECH100(tm) company for four consecutive years, FormFree is based in Athens, Georgia.

For more information, visit https://www.formfree.com/ or follow FormFree on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/formfree/

About HousingWire:

HousingWire is the most influential source of news and information for the U.S. mortgage and housing markets. Built on a foundation of independent and original journalism, HousingWire reaches over 40,000 newsletter subscribers daily and over 4 million unique visitors each year. Our audience of mortgage, real estate, financial services and fintech professionals rely on us to Move Markets Forward. Visit https://www.housingwire.com/ or https://www.solutions.housingwire.com to learn more.

Twitter: @RealFormFree #digitalmortgage @HousingWire #HWVanguards

*PHOTO link for media: https://www.Send2Press.com/300dpi/20-1002s2p-Brian-Francis-300dpi.jpg
*Caption: FormFree CTO Brian Francis.

FormFree today announced Chief Technology Officer Brian Francis has been named a 2020 HW Vanguard award winner, an honor given to 50 top executives leading the housing and mortgage finance industries. HW Vanguard honorees are chosen by HousingWire's editorial board based on their accomplishments in the last 12 months for their companies and the industry sector they represent.

Related link: https://www.formfree.com/

NotaryCam’s Rick Triola Recognized as 2020 HousingWire Vanguard

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- NotaryCam(R), the pioneering leader in online notarization and original provider of mortgage eClosing solutions, today announced that its founder and CEO Rick Triola has been named a 2020 Vanguard by housing finance trade publication HousingWire as part of its sixth annual HW Vanguard Awards(TM) program. Triola, who was also named a Vanguard in 2018, was recognized for his work advancing Remote Online Notarization (RON) technology, providing lenders with a digital closing solution that proved crucial to keeping mortgage pipelines flowing during the pandemic.

HousingWire's 2020 Vanguards have led their respective companies to spectacular success, as evidenced by expanding products, services, and profits. These 50 winners were carefully selected by HousingWire's selection committee, chosen for their vital contributions to their companies and the dynamic way they are changing the industry.

"One of the highest achievements in the housing industry, the Vanguard award honors the top executives - and they certainly earned it," said HousingWire Magazine Editor Kelsey Ramírez. "In the program's most competitive year yet, 50 winners rose to the top, boasting their outstanding achievements in innovation and leadership. With these leaders at the helm, the future of housing is bright"

As adoption of RON technology continues to increase in the real estate sector, NotaryCam remains the only platform that scales in every jurisdiction to accommodate when, how and where homebuyers want to close, providing a competitive advantage to mortgage lenders and their settlement agents. The platform also allows multiple parties to join the signing ceremony in person or from anywhere in the World and is supported by a robust, nationwide network of trained eNotaries available 24/7/365 to ensure a seamless, error-free remote online closing ceremony.

"RON adoption has increased significantly over the past few years, with exponential growth in the 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic," said Triola. "Thankfully, homebuyers, lenders and settlement agents were able to rely on NotaryCam's industry-leading customer service and easy-to-use technology to complete their closing ceremonies safely and securely, resulting in a 10x- increase in monthly closings completed on the NotaryCam platform since January. These feats were made possible by the hard-working NotaryCam team, with whom I share this award."

In early 2020, 23 states had passed RON legislation, including Florida - a state that Triola predicted would be an ideal proving ground for RON due to its high concentration of international/remote buyers and sellers, vacation/second homes and senior population. Thanks to his early anticipation of demand leading up to Florida's Jan. 1 RON start date, NotaryCam was able to increase its month-over-month RON transactions in Florida by 100% during Q1 2020 without issue, a trend that has continued throughout 2020.

