ALLSTARS 2017

of the Creative Corridor 

MAY 2017 

Meet Makenzie Kimm and 

other ALL STARS who are 

making an impact in the 

region’s business sectors.

Passion runs Deep. 

HIGHWAY EQUIPMENT 

Congrats to our regional manager dave baker for being 

named as a creative corridor all-star honorable mention! 

Highway equipment company is proud of dave, 

and all our team members who have the passion to 

build the best today for a better tomorrow. 

2 800-363-1771 ALL • www.highwayequipment.com STARS of the • © Creative 2017 Highway Equipment Corridor 

Company. All rights reserved.

of the Creative Corridor 

Mick Starcevich 

President 

Kirkwood Community College 

Iowa’s Creative Corridor is a great 

place to live and work. Many different 

communities, businesses, 

organizations and people all come 

together like pieces of a puzzle 

to make a greater whole. One integral 

piece holding it all together is the area 

workforce. It’s central to everything that 

happens here in our seven-county area of 

Benton, Cedar, Iowa, Johnson, Jones, Linn 

and Washington counties. 

For 50 years, Kirkwood Community 

College has understood the important 

connection between a talented workforce, 

employers, education and training, and the 

Corridor as a whole. Those four components 

form a relationship where each affects 

the other. That’s why Kirkwood works 

with local business and industry to develop 

relevant curriculum that puts our graduates 

in a position to succeed. When they 

thrive, employers flourish and so does the 

Corridor. When workers need retraining, 

Kirkwood supports area employers to make 

sure their employees have the knowledge 

and skills to take the organization, and 

their own careers, to the next level. 

Because the future of the Corridor is 

directly related to the success of this relationship, 

every single person has a vested 

interest in cultivating the area workforce 

and growing it to its potential. One way to 

encourage success is by celebrating those 

among us that are truly standing out in 

their field. 

In this magazine, you’ll be introduced 

to some of the promising Corridor 

employees making a huge impact today. 

It’s a glimpse of the younger workforce 

who will very soon become the movers 

and shakers of the future. These stories 

are inspiring. The best part is, they can 

encourage the next wave of talent whose 

time is fast approaching. 

These Creative Corridor All-Stars are 

proof that if you put in the time, and you 

work hard, you can accomplish any goal. 

I would encourage those inspired by these 

examples to take control of their future. 

When anyone is ready for the next step – 

whatever that may be – Kirkwood is ready 

to help them get there. Whether it’s career 

exploration and opportunities for our 

youth, or training for our more experienced 

workforce, Kirkwood is a one-stop 

shop for everyone in the Corridor when it 

comes to career development. 

Let the stories within these pages be an 

inspiration to motivate us as we move toward 

the bright future of our community. • 

CONTENTS 

ALL STAR SECTORS 

ARCHITECTURE, CONSTRUCTION, 

ENGINEERING 

Brandon Minick ............ 4 

Besnik Mucogllava.......... 6 

ADVANCED MANUFACTURING 

Cassie Ellis ...............10 

Amber Westemeier........ 12 

FINANCIAL SERVICE, INSURANCE, 

CUSTOMER SERVICE 

Amanda Wendling.........14 

Natasha Leiran............16 

HEALTHCARE 

April Golwitzer............18 

Sara Wattnem.............20 

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 

Matt Lapka ...............22 

Samantha Dahlby..........24 

TRANSPORTATION, LOGISTICS 

Phil Reges................26 

Makenzie Kimm...........28 

INTERNSHIPS 

Trent Brandenburg.........30 

INFORMATION 

AND RESOURCES 

Pathway to an 

All Star Career......... 11 

How Can I 

Be an All Star?......... 15 

About Sector Boards ... 23 

All Star Honorable 

Mentions ............. 31 

Main Campus, 6301 Kirkwood Boulevard 

Southwest, Cedar Rapids, IA 52404 

(319) 398-5411 • www.kirkwood.edu 

A print product of the 

Corridor Business Journal 

May 2017 

Shuva Rahim, Writer and Photographer 

Julia Druckmiller, Designer 

Rhonda Roskos, Media Consultant 


3

ARCHITECTURE, CONSTRUCTION, ENGINEERING SECTOR 

DIRECTOR OF 

VIRTUAL DESIGN 

AND 

CONSTRUCTION 

Brandon 

Brandon Minick 

Modern Piping, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 

What is the most rewarding part of your job? 

The most rewarding part of the job would be the completion 

of a project, to be able to go home at night and tell 

your wife or your kids, ‘I helped build that building or I 

helped be part of the design team on that building.’ 

What does your company do? 

Modern Piping is a full-service mechanical contractor. We do 

plumbing, piping, sheet metal, controls and also compressed 

air. We also have a service division we handle. We basically call 

it a “one-stop shop.” 

What are your job duties? 

I lead and manage the Virtual Design team within the day-today 

operations. We have five locations. I oversee 15 employees 

at three different locations, including Cedar Rapids, Blaine, 

Minnesota and Oklahoma City. Modern supports the company 

from pre-construction all the way to final completion of a project. 

The projects we work on are typically commercial. We also 

do a very large amount of industrial projects. We just recently 

completed the Children’s Hospital project, along with the U of I 

Hancher Auditorium and the U of I Art Building replacement. 

What is most interesting about your job? 

The most interesting thing is the day-to-day challenges we have, 

specifically in the technology we use. The different software and 

hardware we utilize to complete a project – a robotic total station, 

3-D scanner and software – is pretty neat. 

How did you decide on this career path? 

I decided on this career path based on my childhood. My 

stepfather was a CAD designer in the Quad Cities. Really 

just watching him do it interested me and took me to the 

next level of wanting to do it myself. I went to Morrison 

Institute of Technology, a two-year tech school. I did CAD 

Design and Drafting with Engineering Technology. I also 

worked for another mechanical contractor before I got hired 

on at Modern Piping. I worked there for five years, and day 

to day kept learning and taking on more responsibility. 

What do most people not realize you do in 

your job? 

One thing people don’t realize would be juggling a lot 

of tasks, having many responsibilities and really keeping 

them all in motion at the same time. I’m doing a lot of 

other things with managing 15 employees, and working 

with the day-to-day operations within the company between 

the fab shop, the project management team, the IT 

department and within my own department. • 

ONLINE: Watch Brandon discuss 

working at Modern Piping. 

Go to http://bit.ly/CCAllStars 

4 ALL STARS of the Creative Corridor

Design - Build 

With our 69,000 s.q./ft., state-of-the-art fabrication facility in 

Cedar Rapids, IA we’re able to offer many plumbing, piping and 

duct fabrication benefits to our customers that are not 

provided by other mechanical contractors. 

Modern Piping, Inc. is ISO 9001:2008 certified, which is a 

third-party validation of our extensive quality control and 

continuous improvement processes used in our fabrication and 

VDC operations. 

15 

virtual 

designers 

on staff 

VDC Capabilities 

Our robust Virtual Design and Construction Department (VDC) 

is the largest of any mechanical contractor in the region. Our 

in-house engineers work closely with our VDC staff, estimators, 

fabricators, installers, and outside engineers to deliver the best 

designed and installed system for the customer’s budget. 

3D 

scanning 

capabilities 

Our Timble TX5 3D Scanner and Trimble Robotic Total Work 

Stations fully integrate with our 3D VDC software to provide 

extremely precise measurements, improve accuracy, and 

accelerate design and construction schedules. 

Stay In Touch 

modernpiping.com 

moderncompaniesinc.com 

(319) 841-1111

ARCHITECTURE, CONSTRUCTION, ENGINEERING SECTOR 

SUPERINTENDENT 

Besnik 

Besnik Mucogllava 

Woodruff Construction 

Tiffin, Iowa 

“Due to the 

experience 

I had in 

the past I 

progressed 

very fast.” 

ONLINE: Watch Besnik discuss his 

work at Woodruff Construction. 



My company does general contracting and 

design-build services for commercial, corporate 

office and health care industries. 


As superintendent my job duties are to 

plan, schedule and coordinate with other 

trades and also delegate work to our employees 

and subcontractors. 

What is the most interesting thing 

about your job? 

The most interesting things about my job are 

learning new things and ideas, and the continued 

improvement of ways things are built. 

What is the most rewarding part 

of your job? 

The most rewarding part of my job is the 

finishes toward the end of the project. For 

instance, now I’m running a project at the 

University of Iowa Children’s Hospital, and 

we’re at the finish part right now and it’s very 

exciting to get stuff done. It’s a rewarding 

part that you see how things are finished. 

How did you decide on this 

career path? 

I like construction, and I wanted to do 

something that is field-related but with 

more office responsibility. So superintendent 

gives me the opportunity to 

have both. 

I came to the U.S. in 2009 from Greece. 

I did construction in Greece for almost 

10 years. When I started with Woodruff, 

the construction was slightly different 

compared to Europe. So I started as a 

laborer even though I had experience. 

But due to the experience I had in the 

past I progressed very fast. Also, I have 

a degree in construction management. I 

graduated in 2014 from Kirkwood Community 

College. I’m currently at UNI pursuing 

a bachelor’s degree, to graduate 

next spring in technology management. 

What do most people not 

realize you do in your job? 

I’d say coordination between the other 

trades is easy for people not to notice, 

especially on this latest project (the UI 

Children’s Hospital). It’s very time-consuming. 

I personally don’t even know 

where my time goes. • 



7

Quick Facts about All Stars Industries 

Architecture, Construction, Engineering (ACE) 

Median hourly 

earnings in the 

ACE Sector in the 

Creative Corridor: 

$27.52 

In Iowa, 

Construction 

occupations are 

projected to 

grow by 24% 

from 2015 – 

2025 (EMSI) 

Careers with growth expected by 2020 in 

Iowa’s Creative Corridor (EMSI) 

Architects, Except 

Landscape and Naval 

Surveyors 

Architectural 

and Civil Drafters 

Cement Masons and 

Concrete Finishers 

Construction 

Laborers 

Drywall and 

Ceiling Tile 

Installers 

Construction 

and Building 

Inspectors 

+ 21 

% 

+ 10 

% + 10 

% + 26 

% + 12 

% + 36 

% + 9 

% 

EMSI occupation employment data are based on final EMSI industry data and final EMSI staffing patterns. Wage estimates are based on Occupational Employment Statistics (QCEW and Non-QCEW 

Employees classes of worker) and the American Community Survey (Self-Employed and Extended Proprietors). Occupational wage estimates also affected by county-level EMSI earnings by industry. 

Don Hummer Trucking Salutes the 

2017 CBJ 

ALL STARS 

Don Hummer Trucking is proud to help Eastern Iowa develop a 

sustainable workforce by offering great career opportunities. We 

thank the CBJ All Stars for their commitment to do the same— 

together, we can develop and foster local talent to make our region 

more competitive, successful, and a better place to work. 

888-323-6115 

donhummertrucking.com 


Build your foundation for success with 

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> Acquire no student debt 

> Receive regular pay raises 

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Building Trades 

Union Registered 

Apprenticeship 

for a professional 

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Commercial 

Construction 

Industry 

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www.cricbt.org 

Must be 18 years of age with a high school diploma or equivalent. Must have good 

attendance, a great work ethic and willingness to work in all conditions. 

“Earn and Learn” in a Registered Apprenticeship for 

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A Paycheck with Benefits. From day one, you are on 

the payroll with guaranteed increases as you master your 

craft. Benefits include healthcare and much more. 

Hands-On Career Training. Apprentices receive 

practical on-the-job experience and regularly scheduled 

training and instruction in their Union Apprenticeship 

Training Centers. 

A Long-Term Career. Once you complete your 

apprenticeship, you’re well on your way to a truly 

rewarding and successful career with competitive salary, 

benefits and no student loans to pay off. 


9

ADVANCED MANUFACTURING SECTOR 

OPERATOR 

“The most rewarding part of 

the job is learning something 

new every single day.“ 

Cassie Ellis 

Frontier Co-op, Norway, Iowa 

Cassie 


For Frontier, we bottle quality, natural and organic 

spices and seasonings. We also have a plant in Urbana 

that does essential oils and distributes them as well. 

Our products are distributed to natural grocery stores 

that sell organic products, such as Sprouts Farmers 

Market, 365, New Pioneer Co-op and Hy-Vees. 


I operate the equipment. We have several different 

bottling and packaging lines. On any given day 

I can be on any of them. I’m in charge of setting 

up the capper, 

the sifter, the 

ONLINE: Watch Cassie discuss her 

labeler. We get 

job at Frontier Co-op. 

the spices in as 


raw material, 

and then we put 

it in bottles, have all our QA checks and balances, 

and send it out the door for our customers. Each 

run is a different quantity. In eight hours, on any 

given line, we can get 10,000 bottles out. I’ve been 

here going on six years. I come a little bit early to 

drop my kids off at daycare. Our shift starts at 7:30 

a.m. We wear special coats, hairnets, earplugs, 

and special shoes, wash our hands coming in and 

going out for food safety. Other than that, you’re on line 

throughout the whole day. 


One of the most interesting things about my job is seeing all 

the different types of natural and organic products that come 

through. Some of them I’ve never ever heard of before. 


The most rewarding part of the job is learning something 

new every single day. Frontier also is very good about giving 

back to the community. They’re active in the Honor Flight, 

Breast Cancer Walks, Junior Diabetes Walks, Heart Walk and 

Feeding Iowa First. So that’s very rewarding because they 

give us volunteer time to help serve our community. 


