Beruflich Dokumente
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1993-2013
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2 Priority Health and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Preparing for the Affordable Care Act
By Jane Whittington On October 1, open enrollment for healthcare coverage under the Affordable Care Act will become available. While weve all been hearing about what the Affordable Care Act (AKA Obamacare) will and wont mandate and provide, what weve heard may well have been tainted by partisanship. And its unlikely that any among us has read, let alone understood, the over 1,000 pages that comprise the ACA. Under the ACA, coverage will be available to every citizen. States are in the process of setting up healthcare insurance exchanges, to be rolled out October 1, although citizens have until January 1, 2014 to obtain coverage. Some states have set up their own exchanges. Others, like Michigan, will be relying on the federal government to create these exchanges. 60 percent of Americans are covered through their employers, and their coverage should continue. For the most part, their coverage will be unchanged. However, for the nearly 50 million uninsured, coverage will now be required. In June of this year, Michigan Radio, an NPR station, spoke with Karen Pollitz, a senior fellow at the Kaiser Family Foundation, a non-partisan health policy group, and reported on their findings. Their website is www.kff.org. Pollitz stated that once the exchanges are announced, consumers can look at what is offered. There will also be information about what subsidies will be available for those looking for coverage. She reports, Estimates say the 80 to 90 percent of those who come to the exchanges for insurance will not pay the full price. The exchanges will have navigators who will be available both over the phone and in person. Pollitz says, When Congress passed the ACA, they offered unlimited amounts of money to states that set up their own exchanges but only a limited amount of money for the federal government. Since Michigans exchange is federally-funded (against Governor Snyders recommendation), there may be fewer navigators than other states. Pollitz says, You may have to persist a bit more in Michigan to land in the right place with subsidies. As of the beginning of September, there are nine carriers who will offer products through Michigans healthcare exchanges. This may or may not be the final number. For those who, for whatever reason, choose not to purchase insurance, there will be a fine of $95 (or one percent of taxable income) tacked onto their 2014 tax. Families will be penalized half as much, and theres a cap on how much families can be charged. Penalties are waived for very low income people. For more information about how the ACA will affect Michigans citizens, go to www.michigan.gov/difs/0,5269,7303-12902_35510-263899--,00.html. This is the website for DIFS (Department of Insurance and Financial Services). www.healthcare.gov provides additional information. AARP (www.aarp.org) has many useful tools available on its website, which will be especially helpful to those over 50. Both Priority Health and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan are preparing themselves for the new realities of the Affordable Care Act. Priority Health, founded in 1986, provides group and individual insurance plans. Over 12,000 employers offer Priority Health to their employees and over 600,000 people are covered. Michigan based, there are offices in Farmington Hills, Holland, Jackson, Kalamazoo and Traverse City as well as the headquarters in Grand Rapids. Priority Health offers PPOs and HMOs both to employers who offer the plans to their employees and to individuals. In terms of the ACA, Marti Lolli, Director, Health Care Reform, says, For people who are currently covered by Priority Health, there will be few if any changes. For those who currently do not have coverage and have never purchased coverage, it will be more complicated. But we have tools available to help make it clear. We have websites, ebooks, webinars, seminarseverything we can think of to explain the ACA and how it affects each individual. Those who are currently covered through their employers should be able to get information about any possible changes to their coverage through their employers. It is the responsibility of the employer to provide information to their employees, but, for those whose coverage is through Priority, there is, as Lolli puts it, a great deal of assistance and information we can offer them. We want them to be able to concentrate on their core business. Lolli says, There is a great deal of concern that employers may drop coverage. But this is not new; employers have been struggling to pay for healthcare coverage over timenot related to the ACA. Costs have just been going up. We dont feel that a lot of employers will choose to drop coverage, but what employees who may face that situation need to know is that they will have options under the provisions of the ACA. We are always available to help people understand what those options are. Large employers (those with 50 or more employees) who do not provide coverage will face penalties starting in 2015. Priority Health supported the expansion of the Medicaid program which was recently approved by Michigans legislature. Before its passage, Lolli said, We are very hopeful for the expansion of Medicaid because there are 500,000 individuals in Michigan who are currently uninsured, and without this expansion, many of them would not get the care they need.
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Business
update
ublication
Business Development Senior Vice President: Diane LaPreze Senior Vice President: Jim Lroy Circulation: Aubrey Day Contributing Writers: Jane Whittington, Cristina VanWieren, Jim Alton, Tom McGuire, Ryan Camp, Brad Smith, Joshua Coburn Managing Editor: Carol M. Kralapp Associate Editor: Jeremy Martin Printing/Distribution: News Web Printing Accountant: Michael Tawney & Company Legal: Miller Canfield Paddock & Stone
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Jane Whittington is a freelance writer and editor who lives in Grand Rapids.
