Meadowlark Chapter of the American Business Women’s Association, 5:30 p.m., Shawnee Country Club, 913 S.E. 29th. Speaker: Ann Mah, “When Bad Behavior Happens to Good People,” dealing with conflict at work. Reservations: 266-9434.

Thursday, Aug. 23

Topeka chapter of SHRM, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Topeka and Shawnee County Library, 1515 S.W. 10th. Speaker: Tim Davis, attorney, Constangy, Brooks and Smith LLC, on “Hot Legal Topics.” Cost: $10 for Topeka SHRM members and $15 for non-members. From 1:15 to 4:15 p.m., Davis will provide a three-hour “Human Resources Legal Issues/Law Update.” The cost is $25 for Topeka SHRM members and $50 for non-members. This training is approved for three hours of HRCI credit. Lunch meeting is approved for one hour of HRCI credit.

NEW FACES

Korri L. Phillips, M.D., has joined Cotton-O’Neil ExpressCare and will see patients at the ExpressCare location at 1130 N. Kansas Ave., which opened Aug. 13. Phillips received her medical degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. She completed an internship and residency at David Grant U.S. Air Force Hospital, Travis Air Force Base, Calif. Phillips is served in the Missouri Air National Guard, 131st Fighter Squadron, as the chief-aerospace medicine, flight surgeon in St. Louis. She also was a flight surgeon in the Kansas Air National Guard, 190th Medical Squadron in Topeka.

Johanna Lynch, Emily Martinez and Karen L. Stewart are new employees at Avenue Hair Styling & Day Spa, 807 S. Kansas Ave. Lynch, formerly of SuperCuts, will specialize in haircuts, color, highlights, body waxing, formal styles, manicures, pedicures and facials. She is a graduate of B-Street Design School of International Hair Styling. Martinez, graduate of American Academy of Cosmetology in Manhattan, was formerly employed as an Estee Lauder Beauty adviser. She specializes in manicures for natural nails, spa pedicures, nail art and nail enhancements. Stewart, a certified massage therapist, specializes in deep tissue work, hot stone therapy, Swedish and sports massage. They can be reached at 233-5225.

Bob Hanson has been named public information officer in the Kansas Insurance Department. He is responsible for correlation and development of media, publication and public relations activities for the department. He will also be a liaison for the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, of which Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger will be president in 2008. Hanson has a master’s degree in English from Fort Hays State University and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from The University of Kansas.

Jared Richert and Glenn Owens have joined the sales team at Doug Richert Pontiac Cadillac. Richert was a sales representative for OrthoRehab, a medical supply company in Vail, Colo. Owens has five years of sales experience.

PROMOTIONS

Duane Turnbull has been promoted to vice president-manufacturing at Nationwide Learning Inc., 6700 S.W. Topeka Blvd. Turnbull has been with Nationwide since 1998 and is a member of its management committee. As an officer, he represents the operations team at board meetings and be instrumental in the remodeling and move to a new facility in 2008.

Cindy Hermes has been named director of the Government and Public Affairs Division in the Kansas Insurance Department. Hermes was the division’s public liaison. She is responsible for monitoring state and federal legislative activities regarding insurance and working with consumer education programs, including the upcoming Long Term Care Partnership Program. She has a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Oklahoma and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Arkansas.

NAMES

Gregory D. Mallett, Topeka, a Modern Woodmen of America representative, participated in a three-day investment leaders conference in Rock Island, Ill. Mallett learned more on various retirement topics, brokerage accounts and Modern Woodmen’s Variable CustomLife product.

David L. Damme, Farmers Insurance Group agent, has joined the Presidents Council, achieving the company’s highest award to district managers and agents for outstanding overall performance. Damme will be honored at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York.

Doug and Barbara Norman, Topeka Park Lane division managers, were honored at the July convention of Jewels by Park Lane. They were recognized for outstanding sales and recruiting performance and received an all expense paid trip to the Moon Palace Resort in Cancun, Mexico. They can be reached at 354-1012.

Patsy Young, Topeka, has been awarded a Child Development Associate Credential in recognition of outstanding work with young children. The credential was awarded by the Council for Professional Recognition in Washington, D.C., which represents the early childhood education profession.

The Topeka Home Builders Association board of directors accepted three new members during July: Warner Electric, represented by Larry Warner; House To Home Lighting & Decor, represented by LeAnn Coe; and Brobst Drywall Construction, represented by Jonathan Brobst.

Priscilla Beadles was named employee of the quarter with the adult detention center of the Shawnee County Department of Corrections for the second quarter 2007. Beadles began with the department in 2003 as a corrections specialist with the adult detention center. She currently is a line officer for first shift operations. Her selection was based on her dedication, versatility and leadership among her peers. Beadles also is a field training officer.

