Business Monthly - November 2013 by Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier

november 2013

Cedar Valley Business monthly

FROM THE EDITOR

The 20 Under 40 class of 2013 T here’s a comforting sameness about the winners of The Courier’s 20 Under 40 awards. Now in its 12th year, the award is a tribute to the young minds the Cedar Valley produces. This is a roll-yoursleeves-up community that dives in and does what needs to be done. One needn’t look farther than last spring’s flooding to see that spirit in action. That attitude deJim Offner fines the Cedar Valis the Courier ley. It seems appropriate to recognize business editor. Contact the young leaders in him at the community who jim.offner@ do some of the most wcfcourier. thankless jobs and com. ask for nothing in return. The names of this year’s winners follow: ■ Hillary Anniss, 38, marketing

coordinator at Hawkeye Community College. ■ Shawna Buckley, 37, vice president of retail banking at Community National Bank in Waterloo. ■ Nate Clayberg, 38, executive director of Grow Buchanan County Economic Development in Independence. ■ Tabatha Cruz, 27, program coordinator at the Center for Multicultural Education at the University of Northern Iowa. ■ Curtis DeGroote, 39, owner of DrivingLoyalty.com and a long-standing community volunteer. ■ Scott Dewey, 39, owner of Retrieving Freedom Inc. in Waverly. ■ Pat Grassley, 30, farmer and Iowa legislator, of New Hartford. ■ Lori Hoffman, 27, employee training and communications specialist at Cedar Falls Utilities. ■ Brian Hoyer, 23, owner of Recycle Rite in Cedar Falls. ■ Nick Jedlicka, 32, director of Lakeview Lodge of Friendship Vil-

lage, Waterloo. ■ Jeff Kurtz, 39, director of Main Street Waterloo. ■ Dan Levi, 39, owner of Levi Architecture in Cedar Falls. ■ Kent McCausland, 37, executive vice president of PDCM Insurance in Waterloo. ■ Matthew Miehe, 30, commercial real estate agent with The Sulentic Fischels Commercial Group in Waterloo. ■ Eric O’Brien, 36, university sustainability coordinator at the University of Northern Iowa. ■ Nicole Recker, 27, director of operations at Boys & Girls Clubs of the Cedar Valley. ■ Doug Schwab, 36, wrestling coach at the University of North-

ern Iowa. ■ Katie Slade, 33, communications and development director at Exceptional Persons Inc. in Waterloo. ■ Tim Terhune, 35, managing partner/owner of Texas Roadhouse in Cedar Falls. ■ Angela Weekley, 39, manager of the community inclusion department at Veridian Credit Union in Waterloo. Their common bond is that each has contributed to building a community of which residents can speak with pride. In all, 54 candidates were nominated. Bearing the unenviable task of arriving at a field of 20 finalists were several leaders of the business community, including three former 20 Under 40 winners. The committee included 2012 laureates Cheryl Meller, marketing and development director at Family YMCA of Black Hawk County; and Chuck Rowe, CEO of the Boys & Girls Club in Waterloo.

See WINNERS, page 5

CONTENTS

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Volume 7 No. 12

Cedar Valley Business Monthly is a free monthly publication direct-mailed to more than 5,300 area businesses. Contact us at (319) 291-1448 or P.O. Box 540, Waterloo, IA 50704.

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FROM THE COVER Courier Business Editor Jim Offner, left, and Online Editor Chris Essig, center, talk with 20 Under 40 Award winner Hillary Anniss.

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PAST WINNERS A complete list of past 20 Under 40 winners

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page 5

CEDAR VALLEY BUSINESS MONTHLY

NOVEMBER 2013

Hillary Anniss Back to her roots and making a difference Hillary Anniss ■■ AGE: 39 ■■ OCCUPATION: Marketing coordinator at Hawkeye Community College ■■ VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES: Junior League of Waterloo-Cedar Falls, Lego League at Hoover Middle School, Cedar Bend Humane Society, Northeast Iowa Food Bank ■■ EDUCATION: Bachelor of arts in advertising with emphasis on marketing, Iowa State University, 1997 ■■ FAMILY: Husband Eric; daughter Claire, 11; son Eli, 3 1/2 ■■ A MOMENT IN YOUR PAST THAT SHAPED YOU: “Probably moving back to the Cedar Valley, actually making that decision to move back to where I was raised. That was probably what shaped me.”

MATTHEW PUTNEY / Courier Photo Editor

Hillary Anniss, a 2013 winner of a 20 Under 40 Award, at the Waterloo Center for the Arts. JIM OFFNER jim.offner@wcfcourier.com‌ WATERLOO — Hillary Anniss and her husband, Eric, had been away from the Cedar Valley long enough. She was working at an advertising agency in Des Moines, and he was managing a farm operation in Boone. Both felt a strong homeward pull. That was eight years ago. They came back and got involved. “We used that opportunity to decide it was time to get back to where we grew up and decided it was time to get back closer to family and get involved in the community,” Anniss said. 4

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Now the couple, who have been married 17 years, live just south of Waterloo near Hawkeye Community College, where Hillary works as marketing coordinator. Eric drives to the family farm in Dysart, where his parents have been raising corn, soybeans and cattle for 30 years. Hillary joined Junior League of Waterloo-Cedar Falls as soon as the couple moved back. She later got involved at Hoover Middle School, where daughter Claire now attends. “I’m currently also helping coach and mentor my daughter’s Lego League team,” Anniss said. Anniss also volunteers at the Cedar Bend Humane Society and the

Cedar Valley Business monthly

Northeast Iowa Food Bank. “Hillary Anniss is someone who defines support, grace and savvy,” said Britt Jungck, a former co-worker at Hawkeye and now director of business services and workforce development for the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber. “She is a leader in her role in the marketing department at Hawkeye Community College, always going above and beyond to support her team, the school and the students.” Anniss’ loyalty to the community is clear in all she does, Jungck said. “What’s incredible is that Hillary does all of this with an ease and style that epitomizes leadership

■■ A MENTOR AND WHY: “I would say my parents have been very impactful, always being behind me, but the one person I always go back to is a friend and former colleague in Des Moines. She was the one that I’d say helped open my eyes to the fact that things were changing in my professional area in Des Moines and it was time to take that next step to move back.”

and inspires those around her to be more and do more,” Jungck said. Being away from the Cedar Valley only fed the desire to get involved in the community once she came home, Anniss said. “I felt it was important for me to get involved, meet new people and give back to the place where I knew I was going to live, work and raise my family,” Anniss said. Echoing other 20 Under 40 recipients, Anniss said she was surprised to receive the award. “I just do the things I do because they’re important; I don’t look for recognition,” she said. “It makes me feel good to give back. I just think it’s an important thing to do.” cvbusinessmonthly.com

Past 20 Under 40 winners 2012 winners Melissa Barber, Natalie Brown, Paul Cooley, Chad Feldmann, Kevin Fittro, Mason Fromm, Will Frost, Matt Halbur, Nick Hildebrandt, Chris Holahan, Anesa Kajtazovic, Kyle Klingman, Krista McNurlen, Cheryl Meller, ShanQuiesha “Shae” Robinson, Chuck Rowe, Steve Slessor, Nick Taiber, Kim Tierney, Bill Wilson. 2011 winners Joe Barber, Dave Becker, Ryan Bingman, Sarah Meyer-Reyerson, Amy Mohr, Aram Susong, Jordan Alborn, Wade Arnold,Erica Feldick, Lauren Finke, Zach Shimp, Jesse Knight, Heidi DuCharme, Scott Gall, Louis Hagarty, Nadia Korobova, Akela McDonald, Shannon Closson, Mike McGill, Derek Sallis. 2010 winners Agnes Kress, Amy Frost, Amy Wienands, Brad Nelson, Brenda Schares, Brian Eddy, Chad Shipman, Chris Hurley, Chris Western, Erica Martens, James ‘Corye’ Johnson, Jason ‘Jay’ Witham, Jenny Graeser, Lisa Zinkula, Michael Soppe, Ryan Frerichs, Sara Fogdall Miller, Sarah Parsons, Susan Roberts-Dobie, Tara Thomas. 2009 winners Dr. Nick Goetsch, Alan Sweeney, Amber Jedlicka, Allison Parrish, Antonio N. Mays, Brittany Argotsinger, Brooke Burnham, Brad Schweppe, Chassidi Ferguson, Chris Reade, Christy Justice, Crystal Ford, Crystal Buzza, Maggie Burger, Stacey Christensen, Sheri Purdy, Jon Hennings, Joseph Fuller, Dr. Ben Squires, Janelle Darst. 2008 winners Brad Best, Eric Braley, Heather Bremer-Miller, Molly Brown, Aaron Buzza, Kelly Christensen, Andrea Elliott, Angie Fuller, Jessica J. Miller, Michael Muhammad, Marc Riefenrath, Francesca Zogaib, Jennifer Hartman, Kristin Schaefer, Chad Abbas, Tavis Hall, Julieanne Gassman, Dan Dougherty, James “Jamie” Fettkether, Dan Kittle. 2007 winners Emily Girsch, Dr. Matthew Kettman, Christopher Rygh, Ryan Sheridan, Christa

winners From page 3 Karris Golden, executive development officer with Veridian Credit Union and a 2007 winner; and Kathy Flynn, vice president of advancement with Hawkeye Community College. As you leaf through this issue of the Cedar Valley Business Monthly, you will see that this class upholds the now-established tradition of 20 Under 40. How they find time to do their jobs and perform the many community functions to which they’re committed is nothcvbusinessmonthly.com

Miehe, Niki Litzel, Heather Prendergast, Jenny L. Connolly, Nikki Wilson, Karris Golden, Danielle Rusch, Kelly Knott, Paresh Shettigar, Mike Young, Scott J. Sernett, Shelly Smith, Noel C. Anderson, Burton “Bud” Field, Alyssa Becthold, Randolph Bryan. 2006 winners Tammy Bedard, Dr. Kyle Christiason, Beth Cox, David Deeds, Tricia Freeman,Tim Godfrey, Blake Hollis, Jake Huff, Aimee LanglassLandergott, Matt Loesche, Ryan Madison, Brad Metcalf, Andy Miehe, Dr. Brian Sims, Erik Skovgard, Carolynn Sween, Christy Twait, Deb Weber, Gary Wheat, Jamie Wilson. 2005 winners Sean Abbas, Bill Bradford, Renee Christoffer, Angela Conrad, Matthew Craft, Chris Fereday, Kim Fettkether, Mark Funk, Jennifer Goos, Morgan Hoosman, Brad Leeper, Kyrstal Madlock, Brent Matthias, Jim Mudd Jr., Josh Schmidt, Justin Sell, John Speas, Andrew Van Fleet, Jason Weinberger, Joanne Wzontek. 2004 winners Sarah Albertson, John Bunge, Steve Burrell, Telisa Burt, Bryan Burton, Jim Coloff, Katherine Cota-Uyar, Jeff Danielson, Abraham Funchess, Brad Jacobson, Scott Larson, David LeCompte, Jeff Mickey, Andy Miller, Marcus Newsom, Jack Nooren, Lisa Rivera-Skubal, Matt Rolinger, Sharon Samac, Joe Surma. 2003 winners Stacie Brass, Ben Buckley, Mike Byl, Steve Carignan, Amy Dutton, Jack Emkes, Rachel Ford, Ann Hermann, Ann Kerian, Lake Lambert, Scott Leisinger, Eric Locke, Doug Miller, Maria Murphy, Eric Ritland, Robert Smith, Mike Trachta, Stacy Van Gorp, Mike Walden, Dave Wilson. 2002 winners (21 selected) Troy Boelman, Blake Borwick, Drew Conrad, Barry DeVoll, Bryan Earnest, Theresa Hardy, Quintin Hart, Wade Itzen, Chris McGovern, Beth Meyer, Mason Moore, Mike Newland, Christopher Olmstead, Mike Place, Aimee Shepard, Lynn M. Smith, Robert L. Smith, Chad Stroschein, Christ Thomas, Cathy Wilson-Sands, John Wood.

ing short of astounding. Thanks also to the Waterloo Center for the Arts for its cooperation in our multiple-day photo shoot for the project in late August and early September. Thanks also to The Courier staffers who put this publication together. Among them were photographers Matthew Putney, Brandon Pollock, Tiffany Rushing and Courtney Collins, who lugged camera equipment and lights around the location; writers Jon Ericson, Holly Hudson and Tim Jamison, Pat Kinney, Dennis Magee, John Molseed, Jeff Reinitz and Andrew Wind.

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Cedar Valley Business monthly

november 2013

Shawna Buckley She built career from ground up and is grounded in the community

Shawna Buckley ■■ AGE: 38 ■■ OCCUPATION: Vice president, Cedar Valley banking administration manager at Community National Bank. ■■ VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES: Downtown Waterloo Rotary, Junior Achievement, Waterloo Community Schools Foundation – Special Events Committee, Lou Henry PTO. ■■ EDUCATION: Graduated from Waterloo East High School; B.S. in business management from Upper Iowa University. ■■ FAMILY: Married to Ben Buckley; two sons, Brady (12) and Blake (4). ■■ A MOMENT THAT SHAPED YOU: My oldest brother passed away when I was in middle school. I learned at a young age that life is very precious and you have to make the most of every day.

MATTHEW PUTNEY / Courier Photo Editor

Shawna Buckley, 2013 20 under 40 winner, at the RiverLoop Amphitheatre in downtown Waterloo. TIM JAMISON tim.jamison@wcfcourier.com‌ WATERLOO — Shawna Buckley started her banking career on the ground floor. But focus and patience helped her move from teller to vice president in just 15 years at Community National Bank. “Anyone who really enjoys what they do, works hard and wants to learn can do what I did,” said Buckley. “I think what’s hard for people nowadays is they don’t have the patience or want to take the time to move up within a company.” Buckley, now vice president for retail banking at CNB, was selected as one of The Courier’s annual 20 Under 40 award recipients based on her leadership in the local banking industry coupled with a com6

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mitment to the community. Stacey Bentley, her boss and mentor at CNB, said Buckley does a great job balancing her career, volunteer work and family — raising two children with her husband. “Shawna’s leadership and integrity are reflected throughout her work in the community as she knows the importance of volunteering,” Bentley said. Buckley was born and raised in Waterloo, graduated from East High School and attended Hawkeye Community College before moving to live in Hawaii with her sister for six months. But she returned to Waterloo and began working as a teller at CNB in 1998. “I always knew I wanted to work with the public in some manner,” she said. “Once I started working here I just really enjoyed what I

Cedar Valley Business monthly

did.” Buckley attended night school at Upper Iowa University to secure a business management degree. Meanwhile, she worked in a variety of positions in the bank. “Stacey Bentley has been mentoriing me from the beginning,” she said. “She pushed me to do things at the time that I didn’t think I could do.” Buckley was appointed to an assistant vice president position in 2007 and later earned the vice president spot for retail banking, where she works with local businesses investing in the Cedar Valley. “We’re very fortunate that our business owners want to give back to the community as well,” she said. “They want to stay here and want their businesses to succeed.” Buckley gives back as well, vol-

■■ A MENTOR AND WHY: Stacey Bentley. She has helped me achieve my career goals within the bank and continues to challenge me daily. I would also say my mom has always been a big supporter and mentor. From a young age she empowered me to make my own decisions but always reminded me that I had to live with the decision I made regardless if it turned out to be right or wrong.

unteering at Junior League, Waterloo Rotary, Waterloo Community Schools Foundation and her son’s school. “The bank always wants employees to be active out in the community,” she said. “I think it is very rewarding to see what you can do in a community that impacts someone else — not just the monetary things, but helping do the small things that make a big difference.” And Buckley is sticking to her community just like she stuck with her employer. “There has been so much that Waterloo-Cedar Falls has done that we now have to offer,” she said. “All that’s being done in arts and theater and education, and Waterloo schools are doing great things with the (option tax); all the schools are brand new.” cvbusinessmonthly.com

philanthropy

Keeping generational wealth local According to a 2012 report by Accenture, national research projects over $12 trillion will shift between the Greatest Generation (born between the 1920’s and 1930’s) and the baby boomers (born between 1946 to 1964), while a “greater” Ali Parrish wealth transfer is Black Hawk County of over $30 trilDevelopment lion in financial Director at the and non-financial Community assets in North Foundation America will ocof Northeast cur between the Iowa. Contact boomers her at 287-9106 baby or aparrish@ and their heirs (Gen’s X and Y, cfneia.org. born in the mid 1960’s through 2000). In Iowa, $531 billion is expected to pass between generations within the same time frame. In just 10 years, $74.4 billion will

have already transferred. Much of this wealth is invested in family homes and farms, retirement accounts and other appreciated assets — some of which may be heavily taxed if given to heirs. This creates an interesting, onetime opportunity to create permanent charitable benefits for Iowa citizens and communities. If only 5 percent of the wealth transferred was earmarked for charitable endowment, the resulting funds would generate hundreds of millions of dollars every year for local community projects and priorities across the state — forever. It’s going to be crucial for local charitable organizations, and financial and estate planners, to capture the attention of the heirs of this transfer and earn their loyalty, even though these prospective donors and clients are not yet in the segment that traditionally receives the most attention from nonprofit development staff and professional

planners. A first step toward capturing the attention of these generations is to understand them and the kind of donors they are and will be in the future. A 2012 #NextGenDonors study found the following four key traits of Gen X and Y donors: ■■ Driven by values, not valuables — Next gen major donors are driven by values they’ve often learned from parents and grandparents. They seek balance between legacy and the needs of today. They will fund family and local causes, as long as they align with their values. They are ready to be donors — now. ■■ Impact first — Philanthropic “strategy” is what separates next gen donors from previous generations. They are focused on impact, first and foremost, rather than a desire for recognition or social requirements. They want to impact what they can see and know their involvement has contributed to

that impact. ■■ Time, talent, treasure, and ties — Once engaged, these donors will want to go “all in.” They want to develop close relationships to the organizations they support and have the opportunity to solve problems together by giving their full range of assets. ■■ Crafting their philanthropic identities — These donors are still figuring out who they will be as donors and learn most from seeing and doing. They want to craft their philanthropic identities and think about their own legacies now, rather than waiting until they are nearing the end of life. There are many ways to engage this new generation of donors and keep wealth local to benefit Iowa communities forever. Professional advisers and local community foundations are great resources to learn about the best giving options for these donors and their communities.

