NewsMakers for May 2004

Jack Rowe, 76, former ALLETE chaiman, president and CEO, died April 8 following an extended illness. He led the company through a period of significant growth in the 1980s within the core electric business and through several non-electric diversification ventures.

Rowe joined Minnesota Power and Light in 1950. He was named president in 1974, appointed president and CEO in 1978 and later served as chairman of the board before retiring in 1989. Upon his retirement, Minnesota Power renamed its electric system control center in his honor. Born in Sabeka, MN, Rowe graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in electrical engineering. He is survived by his wife, Mary, a daughter and two grandchildren.

Florida Water Services Corp., an Allete subsidiary, agreed to sell its remaining 72 water and wastewater systems to Aqua America, Inc. for $18 million. The sale is subject to regulatory approval by the Florida Public Service Commission. The ultimate ownership of nine of the water and wastewater systems is subject to the outcome of a previously negotiated right of first refusal with a local municipality.

ALLETE is selling its Water Services businesses, comprised of Florida Water Services Corp. and North Carolina-based Heater Utilities, Inc. In November 2003, Aqua America agreed to purchase Heater Utilities for $48 million and assumption of approximately $28 million in debt. Aqua America is the largest U.S.-based publicly-traded water utility serving 2.5 million residents in 14 states.

Lake Superior College

Nancy Fredrickson R.T.(R), A.R.R.T., is included in the eighth edition of Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers, 2004. She is program director and instructor in Lake Superior College’s Radiologic Technology program. Who’s Who is a program in which former high school and college students nominate outstanding teachers for recognition. The students also have been cited for academic excellence.

Mark Stock, a 1996 practical nursing program graduate who finished the registered nursing program in 2004, was named to the All-USA Academic Team. He is one of 60 students selected nationwide for 2003-2004 academic year. He graduated last fall with honors and was also named to the Minnesota All-State Academic team. USA Today, The American Association of Community Colleges and Phi Theta Kappa sponsor the annual award.

Separately, Steve Wagner was hired as Dean of Workforce Development and Extended Campus Programs at the college. Wagner served as associate director at the Career and Lifework Center at University of Minnesota.

WesternBank

The Duluth bank announced six promotions:

• John Conley was promoted to assistant vice president from his position as commercial lender.

• Dorothy Krile was promoted to human resources officer. She will administer all personnel, salary and benefits plans for the bank.

• Kristin Ridgewell, an IRA specialist, is now also the deposit product supervisor.

• In addition to her duties as retail product officer, Joanne Treviranus will supervise the bank’s newly expanded retail lending department.

• Shelly DeGraef was promoted to retail lender after six years in loan servicing,

• Char Young, assistant manager of retail products, will now originate consumer loans and offer new insurance products. 

WesternBank, a locally owned, independent bank, is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. The bank has four Duluth offices.

Duluth Teachers Credit Union

Members of the Duluth Teachers Credit Union have re-elected Allen Merry and J. Earl Grano to serve three-year terms as directors. The Board has subsequently elected its officers, naming John Arola as chair, Don Michels as vice chair and Merry as secretary.

Directors Peggy Savoy and Cliff Wiklund were elected to the credit union’s supervisory committee.

Gerlach Baumier

Matt Beaumier, a partner in the Duluth law firm was named March of Dimes’ Outstanding Board Member of the year. Beaumier has volunteered with the organization for four years, chairing both the board of directors and the WalkAmerica fundraising campaign.

The nonprofit is dedicated to improving the health of babies through funding research, education programs and advocacy efforts.

Blandin Foundation

At its March meeting Blandin Foundation trustees approved more than $1.78 million in grants. The board awarded three statewide grants totaling $689,000.

Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) will receive $550,000 over a two-year period; Minnesota Rural Partners which hosts the Minnesota Rural Summit will receive $90,000 over two years; Northern Tier Technology Corridor at Bemidji State University will receive $49,000.

More than $541,000 was allocated to respond to critical community needs, funding seven area organizations, including the Grand Rapids Area Library and the Itasca County Family YMCA.

More than $770,000 will benefit two Community Economic Advantage grants, a Grand Rapids-Itasca County Airport runway extension and task force for reintroducing scheduled passenger service, the Northeast Entrepreneur Fund, and Grand Rapids area scholarships.

St. Luke’s

Wayne Elmer, MD, a pulmonary medicine physician, has joined St. Luke’s Pulmonary Medicine. Elmer completed a fellowship in pulmonary medicine at the Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Medicine in Jacksonville, FL. He received his medical degree from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. Elmer is board certified in internal medicine and board eligible in pulmonary medicine. Elmer joins Joseph Martinelli, MD, providing diagnosis, treatment and management of respiratory and lung diseases.