United Way of Greater Topeka has successfully completed all of the United Way of America membership requirements satisfactorily and on time for 2007, Nancy Perry, president & chief executive officer, announced. The requirements include: membership requirements certification, membership investment and Database 2 Survey of Total Resources Generated (a survey that captures the full extent of a community’s resource development efforts during the year). Each of the 1,300 United Ways must complete United Way of America’s requirements annually in order to retain membership.

The Kickapoo Tribe in Kansas has a new Web site, ktik-nsn.gov, which presents updated information about tribal operations, including its government, history, news and the 16 programs it offers for the betterment of tribal members and the community.

Vicky Stangl, a master stylist for His & Her Salon & Day Spa, is now the full time skin care specialist for the spa area. She offers facials, body treatments, body waxing, eyelash enhancements, makeup and hand treatments. For more information, see the Web site at www.hisandhersalon.com or call 232-9724.

Nail technician Sharon sinks claws into Anne Robinson

CATTY Anne Robinson may think she is a tough old bird but start-up business owner Sharon Sharples from Harrison Street can be a hard woman too, if she has a mind to be.

The pair met and weighed each other up on TV’s The Weakest Link.

Sharon, 43, got to the last of eight rounds — tantalisingly close to a £3,200 prize — before being declared “the weakest link” and sent off, leaving two male contestants to fight it out.

It was just another challenge to former youth worker Sharon, who in May set up nail technician studio, Simply Nails, in Harrison Street.

Earlier she completed a New Entrepreneur Scholarship course held in Barrow to teach people how to work for themselves.

She studied over 16 weeks before qualifying for a £1,600 business start-up grant.

It helped buy her digital nail art machine.

At £1 a finger, customers get any of more than 1,500 different images or patterns — anything from fish to flowers — printed directly onto their nails.

Of her encounters with the feisty Ms Robinson, Sharon said: “She was worse off the camera than on. She was a right catty person. There was an elderly woman who did not walk off when she was supposed to and Anne called her stupid and said can’t she follow simple instructions.

“It’s an absolutely massive studio but you are stuck in a tiny corner of it with her.”

“I enjoyed being pampered and put up in a lovely hotel, and you got your hair done and make-up done. The people who did the make-up were even asking me how to get their nails done like mine.

Sharon’s nails also came to the attention of the hawk-eyed Ms Robinson.

Sharon said: “We had about a three-minute conversation about nails. She called me a manicurist so I bit her head off because I am not a manicurist I am a technician. She gave me a funny look and said explain the difference, so I explained a manicurist shapes nails. I do extensions and I can do more expensive treatments rather than just shape nails.

“Then she asked to have a look at my nails and said they were a bit common.”

Sharon told her she had different images on every nail at the time to advertise the technique and that people wouldn’t normally go out looking like that.

Sharon’s friends had told her before she was a match for Anne Robinson.

She said: “I am straight-talking and don’t stand any messing, but she was quite mild mannered with me.”

Her TV debut on March 29 helped. She said: “It was good for business because I get recognised. People say you were on The Weakest Link, let’s have a look at your nails.”

She says: “There has been a glut of people going into nail businesses, but I have something that a lot of people can’t offer, with my digital nail art printer. It looks absolutely stunning.”

Apart from nails, her business offers a range of treatments including hand massages, foot massages and spas.

Married to Philip, a principal engineer in the shipyard, she enjoys the change of lifestyle.

“I am 43 now, not 23, and I just thought I need to do something different. This is something I have always been interested in.”

Lorraine Nelson, owner of Letting Go salon in the Canyon Lake Towne Center, takes a break from activities at the Las Vegas International Hair and Nail Conference to pose with model Michael Irvin, left, in full competition regalia. His accessories were individually sculpted from liquid acrylic. In the inset, a close-up of the nails applied to Michael’s left hand shows just how much attention was paid to every detail.

Business Notes: CL nail artist takes 1st place in show     Lorraine Nelson, who celebrated the grand opening of her new Canyon Lake salon, Letting Go, in April of this year, recently attended the Las Vegas International Hair and Nail Conference, where she won first place in the Fantasy Nail Art division.
The annual competition, held June 2 through 4 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, attracted participants from around the globe; some competitors came from as far away as Japan and Italy.
A master nail artist who specializes in hand painting, sculptured design and embellishments using items such as crystals, beads and even dried flowers, Lorraine regularly competes in international nail competitions.
Her winning design included nails made to look like twisted ropes and a 10-inch thumbnail filled with glitter and water, in keeping with the competition’s Egyptian theme. The model, Michael Irvin, also sported a shield and knife sculpted from liquid acrylic to complete the look.
The first place nails and props will remain on display at Letting Go Salon, located at 31528 Railroad Canyon Rd., through the end of August.