CONCORD — The Cabarrus Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Cabarrus Economic Development Corporation has announced Carroll D. Gray will serve as interim executive director.
John Cox, longtime president and CEO of the Cabarrus Regional Chamber of Commerce and Cabarrus Economic Development Corporation, resigned from his post July 9 to become president of the Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce.
“Throughout his tenure, John Cox and his team have accomplished many things for Cabarrus County, including the recruitment of more than 20 new businesses to the area,” said Tom Earnhardt, chairman of the Cabarrus Regional Chamber of Commerce. “While we’re certainly disappointed that John Cox has resigned from his position, we are confident that Carroll Gray’s experience and willingness to serve as interim executive director will allow the county to continue to accomplish its short term goals.”
Gray, formally the president of the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce, will manage all executive responsibilities and lend his expertise in the search of a permanent replacement for the president and CEO for both organizations.
As president of the Charlotte chamber, Gray’s primary focus was on economic development. During his tenure his team helped recruit more than 12,000 businesses, 200,000 jobs and $15 billion in new investments throughout the region. After retiring as president of the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce in 2006, Gray continued an active role in economic development and public policy, and founded Carroll Gray and Associates, a consulting firm that has provided counsel to chambers and municipalities across the Carolinas.
SALISBURY — Team Auto Group of Salisbury partnered with the Rowan County Little League for the 2013 season and offered more than team sponsorship.
Jeff Bernhardt, director of Rowan County Little League, was able to customize an equipment order through the national Chevy Youth Baseball program, ordering what the league needed instead of receiving a generic equipment package.
Team Auto Group also gave Rowan County Little League a bonus check of $500 that helped pay for two of the league’s softball teams’ trips to the state tournament. Team Auto Group also held test drives at the fields, giving the Rowan County Little League an extra $10 each time someone test-drove a new Chevrolet vehicle.
“We love supporting such a positive and family-focused organization,” spokeswoman Shelley Smith said. “Jeff and Lynn Bernhardt are a pleasure to work with and run an excellent league here in Rowan County. There’s nothing more American than Chevrolet and baseball, so we really enjoy coming out to games and interacting with everyone.”
SALISBURY — Teresa Moore Casmus of The Medicine Shoppe has completed a 25-hour continuing education course on the Essential Elements of Prescription Hormone Compounding in New York City.
The course was sponsored by the Medisca Network and the University of Florida College of Pharmacy. Casmus was part of a practice-based activity to provide compounding pharmacists with the opportunity to enhance their competency as it relates to the many therapeutic options used in hormone therapies.
Casmus has 24 years experience in sterile IV compounding, extemporaneous dermatology compounding, analgesic compounding, veterinary compounding and now hormone replacement compounding for men and women.
SALISBURY — Staff members from the Gentiva Home Health offices will blanket Cabarrus and Rowan counties throughout August, distributing food collection bags and gathering donations for the Cooperative Christian Ministry and Rowan Helping Ministries food banks as part of the company’s ninth annual food drive.
As part of the Gentiva Health Services family of home health and hospice providers, employees at the Gentiva Home Health Kannapolis/Concord/Salisbury offices and their counterparts around the country are placing the food collection bags at various healthcare facilities in their respective communities and will collect their “harvest” during the entire month of August.
They are focused on beating last year’s national record of more than 396,000 pounds or 198 tons of goods for donation to charitable organizations across the country.
“As active members of the community, we know that food banks, pantries and other charitable organizations face rising demand and a chronic lack of necessary supplies due to the economy and global food shortages,” said Susan Wear, senior home health specialist. “We also know that proper nutrition is important for the well-being of the people that we serve. In these especially hard economic times, more people are at risk for poor nutrition and hunger.
Susan Agner has been awarded Caregiver of the Month at the Home Instead Senior Care Salisbury office. Agner has been with the company since July 2006.
Linda Reid has been named Concord office Caregiver of the Month. She has been with the company since 2005 and has served more than 40 clients.
KANNAPOLIS — Whitney Norton, owner of Servpro North Cabarrus County & China Grove, was honored with the Director’s Bronze Award for outstanding revenue performance during Servpro’s 44th annual convention in Anaheim, Calif.
“This award is recognition that our community knows they can depend on us to help them recover from a storm, fire or other disaster,” said Norton.
KANNAPOLIS — The Monsanto Fund has donated $11,950 to the Carolina Thread Trail to advance development of the Upper Rocky River Trail in Cabarrus County.
The Monsanto Fund is the philanthropic arm of the Monsanto Company, which has a lab at the N.C. Research Campus in Kannapolis.
The Thread, a nonprofit organization headquartered in Charlotte working to advance a 15-county regional trail and greenway network, has 117 miles of trail open to the public throughout North Carolina and South Carolina.
The Thread will use the grant to add gravel, directional and safety signs, and a bench for trail users on a segment of the Upper Rocky River Trail. Once the update is complete, the Upper Rocky River Trail will be the first cross-county trail of the Carolina Thread Trail network, connecting Cabarrus and Mecklenburg counties.
“The funding will enhance our efforts to protect our region’s vital resources like the Rocky River and connect people with even more green spaces and natural areas to explore and experience in a variety of ways,” said Tom Okel, executive director of Catawba Lands Conservancy, the lead agency for the Carolina Thread Trail.
Dr. Susan MacIsaac, the Kannapolis site lead, nominated the Carolina Thread Trail to receive a grant.
“The efforts of the Carolina Thread Trail to develop the Rocky River Corridor will provide the residents of Cabarrus County with opportunities for exercise, recreation and improve the wellness of our community,” MacIsaac said.