This is my Wartburg story.

What’s yours?

I was happy teaching at a state university, but never satisfied. The large university setting did not emphasize outreach and community service, nor did it allow me to explore other areas of importance — like faith. Wartburg College champions these ideals. The college attracts students who are hardworking, honest, and ready to serve. In fact, it’s hard to watch them leave every four years. I need to live my life in a way that both God and I are happy with who I am becoming. Wartburg allows me to do that. Through the college I can help change the world for the better. — Dr. Timothy Ewest Associate Professor of Business Administration

View more stories and share your own at www.wartburg.edu/ourstory cvbusinessmonthly.com

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Cedar Valley Business monthly

november 2013

Nate Clayberg

Interest in economic development leads to emphasis on education

Nate Clayberg ■■ AGE: 38 ■■ OCCUPATION: Executive director of Buchanan County Economic Development Commission ■■ VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES: Independence Rotary Club, Jesup Community School District PTO and school board, Junior Achievement board of directors and classroom volunteer ■■ EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree in journalism/ mass communications, Iowa State University, 1997 ■■ FAMILY: Wife Kelly; daughter Rachel, 11; son Daniel, 7 ■■ A MOMENT THAT SHAPED YOU: “I think a defining moment was when I got married, really. My wife is one that kind of made me see a whole other perspective in how life could be and decisions that could be made as we moved forward when it comes to kids or work or family or where we are.”

MATTHEW PUTNEY / Courier Photo Editor

Nate Clayberg, a winner of The Courier’s 20 Under 40 award, at the Waterloo Center for the Arts. JIM OFFNER jim.offner@wcfcourier.com‌ INDEPENDENCE — Forgive Nate Clayberg if he looks at community development passionately. It’s his job, after all. Clayberg, executive director of the Buchanan County Economic Development Commission, works on several development fronts from a volunteer standpoint when he isn’t officially on the job. Schools are a major focus, he said. “A lot of what I’ve been doing the last few years has been involvement with Jesup Community School District, getting involved in Parent Teacher Organization and getting that group going in the right direction with some fundraising efforts and helping them get on the technology bandwagon, if you will.” That evolved into running for a spot on the school board. “I took an interest from a professional standpoint,” he said. Clayberg said schools are the key to bridging “skills gaps” that are emerging, as well as firing up stu8

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dents’ interest in manufacturing and technology. “My position is schools are workforce factories,” Clayberg said. Clayberg has been heavily involved in Junior Achievement over the last several years, and was recently asked to sit on the JA board of directors, he said. “I was a classroom volunteer for the last four to five years, so it’s the same interest there in helping kids making good financial decisions as they’re getting older and choosing the right career as they go along — all stuff I wish someone would have sat with me when I was their age,” he said. Clayberg has been in his current position in Buchanan County for five years. Prior to that, he was with Sartori Healthcare Foundation at Sartori Hospital with Wheaton Franciscan for a year, following about six years as assistant athletic director for marketing and promotions at the University of Northern Iowa. A native of Webster City, Clayberg followed his wife, Kelly, an Independence native whom he met as

Cedar Valley Business monthly

■■ A MENTOR AND WHY: “I can’t say there’s one person that I’ve identified I lean on for information. I’d say there’s a handful of them, just because of different characteristics they’ve had in organization or leadership or trust or just value their opinion, and they’ve all come from all walks of my background.”

a student at Iowa State University, to the Cedar Valley. The couple moved to the Cedar Valley 11 years ago, when she was offered a job as a profusionist at Allen Hospital and he started working at UNI. Clayberg formed strong bonds in the community as he got involved. “Mostly I would say the connections I made at UNI were a big part of my life here in the Cedar Valley,” he said. “I’ve built and nurtured those relationships over the years. ... I attribute a lot of that to the connections I made through UNI or extended family in Independence or Buchanan County.” Clayberg said his volunteer activities date to his days at Wheaton Franciscan. He was involved in Junior Achievement and Cedar Valley Young Professionals. His advice for young people is to “look big-picture.” “Don’t peak too soon. Take time and understand what you’re learning. Where do you want to be five, 10 years down the line? At least have an idea,” he said. Terry Toale nominated Clayberg

for The Courier’s 20 Under 40 honor. Toale said Clayberg played an important marketing role at UNI, and his legacy there continues. “At UNI, Nate oversaw the planning and implementation of the department’s integrated marketing and branding campaigns,” Toale said. “He also directed and produced the event atmosphere elements that are designed to create home-field advantage. He initiated business ticket and hospitality programs that set home attendance records for three sports. Nate directed marketing efforts to grow program affinity and to grow increased season ticket holders, scholarship club members and trademark-licensing growth.” Toale said Clayberg is making the same imprint in his current job. “Nate oversees the economic development initiatives for the entire Buchanan County area,” Toale said, “giving new and existing small businesses technical assistance and counseling. “Nate demonstrates leadership, community involvement and volunteer participation,” Toale said. cvbusinessmonthly.com

personal finance

Caring for parents’ can strain relations between siblings As the parents of baby boomers age, helping to care for them can become a source of financial and emotional stress among families. As sisters and brothers confront the issues that come with aging family members, decades of shared history can create conflict. In most families, siblings Larry K. Fox have different fiis a private wealth adviser nancial situations, personalities and with Larry K. Fox & perspectives that Associates can make it a chalin Waterloo, lenge to come to an a practice of agreement about Ameriprise caregiving. Financial Research from Services Inc. Contact him at the Money Across 234-7000. Generations II study shows that 36 percent of boomer-age respondents say proximity to parents is the biggest factor in determining which sibling will be the primary source of support. Only 13 percent agree it’s the sibling with the most financial means, and a mere 3 percent believe all siblings should share responsibilities. It’s important for families to agree on who will be the primary coordinator for your parents’ financial and emotional needs before your parents experience declining health. Determining who will fill this roll, and communicating that to your parents before it becomes an urgent matter, can help ease tension among family members. Here are some tips to help manage your parents’ finances and caregiving needs: ■■ Be aware and respect your siblings’ situations. Siblings may live in a different state or have family obligations or professions that keep them from being available to help care for aging parents physically or financially. It may be difficult to accept these discrepancies, but it’s important to work hard to come to a compromise. Some siblings may have more time helping to help, while others may have cvbusinessmonthly.com

greater financial resources. Talk with your siblings about what each person feels he or she can and cannot afford in respect to both time and money. ■■ Recognize differences in money habits and priorities. Each of your siblings may have different money habits – one may splurge while the other is more budget conscious. Consider money management styles when you’re choosing who will be best to help with your parents’ finances. ■■ Move on from past stereotypes (i.e. the dreamer, the bossy one or the perfect student). Just because one sibling may have taken on too much debt in the past doesn’t mean they have a problem with saving money now. Give your siblings the benefit of the doubt and ask them to do the same for you. ■■ Communicate often. Communication among siblings is important during this time in your parent’s life. If you call and send emails to one family member, other siblings may be out of the loop. Ensure you’re setting aside time to talk with your siblings about matters that may impact everyone. Scheduling regular times to talk will keep everyone informed when discussing your parents’ finances and health. If these kinds of conversations typically lead to tension, consider drafting an agenda for your meetings to provide the opportunity for a structured discussion in which everyone gets a chance to provide input. If you’re the primary caregiver for your parent(s), these conversations provide opportunity to ask for help. Your parent(s) need your support most during this time in their lives. Try your best to not let financial differences, or stresses set off old problems or rivalries between you and your siblings. Communicate openly and in a structured setting to ensure a supportive environment and success for all involved. Consider working with a financial adviser who can help you work through these scenarios and steer you in the right direction financially.

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Cedar Valley Business monthly

november 2013

Tabatha Cruz

Diverse background makes her a perfect multicultural director

Tabatha Cruz ■■ AGE: 27 ■■ OCCUPATION: Program coordinator at the Center for Multicultural Education, University of Northern Iowa ■■ VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES: Membership education advisor to the UNI chapter of Alpha Delta Pi Sorority; serves on numerous University committees; assisting multicultural student organizations with program planning and leadership development; adviser to the Hispanic Latino Student Union; facilitate discussions and give presentations to community organizations and schools about diversity issues and resources ■■ FAMILY: Parents Aida and Luis Cruz; siblings Yolanda and Desiree; three nieces and two nephews who live in Texas; boyfriend Jeremiah ■■ A MOMENT THAT SHAPED YOU: Being a recipient of the Bridge Scholarship Award at UNI in 2005. For a first generation student, and being from a low-income family, financial resources were the largest obstacle in the pursuit of a college degree. Had UNI not crossed my path, I would not be the person I am today.

MATTHEW PUTNEY / Courier Photo Editor

Tabatha Cruz, a winner of The Courier’s 20 Under 40 Award, outside the Phelps Youth Pavilion. PAT KINNEY pat.kinney@wcfcourier.com‌ CEDAR FALLS — If you looked up the word “diversity” in the dictionary, you might find a photo of Tabatha Cruz. Hired as program coordinator for the University of Northern Iowa’s Center for Multicultural Education in 2010, she knows what it’s like being a stranger in a strange land — and rising to the occasion through her professional skills, her engaging personality and a supportive family. A native of the Bronx, N.Y., in New York City, she was raised from infancy by adoptive Puerto Rican parents who were older when they adopted her. After 40 years, her father retired and they moved back to Puerto Rico. She was 8. “I went from an all-English environment to all Spanish, which was very difficult,” Cruz said. “I picked up on Spanish pretty quickly. I remember on my first report card I got a ‘B’ in Spanish class and my mom said. ‘That’s great. But next time, make it 10

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an ‘A’ “ At age 16, her parents, then in their early 70s, encountered health issues and moved to San Antonio, Texas, to be near her sister. It made for another cultural challenge. “South Texas has a very large Hispanic population, but totally different nationalities. There are a lot of Mexicans, so here I am, my parents being Puerto Rican, and trying to fit in,” she said. “People think Spanish is the same all across the board and it’s not. Depending on what country you’re from or from what region the dialects change. I would talk in my words and my slang, and people would look at me funny. That was hard.” She attended Palo Alto Community College in San Antonio. She was looking to extend her education beyond junior college, and a counselor made her aware of a scholarship program to go to a school at UNI, with which Palo Alto had a relationship. The counselor cautioned her it was quite a distance away. “I said, ‘Isn’t

Cedar Valley Business monthly

■■ A MENTOR AND WHY: My parents for always encouraging me to do my best, to work hard and to take pride in the work I do. However, there are many mentors who have provided unconditional support, love, and guidance throughout the years such as: Susan Payne, Rita and Roland Carrillo, Juanita Wright, and Drake Martin, to name a few.

that what you’re supposed to do? Go away to college and grow up?’ He was like, ‘Well, Tabatha, it’s really cold up there.’ I said, ‘Hey, I’m from New York! I have tough skin! I can wear a jacket!’ He said ‘Well, Tabatha it’s in Iowa.’ I said ‘Where is that?’ He said ‘You know where Chicago is? It’s right by that.’ I said ‘Sign me up!’” She broke the news gently to her parents. Her mother was concerned about her “baby” leaving the nest and moving so far away. But with the help of her sister, her folks came around to the idea. “I was very thankful. I took the chance and ran with it,” she said. After graduating at UNI — the first college graduate in her family — she received a master’s degree at Illinois State University at Normal, Ill. After which she was hired in her present position at UNI. “I feel I have a responsibility to give back to UNI, because it gave me so much,” she said. “I’m very thankful for the people I met along the way who gave me this opportunity to be here.”

Part of Cruz’s job is to promote understanding among the diverse groups that make up the university. A former resident hall assistant herself, she’s worked on that from the dorm floors on up with diversity training. She also emphasized that the Center for Multicultural Education at Maucker Union is for everyone, as students she meets during her sorority advising and other capacities have learned when they visit. “Students feel very comfortable coming to my office. They say ‘I’ve never been to the multicultural center. I didn’t know I could be in here because I’m not a multicultural person.’ And I say, ‘You have culture! White is not the absence of color.’” UNI faculty member and campus American Democracy Project chairperson Gerri Perrault, who nominated Cruz for the 20 Under 40 recognition, called Cruz “a person of character, competence and professionalism who is dedicated to making the world a better place to live.” cvbusinessmonthly.com

management

Some advice for young managers I have a wide range of musical interests. I enjoy classical, hard and soft rock, country and almost everything in between. Recently I’ve had Brad Paisley’s “Letter to Me” stuck in my head. Released in 2007, it’s a clever tune in which Paisley offers adRick Brimeyer vice to himself as is president of a 17-year-old. Brimeyer LLC, That got me to an Ames-based thinking about independent what advice I management consulting firm. would offer to Contact him myself as a new, at (515) 45027-year-old man8855 or rick@ ager. Like Paisbrimeyerllc. ley’s song, hopecom. fully the next generation can benefit. Here goes: First of all, congratulations. Senior leaders didn’t simply pull your name out of a hat. They recognized that you possess some unique skills in leading and man-

aging people. Your age was certainly discussed, and the risks associated with it were determined to be manageable. That said, don’t feel too good about yourself. You’re no better or worse than anyone else on the team … just different. You’re simply being directed to the right seat on the bus for you to fulfill the organization’s mission. I understand it’s a bit intimidating managing former co-workers, some of whom have been working here longer than you’ve been alive. Sometimes it feels like assigning jobs to your parents. But you don’t need to apologize. Most of the older workers figured out years ago that they either didn’t possess the skills or the desire to manage others. They just want to do a good job on their job, not worry about others. And besides, they also recognize that you’ve got leadership skills. Your age won’t be a major detriment to success. Most of what you need to know about working

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with people, you learned from Mom and Dad. That time you had to lead that ragtag patrol of boy scouts to build a fire in a steady downpour in order to eat taught you teamwork. In fact, your management style won’t change dramatically with age. Sure, you’ll have a few more experiences to draw upon, increasing your confidence. You’ll mellow a bit, become a bit more patient. You’ll listen better and longer before talking. The sooner you develop those traits, the better. Continue to invest in deep, meaningful relationships with a handful of older employees you respect, including leaders. Their perspective will put things into context during tough times. And there will be tough times. Your youth can actually be a real asset. Similar to investing, many managers tend to get more conservative with age. They perceive that they have more to lose and so they unintentionally play not to lose. Play to win!

Oh, and here’s an “Aha!” moment that you’ll have in about 20 years. I might as well share it with you now so you have an additional two decades of benefit: It’s not about delivering great results … it’s about developing people and a place where great results can be consistently delivered. Along that line, like so many American managers, you want to solve problems quickly and directly. When you see something that works for another organization, you can’t wait to duplicate it. But don’t copy the tool; instead replicate the problem solving process that developed the tool. That way you’ll have a solution that better fits your specific problem and situation, plus you’ll be developing problem solving employees. Finally, and most importantly, remember this isn’t even your most important job. Be a good spouse and parent first. You only get one chance to raise your kids. You won’t regret it.

Congratulations Nick!

“Our accomplishments show what kind of people we are.” GIL SCOTT-HERON

Nick, we are proud of who you are. 6612 Chancellor Dr., Suite 100 Cedar Falls, Iowa 50613 (319) 268-9210 www.pointbuilders.com

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november 2013

Scott Dewey Training dogs enhances the lives of children, veterans

Scott Dewey ■■ AGE: 39 ■■ OCCUPATION: Owner/co-founder of Retrieving Freedom Inc., Waverly. ■■ VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES: “For the first year, everything we did was 100 percent volunteer on our parts — getting the thing started, getting it up and going. And now, for the last year and a half, even though we’ve taken on the responsibility of running the organization and the fundraising and the training and the dogs, we still are working daily with putting together volunteer groups and incorporating schools and churches and community involvement into keeping this program going as a nonprofit organization.” ■■ EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree in agriculture business/technology, Iowa State University, 1996 ■■ FAMILY: Wife Tara; sons Ryan, 12; Austin, 9 ■■ A MOMENT THAT SHAPED YOU: “Part of what shaped me from the beginning was losing my dad to cancer when I was 3 years old. I think part of my whole life has been lived around that happening at a young age. I’ve got a great stepdad — don’t get me wrong. We’ve had a great life ever since then, but there’s part of me that has always lived wanting to know that he would be proud had he been here longer.