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5 Priority Health and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Preparing for the Affordable Care Act
Continued from page 2 Priority Health currently works with Medicaid in fourteen counties in Michigan, and will continue to operate under the expansion and within the framework of the ACA. When Medicaid clients enroll, they are offered an option of the various plans available. The October rollout of healthcare exchanges will include products from Priority Health. Lolli says, We have been doing exchange simulations with the federal government for over a year and a half. So weve been at the front edge of discussions with the government as to how these exchanges will work. Our products will be available through the public web portal but consumers can also come to us directly for information and assistance. She continues, Coverage will be more affordable to many consumers through subsidies offered by the government. Find more information about Priority Health and the ACA at www.understandinghealthreform.com and at www.priorityhealth.com The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association has been offering healthcare coverage throughout the U. S. for 83 years and currently covers over 100 million people. There are 37 local organizations connected by one association. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM) is the largest health insurer in Michigan with 4.4 million members (more than 40 percent of the states total population) and is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. In March of 2013, BCBSM began a transition process following reform measures modernizing the regulation of Michigans health insurance market. According to Jeffrey Connolly, President, West Michigan Operations & Managed Care, We are transitioning to a mutual company and away from being the insurer of last resort and all of the components within that over the next two to three years. With the Affordable Care Act, there is no longer any need for an insurer of last resort. Ken Dallafior, Executive Vice President/Group Business & Corporate Marketing, says, The driver for that change is to give us the opportunity to fairly and justly compete in the public marketplace. If we had not changed, we would have had no role to play in the new ACA world. Governor Snyder, who signed the legislation, realized that BCBSM is an asset to Michigan, and we would have been out of the game if we didnt change to this new model. Connolly adds, Many of the mandates of the ACA have been part of our company for some time. One good example is guaranteed issue and renewability. We have never turned away customers because of pre-existing conditions. This has put us at somewhat of a disadvantage as other insurers were able to choose who they covered. Now, with the ACA, insurers cant pick and choose who they want to cover. Dallafiro says, Since we have had guaranteed coverage for so long, we know how it works, and that is to our advantage as the ACA goes forward. He continues, ACA compliant products must include essential health benefits like wellness, preventive care for women and children, dental coverage for children and others that are required under the ACA. All insurers will offer this coverage as of 1/1/14. Connolly adds, There are significantly more benefits that all insurers will have to provide. Those currently covered by BCBSM will be contacted in advance of renewal. Dallafior says, We have already started contacting our customers and have been an advisor to our group customers as well as a resource for individuals. BCBSM has a Medicaid product called Blue Cross Complete, and this will continue and will grow following the recent passage of Medicaid expansion legislation in Michigan. Continued on page 8
care is financially challenging. Certified Health Services are highly regulated by the government and are paid for through Medicare and other insurances. These services include skilled nursing, social work, and physical, occupational, and speech therapy. Certified Health Services are provided by registered nurses and therapists in the comfort of the patients home. Unlike in a nursing home or assisted living facility, in-home care staff is not easily monitored. When I asked Susan about this she stated unequivocally that staff accountability is a key factor in the success of the company. Clark at Home has several systems in place to monitor staff attendance and quality of job performance. Employees are observed in action by their supervisors, patient surveys are routinely administered, and ongoing training is provided. Another way in which providers meet the needs of seniors is through Continuing Care systems. Facilities like Maple Creek and Clark Retirement Community offer CC options, allowing residents to remain within one system even as their needs change. A resident might begin in an independent living housing option, but later find it necessary to move into AL. If a time comes when the resident needs continuous medical care, they can be transferred to the nursing care facility. All of these are provided on the same campus. Patients in CC facilities age in place, says Reverend Becky-Ebb-Speese, Chaplain at Maple Creek, which impacts residents health and quality of life. Becoming part of a community socialization is not only enjoyable for seniors, but may slow down the memory-loss process. According to a 2008 publication in the American Journal of Public Health, Harvard researchers found evidence that
