New York, NY (PRWEB) May 04, 2012

St. Mark’s Church-in-the-Bowery, led by The Rev. Winnie Varghese, who is an out lesbian, is one of 40 New York landmarks chosen from more than 500 competitors to compete for a portion of $ 3 million in grant money marked for historic preservation projects through Partners in Preservation. The landmarks are competing in an online voting contest, and grant money will be awarded based on votes gathered and support demonstrated for each facility.

Varghese is the first openly gay Rector at St. Mark’s Church-in-the-Bowery, but the church has a long history of supporting gay rights and welcomes all visitors interested in worshiping with the congregation. Rev. Varghese has regularly advocated for gay rights, including equal marriage.

“I’m so proud to be able to lead such a progressive, welcoming congregation,” Varghese said. “It’s an honor to be nominated for this grant, and I’m grateful that I have such a supportive community to call on as we work to win it.”

Under Varghese’s leadership in recent years, the St. Mark’s congregation has experienced rapid growth. The church is the oldest site of continuous worship in New York. A long line of notable architects have contributed to the church’s design, including James Renwick, Jr., the famed architect of the “Castle” in the Smithsonian Institute and St. Patrick’s Cathedral. If successful in the contest, St. Mark’s Church-in-the-Bowery plans to use the grant funds to restore the circa 1858 cast iron portico that serves as the church’s entry way. The cast iron in the portico is attributed to James Bogardus, noted early proponent and innovator of cast iron construction.

Voters anywhere in the world interested in supporting St. Mark’s can cast votes each day through May 21, by visiting http://partnersinpreservation.com/ or https://www.facebook.com/PartnersinPreservation. St. Mark’s Facebook page can be found at https://www.facebook.com/stmarksbowery. The top three votes winners automatically receive grant funds, plus an additional number of finalists will receive some funds.

About St. Mark’s Church-in-the-Bowery

St. Mark’s Church-in-the-Bowery is located in New York City’s East Village, at the intersection of 10th Street and Second Avenue. The property has been the site of continuous Christian worship for more than three-and-a-half-centuries and is the second-oldest church building in Manhattan. The church’s buildings and burial grounds were designated a New York City Landmark in 1966, and the site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

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Uncle Maddio’s Pinterest

Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) May 16, 2012

Uncle Maddio’s Pizza Joint is one of the first fast casual dining restaurants using Pinterest to extend their brand. With 12 fully-decked Pinterest boards, Uncle Maddio’s turns an in-store dining experience into an online user experience. By capitalizing on the success of the fastest-growing social media tool, Uncle Maddio’s promotes their store’s culture – and exposes their brand – to an eager audience of Pinterest users.

Pinterest is a social media site that engages users by allowing them to upload, organize, and share images with other Pinterest users on as well as cross-promote on Facebook and Twitter. A Pinterest page is populated with “boards” that organize “pins” (images with embedded links) by topic. Two years ago, Pinterest was launched as a social media site for individuals. Now, Pinterest is one of the top five online sources driving traffic to brands. With more than 11 million unique U.S. hits per month, that’s big news for businesses.

As an up-and-coming fast casual restaurant chain, Uncle Maddio’s saw a golden opportunity in Pinterest. You see, Pinterest users are primarily women, and a recent survey showed that women trust Pinterest more than the gold-social-media-standard, Facebook. Additionally, Pinterest surpassed Twitter in its rates for users spreading product information, learning about new products, and seeking advice and recommendations. As an emerging brand – and one who targets women as a key market segment – Uncle Maddio’s and Pinterest was a match made in online marketing heaven.

As one of the only pizza chains to offer both gluten-free and vegan menu options (including vegan cheese), Uncle Maddio’s created Pinterest boards dedicated to gluten-free and vegan recipes. Each month, a new board is created for the Uncle Maddio’s ingredient of the month (spinach, strawberries, bacon, for example). For the younger crowd (and more specifically, their parents), Uncle Maddio’s hosts a weekly Art Camp for kids and a “Picky Eater Club.” On Pinterest, this translates to boards devoted to kids’ crafts and fun food creations. The Pinterest boards “Pizza Art” and “Food Art” reflect the fun and funky artsy décor inside an Uncle Maddio’s restaurant. One of the most populated and more popular boards on the Uncle Maddio’s Pinterest page is “Kitchens We’re Mad For” – great kitchens and good food make sense!

