Meridian Zero Degrees (Mzero) has opened a sales and marketing office near the Research Triangle Park.

“The Morrisville office will allow us to further engage with the technology companies located in the Triangle, gain access to an international airport for our clients, and the ability to recruit top talent from local colleges and universities,” said Chris Gilder, founder and CEO of Mzero

Sheridan Orr, vice president of global sales and marketing, added, “We had an outstanding year and now was the time for us to capitalize on the demand we’ve been seeing in the self-service market. To do so, we needed to expand our staff and relationships accordingly.”

Mzero received the Small Business of the Year award in Moore County and also received national recognition as a U.S. Chamber of Commerce Blue Ribbon winner. In addition, Mzero was acknowledged by the Triangle Business Journal as one of the fastest-growing companies in the area.

“We’ve added some top talent from local technology companies and some newly minted graduates because of the new location, so we feel that the move has been extremely positive,” Orr said.

Mzero recently added Grason Curtis as director of North American sales. In addition, James Weathersby will lead the technical consulting team and has been named director of solutions. Melinda Hall will focus on inside sales, and Jayne Worth and Kristin Fowler will lead the brand and design team.

Mzero creates self-service solutions and kiosks for some of the largest companies in the world.

The corporate headquarters and manufacturing facilities are in Aberdeen. The software development lab will continue to operate out of Mississauga, Ontario.

Mzero also operates the self-service technology center (SSTC) with Intel, HP, Microsoft, Zebra and Storm in Bentonville, Ark.

St. Joseph Names

Wilson Director

St. Joseph of the Pines has named Dawn Wilson as director of health services.

Wilson joins St. Joseph of the Pines from Fayetteville State University, where she has served as an assistant professor since 2007, teaching courses such as quality management, managed care, and health care law and ethics. She assumed her new position Feb. 1.

“Dawn is a multifaceted, seasoned health care executive committed to results that keep quality, compassion and stewardship in the delivery of skilled nursing care and related services,” said Anita Holt, president and CEO of St. Joseph of the Pines. “We welcome Dawn to our growing St. Joseph of the Pines family.”

Educated at Central Michigan University, Wilson has also served as a guest lecturer at Duke University in Durham and is on the adjunct faculty of Capella University in Minneapolis. She has held positions in compliance, consulting, administrator of long term care and assisted living services, and as the director of management services at Providence Health System in Anchorage, Alaska.

“I am delighted to bring my expertise in long-term care from the classroom back to caring for people, and I am pleased to join the St. Joseph of the Pines family,” Wilson said.

Wilson is an active member of the Southern Pines Rotary Club, participating in the Empty Stocking fund and assisting in the Sandhills/Moore Coalition for Human Care kitchen. She is also the new president of MANNA!, a nonprofit organization that provides nourishing meals to those in need in Moore County.

St. Joseph of the Pines, a member of Catholic Health East, is an aging service network offering a full continuum of retirement housing, health care and community-based services for older adults as well as community outreach to those in need.

Shepherd Earns

Designation

Builders Mutual Insurance Co. has announced that Dale Shepherd has earned the designation Certified Builders Insurance Agent (CBIA) through its company-sponsored educational division, Builders University.

Shepherd, agency manager of BB&T Insurance Services in Pinehurst for 25 years, successfully completed a series of six four-hour continuing education courses and passed a comprehensive final exam to obtain this designation.

Builders University hosts a variety of free educational programs for Builders Mutual’s agents, employees and policyholders. The mission of Builders University is to enhance and upgrade the construction-related insurance knowledge of our agent partners through informative discussions and educational programs.

Jerry Hargrove, an independent agent for more than 35 years, is both dean of curriculum and professor of Builders University. To date, more than 1,500 producers have attended Builders University courses and more than 300 have completed the CBIA requirements, a news release said.

“Builders University is a unique program designed to assist our agency partners in understanding the complexities of the construction insurance market,” said Michele Hemric, Builders Mutual’s director of training and development. “We are proud to confer the CBIA designation in representation of his knowledge and commitment to the industry.”

Headquartered in Raleigh and rated “A” (Excellent) by A.M. Best Co., Builders Mutual Insurance Co. has been serving the building industry since 1984. 

