Faces and places
Butler honored for customer service
Allstate agency owner Jim Butler, who owns Jim Butler’s Family Agency in Bonaire, was recognized by Allstate with the Premier Agency Designation, Honor Ring, Leaders Forum, Circle of Champions and Inner Circle Elite. These awards are Allstate’s symbols of outstanding business achievement and honorees have proven to be champions in growing agencies and serving Allstate customers.
Liberty Tax Joins the U-Haul dealer network
Liberty Tax in Macon has signed on as a U-Haul neighborhood dealer to serve the community.
Liberty Tax, on Eisenhower Parkway will offer U-Haul trucks, trailers, towing equipment, support rental items and in-store pickup for boxes.
GeorgiaForward appoints new exec
GeorgiaForward, a statewide, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, announced the selection of Macon-native Kris Hattaway Vaughn as its new executive director. GeorgiaForward, founded in 2010, has a track record of bringing together leaders from across sectors to explore long-term solutions to Georgia’s pressing policy challenges and serving as a catalyst for cross-sector partnerships and innovation.
Vaughn was involved in all four of the organization’s statewide forums as well as being a member of the inaugural Young Gamechangers class and leading the 2013 program in Dublin-Laurens County, while working at NewTown Macon. She has more than six years of community and economic development experience with both nonprofit and public-private partnership work and government.
Houston County’s Simpson named GDOL’s Manager of the Year
Jane Simpson of Lizella, manager of the Georgia Department of Labor’s Houston County Career Center in Warner Robins, was recently named the department’s Manager of the Year.
A 22-year veteran of the department, Simpson has served as the career center manager for the past 11 years. As manager of the career center, Simpson served as a member of the Middle Georgia Consortium’s Workforce Investment Board.
ESG named top firm
ESG Operations Inc. was recently recognized as one of the Top 200 Environmental Firms in the country by Engineering News-Record. Macon-based ESG is ranked No. 129 on the list of 2015 Top Environmental Firms in the U.S. -- up from No. 141 one year ago. The company has been recognized as a top firm by ENR since 2011.
The annual Top 200 Environmental Firms list ranks the 200 largest publicly and privately held consulting firms based on the previous year’s percentage of gross revenue for environmental services.
Patel to practice as interventional radiologist
Radiology Associates of Macon, Vascular and Interventional Radiology Associates and Central Georgia Radiation Oncology welcomed Tarak Patel to practice as an interventional radiologist in vascular and cancer care.
Patel served as an assistant professor of interventional radiology at Emory University Hospital for four years. During that time, he trained over 25 fellows as well as many residents and medical students. He has published numerous papers and book chapters on minimally invasive procedures in the spine and throughout the body.
Geico Macon announces promotions
Candice Osu, Tanya Cooley, Cora Allen, Krisi Aracri and Jesse Jackson have been selected to join the Geico salvage supervisor preparation program.
Osu started her career in 2011 as a salvage representative. Cooley began her career in 2011 as a customer service representative and was assigned to the core reissue team. Allen joined the Geico team in 2009 as a customer service representative. Aracri started her Geico career in salvage in 2013. Jackson began his Geico career in 2011 as a salvage/total loss representative.
La‘Kendra Lester has been promoted to a Southeastern liability claims supervisor in the Macon regional office. Lester started her career as a liability claims representative in Geico’s San Diego regional office in 2007. Crystal Patat has been promoted to a continuing unit manager in the Macon regional office. Patat began her career as a claims representative in 1998.
Jayson Raffield and Lauren Curtis have been promoted to a Midwestern personal injury liability claims supervisors in the Macon regional office. Raffield began his career in 2011 as a liability claims representative. Curtis began her career in 2012 in the management development program for Midwest claims.
-- Angela Woolen
This story was originally published August 31, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Faces and places ."