business excellence awards 2015

T I T L E S P O N S O R E V E N T S P O N S O R S

Business Excellence Awards • 2015 • fwbusiness.com • ©KPC Media Group Inc.


GREATER FORT WAYNE

Business Weekly3306 Independence Drive, Fort Wayne, IN 46808

(260) 426-2640Fax: (260) 426-2503

www.fwbusiness.com

Terry R. [email protected]

Publisher

Lucretia [email protected]

Editor

Linda [email protected]

Associate Editor/Reporter

Peter [email protected]

Reporter

Doug [email protected]

Reporter

Claudia [email protected]

Marketing Manager

Maryann [email protected]

Multi-media Sales Manager

Ann [email protected]

Creative Manager

Garrett Shaw & Tracey RobideauGraphic Designers

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Mark Davis

Nathan HensleyBobbi Jenks

Wendy KrzyzanowskiJosh Patell

Nate Woenker

George O. WitwerPublisher Emeritus

Terry Housholder

President

Terry Ward

Chief Executive Officer

S. Rick MitchellChief Financial Officer

Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly is a publication of KPC Media Group Inc.

©2015 All rights reserved

Editor’s Letter

Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly recognizes that northeast Indiana has some amazing businesses, non-profit organi-zations and executives.

But many of these entities and individuals fly under the radar, despite their significant accomplishments and contributions to the region.

This is why we wanted to make sure that we took time to highlight their work.

Nominations for the awards were received from across the region and a panel of distinguished judges determined the winners.

We encourage you to take time to read the profiles of each business, organization and individual in this section. Hopefully, you will take away a contagious energy to serve and perform at the highest caliber.

The businesses and individuals highlighted in this publication are home grown. They are examples of hard-working Hoosiers finding ways to use their talents to meet the needs of the community. Their determination and fortitude made their organizations successful.

In addition to recognizing the entities and individuals, we have included some advice and research articles for others looking for ways to improve their performances in the workplace.

The economic and social environments in which we work are ever changing and staying abreast of the latest trends is integral.

Many of the winners this year have noted in their profiles that they make it a priority to keep up with industry trends and technologies. This practice is attributed to one of the main reasons the honorees are in the positions they are today.

We congratulate all of the winners and wish them continued success in northeast Indiana.

Homegrown entities make northeast Indiana strong

Lucretia Cardenas

Editor


Table of ContentsNorthern Apex Corporation ................... 5

Reecer Properties, Inc. ............................ 6

3BG Supply ............................................ 7

Coldwell Banker Roth Wehrly Graber .... 8

Garrett State Bank .................................. 10

3Rivers Credit Union ............................. 11

Hajira Khan,

Kiddie Academy of Fort Wayne .......... 12

Jennifer Callison,

Mike Thomas Associates ..................... 14

Leap of Noble County ............................ 16

Visiting Nurse Service

and Hospice Home ............................. 17

BAALS Music Festival ............................. 18

E V E N T S P O N S O R S

A special thank you to our sponsors

T I T L E S P O N S O R


Company Name: Northern Apex RFID Corp.

Years in business: Since 1998Top executive at company: Joe

DePrisco, principle and ownerNumber of employees: 44Location(s): 14220 Plank Street,

Fort Wayne, IN 46818Company’s mission statement:

Dominate our selected RFID markets in terms of exceptional application knowledge, service, quality products and predictable profits.

What are the main services/goods the company provides? We provide “Auto ID” solutions with a focus on Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) with proven RFID integrated components, engineered solutions and complete RFID turnkey systems.

Radio Frequency Identification is an established technology that has dramatically improved manufac-turing, operational efficiencies and asset tracking for many companies. Through its use of real-time data, RFID has fundamentally transformed the way information about production, products, equipment, and employees is gathered and analyzed.

Community involvement: We contribute to various charities every

year. Each year, they are different and the employees pick who we support.

How did the business get its start? Northern Apex started as a manufacturer of electro-mechanical controls. We had a customer that had a need for an RFID solution in Florida to manage their parking garages. Since that time, the electro-mechanical control business has been spun off to a different company (API Alliance - Named an “Indiana Company to Watch” in 2014). Northern Apex focuses on Auto ID solutions.

Please describe one of the company’s major achievements in the past year. We have been a strong provider in the wood products industry for the third largest cabinet manufacturer in the world. In 2014, we were able to provide RFID integrated solutions for the top two cabinet manufacturers in the world. Combined, these three companies produce $2.4 billion in sales each year.

What made the achievement possible? Northern Apex is known in the RFID industry as an innovator in deploying RFID solutions. We partner with the leading RFID suppliers and have a solid reputation in the industry.

What are the main factors that have led to the entity’s success today? Our solutions are innovative and we are responsive to customer’s needs. Every solution we provide is custom and often uses a blend of technologies to solve problems - making our customers more profitable.

How does the entity measure success? Customer satisfaction with a fast return on investment. If they are not happy, we are not happy.

What’s the next step for the entity? Staying focused on what has made us successful, as well as expanding our technology services beyond RFID and into the Internet of things by using connectivity for networking physical objects through the use of embedded sensors, actuators and other devices that can collect or transmit information about the objects. The data amassed from these devices can then be analyzed to optimize products, services and operations. Using automated tracking, communi-cation and information technologies, Northern Apex Corp. provides a team of highly skilled software and hardware developers that can deploy this technology.

Business of the Year Under $5 Million Winner

Northern Apex Corporation


Business of the Year Under $5 Million HonoreeReecer Properties, Inc.

Company Name: Reecer Properties Inc.

Years in business: Four years and nine months

Top executives at company: Lynn Reecer, co-owner, president and managing broker; and James Reecer, co-owner, vice president and managing broker

Number of employees: Seven staff members, including owners; nine Realtors, one is also a staging and design consultant; and one staging and design consultant

Location(s):Main office: 5750 Coventry Lane,

Suite B-1, Fort Wayne, IN 46804Roanoke office: 184 N. Main Street,

Roanoke, IN 46783Lakes office: 106 N. Southshore

Drive, Syracuse, IN 46567Company’s mission statement:

Helping real estate clients save time, money and inconvenience by providing focused, creative and proven services.

What are the main services the company provides? Reecer Properties is a sophisticated boutique real estate agency that provides tailored services in the areas of buying, selling, building and remodeling homes and lake cottages throughout northern Indiana.

Other services include commercial property sales, staging and renovating, corporate and medical recruiting and relocating, transitional rentals, assistance with financing and building and residen-tial property management.

Community involvement: Lynn Reecer has a strong passion for community involvement. In 2001, Lynn co-founded Aboite New Trails Inc. As a result of her efforts on the Aboite New Trails, Lynn was the recipient of Fort Wayne’s Journal Gazette’s Citizen of the Year award in 2009 and the All-America City Award was also received that same year.

Agent Kyle Newcomb now resides on the Fort Wayne Tails Board of Directors and is a Big Brother with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Indiana.