This job is a very family-friendly environment, and they 

have an on-site daycare. So it was a definite plus for me 

when I knew I wanted to start a family. It’s nice because 

you can just walk right down there, see your kid and 

go back to work. After high school, I went to the Army 

National Guard. When I decided to start a family, the 

environment is what attracted me here. I started as a 

production worker for Frontier. Everything I’ve learned 

has been hands-on. • 


Pathway to an All Star Career 

FINDING THE ROADMAP TO YOUR FUTURE 

An All Star Career does not have to be difficult. Through the many 

resources at Kirkwood Community College, it is possible to start a future 

in any of the industries represented in the Creative Corridor All Star 

magazine in several different ways. 

CAREER ACADEMIES: An option for High School Juniors 

and Seniors, Career Academies offer an opportunity for young 

adults to explore careers as part of their high school experience. 

In cooperation with area school districts, high school students 

land in hands-on technical programs and arts and sciences 

classes while earning both high school and Kirkwood Community 

College credit. Whether your interest is in Advanced 

Manufacturing, Engineering, Patient Care, Graphics Design, 

Business or in any of the other academies, Kirkwood Community 

College Career Academies are an excellent opportunity to 

move forward in your career exploration and development. 

For more information on Kirkwood’s Career Academies, visit: www. 

kirkwood.edu/careeredge and select your local Kirkwood County or 

Regional Center. 

KPACE: The KPACE program (Kirkwood Pathways to Career 

Education and Employment) is designed to provide a training 

opportunity for individuals that may need additional support 

in their journey through training and toward employment. 

Kirkwood Community College has developed four complete 

training pathways in health care, business and manufacturing 

so you can build skills for a new career. Whatever your personal 

situation, you can stop and start anywhere along the pathway. 

We’ll help you find funding, and provide the guidance, support 

and encouragement you need along your pathway to success. 

For more information on Kirkwood’s KPACE program, visit: www.kirkwood. 

edu/kpace 

KIRKWOOD COMMUNITY COLLEGE 

CONTINUING EDUCATION 

Kirkwood’s Continuing Education Division offers short-term 

training options in all of the industries represented in this 

Creative Corridor All Stars magazine. Through strong employer 

relationships, Continuing Education creates the certificates and 

programs that employers want and need. This provides the 

education and connections students need as they move forward 

toward their All Stars future. From Certified Nurse Aid, to Class 

A Truck Driving, to CNC Machining, to Customer Service 

Professional, Kirkwood Continuing Education meets the needs 

of employers and individuals looking to start their next step in 

getting the skills needed to jumpstart their careers. 

For more information on the trainings offered through Kirkwood Continuing 

Education, please visit: www.kirkwood.edu/ce 

KIRKWOOD COMMUNITY 

COLLEGE CREDIT PROGRAMS 

Students that start with a Career Academy, the KPACE program 

or Kirkwood Continuing Education often consider taking the 

next step in their education by considering a Kirkwood Community 

College Associates degree. For over 50 years, Kirkwood 

Community College has been serving the Creative Corridor 

through quality education that meets the needs of the region. 

More than 70,000 futures have started at Kirkwood Community 

College, yours can be one of them! 

To take your next step in exploring a possible Kirkwood Community College 

degree, visit: www.kirkwood.edu/academics 

BALANCE 

At Frontier Co-op, we are all about openness, teamwork, 

and honest communication. With a positive and supportive 

work environment, our employees thrive personally and 

professionally. Our growing organization provides a wealth of 

opportunities that allow you to decide what balance of work 

and life is best for you. 

Visit our website 

www.frontiercoop.com 

3021 78th Street 

Norway, IA 52318 

Frontier is a growing provider of organic herbs and spices, and aromatherapy products, and 

we offer easy access to high-quality choices that are earth-friendly. 


11

ADVANCED MANUFACTURING SECTOR 

OPERATIONS 

ASSISTANT 

Amber Westemeier 

Raining Rose, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 

Amber 


My company produces organic lip balms, body lotions, 

soaps and hand sanitizers. 


I basically do quality checks to make sure the correct 

ingredients got into batch, that we’re following 

all procedures – whether they are safety or FDA 

requirements. I also deal a lot with our production 

floor – getting the paperwork 

out to them, making sure the lines are 

organized, calendars are correct. I’ve 

worked a lot with our production planner 

to learn how to run MRP (Material 

Requirement Planning), which gives me the opportunity 

to help ensure we get the product out in time. 

ONLINE: See Amber talk about 

her work at Raining Rose. 


What is the most interesting thing about 

your job? 

The most interesting thing about my job is getting 

to see the whole process of how everything is 

made. I get to see when the raw materials come 

in, when they actually go into the product, seeing 

it get filled and then labeled and sometimes even 

seeing it go straight out the door. 

What is most rewarding about your job? 

The rewarding part is knowing the quality checks I 

do on the paperwork side is ensuring what goes out 

to our customer is excellent. I am one of the people 

who sees the paperwork and can say, ‘OK, we put 

too much of one ingredient in the batch, let’s see 

what we can do to correct the issue.’ It’s being able 

to know everything that passes my desk is quality 

and done correctly. There’s definitely a big sense of 

pride on that, especially when you get to see the 

product out in the real world. 


My path leading up to this is actually just high school. I graduated 

in May 2014. I got onto Twitter one day, saw the ad and applied as 

a machine operator. I really wanted to broaden my knowledge of 

manufacturing, so I started doing different classes through Raining 

Rose University, a leadership program that helps employees learn how 

to deal with difficult situations in a manufacturing setting and how to 

be a proactive leader to your peers. In the future, I plan on attending 

Kirkwood for Business Management/Human Resource Management in 

hopes of becoming more knowledgeable of the safety processes/rules 

manufacturing facilities must abide by. 

What do most people not realize you do in your job? 

I’m highly involved in the safety committee. I’m a first responder here 

and I’ve worked very closely with our safety coordinator making sure 

everyone’s doing his or her job safely every day. We have a daily safety 

check I actually worked on which produced a guideline that everyone 

needs to follow throughout the shift. Safety is my No. 1 priority. I treat 

everyone here like family and make every effort possible to ensure they 

have a safe shift while producing a high-quality product. • 


Advanced Manufacturing 


Careers with growth expected by 2020 

in Iowa’s Creative Corridor (EMSI) 

Median Hourly 

Earnings in Advanced 

Manufacturing in the 

Creative Corridor: 

$18.06/hour (EMSI) 

Industrial 

Machinery 

Mechanics 

Maintenance 

Workers, 

Machinery 

Maintenance 

and Repair 

Workers, 

General 

Millwrights 

First-Line 

Supervisors 

of Mechanics, 

Installers, and 

Repairers 

Welders, 

Cutters, 

Solderers, and 

Brazers 

+ 19 

% 

+ 16 

% 

+ 9 

% 

+ 13 

% 

+ 6 

% 

+ 8 

% 




13

FINANCIAL SERVICE, INSURANCE, CUSTOMER SERVICE SECTOR 

MARKETING 

DIRECTOR 

Amanda 

Amanda Wendling 

BerganKDV, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 


BerganKDV is a financial services firm. 