MATTHEW PUTNEY / Courier Photo Editor

Scott Dewey, a 20 under 40 winner in 2013, outside the Waterloo Center for the Arts. JIM OFFNER jim.offner@wcfcourier.com‌ WAVERLY — A dog’s life can have positive connotations, Scott Dewey says. Dewey, 39, has spent much of his adult life trying to prove that point. He trains dogs that end up in the homes of autistic children or returning veterans who are coping with disabilities or debilitating conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder. “Scott has a passion for helping others and is doing so by using the God-given talent he has to train dogs to improve the lives of others,” said Cal Corson, who nominated Dewey for a Courier 20 Under 40 award. At one time Dewey made his living training dogs for competitions. But he stepped away from the for-profit world in October 2011 to 12

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launch Retrieving Freedom in rural Waverly, a nonprofit that trains service dogs for children and veterans. Dewey started Retrieving Freedom with Charles Dwyer of Senatobia, Miss. “We mirror each other in both locations, mostly because of the lack of supply of service dogs in the Midwest,” Dewey said. “Almost all of the locations that are currently going are East Coast, West Coast, Southern state organizations.” Dewey earned a degree in agriculture business/technology at Iowa State University in 1996. As he built an extensive background as a dog trainer, he was on the road constantly. He was in Texas when he had a life-changing experience that made him rethink his priorities. He saw a Christian country group called the Dirt Road Band. “I went into church one morning and heard a couple of songs being

Cedar Valley Business monthly

■■ A MENTOR AND WHY: “It would be my mother, Barb Bridges. Mom worked at Bartels Lutheran (Retirement Community, in Waverly). My mom, I guess is the one I’ve followed for doing the right thing.”

played by this band that totally answered some questions for me,” he said. He was a thousand miles from home and his boys, ages 6 and 9. He talked to his brother, who had done multiple tours to Afghanistan and Iraq in the Army and then as a contractor. He talked to Charles Dwyer about the need for these service dogs. He sought the counsel of his mother. Retrieving Freedom was born. It was a gamble. Dewey left a good job with a regular paycheck. But he was pursuing his dream. “I truly believe there is more of a purpose with the children and veterans that need these dogs than the winning of a competition.” Retrieving Freedom trains about 10 dogs at a time at each of its two locations. Training takes about two years. When one dog is finished and placed, another puppy, raised

at a donor home to the age of six or seven months, is brought in to begin the training process. Dewey recently started a Retrieving Freedom program at Wartburg College in Waverly. He brings 10 dogs-in-training for a class with 20 students, who help prepare the dogs for placement. The dogs are used a number of ways, Dewey said. “Involvement in troubled teenage homes, reading programs in the elementary schools, hospice programs,” he said. “These dogs are trained for two years, so we might as well use them before they get placed.” Dewey says his dogs can help fight the me-first attitude so prevalent in society today. “I think Retrieving Freedom can really involve people, and I love seeing kids get involved with a greater purpose than themselves,” he said. cvbusinessmonthly.com

volunteering

A new generation of volunteers The Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley congratulates those individuals honored as the 20 under 40 in the Cedar Valley. These individuals include two generational categories, Generation X and Generation Y, also known as “millennials.” Between 2009 and 2011, the Gen X average national Anne Nass volunteer rate was is ommunications 29.4 percent per coordinator for year. During the the Volunteer same time frame, Center of Cedar average Gen X Valley. Contact volunteer rates her at 272-2087 for states ranged or anne_nass@ from 22 percent to vccv.org. 47 percent. Iowa ranked No. 2 nationally at 42 percent. Probably the biggest story in the “Volunteering In America” (Corporation for National and Community Service) report is that Gen X members (those born between 1965 and

1981) have dramatically increased volunteering rates. This generation, which has been characterized as indifferent and unengaged, has begun to overcome its initial apathy and to pick up the responsibility of service. In their teens, Gen Xers demonstrated low volunteer rates, at 12.3 percent overall. Now in their 30s and 40s, Gen Xers have doubled their rate, reaching 29.4 percent. Little focus has been paid to Generation X, and yet they are quietly becoming more engaged in service as they move up in their careers and raising their families. As they approach their peak earning power, they have the potential to be engaged not just as volunteers, but as donors as well. The Corporation for National and Community Service has examined many volunteer groups. Between 2009 and 2011, the average national volunteer rate was 21.6 percent per year. During the same timeframe, average Millennial (those born be-

tween 1982 and 2002) volunteer rates for states ranged from 14.4 percent to 37.6 percent. Rankings are based on a three-year moving average. Iowa ranked third among the 50 states and Washington, D.C. with 31 percent of millennials volunteering. The 2012 Millennial Impact Report by Achieve and Johnson, Grossnickle and Associates found the following: ■■ 63 percent of millennials volunteered for a nonprofit in 2011. ■■ 90 percent of respondents said they expect to volunteer as much or more in 2012 than in 2011. ■■ By a margin of more than twoto-one, millennials who volunteer for nonprofits are more likely to make donations. ■■ 77 percent own a smartphone and 23 percent have signed up to volunteer via their smartphone. ■■ 61 percent would share volunteer opportunities via Facebook. ■■ More than 70 percent said they’ve raised money on behalf of a nonprofit.

■■ 41 percent say volunteer opportunities are the first thing they look for when they visit a nonprofit’s website. ■■ 47 percent want volunteer opportunities included in the e-newsletters from nonprofits. ■■ Top reasons millennials don’t volunteer include lack of time and not having been asked. ■■ Millennials are interested in an assortment of volunteer commitments, from micro-volunteering to one-time volunteer events, to family and group volunteering to leadership commitments. ■■ Millennials want to use their skills to help nonprofits, and they’re ready to connect the impressive power of their online and offline networks to do so. For years the baby boomers were given primary attention when it came to volunteerism, primarily due to thier large population. However, the statistics regarding Gen X and the millennial generation show volunteerism will continue to grow.

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november 2013

Curtis DeGroote Marketing experience makes him a valuable volunteer

Curtis DeGroote ■■ AGE: 39 ■■ OCCUPATION: Director of research and development and partner of drivingloyalty.com ■■ VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES: Make-A-Wish, Karsyn’s Krusaders, the search for Lyric and Elizabeth, Angels Park Memorial, Concert for the Angels, Memorial Ride and Drive for the Girls 2013 ■■ EDUCATION: 1992 graduate of Columbus High School ■■ FAMILY: Wife Sherry; daughters Sierra, 16, and Savannah, 14; son, Shaden, 13 ■■ MOMENT THAT SHAPED YOU: The day my oldest daughter was born.

MATTHEW PUTNEY / Courier Photo Editor

Curtis DeGroote, a 2013 20 Under 40 Award recipient, at the Waterloo Center for the Arts. HOLLY HUDSON holly.hudson@wcfcourier.com Two pivotal moments in his life — a death and a birth — helped shape Curtis DeGroote into the man he is today. Losing his mother when he was 5 years old gave him the perspective of someone older than his years. “When my mom died from cancer, I realized our days are numbered,” he said. “We have to make every day count.” Watching his father raise five kids left an impact as well. “I recognized that he never gave up on us,” DeGroote said. But the birth of his oldest daughter left an indelible mark. “When Sierra was born, it completely changed my outlook on life,” he said. “It made me realize that’s the reason we are here — to continue the family heritage, to teach 14

november 2013

as best possible not only what our parents taught us but what we have learned.” DeGroote has translated those lessons into success and service in many aspects of his life. Professionally, as director of research and development for one of the largest national automotive marketing firms based out of Florida, he designed and developed the first automated sales and service retention programs for automotive dealerships in the United States. After commuting between Iowa and Florida for almost four years, he took on a new partnership in Cedar Falls with Scott Davis, Sheila Mixdorf and Brad Nichols, allowing him to stay closer to his family. DeGroote is a partner at Driving Loyalty.com and is currently responsible for new product development, sales distribution as well

Cedar Valley Business monthly

as brand and promotional marketing. Personally, DeGroote married his high school sweatheart, Sherry. The couple have three children. “My dad always told me to do what you say you’re going to do,” DeGroote said. “It is very important to me to keep my word to my kids, or anybody.” DeGroote advises his children, and others, to get involved. “Do things for your community,” he said. “Get involved. Be there to help. Give all you can and don’t expect anything in return.” DeGroote leads by example in the area of community service. He has worked as a marketing volunteer for Make-A-Wish; was instrumental in helping during and after the search for Lyric Morrissey-Cook and Elizabeth Collins, the Evansdale cousins who went missing in July 2012; and has pro-

■■ A MENTOR AND WHY: My wife, Sherry, because I think I owe everything to her. She’s stood behind everything I’ve wanted to do. As a spouse and a mother, she taught me more about being a parent than anyone else could have. And my dad, who taught me never to give up and told me, “Always do what you say you’re going to do.”

vided marketing and support for Karsyn’s Krusaders, nonprofit organization that raises money to help people affected by cancer. ”In addition to the commitment to his family, work, and the community, Curtis always makes time for those who matter to him,” said Jessica Miller, who nominated DeGroote. Miller’s daughter, Karsyn, and her battle with high-risk leukemia led to the creation of Karsyn’s Krusaders, which has raised more than $250,000. ”He has been instrumental in the launching and fundraising associated with this grass roots, 100 percent volunteer organization,” Miller said. “... without the market experience, knowledge and endless volunteer efforts that Curtis provided to this organization, none of this would have been possible.” cvbusinessmonthly.com

Millennials seek happy workplaces The Miami Herald Each morning, Michelle Introsso, 22, huddles with her co-workers at Cirle, brainstorms with them on a blackboard, and chats with them online as the day unfolds. When the workday ends nine hours later, she often heads with them to dinner or for drinks. The camaraderie, she says, is what she looks for from the people she works with and allows her to do a better job. “I’m not just an employee; I’m part of a team.” Today, millennials like Introsso want to integrate their work and personal lives even more than previous generations. They want their workplaces to be like second homes, their co-workers to be their friends, and their bosses to be their workplace parents or mentors. While the big push in creating social workplaces has centered on ice cream-making contests and costume competitions, experts say the future is going to require a more strategic approach to building a “fun” culture that encourages camaraderie, loyalty and dedication. Researchers say millennials’ ex-

MARSHA HALPER / Miami Herald

Richard Awdeh, founder and CEO of Cirle, leads an afternoon “scrum” with Ben Clapp, right, Eli Chen, back left, and Sachin Bhandari and Michelle Ingrossoon on Sept. 13 in Miami. pectations for social connections at work set them apart. A survey by Millennial Branding shows this young generation has a team-oriented focus and enjoys collabora-

tion. “They were on sports teams growing up where the teams were rewarded and want the same feeling in the workplace,” said Dan

Schawbel, managing partner of Millennial Branding, a Gen Y research and management consulting firm. “If they are able to make friends at work, they are more likely to stay with your company and be happy doing so.” There are significant business reasons why employers should want millennials to stay and be happy. The millennial generation — people born between 1982 and 1993 — numbers about 80 million in America, slightly larger than the baby-boomer generation. By 2025, millennials, also known as Gen Y, will account for more than 75 percent of the global workforce. Employee engagement, particularly when it comes to millennials, is a top priority for businesses, such as accounting firm Ernst & Young, where 60 percent of its employees are young workers. Karyn Twaronite, EY Americas inclusiveness officer, says her organization has taken a proactive approach to managing its increasing millennial population.

See millenNials, page 19

Cedar Falls Utilities appreciates the quality service our employees provide to Cedar Falls residents and businesses.

Congratulations to Lori Hoffmann, 20 Under 40 Award Winner!

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Cedar Valley Business monthly

november 2013

Pat Grassley A new generation blazes a trail of young leadership JIM OFFNER jim.offner@wcfcourier.com‌ NEW HARTFORD — For newcomers to the Iowa Legislature, the instructions are simple: Listen and learn. For Pat Grassley, early life in the Legislature allowed for no such luxuries. Grassley had been in the Iowa House less than one term when twin disasters struck his district. An EF5 tornado devastated Parkersburg and nearby towns, and a 100-year flood inundated his hometown, New Hartford, calling him to front-line duty. District 50, which he represents in the Iowa House, includes southern Butler, all of Grundy and northern Hardin counties. “It really pushed forward how quickly you need to grow up in the legislative process,” Grassley, now 30, said. “It really sped up my development as a legislator. I knew that was something that my constituents had an expectation from me to make sure they were being represented in Des Moines.” Grassley rushed to Parkersburg the night the tornado swept through the town. He knew many of the victims. “I’ll never forget that moment when I went in there and saw those people and all the loss,” Grassley said. At that point, Grassley said, perhaps people started thinking of him as more than just the grandson of U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley. Suddenly the younger Grassley was the member of the family area residents sought out for answers. That is as it should be, he said, because every community needs a new generation of leaders. He said he feels fortunate to be able to do his part. “It’s very important to have young leadership that’s going to be the future,” he said. “It’s going to take a lot of the new leaders.” Young leaders have tools their 16

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Pat Grassley ■■ AGE: 30 ■■ OCCUPATION: Iowa legislator and farmer, New Hartford ■■ VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES: Oak Hill Cemetery Foundation; United Methodist Church, New Hartford; New Hartford youth sports program ■■ EDUCATION: Associates degree in agriculture business, Hawkeye Community College, 2004 ■■ FAMILY: Wife Amanda; daughters Indee, 7; Reagan, 4 ■■ A MOMENT THAT SHAPED YOU: “I remember the night of the 2008 tornado, I went into Parkersburg and seeing all that, I knew I was going to have to devote a lot of my next several years in the Legislature dealing with the tragedy and the work that was going to take place afterward.” ■■ A MENTOR AND WHY: “Obviously, my grandfather (U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley). People think that whenever him and I would travel together or talk, that all we talk about is politics. But we talk more about the farm and who can get better gas mileage.”

MATTHEW PUTNEY / Courier Photo Editor

Pat Grassley, a 2013 20 Under 40 Award winner, at the Waterloo Center for the Arts. predecessors didn’t have, Grassley said. “You have social media, and that’s how a lot of people in the 20-to-40 age group find out about organizations and do some of that background that it takes to be involved with stuff,” Grassley said. “So, getting other young people involved is very important.” Grassley, who helps his father, Robin, farm 1,700 acres of corn and soybeans near New Hartford, said his agriculture roots -– grandfather Chuck also farms when he’s not in Washington, D.C. –- has solified his connection with the land and the

Cedar Valley Business monthly

people around him. And it has spurred him into involvement with his community. “We’ve been involved with Oak Hill Cemetery Foundation since the tornadoes and the floods of 2008,” he said. “They had the nice big pine trees surrounding it, and those were all gone. They came to me and said, ‘Would you want to serve on this board? To get some younger people getting involved in it?’ So, we had the opportunity to be on that, and Bob Dixon led the effort, and it raised well over $15,000 to rebuild that facility.” The effort paid off, he said.

Arches that originally graced the cemetery have been recreated, and the tree lines were replaced. Grassley has been a member of United Methodist Church in New Hartford since he was a child, and now his own children attend the church. He coached the T ball team his youngest daughter, Reagan, played on last summer. Sherree Sharp nominated Grassley for The Courier’s 20 Under 40 award. “This is not about being a Republican or a Democrat, but about the work he’s done as an individual to help his friends and neighbors,” Sharp said. “Pat knows all too well the devastation caused by the floods that hit his hometown. He met personally with residents who were affected by the floods and tornadoes and worked tirelessly to get them the aid they needed.” Grassley advises others to get involved. “Don’t be afraid to step outside your comfort zone and get involved in something,” he said. cvbusinessmonthly.com

All under 40… Successful…and

Congratulations to some of our best and brightest employees, alumni and one of our outstanding students! Tabatha Cruz, B.A. ‘08

Program Coordinator, Center for Multicultural Education

Brian Hoyer

Business administration major

Nick Jedlicka, B.A. ‘04 Jeff Kurtz, B.A. ‘96 Matthew Miehe, B.A. ‘06 Eric O’Brien, B.A. ‘01, M.S. ‘04 University Sustainability Coordinator

Doug Schwab

UNI Wrestling Coach

Katie Slade, B.A. ‘02 Angela Weekley, M.A. ‘10

University of Northern Iowa

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Cedar Valley Business monthly

november 2013

Lori Hoffmann

Finding the human side of the business world fulfilling

Lori Hoffmann ■■ Age: 37 ■■ Occupation: Human resource professional, employee training and communications specialist at Cedar Falls Utilities ■■ Volunteer activities: CVSHRM (local HR chapter – past officer), Iowa SHRM State Council (past professional development officer, current state council director elect and in 2014 will be state council director), Blue Zones Project (Power 9 leader and worksite leadership lead), Greater Cedar Valley Diversity & Inclusion Initiative Committee ■■ Education: Hawkeye Community College — associates degree (general studies), UNI – bachelor’s degree in business management with an emphasis in human resources, UNI – completing graduation requirements for master’s degree in communication studies ■■ Family: husband: Shamus (works at John Deere), daughters: Sydney (age 12) and Sophia (age 9)

MATTHEW PUTNEY / Courier Photo Editor

Lori Hoffmann, a 20 under 40 Award winner, at the Waterloo Center for the Arts. JEFF REINITZ jeff.reinitz@wcfcourier.com‌ DIKE — When Lori Hoffmann started down the career path, she was looking for a job helping people. Along the way, she has become a valued volunteer in the community. Now an employee training and communication specialist for Cedar Falls Utilities, Hoffman, 37, of Dike, is completing her master’s degree in organizational communication at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls. “Her commitment and energy is nothing less than amazing,” said Lynn Carter, who nominated Hoffman for 20 Under 40 honors after working with her on the Blue 18

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Zones healthy community project. “It had been a pleasure to work with her, and if I get the opportunity to work with Lori again I will be the first in line to volunteer my time and service,” Carter said. Hoffman grew up on a farm outside Dubuque, and she moved to the Cedar Valley in 1994. She started college contemplating the possibility of becoming a special education teacher, but she soon found her true calling in business. “I kind of beelined to the business world, and that, by far, was the most interesting profession that I found where I could still be challenged in the business-minded sense but yet have that human service component,” Hoffmann said.

