The Gazette
Caroline E. Burks, Fredrikson & Byron
Cody Mefferd, UnityPoint Health LifeGuard Air Ambulance
Melissa Winter, UnityPoint Health-St. Luke’s Health Care Foundation
Justin Evans, Strategic Financial Solutions
Mikki Strelow, Strategic Financial Solutions
Caroline E. Burks, Fredrikson & Byron
Cody Mefferd, UnityPoint Health LifeGuard Air Ambulance
Melissa Winter, UnityPoint Health-St. Luke’s Health Care Foundation
Justin Evans, Strategic Financial Solutions
Mikki Strelow, Strategic Financial Solutions
Business Notes is a compendium of the week’s promotions, new hires, certifications, added business lines and business events, among other items, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa City and the rest of the Corridor.
Caroline E. Burks has joined Fredrikson & Byron’s intellectual property litigation practice in the firm’s Iowa office, which includes a location in Coralville.
At UnityPoint Health LifeGuard Air Ambulance, Cody Mefferd, MSN, RN, CFRN, CPEN, CEN, AEMT has been promoted to LifeGuard supervisor.
At Strategic Financial Solutions, Justin Evans, senior corporate relationship manager, received his AIF® certification; and Mikki Strelow, relationship manager & business strategist, received her CFPA® certification.
UnityPoint Health-St. Luke’s Health Care Foundation has announced that Melissa Winter has been selected as its next president, effective Monday, May 11. Winter succeeds Mary Klinger, who announced her retirement earlier this year after more than 15 years with St. Luke’s Health Care Foundation.
Matt Traetow, general manager of Hyatt Regency Coralville, has been named the 2026 Hyatt General Manager of the Year in the Classic category, which includes hundreds of properties across the Destination by Hyatt, Grand Hyatt, Hyatt, Hyatt Centric, Hyatt Regency and Hyatt Vacation Club brands. The award honors hotel leaders who consistently exceed key performance indicators, including guest satisfaction, financial performance, colleague engagement and operational excellence. In addition to Traetow’s honor, Hyatt Regency Coralville recently was ranked No. 1 out of 114 Hyatt Regency hotels in the Americas for Net Promoter Score, a metric measuring guests’ intent to recommend. This marks the second consecutive year the hotel has earned this distinction.
Van Meter Inc. of Cedar Rapids recently was recognized with a Pro Patria Award for the organization’s support of Iowa National Guard and Reserve members who are also employed as civilian employees. The award was presented by the Iowa Committee of Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, a program of the Department of War.
New GPS receiver: BAE Systems has entered production and begun initial deliveries of its NavGuide™ GPS receiver. This portable, field-installable M-Code GPS receiver provides secure positioning, navigation and timing for vehicle, handheld and sensor applications. Also, after more than 20 years in the field, its Defense Advanced GPS Receiver has concluded production. NavGuide is available to all U.S. armed forces and allies. The receiver is designed and manufactured at BAE Systems’ Cedar Rapids facility.
New barbershop: GANI Hair Studio & Barbershop will open for business on Saturday, May 23, at 680 Meade Dr., Unit 1, in North Liberty. Owner Sihyung Lee is looking to change the culture of barbering in the area, and is creating a space where people can feel comfortable, valued and genuinely cared for.
Small Business of the Week: U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, has announced Toppling Goliath Brewing Co. of Winneshiek County in northeast Iowa as her small business of the week.
Founded in 2009 with the goal of creating unique, high-quality craft beer in northeast Iowa, Clark and Barbara Lewey grew Toppling Goliath Brewery from a small microbrewery into an internationally recognized brand. With the help of more than 150 employees, the business serves the Decorah community as a family-owned operation, offering a taproom with more than 40 beer options.
Ernst, chair of the Senate’s Small Business Committee, is naming one exceptional small business of the week in each of Iowa’s counties during this congressional session.
Editor’s Note: Please submit new hires, promotions, meetings and seminars by email to businessnotes@thegazette.com
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