About Uncle Maddio’s, the Next Generation Pizza Joint

Uncle Maddio’s pioneered the concept of fast casual pizza restaurants. With over 47 toppings, 3 crusts, 6 sauces, and 7 cheeses, including vegan and gluten-free pizza options, the possibilities for delicious and healthy pizzas are endless. You build it, we bake it. Plus, we have fresh salads made-to-order, toasted paninis, affordable, kid’s sized pizzas and the new Coca-Cola Freestyle machine. With 70 franchises in development and 20 units open by the end of the year, across Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Kentucky, Uncle Maddio’s is the leader in fast casual pizza. To learn more about the Uncle Maddio’s concept, please visit our Youtube. To own an Uncle Maddio’s franchise in your neighborhood, email Roger Wagerman at roger(at)unclemaddios(dot)com or go to http://www.unclemaddios.com.

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, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

Paul do Forno, Razorfish’s new SVP of Multi-Channel Commerce

New York, New York (PRWEB) May 14, 2012

Immediately on the heels of Razorfish’s recent acquisition of Longtuo, China’s leading commerce practice, the agency is aligning their commerce centers of excellence under one global leader, Paul do Forno. He joins the agency from retail and commerce leaders such as NCR Corporation, SapientNitro, and Deloitte Consulting.

In this newly created role of SVP Multi-Channel Commerce, do Forno, 41, is charged with consolidating the agency’s experience in commerce under one practice group by bringing together the agency’s existing hubs in London, Paris, Shanghai, and various U.S. cities. This alignment further augments Razorfish’s extensive commerce track record which includes over 100 previous and active large-scale engagements for marquis clients such as O2, Dow Jones, Papa John’s, and Choice Hotels. Razorfish was also recently recognized as a strong performer in commerce services in the Forrester Wave™*.

In his role, do Forno will be leading a multi-disciplinary group providing integrated, full-lifecycle commerce capabilities including strategy, customer experience design, technology platform development/support, business process definition, and ongoing measurement and optimization. He will be based in Razorfish’s Chicago office.

In addition to leading his team, do Forno will be responsible for nurturing relationships with key technology platform vendors, as well as managing Razorfish’s commerce nearshore development groups around the globe. These groups operate in a geo-dispersed fashion with development taking place in a similar time zone to the hub office, a distributed agile approach that allows faster development at a lower cost.

“Many of our clients see digitally-enabled commerce as the key lever for global revenue growth,” said Bob Lord, Global CEO of Razorfish. “Bringing together our various centers of excellence under one integrated team greatly accelerates Razorfish’s ability to bring global consumer insights, scale, and commerce innovation to our clients around the world. For example, one area of innovation that is being immediately rolled out globally is dynamic multi-platform targeting, where we utilize big data and micro-segmentation to enable a completely personalized set of content and experiences for each consumer across all channels. This delivers amazing ROI by driving higher conversion and average order size, and now our clients all over the world will take advantage of it.”

“I’m thrilled to be given the opportunity” said do Forno. “In terms of retail and commerce, it’s certainly a different world out there today. Across the globe, consumers have become omni-channel shoppers, utilizing multiple digital technologies and physical storefronts seamlessly to shop and transact. And core to the Razorfish DNA is what I believe will drive commerce success going forward; putting the customer at the center of the strategy, creating remarkable customer experiences, and leveraging emerging channels such as mobile, tablets, and digital in-store to create a holistic ecosystem. And of course, creating a flexible and scalable technology platform that provides the foundation for it all.”

While at NCR Corporation, a global technology company with self-service solutions for ATM machines and software, POS and retail systems, and airline check-in systems, do Forno served as Global Retail Multi-channel Consulting Practice Lead. Before NCR, do Forno did stints at SapientNitro as Client Executive of the agency’s eCommerce practice, and was also a Senior Manager at Deloitte Consulting’s multi-channel group. do Forno, who will be reporting to Shannon Denton, Executive Sponsor of Razorfish’s Commerce Practice, holds a Bachelor of Math in Joint Honors Mathematics/Business Administration with Computer Science from the University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.

About Razorfish

Razorfish, the highest ranked digital agency in Advertising Age’s 2011 A-List, creates experiences that build businesses. As one of the largest interactive marketing and technology companies in the world, Razorfish helps its clients build better brands by delivering business results through customer experiences. Razorfish combines the best thought leadership of the consulting world with the leading capabilities of the marketing services industry to support our clients’ business needs, such as launching new products, repositioning a brand or participating in the social world. Razorfish has offices in markets across the United States, and in Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, Japan, and the United Kingdom. Clients include Mercedes, Unilever, and McDonald’s. With sister agencies Starcom MediaVest, ZenithOptimedia, Denuo and Digitas, Razorfish is part of Publicis Groupe’s (Euronext Paris: FR0000130577) VivaKi, a global digital knowledge and resource center. Visit http://www.razorfish.com for more information. Follow Razorfish on Twitter at @razorfish.

*The Forrester Wave ™: Global Commerce Service Providers, Q1 2012, Forrester Research, Inc., February 2012

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, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

NYCTrip.com Announces Exclusive Holiday Events

New York, NY (PRWEB) May 02, 2012

NYCTrip.com, the official website of New York City Vacation Packages (NYCVP) is introducing three new “NYC Insider” parties for 2012.

Insider’s Thanksgiving Parade Party

As the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade passes by outside, guests at NYCTrip.com’s Insider’s New York City Thanksgiving Parade Party will enjoy a breakfast buffet while watching the world famous event through floor-to-ceiling windows at Del Frisco’s Steak House, located on the Avenue of the Americas parade route.

Included as well is a choice of sightseeing tours – either a Wednesday afternoon hosted tour of the Parade Balloon Inflation area or a Thursday evening narrated and guided Holiday Displays motorcoach tour of the famous department store windows.

“Thanksgiving and the Macy’s Parade is New York City’s signature event, the official start of the holiday season,” says NYCTrip.com’s Joel Cohen. “Crowds gather on the street as early as 5am – regardless of the weather – to get an optimal viewing spot. That’s why we offer our guests an inside location where they can see the magnificent floats and balloons in climate-controlled comfort.”

The Insider’s Thanksgiving Parade Party is available only through NYCTrip.com or a travel agent, with a 4-night or longer hotel stay at the Sheraton New York Hotel, Hilton New York Hotel, Marriott Marquis, Le Parker Meridien, Manhattan at Times Square or W New York Downtown Hotel. Arrival dates are November 19, 20 or 21, 2012.

Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting Party

NYCTrip.com has arranged an exclusive cocktail party the evening of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree lighting. Brasserie Ruhlmann, located in the center of Rockefeller Plaza, is the host venue; guests will have exclusive use of the facilities at the Brasserie, including the outdoor patio that features a direct close-up view of the tree. They’ll also be among the privileged few to have approval to enter the Rockefeller Center area for the tree lighting event.

From 7pm on, there will be an open bar and hors d’oeuvre stations available. A noted New York City historian and lecturer will talk about the history and architecture of Rockefeller Center and the world-famous tree, and an entertaining local expert will be on hand to inform the group about the array of holiday decorations throughout the City.

Just before 9pm guests can gather in the outdoor patio to watch the lighting of the tree for the first time in 2012. There will be a professional photographer available for keepsake photos.

NYCTrip.com has arranged specially-priced hotel accommodations at the Waldorf=Astoria Hotel and at the Sheraton New York Hotel for arrivals November 27 or 28.

New Year’s Eve Times Square Ball Drop Gala

As New Year’s Eve Times Square revelers stand shoulder to shoulder from 42nd Street all the way up to Central Park, guests at NYCTrip.com’s New Year’s Eve Times Square Ball Drop Gala will be high above them at an exclusive party. Located on the 22nd and 23rd floors of Sentry Center, the event will feature DJ dance music, fancy hors d’oeuvres and desserts, open bar and above all (quite literally), a view of the city lights, the celebration and of course, the Times Square Ball Drop.

Offering a commanding view of the million or so partiers lining both 7th Avenue and Broadway – and of the Waterford Crystal ball itself – Sentry Center is the perfect spot to welcome the New Year in the middle of Times Square. It’s located just 10 short blocks from the fireworks and ball drop, recognized around the world as the universal symbol of the holiday.

