Movers & Shakers April 29, 2010
Longtime Runge employee retiring
After 34 years of working with three generations, Stan Ove is retiring from Runge Furniture.
"His dedication and smiling face will be sorely missed," said John Runge. "He will not only be missed by Jeff and myself, but by all other people he has helped all these years. Friday is Stan's last day. Please come by the store and wish him the best on his retirement."
Dutch Bros. Coffee donates to MDA
Dutch Bros. Coffee locations will donate proceeds from all coffee sales to the Muscular Dystrophy Association on Friday to raise awareness for ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease).
The drive is held annually in honor of company co-founder Dane Boersma, who was diagnosed with ALS in 2005 and passed away in late 2009. Last year, Dutch Bros. contributed $80,000 to the MDA for research and family services funding.
Proceeds from coffee sales at all locations from 5:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday will be donated to the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Customers can also make donations at danesdrive.org.
NIC instructor/BPA adviser recognized
North Idaho College Computer Applications and Office Technology Instructor Kathie O'Brien, the adviser of the NIC chapter of Business Professionals of America, has been named to the national Business Professionals of America Hall of Fame.
O'Brien will be honored at the BPA National Leadership Conference May 5-9 in Anaheim, Calif.
O'Brien has worked at NIC since 2000. During that time, she was instrumental in establishing a chapter of the business education organization Business Professionals of America at NIC. O'Brien serves as the NIC chapter adviser and under her leadership, NIC students have earned numerous BPA awards and have been elected to offices at both the state and national levels.
O'Brien also serves as a mentor to other BPA advisors in her region. When the January 2008 BPA Region 2 Workplace Skills Assessment Conference was canceled due to inclement weather, O'Brien worked with the other advisers in the region to develop a plan for a virtual conference so that students would still have the opportunity to advance to the state competition. Students submitted their entries to O'Brien who then recruited local business owners to judge the entries.
O'Brien was the recipient of the 2006-2007 BPA National Outstanding Service Award. She also earned the 2005 Idaho Postsecondary Business Teacher of the Year Award through the Idaho Business Education Association and the 2009 Western Business Education Association (WBEA) Outstanding Career and Technical Student Organization Advisor Award.
She is also a member of and has held offices in numerous professional organizations, such as the National Business Education Association and the Idaho Business Education Association.
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