Page 38 - Flathead Beacon // 8.31.16

PEOPLEINBUSINESS
New Branch of Academy Mortgage Opens in Kalispell
Brenda Heller recently opened a new branch of Academy Mortgage in Kalis- pell. The new branch o ce is located at 175 Hutton Ranch Road, Suite No. 114.
Heller has been a residential mort- gage lender for more than 30 years. She has been a resident of the Flathead Valley since 2003, and has two adult children and two grandchildren who also live in the Kalispell area.
Academy Mortgage is a mortgage bank- ing corporation established in 1988, and has its headquarters in Draper, Utah. Heller has extensive knowledge of Acad- emy’s Conventional, Jumbo, FHA, VA, USDA and New Construction nancing.
Young Cyclists Roll into White sh to Build Houses
Thirty young adults with Bike & Build, a national nonpro t committed to provid- ing a ordable housing for all Americans and engaging young adults in service, vis- ited White sh this summer in their jour- ney across the United States. Departing Portsmouth, New Hampshire, in June, the cyclists chose to travel across the country to address a ordable housing needs and partnered with Habitat for Humanity Flathead Valley and Hammer Nutrition during their stay in northwest Montana. The team collectively raised more than $180,000 and will end their journey in Bellingham, WAshington, on Sept. 1.
“We are excited to partner with another local Habitat for Humanity organization and raise awareness for a ordable hous- ing in the U.S.,” said Bike & Build rider Mark Thompson of Ithaca, New York. “There are many communities where the opportunity to improve living conditions exists. Habitat helps individuals and fam- ilies achieve their goals when it may seem impossible. Having groups like Hammer provide us with meals cuts down our costs and allows more of our donations to go towards a ordable housing grants. We are thankful to Hammer for feeding us along the way and introducing us to nutritional cycling products.”
Hammer Nutrition hosted the group for a community dinner where sta cycling enthusiasts cooked a healthy meal for them to enjoy after their day’s ride.
Johnson Sells Dental Practice
Local Kalispell dentist of over 40 years, Dr. Stephen Johnson, is happy to announce the sale of his dental practice to Dr. Dan McAllister.
McAllister is a Montana native who graduated from Montana State University and the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry. McAllister is a former U.S. Army Captain and is happy to be back home near family.
Also joining the practice is Dr. Sarah Fontana. Fontana is a Minnesota native
who also graduated from the University of Minnesota. She recently moved to Mon- tana and is excited to share her passion for dentistry with the Flathead Valley.
Their o ce, at 3 Sunset Plaza in Kalis- pell, welcomes patients of all ages, and is currently accepting new patients.
FVCC President Receives Regional Community College CEO Award
Flathead Valley Community College President Jane Karas was named the recipient of the 2016 Western Regional Chief Executive O cer Award from the Association of Community College Trustees.
Karas will accept the award during the 47th Annual ACCT Leadership Congress in New Orleans in October.
The annual award recognizes the most distinguished college president from each of ACCT’s ve regions. The association’s Western Region includes more than 200 two-year colleges in Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Wyoming, Alberta, Manitoba, Northwest Territories and Saskatchewan.
Karas was selected for the award based upon her initiation of innovative programs at FVCC, her work to maximize opportu- nities for FVCC students to be successful and her advocacy and service on behalf of two-year colleges in Montana and across the nation. This is the second time Karas has been honored with this award during her 15 years as FVCC’s president.
In the application nominating Karas for the award, FVCC Board of Trustees Chair Shannon Lund said, “Next year our institution will look back on ve decades of growth that began in 1967 in abandoned buildings in a decaying urban core of the city of Kalispell. It is telling that FVCC’s most dynamic growth and student suc- cess have taken place during the adminis- tration of Dr. Karas. Our campus has more than doubled in size during her tenure, and this summer we will break ground for our rst student housing.”
Young Professionals Organization set to Launch in Polson
Over the last several months, Jake Bau- man and Roxanne Duckworth have been meeting and talking with young profes- sionals in the Mission Valley about the interest and desire to formalize an organi- zation for young professionals. The focus of the group is personal and professional development, leadership skills and con- tinuous learning, as well as engagement in community issues. Several Montana com- munities have Young Professionals orga- nization, including the Flathead where more than 200 YP’s have been active for ten years. This month Great Falls is hosting the rst statewide gathering as a Young Professionals Summit. Commu- nities that thrive are those where young people and families want to live and work.