We have CPA services, wealth management 

and then a division we call 

our outsourced services, anything an 

organization would outsource – payroll, 

technology, accounting services. 


I’m charged with building our brand 

– this ranges from graphic design to 

marketing planning – across all six of 

our markets. We’re in Cedar Rapids, 

Des Moines, Coralville/Iowa City, Waterloo/Cedar 

Falls, and in Minnesota in 

Bloomington and St. Cloud. So I work 

with all of our different divisions on 

how they can grow their service areas. 

What is the most interesting 

thing about the job? 

Day-to-day it’s never boring. We, the 

marketing team, get involved in pretty 

much all aspects of the business, and 

that means I work with our operations 

director a lot. I work with our talent 

team on recruiting and creative ways 

to do that, and each of our different divisions. 

We also assist with our merger 

and acquisition teams, which has been 

a pretty active opportunity within our 

firm the last few years. 

What is the most rewarding 

part of your job? 

I like to see the work I do have 

an impact on our clients and 

our people. It’s cool to see how 

marketing contributes to that 

growth and offers opportunities for our 

people. As the marketing director, I obviously 

love when I tell someone where I 

work and they know what it is, they have 

good connotations about what BerganKDV 

is and they’re excited. 


career path? 

I knew in high school I wanted to go 

into advertising or marketing. I liked 

the idea of psychology and understanding 

how people think, but I also 

really liked writing. So I have a journalism 

degree in advertising. I worked at 

a couple different design firms early 

in my career, found my way to insurance, 

and actually BerganPaulsen (now 

BerganKDV) found me. 

ONLINE: Watch Amanda discuss her 

work at BerganKDV. 




We really get involved with the business 

in ways you don’t think a marketing 

department would. I work heavily 

with our merger and acquisitions team. 

So I manage our merger and acquisition 

opportunities. With this, we get 

our talent director and myself involved 

to look at the culture and people, 

which is key for us. • 



Financial Service, Insurance, Customer Service 

Careers with growth 

expected by 2020 in Iowa’s 

Creative Corridor (EMSI) > 

In Iowa, Finance and 

Insurance occupations 

are projected to grow 

by 

18 % 

from 2015-2025 

(EMSI) 

Claims Adjusters, 

Examiners, and 

Investigators 

+ 

30 % 

Loan Officers: 

+ 

11 % 

Credit 

Insurance 

Analysts 

Sales Agents 

+ 

22 % 

Financial 

Examiners 

+ 

12 % 

Bill and Account 

Collectors 

+ 

11 % 

+ 

32 % 

Insurance Claims 

and Policy 

Processing Clerks 

+ 

21 % 



How Can I Be 

An All Star? 

All Stars represent outstanding employees who are 

between the ages of 18-35 and have great stories to 

tell about their achievements. All Star and Honorable 

Mention winners represent careers within one of these 

industries: 

• Architecture, Construction, Engineering (ACE) 

• Advanced Manufacturing 

• Financial Service, Insurance, Customer Service 

• Healthcare 

• Information Technology 

• Transportation, Logistics 

All Stars can represent any career area within the six 

identified industries and are nominated by Creative 

Corridor employers and partners. 

Want to be a future All Star? 

Learn firsthand from the All Stars about their training 

and career paths by exploring videos of the All Star 

award winners on the online version of this publication, 

http://bit.ly/CCAllStars 

Congratulations, 

Amanda Wendling! 

Thank you for all you do to live BerganKDV. 

WE ARE BERGANKDV 

bergankdv.com 


15

FINANCIAL SERVICE, INSURANCE, CUSTOMER SERVICE SECTOR 

ACCOUNT 

SUPPORT 

ADVISOR 

Natasha 

Natasha Leiran 

GreatAmerica Financial Services, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 

ONLINE: See Natasha discuss her work 

at GreatAmerica Financial Services. 



GreatAmerica is a finance company, 

providing financing for various types of 

equipment. We have multiple business 

units, so anywhere from office 

equipment to telecommunications and 

health care systems. We have different 

value-add services we provide as well, 

such as HR consulting, remote desktop 

support and portfolio servicing. 


My main job duty is to provide our 

GreatAmerica experience to all of 

our customers. That means providing 

exceptional customer service 

when communicating with the end 

users, who are the people using the 

financed equipment. I’m answering 

any questions they would have on their 

invoices, agreements or end-of-term 

information. 



I’m always learning something new every 

day, especially while sitting with new 

business units or different teams. I’m 

able to find more process improvements 

just by listening to other people talk. 


career path? 

I graduated from Coe College with a 

degree in business administration. I 

knew that I wanted to work with people, 

whether it be over the phone or face-to 

face. I enjoy talking to people every day, 

and so that was something I wanted in a 

career. But I also wanted to be working 

somewhere where I really enjoyed what 

I was doing, the people I was working 

with and what the company stood for. 

Touching on that, GreatAmerica strives 

to provide the best customer experience 

to all of our customers – vendors 

and end users – so that they’re going 

to come back and tell people about 

GreatAmerica. But they also believe 

highly in helping their employees grow 

wherever they have passion. I feel really 

lucky I got in early because I never want 

to leave GreatAmerica. I said that from 

the day I started. 



Most people would think we are a call 

center. We do answer the end user’s 

phone call, but we work with them 

from the moment they call in, are following 

through and making sure they 

don’t need any other information. If 

they do find they need more, we’re the 

ones providing that directly. We get 

to do that and that’s really something 

that’s different. • 


ADVERTISEMENT 

Geico continues to bring 

meaningful jobs to Corridor 

When GEICO opened its doors 

in Coralville in 1997, its mission 

was to do more than provide 

quality insurance and superior 

customer service. GEICO made it 

a priority to bring meaningful job 

opportunities to Iowans interested 

in building rewarding careers. 

Now 20 years later, GEICO 

remains true to that commitment. 

For the past three years, 

GEICO’s Coralville regional office 

has been named a Top Workplace 

by the Des Moines Register. 

Based solely on employee 

feedback, GEICO was selected 

for its unique culture that creates 

an atmosphere where associates 

can enjoy coming to work, have 

a healthy work/life balance, and, 

most importantly, feel valued 

and supported. 

