Business roundup: Optometrist earns regional honor

Dr. Joyce Adeleke, an optometrist at the Concord Walmart, was named Regional Optometrist of the Year at the annual Health and Wellness conference at Walmart's headquarters in Arkansas.

Adeleke worked at the Kannapolis Walmart for three years before moving to the Concord store.

She was selected from more than 100 optometrists in the region to receive the honor based on leadership when serving her profession and contributions to the community.

She holds an optometry degree from the Pennsylvania College of Optometry, as well as a bachelor of science in biochemistry from North Carolina State University.

Cabarrus extension secretary wins award

CONCORD — Cynthia Brown, secretary for Cabarrus County N.C. Cooperative Extension, won the Pride of the Wolfpack Award from the N.C. State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

She was honored for leadership skills, customer focus, quality of service, cost effectiveness, quality of work and relationships fostered at work.

Brown works as an office assistant at the Cabarrus County Extension center in Concord.

Fabric Connection to open in Kannapolis

Fabric Connection, a fabrics-for-less store, selling fabrics for only $5.99 per yard is holding its grand opening Saturday. It is located at 1216 S. Main St. in Kannapolis, next to Carpet Connection.

Fabric Connection has an array of fabrics from upholsteries, sheers, outdoor fabrics, draperies, fringes and trims, all for $5.99 a yard.

Owner Jerel Sangandi will be at the grand opening to help with fabric choices. Other interior designers and home renovators will be there.

Fabric Connection is open Monday through Friday, 10:30 a.m. until 4 p.m., and Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. until 4 p.m.

For more information, call 704-840-9291 or 704-298-4947.

AARP leadership workshop held

Officers and Board members of the Salisbury Rowan AARP Chapter No. 4314 attended the N.C. Chapter Leadership Workshop in Mooresville on June 11.

Chapter representatives were: Judy Bella, president; Jo Kearns, vice president; Pat Beck, program committee chairman; Linda Brecher, calling committee chairman; Bill Gill, community service committee chairman; Jerry Shelby, legislative action chairman; Eileen Solomon, social and recreation committee chairman; and members Tom Bella and Vickie Turner. Representatives from the Mooresville and Charlotte AARP chapters were also present.

Helen Savage, AARP Community Outreach for North Carolina, and Rhonda Deitch, AARP Community Outreach for Western North Carolina, led the program. Brainstorming sessions included chapter leadership recruitment and development, membership recruitment, Create the Good (AARP's program providing opportunities and incentives for chapter volunteer involvement) and health care reform.

Chapter officers shared information on their best practices in community service, education, recruitment and other areas.

Salisbury-Rowan chapter members volunteer as SHIIP (Seniors Health Insurance Information Program) counselors and provide information and help on Medicare and other issues.

The Salisbury-Rowan AARP chapter meets the first Thursday of the month at Rufty-Holmes Senior Center, 1120 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., at 1 p.m. The last meeting of each calendar quarter (March, June, September and December) includes a covered dish lunch at noon. Rowan County residents who are 50 years and older are invited to join the chapter. Members do not have to be retired. Annual dues for the chapter are $3. New members joining during the year have dues prorated at 25 cents per month for each month remaining in the year. For more information, call 704-216-7714.

Leonard named president of CMC-University

Bill Leonard has been named president of Carolinas Medical Center-University.

He has been serving as CEO of the Union Hospital District in Union, S.C., since October 2006. The Union Hospital District is an affiliate of Carolinas HealthCare System, which also includes CMC-Northeast in Concord.

Leonard will report to Phyllis Wingate-Jones, Division President of Carolinas Medical Center-NorthEast, who also oversees operations at CMC-University.

CMC-University is a 130-bed hospital in the University City area of Charlotte that includes a wide variety of services. Leonard is a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill and earned a master's degree in health administration from Duke University. A native of Greensboro, he is married with two children. He has served in various health care leadership positions for 22 years.

CMC-University is a part of the CMC "Metro Group" of hospitals, which are overseen by Executive Vice President Dennis Phillips. The other Metro Group hospitals are Anson Community Hospital, CMC, CMC-Lincoln, CMC-Mercy, CMC-NorthEast, CMC-Pineville, CMC-Randolph, CMC-Union, Carolinas Rehabilitation and Carolinas Rehabilitation-Mount Holly.

Leonard succeeds Spencer Lilly, who recently took a position as the top administrator at CMC-Mercy in Charlotte.

Home designer earns cruise for sales, recruitment

Kannapolis resident Michelle Broadway, an independent designer with Celebrating Home, won a cruise to Alaska awarded by the home d cor direct selling company to recognize exceptional sales and recruitment achievement.

Award winners enjoyed the eight-day cruise from May 11-18.

More than 45,000 Celebrating Home designers work in the United States and Puerto Rico. Home-based business owners like Broadway market the company's products that include stoneware pottery, candles, wall d cor, gourmet food mixes, dining and entertainment pieces and accessories.

Submit information about new businesses, honors and management promotions to bizbriefs@salisburypost. com. Include a daytime phone number.