The Gazette’s Business Notes is a compendium of the week’s promotions, new hires, certifications, added business lines and business events, among other items, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa City and the rest of the Corridor.
Information and photos can be submitted to Business Notes by email to businessnotes@thegazette.com, or on our site at thegazette.com/businessnotes.
New hires
Jennifer Borcherding is the new development officer for Four Oaks, responsible for the nonprofit’s fundraising and communication strategy. Borcherding mostly recently was director of development and marketing for the Eastern Iowa Health Center. She also is a Cedar Rapids school board member.
Carla Davis Vawter has joined RE/MAX Concepts in Cedar Rapids.
Appointments
Geonetric co-owner Ben Dillon is transitioning to the role of the company’s chief executive officer. He succeeds Linda Barnes, who is now the interim CEO of Orchestra Iowa.
Weston Bishop has been appointed manager of tank manufacturing facilities at Acterra Group.
Promotions
Skywalk Group promoted Terry Vik to recruiter II.
Other news
STARTUP SPEAKER SERIES: Four panelists will be featured at the “Funding 101 for Starting a Business” startup speaker series this month. Information will be provided on bank loans, no-interest microloans, grant funding and venture capital.
The Iowa City event will be 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 16, at Merge, 136 S. Dubuque St.
The Cedar Rapids event will be 8:30 to 10 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 22, at Vault Coworking, 415 12th Ave. SE.
Speakers will be Katilin Byers, capital access manager at Kiva Iowa; Kevin Bradley, director of investor relations at ISA Ventures; Michael Wampler, regional director of Kirkwood Community College Small Business Development Center; and Teresa Jensen, business banking officer at Cedar Rapids Bank & Trust.
The free program is sponsored by NewBoCo and Iowa City Area Development. To register, go to those group’s websites, under events.
BLUE BUNNY PROGRAM: The University of Northern Iowa Family Business Center will present a Zoom discussion, “Wells Blue Bunny: The Story of a Legacy Family Business,” at 8 a.m. Aug. 24.
Mike Wells, the Iowa company’s retired CEO and leader of Wells Enterprises, will share how Wells Blue Bunny, the second-largest ice cream manufacturer in the country, decided to sell to the Italian-based Ferrero Group. For more information and to register, visit https://unifamilybusinesscenter.com/programs/virtual-breakfast-series.