Lowcountry - Charleston Daily

Lowcountry

Charleston, SC Based Blackbaud Appoints Michael Boulware Moore as First Diversity and Inclusion Executive

August 19, 2020

by Charleston Daily 0 Comments

CHARLESTON, S.C., Aug. 19, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Blackbaud (NASDAQ: BLKB), the world’s leading cloud software company powering social good, today announces Michael Boulware Moore as the global cloud software company’s first Diversity and Inclusion Officer.

Moore joined Blackbaud in early 2020 following his tenure as the founding president and CEO of the International African American Museum in Charleston, SC, which is located on the former Gadsden’s Wharf – where almost half of all enslaved Africans took their first steps in America. For the museum, Moore led the $125 million capital fundraising effort, hired a world-class staff, and was responsible for managing the curation of the museum experience. Before serving as CEO of the International African American Museum, Moore spent over two decades as an accomplished marketing and advertising executive working with global brands, including Coca-Cola, Glory Foods, and Kraft as well as several successful entrepreneurial ventures. Moore is also an accomplished author and keynote speaker as well as a thought leader on a number of subjects including social justice and African American history.

“Our vision at Blackbaud is to power an Ecosystem of Good^® that builds a better world – a world that is inclusive and accepting of all,” said Maggie Driscoll, Chief People Officer, Blackbaud. “Like so many companies, we are continually evaluating our progress toward fulfilling that vision and evolving our approach to ensure we’re creating a culture consistent with who we are as an employer, technology leader, and community steward. We couldn’t be more pleased to welcome Michael as our first leader completely dedicated to diversity and inclusion. He is a proven leader and advocates for social justice, who will take diversity and inclusion at Blackbaud to the next level.”

Blackbaud’s commitment to diversity is focused and continually expanding effort spanning education, awareness, recruitment, empowerment, community involvement, and financial support. Blackbaud has employee-led affinity groups that serve to empower and develop personal and professional growth in all employees. Blackbaud’s culture has received national recognition, including Forbes 2020 and 2018 Best Employers for Women, Forbes’ 2019 and 2018 America’s Best Employers for Diversity list, Forbes’ Best Midsize Employers list for four years and AnitaB.org’s list of Top Companies for Women Technologists for the past two years.

“I have dedicated much of my life to social justice and telling the untold stories of our history and how it’s shaping our present,” said Moore. “I believe in Blackbaud’s mission of empowering and connecting people through technology to drive impact for social good and am inspired by the culture we have built. The power of diversity and inclusion and the impact it can have on the culture, values, and growth of our business is exciting. I look forward to taking all that is already in place and evolving it as we continue to look deeply as a society and company at what a truly inclusive culture looks like.”

Moore earned his undergraduate degree in political science from Syracuse University and holds his MBA from Duke University. He currently serves on the boards of St. Mark’s School in Southborough, MA, Nation United Foundation, Reconstruction Beaufort, and Penn Center, the first school for African Americans in the Confederate south. Moore lives with his family in a suburb of Charleston, SC.

About Blackbaud
Blackbaud (NASDAQ: BLKB) is the world’s leading cloud software company powering social good. Serving the entire social good community—nonprofits, higher education institutions, K–12 schools, healthcare organizations, faith communities, arts and cultural organizations, foundations, companies, and individual change agents—Blackbaud connects and empowers organizations to increase their impact through cloud software, services, expertise, and data intelligence. The Blackbaud portfolio is tailored to the unique needs of vertical markets, with solutions for fundraising and CRM, marketing, advocacy, peer-to-peer fundraising, corporate social responsibility, school management, ticketing, grantmaking, financial management, payment processing, and analytics. Serving the industry for more than three decades, Blackbaud is headquartered in Charleston, South Carolina, and has operations in the United States, Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit www.blackbaud.com, or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.

Media Inquiries
media@blackbaud.com

Lowcountry

Charleston, South Carolina updating city plan, seeks input

August 19, 2020

by Charleston Daily 0 Comments

Charleston is asking for input on the city’s comprehensive plan to help guide decisions on such issues as development, housing, transportation and land use, the city said in a news release.

The planning process occurs every 10 years in each municipality in South Carolina, and it includes public input. The city is starting the process on Thursday with a Housing Lab, which will be the first of several public meetings.

“Our goal with the city plan is to weave together recommendations from a whole host of recent plans and studies with the expertise of our community and rigorous research and analysis to create one unified vision for the future of Charleston,” Charleston planning director Jacob Lindsey said in a news release.

The city will make recommendations from the planning process after collecting information from the community and using data and decisions by the city’s staff centered on 10 issues: population, economic development, natural resources, cultural resources, community facilities, housing, land use, transportation, priority investment and resilience.

“Public participation is needed to ensure the plan reflects citizens’ vision for Charleston’s future, including ways to strengthen residential neighborhoods, improve transportation, increase affordable housing, address drainage and flooding, preserve the city’s diverse cultural fabric and improve quality of life for everyone,” the city said in a news release.

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Lowcountry

Charleston, SC Based Joíí Barley Water Announces Launch (Plant-Based Hydration)

August 18, 2020

by Charleston Daily 0 Comments

CHARLESTON, S.C.– Joíí Barley Water, a new line of functional waters powered by the ancient superfood barley grain, offers a new, refreshing beverage that satisfies cravings for plant-based hydration while quenching thirst and nourishing the body. Joíí Barley Water beverages are made with organic, non-GMO barley grains and flavored with fresh juices, botanicals, and adaptogens for an extra wellness punch.

Rooted in Ayurvedic medicine, barley water has traditionally been consumed around the world for its various health benefits and natural healing powers. Barley water is packed with essential vitamins and nutrients and is touted to promote digestion, preserve skin elasticity, boost the immune system, and support heart & kidney health. Choosing a beneficial beverage is easy with Joíí’s three delicious flavors, named after their enhanced functionality: DIGESTION (Orange with Ginger, Turmeric, & Rose), ZEN (Lemon with Ginger & Orange Blossom), and DETOX (Lime with Matcha & Liquid Chlorophyll).

“Think of a Sports drink meets Tea, except everything is NATURAL. None of these weird “natural flavors” or any gross preservatives. Our beverages are made with all-natural ingredients, providing all-natural benefits…oh, and it tastes DELICIOUS, too!”, explains founder, Lauren Kennedy.

Within each 12 ounce bottle, you’ll receive 2 g Fiber + 2 g Protein. And, get this, all with ONLY 7 g Sugar & 60 Calories!

Joíí fills a great need in today’s market for a healthy, non-carbonated, plant-based beverage. It is the only one of its kind in the U.S. and provides health-conscious consumers an alternative to tea, ACV, and kombucha.

In addition to providing functional health benefits, Joíí aims to spread joy to others and raise awareness for mental health issues by donating a portion of their profits to the Anxiety & Depression Association of America.

For More Information:
https://joiibarleywater.com

Lowcountry

Announcement of Army Veteran Tyler Moyer’s Joining Charleston, SC Based ExtraHourz’s Executive Team

August 18, 2020

by Charleston Daily 0 Comments

CHARLESTON, S.C., Aug. 17, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ExtraHourz (the “Company”) is proud to announce that Tyler Moyer joined the Company’s executive team as Vice President of Sales and Business Development. Tyler is a highly experienced, successful, and well-regarded tech entrepreneur in Austin, Texas. Tyler is an Army veteran having served 12 years in the US Army with two combat deployments and has earned the Bronze Star Medal.

He transitioned from the Army in 2015 and founded two tech startup companies in Austin, Texas. Tyler has dedicated the past 5 years working and expanding the Austin startup ecosystem through veteran, socially impacted, and minority organizations. He strives to lower the barrier of entry for those whose dream is to create their own business to better the community and improve the lives of others. As the Vice President in Sales and Business Development,

Tyler’s responsibilities include the development and execution of the Company’s national sales and new market expansion programs.

Kaylynn Kim, CEO, and Founder of ExtraHourz, said: “We are pleased with Tyler’s decision to join our Company as Vice President of Sales and Business Development. He has significant business experience and expertise in technology startups with an emphasis on partnering and customer relationships. He is a goal-oriented individual with a proven track record of creating highly engaged teams in the socially responsible best practices, which ideally suits Tyler to the Company’s strong culture. I look forward to working with him and the Executive Team to take ExtraHourz to the next level of growth and development.”

Tyler said, “I couldn’t be more excited about joining the ExtraHourz team, to be able to contribute to shaping the future of people and culture at a company that is clearly poised for huge success. I’m looking forward to all that’s to come and to working with each one of you.”

About ExtraHourz

ExtraHourz is a Charleston-based, women-owned tech company founded by Kaylynn Kim, a former Los Angeles based corporate lawyer and entrepreneur. The company is dedicated to creating a breakthrough in the digital staffing solutions to help businesses adapt to today’s workplace which rapidly evolving with gig-minded, new generation workers. For more information visit www.ExtraHourz.com

Media Contact:
Constance Kolakowski
Info@extrahourz.com

Lowcountry - Photography

Charleston Spotlight: The Beautiful Photographic Imagery of Alexandra Rostad (Little Runaway Photography)

August 17, 2020

by Charleston Daily 0 Comments

We look for the beauty of Charleston and those that capture the essence of imagination, creativity, heart, and true soul of the Lowcountry and the people that bring it to life.

Alexandra embodies that generous soul with an eye for capturing and sharing the true wonder of the goodness of life fulfilled in her imagery. Let us learn a little bit more about Alexandra and absorb a sample of her works

About Alexandra Rostad – Little Runaway Photography

My name is Alexandra. I love traveling, reading, kickboxing, taking photos, and hanging out with my dogs. I’m creative, honest, hard-working, and a little too sarcastic. I currently am residing in South Carolina. but I’m a wanderer so I can never stay in one place too long.

My two dogs, Grey and Clementine, are often forced to be my models when we are out exploring new areas of South Carolina together.

I am originally from a small town in Minnesota but over the years have lived in several states. My siblings and I are actually spread out across the country. I’m a huge movie nerd, and like most people nowadays, I love Netflix. I’m a lot older than I look. I love camping and outdoor adventures.

I love ALL creatures from spiders to elephants. I’ve actually held a tarantula!

A long time dream of mine had been to travel to Ireland, I was finally able to cross that off my bucket list last May!

I’ve been taking photos since I was able to hold a camera.

I love getting people excited and happy to have their photo or their pet’s photo taken.

I love meeting amazing couples/families and taking photos that they will be holding onto for the rest of their lives. If only for a day, become part of their family.

My credo: CREATE. EXPLORE. INSPIRE

Lowcountry - North Charleston, SC

Northwoods Mall Cinema in North Charleston has re-opened

August 16, 2020

by Charleston Daily 0 Comments

As of August 14, 2020, the Northwoods Mall has re-opened its doors to patrons.

Those long awaiting the return of the full cinema experience in the Lowcountry, the wait is over

Current Movies and Showtimes

Location: 2181 Northwoods Blvd, North Charleston, SC 29406

Note: The last showtime is 7:30 everyday

Prices

Matinees All Seats Between 12:01 PM – 5:00 PM – $8.00
Evenings Adults $11.00
Children $8.00
Seniors & Military $9.00
3D Features – An additional $2.00
Early Bird Specials Saturday and Sunday shows starting before noon $6.00

Lowcountry

Embrace Free Will and Change: Shape the Legacy You Will Become – Commentary

August 15, 2020

by Charleston Daily 0 Comments

By Mark A. Leon

Girls become women; women become wives; wives become mothers
Boys become men; men become husbands; husbands become fathers

In a perfect world, that would be a life fulfilled

Unfortunately, the world isn’t perfect. It has jaded edges that cut and bleed. There is cancer, accidents, hatred, terror, harm, and fear. They can all bring us down in an instant. An instant when a world is shattered and shortened

How many times have we uttered the phrase, “Life is short” insert the rest? More importantly, how often do we heed the call and seek to will our lives in the right direction?

