Catawba faculty member elected to national office
Dr. Eric Hake, a professor of economics at Catawba College, has been elected executive secretary and treasurer for the Association for Evolutionary Economics.

Having served one five-year term as secretary of the association from 2010-2015, he will take on the additional responsibilities as the executive officer of the association for 2015-2020.

Hake is working this fall with the association President Janet Knoedler from Bucknell University and President-Elect Deborah Figart of Richard Stockton College in preparation for the annual conference at the Allied Social Sciences Association meetings to be held in San Francisco, California.

The Association for Evolutionary Economics is an international organization of economists and other social scientists devoted to analysis of economies as evolving, socially constructed and politically governed systems. The association’s legacy is evolving as members seek to understand contemporary issues.

The Association for Evolutionary Economics publishes the peer-reviewed Journal of Economic Issues. The journal publishes articles that describe aspects of evolving economic systems, economic problems, economic policy and methodology. The primary mission of the journal is to develop the core ideas of institutional economics by discussing current economic problems and proposing relevant policy solutions.

Hake joined the Catawba College faculty in 2010. Born in Ruston, Louisiana, he holds a bachelor’s degree in history and a doctorate in economics, both from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

 

Jessica Adams wins Grady Scholarship

Jessica Adams of Salisbury has been awarded a $2,000 Grady Scholarship by Lutheran Services Carolinas. The Grady Scholarship is awarded annually to a Trinity Oaks staff member.

Lutheran Services Carolinas awarded $9,000 in scholarships to staff members this year. Selection criteria include completion of two or more years of service as an Lutheran Services Carolinas employee; leadership experience or potential; admission to a college or training program that benefits both the employee and the organization; and the submission of a recommendation from a supervisor, department head, administrator or executive director.

This year, the organization’s scholarship programs received more applications than they ever have, which meant that competition was keen among many impressive applicants, said President Ted W. Goins, Jr.

Lutheran Services Carolinas encourages staff to enhance their career prospects through continuing education, said Goins, who began his own career with the organization as a certified nursing assistant.

 

Kingdom Kids Preschool opens doors Sept. 8; sets community day

Kingdom Kids Preschool at Blackwelder Park Baptist Church will host an open house for students, parents, teachers and the community on Aug. 27 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.

School will start for students on Sept. 8, with classes for students ages 2-4.

“We are so excited to be here,” said Kingdom Kids Director Angie Tyler. “We are inviting everyone to the open house to see our classrooms, meet the teachers, see the facility and more.”

During the Aug. 27 open house, parents will be able to register students for the new school year, as well.

“We have had a great response to opening again,” Pastor Phil Goble Jr. said. “We have several students signed up and ready to go, but we also have some openings left to be filled.”

During the open house, parents will have the chance to talk with Tyler, meet members of Blackwelder Park Baptist Church, see the curriculum that will be used and get a parent handbook.

Kingdom Kids will feature classes for 2-year-olds, 3-year-olds and 4-year-olds. Classes will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The 2-year-old classes will meet on Monday and Tuesday. The 3-year-olds will meet on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, while the 4-year-old classes will meet Monday through Thursday.

Registration is currently open on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon at the facility just off Main Street in Kannapolis. The non-refundable registration fee is $75 per child.

The monthly preschool fee is $115 for 2-year-olds, $135 for 3-year-olds, and $165 for 4-year-olds. There is a discount for families who register more than one child.

The preschool uses the age of the child on Oct. 15 to determine in which class the student will be placed.

For more information, call Blackwelder Park Baptist Church at 704-932-4266. The church is located at 2204 Summit Ave. in Kannapolis.

 

Meet Rowan-Salibury’s new EC director

Partners in Learning Child Development will host a meet and greet with the Rowan-Salisbury School System’s new Exceptional Children Program director, Sandra Albert, on Sept. 22 from 6:30 p.m. until 8 p.m. at the the Tom Smith Auditorium at Catawba College.

Albert joined the Rowan-Salisbury School System in May, having served as the director of Exceptional Children, as well as the program coordinator and specialist in Mooresville Graded School District.

“Our mission is to partner with parents and providers as they develop self-advocacy skills for their children with special needs. This is a great opportunity for parents and caregivers to meet our new EC director and learn about her vision for our county,” said Norma Honeycutt, Executive Director of Partners in Learning.

The community is invited to attend the event, which will consist of a presentation from the Exceptional Children’s Department, a question and answer session and a meet and greet with Albert. Refreshments will also be served.

Childcare is available for attendees and can be arranged by contacting Partners in Learning at 704-638-9020.

 

RCCC partnering to offer job fair preparation

Rowan-Cabarrus Community College is partnering with N.C. Works Career Center Rowan, the city of Salisbury and Salisbury Parks and Recreation to offer a day of workshops aimed at preparing local job seekers for the upcoming “300 JOBS NOW! Job Fair.”

The workshops will be divided into sessions and cover the following topics: resume writing; personality, communication and conflict skills and interviewing skills.

“The goal of the workshops is to maximize the job fair experience for anyone participating through knowledge and preparation,” said Tammara Walker, a career services counselor at Rowan-Cabarrus.

The workshops will be held today at the Miller Recreation Center in Salisbury. Sessions will be held noon–1:15 p.m., 1:30–2:45 p.m., 4–5:15 p.m. and 5:30–6:45 p.m.

“The sessions are arranged in a group format so we are able to accommodate larger amounts of job seekers. Each of the three topics will be covered at each of the four sessions so folks will be able to attend sessions based on their busy schedules – and they have the opportunity to cover all three of the unique topics,” said Walker. “We are doing everything we can to make sure that anyone who wants to attend is able. We even have complimentary child care for ages 4 to 12.”

Workshop attendees will have a leg up on the competition when they bring their updated resumes and refreshed skills to the job fair on Sept. 1, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., at the Salisbury Civic Center.

The job fair companies looking to fill more than 300 jobs. Ellis Jewelers, Gordon Food Service, LabCorp, Lowe’s and Agility Fuel Systems will be among the more than 35 employers present.