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Neighborhood America Helps Microsoft Take a Giant Leap Toward Government 2.0
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This month, Neighborhood America debuted its latest Business Service, REVEAL, with a powerful customer story to support how organizations can utilize the solution to uncover ideas that lead to innovation.
Microsoft launched the Idea Bank, developed with REVEAL, a forum for public sector professionals to collaborate, discover new solutions and share ideas for new development. These solutions are intended to help Microsoft customers with technology priorities outlined by the Obama administration, including a more transparent and connected government - the concept of Government 2.0.
 It's a major step toward revolutionizing how government and education manage critical pieces of their business, but also suited for corporate entities that seek a stronger ability to align resources with consumer input.
Through an online community offering ratings and rankings, members are empowered to bring the best ideas to the top, so that decision-makers can focus on those ideas that show the most potential for success -- eliminating the time-consuming task of filtering through volumes of suggestions to determine which are useful.
Want to see REVEAL in action? Visit the Microsoft Public Sector Idea Bank at http://www.publicsectorondemand.com.
Imagine what you could do with REVEAL. Who would you reach out to? How could new ideas impact your business?
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Florida's Largest Community Foundation to Utilize Online Technology to Connect Stakeholders
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Behind the scenes within many of our communities exist the quiet but powerful efforts of community members who donate time and money to create positive change.
The Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice is tasked with bringing these diverse individuals together -- from nonprofit organizations, donors and their professional advisors, volunteers, and community leaders from the public, private, and independent sectors - to address needs and improve quality of life in the communities it serves.
In an effort to find new ways to use online technology to connect community members, the Foundation is partnering with Neighborhood America to launch an online community.
Two years ago, the Foundation conducted an arts and cultural assessment of its region. It engaged a diverse group of volunteers to participate in a series of meetings in order to prioritize a consultant's recommendations and then began to plan action on the most important recommendations.
Imagine how many more people might have participated if the Foundation could have engaged them online, too?
The Foundation's new online community, built on Neighborhood America's REVEAL solution, will provide an innovative and dynamic way to engage more stakeholders in a process like that. It will create an environment where they can find others who care about similar issues and opportunities, and let that community help shape the best ideas.
The Foundation expects its new Future Fund to be a great fit for this technology. The Future Fund was created to engage young professionals in philanthropy, inviting up to 100 of them to contribute at least $100 and allowing those donors the opportunity, through a democratic process, to choose which causes or organizations will be supported by grants from the fund. Much of that decision-making is expected to take place within the new online community.
Right now, the Foundation is also working to distribute $5 million through its Florida BRAIVE Fund to nonprofits that work with troops, veterans, and families negatively impacted by deployment to Afghanistan and Iraq. It's working in 25 counties throughout Central and Southwest Florida—a much wider region than typical —to identify needs in the military community, connect with nonprofits that can meet those needs, and reach out to potential donors who want to help sustain this important source of funding. An online community that can coalesce around this issue and across that geographic distance to generate the best ideas for helping our military heroes could be invaluable to this effort.
The Foundation eagerly awaits new ideas from its community members and to connect those who might have never crossed paths before, making for a stronger community.
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Don't Build Technology, Build Business Services
By Jim Haughwout, Neighborhood America's Chief Information Officer
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Most people do not create software and information technology for a living (this makes the world a lot more interesting than it would be if we all did so). Instead, they work on providing the goods and services we all use everyday to live complete lives: housing, medical care, energy, food, entertainment, etc.
Too many people in the technology business forget this. As a result, they focus on designing and delivering technology from the perspective of technologists. This tends to create hard-to-use products than can often miss their mark. If you do not believe this, take a look at all the comedy sketches and commercials that make fun of software crashes and that not-so-popular tech support guy. Read More
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"The Black Fin" Moves into New Role as VP of Sales & Marketing
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It's how you can find him on Twitter, the name of his blog, and, yes, his Xbox Live Gamertag: The Black Fin.
The Black Fin, aka Tom Edwards, was a nickname given to him by one of his former co-workers who thought it would be funny to name his hair - and it stuck, fittingly. Tom's jet-black hair is shaped like a shark's fin. Whereas a shark possesses a keen sense of smell, Tom is respected for his keen sense for sales and marketing.
