NAMES AND FACES - July 2007

Ocean National Bank President Danny O'Brien with Women's Business Center Executive Director Ellen Fineberg.

The Women's Business Center is proud to announce a generous sponsorship from Ocean National Bank of the WBCares program through which program scholarships are offered to women entrepreneurs. The $2,500 sponsorship puts WBC programs, already priced well below market, within reach for socio-economically challenged women business owners across New Hampshire.

Ocean National Bank has been a remarkable community partner to the WBC since its inception and this latest collaboration will benefit women from all corners of the state as they seek to launch and operate successful businesses that, in turn, sustain local economies.

The WBC provides programs year-round in various locations around New Hampshire that include Building Blocks, a day-long essentials of business course; Developing Your Business Plan, an interactive program focused on an end-product for businesses; Cash Flow Workshop, an interactive course for those with little to no experience in budgeting and cash flow; WomenBiz Roundtables, monthly meetings where women entrepreneurs share insight and experience, and various marketing, funding, technology, media buying and other courses offered throughout the year. The Ocean National Bank scholarship funds will be used to subsidize the cost of WBC programs and membership for women who qualify through the WBCares application process.

Frances A. Quinn

Mark Sullivan, president of Seacoast Asset Management, Inc. is pleased to welcome Frances A. Quinn of Hampton to the firm as director of financial planning. "Our staff is absolutely delighted, not only to have someone with such impressive professional and academic experience and credentials to draw from, but such a wonderful and energetic person as well, and I'm quite confident our current and future clients will feel the same way," he said in a recent written statement.

The United Way of the Greater Seacoast announces it has received a contribution totaling more than $10,000 from Cathartes Private Investments, a real estate investment and development company that owns the Hilton Garden Inn in downtown Portsmouth. Cathartes raised much of the funds at its Cinco de Mayo Celebration held at the Hilton Garden Inn. More than 150 people attended the evening event.

According to Jeff Johnston, principal of Cathartes Private Investments, the event was an opportunity to thank the community, and raise money for a fine organization. Cathartes recently developed the Hilton Garden Inn Portsmouth, the host of the event, as well as the adjacent Harbour Hill Condominiums.

According to Shaun McEachern, general manager of the Hilton Garden Inn, approximately $7,755 was raised at the event, and Cathartes donated an additional $2,500 to make the total contribution more than $10,000. The music for the Cinco de Mayo celebration was provided by "Despite Dwight," a contemporary blues/rock band headed by Cathartes' other principal James Goldenberg.

The United Way of the Greater Seacoast will use the funds to find lasting solutions for the Greater Seacoast community's most pressing needs including increasing access to health care and affordable housing.

Carey & Giampa Realtors announces agent Jacqui Coons' Web site www.JacquiCoons.com has been cited as one of the most innovative real estate Web sites in the country by Posh'd (www.poshd.com). Her Web site was noted as having in-depth local town and school information, quarterly Hampton Beach condo sales, yearly residential sales comparisons, and links to local activities. It is the only Web site representing the New England area.

Coons has been an agent with Carey & Giampa since 2005. Carey & Giampa Realtors is one of the area's premier, independent real estate agencies, with locations serving New Hampshire, Maine and Massachusetts, through offices in Seabrook Beach, Hampton Falls, Hampton and Rye, New Hampshire. In 2006, C&G agents generated more than $80 million in total sales.

Emmith Business Solutions, Bookkeeping Professionals & Intuit Certified QuickBooks Training Center announces that Heather V. Lucas has completed additional QuickBooks Certification with the 2007 version of the software. The certification is a rigorous and comprehensive three-part curriculum developed by Intuit.

As a certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor, Lucas has a proven understanding of the challenges small businesses face and can offer guidance on everything from complex accounting questions and payroll interpretation to mastering advanced features of QuickBooks.

Lucas is EBS' lead trainer and provides one-on-one training sessions with clients both onsite with the client or in-house at EBS' training center.

Seacoast area schoolchildren collected nearly one ton of old sneakers for the first George & Phillips Earth Day Sneaker Recycling Contest held during April. Exeter's Lincoln Street School won the competition among local elementary schools having collected 236 pairs. The school received a $150 George & Phillips' gift certificate for athletic equipment. The shoes will be donated to the Nike Reuse-a-Shoe program where they get ground up and are used to make brand-new athletic surfaces like soccer fields, playgrounds, basketball courts, and running tracks.

Twelve schools took ownership of this challenge and responded enthusiastically to the sneaker recycling drive, donating 1,057 pairs of sneaker which equals 1,584 pounds of sneaker material, or in simple terms, more than three-fourths of a ton. Educators embraced this project as well, saying it was an enjoyable, tangible learning opportunity to showcase the positive impact recycling can have on the environment. The children's support of this program will have lasting impact "" somewhere in the world their sneakers will serve future athletes instead of needlessly filling landfills. Locally, the children can see the results of recycling sneakers at the football fields at Phillips Exeter and Exeter High as well as the soccer fields at Seacoast United Soccer in Epping.

Jessica Ahlquist announces the opening of her new business, Water Stone Hair Studio & Spa. The 2,500- square-foot location, which was previously occupied by Mikayla J's Hair Salon, is conveniently located at 800 Islington St. in the 800 Plaza, in Portsmouth The shop will offer salon and spa services as well as products.

Ahlquist has a dedicated following of customers from her previous career in the New Hampshire Seacoast region and also hopes to see new faces. She will also be expanding the staff and welcomes inquiries. In-salon training will be available to qualified applicants.

Water Stone Hair Studio & Spa offers the newest trends of cuts and colors for every person. The spa provides quality hair cutting and styling along with a large variety of body treatments including aromatherapy scalp treatments, facials, massages, pedicures, manicures and lots more. Jessica Ahlquist studied beauty school in New Hampshire and continues taking seminars in New York, Boston and D.C. She has been a certified stylist for 11 years, and has experience in a variety of salons.