Cedar Valley Business monthly

She earned her associate’s degree from Hawkeye Community College in Waterloo in 1996 and followed it up with a bachelor’s degree in business management at the UNI in 2000. She achieve her professional in human resources designation in 2008. “I really enjoy the opportunity to help people, and human resources provided enough variety I thought for a long-term career that I would be fulfilled by it. And that was definitely the case,” she said. Over the years, Hoffmann has worked at Hawkeye, Martin Brothers Distributing and UNI before joining CFU in April 2011. Along the way, she has helped with the Cedar Valley Diversity and Inclusion initiative, headed CFU’s

■■ A moment in your past that helped shape you: growing up with an older sister that has an intellectual disability taught me that sometimes others need help having a voice, to be ready to do the right thing (don’t be afraid to act) and help them be heard. Empathy for others — to consider and appreciate what I’ve been given and to help others get where they

United Way campaign and the Cedar Falls Blue Zones project, working with companies to establish wellness programs for their employees. “I have been given opportunity to use my experiences and knowledge and apply that toward different things that are going on in the community, and having the opportunity to be exposed to those really developed a deep passion to want to serve on committees and advance those initiatives,” Hoffmann said. Hoffmann and her husband, Shamus, have two daughters, Sydney, 12, and Sophia, 9. In her spare time, she spends time with family, riding bikes, golfing and attending her children’s sporting events. cvbusinessmonthly.com

millenNials From page 15 “We try to put in more formalized opportunities for networking and teaming inside and outside of the office,” Twaronite said. For example, the firm encourages community involvement by teams and puts younger workers on projects involving more experienced staffers so they can expand their networks and look for mentors. Nikolai De Leo, 25 and a staff member in the transaction advisory services practice at EY in Miami, said the payoff is big when companies foster more social interaction. “If you get to know someone on a personal level, you’re more open to their ideas or anything they would teach you on the professional side.” Those deeper relationships, he says, are what will keep him at the firm. “Liking the people you work with is huge.” He finds getting to know a manager on a personal level also allows him more opportunity to earn trust, and that pays off, too. “You can have the freedom to operate independently and have a better workplace balance once you gain their trust.” Through research, EY learned that

Millennial facts ■■ 89 percent of millennials say they crave a social and fun workplace, while only 60 percent of baby boomers surveyed wanted a social and fun workplace. ■■ 88 percent of millennials said they wanted their co-workers to be their friends. ■■ 89 percent of workers from every generation believe that work-life balance is key to happiness on the job. ■■ 75 percent of millennials would like to have mentors. ■■ 71 percent of millennials want their co-workers to be a second family.

its millennial workers want to be themselves at work, have their voices heard, and have give-and-take relationships that are not just work-focused with managers. “That’s incredibility important to them,” said Twaronite. Now, the firm is training its managers to respond and give more guidance, like a parent would, and show young workers a path to upward mobility. The firm also is coaching its Gen Y workers to ask for specific feedback. Millennials say businesses are on

the right track when they hold barbeques and company retreats, but efforts can fall flat if they end there. Tracy Thomas, a 31-year-old senior marketing manager at Oasis Outsourcing in West Palm Beach, Fla., said “fun” activities are the place to start to create a sense of family. But day-to-day, managers need to encourage an environment where co-workers can socialize, office doors are open, and successes are celebrated. “Whatever level you are, you have to feel you can reach across and create relationships and that it’s supported,” Thomas said. Creating that collaborative environment can be easier with the right office design. Richard Awdeh — founder of Cirle, a Miami-based medical-technology incubator — says his company’s office features blackboards and whiteboards throughout, open desks, beanbag chairs and a snack wall. “The culture fosters collaboration among the team,” he said. With a workforce almost entirely of millennials, even hiring at Cirle is a team effort. “I have others on the team spend time with the person and make sure that anyone I hire is someone they can socialize with.” Awdeh said his reasoning is pure business: “If someone likes the environment and people they work with,

they end up doing great work.” Some companies are finding the most effective way of creating that “second-home” environment comes from allowing millennials to create social bonds the way they’re used to doing it — online. At Cirle, Introsso said she and her co-workers instant-message each other all day long. “We might not speak face-toface for five hours, but we’re constantly communicating.” At other workplaces, employers are taking a different tactic — embracing parental involvement to attract and hold onto young talent and boost morale. They are inviting millennial parents to open houses and hosting “Bring Our Parents to Work Day.” At the heart of all successful millennial workplaces is communication. Today’s 20-somethings want to be able to candidly speak their minds. “We are a social-networking generation, which is why communication is so important to us,” said Jeremy Condomina, a 27-year-old business analyst and computer-system trainer with Dade Paper in Miami. “Whether or not we hang out outside of work, we want to know that we have a work family and even if we step on toes, it’s going to be OK.”

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Cedar Valley Business monthly

november 2013

Brian Hoyer

Go-getter builds recycling business as he strives to finish college Brian Hoyer ■■ AGE: 23 ■■ OCCUPATION: Entrepreneur – owner of Recycle Rite ■■ VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES: Volunteers recycling services at several community events ■■ EDUCATION: Cedar Falls High School; pursuing business administration degree at the University of Northern Iowa ■■ FAMILY: Mother, father, four brothers, sister

MATTHEW PUTNEY / Courier Photo Editor

Brian Hoyer, a 2013 20 under 40 Award winner, at the Waterloo Center for the Arts. JON ERICSON jonathan.ericson@wcfcourier.com‌ CEDAR FALLS — Some people just seem to have an entrepreneurial spirit wired into their soul. Brian Hoyer is one of those people. As a young college student, Hoyer was working at the Western Home when he realized there were some simple chores seniors needed help with that weren’t met by other services, for example helping them get rid of Christmas trees and other little tasks. He started up Hoyer Senior Services to do just that. But that first business didn’t last long. Hoyer soon saw an opportunity when the city of Cedar Falls took a look at offering curbside recycling in 2010, but ultimately decided against it. His ideas to provide 20

november 2013

that service gave birth to Recycle Rite, which was up and running to provide curbside recycling in Cedar Falls by January 2011. The business employs between five and 10 workers. His parents, Todd and Amy Hoyer, nominated him for the 20 Under 40 award. “His business started in our garage three years ago, and he now works out of a warehouse in the Cedar Falls Industrial Park. Recycle Rite has grown into a vibrant, successful community-based business,” they said. Hoyer has expanded, has outgrown his space in the industrial park and will be moving to a facility on Airline Highway. He’s branching out as well, forming Refuse Rite and Sweep Rite to join Recycle Rite under the umbrella of Rite Environ-

Cedar Valley Business monthly

mental. And he’s still a college student. With a constantly expanding business, he sometimes has had to cut back on his class load at the University of Northern Iowa. “It’s nice to be 23 and be able to work for yourself,” Hoyer said. “I went from being a full-time student to a part-time student to not even a part-time student for a little while and back to six to nine credits a semester.” Last summer Hoyer had a marketing intern working for him, a somewhat surreal experience when he still was in college himself. In the past, Hoyer gave of his own time by volunteering as a football coach at Holmes Junior High. As his business grew and demanded more of his time, he had to give up coaching, but hopes to return to it

■■ MENTORS: His father and Holmes Junior High football coach Jerry Ward: “I volunteer coached seventh-grade football with him. He’s always teaches you to do the right thing. The same thing with my dad.”

some day. In the meantime, he tries to carve out some semblance of a normal social life for a man in his early 20s while balancing work and school. Hoyer always prided himself on a solid work ethic, but questioned what he was doing in other jobs. “I always thought to myself, ‘Why am I wasting myself, more or less, making other people’s dreams come true when I could be putting that into my own dreams?’” Hoyer said. For the time being, he plans to continue to grow his business over the next five to seven years and finish his college degree. “Hopefully when I’m 30 it’s something substantial, and I can decide which direction I want to go from there,” Hoyer said. “My goal at that kind of age is be where I hope and think we can be.” cvbusinessmonthly.com

university of northern iowa

Hoyer grew into 20 Under 40 leader came through the doors of the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center at the University of Northern Iowa. His name was Brian Hoyer. Hoyer had grown up in Cedar Falls and had already been having an effect on the Cedar Valley even at his young age. He coached youth football at Holmes Junior High, was a referee for adult and youth soccer matches, had a lawn-mowing business typical of so many teenagers and helped his neighbors. He also had a part-time job at the Western Home, a senior living community. Helping his neighbors, and his part-time job at the Western Home, is what had brought Hoyer to the JPEC. Brian was interested in turning his help into a business. Hoyer wanted to start Hoyer Senior Services. Hoyer Senior Services provided moving, downsizing and other services for seniors. Hoyer worked on the business for a year, refining the concept. He eventually realized the business was viable but would take too much time for a college student

Each year 20 Cedar Valley residents younger than 40 years old are honored for their contributions to their work, community, families, friends, churches and other organizations. Each recipient has played a role in making Katherine the Cedar Valley Cota-Uyar a better place to is associate live, and each redirector and cipient has taken instructor of entrepreneurship the responsibility associated with with the John the recognition Pappajohn Entrepreneurial to heart by conCenter at the tinuing to give to University of the Cedar Valley. Northern Iowa. This year’s group Contact her at (319) 273-5732 or of recipients is different; katherine.cota@ not however, one uni.edu winner stands out for me personally. In the fall of 2008, a sophomore college student from Cedar Falls

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to operate. In the spring of 2011, Hoyer came up with his next great idea while sitting at a meeting of the UNIEntrepreneurs student organization. That idea was Recycle Rite. Recycle Rite Inc. is Cedar Falls’ first and only curbside recycling service. Recycle Rite provides weekly or monthly single-stream curbside recycling for residents of Cedar Falls and its surrounding areas. Recycle Rite has grown over the last two years and has many satisfied customers. The company has expanded into Rite Environmental and offers other services. Along with the growth, Hoyer has won several awards and recognitions. One recognition which was awarded to Hoyer this summer was the 2013 Recycler of the Year award from the Iowa Recycling Association. Hoyer was nominated for the award by Sheila Samuelson, a sustainable business consultant at Bright Green Strategy in Iowa City.

Hoyer received the award in July, and in August he was recognized at the Okoboji Entrepreneurial Institute for the most growth in his business over the last year. Knowing Hoyer and all he has accomplished, as well as the many charitable acts he has done, it was no surprise that even as a young man in his 20s he would be recognized with a 20 Under 40 Award. Hoyer understands that this recognition comes with an obligation — an obligation to continue to give back and to make the Cedar Valley a great place to live and work. Hoyer is up to the challenge. All of this year’s recipients are up to the challenge. We, the alumni of the 20 Under 40, welcome this new group to the membership and look forward to their contributions. The John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center is a program of Business and Community Services, a division of the College of Business Administration at the University of Northern Iowa.

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november 2013

Nick Jedlicka Learning from his elders from a very young age

Nick Jedlicka ■■ AGE: 32 ■ ■ OCCUPATION: Director of Lakeview Lodge at Friendship Village ■■ VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES: President-elect of the Waterloo Exchange Club, chief fundraiser Friendship Village Memory Milers walk ■■ EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree in communications, University of Northern Iowa ■■ FAMILY: Wife, Amber, two daughters, Isabella, 7, and Gabrielle, 5, son, Jack, turns 3 in November ■■ MOMENT THAT SHAPED YOU: Volunteering for classrelated work at a retirement facility in junior high school.

MATTHEW PUTNEY / Courier Photo Editor

Nick Jedlicka, a 20 Under 40 Award winner, at the Waterloo Center for the Arts. JOHN MOLSEED john.molseed@wcfcourier.com‌ WATERLOO — Nick Jedlicka first worked with the elderly before he was old enough to enter the work force. As part of a class project in junior high school, Jedlicka worked assisting elderly people with special needs. He remembers talking to a man with an amputated leg who wished he could dance again. “I remember I learned so much just by talking to him about his life,” he said. That lesson from his first, short experience with people in longterm care has stuck with him. Jedlicka is director of Lakeview Lodge at Friendship Village. The lodge houses more than 50 people who need help with day-to-day needs due to 22

november 2013

health issues or dementia. “It’s hard to consider it a job in the widely used sense of the word,” he said. Working with the residents there provides learning and growth opportunities for everyone there, Jedlicka said. There are employees at the facility 24 hours per day, every day. Jedlicka has, at one point or another, worked every shift. “A person has a chance to get a lot more out of it,” he said. He said he and the staff regularly find opportunities to grow personally and professionally. The lodge is populated with World War II veterans, retired John Deere and Rath meatpacking plant workers and other people steeped in regional history. “They all have lessons they can

Cedar Valley Business monthly

teach,” Jedlicka said. Jedlicka has worked to gain more training and education in long-term care, aging and leading the staff and facilities. He completed a longterm care administration program at Des Moines Area Community College and earned a dementia specialist certificate with Alzheimer’s Association and LeadingAge Iowa. He has also committed his spare time to raising money and awareness to fight Alzheimer’s. He took the helm for the Memory Milers of Friendship Village. The annual Memory Milers’ walk and other events throughout the year raise money for the Alzheimer’s Association. Leading the walk was easy because of the groundwork people before him had done, he said.

■■ A MENTOR AND WHY: Amber Jedlicka. Her dedication to her community, her family, her faith inspire me to do what I do.

“It was was built up over many, many years,” he said. “I just hold some meetings and stay out of the way of the people who keep it going.” Jedlicka has also volunteered with the Waterloo Exchange Club. He’s slated to take over presidency of the club in 2014. At St. Stephen the Witness, Jedlicka is eucharistic minister. He visits other retirement communities through his church and leads services at the Western home. For anyone who believes they don’t have time to give back to their community, Jedlicka has some advice. “They’re lying to themselves, first of all,” he said, adding volunteering can broaden anyone’s world. “You get to meet new people and see new perspectives.” cvbusinessmonthly.com

Jeff Kurtz

Preserving the past is key to success in the future

Jeff Kurtz ■■ AGE: 39 ■■ OCCUPATION: Director of Main Street Waterloo ■■ VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES: Waterloo Public Art Committee, Waterloo Convention and Visitors Bureau, Waterloo Development Corporation, Martin Luther King Peacewalk, Cedar Valley Pridefest, Cedar Valley Ambassadors ■■ EDUCATION: B.A. in history, University of Northern Iowa, 1996; M.A. in public history, St. Cloud State (Minn.) ■■ FAMILY: Wife Darby, teacher at Hoover Middle School; daughter Sadie, sixth-grader at Hoover Middle School. ■■ A MOMENT THAT SHAPED YOU: “My wife is a fourth-generation Waterloo girl, so this is where she always wanted to be. I developed an appreciation for the community living here and I feel like this is where I’m going to spend my time. I want to see it blossom to its full extent.”