As our new Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Tom will guide Neighborhood America's next evolution with a sharp focus on driving strategic revenue growth.
Most recently, Tom led Telligent's worldwide sales and marketing efforts as Vice President, where he focused on rapidly growing the company's domestic and international enterprise client base. His proven track record includes serving the needs of Fortune 1000 clients within the technology and interactive agency industries, including the company he co-founded, Smooth Fusion.
"I am thrilled to be part of the amazing energy that exists within Neighborhood America, where everyone understands what needs to happen and is unified around the goal of accomplishing our revenue objectives," said Edwards. "This is a phenomenal team and I welcome the challenge of taking Neighborhood America to the next level, building upon the strong foundation that already exists."
Tom holds a Masters Degree from Wayland Baptist University, where he continues to serve as Adjunct Professor of Marketing, and is a decorated Sergeant following a successful career in the Army Reserves. And of course, he's an avid gamer.
Get to know Tom and what's on his mind by visiting his blog: The Black Fin, follow him on Twitter, Skype him at tomncherlyn, or chat with him on AIM.
No doubt he'll be making some razor sharp moves within the company [insert Jaws theme here].
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Neighborhood America Featured for Human Resources Success
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Neighborhood America has been a Brown and Brown Benefits client for over 10 years. This month, our Director of Human Resources Lori Burke is featured in an article for their newsletter, The HR Edge:
Lori knows first-hand that recruiting and retaining award winning talent remains challenging, even in a labor market with current high unemployment.
The article shares with other clients what Neighborhood America is recognized for and how Lori plays an important role in moving our company forward.
Read the one-page article at The HR Edge.
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Social CRM in Practice - Microsoft and Neighborhood America
By Brent Leary
But now we're starting to see some real movement in terms of actual products and services aimed at helping businesses strategically use "social stuff" to create meaningful relationships with those turning to the web for help.
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Listen to the podcast featuring our Director of CRM & Social Media Strategy Michael Thomas and Microsoft's Amir Capriles in Brent's Social CRM Blog.
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FCW Insider: How to Improve the Virtual Town Hall
By John S. Monroe
President Obama generated a lot of interest with his virtual town hall on March 26th... a tantalizing taste of e-democracy on a national level... but was it any good?
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Our CEO Kim Kobza addresses the topic in Federal Computer Week.
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Crowdsourcing and the President: A Failed Marriage?
By John S. Monroe
So if the idea jam format works for companies, why isn't it working for our President?
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Our CEO Kim Kobza is quoted in Wired.
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Standing Out In a Tough Job Market: Roundtable Discussion Features Lori Burke
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It's a busy night on campus - the Florida Gulf Coast University Women's Basketball team has made it to the post season and their first big game is tomorrow night on campus. Competing for time in a small lecture room gather several members of FGCU's Graduate Business Association, eager to ask questions of Human Resources speakers from area companies. They graduate next month so they're trying to map out their career strategy and job search.
Among the speakers, Neighborhood America's Director of Human Resources Lori Burke who is always looking for opportunities like this one to share her expertise, build relationships at the college-level, and expose potential hires to our company.
The focus of the roundtable discussion is timely: "Standing Out in a Tough Job Market: How to Leverage Your FGCU Degree to Your Advantage."
The participants have had a chance to submit their questions in advance, but the panel of HR professionals has a separate list of topics that they'd like to address as well: what competencies are important to employers that might have been developed during the MBA program, what our the best networking opportunities, and do's and don'ts regarding resume styles and interview techniques.
Lori shared some of the latest information that would assist the soon-to-be-graduates in their search, and also highlighted the ‘tried and true' methods that make an applicant stand out, like a hand-written thank you note after an interview.
In the audience was Dr. Karen Eastwood, the Association's Advisor, who was overheard saying she would incorporate some of the information into her future lectures. A successful event that yields potential candidates for internships and positions within Neighborhood America to add to our list of FGCU graduates.
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Newsletters
A sharp focus on ROI is a hallmark of Neighborhood America and its customers.
Kodak Gallery and Men's Health sought to make the most out of their social media marketing investments when they launched online communities developed by Neighborhood America, the Idea Center and Belly Off! Club, respectively.
Two different companies with a similar purpose: engage consumers to generate sales, advertising revenue and brand loyalty. They didn't just sit back, cross their fingers, and hope for those results. A strategy was put in place to determine the objectives of each community and how success would be measured.
As a result, Kodak Gallery and Men's Health have been recently honored for excellence within their respective industries.
The Idea Center at Kodak Gallery won a 2009 Effie Award. The Effies recognize any and all forms of marketing communication that contribute to a brand's success, "great ideas that achieve real results and the strategy that goes into creating them."
MinOnline honored Men's Health with a 2009 Best of the Web Award for Community/Social Networking. Members witness results and so does the brand, boasting a 10x ROI and a continuous stream of new advertising revenue.
The companies weren't alone in their mission. Neighborhood America takes a consultative approach when helping its customers build an online community that delivers business results. It's a team effort - from the purpose to the results. Kodak Gallery and Men's Health are proving to be trailblazers within their industries.
View the 2009 Effie winners here: http://www.effie.org/downloads/2009_winners_list.pdf
View the 2009 min's Best of the Web winners here:
http://www.minonline.com/awards/bestofweb09/
This month, Neighborhood America debuted its latest Business Service, REVEAL, with a powerful customer story to support how organizations can utilize the solution to uncover ideas that lead to innovation.
Microsoft launched the Idea Bank, developed with REVEAL, a forum for public sector professionals to collaborate, discover new solutions and share ideas for new development. These solutions are intended to help Microsoft customers with technology priorities outlined by the Obama administration, including a more transparent and connected government - the concept of Government 2.0.
Through an online community offering ratings and rankings, members are empowered to bring the best ideas to the top, so that decision-makers can focus on those ideas that show the most potential for success -- eliminating the time-consuming task of filtering through volumes of suggestions to determine which are useful.
Want to see REVEAL in action? Visit the Microsoft Public Sector Idea Bank at http://www.publicsectorondemand.com.
Imagine what you could do with REVEAL. Who would you reach out to? How could new ideas impact your business?
Behind the scenes within many of our communities exist the quiet but powerful efforts of community members who donate time and money to create positive change.
The Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice is tasked with bringing these diverse individuals together -- from nonprofit organizations, donors and their professional advisors, volunteers, and community leaders from the public, private, and independent sectors - to address needs and improve quality of life in the communities it serves.
In an effort to find new ways to use online technology to connect community members, the Foundation is partnering with Neighborhood America to launch an online community.
Two years ago, the Foundation conducted an arts and cultural assessment of its region. It engaged a diverse group of volunteers to participate in a series of meetings in order to prioritize a consultant's recommendations and then began to plan action on the most important recommendations.
Imagine how many more people might have participated if the Foundation could have engaged them online, too?
The Foundation's new online community, built on Neighborhood America's REVEAL solution, will provide an innovative and dynamic way to engage more stakeholders in a process like that. It will create an environment where they can find others who care about similar issues and opportunities, and let that community help shape the best ideas.
The Foundation expects its new Future Fund to be a great fit for this technology. The Future Fund was created to engage young professionals in philanthropy, inviting up to 100 of them to contribute at least $100 and allowing those donors the opportunity, through a democratic process, to choose which causes or organizations will be supported by grants from the fund. Much of that decision-making is expected to take place within the new online community.
Right now, the Foundation is also working to distribute $5 million through its Florida BRAIVE Fund to nonprofits that work with troops, veterans, and families negatively impacted by deployment to Afghanistan and Iraq. It's working in 25 counties throughout Central and Southwest Florida—a much wider region than typical —to identify needs in the military community, connect with nonprofits that can meet those needs, and reach out to potential donors who want to help sustain this important source of funding. An online community that can coalesce around this issue and across that geographic distance to generate the best ideas for helping our military heroes could be invaluable to this effort.
The Foundation eagerly awaits new ideas from its community members and to connect those who might have never crossed paths before, making for a stronger community.
Featured Point of View: Jim Haughwout
Join our community to share social media insights and learn from your peers by visiting Community.NeighborhoodAmerica.com
By Jim Haughwout, Neighborhood America's Chief Information Officer
Most people do not create software and information technology for a living (this makes the world a lot more interesting than it would be if we all did so). Instead, they work on providing the goods and services we all use everyday to live complete lives: housing, medical care, energy, food, entertainment, etc.
