Layout 1 (Page 1) - Kossuth County Economic Development

Kossuth County Economic Development Corporation
Kossuth County
Intern ROSTER 2007
Algona Publishing
Megan Lucas
Amberwave
Jeremy Koppen
Farmers State Bank
Allison Hannover, Spense Simonson
Hydrogen Engine Center
Dustin Meier
Iowa State Bank
Lindsay Schiltz
KCEDC
Chandra Foertsch, Ashley Waller
Exceptional Opportunities
Christa Person
Kossuth Co. Engineers Office
Anthony McGregor
Kossuth Regional Health Center
Melissa Hilbert, Laura Kellner, Erika Siefken,
Darcy Kruger, Kara Nelson, Dan Garman,
Brooke Myers, Derek Buyck, Melanie Myers,
Suzanne Collins, Dusti Bitz, Ashley Carpenter
Kuehl & Payer Ltd.
Heidi Rode, Chad Lane
Max Yield Cooperative
Sonja Bye, David Laubenthal
Murphy-Brown LLC
Abbey Harding, John Stoakes,
Alison Brandenburg
NRCS
Renae Weis
Northwest Federal Savings Bank
Amanda Fox, Candace Schiltz,
Matt Vitzthum
Peterson & Lipps Law Firm
Matthew Skilling
Pharmacists Mutual
Leslie Aboud, Molly Albers, Byron Black,
Nick Brand, Renee Taphorn, Allison Even,
Wesley Dahlhauser, Laci Erpelding,
Jim Garman, Jeff Lappe, Abby McIntosh,
Aaron O'Kane, Nate Pierson, Emily Salz,
Abby Baldus
Reding’s Gravel
John Reding
Titonka Savings Bank
Brittney Schwartz
Universal Manufacturing
Darren McGregor
West Iowa Bank
Nicole Schmidt, Brooke Helmers
Intern Advisory Committee Career Intern Committee
Laci Erpelding, Co-Chair
Darren McGregor, Co-Chair
Ashley Waller, Chandra Foertsch,
Abby McIntosh, Leslie Aboud,
Laura Kellner, Melissa Hilbert,
Candace Schiltz, Emily Salz,
Matt Vitzthum, Dan Garman,
Amanda Fox, Abby Baldus,
Nick Brand, Heidi Rode,
Chad Lane, Molly Albers,
Matt Skilling, Aaron O’Kane
Kara Nelson
Kossuth County
Economic Development
Corporation
6
Jodi Alt, Co-Chair
Ivy Kitzinger, Co-Chair
Adrianne Magill
Bob Jennings
Kathy Nelson
Scott Thilges
Kay Harms
Nick Roethler
Carol Heesch
Katie Besch
Jay Limbaugh
Tara Elbert
Brian Keith
2007 Summer
CEO/Intern Luncheon
Matt Vitzthum, Co-Chair
Amanda Fox, Co-Chair
Candace Schiltz, Co-Chair
Nick Brand
Heidi Rode
Darren McGregor
Laci Erpelding
Jeff Lappe
Chandra Foertsch
Emily Salz
Aaron O’Kane
Molly Albers
Leslie Aboud
Allison Brandenburg
Melissa Hilbert
Dan Garman
Board Of Supervisors
Ashley Waller, Chair
Leslie Aboud
Chandra Foertsch
Laci Erpelding
Darren McGregor
Project Hope
Chandra Foertsch, Chair
Emily Salz
Jeff Lappe
Laci Erpelding
Darren McGregor
Nick Brand
Newsletter
Leslie Aboud, Co-Chair
Abby McIntosh, Co-Chair
Ashley Waller, Co-Chair
Chandra Foertsch
Abby Langenwalter
Nick Brand
Byron Black
InternshipProgram
Kossuth County
Economic Development
Corporation
Volume 6 • Issue 1
Summer 2007
Inside this Issue
1 KCEDC Intern Mission Statement
1 The Power of Interns
2 Just How Effective Are We?
3 Board of Supervisors Meets the Interns
3 Project Hope
3 The Importance of Mentoring
4 What Does an Internship Mean?
4 Intern Breakfast
4 CEO/Intern Luncheon
5 Intern Golf Outing
5 Finance 101 for Interns
5 2007 Intern Program Sponsors
6 2007 Intern Roster
6 2007 Intern Committee Members
“
KCEDC is very proud of this years interns &
their level of commitment toward our
summer intern program. The commitment that
Kossuth businesses have made to help grow this
program & recruit top college students is very
evident this year! It’s exciting to see these
young college students understanding that
Kossuth County has vested a lot of of time
& dollars into their internship program.
”
-Maureen Elbert, Executive Director, KCEDC
Kossuth County Economic Development
Corporation Intern Committee’s mission is to
provide a means for individuals to expand their
leadership goals, obtain business development
