| Thriving SSD aided by tenacity of founder
When Barbara Hines first fell in love with computers, the desktop was still in its infancy. Apple Computer Inc., Radio Shack, and Commodore all debuted mass-market computers in 1977, but they were still an anomaly.Hines' introduction occurred when her employer, McDonald's Corporation, purchased a computer for accounting and inventory. "I backed into technology," says the Kansas native, who attended Wichita State University.She was hooked from the start. "The whole concept of feeding all this information into a computer and have it produce results—instead of pushing a pencil and using a calculator—to me was incredible," she says. "It sucked me in. I loved it."Over the years her fascination has not waned. Today, Hines is president of SSD Technology Partners, a New Castle firm providing technology consulting and support services.Hines and her partners have adapted their company with the times, moving from designing custom accounting programs to offering a full range of IT services for small- and medium-sized businesses.
Rochester Spins Big Wheels in '08
If event organizers have their way, the city of Rochester could rank among the big wheels in the world of cycling. City officials and organizers of the two-year-old Rochester Twilight Criterium announced plans to host a bigger and better event. The Rochester Omnium will feature world and Olympic champion cyclists as well as amateurs in three days of events August 8 through 10. They include a time trial on Friday, a Saturday night Criterium and a 110-mile road race on Sunday. "This is an incredible event for Rochester," said Rochester Mayor Robert Duffy. "We are going to be a title sponsor this year because of two things: first of all, this is an event that is putting this city and the community on the map nationally and internationally, and has a great economic impact," added Duffy.
Job Tips
As the holiday season approaches, gift-giving anxiety mounts. Working in a large firm multiplies the issue: One must decide who gets a present, what to buy, how much to spend and if the gift carries even a hint of impropriety. According to an unscientific Time Inc. Giftscriptions survey, 31 percent of people are throwing away their co-workers' presents. Setting up a "Secret Santa" gift exchange between randomly selected officemates doesn't necessarily help: 41 percent of respondents still bought additional presents for co-workers, and more than half report disliking the gifts they received. Instead, keep gifts small, inexpensive and personalized, said Leah Ingram, an etiquette and gift-giving consultant. Stay away from presents that are overtly sexual or could be misconstrued, such as a male supervisor giving a female employee a spa gift certificate.
|