When we get one day or one hundred years, we are left with a legacy. It is a birthright that is carried on by the living. There is a responsibility as real and unique as a fingerprint that is branded on each living being.

Change

There is an uncontrollable cycle of evolution and change. Some are prepared, mature, and wise to surroundings and understanding while others are forced into an environment filled with the unknown mass of grey.

Through the storms and the sunshine and everything in between, we learn and then impart that wisdom, converting our mistakes into a new generation of successes.

The greatest error in judgment we can make is to believe we cannot change. Everyone can and must. Evolution has given us a shitty plot, “survival of the fittest”. Why not survival of the human, the just, the fair, and the heartfelt? Isn’t that the core of goodness and love? Now is the time to stand up and let your voice and actions be heard. Change the cycle and let humanity dictate the new life for generations to come.

Measuring Life Value

So often we are measured by success and failure; right and left; rich and poor; free spirit and conservative; smart and dumb; careful and careless. What a narrow perspective and one tainted with flaws. That carries through to all of life

War vs. peace
Democracy vs socialism
Individualism vs collective
Gay or straight
Artist vs. suit
Young vs. old

And the list goes on…..

The cycle is not ordained in the stars, but a collective manifestation of free will.

Shape the Legacy You Will Become

Throw out the personality assessments and the cosmic attributes of behavior. We aren’t guided by a packaged set of rules. Yes, we are a result of our surroundings and upbringing taught to think a certain way. We also live. We live through the absorption of all things.

Stop living in a restrictive capacity. The world in all its rich cultures, ideals, and moments of celebration. Explore and rejoice in other ways of thinking and let yourself shape and mold the legacy you will become.

Whether you are a mother, father, grandparent, child, influencer, singer, writer, poet, dreamer, or leader, let today be the first day toward shaping a new tomorrow

#TomorrowisaProductoftheDecisionsToday

Lowcountry

Duke foundation puts $200,000 in grants toward South Carolina equality programs

August 15, 2020

by Charleston Daily 0 Comments

The Duke Energy Foundation announced the recipients of $200,000 in employee-directed grants to nonprofit organizations in South Carolina committed to social justice and racial equity.

Grants will be distributed to 18 organizations (.pdf) across the state. Overall, the company made a $1 million commitment in June in the seven states where it has electric and gas customers, according to a news release.

Duke Energy and Piedmont Natural Gas tapped Advocates for African Americans, a company employee-led resource group, as well as other diversity and inclusion councils, to help identify and determine which organizations in each state should be considered to receive support. Advertisement

“To say I enjoyed being a part of the process of steering funds to organizations that are making such a positive impact on our communities would be an understatement,” Tiger Wells said in the news release. He is Duke Energy’s state government affairs director in South Carolina and a member of the diversity and inclusion committee of employees who made grant decisions.

“I’m proud of the company’s response and actions we are taking both internally and externally to be a driver for change,” he said in the release.

Organizations receiving support include Big Brothers Big Sisters Upstate.

“We are so appreciative of this grant, especially with the uncertainty and challenges we all are dealing with daily,” Charlene Cheeks, CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters Upstate. “However, we must take every opportunity to denounce racism, bigotry, and prejudice. Defending potential means we openly and consistently address the systemic barriers our children of color face. Racism is part of the trauma in many young lives. We must name it and act upon it every single day.”

Duke Energy is also strengthening its internal diversity and inclusion programs to foster greater awareness, respect, and inclusion, the release said.