Guests at this NYCTrip.com New Year’s Eve event can opt for specially-priced accommodations at the Sheraton New York Hotel, directly across the street from the gala party. 3-night and longer stays are available for arrivals beginning December 27.

Visit the newly redesigned website NYCtrip.com, the official site of New York City Vacation Packages, for details on these NYCVP exclusive events.

About New York City Vacation Packages and NYCTrip.com

The vacation package experts at New York City Vacation Packages have been providing tried and true travel advice since 1983. As the only major independent tour company in the USA devoted exclusively to New York City travel, the company prides itself on offering hotel packages, Broadway show packages, tours of New York City, museum, attraction and sporting event admissions, dining arrangements, transportation options and more. The company’s website NYCTrip.com includes NYC TripQuote, a comprehensive online booking engine that can arrange customized and often complicated itineraries. Personal Vacation Planners can be reached during normal business hours at 877 NYC-TRiP.

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, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

Aerial view of the Inn of the Six Mountains

Killington, VT (PRWEB) May 09, 2012

The Inn of the Six Mountains is the headquarters for New Life Hiking Spa each May – September and was chosen by Yankee Magazine as the “Best for Rejuvenation” in the current issue of Yankee Magazine’s Travel Guide to New England, on newsstands now.

The Inn of the Six Mountains is a resort hotel nestled in the scenic Green Mountains near the Appalachian Trail. It offers beautiful guest rooms, an indoor and outdoor swimming pool and Jacuzzi and tennis courts. The Inn is home to a magnificent hand-crafted fieldstone fireplace that has gained fame as the largest of its kind in New England. The Inn is next to the Killington Golf Course and the beautiful courtyard overlooks Killington Mountain.

With a comfortable atmosphere, over 3,000 square feet of meeting rooms, delicious food and affordable prices, it is the ideal location for weddings, family reunions, Mother/Daughter spa getaways, hiking groups, ski and snowboard trips or just getting away and relaxing in the fresh Vermont air.

About Yankee Magazine:

Yankee Magazine was founded in 1935 and is based in Dublin, New Hampshire. It is the only magazine devoted to New England through its coverage of travel, home, food and features. With a paid circulation of more than 350,000 and a total audience of nearly 2 million, it is published by Yankee Publishing Incorporated (YPI), a family-owned and independent magazine publisher. More information about Yankee: New England’s Magazine is available at: http://www.YankeeMagazine.com

©Copyright 1997-

, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

Oracle Digital

Perth, Western Australia (PRWEB) May 03, 2012

Oracle Digital, a leading SEO Company from Perth and widely recognised in delivering cutting-edge online business strategies, has embarked on its campaign for valuable web traffic through dependable SEO practices and strategies that efficiently empower local businesses to gain advantage in the virtual realm.

This latest development stems from new statistics showing that Online Business-to-Consumer sales have reached $ 10.5 Billion in the year 2011, which is a testament as to how consumer spending has significantly shifted from the traditional methods to the online platform.

In a report shown by the Australia Bureau of Statistics entitled “Household Use of Information Technology”, around 68% of Internet users actually used the platform for their purchases during the year 2010-2011, which showed a high rate of online buyer penetration in relation to the number of total internet users.

As the report has shown, one particular category that got hold of the lion’s share is one that relates to travel, accommodation options, memberships and ticketing, which had a share of 74% from the total online sales for the given period. Because of these figures, many online travel companies have recently declared their intention to strengthen their digital marketing efforts in order to reap the benefits of online retailing.

Another survey, which was undertaken by a noted Digital Online Specialist, had shown that out of the 350 travel organisation respondents, around 83% of these agencies are planning to increase their total digital marketing expenditures for the year 2012 – including airlines, tour companies, hotels, car rental agencies, travel insurance companies, cruise and publishing.

Out of the total respondents, 78% affirmed that they are planning to increase their investments for online marketing, while 19% and 3% said that they are planning to retain and reduce their budgets, respectively.

An overall assessment of the survey shows that the top areas where travel organisations will most likely increase investments in will be on content, mobile use and applications, social media and SEO. Out of these selection, approximately 75% said that they will apply their investments in social media, while 55% pledged on content, 54% on mobile, and 52% on SEO.