This would prove to be excellent training for Triola and his team as nearly all states without RON legislation passed temporary measures allowing for RON at the start of the pandemic, and currently, 48 states and Washington D.C. authorize remote e-notarization either through an existing law, or emergency action. These emergency actions were able to be put in place so quickly due to the recommended uniform language Triola helped draft alongside the Uniform Law Commission (ULC). Furthermore, NotaryCam developed its Concierge Service to accommodate remote ink signings (RIN), which many states chose to authorize in lieu of RON in their emergency orders As a result of Triola's leadership and dedication, NotaryCam was able assist real estate professionals in executing digital closings amidst social distancing concerns while increasing the firm's revenue over 100% in the first two quarters of 2020.

For the full list of 2020 HousingWire Vanguards, visit https://www.housingwire.com/articles/here-are-the-2020-housingwire-vanguards/.

About HousingWire

HousingWire is the most influential source of news and information for the U.S. mortgage and housing markets. Built on a foundation of independent and original journalism, HousingWire reaches over 60,000 newsletter subscribers daily and over 1.0 million unique visitors each month. Our audience of mortgage, real estate and fintech professionals rely on us to Move Markets Forward. Visit https://www.housingwire.com/ or https://www.solutions.housingwire.com/ to learn more.

About NotaryCam

After pioneering the world's first multi-party/multi-state remote online notarization (RON), career real estate executive Rick Triola founded NotaryCam and completed the first mortgage remote online closing (ROC) in 2014. Today, NotaryCam is the leader in online notarization and mortgage eClosing solutions, having notarized documents worldwide for hundreds of thousands of customers in all 50 states and more than 150 countries. The company's patented eClose360(R) platform delivers the "perfect" online mortgage closing in every jurisdiction and supports all eClosing scenarios - RON, IPEN or Hybrids - with a flexible workflow for document recording and unparalleled identity verification, security and customer convenience. NotaryCam also proudly maintains an industry-leading 99.8 percent customer satisfaction rating.

Visit https://www.notarycam.com for additional information or to get a document notarized today.

NotaryCam, the pioneering leader in online notarization and original provider of mortgage eClosing solutions, today announced that its founder and CEO Rick Triola has been named a 2020 Vanguard by housing finance trade publication HousingWire as part of its sixth annual HW Vanguard Awards program.

Related link: https://www.notarycam.com/

ReverseVision President Joe Langner Honored as 2020 HousingWire Vanguard Award Recipient

SAN DIEGO, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- ReverseVision, the leading technology provider of Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) and private reverse mortgage sales and origination technology, today announced that company President Joe Langner has been named a 2020 HousingWire (HW) Vanguard award winner. Now in its sixth year, the HW Vanguard awards program honors executives in the housing finance industry for their outstanding leadership in the space.

Langner was recognized for making an outsized impact on today's digital mortgage landscape, having held numerous executive positions at marquee firms during critical organizational junctures over the course of his decades-long career. Notably, during an illustrious nine-year tenure at Ellie Mae, Langner executed the firm's 2011 IPO as EVP and Chief Sales Officer, while considerably growing its market share. Langner went on to facilitate PCLender's acquisition by Fiserv as president, and then served as CEO at Blue Sage, a cloud-based, digital lending platform for retail, wholesale and correspondent lenders, where he secured a 100% increase in revenue in a 12-month period. Langner joined ReverseVision as president in March 2020 to help establish HECM and private reverse mortgages as staple programs in mainstream lending portfolios.

"The achievements of this year's Vanguards are hard to overstate," said HousingWire Editor in Chief Sarah Wheeler. "They are leading some of the most iconic and successful mortgage and real estate companies in the world, and adapting and innovating even in the midst of a global pandemic. The Vanguards represent the industry's best and brightest, and we are excited to celebrate their remarkable accomplishments."

"HECM and private origination endorsements have grown in the midst of the refi boom, showing that these programs continue to be relevant under any economic circumstances," said Langner. "Each day we continue to pursue partnerships and technology advancements that make the benefits of reverse lending more accessible to forward originators and their older customers."

The full list of HW Vanguard award honorees can be viewed in the October/November edition of HW Magazine.

