OF NOTE

National PR firm Weber Shandwick announced the promotion of Laura Cederberg to Minneapolis market leader. Cederberg most recently was a senior vice president on the firm’s corporate and public affairs team and before that served as a spokesperson for former Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton and former Lt. Gov. Tina Smith.

ADVERTISING/PUBLIC RELATIONS

Minneapolis-based ad agencies Preston Spire and Carmichael Lynch were named to Ad Age’s Best Places to Work 2024 list.

ARCHITECTURE/ENGINEERING

HGA, Minneapolis, announced the appointment of Mia Blanchett as chief executive officer, succeeding Tim Carl; Blanchett has been with the firm since 1989.

FINANCIAL SERVICES

Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union, St. Paul, announced the opening of a branch at 1460 S. 12th Ave West, Virginia, Minn. … Bell Bank, Fargo, N.D., announced that Jenny Senecal has been named executive vice president/chief credit officer, based at Bell Plaza in Bloomington and in Fargo. Senecal has been a member of the executive leadership team since 2022. … First Interstate Bank announced that Tim Schmidt was promoted to director of Treasury Solutions, based in the Twin Cities; Schmidt is a board member on the St. Paul District Council and member of St. Paul’s annual Capital Improvement Budget Task Force. … BGM, a Bloomington CPA, advisory and financial firm, announced that Nathan Panning has been promoted to lead the Tax Group. Panning has been with the firm since 2007 and was promoted to principal in 2021.

GOVERNMENT

The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development has named Jeanna Fortney as its next CareerForce director in the agency’s Workforce Development Division. Fortney previously was executive director of the Minnesota Association of Workforce Development Board. … The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office announced the hiring of Brian Walsh to lead a new Worker Protection Unit. Walsh previously served as director of labor standards enforcement for the city of Minneapolis.

HONORS

The city of Rosemount announced Senior Planner Anthony Nemcek as its 2023 Employee of the Year. Nemcek has worked for the city since 2016; he was promoted to senior planner in 2021.

LAW

Lockridge Grindal Nauen, Minneapolis, announced the promotion of Joseph Bourne to partner; Bourne’s fields are antitrust, consumer protection and business litigation. … Moss & Barnett, Minneapolis, announced that Brian T. Grogan was re-elected and Brian J. Schoenborn was elected to three-year terms on the firm’s board of directors. … Chestnut Cambronne, Minneapolis, announced that Elizabeth (Lisa) Henry has been elected shareholder and also that she has been selected by Minnesota Lawyer as an inaugural 2023 Top Women in Law award recipient. Henry sits on the firm’s board of directors and practices primarily in trust and estate litigation and elder law.

MANUFACTURING

BioMADE, a Manufacturing Innovation Institute sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense, announced the appointment of Jack Starr as its inaugural chief manufacturing officer. Starr previously held similar roles at Cargill and NatureWorks. BioMADE is based jointly in St. Paul and Emeryville, Calif.  …  Malco Tools, an Annandale, Minn.-based maker of professional hand tools for workers in the HVAC, construction and automotive trades, announced that Marc Kermisch, chief digital and information officer at CNH Industrial, has joined its board of directors. … Industrial Louvers and Verta, Delano, Minn.-based makers of architectural metal and metal coatings for industry, announced the retirement of CEO and President Jo Reinhardt, to be succeeded by Brett Reinhardt, now president of both companies. Reinhardt family leadership at Industrial Louvers dates back to 1971.

NONPROFITS

St. Croix Valley Habitat for Humanity, Hudson, Wis., announced new board members Lisa Lyon, Pillar Bank, and Dave Grambow, Hudson Schools; Gina Moe-Knutson, WESTconsin Realty, was named board president and Clark Schroeder, city of Lake Elmo, vice president.

RETAIL

Scooter’s Coffee, an Omaha, Neb.-based drive-thru coffee chain, announced the opening of a location in Rockford, Minn., the franchisees are Josh and Kaiyah Herscheid, and the planned summer opening of an end-cap location at the National Sports Village in Blaine, Susan and Brent Nygaard franchisees.

SPONSORSHIPS

USA Fencing announced a multiyear partnership for Bell Bank become its official bank. Fargo, N.D.-based Bell Bank is Minnesota’s seventh largest bank by deposit market share.

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