The results of Middleberg Communication’s second annual “Media in the Wired World” survey of 341 journalists indicated that the majority of journalists find social media is changing the profession of journalism in a positive manner. Jen McClure, founder and president of the Society for New Communications Research stated “This study indicates that there is now a large and growing percentage of journalists who view social media and the participation by the public in the journalistic process to be a necessary, and in most cases, positive step in the evolution of journalism.”

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Here is a great post from Design Milk on HGTV Star and Ringling College alum, David Bromstad. We had the pleasure of meeting David and hearing him present at Ringling College’s 2010 Sarasota International Design Summit. He is such a great guy and an amazing artist. What impressed us most about him was his drive, passion and willingness to take chances. Below is the post from Design Milk.

I love David Bromstad and I don’t try to hide it. He’s fabulous. Not only did he win the first ever HGTV’s Design Star challenge, but he’s a very talented artist, too. Oh, and his video commentary on the Design Star episodes is hilar. he now has his own TV show on HGTV called Color Splash. Since I’m afraid of color, I watch every single episode, living vicariously though these people who let David take over their homes.

David was always creative and attended the Ringling School of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida, and worked at Disney. He’s a self-taught builder and designer.

David recently spoke at the Sarasota Design Summit about how design thinking and process has shaped his career and share highlights of his journey from Disney studios illustrator to entrepreneur to television’s interior design rock star.

I asked David to let me know what he’s really into these days, and he sent me a super list!

1. Limn
Unique pieces of furniture. Not only furniture, but pieces of art.

2. Philippe Starck
What can I say, It’s Philippe Starck, utterly inspiring.

3. Planet Lighting
Not only do they have a huge selection of high-end lighting, the service is undeniable, unparalleled and reliable. Love this place.

4. cb2
Hip, affordable, fantastic quality and everything is inspired by artists. Can you get any better? (pictured above is the new color map pillow)

5. Mythic Paint
Zero VOC, non-toxic, incredibly high-quality paint, not only good for the environment but good for you. Color selection is huge. Truly dynamic, color your world honey!

Haneke Design will develop new website for growing home health company’s needs

Tampa, Fla. (February 16, 2010) - Haneke Design, a leading graphic and interactive communications firm, announced today the addition of EasyLiving, Inc., a Clearwater-based private duty home health provider, to its client roster. The project includes redesigning EasyLiving’s website to generate a stronger web presence that will help to drive interest and opportunities through compelling design and a strategic search engine optimization.

“EasyLiving provides such a vital service to our community, and we admire the passion they have for their work, so we are very proud to be working with them,” said Jody Haneke, president of Haneke Design. “The new website will help attract more clients to EasyLiving’s services because it is going to be more content rich, offer more resources and the addition of social media elements will allow them to connect with prospects on a more personal level.”

The new website will incorporate elements of web 2.0, such as search engine optimization, a blog, video and streaming content, a calendar of events, links to online resources, online bill pay, an inquiry page, and more. The website will also act as a recruiting tool that will allow potential care givers to pre-qualify themselves and then complete the detailed application process online. This will greatly increase the efficiency of the office staff at EasyLiving, allowing them to focus on their true passion, providing home health services.

EasyLiving, Inc. is a fully licensed, private duty home health care company serving individuals and families in Pinellas County. Highly trained, extensively screened, and courteous Personal Care Assistants provide clients with the non-medical support they need to have more active, healthy, and meaningful lives and remain comfortably in their own homes. 

About Haneke Design
Haneke Design is a multidisciplinary design firm focused on delivering graphic and interactive solutions that produce positive business results. They have a “business-first” approach to design that allows for the delivery of visually compelling work that positively affects clients’ bottom line. In addition to traditional graphic design, Haneke Design provides user interface design solutions for all platforms including web applications, websites, kiosks and mobile devices.  For more information, visit www.hanekedesign.com.

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Anand Pallegar takes reins as chair and four new board members are added 

Tampa, Fla. (February 15, 2010) – The Tampa Bay Technology Forum, Central Florida’s largest and most influential technology association, confirmed four new board members and the four officers who will lead the board of directors and steer the organization’s strategic direction in 2010. Anand Pallegar, CEO of atLarge, Inc. has assumed the role of chair; Christopher Paradies, shareholder, Fowler White Boggs, P.A., will serve as vice chair; Kathy Killingsworth, senior vice president of Tribridge, Inc. and Greg McLaughlin, senior director of strategy of Bright House Networks will remain as secretary and treasurer, respectively. 

The four new members joining the board of directors include: David Ciccarello, Southeast market leader at Insight Enterprises, Inc.; Maling Ebrahimpour, Ph.D., dean and professor of management, College of Business at University of South Florida St. Petersburg; Paul Hays, partner, LarsonAllen and Dan Rodriguez, founder and CEO of Veredus Corporation. 

“It’s an incredible honor to lead this organization into its 10 year anniversary as the largest non-profit technology association dedicated to fostering the high-tech and entrepreneurial community,” said Pallegar. “Our board this year represents a group of seasoned leaders whom collectively serve as a catalyst for the inspiration and leadership that is transforming our region into a world-class center for technology entrepreneurship, business innovation and educational excellence.” 

Pallegar succeeds Debra Curtiss, vice president and general manager of Peak 10. 

Ciccarello has been with Insight, a Fortune 500 provider of brand-name information technology hardware, software and services for 10 years. He has won president and chairman awards as a sales leader. Prior to becoming market leader, he worked as a strategic account executive and managed a global banking client. Ciccarello began his career in the industry at Comp USA where he was responsible for corporate sales in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties. 

Dr. Ebrahimpour has a Ph.D. in management science and operations management. His experiences extend to both manufacturing and service organizations. Dr. Ebrahimpour has taught in and served as a consultant to various companies around the world. Prior to joining USF St. Petersburg, Dr. Ebrahimpour was dean of Gabelli School of Business at Roger Williams University and worked for 18 years at the University of Rhode Island.

Hays runs the manufacturing and distribution group in the Tampa office of LarsonAllen. He is a certified public accountant in the state of New York and Florida with more than 11 years of experience in public accounting, auditing, taxation and business consulting. He has significant experience serving venture capital-backed technology companies, manufacturing and distribution companies as well as franchisors and franchisees. In addition to TBTF, Hays serves as the president of the board of directors of Keep Hillsborough County Beautiful. 

Rodriguez founded Veredus, an information technology staffing company, in 2000. He oversees sales and operations for the company, which has offices throughout the Southeast. The company has been recognized as one of the fastest growing staffing firms in the U.S. Prior to founding Veredus, Rodriguez spent 10 years as an executive at a national staffing firm. He is very active in the community and supports several charitable organizations, including the TBTF Foundation.

About Tampa Bay Technology Forum

Founded in 2000, the Tampa Bay Technology Forum (TBTF) is a professional association whose members work together to make the Bay area a place where technology and innovation thrive. TBTF’s member organizations represent thousands of technology entrepreneurs, business and community leaders, investors, government representatives, researchers and educators. For more information, visit www.tbtf.org.

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