OF NOTE – HEALTH CARE

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, an Eagan-based health insurer, announced two executive appointments: John Uribe, vice president of business development, has been promoted to senior vice president and chief financial officer; and Carey Smith is returning to Blue Cross as senior vice president and chief operating officer. Smith was an information technology executive at Blue Cross from 2012 to 2017.

ADVERTISING/PUBLIC RELATIONS

Solve, a Minneapolis-based branding and advertising agency, announced the hire of Kathleen Tax Wille as chief creative officer/partner, a new position at the agency.

EDUCATION

Rasmussen University, Bloomington, announced that Javier Miyares has been appointed acting president; Tom Slagle, Rasmussen’s current chief executive officer, will be retiring Aug. 1. … Leech Lake Tribal College, Cass Lake, Minn., announced it has named Helen Zaikina-Montgomery to serve as college president. Zaikina-Montgomery had been interim president at the school. … The University of Minnesota announced that Humphrey School Associate Professor Bonnie Keeler at has been named to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency‘s Board of Scientific Counselors, Social and Community Science Subcommittee.

FINANCIAL SERVICES

Alerus Financial Corp., a North Dakota-based banking, investment and lending institution, announced that Jim Collins has joined the company as executive vice president and chief banking and revenue officer, based in the Twin Cities. He previously served as the Minnesota regional chief executive officer and president of corporate banking for Old National Bank. … Jim Kaster, former board chair of Maple Grove-based TopLine Federal Credit Union, was named Outstanding Director of the Year by the Minnesota Credit Union Network. Kaster retired from the board in April.

HEALTH CARE

Gillette Children’s, a St. Paul-based chain of specialty clinics focused on pediatric care, announced that Elijah Bruette has been named vice president of planning and business development. Bruette previously served in a similar role at AdventHealth, Fort Worth, Texas.

LAW

Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani announced the addition of Ellen A. Brinkman to the firm’s Minneapolis office, joining the Employment Law, Commercial Litigation, Tort and Product Liability, and Shareholder Litigation practice groups. Brinkman is a 2006 graduate of William Mitchell College of Law, now Mitchell Hamline, in St. Paul. … Winthrop & Weinstine, Minneapolis, announced that attorney John M. Schmid has joined the firm as an associate in the Commercial Lending practice. … Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services, St. