A Week In Business

A Week In Business
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Top Producers Named

BERLIN — At the company’s annual awards banquet, Atlantic/Smith, Cropper & Deeley President Laura Deeley Bren congratulated Nicole Brushmiller for being named Top Producer of the Year for new business in both commercial and transportation accounts. Additionally, Bren congratulated Nicole Strickler, right, for being the Top Group Health Retention Producer for 2011.

Company Earns Award

BERLIN — Marlene Ott, Associate Broker of Re/Max Premier Properties, recently attended the Regional Sales Rally in Baltimore and accepted the 2011 J.D. Power Award on Re/Max’s behalf.

Ott has been a professional real estate agent for over 30 years in Worcester County.  

The designation means buyers and sellers awarded Re/Max the highest rankings in customer satisfaction.

"It truly reflects your professional excellence, your enthusiasm for education, your commitment to distressed sellers, your individual drive, and many other qualities that serve the interests of your clients. Your efforts change lives, and those people have spoken," said Re/Max Chairman and Co-Founder Dave Liniger.

Homebuyers ranked Re/Max on a 1,000-point scale with a score of 805 and home sellers put Re/Max on top with 791, leading all other real estate franchises in the survey.

County Brochure Honored

SNOW HILL — Worcester County Tourism took home the prestigious Heritage Interpretation Award during the Annual Lower Eastern Shore Heritage Council (LESHC) luncheon in January for the new brochure “An Anglers Guide, Worcester County.”

The award recognizes outstanding heritage interpretation in the tri-county area. The new guide helps educate the visitors and residents about the outstanding recreation sport fishing opportunities available in Worcester County and encourages families to participate in the exciting world of recreational angling.

“We strive to produce materials that the public both needs and wants,” Worcester County Tourism Director Lisa Challenger said. “This fishing guide was clearly something the public wanted. We’ve had a huge interest in it and a very good response to it.”

The full color guide is packed full of practical information and little known tips designed to welcome those with a passion for fishing in and around our seaside county.

Copies of the Anglers Guide are available at area marinas, Assateague Island Visitors Center, Ocean City Convention Center, Worcester County Tourism and Visitors Center and branch libraries. Additional information on recreational fishing is available at www.visitworcester.org.

New Doctoral Program Offered

SALISBURY — Salisbury University is now accepting applications for admission into its first doctoral program — the Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.).

Designed for nurses in advanced practice roles, the program begins in fall 2012. Graduates will have specialized skills for managing the increasingly complex needs of patients in multi-tiered health delivery systems in cost-effective and collaborative ways.

“The first such degree program in our region, the D.N.P. will help prepare leaders in nursing practice to guide future healthcare reform,” said Dr. Lisa Seldomridge, chair of the SU Department of Nursing. “We nurses traditionally work closely with patients. Aren’t we especially well suited to guide and lead positive changes focusing on improving patient care?”

Nationally recognized for academic excellence in programs including nursing, SU offers students a convenient location and close one-on-one interactions with knowledgeable faculty. The DNP curriculum emphasizes using technology to improve health care delivery and outcomes. Meeting the needs of working professionals, the program features a small cohort, hybrid classes combining online and classroom learning, and individual program planning based on student goals and experiences.

“With hospitals pursuing Magnet recognition and encouraging staff to increase certifications, the D.N.P. will make nurses more valued members of their health care organizations,” said Dr. Molly Parsons, program director. “Care is always our priority, and studies show patients do better with a highly educated nursing staff.”

“The D.N.P. will prepare nurses for positions in advanced practice, education and administration including public service,” Seldomridge explained. She added: “Earning a doctorate had a profound impact on my life and career; I only wish I had had the opportunity as close to home as SU.”

The application deadline is May 1, with priority consideration given to those who submit materials before March 1.