Names & notes

Friday, July 18, 2008

Waldorf jewelry consultant Teri Riley of Premier Designs has been accepted as a member of Southern Maryland Business Network.

Premier Designs offers jewelry in many styles from classic to contemporary.

The company is unique in that it is built on biblical principles and features one of the most generous hostess plans in the industry, according to a company press release.

Riley has been a jewelry consultant for two years. In her first year with the company she earned a promotion to the first level of leadership. She offers home and office jewelry shows, fundraisers and bridal shows.

Southern Maryland Business Network is a group of business professionals organized for the purpose of developing business relationships and exchanging referrals. It meets from 8 to 9:30 a.m. Tuesdays at the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs’ Regency Furniture Stadium in Waldorf.

For more information, go to www.smbn.org.

ECS announcesOlamide’s promotion

ECS Mid-Atlantic announced the promotion of Olalekan O. Olamide as the branch manager of the Waldorf office.

Olamide, a graduate of the University of Maryland, gained extensive and varied project experience throughout the mid-Atlantic region since joining ECS and plans to continue ‘‘setting the standard for service,” according to a press release.

ECS is a diverse consulting firm specializing in the related fields of geotechnical, environmental and construction materials engineering.

Besche makes leadgift to CSM campaign

Mike Besche, CEO of Besche Oil and campaign chairman of the College of Southern Maryland’s $5 million campaign, demonstrated his commitment to higher education and workforce training in Southern Maryland by making the first ‘‘lead” gift of $100,000 to the college’s ‘‘Campaign for the Next 50 Years,” according to a CSM press release.

‘‘I saw my investment in CSM as a way to jumpstart the campaign but more importantly to challenge the other foundation board members and trustees to make this happen. We have a $5-million goal and we are at 100 percent board participation, and if you add up the total board family giving, it’s more than $600,000. That speaks volumes about how people support and partner with this college,” Besche said in the release.

Additionally, total giving by the college’s employees has surpassed previous years, with a total of more than $97,000 in donations and pledges.

‘‘But I now challenge local businesses, alumni and community to help us reach and surpass that $5-million goal. We still have many businesses in Charles, Calvert and St. Mary’s counties that benefit from hiring CSM graduates that have not made the investment yet, and they need to be involved,” Besche said.

To date $3.6 million has been pledged and donated toward the campaign.

After graduating from Wharton School of Finance and Commerce in 1969, Besche followed in his father’s footsteps and took over the reins of Besche Oil in 1973.

The company grew through the first of many troubled times for the oil industry, and is celebrating 60 years of personal and quality service in delivering heating oil to thousands of residential, commercial and retail customers in Southern Maryland as well as being a supplier of gasoline to 50 stations and stores in the state, according to the release.

Serving on the CSM Board of Trustees, formerly known as Charles County Community College until 2000 when the college became CSM, Besche was vice chairman from 1993 to 1994, and chairman from 1994 to 1996.

He transitioned from his position on the governing board to the CSM Foundation, the fundraising arm of the college, in 1997 and is completing his 10-year service this July after serving as CSM Foundation chairman for the past two years.

For information, call 301-934-7649 or go to www.csmd.edu⁄foundation.