Minneapolis, MN
Business People: Jan Malcolm, Brian Thun added to Blue Cross board
OF NOTE
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, Eagan, announced that Jan Malcolm and Brian Thun have joined its board of trustees. Malcolm served as commissioner for the Minnesota Department of Health for three governors over the span of more than 20 years; her initial term on the Blue Cross board ran from 2010 to 2014. Thun serves as senior vice president and chief operating officer for Duluth-based women’s apparel retailer Maurices.
ADVERTISING/PUBLIC RELATIONS
Midnight Oil and the Imagine Group announced they received Clio Entertainment Awards and the Graphic Design USA Awards. Midnight Oil’s Clio awarded campaigns include: Silver – Netflix’s Leo Dueling Tongue Billboard, Silver – Disney’s Inside Out 2 Billboard, Bronze – Warner Bros’ Godzilla x Kong Billboard; Imagine’s winning projects: Belk Back-to-School Campaign, General Mills National Cereal Day Advent Calendar, Dick’s Sporting Goods Retail Displays, General Mills K-Pop Influencer Box, Soskin’s Hot Sos The Buffalo SturdyStand Display. Midnight Oil is a Los Angeles-based subsidiary of Minneapolis-based Imagine Group.
ARCHITECTURE/ENGINEERING
Nelson-Rudie & Associates, a New Hope-based engineering consultant, announced it has named Matt Elhadad as president and board chair. Elhadad previously led Nelson-Rudie’s finance, human resources and ESOP domains.
FINANCIAL SERVICES
Ameriprise Financial, Minneapolis, announced that Jason Holt, an Ameriprise financial adviser with a practice in Wayzata, has received the 2025 Five Star Wealth Manager award by Five Star Professional, a third-party research firm. … U.S. Bank, Minneapolis, announced Kristy Carstensen as leader of its Global Treasury Management business. Carstensen also will oversee the bank’s prepaid card organization. … Winter & Associates, a St. Paul-based financial services firm, has welcomed fifth-generation family member Shelby Tietel to the firm as associate wealth adviser. Tietel is the daughter of financial adviser, President and Chief Compliance Officer Nicole Winter Tietel.
HEALTH CARE
Cassia, an Edina-based operator of nursing facilities, announced that President and CEO Bob Dahl plans to retire in January 2026. Dahl recently completed 30 years in leadership combined, first at Elim Care, then at Cassia, following the merger with Augustana Care in 2020.
HONORS
The City of Champlin announced that the Elm Creek Restoration and Dam Rehabilitation project, led by the city, was honored with the Environmental Project of the Year award at the 2024 American Public Works Association Conference.
LAW
Nationwide employment law firm Jackson Lewis announced that Gina K. Janeiro has been inducted as a 2024 Fellow to The College of Labor and Employment Lawyers. Janeiro is managing principal and litigation manager of the firm’s Minneapolis office and is certified as a Labor and Employment Law specialist by the Minnesota State Bar Association.
MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY
UroMems, a development-stage company working on the first smart automated implant to treat stress urinary incontinence, announced the appointment of Rinda Sama to its board of directors. Sama previously was chief operating officer of Axonics prior to its acquisition by Boston Scientific. UroMems is based in France with U.S. headquarters in Minneapolis.
ORGANIZATIONS
The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, St. Paul, announced its updated board leadership and officers for the 2024-25 calendar year: Bill Keegan, Dem-Con Cos., Board Chair; Jill Bollettieri. Post Consumer Brands, Past Chair; Brooke Lee, Anchor Paper Co., Chair-elect; Angela Heikes, SMSC Gaming Enterprise, continues as treasurer and secretary; board members are: Ashton Boon, Mayo Clinic; Jabari Bush, Jasper Engineering; Brett Edelson, Unitedhealthcare; Valerie Finarty, Medtronic; Ryan Jackson, Schwan’s; Eric Levenhagen, Sun Country Airlines; Julie Pierce, ALLETE, and Shane Zutz, DigiKey.
SERVICES
APi Group Corp., a New Brighton-based parent company whose partners provide safety and equipment services to the construction and energy industries, announced that Chief Financial Officer Kevin Krumm has stepped down from his role to accept another opportunity. David Jackola, current chief financial officer and vice president of transformation at APi International, will assume the interim CFO role.
EMAIL ITEMS to businessnews@pioneerpress.com.