Financial forecasts from business experts are expecting e-commerce strategies to take in around $ 20 Billion dollars by 2015 – despite the chance of offline retailing slowing down.

Considering the latest statistics and forecasts, Clint Maher, Director of Operations for Oracle Digital, insists that going online is a business strategy that must never be left unheeded. Maher says, “To dismiss that your business does not need to move and excel online, is taking a huge risk on your financial future.”

Seeing how the business world has drastically changed with Digital Marketing, Maher further adds, “Taking advantage of the internet is essential in order to be in line with the current trend and latest technical and marketing advancements. Today, most prospective customers use the internet for their purchase preferences, either in search for the best gift options, restaurants, travel agencies and even spas. This is why businesses should seriously consider utilising it. Besides, with internet marketing, costs are considerably less, and have a bigger potential for obtaining substantial profit for your business.”

And because of the potential for success with online marketing, Oracle Digital has released its highly-efficient SEO practices, Social Marketing techniques and other cost-effective Internet tools for those who are interested in making their business campaigns more profitable.

Oracle Digital is the leading Internet Marketing Company in Perth that also caters to clients from Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. If you want to know more about the company and their services, please call 1300 899 851 or you can visit their website at http://www.oracledigital.com.au.

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, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

Miami, FL (PRWEB) May 03, 2012

In 2009 Allstate made it clear that they were working to ensure effective communication and business practices with both the English and Spanish speaking US communities in which they offered their services. They integrated a Spanish-language national marketing campaign, complete with targeted tv spots and a Spanish website version that continued through 2010 and beyond.

Today, those business goals remain unchanged and separate Allstate from their competitors. In a recent study by the marketing research and usability company Key Lime Interactive, it was reported that of the top 8 US auto insurance providers, Allstate was the only provider who offered their mobile solutions in Spanish.

The report included Allstate Mobile, GEICO, Liberty Mutual Mobile, Nationwide Mobile, Progressive, State Farm Pocket Agent, Travelers and USAA and was largely focused on combining a set of consumer determined desired features and capabilities and ranking how well each carrier met those stated needs. Although Allstate did not rank first in overall mobile experience for their app or their msite, the availability of their properties to be accessible to the Spanish speaking community was one area in which they stood alone.

Recently, BIGresearch reported that more Hispanic adults utilize mobile devices than all US adults. For example, the survey indicated that iphone usage is 6.6% higher for Hispanics. Allstate is taking note and staying ahead.

“Given the size and growth of the US Hispanic segment, this is certainly a wise decision to align business goals to target this segment with suitable and relevant consumer experiences in an effort to retain consumers” reports Ania Rodriguez, founder of KLI. “Our research has indicated that the Hispanic population is brand loyal and community oriented. Companies who localize their mobile properties to Spanish properly present a competitive edge nowadays.”

KLI’s next iteration of this mobile auto insurance report is due out in June. “It will be interesting to see if any of the other players recognize the importance of Spanish localization to appeal to this market and follow suit.”

Additional Report Information:

The report titled “Mobile Competitive Review: Auto Insurance” is a quarterly syndicated study published by Key Lime Interactive. The report combines a consumer response survey (n=300) where the most desirable mobile features were identified and prioritized. This priority list was compared to the available feature sets of each of the relevant carriers and ultimately the carriers were ranked on their ability to meet consumer needs in a usable way. For more information on this report or to purchase a subscription, please reach out to Key Lime Interactive directly at http://www.keylimeinteractive.com

About Key Lime Interactive: KLI is a customer experience research agency with proven excellence in both quantitative and qualitative user and consumer testing. To serve our growing client list of Fortune 100 companies, we conduct competitive research, true intent / voice of customer studies, and prototype studies using quantitative methods. Additionally, we’re experienced in moderating one-on-one interviews/ usability studies, focus groups, and eye-tracking studies for both traditional websites and mobile interfaces. Ultimately, our goal is to empower teams to use consumer/user experience data at any and all phases of product development; from strategy to implementation. We aim to provide the true perspective of target users and build exceptional consumer-driven solutions.

©Copyright 1997-

, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

Gettysburg, Pa (PRWEB) May 02, 2012

Ninth grade students from the Lincoln Leadership Academy Charter School in Allentown, Pa. will soon embark on a Gettysburg leadership development experience sought after by some of the nation’s top executives.

Through a partnership between The Lincoln Leadership Institute at Gettysburg founder and president Steven B. Wiley and the Lincoln Leadership Academy Charter School, 30 ninth grade students will receive a complimentary leadership development experience offered by Wiley and the faculty of The Lincoln Leadership Institute at Gettysburg on May 10 and 11. The experience will relate lessons learned from the Battle of Gettysburg to the daily challenges the students face in their school community.

The Lincoln Leadership Institute’s leadership development experience is one that has helped to develop thousands of the nation’s top executives from the majority of the Fortune 100 companies such as Apple, Bank of America, Pfizer, Federal Express, ExxonMobil and Time Warner, as well as scores of federal government agencies, including Homeland Security, Departments of Defense, Justice and Interior and over 75 Presidential Appointees and their teams.

In addition to the leadership experience, the students will meet with Lincoln Leadership Institute faculty and take part in a walking tour of downtown Gettysburg. In addition, students will visit the David Wills House—headquarters for The Lincoln Leadership Institute at Gettysburg and the place where Lincoln put the finishing touches on the Gettysburg Address—and visit major interpretive points on the Gettysburg battlefield.

These offerings culminate to form The Lincoln Leadership Institute’s signature leadership development experience that uses the battlefield as a classroom, history as a metaphor and multimedia presentations to provide insight into historical characters.

The Lincoln Leadership Academy Charter School is committed to creating a holistic and integrated learning community dedicated to the educational success of each student. The school serves sixth through ninth grade students who come from high-risk environments. Approximately 82 percent of the students are Latino, 15 percent are African-American and 3 percent are white. The school endeavors to equip its students with the necessary tools needed to achieve a quality education and develop their full potential in an “at-risk” world.

“We found that the students who have gone through the leadership program in the past have been transformed,” said Sandra Figueroa-Torres, Lincoln Leadership Academy Charter School principal, CEO and founder. “They learn about leadership and understand the importance of leadership decisions and choices using the lessons learned from Gettysburg. These stories from the battle become real to them. I believe that this year the impact will be even greater than in the past.”

In order to make the visit to Gettysburg possible, The Lincoln Leadership Institute has joined the Gettysburg Hotel to provide complimentary transportation and lodging accommodations for the students during their visit.

“I appreciate the level of commitment from the entire team at The Lincoln Leadership Institute and how welcoming they have been to our students,” Figueroa-Torres said.

Wiley said this is the third year that The Lincoln Leadership Institute at Gettysburg has provided this leadership development experience for the charter school’s students, and he’s thrilled to be offering the opportunity again.

“Nothing is more enjoyable and rewarding than watching these young adults soak up leadership lessons from Gettysburg. It is indeed our privilege to work with them,” Wiley said.

About Steven B. Wiley and The Lincoln Leadership Institute at Gettysburg

What do the majority of Fortune 100 companies, such as Apple, Bank of America, Pfizer, Federal Express, ExxonMobil and Time Warner, scores of federal government agencies, including Homeland Security, Departments of Defense, Justice and Interior and over 75 Presidential Appointees and their teams all have in common?

When it comes to motivating, educating and developing their greatest asset, their people, they turn to Steven B. Wiley and The Lincoln Leadership Institute at Gettysburg.

Steven B. Wiley is a proven entrepreneur, author and highly acclaimed speaker who has trained and entertained tens of thousands of top executives from around the world. He receives—without exception—the highest ratings possible from his audiences, which include the top executives from the world headquarters of Apple, Merck, State Farm, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, Bristol Myers Squibb, Novartis, the Centers for Disease Control, the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Homeland Security, Black & Decker, Shell, IBM, Caterpillar, the L.A. Times, Orlando Sentinel, USA Today/Gannett, Pharmetica, Frigidaire, Century 21, Johnson & Johnson, PhRMA, ExxonMobil and the Ford Motor Company. His business experience includes the founding of three companies: two international franchise organizations and a national chain of fleet management centers. He has successfully negotiated multi-million dollar funding agreements for his own companies with some of the top venture capital organizations in the world.

Steve brings a wealth of knowledge in the areas of successful marketing, negotiation, sales and business development. His lucrative and varied high-ticket consultative selling and negotiating experience began more than twenty years ago and includes tens of millions of dollars in the sales of companies, divisions, hard goods and services. His strong leadership ability has earned him recognition in top publications, including Venture Magazine, USA Today and Entrepreneur Magazine.

Steve’s speaking experience includes three years as National Spokesperson for the Quaker Oats/Pritikin Longevity Centers for whom he has been featured in television commercials and advertisements in the Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times and New York Times. Over the past ten years, he has conducted thousands of seminars on negotiation, sales leadership and wellness for numerous public and private sector organizations.

He is the president of The Lincoln Leadership Institute at Gettysburg and the founder of the Institute’s Communicating with Executive Presence program as well as its Transformational Journey from Gettysburg leadership development experience.

Through The Lincoln Leadership Institute at Gettysburg, Civil War history becomes a metaphor, and the battlefield a classroom, as Steven B. Wiley leads your organization toward unprecedented success by developing leaders at all levels. Through the unique and creative use of historical metaphor and an examination of the lives of historical characters we develop “bookmarks” in the minds of participants.

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Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

New York, NY (PRWEB) April 30, 2012

VIPCruisePlanner.com hosting an exclusive sale May 1 – May 15, 2012 on all Royal Caribbean International bookings booked online for itineraries sailing May 1 – December 31, 2012.

Book an ocean view stateroom category or higher on any seven nights or longer Royal Caribbean sailings and receive Pre-Paid Gratuities and Complimentary Dinner for two in a specialty restaurant! In addition, our exclusive promotion is combinable with our exclusive Destination family offer. You and your family can skip the regular lines at the pier and take advantage of our VIP/Priority Check-in! This will allow you more time onboard to enjoy! You will also get complimentary young cruiser fountain soda package which entitles 2 young cruisers, 17 and under, to enjoy unlimited refills of fountain soda in all bars and lounges. Plus, enjoy a complimentary Coca-Cola Souvenir cup! Also you will enjoy a fantastic Johnny Rockets experience that includes complimentary one meal in Johnny Rockets for a family of four with full menu selection.

“Cruise Planners wants to make cruising, already one of the most affordable ways to travel, even more valuable for our customers,” said Irina Porter, Cruise Planners of New York. This sale is our way of saying thank you to our customers for trying out our innovative new cruise booking website. Each reservation bokked by May 15th will be entered into a drawing to win a IPAD 3.”

To take advantage of our exclusive Royal Caribbean offers, reservations should be made online.

About Royal Caribbean

Royal Caribbean International is the Nation of Why Not – a place where innovation and imagination reign supreme. All 22 ships are destinations within themselves appealing to families, couples and singles of all ages looking for active vacation experiences, onboard and shoreside. The line’s signature Gold Anchor Service is committed to providing friendly, engaging and personal service to all guests with one goal in mind: to Deliver the WOW.The cruise line built its reputation on providing the most innovative cruise experiences such as a rock-climbing wall, ice-skating rink, FlowRider surf simulator, the H20 Zone aqua park to name a few. And Royal Caribbean is the first ship to introduce a neighborhood concept of seven distinct themed areas, which includes Central Park, Boardwalk, the Royal Promenade, the Pool and Sports Zone, Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Center, Entertainment Place and Youth Zone. There’s even a zip-line and AquaTheater, the first amphitheater at sea.

About Cruise Planners/American Express

Cruise Planners, an American Express Travel Services Representative, is the largest home-based travel agent network in the cruise industry with more than 700 franchise owners across the country that independently book cruises and associated travel. Named No.1 Cruise Tour / Travel Agency by Entrepreneur Magazine for the past five years, Cruise Planners positions franchise owners for success by providing them with innovating marketing, booking and lead-generating tools as well as professional development and hands-on training with the industry’s top executives. Headquartered in Coral Springs, Fla., Cruise Planners generates more than $ 120 million in sales each year and has achieved top producer status with every major cruise line. Accolades include Royal Caribbean International Home-based Partner of the Year (2007 – 2011); Regent Seven Seas Top Producer (2009); and American Express Travel Representative Excellence Awards (2004 – 2011).

