PBL Attends State and National Conferences
Phi Beta Lambda students and advisers attended the State Fall Leadership Development Conference at the Broyhill Inn and Conference Center in Boone, NC on Oct. Students participated in workshops and seminars designed to enhance leadership abilities. A-B Tech Advisers, Kathie Doole, Carol Paxton, and Kathy Toler, and Professional Division members Heidi Metcalf, Mutodi Neshehe, and Eric McGarvey, presented Leadership Development Sessions on: Interviewing Tips and Winning Resumes, Where Did The Time Go? Work Life Balance, Professional Division Chapter Involvement Ideas, Creative Problem Solving, Designing The New You-Self-Improvement & Goal Setting, and Networking & Socializing For Success. Kathy Toler also serves as the State Leadership Director and organized the conference which included two general sessions with three keynote speakers and 25 training workshops.
PBL students, advisers, and professional division members attended the National Fall Leadership Conference in Atlanta Nov. 14-16. Adviser Kathy Toler conducted a workshop on Gender Diversity: Communication Style Differences in the Business World, and participated in a panel discussion on Effective Ideas for State Chapters. There were approximately 3,000 attendees at the FBLA/PBL conference and 200 in the PBL category. Kathy Woods took the PBL Information Quiz and placed in the top ten, which qualified her for the oral competition. Kathy came in second in an action-packed, head-to-head competition. Adviser Carol Paxton served as Kathy's study coach.
The PBL Chapter and students earned the following awards at the State Conference:
- First Place - Membership Recruitment Display
- First Place - Recipient of The Chapter Challenge
- Second Place - Largest Local Chapter Delegation - Western Region
- Third Place - Largest Local Chapter Delegation - State
- Chapter Award - Gold Star Recipient - State
JobLinking the Community to Jobs in the Community
A ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house marked the grand opening of the JobLink facility in the Maple Building on the Asheville campus of A-B Tech. In partnership with Madison, Transylvania, Henderson and Buncombe counties, JobLink is a one-stop employment and training resource for job seekers and employers.
ChamberMart Held at Enka Site
The Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce hosted its biannual ChamberMart in the Haynes Conference Center on the Enka Site of A-B Tech. (L to R) Executive Director of Corporate and Economic Development Mike McCarthy stands with Director of Recruiting and Student Activities Michele Hathcock while Small Business Center Director Harry Ponder talks with another participant at the A-B Tech booth. Over 50 vendors, from area restaurants to cellular phone services, participated in the Nov. 19 event.
Jump Starting Small Businesses
The Oct. 30 Small Business Jump Start Day at the Haynes Conference Center at the Enka Site was a rousing success. Organized by Small Business Center Director Harry Ponder, over 45 attendees participated in the event, with 39 registering for one-on-one sessions with Ponder. The participants learned how to obtain business loans, start business plans, target customers, get a business license, and many other practical instructions on how to start and run a business.
Tech Talk is published for employees of Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College by the Communications Office.
Executive Editor: Mona Cornwell
Managing Editor: Jodi Ford
Send submissions to Mona Cornwell, Director of Communications, at mcornwell@abtech.edu Publication of the next issue is scheduled Jan. 1. The deadline for submissions is Dec. 17.
A-B Tech is an Equal Opportunity Educational Institution.