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Sanders Financial Management Chairman Emily Sanders Leads Panel at Atlanta Women’s Leadership Forum

Sanders Financial Management Chairman Emily Sanders Leads Panel at Atlanta Women’s Leadership Forum

Emily Sanders, Chairman and CEO of Sanders Financial Management, moderated a panel at the 14th Annual Women’s Leadership Forum, held May 4, 2012, at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta. Sanders, consistently ranked one of the top women in wealth management nationwide, led a discussion on “Developing Relationships That Support Entrepreneurial Success.”

The Women’s Leadership Forum is presented by Atlanta Business Chronicle, in partnership with the J. Mack Robinson College of Business at Georgia State University.

The experts on the panel included:

Committee votes against commercializing Gwinnett airport

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. -- An airport citizens review committee voted Monday against privatizing or commercializing the Gwinnett County airport, reports the Gwinnett Daily Post. The committee's vote was due to the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners on May 8.

The vote was led by members who have protested a proposal to add commercial flights at Briscoe Field. That lead to a split vote on the majority of measures considered by the group -- with six members voting in favor and five abstaining, the newspaper reported. Some members of the committee were bothered by what they saw as a rush to vote and said they would have liked more time before a decision was made.

The recommendation will be made to the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners, which will have the final say. Commissioners have also been split on the issue.

Dept. of Labor launches system to improve unemployment insurance

Dept. of Labor launches system to improve unemployment insurance

ATLANTA -- The Georgia Department of Labor recently rolled out a new electronic system designed to increase efficiency and reduce costs of operating the state's unemployment insurance program.

Georgia is one of 10 states to adopt the State Information Data Exchange (SIDES) E-response. It allows employers to respond promptly to the Department of Labor when a former worker files an unemployment claim, according to state Labor Commissioner Mark Butler.

"This new online capability is part of our continuing effort to make the Georgia Department of Labor more user-friendly and technologically up-to-date," Butler said in a statement. "This will significantly speed communications between the labor department and employers. At the same time, it will help prevent some overpayments to people who might not be eligible for benefits, saving us from having to go back and try to collect money from ineligible applicants."

UHY’s David Barton to Share Knowledge on Service Organization Audits February 14

UHY’s David Barton to Share Knowledge on Service Organization Audits February 14

Webinar will focus on data center audit standards and assessments

David Barton will address professional service organizations and their customers and lead a discussion on data center audit standards and assessments during a webinar Tuesday, February 14th from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.

Sears announces 4 Metro Atlanta stores among those to close

ATLANTA (WXIA) -- At least four Metro Atlanta Kmart stores are among the 100 to 120 Sears and Kmart stores to close nationally, company officials revealed Thursday afternoon.

Sears Holdings initially announced the closings Tuesday, saying the closings were going to occur due to faltering sales during the holiday season.

In the information released Thursday, Sears Holdings announced closings for 79 locations, indicating that announcements of other closings would be forthcoming.

The company says same-store sales figures fell 5.2 percent in the eight weeks ending Christmas Day.  That came from a 4.4 percent drop in sales at Kmart stores and a 6 percent slide in sales at domestic Sears stores.

'Mega Monday' expected to set records for shopping, returns

ATLANTA -- It's the biggest gift return day of the season, and experts predict "Mega Monday" could be as big as Cyber Monday or Black Friday.

Retailers slashed prices to entice customers already heading to stores to exchange gifts and hunt for after-Christmas bargains.

"Thirty-five percent more people will be returning this year, than last year," said Janice Lieberman, Consumer Correspondent for the Today Show. "For every dollar spent during the holiday, almost ten cents of it is returned." 

Some store make returns much easier than others. 

Sears may be the number one easy return store because they not only readily accept returns, but they extended their return window to 120 days through this holiday season.

The Money Tree files for Chapter 11

The Money Tree files for Chapter 11

BAINBRIDGE, Ga. -- The Money Tree Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, citing difficulties branching from customers who didn't repay loans.

The Bainbridge, Ga.-based consumer lender said Dec. 19 it filed for bankruptcy at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Alabama, where its accountants are located.

The Money Tree makes small consumer loans as well as loans for cars under the brand name Best Buy Autos. That arm is not part of the bankruptcy filing and will continue operating as normal.

The company intends to stay in business while it goes through reorganization plans -- it will cut the number of branches from 92 to 46.

"We have done everything possible to try and protect the integrity of our investors and the company," president Bradley Bellville said in a filing to the Securities and Exchange Commission.