elderly people in the U.S. who have an active social life may also have a slower rate of memory decline. Most nursing homes and assisted living centers offer a variety of social activities for residents, promoting an atmosphere of fun and community. On the campuses of Clark and Maple Creek, residents take part in field trips, wellness classes, game nights, and yes BINGO. Clarks residents, with the youthfulness of teenagers, even put on a lipdub a few years ago. Check it out at http://www.clarkretirement.org/lipdub.ph p - you wont be disappointed. Catered Living Plus, a popular housing option allowing couples to continue living together, is a relatively new concept and is offered at Maple Creek. Often, one spouse requires assistance with daily living and the other needs help providing that care. Within about a year of becoming available, Catered Living Plus was nearly filled to capacity. While couples may have to move from their home, they can continue to live and function together with the piece of mind that assistance is always nearby. Personalizing care for residents also includes a spiritual aspect. Many adult care systems offer worship services, Bible studies, and one-on-one spiritual support. Maple Creek, a Lutheran institution, provides spiritual care that is respectful to persons of all religious backgrounds. In fact, a majority of its residents are not
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8 Construction Briefs
Grand Rapids First tenant of the newly renovated historic Harris Building (111 S. Division), Local Epicurean - organic pasta company from locally sourced ingredients is open for business. Shoppers can also find gourmet pasta sauces, meats, cheeses, and a variety of other unique foods and ingredients. Future plans for the Local Epicurean include a restaurant and teaching kitchen. Developer Harris Lofts, LLC, general contractor Wolverine Building Group, and architect Landmark Design were behind the renovation of the nearly 110-year-old building, a Grand Rapids landmark with a distinctive marquee sign. Grand Rapids Denise Hopkins, owner of ImaginEco Design, announced her new design packages that take exclusivity out of architecture, interior and landscape designs. Her Design Packages start with a 3-hour in-office or in-home personal consultation to discuss planning your interior spaces, color palettes for your homes exterior or interior, or garden makeover. Then youll receive a Design Plan of Action summarizing your personal consultation with samples of recommended materials and colors. Lansing The American Council of Engineering Companies of Michigan announced its 2013-2014 Officers: President - John Hiltz, OHM Advisors (Livonia); President-Elect - Amy Trahey, Great Lakes Engineering Group, LLC (Lansing); Treasurer - Michael Cooper, Harley Ellis Devereaux (Southfield); National Director - Wally Alix, Hubbell, Roth & Clark, Inc. (Bloomfield Hills); and Past-President - Keith Swaffar, NTH Consultants, LTD (Detroit). 2013-2014 Board of Directors: Chris Cook, Abonmarche (Benton Harbor); Thomas Deneau, Wightman & Associates, Inc. (Benton Harbor); Steve Gravlin, Wade Trim (Taylor); Sean Kelley, Mannik Smith Group, Inc. (Canton); Mark Kramer, Soil and Materials Engineers, Inc. (Plymouth); Steve Nichols, Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr & Huber (Grand Rapids); Stephen Pangori, Anderson, Eckstein & Westrick, Inc. ( S h e l b y To w n s h i p ) ; Theresa Petko, AICP, URS (Grand Rapids); Jack Wheatley, R O W E Professional S e r v i c e s Company (Flint); and Robert Rayl, RS Engineering, LLC (Lansing). Kalamazoo CSM Group announced promotion of Ryan Long to Project Director, and will be responsible for overall management direction of existing projects. Kalamazoo Signature Associates, a Cushman and Wakefield Alliance Member, announced Eric Holdorf joined their West Michigan team as Sales Associate. Grand Rapids Signature Associates announced Tyler Johnson joined their West Michigan team as Sales Associate, specializing in office properties. Grand Rapids Progressive AE announced Bryan W. Koehn, AIA, Director of Design, earned Distinguished Architecture Alumni Award from Lawrence Technological University. Kalamazoo - Signature Associates has negotiated the lease of 2,200 square feet of medical office space located at 5136 Lovers Lane, Portage for the tenant, Physicians Toxicology, LLC. Ann Arbor Hobbs + Black Associates, Inc., announced the opening of Tucson Medical Center West Pavilion in Tucson, AZ, a tremendous building program encompassing multiple projects, including construction of a new west hospital, and new five-story parking structure. West Michigan - Signature Associates has negotiated: the lease of 15,000 SF of industrial space located at 5121 East ML Avenue, Kalamazoo for the tenant, Mall City Containers, Inc. the sale of a 6,300 SF industrial building located at 1236 8th Street, Muskegon, Michigan to CMN Enterprises, LLC. for the seller, J. Crew Partnership the lease of 54,000 SF of industrial space located at 1450 E. Laketon, Muskegon for the represented the tenant, Intracity Dispatch, Inc. the sale of an 11,552 SF office building located at 6331 Kenowa Avenue SW, Grandville to Real Estate Management, Inc. for the seller, Auto Club Insurance. Grand Rapids Gains Spohn, experienced in Phase I and II assessments, and asbestos abatement projects, and Lucas Wright, background as a hydrogeologist and drilling assistant, joined ASTIs Western Great Lakes office. Lansing Clark Construction Company was included on a list of top 25 privately held companies in Greater Michigan, as compiled by Crains Detroit Business, and was published in the most recent edition of Crains Magazine.