An interest in learning, meeting new people, increasing business prospects and being a part of the community prompted Jake and Roxanne to found the group. They have been surprised by the interest in the region among young professionals for a formalized group where they can learn, share professional challenges and make new friends who are at the same stage in life. Contact Roxanne at rduck- [email protected] or Jake at Jacob. [email protected] for meeting details.
North Valley Hospital Announces New Chief Medical O cer and Chief of Sta
North Valley Hospital is pleased to announce that Dr. Jason Cohen has accepted the role of chief medical o cer following the retirement of Dr. Ron Miller, and Dr. Ryan Gunlikson will take on the title of chief of sta .
Jason Cohen, MD, is board certi ed in internal medicine and has been a hospi- talist for North Valley Hospital since 2013. Cohen previously worked at Marcus Daly Hospital, a rural critical access hospital in Hamilton, Montana, as a hospitalist before taking on the role of quality lead. He commuted monthly to North Valley Hospital for two years before accepting the full time position of chief medical o cer. Cohen is happy to be at North Val- ley Hospital, where he says he is “excited about the culture and the Planetree philosophy” that makes North Valley a unique and wonderful place to work.
Cohen notes the a liation with Kalis- pell Regional Healthcare is “an oppor- tunity for the community to see more options in healthcare services.” He wants to streamline the process of collaborating with KRH to help patients in the Flathead Valley and surrounding rural areas to have greater access to the quality health- care options and systems.
“I look forward to helping create more care options and clearer access for patients. It ts right in line with our Plan- etree philosophy of healthcare,” says Cohen.
Before relocating to Montana in 2011, Cohen was a member of the teaching fac- ulty at the University of New Mexico, where he taught residents and medical students and worked in quality improve- ment and standardization. His role at North Valley Hospital as chief medical o cer will allow him to work as an inter- mediary between medical sta and hospi- tal leadership to communicate priorities from all parties, disseminate information, and advocate for needs of the medical sta and the community.
Ryan Gunlikson, MD, is a board cer- ti ed general surgeon with North Valley Surgical Services and has been on sta at North Valley Hospital since 1999. He was nominated for the one-year position of chief of sta by the hospital medical sta .
The chief of sta works as an advocate for the medical sta at the board level. The position is focused on personnel and building sta and board relationships, in addition to facilitating physician meet- ings. Dr. Gunlikson will work as a liaison for physicians to the board and alterna- tively will also discuss board decisions with medical sta .
White sh Featured in Where to Retire Magazine
White sh has been selected a top retire- ment destination by Where to Retire, the only magazine in America geared toward helping people with retirement relocation decisions. White sh is pro led in a fea- ture titled “8 Mountain Retreats” in the September/October 2016 issue, available nationwide.
Where to Retire Editor Annette Fuller said many retirees nd beauty and peace living near the mountains. “A sense of adventure can be ful lled daily when liv- ing around mountains. Hikes and trails always are close by, leading to waterfalls, untouched nature and thriving plants and animals. These eight cities, including White sh, near the Rocky Mountains and Big Mountain, o er an escape into the wil- derness without sacri cing urban ameni- ties,” Fuller said.
Each year, 700,000 Americans relocate to new towns to retire. Generally, relocat- ing retirees are healthier, better educated and more a uent than those who choose to not relocate.
Where to Retire magazine, launched in 1992 with the goal of helping its readers nd the ideal place to retire, is published six times a year. The magazine covers the best retirement regions, towns and master-planned communities, and has a national circulation of 200,000.
KGEZ Names New Sports Director
Northwest Montana’s original radio station, KGEZ AM 600—the radio home of the Flathead Braves/Bravettes and the Montana State University Bobcats in Northwest Montana – has a new sports director.
Anthony Nachreiner joined the KGEZ sta in mid-August. Anthony – known throughout Central Florida as “Nach” – comes from WLZR – SportsRadio 1590 in Melbourne, Florida where he’s worked for the past two years. Nachreiner has prior stops at WPIO-FM/Melbourne, Florida and WTMJ-TV/and WMIL-FM in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He earned his BA in communications from Wisconsin Lutheran College in Milwaukee.
In his role at KGEZ, Anthony becomes the play-by-play voice of the Flathead Braves and Bravettes and our connect- ing element with the Bobcats. Later this fall, Anthony will begin hosting “Nach On Sports,” an afternoon sports/talk show on KGEZ, designed to enhance the sports experience in Northwest Montana.
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AUGUST 31, 2016 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM