Those attending the Social Media Workshop Tuesday evening at 6:00 PM are in for a very special treat. Andy Beal, internet marketing consultant, award-winning blogger, professional speaker and coauthor of the critically-acclaimed book Radically Transparent: Monitoring & Managing Reputations Online will be the special guest speaker via Skype.

Riverstone Energy Center team members Kristy Johnson (on screen) and Ben Thompson (standing) make first trial run using the modeling and simulation “Cave” for immersive teleconferencing.

Lisa Kipps-Brown, President of Glerin Business Resources, is working with the Riverstone Energy Center to use the modeling and simulation “Cave” to host an interactive discussion during the workshop. “We couldn’t afford his fee to come and speak to our group, but Mr. Beal graciously offered to attend via Skype. Our next challenge was to figure out a way for those attending the workshop to be able to see and interact with Mr. Beal,” Kipps-Brown said. “Without Riverstone Energy Center's assets and lots of help from Energy Center employees Ben Thompson and Kristy Johnson, we wouldn't have been able to make this happen; they're also enabling us to live stream the entire workshop for those who can't attend,” she added.

The next free social media workshop at Riverstone Technology Park will be next Tuesday, March 20, at 6pm; the topic will be blogging and a special guest will be teleconferencing in. You can register online but space is limited so make sure to register early.

 Noted marketing and online reputation expert Andy Beal will join the group via teleconference for a Q&A session.  Andy will discuss how businesses can use social media monitoring software in market research, PR, online reputation management, risk analysis, and customer service. He is the author of Radically Transparent: Monitoring & Managing Reputations Online.

The Southern Virginia Higher Education Center (SVHEC) will host noted industrial designer Charles “Chuck” Harrison for a free, public presentation at 10 a.m. Friday. Harrison is best known for his distinguished career as an industrial designer for Sears and for the contributions he has made to a host of household products. The first African-American executive for Sears, Roebuck & Company, Harrison began his career as a freelancer, moved on to staff designer and later headed the Sears design department.

His work has influenced many of the products we use on a daily basis including blenders, can openers, AM-FM radios and calculators.

Halifax County saved itself from going a huge step backward this week by announcing the hiring of a new band director and that the high school band would continue.  Music is inherently connected with math and helps kids mathematically without their ever realizing it, and it's not just me saying it.