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Founded in 2008 in Atlanta, Georgia, the Green Chamber of the South supports the growth and success of sustainable business and encourages innovation and adoption of clean technology. It is a non-profit organization working to make the Southeast the center of sustainable business in the United States. The Green Chamber of the South is dedicated to one core purpose: to bring together businesses and organizations across the Southeast to promote the growth, innovation and success of sustainability. The Green Chamber connects sustainable businesses, clean technology companies, corporations with sustainability programs, nonprofits and government organizations throughout the Southeast so that they may create enduring business connections, share best green practices, learn from one another and grow both their own bottom lines as well as create new green jobs.

Bernie Burgener is a member of the Green Chamber of the South and leads the Chamber’s Greenhouse Accelerator program, whose objective it is to help create green jobs through the support of early-stage green startups and sustainability initiatives within existing companies.

Early in his career Bernie helped fund and grow small businesses in various countries and industries in South America in a financial as well as a consulting function, working for an Investment Company out of Lima, Peru.  Then he worked for over twenty years with a water treatment company in Atlanta, being responsible for its international business development.

Today, Bernie’s activities are focused on encouraging and supporting companies to adopt sustainable business practices.

Robert C. Newcomer, Esq. has practiced law in Atlanta, Georgia since 1996. Hiss legal practice is a mix of commercial litigation and real estate, environmental and business law.

Mr. Newcomer is a LEED AP and serves on the Sustainable Building Taskforce for Sustainable Atlanta and the Sustainability Taskforce for Atlanta BeltLine.  He is a member of U.S. Green Building Council Georgia Chapter and the Urban Land Institute – Atlanta District Council, where he serves on the Management Committee, Advisory Board and as Chair of the Technical Assistance Program Committee.  Mr. Newcomer helped establish and serves on a number of non-profit boards, including the Green Chamber of the South, girltank Foundation and WACSI Environmental Education, Inc.  Mr. Newcomer was a founding board member of eduKALB, whose mission is to improve school board performance in DeKalb County through civic engagement, candidate endorsements and professional (board) training.  Mr. Newcomer also serves on the board of a 2nd generation family business.

Mr. Newcomer received his J.D. from Duke University School of Law, where he graduated cum laude and served as an editor of the Duke Environmental Law and Policy Forum. He received a Master’s Degree in Environmental Management from Duke University Nicholas School of the Environment. Mr. Newcomer is admitted to practice in the State of Georgia, and is a member of the State Bar of Georgia and the Atlanta Bar Association (Environmental Section (past chair), Real Estate Section & Litigation Section).

Mr. Newcomer is an avid long distance cyclist and trail runner.

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Hughes Telematics, Inc. (HTI) is a leader in implementing the next generation of connected services for the automobile. Centered on a core platform of safety and security offerings, we develop and manage vehicle- and driver-centric solutions to enhance the driving and ownership experience. Headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., HTI offers a portfolio of manufacturer, aftermarket, fleet and dealer services provided through two-way broadband connectivity to the vehicle.

Kevin Link is one of the original organizers of Hughes Telematics, Inc. and currently serves as Senior Vice President.  In this position, he is responsible for competitive research, branding, marketing, public relations and assists with defining overall corporate strategy.

Link created the initial business model and strategic plan for HTI, and has been very instrumental in shaping the future services for consumers, OEMs and dealers.  Link is very involved in industry research and is a key contributor to the thought leadership within industry organizations and trade associations.

Link is a proven entrepreneur who previously served as CEO of Altius Solutions, a company he founded in 1999 to support multiple entrepreneurial initiatives involving vehicle telematics.  Altius Solutions designed, developed, and manufactured complex vehicle “black boxes” for research purposes.  Altius Solutions’ clients included NHTSA, Department of Transportation, Federal Highway and many research universities and academia.  Through Altius, Link was able to develop a command of the telematics landscape, industry challenges, and also work with leading edge experts to craft solutions.  This experience provided the platform for which HTI was built.

Prior to Altius, Link founded and developed a Web-based technology company where he served as President and CEO.  He began his career in the banking sector in 1984 with Wachovia and later moved to the consulting industry.  As a consultant, Link served as a partner for Accenture and Ernst & Young in various strategy development and financial management roles.

Link earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from North Carolina State University, and is a licensed CPA and CMA.  He lives in Atlanta with his wife Joanna and their three sons.

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Cobb County Water System is a leader in Water Conservation and demand management.  Cobb has developed successful programs to manage water sustainably in Cobb and within their own system. The Cobb County Water System is a utility operation responsible for water distribution, wastewater collection and treatment, and stormwater management. It is committed to providing these services to all retail and wholesale customers with full assurance of accountability, equity, reliability and reasonable cost. The Cobb County Water System is committed to its important role in protecting and supporting our community.

Kathy Nguyen graduated from Berry College in Rome, GA with a Communications degree.  She has been with Cobb County Water System since 2001.  She previously worked in administration for the Water System.  In December of 2005 she became the Water Conservation Coordinator for Cobb County Water System.  She created and implemented Cobb County’s Water Efficiency Plan.  Ms. Nguyen is currently a member of the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District’s Water Supply and Water Education Subcommittees.  She is a member of the Georgia Environmental Protection Division Technical Advisory Committee for Water Conservation, a member of Georgia Association of Water Professionals, and American Water Works Association.

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Our three empowered guests knows what it takes to be successful. Carlie Garcia believes in making other people happy, no matter how stressful the situation may be. Vanessa advises us to be steadfast; do not let words affect the quality of our the work that we do. And Valarie wants us to be there to please our customers. Always have a smile on and make things happen.

