Page 38 - Flathead Beacon // 5.25.16

PEOPLEINBUSINESS
Bob Nystuen Honored with FVCC Eagle Award
Bob Nystuen was honored with Flat- head Valley Community College’s pres- tigious 2016 Eagle Award during the 21st annual President’s Dinner on May 17. The Eagle Award honors individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the college.
Nystuen served on the FVCC Board of Trustees for 13 years, including eight years as Board Chair. He was appointed to the Montana Board of Regents last year by Gov. Steve Bullock and is chair of the regents’ Two-Year Education and Com- munity College Committee.
“Bob’s desire to help individuals improve and make organizations better have been key in helping to transform FVCC into a remarkable community col- lege,” said FVCC President Jane Karas.
A community banker for 40 years, Nystuen has championed the importance of partnerships between community col- leges and business. Under his leadership, FVCC created several new healthcare and advanced manufacturing programs in response to business and industry work- force needs.
“Bob’s interest and determination in improving the role and image of com- munity colleges on the local, state and national levels has been extraordinary,” said Karas.
Always keeping students at the center of his decision making, Nystuen’s leader- ship was instrumental in FVCC establish- ing a tuition waiver for eligible high school students to earn up to six free college credits through the Running Start pro- gram and in the Board of Trustees’ deci- sion to build student housing on campus.
“Meeting students’ needs and ensuring student success have always been Bob’s primary focus,” said Karas.
Outside the college, Nystuen has served on multiple boards across Mon- tana, including the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce, Glacier National Park Con- servancy, Flathead Food Bank, Montana West Economic Development, Montana Commission on Community Service and Montana Ambassadors.
Nystuen is the President of Glacier Bank. He and his wife Kim reside in Lakeside.
Renovation at ImagineIF Bigfork
Earlier this month, ImagineIF Bigfork reopened after extensive renovations and updates to the space. The library was closed May 13 through May 16 to complete the remodel work.
Changes include a facelift in the form of new carpet, new paint, and new shelving. Self-checkout systems, new and refreshed collections, and updated furniture will also be installed to make the library a des- tination within the Bigfork community. Finally, an update to the children’s area will provide more space and new experi- ences for children and families.
“This remodel is an extension of the work the we did earlier this year in Colum- bia Falls, and the response from our cus- tomers there has been incredible,” says senior sibrarian Sean Anderson, who is leading the project. “Things like inter- active spaces, self-service, and great col- lections are what makes ImagineIF such a special place, so it’s exciting to be able to bring the full ImagineIF experience to Bigfork.”
For questions about the remodel, please contact Sean Anderson at (406) 758-2197 or by email at sanderson@imaginei i- braries.org.
Murdoch’s Ranch & Home Supply Dubbed State’s Top Large Employer in 2016
Murdoch’s Ranch & Home Supply was named this year’s Montana Employer of Choice, a distinction that is awarded annually by a collaborative partnership through the Montana Department of Labor.
Businesses are nominated by their respective employees, and businesses compete in two size categories: 1) more than 25 employees, or 2) less than 25 employees. Local Job Services determine one winning employer from each category to compete at the state level.
The Montana State Employers’ Coun- cil is responsible for administering the award, which is a division of the Depart- ment of Labor.
Murdoch’s was chosen to represent the Bozeman large employer category this year and went on to win at the state level as well. The award is given based on the following criteria: Employee Bene- ts/Initiatives, Leadership & Workplace Culture, Employee Training/Develop- ment, Community Orientation Mur- doch’s employs approximately 600 team members in Montana. Murdoch’s started in 1994 in Bozeman and now operates an e-commerce website and 30 stores across Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska and Idaho. Roughly 1,400 Team members comprise its workforce.
“The Murdochians who make up our family of stores, distribution centers, and o ces are what make this company a truly fantastic place to spend our work days,” said John Parkes, Murdoch’s chief people o cer. “What an honor for the State of Montana to recognize our team members’ good work – and it takes each and every team member to make it great. It really does.”
Murdoch’s is a retail business known for its selection of agriculture supplies, fencing, animal health products, feed, tools, auto accessories, pet food and toys, footwear, rearms and accessories, work- wear, western fashion, hardware, lawn and garden supplies, tack, gifts and kids’ toys.
White sh Community Library Receives Statewide Award
Last month at the 104th annual Mon- tana Library Association conference held in Missoula, the White sh Commu- nity Library received the 2016 Excellent Library Service Award (ELSA) from the Montana State Library (MSL) Commis- sion. The awards were announced by Commissioner Anne Kish on behalf of Commission Chair Colet Bartow.
The ELSA recognizes libraries for achieving excellence in serving their communities in areas including collec- tion development, information access, policies, planning and evaluation, scal management, board accomplishments, continuing education for sta and trust- ees, and outreach to the community. The ELSA requirements are adapted from Montana’s current Public Library Stan- dards, which serves as a measuring tool for libraries in the state.
“The Montana State Library Commis- sion is pleased to recognize Montana’s excellent libraries with the ELSA award,” said Chair Colet Bartow. “Montana’s com- munities face unique challenges of geogra- phy, scarce resources, and diverse needs. The libraries that receive the ELSA are not only meeting these challenges, they are exceeding expectations to ensure that the communities they serve are provided with the best resources, services, technol- ogy and information. Congratulations to the trustees, library sta , and communi- ties for their commitment to excellence.”
Forty-one libraries received the ELSA in 2016.
For more information on the Excel- lent Library Service Award, visit http:// libraries.msl.mt.gov/library_develop- ment/standards/excellent_library_ser- vice_award or contact Sara Groves at (406) 444-5357 or at [email protected].
Local Artist Mya Bessette Wins Awards in National Art Challenge
Bigfork acrylic artist, Mya Bessette’s abstract painting “Infusion” earned a place in the top three in an international painting contest hosted by acclaimed crowd-sourced design company Minted. com. Her entry, a contemporary abstract piece bursting with vibrant color, was one of over 6,000 submitted to the Minted/ West Elm Challenge. Prints of winning art pieces, such as Mya’s, will be sold through West Elm, a widely admired brand in home décor, as well as on the ever-popu- lar Minted.com.
Minted often partners with giants in the home décor industry collaborating with brands like West Elm, Domino, Pot- tery Barn and more. These partnerships provide a platform for independent art- ists around the world to share their work on a much larger scale. Contest win- ners nd themselves launched into the world of art licensing overnight as these celebrated brands o er their prints for sale to a broad audience of home décor
enthusiasts. Although Mya is fairly new to the art licensing industry, she’s o to a strong start winning awards in three of the three Minted Contests she’s entered. Her rst winning piece, “Move Me” was discovered on Minted.com by HGTV and will appear on the hit show “Love It or List It” later this fall.
Originally from Homer, Alaska, Mya now lives in Bigfork with her husband Cody, kids Nevi and Lex and their golden lab Zuma. Mya broke onto the art scene in 2009 when she launched her Etsy shop and began selling original paintings in acrylic and mixed media online. Since then, Mya’s work has appeared in sev- eral retail venues around the Flathead Valley and Bozeman, and can currently be found in Persimmon Gallery in Big- fork. Mya’s work is also licensed through Toronto-based Northwood Collections as well as Minted. Sign up for Mya’s newslet- ter to receive updates on local shows, mar- kets and events http://www.myabessette. com/contact/
Columbia Falls Area Chamber of Commerce Announces New Executive Director
Columbia Falls Area Chamber of Com- merce is pleased to announce the appoint- ment of Stacey Schnebel as their new executive director. Schnebel has been on the Chamber Board of Directors for the past four years, serving as an o cer since 2013 and as President since January 2015. She has played a signi cant leadership role in charting the chamber’s transition from long-serving past Executive Direc- tor Carol Pike, including volunteering as Interim Director since November of 2015.
“I am honored to represent the mem- bers of the Columbia Falls Area Chamber of Commerce during this pivotal time of growth for our area,” says Schnebel. “Our business community can be con dent that the chamber has gained a knowledgeable and fully invested business professional who is committed to maintaining our momentum and promoting our busi- nesses to each other, and to the world.”
Schnebel is a business owner herself, operating UnderCurrent Web and Stone- y Lounge with her business partners. “If anyone understands the challenges and opportunities for small business and the importance of networking and supporting local commerce, it’s me” she says.
The Columbia Falls Chamber is rolling out new programs and events this sum- mer, including bringing the all-day music event, “The Deadication Festival” to Mar- antette Park on Aug. 27. Mark Johnson, Columbia Falls’ branch manager at Gla- cier Bank, has stepped into the president role for the Chamber Board of Directors. For more information, email director@ columbiafallschamber.org.
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MAY 25, 2016 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM