In The Know
Caine Halter Family YMCA Breaks Ground On Expansion
The YMCA of Greenville has broken ground on the expansion of the recreational facility at the Caine Halter Family YMCA branch and launched its Building a Brighter Tomorrow capital campaign.
The goal of the Building a Brighter Tomorrow campaign is to eliminate waitlists for children in youth sports programs, provide adaptive sports spaces and leagues for children and adults, add outdoor space to better serve families in after-school and summer camp programs, continue efforts to prevent accidental childhood drownings, and develop partnerships with other nonprofit organizations.
The expansion will include:
A retractable enclosure over the outdoor pool.
Repurposing existing tennis courts to provide access to people with diverse abilities and create spaces to play tennis, pickleball, basketball, volleyball, and small-sided soccer.
Remodeling the fields to increase space, add lights and resurface the track.
A 5,000-square-foot outdoor pavilion with restrooms.
Refreshing the multi-use gymnasium with new backboards and refinished floors.
“Once completed, this campaign will result in a stronger YMCA that has the resources to carry out our mission to provide a place for all people, regardless of their ability to pay, to build healthy mind, body and spirit,” said Scot Baddley, President and CEO of the YMCA of Greenville.
The nonprofit organization strives to nurture children through youth development, to promote healthy living, and to foster social responsibility.
To contribute to the Caine Halter Family YMCA’s Building a Brighter Tomorrow campaign, go to www.ymcagreenville.org/caine-halter-capital-campaign.
The YMCA of Greenville was founded in 1876 and serves more than 70,000 people annually through after-school care, residential and day camps, and programs that focus on aquatics, youth and adult sports, and health and wellness.
There are four family branches, as well as the Verdae YMCA, Y Camp Greenville, YMCA Judson Community Center, the YMCA Program Center, and Hollingsworth Outdoor Center. The Y is also home to Y Teen Services and the S.C. Youth in Government programs. For information, go to ymcagreenville.org.
OOBE Apparel Names President
OOBE Apparel Design Group in Greenville has named Drake Bagwell as President. Bagwell will oversee all aspects of the company’s operations and build on its legacy.
Mike Pereyo and Tom Merritt are co-founders and co-CEOs of OOBE Apparel Design Group, which creates branded apparel.
“Drake’s experience within the industry, combined with his vision for the future, and his unwavering care for our team will drive our purpose-driven company to even greater heights,” Pereyo and Merritt said in a press release.
Bagwell has experience in international supply chain management, home textiles and the apparel industry. Most recently, he was Vice President of Operations at OOBE.
OOBE Apparel Design Group was founded in 1994. It provides branded apparel programs for companies. OOBE has an in-house design team to create comfortable, functional and stylish apparel for employees; products for corporate gifting, tradeshows, golf tournaments, etc.; and a retail brand for men.
Greenville Housing Fund Hires VP-Real Estate, Markets
The Greenville Housing Fund has hired Libba King as Vice President of Real Estate and Capital Markets.
King will lead the housing fund’s real estate strategy and coordinate partnerships and initiatives across the county, including projects financed through Low-Income Housing Tax Credits. She will help build a community land trust program to utilize infill development to create and maintain affordable homeownership in Greenville’s Special Emphasis Neighborhoods.
“Libba’s willingness to explore creative financing tools and partnerships will be invaluable in advancing our mission to preserve and increase the supply of safe, stable affordable housing choices,” said Bryan Brown, GHF President and CEO.
King has a background in affordable housing development and preservation, as well as portfolio management and land development.
She has volunteered with Jasmine Road, Abundance Capital, and the Greenville Homeless Alliance.
Greenville Housing Fund is a nonprofit organization that champions affordable neighborhoods across Greenville County. GHF works with lending, investing, land-banking, and partners.
In the five years since its inception, GHF has created and preserved more than 1,330 units of housing. GHF recently partnered with the City of Greenville and Truist Bank to invest $12.4 million to generate 549 units of affordable housing.
Exec Of Football, Klutch Sports Headlines Women’s Roundtable
A lineup of speakers has been announced for the 2023 Clemson University Women’s Roundtable on Nov. 2 at the Greenville Convention Center.
The keynote speaker will be Nicole Lynn, author and President of Football for Klutch Sports Group.