MATTHEW PUTNEY / Courier Photo Editor

Jeff Kurtz, a member of the Class of 2013 20 Under 40 winners, at the Waterloo Center for the Arts. JIM OFFNER jim.offner@wcfcourier.com‌ WATERLOO — One might say Jeff Kurtz makes his living as a volunteer. “Certainly, my job is in some ways a volunteer position, as well,” said Kurtz, who has been director of Main Street Waterloo for the last three years. “We’re a volunteer organization, so everyone involved is a volunteer. I’ve been involved in a lot of things over the years.” Kurtz, a native of Manson, has steeped himself in the history and culture of his adopted community. He is involved in at least seven local volunteer efforts and has served on numerous boards, including Cedar Falls Main Street, Cedar Falls Rocvbusinessmonthly.com

tary Club, Cedar Falls Tourism Bureau and the Iowa Museum Association. History is central to his academic resume, with undergraduate and graduate degrees in the field. Downtown preservation, whether in Cedar Falls in the past or Waterloo currently, is a passion, he says. “I’m very interested in the fact that Main Street is an act of preserving and celebrating our historic downtowns,” he said. Winning The Courier’s annual 20 Under 40 award came as “an affirmation” that his efforts to make a difference in the community, Kurtz said. “When you’re in a volunteer organization, you don’t do it for the

glory or the fame or anything like that, but it’s nice to have the affirmation of being nominated. That means a lot,” he said. Kurtz was asked to describe a hero in the context of volunteerism. He said anybody can be one. “I think a hero is someone who just tries to go beyond what is normally expected of a person, to get to their fullest extent as a human being. Of course, that takes many shapes in our society,” he said. History is filled with heroes, he said. “Through history, people who get up every day and may be confronted by great odds and great circumstances but still do the best they can,” he said. Finding one’s niche as a volun-

■■ A MENTOR AND WHY: “Dr. David Whitsett, formerly with UNI, retired professor of psychology, a volunteer in the historical society in Cedar Falls. He was always a person I could lean on and get advice from.”

teer is just a matter of trial and error, Kurtz said. “You have to find your way by just doing things and take chances,” he said. “That’s where volunteering is so important. You do that enough and you’ll find your niche and you’ll be able make that contribution to your fullest extent.” Mary Ellen Warren, who nominated Kurtz for 20 Under 40 honors, said Kurtz has followed his own formula. “Jeff enjoys his roles as historic preservationist and community builder,” Warren said, listing his numerous activities. “Jeff is a young man who lives and works his passion of historic preservation and economic development through community building.”

Cedar Valley Business monthly

november 2013

Health care cost forecast to rise 4.8% DIANE STAFFORD The Kansas City Star‌ Consumers may not feel like health care insurance costs are under control, but a leading indicator projects the third straight year of 5 percent-or-under cost increases for employers who offer employment-based plans. A preliminary survey by the Mercer consultancy, released Tuesday, finds that employers’ average health benefit costs per employee are expected to rise by 4.8 percent in 2014. To be sure, part of the relatively slow cost increase for employers is because they have revamped their plans. If they made no changes, their costs would rise by 7 percent, Mercer said. The survey also noted the unknowns associated with implementation of the Affordable Care Act. About half of the employers in the survey expect additional costs from rising enrollments and new fees imposed by the health care reform law. Mercer cautioned that the projections are preliminary and actual cost growth may differ. Meanwhile, it seemed apparent that 2014 health insurance costs to employers would rise more than the 4.1 percent cost increase for 2012. The expected increase for employers in 2013, still to be finalized, was 5 percent. Many employers are managing their cost increases by implementing consumer-directed health plans, which give employees financial in-

centives to spend less on health care by taking a wellness, or preventive approach. These plans usually are paired with an employee-controlled account. Tracy Watts, a Mercer partner, said that slower growth in employers’ costs “will be overshadowed by additional costs from higher enrollment and fees.” One factor that will increase some large employers’ costs is the reform act requirement that they offer coverage to employees who work 30 or more hours a week. The Mercer report said about a third of large employers — with 500 or more employees — do not currently offer coverage to all employees working 30 or more hours per week. Thus, industries with a heavy share of part-time workers “will be the hardest hit by this rule,” Mercer said. About half of employers in retail and hospitality currently do not offer coverage to all employees working 30 or more hours per week, the report indicated. “Some employers will minimize the number of newly eligible employees by cutting back on hours for at least a portion of their workforce — 11 percent of all large employers say they will do so,” Mercer said. When asked to estimate the cost of higher enrollment and new fees, such as a required reinsurance fee of $63 per covered employee, about half of the employers surveyed say they will

spend at least 2 percent more on health benefits in 2014 — over and above the normal increase in cost. Another third said they couldn’t predict. Only one-fifth of the employers said they were confident that health reform would have little or no impact on their spending in 2014. The Mercer survey found only 5 percent of large employers expecting to end their health care coverage plans for employees within the next five years. But about 20 percent of employers with fewer than 200 employees said it was likely they would terminate their plans.

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Dan Levi

Architect’s skills, volunteer work helping to build better community JIM OFFNER jim.offner@wcfcourier.com‌ CEDAR FALLS — Dan Levi’s work is visible across the Cedar Valley, particularly the buildings he designed in the Cedar Falls Industrial Park. But Levi, who founded Levi Architecture in Cedar Falls in 2005, prefers to talk about accomplishments that are less tangible than buildings but perhaps more important to a solid community foundation. Levi has served on the board of Exceptional Persons Inc. in Waterloo for about 10 years. He has held every major leadership role on the organization’s board of directors – including, currently, its presidency. “It’s a fantastic organization with a very specific goal of helping individuals with developmental disabilities, brain injury, mental illness,” Levi said. EPI’s work drew Levi’s attention and involvement almost immediately after he and his wife, Kirsten, had moved to the area after both had earned their degrees at Iowa State University. “One thing that attracted me was what they do, what their mission is,” Levi said. “... I want to feel like I’m doing something and make a difference, and EPI makes a significant difference in people’s lives.” Levi credits his wife, a Nashua native he met at ISU, with helping him concentrate on things that matter. “She focuses me on what I need to do, and it’s getting the job done so that I can go home and be with her and the kids.” After the two married, they bought her parents’ home in Nashua and set about refurbishing it. They have lived there since 2004. Levi said winning The Courier’s 20 Under 40 award came as a bit of surprise. “You read the paper, and when this comes out every year you see the names that have come through before and it is really humbling,” he said. “There’s a lot of people on there that everybody knows. I’m by 26

november 2013

Dan Levi ■■ AGE: 39 ■■ OCCUPATION: Owner of Levi Architecture in Cedar Falls ■■ VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES: Board president, Exceptional Persons Inc. ■■ EDUCATION: B.A. in architecture from Iowa State University, 1997. ■■ FAMILY: Wife Kirsten; daughters Jane, 11; and Kara, 9; son Callahan, 7. ■■ A MOMENT THAT SHAPED YOU: “It’s probably my wife agreeing to marry me – either that or her parents saying they’d be happy to have me as a son-in-law.”

MATTHEW PUTNEY / Courier Photo Editor

■■ A MENTOR AND WHY: “My father, Bill Grove, spent 35 years teaching at Kirkwood Community College. He volunteered his time through t-ball and various sports when I was young. Through Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts, he was our Scoutmaster. Anything he could do to be involved in myself and my brothers’ lives, he was always there. He was politically active and volunteered a lot and a very compassionate man, which probably has a lot to do with my willingness to volunteer my time.”

Dan Levi, a member of the Class of 2013 20 Under 40 winners, at the Waterloo Center for the Arts. visionary mind has played a part in creating unique residential and no means, I would think, a known Levi for the 20 Under 40 honor, de- commercial structures the Cedar scribed him as “a bit of a firecrack- Valley can be proud to display,” commodity.” The award provides more oppor- er” who is filled with enthusiasm Sparks said. Sparks said she got acquainted tunities to share with the commu- when an idea strikes. “As an architect, he has a vision with Levi years ago, when he was nity. “I was warned by someone else and understanding of what makes designing a housing development who’s gone through this that after the Cedar Valley unique, and that EPI was building for people with this comes out, a couple of months translates into brick and mortar disabilities. “I was immediately impressed later, you’ll start to get calls from with long-term influences on our people asking for some time,” Levi community,” Barber said. “He’s the with Dan’s passion, drive to underkind of guy that you’re excited to stand the needs of the ultimate ressaid. The warning also came with an have around the help shape the fu- idents and genuine interest in the lives of the people we were servopportunity to donate more of his ture of our community.” Chris Sparks, EPI’s executive di- ing,” Sparks said. time. Levi said it’s easy to give back to “I’ve agreed to serve on the Boy rector, called Levi a “visionary” in the community, as long as one is foScouts of America Winnebago nominating him for 20 Under 40. “One look around the Cedar Val- cused on the need. Council Board,” he said. “I had a “You really need to think about, wonderful time growing up in the ley, and the work of Dan Levi can Boy Scouts ... an organization that be readily found — Mudd Group, once you get out of high school, reaches many people, very active Phantom Park, Heartland Vineyard once you get out college, that it’s and very organized with their time.” Church and the list goes on where time now to be an adult and get inMelissa Barber, who nominated Dan Levi’s architectural hand and volved in your community,” he said.

Cedar Valley Business monthly

cvbusinessmonthly.com

Kent McCausland From basketball to his community, keeping his eye on the goal

JIM OFFNER jim.offner@wcfcourier.com‌ WATERLOO — Cedar Valley fans of the Iowa Hawkeye basketball team might say Waterloo native Kent McCausland did plenty for the community as a three-year starter for the team in the late 1990s. McCausland set long-range shooting records with the Hawkeyes that still stand — his career 45.2 percent (214 of 472) and season 52.2 percent accuracy from 3-point range (70 of 134) in his sophomore year are still team standards. That 52.2 percent led the country that year. But college basketball careers are finite, and McCausland embarked on a different path after graduation. He handled sales in a four-state territory for 10 years with shoe and apparel company Adidas out of its Kansas City, Mo., office. Then, three years ago, he came home. And he got busy in the community. Professionally, McCausland is executive vice president of PDCM Insurance in Waterloo. But, his resume includes much more, including his current post as vice president of the Boys and Girls Club board. He also is keeping a hand in sports as a volunteer with the Cedar Valley Sports & Entertainment Commission, which tries to bring athletic events to the community. “They do a lot of good wrestling events, the large pool tournament, things that bring people in and show what we have here,” he said. “It brings more money into the area and enables us to showcase what we have here.” He said winning The Courier’s 20 Under 40 award was “just flattering.” “I saw the last three years the individuals who won it, and it was kind of a goal, if you want to put it that way,” he said. “I think it makes you feel like you’re doing the right cvbusinessmonthly.com

Kent McCausland AGE: 37 OCCUPATION: Executive vice president of PDCM Insurance, Waterloo VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES: Boys and Girls Club board president, Rotary, Cedar Valley Sports & Entertainment Commission EDUCATION: B.A., University of Iowa, 1999 FAMILY: Wife Traci; sons, Jay, 5; and Casey, born April 25, 2013 A MOMENT THAT SHAPED YOU: “I think there was a moment with my father, Mac. I played at Iowa. There was a moment in my freshman year in high school. He said, ‘I think you have a lot of talent, but it’s gonna take a lot more discipline and hard work to cultivate that talent, so when you’re ready, you come tell me and I’ll help you maximize that God-given ability and we’ll do the rest.’”

MATTHEW PUTNEY / Courier Photo Editor

Kent McCausland, a 2013 20 Under 40 Award winner, at the Waterloo Center for the Arts. things and you’re moving in the right direction.” The Cedar Valley is an ideal community for young people to make contributions, McCausland said. “After living in Kansas City, a larger area where maybe it’s a little harder to make your voice heard or your actions mean a lot, I think in a community this size, what you do on a daily basis does have an effect on the community,” he said. “You see projects go up in the area, and you know you might have had a hand in getting something off the ground, and there’s a real pride in that. So I think leadership of young individuals in the area helps push it forward for the

next 20 years.” He advises young people to find a passion and pursue it. “For me, it was basketball that got me started on the right direction, learning what it takes to be successful,” he said. “I always tell young people to find that passion, that influence in your life that makes you want to get up in the morning and get after it. Pursue it with passion, and it can take you anywhere.” Chris Holahan, a 2012 20 Under 40 laureate, nominated McCausland for the honor this year. “I feel as a former recipient, it is important to find new individuals that go above and beyond doing

A MENTOR AND WHY: “Certainly, businesswise, Chris Fereday and Mac McCausland would fill that role. I think you get two great perspectives on what’s going on in the insurance industry and what’s going on in the Cedar Valley, as far as work goes. Dr. Tom Davis was another great mentor, my coach at Iowa. Those would be the people who most influence how I act and how go about my business.”

amazing things for our Cedar Valley community,” Holahan said. “I watched Kent as a player when I was in dental school at the University of Iowa, and I’ve gotten to know him well over the last three years, both as a business colleague and as a co-board member for the Cedar Valley Boys and Girls Club. “It has been amazing to watch how he has thrived and enveloped himself back in the community where he grew up. The Cedar Valley has been very blessed to have one of its native sons return to be such a dedicated and involved business leader and service volunteer.”

Cedar Valley Business monthly

november 2013

Matthew Miehe Matthew Miehe ■■ AGE: 30 ■■ OCCUPATION: Commercial real estate agent with The Sulentic Fischels Commercial Group, Waterloo ■■ VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES: Waterloo Jaycees, Waterloo Open golf tournament; Westminster Presbyterian Church; Waterloo Planning & Zoning Commission ■■ EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree in finance and real estate, University of Northern Iowa, 2006 ■■ FAMILY: Wife Amy; daughter Ellie, 1 ■■ A MOMENT THAT SHAPED YOU: “I’ve grown up with two great parents who gave me good footwork to give back to the community. I’ve been raised really well to give back to the community.”

MATTHEW PUTNEY / Courier Photo Editor

Matthew Miehe, a 20 Under 40 Award winner for 2013, at the Waterloo Center for the Arts. JIM OFFNER jim.offner@wcfcourier.com‌ WATERLOO — Matthew Miehe says he is putting his professional expertise to good use in contributing to the Cedar Valley community. It’s the only way to operate, he said. “Like most people, I get involved with things I’m passionate about. I enjoy golf, so I volunteer for the Waterloo Jaycees and specifically the Waterloo Open,” said Miehe, who has been a volunteer with Waterloo’s premier golf tournament for five years. Miehe is putting his expertise as a real estate broker to use for the betterment of the community, as well. “This year, I was nominated for the Waterloo Planning & Zoning Commission,” he said. “Being involved with commercial real estate, 28

november 2013

it’s always been something I’ve attended and been part of, so it made sense for me to be involved with that.” Miehe also is an active volunteer at Westminster Presbyterian Church, where he and his family are members. Miehe said it never was in doubt that he would follow in the footsteps of his father, Fred, also a commercial real estate broker with Sulentic Fischels Commercial Group. “I’ve been involved with him selling houses back when I was a child, whether it was mowing lawns or shoveling snow,” the younger Miehe said. Gene Leonhart, president and CEO of Cardinal Construction in Waterloo, nominated Miehe for the 20 Under 40 award. “Having known Matt since he was a junior staffer in his father’s

Cedar Valley Business monthly

real estate office, I have watched Matt grow into a responsible, trusted professional in the commercial real estate business,” Leonhart said. “In particular, he is an active Cedar Valley Jaycee, being a leading committeeman working with the Jaycees’ Waterloo Open, as well as being involved in their myriad of other public projects.” Leonhart also noted Miehe is active with the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber’s goodwill arm, the Ambassadors. Waterloo attorney Eric Johnson, who also nominated Miehe for the award, said he has become a leader in the commercial real estate industry. “He has a good working relationship with his peers in the business,” Johnson said. “Other professionals he works with in the business community value his input.” It’s important for young people

■■ A MENTOR AND WHY: “I had a lot of mentors. I think my father (Fred Miehe, also of Sulentic Fischels) would be my best mentor. We work together day in, day out. He’s been through all sorts of different issues in our industry. He knows the positives and negatives of each situation, and he’s just a good sound board.”

to emerge as community leaders, Miehe said. “I have a lot of relationships with my family’s friends, and they’re very vocal in saying we’re the new group in the Cedar Valley,” Miehe said. “We’re the group that has to take it to the next level, and I take that to heart. I feel that’s true, and that’s why I want to be involved.” Miehe says young people should get involved as soon as possible. “I really think it’s important to get active, to stay active, to find groups and organizations that they feel strongly about, that they enjoy being a part of,” he said. “That helps shape them and make them who they are. That’s one of the reasons I like to be involved: I like to show my children it’s important to give back to your community and find those groups that you like to be a part of and feel strongly about.” cvbusinessmonthly.com

Eric O’Brien

Cleaning up the Cedar Valley is his job and his passion

Eric O’Brien ■■ AGE: 36 ■■ OCCUPATION: Sustainability coordinator, University of Northern Iowa ■■ VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES: Project Aware, Children’s Miracle Network Dance Marathon, Girl Scouts, board member of the American Oxford Sheep Association ■■ EDUCATION: M.S. in environmental science, University of Northern Iowa, 2003; B.A. in biology, UNI, 2001 ■■ FAMILY: Wife Sara; daughters Meara, 7; Keelin, 3 ■■ A MOMENT THAT SHAPED YOU: “I started my college life at another institution, and decided after my sophomore year, I wanted to transfer. I looked at a number of institutions. I chose UNI because of how caring I could tell the faculty (members) were.”

