• Ric Spiehs has joined CoastalStates Bank as the president and chief executive officer of the bank’s wholly-owned subsidiary, CoastalStates Mortgage, Inc.

After a prior brief stint with the bank in 2013-14, Spiehs returns to the recently re-capitalized bank to lead the mortgage company as it supports the Bank’s strategy to achieve growth and profitability.

CoastalStates Mortgage was restructured in 2017.

CoastalStates Mortgage provides a full line of mortgage products – including reverse mortgages – through its team of local mortgage bankers and its CoastalStates Mortgage Reverse Mortgage division. For more information, visit CoastalStatesBank.com.

  • The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) will honor the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce with two Gold Awards and one Silver Award for public relations and digital marketing excellence in the 61st annual Adrian Awards, the world’s largest and most prestigious global travel marketing competition.

The Gold Public Relations Adrian Award recognizes the Chamber’s work with the Weather Channel following the Weather Channel’s broadcast coverage of Hurricane Matthew. The live segments aired on the first day of spring from Hilton Head Island’s iconic beaches and Harbour Town Lighthouse, and reached 9 million viewers.

The Gold Digital Marketing Adrian Award recognizes the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Visitor & Convention Bureau’s (VCB) June social media campaign surrounding The Bachelorette episode that featured Hilton Head Island and Bluffton. The social media efforts surrounding the event resulted in a 47 percent increase in Instagram engagement, 42 percent increase in Facebook engagement, and a 126 percent increase in traffic to the HiltonHeadIsland.org website.

The chamber also won a Silver Adrian Award in the digital marketing category for its social media channels.

The awards gala will be held Feb. 20 at the New York Marriott Marquis.

Scott Marshall, the Town of Bluffton’s deputy town manager, recently received the Credentialed Manager designation from ICMA, the International City/County Management Association.

Marshall is one of more than 1,400 local government management professionals currently credentialed through the ICMA Voluntary Credentialing Program.

ICMA’s mission is to create excellence in local governance by promoting professional management worldwide. The organization’s nearly 10,000 members in 27 countries also include educators, students, and other local government employees.

Prior to joining the Town of Bluffton in 2015, Marshall worked within Beaufort County since 2009.

He was Beaufort County’s former director of parks and leisure services (PALS), and also served as the executive director of Beaufort County Board of Voter Registration and Elections.

Prior to serving in local and regional government positions, Marshall served 23 years as an Air Force officer.

Marshall earned a Master’s Degree in public administration with a concentration in human resources from American Public University.

He also earned a Bachelor’s Degree in political science and psychology from Eastern Michigan University with a minor in military science.

Jeff Parker has joined Front Light Building Company of Bluffton as director of operations.

A licensed residential contractor, Parker will be in charge of overseeing all construction activities for the company, which specializes in the construction of both custom Front Light homes and home building of all types.

Parker brings more than 21 years of construction and home building experience to the position, working in construction for small custom home builders, large production national home builder chains, and in large commercial construction.

After graduating from Central Michigan University he began his career working for a custom home builder, where he gained experience from working as a carpenter to serving as project manager.

For more information, visit frontlight buildingco.com.

  • Four real estate agents have joined the growing team of real estate professionals at Century 21 Diamond Realty.

Vanessa Maloney has lived in the Lowcountry for the past 12 years and has an in-depth knowledge of the local housing market. She has a background in social work as well as the medical field, and has transitioned into a career in real estate to fulfill a long-standing passion.

She has the necessary skills to put people first and to connect them with home inspectors, mortgage providers, and school administrators in our community to help people achieve their dream of owning a home.

Maloney will be working out of the company’s Bluffton office. Call or text her at 843-868-1424.

Karen Meyer is a full-time real estate sales agent with a concentrated marketing background and interior design. Her past work experience consists of a business management background with Fortune 100 companies in a marketing capacity.

Meyer previously was a Realtor in Atlanta.

She also owned and operated a bed and breakfast with her husband in the ski town of Crested Butte, Colo.

Meyer also will be working out of the Bluffton office. Call or text her at 843-603-3088.

Georgia Angelillo and Bob Colonna have joined the company as a team and will be working together.

Both are experienced agents who discovered the Lowcountry on a weekend getaway and became residents in 2010. They bring to their clients a vast experience in management, negotiation, finance, and contracts as they both had careers in the financial sector.

Angelillo was president of a co-op building for five years and dealt with the finances and contracts of the Home Owner Association.

Colonna has extensive knowledge in business and vendor management and contract negotiations.

They can be contacted at 843-505-6440 or Angelillo.ColonnaTeamRealtors @gmail.com.

Century21 Diamond Realty is located at 18A Palmetto Way in Bluffton. For more information, call 843-706-7368.