About ReverseVision

ReverseVision, Inc. is the leading Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) and private reverse mortgage program sales and origination technology platform, supporting more reverse mortgage transactions than all other systems combined. The company's comprehensive product suite flexes to lenders' unique business and operational models, connecting all lending participants across the entire reverse mortgage lifecycle to meet borrowers where they are in life. A five-time HousingWire TECH100(TM) company, ReverseVision continues to build on its technology's pioneering capabilities with frequent enhancements.

For more information, visit https://www.reversevision.com/.

About HousingWire

HousingWire is the most influential source of news and information for the U.S. mortgage and housing markets. Built on a foundation of independent and original journalism, HousingWire reaches over 60,000 newsletter subscribers daily and over 1.0 million unique visitors each month. Our audience of mortgage, real estate and fintech professionals rely on us to Move Markets Forward. Visit www.housingwire.com or www.solutions.housingwire.com to learn more.

ReverseVision, the leading technology provider of Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) and private reverse mortgage sales and origination technology, today announced that company President Joe Langner has been named a 2020 HousingWire (HW) Vanguard award winner.

Related link: https://www.reversevision.com/

SimpleNexus CTO Dave Stevenson Wins 2020 HW Vanguard Award

LEHI, Utah /ScoopCloud/ -- SimpleNexus (https://simplenexus.com/), developer of the leading digital mortgage platform for loan officers, borrowers, real estate agents and settlement agents, today announced the selection of Chief Technology Officer Dave Stevenson as a 2020 HW Vanguard award winner. Now in its sixth year, the HW Vanguard awards program recognizes the 50 top executives leading the housing industry.

Stevenson was recognized for his role overseeing the development of the SimpleNexus digital mortgage app, which is used by more than 300 enterprise clients, including 15 of the top 25 U.S. retail lenders. Stevenson joined SimpleNexus in 2015, and since has grown the development team from four to 50 software engineers.

Among the recent feature releases Stevenson has led are the highly praised eClose and Closing Portal solutions, released on a fast timeline to meet 2020 demands; a seamless disclosure solution that cuts processing time and expense; and ConnectUs Chat, which allows transparent, documented in-app communication between lenders, borrowers, real estate agents and other team members. These technologies have helped propel SimpleNexus to the Inc. 5000 three years in a row.

"Because of Dave, when we say we are going to introduce new features in the SimpleNexus app, our customers know its release will be both timely and valuable to their operations," said SimpleNexus CEO Matt Hansen. "This reliability and customer-focused development is a direct result of Dave's understanding of the industry, his effectiveness in managing our team of 50 developers and his discipline to execute."

"The achievements of this year's Vanguards are hard to overstate," said HousingWire Editor in Chief Sarah Wheeler. "They are leading some of the most iconic and successful mortgage and real estate companies in the world, and adapting and innovating even in the midst of a global pandemic. The Vanguards represent the industry's best and brightest, and we are excited to celebrate their remarkable accomplishments."

The full list of 2020 HW Vanguard Award honorees can be viewed in the October/November edition of HW Magazine.

About SimpleNexus, LLC:

SimpleNexus is the digital mortgage platform that enables lenders to originate and process loans from anywhere. The company's best-in-class, easy-to-use app connects loan officers to their borrowers, real estate agents and settlement service providers to easily communicate and exchange data in a single location throughout the entire loan life cycle. Loan officers can manage their loan pipelines, order credit, run pricing, send pre-approvals and sign disclosures - all on the go.

About HousingWire:

HousingWire is the most influential source of news and information for the U.S. mortgage and housing markets. Built on a foundation of independent and original journalism, HousingWire reaches over 40,000 newsletter subscribers daily and over 4 million unique visitors each year. Our audience of mortgage, real estate, financial services and fintech professionals rely on us to Move Markets Forward. Visit https://www.housingwire.com/ or https://www.solutions.housingwire.com to learn more.

Twitter: @SimpleNexus #digitalmortgage @HousingWire #HWVanguards

SimpleNexus, developer of the leading digital mortgage platform for loan officers, borrowers, real estate agents and settlement agents, today announced the selection of Chief Technology Officer Dave Stevenson as a 2020 HW Vanguard award winner. Now in its sixth year, the HW Vanguard awards program recognizes the 50 top executives leading the housing industry.

Related link: https://simplenexus.com/

Strategic Benefits Advisors Makes List of Atlanta’s Top Employee Benefits and Compensation Companies for Second Year

ATLANTA, Ga. /ScoopCloud/ -- For a second consecutive year, independent, full-service employee benefits consulting firm Strategic Benefits Advisors, Inc. (SBA) has been named to the Atlanta Business Chronicle's list of the top 20 employee benefits and compensation companies in Atlanta.

SBA was recognized for being one of the Atlanta metro area's largest employers of benefits consultants. A trusted provider of benefits administration, implementation, re-engineering and consulting services for nearly two decades, SBA supports Fortune 500 companies and other mid- to large-sized organizations across North America with services ranging from plan design and administration to vendor searches to actuarial valuation. The firm's consultants average over 25 years of experience in the field.

"We are proud of SBA's consistent recognition as a top provider of employee benefits consulting," said SBA Co-Founder and Principal Andy Adams. "When large and mid-sized organizations need to fix problems, make changes or better manage their employee benefit programs, Strategic Benefits Advisors is the objective consultant they rely on to devise and implement practical solutions."

About Strategic Benefits Advisors

Strategic Benefits Advisors, Inc. (SBA) is an independent, full-service employee benefits consulting firm focused on creatively and effectively solving complex benefits challenges for clients ranging from 500 to over 300,000 employees. Founded in 2002 by veteran consultants Mindy Zatto and Andy Adams, SBA provides practical consulting recommendations and expert implementation of solutions for all types of employee benefits programs, including retirement, health and welfare, financial wellness and employee recognition. With an average of over 25 years in the field, SBA's team of actuaries, consultants and systems specialists is among the most experienced in the industry. For more information, visit https://www.sba-inc.com/.

@AtlBizChron #EmployeeBenefits #BenefitsConsulting #Top20Companies

For a second consecutive year, independent, full-service employee benefits consulting firm Strategic Benefits Advisors, Inc. (SBA) has been named to the Atlanta Business Chronicle's list of the top 20 employee benefits and compensation companies in Atlanta.

Related link: http://www.sba-inc.com/

Top of Mind’s Surefire CRM Among Top Finishers in 2020 Digital Mortgage Demo Competition

ATLANTA, Ga. /ScoopCloud/ -- Top of Mind Networks (Top of Mind), a leader in customer relationship management (CRM) and marketing automation software for the mortgage lending industry, was named second runner up in the demo competition at Arizent's 2020 Digital Mortgage conference, held September 14-17. Now in its third year, the Digital Mortgage Innovation Challenge, sponsored by LendingTree, recognizes mortgage technologies that accelerate lenders' digital growth.

Top of Mind demonstrated how its Surefire CRM integrates with mortgage point-of-sale (POS) systems to improve loan application completion rates with features such as Power Calls and Power Messaging. In all, twenty-two companies entered the competition, including Black Knight, Salesforce and Radian. Top of Mind tied with fintech Blend as second runner up; HouseCanary was named runner up; and Moxtra earned the $5,000 grand prize.

The competition was judged by Will Adams, head of sales at LendingTree; Julian Hebron, founder of The Basis Point; and Austin Kilgore, director of digital lending at Javelin Strategy and Research. Each judge scored participants on a ten-point scale. Participants were ranked in order from highest- to lowest-scoring.

"Surefire CRM's recognition at this year's Digital Mortgage demo competition further confirms that Top of Mind's features resonate with on-the-ground mortgage executives and technology experts," said Top of Mind CEO Bill Hayes. "We look forward to continuing our innovative momentum by strengthening partnerships and updating our platform with features that truly deepen the relationship between borrower and loan officer."