James Reecer has served in a volunteer capacity for many years with Big Brothers Big Sisters, The Franciscan Center, AAU boys’ basketball as a coach and in the schools of his four children.

Agent Heather Regan donates a

percentage of each sale she represents to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer. She also participated in the local 2014 Dancing with the Stars to benefit the Carriage House.

Marketing Manager Donna Del Priore is involved with various dog rescue organizations throughout Indiana, assisting with marketing needs and dog transports across the Midwest.

How did the business get its start? Lynn and James Reecer started Reecer Properties in June 2010. James is a 20-year broker veteran from Fort Wayne who decided to partner with his sister-in-law, Lynn, to open a real estate company that provides a high level of service to their clients and become a company that operates like a “well-oiled” machine during real estate transactions.

Please describe one of the company’s major achievements in the past year. James and Lynn Reecer, as a sales team, reached their sales goal of $60 million in residential real estate sales in 2014. They were also the top ranked broker in residential sales, out of 3932 agents, in the Indiana Regional Multiple Listing Service, spanning 116 counties throughout Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Kentucky. This goal was reached by using a team approach and operating efficiently and accurately, like a “well-oiled machine”.

What made the achievement possible? Reecer Properties uses a team approach when selling and serving our clients. This approach allows specialists in each specific area of the buying and selling process to work with our clients.

What are the main factors that have led to the entity’s success today? We work long hours, making ourselves available to our clients most any time, and any day of the week. We are quick to respond to our clients’ needs.

Internally, our office atmosphere is

positive. We continually think of ways to improve the process for our clients and are willing to change and adapt our systems in order to provide the best service to our clients. We also strive to work and live by our Mission Statement to help provide the best service to our clients.

How does the entity measure success? For Reecer Properties, like all real estate companies, rankings are published based on the total dollars of sales by each agent and each company. This is called “total production.” Reecer Properties is proud to share, that as a sales team, James and Lynn Reecer were ranked first by UPSTAR in 2013 among seven counties in northeast Indiana and number one in 2014 in the Indiana Regional Multiple Listing Service. IRMLS spans across 116 counties in Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Michigan.

Reecer Properties also measures success by asking our clients for constructive feedback when their transaction is complete (sale of a home is complete). These comments are taken seriously and improvements are made based on their comments.

Finally, repeat business and a referral are also ways we measure our success.

What’s the next step for the entity?Lynn and James Reecer have set a

goal for Reecer Properties to reach $100 million in sales in 2015.

Also, Reecer Properties’ third office, Lakes office, will be opening in late May 2015. This building is in the final stages of a complete remodel. Once complete, real estate business will be conducted to assist clients purchase or sell lake properties in northeast Indiana. The two bedrooms, full kitchen, living room and dining room will also be able to host clients who wish to stay overnight in the lakes area so they can get a feel for the lakes communities and offerings.


Business of the Year Under $5 Million Honoree

3BG SupplyCompany Name: 3BG Supply

CompanyYears in business:

Since 2011Top executive at

company: Alex SmithNumber of

employees: 5Location(s): 1Company’s mission

statement: To create a turnkey company with a motivating culture

What are the main services/goods the company provides? Industrial supply and power transmission components

Community involvement: The owners of 3BG are also the owners of BAALS Music Festival and A Better Fort, which 3BG helps sponsor each year. BAALS music festival runs each year and has contributed over $15,000 to local charities. A Better Fort is an organi-zation that tries to promote downtown development and focuses on community empowerment and the retention of young talent.

How did the business get its start? Originally, Panzit International (now known as 3BG Supply) was started when Shane Araujo came to Alex Smith with a vision. The vision was a bit shaky and the process to get there was not too clear, but both owners saw the opportunity and quickly jumped on it. It all started when Shane worked at PHC Industries. He describes the “ah ha” moment with the following story:

“I had to drive out to a customer and assist with a leakage problem they were having with a machine they manufacture. Once I got out there and started looking through the machine, I realized they were missing an o-ring. This machine would pump jet fuel through and read for any contaminates. With the pressure being so high and the application using a fuel like

that we needed a ‘special’ seal. I didn’t have any seal literature on me at the time, so I asked my contact if he had any literature there. He said ‘Oh, Do we.’ He walks me into a room about 400 square feet and all four walls lined with litera-ture on different parts just like a library.

“At that moment, I thought to myself…I wish I could Google the dimensions and the application’s fluid and then the correct book would just fallout from the shelf and land open with the needed part sticking right out. With this thought, I wanted to be able to take all the manuals, price sheets, parts books and put them online so the parts could be easy to manage, find, and use. Simple enough until we needed to figure out how we would make money.”

Please describe one of the company’s major achievements in the past year. We’ve made huge strides toward accomplishing our goal, which is to create and use a world class interchange system for industrial and PT components. Through trial and error, we have discovered a very efficient process to extract data and congregate data in meaningful ways.

What made the achievement possible? Passion and a few key hires

What are the main factors that have led to the entity’s success today? Our company’s success can be contributed to our staff and their dedication to the overall health of the business. Hiring

the right people in the right seats goes a long way and is the key to running a successful business.

How does the entity measure success? Success is measured not by the dollar, but by the strength of the company and its ability to provide a world class culture to our employees, customers and suppliers. Every entity our business touches should be positively impacted and will want to do more business with us based on merit alone. Because we strive to practice business ethically, we do not seek out the fastest way to the dollar, rather we explore ways to healthily maintain and grow our business so that we are not compro-mising the moral integrity we grew it on.

What’s the next step for the entity? Our next step is to fully roll out the website along with its core functionality. Once this happens, a whole new world of opportunity will present itself to us. We will be able to hire more and create a turnkey business, while providing a world class interchange system to improve our industry’s efficiency.

Smith

Araujo


Business of the Year Over $5 Million Winner

Coldwell Banker Roth Wehrly Graber

Company name: Coldwell Banker Roth Wehrly Graber Realtors

Year in business: 44 yearsTop executives at company: John

Bellio, CEO, and Patrick Maloblocki, president

Number of employees: 26 employees, 354 Realtors

Locations: Fort Wayne: 1206 East Dupont Road, 5503 Coventry Lane and 9109 Stellhorn Crossing Pkwy.; Angola: 2535 North 200 West; Columbia City: 220 Frontage Road; South Bend: 1539 North Ironwood; Elkhart: 663 County Road 17, Suite 5; Warsaw: 455 W. 250 North; Huntington: 39 West Market St.; Edwardsburg, Mich.: 69001 M 62, Suite D; Goshen: 119 South Main St.; Syracuse: 905 S. Huntington St.; and Plymouth: 540 N. Oak Drive.

Company’s mission statement:To be the trusted source of innovative and expert real estate solutions, creating exceptional buying and selling experi-ences for all we serve.

What are the main services/goods the company provides: Coldwell Banker Roth Wehrly Graber Realtors facilitate the buying and selling of residential real estate throughout northern Indiana and southwest Michigan. Through award-winning training, a dedicated team of marketing professionals on staff and innovative systems to support our professionals and their clients, our goal is to make real estate real easy.

Community involvement: Because of the importance of community, Coldwell Banker Roth Wehrly Graber, its leadership and Realtors are extremely active in the community. Among other organizations, CBRWG and its owners have been very active and charitable to Erin’s House for Grieving Children, Cancer Services, Turnstone, Junior Achievement, IPFW and Homes for Wounded Warriors. Additionally, there are countless service organizations in each market that Coldwell Banker Roth Wehrly Graber participates with for events, outings and drives.

How did the business get its start? The genesis of Coldwell Banker Roth Wehrly Graber was in 1971, as Roth Wehrly Heiny Realtors. Later, Roth Wehrly Realtors grew to be the market leader in northeast Indiana throughout the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. Many

current competitors grew in the Roth Wehrly Realtors company as it set the standard in training, professionalism and ethics. In 1998, Roth Wehrly Realtors merged with Coldwell Banker Graber, another dominant broker in the marketplace. Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, Coldwell Banker Roth Wehrly Graber Realtors has grown from three offices and less than 100 Realtors to 13 offices and more than 350 Realtors. Since 1971, the company has been locally owned and family owned.

Please describe one of the company’s major achievements in the past year: Coldwell Banker Roth Wehrly Graber was recognized for the 25th consecutive year as one of the Coldwell Banker’s prestigious Chairman’s Circle companies. To date, only thee Coldwell Banker companies worldwide have achieved this top award designation for 25 years. In 2014, only 38 Coldwell Banker companies throughout the world attained the Chairman’s Circle designation. The ownership of the company was recognized and awarded in July for a milestone 25th year of this achievement at a national conference.

“Our gratitude goes out to Coldwell Banker Roth Wehrly Graber Realtors, who has maintained a diligent focus and unwavering effort to continually deliver on this hallmark achievement of the Coldwell Banker brand,” said Budge Huskey, president and CEO of Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC.

What made this achievement possible? Truly, it is the combined work ethic and sales skills of our real estate professionals. As a brokerage, we provide support, training, tools, systems, coaching, guidance and motivation to every one of our sales professionals. Ultimately, success

depends on their willingness to work the long and crazy hours, the perseverance to forge relationships in their community and the ability to derive business from their spheres of influence.

What are the main factors that have led to the entity’s success today? At risk of sounding like a broken record, the dominant reason is the professionalism and expertise of the Realtors at Coldwell Banker Roth Wehrly Graber.

Our marketing systems are also a key cog, and help us sell homes 28 days faster than the market average. The company invests significant dollars in its website, MovingIndiana.com, in its MovingIndiana Home Radar app, a VoicePad automated system, etc. We have built a team of non-selling marketing professionals called The Blue Crew to raise the level of our marketing on every property. This team features a professional photographer and videog-rapher to enhance the visibility of the properties we market.

Lastly, our team of managers is unsurpassed in the marketplace. The brokers-in-charge of our sales offices are tasked with two pages of duties and their experience, loyalty and longevity in the industry enable them to guide our Realtors to success even in the midst of the trickiest of transactions.

How does the entity measure success? Because we believe we’re the best, and always strive to be better, we often measure ourselves against the marketplace. We look for growth in the amount of homes we sell compared to the percentage growth of the market-place. We track how quickly we sell homes compared to the marketplace average. We strive to grow our average sale price, and get more dollars for our sellers, versus the competition.

What’s the next step for the entity? While we can’t reveal too much, it is safe to say that Coldwell Banker Roth Wehrly Graber will stay in front of the competition with its tools and offerings. We continuously evaluate opportunities in the market-place for strategic growth that can help empower and enrich the entire team of sales professionals. It is a safe decision-making process when every decision is met with the question: How does this help our customers?


3riversfcu.org | 260.490.8328

Experience Better Banking.Since 1935, 3Rivers has helped our members and our communities with their money matters.

Over 68,000 members strong, 3Rivers has grown meaningful relationships with our members. And, with many branches in the region, we are close and convenient to wherever you’re going.

80 years of helping people understand money matters every day.

BLOOMBERG NEWSYoung women are making rapid

gains at work and in the classroom. They’re not only surpassing graduating college at a much faster rate than their grandmothers; they’ve also begun to outpace men in earning bachelor’s degrees, according to a report released March 19 by the Pew Research Center.

Pew analyzed data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s current population survey, and found that about 27 percent of women aged 18 to 33 years old hold at least a bachelor’s degree. Among millen-nial men, 21 percent do. The difference is even starker compared to women in the so-called “silent generation,” people who are 69 to 86 years old: 20 percent of them hold at least a bachelor’s degree.

It’s not just that young women are graduating college in higher numbers than men; their educational gains have

also come at a much faster rate. In the 60s, only 7 percent of women earned a bachelor’s degree by the time they were 33, compared to 12 percent of young men. Three generations later, women are 20 percent more likely to graduate college — and men only nine percent more likely. “The educational trajectory of young women across the generations has been especially steep,” Pew’s Eileen Patten and Richard Fry wrote.

Millennial women have also been making rapid gains in the workforce. Most women in the silent generation — 59 percent— didn’t work when they were young adults, and 42 percent were either unemployed or not in the workforce. For millennial women, the numbers have almost completely reversed: 63 percent are employed, and 37 percent are unemployed or out of the labor force.

“This shift to more women in the workplace occurred as early as 1980,” Patten and Fry write, “when Boomers were 18 to 33.” And while the rate of young women working is still five percent lower than men, the share of women in the workforce has jumped by 28 percent since the silent generation. For men, it has fallen 10 percent.

As Bloomberg Business previously reported, the fact that women overtook men in earning college degrees for the first time last year may be a sign the wage gap between women and men will narrow, albeit slowly. Women still earn 78 cents for every dollar a man makes, but Pew’s report shows how much the higher education and workplace demographics have changed since the ’60s, when women were banned from most Ivy League schools and earned 59 cents to a man’s dollar.

Here’s how millennial women are taking over the world


Financial Institution of the YearUnder $5 Million WinnerGarrett State Bank

Company name: The Garrett State Bank

Years in business: Since 1893, 122 years

Top executive at company: Mark Fogt, president and CEO

Number of employees: 44Location(s):• 120 W. King St., Garrett, IN• 1341 S. Randolph St., Garrett, IN• 811 Mill Lake Rd., Fort Wayne, IN.Company’s mission statement:

Garrett State Bank is an independent financial sales and service organization dedicate to maximizing shareholder value by providing a diversity of financial products and services to business and individual clients for the purpose of building mutually profitable relation-ships.

Garrett State Bank strives to be recognized as a provider of quality products and superior service designed to meet the needs of our clientele, while maintaining a high level of asset quality.

Our primary markets are those individuals and small- to medium-sized business clients that have the ability to direct to us sufficient multiple account relationships or balances to achieve the desired profit margins and growth.

