The Mississippi Business Journal articles from March 2006

The Mississippi Business Journal archives from March 2006

Busy Spring Break season underway: number of warm-weather destinations still recovering from hurricane season.
March 6, 2006... As many warm-weather destinations continue to recover from last year's historic hurricane Season, some families getting out of town for Spring Break are going to Plan B. "Hurricane Katrina has impacted many groups traveling from...

Brain drain: young, educated professionals leaving: Mississippi also sees internal rural-to-urban situation.
March 6, 2006... Demographers call the outward migration of young, educated residents the brain drain. It's a trend that's long been considered a problem for Mississippi as college graduates leave the state for more career opportunities. According to Dr....

Savoring the many stages of business ownership.(As I See It)
March 6, 2006... Business owners go through lots of stages as they develop and grow their businesses. Survival, or not, is the first stage. Every month that ends with most bills being paid is cause for celebration. It's tiring and stressful, for sure, but the...

Business blogging proves addictive.(Musings)
March 6, 2006... A few months ago, I announced to my husband, "I'm blogging." His reply? "That's nice, honey." A moment of silence then, "What's blogging?" Blogging is the latest craze on the Internet. A blog, short for Web log, is an online diary. It is...

Union demands take their toll on auto manufacturers.(Perspective)(Letter to the editor)
March 6, 2006... To the Editor: In his inimitable, down-to-earth style, Joe Jones has again captured the moment in his column about Wal-Mart in the January 30 Mississippi Business Journal. He states that Wal-Mart is now the number one employer in...

Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC.(People to Watch)
March 6, 2006... Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC, announced four new shareholders for its Jackson office. They are: Robert M. Arentson Jr., J. Scott Newton, David A. Rueff Jr., and Tiffanee...

Nissan North America.(People to Watch)
March 6, 2006... Harriet Laird of Clinton has been named corporate communications coordinator for Nissan North America in Canton. Laird spent 14 years as public relations director for the Hinds Community College Laird District from 1992 to 2006, and she was...

University of Southern Mississippi Foundation.(People to Watch)(appointed Paul "Rocky" Kettering and Sharon Meyers)(Brief article)
March 6, 2006... Paul "Rocky" Kettering of Atlanta and Sharon Meyers of Long Beach recently joined the staff of the University of Southern Mississippi Foundation in Hattiesburg. Kettering is associate director of fund raising. He previously served as director...

Northrop Grumman Corporation.(People to Watch)
March 6, 2006... Northrop Grumman Corporation has named Harry Miles sector vice president of enterprise process development and quality for the ship systems sector. Previously, Miles led the rollout and implementation of Six Sigma, a quality and process...

Golden Triangle Regional Airport.(People to Watch)
March 6, 2006... Effective March 1, Nick P. Ardillo Jr. retired from his position as executive director of the Golden Triangle Regional Airport in Columbus. His retirement culminates a career of over 40 years of service in the public sector, including 26 years...

Horne, LLP.(People to Watch)(appointed Vera Reed and Angela Beasley )(Brief article)
March 6, 2006... Vera Reed, CPA, CFE, and Angela Beasley have been named partners at HORNE, LLP. Reed joined HORNE in 1991 and has worked in every aspect of the franchise services group. In addition to serving clients, she manages the firm's Mobile, Ala.,...

Mississippi Arts Commission.(People to Watch)(appointed Allison Winstead )(Brief article)
March 6, 2006... Allison Winstead has joined the Mississippi Arts Commission (MAC) as the new arts-based community development director. Ballerina, gallery director, arts administrator and dance instructor are just a few of the titles she held before joining...

Wesley Medical Center.(People to Watch)
March 6, 2006... The American Society for Healthcare Risk Management (ASHRM), The American Health Lawyers Association and the Association for Healthcare Resource & Materials Management have asked Wesley Medical Center's director of case management and risk...

Smith, Turner & Reeves, CPAs.(People to Watch)
March 6, 2006... Lacy L. Walker has joined the tax division in the Jackson office of Smith, Turner & Reeves as a staff accountant. A Greenville native, Walker received a bachelor's degree in accounting from Delta State University and a master's degree in...

Public Relations Association of Mississippi.(People to Watch)
March 6, 2006... The Public Relations Association of Mississippi recently installed its 2006 board of directors. Members of the 2006 board include: Mary Cracchiolo, state president and Southern Public Relations Federation (SPRF) representative; Pam Swain, vice...

BankPlus.(People to Watch)
March 6, 2006... Wayne Alexander has been named president of the BankPlus Poplarville office on Main Street. A native of Poplarville, Alexander has over 18 years of experience in the banking industry and most recently served as senior vice president for First...

Jackson 2000.(services of Donna Ladd and Derrick Johnson)(Brief article)
March 6, 2006... Jackson 2000, a group committed to racial reconciliation and understanding, hosted its annual Friendship Ball March 4. This year's Friendship Ball honorees were Donna Ladd and Derrick Johnson. Ladd is founder and co-editor of the weekly...

Pearl River Community College received a $4,000 grant from BellSouth recently as part of its program to continue an initiative to maintain scholarship endowment funds for higher education in communities statewide.(People to Watch)
March 6, 2006... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: Pearl River Community College received a $4,000 grant from BellSouth recently as part of its program to continue an initiative to maintain scholarship endowment funds for higher education in communities...

The Estes Group.(People to Watch)(appointed Robert Elling)(Brief article)
March 6, 2006... The Estes Group Inc. announces the addition of Robert Elling, who will work in the areas of real estate valuations and consultations. A native of Dallas, Elling earned a B.S. in business administration from Millsaps College. Thomas Eatherly...

Southern Research Group.(People to Watch)
March 6, 2006... David Kimball has been named chief marketing officer of Southern Research Group (SRG). With 30 years of marketing experience, he will work in the area of strategic planning for the company as well as research-based strategy development for...

Watkins Ludlam Winter & Stennis, P.A.(People to Watch)
March 6, 2006... Chad J. Hammons, a shareholder of Watkins Ludlam Winter & Stennis, P.A., has been selected to participate in the inaugural class of the Meritas Leadership Institute. Meritas is a worldwide affiliation of law firms in 200 business markets with...

The Land Bank of North Mississippi.(People to Watch)
March 6, 2006... Matt Walden has been promoted to chief financial officer at the Senatobia-executive branch for The Land Bank of North Mississippi. Ben Beavers has been promoted to loan officer serving the Tupelo branch office. Jeremy Brock has been promoted to...

River Oaks Health System.(People to Watch)
March 6, 2006... River Oaks Health System recently named its "In the Spotlight, Teamwork-Pass It On" award recipients for January. Vinson Gray, imaging at River Oaks Hospital, and Cathy Allen, R.N. on Unit A&B at Woman's Hospital, were the winners of this...

Grand Bank.(People to Watch)
March 6, 2006... Susie Taylor was recently honored for 20 years of service with Grand Bank in Hattiesburg. She is a senior vice president. Taylor is a native of Pascagoula and earned both master's and bachelor's degrees from the University of Southern...

MSU Riley Center for Education & Performing Arts.(People to Watch)
March 6, 2006... Mississippi State University Riley Center for Education & Performing Arts announces the hiring of Dede Mogollon as conference center sales manager. Her experience includes more than 10 years' experience in catering, conference and hotel sales...

Rankin Medical Center.(People to Watch)
March 6, 2006... Rankin Medical Center (RMC) recently honored Lee Patrick, RN, ambulatory care, Wanda Tucker, RN, and Ann Smith, central sterile tech, surgical services, for receiving the hospital's yearly award for providing outstanding service in 2005....

Humana Health Benefit Plan.(People to Watch)
March 6, 2006... James "Jay" W. Fielder Jr. has been named vice president of commercial large group sales for Humana Health Benefit Plan of Louisiana Inc. and Humana's operations in Central and Southern Mississippi. Most recently, Fielder was the founder of...

Hillwood acquires distribution facility in Southaven.(Strictly Business)(Airways Distribution Center)(Brief article)
March 6, 2006... SOUTHAVEN -- Hillwood, a Perot company, has purchased the 619,000-square-foot Airways Distribution Center, Building 1 facility in this Northwest Mississippi city from Helen of Troy, which will continue to occupy the distribution center through...

BearingPoint cuts ribbon.(Strictly Business)(Global Development Center)
March 6, 2006... HATTIESBURG -- BearingPoint Inc. has officially opened its Global Development Center (GDC) in the Hub City. On February 22, Gov. Haley Barbour joined BearingPoint executives and employees in cutting the ribbon for the 30,000-square-foot,...

Keesler to begin largest project ever.(Strictly Business)
March 6, 2006... BILOXI -- Demolition is set to begin at Keesler Air Force Base for military family housing areas. The demolition is part of a $300-million military construction (MILCON) project to restore Keesler's livable housing, which was reduced by...

Medley & Brown ranked.(Strictly Business)(Brief article)
March 6, 2006... JACKSON -- Medley & Brown, LLC, has been included in Nelson Information's "World's Best Money Managers" list in two categories measuring performance returns for the quarter ended December 31,2005. In the category of international...

Farmers' Market opens.(Strictly Business)
March 6, 2006... JACKSON -- The new Mississippi Farmers" Market, located on the corner of Jefferson and High streets in downtown Jackson, opened February 25 after 18 months under construction. The Farmers' Market offers products sold direct by producers....

CFHC building new clinic.(Strictly Business)(Coastal Family Health Center)(Brief article)
March 6, 2006... MOSS POINT -- Coastal Family Health Center (CFHC), which was devastated by Hurricane Katrina, has received five modular buildings to establish a new primary care clinic in this Mississippi Gulf Coast city. Known in the modular building industry...

List of top scams released.(Strictly Business)
March 6, 2006... JACKSON -- The Secretary of State's Office has released a list of the nation's "Unlucky Thirteen" investment seams. The list is based on a survey of state securities regulators conducted by the North American Securities Administrators...

McMillan named Else dean at Millsaps College.(Strictly Business)(Howard L. McMillan Jr.)(Else School of Management )(Brief article)
March 6, 2006... JACKSON -- Howard L. McMillan Jr. of Jackson has been named dean of the Else School of Management at Millsaps College. McMillan has been involved with Else School since 2002 when he was named executive-in-residence. He will replace Dr. Ken...

Cadence opening in Nashville.(Strictly Business)
March 6, 2006... STARKVILLE -- NBC Capital Corporation has filed an application to open a de-novo bank in the Nashville metropolitan statistical area (MSA), the second new market for NBC in six months. The new office will be located in Williamson County and...

Southern forms new company.(Strictly Business)(Southern Wine and Spirits of America Inc.)(Southern Wine and Spirits of Mississippi)(Brief article)
March 6, 2006... JACKSON -- Southern Wine & Spirits of America Inc. has formed Southern Wine & Spirits of Mississippi. With this announcement, the Miami-based company now operates in eight control states including Maine, Mississippi, New Hampshire, North...

IRS extends deadline.(Strictly Business)(Internal Revenue Service)(Brief article)
March 6, 2006... MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST -- The Internal Revenue Service is postponing taxpayer filing and payment deadlines for affected taxpayers hit hardest by Hurricane Katrina. The additional time will allow taxpayers to focus on rebuilding. Individual...

BankPlus opens two offices.(Strictly Business)(Brief article)
March 6, 2006... JACKSON and PEARL -- BankPlus has opened two more metro-Jackson offices. The two new offices are located in South Jackson at 2925 Terry Road and in Pearl at 406 Riverwind Drive. "The two new full-service offices will be our 29th and 30th...

First M&F completes merger.(Strictly Business)
March 6, 2006... KOSCIUSKO -- First M&F Corporation has completed the acquisition of Columbiana Bancshares Inc. and its subsidiary, First National Bank of Shelby County, Ala., which has been merged with and into Merchants and Farmers Bank (M&F Bank). Hugh S....

Chamber using mobile office.(Strictly Business)
March 6, 2006... BAY ST. LOUIS -- The Detroit Chamber of Commerce's mobile office has made a second stop on the hurricane-ravaged Mississippi Gulf Coast, this time aiding the Hancock County Chamber of Commerce. The Weekend Warrior RV, outfitted with 15...

The First splitting shares.(Strictly Business)
March 6, 2006... HATTIESBURG -- The board of directors of The First Bancshares Inc. has approved a two-for-one split of the company's common stock to be effected in the form of a 100% common stock dividend. All shareholders of record at the close of...

New directors elected at Sanderson.(Strictly Business)
March 6, 2006... LAUREL -- Stockholders of Sanderson Farms Inc., during its most recent annual meeting, elected four directors to new three-year terms. Elected were John H. Baker III, proprietor of John H. Baker Interests; John Bierbusse, retired securities...

Shamrock, Daytona strike deal.(Strictly Business)(Shamrock Drilling Inc. )(Daytona Energy Corporation )(Brief article)
March 6, 2006... JASPER COUNTY -- Shamrock Drilling Inc. of Natchez has signed a drilling contract with Daytona Energy Corporation for a development well on its North Sharon Prospect located in Jasper County. The prospect area, leased by the company in 2005,...

South CPI rises.(Strictly Business)(consumer price index )(Brief article)
March 6, 2006... WASHINGTON -- The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for the South rose 0.7% in January, not seasonally adjusted, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Regional commissioner Janet S. Rankin noted that higher costs...

Peavey wins again.(Strictly Business)(Peavey Electronics Corp.)(Brief article)
March 6, 2006... PEAVEY -- For the 16th consecutive year, musical instrument and sound reinforcement retailers from across the U.S. have honored Peavey Electronics with a Dealers' Choice Award through Musical Merchandise Review magazine. Peavey won the...

Marsh earns promotion.(Strictly Business)(Mary Helen Marsh)(Exelon Power)(Brief article)
March 6, 2006... GULFPORT -- Mary Helen Marsh has been named the new general manager at Exelon Power's two hydro stations--Conowingo Hydroelectric Generating Station in Darlington, Md., and Muddy Run Pumped Storage Plant in Drumore Township, Pa. She is a native...

USGA chooses Old Waverly.(Strictly Business)
March 6, 2006... WEST POINT -- Old Waverly Golf Club will host the United States Golf Association's (USGA's) U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur Championship October 21-26. Old Waverly is one of 13 golf courses around the nation to host the tournament. George W....

Allen to lead FMS.(Strictly Business)
March 6, 2006... JACKSON -- The Foundation for the Mid South (FMS) has appointed Dr. Ivye L. Allen to the position of president, effective March 13, 2006. Allen is an experienced executive with an extensive background in philanthropy emphasizing economic...

Main Street group unveils plans.(contracts)(Brief article)
March 6, 2006... LEXINGTON -- The board of Lexington Main Street Association has passed an ambitious plan of projects and events for 2006, and is encouraging individuals and groups in the area to become involved. New projects for 2006 include the purchase...

New industries have eyes on the post-Katrina Coast.
March 6, 2006... You might think that Hurricane Katrina would give pause to new industries considering locating on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Not so, say the heads of economic development in Harrison and Jackson counties. "People are looking and the storm...

More than $30 million committed to new Southern Miss project: changing the economic landscape across region one goal of Innovation and Commercialization Park.
March 6, 2006... HATTIESBURG -- With more than $30 million in total funding, the University of Southern Mississippi's Innovation and Commercialization Park is poised to transform South Mississippi into a haven for high-tech, high-paying jobs. From Meridian...

Business on Thursdays often comes with cigars.(business meetings)
March 6, 2006... JACKSON -- For nearly six years, Cigars Under the Stars has given business folks a chance to mix and mingle at hot spots around the metro area on Thursday nights, merry-making while smoking their favorite cigars or trying out the latest brand....

Shipbuilding adding new companies on Katrina rebound.
March 6, 2006... GULFPORT -- Gulf Coast shipbuilding received a boost with the announcement of a new industry for that sector moving into Harrison County's Bernard Bayou Industrial Park. Gulf Ship, LLC, locating on 31.2 acres, joins three other commercial...

Micropolitan areas using designation to enhance development.(economic aspects)
March 6, 2006... It may not mean much to the citizen in the fork of the road, but Mississippi has 19 areas designated by the U.S. Census Bureau as micropolitan areas. Economic developers are taking notice. The new designation was introduced in 2003 based on...

Espy hits the Second District campaign trail running.(Chuck Espy)(interview)(Interview)
March 6, 2006... Chuck Espy, who has represented the 26th District in the Mississippi House of Representatives since 1999, is perhaps the strongest in a string of Democratic Party primary opponents for incumbent Bennie Thompson, who is serving his seventh term...

Two new plastic/reconstructive surgery clinics in Tupelo.
March 6, 2006... TUPELO -- In what may be deemed as another indicator of Tupelo's economic vitality, two new plastic/reconstructive surgery offices have opened in the city recently. Dr. Mark Craig, a plastic/reconstructive surgeon with nine years of...

Engineers putting geospatial technologies to work.(Focus)
March 6, 2006... In today's brave new world of technology, engineers are using geospatial technology in exciting ways that have practical applications. Geospatial technology is an umbrella term used to describe the disciplines of surveying, mapping and remote...

County engineer says Hancock on road to recovery.(recovery of Hancock County following Hurricane Katrina)
March 6, 2006... Ask Geoffrey Clemens, P.E., about the challenges of engineering the recovery of Hancock County following Hurricane Katrina, and he takes a deep breath. "Where do I start?" asks Clemens, who works for Compton Engineering in Bay St. Louis...

CAVS research reach expands beyond automotive.(Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems research)
March 6, 2006... Even though the Bagley College of Engineering's Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems (CAVS), located in the Mississippi State University (MSU) Research Park in Starkville, and its extension center in Canton would not exist if Nissan North...

Professional liability insurance shows signs of softening: but architects, engineers can proactively reduce rates.(Architects & Engineering)
March 6, 2006... Physicians are not the only group that has faced sharply escalating costs for professional liability insurance in recent years. Architects and engineers have watched the price for "malpractice" insurance mushroom over the course of the last...

Architectural firms.(directory)(Directory)
March 6, 2006... Name Top Officer/Position Address Phone /Fax Number E-mail Web site Notable Projects Dean & Dean/Associates...

Architects see unprecedented challenges, opportunities.(Focus)(reconstruction)
March 6, 2006... The post-Katrina opportunities for architects on the Coast and in South Mississippi are unprecedented. Of course, so are the challenges. Several Coast architecture firms' offices were swept away by the storm surge. Some architects,...

Neopolis working on another 'first'--Flowood Town Center.(Neopolis Development, LLC contracts)
March 6, 2006... FLOWOOD -- Neopolis Development, LLC, is at it again. The developers of the Town of Lost Rabbit, a large, mixed-use project on the Ross Barnett Reservoir in Madison County that is the first of its kind in Mississippi, the company is now working...

College of Architecture, Art and Design names Barlow 2006 Alumnus of the Year.(Architects & Engineers)
March 6, 2006... Honored--Charles C. Barlow of Jackson (right) is Mississippi State University's 2006 College of Architecture, Art and Design Alumnus of the Year. A 1980 architecture graduate, he is a partner and CEO of Barlow-Eddy-Jenkins, P.A. A former...

'Mr. Magazine' reveals 2005's most notable launches: 'from the captivating to the strange ...'.
March 6, 2006... OXFORD -- International magazine guru Samir Husni, chair of the University of Mississippi Department of Journalism, has selected domino magazine as the most notable launch in 2005. In the year of copycat magazines (126 epicurean and 74...

Winning poster focuses on transportation disruptions: special to the Mississippi Business Journal.
March 6, 2006... STARKVILLE -- A Mississippi State graduate engineering student is an award winner for his visual display explaining how natural disasters or terrorist attacks might disrupt the nation's highway transportation system. Michael A. Hamilton of...

Mississippi events business.(Calendar)
March 6, 2006... Monday, March 6 * Pearl River Community College, the Mississippi Construction Education Foundation and the Twin Districts Workforce Area will offer a four-week craft training program in construction basics. Called Project Outreach, classes...

Immigration issues shape workplace.(Women/Minorities)
March 13, 2006... Immigration issues grow more and more important in Mississippi with an increasing number of Hispanics making the state's workforce more diverse. This trend is expected to continue, especially on the Gulf Coast where rebuilding from Hurricane...

World traveler keynotes annual tourism conference in Natchez.(Event overview)
March 13, 2006... NATCHEZ -- The e-revolution, new consumerism and changing social values and demographics and online shopping behavior were converging forces on U.S. travel trends in 2005, said Peter Yesawich, keynote speaker of the Mississippi Tourism...

Crown makes $7.2m investment in Batesville plant.(Crown Holdings Inc)
March 13, 2006... BATESVILLE -- Of 183 locations in 44 countries, Crown Holdings Inc. (NYSE: CCK), a leading manufacturer of packaging products to consumer marketing companies around the world, selected its Batesville beverage can plant, Crown Cork & Seal, as...

Main Street offers services beyond designated communities.(Mississippi Main Street Association)
March 13, 2006... From her hospital bed in Birmingham, Ala., Beverly Meng watched in horror as the national news channels broadcast aerial video of the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina. Meng, executive director of the Mississippi Main Street...

Too little attention paid to oup taxing situations.(As I See It)
March 13, 2006... March 15th arrives this week, and with it, the filing date for most 2005 corporate income tax returns. For other than a bunch of frantic CPAs and a few addled CFOs this milestone date will pass as just another day in the week. Ever wonder...

Business diversity.(Perspective)
March 13, 2006... The word diversity often bears a politically-charged identity these days and that's unfortunate. It is a perfectly good word, and a perfectly good idea--one that demands our attention. In nature, monocultures, those lacking diversity, are...

Scooter offers a few leadership lessons.(From the Ground Up)
March 13, 2006... It's a Saturday morning and I'm sitting in my recliner enjoying a cup of coffee and catching up on my reading when our 18-month-old Corgi bounds up between my legs, ears straight up and eyes wide. I pet him on the top of the head thinking he'll...

Klumb Lumber Company.(Dennis Allen appointed)(Brief article)
March 13, 2006... Dennis Allen has been appointed president and chief operating officer of Klumb Lumber Company. He has also been named to the Klumb board of directors. Allen has been the senior vice president of Mobile-based Aaron Oil Company Inc. since 2001....

University of Mississippi Foundation.(Deborah Stafford Vaughn appointed)(Brief article)
March 13, 2006... Deborah Stafford Vaughn has been named executive director of university advancement at the University of Mississippi (UM) Foundation. Before joining the UM staff in March 2005, Vaughn served as associate dean of development and alumni relations...

Public Relations Association of Mississippi (PRAM).(People to Watch)
March 13, 2006... PRAM recently installed its board of directors elected to serve during 2006. The volunteer 10-member board includes: Celeste earle, Clinton, president; Pete Smith, Madison, immediate past president; Wendy Copeland, Clinton, vice president of...

Mississippi College School of Law.(People to Watch)
March 13, 2006... In February, the Mississippi College School of Law won the Grand Award for Publication Improvement for the editorial and design improvement of its alumni magazine, Amicus. The grand award was given to the Law School's director of communications...

Methodist Rehabilitation Center.(Dr. Samuel P. Grissom appointed)(Brief article)
March 13, 2006... Dr. Samuel P. Grissom has joined the staff of Methodist Rehabilitation Center in Jackson as medical director of the hospital's spinal cord injury program. Grissom has served as associate medical director at Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation...

Harrah's Entertainment.(Jocelyn Agnellini promoted)(Brief article)
March 13, 2006... Harrah's Entertainment is pleased to announce the promotion of Jocelyn Agnellini to director of advertising for the central division. Agnellini relocates to the Mid-South from Harrah's New Orleans property where she held the role of director of...

Guild Hardy Architects, PA.(People to Watch)
March 13, 2006... Erin Harshbarger has joined Guild Hardy Architects, PA (GHA) as one of the firm's three full-time interior designers. A native of Long Beach, Harshbarger previously worked as an intern interior designer for an architecture firm in Jackson and...

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.(Brigadier General Robert Crear wins Most Important Blacks in Technology for 2006 and 2006 Black Engineer of the Year Alumni Achievement awards)(Brief article)
March 13, 2006... Brigadier General Robert Crear. Commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mississippi Valley Division, recently received two awards at the 20th Annual Black Engineer of the Year Awards Conference held in Baltimore. Crear was honored by...

The Foundation for the Mid South.(People to Watch)
March 13, 2006... The Foundation for the Mid South today announced its appointment of Greenville native Dr. Ivye L. Allen to the position of president. Allen currently serves as chief operating officer for MDC Inc. in Chapel Hill, N.C. Prior to joining MDC, she...