The STEM keynote speaker will be Dr. Delphine Dean, who developed the COVID testing protocol for Clemson University and is the Ron and Jane Lindsay Family Innovation Professor and Chair of Bioengineering at Clemson University.
They will be joined by women leaders from the arts, technology, government and education sectors.
The goal of the Women’s Roundtable is to allow participants to explore experiences for girls and women, particularly in STEM fields.
Approximately 500 people are expected to attend. The event will emphasize the importance of education and self-care; the tools and skills needed to navigate educational and professional environments; and create opportunities to build support networks.
This year’s Women of Impact panelists are Emmy-nominated comedy writer Alrinthea Carter, Beth Foster of the U.S. Department of Defense, Eliana Toro of Amazon Web Services, Clemson music professor Linda Li-Bleuel, and Holly Brown of GE.
The moderator for the panel is Lori Dickes, Associate Professor, MPA Program Associate Chair at Clemson.
Claudine Miles, co-founder and CEO of Restore More, will facilitate small group discussions.
The fee is $25 for high school, middle school and college students; and $50 for professionals, chaperones and community members. Registration is open and available online. For questions about registration, email smitch5@clemson.edu.
NHE Named ‘Best Place To Work’
NHE is a repeat winner on the list of 2023 Best Places to Work in South Carolina list.
This is the third consecutive year that NHE has received recognition; 42 companies were named to the list in the large companies category; NHE was ranked No. 19.
NHE manages professional associations and conventional and affordable apartments and provides community development and service coordination across the Southeast, including South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia.
NHE has a 50-year history in South Carolina. The company has more than 325 employees and represents residents in more than 18,000 homes, apartments and condominiums across 15 states.
“We are proud of our commitment to employees and residents in every community we serve,” said NHE President and CEO Taylor Davis.
High Spirits Hospitality Promotes Four Employees
High Spirits Hospitality in Greenville has promoted four employees.
Krista McFarland has been promoted to Director of Talent & Culture. She will oversee 150 employees as well as six staff members who will report to her directly.
Nicole Camacho will take the new position of Chief of Staff. She will steer key projects and report to CEO and President Tammy Johnson.
High Spirits also elevated Alie Rounds to Venue Sales Representative and Sarah Wilson to Staffing Manager.
High Spirits Hospitality is the parent company of five independent brands: Liquid Catering, Events at Judson Mill, Bravo1 Protection, The 405, and High Spirits Events. The company started as a bartending service and now aims to be the go-to provider for event and security services
Hispanic Alliance Hosts Greenville Education Fair
The Hispanic Alliance is hosting its ninth annual Education Fair on Nov. 9 at Legacy Early College in Greenville. The event is free and open to the public.
Adults and young people who are considering college, extracurricular programs, continuing education or trade schools are encouraged to attend. The goal of the event is to connect the community to the resources they need to continue their education.
The Hispanic Alliance is also seeking colleges, universities and vocational programs that want to exhibit. Volunteers are needed to help with setup, registration and bilingual interpretation.
Great Retention Podcast Is Back
The third season of The Great Retention, a podcast geared to businesses that want to recruit and retain young professionals, has begun. The podcast is hosted by Kamber Parker, founder of The YoPro Know in Greenville.
The podcast is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or The YoPro Know website.
National professionals will address these topics: “How To Prepare Talent For The Future Of AI With Expert”; “Mental Health and The Next Gen: How To Create A Culture Of Safety”; “Having An Open Marriage Philosophy At Work”; “Strategic Networking In A Post-Pandemic World”; “Building An Authentic Brand That Connects Others”; “Invest In Mutually Beneficial Relationships”; “Create Generationally Diverse Teams”; “Passing Soft Skills Training To The Next Gen”; “Raising Industry Awareness Through Apprenticeship”; and “Using Authentic Core Values To Connect With Next Gen Talent.”
“Our mission is to help create a workforce that meets the needs of both employer and employee,” Parker said.
Day Designed For Caregivers
The Bon Secours St. Francis Lifewise program and the Appalachia Area Agency on Aging are honoring National Caregivers Month with an event for caregivers from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 3 at Senior Action, 3715 E. North Street in Greenville.
Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. Speakers who are experienced in working with caregivers will discuss these topics: legal and financial, emotional wellness, physical wellness, and resources.
Lunch will be provided. Register by calling (864) 292-9691 or go to www.bonsecours.com/locations/community-services/greenville/st-francis-lifewise.
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: In The Know