Douglas Wendland, MD, MPH, recently joined the Occupational Health clinic at the hospital.

He’s board-certified in occupational medicine by the American Board of Preventive Medicine. Wendland was medical director at Aurora Occupational Medicine in Milwaukee. He received his master’s of public health degree in occupational medicine and completed his family practice residency at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee.

RLK-Kuusisto, Ltd.

John H. Carlson, P.E., joined the Duluth office as a senior professional engineer. He provides professional services for municipal, commercial and private developers throughout the Duluth/Superior region.

Carlson is registered in Minnesota with more than 28 years experience in planning, design, construction and administration of projects. Previously, he served as director of public works for the city of Duluth and project manager for a local general contractor.

The engineering service firm specializes in municipal and civil engineering, land surveying, land development and redevelopment, landscape architecture and construction management.

WITC-Superior

Diane Vertin was selected as administrator for the Superior campus, succeeding Jann Brill who has retired. Vertin is dean of business and marketing at the campus. She has a bachelor’s degree in business administration, a master’s degree in vocational education and her doctorate in education from the University of Minnesota. Prior to her current role, she spent three years as the dean of general education, personal services and health at the Superior campus. During her career in education, she has held positions as assistant dean of customized training, program director and adjunct faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Superior, and the University of Minnesota, Duluth.

Momentum

Leslie Hamp, owner of the Ashland marketing and public relations firm, was certified as a Guerrilla Marketing Coach. Guerrilla Marketing focuses on low-cost, high-impact marketing and affordable business tools for small business. Hamp joins an elite group of fewer than 100 certified guerrilla marketing coaches in the United States and Canada.

Since 1992, Hamp has provided consulting, creative market planning, and implementation to budding entrepreneurs, small business owners and nonprofits. She is a published writer, speaker, and seminar leader; a member of the National Association of Women Business Owners; and serves on the USA Today Small Business Panel.

Duluth Seaway Port Authority

The Port Authority's seven-member board reelected St. Louis County Commissioner Bill Kron to his fourth term as president. Originally appointed to the authority in 1992, Kron chairs its economic development committee. The Authority also reelected Steve Rauker as vice president. Rauker, also a county commissioner, was originally appointed to the board in January 1998.

LHB

The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) awarded Anne Harmer the Silver Student Design Award. Harmer is an interior designer at LHB. Her project at University of Wisconsin-Stout, the fictional Woodwinds Maple Center, won in the “Contract Over 1000 sq. ft.” category.

Her design was based on the concepts of the actual Woodwinds Health Campus in Woodbury, MN as a rehabilitation center. it incorporated building design, space planning and coordination of finishes.

Duluth based LHB is a 37-year old design firm providing architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, structural, civil, mechanical, electrical and survey services.

Dan Stine, an architectural designer at LHB and architectural Computer Assisted Design (CAD) instructor at Lake Superior College, recently authored Residential Design Using Autocad 2004. The book introduces techniques and industry standards for the computer program AutoCAD.

In 2001, he began writing books on AutoCAD, Autodesk Architectural Desktop and Autodesk Revit when he found that the market did not provide a textbook that fit his teaching needs. The book is used in the college’s Architectural Technology-Architectural CAD I class. His books also are marketed to high schools and technical colleges by SDC Publications Stine is a Lake Superior College graduate.

ILCO (formerly Industrial Lubricants)

The Grand Rapids supplier of industrial lubricants announced a new management team and structure, effective June 1.

• Gary Oja, comptroller, will become president and chief operating officer. He has been with the company for 14 years. Prior to joining ILCO, he was employed in the Grand Rapids area as a certified public accountant.

• Kathleen Hoolihan will become vice president. She has been involved in administrative capacities. Her new duties will include responsibility for supplier relations.

• David LaZella, will continue as Minnesota general manager. He has held sales and sales management positions with ILCO for 15 years.

• Jim Hoolihan, former ILCO president, will chair its board of directors. He was named president and CEO of the Blandin Foundation, also in Grand Rapids.

Cleveland-Cliffs

The Cleveland-based iron ore producer announced the following appointments:

• John Tuomi was selected vice president-operations services. He will be responsible for corporate materials and energy procurement, operations involvement, information technology, environmental management and quality assurance. He joined the company in 1996 as assistant general manager of mining, crushing and railroad operations and was named general manager at Hibbing Taconite in October 2000. Tuomi also managed Bullmoose Mine and Quintette Mine in British Columbia. He worked for the Cliffs-managed Sherman and Adams mines in Ontario.

• James Tretheway was named vice president-business development, responsible for special business projects. Since joining Cliffs in 1972, he has served as mine controller, supervisor of financial analysis and group controller. He was elected corporate controller in 1986 and vice president in 1988. Tretheway assumed operational responsibiliies in 1994 and was named vice president-operations services in 1997 and senior vice president-operations services in 1999. And in 2003 he was named senior vice president-operations improvement.