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, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

Thomas R. Brown Athletic Grant

San Mateo, CA (PRWEB) April 13, 2012

Shrinking state education budgets, coupled with pressure to improve academic performance, has forced many schools to trim or even eliminate athletics. In many cases, coaches have subsidized programs out of their own pockets while student athletes have risked injury practicing with old and insufficient equipment. More and more, families who simply aren’t able are asked to foot the athletics bill. Among this year’s applicants, many represent economically disadvantaged student athletes who cannot afford to pay participation fees or purchase uniforms.

These types of situations concerned California Casualty Chairman and past CEO Thomas R. Brown, who enjoyed school athletics and understands their impact on self-esteem and leadership development.

“Youth sports teach teamwork, discipline and that hard work pays off,” Brown said. “They’re a valuable complement to lessons learned in school.”

The California Casualty Thomas R. Brown Athletics Grant program began a year ago, with $ 25,000 in grants across four states. Applications revealed such compelling need that the grant pool was tripled and eligibility expanded to all states for the second year of the program. This time around, 275 applications for assistance poured in. The 59 selected programs received grants ranging from $ 1,000 to $ 2,500 which will be used for equipment, uniforms, fees and other associated costs for athletic programs. A full listing of grant recipients is attached.

California Casualty has a 60-year relationship with education and school administration associations.

“We understand the struggles they face every day,” said Doug Goldberg, Senior Vice President. “This is our way of giving back.”

Headquartered in San Mateo, CA, with Service Centers in Arizona, Colorado and Kansas, California Casualty provides auto and home insurance products to educators, law enforcement, fire fighters and nurses in 44 states. Learn more at http://www.calcas.com. For more information about this program, visit http://www.CalCasAthleticsGrant.com.

Thomas R. Brown Athletics Grant Recipients 2012

Alabama

Tuscaloosa County High School, Northport

Arizona

Cortez High School, Phoenix

California

Agoura High School, Agoura Hills

Cajon High School, San Bernardino

Calipatria High School, Calipatria

Chaffey High School, Ontario

Chaparral High School, Temecula

Hawthorne Math & Science Academy, Hawthorne

Hoover High School, Fresno

Natomas High School, Sacramento

Rim of the World High School, Lake Arrowhead

San Jose High School, San Jose

Vista Del Lago High School, Moreno Valley

Wilson High School, Long Beach

Colorado

Fort Morgan High School, Fort Morgan

Lakewood High School, Lakewood

Westminster High School, Westminster

Delaware

Laurel High School, Laurel

Seaford Senior High School, Seaford

Florida

New Smyrna High School, New Smyrna Beach

Georgia

Early County High School, Blakely

Idaho

Buhl High School, Buhl

Emmett High School, Emmett

Illinois

Alton Senior High School, Alton

Bunker Hill High School, Bunker Hill

Indiana

Jasper High School, Jasper

Iowa

Waverly-Shell Rock High School, Waverly

Kansas

Eisenhower High School, Goddard

St. John-Hudson High School, St. John

Kentucky

Bryan Station High School, Lexington

Casey County High School, Liberty

Maine

Morse High School, Bath

Washburn District High School, Washburn

Maryland

Chesapeake High School, Essex

Havre de Grace High School, Havre de Grace

Minnesota

Park Rapids Area High School, Park Rapids

Verndale Public School, Verndale

Missouri

Brookfield R-II High School, Brookfield

Pattonville High School, Maryland Heights

Ste. Genevieve High School, Ste. Genevieve

New Jersey

Morris Hills High School, Rockaway

New Mexico

(2) Hatch Valley High School, Hatch

North Carolina

Pamlico County High School, Bayboro

Ohio

Liberty Center High School, Liberty Center

Riverside High School, Painesville

Xenia High School, Xenia

Oregon

Ashland High School, Ashland

Elgin High School, Elgin

Pennsylvania

Brownsville Area High School, Brownsville

Curwensville High School, Curwensville

East Juniata High School, McAlisterville

East Pennsboro Area High School, Enola

Huntington Area High School, Huntington

Ligonier Valley High School, Ligonier

Moniteau High School, West Sunbury

Waynesburg Central High School, Waynesburg

South Carolina

Rock Hill High School, Rock Hill

Virginia

Patrick Henry High School, Glade Spring

Washington

Mountain View High School, Vancouver

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