Too many people in the technology business forget this. As a result, they focus on designing and delivering technology from the perspective of technologists. This tends to create hard-to-use products than can often miss their mark. If you do not believe this, take a look at all the comedy sketches and commercials that make fun of software crashes and that not-so-popular tech support guy. Read More
It's how you can find him on Twitter, the name of his blog, and, yes, his Xbox Live Gamertag: The Black Fin.
The Black Fin, aka Tom Edwards, was a nickname given to him by one of his former co-workers who thought it would be funny to name his hair - and it stuck, fittingly. Tom's jet-black hair is shaped like a shark's fin. Whereas a shark possesses a keen sense of smell, Tom is respected for his keen sense for sales and marketing.
As our new Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Tom will guide Neighborhood America's next evolution with a sharp focus on driving strategic revenue growth.
Most recently, Tom led Telligent's worldwide sales and marketing efforts as Vice President, where he focused on rapidly growing the company's domestic and international enterprise client base. His proven track record includes serving the needs of Fortune 1000 clients within the technology and interactive agency industries, including the company he co-founded, Smooth Fusion.
"I am thrilled to be part of the amazing energy that exists within Neighborhood America, where everyone understands what needs to happen and is unified around the goal of accomplishing our revenue objectives," said Edwards. "This is a phenomenal team and I welcome the challenge of taking Neighborhood America to the next level, building upon the strong foundation that already exists."
Tom holds a Masters Degree from Wayland Baptist University, where he continues to serve as Adjunct Professor of Marketing, and is a decorated Sergeant following a successful career in the Army Reserves. And of course, he's an avid gamer.
Get to know Tom and what's on his mind by visiting his blog: The Black Fin, follow him on Twitter, Skype him at tomncherlyn, or chat with him on AIM.
No doubt he'll be making some razor sharp moves within the company [insert Jaws theme here].
Neighborhood America has been a Brown and Brown Benefits client for over 10 years. This month, our Director of Human Resources Lori Burke is featured in an article for their newsletter, The HR Edge:
Lori knows first-hand that recruiting and retaining award winning talent remains challenging, even in a labor market with current high unemployment.
The article shares with other clients what Neighborhood America is recognized for and how Lori plays an important role in moving our company forward.
Read the one-page article at The HR Edge.
By Brent Leary
But now we're starting to see some real movement in terms of actual products and services aimed at helping businesses strategically use "social stuff" to create meaningful relationships with those turning to the web for help.
Listen to the podcast featuring our Director of CRM & Social Media Strategy Michael Thomas and Microsoft's Amir Capriles in Brent's Social CRM Blog.
By John S. Monroe
President Obama generated a lot of interest with his virtual town hall on March 26th... a tantalizing taste of e-democracy on a national level... but was it any good?
Our CEO Kim Kobza addresses the topic in Federal Computer Week.
By John S. Monroe
So if the idea jam format works for companies, why isn't it working for our President?
Our CEO Kim Kobza is quoted in Wired.
It's a busy night on campus - the Florida Gulf Coast University Women's Basketball team has made it to the post season and their first big game is tomorrow night on campus. Competing for time in a small lecture room gather several members of FGCU's Graduate Business Association, eager to ask questions of Human Resources speakers from area companies. They graduate next month so they're trying to map out their career strategy and job search.
Among the speakers, Neighborhood America's Director of Human Resources Lori Burke who is always looking for opportunities like this one to share her expertise, build relationships at the college-level, and expose potential hires to our company.
The focus of the roundtable discussion is timely: "Standing Out in a Tough Job Market: How to Leverage Your FGCU Degree to Your Advantage."
The participants have had a chance to submit their questions in advance, but the panel of HR professionals has a separate list of topics that they'd like to address as well: what competencies are important to employers that might have been developed during the MBA program, what our the best networking opportunities, and do's and don'ts regarding resume styles and interview techniques.
Lori shared some of the latest information that would assist the soon-to-be-graduates in their search, and also highlighted the ‘tried and true' methods that make an applicant stand out, like a hand-written thank you note after an interview.
In the audience was Dr. Karen Eastwood, the Association's Advisor, who was overheard saying she would incorporate some of the information into her future lectures. A successful event that yields potential candidates for internships and positions within Neighborhood America to add to our list of FGCU graduates.
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