training, and support community service and
volunteerism for the betterment of our area,
along with gaining experience in their summer
work environment.
The Power of Interns
By Ed Berg, President & CEO, Pharmacists Mutual Companies
Pharmacists Mutual Companies (PMC) has a history of hiring
interns for the summer. In recent years, we have averaged 10-12
interns per summer, with some of these going to our Pro
Advantage Services offices. Their duties have ranged from data
entry to maintenance to marketing to accounting to policy services.
Each year we ask our team leaders to consider where they might
be able to use an intern for the summer, and we make our hiring
plans accordingly.
There are several reasons why we believe in the KCEDC Intern
Program. PMC benefits from this program in several ways: (a)
Interns can often help with summer workloads, when we have a
higher percentage of employees out on vacation. (b) Interns bring
a fresh perspective, often times applying their college experiences
to the assigned tasks or just taking a new look at something we
have been doing in the same way for many years. (c) Interns can
take on some projects that we have been setting aside waiting for
some slack time to work on. (d) PMC employees benefit from the
extra help. (e) Because we do provide some hiring preference to
children of our employees, our employees also benefit by reducing
their college financial burden as a result of having their children
employed for the summer (although PMC children have a preference, we still hire outside of the PMC family, and all applicants have
to go through the hiring process, with no one automatically being
hired).
In addition to the above reasons, we also have a hope that
some of these interns will consider employment at PMC some time
in the future. Even if we are not their first job out of college, we
hope at some point the interns will consider returning to Kossuth
County, and we will be on their list of potential employers. This in
fact has happened numerous times.
PMC believes there is a lot of power in the KCEDC Intern
Program and we will continue to support it in the years to come.
106 S. Dodge • Suite 210
Algona • IA • 50511
515.295.7979
515.295.8873 Fax
Email: kcedc@kossuthia.com
www.kossuth-edc.com
Summer 2007
www.kossuth-edc.com
www.kossuth-edc.com
Kossuth County
Board of Supervisors
Meets the Interns
Fun Fact:
Most KCEDC Interns are originally
from Kossuth County & the majority
have less than 5 minute commutes!
The paycheck & the experience
gained are the favorite aspects of
having an internship. Also, most say
that their internship experience helped
them to make decisions regarding
their career after college.
On Monday, July 2, 2007, the interns of Kossuth County met with the county Board of Supervisors to discuss the
activities of KCEDC’s summer intern program. The presentation focused on the “Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective
People” workshop the interns participated in this year, and the annual intern service project, “Project Hope”. One of the
objectives of the presentation was to have the Board proclaim July 9th -14th “Project Hope Week”. Jodie Harker, who
facilitated the “Covey’s” workshop for the interns, explained to the Board, “Achieving full potential in work and in life is
what Covey’s 7 Habits is all about.” She also discussed how this workshop was presented in order to help the interns
make their lives more productive and effective. While presenting their service project, “Project Hope,” the interns challenged the Board of Supervisors to fill their own box of items for area children and teens removed from their homes by
DHS.
