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Let's Talk Small Business

Month: November 2014

Veteran Owned Small Business, Part II

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Finishing out our two-part series on veteran small business owners (VOSB), we had Dorna Werdelin, supplier relations, communications and outreach manager at the Georgia Department of Administrative Services, and co-host Cassius Butts, SBA regional administrator in the studio. Listen in to hear about the opportunities, challenges and trends veterans encounter as they turn to entrepreneurship as a viable career path. You’ll also want to tune in for lesser known tips for successfully doing business with the State of Georgia. So listen in – you’ll be glad you did.

Dorna Werdelin / Georgia Department of Administrative Services

Dorna Werdelin is the communications outreach manager with the Georgia Department of Administrative Services State Purchasing Division. She is responsible for official communications, marketing of statewide contracts and supplier relations. Mrs. Werdelin is also the Georgia Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) Certification official, and conducts several monthly training sessions for companies wishing to do business with the State of Georgia government, acting as a dedicated resource to those businesses.

Mrs. Werdelin has worked with the State of Georgia government for almost 10 years, formerly as the assistant director of the Georgia Leadership Institute and Enterprise Learning Division at the State Personnel Administration, managing training contract and the training function in the state.

Prior to her work with the state, she was employed at what was the largest oil refinery in the Western Hemisphere, in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. As the deputy information officer and HR specialist, she was a government liaison, and was responsible for organizational training, ERP training, employee relocation and orientation, and community outreach programs. She serves as a mentor to teenaged and college-bound girls in her community, and is an advocate for disabled military veterans and fathers’ rights. She is a certified Caregiver, married to a Wounded Warrior and has three sons.

 

 

Veteran Owned Small Business, Part I

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On the heels of Veterans Day, the Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council kicked off a special two-part series on veteran small business owners (VOSB) – the opportunities, challenges and trends they encounter while turning to entrepreneurship as a viable career path. Special guest Vanessa Bull, supplier diversity site administrator and mentor protégé program manager for Lockheed Martin Aeronautics covered burning topics including VOSB training and mentorship/development opportunities, as well as, tips for preparing for the upcoming National Veterans Small Business Engagement Conference sponsored by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. So listen in!

Vanessa Bull / Lockheed Martin Aeronautics

Vanessa Bull is a Supplier Diversity Advocate and Mentor Protégé Program Manager for Lockheed Martin Aeronautics in Marietta, Georgia.

In this role, she is responsible for maintaining a world class Supplier Diversity program focused on customer satisfaction and the achievement of Small Business goals. She is also accountable for the company’s Mentor Protégé efforts including agreements with federal, state and local agencies.

Ms. Bull has served on the Board of Directors of the Georgia Women’s Business Council, the US Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce and currently serves as Chair on the Board of Directors for the Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council (GMSDC).

Ms. Bull has received numerous awards for her efforts in support of Supplier Diversity. Women’s Enterprise USA news magazine has recognized her as one of the “100 Women Impacting Supplier Diversity.”

 

 

Special Edition: Health IT

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Health IT is the subject of mass attention, particularly as Georgia continues to grow and make national headlines for its work in the field. Recently, thought leaders Christopher Kunney of InfiniteOptions Technology Consulting Group, and MBEs Tracey Grace of IBEX IT Business Experts, and Dr. Cassandra Tancil of PharmaCare Solutions, came together to discuss major trends in this cutting edge industry. Topics included the Affordable Healthcare Act, electronic health records, telemedicine, and recommendations to small business owners on how to both stay in tune to the industry’s accelerated growth and make it work for you. Listen in!

Tracey Grace / IBEX IT Business Experts Twitter

Tracey Grace is President and CEO of IBEX IT Business Experts in Alpharetta, Georgia. Tracey founded IBEX after seizing the opportunity to staff Electronic Healthcare Record projects. IBEX today is a National Staffing and Training Firm.

Tracey earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics & Spanish at the University of Pittsburgh, and was awarded a Graduate Fellowship to attend the Katz Graduate School of Business where she earned her MBA in less than a year. Tracey has held various sales management positions at companies such as the FedEx Corporation, Learning Tree International and was as Vice President at Quint Wellington Redwood, a Dutch Consulting firm where she received numerous awards.

Tracey is on the MBEIC Leadership Council – Chair of the Healthcare Consortium, currently serves as a Board Member at the Katz Graduate School Alumni Association advising on Minority recruitment and has served as a board member of AFCEA – Armed Forces Communication and Electronics Association. She actively speaks about Gender and Minority diversification, using IBEX as a platform.   IBEX is a certified Woman Owned and Minority Owned Enterprise.

