Business Notes: Nov. 28, 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.

New Hires

Skywalk Group in Cedar Rapids hired Emily Rittmer as a recruiting specialist.

Prime Capital Investment Advisors’ Cedar Rapids location added Ashlea Jones as a financial adviser and market leader.

America Manjarrez joined the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation as office manager.

Promotions

RSM in Cedar Rapids promoted Jesse Costigan to partner-owner effective Jan. 1.

Hills Bank promoted Kristi Feldman to treasury management officer in its Coralville office.

Board members

The Cedar Rapids Area Association of Realtors elected Sheila King, Skogman Realty, as president of the board of directors. New officers include Raymond Siddell, Keller Williams Legacy Group, president-elect, and Adam Gibbs, GLD Commercial Real Estate Advisors, treasurer.

Kudos

Jeff Lorenger, chairman and CEO of HNI Corp., and the management team at the Muscatine-based company were honored with the University of Iowa Tippie College of Business’ Oscar C. Schmidt Iowa Business Leadership Award for its contributions to Iowa business.

Airbnb deemed the A-Frame in the Woods, McGregor, as the No. 1 top new Airbnb Host in the state of Iowa.

The Cedar Rapids Area Association of Realtors named Jill Monnahan, Skogman Realty, Realtor of the Year for her leadership of the association through the pandemic. The Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Steve Erusha, Iowa Realty, for his lifetime of service to its members, the real industry and its communities.

MidWestOne Bank was recognized in Newsweek magazine’s 2022 America’s Best Banks rankings and named Best Small Bank in Iowa. Newsweek partnered with Lending Tree to compile the Best Banks list.

The Greater Iowa City Area Home Builders Association presented its 2021 Builder of the Year to Hodge Construction, Iowa City; 2021 Remodeler of the Year to ACE Student Remodel Teachers and Students, industrial technology instructors John Reynolds at Iowa City High School and Micah Casper at Liberty High School; 2021 Associate of the Year to Katy Stutsman, McCreedy-Ruth Construction; 2021 Industry Partner to Tim Rouse and the Durant Community School District; and 2021 Tim Ruth Distinguished Leadership Award to G.T. Karr, Sueppel’s Siding and Remodeling.

Networking

Monthly in-person networking breakfasts sponsored by SCORE have resumed at Scott's Family Restaurant. Small business owners are invited to attend at 7:30 a.m., Thursday, Dec. 16. Visit scorecr.org for more information.

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 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.