BUSINESS NOTES

Haapajoki joins CTC as sales engineer

Consolidated Telecommunications Co., with offices in Brainerd, recently announced Eryk Haapajoki joined CTC as sales engineer.

Haapajoki joined CTC from Integra Telecom where he worked as sales manager for 12 years and earned six President Club Awards. With CTC, Haapajoki will offer technical support to the CTC account executives to analyze complex tailored telecommunication solutions for CTC customers.

Sam accepts CLC director of diversity post

Mary Sam of Onamia accepted the director of diversity position at Central Lakes College, Brainerd and Staples, effective Dec. 14.

In the newly created administrative post, Sam will lead the college's effort toward intercultural competency by implementing a diversity plan. The job also entails development of an Indian certificate program at CLC and increasing visibility and awareness of the Skone Family Conservatory Housing the CLC Humphrey Center for American Indian Studies.

She will be responsible for the development of an American Indian Center at CLC.

Sam worked seven years with the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe. Since 2003, she had been coordinator of local government and community relations through the Office of Government Affairs.

She also has experience as a school administrator for Nay Ah Shing Tribal School, and she was in social work for the Robbinsdale School District from 1989 to 2002.

Sam was a trainer and facilitator for restorative justice programs and race relations at the University of Minnesota for five years, and she spent a year as an interning consultant with the Minnesota Indian Women's Resource Center in Minneapolis.

Since 2007, Sam has been a member of the Crow Wing County Human Rights Commission and is a founding member of the Mille Lacs Area Human Rights Commission.

She is a member of the Onamia School Board and since 2005 has been a trustee with the Initiative Foundation. Among her awards is a fellowship awarded in 1998 by the Bush Leadership Foundation.

Sam has also worked for the Brooklyn Center School District, Abbott-Northwestern Hospital Chemical Dependency unit, Bemidji State University, and Cass Lake Indian Education Program.

At CLC, Sam has served as a board member for the Gordon Rosenmeier Center for State and Local Government and since 2008 has served as a consultant.

Loven named employee of the month

LITTLE FALLS - DiAnn Loven, Swanville, was named the December employee of the month by the Little Falls Area Chamber of Commerce.

Loven is a staff registered nurse with St. Gabriel's Hospital. She's been with the hospital for 41 years.

Haakman joins Belle Cheveux

NISSWA - Lisa (Hamrick) Haakman joined Belle Cheveux Salon and Spa of Nisswa.

Haakman started her career almost three decades ago in the Twin Cities. She has an extensive knowledge of color formulation and techniques and cutting skills obtained through continued advanced training with industry educators, Belle Cheveux reported.

RedHouseMedia talks to students about careers

PILLAGER - Dain Erickson, Kristen Anderson and Kellie Hinnenkamp, designers at RedHouseMedia, a Brainerd-based advertising agency in the Franklin Arts Center, recently spoke with 26 students at the Pillager High School on the topic of careers in Web site design.

The event was initiated by BestPrep, a Brooklyn Park nonprofit organization with a mission to better-prepare Minnesota students through experiences that inspire success in work and life.

Pillager High School instructor Ann Hutchinson said RHM opened the students' eyes to so many things that they need to think about for their futures, and the opportunities that are available.

Conner gains federal certification

Chad Conner, LS, of Widseth Smith Nolting with offices in Baxter, recently passed the exam to become a Certified Federal Surveyor - one of 20 in the state of Minnesota, WSN reported.

The CFedS program, which has been approved by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior, was designed specifically to enhance the level of knowledge and expertise in the professional land surveying community for survey work performed on federal lands and especially on Indian trust lands.

As land survey operations manager of WSN's Brainerd office, Conner oversees all phases of land survey operations including construction staking, boundary surveys, topographic surveys, as-built/ALTA surveys, and control surveys. He is a licensed land surveyor in Minnesota.

Griggs wins video competition

BAXTER - Don Griggs of Mills Ford in Baxter won the Twin Cities Region 2010 Taurus virtual walk-around competition.

The competition was designed to bring the value stories of the 2010 Taurus to life through a unique product knowledge presentation. Sales consultants created a three-minute unedited video based on one of three customer scenarios addressing specific needs of a Taurus customer. Griggs' entry was chosen from more than 150 dealers in the Twin Cities region and now will be submitted to the Great Lakes Market Area competition. Griggs' winning entry is on YouTube.

Whipple joins Imgrund Motors

BAXTER - Tony Whipple joined the team at Imgrund Motors, just off West Washington Street in Baxter as a service adviser.