We are committed to the financial growth of the communities we serve, and will direct our resources towards their prosperity. In doing so, we too prosper.

Garrett State Bank strives to create a positive atmosphere for officers and employees to develop and prosper, to encourage the long term employment of quality personnel.

What are the main services/goods the company provides? Today, the Garrett State Bank is a progressive community bank that has a full line of business and personal financial products. We specialize in residential mortgage loans and small- to mid-sized family owned business loans. Combining common sense decision making with modern products and services allows us to provide our clients the best from the past and present.

Community involvement: We are committed to the financial growth of the communities we serve, and will direct our resources towards their prosperity.

A few community organizations the Garrett State Bank supports are as

follows: Garrett Chamber of Commerce, Garrett & Fort Wayne Rotary, Garrett Heritage Days, Garrett Junior Achieve-ment, Garrett Reading Railroader, Garrett Library Fall Festival, Garrett City Parks Programs, Judith Morrill Recreation Center, Garrett Keyser Butler Schools, St. Joseph Catholic School, Northwest Allen County Schools, Big Brothers Big Sisters, St. Martin’s Health Care, DeKalb County United Way, DeKalb County Relay for Life, DeKalb County Soil & Water, DeKalb County Fair Association and IPFW.

How did the business get its start? The Garrett State Bank and the city of Garrett were named after John Work Garrett. The city of Garrett was founded as a divisional point for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad on the Chicago route. Several prominent citizens of DeKalb County formed the Garrett State Bank as a private institution. The Garrett Banking Co. opened for business on Saturday, April 16, 1892. Our first shareholder was H.N. Coffinberry and the first depositor was Rueben Sawvel. The Bank continues the tradition of Saturday hours. The bank received a state charter on January 3, 1893, and, in 1911, the name was changed to The Garrett State Bank.

The bank’s first location was a room on the ground floor of the Wagner Opera House on Randolph Street in Garrett. During the early 1900’s, the bank bought a building and moved to the east side of Randolph Street on March 5, 1917. The bank moved into its current Main Office in 1974. The Pine Valley Office was opened for business in 1989, one block north of Dupont Road on Coldwater Road, and our Operations Center and South Office were opened in 1995, on South Randolph Street in Garrett.

Please describe one of the company’s major achievements in the past year. We believe our success is based on hundreds of positive transac-tions each year which occur on a client by client basis. The cumulative result of these transactions is our contribution to

the growth and prosperity of northeast Indiana. We believe that as our market area prospers, we prosper, and we contribute our resources to that end.

What made the achievement possible? A highly skilled, engaged and experienced staff; using a comprehensive set of personal and commercial products; with a focus of helping our clients achieve their financial goals.

What are the main factors that have led to the entity’s success today? Strong financial performance has been driven by our efficiency ratio. This has provided the economic resources to maintain competitive capital, personnel, products and technology; while still providing a sound investment for our shareholders.

How does the entity measure success? We expect to have reasonable growth in our balance sheet each year, maintaining above average peer group earnings; while contributing to the prosperity of our market area.

What’s the next step for the entity? Continue to make hundreds of steps each year to assist our client’s in achieving their financial objectives, which will make our market area and our bank stronger and more viable.

Mark Fogt, president and CEO, and Brian Sprunger, executive vice president and senior operations officer, with Garrett State Bank.

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED


Financial Institution of the YearOver $5 Million Winner

3Rivers Federal Credit UnionCompany name: Three Rivers

Federal Credit UnionYears in business: 80 yearsTop executive at company: Don

CatesNumber of employees: 265Location(s): We have 10 branches

in Fort Wayne, six community branches in northeast Indiana (Auburn, Bluffton, Chapel Ridge, Columbia City, Kendall-ville and New Haven) and one in northwest Ohio (St. Marys).

Company’s mission statement: Helping people understand money matters every day.

What are the main services/goods the company provides? Checking accounts (free checking, high rate checking, dividend, iTunes/Amazon.com rewards, free ATMs nationwide and free EMV chip debit card), savings accounts (Pick-Your-Date Savings, money markets, drive-up savings with auto loan payments, HSAs and youth accounts), web and mobile banking (remote deposit and bill pay and online check ordering), mortgages (purchase, construction and refinance), installment loans (auto, motorcycle, boat, camper, snowmobile, ATV, HELOC and rewards credit card), business services (credit card merchant processing, payroll, online access and bill pay, interest-only lines of credit, construction loans, real estate, acquisi-tions and corporate credit cards), trust and investment services (wills, guardian-ships, estate planning, 529s, retirement planning, 401ks and IRAs), overdraft protection, TurboTax Online and private undergraduate and graduate student loans.

Community involvement: Three Rivers is committed to investing in our community and enhancing the lives of people through financial support and volunteerism. As a cooperative, we exist as a result of the philosophy of “people helping people.” In 2014, we financially supported over 50 community organiza-tions.

In February, 60 percent of our employees spent the President’s Day holiday volunteering at local non-profit organizations, including Allen County SPCA, Community Harvest, DeKalb County Council on Aging, Fort Wayne Rescue Mission, Junior Achievement, Mad Anthony Children’s Hope House, United Way, Wells County Chamber of

Commerce and Whitley County Animal Shelter.

In 2015, to kick-off our 80th anniver-sary year, we created the Three Rivers Credit Union Foundation. The mission of the foundation is to enhance the lives of people in the communities Three Rivers serves through the support of three key initiatives: financial literacy, education and health and wellness.

How did the business get its start? The credit union opened its doors in 1935, as a credit union for the employees of International Harvester. With assets of $250, the credit union reached $1 million by 1947. By 1976, the credit union relocated from the IH property to an office on New Haven Avenue. Credit Union management adopted the name of Three Rivers Federal Credit Union in 1982 and opened the field of membership to other area businesses who were without the benefit of credit union services.

Three Rivers has been an industry leader in the state of Indiana: the first credit union to receive a Community Development charter, the first to open an in-store branch, and the first to join the Shared Branch Network. In 2005, we were granted a community charter extension, allowing us to offer membership to anyone living, working, or volunteering in the Indiana counties of Adams, Allen, DeKalb, Huntington, Noble, Wells, and Whitley.

Please describe one of the company’s major achievements in the past year. Over the past year, the cooper-ative continued to positively grow and give back to the membership. We grew in loans, shares, capital and members. We saw record loan production, led by our 1 percent cash back bonus on direct auto loans. Through this bonus we returned over $400,000 to our members. Perhaps

the greatest achievement was the launch of the Three Rivers Credit Union Founda-tion, kicking off our 80th Anniversary year. The mission of the foundation is to enhance the lives of people in the communities Three Rivers serves through the support of three key initiatives: financial literacy, education, and health and wellness.

What made the achievement possible? As a cooperative, we exist to serve the needs of the membership. If our members are successful we will be successful. Our team members are committed to helping our members reach their financial goals. The Three Rivers Credit Union Foundation was created to give back to the community that has given so much to us. As a cooperative we are rooted in the philosophy of people helping people.