In addition to these grants, employees can support local organizations through the Duke Energy Foundation’s matching grant program, Dollars4Good, as well as its Hours4Good program, which enables employees to earn grants for volunteer hours logged, according to the release.

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Lowcountry

Media Release: Charleston County School District (CCSD) student-athletes able to return to campus next week

August 15, 2020

by Charleston Daily 0 Comments

CCSD student-athletes are able to return to campus next weekCharleston, SC – Student-athletes who compete in high school athletic programs in Charleston County School District (CCSD) will be able to return to campus on Monday, August 17, 2020, to resume non-contact workouts and conditioning.

CCSD student-athletes participated in non-contact drills with their teammates on campus, for a week in late June, before a decision was made to suspend due to an extremely high spread of COVID-19 in the community.

With a continued downward trend over the past few weeks in new COVID-19 cases in Charleston County, CCSD leaders are allowing high school sports to resume.“We want to be clear that precautions are in place at every one of our schools to create the safest atmosphere possible for our student-athletes and coaches,” said CCSD Athletic Director Bob Olson. “We are cautiously optimistic we will able to keep our student-athletes on campus as long as the guidelines are followed and the community does their part to help in preventing the spread of COVID-19.” Olson added CCSD high schools will continue to follow the South Carolina High School League’s guidance and decisions regarding the scheduling of games and competitive events.

For more information, please contact the Office of Strategy and Communications at (843) 937-6303.

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About the Charleston County School District

Charleston County School District (CCSD) is a nationally-accredited school district that is committed to providing equitable and quality educational opportunities for all of its students. CCSD is the second-largest school system in South Carolina and represents a unique blend of urban, suburban, and rural schools spanning 1,300 square miles along the coast. CCSD serves more than 50,000 students in 87 schools and specialized programs.

CCSD offers a diverse, expanding portfolio of options and specialized programs, delivered through neighborhood, magnet, IB (international baccalaureate), Montessori, and charter schools. Options include programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM); music and other creative and performing arts; career and technical preparation programs; and military.

Lowcountry

College of Charleston Alum Travis Cooper named Athens-Clarke County (ACC) new Chief Information Officer

August 14, 2020

by Charleston Daily 0 Comments

Athens-Clarke County Manager Blaine Williams this week named Travis Cooper as Chief Information Officer for the Information Technology Department, according to a county news release.

Cooper, whose appointment took effect immediately, has served as the interim IT director since December 2019, upon the retirement of the previous director.

“Travis has an exceptional balance of technological expertise and interpersonal skills that are vital for working across all of our departments on their hardware, software, and other IT needs,” Williams said. “He has helped ACCGov quickly adapt to the changing circumstances of providing services in the COVID-19 era and will just as effectively lead the department to achieve several key Internet accessibility community projects in the coming years.”

Cooper has worked for the IT Department since 2010. He also worked as Operations Manager for BizBuzz Search and for Evening Post BizBuzz, where he designed, developed, and maintained websites, internal systems, and Customer Resource Management solutions. Cooper holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the College of Charleston in Charleston, SC.

“I am excited to continue leading the Information Technology department to provide exceptional technology services to ACCGov employees and citizens,” Cooper said.

The Athens-Clarke County Information Technology Department provides high-quality computer services, state-of-the-art computer networks and software applications, reliable equipment, and system access, proficient technical support, and assistance that encourages the application of technology to improve the efficiency and productivity of Athens-Clarke County operations. It supports over 40 departments and offices and 65 locations.

The IT Department is also currently working on a community project with the Leisure Services Department in conjunction with the Clarke County School District. The project will provide expanded Wi-Fi access throughout many county parks and community centers in Athens-Clarke County to increase Internet accessibility opportunities for children with Clarke County School System devices.

In the coming years, IT will also coordinate the voter-approved Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) 2020 Project #22: Broadband Connectivity Enhancement Project. This project will provide funding to assist with the process of implementing and providing for the enhancement of broadband connectivity throughout Athens-Clarke County.