MATTHEW PUTNEY / Courier Photo Editor

Eric O’Brien, a 2013 20 Under 40 winner, outside the Waterloo Center for the Arts. JIM OFFNER jim.offner@wcfcourier.com‌ CEDAR FALLS — Eric O’Brien makes the world his business. As sustainability coordinator at the University of Northern Iowa, O’Brien works with students and members of the community to clean up the Cedar Valley. It’s more than his job, he says. “To me, the thing I get most excited about as far as volunteer activities is working with students on our campus and trying and help get them engaged in both the university community and areas off the university,” the 36-year-old Greene native said. “There’s a lot of work that goes into that, and luckily I get to do that some within my job and some kind of on the periphery of my job.” O’Brien found his way to UNI as a student by chance. He had finished two years of college elsewhere and was looking to transfer. He was leafing through programs at various institutions and made a few contacts. The one he made at UNI got his cvbusinessmonthly.com

attention. “The adviser that I was contacting took so much of his own time to walk me through what their program had to offer and take a real look at my transcript and say, ‘These are the things we be able to bring up here and may not,’” O’Brien said. “It taught me a lot about customer service and how big an impact the people on the university campus can make on the life of a young person.” He transferred to UNI and stayed long enough to earn two degrees related to his environmental passions. Now, he says, he wouldn’t leave. “The faculty and staff get a chance to really interact with the student and impact their life,” he said. The impact was even greater for O’Brien since he met his wife, Sara, at UNI when both were resident assistants in 2000. “It’s been quite the ride ever since,” he said of his 11 1/2-year marriage that has produced two daughters.

■■ A MENTOR AND WHY: “There are a number of people. I emulate the way my parents took care of their business and the way they acted both professionally and inhome. My grandfather was somebody that I really looked up to. He taught me a lot about environmental issues at a young age. Once I got out of school, it was Dr. Mary Skopec, who works for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.”

After his studies, he got to know Mary Skopec, a scientist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. That helped him hone his passion for sustainability issues. “She does a lot of things around the state related to water quality, but she spends a lot of her time also dedicating her personal life to water quality.” She helped start Project Aware, a canoe trip and river cleanup. Now O’Brien tries to set the same type of example with UNI students. “We try to make little changes when I’m working with students that they can come back 10-15 years after they’ve graduated and show their kids that, ‘Hey, do you see that bike maintenance station on campus? I’m the one that made that happen.’” O’Brien was asked how it felt to be a 20 Under 40 winner. “It’s an honor, because there are a lot of tremendous, young, talented individuals on our campus and around the Cedar Valley, so to even be considered for the award was

tremendously important, to be able to see that the work I’m doing is noteworthy.” Michael Hager, who nominated O’Brien for the 20 Under 40 honor, said O’Brien, as UNI’s first-ever sustainability director, already has left an indelible mark on the campus and the surrounding community. “He has made a dramatic impact on the sustainability efforts at the university,” Hager said. “UNI has twice won the coveted gold star from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, which is a rarity. He provides leadership to faculty, staff and students in finding innovative ways to reduce the carbon footprint.” O’Brien’s work life spills into his personal life through clean-up projects and other volunteer activities, Hager said. “Eric has the passion, compassion, energy and leadership to serve as an outstanding model of an excellent community leader,” Hager said.

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Handling awkward work conversations The Miami Herald One morning, shortly after ABC News contributor Tory Johnson stepped off the set of “Good Morning America,” her boss called her into a meeting. Barbara Fedida, the highest-ranking female executive at ABC News, told Johnson she didn’t look as good as she could and offered to connect her to a stylist that would give her a makeover. “She never used the words ‘fat,’ ‘diet’ or ‘obesity,’ but her message was clear: I needed to lose weight,” Johnson said. “Let’s face it: On TV, looks matter.” They matter in other workplaces, too. Awkward conversations around personal appearance and behavior are increasingly happening in businesses of all sizes. From weight concerns to body odor, inappropriate outfits to annoying behavior, managers find it daunting to tackle these uncomfortable discussions with workers. But sometimes there’s just no avoiding it. Such conversations can go in several directions. For Johnson, a Miami Beach native, it led to shedding more than 70 pounds in 18 months,

mostly because she was ready to hear the message. “If you want someone to change, offer solutions; don’t threaten them. And don’t expect overnight results. Change happens over time in small increments.” Handling the difficult conversation requires skill and empathy and works best when the person initiating it has a good, trusting relationship with the employee. “When you love your job and respect the people you work with, you are more receptive to hearing something from them,” said Johnson, who has published her weight-loss story in a new book, “The Shift.” Even when there’s mutual trust, a soft entry tends to work best: acknowledging that you are about to bring up a sensitive matter and offering a solution or encouraging the other person to come up with their own. The assumption should be that the person is oblivious to their appearance or behavior problem, which turns out to be a great conversation opener, said Scott Garvis, president of Dale Carnegie South Florida. “You could say something like, ‘You are probably not aware of it, but you

are judged in the business world on how you look, how you act, what you say and how you say it.’ ” A few years ago, urged by the rest of the staff, Garvis had to tell an employee he talked too much. “It was not fun. I had to give myself a pep talk to remind myself I was doing him a favor.” Garvis said it helps to cushion an awkward conversation by showing empathy. Offer up an example of your own blind spots or mistakes and emphasize that someone spoke up to allow you to make changes. “I’m here to be the person for you that this other person was for me.” Managers who dread these conversations often get nudged into them when other employees complain about the uncomfortable behavior, dress or habits of a co-worker. At one workplace, a manager’s bushy nose hair became so distracting to his staff during presentations that executive speaking coach Anne Freedman was asked to have the difficult conversation with him about it. She says she approached it by addressing the positive first. “I pointed out that the company was investing in him to be a better pre-

senter and said that when you are making a presentation, you need to look your best from head to toe and allow others to think of you as a star.” Freedman, founder of SpeakOut in Miami, says in almost any difficult conversation, you need to get across that what you are recommending is going to help the person with his or her relationships with other people. Choosing the right place for the conversation is important, too. If your office seems intimidating or too public, arrange a private meeting. You might also consider inviting the employee for lunch or a cup of coffee. While difficult workplace conversations take courage, the consequence of not having them can be costly. An overwhelming majority (85 percent) of employees at all levels say they experience workplace conflict to some degree, spending as much as 2.8 hours per week dealing with it, according to a CPP Inc. study. Managers tend to postpone these talks, or skirt the real issue, hoping the concern will go away on its own, Berger said: “That almost never happens.”

Sulentic-Fischels Congratulates Matt Miehe on this well deserved honor! Thank you for your commitment to the Community.

Matt Miehe

234-5000 www.sulenticfischels.com 32

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Cedar Valley Business monthly

cvbusinessmonthly.com

Nicole Recker

Winning hearts, shaping minds at Boys & Girls Club in Waterloo

Nicole Recker ■■ AGE: 27 ■■ OCCUPATION: director of operations at Boys & Girls Club of the Cedar Valley ■■ VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES: Helps with church breakfasts; assists Gift of Giving program, which takes youth Christmas shopping; helps Christmas Store at Boys & Girls Club and at the food bank ■■ EDUCATION: Graduated from Sentral High School in Fenton and from the University of Northern Iowa with a bachelor’s degree in health promotion women’s studies ■■ FAMILY: Husband, Eric Recker, 32, and two children, Sophie 3, and Weston, 1 ■■ A MOMENT THAT SHAPED YOU: “I have three sisters, so growing up kind of in the middle ... kind of always trying to prove myself and to better myself and working to make my parents proud.”

MATTHEW PUTNEY / Courier Staff Photographer

Nicole Recker, a 20 Under 40 Award winner, at the Waterloo Center for the Arts. DENNIS MAGEE dennis.magee@wcfcourier.com‌ WATERLOO — She started six years ago as a volunteer, and Nicole Recker remembers her first visit to the Boys & Girls Club of the Cedar Valley. “The second I walked in the door I loved it,” she says. “I knew instantly this is probably where I was going to stay.” Before long, Recker was hired as a part-time, then a full-time employee. Now director of operations, she is second in the chain of command. “I really love what I do. Not everyone can say that.” Her enthusiasm and devotion were evident to her boss, Chuck Rowe, who nominated Recker for cvbusinessmonthly.com

The Courier’s 20 Under 40 Award. “What I love about Nicole the most is that she doesn’t work at the club for a paycheck and doesn’t treat her work as just another job,” Rowe wrote in his nomination. As an example, he noted Recker gets acquainted with virtually every young person who visits the Boys & Girls Club. “That’s almost 600 kids she takes the time to know,” Rowe added. “I know a lot of them,” Recker concedes. “I’ve got six years’ worth built up, and I think it’s clogging my brain.” Rowe highlighted the significance. “Many of our kids don’t see a positive female role model at home, so having Nicole on staff is huge

for us and them,” he wrote. It’s a responsibility Recker takes to heart. “I think a lot about it. A lot of these kids get let down a lot in their lives,” she says. When maternity leaves were necessary, Recker recalls concern from the young people at the club, concern that each goodbye was the last. “‘You did come back! You did come back!’” she remembers youngsters saying upon her return. Rowe credits Recker for transforming the organization. “Over the past three years our club has changed from a place where you just played basketball and ping pong to a place that offers life-changing programs,” he wrote.

■■ A MENTOR AND WHY: My boss, Chuck Rowe, executive director of the Boys & Girls Club. “I can’t even explain all the things he’s taught me.” She credits Rowe with making her “a better employee and a better person.”

The offerings include summer camping, mentoring programs, science clubs, photography and art clubs, field trips, music lessons and character-building programs, according to Rowe. “Long story short: Someone has to organize all of this, and that person is Nicole. She gets everything and everyone together at the right place and the right time,” Rowe wrote. Having her own children, Recker says, added a dimension to her passion and understanding of what kids want and need and put a point on what she does at the Boys & Girls Club. “You really want to take the extra step when you’re taking care of other people’s kids,” she says.

Cedar Valley Business monthly

november 2013

Citi exec works to improve JOYCE M. ROSENBERG Associated Press‌ NEW YORK (AP) — When small business owners hear the name Citigroup, they’re more likely to think of a bank that caters to big corporate and international clients, not one that will serve their needs. Jerome Byers, head of Citi’s small business banking operations — and a former small business owner himself — is trying to change that impression. “We have to tell our story better,” he said in a recent interview with The Associated Press. Citi hasn’t let small business owners know how much the bank can do for them, said Byers, who has been in his current role since June of last year. Under his leadership, the bank has increased its lending to small companies in the past year by 21 percent to $9.6 billion. Byers came to Citi in 2009 from Wells Fargo & Co., a bank that does have a reputation as a small business lender. In the second quarter, Wells Fargo was the top provider of small business loans, with $456 million. Citi was No. 32, with $27 million. Wells also has more branches, 9,000 compared with Citi’s 1,000, making it more visible and accessible to many small businesses. Byers once owned a hair salon, so he has seen the small business-banker relationship from both sides. Here are some excerpts from his interview

AP PHOTO

Jerome Byers, the head of small business banking at Citigroup, poses in front of a downtown Citibank branch in Chicago. with the AP, edited for clarity and brevity: Q. There is a perception that Citi isn’t a small business banker. How do you correct that impression? A. In the small business area, we need to show the value that Citi brings. We know how to lend money. We have talented bankers. We need to tell our story better. I think it’s fair to say that based on our branch

network here in the U.S., we’re not going to be in every city and town. We have to accept that. We need to be the best small business adviser in the cities that we’re in — the major cities that we’re in. We have a 1,000-branch network in the United States that last year lent $7.9 billion to small business owners. That’s a great story. There are 260,000-plus customers in that network. We need to talk a little bit more about that. We have some

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status with small business raving fans and owners. The best way to tell your story is to create more raving fans and let them be your promoter. That (previous) reputation was earned, probably from customers who didn’t get what they needed at some point. Q. How do you get this done when Citi has been cutting staff? (Citigroup had 253,000 employees as of June 30, down from 261,000 a year earlier). A. If you ask small business owners who is the person they most like to deal with, they’ll say, the branch manager. I have 1,000 branch managers plus 2,000 or 3,000 salespeople who can talk to small business owners. There are some small businesses that are growing and need more sophisticated advice. I took probably the best 100 or so small business bankers I had, and continued to invest in their training to provide that advice. Q. What can small business customers get from Citi that they won’t get elsewhere? A. We can connect small business owners in 150 of the largest cities in the world. We also have behind us the most talented and probably most revered investment banks in the world and we can leverage those resources. In the categories of trade and cash management, we are probably unique to small business owners. If I brought it down to a local market, you have a local branch person that has the knowledge, again from the

most powerful and dynamic financial institutions in the world. Our next step is to bring our technology enhancements down to small businesses. Q. What is Citi doing to increase the number of loans to small businesses? A. You’ve got to look for ways to help get capital into the system. So while we have bankers out on street, we’re also working through our foundation and other partners to go to areas and say, let’s figure out unique ways to do micro lending, let’s figure out unique ways to work with veterans, to jumpstart companies. You’ve got to look for niches in the segment where there’s opportunity to lend. But they need a little bit extra from their banker or their partner. In this economy, small business banking isn’t just the lending, it’s doing the things you can do to provide seed money, to give advice to jumpstart the smallest of small businesses, to help small businesses to become medium-sized businesses, to become big businesses. Q. What do your bankers do to help a small business when it’s turned down for a loan? A. I don’t use the words “turned down.” What a banker should be saying to a business owner is, “here’s what we need to do to be able to lend you the money and help you grow.” Before we say, “we can’t lend you the money now,” we’ll see if there are alternative ways to finance — alternatives like Small Business Administration loans

— and see if there’s a way we can partner with SBA to give that money. If that doesn’t work, then it becomes an advice discussion — let us advise you on what your business needs to look like to expand the way you’d like to. I don’t like to use “turn down” as much as I like to use “advice.” Q. What is your take on the state of small business today? A. Slowly we’ve seen their confidence in the economy come back. I would say now that primarily they are confident that the economy is going to grow in the next few years. And they’re starting to act in that entrepreneurial spirit. At the same time, we’re in a period of evolution, from a global standpoint and a technology standpoint. The world is shrinking and the competitive landscape, even for small businesses, is becoming more clouded by globalization and the technology advances. I think the way that small businesses have to think is changing. Q. So, you’ve been a small business owner yourself. What was that like? A. I owned a barber and beauty salon and it was a very interesting learning experience for me. When I was in college, I was a barber, so I bought something I knew. I didn’t cut hair in the salon, I just owned it. As a banker, I understood the balance sheet and the income statement. As an owner, truthfully, I rarely looked at the balance sheet and the income statement, because I spent my time on customers and employees.

KENT AND NICOLE . . .

Congrats

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Thank you for changing so many young lives. From the Board, Staff, and Families of the Club

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Katie Slade

Farm upbringing helped Dysart native learn about responsibility JIM OFFNER jim.offner@wcfcourier.com‌ WATERLOO — Katie Slade stresses the importance of learning something new each day and passing that knowledge on. It’s part of a growth process that continues throughout life. Slade says she follows that advice. Perhaps that’s one reason she is part of The Courier’s newest class of 20 Under 40 winners. “My advice is continually be open to learning,” said Slade, 33, communications and development director at Exceptional Persons Inc. in Waterloo, “and also to the opportunity to choose to be who you are, do what makes you happy. Put the things that are important to you first, and the rest will fall into place.” Family is important, and the community is an extension of family, Slade says. “It started with growing up on a farm,” said Slade, a native of Dysart. “We had jobs to do, and we were expected to do them. It helps you develop character, and you learn you play a role in a community.” She takes that role in the community seriously as communications and development director at Exceptional Persons Inc. Her job hardly stops there, though, said Chris Sparks, EPI’s executive director, who nominated Slade for 20 Under 40 honors. “When Katie started working for EPI a little over five years ago, she was already a talented and accomplished communications professional, and we hoped in time that she might pick up the basics of the companion piece of her job — development,” Sparks said. “In the first year of her employment, she became proficient and beyond in more than the basic aspects of fund development, and she produced the most successful annual campaign EPI had ever enjoyed.” Slade also has embraced other roles that transcend her job descrip36

november 2013

Katie Slade ■■ AGE: 33 ■■ OCCUPATION: Communications and development director at Exceptional Persons Inc., Waterloo ■■ VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES:“I like to do things that are involved with my children, education, character growth. I like to do things that are involved in fundraising. With my church (Hudson Community Church), we’re in vacation Bible school. I like to help wherever I can and where I’m needed. Sometimes I like to working with something that needs a specific skill set that I can lend myself to. Other times, I’ll just be that support person and just show up and serve a meal or bring food.” ■■ EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree in marketing, sales and advertising and minor in graphic communication, Wartburg College, 2002. ■■ FAMILY: Husband of 13 years Jeff, who owns S&S Enterprises Inc. in Hudson; daughter Ainsley, 8; daughter Ava, 6; son Isaac, 3. ■■ A MOMENT THAT SHAPED YOU: “I grew up on a farm and I think the character development my parents had us do walking beans and de-roguing was one of those things there was no alternative for hard work. As I grew up, one thing I learned was I had the ability to choose how the day goes. I have an opportunity to make decisions and realize I’m responsible for those decisions.”

