Business Notes

Shelly Sowada was recently named branch manager of Mid-Minnesota Federal Credit Union's Brainerd office.

Active in the financial industry since 1995, she arrives at Mid-Minnesota from Optimum Mortgage Services Inc., Little Falls, where she managed five office locations. Previously, Sowada served in various management roles for TCF National Bank.

Hamilton takes part in fellowship program

Linda Hamilton, from the Brainerd School District, was one of 33 school nurses from the United States, Nicaragua and South Africa who recently participated in the Johnson & Johnson School Nurse Fellowship Program.

The program is an intensive training program on innovative alcohol and drug prevention strategies, early detection methods and treatment. The program, which is part of the Institute of Alcohol and Drug Studies, is conducted annually by the Center of Alcohol studies at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.

While at the program, Hamilton and the other school nurses engaged in discussions about emerging issues in the addictions field, legal issues related to alcohol and drugs in the school, the problems and treatment of adolescent alcohol and drug use and recovery from substance abuse. This year the program expanded to include additional topics, such as mental health issues, drug and alcohol addiction, the role of nurses in crisis management and the growing concerns around HIV/AIDS.

Wales joins American National Bank

The corporate office of American National Bank announced the addition of Chris Wales to its banking staff as an accounting assistant responsible for operational duties and to serve as a backup in the human resources department.

Wales, a graduate of Pine River High School, lives in Brainerd and has been a licensed real estate agent for the past two years, working with RE/MAX Lakes Area Realty for the past year. While living outside of the Brainerd area, she was employed with Christian Builders Inc., of Rogers, working in their accounting and human resources departments.

AWARDS

Crow Wing Power takes honors

Crow Wing Power recently took top honors in the 2004 "Spotlight on Excellence" awards program, sponsored by the Council of Rural Electric Communicators.

Crow Wing Power received a "First Place Award of Excellence," among all cooperatives of similar size that entered newsletters in the Best Newsletter Category for its Current Connection newsletter.

Char Kinzer, Crow Wing Power manager of public relations, is editor of the award-winning newsletter.

Awards were presented during a luncheon at the 2004 National Rural Electric Association's Marketing, Member Services and Communication Conference. All winning entries were displayed at the conference in Columbus, Ohio.

The Spotlight awards competition is an annual event recognizing the top-rated communication and marketing efforts by electric cooperatives and related organizations. Electric cooperative communicators and marketing professionals submitted a record 745 entries in the Spotlight on Excellence program, now in its 16th year.

Crow Wing Power serves about 33,000 electric cooperative members in Cass, Crow Wing and Morrison counties. Kinzer has worked for Crow Wing Power for 14 years and directs the cooperative's public relations and marketing efforts.