Business news

Chambers set schedules

■ The Soldotna Chamber of Commerce will meet at noon today at Froso’s Restaurant in Soldotna. A presentation by Peninsula Community Health Services is planned. RSVP to 262-9814.

■ The Soldotna and Kenai Chambers of Commerce will host a joint luncheon at noon March 3 at the Kenai Visitors Center. A panel-based discussion on Merit-Based Judicial Selection & Retention in Alaska with Senior Judge Elaine Andrews, Susanne DiPietro, Executive Director of the Alaska Judicial Council, and Don McClintock with Justice Not Politics Alaska will discuss key features of Alaska’s Judiciary Article of the Constitution, how the Judicial Council operates and the importance of fair and impartial courts. RSVP to 283-1991 or 262-9814.

■ The Soldotna and Kenai Chambers of Commerce will host a joint luncheon at noon March 4 at the Kenai Visitors Center. A presentation on Economic Impact Report Findings by Dennis McMillian of The Foraker Group is planned. RSVP to 283-1991 or 262-9814.

Wells Fargo promotes Shockley to district manager

Wells Fargo has promoted Chris Shockley to Kenai Peninsula district manager, responsible for oversight of Wells Fargo’s retail banking stores in Homer, Kenai, Seward and Soldotna.

Shockley has been helping Wells Fargo customers succeed financially in Alaska and Arizona for seven years. Most recently, he served as Homer store manager. He began his career as a teller in Arizona where he served as a lead teller, personal banker and service manager. Originally from Skagway, Shockley moved back to Alaska in 2011 to serve as Wells Fargo Kotzebue store manager. He volunteers in the community as Ducks Unlimited Kenai Peninsula district chairperson.

Johnson earns Excellence in Profession award

Alaska USA Mortgage Company Assistant Vice President Rhonda Johnson has earned the Excellence in Profession award from the Soldotna Chamber of Commerce.

Each year, the Excellence in Profession award is presented to an individual who has attained and personified the highest level of excellence in their business or profession.

“Rhonda’s knowledge of the mortgage programs available to borrowers is so extensive. She finds a way for many, many families to realize their dream of homeownership,” says Becky Hutchinson, Area Vice President II of Alaska USA Federal Credit Union, who has worked with Johnson for almost 18 years. “These programs often require a mountain of paperwork and consistent follow-up with the borrower and the lender. Rhonda’s calm and patient demeanor keeps borrowers calm and on task, with the end result being a home.”

Johnson has more than 30 years of experience in the mortgage industry, including originating, processing, closing, underwriting, and management. She also manages Alaska USA Mortgage Company offices in Kenai, Soldotna, and Homer, and has developed four classes for the Alaska real estate community, all of which have been certified by the State of Alaska Real Estate Commission. Johnson is also a frequent guest on Homer radio, providing mortgage financing information to listeners, and she holds mortgage financing classes for local builders on the Kenai Peninsula.

Construction Academies honors Weaver Bros.

Alaska Construction Academies were created in 2006 to attract and train young people and adults for entry-level jobs in construction and trade apprenticeship programs. The high levels of satisfaction expressed about the Construction Academies by participants and Alaska employers, led to the creation of Alaska Construction Academies FY2015 Employers of Excellence.

The key to the success of all the Alaska Construction Academies is two-fold: 1) students and adults who take advantage of the quality education and training offered through the construction academies; and 2) the employers who hire and invest in the graduates of the construction academies.

Alaska Construction Academies FY2015 Employer of Excellence documents 11 employers who are training and hiring construction academy graduates to add to the success of their Alaska businesses. The communities highlighted in the Employer of Excellence include: Anchorage, Aniak, Bristol Bay, Fairbanks, Juneau, Kenai Peninsula, Ketchikan, Mat-Su, and Nome,

Weaver Bros. Inc., in Kenai, has supported the construction academies by participating in the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District’s Job Shadowing program, and hiring students who have taken welding classes as welder helpers.

For more information regarding the Alaska Construction Academies (AkCA), contact the training director, Mandy Beaulieu, or access the website at www.alaskasca.org

Nomination period open for HEA Board of Directors seats

Homer Electric Association is accepting nominations from members interested in running for a seat on the cooperative’s Board of Directors. The cooperative’s Board is made up of nine directors, three from each of the three districts that make up the service area.

This year, the District 1 (Kenai-Nikiski-parts of Soldotna) seat held by Kenai resident David Thomas will be on the ballot. In District 2 (Soldotna-Sterling-Kasilof area) the seat currently held by Soldotna resident Dave Carey will be up for election. In District 3 (Kasilof-Homer-Seldovia area), HEA members will vote for the seat currently held by Jim Levine of Homer.

HEA directors are elected by district, with members voting only for the director in their respective district.

Members interested in being on the ballot must fill out a Candidacy Packet that requires the candidate to gather at least 15 signatures from current HEA members that live in the district where the candidate resides. The Candidacy Packet is available at HEA offices in Kenai and Homer and online at www.homerelectric.com

The deadline to submit the Candidacy Packet is 5 p.m. on March 6. Completed packets can be dropped off at either the Kenai or Homer HEA office.

Ballots will be mailed out to HEA members on April 3, and the results will be tabulated and announced at the Annual Meeting on May 7 at Homer High School. For additional information contact Joe Gallagher at 907-283-2324

Junior Achievement Raffle tickets available

The Kenai Junior Achievement Committee has put together a raffle fundraiser for the 2014-2015 school year. Junior Achievement is the world’s largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic choices.

Tickets are $10 each and all proceeds benefit Junior Achievement programs on the Kenai Peninsula. Winning tickets will be drawn on March, 21, 2015 at the Kenai River Brown Bears hockey game. You need not be present to win. First place is $1,000, Second place is $600 and third place is $400.

To purchase tickets, please contact Janet Johnson at johnsoja@denalifcu.com or 907-257-1669 or Renee Rybak at r.rybak@alaskausa.org or 907-395-4505.

Small business series offered

Small business workshops will be offered in Fairbanks and by webinar around the state.

The series is hosted by the University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service, UAF Community and Technical College and the Alaska Small Business Development Center. Extension economic development specialist Kathryn Dodge said the workshops will provide guidance to small business owners interested in starting or expanding their businesses. Participants may attend one or all of the workshops. Topics include:

— Creating a one-page business model canvas, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 12

Anyone who wishes to connect by desktop may contact Dodge at 907-474-6497 or kdodge@alaska.edu.

Each class costs $25. Register online at http://bit.ly/ces-workshops. See details about the classes at www.uaf.edu/ces.

Job Center hosts training

The following job skills workshops will be offered at the Peninsula Job Center the week of Feb. 23:

Monday, Feb. 23 — No classes scheduled

Tuesday, Feb. 24 — 10:30 a.m., Career Ready 101 Lab

Wednesday, Feb. 25 — 9 a.m., WorkKeys® Testing; 3 p.m. Job Search Strategies for the Ex-Offender

Thursday, Feb. 26 — 10:30 a.m., Interviewing Skills Workshop

Friday, Feb. 27 — No workshops offered

All workshop are free of charge to the public. Those interested in attending any workshops offered at the Peninsula Job Center can reserve space by clicking on the “Schedule Workshops” option located on the main screen in your ALEXsys account (www.jobs.alaska.gov), call 335-3010, or visit the job center located in Kenai at 11312 Kenai Spur Hwy., Suite #2. Business hours are Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. excluding state and federal holidays.

 

Business announcements may be submitted to news@peninsulaclarion.com.

Items should be submitted by 5 p.m. on the Friday prior to publication.