MATTHEW PUTNEY / Courier Photo Editor

Katie Slade, one of the 2013 winners of The Courier’s 20 under 40 honors, at the Waterloo Center for the Arts. tion. “Katie has invested deeply in our efforts to fully utilize Stephen R. Covey’s ‘7 Habits of Highly Effective People,’ by becoming a certified trainer, coordinating recruitment and training efforts, encouraging staff participation and by generally being a model of integrity, hard work and high productivity,” Sparks said. “She inspires the people around her.” Sparks called Slade a “difference-maker” whom EPI staff, clients, board members and the community at large have come to trust. “She tells people that her job is great because she gets to share the message of EPI, and she is gifted

Cedar Valley Business monthly

at doing so,” Sparks said. “Beyond this, Katie works to help the organization become more effective by investing herself in a variety of tasks and projects that are far outside her job description. She is a positive, passionate and recognized leader at EPI and an integral part of our success.” When asked about winning the 20 Under 40 award and her other accomplishments, Slade used the term “we” in several instances. “It’s a testament to all the people in my life,” she said. Young leadership is essential to the welfare of all communities, Slade said. “I think that leadership at any lev-

■■ A MENTOR AND WHY: “My mom, Rita Callahan. My father’s mother used to come out and make meals and help clean the house and kind of support. My mom does the same thing. She’s involved in so many clubs and organizations. She’s serviceoriented. She’s also a guidance counselor.”

el is important,” she said. “You say the word ‘young’ and it’s wonderful, but I appreciate the opportunity to talk to people who are from different generations. Children around my children are having fundraisers of their own accord. People my age are getting involved and taking time out of their lives.” Slade said she is “amazed” by people she meets every day. “People walk in through our doors, and they’ll donate an iPad out of the blue,” she said. “They say, ‘I know you’ll put this to good use.’ Every day my paradigm is changed. I get to see somebody in a new light and I go, ‘I didn’t think of that before.’” cvbusinessmonthly.com

Doug Schwab

Working hard to build wrestling program at Northern Iowa

Doug Schwab AGE: 36 OCCUPATION: University of Northern Iowa head wrestling coach VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES: Team visits to community organizations like the Boys and Girls Club. He also attends Prairie Lakes Church with his family EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree in communication studies, University of Iowa; master’s degree courses, University of Minnesota FAMILY: Wife, Allyson, sons Hayden, 5, and Hendrix or “Bobbers,” 4 A MOMENT THAT SHAPED YOU: The birth of his oldest son. “You’re living for something else,” he said. “It just keeps you extremely grounded. Now you’ve got a chance to mold and shape someone, too.”

MATTHEW PUTNEY / Courier Photo Editor

A MENTOR AND WHY: His mother, who has been “a rock guiding us, selfless for her kids. I’ve always been extremely grateful for that.” He acknowledged that “multiple people invested in my life and guided me.”

Doug Schwab, a 2013 20 under 40 Award winner, at the Waterloo Center for the Arts. ANDREW WIND andrew.wind@wcfcourier.com‌ WATERLOO — There’s no instant gratification in Doug Schwab’s line of work. “Wrestling is far from that,” said Schwab, who has led the University of Northern Iowa’s wrestling program since 2010. The sport breeds a tenacity that causes its practitioners to face challenges head-on. That’s the approach Schwab is taking with his team. “I want to bring this program back to being the top in the country,” he said. “I’m going to find a way, and I’m sure not going to give up until I do.” Schwab said the Panthers have made some “serious progress” already. “I had some goals when I first took over. During the first three years we accomplished quite a few of them,” he said. A number of those came to fruition last spring at the NCAA Division I Wrestling cvbusinessmonthly.com

Championships. Schwab got his first pair of All-Americans in wrestlers David Bonin and Ryan Loder. Along with national qualifiers Joey Lazor and Levi Wolfensperger, they led the team to its highest finish since 2005, placing 15th. He expects more good things in the coming year from his 38 wrestlers. “We’ve got a whole group of guys that are working collectively, and when you do that it’s extremely powerful,” said Schwab. The 36-year-old Osage native knows where that can lead. He was a three-time All-American and Big Ten champion for the University of Iowa Hawkeyes from 1998 to 2001 and won the 1999 NCAA title at 141 pounds. Schwab finished his collegiate career with 130 wins, the 10th best in the university’s history. He went on to coach at Minnesota and Virginia Tech and was an assistant Iowa coach for four years before coming to UNI. During those years, he also competed in-

ternationally and won a string of honors in 2007 at the World Championships and Pan American Games along with a U.S. Senior Freestyle title. In 2008, Schwab won titles at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials and U.S. Nationals. He went on to represent the United States at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Steve Gearhart, senior associate athletic director for external affairs at the UNI Foundation, said Schwab appreciates how he’s benefited from those experiences. “He understands opportunities from wrestling should never be taken for granted and tries to instill that in his wrestling team,” Gearhart said in nominating Schwab as a 20 Under 40 honoree. Schwab said the improvements he’s seen on the wrestling mat at UNI are a “tribute to our kids.” Those improvements are also garnering recognition for the team in the community. “I’m getting to reap some of the

benefits of being their coach. This is one of them,” he said of the 20 Under 40 honor. Schwab said he’s motivated by his “incredible wife,” Allyson, and their two young sons. “I’m always thinking about how I can be an example for them.” His other motivation in life is the “38 guys on the team.” Schwab works hard to help those athletes do their best, which is “extremely gratifying when they do.” Gearhart said Schwab has been a mentor and a role model to many of his wrestlers. “His philosophy isn’t always about winning but also includes making sure his kids have the right attitude, give 100 percent effort, hold each other accountable and (care) about each other as an individual,” he said. “His leadership as a head coach is demonstrated in instilling in his wrestlers the expectations for academic success and living a championship lifestyle outside of the wrestling room.”

Cedar Valley Business monthly

november 2013

Tim Terhune

Helping children a priority when it comes to volunteering

Tim Terhune ■■ AGE: 35 ■■ OCCUPATION: Managing partner/ owner of Texas Roadhouse in Cedar Falls ■■ VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES: Work with area schools, Boys and Girls Club, fundraising ■■ EDUCATION: United Township High School, East Moline, Ill. ■■ FAMILY: Wife Stacey, daughter Alexandra, 11; two other children from another marriage. ■■ A MOMENT THAT SHAPED YOU: When I met my wife, I knew that she was the one. She turned me around and made me become probably the man I am today. Just wanting to be with her and get my life straight. Maybe in the past, it wasn’t the greatest. It’s what really turned it around for me.

MATTHEW PUTNEY / Courier Photo Editor

Tim Terhune, a 20 Under 40 Award winner for 2013, at the Waterloo Center for the Arts. JIM OFFNER jim.offner@wcfcourier.com‌ CEDAR FALLS — Tim Terhune says it’s just the right thing to give back to the community, especially where helping kids is concerned. Terhune, 35, managing partner at the Texas Roadhouse restaurant in Cedar Falls, says there are certain community projects about which he is passionate. Most have something to do with helping children who desperately need it. “We work a lot with the schools and the Boys and Girls Club and things like that,” Terhune said. “We teach them how to play golf. We go to North Cedar Elementary and mentor kids, read books to them, play games with them. Just being involved with the youth in the community is a big part of what we like to do.” It’s something both Terhune and his wife, Stacey, who have an 11-year-old daughter, Alexandra, at Hoover Middle School, decid38

november 2013

ed they needed to do when they moved to the Cedar Valley five years ago. “When we moved here, we wanted to get involved with her school, and we moved on to other schools from there,” Terhune said. Terhune said he appreciates the attention brought to him by The Courier’s 20 Under 40 award he won this year, but he said others deserved as much credit as he. “It’s more about my team and my family and not about me,” he said. “Without a strong team behind you or a strong family, no individual person, I don’t think, is anything without that.” Giving the community – and, particularly, its kids – a helping hand is a priority, Terhune said. “I think getting involved with the youth is very important, so they can have role models,” he said. “Anything I can do to help the youth get on the right path is what I want to do.” His advice to young people is simple, he said.

Cedar Valley Business monthly

“Work hard, stay on the right path, listen to your parents, because when we’re young we all think our parents don’t know what they’re talking about until we’re older, and then we realize they did,” he said. Wendy Klatt, an employee of Texas Roadhouse, nominated her boss for the 20 Under 40 honor. “He is one of the most driven, compassionate, caring and dedicated people I have ever had the blessing to work with and for,” Klatt said. She noted Terhune had participated in a number of fundraisers and honors requests for donations often. He is consistently giving back to our communities,” she said. “He is active within school districts around the Cedar Falls-Waterloo areas, including Dike-New Hartford, Gladbrook-Reinbeck, Hudson, Denver and many more. Tim has given his own time to mentor children in the past, encourages our staff/trainers to do ‘outings,’

■■ A MENTOR AND WHY: “Matt Johnson, managing partner at the Texas Roadhouse in Davenport when I was an hourly there. He came in and got me on the right path and told me what I needed to do to get to where I needed to be and here I am.”

which include car washes for the Boys and Girls Club, donation of our time and efforts, adopt a family for holidays and most recently we are adopting the well-deserving North Cedar Schools — including the Cedar Valley Preschool and North Cedar Elementary.” Terhune led Texas Roadhouse in a back-to-school effort that involved collecting school supplies. Terhune also led an effort to raise funds for Noah Ohrt, a 16-year-old Reinbeck resident who has been fighting cancer for more than a year-and-a-half. The fundraising efforts go on and on, Klatt said. “Tim is definitely someone in our community who deserves to be honored for his dedication, leadership in and outside of our restaurant, award-winning achievements in our company and always striving to be a better person, boss, husband and father, encouraging all of us to be challenged on a daily basis,” she said. cvbusinessmonthly.com

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Cedar Valley Business monthly

november 2013

Alliance & Chamber

NEWSLETTER www.cedarvalleyalliance.com

Welcome NEW Investors

Aaron's Sales & Lease

Encouraging the Cedar Valley to support Alliance & Chamber Investor Businesses

Contact: Jeff Finke 1945 Enterprise Dr. Waterloo, IA 50702 319-232-0790 Fax: 319-232-0787 Category: Furniture, Electronics, Appliances – Sales – Leasing *The Alliance & Chamber has approximately 900 investors representing over 50,000 employees

Celebrating Entrepreneurship in the Cedar Valley! Cedar Valley Dream Big Grow Here/ Small Business Expo Pitch-Off November 7, 2013 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. Waterloo Center for the Arts Reserve your booth today Public is invited to attend! For more information about the Small Business Expo contact Rob Williams at UNI Small Business Development Center, by calling 319-273-4344 or email to rob.williams@uni.edu For more information about the Cedar Valley Dream Big Grow Here contest contact Taylor King tking@ cedarvalleyalliance.com Lead sponsor for Dream Big Grow Here 2013 is the Iowa Bankers Association. Other key statewide sponsors include: University of Northern Iowa MyEntre. Net, Iowa Farm Bureau Renew Rural Iowa, Iowa Economic Development Authority, VentureNet, Delta Dental of Iowa, and the Technology Association of Iowa.

Upcoming EVENTS NOV 07 TechBrew

Waterloo Center for the Arts as part of the Cedar Valley Dream Big Grow Here/ Small Business Expo

Upload your Holiday promotion to www. cedarvalleyalliance.com/ coupons.php

NOV 08 Friday Forum

Waterloo Center for the Arts

Friday Legislative Forum 7:30 a.m.

NOV 14 Work the Valley Internship Fair Contact Britt Jungck for details – bjungck@cedarvalleyalliance.com

DEC 12 Pre-session Legislative Session n Isle Casino Hotel Waterloo 4:30 – 6:30 p.m.

Cedar Valley Data Portal Now live at

http://data.cedarvalleyalliance.com/DataPortal.aspx The most up to date data and stats on Cedar Valley education, healthcare, amenities, wages and more. Great information for relocation and recruitment.

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november 2013

Cedar Valley Business monthly

cvbusinessmonthly.com

Be part of something GREATER! Join the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber! Learn how you can beneﬁt! Contact Bette Wubbena at (319) 232-1156 or bwubbena@cedarvalleyalliance.com.

The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber Executive Board

Chair

Vice Chair

Treasurer

Tom Penaluna

Steve Tscherter

David Braton

CBE Companies, Inc.

Lincoln Savings Bank

Courier Communications

Past Chair

Secretary

Kris Hansen

Steven J. Dust

Western Home Communities

Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber

Board Members Dr. Linda Allen Hawkeye Community College Sue Armbrecht MidWestOne Bank Wade Arnold Banno Stacey Bentley Community National Bank Steve Brewer US Bank Mayor Bob Brunkhorst City of Waverly Mike Butler Stifel, Nicolaus & Co. Lynn Carter Bossard Mayor Buck Clark City of Waterloo Mark Collett Bloom Manufacturing Dr. Darrel Colson Wartburg College Mayor Jon Crews City of Cedar Falls Rich Czarnecki John Deere Waterloo Operations Pam Delagardelle Unity Point Health, Allen Hospital Chris Fereday Pedersen, Dowie, Clabby & McCausland Insurance

Steen Hansen Bossard Tim Hurley Chair, Cedar Valley TechWorks Eric Johnson Beecher, Field, Walker, Morris, Hoffman & Johnson, P.C Reid Koenig CUNA Mutual Group Jim Krieg Cedar Falls Utilities Kathryn Kunert MidAmerican Energy Company Jim McKernan KWWL-TV Jim Mudd Jr. Mudd Advertising Dr. Gary Norris Waterloo School District Dr. Andy Pattee Cedar Falls Community Schools Bob Petersen Northland Products Co. Dr. Bill Ruud University of Northern Iowa Kate Washut Far Reach Technologies

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Cedar Valley Business monthly

november 2013

Older home buyers choosy, experts say MarketWatch When you’ve already bought one or two homes in the past, you might know exactly what you want in your next one. On top of that, you’ll probably want a home that’s move-in ready. The location might also be nonnegotiable. In short, the older you get, the pickier of a home shopper you are. And there’s research to back this up. In a survey of recent home buyers and sellers, about half of people 58 and older made no compromises at all during their recent home purchase, according to the National Association of Realtors. Only 28 percent of the youngest home buyers didn’t compromise, with most making all sorts of trade-offs on price, lot size, distance from job and the style of home. In between, the older you were, the less likely you were to compromise. “The first-time buyer is starry-eyed and has no idea what they really need. They might want a five-bedroom and never use two of them,” said Stephen Melman, director of economic services for

the National Association of Home Builders. Those in their 50s “are better than most housing consumers at knowing what they want — and won’t be shy.” Young buyers tend to focus on needs. They need three or four bedrooms to have enough room for their kids, said real estate agent Leslie Piper, who is also a consumer housing specialist for Realtor. com. They need to be located in a good school district. When you reach a certain age, you’re going after what your desires are, she added. You’ve likely raised your family, now you’re interested in focusing on what you want, not the kids. And you’re less willing to compromise. But being very selective will likely make your home search tougher. Piper has recently crossed paths with boomer buyers who were very specific in their requirements. Like the couple who has been trying to downsize into a newer home, yet have their hearts set on living in a San Francisco-area neighborhood filled with bungalows from

Greetings from the Clarion University Plaza!

the 1940s and 1950s. (They’re still looking.) Or the couple who paid at least $100,000 over the other bids in order to buy an updated home located where they’d be able to walk to town and be close to an aging mother in her 80s. The older you are, the newer you want your home to be, too, according to the NAR survey. Millennials (those born between 1980 and 2000) old enough to buy homes typically went for places built around 1986, a decade older than the typical home bought by someone from the so-called Silent Generation (those born between 1925 and 1945). In fact, older buyers may give up on finding an existing home that fits all their wants and go the route of building new instead. They are more likely to have the financial wherewithal to do it, too — especially now, as housing markets have improved and fewer owners are underwater on their mortgages, meaning they owe more than the home is currently worth. Sure enough, home builders who cater to buyers ages 55 and older

have grown more optimistic in the past months. The most recent reading of the National Association of Home Builders’ 55-Plus Housing Market Index was 53 in the second quarter, up 24 points from the same period last year. A reading above 50 means that more builders view conditions as good. In new homes, empty nesters typically value entertaining spaces — their kitchens, eating spaces and gathering spaces — both inside and out, said Scott Thomas, director of architecture for PulteGroup. Many work from home, so they value designated office space that doesn’t make them give up a bedroom. Ample storage is another popular desire. Location also is important, and many empty nesters prefer to be within walking distance of amenities including coffee shops and theaters, Piper said. “A lot of times, when you have raised your family not close to commerce and the amenities of what a town or city might offer, you realize how nice it is to be able to ride your bike or walk and meet friends,” she said.

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5826 University Ave. Cedar Falls, Iowa www.clarioncedarfalls.com 42

november 2013

Cedar Valley Business monthly

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Angela Weekley Showing love through service to others

Angela Weekley ■■ AGE: 39 ■■ OCCUPATION: Manager of Community Inclusion Dept at Veridian Credit Union ■■ VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES: “Growing up in a single-parent home and being the oldest of five, we used a lot of community services. I grew up in the Salvation Army, which is a churchfirst, service organization second. And service was something that was in-bred in us.”

