Business Notes: Nov. 21, 2021

The Gazette’s Business Notes is a compendium of the week's promotions, new hires, certifications, added business lines and business events, among other items, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa City and the rest of the Corridor.

Information and photos can be submitted to Business Notes by email to businessnotes@thegazette.com, or on our site at thegazette.com/businessnotes.

Savannah Blake and Geoff Stellfox have joined The Gazette as photojournalists.

Promotions

Hills Bank promoted Joseph Peterson to first vice president, commercial banking, Marion; and Houston Harreld, first vice president, commercial banking, Iowa City.

Jim Slosiarek has been promoted to senior visual journalist at The Gazette.

Stephanie Hartson has stepped up at Big Brothers Big Sisters to program director; Robert Nelson, lead program specialist; and Katelyn Bateman, program specialist.

Board members

The Iowa Association for Justice, the statewide association representing trial lawyers, installed J. Dean Keegan of Keegan, Tindal and Mason Attorneys at Law in Iowa City as IAJ’s president-elect. Elected to its board of governors was Darin Luneckas, Cedar Rapids, Judicial District 6.Elected to at-large positions on the board were Steven Ballard, Iowa City, and Ann Gronlund and Ben Long, both of Cedar Rapids. Eric Tindal, Iowa City, will serve as chairman of IAJ’s criminal law section.

Workshops

The Green Room, a series hosted by Delta Dental of Iowa, will be held at noon Dec. 1. “The New World of Work” will address how companies adapt employee recruitment and retention strategies. To register go to https://bit.ly/3FwQtsf.

Kudos

Tim Semelroth of Cedar Rapids received the Iowa Association for Justice’s 2021 William J. Wimmer Key Person Award for legislative advocacy for Iowans harmed by commercial motor vehicles. Ann Brown of Cedar Rapids received the Tom Staack Public Education Award for media advocacy on behalf of sexual assault survivors.

Networking

Monthly in-person networking breakfasts sponsored by SCORE have resumed at Scott's Family Restaurant, 7:30 a.m., Thursday, Nov. 18 and Dec. 16. November's discussion will cover effective ways to attract customers and retain current customers. Go to scorecr.org for more information.

Awards

Printing and marketing business Allegra Cedar Rapids selected Indian Creek Nature Center as one of the winners of its nationwide “The Comeback” Sweepstakes. The company will provide $500 in free print, mail or marketing services for a rescheduled event or fundraiser.

Two scholarships for $2,000 will be awarded to Veridian Credit Union members in each of three categories -- incoming freshmen, undergraduates and technical/trade students. An additional $2,000 will be available for members enrolling in an educational program that leads to a career in the arts. Deadline is Feb. 6, 2022. Eligibility and application details can be viewed at veridiancu.org/scholarship.

Insights

The Gazette Business Breakfast panel, “Working Through Workplace Tangles for 2022,” can be viewed at thegazette.com/businessbreakfast. Panelists are Brandon Blankenship, SEC Midwest and ProCircular; Terri Davis, Shuttleworth & Ingersoll; Talinda Pettigrew, University of Iowa; Samantha Rogers, Skywalk Group; and Becky Streff, ESP International.

And watch interviews with 2021’s Gazette Business Award recipients — plus the keynote interview with Rand Corp. economist Dr. Kathryn Anne Edwards — at thegazette.com/businessawards. Award recipients discuss business decisions they made over the past year and what they see in the years to come. TrueNorth was presenting sponsor.