Submitter:

Name:Owen Ambur

Email:Owen.Ambur@verizon.net

Organization:

Name:Neighborhood Outreach Connection

Acronym:NOC

Stakeholder(s):

• Narendra P. Sharma, PhD: Chair of NOC -- Dr. Narendra P. Sharma, a US citizen, is presently a consultant specializing in applied economic development and finance, public policy and project analysis, environmental management, and organizational effectiveness. He has a PhD in economic development from Virginia Tech University, as well as an MS from Rutgers, an MEM from Duke University, and a BS from the University of Hawaii. Dr. Sharma is originally from the Fiji Islands and lives in Hilton Head Island with his wife, Martha Sharma, who is from North Carolina. They have one daughter who presently resides in Kings Mountain, North Carolina. Dr Sharma worked for more than 32 years at the World Bank in Washington, DC, where he was involved in finance and economic development in more than 50 developing countries in Asia and the Pacific, South America, Central America and the Caribbean, and Africa. He has traveled widely throughout the world and has broad international perspective on and understanding of social, economic development, and environmental issues at the global, regional, national, and local level. He has over 30 years of experience in management, and in dealing with high ranking government civil servants, international and regional policy forums, multi- and bilateral development agencies, non-governmental organizations, and businesses. Dr. Sharma has also been involved in teaching and research. He was Adjunct Professor at Duke University, School of the Environment (1991-2005) and has more than 25 years experience in training and mentoring of people. For a brief period (2005-2006 academic year), he was also Director of Community Outreach, University of South Carolina, Beaufort, (USCB). Currently, he is actively involved in the Lowcountry community, serving as the Chair of the Board of Directors of the Neighborhood Outreach Connection (NOC) and as a member of the School Improvement Council of Hilton Head High School. He has previously served on the Boards of the Hilton Head World Affairs Council,and the Port Royal Plantation. He has a special interest in addressing poverty and environmental issues.


• NOC Board of Directors


• Scott W. Griswold: Treasurer -- Scott W. Griswold received a B.A. in sociology from College of the Holy Cross, MA, in 1974, and a M.B.A. in finance and accounting at Northeastern University in 1981. He presently manages his own Financial Services Company, providing diverse financial services in the low country of South Carolina. Previously, he worked for Optimum Resource, Inc., where he managed all accounting, operations, and human resource functions of the corporate office. Scott Griswold has worked in other private businesses since 1981, focusing on accounting and finance. He is actively involved in community services in Beaufort County.


• Dennis Adams: Secretary and Chair of Communications Committee -- Dennis Adams is currently Information Service Coordinator of Beaufort Country Library, where he has been employed since 1984. He has been a resident of Beaufort County since 1963. Mr. Adams has a Master of Arts in French (1975) and a Master of Library and Information Science (1992). He served as Secretary for the Latin American Council of South Carolina from 2004-2008.


• J.Brandon Gaffney: Member, Executive Committee -- Mr. Gaffney functions as the Chief Operating Officer of Beaufort Jasper Hampton Comprehensive Health Services, Inc (BJHCHS). Mr. Gaffney reports directly to the Chief Executive Officer and is responsible for day-to-day operations, facilities services, human resources, recruitment and organizational development at BJHCHS. Prior to working for BJHCHS, Inc. Mr. Gaffney worked in the banking industry as a branch manager, and most recently was the administrator for the Georgia Radiation Therapy Center (GRTC) at the Medical College of Georgia/MCG Health Inc. While at the GRTC Mr. Gaffney was responsible for 30 employees, $5 million in radiation oncology equipment and an overall operating budget of $2.3 million. Mr. Gaffney received his undergraduate degree from Morehouse College and a graduate degree in Health Administration from the Medical University of South Carolina.


• Joan Derry: Board Member


• Ally McNair: Board Member


• Ellen Taylor: Board Member


• Paul Wexler: Board Member -- Paul Wexler retired to Hilton Head Island, SC in 2001 after a 35-year career in the hospitality industry, including serving as Vice President of Procurement, Distribution and Quality Assurance at Marriott Headquarters in Bethesda, MD. He has been active in both professional and community organizations, most recently in the area of prostate cancer awareness. He is married and has two children and two grandchildren.


• Luis Bell: Director Emeritus


• Juan Campos: Director Emeritus


• Hector Esquivel: Director Emeritus


• Thomas Miller: Director Emeritus


• NOC STAFF


• Glenn Love: Field Director


• Sheri Wammock: Office Manager


• Volunteers: We organize volunteers from our entire community to work with individuals from lower-income neighborhoods to solve problems and strengthen our entire community.


• Hilton Head Island: We have identified a number of neighborhoods on Hilton Head Island and in greater Bluffton.


• Bluffton


• Spearhead Teams: For each neighborhood a "spearhead team" is formed, consisting of five to seven members - including volunteers and paid investigators and is under the leadership of the Outreach Director. Each team develops neighborhood profiles based on available socioeconomic and census data, conduct a needs assessment based on focus group discussions, and develop subprojects in education, referral services, micro-finance and entrepreneurship, and voter registration.


• Neighborhood Associates: For each neighborhood several of "neighborhood associates" are identified to mobilize people, develop solutions for the neighborhood, and monitor results.


• Coordinators: Three part-time coordinators assist during implementation under the supervision of the Executive Director.


• Consultant: A part-time consultant helps with monitoring and evaluation of results.


• Outreach Director: The Outreach Director trains the "spearhead team" and the three coordinators.


• Beaufor County: Our medium and long term goal of this assessment is to identify needy neighborhoods in Beaufort, Jasper, Colleton and Hampton Counties in the Low Country.


• Jasper County


• Colleton County


• Hampton County