RECOGNITION OF CHAMBER VOLUNTEERS
Lynda Billars
the Real Estate Company-Lynda Billars and The Lynda B. Advantage |
Jeff Ducheneaux
MetaBank |
Jack Dyvig
Sioux Falls Morning Optimists Club |
Julie Nelson
Great Western Bank |
Karen Noonan
Carriernet Group Financial, Inc. |
Somer Ortman
Mark Anderson Wildlife Art, Inc. |
Lynda Billars, the Real Estate Company-Lynda Billars and The Lynda B. Advantage, and Jeff Ducheneaux, MetaBank were the Ambassador Team of the Month for August.
Jack Dyvig, Sioux Falls Morning Optimists Club, was the Diplomat of the Month for August. Julie Nelson, Great Western Bank, took second place honors and Karen Noonan, Carriernet Group Financial, Inc., took third place honors. The winner of the Diplomat Reinvestment Blitz was Somer Ortman, Mark Anderson Wildlife Art, Inc. The August Diplomat Team of the Month includes: Captain Jack Dyvig, Sioux Falls Morning Optimists Club; Julie Nelson, Great Western Bank; Jill Melchert, Farmers Insurance Group-Jill Melchert Agency; Wade Thomas, Dakota Lettering; and Marshall Selberg, Key Real Estate.
Debra Peterson, Assistant Vice President with CorTrust Bank, received a plaque from 2008-09 Diplomat Committee Chair Lisa Schultz, Midcontinent Business Solutions, recognizing Peterson's 10 years of service to the Diplomat Committee.
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 Members in the News
Ulteig Engineers is ranked among the "Top 10 Best Multidiscipline A/E Firms to Work For" in the country by management consulting and research firm ZweigWhite and engineering media specialists Stagnito Media. The annual list identifies the top-ranked firms in the country in five categories: civil engineering, structural engineering, multidiscipline A/E services, environmental services, and architecture. Companies are selected based on their commitment to provide a positive work environment and challenging and interesting work opportunities for their employees. Winners are ranked based on the following criteria: compensation, culture, office environment, benefits, recruiting and retention, performance management, and professional development. In addition, the results of a comprehensive survey of workplace practices and an independent survey of employees are considered. ZweigWhite also recently included Ulteig on their 2009 Hot Firm list, which recognizes the fastest-growing architecture, engineering and environmental consulting firms on the basis of percentage growth and dollar growth.
For the fourth year in a row, Northwestern Mutual was named one of the "Best Places to Launch a Career," according to BusinessWeek magazine. The ranking, featured in the Sept. 14, 2009 issue, recognizes quality of wages, benefits, employee retention, mentorship programs, and opportunities for advancement. The financial security company has been ranked among the top companies every year since the survey began in 2006. In addition, Northwestern Mutual has also been recognized for its training and internship programs: Training magazine named Northwestern Mutual in its 2009 "Training Top 125" in its February edition, recognizing the company's excellence in training and leadership development; and according to the 2009 Vault Guide to Internships, Northwestern Mutual's internship program was named one of America's "Top 10 Internships" 13 consecutive times since 1997
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NEW FACES & PROMOTIONS
Best Business Products welcomed Jenifer Geerts as their new Sales Consultant. She will be responsible for the Sioux Falls and surrounding area and marketing of the new technology programs to our customers. She comes to BBP with a strong history of sales and service.
Megan Hartz joined Northwestern Mutual Financial Network as Marketing Assistant to Financial Representative, Jeff Burch. A native of Sioux Falls, Hartz received a bachelor's degree from the University of Sioux Falls. Previously, she was at the Museum of Visual Materials.
Sammons Enterprises, Inc., appointed Mike Masterson as chief executive officer of Sammons Enterprises. In addition to his new role and responsibilities, Masterson will continue to serve as chairman and CEO of Sammons Financial Group, which is based in Chicago and has offices in Ann Arbor, Mich., Des Moines, Fargo and Sioux Falls. Masterson joined the Sammons family of companies in 1995 and has held various positions including chairman, CEO and president of Midland National and North American and president of the Sammons Financial Group.
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LEADERSHIP
Lincoln County Commissioner Jim Schmidt was elected President of the Board of the South Dakota Association of County Commissioners. Minnehaha County Commissioner Anne Hajek was elected to the Board of Directors.
Jack Hopkins, CorTrust Bank, was elected to the 14-member Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Advisory Committee on Community Banking, which was recently established by the FDIC Board of Directors.
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HONORS IN INDUSTRY
The following Chamber members were recognized at the Home Builders Association of the Sioux Empire (HBASE) Fall Parade of Homes Award of Excellence winners:
Allen Homes Inc., Paul Fick Homes Inc., Zome's Construction. Inc., Rosewood Homes, Hartung Homes, LLC, T.K. Homes, Pease Construction, LLC, G & D Harr Construction, and The Dunham Company.
Sarah Jelinek, an IT Trainer at NetWork Center, Inc. has been chosen for the second consecutive year as Top Instructor for Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Jelinek received the top average instructor evaluation score. This award, established by the Microsoft CPLS Engagement Program, is a way of honoring the finest instructors in the industry for their outstanding work in delivering certification training. Jelinek delivers IT training throughout the country, as well as at NetWork Center, Inc. locations in Fargo, Sioux Falls, and Grand Forks.
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