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accommodate up to 650. She continues, We provide the complete package: a bridal dressing area, a tram ride to some of our locations, white garden chairs, an outside sound system for the vows and a reception space. Meijer Gardens brides and grooms can choose to use The Taste of the Gardens Catering or one of three recommended vendors. The Gardens also provides a list of other area professionals who have provided goods and services successfully through the years. A staff of experienced event coordinators works with clients in coordinating all the details. Smartz says, In 2012, we broke ground on The Richard and Helen DeVos Japanese Garden, and it is scheduled to open in 2015. It will include waterfalls, scenic bridges and stunning horticulture. It will be a wonderful place for a wedding and will convey the essence of the Japanese traditiontranquility, simplicity and beauty. Catering Marthas Catering partners with Marthas Vineyard and Nantucket Bakery to put together the perfect menu for that special day. According to Jennifer Behrens, assistant catering manager, We can cater up to three weddings on a single day. We provide the serving staff, bartenders, dishes, linens and, of course, all the food and drink for the reception. While most weddings we cater have about 150-200 guests, were happy to do smaller or larger. Weve worked in venues all over town, including St. Cecelias, the Grand Rapids Art Museum and UICA. She continues, We will work with our clients to provide just exactly what they want, or they can choose from the menu items we have found most people like.
Marthas Catering also offers a wide range of wedding cake choices. According to Behrens, Most people choose to have a wedding cake for their guests (the most popular is the Lady in Red, a white cake with a cheesecake center and raspberry mousse), but some brides are going with less conventional choices like cupcakes or mini-desserts. While we do both buffet and plated dinners, another trend weve seen is serving dinner family-style. She adds, Nantucket Bakery is known for great pizza, and we offer the option of a late night pizza delivery to keep the party going! Wedding Planners Aletha VanderMaas founded Pearls Events in 2007 to help brides create the most beautiful wedding and reception possible. She says, I work with vendors to supply table settings and centerpieces. I come up with the design ideas in partnership with my clients and then make it happen using vendors that I know to be excellent at their professions. She continues, Some of my brides have known for years exactly what their weddings will look like, and I help realize that vision. Others come in with no idea what they want, so we work from scratch. I always want a wedding to reflect the couple, so thats what we strive to do. She says, The most common words
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Industrial Briefs
Allegan Perrigo announced: Brad Lake was hired as a Dispensing Supervisor, and will facilitate efficient and effective dispensing and sampling processes; Claire DeWitt was hired as Talent Acquisition Consultant and will be responsible for managing the transfer process and specialist hiring; Eric Neal was hired as IT Internal Auditor for the Global Internal Audit & Compliance team. Chicago U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Enbridge began a new round of dredging in Michigans Kalamazoo River to clean up oil from the companys July 2010 pipeline spill. The cleanup work is required by EPAs March 2013 administrative order, which requires Enbridge to complete additional dredging by the end of the year above the Ceresco Dam, upstream of Battle Creek and in Morrow Lake Delta. While dredging is underway, 12 miles of the river will be temporarily closed. During the past three years, nearly 190,000 cubic yards of oilcontaminated material, and 1.15 million gallons of oil were recovered from the river. Grand Rapids Crystal Flash announced it acquired C. Barron & Sons, Inc., in Monroe, bringing more than 2,000 new customers, 28 new employees, and four new locations. This transaction is the sixth acquisition for Crystal Flash in the past 18 months, and will allow the company to expand its product lines, customer base, and geographic reach. Family owned and operated for more than 60 years, Barron provides fuel transportation services to retail and commercial customers throughout Michigan and into Northern Ohio, and carries a full line of fuel products, lubricants and diesel exhaust fluids. Belding Stahlin Non-Metallic Enclosures announced it appointed Dan Stockton, Master Scheduler/ Senior Buyer; additionally Stahlin was selected by Michigan Business & Professional Association as one of the 101 Best and Brightest Places To Work For in West Michigan; finally, Stahlin announced appointment of U of M intern Brain Knoerl as Industrial Engineer. Kalamazoo Graybar, leading distributor of electrical, communications and data networking products, and provider of related supply chain management and logistics services, opened a new branch at 3100 Covington Road, Kalamazoo, serving Branch, Calhoun, Kalamazoo, and Van Buren Counties. Grand Rapids/Rochester Nichols and Rubbermaid Commercial Products, leader in innovative, solutions-based commercial products, announced they will host a BUILT TO LAST demo tour - a mobile road show experience complete with a showroom, stage, and interactive demonstrations - August 21, 2013, at Oakland University, 2200 Squirrel Rd, Rochester, and August 22, 2013, at Michigan Coatings, 3761 Eastern Ave SE, Grand Rapids. Jackson Consumers Energy reported it is eliminating its renewable energy surcharge starting July 2014, subject to approval by the Michigan Public Service Commission. Last year, Consumers cut its surcharge from 65 cents to 52 cents - a 20% reduction.
