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St. Louis Business & Technology News
"When you think Saint Louis, think Saint Louis Front Page," a weekly publication covering the news and events in the greater St. Louis area. 
How To Reach Us:St. Louis Front Page P.O. Box 1354 St. Louis, MO 63188 Voice: 314-771-0200 Fax: 314-771-0300 To submit news, contact: editor@slfp.com To advertise, contact: advertising@slfp.com |
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Local Businesswoman Honored for Volunteerism ST. LOUIS, MO (SLFP.com), March 2, 2008 - Local businesswoman, Jeannine Clontz, owner of Accurate Business Services was recently honored by two organizations for her volunteerism and support. The first honor Clontz received from the Metropolitan St. Louis Chapter of Women's Council of REALTORS. Clontz served on their Board of Directors for three years, most recently (2007) as their Secretary, and for the second time was the recipient of their Affiliate of the Year Award. This award is one of two local awards the group provides its membership and is based upon leadership, support and volunteerism to the non-profit organization. Clontz was also their Affiliate of the Year in 2005. "I was just thrilled to have been noticed by Women's Council," remarked Clontz, "it's a fabulous group of people that really cares about the community, and helped me to improve my leadership skills and connect with my target market nationwide." Clontz's second nod came from her volunteer efforts on behalf of the Kirkwood Des Peres Area Chamber of Commerce. One of two 'surprise' awards presented at their yearly Installation Dinner held at the Frontenac Hilton, Clontz was recognized as their Volunteer of the Year. Clontz spent more than 240-hours in support of the organization by participating as a Chamber Ambassador, supporting new members to the Chamber at ribbon cuttings, membership meetings, and one-on-one connections, and as the chairperson for the organization's successful Grand Marketplace EXPO celebrating its 20th year in 2008. This is a very prestigious award bestowed by the second largest Chamber in the St. Louis Metropolitan area. Clontz was chosen by committee from a number of nominees. "This came as a total shock to me," Clontz said, "The support you get from their staff, the encouragement and appreciation that comes from the staff, Board, and members, is truly second to no other organization I am involved in." "They really make it easy to participate and grow within the organization; this is such an incredible honor, one I will cherish for many years to come." Clontz was also recently nominated for a First Lady Award for volunteerism in 2008 honoring Missouri Women Who are Making History, being underwritten by the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry and awarded by First Lady Melanie Blunt at the Governor's Mansion on Tuesday, March 4, 2008. Clontz has been in business for ten years providing business support services to small and medium sized businesses, with a niche in REALTOR and legal support. Bill Would Create an Electronic Verification System ST. LOUIS, MO (PRNewswire-USNewswire), March 2, 2008 - The Human Resource Initiative for a Legal Workforce today applauded the introduction of legislation viewed as critical to strengthening the nation's broken employment verification system and to helping prevent unauthorized employment, a key component of any meaningful immigration reform effort. The New Employee Verification Act (NEVA) introduced today is designed to provide a superior, user-friendly electronic employment verification system by replacing the current paper-based and error-prone method of verifying employment eligibility. "With authorization for E-Verify scheduled to expire at the end of 2008, now is the time for Congress to establish a more advanced, reliable and effective employment verification system," said Susan R. Meisinger, President and CEO, Society for Human Resource Management. "With this legislation, Congress now has a clear choice: enact a system that can end document fraud and illegal employment, or continue to fund the flawed E-Verify employment verification system." NEVA would introduce a new paperless Electronic Employment Verification System (EEVS), requiring employers to confirm eligibility by entering employee identification data through their state's "new hire" reporting program - an electronic portal they already use to enhance child support enforcement. The new program would be entirely electronic, eliminating paperwork and streamlining verification processes. Work authorization for citizens would be conducted through the Social Security Administration (SSA) and for non-citizens through the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The bill also bolsters enforcement through enhanced employer penalties and by sharing with DHS information on employers with significant employee name/Social Security number mismatches. "The current employment verification system is broken. This legislation creates a more secure system for employers and employees that will help prevent identity theft and provide more legal certainty," said National Association of Manufacturers President and CEO John Engler. As an added level of security, the legislation would also create a voluntary Secure Electronic Employment Verification System (SEEVS) that employers may choose to use in the verification process. This system would include a standard background check and the collection of a "biometric" characteristic - such as a thumbprint - to secure an employee's identity and prevent future fraudulent use of a Social Security number for the purposes of illegal employment. "Document fraud and identity theft are increasingly common tactics used to circumvent the immigration laws. A Secure Electronic Employment Verification System will make it much more difficult to beat the system and will offer U.S. workers the ability to prevent their Social Security numbers from being misused by others," said Lynn Shotwell, Executive Director of the American Council on International Personnel. To ensure privacy and system accuracy, the legislation requires direct consultation with a panel of public/private sector experts in designing the system, and also by requiring annual reporting on system performance by participating federal agencies and the Government Accountability Office. "Employers want to be sure that they know who their employees are and that they are working legally," said Jeffrey C. McGuiness, President of the HR Policy Association. "The current system gives companies no such assurances while exposing well-intended employers to potential paperwork and other inadvertent violations. Meanwhile, the states are now adding to this burden even though immigration is clearly a federal concern. This bill gives the government and employers the tools to build a better system." "The current system for identity verification is broken and needs fixing. This bill is what's needed, and thousands of employers will be grateful for it," Meisinger concluded.  
The Saint Louis Front Page is owned and maintained by the Moore Design Group for the sole purpose of disseminating news and information about the Metropolitan Saint Louis area. Text or graphics may not be copied, rewritten or distributed in any manner whatsoever without written permission. For more information, contact editor@slfp.com All rights reserved world wide © 1996 - 2008 Moore Design Group. |
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