Today, GEICO’s Coralville office 

has grown to employ more 

than 400 sales and customer service 

professionals. As GEICO’s 

policyholder base continues to 

expand, so does its team of talented 

associates. This year alone, 

GEICO’s Coralville team plans to 

hire 100 new associates to help 

keep up with the increasing services 

GEICO provides customers. 

GEICO’s Coralville associates 

demonstrate an ongoing 

commitment to not only serving 

policyholders, but also investing 

in the well-being and development 

of the local economy and 

community. As active corporate 

citizens, associates provide many 

volunteer hours to support such 

organizations as Habitat for Humanity, 

United Way of Johnson 

County, Iowa City Special Olympics, 

March of Dimes and the 

Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, 

to name a few. 

“Here at GEICO, we understand 

the core strength of our 

GEICO’s Coralville 

office has grown 

to employ more 

than 400 sales and 

customer service 

professionals. 

organization is in our associates,” 

said Pete Rizzo, director 

of GEICO’s Coralville regional 

office. “We value the hard work 

and dedication our associates devote 

to serving our policyholders 

and the local community. We 

recognize that GEICO’s success 

is due in large part to our more 

than 36,000 associates across the 

country. I’m especially grateful 

for the team here in Coralville 

that supports our operations 

each and every day.” 

GEICO offers competitive 

starting salaries and a comprehensive 

benefits package. Many 

associates also participate in 

GEICO’s tuition reimbursement 

program, which is offered to encourage 

continuing education, 

personal development and career 

growth. 

GEICO is excited to continue 

to grow in Coralville and add 

new talent to the team. 

For job opportunities and information, visit https://www.geico.com/careers/office-locations/iowa-coralville 


17

HEALTHCARE SECTOR 

NURSE 

April 

April Golwitzer 

UnityPoint – St. Luke’s Hospital 

Cedar Rapids, Iowa 

ONLINE: See April discuss her work 

at UnityPoint – St. Luke’s Hospital. 



We are here to serve the community 

and take great care of patients. 


The first thing I do is I am a leader to 

the float pool staff. That means I manage 

and help lead 35 team members, 

a combination of IV therapy and critical 

care nurses, medical surgical nurses 

and patient care techs. Aside from 

that, I am the lead for pain management 

at St. Luke’s. I also assist with 

advanced practice work, so I help with 

education for the patient care techs 

and nurses who work our front lines 

on the units. I oversee the telecenter 

system, which is a video monitoring 

system. Finally, I attend committees 

and councils, and support three 

specific units within the hospital with 

quality-control metrics and educationbased 

topics. 

What is the most interesting 

thing about your job? 

The most interesting would be the 

variety of things I actually get to do. I 

get to see a lot of patients, but I also 

do a lot of chart auditing. So I get to 

see both sides of the spectrum. I like 

to be able to identify on both sides of 

‘What is the front-line nurse needing?’ 

and then ‘What type of education can 

I and my colleagues help provide to 

be able to reach that goal or outcome 

that they’re working on?’ 



The most rewarding is when I’m able to 

see one of my team members succeed, 

or a team member from another unit 

I have coached or worked with on the 

side in regards to a skill succeed. I see 

everything click in their minds and then 

I watch them achieve what they wanted 

to. When I see the pride on their faces, 

their inner confidence starting to build 

– that’s most rewarding. 

How did you choose this 

career path? 

I had a grandmother in a nursing home 

and a grandfather who was in critical 

care and then went through hospice 

– I saw nurses at the bedside who did 

exceptional care, and I saw nurses who 

did not quite deliver on that family, 

patient-centered care. I wanted to figure 

out how I could make a difference. 

So I went to Mount Mercy College, 

and graduated with my bachelor’s. I 

worked in the hospital setting. Then I 

wanted to go back for my master’s. I 

completed my master’s in Leadership 

and Management at Allen College in 

Waterloo in December 2016. 

What do people not know 

about your job? 

I do a lot of data collection. I think 

when people think of a nurse or a 

nurse educator, they don’t always 

understand we link ourselves to data 

as well. We like to see specific metrics 

improving because we put in this quality 

initiative on this specific unit. We 

are very data driven. I do a lot of chart 

audits. I pull a lot of data to be able to 

support the work I’m doing. • 


Why choose a career with 

UnityPoint Health - Cedar Rapids? 

As a team member, regardless of your position, 

you will have the opportunity to 

change lives on a daily basis, delivering on 

our vision of Best Outcome for Every Patient 

Every Time. That privilege drives employees’ 

passion for making a difference in the lives 

of our patients, helping them create healthier, 

more rewarding lives. UnityPoint Health 

sets high expectations for team members in 

order to establish a trusted team capable of 

taking on the toughest of challenges. 

Our team members strive to work as one 

through four key values: 

1. Foster Unity 

– We use the skills and abilities of each 

person to enable great teams. 

– We collaborate across departments, 

facilities business units and regions. 

– We seek to understand and are open to 

diverse thoughts and perspectives. 

2. Own the Moment 

– We connect with each person treating 

them with courtesy, compassion, 

empathy and respect. 

– We enthusiastically engage in our work. 

– We are accountable for our individual 

actions and our team performance. 

ADVERTISEMENT 

Our Mission: Improving the health 

and lives of communities and 

patients we serve 

Our Vision: Best Outcome Every 

Patient Every Time 

Our Values: At UnityPoint Health, 

we know our collective actions 

determine the experience we 

create. 

3. Champion Excellence 

– We commit to the best outcomes and the 

highest quality. 

– We have a relentless focus on exceeding 

expectations. 

– We believe in sharing our results, 

learning from our mistakes and 

celebrating our successes. 

– We take responsibility for solving 

problems regardless of origin. 

4. Seize Opportunity 

– We embrace and promote innovation 

and transformation. 

– We create partnerships that improve care 

delivery in our communities. 

– We have the courage to challenge the 

status quo. 

UnityPoint Health team members come for a job, but stay for a career. 

When will you begin yours? 

Career Opportunities 

Our award-winning providers, 

specialists and care teams 

contribute to our communities, 

support patient’s family members 

in time of need and make a difference 

in the lives of our patients 

every day. And they wouldn’t 

have it any other way because 

that is why they are in this business 

in the first place – to care for 

others. To us, everything begins 

and ends with delivering an 

unparalleled health care experience 

for our patients. That begins 

with a culture that leverages our 

most powerful resource – our 

team members – who make a difference 

on a grand scale across 

our organization, regardless of 

the role: 

Clinical Opportunities 

Registered Nurse 

Certified Medical Assistant 

Home Care Coordination 

Hospice and Palliative Care 

My UnityPoint Nurse Call Center 

Pediatrics 

Pharmacy 

Laboratory 

Advanced Practice 

Therapy/Behavioral Health 

And More! 

