Hilton Head Monthly Magazine

Batson speaker at association meeting

Dr. John Batson, owner of Lowcountry Spine & Sport in Bluffton, was recently an invited speaker at the Southern Medical Association annual meeting in Dallas, Texas. He discussed adolescent sports medicine injuries and prevention.

Sampsons earn SFR certification
Frances Sampson, Angela Sampson Mullis, and Charles Sampson of the Charles Sampson Real Estate Group of Charter One Real Estate have all earned the National Association of Realtors Short Sale and Foreclosure Resource Certificate (SFR). Call 843-681-3307, ext. 215, or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Ketchum makes Barron list
Susan Ketchum, a financial adviser for Merrill Lynch on Hilton Head, was recognized recently on Barron’s “America’s Top Advisors State-by-State” list. Call 843-341-9530.

BMW named center of excellence
Hilton Head BMW of Bluffton recently received the “2010
Center of Excellence” award from BMW of North America, LLC.
This year, 24 of 338 BMW dealers nationwide were awarded the designation. The centers were selected based on customer satisfaction, outstanding brand representation, operational excellence and profitability.

Wallace earns SFR certification
Stephen S. Wallace, of Weichert Realtors Coastal Properties, has earned the nationally recognized Short Sales and Foreclosure Resource certification. Call 843-540-4282; e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ; or visit www.SteveWallaceRealEstate.com, www.Keys4Home.com or www.RealEstateInBluffton.com

Top agents honored by Weichert
Weichert, Realtors-Coastal Properties announced its top agents of 2009: top 5 company-wide: Pat Griffith, Teddi Titus, Renee Fordyce, Julia Schroeter and Marge and Ken McDougal; Hilton Head Island office: Marge and Ken McDougal, Ann Lilly, Pat Wrenn, Christina Forbis and Bob Rosene; Bluffton/Rose Hill office: Julia Schroeter, Robyn and Chris Henke, Terry Burke, Susan Petty, and Jim Livingston; Sun City/Okatie office: Pat Griffith, Teddi Titus, Renee Fordyce, Kathy Michatek and Toni La Rose-Gerken.

Finch earns research certification
Ruth C. Finch, a Beaufort Memorial Keyserling Cancer Center clinical research nurse, has achieved certification as a Clinical Research Professional from the Society of Clinical Research Associates. The certification signifies her mastery of internationally accepted standards of knowledge, education, and experience in clinical research.

Crowne Plaza goes green
The Crowne Plaza Hilton Head Island Beach Resort is the first full service hotel on Hilton Head Island to receive certification from the S.C. Green Hospitality Alliance.

Sea Pines Country Club recipient of award
Sea Pines Country Club was recently honored as recipient of an Award of Distinction from the International Wine Society of the Club Managers Association of America. The Club Managers Association of America (CMAA) is the professional Association of Private Club Managers in the United States, with more than 3,000 clubs represented.

Budget Blinds honored for outstanding performance
Kate and Bob Engler, the owners of the local Budget Blinds franchise, were honored for outstanding performance at the franchisor’s national convention held in Orlando, Fla. Only 20 of the company’s nearly 1,000 franchises are honored for this achievement. Call 843-837-4060, or visit www.budgetblinds.com/hiltonheadisland.

Stupica earns CFP certification
Jennifer Stupica, registered marketing associate at Morgan Stanley, has received the CFP certification awarded to individuals who meet specific ethical requirements and successfully complete a rigorous examination administered by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, a nonprofit regulatory organization.

Fenstermaker earns CIRMS designation
Craig Fenstermaker, vice president of operations for IMC Resort Services, Inc., recently earned the Community Insurance and Risk Management Specialist (CIRMS) designation from Community Associations Institute. Call 843-785-4775.

Johnson earns NAR short sales, foreclosure certification
Jacque Johnson with Charter 1 Realty & Marketing, The Village at Wexford has earned the nationally recognized Short Sales and Foreclosure Resource certification. Call 843-816-2483; e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ; or visit www.jacquejohnson.com

Landscape contractor opens in Bluffton
The Evergreen Outdoor Group has opened in Bluffton. The turnkey landscape contractor specializes in design, installation and maintenance of outdoor spaces serving the Lowcountry and Savannah areas. Call 843-415-2130, or visit to www.evergreenoutdoorgroup.com.

Fuel Station to hold grand opening party
The Fuel Station opened at 31 New Orleans Road in mid-March. There will be a grand opening party on April 3. Fuel has been supplying the surf, skate, snow, motocross and auto industry worldwide with quality clothing and accessories since 1992. 

New account manager at AFS
Kari Goodrich has joined Alarm, Fire & Security based out of the Hilton Head area, as an account manager for its Alarm Products Division.

Peeples Builder moves to new offices
Tom Peeples Builder, Inc. has moved into its newly renovated office at 1038A William Hilton Parkway, adjacent to Bank Meridian on Hilton Head Island. The renovation done at this new location is the second project completed by Tom Peeples Builder in the town’s Dunnigan’s Alley redevelopment area. Call 843-681-2600.