The Board was very impressed by the involvement of the interns in the community, accepted their challenge, and
fulfilled the interns’ wish by proclaiming July 9th-14th “Project Hope Week”. The Kossuth County Board of Supervisors
consists of Jack Plathe, Don McGregor, Don Besch, Pam Wymore, Eugene Elsbecker, and the Kossuth County Auditor,
Joann Bormann. - Leslie Aboud, Intern
Project
Hope
Project Hope Spreads Light Through Kossuth County
For the third year the Interns of Kossuth County are shedding more light on Project Hope. This project
is a way for interns to give back to the community. The goal is to provide comfort to children and
teenagers who have been removed from their homes in Kossuth County and no longer have personal
health care products.
A proclamation has been created and presented to the Board of Supervisors. The objective of this was
to officially declare the week of July 9-13th “Project Hope week”. The Supervisors were very supportive of
this project and passed the proclamation unanimously.
KCEDC has received many Thank-You letters showing much appreciation for these items; they make the
children feel more comfortable knowing they have something they can call their own. KCEDC has distributed more than 300 bags around Kossuth County; that is 300 children that have been helped during a
very difficult time in their lives.
Area businesses are challenging their staff to assist this community service project that will have impact
throughout the full county. This year Project Hope boxes have been placed in identified business locations
throughout the county.
Area residents and businesses can participate in Project Hope by donating small personal care items at
the KCEDC office. Items needed include: shampoo & conditioner, combs, brushes, deodorant, toothbrushes, soap, toothpaste, lotion, Q-tips, shaving cream, razors, etc. Once KCEDC has received these items they
are put into care packages and taken to the Sheriff’s office, area schools throughout the county, and the
DHS. From these places they are distributed to children in need. -Chandra Foertsch, Intern
The Importance of
Mentoring
When meeting new people, some of the
questions that are typically asked of you
include “Where ya’ from?”, “How long have
you lived here in town?” and “Where do you
work?”. From there, I often find that the
conversation moves to towards learning
more about how I got into my profession.
In my case, I look forward to these discussions as I can talk about the impact that
one individual has had in my life and my
career.
My senior year in high school, I proudly
proclaimed that I was going to enroll in
medical school to become a physician.
After receiving my first semester grades in
calculus and chemistry, I quietly changed
my major from pre-med to liberal arts with
no idea of what I was going to pursue.
After that first year, however, I was introduced to “Steve”, the Chief Operating
Officer of the hospital in my hometown. He
offered to let me spend a day with him at
the hospital to see what hospital administration was all about. I eagerly accepted
his offer and after that one short day, I was
hooked! Not only did I have a career objective, I also established a relationship with
an individual that would become a lifelong
mentor!
Over the next two years of college study,
I stayed in touch with Steve with a few letters and a phone call or two. When the
time came for an internship, he offered me
the chance to spend the summer before I
was to graduate with him at the hospital.
Even more, after graduation, I was offered
a one year Fellowship study with him. I’ve
been with the organization ever since.
Steve is no longer with the organization
as he has moved on to bigger and better
positions. I do stay in touch with him to this
day, however. He’s always been there for
advice, a kind word and even careful criticism. Even more, he’s the “coach in my corner” regardless of where I am or what I’m
doing. I’ll be forever thankful for that.
As I look back, I’m thankful that I did not
think of that summer internship as just a
summer job. I encourage you to do the
same as you finish your summer here and
remind you that a job may be just for a few
months, however, relationships are for a
lifetime.
- Scott Curtis, Administrator/CEO
Kossuth Regional Health Center
Summer 2007
3
What Does
an Internship Mean
to Kossuth County Youth?
...better potential for networking & employment information...
...good references and office experience...
...knowledge about the business world and what I want in a job...
...IT’S GREAT!...
...real world experience...
...opportunities...
...MONEY...
...a further understanding of what I want to pursue after college...
...knowledge...
...the more this program grows,
the more it will improve...
...learn new things and meet new people...