Non-Clinical 

Administration/Clerical 

Billing Office 

Environmental Service 

Finance and Accounting 

Home Medical Equipment 

Human Resources 

Information Technology 

Patient Registration 

Procurement, Supply, Distribution 

And More! 

Come for a 

job, stay for 

a career. 

unitypoint.org/career 

All Stars Ad.indd 1 


3/2/2017 9:35:37 AM 

19

HEALTHCARE SECTOR 

Sara 

REGISTERED 

DIETITIAN 

Sara Wattnem 

Virginia Gay Hospital and Clinics, Nursing & Rehab 

Vinton, Iowa 

“Dietitians like 

junk food, too.” 

ONLINE: Watch Sara discuss her 

work at Virginia Gay Hospital and 

Clinics. Go to http://bit.ly/CCAllStars 

What does your organization do? 

We make sick people better and enrich the lives of our long-term 

care residents. In the hospital and clinics we see different illnesses 

and disease processes. For our long-term care, we help residents 

who can no longer live in the community alone. Virginia Gay 

includes family practice clinics, skilled nursing, operating room, 

and a long-term care facility attached to the hospital. Virginia Gay 

also has home health services to which people can get referrals. 

If a patient needs to see me, their physician will refer them. 

Patients can see a dietitian for diabetes management, weight 

management, hypertension, autoimmune disorders, etc. 


I’m responsible for the food service department (planning, 

organizing, coordinating in accordance with state, federal, and 

local standards governing the facility to ensure quality nutritional 

standards are provided daily and the department is maintained 

in a clean, safe, and sanitary manner). I supervise dietary staff, 

assess the nutritional needs and plan therapeutic diets to meet 

patients’ requirements, and provide patient instruction on diet 

therapy to patients and family members, if needed. Also, I provide 

outpatient dietary consulting and assessments. 

What is the most interesting thing about your job? 

I always get to do something different. No two patients or diseases 

or illnesses or nutritional needs for any two people are the same. 


The most rewarding is when I get to see patients or 

long-term care residents get passionate about their 

health and their diet, whether it’s getting to plan a 

meal or how they can make their lives a little better 

through healthier nutrition. 


I became a dietitian later in life. I started working at a 

long-term care facility when I was 14. I worked my way 

up the ranks. When I became the supervisor, I was talking 

to the dietitian and she said, “Why don’t you just 

become a dietitian?” So I did. I always liked how food 

can impact your life. The education and training for a 

dietitian at a minimum is a bachelor’s degree. I have 

two: one in nutrition from Kaplan and one in dietetics 

from Kansas State. Then you complete a 1,200-hour 

supervised practice internship, and I completed mine 

at Iowa State. 


your job? 

Dietitians like junk food, too. People would be surprised 

to see the variety of options learned from dietitians. 

People think dietitians will take away food you 

like or make them eat rabbit food, and that’s not the 

case. We want to take your lifestyles and tweak them a 

little bit to help you with what you want to achieve. • 


Healthcare 


Health Sector occupations are 

projected to grow in Iowa’s Creative 

Corridor by 

12 % 

2014-2020 (EMSI) 

Median Hourly Earnings in 

Healthcare in the Creative 

Corridor: $23.74/hour (EMSI) 


Iowa’s Creative Corridor (EMSI): 

Personal Care Aides +27% 

Insurance Claims and Policy 

Processing Clerks +21% 

Nurse Practitioner +21% 

Surgical Technologist +17% 

Home Health Aides +16% 

Medical Assistants +16% 

Phlebotomists +15% 

Occupational Therapy Assistants +13% 

Medical Records and Health 

Information Technicians +12% 




21

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SECTOR 

SENIOR 

DEVELOPMENT 

OPERATIONS 

PROGRAMMER 

Matt Lapka 

MediRevv Inc., Coralville, Iowa 

Matt 


MediRevv is a revenue cycle management company in the health 

care industry. We partner with hospitals and physician groups 

all over the United States to help them with their revenue cycle 

needs, whether that’s working with insurance companies to make 

sure they’re paying what they’re obligated to or taking phone 

calls from patients or working in the medical coding division. We 

help our clients increase their revenue stream. 


I oversee a team of three, including me. I was the only programmer 

when I started. It’s pretty exciting. Being in charge of the 

programming team, I get to set the practices we do. I don’t 

adhere to rigid standards all the time, because I want to be flexible 

enough to meet client A’s needs as well as client B’s needs. 

There’s a lot of different facets to our business, and being able to 

understand the uniqueness of it is very important in knowing how 

the technology we develop in-house can help the company. Coming 

up with different documentation and different elements a lot 

of people don’t see gives me quite a bit of creative freedom. 


The most interesting thing about my job is translating the business 

needs into technical and programmatic requirements my 

team then can turn into applications. 


I was working in retail management and I was working 

40-50 hours a week. So I decided I needed to 

make a change. I’d always been around technology. 

Both my parents were programmers. But for some 

reason, I never saw that as a viable career option. I 

just was thinking one day, and decided ‘hey, I work 

with computers. Why don’t I do that?’ I decided to 

try out some online courses through MIT’s Open- 

CourseWare program, and I absolutely just loved the 

problem solving. So I went to Kirkwood and got my 

associate’s in computer software development. While 

I was finishing my degree I started at MediRevv. 

What do most people not realize you do 

in your job? 

I don’t think most people realize the planning, 

design, testing and documentation that actually 

go into application development and deployment. 

I don’t just start coding right away and then I’m 

done. There’s actually a lot of behind-the-scenes 

work. It’s also really important to help my team 

grow in their professional and personal lives, so 

there’s a lot of mentoring that goes on. • 

ONLINE: Watch Matt discuss his 

work at MediRevv. 



About Creative Corridor 

SECTOR BOARDS 

QUESTIONS? 

Employer members of the Creative 

Corridor Sector Boards work 

to collectively develop workforce 

solutions tailored to an industry 

sector. Workforce solutions include 

development and sustaining a comprehensive 

regional career pathway 

system that is targeted to meet the 

needs of the talent pipeline, employers 

and workers. Sector Boards 

use data to forecast labor needs 

and identify specific jobs and skill 

needs, develop career and training 

pathway maps, and develop workforce 

strategies that address supply 

and demand. 

