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BISMARCK, N.D. – Investment Centers of America Inc. (ICA) recognized Cheri Cunningham of Lakeport, Calif., as ICA’s Sales Assistant of the Year at the company’s national conference in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
The annual event, held March 7-10 at the Sawgrass Marriott Resort, provided an opportunity for attendees to share strategies for developing effective solutions to help clients reach their financial goals.
“Cheri has demonstrated an exceptional level of dedication and hard work this year, and this award is well deserved,” said ICA President and CEO Greg Gunderson. “She is a priceless asset to ICA – she believes in looking after the best interests of each client and she firmly upholds the values of the foundation of this company.”
Cheri Cunningham works at JE Strong Financial Network in Lakeport.
The theme of this year’s conference was retirement income planning and encouraged representatives to strive for excellence by communicating proactively with clients and demonstrating the value of professional financial advice while accomplishing their goals.
The event featured workshops and educational sessions designed to help the company’s representatives manage their businesses more effectively in order to take their practices to the next level.
The event featured workshops and educational sessions designed to help the company’s representatives better understand investor emotions, asset movement trends and product innovations.
Exceptional speakers awed the attendees with heart touching stories, life balancing tips, behavior gaps and advanced Google searching tips.
JE Strong Financial Network is located in Lakeport at 1105 N. Main St. and can be reached at 707-262-1880.
Since 1985, Investment Centers of America, Inc. has been a leading provider of investment and insurance products through financial institutions and independent offices.
For more information about Investment Centers of America, please visit www.investmentcenters.com .
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – On Saturday, March 31, local businessmen Eric Schlange and Don Davis will be hosting a kickoff meeting for those interested in a new business venture.
All adults are welcome to attend the short presentation and question and answer session that will follow.
“We’re working with an established European company to help them launch their service in the U.S.,” said Schlange. “They’re looking for representatives to spread the word. You’re not selling a product, or asking people to spend their money at all. It’s a remarkable opportunity for those interested in earning extra income.”
The meeting will take place at 11 a.m. at 901 S. Main St. in Lakeport, upstairs in the CPS Country Air conference room.
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) on Friday called on the CTIA, the wireless industry association, to move promptly to deploy protections for smartphone users as violent thefts of such devices have increased nationwide.
The industry association, on behalf of the major U.S. wireless companies, is in discussions with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) about developing the necessary protections for American consumers.
Yet in a recent NBC News report, a CTIA spokesperson suggested that such solutions should not be implemented in the U.S. until they are adopted in other parts of the world, including Mexico, Central and South America, China and Africa.
In her letter, Senator Boxer wrote, “The U.S. is a leader in developing mobile phone technology and there is absolutely no reason we should wait for other nations to act when the safety and security of our citizens is threatened.”
The full text of the letter appears below:
March 23, 2012
Steve Largent, President & CEO
CTIA, The Wireless Association
1400 16th St. NW
Suite 600
Washington, D.C. 20036
Dear Mr. Largent:
I write to bring to your attention an alarming NBC News report that highlights the growing epidemic of smartphone thefts nationwide. As the report points out, not only has theft of smartphones become a multimillion-dollar business, but the physical safety of smartphone owners is being threatened.
Recently, the Major Cities Chiefs Association, which includes police chiefs from nearly seventy cities nationwide including several in California, adopted a resolution outlining measures that would help deter crime and protect the public. The association noted that the technology exists in the United Kingdom and Australia to disable handsets remotely, thus reducing the ability of thieves and black-market purchasers to use stolen smartphones. Also, the association called for the development of a stolen phone tracking database to assist law enforcement and providers in recovering and disabling stolen smartphones.
My understanding is that through the CTIA, the major U.S. wireless companies are currently engaged in talks with the FCC about deploying, across platforms, measures to address these thefts. However, I was discouraged to hear a CTIA representative tell NBC News that solutions should not be implemented in the U.S. until such solutions are adopted and implemented in other parts of the world, including Mexico, Central and South America, China and Africa. The U.S. is a leader in developing mobile phone technology and there is absolutely no reason we should wait for other nations to act when the safety and security of our citizens is threatened.
All parties involved should come to a prompt resolution that affords the necessary protection for American consumers. Additionally, I encourage CTIA and the FCC to include input from members of our law enforcement community and device manufacturers in developing these plans.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Barbara Boxer
United States Senator
CC: Julius Genachowski, Chairman, Federal Communications Commission
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SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – After seeing the potential for customers to save energy and money by downloading personal energy data through its Green Button service, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is supporting further industry innovation by sponsoring a nationwide search for the best Green Button energy apps.
The Apps for Energy contest is a partnership with the White House, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), and U.S. technology firms.
The developer finalists who create the winning apps for phones and computers will take home part of a $100,000 cash prize from sponsors PG&E, Itron and the DOE, as well as national bragging rights.
“Green Button will arm millions of Americans with information they can use to lower their energy bills,” said Nancy Sutley, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality. “Innovative tools like these are good for our economy, good for the health of our communities, and an essential part of our approach toward a secure and clean energy future that works for Americans.”
PG&E launched the Green Button in December 2011, responding to a challenge from the White House to design a standard format for customers with SmartMeters to download their energy use data online.
The Green Button aims to promote personal energy awareness and development of phone and computer apps to aid customers in making informed decisions about their energy use and help them save money on their monthly energy statement.
To date, there have been about 220,000 Green Button downloads.
“There is incredible power and potential in providing our customers with new visibility into their energy use, with information that's clear accurate, timely, and easy to use,” said Tony Earley, PG&E Corp.’s chairman, CEO and president. “Today's announcement shows PG&E’s commitment to stimulating growth and innovation in the developer community. When it comes to energy management, we are driven to help transform the way our customers manage energy in their home.”
The DOE has long supported energy innovation, driving a nationwide push for more renewable energy sources and encouraging every American to become more engaged with how they use energy.
“Providing consumers with easy access to data on their energy consumption can help give them the tools they need to make informed decisions about their energy use,” U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu has said. “Developing applications and services to help consumers understand and control their energy use is a field ripe for American innovation.”
App developers will be able to participate by registering at www.challenge.gov and submitting a description, video, photos and a link to their app.
The Web site www.energy.gov/developer will be the main resource page for developers. Both sites will go live April 5.
Until then, the public can submit ideas for energy apps at www.energy.gov . The winner is planned to be announced in May.
PG&E customers with an electric SmartMeter and a My Energy account can log on at www.pge.com/myenergy , click on the Green Button icon, and download up to 13 months of their hourly electric usage data.
About half of the utility’s electric customers – or 2.3 million – are registered with My Energy.
Green Button is one of many energy- and cost-saving benefits available to PG&E customers with a SmartMeter. Other benefits include:
- Hourly electric and daily gas usage data charts via a secure PG&E Web site;
- Energy Alerts to notify customers when they're approaching a higher-priced electric tier and to encourage a change in their energy use;
- Outage detection to help PG&E quickly restore service;
- Remote service connection as a convenience for customers;
- Special time-varying rate programs like SmartRate;
- Enabling in-home energy management devices that display the energy usage of appliances.