...work with an amazing group of people...
...I feel more confident about my career choice...
...learn how to work with other people...
...my boss has had a big impact on my life...
CEO Luncheon
Intern Breakfast
Kossuth County Economic Development Corporation kicked
off the Summer Intern Program on May 22nd with the Intern
Breakfast. This year’s 54 interns and around 50 CEO’s from local
area businesses had a chance to meet and network while
enjoying a great meal.
This year’s speakers consisted of Jon Bond, the District
Manager of Bro Business Center, Algona; Andy Laubenthal,
Landmark Realty; and Doug Miller, Kossuth County Engineer.
Each of these men came back to Kossuth County after school to
live, work, and raise a family. Their message to the interns of
2007 was to take advantage of their internship, learn from and
utilize their mentors, and remember that Kossuth County has
great opportunities for them in the future.
Each of the interns left with valuable knowledge and high
expectations for the summer activities to come. The main focus
of the day was Kossuth County and how it provides opportunities that the interns can hopefully benefit from in the future if
they choose to make Kossuth County
their home. Maureen Elbert,
Executive Director of KCEDC
said, the overall goal is to
Kossuth County Interns range in
encourage the interns to get
majors from Business & Finance to
involved with social activities,
Athletic Training, Nursing, Public
“We provide an avenue for
Relations, Music, Pre-Dentistry, Law,
them and hope they will take
Art, & countless more! However different they may be, all Kossuth County
a look our way in the future.”
interns are gaining valuable skills &
- Ashley Waller, Intern
experience through their employment
The “Champions of Kossuth County” met on July 25th adorned by red, white,
and blue to celebrate the annual Intern/CEO luncheon. Kossuth County interns
and local area CEO’s got together in an opportunity to network and gain business knowledge in a
relaxed atmosphere of fun and food.
Burgers were provided and cooked courtesy of
Stu Simonson with KC Hall providing different
kinds of salads and numerous other tasty treats.
The tables consisted of a group of interns with a
CEO at each table and questions to ask surrounding them. These questions allowed for the interns
to learn more about the businesses in
the county and what attributes the
CEO’s were looking for in potential
employees. - Nick Brand, Intern
4
Summer 2007
Fun Fact:
with Kossuth County businesses
2007 Summer
Finance 101
InternshipProgram
Just how
effective
are we?
An exciting new opportunity is being provided to the
interns of Kossuth County this
summer. “Covey’s 7 Habits of
Highly Effective People” introductory workshop is being
presented by Jodie Harker to Kossuth County interns at the home office of Pharmacists
Mutual. The workshop has also been opened up to the regular employees of all of
Kossuth County’s businesses involved with interns. The program summarizes Dr.
Stephen Covey’s best-selling book, Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, in a fourpart workshop series.
The goal of understanding and practicing “Covey’s 7 Habits” is to achieve personal
and interpersonal success. The workshop states that by practicing these habits, a person can expect to gain control over his or her life, get focused and organized, enhance
his or her relationships, improve his or her communication, and achieve work/life balance. Part of this process involves moving from dependence to independence to interdependence in work and life.
One major goal of the workshop is for all of the interns to have a life mission statement drafted at the end of the workshop. These mission statements can be as simple
as “I want to be the kind of person my dog thinks I am” to the extraordinary idealism of
Martin Luther King Junior’s “I Have a Dream” speech. These mission statements should
express a person’s sense of purpose and meaning in life, and they should act as a
source of guidance by which a person evaluates his or her decisions and chooses his
or her behavior.
Interns and employees learned about all of these helpful habits in a fun learning
atmosphere enhanced with videos, group discussions, and demonstrations. These 7
Habits are not hard concepts to grasp; the key is simply putting them into practice
everyday. The interns are encouraged to utilize “Covey’s 7 Habits” at their internships
and beyond:
Be Proactive (Take responsibility for your life.)
Begin With the End in Mind (Define your purpose and mission in life.)