These Sector Boards are employer 

led, and membership comprised 

of employers as well as economic 

development, workforce, nonprofit 

and community groups. The region’s 

six Sector Boards include: 

• Architecture, Construction, 

Engineering 

• Advanced Manufacturing 

• Financial Service, Insurance, 

Customer Service 

• Healthcare 

• Information Technology 

• Transportation, Logistics 

Through this partnership, the 

Creative Corridor Sector Boards 

are able to collectively promote 

the opportunities for training and 

employment for the region’s growing 

industry sectors through various 

activities and projects, such as the 

Creative Corridor All Stars. • 

If you are interested in learning more about 

the Creative Corridor Sector Boards, or want 

to become an employer board member, 

please contact: 

Architecture, Construction, Engineering (ACE) 

Erica.Bergfeld-Reed@kirkwood.edu 

Advanced Manufacturing 

Erica.Bergfeld-Reed@kirkwood.edu 

Financial Service, Insurance, Customer Service 

Judy.Stoffel@kirkwood.edu 

Healthcare 

Judy.Stoffel@kirkwood.edu 

Information Technology (IT) 

Gary.Vogt@kirkwood.edu 

Transportation, Logistics 

Chris.Kula@kirkwood.edu 

ANDREW J. 

Employee-Owner 

CHANGE 

YOUR LIFE. 

If you’re ready for more than a job, you’re ready to join our team. Everyone here is an 

employee-owner. That means your ideas are valued, your voice is heard and our success is 

your success. When we all come together as owners, it suddenly doesn’t feel like work. 

OPERATIONS 

DELIVERY DRIVERS 

AND MORE 

With branches across the Midwest and openings in operations, 

delivery and more – Van Meter is ready to help you OwnUp. 

Contact us today at vanmeterownup.com/contact 


23

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SECTOR 

K-12 EDUCATION 

COORDINATOR 

Samantha Dahlby 

NewBoCo 


Samantha 


NewBoCo’s mission is to accelerate world-changing ideas 

from Iowa through many initiatives. I’m part of the Imagination 

Iowa initiative, which encourages K-12 students to 

get excited about STEAM (Science Technology Engineering 

Art & Math) and foster the technical and creative 

talent for future startup leaders. 


My primary role is with our Code.org partnership. Code. 

org advocates computer science for every student in every 

school, and selects regional partners. Our region is all 

of Iowa. Through this, we can offer free (no subscription), 

high-quality teaching training through Code.org’s curriculum. 

We get to help teachers implement it and provide 

support so they aren’t alone. I also get to work with K-12 

students through events. Coder Dojo, which is free for 

elementary students every first and third Saturday from 

1 to 3 p.m., has volunteer-run stations that include Lego 

Robotics, coding and electronics. I also enjoy our Summer 

Challenge Camps for second through eighth graders. The 

focus is STEAM and entrepreneurial experiences. Some 

unique camps are Young Authors Accelerator, Social Robotics 

and Fashion Business. 

ONLINE: Watch Samantha talk 

about her job at NewBoCo. 



The variety is interesting to me. I’m teaching programming or 

basic circuits one day, talking with our state computer-science 

working group another, or strategizing with other regions on a 

national level a different day. 


I love seeing when students conquer challenges and actually 

build things and are excited about it being hard. Also, I like 

knowing I’m spreading that impact through Iowa by providing 

teachers the tools, training and support to help them succeed. 

What was your career path? 

My degree is in computer engineering and was an embedded 

software developer with Bluetooth. I loved the tinkering 

and solving problems. But at the end of my maternity leave, 

I wanted a bigger purpose to drive me. While home with my 

daughters, I kept active with software development through 

doing side projects and our family attending Midwest industry 

conferences. As our oldest started preschool, I began volunteering 

at Imagination Iowa Coder Dojo events. I realized 

I wanted to show kids what is possible in STEAM relating to 

jobs they may not think about. 

What do people not know about your job? 

I work part-time. I do a lot of stuff and I fit it in. It works because 

as a nonprofit, budget is important and as a parent, I’m 

easing back into the workforce as our kids get older. So this is a 

great marriage where I can do something I’m passionate about 

and still provide the time my family needs. • 


Information Technology 


Iowa’s Creative Corridor (EMSI) 

+ 3 

% 

+ 9 

% 

Computer Systems 

Analysts 

+ 5 

% 

Information 

Security Analysts 


In Iowa, there is a projected growth 

in jobs of 8.3% from 2014-2020 in 

Information Technology (EMSI) 

Median Hourly Earnings in the 

Information Technology Industry (EMSI): 

Computer and Information 

Systems Managers $58.72 

Computer Systems Analysts $35.96 

Network and Computer 

Systems Administrators $34.36 

Web Developers $33.55 

Computer User Support 

Specialists $20.69 

Computer User 

Support Specialists 

Median Hourly Earnings in 

Information Technology in the 

Creative Corridor: $37.48/hour 



Congratulations 

2017 

All Stars 

of the Corridor 

Supporting and Inspiring 

creativecorridor.co 

www.cedarrapids.org 

www.icadgroup.com 


25

TRANSPORTATION, LOGISTICS SECTOR 

DIRECTOR OF 

OPERATIONS FOR 

AFTER HOURS 

Phil 

Phil Reges 

CRST Expedited, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 

ONLINE: Watch Phil talk about his 

work at CRST Expedited. 



Our company provides a service by moving goods for customers 

across the country. Cedar Rapids is the headquarters 

for CRST International and CRST Expedited. 


My job is to facilitate the operations for anything outside 

the normal business hours of Monday through Friday 7 

a.m. to 5 p.m. I have four managers who directly report 

to me. Then, they have each individually underneath them 

anywhere from 10 to 20 people who report to them for 

different job duties, such as customer service, load planning 

or accounts. Between me, the four managers and the 

people who work for them, we all help to manage all the 

customers and the 4,000 different drivers working for us at 

any given time. 


The most interesting thing about the job is no two days are 

the same. Every day is something different and there’s always 

a curve ball. So you never know what you’re going to 

get, but that makes it interesting and fun at the same time. 


The rewarding part is seeing people coming into this industry, 

growing and being successful within their own specific 

job function, especially in the After Hours. We hire a lot of 

college grads and they don’t know anything about the 

transportation industry. Watching them grow, knowing 

everything there is to know and progress to their next 

role is really the most rewarding part for me. 


In college I talked to a recruiter who talked to me about 

supply chain management. From there, I researched it 

and started off working at Target as a logistics manager. 

Then I transferred into CRST in 2009, and have 

been doing it ever since. 


your job? 

We provide a service for everyone, especially with the 

After Hours. Most people don’t realize all of the things 

we do and all the things we measure are geared to our 

service level to our customers. We still have to provide 

a service to answer the phones for our drivers and answer 

the phones for our customers as well as meet their 

expectations for on-time delivery. Also, everyone is our 

customer. We consider ourselves more of a triage center 

because we are here to execute from A to B. When 

something goes wrong – whether a truck breaks down 

or a driver has an emergency – we figure out a quick 

fix for it, and output almost the same result as far as 

execution goes. • 


Got “Moxie”? 

mox·ie (mok-see) • n. Slang 

Dictionary Definition: 

1. The ability to face difficulty with spirit, courage and determination 

2. Aggressive energy; pep, initiative, guts or attitude 

3. Skill; know-how and expertise 

We’re looking for it! 