Industrial Briefs
Belding Stahlin Non-Metallic Enclosures, manufacturer of the worlds most frequently specified fiberglass enclosure products, welcomed Doug Hill as Applications Engineer. Grand Rapids The Right Place, Inc. - in collaboration with Michigan Economic Development Corporation, and Cascade Township - announced Paris-based Teleperformance, Inc., reached an agreement with all parties and will establish a new customer support center at 2680 Horizon Drive SE, Grand Rapids. With support from Michigan Business Development Program, through a $600,000 performance-based grant, Teleperformance will invest a total of $3.79 million, creating 500 new full-time local positions including customer care agents, supervisors, trainers, and IT specialists. Kalamazoo Landscape Forms will partner with Kojima Signalization and Interiors - a So Paulo-based manufacturer - to import, manufacture and distribute Landscape Forms products in Brazil. Rockford Wolverine Worldwide announced appointment of Jodi K. Watson, Vice President of eCommerce, to President, Consumer Direct, reporting to Blake W. Krueger, Wolverine's Chairman, CEO, and President. Watson will be responsible for direct-to-consumer operations for Wolverine, including stores and eCommerce. Additionally, Wolverine Worldwide announced appointment of Gene McCarthy as President of the Merrell brand, with more than 30 years experience driving brands to accelerated growth around the world. Grand Rapids David Morris, PhD, was named Vice President and Publisher of Zondervan non-fiction trade books. Morris comes to Zondervan after leaving his position of Vice President and Editorial Director for Guideposts Books. Allegan Perrigo announced Michael Burgos was promoted as SAP Business Analyst for the SAP Product Lifecycle Management, providing global SAP Application support for Master Data, Quality Management, Regulatory Affairs, and Sales & Marketing business groups. Grand Rapids Cascade Engineering announced appointment of Judy Bland, Vice President of Manufacturing, and will be responsible for providing strategic leadership and direction for all aspects of manufacturing for the Cascade Engineering Family of Companies, which comprises 12 business units. Muskegon Action Industrial Supply acquired Reid Safety of Muskegon and Traverse City. Actions family of companies includes two Action locations in Muskegon and Grand Rapids, as well as Safety Products, division of Action Industrial Supply in Holland. The two former Reid Safety locations will join Safety Products Holland location, and will operate as Safety Products. Both Action and Safety Products carry a full line of industrial supplies. Allegan Perrigo announced Amanda Carter was promoted as Operations Management Trainee for the tablet packaging team and David Kissel was hired as Production Engineer. Grand Rapids Supply Chain Solutions, Inc. announced it entered into an agreement to lease 70,000 sq. ft. at a warehouse facility in Carol Stream, Illinois.
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Grand Rapids PEN American Center announced winners and runners-up of 2013 PEN Literary Awards, the most comprehensive literary awards program in the country: The Fantastic Jungles of Henri Rousseau, written by Michelle Markel, illustrated by Amanda Hall, and published by Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, received a prize of $5,000 for PEN/Steven Kroll Award for Picture Book Writing. Farmington Hills Revolution Lighting Technologies, Inc. acquired Relume Technologies, a Beringea, LLC, portfolio company based in Oxford that manufacturers outdoor LED products, and smart grid control systems for outdoor lighting applications. Beringea first invested in Relume in 2009; the exit is the fourth in five months for the private equity group, which includes Beringeas London, UK affiliate, Beringea, LLP. Grand Rapids DECC Company, coating applicator, made Inc. 500/5000 List of the nations fastest growing private companies, coming in at number 2082, with posted sales growth of 179% over a three year period, and was number 64 out of the top 100 manufacturers on the list.
Jane Whittington is a freelance writer and editor who lives in Grand Rapids.
Communication & IT
Data Security in the 24/7 World
By Ryan Camp In the next few years, emerging technological and social trends will have far-reaching effects for enterprise security. Due to an era of globalization, outdated boundaries continue to vanish before the unyielding pace of the 24/7 world we live in today. In this new mindset, being in business can translate into something completely different than what it did in the past. For businesses it can mean the sharing of assets and sensitive data with other businesses. The red line between integrated and segregation can also draw a line between opportunity and risk. Today, businesses depend on technology and processes to safeguard that line from dangers so to protect data, their image and privacy. With the development of every piece of new technology, the line can change ever so slightly. With businesses trying to take advantage of these prospects, single-minded people may attempt to exploit vulnerabilities. Subsequently, the probability of evolving technologies symbolizes a fundamental change in how businesses should tackle the associated security risks. Virtualized For years, businesses have been trying to keep pace with changing technology needs by building data centers to provide more energy-efficient infrastructures. For many, scalability and reacting quickly is needed to support the evolution of shared applications, and the expected instability of service demands. Using an open infrastructure that utilizes virtual pools of resources that are connected together gives businesses a simple, quick and platform independent route. Having the capability to outline and standardize groups of resources, cloud computing provides an opportunity to restructure and standardize the security practices within the business. That standardization creates a streamlined process that fuels itself since assets can be managed and allows many virtual assets to become more manageable. New Security Due to the details of running multifaceted, specialized security assets, the need for new security features is necessary, now more than ever. First, a business should choose how much access it wants to retain. Next, the size and difficulty of an environment can deeply effect what security features a business chooses. Some businesses have pretty simple security needs. Then again, some businesses have complex environments that are able to rapidly adjust their setup as needed. Some new ways to assist with security are: Deployable Devices. Devices are growing into a single all-in-one deliverable device that encompasses full installs of OS, software and tools preconfigured to execute various tasks focused on a single area of operation. They are also becoming easier to handle due to smaller physical and virtual forms. Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). While many managed services have devoted framework for each customer, SaaS provides many services in which a single device controls a service for different customers, delivering standardized services with minimal configuring. Data today Daily, large amounts of information flow across the internet. A benefit to some, the information bonanza has unfortunately created a nightmare for businesses with the explosion of databases along with an increase in data leaks. This increases the probability for improper use of intellectual data. Businesses can anticipate a continuous push to reduce the risks of breaches. Consequently, this push should put focus on the need for administrative privacy tools with the ability to mask data and where security of data lacks. This focus can emphasize the need for encryption. Data security capabilities deliver a groundwork for business information resources to improve to show the value of data and safeguard ones privacy. Protecting the network The demand to provide high bandwidth applications has shaped a race within businesses to meet growing need for bandwidth. With current bandwidth and traffic hitting extraordinary levels, ISPs have less insight of the traffic traversing their networks. As more encryption and virtualization policies come
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about, it produces new networks inside the server environment, making oversight become more difficult. Consequently, network security should become more undetectable, due to emerging attacks. Virtualized systems allow the prospect for hosts to commence attacks against other hosts. Battling these attacks will need new intrusive protection tools. Addressing these evolving threats requires an approach based on a highly scalable, cooperating security systems with integrated network, server and endpoint protection technologies. Mobile devices Of all the emerging technologies, mobile devices are a great example of opportunity and risk coming together. With assorted designs and functions, and capable of providing data and other services 24/7, the mobile device has and continues to change the way everyone does business. While devices are becoming the prevalent channel for conducting business and primary means for authentication, they are increasingly subject to the same types of security attacks, but are even less mature at deflecting them. Advances are needed in two crucial areas: mobile and ISP network security. With many devices being open sourced, network environments should be secure and free of exploitation. Since devices are progressively susceptible to malware and other attacks, ISPs should supplement their network security by observing their traffic for threats while upholding peak service levels. If businesses identify and react to these trends, risk can be turned into opportunity. In spite of everything, it's how risk is handled that decides whether or not a business endures in the always changing world. Ryan Camp, Systems Engineer at Trivalent Group, attended Aquinas College for his undergrad studies in Computer Information Systems and received his Masters in Information Assurance from Davenport.
16 Education Briefs
Grand Rapids Grand Valley State Universitys Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy selected Beverly Franks Grant, LMSW, to be its first ever Associate Director, and will serve as the chief operational leader, supporting Executive Director James Edwards in key leadership projects, and maintaining client relationships with local, state and national foundations and organizations. Grand Rapids Grand Rapids Community College Computer Information Systems Professor Cheryl Kautz was awarded two 2013 Blackboard Catalyst awards for Exemplary Course Program from Blackboard Inc., a developer of educational software. Kautz received her first Catalyst Award in 2012. Muskegon Baker College Online will offer two new programs beginning fall 2013: Educational Effectiveness Masters Degree (emphasizes improving student learning in an era of accountability with selection of P-12 education, or higher education), and Political Science Bachelor Degree. Registration is open for classes beginning Thursday, September 26, 2013. Grand Rapids For the second consecutive year, Davenport University was recognized as a Great College to Work For, according to a new survey by The Chronicle of Higher Education. Big Rapids Ferris State University welcomes new and returning Bulldogs to campus for fall semester. Returning students will find some changes on campus with construction under way on the new