KINGSPORT – The Kingsport City Schools Student Nutrition Services department will provide a free summer feeding program at John Sevier Middle School from Tuesday, May 29 through Friday, July 20, 2012.

Free meals will be served each Monday through Friday to all children under the age of 18.  There are no income requirements to participate in this summer program.  Any child under the age of 18 will be served a free meal during serving times.

Breakfast will be served from 8:00 a.m. through 8:30 a.m.  Lunch will be served from 11:00 a.m. through 12:30 p.m.  Children wishing to participate should enter Sevier Middle School at the main office area.  No meals will be served on weekends or on July 4th.

For more information, contact Andrea Ball with Kingsport City Schools Student Nutrition Services at (423) 378-2113.

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KINGSPORT ‚¬ Kingsport City Schools is pleased to announce two administrative appointments, effective July 1, 2012.

Dr. Dwain Arnold has been named Director of Elementary Education. In this position, Dr. Arnold will be responsible for the oversight and coordination of curriculum and leadership development at the eight KCS elementary schools.

Dr. Arnold was the very first system educator I met after accepting my new position, said KCS Superintendent Dr. Lyle Ailshie.‚  I am tremendously impressed with his knowledge and skills.‚  Perhaps his greatest strength is the way he provides support for those under his responsibility, while at the same time challenging them to achieve even greater things.‚  His thoughtful approach, experience, and knowledge of elementary education makes him a perfect fit for the position of Director of Elementary Education.

Dr. Arnold has most recently served as Principal of John Adams Elementary.‚  During his 23 years with Kingsport City Schools, Arnold has served as teacher, principal of Roosevelt Elementary, and interim superintendent.‚  Dr. Arnold received his doctorate from East Tennessee State University in 2001 and became a National Board Certified Teacher in 1999. He has served as an adjunct faculty member at ETSU and has won several awards in teaching excellence, including the 1997 Presidential Award for Excellence in Science and Math Teaching.

I have been very blessed in my career to be a part of‚ the learning community in Kingsport, said Dr. Arnold.‚  I look forward to a new challenge as Director of Elementary Education.‚  I am excited to be a member of an administrative team of exceptional educators as we continue our journey in providing the best possible learning experiences for the students of Kingsport City Schools.

Mr. Michael Hubbard has been named Director of Performance Excellence. This position, formerly held by Ms. Dory Creech, will oversee all system-wide assessment, accountability, data, and performance criteria.

When you assume a new position, the first thing you hear about others is always interesting, said Superintendent Dr. Lyle Ailshie.‚  The first thing I learned about Michael Hubbard was that he is a tireless worker and detailed oriented. That has proven to be true and those skills will prove to be invaluable as Director of Performance Excellence. He is a well-respected educator that works well with others, which will also serve him well. I am excited to welcome him to what is already a high-performing administrative support team.

For the previous three years, Dr. Hubbard has served as principal at Johnson Elementary School.‚  He has worked for Kingsport City Schools for a total of 19 years, having previously served as principal at Roosevelt Elementary, assistant principal at Jefferson Elementary, teacher, and system testing coordinator. Mr. Hubbard has a B.S. in Business from Berea College.‚  He also holds a Masters Degree in Elementary Education and an Ed.S. in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis from East Tennessee State University.

I am extremely excited about my appointment to the position of Director of Performance Excellence, said Hubbard.‚  I eagerly look forward to working with the teachers, principals, and system administrators of Kingsport City Schools in this new role.

For more information on the position announcements, contact Andy True, Kingsport City Schools Administrative Coordinator, at (423) 378-2130.

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KINGSPORT – City Hall and most City offices will be closed Saturday and Monday in observance of the Memorial Day holiday, including the Library, Senior Center and Renaissance Center. However, there will be no changes to garbage, trash and recycling schedules, which will run regular routes on regularly scheduled days. The demolition landfill will be closed on Monday. However, Bays Mountain Park and other Kingsport green spaces will be open for public enjoyment, with Bays Mountain open on a regular 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. schedule on Monday.

On behalf of the City of Kingsport, have a happy and safe holiday.

KINGSPORT – Social media in the arts can be a lot like skiing: A nonprofit organization might set up a strategy, only to see the landscape change and cause a tumble. Or an individual artist might be frozen on the bunny slope, unsure of how to move ahead although others make it look so easy.

Regardless of skill or experience, its time to hit the slopes and Nancy VanReece of Carpe Diem Management in Nashville, Tenn., will be your guide. Shell be in Kingsport for three workshops May 31-June 1, and welcomes participation from anyone in the arts seeking to grow their influence, brand and conversations through social media.  The workshops are sponsored by the Holston Business Development Center and the City of Kingsports Cultural Arts Department and their non-profit partner Engage Kingsport.

We will have green, blue and black diamond workshops so that any artist or arts organization can find relevant information and have some fun,  VanReece said.  The first two, which take their -colors from introductory-level slopes in skiing, will be for individuals and organizations. The black diamond course is more advanced, aimed at organizations already using social media that are ready for a challenge.

Thursday, May 31  4:30 pm – 7:30 pm  The Green Slope: Why Its Time For a Strategy

Friday, June 1  9:00 am – 12:00 pm  The Blue Slope: Shaping Conversation for ROI (Return on Influence)

Friday, June 1  2:00 pm – 5:00 pm   The Black Diamond Slope: Part 1-Open Leadership and Part 2- Strategy Revisits and Social Policy (or how to slalom through the changes).