Reynolds Named

Unit Director

Stephanie Reynolds has been named unit director for the Boys & Girls Club of the Sandhills’ Southern Pines location.

She will work closely with Executive Director Caroline Eddy, as well as Chief Operations Officer Brandon Kivett and several part-time staff to provide a supportive environment and educational programs to an average of 200 youth a day, a news release said.

Reynolds is no stranger to the Boys & Girls Club movement. She was an active member in the Boys & Girls Club of Coastal Carolina from age 9 until she graduated high school in Havelock. While in high school, she served as a volunteer, as well as a part-time staff member, and was also awarded the prestigious Youth of the Year award in 2006.

She went on to graduate with honors from Elizabeth City State University, earning her bachelor’s degree in communication studies. She attributes her desire to work with the Boys & Girls Club to her father, Duane Reynolds, who is in his 13th year working for the Boys & Girls Club of Coastal Carolina.

Reynolds says she is honored to have been selected for the job.

“I’m definitely excited to get to work,” she said. “Any day that I get a chance to change a child’s life is a good day.”

Eddy said, “We are absolutely thrilled to have someone with Stephanie’s background and experience join our Boys & Girls Club family. Stephanie is really going to help us put our Club on the map.”

The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Sandhills started serving young people in 1999. The club first operated from the Southern Pines Public Housing Community Center and then moved to its current location at the Southern Pines Parks and Recreation Center.

In September 2007, the Aberdeen unit was opened at Aberdeen Elementary School. The club serves an average of 200 youth a day in Southern Pines and 100 a day in Aberdeen.

Lowery Appointed

To Post at Bank

CommunityOne Bank has named several employees as consumer banking managers, including Cathy Lowery for the Southern area.

“We are proud to have excellent leadership throughout our organization,” said Pam Frey, consumer banking executive for Community-One. “This is an exciting time at CommunityOne and each of these individuals possesses extensive knowledge and experience that will help us continue to provide excellent service to our customers and communities.”

Lowery has worked for CommunityOne since 2006 and has more than 22 years of combined banking and financial services experience. She is a native of Scotland County and a graduate of Scotland High School. She volunteers with Special Olympics and served as a past chairman for the March of Dimes.

Lowery will lead the bank’s consumer banking efforts in Moore, Richmond, Montgomery and Scotland counties.

FNB United Corp. is the parent company of CommunityOne Bank and Bank of Granite, which it acquired last October. As a component of the integration process, the named individuals will provide consumer banking leadership to both institutions until late spring of 2012 when, subject to regulatory approval, it is anticipated that the banks will be merged.

Opened in 1907, CommunityOne Bank operates 45 offices in 38 communities throughout central, southern and western North Carolina.

New Designer Joins

Kitchen-Bath Team

Designer consultant Brenda Cocchio has joined the staff of Kitchen and Bath Galleries.

Cocchio has a love of art and photography, but her design experience stems from having a degree in graphic arts. She has extensive residential experience working with clients on coastal Southern Maine.

Designing in New England over the last 12 years has exposed her to both contemporary and classic cottage styles, which are both challenging and fun, a news release said.

Cocchio relocated to the Southern Pines area to enjoy the milder weather, while training her horses for equine competitions in three-day eventing.

The ability to combine a passion for art and color with her design capabilities allows her to create functional spaces with flare that make lasting impressions, according to Kitchen and Bath Galleries. She says she looks forward to working with clients in the Sandhills area and being a part of the Interior Design Center.

“We are thrilled to have Brenda join our team,” said Vicki L. Stone, owner of Village Design Group. “She is truly a talented and gifted designer that excels in both new construction and renovation projects. Clients will appreciate her organization skills and attention to detail that make her a phenomenal kitchen and bath designer.”

Kitchen and Bath Galleries of Southern Pines recently relocated to the Interior Design Center. The showroom now includes a full kitchen display, cabinet hardware, counter tops and bath vanities. A partnership between Village Design Group, Meadow Creek Tile and Kitchen and Bath Galleries provides complete design capabilities for renovation or new construction projects.

Anyone needing more information can call (910) 692-2700 or come by the Interior Design Center at 10700 U.S. 15-501 South, (next to Chili’s). It is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.