Business Briefs

Georgette Keenan announced the appointment of her Necessities for the Heart shops, in Allentown and Point Pleasant Beach, as "Brighton Heart" stores. Brighton, which specializes in fine leather handbags and accessories, selects shops that portray the "heart" of their products by customer service, display, events, and in-stock selection. Only some 100 shops nationwide from more than 3,000 merchants have earned the designation. The Allentown store is at 28 South Main St., and the Point Pleasant Beach store is at 503 Bay Ave.

Western Monmouth Chamber of Commerce will hold its monthly general meeting at 11:30 a.m. April 20 at the Freehold Gardens Hotel, 50 Gibson Place, Freehold Township.

Ed Whitney and Cal Thomas, senior executive associates of the Institute for Independent Business, will present "Prospecting for Business." The fee is $30 for WMCC members and $35 for nonmembers, and includes luncheon.

For reservations and information, call (732) 462-3030, fax (732) 462-2123, or e-mail info@wmchamber.com.

Annette Catino of Millstone, president and CEO of QualCare Inc., has been named by NJBIZ as one of New Jersey's 50 Best Women in Business. NJBIZ also named QualCare Inc., Piscataway, as one of New Jersey's Best Places to Work. QualCare is a provider-sponsored managed care company.

Catino, who is the founder of QualCare, has 25 years of experience in the health care industry and over the course of the past 15 years has led the company to become a multimillion-dollar business. She also is involved in public policy debates, dedicates herself and her team to the LIFE (LPGA Pros in the Fight to Eradicate Breast Cancer) Event, and serves on multiple corporate boards and committees.

BNI, a business networking group dedicated to the exchange of qualified business referrals, is looking for new members. Meetings are held at the Empire Diner, Route 9 north, Freehold Township, Friday mornings from 7 to 8:30 a.m. For more information, call Peter Joffe at (732) 995-8966.

BNI, a new chapter of the business networking group, will meet Thursdays at 7 a.m. at the Manalapan Diner, Route 9. Details: (732) 521-1061.