Minneapolis, MN
Minneapolis salon mixes rock and roll with haircuts: Inside HiFi Hair and Records
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A Minneapolis salon is turning heads by mixing rock and roll with haircuts, creating a one-of-a-kind experience for music lovers.
A salon where music and haircuts go hand in hand
What we know:
HiFi Hair and Records sits on the edge of downtown Minneapolis, marked by a leopard print awning and a vibe that’s all about community through music.
“I tried to model it after a barbershop,” said Jonny Clifford, owner of the salon.
Clifford opened the shop in 2011, inspired by his father who introduced him to music and was battling terminal cancer at the time.
The salon brings together the hum of blow dryers and the sounds of rock and roll, with Clifford saying, “Music is the uniter. Most everyone who is alive today grew up on rock and roll.”
He added a record store the following year, letting customers browse new and used vinyl and CDs while waiting for their appointment.
“I jokingly refer to it as the coolest waiting room in the city,” said Clifford.
The shop is filled with memorabilia from music legends like Elvis, David Bowie and The Monkees. There’s even a wall dedicated to Minnesota’s local music scene.
Clifford said, “We’ve got Bobby V who I think never gets enough credit for his contributions to music in Minnesota.”
Clifford’s journey from punk haircuts to community hub
Why you should care:
Clifford started cutting hair in the early 1980s because he and his friends in southwest Minneapolis couldn’t afford the punk haircuts they wanted.
Now, he not only looks the part—”Ronny Wood, Jeff Beck, Keith Richards, I’m always like old Keith Richards or young Keith Richards”—but he helps others feel like rock stars too.
“People are like make me look like a rock star and that is sort of a universal term right. Everyone wants to look like a rock star,” said Clifford.
His goal is simple:
“If I can make a living and raise my family, pay my bills, have a business and be a part of a community, that is important to me. I win. That’s everything,” said Clifford.
He is passionate about giving a boost to local musicians, saying, “I think they need it more. I love Lady Gaga and The Rolling Stones, but they are doing fine. Our local people haven’t made it national yet. They could use a voice. They could use a boost, and they need to be heard.”
The salon’s rhythm is all about joy, music and community, and Clifford plans to keep it going.
“Til I kick over. I’ll probably be back standing behind the chair. And someone will complain I didn’t finish their haircut,” said Clifford.
HiFi Hair and Records continues to be a place where music and style meet, giving Minnesota’s music scene a little extra volume.
Minneapolis, MN
Edina shooting leaves 1 dead, suspects on run
EDINA, Minn. (FOX 9) – A deadly shooting in Edina sparked a massive police response and forced a lockdown at nearby businesses at Southdale Mall on Wednesday as police are searching for the suspects.
Deadly Edina shooting
What we know:
Edina police responded around 12:30 p.m. to the report of a shooting along West 66th Street near Southdale Mall.
At the scene, officers found one victim with a gunshot wound. Officers tried to revive the victim but say they ultimately died from their wounds.
Local perspective:
Police say the suspects ran from the scene. As a precaution, they advised nearby businesses to go into lockdown. FOX 9 learned that MHealth Fairview also went into lockdown procedures as a precaution.
Aerial video from the scene showed the investigation appeared to be focused around an apartment building across from the mall. Police say the apartment building is described as a transitional housing.
Avoid the area
Big picture view:
Police are asking the public to avoid the area as the investigation is underway. Officers have blocked off West 66th for the time being.
Police say they are looking for more than one suspect involved in the shooting.
What we don’t know:
Police say some people were taken into custody at the scene but it’s unclear what their role was in relation to the shooting.
Law enforcement near the 3300 block of W. 66th Street in Edina. (FOX 9)
Minneapolis, MN
Ellison, Minneapolis, St. Paul update lawsuit against Operation Metro Surge with new data
(ABC 6 News) – Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and Minneapolis and Saint Paul updated their lawsuit over Operation Metro Surge with new survey data on economic harm.
Researchers at the University of California San Diego conducted two surveys tied to the amended lawsuit. The lawsuit says the federal operation violated the Constitution and caused lasting economic damage.
The first survey was done between February and March and included nearly 1,400 residents. It found workers lost more than $240 million in wages during the operation.
A separate newly released survey of about 900 businesses found more than $600 million in lost revenue. The updated lawsuit from Keith Ellison and the cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul adds that new data to its claims.
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