What are the main factors that have led to the entity’s success today? Many factors have contributed to the success of our cooperative. A daily commitment and focus to providing level 10 member experiences help us help our members achieve their financial goals.

How does the entity measure success? We measure success by the impact we have on our members lives.

What’s the next step for the entity? We continue to lead the industry in technology, with plans this year to add secure EMV chip credit and debit cards, more advanced online banking improve-ments, and the ability to replace lost or stolen debit or credit cards instantly in our branches. We will continue to invest in our community through the work of the Three Rivers Credit Union Founda-tion. Through positive and impactful member and community experiences, we position ourselves for the next 80 years of helping people understand money matters everyday


Female Executive of the YearUnder $1 Million Winner

Hajira Khan - Kiddie Academy of Fort Wayne

Name: Hajira T. KhanTitle: Owner, presidentAge: 35Education: Elementary EducationCompany Name: Kiddie Academy

of Fort WayneYear joined company: 2013Location: 11627 Coldwater Road,

Fort Wayne 46845Community involvement: I try

to volunteer at my children’s school, Girl Scouts and our local and national religious organizations. I have taken part in health and religious walks and runs with my family too.

How did you come to work at your current company? I opened Kiddie Academy when I came to a roadblock in finding good childcare for my son who was one at that time. Every place I toured did not impress me and had waiting lists. I wanted a place that would be educationally focused and use the latest in technologies like the big cities have. Northwest Fort Wayne was growing, but the childcare options were very slim. My husband encour-aged me to look into opening my own since I had the educational background and work experience in early childhood. Kiddie Academy offered everything I was looking for, for my son and for the children of Fort Wayne.

Please describe one of your major achievements in the past year. My major achievement this year would be the immense growth of my academy. We grew in numbers of students, staff and even the state-of-the-art features we offer at the academy, such as switching to paperless reporting for each child.

What made the achievement possible? I owe this achievement to the blessings from God, support from my husband, my academy director, corporate office, my family, in-laws and friends. Without any of these strong roots, this tree would not have

grown to what it is today.What are the main factors that

have led to your success? My director, all staff, parents and students at the academy make it possible for us to be successful. Without great staff, I would not be able to keep my doors open for Fort Wayne families that fill our classrooms and hearts. Early childhood professionals do not make lots of money, but the impact they make on each child’s future is priceless.

How do you measure success? My professional success is measured by the growth each child makes at our academy and their families happiness with us for it.

What’s the next step in your career? I would like to continue to grow the academy to the point where we would need more locations throughout Allen County. We chose Northwest Fort Wayne first because of the immense growth it has and is continuing to have, but I know there is a huge need in other areas too.

What advice would you give to those just starting their careers in your field? My best advice to others is to never give up hope on your vision. The bumps that come on the way there are only given to you to make you stronger and better.

Hajira Khan, left, poses with Curious George characters and Mayor Tom Henry at Kiddie Academy of Fort Wayne.

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED


Female Executive of the YearOver $5 Million Winner

Jennifer Callison - Mike Thomas Associates

Name: Jennifer Callison

Title: Vice president

Age: 43Education:

Bachelors in finance from Hillsdale College

Company name: Mike Thomas Associates

Year joined company: 1996Location(s): Two Fort Wayne

locations, one Auburn location and one Angola location

Community involvement: Centier Bank board, IRMLS board and Upstar MLS. We also support Mad Anthonys Children’s Hope House and J.A.

How did you come to work at your current company? Mike Thomas Associates was started in 1977 by my father. After graduating from college, I worked for a large residential real estate company in Indianapolis in their accounting department. Later, my father asked me to move home and take an active role in the family business.

Please describe one of your major achievements in the past year. Of the three major growth initia-tives that have occurred within the past year, which include expanding our relocation services, breaking ground for a larger office in Angola and implementing a new marketing management system, I believe the latter is our most critical achievement. Beginning in January, marketing and communication operations were moved internally to achieve efficient service for our agents and fresh branding for Mike Thomas Associ-ates. I am proud of what we have done. I know that it will benefit both our customers and agents and this

will provide the very best of what is available in our industry today.

What made the achievement possible? Our agency and the real estate market have grown and changed over the years. We want to assure that our growth continues by being a leader in the real estate industry. For this to happen, we are being proactive with our marketing approach that will focus on efficiently connecting real estate buyers and sellers. This boils down to knowing the market - and understanding how to best communi-cate with both buyers and sellers. It is a lot of hard work, involving many people, but understanding the needs and requirements of our clients, customers and agents is what made the achievement possible.

What are the main factors that have led to your success? The main factor that has led to my success is the people that I get to work with everyday, starting with my father and brother. We have a great group of

people at Mike Thomas Associates, we all drive each other to be the best, and will continue to do so.

How do you measure success? My success is measured by the success of our agents and satisfaction of our customers. Our goal is to provide the best services and industry knowledge in order to create the best platform for success for each and every agent at Mike Thomas Associates.

What’s the next step in your career? To continue to adapt to our ever-changing industry, continue to provide the best services for our customers and agents and continue to grow our business throughout northeast Indiana.

What advice would you give to those just starting their careers in your field? We are in a business that continues to change very rapidly. It is imperative to stay informed and be open to change. Hard work and persis-tence does pay off. Always be person-able and friendly.

Callison


Thank you for joining us in supporting the2015 Business Excellence Awards.Sweetwater is proud to support the people and companies that have a passion for improving our community and the lives of others. As a proud member of the Fort Wayne business community for over 35 years, we share that same passion and are honored to support and congratulate all of the 2015 Business Excellence Award recipients.

BUSINESS EXCELLENCEA W A R D R E C I P I E N T S

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NORTHEAST INDIANA BUSINESS EXCELLENCE AWARDS

Thursday, April 16

NORTHEAST INDIANA CFO OF THE YEAR AWARD

Thursday, May 14

DIGITAL MARKETING AWARDS Thursday, June 4

TWENTY MILLENNIALS MAKING A DIFFERENCE AWARDS

Thursday, August 27

HEALTH CARE AWARDSThursday, September 10

EDUCATION AWARDSWednesday, October 7

INNOVATION AWARDSThursday, November 5

For nominations and ticket information visit fwbusiness.com under Events.

2015 EVENTSNORTHEAST INDIANA CFO

OF THE YEAR AWARDThursday, May 14

DIGITAL MARKETING AWARDS Thursday, June 4

TWENTY MILLENNIALS MAKING A DIFFERENCE AWARDS

Thursday, August 27

HEALTH CARE AWARDSThursday, September 10

EDUCATION AWARDSWednesday, October 7

INNOVATION AWARDSThursday, November 5

For nominations, sponsorship and ticket informaton visit fwbusiness.com

under Events.


Non-Profitof the Year Winner

LEAP of Noble CountyOrganization name: LEAP of Noble

County Inc.Years in operation: 14 years,

founded in 2001Top executive at organization:

Amber Harper, executive directorNumber of employees: 30

employees, eight full-time and 22 part-time)

Location(s): LEAP has learning centers in Kendallville, Albion and Ligonier

Organization’s mission statement: To provide families and individuals with the power of literacy and the skills that promote lifelong success.

What are the main services/goods the organization provides? LEAP boasts three learning centers, which provide small group tutoring, job skills training, computer training and college preparation to young people and adults. In addition, LEAP offers a comprehen-sive after-school program, New DAWN (Dimensions at West Noble), for students in grades 2-8 in the West Noble School Corporation. LEAP also offers GED/HSE classes, English as a New Language classes and family-centered literacy enrichment programs.

In 2014, LEAP launched two new programs to address identified needs in Noble County. The first, Little LEAPS, was started to provide pre-Kindergarten programming beginning the summer of 2014. The Little LEAPS (Learning Early at Primary School) program is a five week session designed for children expecting to enter kindergarten in the fall.

The second program, WordUP, began in December 2014 to address the word deficit in children ages 0-5. WordUP is a county-wide program and campaign to increase the number of words heard by children each day before they reach Kindergarten.

Community involvement: LEAP works diligently to create partnerships with community based organizations that maximize their outreach and impact, without unnecessarily duplicating services. LEAP is proud to partner with each of Noble County’s three school corporations, in addition to the following non-profit and community based service providers: the city of Ligonier, the city of Kendallville, the Kendallville Public

Library, the Noble County Library System, Big Brothers Big Sisters, United Way of Noble County, Common Grace and The Friendship Food Pantry, Noble House, Early Childhood Alliance, Life and Family Services, the Cole Family YMCA, the Purdue Extension Agency, Parkview Health, the Indiana Depart-ment of Education and the Noble County Economic Development Corporation.

How did the organization get its start? LEAP was founded in 1999, when the community recognized a growing need for a literacy organization in Noble County. It was determined that there was no organization that empowered citizens who were functionally illiterate or members of the working class poor. Consequently, Noble County found itself challenged in many ways by a cycle of generational poverty and illiteracy. With help from community leaders and the National Center for Family Literacy in Louisville, Ky., the first board of directors began planning what would become LEAP of Noble County Inc. LEAP has since grown into a county-wide literacy organization serving youth and adults throughout the community.

Please describe one of the organiza-tion’s major achievements in the past year. The launch of our Little LEAPS pre-Kindergarten program was probably our greatest success over the past year. The program was developed after several community roundtable discussions with area leaders were held to identify the greatest need that Noble County was currently facing. That need was identified as the lack of access to early preschool or pre-Kindergarten programming in the Ligonier area.

Of the 113 students who completed

the five week summer session, 95 percent achieved measurable academic growth. Those students who did not make level gains were identified well before the first day of school, and placed accordingly – something that in the past didn’t happen until after the first eight weeks of school.

What made the achievement possible? The Little LEAPS program was made possible through a generous matching grant from an anonymous donor, individual donors and business donors throughout the community, as well as through a strong partnership we have with the West Noble School Corporation. The corporation’s schools provided building space, bus service and more to make the school experience as smooth and comfortable as possible for the children and the kids loved it.

What are the main factors that have led to the entity’s success today? LEAP’s team of employees is its greatest asset. We have a core group of employees who have a true passion for helping others in the community achieve success.

LEAP also works diligently to create partnerships with community based organizations that maximize their outreach and impact, without unneces-sarily duplicating services.

How does the entity measure success? LEAP utilizes proven-effec-tive, science-based curricula in all of its subjects to ensure that all students are receiving the most up-to-date and best education possible, and LEAP measures its success through pre- and post-tests delivered to all of our students on a regular basis.

What’s the next step for the entity?LEAP is always looking for new and

better ways to serve its community. One of the ways we are looking to do that is by expanding our WordUP program with more workshops around the county.

We are also looking at providing our tutoring services at area libraries and schools to make them more convenient and accessible to our clients.

We’ve also begun working on an Employee Assistant Program to make our adult education services more affordable and accessible to non-diploma holders and minorities whose first language is not English, and our tutoring services available to their families and children.


Non-Profit of the Year Honoree

Visiting Nurse Service and Hospice Home

Organization Name: Visiting Nurse & Hospice Home

Years in operation: 126Top executive: Phyllis Hermann,

CEONumber of employees: 140 (150

volunteers)Location(s): 5910 Homestead Road,

Fort Wayne, IN 46814Organization’s mission statement:

“Visiting Nurse provides compassionate care to alleviate suffering and ensure quality of life for those affected by serious illness.”

What are the main services the organization provides? The Visiting Nurse interdisciplinary team (physicians, nurse practitioners, RN’s, aides, social workers, non-denominational chaplains, music and massage therapists, grief counselors and volunteers) works to meet the medical, emotional and spiritual needs of the patient and the family. The goal is to provide compassionate, end-of-life care to patients and support to their families in either the patient’s home, in a long-term-care facility or in the agency’s Hospice Home, the only in-patient facility in northeast Indiana dedicated to the care of the terminally-ill. The hospice program helps patients and families assume a sense of control as they make decisions about end-of-life care while the hospice team provides medical and emotional support which often allows patients to remain in familiar surroundings and avoid hospitalization. For patients who cannot remain in their home, the agency’s 14-bed Hospice Home provides specialized, 24-hour symptom management and pain control. In addition, Visiting Nurse has an extensive Grief Support program to serve both our patient families as well as our entire community, free of charge.

Community involvement: Visiting Nurse is a United Way of Allen County partner agency. Visiting Nurse will provide end of life care regardless of the ability to pay. This care amounted to approximately $250,000 in 2014. Visiting Nurse hired the area’s first director of diversity and inclusion to build upon the agency’s efforts to reach underserved communities, to remove barriers and provide access to the seriously ill.

How did the organization get its start? In 1888, a group of generous Fort

Wayne women, many of them wives of the city founders, began a Visiting Nurse Committee known as the “Ladies Relief Union.” Initial dues were $1 and the mission was to “help the sick poor of Fort Wayne” and they used wagons and carriages to take food to the ill. In 1900, an organizational meeting was held and the Visiting Nurse League was born. Josephine Shatzer was hired as the first nurse with a salary of $10 per week and made nursing visits via bicycle. Nursing was focused on public health issues until 1984 when the much-antici-pated Medicare Hospice Benefit became available.

Visiting Nurse Service and Hospice, as the agency is now known, moved to the Moellering Unit of the nearly vacant former Lutheran Hospital. The VNSH foundation finalized a feasibility study for a facility-based hospice unit. The first Hospice Home of Northeast Indiana was located on the 8th floor of Lutheran Hospital on Fairfield Avenue and was created for patients who could no longer remain at home. A new focus on end-of life care led to planning a new building dedicated to Hospice patients as the old Lutheran Hospital moved toward demoli-tion. Visiting Nurse Service & Hospice staff occupied the Duemling Clinic as a $2 million Capital Campaign for a new Hospice Home, raised the funds to build a free-standing hospice unit. Patients were relocated to a wing of St. Joseph’s Hospital.

