Page 38 - Flathead Beacon // 7.29.15

PEOPLEINBUSINESS
Whitefish Credit Union Welcomes New Chief Credit Officer
Whitefish Credit Union welcomes Steven Moss as the Credit Union’s new business lending chief credit officer and senior management team member.
Moss previously served as Whitefish Credit Union’s member business loan manager vice president since 2011. Before that, he spent more than 17 years in the financial sector, ending with a position as branch president of Mountain West Bank in Kalispell. Moss brings a wealth of lending expertise to his new position, says Eldon Tilley, the credit Union’s vice president of marketing.
“We’re glad to have Steven onboard with our business lending office,” he said. “His many years in the lending field will translate directly to more lending oppor- tunities for our members. I’m excited to have him onboard and looking forward to seeing what he does here at Whitefish Credit Union.”
Moss said that in his new position he’s most excited to be working directly with the senior management team and board of directors to build on the Credit Union’s more than 80-year history of success in Northwest Montana.
“I anticipate that my new position will be focused on the overall culture and health of Whitefish Credit Union,” said Moss. “This will include expanding the services and lending products that the Credit Union has to offer to better serve the evolving needs of our membership.”
FVCC Awarded $1.6 Million TRiO Grant
Low-income, first-generation and dis- abled college students throughout North- west Montana will continue to have access to vital services through Flathead Valley Community College TRiO Student Sup- port Services (SSS) program for the next five years, thanks to a $1.6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education.
The announcement of the grant was made through U.S. Sen. Jon Tester’s office. The mission of TRiO SSS program is to provide academic and other support services to low-income, first-generation or disabled college students in an effort to increase students’ retention and grad- uation rates, facilitate their transfer from two-year to four-year colleges and foster a climate that supports student success. Effective Sept. 1, the five-year grant will fund TRiO services, such as academic tutoring and counseling, financial aid assistance, financial literacy, academic, career and personal counseling, disabil- ity support and assistance in applying for admission to and securing financial aid at
four-year higher education institutions. According to FVCC President Jane Karas, more than half of the students
FVCC serves are TRiO-eligible, which makes the grant critical to student success.
For more information, contact Interim TRiO Director Darlene Schottle at 756-3882.
Stack Financial Management Named by Financial Times One of Top Registered Investment Advisors
Stack Financial Management (SFM) of Whitefish has been named to the 2015 Financial Times listing of the Top 300 Financial Advisors in the United States. More than 2,000 Investment Advisors were invited to apply for this distin- guished list, and Stack Financial Manage- ment is the only advisor from Montana to make the elite group. Selection was based on criteria the affluent investor considers important including assets under man- agement, company growth, years the firm has been in existence, industry certifica- tions of the staff, SEC compliance record, and online accessibility.
Stack Financial Management directs investment portfolios for high net worth clients residing in 49 states and cur- rently oversees more than $1.1 billion in assets. The company services all types of accounts, including those for individuals, trusts, retirement plans, endowments, and foundations (minimum account size is $750,000). The firm was founded in 1994 by James B. Stack who also owns and operates InvesTech Research, an inde- pendent financial research firm which publishes a monthly newsletter for indi- vidual investors.
In 1987, James Stack was recognized as one of only a handful of analysts who warned of Black Monday (the ‘87 Crash) in advance. He again received national attention in 2005 for his warning of an imminent bust in the U.S. housing bub- ble. Most recently, Jim Stack was credited with predicting the 2008 bear market and recession, and then positioning clients in early 2009 to take advantage of the new bull market. Since the beginning of 2000, Stack Financial Management has more than doubled the total return of the S&P 500 – in large part by reducing losses in bear markets.
Campers Get on the Bus with Help from Plum Creek
A $2,000 Plum Creek Foundation grant will help give campers a safer ride to the woods this summer. Ravenwood Outdoor Learning Center provides nature camp experiences for approxi- mately 125 children each summer on F.H. Stoltze timberlands near Columbia Falls. A used school bus purchased with a grant from the Plum Creek Foundation and other community donations will shuttle
campers from a parent drop-off zone to the camp, reducing the volume of traffic on the narrow Trumbull Canyon Road.
“Kids from Columbia Falls and across the valley are having fun this sum- mer learning about the outdoors,” said Brett Holmquist, executive director and co-founder of the Center. “Now it will be easier and safer for them to arrive for their camping experience.”
The center’s mission is to connect peo- ple with nature, community, and self by getting kids outside for safe, hands-on learning adventures.
Learn more at: http://www.raven- woodolc.org
New Television Produced by Whitefish-Based Media Company
A new television show highlighting out- door recreational opportunities and activ- ities in the state of Montana is being pro- duced by a media company in Whitefish.
“Big Sky Outdoors” is the realization of a dream of Matt Redding and Joel Ste- venson. The purpose of the show is to showcase the recreational activities and events. Big Sky Outdoors also supports the Montana-based outdoor businesses and products that make Montana such a great place to live, work and recreate. Each week they travel the state high- lighting Montana’s hidden gems, such as fishing lakes and streams, cycling routes and trails, ski areas, hunting spots, hik- ing trails and camping areas.
Big Sky Outdoors started in June of 2014 and now airs on FOX, ABC and NBC affiliates throughout Montana. Big Sky Outdoors also airs on digital cable channel SWX in Spokane, Yakima and Tri-Cities, Washington. Recent episodes include skiing in West Yellowstone and Big Sky, fishing for whitefish on the Flat- head River, and the Bozeman Ice Fest and Hyalite Canyon
Big Sky Outdoors is the creation of Matt Redding and Joel Stevenson. “The show is really the brainchild of Matt. He had wanted to produce a show like this for many years,” says Stevenson. “Matt started talking to me about five years ago about how to make it work. A year ago we finally sat down and decided it was time to quit talking and do something.”
“We really didn’t know what to expect. We knew that there was a demand for this type of programming here. Montana has so many great recreation opportunities and companies that cater to those who are looking to get outside,” says Redding. “People are looking for compelling expe- riences that are maybe a little under the radar screen”
Check your local listings this weekend and tune in to see what is happening on Big Sky Outdoors. You can also view past e p i s o d e s a t w w w. b i g s k y o u t d o o r s h o w.
com or check them out on Facebook and Instagram.
RDO Equipment Co. Acquires Montana John Deere Stores
RDO Equipment Co. announced the acquisition of three stores from Mon- tana dealership Triple W Equipment. The stores are located in Missoula and Kalispell and sell and service the full line of John Deere equipment, with an addi- tional service center in Ronan.
These are the first new John Deere stores RDO Equipment Co. has added since 2010 and they expand the compa- ny’s reach to new customers across the western part of Montana.
Triple W Equipment supports for- estry customers and the addition of these stores will double the business of that product line for RDO Equipment Co.
RDO Equipment Co. has served Mon- tana customers for more than 20 years from three John Deere construction stores located in Billings, Bozeman, and Great Falls. The company provides posi- tioning systems through the RDO Inte- grated Controls division located in Bill- ings, and irrigation systems through Minnesota Valley Irrigation, located in Billings and Great Falls.
Ian Carey, RDO Equipment Co. Vice President, commented, “Along with Tri- ple W Equipment, we share a strong belief in treating customers as stakeholders in our business. We look forward to working with the team, along with the communi- ties of Kalispell and Missoula, in continu- ing our track record of growth and a supe- rior focus on customer service.”
New Development Officer at Intermountain
Kyle Waterman has joined the staff of Intermountain as Senior Develop- ment Officer in Kalispell. Waterman is a native of Helena and brings a wide range of experience in nonprofit, fundraising and administrative experience to the 106-year-old Montana nonprofit that serves children and families in the Flat- head Valley through its outpatient clinic, home-based services, foster and adoption services and intensive residential pro- gram known as Providence Home.
Waterman was previously the execu- tive director of Friends of Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve in Coupe- ville, Washington, where he was respon- sible for the development and strategic planning of the fundraising arm of the organization. Prior to that, he was Proj- ect Management Consultant for Profes- sional Squirrel in Seattle, where he was charged with organizing projects and special events for nonprofit organizations and private individuals.
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JULY 29, 2015 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM