HILTON HEAD SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA MOVES TO NEW HOME
The Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra has joined forces with The Richardson Group and is moving to a new location in Coligny Plaza. The new space will be at 7 Lagoon Road and will also house the symphony orchestra’s offices, as well as serve as an event space for the community — it’s ideal for intimate events like recitals, small interactive concerts and theatre productions. The symphony orchestra expects the new space to open in early summer.
LOCAL OPHTHALMOLOGIST EARNS ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
The American Academy of Ophthalmology has awarded Dr. Scott K. Schultz with the prestigious Achievement Award. The award recognizes Schultz for his many years of distinguished service in AAO programs. Schultz is a member of the leadership development program, serves on the glaucoma subcommittee, participates in the mid-year forum for advocacy, and lectures at AAO meetings. He is currently the director of glaucoma care and surgery at Bishop Eye Center on Hilton Head Island and in Bluffton. He has dedicated his career to the treatment of glaucoma by using the latest techniques and technologies. For more information, call 843-689-3937 or go to www.bishopeyecenter.com.
RESORT RENTALS PARTNERS WITH VACASA
Resort Rentals of Hilton Head Island has recently partnered with Vacasa, a globally recognized leader in vacation rentals. Resort Rentals’ existing properties will now have access to Vacasa’s enhanced digital photography, digital imaging, dynamic rates and reach. The local management team and staff will remain in place and continue to focus solely on Hilton Head vacation rentals.
PEACOCK AUTOMOTIVE ANNOUNCES ACQUISITION
Peacock Automotive purchased the Savannah Hyundai dealership in November from previous owner Mark Medinger. With this new purchase, Peacock Automotive now covers more than 15 acres with four dealerships in the Savannah area. Peacock Automotive will add 60 jobs to its current roster of about 600 employees. All current employees of Savannah Hyundai will keep their positions. Angelo Minichiello will serve as general manager of the new Peacock Hyundai of Savannah.
COURT AKINS GROUP RECEIVES 28 HONORS
The Court Akins Group received 28 awards at the 18th annual Lighthouse Awards hosted by the Hilton Head Area Association of Home Builders. The awards included Best Home Architectural Design and Best Interior Design/Merchandising, in addition to 26 other honors. This year’s award show included 29 builders and 67 qualifying entries. The Court Akins Group specializes in residential and commercial architecture, planning and interior design.
SONESTA RESORT EARNS ACCOLADES
Sonesta Resort Hilton Head Island has been awarded the 2017 Readers’ Choice Award by the publishers and editors of ConventionSouth, a national multimedia resource for event planning in the South. The award is presented to meeting sites that provide exemplary service for group events. More than 6,000 voters participated in the selection process. The Sonesta Resort Hilton Head has received the award four times since its 2012 opening.
BLUFFTON HISTORICAL PRESERVATION SOCIETY NAMES NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Kelly Logan Graham has been named the new executive director for the Bluffton Historical Preservation Society. Graham is a well-known artist and marketing professional who has lived in the Bluffton area for 36 years. He will be responsible for marketing and promoting the Heyward House Historic Center.
J. BANKS DESIGN WELCOMES THOMAS
Donna Thomas has joined the staff at J. Banks Design Group as accounting manager. She will report to Sarah Tillman, the company’s vice president of finance, and will manage the daily operations of the accounting department. Most recently, Thomas worked for Sea Pines Montessori Academy as director of operations. She has a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Clemson University.
FINANCIAL ADVISER RECEIVES ACCREDITATION
Natasha Donaldson, a financial adviser at Financial Design Associates of Savannah and Bluffton, recently passed the Series 7 and Series 66 exams. These exams are administered by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority and qualify her to work in securities and as an investment adviser. The accreditation will allow her to do business in South Carolina and Georgia with Financial Design Associates, a division of MassMutual Financial Group.
LOCAL TRAVEL AGENT HONORED WITH TOP AWARD
Kelly Brock was honored with the award for the highest sales, highest revenue and highest preferred cruise sales at the AAA Travel annual conference in October. Brock is a 30-year veteran of the travel industry and has served with AAA Carolinas in Bluffton for the past 17 years. This is her fourth time winning the Superlative Award, and Travel Agent Magazine has also named her a Top 25 All-Star.
SALON ADDS NEW STYLIST
Fifth Avenue Salon on Hilton Head Island recently welcomed Jon Sankas to its styling team. Sankas has been a stylist in the area for more than three years. He is passionate about promoting healthy hair and specializes in women’s cuts, color and keratin treatments.
HAMPTON HALL CLUB WELCOMES NEW MEMBERSHIP DIRECTOR
Kristy Stewart has joined Hampton Hall Club as the new director of membership, marketing and communications. Previously, she served as the club manager at Dolphin Head Golf Club for nine years, as well as director of membership relations and communications at Sea Pines Country Club. Stewart is a member of the Professional Club Marketing Association and currently serves as secretary for the Lowcountry chapter. She is from Nebraska and moved to the area in 2006.
MASSAGE ON DEMAND APP COMES TO THE LOWCOUNTRY
Beaufort County residents are now just an app away from scheduling a massage. Zeel, a Massage on Demand company, is now available to area residents who visit the company’s website or download its app. Simply make your request online or through the app and a licensed, vetted massage therapist will be at your door in as soon as an hour. Customers can request the type of massage technique and length, plus the gender of the therapist. Zeel brings the massage therapist right to your home, hotel room, workspace or event, and membership plans are available. The company was launched in Charleston and has locations in 70 cities across the country.
RESORT ANNOUNCES NEW EXECUTIVE CHEF
The Omni Hilton Head Oceanfront Resort has named Hayden Haddox as the new executive chef. Haddox will manage the kitchen staff and oversee all food and beverage operations, including HH Prime, Palmetto Market, XO Sports & Spirits, The Buoy Bar and all catering and in-room dining. Previously, Haddox was executive chef of the Franklin Marriott Cool Springs and executive sous-chef at Bloomington-Normal Marriott Hotel & Conference Center. He has a bachelor’s degree in culinary management from Daytona State College and more than 10 years of restaurant and hospitality experience.
STONEWORKS NAMES NEW GENERAL MANAGER
StoneWorks, a family-owned stone and tile design center on Hilton Head Island, has promoted Rob Cavano to general manager of production. Cavano has been with the business for 12 years and most recently served as operations manager. In his new role, Cavano will be responsible for all facets of service, scheduling, templating, production and installation.
JUNK REMOVAL SERVICE OPENS IN LOWCOUNTRY
The Junkluggers of the Coastal Empire is now offering Jasper and Beaufort counties an environmentally friendly and caring alternative to traditional junk removal. The company specializes in both residential and commercial clean-outs and accepts everything from furniture to construction debris, including office equipment, heavy machinery and appliances. The company’s main goal is to keep items out of landfills through alternative recycling methods.
PARKER’S HIRES JONES AS NEW CIO
Parker’s, a nationally acclaimed convenience store leader, recently hired Eric Jones as the new chief innovation officer. Jones will be responsible for developing a new business intelligence platform that will help support strategic long-term growth at Parker’s. Previously, Jones served as president and co-founder of Datalyst, a business intelligence platform development company. He is from Atlanta and has a bachelor’s degree in finance and accounting from Auburn University. He also is a certified public accountant.