• Michael Mliner was appointed vice president and general manager at Hibbing Taconite Co. and United Taconite. His many contributions in 27 years include leading the successful combination of the firm’s Michigan operations. Mliner was named general manager of the Cliffs Michigan Mining Company in 2003.

• Clifford Smith was named vice president and general manager of Cliffs Michigan Mining Co. Smith worked four years at Asarco, Inc., as vice president and general manager of the Tennessee mines division and then as corporate director of purchasing.

Murphy Oil

The Arkansas-based company’s Canadian subsidiaries have entered binding agreements to sell most of Murphy Oil's $829.5 million in conventional assets. The sale includes year-end 2003 proved reserves of approximately 46 million barrels of oil equivalent from heavy oil, light oil and natural gas properties. The closing is expected before the end of the second quarter, subject to due diligence and normal regulatory approvals. Murphy Oil was advised by Waterous & Co.

Claiborne P. Deming, Murphy Oil chief executive, plans to redirect its focus and capital to higher growth and higher return frontier areas.

UMD Natural Resources Research Institute

Salih Ersayin of the Institute’s Coleraine Lab has joined other professionals in the new 59th edition of Who’s Who in America. Born in Rize, Turkey, he earned a bachelor of science degree at the Technical University of Istanbul in 1979 and PhD at the University of Leeds, UK, in 1986.

He worked as an assistant and associate professor at Hacettepe University, Turkey, for 13 years before joining the Coleraine Minerals research laboratory as a program director in 1999 to perform research on taconite concentrator modeling and simulation.

The Marquis Who’s Who is the leading biographical reference publisher of the highest achievers and contributors from the nation and world. It’s been an essential source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms since 1899.

Westmorelandflint

CP Internet has agreed to sell its Interactive Division to Westmorelandflint, which will operate as Flint Interactive. The two companies also have formed a strategic relationship leveraging combined strengths to support advanced web site development and services.

The Interactive Division provides e-commerce services that include marketing, design and development, and web commerce solutions to its clients. As a full-service advertising, marketing and public relations agency, Westmorelandflint already provides planning, design, writing and creative solutions for interactive communications.

Flint Interactive will operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Westmorelandflint. Its assets and employees will move to the Duluth Technology Village.

CP Internet’s CP Telcom affiliate is pioneering the use of “softswitch” technology to provide local and long distance telephone service. CP Internet will continue to provide Internet access and web-hosting services. The company operates advanced web management and hosting operations in a state-of-the-art collocation facility in Duluth.

CP Internet was founded in 1994 and began offering Internet service to the Duluth region. Today, CP Internet provides Internet access to more than 35,000 customers in 30 Minnesota, Wisconsin and North Dakota communities.

John Hyduke, president of Westmorelandflint, has been appointed to a six-year term to the University of Minnesota Regent Candidate Advisory Council (RCAC). The RCAC advises the legislature on the election of regents of the University of Minnesota. RCAC duties include development of descriptions of the duties of the regents, outlining criteria for regent candidates, recruiting, screening and recommending at least two candidates to the legislature for each regent opening. The appointment was made by Steve Sviggum, Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives.

Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College

The Student Chapter of American Indian Business Leaders was named National Chapter of the Year in competition held in Las Vegas. Student members include Leann Reynolds, Brandy Geving, Dylan Olson and Virginia Lord.

The competition highlights activities and accomplishments of the past year including community service, fundraising and community events. The Cloquet college will receive $1,000 for its efforts.

Bryan Jon Maciewski is the faculty advisor.

The chapter’s mission is to support the educational, entrepreneurial and leadership development efforts of Native Americans while maintaining and incorporating native cultural values.

WDIO/WIRT TV

Eyewitness News recently won two first place Eric Sevareid Awards from the Northwest Broadcast News Association. The NBNA is an Upper Midwest, six-state organization that recognizes the best in journalism with its Eric Sevareid Award program.

Reporter Julie Moravchik and photojournalists Dean Vogtman and Jason Page were honored with a First Place award in the “General Reporting” category for their series, “Bayfield Basketball Player.” Anchor/reporter Steve Long and Photojournalist Jason Page were honored with a First Place award in the “Feature” category for their story, “Lunch With the 125th.”

Moravchik and Vogtman also were honored by the Radio & Television News Directors Association (RTNDA) with a regional 2004 Edward R. Murrow Award. The award came in the “Feature” category for their story, “90 Year Old Waitress.”

As a regional winner, the Eyewitness News entry will go on to the National Murrow Award judging. National winners will be announced in June 2004.