In February 2001, the new Hospice Home facility opened and was truly a “landmark in our history and in our ability to reach out more effectively to those in need of hospice care.” In 2013, Visiting Nurse & Hospice Home shortened its name to Visiting Nurse with a focus on key programs: Hospice care in

the home, Hospice Home, Palliative care and Grief Support. In June 2015, Visiting Nurse’s new Community Grief Center was created to serve as the meeting place for the agency’s grief support programs and services.

Please describe one of the organiza-tion’s major achievements in the past year. The increase in Visiting Nurse patient families as well as the growing number of community members seeking grief support prompted the agency to build the new Community Grief Center. Currently, there are no grief centers for adults in northeast Indiana and very few in the nation. Visiting Nurse has the opportunity to be the leading provider of adult grief education and support in our community and is positioned to provide this much-needed service through the creation of this Community Grief Center.

What made the achievement possible? It was a collaborative effort between generous community funders, dedicated volunteers and Visiting Nurse staff.

What are the main factors that have led to the entity’s success today? The core belief that all patients deserve to die with dignity, comfort and respect. Visiting Nurse staff and volunteers are dedicated to providing medical, spiritual and emotional support for both the patient and the family, as well as grief support for the family.

How does the entity measure success? Former patient family surveys provide measurable results, giving Visiting Nurse a 96 percent satisfaction rate for patient care.

What’s the next step for the entity? To open the Community Grief Center and to continue providing quality, end-of-life care and support to area patients and families.


Start-up of the YearBAALS Music Festival

Organization Name: BAALS Music Festival

Years in operation: Officially 1 year

Top executives at organiza-tion: Shane Araujo and Alex Smith, Co-Founders

Number of employees: 1Location(s): Office: 127 W.

Berry Street Fort Wayne, IN 46802, Ste. 606; Festival: Headwaters Park Pavilion

Organization’s mission statement: The BAALS Music Festival is dedicated to facilitating a premier large scale music festival within northeast Indiana by creating timeless and bold productions that stimulate the mind, foster economic growth and unite artists to audiences.

What are the main services/goods the organization provides? Entertain-ment. The BAALS Music Festival’s main service is providing the city of Fort Wayne with an annual premier multigenre music festival.

Community involvement: We have strategically located our festival in downtown Fort Wayne, despite the inherent barriers for scaling, in support of the revitalization of our city. Also,

we collaborate with A Better Fort to provide volunteer and resume building opportunities and a level of engage-ment with the festival, unlike any event in northeast Indiana.

How did the organization get its start? BAALS is a multigenre music festival with a focus on electronic dance music, dance music and jam bands. The event is strategically located in downtown Fort Wayne and, every year, it donates $5,000 to a local charity. The event began in 2012 as a downtown block party called #House4aHouse before outgrowing the street and expanding to Headwaters Park, at which point it changed its name to BAALS Music Festival. The festival now garners more than 10,000 people in attendance and is one of the largest EDM festivals in the Midwest.

Please describe one of the organi-zation’s major achievements in the past year. BAALS Music Festival successfully facilitated a safe and incident free event for more than 10,000 attendees at the 2014 events. The festival also created its first employment opportunity via the hiring of an executive director, Daniel Butler.

What made the achievement possible? With limited resources in the past, the volunteers helped curate our event and provided organization and structure to the running of the prior events.

What are the main factors that have led to the entity’s success today? Collaboration with various entities and individuals locally and regionally have led to the continued success of BAALS Music Festival.

How does the entity measure success? We measure success based on the safety and enjoyment of our attendees at our events.

What’s the next step for the entity? The next steps are to scale the festival to a multiday and multigenre event in the next three to five years, beginning with an all-day and multigenre festival on Aug. 1.

BAALS Music Festival drew hundreds to downtown Fort Wayne during the summer of 2014.CARL PIPKIN


We invest to optimize businesses and

organizations for community benefi t.

Established in 2008, Ambassador En-

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ROBERT HALFAs the focus on employee recruitment

and retention sharpens in a recovering economy, many executives may be undervaluing a perk their workforce wants most, suggests new research from Accountemps. When asked which workplace perk they think their employees are most interested in receiving this year, 41 percent of chief financial officers interviewed said better benefits, and19 percent said more vacation days. In a separate survey of workers, however, more paid time off (30 percent) narrowly edged out better benefits (26 percent) as most desired in 2015.

The surveys were developed by Accountemps, the world’s first and largest specialized staffing service for temporary accounting, finance and bookkeeping professionals and conducted by an independent research firm. The surveys include responses from more than 2,100 CFOs from a stratified random sample of companies in more than 20 of the largest U.S. metropolitan areas and more than 320 employees age 18 and older who work in an office environment.

CFOs were asked, “Other than additional compensation, which one of the following do you believe would top your employees’ wish lists when it comes to their jobs this year?” Their responses:

• Better benefit plan, such as enhanced healthcare plan - 41 percent

• More vacation days - 19 percent• More scheduling flexibility, such as

telecommuting or flexible work hours - 15 percent

• More training or professional development opportunities - 12 percent

• Other corporate perks, such as on-site meals and amenities, health and wellness, or subsidized transportation - 11 percent

• Don’t know - 2 percentEmployees were asked, “Other than

additional compensation, which one of the following would top your wish list when it comes to your job this year?” Their responses:

• More vacation days - 30 percent

• Better benefit plan, such as enhanced healthcare plan - 26 percent

• More scheduling flexibility, such as telecommuting or flexible work hours - 19 percent

• More training or professional development opportunities - 15 percent

• Other corporate perks, such as on-site meals and amenities, health and wellness, or subsidized transportation - 9 percent

Responses do not total 100 percent due to rounding.

“You can’t underestimate the importance of time away from work,” said Bill Driscoll, a district president with Accountemps. He noted companies should encourage staff to take the vacation time they’ve earned and discon-nect while out of the office to relax, recharge and return with renewed energy. “Managers can set a good example by taking time off themselves and not

checking in when they’re on vacation,” Driscoll said.

Driscoll added there’s a potential silver lining to the survey results. “Changing a company’s benefits package can be a lengthy, challenging and expensive process; re-evaluating the vacation policy is fairly straightforward in compar-ison,” Driscoll said. “Offering additional vacation time shows employees you’re committed to helping them achieve greater work-life balance.”

About AccountempsAccountemps, a Robert Half company,

is the world’s first and largest specialized staffing service for temporary accounting, finance and bookkeeping professionals. The staffing firm has more than 340 offices worldwide. More resources, including online job search services and the Accountemps blog, can be found at accountemps.com.

Beyond salary, what do employees really want in 2015?

Literacy Reduces Crime. Literacy Reduces Poverty.

