BUSINESS PROFILE

Behavioral Consulting for Autism Business Profile BY ANNA BETH ADCOCK

Tina Gill and Angelique Meyer of Behavioral Consulting for Autism (BCA) are experienced professionals who provide impactful services and are dedicated to improving the lives of individuals with autism.

Originally from Massachusetts, Tina Gill, MA, LCMHC, BCBA, is a board-certified behavior analyst and a licensed clinical mental health counselor who has worked with children and adults with autism since 1986.

When she moved to North Carolina in 2004, Gill recognized that there were no services in the area providing help and support for kids with autism. Jumping in to fill the gap through consulting services in school districts across New Hanover, Pender and Brunswick counties, she recognized that children were being diagnosed with autism late in childhood development. To help solve this problem in the community, Gill started working with local agencies and families to advocate for accessibility to services for these children.

BCA Leland Site Supervisor Angelique Meyer, MA, BCBA, echoes the accessibility obstacle that Gill recognized and set to work to solve. "I worked for Brunswick County Schools for 12 years and was able to see first-hand how often children were not accessing early intervention support until they reached elementary school age due to the lack of local, community-based resources,” Meyer says. “I am so excited to be able to fill this need within our community by offering families locally based support to provide intensive intervention services and preparing their children to transition into school."

Gill officially incorporated Behavioral Consulting for Autism in Hampstead in 2016 and still owns and directs it today. For the past six years, the organization has helped families by using evidence-based strategies and by operating with a commitment to provide valuable help and service to each of its clients.

“Our vision is to partner with families living with autism to create a plan specific to their child's needs that will make lasting, positive changes to grow and reach their fullest potential,” Gill says.

Gill opened additional offices in Wilmington in 2018 and Leland in 2022. And she doesn’t want to stop her organization’s life-changing services there.

“We love living in such a diverse community, which has seen exponential growth over the past few years,” Gill says. “The community as a whole is very inclusive and supportive of individuals with autism and their families. We look forward to expanding our reach of services into Brunswick County.”

All BCA’s services are offered in-person and face-to-face, in “an enriching, sensory-friendly environment,” with the goal to help children with autism cultivate communication skills, foster their abilities to interact with others in a social setting and help reduce challenging behaviors.

“There is a heavy emphasis on making learning enjoyable and on engaging learners in positive social interactions,” Gill says.

Behavioral Consulting for Autism

behavioralconsultingnc.com (910) 599-2230

BY JO ANN MATHEWS

Jazz lovers can celebrate because the NC Jazz Festival is scheduled for February 2, 3 and 4 in 2023.

“I want people to realize they will hear 19 different musicians at the festival,” says Sandy Evans, president of the NC Jazz Festival since 2005. “It won’t all be Dixieland.”

Evans’ own taste leans toward bebop musicians such as Charlie Parker and Thelonious Monk.

The venue for the Jazz Festival is the ballroom at Hotel Ballast in Wilmington.

“People have to be given a chance to hear things in a setting where they are comfortable and having a good time,” Evans says.

Special Event Night opens the festival on February 2 and features three celebrated artists. Evans explains that singer Steve Washington comes from Washington, D.C., to open the festival at 7:30 pm.

“His voice is a cross between Billy Epstein and Nat King Cole, real smooth,” she says.

Besides performing with the Drifters, Supremes and the Village People, he sang in a tribute to Nat “King” Cole at the Smithsonian Museum of American History in April 2022.

The next performer is world-renowned pianist Lenore Raphael with accompanist Steve Hobbs on vibraphone. Raphael, who has her own radio show on purejazzradio.com, is considered one of the best jazz pianists in the world today. Guitarist Nate Najar, considered one of the finest modern jazz acoustic guitarists in this decade, closes the Thursday night show along with saxophonist Jeff Rupert. The two will give a tribute to Charlie Bird and Stan Getz.

The festival continues Friday night at 7:30 pm with five or six musicians playing together in seven free flow sessions. As longtime attendees know, one person is the leader and sets the pace for that session.

“I encourage the musicians to play what they want when they are the leader, so they can exhibit their special qualities,” Evans says.

Featured musicians this year are pianists Ehud Asherie and Rossano Sportiello; bassists Herman Burney and Neal Miner; trombonists Emily Asher and Dion Tucker; trumpetists Bruce Harris and Shaye Cohn; percussionist Kevin Dorn and Chick Redd; reed performers Adrian Cunningham and Houston Person; violinist Jonathan Russell; guitarist Nate Najar; and vocalist Lucy Yeghiazaryan.