JIM OFFNER jim.offner@wcfcourier.com‌

■■ EDUCATION: B.A. in elementary education, Wartburg College, 1998; master of arts in education in student affairs, University of Northern Iowa, 2010.

”And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” — 1 Corinthians, 13:13 WATERLOO — Angela Weekley loves that Bible verse. And, she says, she works hard to live it. “The Bible says the greatest thing you can do is show love and you can do that through service. That’s how I live my life,” she said. “Corinthians 13:13. It’s even on my license plate.” The 39-year-old Waterloo native has been working to spread the Good News all of her life, she says. Indeed, Weekley, who grew up in the Salvation Army, learned early on to be her brother’s and sister’s keeper. She studied education, first as an undergraduate at Wartburg College, then as a grad student at the University of Northern Iowa. She witnessed for Christ throughout her upbringing, volunteering to teach Sunday school at the age of 12. She continues her Sunday school mission to this day. “I just always wanted to do something where I’m showing love as much as I could,” she said. That has continued to this day: She’s now a foster parent. “I have my first foster-care placement right now,” Weekley said, noting that she had received her license to be a foster parent in June. “She’s 10 and a bundle of joy on some days,” Weekley said, adding that she had be careful to protect the child’s identity. “The intention of foster care is to cvbusinessmonthly.com

■■ FAMILY: Single

MATTHEW PUTNEY / Courier Photo Editor

Angela Weekley, a 2013 20 Under 40 Award winner, at the Waterloo Center for the Arts. reunite people with their families, and a foster parent is supposed to work with the birth family and make sure we’re co-parenting so that when the child goes back, there’s not that huge gap,” Weekley said. The giving doesn’t stop there. Weekley is one of the founding members of the TeamMates mentoring program, now four years old. “Not only does she meet regularly with her mentee, she also serves on our TeamMates Advisory Board,” said Ellen Vanderloo, mentor coordinator with Waterloo Community Schools, who nominated Weekley as a 20 Under 40 winner. “She offers great suggestions and support as we continue to grow and improve the mentoring program in the Waterloo Schools.” In June, Weekley received the Governor’s Volunteer Award for her mentoring efforts, Vanderloo noted. Weekley also works to build financial literacy among youths and has been involved with Junior Achievement, Job Foundation, UNI-CUE, College of Hair Design, United Auto Workers and other organizations, Vanderloo said.

Weekley also has partnered with Dan Kittle and his May term leadership class at Wartburg College, which also is connected to financial literacy. Weekley heads up Veridian’s Unity Council, whose mission is to create an inclusive environment. “She mentors two employees at Veridian Credit Union and is constantly looking for opportunities for training that strengthens diversity with the organization,” Vanderloo said. Vanderloo noted Weekley remains active in her faith. “Angela is a member of the Salvation Army Church, she teaches Sunday school, helps with Bible school and attends church camp with the children,” Vanderloo said. “She has traveled for a week to build homes through Habitat for Humanity in Mississippi and West Virginia.” Weekley also serves as a council member with Iowa State University Extension; a committee member with the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber; and board member with the Waterloo Convention & Visitors Bureau, Strive for Suc-

■■ A MOMENT THAT SHAPED YOU: “My grandma lived her life in the way I’d like to live mine. I spent a lot of time with my grandma. I spent a lot of time with going door to door telling about Jesus’ love and going to nursing homes as a child and I volunteered as a child with the youth programs to teach Sunday school at 12. I just always wanted to do something where I’m showing love as much as I could. ■■ A MENTOR AND WHY: “Mr. Roberson, my homeroom teacher and history teacher at West Intermediate. He always inspired me and encouraged me. He’d tell me how smart I was and how good a heart I had. Mr. Burns (at East High School), the same thing. I wanted to be a physics teacher because he taught physics. They pushed me to always reach my potential. Wilfred Mickey Johnson, director of Upward Bound program was another. I still consult with him all the time. Dr. Less Huth, my college adviser at Wartburg. Those men were people who believed in me before I believed in myself.”

cess and NAACP. She also served on the CEO Forum of the Greater Des Moines Partnership. In September she was elected to the Waterloo Board of Education. Despite all that, Weekley said, winning 20 Under 40 came as a surprise. “I guess it means that people have recognized things I thought I was doing under the radar,” she said. “It’s definitely an honor to be recognized for those things; I just do things in the community because it’s the right thing to do.”

Cedar Valley Business monthly

november 2013

Congratulations, Angie! Veridian Credit Union® is pleased you have been recognized as a leader in the Cedar Valley. This honor is a reflection of your passion for volunteering.

319.236.5600 www.veridiancu.org

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november 2013

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local business

Shop in local stores Commercial & this holiday season Investment Real Estate As the holiday season quickly approaches and shoppers across the country start making their lists and checking them twice, it’s important that shoppers remember to shop local. By doing so, consumers will be supporting small businesses that Patrick create local jobs Smith and fuel their lois vice president of cal economy— retail banking making everyfor First one’s holiday a bit National Bank brighter. in Cedar Falls. Small businessContact him at 268-7012 or es create two out Patrick.Smith@ of every three new myfnbbank. jobs and employ com. more than half of the nation’s workforce. As contributors to the local economy, community banks encourage consumers to do their

holiday shopping at local small businesses. Community banks help small businesses succeed throughout the holiday season and beyond by lending to them. And because community banks are small businesses themselves, they also are able to make more contributions to the community and are able to lend more to small businesses. By lending to local entrepreneurs and small businesses, community banks help their local economies thrive. American shoppers have that same power, and that’s why the holiday season is a great time to shop local and get to know your local small businesses and what they have to offer. Shopping local helps keep local businesses open and helps build a sense of community. ‘Tis the season to be merry, and shop local at your hometown businesses.

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Big data jobs going unfilled BECKY YERAK Chicago Tribune‌

Big data glossary

Professionals in big data are big deals in today’s largely sluggish U.S. job market. The demand for talent capable of gleaning useful information from businesses’ increasingly large and diverse data sets — generated by sensors, electronic payments, online sales, social media and more — is outpacing the supply of workers. Take Enova International, which analyzes more than two dozen data sources to determine, in less than 10 minutes, whether an applicant will qualify for one of its three-year, $10,000 loans. In the past three years, the growing Chicago online lender has doubled the size of its analytic team to 25 people, and next year, it would like to increase it by 50 percent, said Adam McElhinney, Enova’s head of business analytics. “There’s a shortage of talent that we’re looking to address,” McElhinney said. By 2018, the United States might face a shortfall of about 35 percent in the number of people with advanced training in statistics and other disciplines who can help companies realize the potential of digital information generated from their own operations as well as from suppliers and customers, according to McKinsey & Co. That deficit represents more than 140,000 workers, the consulting firm estimates. Workers in big data are hard to come by in the short term. A recent survey by CareerBuilder — an affiliate of Tribune Co., which owns the Chicago Tribune and is a partner in McClatchy-Tribune News Service — found that “jobs tied to managing and interpreting big data” were among the “hot areas for hiring” in the second half of 2013. “There aren’t enough of them. Period. End of story,” said Linda Burtch, founder of Burtch Works, an Evanston, Ill.-based executive recruitment firm. “The demand for quantitative professionals has grown so across industries that there aren’t enough kids coming out of school studying math and statistics.” As a result, about half of Enova’s data analysts have visas or green cards. 46

november 2013

Big data professionals: Individuals who can apply sophisticated quantitative skills to data transactions, interactions or other behaviors to draw conclusions and recommend actions. They’re distinguished by the sheer quantity of data on which they operate, due to new ways to measure behavior and technological advances in the storage and retrieval of data. Internet of Things: The ubiquitous network of sensors, cameras and transmitters embedded in devices around the world. Units of measure: Gigabytes eventually become terabytes, which then become petabytes, which then become exabytes. Then it’s on to, respectively, zettabytes and yottabytes. Unstructured data: Not as easily searched as the highly structured and clean data sets of, say, customer purchase histories or inventory levels. It includes blog posts, social-media feeds, GPS tracking data, online chat rooms, and most audio and video content. SOURCES: McKinsey & Co., Burtch Works LLC

Historically, Enova typically hired people with degrees in statistics, computer science and industrial engineering, but it has broadened its potential talent pool to include people with backgrounds in astrophysics and computational chemistry. Enova, a unit of Texas-based Cash America International Inc., visits with Northwestern University and the University of Chicago several times a year, recommending that they adjust their curriculum to help turn out graduates with the skills for big data. “Over the past five years, there has been a convergence of data analysis and computer science,” McElhinney said, noting that big data requires proficiency at both. “Five years ago, that was not the case.” On Oct. 11 at the University of Chicago, Enova, which has more than 1,000 Chicago-area workers, is sponsoring a “data smackdown” in which it will provide students with a data set and business case, and the students have six hours to make recommendations. Meanwhile, IBM said Aug. 14 that it has now partnered with more than 1,000 colleges and universities, including those at Northwestern and

Cedar Valley Business monthly

DePaul, to try to narrow the skills gap on big data. Thanks partly to advances in software and database systems, companies find it easier to capture, store, crunch and share the data in ways that help their business serve customers, predict their behavior, innovate, improve productivity and cut costs. The computing power of the average desktop computer, for example, has risen by 75 times from 2000 to 2013, McKinsey said. Big data pays well. Median base salaries for nonmanagement workers is $90,000, according to a 47page Burtch Works report published in July that surveyed 2,845 of the quantitative professionals in the firm’s database. Nearly 9 of 10 big data professionals have at least a master’s in a quantitative discipline such as statistics, applied mathematics, operations research or economics, according to Burtch Works. At companies, they work in such areas as analytical database marketing, analytics management and business intelligence. Nearly 40 percent are foreign citizens, Burtch Works found in its study. Nine out of 10 quantitative professionals are recruited over LinkedIn at least once a month, Burtch said. “Candidates with a strong breadth of knowledge in big data are challenging to find,” said Rona Borre, chief executive of Instant Technology, a Chicago-based talent management firm. She said junior-level professionals in big data can start out earning $80,000, with senior technicians making as much as $140,000. Big data professionals are also becoming more important to insurance companies, which need help sorting through and learning from data to provide better services and savings for their policyholders. For example, Progressive Corp.’s Snapshot device, which is installed in the car and collects driving data, has pulled in more than 8 billion miles of driving data, and that number increases by the second. As such, Progressive has “become much more proactive” about finding big data talent, including having a staff of “sourcing specialists” who home in on finding peo-

ple with big data skills, said Adam Kornick, Progressive’s big data and analytics business leader. “As part of our recruiting efforts, we spend a lot of time highlighting Cleveland as a great place to live and work.” Bill Franks, chief analytics officer for Teradata Corp., said his Dayton, Ohio-based company has turned to external recruiters to help fill jobs in big data “because it’s so difficult to find people.” Also, traditionally, Teradata’s analytics team considered people with at least 10 years of experience, but now it is looking more closely at applicants with less experience, said Franks, also author of “Taming the Big Data Tidal Wave.” Joe DeCosmo, director of advanced analytics for West Monroe Partners’ technology solutions practice, said his Chicago-based consulting firm has 55 professionals specializing in data management warehousing and analyzing big data. Of those, 10 have been added this year, and West Monroe has plans to add at least 10 more by year’s end, he said. West Monroe has stepped up its recruiting and networking events, and it encourages current workers to get involved in the local chapter of the American Statistical Association to meet potential job candidates and to do more speaking at local colleges. Chicago-based Datascope Analytics, which calls itself a “data-driven design firm,” had three full-time “data scientists” in 2012. It has grown to eight and plans to expand to 20 to 25 over the next two years. Dean Malmgren, co-founder of Datascope, said his hiring challenge has less to do with technical abilities — “almost anyone with minimal programming experience can teach themselves all the necessary tools, like many of us have” — and much more to do with a shortage of soft skills and creative potential. “On the one hand, I disagree with the McKinsey numbers because many people have the potential to retool their existing skill set,” Malmgren said. “But on the other hand, I think the McKinsey numbers vastly underestimate the magnitude of the problem, which is that there are far fewer ‘creative thinkers’ than there are ‘nerds in the back room.’” cvbusinessmonthly.com

Twitter dishes juicy tidbits in IPO treatise SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Twitter, a privately held company built on blurbs, has finally laid itself bare in documents that read more like a treatise than a tweet. The roughly 800-page filing Twitter Inc. released last month on its way to an eagerly anticipated IPO contains tantalizing tidbits about its growth and its attempts to make money from its influential short messaging service. The suspense surrounding Twitter’s IPO was heightened by the company’s decision to take advantage of a law passed last year that allows companies with less than $1 billion in annual revenue to keep their IPO documents under seal until management is ready to make formal presentations to investors. The San Francisco company’s stock could begin trading under the ticker symbol “TWTR” before Thanksgiving. Here are five key details revealed in Twitter’s tome: ■■ TWITTER’S GOT GROWTH TO GET EXCITED ABOUT: After Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey sent out the first tweet in March 2006, the company didn’t even try to make money for its first few years. Instead, management focused on attracting more users and making the service more reliable. Twitter’s patient approach is paying off. Since former Google executive Dick Costolo became Twitter’s CEO in 2010, the company’s annual revenue has soared from $28 million to $317 million last year. Through the first half of this year, Twitter’s revenue totaled $254 million, more than doubling from last year. If Twitter maintains that growth pace through the second half, the company’s revenue will surpass $656 million this year. Twitter gets 87 percent of its revenue from advertising. The rest comes from licensing agreements that give other companies access to the flow of activity on its service. Meanwhile, Twitter ended June with 218 million users, up from 30 million in early 2010. More than three-quarters of those users, or 169 million people, are located outside the U.S. ■■ BUT THE COMPANY ISN’T PROFITABLE: It takes more than cultural heft to build a business, as Twitter is learning. The company has suffered uninterrupted losscvbusinessmonthly.com

es of $419 million since its inception. Twitter can afford the losses because it has raised $759 million from investors. The company still had $375 million in the bank at the end of June and hopes to raise at least $1 billion more in its IPO. But Wall Street won’t tolerate losses for long, and it may be a while before Twitter turns a profit. Twitter’s losses widened during the first half of this year to $69 million, up from $49 million in the same period last year. In contrast, both Facebook and LinkedIn were profitable when they went public. ■■ COMING UP ... MORE ADS: To make money, Twitter will likely get aggressive about showing ads. In the three months ending in June, Twitter generated revenue of $139 million, an average of just 64 cents per user. In contrast, Facebook generated second-quarter revenue of nearly $1.2 billion, an average of $1.58 per user, while LinkedIn posted revenue of $364 million, or an average of $1.53 per user. As Twitter cranks up its marketing, it runs the risk of alienating an audience accustomed to seeing relatively few ads in their news feeds. ■■ TWITTER’S MORE “MOBILE” THAN FACEBOOK: Twitter appears tailor-made for an age of increasing reliance on smartphones and tablet computers. Three-fourths of Twitter’s users already use the service on mobile gadgets. Perhaps more important to investors, the company sells 65 percent of its ads on smartphones and tablets. Facebook gets 41 percent of its ad revenue from mobile devices. ■■ ITS MARKET VALUE COULD BE AS HIGH AS $20 BILLION: The company’s stock last sold in a privately arranged swap nine months ago at $17 per share. That deal implied Twitter had a market value of $10 billion to $11 billion at the time. Last month, Twitter priced some of its employee stock options at $20.62, based on a third-party appraisal of the company’s value. Some analysts predict Twitter will seek $28 to $30 per share in its IPO. If those projections pan out, Twitter will have a market value of $17 billion to $20 billion. Facebook made its stock market debut with a market value of more than $100 billion, but its stock plummeted before making resounding comeback this year. Cedar Valley Business monthly

november 2013

David P. Wilson, CCIM

Jack E. Jennings, CCIM

Medical/Professional Office Building

Dustin W. Whitehead, CCIM

Light Industrial Ligh

PRICE REDUCTION

845-847 W 4th Street, Waterloo • • • •

Listed well under assessed value $399,000 $6.00/sf NNN 12,431 sf of total finished area

includes lease to 2,720 sf oral geon A & Enterpr prise Districts

• Split-level construction • Sale includes lease to 2,720 sf oral surgeon • In CURA & Enterprise Districts

Ligh Industrial Light PRICE REDUCTION

17075 Market Avenue, Holland • $550,000 • One story pre-engineered metal/steel frame light industrial building • 20,400 SF built in 2002 & updated in 2007

november 2013

• Storage mezzanine over the 1,520 SF office area • 24’sidewalls, 2 docks and 1-14’x14’ overhead door

Cedar Valley Business monthly

Monroe Street, Waterloo 1225114 W Ridgeway Avenue, Waterloo • $165,000 • Great opportunity for a small auto repair or work shop • 14’Overhead doors

• Pit to change oil and a wash bay • Additional +/- 1.34 acres available at $95,000

amily Investment Multi-Family PRICE REDUCTION

202 Cedar Avenue, Waverly • $3,490,000 • 58 apartment units ranging from 1-4 bedrooms • 73.37 AC zoned Commercial & Ag

• 16 garage units • On-site leasing office & laundromat • 9.4% cap rate