A Shore Thing now Jake’s Shore Thing
A Shore Thing has recently remodeled and reopened as Jake's Shore Thing, featuring a full line of Life is Good products. Call 843-686-2330.

Cromey, Wilder, Carters join Weichert
Sue Cromey and Donna Wilder recently joined Weichert Realtors-Coastal Properties. Cromey has 14 years of sales experience. Call 843-422-8646. Wilder has 20 years of real estate experience. Call 843-368-9374. Additionally, Lenore and Gary Carter have also recently joined Weichert. Lenore has been a licensed Realtor for 25 years and Gary has been a licensed broker and Realtor for 30 years. Lenore can be reached at 843-422-4498. Gary can be reached at 843-422-5522.

New director of sales at Coastal Connections
Kenneth S. Weisner of Coastal Connections has been promoted to director of sales. Coastal Connections is a full-service staffing agency that specializes in placing individuals with companies specializing in tourism-related business.

Tigges, Nester elected by McNair attorneys
McNair Law Firm attorneys have elected David J. Tigges as the firm’s new managing shareholder/CEO. Walter J. Nester III has been selected to be the managing shareholder of the Beaufort County offices of the firm. McNair has eight offices in South Carolina, including Hilton Head Island and Bluffton, and one in North Carolina. For more information, visit www.mcnair.net.

New staffers at Hilton Head Humane
Amber Kuehn has joined the Hilton Head Humane Association as an adoption facilitator. She is a resident of Bluffton. Nancy McCarthy also joined the Hilton Head Humane Association as adoption manager. She recently moved to Sun City from St. Charles, Mo.   

New mortgage consultant at CoastalStates
Tracy L. Wilson has joined CoastalStates Bank as a mortgage consultant at the Sun City office. Call 843-705-1200. 

Mullaney joins Sea Pines Real Estate
Alicia Mullaney has joined Sea Pines Real Estate at the South Beach office, with the Clark, Cramer, and Frank brokerage. Mullaney formerly worked with Sea Pines Resort in the hospitality division.

New chair at Coastal Carolina
Coastal Carolina Hospital recently elected a new chairman and new members for its governing board. Steve Tilton, of Tilton Group Signature Homes, was chosen as the new chairman for 2010. J. Louis Grant, a certified public accountant with Robinson Grant & Co., and Dr. Paul Zorch, an emergency room physician at Coastal, were also elected to the 13-member board. Other members of the board include Jimmy Baker; Vic Bubas; Dr. Tricia Etheridge; Warren Johnson, secretary; Susan Kieny; Rev. Thomas McClary, vice chairman; Martin Sauls; and Olivia Young. Dr. Brendan Smith and Masterton hold ex officio positions on the board.

New member of Concours board named
The Hilton Head Island Concours d’Elegance & Motoring Festival recently announced two new members to its Board of Directors. John H. Edwards and Victorianne C. Head, both Hilton Head Island residents, joined the board in January 2010. Planning is under way for the 2010 Festival to be held November 6-7 at Hilton Head Island’s Coastal Discovery Museum at Honey Horn. Visit  www.hhiconcours.com.

Rogers joins staff at pediatric therapy center
Leslie Rogers has joined the occupational therapy staff at Hilton Head Pediatric Therapy Center. Rogers graduated from Maria College in Albany, N.Y., with an associate’s degree in occupational therapy. Call 843-342-9000.

New affiliations for Matteo Chiropractic
Drs. Holly and Sean Matteo, of Matteo Family Chiropractic, are now affiliated with The Trump Network and have been named Core Market Directors for Hilton Head Island/Bluffton/Savannah.

New head professional at Dye Course
Colleton River has named Derrick Garrou as head professional on the Dye Course. He was elected as a PGA member in 2003 and has experience at some of the most prestigious and highly ranked courses in the country. Visit www.colletonriverclub.com.

New therapist at Horizon
Marty Kerr has joined Horizon Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine at its 8 Hospital Blvd., Suite 250, location. Kerr has been practicing physical therapy on Hilton Head Island since 1992. Call 843-671-7342.

Custom Audio Video announces new hires
Jon Maslansky has been named commercial sales manager at Custom Audio Video. He has 10-plus years experience in the commercial AV industry. Clay Hampton has joined the team to direct the project design and project management aspects of the commercial division. He has worked for 13 years in the pro sound/audio visual industry. Call 843-815-5130.

Hospice names 8 new board members
Hospice Care of the Lowcountry has selected eight new members for its Board of Directors. Joining the board are Carrie Confare; Charles Durkee; J. Michael Hagen; Sue Kerr; Robert McCoy; Kamal Patel; Frederick Smith; and Mario Machi. Call 843-706-2296 or visit www.hospicecarelc.org.

New board member at PTR
Professional Tennis Registry, located on Hilton Head, announced that Roy Barth, of Charleston, has joined its Board of Directors as treasurer.