Simmons Perrine lawyers named 'rising stars'

New Hires

Sheets Forrest Draper Insurance, Marion, hired Sherri Rowden (see photo), previously with City State Insurance, as an agent.

MindFire Communications hired Kristin Stires (see photo), formerly with Baylor University Hankamer School of Business, as a brand arsonist.

Physicians' Clinic of Iowa added Melanie A. Ramsey ARNP (see photo) to its team of rheumatology providers.

GreatAmerica Financial Services hired Tyler Clarahan (see photo) as sales support specialist and Will Monroe (see photo) as VBS invoicing specialist.

Kristy Ryan (see photo) started with Millhiser Smith Agency Inc. as director of client relations.

Wendy Marsh (see photo) is now pastry chef at the Hotel at Kirkwood Center for both the hotel and the Class Act Restaurant.

Acterra Group announced that Jenn Worthington (see photo) joined as assistant controller and Dana Clark (see photo) as accounts payable clerk, both in the Marion office.

John-Paul Chaisson-Cárdenas is now executive director for the Cedar Rapids Civil Rights Commission.

Promotions

The Anamosa State Penitentiary promoted Chad Kerker (see photo), Mike Duncan (see photo), Al Dettbarn (see photo) and Wayne Zysk (see photo), previously correctional officers, to senior correctional officers. Also, Mike Heinricy (see photo), who had been a correctional counselor, was promoted to treatment services director.

Board members

William Ruud (see photo), University of Northern Iowa, was appointed a member of the board of directors of MidWestOne Financial Group Inc.

Rob Gettemy (see photo) was named president of the Daybreak Rotary chapter. Other officers are John Myers (see photo) president-elect; Ray Rinkol (see photo), vice president; Chris Overturf (see photo), treasurer; and Diane Potter (see photo), secretary.

Barbara Klein (see photo), Reed Elsevier, was appointed chairwoman of the Global Business Traveler Association's Aviation Committee.

Kudos

Simmons Perrine Moyer Bergman lawyers Christine Conover, Matt Hektoen, Jacob Koller and Carrie Thompson were named rising stars in the Great Plains Rising Stars list. Named super lawyers on the Great Plains Super Lawyers list were Nicolas Abou-Assaly, J. Scott Bogguss, Matthew J. Brandes, James A. Gerk, Robert Hatala, Stephen J. Holtman, David W. Kubicek, Eric W. Lam, Michael McDonough, Darrel A. Morf, Paul P. Morf, Iris E. Muchmore, Mark A. Roberts, James E. Shipman, Roger W. Stone, William Vernon, Kevin J. Visser and Thomas D. Wolle. Holtman and Stone were also named Iowa Top 10 Attorneys.

UnityPoint Health-St. Luke's Hospital nurse Tammy Dietrich (see photo) was named state Wound, Ostomy, Continence Nurses Society Nurse of the Year by the Iowa affiliate.

Seminars

Peter Damiano, director of the University of Iowa Public Policy, will be at South Tama High School, 1715 Harding St., Tama, at 6:30 p.m., Monday, to answer questions concerning the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Cost is $11. Register by calling 1-(800) 284-4823 or at www.iavalley.edu. Refer to course COM 1006 001.

SCORE will host “QuickBooks the Basics” 6 to 8 p.m., Tuesday, at Kaplan University, 3165 Edgewood Pkwy. SW, Room 135, Cedar Rapids. To register, contact Dianne Martin at (319) 431-4574 or email workshops@scorecr.org.

Meetings

The Society for Technical Communication's Eastern Iowa chapter will meet at 5:30 p.m., Oct. 8, at Mount Mercy University, Cedar Rapids, to discuss “Technical Communication: An Employment Opportunity for College Students.” Reservations are required. Contact Ben Leu at (319) 321-8683 or via email at ben.leu@pearson.com by Oct. 4. Go to www.stc-easterniowa.org.

More

The National Cardiac Non-Profit has changed its name to the Erika Kate Hope Alliance. Go to www.erikakate.org.

Connie Parsons, co-owner of

Velvet Coat in Iowa City, has sold her half of the business to her business partner, Michelle Galvin.