Photo above: Loni Lueke
Lueke joins Keller Williams Realty on Hilton Head Island
German American Real Estate Expert Loni Lueke has joined Keller Williams Realty on Hilton Head Island. Lueke also plans to establish a reciprocal real estate office locally in order to work not only with Americans, but also with Germans who are interested in the American real estate market.
Lueke’s first job in Germany was at a real estate office, and then she moved on to being a private investor for many years in Germany and Portugal for residential and commercial properties. After moving to the U.S. from Germany in 2014, Lueke founded Face the Facts and was a business and communications coach for politicians and CEO’s for over 30 years.
“With my history as a business coach, I believe that good relationships are the secret to substantial success and I love the way Keller Williams supports and trains people to better understand how to help our clients. That’s what’s most important,” said Lueke. For more information, go to www.hlonimlueke.com. You can contact Lueke directly at 843-505-1193 or email her at loni@lonimlueke.com.
SunGate Medical Group announces the additional location of Island Medical Spa
Board Certified Plastic Surgeon John Searles and Nurse Practitioner Jessica Lowther will begin to see patients at SunGate Medical Group’s new Island Medical Spa in Beaufort beginning March 16th.
Dr. Searles will see both cosmetic and reconstructive patients, specializing in skin cancer, breast surgery, facial plastic surgery, liposuction and body contouring. Searles completed his residency in general surgery and a head and neck fellowship at Emory University, followed by a three-year residency in plastic surgery at Eastern Virginia Medical School.
“We are thrilled to be able to extend our reach to the Beaufort area, with the addition of the new spa in Port Royal,” said Dr. Searles. “I look forward to delivering high-quality care to our Beaufort patients.”
Nurse Practitioner Jessica Lowther will also see patients at the new location, using her expertise in dermatology and plastic surgery. She will attend to patients needing skin exams, skin cancer diagnoses, skin diseases, as well as adolescent and adult acne treatments. Lowther earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of South Carolina, and worked with a Mohs surgeon prior to joining SunGate. Jessica is certified as a Family Nurse Practitioner by the American Nurse Credentialing Center.
Located at 2206 Mossy Oaks Road in Port Royal, the full-service spa will also offer facials, massages, fillers, Botox, anti-aging procedures, as well as hair and nail services. For additional information go to www.islandmedicalspahhi.com.
Two district office staff move into new positions
Two veteran educators are taking on new responsibilities at the Beaufort County School District’s central office. Geri Henderson, the district’s lead counselor for two years, will become Director of Secondary Education with responsibility for improving student achievement in middle and high schools.
Henderson replaces Bonnie Almond, who will become the district’s Director of Innovation with responsibility for monitoring and evaluating the district’s academic programs and developing innovative approaches to improving student achievement. “Geri has a track of success in everything she’s done,” said Superintendent Jeff Moss. “I’m confident that she will do a terrific job in her new position.”
Henderson has a bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of South Carolina and a master’s degree in education from Cambridge College in Augusta, Ga. She holds certifications as a school guidance counselor, family preservation counselor and military career and education counselor. She was recently accepted into an education leadership development program run by the South Carolina Department of Education.
Almond, who has served as Director of Secondary Education since 2013, is a 30-year veteran who has served in North Carolina schools as a teacher, assistant principal, elementary school principal and high school principal. She earned Lee County (N.C.) Principal of the Year honors in 2008.
“Educators who’ve worked with Bonnie know what a strong and capable professional she is, and I’ll be excited to see what she accomplishes in her new position,” Moss said. “There’s no doubt in my mind that our students will benefit academically from what she brings to the table.”
Almond has a bachelor’s degree from Meredith College and a master’s degree in school administration from North Carolina State University.
BMH hires nurse practitioner for Mobile Wellness Unit
Beaufort Memorial Hospital has hired a highly skilled nurse practitioner to travel with its LifeFit Mobile Wellness Unit, offering free clinical screenings to area residents in various locations throughout Beaufort and Jasper Counties.
Susan Draves, FNP, will be performing clinical breast exams, digital prostate exams, skin cancer screenings and blood pressure and blood sugar checks from the wellness unit, a 40-foot van equipped with a private examination room, blood-draw room and waiting area. She also will attend community events and provide health information to the public.
A graduate of Indiana Wesleyan University with a master’s degree in Nursing, Draves has been a nurse practitioner for 18 years, most recently at Lowcountry Urgent Care. Prior to moving to Beaufort two years ago, she worked 16 years in a family practice office at Marion General Hospital in Indiana.
The LifeFit Mobile Wellness Unit was purchased by the Beaufort Memorial Hospital Foundation in 1999 to provide the community with easier access to simple, routine health screenings. Last year, it made some 160 stops at businesses, schools, churches and community events in the Lowcountry. More than 3,200 people took advantage of the preventative services it provides.
Along with free clinical screenings, blood sugar and blood pressure checks, the unit also offers PSA blood tests and Lipid profile cholesterol tests for $10 each. For more information on the program and a schedule of upcoming stops, visit www.bmhsc.org.