University Center, a $33.9 million project slated for completion in December 2014. Carlisle and Masselink residence halls were demolished, and renovation of the Rankin Student Center began earlier this summer. The Ferris Bookstore and academic and support services, previously housed in Rankin Center, were temporarily relocated to 14265 Northland Drive, across the street from Ferris Racquet and Fitness Center. Westside Caf will open in the former Center Ice dining facility; Center for Leadership, Activities and Career Services, and offices for Student Government and Entertainment Unlimited are temporarily located on the terrace level of Helen Ferris Hall; Housing and Residence Life, Transfer Services Center, Veterans Program, First Lady's Attic, and Bulldog Radio are on the halls first floor; and the Torch student newspaper was moved to the Student Recreation Center. Lansing The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a lawsuit brought by several graduates of Thomas M. Cooley Law School, who claimed the law school misrepresented the percentage of its graduates who obtain legal employment after graduation. The Court of Appeals agreed with a lower court that the plaintiffs could not prove Cooleys reported employment statistics were false because the numbers Cooley reported were instead, literally true. East Lansing Leaders at Michigan State University are preparing to feed a hungry world while respecting the environment, training young people for success, keeping Michigan healthy, and helping communities thrive, by embarking on a Whats Now? Whats Next? tour to gather input from residents about future priorities of Michigans premier landgrant institution. Poston is one of four MSU leaders who will be available to talk with residents during the tour, and will be joined by MSU Extension Director Tom Coon; AgBioResearch Director Doug Buhler; and Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs for CANR Kelly Millenbah. Albion Kellogg Community College broke ground for at the Eastern Academic Center (EAC), an educational facility expanding this year to accommodate enrollment growth. After the groundbreaking, contractors will begin construction on a 4,608-square-foot addition to the EAC to add classrooms, seminar room, and office space, and is expected to open January 2014, to serve growing numbers of KCC students, and Marshall Public Schools, which operates an alternative high school on the site. The projects general contractor, Walbridge, predicts the work will provide job opportunities for 75 trades workers during construction, with funding for the estimated $1 million project coming from local grants, including a substantial gift from Marshall-based Cronin Foundation, and KCCs voter-approved capital millage. Grand Rapids Brian Miller, Vice President for ITS and CIO at Davenport University, was appointed by Dr. Patrick Gallagher, Director of the U.S. Commerce Departments National Institute of Standards and Technology, to 2013 Board of Examiners for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, and will be responsible for reviewing and evaluating applications submitted for the Baldrige Award. Grand Rapids After 36 years, Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts (UICA) is merging with Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University; UICA will become a wholly-owned subsidary. Despite its new $8 million home in the heart of Grand Rapids, UICA membership and attendance levels did not reach their potential, and was on a path to closing its doors this fall. UICA sits at the heart of the city, noted Kendall President David Rosen, and provides a hub for all who thrive in the creative environment. Any city that wants to be great needs a UICA. David Eisler, President of Ferris, recognized the value of UICA to Grand Rapids, and the natural affinity between it and Ferris prized art and design school, expressing This merger reflects the commitment of Ferris State University and Kendall College of Art and Design to the arts in West Michigan. The synergy of this new relationship will strengthen the contemporary arts in our region. Donors extraordinary commitment to pay off debt on the new building, and response of the community to UICAs mission, made the merger possible. Grand Rapids Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University announced Max Shangle is resigning from his position as Dean and will become President of Harrington College of Design in Chicago. Allendale Grand Valley State University signed a reverse transfer agreement with Kirtland Community College in Roscommon. Kalamazoo Kellogg Community College (KCC) formally broke ground at Eastern Academic Center, an expanding educational facility accommodating enrollment growth in Albion and Marshall areas. The additional 4,608 sq. ft., which includes three classrooms, a seminar room, and office space, will open in January, with funding coming from local grants, including a $500,000 gift from Marshall-based Cronin Foundation, and KCC's voter-approved capital millage. Allendale Grand Valley State University was named one of the Countrys Greenest Universities by the Sierra Club, largest national grassroots environmental organization, by placing 40th out of 162 schools - highest-ranking Michigan institution on the list - ahead of Princeton and Ohio State Universities. Big Rapids Thirteen Ferris State University students enrolled in Operation Excel Summer Bridge Program, earning 3.0 GPA or higher in the program, were awarded scholarships. The short-term Excel goal is for successful students to address necessary developmental course needs by the first fall semester, helping them become integrated with their program faculty and classmates sooner, and saving at least one semester of enrollment (valued at approximately $10,000 in 2013). Operation Excel initiative was a joint venture of the Developmental Programs department, Mathematics department, and Residential Life under the sponsorship of Retention and Student Success unit in Academic Affairs. Kalamazoo Kellogg Community College announced its Early Childhood Education Program recently received accreditation from National Association for the Education of Young Children. Grand Rapids Calvin College is one of the nation's best institutions for undergraduate education, according to Princeton Review. The education services company features Calvin in their recently published 2014 edition of its annual college guide, "The Best 378 Colleges." Allendale According to The Princeton Review, Grand Valley State University was named one of 155 colleges as Best in the Midwest universities in the annual 2014 Best Colleges: Region by Region in the Midwest. Grand Rapids Aquinas College Alumni Relations Department won 2013 CASE Circle of Excellence Silver Award in the Programming for Special Constituencies category for Aquinas Date Night 2013. Grand Rapids Grand Valley State University announced establishment of W.K. Kellogg Community Philanthropy Chair, a position focused on community philanthropy within Grand Valleys Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy, to honor the legacy of philanthropy and civic investment of W.K. Kellogg, founder of the Kellogg Company and W.K. Kellogg Foundation in Battle Creek. The chair was established with a $1.5 million gift from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and Kellogg Company 25Year Employees Fund.