Registration for each workshop is $10 per person and can be made on-line at www.EngageKingsport.com or by calling 423-392-8417.  Space at each workshop is limited.  The workshops will be held at the new Kingsport Chamber of Commerce Community Room on Clinchfield Street in Downtown Kingsport.

VanReeces mission is to help communities achieve their full potential through the advocacy of creative opportunities. This has been the driving force throughout her successful career, and VanReece is an engaging and regular speaker on issues such as online marketing, social media communications, branding, copyright administration and clearance. VanReece brings a wealth of experience and understanding particularly helpful to arts organizations and individual artists; she worked for more than 25 years in the music business, as well as served as the executive director of  The Nashville Shakespeare Festival from 2007-2009; as senior director of partnership development at Cool People Care, Inc.; and strategist for GivingMatters. com, and the Nashville Library Foundation. She is the new media consultant on record for the Transit Alliance of Middle Tennessee. Her work at Carpe Diem Management allows her to help small businesses and nonprofits understand and use social media to reach, build and lead core audiences. With a keen eye to the latest trends in social media and online communications , she has provided detailed social media and social communications strategies for many businesses around the United States.

VanReece currently serves as the full-time social media strategist and website manager for the Nashville Symphony. She recently has returned from a trip to Carnegie Hall with the organization. The six-month build up on social platforms for the event was well received and garnered praise from The New Yorker magazine: The orchestra has been offering extensive coverage of its preparations on its Road to Carnegie website (blog), not to mention Twitter and other media. Whoever has been running this online operation deserves a raise it’s an informative delight. – Alex Ross, music critic, The New Yorker

KINGSPORT – KOSBE Client, The Utility Company of East Tennessees national headquarters, The Utility Company (TUC) announced recently the acquisition of Canadas largest Managed Service Provider, Nitro. The deal enhances TUCs line of computer hardware options available for client purchase as well as strengthens their Healthcare IT offerings.

The acquisition of Nitro is huge for us for two reasons. First, it allows us to add seven more product lines to our hardware offerings including Cisco, VMWare, Apple and EMC, said TUCs President and CEO, Dawn Bouch of the East Tennessee location. Secondly, Nitros expertise in the healthcare vertical gives us the ability to offer point-of-care mobility, clinical workspace virtualization, information management/compliance solutions and electronic medical records (EMR) services to healthcare organizations in the Tri-Cities.

As an IT Managed Service Provider (MSP), TUC proactively monitors and manages information technology networks, gives managers and business owners a single point of contact for “all things technology,” and employs a remote-access model that prevents disruption of workflow.

TUC is ranked on the MSPMentor list for, Worlds Top 100 Managed Service Providers already, but can now offer a more extensive selection due to the acquisition. New product lines available are: Apple, EMC, Cisco, Citrix, VMWare, IBM and Toshiba. The full line includes: HP, Lenovo, Microsoft and Digium Solutions.

The MSP space has evolved a lot over the past decade, stated, Larry Poirier, CEO of Nitro. Our senior management team assessed our options and decided we needed to join forces with an organization with national reach and a proven -next-generation remote managed services operating model to take us to the next level.

The combination of hardware/software monitoring and a remote technology support system offers clients fewer down times, happier customers and a secure, reliable work environment. Additionally, TUC acts as a consultant with respect to all federal regulations to ensure that their clients are in compliance of all regulations regarding network and data security.

Services are designed to give their clients business enterprise-level services at a price you can afford. Those include: managed services IT, remote technology support, virtual exchange, virtual servers and desktops, backup and disaster recovery, managed voiceover IP (VoIP), network monitoring, outsourced IT solutions, network management solutions, servers, laptops, PCs, tablets and printers and Digium Switchvox phone systems.

Thanks to prior partnerships with some of the leaders in the industry, TUC can design network infrastructure and implementation services as well as cloud computing services.

Hours of operation are Monday to Friday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Customer support through the Network Operation Center in available 24/7.

For more information about The Utility Company of East Tennessee or to receive a free quote, call (423) 282.9348, visit their website www.trytuc.com, follow them on Facebook www.facebook.com/trytuc or e-mail info@trytuc.com.

It is the intent of KOSBE to be the go-to organization in the Tri-Cities for small business owners and entrepreneurs who want to start or grow their businesses, by creating and developing the right tools and resources and cultivating the right partnerships. In partnership with Tennessee Small Business Development Centers (TSBDC) at ETSU, KOSBE can more effectively serve the needs of entrepreneurs and small businesses. For a complete listing of services, tools and resources, visit kosbe.org.

The cooperative agreement between KOSBE and East Tennessee State University is partially funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). SBAs funding is not an endorsement of any products, opinions or services. SBA funded programs are extended to the public on a non-discriminatory basis. Additional funding is provided by the Tennessee Board of Regents and the state of Tennessee.

To schedule your free confidential counseling appointment in a private setting by TSBDC-certified counselors in person, online by phone or e-mail call Marybeth McLain at (423) 392.8825 or e-mail, mmclain@kosbe.org.

For more information about the Tennessee Small Business Development Center (TSBDC) at ETSU Kingsport Affiliate Office and your Kingsport Office of Small Business Development & Entrepreneurship (KOSBE), visit tsbdc.org and kosbe.org or call (423) 392.8825. Were social too; follow us on Facebook, Kosbe – The Small Business Connection, Twitter, @KOSBEConnection, LinkedIn group, KOSBE – The Small Business Connection and our YouTube Channel, KOSBEConnection.