Christopher Kunney / InfiniteOptions Technology Consulting Group, LLC LinkedIn Twitter

Christopher is a senior level healthcare information technology executive and strategist. He is called upon by his clients to provide guidance and thought leadership specific to emerging healthcare technology offerings, compliance related issues and technology adoption. His recent roles include serving as Director of Emerging Healthcare Technology for AT&T, Vice President & COO for HealthInovation and Vice President and CIO for Piedmont Healthcare. Christopher currently serves as managing partner of Infinite Options, LLC. and also maintains strategic alliances with various HIT consulting firms such as Smartecute, The BAE Company and The Desir Group.

He has a track record of successfully implementing and providing strategic enterprise-wide solutions that address the current issues faced by health systems including; meaningful use, PPACA, HITECH Act, HIPAA, EMR Adoption, CMS quality measures, and HIEs. In addition, Christopher is an experienced IT leader with demonstrated ability to build peak-performing teams and achieve cross-functional business objectives that effectively integrate within the clinical setting. As a valued member of senior management teams, he’s contributed a seasoned, broad-based perspective with the maturity to lead IT transformation efforts in all areas of the healthcare business. His business philosophy is to create pragmatic IT strategies and implementation plans designed for maximum return.

Christopher serves as instructor-at-large for Southern Polytechnic University Professional Education – HIT Certification Program and is industry advisor to Georgia Institute Of Technologies – HIT Cluster Program, ITT Technical Institute and DeVry University – Atlanta. He also serves on the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce HIT Public Policy Taskforce and Bioscience – Health IT Leadership Council and active member of the Information Technology Senior Management Forum (ITSMF)

Some of his current leadership roles include, board member and FY14 President of the Healthcare Information Systems Society (HIMSS) – Georgia Chapter and Board Chairman of Ivy Preparatory Academy of Schools. He’s previously served as past chair of Dr. Ben Carson Foundation Atlanta Chapter and board emeritus for the Men’s Health and Wellness Center. Other previous professional organizational memberships include: Georgia Association of Healthcare Executives (GAHE), Georgia Chapter of the National Association of Healthcare Service Executives (NASHE). Christopher has also served as an adjunct professor in the School of Arts and Sciences at DeVry University.

Christopher is a graduate of Fort Valley State University, earning a Bachelor Of Science in Computer Science/Mathematics and Executive Master of Science in management of Technology from the Georgia Institute of Technology. In addition to his formal education, he’s received various certifications in the areas of healthcare information technology (CPHIT), customer relationship management (CRM), technical management, total quality control, project management, and other various I.T. related fields of study.

Christopher is a recipient of the Seaborn Lee Middle School Trailblazer Award; 2006 Minority Scholarship Award from the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME). Along with this award he also was selected to participate in the CHIME’s CIO Boot Camp for high achieving business leaders. Christopher was also selected to deliver the commencement address for a recent graduating class at ITT Institute in Atlanta, GA and has appear as a subject matter expert at various healthcare IT industry conferences and events. Christopher has appeared in various publications including The Atlanta Business Chronicle, Modern Healthcare, 2006 thru 2012 editions of Who’s Who in Business and Industry, Who’s Who in Black Atlanta and was featured in a spring 2006 article on “Minorities in Healthcare” published by the Atlanta Hospital News. He’s also been featured in Black Enterprise Magazine’s executives “On The Move” section. He’s co-author various articles, whitepapers and presented nationally on topics surrounding the impact of health information technology on the clinical ecosystem. Christopher is an avid blogger and shares his perspective through various social media outlets including, Twitter, Linkedin and Google Plus.

Cassandra Tancil / PharmaCare Solutions, Inc. LinkedIn

Dr. Cassandra G. Tancil, co-founder and President/CEO of PharmaCare Solutions, Inc., has practiced as a clinical pharmacist for more than 25 years. Dr. Tancil began her career in a progressive community hospital in Baltimore, MD where she was responsible for overseeing and implementing policies and procedures to ensure the appropriate use of medications throughout the institution. After spending eleven years as the Clinical Pharmacy Coordinator in Baltimore, she moved back home to Georgia and decided to explore other facets of pharmacy. Her journey led her to diverse experiences within the pharmaceutical industry for a Fortune 500 global R&D company, an ambulatory care clinic for a leading HMO, and the nation’s leading provider of government pharmacy benefits management services.

The skills that Dr. Tancil has acquired during her career led to the founding of PharmaCare Solutions, a healthcare consulting company, whose primary focus is to manage your healthcare cost through clinical, analytical, and marketing services to ensure patients are utilizing medications to achieve positive health outcomes. Her willingness to work closely with other healthcare professionals and patients often leads to mutual accountability and a win-win for all.

Dr. Tancil received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Chemistry and Music from Emory University, a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Mercer University Southern School of Pharmacy, and completed a residency at Howard University Hospital. She is also a board certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist (BCPS).