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A man of indefatigable spirit and a multitude of talents, Tony is the author of ‘Telemarketing Success for Small and Mid-sized Firms’, and ‘The Single Person’s Cookbook.’ A new book ‘Surviving the Economy’ will be published in 2012. Tony is a regular contributor to ‘The SF Examiner’, has been featured on ‘The View from the Bay’ and ‘The 10% Show,’ and teaches sales, business development and cold calling classes for the OBDC (Oakland Business Development Center). As a screenwriter and producer, his credits include ‘The Mo Diaries’, ‘Couples in Bolinas’, ‘Zelma’s Spirit,’ ‘The Wyndhams,’ and ‘Sand and Water and the upcoming Lonesome Town.’ He launched his new radio show ‘Small Business Forum,’http://www.blogtalkradio.com/tonywilkins.

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200 Peachtree is a place where memories linger… and are still yet to be made. A beautifully restored, living tribute to glamour, style and the elegance of a bygone era. A destination designed to showcase life’s celebrations, both large and small.

Established as a historical landmark and heralded for its grandeur and magnificence, 200 Peachtree has been known for its innovation and beauty since its beginning. Built in 1927 on a vein of granite from Stone Mountain, the building opened as Davison’s department store and was renovated in the 1980s for Macy’s. Today, 200 Peachtree still serves as an impressive facility that is host to a variety of clients and events.

Carlie Garcia is one of the three event planners currently working at 200 Peachtree. She is an Atlanta native who graduated with honors from the University of Georgia with a BA in Studio Art. Carlie is self-motivated, timely, and organized, all of which prove to be useful skills within the events industry. She has experience managing events and working closely with event vendors. This experience has helped further develop her skills in event planning. Her professionalism, creativity, and desire to please all make her a great asset to the 200 Peachtree team.

Valarie Kaplan is an event planner at 200 Peachtree she enjoys being busy, always moving, and working in an industry that is ever changing. Her background in customer service has helped her to take on challenging customers and face any issue with a smile and positive attitude.

Vanessa Rowe is currently an Event Manager at 200 Peachtree.  She has a diverse background of experience, training and achievements in planning, coordinating events, and developing ideas to be implemented.  She is a very detail-oriented person who loves planning, organizing, acting, traveling, and meeting new and interesting people. She enjoys helping people to get what they want out every event.  She stays pretty busy and looks to the new challenge at hand, each day.

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Cindy Williams, Vice President of Client Services at Info Retail, believes in building relationships with people that lasts for years. Be someone who enriches other people’s lives by building bridges and not walls. Networking is very important if you want to be really successful!

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Marti Blackstock, Vice President, Asset Manager with Parkway Realty Services, encourages us to be passionate about our job. Find out what it is that you really love to do & pursue it. Take advantage of your skills & strengths.

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Cindy Williams is Vice President of Client Services at Info Retail—a strategy and design agency, where she leads inter-disciplinary teams in customer advocacy and acquisition. She specializes in customer-centric relationships and collaboration to maximize the worth of brands and customer environments. Williams is highly experienced in home furnishings and bedding markets. She is a dedicated mentor, a court advocate for foster children, and candidate for a degree in psychology and criminal justice.

Since joining Info Retail in 2003, Williams has led the agency’s strategies in bedding and furnishings markets, serving a variety of international, national and online retail and manufacturing clients including Tempur-Pedic, Restonic, Dream Fit, Mattress Firm, Innovative Mattress Solutions, Klaussner, Lane and others. Prior to joining the firm, she led a distinguished 10-year career in bedding, as Southeast regional sales manager for International Bedding Corporation and manager of specialty sleep at Simmons Company.

Williams is a member of the board at WithIt—women’s leadership development network in the home and furnishings industries, and at the Better Sleep Council, educational arm of the International Sleep Products Association.

She writes a regular column at Sleep Savvy, a magazine for sleep products professionals, and has contributed to publications including Home Furnishings Business and Bed Times. Williams has spoken on the retail experience, the voice of the consumer and the practice of service design at a number industry conferences and tradeshows, including Furniture/Today Bedding Conference, World Market Center Las Vegas, and AmericasMart Atlanta.

Resolved to be also “a point of light” in her community, Williams is a founder and board member at a cost-free family counseling center in the north Georgia Appalachian area. She has worked as a court appointed special advocate for foster children, and is pursuing a degree in psychology and leadership studies at Kennesaw State University.

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Parkway Properties, a member of the New York Stock Exchange, specializes in the operation, leasing, acquisition, and ownership of quality office properties. It has been a steward of capital in the public arena since 1971 and has been solely dedicated to the office industry since the mid‐1990’s. Parkway team members apply an uncompromising focus on operations, the cornerstone of their business strategy, to create a solid dividend and long-term returns to their shareholders and investment partners.

Parkway Realty Services is a commercial real estate services and advisory firm established in 1983 that currently manages and leases approximately 24 million SF of office space in 11 state.

Marti Blackstock is a real estate professional with 25+ years of experience in property management, leasing, marketing and asset management. Blackstock is a Certified Property Manager (CPM) & Certified Commercial Investment Manager (CCIM). Her current affiliations include Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA),  Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM), Commercial Investment Real Estate Institute (CIREI), Atlanta Board of Realtors, Central Atlanta Progress & Metro Atlanta Chamber. She is currently Vice President, Asset Manager with Parkway Realty Services responsible for the operational and financial performance of 14+ commercial properties totaling 5.5 million square feet in five submarkets in the Atlanta metropolitan area. This portfolio includes a 2.5 million square foot, four city-block, mixed-use asset in Downtown Atlanta.