On the Job – Oct. 30, 2015

Our biweekly glance at who is taking jobs where in the Boulder Valley and Northern Colorado.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Chantal Kovach joined the Boulder-based Innovation Center of the Rockies to work with emerging companies in the natural and organic segment. Kovach has 25 years of experience in the natural-products industry, including five years as chief executive of Intelligent Nutrients.

EDUCATION

Chuck Welch was been hired at IBMC College in Greeley as a student success coach. He joined IBMC from Weld County School District 6, where he has worked as a graduation interventionist since 2011. Welch has two degrees in education from Western Governors University.

FOOD AND BEVERAGE

Jonathan T. Drake was appointed chief executive of Broomfield-based Famous Brands International, the parent company of TCBY Yogurt and Mrs. Fields Cookies. Drake has held senior leadership roles at Sara Lee Corp., Kraft Foods, The Virgin Group and most recently was a vice president for Glanbia plc, a global nutrition company with operations in 34 countries.

Drake replaces Neal Courtney, who left the company in July 2014. Since then, the position had been filled on an acting basis by Jeffrey P. Werner, managing director and operating partner of Z Capital Partners. Courtney had been named chief executive and chairman of the board of Famous Brands at the time of the acquisition, after serving as the interim CEO since February 2013, following the departure of former CEO Tim Casey to Qdoba Mexican Grill.

HEALTH CARE

Dr. Lori Ripley was named medical director for the Greeley-based nonprofit Rehabilitation & Visiting Nurse Association. Ripley has been in private practice for 21 years, 15 of which have been at Family Physicians of Greeley. She is affiliated with North Colorado Medical Center, serves as the medical director for Centennial Nursing Home in Greeley and is a member of The Resource Center’s medical advisory board.

HIGH TECH

Gavin Scott and Aaron Jackson were hired at Fort Collins-based IPoint Technologies, a local network, web design and SEO company. Scott is the new search-engine optimization/pay-per-click marketing manager and Jackson is the new web-development intern.

Sydney Powers was hired as an account representative by Technical Framework LLC in Fort Collins.

INSURANCE

Margaret Cook was promoted to deputy general counsel and senior vice president at Longmont-based Alliant National Title Insurance Co. The promotion comes as Cook prepares to mark 20 years in the title insurance industry. She is immediate past president of the Land Title Association of Colorado, serving on the association’s legislative affairs and education committees. She also is past chair of Colorado’s Title Advisory Council. Prior to joining Alliant National, Cook served as chief claims counsel and regional counsel. Before starting her title insurance career, she practiced law in a private practice. Cook received her bachelor of business administration and her juris doctorate from the University of Mississippi.

LAW

Christian Griffin joined Boulder-based Caplan and Earnest’s litigation practice. Prior to joining the firm, Griffin served as a deputy public defender for the Office of the Colorado State Public Defender in Trinidad. He received his law degree from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law and his master’s degree in social work from Loyola University. Griffin received his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Wheaton College.

NONPROFIT

Julie Brewen, chief executive of the Fort Collins Housing Authority, was elected a vice president of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials. FCHA’s chief financial officer, Duane Hopkins, also was elected as a NAHRO vice president, overseeing the professional development committee.

Jake Hertenstein joined Community Food Share as development assistant in the development and public-relations/marketing department. Prior to joining Community Food Share, Hertenstein worked as an intern at Cure Organic Farm. He holds a bachelor’s degree in international affairs from the University of Colorado Boulder.

REAL ESTATE

Ryan DeHaan, Derek Jenke and Mark Shea were hired as broker-associate/partners at The Group, Inc. Real Estate.  DeHaan has been a member of the PGA of America for 20 years and has been with the Fort Collins Country Club working in business operations and golf instruction.

He has been active with several youth golf programs including teaching local high school golf teams. Jenke, a Colorado native, attended Front Range Community College. Prior to real estate, he worked in product sales and installation in the auto industry. Shea, a fourth-generation Coloradan, has worked in management, sales and leasing.

Lauren Hansen, chief executive of Information and Real Estate Services LLC, a multiple-listing service based in Loveland, was selected as president-elect of the national Council of Multiple Listing Services for the 2016-17 term. Hansen has been on the council’s board of directors for the past two years and served as treasurer this past year.

Ashley Hergenroeder was hired at Chrisland Real Estate Cos. as a licensed transaction and marketing coordinator. She has more than 10 years of real estate experience including escrow and title, residential and commercial real estate. Most recently, she served eight years as a transaction manager for a local commercial brokerage firm, with administrative support responsibilities for the brokerage team. She is pursuing her degree at Colorado State University with a concentration in real estate finance.

Deadline to submit items for On the Job is three weeks prior to publication of each biweekly issue. Mail to Editor, BizWest Media LLC, 1790 30th St., Suite 300,Boulder, CO 80301; or email to news@bizwestmedia.com with On the Job in the subject line.

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