Put First Things First (Prioritize and do the most important things first.)
Think Win-Win (Have an “everyone-can-win” attitude.)
Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood (Listen to people sincerely.)
Synergize (Work together to achieve more.)
Sharpen the Saw (Renew yourself regularly to achieve work/life balance.)
- Abby McIntosh, Intern
2
Summer 2007
Intern Golf Outing
Thirty-six golfers participated in the 7th Annual KCEDC Intern
Golf Outing at River Road Golf Club in Algona on Friday June 15th.
Twenty-one interns and fifteen CEOs teamed up for this 9-hole, 4person best shot tournament. Intern winners for the Men’s and
Women’s Longest Drive were Wes Dahlhauser of Pharmacists
Mutual and Lindsay Shiltz of Iowa State Bank. Other contests were
for Highest Score and Lowest Score. Taking home the prize for
highest score was the team consisting of interns Abby Harding
and Spense Simonson. There was a three-way tie for lowest
score. Prize winners for that contest included Dahlhauser, Schiltz,
Abby Baldus, Jeff
Lappe, Abby McIntosh,
Leslie Aboud, and
Byron Black. Following
the round of golf, everyone was treated to a
filling meal of tenderloin sandwiches, potato
salad, and macaroni
salad. In addition, all
interns took home a
lunch cooler courtesy of
Pharmacists Mutual
that was filled with
items donated by other
area businesses, including golf balls and tees to be used for the
day. A big thank you goes out to all the businesses that contributed and also to River Road for hosting the event.
- Abby Baldus, Intern
Fun Fact:
Most KCEDC Interns are originally
from Kossuth County & the majority
have less than 5 minute commutes!
The paycheck & the experience
gained are the favorite aspects of
having an internship. Also, most say
that their internship experience helped
them to make decisions regarding
their career after college.
Credit cards, credit
scores,
and
ever
increasing
financial
responsibility are things
most of us are beginning
to learn about as we
make our way through
college. Not only are you
accosted by credit card
companies at college,
with their various gimmicks many people fall
prey to, but you also begin to
deal with your credit score and
building a solid credit history.
The “Finance 101” presentation
to the Kossuth County Interns is
particularly appropriate for this
reason; because most of us are
encountering many of these
things in full force for the first
time.
Carol Heesch of Bank of
America did an excellent job of
addressing the basics of
responsibly using credit and
building a positive credit history.
She spoke about what factors
affect your credit report, what
information is contained within
a credit report, and how you
can go about building your
credit history. In addition to talking about your credit history
itself, she also talked about
how it will affect you and your
financial wellbeing later in life.
This presentation provided the
Kossuth County interns with
valuable information that is
more relevant now than ever
before. - Byron Black, Intern
Kossuth County
InternSponsors2007
Algona Aquatic Center
Algona Good Samaritan
Communities/Van Buren Terrace
Algona Municipal Utilities
Algona Publishing Co.
Algona River Road
Allure Salon
Amberwave Communications
Berte’s Back Nine
Buscher Bros. Corporation
Cornbelt Power Coop
Curves for Women
Dairy Queen
Diamonds
Elbert Chevrolet, Inc.
Elbert Motor Co.
Erpelding Voigt & Co.
Farmers State Bank
Godfathers
Hutzells
Iowa State Bank
Innovations Salon and Spa
Jack’s OK Tire Co.
Kemco Tires
Thank
You
fo
r yo
suppo ur
rt!
Kemna Auto Center
Kentucky Fried Chicken
KOFAB
Kuehl & Payer
Maggie B’s
Maxyield Cooperative
MBR Partners
Mid American Energy
Motor Inn
No Boundaries LLC
Murphy Brown, LLC
Pharmacists Mutual
Pizza Hut
Premier Pizza
Prestage Stoecker Farms
Reding’s Gravel & Excavating
Roethler Electric
State 3 Theatre
The Water Connection
Whittemore Golf Club
www.kossuth-edc.com
Summer 2007
5