If you’ve got moxie, we’d love to hear from you. 

Apply today at www.crst.com/careers

TRANSPORTATION, LOGISTICS SECTOR 

HUMAN 

RESOURCE 

MANAGER 

Makenzie 

Makenzie Kimm 

JMS Transportation Co. Inc. 


“We continually problem solve and grow to make our customers happy.” 


My company is a trucking and brokerage company. It was 

established in 1992, and primarily hauls corrugated products 

through the Midwest. 


I do accounting and human resource functions. I interact with 

multiple employees on a daily basis. In our company, we have 

our brokerage, dispatch, billing and accounting [departments], 

and I handle all those areas. I also assist the president and 

owner of JMS with the business‘s day-to-day activities. 


The most interesting thing about my job is in the trucking 

industry there are new changes every day, so it keeps you on 

your toes and challenges you on a daily basis. Some examples 

of new changes in the trucking industry would be new DOT 

regulations and rules, as well as new employment laws. 


The rewarding part of my job is rewarding employees and giving 

them recognition for the work they do. We reward employees by 

compensation or letting them know how good they’re doing. 


I decided on this career path when I went to Mount 

Mercy College. My degree is in Human Resource 

Management and Business Management. While I was 

in college, I worked for a bank. I was in banking for 

quite some time until I received a call one day from 

JMS. I didn’t have any background in trucking. It was 

overwhelming in the beginning. Trucking grows on you. 

The employees grow on you. The drivers grow on you. 

We are a family in this industry. We continually problem 

solve and grow to make our customers happy. 


your job? 

One thing people do not know I do is I handle IT issues, 

so any computer issues that come up I try to figure out 

what‘s going on before I send it out to the outsourcing 

company that we use. • 

ONLINE: Watch Makenzie discuss 

work at JMS Trucking. 



Transportation, Logistics 


Careers with growth expected by 2020 in Iowa’s Creative Corridor (EMSI) 

Industrial Truck and 

Tractor Operators 

+9 % +13 % 

Transportation, Storage 

and Distribution Managers 

Light Truck or Delivery Services Drivers 

In the Creative Corridor, the 

transportation and logistics 

sector is projected to grow 

6.6 % 

(EMSI) 

+33 % 2014-2020 

Cargo and Freight Agents 

Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck 

Drivers, is projected to grow by 

20% with median earnings at 

First-Line Supervisors of Transportation 

$41,454. It is the fastest growing 

+15 % and Material-Moving Machine and Vehicle occupation in the Creative 

Operators 

Corridor (EMSI) 

+30 % 

EMSI occupation employment data are based on 

final EMSI industry data and final EMSI staffing 

patterns. Wage estimates are based on Occupational 

Employment Statistics (QCEW and Non-QCEW 

Employees classes of worker) and the American 

Community Survey (Self-Employed and Extended 

Proprietors). Occupational wage estimates also affected 

by county-level EMSI earnings by industry. 

MAKENZIE 

Congratulations from 

JMS on being named an 

All Star! We’re lucky to 

have you on our team! 

Please visit our website at 

www.jmstransport.com 

and “like” us on Facebook 

@jmstrucking! 


29

INTERNSHIPS 

ENGINEERING 

INTERN 

Trent Brandenburg 

Hall & Hall Engineers Inc. 

Hiawatha, Iowa 

Trent 


They are a civil engineering firm. They specialize in 

four main areas, which include municipal engineering, 

landscape architecture, land development and land 

surveying. So that includes designing things like trails, 

roadways, sewer systems and parks. Other things that 

we do include traffic engineering, drainage, site development 

plans and erosion control. 


Currently, I’m an intern. I’m at Kirkwood Community 

College right now, my sophomore year. Some things 

I do around the office are CAD (Computer-Aided 

Design) work. Currently I’m mapping several subdivisions 

in the city of Urbana onto CAD. I prepare and 

deliver plan sets and submittals. During the summers, 

I’m mainly out with the survey team doing things like 

pavement staking, finding property boundaries, and 

creating topographic maps. Some other things I’ve 

done include traffic studies, inspections, career fairs, 

and posting signs for rezoning. 


My two favorite parts of this job are working with 

CAD – getting to know the program, all the ins and 

outs and everything – and going with the survey crew. 

My favorite part’s probably the survey crew because I 

actually get to go out into the field. It’s a lot of manual 

labor, but it’s very rewarding because at the end of the 

day you know you’ve done something to help out your 

community, which will be there for a very long time. 


Growing up I was always interested in building things 

out of K’nex and Legos. I always liked building dams 

out of mud, 

sticks and 

rocks. So, 

I kind of 

knew I was 

interested 

in designing and building things. 

ONLINE: Watch Trent discuss his 

internship at Hall & Hall Engineers Inc. 



your job? 

One thing most people don’t realize I do is probably 

going out in the field and doing lots of manual labor, 

such as pavement staking. Most of the time during 

the summers I’ll be out with the survey crew unless it’s 

really slow or it’s cold and rainy. • 


HONORABLE MENTIONS 

The following individuals are All Star Honorable Mentions and should be 

commended for the contributions they make toward their industries: 

Leslie Allred, Cedar Valley Habitat for Humanity Dave Baker, Highway Equipment Company 

Sam Jones, McCreedy Ruth Construction 

Kari Pollard, NIS 

Kip Opheim, Rapids Foodservice Contract & Design Gabriel Glambo Akpalo, Raining Rose 

Spencer Osborn, Shive Hattery 

Brad Dockendorf, GreatAmerica Financial Services 

Kyle Faille, Shive Hattery 

Cheryl Paradiso, Veridian Credit Union 

Mayra Barajas, ACH Foam Technologies 

Jenni Kasper, Pleasantview Home 

Amanda Russell, Bazooka Farmstar 

Stephanie Brady, Pleasantview Home 

Andrew Witte, Centro 

Rachel Bowers, St. Luke’s Hospital 

Craig Radnich, Centro 

Jessica Bertling, NewBoCo 

Wendi Kafer, Clickstop 

Benjamin Joseph Kreger, Iowa Department of 

Belgica Murillo, Engineered Building Design 

Transportation 

Arice Lefebvere, Frontier Co-op 

Erin Cowden, CRST Logistics 

Congratulations! 


31

GREAT CAREERS 

IN 1–2 YEARS… 

OR WEEKS 

Not every high school graduate has the 

same career plan. That’s why we offer 

so many educational options: 

• Short-term training (1–24 weeks) 

• 1–year diploma 

• 2–year degree 

• 2–year transfer degree 

Check us out for training and education 

that leads to a great career. Schedule a 

visit today. 

www.kirkwood.edu/visit | 319-398-5517

ALLSTARS 2017

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