Whipple has 26 years experience as a service adviser/manager.

Westgard to instruct class in St. Paul

The Lifelong Learning Institute of the University of Minnesota announced a Winter Quarter class - 2016 ENERGY: from Fossil Fuels to Yucca Mountain with instructor Rolf Westgard of Deerwood and St. Paul.

The class will review the chemistry of hydrocarbons, oil, gas, and coal, how they are formed, and their BTU capacity. And will do the same for biofuels, wind and solar energy, the physics of nuclear energy and Iran's potential as a nuclear power. A summary of climate change and global warming will be included along with a possible field trip to the Monticello nuclear plant. The class is limited to 50 participants.

Westgard is a Geological Society member. The course runs from 2:153:45 p.m. Tuesdays beginning Jan. 5 at the St. Paul Jewish Community Center, 1375 St. Paul Ave., St. Paul.

Mille Lacs Band offers free legal services

ONAMIA - The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe recently launched the Mille Lacs Band Legal Aid Department, which provides legal services free of charge to low-income enrolled band members related to legal matters arising in Aitkin, Benton, Crow Wing, Hennepin, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Pine and Ramsey counties.

The program is a part of the Mille Lacs Band Department of Justice.

Mille Lacs Band Legal Aid consists of three attorneys and a managing attorney who specialize in a wide range of civil and criminal issues, including family, education, housing, and criminal defense law. They also provide probate services in tribal court. The attorneys received special training about the Mille Lacs Band's history and culture, which helps them understand band members' unique needs and circumstances.

EVENTS

Business After Hours planned in Little Falls

LITTLE FALLS - The Little Falls Area Chamber of Commerce will conduct its next Business After Hours networking event from 4:30-6 p.m. Thursday at US Bank, 101 E. Broadway, Little Falls.

Hors d'oeuvres and refreshments will be served. This event is free and open to all chamber members and their employees. For more information, call the chamber at (320) 632-5155. No RSVP needed.

COURSE

Non-credit Spanish available at CLC

Spanish is available for the learning rather than the degree at Central Lakes College when the spring semester begins in January.

Professionals in medical, educational, law enforcement and manufacturing fields are preparing for the future and new markets with new clients who speak Spanish.

The non-credit rates are $320 for Beginning Spanish II (SPAN 1402) and $160 for Intermediate Spanish I: Grammar Acquisition.

Liliana Hennis and Jan Kurtz teach the beginning course, which is a continuation of entry-level Spanish from the fall term. Basic vocabulary groupings and verb tense introductions are continued at this level.

Graded readings and short writings are designed to enhance your ability to communicate and interact within a cultural awareness. If you have had one or two years of high school Spanish or had an introductory foundation to Spanish, this class is suited for continuing learning or review.

Hennis teaches the class from 11 a.m. to 12:05 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, Jan. 11-May 14. Kurtz's class meets from 12:30-1:35 p.m. on the same days.

Intermediate Spanish II continues the study begun with the four-credit fall class. It is appropriate for those with two or three years of Spanish. The course covers grammar and refines verb uses with writing short essays. Hennis teaches the course on Tuesdays from 9:30-11:20 a.m. starting Jan. 12.

The deadline to register is Jan. 4. For more information, call the Business and Industry Center at CLC, (800) 933-0346, ext. 8142 or 855-8142.

DONATIONS

Salon Couture collects for food shelf

PEQUOT LAKES Salon Couture in Pequot Lakes is launching a Lakes Area Food Shelf drive through Christmas.

Anyone interested in participating should bring non-perishable food items to Salon Couture and they will receive a gift from the salon staff of 20 minutes of rest and relaxation in the U-Harmony Massage Chair.

For more information, call (218) 568-8771 or go online www.saloncouturemn.com.

Brainerd Lakes Health staff donates food

The Brainerd Lakes Health employees at the Brainerd Medical Center campus recently conducted a Salvation Army Food Shelf Challenge to collect food donations.

Together, the employees collected more than 1,088 pounds of food and more than $400. The employees were divided into nine teams made up of clinic departments. The teams competed to collect the most food. The challenge was won by the Business Office and Patient Accounts group which collected 389 pounds of food.

AWARD

Sound Connection receives 2009 Best of Brainerd Award

Sound Connection, Brainerd, was selected for the 2009 Best of Brainerd Award in the Auto & Home Supply Stores category by the U.S. Commerce Association.

The USCA Best of Local Business Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country. Each year, the USCA identifies companies that it believes have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.

Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2009 USCA Award Program focused on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the USCA and data provided by third parties.