This award comes on the heels of other prominent industry recognition for Top of Mind. In March, the company's creative marketing campaigns took home platinum and gold in the 2020 AVA Digital Awards competition. Top of Mind went on to earn eight more platinum and gold awards for outstanding content at the 2020 Hermes Creative Awards in May. In June, Top of Mind placed among the world's top creators of video content in the 41st Annual Telly Awards, and in August, its Surefire CRM was named Product of the Year, Small Company division by Business Intelligence Group's (BIG) Sales and Marketing Technology Awards, also known as "The Sammys."

About Top of Mind Networks:

Founded in 2003, Atlanta-based Top of Mind Networks (https://www.topofmind.com) started as a bootstrapped direct-mail marketing company. Today, the company is recognized as the mortgage industry's most-relied-upon provider of marketing automation and creative content solutions. From individuals to enterprise lenders, Top of Mind's SurefireCRM helps thousands of mortgage professionals win new business, earn repeat business and deserve referral business. With intuitive, "set it and forget it" workflows and award-winning content, mortgage professionals are able to effortlessly maintain and deepen their emotional connections with clients.

@mortgagecrm @NatMortgageNews #creativematters #SurefireCRM #DigMortgage20

Top of Mind Networks (Top of Mind), a leader in customer relationship management (CRM) and marketing automation software for the mortgage lending industry, was named second runner up in the demo competition at Arizent's 2020 Digital Mortgage conference, held September 14-17.

Related link: https://www.topofmind.com/

Voices.com Wins ‘Beyond Borders Award’ at 37th Annual Business Achievement Awards

LONDON, Ontario /ScoopCloud/ -- Voices.com, the world's leading marketplace for voice over services, is thrilled to announce that it was awarded the Beyond Borders Award at last night's Business Achievement Awards gala. Presented by the London Chamber of Commerce, this award recognizes the global initiatives of a local business who has expanded their business outside of Canada.

"It's an honour to not only be recognized for our global network, but to also have been done so by a panel of our peers right here in London, Ontario," says Voices.com founder and CEO David Ciccarelli. "This award win is a testament to the tireless work of our talented staff and to the immense talent pool on the Voices.com marketplace that make us the trusted source of voice over for brands around the world."

Originally scheduled for March 2020, the Business Achievement Awards gala was an intimate event this year that was streamed live to ticket holders.

To be eligible for the Beyond Borders Award, a business must have been operating for at least two years, and have Canadian headquarters based in the London & surrounding area. The award is designed to celebrate the winner's achievements and to share best practices to inspire other local companies to grow beyond borders.

For a full list of winners, see: https://www.londonchamber.com/news/details/news-release-9-24-2020

About the Business Achievement Awards

The London Chamber of Commerce has been recognizing and celebrating high achievement in London's business community since 1984. Often called the "Academy Awards" of business achievement in London, the Chamber's annual Business Achievement Awards gala showcases and celebrates some of the outstanding businesses in London. The Annual Business Achievement Awards is the largest business awards gala of its kind in Canada.

About Voices.com

Voices.com is the largest marketplace for audio and voice over products and services in the world, with over one million business and voice actor registered users. Since 2005, the biggest and most beloved brands have entrusted Voices.com to help them find their voice. Headquartered in London, Canada, Voices.com helps service clients and voice talent in over 160 countries.

Learn more at: https://www.voices.com/

Media Contact: Michelle Melski | michelle.melski@voices.com | 1-888-359-3472 ext. 536

*Images for media: https://www.voices.com/company/mediakit

Voices.com, the world's leading marketplace for voice over services, is thrilled to announce that it was awarded the Beyond Borders Award at last night's Business Achievement Awards gala. Presented by the London Chamber of Commerce, this award recognizes the global initiatives of a local business who has expanded their business outside of Canada.

Related link: https://www.voices.com/