Business Notes for Feb. 19, 2023

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

GreatAmerica Financial Services has announced the following new team members: Kendra Heinle, mailroom specialist; Brian Johnson, compliance analyst; Jeremy Zinnato, documentation specialist; Kendra Stanek, documentation specialist; Abbie Durkee, documentation specialist; Sherry Sullivan, invoicing operations leader; Zach Etscheidt, service desk analyst; Dustin Mallie, account support leader; Nick Cherrier, sales support specialist; Heath Eidel, documentation specialist; Sandra Bauck, quality assurance specialist; Cal Beatty, credit analyst; Justin Pladsen, portfolio manager; Brooke Greene, property tax specialist; Tresha Sarabia, sales support specialist; Brittany Koster, documentation specialist; Miguel Burgos, documentation specialist; Crystal Phillips, account support adviser; Lisa Edinger, portfolio manager; Bekka Jeffords, portfolio manager; Carolyn Conlon, credit analyst; Breanna Mundorf, account support adviser; Dylan Schroeder, sales and operations support specialist; and Tony Knapp, account support adviser.

Insights and sessions

The next monthly SCORE in-person workshops for networking and business skills is Feb. 23. The workshop will be presented twice — at Scott's Family Restaurant, 1906 Blairs Ferry Rd. NE, from 7:30 to 9 a.m. and at the Chrome Horse, 1201 Third St. SE, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information, email mark.hermann@scorevolunteer.org

Business Breakfast Series in C.R.

The Business Breakfast Series is back in-person this week in Cedar Rapids after a two-year digital format.

The Tuesday panel discussion will be on “The Warehouse Boom.”

Panelists will be Adam Gibbs and Angie Glick-Martin, both from GLD Commercial; Jeff Woods, Travero; and Caleb Mason, city of Cedar Rapids. Gazette reporter Marissa Payne will moderate the discussion.

Tickets for the light breakfast are $5 each and can be reserved at thegazette.com/businessbreakfast. The event runs from 7:30 to 9 a.m. at Geonetric, 415 12th Ave. SE.

The 2023 breakfasts offer networking opportunities and in-depth discussions on economic development topics. The series is offered by The Gazette, presenting sponsor Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance and community partner NewBoCo.

Gazette online programs

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,” 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.

Also, 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.