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Newsmakers in Business, Aug. 16
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Whitmire joins Community Bank & Trust as vice president

J. Michael Whitmire has been named executive vice president of Community Bank & Trust. The announcement was made by Bill Galardi, president of the Hall County division.

A community bank veteran with more than 30 years of experience, Whitmire is also involved in a number of civic pursuits including serving as immediate-past board chairman for the United Way of Hall County and chairman of the Elachee Nature Science Center. He also serves as president-elect of the Rotary Club of Gainesville and just completed a term as finance chairman for the Northeast Georgia Council of the Boy Scouts of America.

"With his extensive work experience in and around Hall County and his involvement in both civic and church activities, we are certain that Mike can bring new and valuable relationships to our team," Galardi said.

A native of Greenville, S.C., Whitmire earned his undergraduate degree in economics from Wofford College and Master of Business Administration and Finance from the University of Georgia.

Whitmire and his wife, Becky, are the parents of three children, Mary, John and Andrew.

Lloyd named executive director of Behavioral Health at hospital

Northeast Georgia Medical Center has announced that Kevin Lloyd has been named executive director of behavioral health services.

Lloyd will oversee Laurelwood, the private, not-for-profit hospital dedicated to the treatment of mental health and chemical dependency disorders.

Lloyd began his career at Laurelwood in 1989 as a recreation therapist. He was promoted to activity therapy coordinator the same year. He held three other titles as he advanced through the organization, most recently serving as manager of clinical services.

He received a bachelor’s degree in recreation therapy from Georgia Southern University in 1986. He received a Master of Business Administration from Brenau University in 1993.

Lloyd and his wife, Paula, and their son, Logan, have been residents of Hall County since 1989.

Alexander to head local bar association

Mark Alexander, a partner with the law firm of Stewart Melvin & Frost, recently began his term as president of the Gainesville-Northeastern Bar Association.

Joining Alexander on the local bar association’s board are vice president, Roland Stroberg of Myers & Stroberg, and treasurer, Bob Coleman of Coleman & Chambers.

Short to head Brenau evening and weekend college in Gainesville

Brenau University has appointed Rosanne Short of Cornelia as the director of the Gainesville division of its evening and weekend college.

"Rosanne has technical as well as people skills to do this new job very well," said David Barnett, associate vice president for the evening and weekend college. "She will be instrumental in the university’s long-term goal of re-aligning all its academic programs into broader graduate and undergraduate divisions."

Brenau currently has weekend and evening campuses in Gainesville and three other Georgia locations: suburban Atlanta, Augusta and Kings Bay.

A native of Rabun County in Northeast Georgia, Short is a 1981 graduate of Rabun County High School. She graduated from Brenau Women’s College in 1991 with a bachelor’s degree in communication, specializing in public relations. In 2006, she graduated with a Master of Science in organizational development from Brenau.

Short and her husband, Daniel, live in Habersham County and have three adult children and one granddaughter.

McDuffie named fellow of American College of Medical Practice Execs

Cheryl "Cherri" T. McDuffie, administrator in The Longstreet Clinic’s Center for Women’s Health and Gainesville Perinatal Center, has become a fellow in the American College of Medical Practice Executives.

The fellowship is the highest distinction in the profession of medical group practice management. The organization will formally recognize McDuffie’s accomplishment in October at a convocation in San Diego.

ACMPE has conferred board certification on almost 3,500 professionals — approximately 2,540 certified members and 930 fellows — since its establishment in 1956.

McDuffie, who has worked for The Longstreet Clinic since 2006, is past president and a board member of the Georgia Medical Group Management Association and a board member of its Lake Lanier chapter.

She and her husband, Dale, have two children. They live in Baldwin.

Stephen Eggles named regional vice president for ACTS communities

ACTS Retirement-Life Communities, parent company of Lanier Village Estates in Gainesville, has announced the appointment of Stephen Eggles as regional vice president, Mid-South. In this newly created position, Eggles will oversee the operational activities at five ACTS continuing care retirement communities in North and South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama.

He has held a series of leadership positions for ACTS, most recently serving as the executive director at Brittany Pointe Estates, an ACTS life care community based in Lansdale, Penn., where he was responsible for the daily management of the community, including financial management and budgeting, policy enforcement, staff support and leadership.