CRST names new driver-training, operations directors

NEW HIRES

Matthew Kreutner (see photo) has joined Schulte Hospitality Group as director of sales for Homewood Suites by Hilton and the Hampton Inn and Suites by Hilton.

Michelle Tigges (see photo) and Mark Forest (see photo) have started with Central State Bank in its Coralville office. Tigges, previously with Bank of the West, is a commercial administrative assistant, and Forest, formerly with Liberty Bank, is a portfolio manager.

Melissa Kuchenmeister (see photo), who had been with McGladrey, has joined Knutson Construction as chief financial officer.

Shive-Hattery hired Alex Merritt (see photo) as a structural engineer intern in Iowa City, Craig Raczynski (see photo) as a structural engineer in Cedar Rapids, and Dustin Wheatley (see photo) as a roof consultant, also in Cedar Rapids.

GreatAmerica Financial Services hired Heidi O'Neil (see photo), previously with Morning Star Preschool, as asset manager; Karla Scriven (see photo), previously with Boston Private Bank & Trust, as booking specialist; and Tierney Wombacher (see photo), previously with Best Buy, as director, vendor relationship development.

CRST has hired Allen Hoffer (see photo) as director of Driver Training, James Kosak (see photo) as director of operations, Jeff Hoban (see photo) as vice president of Capacity Operations, and Tim Hoyt (see photo) as director of Agent Development.

Kandi Gordy (see photo) is now an LPL registered client relationship specialist with TrueNorth Wealth Management. She was previously with Weber Nieland Group/Robert W. Baird & Co. Inc.

Jim Chambers of Montezuma has been named senior vice president of Guy Carpenter & Co. LLC in Philadelphia. Chambers, previously with Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Co., will be responsible for customers in Iowa as well as in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Acumen, a Cedar Rapids employee benefit company, named Tracy Buresh (see photo) as marketing specialist and Angela Billman (see photo) as director of Operations.

CIVCO Medical Solutions in Coralville named Hap Peterson as vice president of North American sales for the radiation oncology business unit. Peterson most recently was with Boston Scientific Neuromodulation.

APPOINTMENTS

Jody Weigel (see photo), Kirkwood Community College, will begin May 1 on the Iowa Board of Social Work Examiners.

Keri Neblett, Crisis Center of Johnson County, has been chosen by the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline to serve on the Standards, Training and Practices Sub-Committee.

PROMOTIONS

Veridian Credit Union in Waterloo promoted Tony McKillip (see photo), previously a mortgage loan originator, to indirect lending team lead.

Molly M. Phillips has been named executive director and general manager of Iowa Public Television. Phillips had been the network's director of communications and community engagement.

board members

Lee Belfield (see photo), general manager of the Hotel at Kirkwood Center, has been chosen to represent Iowa on the American Hotel and Lodging Association Board.

CERTIFICATIONS

Justin Remington (see photo), Advanced Technology Solutions Inc. in Fairfax, has been certified as a Certified Maintenance and Reliability Professional.

AWARDS

The 2012 Rockwell Collins Engineer of the Year Award was presented to Eric Anderson (see photo), senior engineering manager in Commercial Systems,; Sarah Miller (see photo), principal software engineer in Government Systems; and Richard Jinkins (see photo) of Rewey, Wis.

Megan Sieverding, Apple Tree Children's Center in Iowa City, received the 2013 Terri Lynne Lokoff/Children's Tylenol National Child Care Teacher Award.

Linn Community Care has been awarded the highest level of recognition, Level 3 NCQA PCMH, by the National Committee for Quality Assurance Patient-Centered Medical Home 2011 Program.

St. Luke's Hospital has been named a Blue Distinction Center Plus designation for quality spine, knee and hip surgery by Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield.

Cedar Ridge Distillery in Swisher has announced Iowa Bourbon Whiskey received a 91-point Exceptional rating for the second year in a row from the Beverage Testing Institute in Chicago.

NextEra Energy Duane Arnold has been named to Fortune magazine's Most Admired Companies list for the sixth consecutive year. The nuclear facility also has been named one of the World's Most Ethical Companies by the Ethisphere Institute for the sixth time.

NEW OFFICE

The Iowa Biotechnology Association opened a satellite office in the BioVentures Center building at the University of Iowa Research Park, Iowa City.

CONFERENCES

Chief Financial Officer Dianne Lyons of United Fire Group Inc. will be presenting at the 17th Annual NYSSA Insurance Industry Conference on Monday in New York.

International Traders of Iowa and the Iowa Taxpayers Association will present “International Tax Strategies for Exporters” 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., March 28, at the Cedar Rapids Marriott. Speakers will be Jeff Kvilhaug and Rob Kane of CliftonLarsonAllen and Robert Misey Jr. of the law firm Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren. Cost is $10. Register at www.iowatraders.org/eastern.

FORUMS AND WORKSHOPS

A Biomass Crop Production Workshop, targeted to farmers and land managers wanting to learn more about renewable energy in Iowa, will be held 8:45 a.m. to 1 p.m., Tuesday, at the Johnson County Extension Office, Iowa City. Registration begins at 8 a.m. Fee is $30. Call (515) 294-6429 or email anr@iastate.edu.

Upcoming issues for medium-sized beef and dairy operations will be discussed 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Friday at the Jones County Extension office, Monticello. There is no charge for the Iowa State University Extension-sponsored event, and lunch is included. Call (515) 296-2266.