Business Notes for Nov. 20, 2022

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

Libbie Bettis has joined Skogman Realty as a Realtor.

David Spanier is now with Strategic Financial Solutions as a financial adviser.

Promotions

Hills Bank has promoted Sam Rand to deposit compliance officer in the Hills office; Allyn Francis to commercial banking officer and Yu Yu to first vice president, wealth management officer, both in the Iowa City office; and Stephanie Schumacher to vice president, mortgage lender, team lead, in the Mount Vernon office.

Jenny Abernathy has been named CRST’s new chief people officer, overseeing human resources. She previously was the company’s vice president enterprise capacity development.

Kudos

Cedar Rapids Toyota in Hiawatha has been awarded the Board of Governors Award from Toyota Motor North America.

Hy-Vee has been named to Forbes’ list of America’s Best Employers for Veterans.

Updates

The Iowa Association of Business and Industry has unveiled a new logo design.

Insights and sessions

The Q4 Hiawatha Business Summit will be held 4 to 6 p.m., Dec. 6, at Stillwater Coffee, 1275 N. Center Point Rd., Hiawatha. There is no cost to attend, but registration is requested.

The Gazette Business Breakfast panel’s third-quarter discussion, “A Small Business’ Tool Kit for 2023: Lessons we’ve learned and challenges — and opportunities — for which we can be prepared,” now is online at https://bit.ly/3eD04Wv. Panelists are Paul Andreasen, founder and owner, Saucy Focaccia; Sydney Rieckhoff, CEO, Almost Famous Popcorn; and Kymberly Stevenson, Targeted Small Business Development Program manager, Iowa Economic Development Authority. The discussion series was sponsored by BerganKDV.

The final 2022 installment of the “Gazette Spotlight on …” series of recorded interviews also is available to view at business.thegazette.com. This group recognizes businesses and organizations for their focus on growth. Interviewed are Luke Bishop of BAE Systems; Matt Swift of Big Grove; Sarah Nelson of Comm-Unity Crisis Service; and Drew Martel of Foundation 2. Also, the Better Business Bureau Cedar Rapids office joined The Gazette in speaking with Marc Meyer of Inteconnex. The series was sponsored by TrueNorth Cos.