CAREER

Ittner gains appointment

WADENA -- Michael W. Ittner, Wadena, was appointed as an education counselor and area manager by the Olympic Institute for Leadership Development Inc. an Oregon-based nonprofit educational organization.

The Olympic Institute specializes in working with young men and women who desire to attend federal service academies -- Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and Merchant Marine -- college ROTC programs and military prep schools.

Berghuis named supervisor

Candy Berghuis, Baxter, U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray, was named administrative supervisor of the Brainerd/Baxter office.

Graumann achieves designation

Lora Graumann, Baxter, U.S Bancorp Piper Jaffray, Brainerd/Baxter office, achieved senior registered investment assistant designation.

As a senior registered sales assistant, Graumann assists the firm's financial professionals with their clients.

Verlennich joins advisory board

STAPLES -- The Decorative Concrete Council, a special council of the American Society of Concrete Contractors, announced Michael Verlennich, Staples, was elected as a new member of the council's advisory board.

Verlennich is a partner in Verlennich Masonry & Concrete, an architectural concrete contracting firm in Staples. The council advances the quality and use of decorative concrete systems. The society is a nonprofit organization to enhance the capabilities of those who build with concrete.

Olson gains appointment

BAXTER -- Beva Olson, Baxter assistant city administrator/city clerk, was appointed director at large for the Municipal Clerks and Finance Officers Association of Minnesota for 2003-2004.

The appointment was made during the association's annual conference in Alexandria in March. The MCFOA was established in 1937 to promote professional standards for city clerks and finance officers.

The association provides educational opportunities through regional meetings and annual conferences and sponsors continuing education.

Olson has been employed by the city of Baxter for the past 20 years. She also has been awarded the designation of certified municipal clerk on the state and international levels.

Wyatt and Adamitz gain promotions

Mary Wyatt and Sarah Adamitz, Panache Salon and Day Spa in Baxter, have completed their training and have been promoted to level one hair designers.

Ronnei named CEO

NISSWA -- Mark Ronnei, general manager of Grand View Lodge properties in Nisswa, was promoted to chief executive officer of the Cote family companies ETOC and Arizona Sunshine Ranch.

The promotion was effective Jan. 1.

Ronnei's responsibilities will be to grow the entire Cote family of companies, which include Grand View Lodge, The Pines and The Preserve golf courses, Golf Management LLC, The Days Inn in Nisswa, Sherwood Forest restaurant, Camp Lincoln and Camp Lake Hubert.

In Arizona, ETOC and ASR own and operate the Tanque Verde Ranch, the Bellota Guest and Cattle Ranch, as well as other properties.

Ronnei, Nisswa, has worked for the Cote family for 25 years. His new duties will take him away from Grand View Lodge more often than his previous position.

Torfin gains recognition

Jim Torfin, Brainerd, a financial associate with Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, qualified for the organization's Summit Circle.

To qualify for the Summit Circle, Torfin demonstrated outstanding sales and service to members. Torfin is with Thrivent Financial's North Central regional financial office in Alexandria and serves Lutherans and their family members in the surrounding communities. Torfin has been with Thrivent Financial and its predecessor organizations for 16 years and has received 16 consecutive awards.

AWARDS

Firm gains engineering awards

Advanced Engineering and Environmental Services Inc., a regional civil/environmental engineering firm specializing in water and wastewater systems with offices in Brainerd, was recently honored for two engineering efforts.

The Missouri River intake siltation solutions and the Williston Regional Water Treatment Plant phase one improvements both were awarded the North Dakota Council of Engineering Companies 2003 Engineering Excellence Awards. The awards celebrate projects that benefit communities by utilizing new applications and innovation and have a positive social or economic effect, as well as projects that add technical value to the engineering profession and/or are complex in nature.

ACTIVITIES

Business After Hours at Mills Ford

The Brainerd Lakes Area Chambers of Commerce is sponsoring the April Business After Hours event from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Mills Ford, 1100 Dellwood Drive, Baxter.

This month's event is hosted by both USLink and Mills. This monthly late-day after-work event provides a relaxed networking environment for chamber member businesses and their employees.

Meeting set with lodging businesses

Brainerd Lakes Area Chambers of Commerce member lodging businesses are invited to meet with Bonnie Finnerty from Crow Wing County Planning to learn more about the new comprehensive plan and provide suggestions to the county to support the prosperity and growth of lodging business.

The meeting is set from 7-9 p.m. Monday at Grand View Lodge in Nisswa.

For more information, call 829-2838 ext. 0.

DONATION

Integra Telecom makes food shelf donation

BAXTER -- Integra Telecom employees in Baxter recently made a donation of nearly $700 to the Brainerd Salvation Army Food Shelf after the food shelf asked for help from the community.

Employees raised the funds through a series of internal challenges across the various company departments.

WORKSHOPS

Workshop set for nonprofits

The Initiative Foundation and Bremer Bank will present a workshop for nonprofit leaders to learn simple, effective techniques for measuring the success of their programs.

The full-day workshop, titled "Nonprofit Evaluation: You Can Do It Without Smoke and Mirrors" is set April 24 at Central Lakes College in Brainerd. Cost is $65.

Stacy Stockdill, a University of St. Thomas faculty member, author and amateur magician, will share information and advice on the following topics: Vital industry vocabulary; data collection methods; questionnaires, face-to-face and telephone interviews, focus group interviews, observation, tests and existing records; analyzing information using quantitative and qualitative methods; using information gathering to improve programs.

For more information, call Lonna Becker at (877) 632-9255. Registration deadline is Friday.

'Payroll Basics' offered at college

The Computerizing Small Business Program, Central Lakes College, is offering a "Payroll Basics" class from 6-9 p.m. April 21 and April 28 in the Business & Industry Center at CLC in Brainerd.

This class will provide the basic skills necessary to implement and maintain the payroll function of a small business. The student will learn employee file set up, payroll deduction calculations and proper filing of state and federal forms used in the payroll function.

This is a two-week classroom course, plus one on-site session individualized to the student needs. The student will receive two college credits upon successful completion of the class. Classroom size is limited. Prior knowledge of payroll processing is not required. Pre-registration is required. Jay Bock is the instructor.

For more information, call 855-8142 or (800) 933-0346 ext. 8142.

Business startup class in Wadena

"Going Into Business for Yourself" will be offered in Wadena from 6 to 9 p.m. April 24 in Wadena.

The workshop is presented by a partnership of the Small Business Development Center at Central Lakes College, Brainerd; the Region 5 Development Commission, Staples; and the Wadena Development Authority.

Gail Leverson of the Region 5 Development Commission is instructor.

This seminar covers all areas of business startup, offers advice on how to become and stay profitable and how to finance a new venture. Business structure and required government filings are discussed.

Follow-up counseling is available from the Small Business Development Center's team of consultants. Pre-registration is required. Cost is $40 per person or $60 for participant and one additional business partner.

Pre-registration is required.

For more information, call (800) 933-0346, ext. 8142 or 855-8142.

Business news submissions are accepted by mail, e-mail or fax.

The deadline is noon Wednesday for the following Sunday business section. Photos may also be submitted and will be available for pick-up at The Dispatch following publication.

Contact Business News by mail at P.O. Box 974, Brainerd, 56401, by e-mail at renee.richardson@brainerddispatch.com, or by fax at 829-7735.