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ly by giving gift cards from local businesses as gifts for weddings, birthdays and other special occasions. 7. Keep in mind that while many franchises are national or regional brands, specific locations are often independently owned and, often, they are locally owned. Are you a business owner? Encourage community members to shop locally by providing competitive prices and excellent personal service, and showing your local customers how much you appreciate them. In addition, you can support other local businesses by shopping with them, referring customers and partnering with them to offer specials to the community. Brad Smith, who is currently touring the United States in a Sage-branded RV encouraging people to shop local #SageShopLocal, has nearly 20 years of leadership experience in the web consumer, enterprise software, and communication service provider industries, spanning sales and marketing, product management and development, service architecture, and service/support delivery roles.
Provided by www.getabstract.com Professor Viktor Mayer-Schnberger and Economist data editor Kenneth Cukier make sweeping claims about big data. The authors describe a tidal wave of data
18 Legal/Accounting/Consulting Briefs
Grand Rapids For the 13th consecutive year, law firm of Warner Norcross & Judd, LLP, awarded the following recipients with academic scholarships to assist minority students from Michigan complete their law degree or paralegal studies: Bernadette Walli of Pierson, and Brenda P. Garcia of Grand Rapids. Grand Rapids Open to the public, Echelbarger, Himebaugh, Tamm & Co., P.C.s, 27th annual Chipping for Charity golf outing will take place Wednesday, September 18, 2013, at Scott Lake Country Club, 911 Hayes NE, Comstock Park, with proceeds benefiting South End Community Outreach Ministries. Grand Rapids Axios, Inc., a 100% employee owned human resource company, is celebrating its 25th year in business. Founded May 1988, Axios had 2012 sales of approximately $100,000,000, and co-employed nearly 2300 full-time, and 4500 part-time people. Axios does business in 14 states, with the majority of its revenue generated in Michigan. Grand Rapids Echelbarger, Himebaugh, Tamm & Co., PC, welcomed David R. Oesterle as Staff Accountant. Grand Rapids National Association of Health Underwriters - an organization of health insurance agents, brokers and professionals - installed its 2013-2014 board naming Lighthouse Group Account Executive Denise R. VanPutten, CBC, as National Membership Chair. Grand Rapids Plante Moran Financial Advisors named Certified Financial Planner Amy Butterfield, as Associate, specializing in investment advising, tax planning, business succession and estate planning, trust administration, insurance consulting. Lansing Gallagher Law Firm attorney Jennifer Tichelaar was lead attorney representing a creditor in connection with obtaining a $9,674,057.18 judgment of non-dischargeability in Bankruptcy Court, which involved a failed casino development project in Nevada. Grand Rapids The Right Place announced addition of Eric Icard, Business Development Manager, and will be responsible for business retention, expansion and attraction work. Grand Rapids Plante Moran, PLLC promoted: Ryan W. Bryker, CPA, to Associate; Anthony J. Israels, CPA, to State and Local Tax Manager; Tim VanWingerden, CPA, to Associate; and Paul Weis, to Manager. Grand Rapids Miller Johnson announced Michael B. Quinn and Connie R. Thacker received certification as Family Law Arbitrators by American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. Grand Rapids Miller Johnson announced Laurie Murphy was named by Michigan Lawyers Weekly as 2013 Michigan Women in the Law. Grand Rapids Mika Meyers Beckett & Jones, PLC, welcomed two new Attorneys: Philip M. Idema, practices family, business and real estate laws, estate planning, and probate, and David Keyser, practices family, criminal law. Holland Warner Norcross & Judd, LLP, partner Jennifer L. Remondino was appointed to serve as Michigan West Coast Chamber of Commerce Board Member.
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America as the Promotions Specialist at Brownells Inc. During this time period, Coburn also developed the small production company, Provoke Productions, through which he wrote and released his first book, as well as two albums from the regionally successful hard rock band Freaklabel. His second book, 2007s Through the EYES of an Abstract Mind, soon followed and, in 2013, Coburn released Inspiration on Demand, the culmination of a project called #ihelpedchangealife. #ihelpedchangealife was born out of Facebook friends and fans requests for a book of Coburns daily quotes, which he posted on his social media platforms to assist in remedying his own struggles. Today, Coburn actively speaks to junior high and high schools, youth and church groups, college classes, and various state departments on subjects ranging from body modification and tattoo culture to career planning, self-confidence, peer pressure, and self-actualization. He has also been featured on local, national and international television programs. For more information, please visit www.joshuacoburn.com.
Provided by www.getabstract.com Professor Viktor Mayer-Schnberger and Economist data editor Kenneth Cukier make sweeping claims about big data. The authors describe a tidal wave of data