Business Notes for Feb. 5, 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

Skywalk Group hired Doug Mavarez as a recruiter II.

Appointments

Claire English has joined the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation as donor relations associate.

Boards

The National Associated of Insurance and Financial Advisors-Eastern Iowa chapter recently elected and appointed its board of directors for 2023. They are Blake Helms, president; Michael Rozum, president-elect; Joby Frey, immediate past president; Kirk Haefner and Peg Fraser, national committee chairs; and Elizabeth Rickels-Ster, executive secretary-treasurer.

The Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation has announced new members to its board of directors: Haywood Stowe of Collins Aerospace, Nancy Hill-Davis of Mercy Medical Center, Tracey Myers and Brandi Mueller of the Overture Group, and Dave Parmley of First Interstate Bank. Also, board officers were elected: Diana Ledford, chairperson; Jim Haddad, chairperson-elect; Mike Sheeley, treasurer; and Jon Landon, secretary.

Kudos

Kate Moreland, of Kate Moreland Consulting and former CEO of Iowa City Area Development Group, has announced a strategic alliance with NEXT Generation Consulting in Madison, Wis.

1000 Friends of Iowa recently recognized Linn County Resiliency Hub as the winner of its 2023 Best Development Award in the Placemaking Category. The award honors projects that recognize connections between building and project development and quality of life.

Emery Place Senior Living has been recognized by Pinnacle Quality Insight with a 2023 Customer Experience Award, achieving best-in-class customer satisfaction standards relating to cleanliness.

Business Breakfast Series

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

The series leads off with a Feb. 21 panel discussion on “The Warehouse Boom.”

The panel will look at the increase in demand and opening of warehouses across the region. What’s driving the demand? How will industries such as trucks, rail and freight work together? Will capacity exceed demand? What’s the risk of overbuilding?

Panelists will be Adam Gibbs, GLD Commercial; Angie Glick-Martin: 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 $5.50 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.

Insights and sessions

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.