Kudos

Robert C. Hatley, president and chief executive officer of Paragon Commercial Bank of Raleigh, has been named the 2008 Carolinas Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of The Year for Financial Services.

John Herrera, chairman of the Latino Credit Union, received the Ronald J. Hutchins Credit Union Person of the Year Award for his volunteer work in the credit union field.

Durham-based Merrill Lynch financial adviser Susan Rosenthal was recognized in Barron's Top 100 Women Financial Advisers. Rosenthal was selected for demonstrating industry best practices, meeting criteria on revenue produced and customer satisfaction and other factors.

David Sotolongo, vice president of business and proposal development at RTI International, was named a fellow of the Association of Proposal Management Professionals.

Denise Ryan, owner of FireStar Speaking in Raleigh, earned the Certified Speaking Professional designation.

Law firm Smith, Anderson, Blount, Dorsett, Mitchell & Jernigan was listed in Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business. The firm's Corporate/M&A practice received Chambers highest recognition. Of the top eight ranked corporate/M&A lawyers in the state, three are from Smith Anderson. Partners John L. Jernigan and Lacy H. Reaves received the highest ranking in their practice areas.

Capital Investment Companies named its top 25 representatives at its 15th annual convention in Myrtle Beach, S.C.: Greg Hicks, Con McDonald, Bynum Satterwhite, Richard Battle and Wanda Cooper from Raleigh; Terry Bass from Fuquay Varina; and Rick Gardner from Cary.

Inspire Pharmaceuticals in Durham ranked second in the Best Places to Work in Industry annual survey conducted by The Scientist magazine. Inspire was also recognized by the American Heart Association as a Start! Fit-Friendly Company, receiving a Gold-level award.

Wake County has been awarded a 2008 National Association of Counties Achievement Award for its program, Electronic Recording of Satisfaction Documents. The award recognizes quality and efficiency and responsible and responsive county government management and administration.

State Employees Credit Union won the Dora Maxwell Social Responsibility Award, which recognizes the credit unions' social responsibility efforts in the communities they serve. SECU won in the over $500 million asset category. In addition, the credit union won the statewide Desjardins Youth Financial Education Award, which recognizes leadership within the credit union movement on behalf of youth financial literacy.

Local Government Federal Credit Union won two awards for its outstanding leadership and commitment to the credit union movement, the Ronald J. Hutchins Credit Union Person of the Year Award and the Louise A. Herring Award for Philosophy in Action. President Maurice Smith won the person of the year award.

Communities in Schools of North Carolina recognized two individuals and one corporation with its H. Glenn Williams Power of One Award for 2008. IBM received the award for its commitment to improving education through the use of technology. Anne Laukaitis of Cabarrus County and Kathleen Byron of Moore County also won the award.

Department of Marketing won two gold awards and an honorable mention in the 2008 Hermes Creative Awards competition for its creative work for three clients, Pro Financial Services, Tir na Nog Irish Pub and Beyond Expectations. The Hermes Awards is an international awards competition for creative professionals.

IBD Insurance, which sells Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina, won a Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce 2008 Pinnacle Award for Steady Growth and Profitability.

Triangle Rock Club, an indoor climbing center in Morrisville, now has a 100 percent certification rate among its staff. The certification program was developed by the American Mountain Guides Association.