On the Street - March 23, 2012

• Gate City Bank has promoted John Hexum to assistant vice president.

Hexum is a senior mortgage loan officer at the bank’s Alexandria and Fergus Falls offices. He has 14 years of mortgage lending experience and has been with Gate City Bank for two years.

A $1.4 billion mutual community bank, Gate City Bank has been providing complete banking services to its customers since 1923. Gate City Bank has 32 convenient banking offices across North Dakota and Minnesota, and employs more than 400 people.

• Allied Insurance is pleased to announce that Partington, Zimny Insurance has recently achieved On Your Side certification in accordance with the company‘s rigorous program standards.

To be considered On Your Side certified, agents must commit to stringent customer service training and standards. This makes the agent a valuable resource for consumers who want to know what coverage is available to them without spending extra on coverages they don't need.

To help consumers get the most value for their insurance dollar, Allied’s On Your Side certified agents offer On Your Side Reviews. Available to everyone, these reviews involve looking at the consumer’s current situation, discussing any recent or expected life changes, and then reviewing current insurance coverages to make sure the consumer is properly protected. The reviews also provide an opportunity to identify potential ways to save on insurance products.

“In today’s economy, it’s more important than ever to take time to review your current insurance needs,” said Anthony Zimny. “By getting to know you and your situation, a good insurance agent can not only make sure that you are properly protected should something bad happen, but they can also make sure that you’re not paying more than you need to be.”

Alexandria area residents can stop by and meet the staff at Partington, Zimny Insurance to learn more about protecting what matters in today’s economy. Partington, Zimny Insurance is located at 809 Broadway in Alexandria or found on the web at www.pzins.com.

• Gate City Bank has promoted Janell Kraemer to personal banker. In her new position, she will open and service deposit accounts and personal loans at Gate City Bank’s Alexandria office, located at 1630 Broadway Street.

Kraemer joined Gate City Bank in July 2009 as a customer service representative. She is a graduate of Alexandria Technical College and currently resides in Alexandria with her husband and daughter.

A $1.4 billion mutual community bank, Gate City Bank has been providing complete banking services to its customers since 1923. Gate City Bank has 32 convenient banking offices across North Dakota and Minnesota and employs more than 400 people.

• Bremer Bank announces that Mary Walter has been promoted to assistant branch manager of the Brandon bank location. Walter, who joined Bremer seven years ago, will continue to serve in her role as a personal banker but will take on additional management responsibilities.

“I am pleased to announce this promotion,” said John Rolf, president of the Brandon Bremer Bank. “Mary is a great banker and we are fortunate to have her on our team. She possesses outstanding leadership skills, which will make her transition to this management role very seamless.”

Bremer Financial Corporation is a privately-held, $8 billion regional financial services company jointly owned by its employees and the Otto Bremer Foundation (OBF). Founded in 1943 by Otto Bremer, the company is headquartered in St. Paul and provides a comprehensive range of banking, investment, trust and insurance products and services to nearly 100 locations in Minnesota, North Dakota and Wisconsin. OBF uses its share of dividends to distribute charitable grants to Bremer bank communities.

• Jill Stroup, MS, OTR/L is a recipient of the Knute Nelson’s (KN) “Tree of Excellence” award. This award is the highest level of recognition through the KN Employee Recognition Program. Stroup has been employed at KN for more than two years as the director of therapy. Stroup was nominated by her peers who had this to say about her: “Has a positive attitude, a catchy smile and takes time to laugh and have fun… Spends time with residents and families and looks for ways to better their stay… Her energy and passion rubs off on others to create a great work environment… She is committed to the KN mission and strives to enrich the lives of everyone she encounters… Very productive and always looking for ways to make programming better… She is a motivator and very willing to teach others, but also leads by example… Very innovative in looking for ways to provide better care.”

• Paula Jackson, a RE/MAX association with RE/MAX Lakes Area Realty in Alexandria, was recently recognized at the RE/MAX North Central Day of Distinction and Awards Celebration for her outstanding achievement in 2011.

Jackson was recognized and named to the Platinum Club level. As the third highest regional honor for sales in a single year, only 4 percent of nearly 2,000 RE/MAX North Central associates in Minnesota and Wisconsin achieved the Platinum Club level.

David Linger, RE/MAX North Central executive vice president and regional director, said, “Receiving any RE/MAX award in today’s market is a great accomplishment. These achievements come from a lot of hard work and commitment throughout the year.”

The RE/MAX North Central Day of Distinction and Awards Celebration was held February 9 at the St. Paul RiverCentre in St. Paul and featured keynote speaker, NFL legend Joe Theismann.

RE/MAX Lakes Area Realty is affiliated with RE/MAX North Central and RE/MAX LLC. Since its inception in 1985, RE/MAX North Central has grown to nearly 200 offices with nearly 2,000 sales associates throughout Minnesota and Wisconsin, providing residential and commercial real estate, as well as relocation and referral services.

• Sandi Vatthauer has been hired as human resources director at Ecumen Bethany Community in Alexandria.

Vatthauer is a member of the leadership team that is working to promote culture change, the concept of creating home, at the senior services campus. As director of human resources, Vatthauer is responsible for leading staff recruitment and retention. Bethany Community has approximately 150 staff members.

Vatthauer comes to Bethany Community with more than 20 years of human resources experience.

Bethany Community offers independent living, housing with services, care center, adult day services, senior fitness center and short term rehabilitation on their campus. Bethany Community is part of Ecumen, which is the state's most innovative provider of senior housing and services organization. Ecumen, which is based in Shoreview, is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and operates in approximately 80 Minnesota communities.

• Sanford Health President and CEO Kelby Krabbenhoft recently presented Minnesota State University Moorhead (MSUM) with a gift of $2 million for MSUM student-athlete scholarships. The Sanford gift will be distributed as $200,000 per year for the next 10 years. Sanford Health and its sports medicine physicians, therapists and trainers have been working with MSUM student-athletes for nearly 20 years.

MSUM student-athletes lead the way for student academic performance, retention, diversity, and community engagement and service. The Sanford Health gift will have a profound impact to support student-athlete success, both while attending MSUM and also when pursuing careers.

As a non-profit, Sanford Health is committed to reinvesting in its communities; investing in projects that help communities to thrive. The most successful communities are incredibly diverse; as a result, Sanford Health invests in the arts, education, as well as programs that directly align with Sanford’s business model, such as sports medicine.

To read the full news release of this, visit msumdragons.com.

• Wendy Haburn of Brandon was recently certified as a public accountant. Haburn attended Minnesota State University Moorhead to obtain her bachelor’s degree in accounting and a minor in finance. In order to be eligible to sit for the CPA exam, she needed 150 college credits instead of the typical 126 credits for a bachelor’s degree in accounting. The CPA exam is made up of four sections, which she successfully passed over the last two years.

Haburn currently works as a CPA for Lee B. Hockert, CPA in Alexandria. She has been with this firm for more than five years. Some of her responsibilities include preparing individual income taxes, compilations and audits. She looks forward to working with her clients, new and old, in the future years.

Tags: on the street, business