Literacy Improves Communities. Literacy Changes Lives.

Sincerely, The Leap Staff

Thank You!

The staff and board at LEAP of Noble County consider it an honor and a privilege to serve this wonderful Northeast Indiana community!

Being the recipient of the Northeast Indiana Business Excellence

Non-Profi t of the YearAward is a wonderful confi rmation of the hard work, dedication and service

excellence LEAP has become known for over the last 15 years.

Thank you to Business Weekly for this prestigious honor, and to all of our many supporters, students and families for making this achievement possible!

LEAP of Noble County

PO Box 76 Albion, IN 46701

(260) 636-7011 www.leapofnoblecounty.org


CALLISONJenniferJennifer

CONGRATULATIONS

For receiving theNortheast Indiana

Business Excellence Award

The Centier Bank family congratulates Jennifer for this milestone achievement.

Member FDIC

ROBERT HALFAs marketing becomes increasingly

dependent on technology, creative and information technology teams are crossing paths more often. Research from The Creative Group and Robert Half Technology underscores this trend: More than half (55 percent) of advertising and marketing executives interviewed said they are collaborating more closely with technology leaders within their company compared to three years ago. One-third (33 percent) of chief information officers reported the same of their marketing counterparts.

But barriers to effective partnering persist. When asked to name the number-one challenge for creative and IT teams when collaborating, the top response among advertising and marketing executives and CIOs was communication. Project logistics and IT-related challenges also are signifi-cant barriers, according to both sets of

respondents.Advertising and marketing executives

were asked, “Compared to three years ago, how closely are you collaborating with technology leaders within your company?” Their responses:

• Much more closely - 30 percent• Somewhat more closely - 25 percent• The same amount - 39 percent• Somewhat less closely - 3 percent• Much less closely - 0 percent• Does not apply (no technology

leaders) - 1 percent• Don’t know - 1 percentCIOs were asked, “Compared to three

years ago, how closely are you collab-orating with creative/marketing leaders within your company?” Their responses:

• Much more closely - 12 percent• Somewhat more closely - 21 percent• The same amount - 37 percent• Somewhat less closely - 3 percent• Much less closely - 2 percent• Does not apply (no creative/

marketing leaders) - 23 percent• Don’t know - 1 percent*Responses do not total 100 percent

due to rounding.“Technology’s increased role in

customer acquisition and other market-ing-related functions is one factor prompting higher levels of collaboration between IT and creative departments,” said John Reed, senior executive director of Robert Half Technology. “Poor communication between groups doesn’t just lead to discord and decreased productivity; it can also undermine a company’s ability to innovate.”

“The success of an organiza-tion’s digital strategy and initiatives is dependent on a strong partnership between creative and IT colleagues,” added Diane Domeyer, executive director of The Creative Group. “It’s impera-tive for business leaders to encourage

Creative and IT collaboration on the riseResearch reveals common cross-departmental communication challenges

n See COLLABORATON on PAGE 22


teamwork and ongoing dialogue between the two groups, especially since there is so much crossover in key roles, such as user experience professionals, web designers and mobile application developers.”

The Creative Group and Robert Half Technology offer five tips to help creative and IT teams overcome common collaboration barriers:

1. Form cross-functional teams around a central goal. While resources may come from different departments, creating one work group to tackle a particular project, like a website redesign, can help improve collabora-tion and eliminate an “us versus them” mentality. Once established, make sure objectives are clearly defined and communicated at the onset.

2. Make time to meet - and use that time effectively. Creative and IT leaders reported that scheduling in-person

meetings is difficult given heavy workloads. However, carving out an hour or two to discuss projects can save valuable time and prevent miscommuni-cation down the road.

3. Check jargon at the door. Workplace and departmental lingo can help colleagues communicate ideas more quickly, but excessive use can cause people to lose interest and tune out if it’s unfamiliar to them. Throw in technical terminology and buzzwords like “IoT” and “growth hacking” and the dialogue will only go downhill. Explain concepts in terms the audience will understand and use concrete examples when doing so.

4. Encourage constructive criticism. Creative and IT executives said providing feedback to their counter-parts is challenging because it’s often not well-received. Empathy can help pave the path toward more productive conversations throughout the duration of

a project and at post-mortem meetings. Teams must also clarify the time and resources that go into an initiative: A seemingly simple task may include behind-the-scenes complexity.

5. Resolve conflicts quickly. When miscommunication leads to frustration, tempers can flare, especially when creative and IT personnel are under pressure. Addressing cross-team discord swiftly can go a long way toward maintaining momentum and building morale.

About the research:The surveys were developed by

The Creative Group and Robert Half Technology, and conducted by an independent research firm. They include responses from 400 U.S. advertising and marketing executives and more than 2,400 CIOs from U.S. companies with 100 or more employees in 24 metropol-itan areas.

Continued from PAGE 21

n COLLABORATION: Make time to meet use time effectively

ROBERT HALFWant to move into a management

role? It takes more than business savvy and decision-making skills, research by The Creative Group suggests. When advertising and marketing executives were asked to name the most important factor they consider when promoting professionals to management positions, more than half (53 percent) said they look for candidates with strong motiva-tional or leadership skills. Interpersonal or soft skills followed, with 19 percent of the response.

The national study was developed by The Creative Group, a special-ized staffing service for interactive, design, marketing, advertising and public relations professionals. It was conducted by an independent research firm and is based on 400 telephone interviews - 200 with advertising executives randomly selected from agencies with 20 or more employees and 200 with marketing executives randomly selected from companies with 100 or more employees.

Advertising and marketing

executives were asked, “In your opinion, which of the following factors weighs most heavily when your company promotes professionals to management positions?” Their responses:

• Motivational or leadership skills - 53 percent

• Interpersonal or soft skills - 19 percent

• Strategic business expertise - 13 percent

• Technical expertise - 8 percent• Seniority or tenure with the

company - 7 percentView an infographic of the research

results.“Being an effective manager means

more than giving orders and making sure projects are completed on time,” saidDiane Domeyer, executive director of The Creative Group. “Leaders must inspire their teams and boost employee engagement to steer their companies to greater heights.”

The Creative Group outlines five key traits for those seeking a promotion to a supervisory role:

1. Vision. A sharp understanding of where your business is going is essential to success. Great leadership relies on a clear vision of the future as well as the ability to inspire others toward your goals.

2. Focus. Effective managers keep their eyes fixed on the prize. They know when to sacrifice short-term wins to pursue bigger-picture objectives.

3. Creativity. The most successful leaders share a willingness to turn established business practices on their heads and foster a culture of smart risk-taking. A passion to innovate and advance the company overrides their fear of failure.

4. Flexibility. Good managers know change in the workplace is constant and that agility is central to getting ahead. This means they can pivot at a moment’s notice to take advantage of opportunities as they arise.

5. Resilience. Sometimesthe act of striving toward business goals means you will fail. The best bosses can bounce back and turn a setback into a well-timed gain.

Are you management material?


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