IN BRIEF

July 07, 2007 Last Updated: July 07, 2007 01:31 PM Business

GROVE CITY — A new accounting firm, Paparone, Stillwaggon and McGill, opened June 1 in the borough.

Joe Paparone and John Stillwaggon certified public accountants, have been with McGill, Power, Bell and Associates for more than 14 years and have more than 39 years of accounting experience.

The men have merged with their former boss, Richard McGill, to form the new firm.

Paparone, a 1991 graduate of Grove City College, has been a McGill partner for nine years, focusing on private business and industry, for-profit consulting and forensic accounting.

Stillwaggon is a 1984 Grove City College graduate, became a CPA in 1987 and a certified government financial manager in 1995.

Kim Trimpey, who has a bachelor's degree from Slippery Rock University and a master's in accounting from Grove City College, manages the tax department for the new firm. She also teaches accounting at Grove City College.

SLIPPERY ROCK — John A. Hicks, a 1962 Slippery Rock University graduate, current university trustee and professor emeritus for more than 30 years, has been appointed to the executive board of the Pennsylvania Association of Council Trustees.Appointed by Suzanne Vessella, SRU trustee chairwoman, he replaces the outgoing Orvan Peterson of Butler and a former Butler County Community College professor on the council.The council board includes a representative from each of the state's 14 universities, organizing professional development conferences for the state system's 154 trustees, so they can learn about issues within higher education.

The Pennsylvania Department of General Services, which buys more than $4.5 billion in goods and services annually, will have a free workshop from 9 a.m. to noon July 25 at the University of Pittsburgh's Mervis Hall, Room 309, to explain its policies and procedures to business owners who are want to do business with the state.Department representatives will discuss how the state buys products and services; how to find state buying opportunities; and state certification for minority-owned and women-owned businesses.To register, call 412-648-1542, or go to ieeregistration@katz.pitt.edu.

The Northern Allegheny Chamber of Commerce is hosting these events:• 5 p.m. Thursday, After-Hours-Networking with the Cranberry Area Chamber of Commerce, at Fresco's in Wexford. Cost is $5 for members, $10 for members.• 11:30 a.m. Aug. 2, Progressive Lunch at the Four Points by Sheraton Pittsburgh North. Cost is $20 for members, $30 for non-members. Don't forget business cards.To register, call the chamber at 724-934-9710.