“People will have a good time because it’s good music,” Evans says. “This is one time they will listen to different styles and realize that they can’t say, ‘I don’t like jazz.’” Patrons have the added benefit of enjoying a musical brunch from 10:30 am to 1 pm on February 3, the second day of the festival. Flyers announcing the festival are available at The AudioLab, 5732 Oleander Drive; Cameron Art Museum, 3201 S. 17th Street; and Hotel Ballast, 301 N. Water Street, all in Wilmington. The NC Jazz Festival is a nonprofit organization comprised of a board of 10 members who volunteer their time and talents to organize the festival each year. Evans’ interest in jazz started when she was a teen and went to a jazz club every week in Lake George, New York.

“My husband was into big bands, and that broadened my jazz knowledge,” she says.

She denies she has any musical talent but says, “I love to listen, and I clap like crazy. I really, really enjoy hiring musicians and getting them gigs. It’s a lot of fun.”

NC Jazz Festival

February 2, 3, 4, 7:30 pm to midnight Hotel Ballast, 301 N. Water St., Wilmington Tickets and information: ncjazzfestival.org

February 2, $45; February 3 & 4, $65 each night Active military, $25; students, $15 Reservations for 10 only

Patron tickets: February 3 & 4, including musical brunch, $215 or February 2,3 & 4, $240

Tickets by mail: NC Jazz Festival, P.O. Box 7681, Wilmington, NC 28406 (910) 793-1111 ncjazzfest@yahoo.com facebook.com/NorthCarolinaJazzFestival

BY ANNA BETH ADCOCK

Fitness extraordinaires Willie Davis, Brandon Cala, and Kate Wolford bring a new full-service exercise facility, Eternal Fitness, to Leland.

The brain and brawn behind Leland’s 3 Dimensional Fitness, Willie Davis is set to open a second gym with two partners in Leland this month. While you might know his first facility for its personal training prowess, Eternal Fitness will be a onestop shop for gym-goers of all levels and interests. As Eternal Fitness opens its doors, 3 Dimensional Fitness will dissolve to make way for its larger successor, a move that’s all part of the business plan, according to cofounder Brandon Cala.

Cala, who is a trainer at 3 Dimensional Fitness. teamed up with Davis to open up the gym.

“We started at 3 Dimensional and that’s how people know us, but now we’re growing into this brand-new thing,” explains Cala. “We knew that there were a lot of personal training places but they weren’t really full-sized gyms. We just wanted to bring something to Leland that it didn’t have.”

Patrons can find a slew of ways to stay in shape through various membership options, an array of private classes offered seven days a week, personal training, and certified nutrition counseling. And of course, the facility is equipped with free weights, machines, and cardio and functional equipment for patrons to exercise on their own.

To boot, Eternal Fitness will be the first fitness facility in Leland to offer childcare while parents sweat.

Behind the variety of studio classes offered, find Kate Wolford of K Wolf Fitness, a NASM-certified personal trainer and nutrition coach, who has teamed up with Eternal Fitness to run all of the facility’s group fitness classes and meet with clients one-on-one for personal training sessions. “I’m just so excited,” says Wolford of her partnership with Eternal Fitness. “I feel like there’s been a need and a desire for this to come to Leland — and as excited as Willie, Brandon and I are, the general public is really excited, too.” “We’ll have a little bit for everyone, no matter if you’re a beginner, an athlete, or into CrossFit,” adds Cala. “We want to be a really close-knit community type of gym, somewhere where anyone can come and connect with someone.”

Beyond being passionate about staying active, Davis and Cala have earned their stripes to back up the bulk. Cala has a degree in exercise science and a certification as a strength and conditioning specialist, and Davis touts a personal training certification as well. Adding even more muscle to the operation, Eternal Fitness will be staffed with skilled fitness professionals providing quality services to its clientele.

“We have a lot of really talented trainers that we’ve grabbed from different backgrounds and areas like Leland, Wilmington, and surrounding areas, and we’re going to have a solid team of trainers for classes, personal training and nutrition counseling,” Cala says. “We feel really committed and really confident in what we’re doing and what we’re going to be providing at our new place.”

They’re calling it the “the Leland locals’ gym. Eternal Fitness is founded with a philosophy to look at wellness as a whole, inclusive environment that welcomes anyone and everyone at any stage in their fitness journey.

Eternal Fitness

9600 Ploof Road, #6, Leland (910) 399-6132 eternalfitnessleland.com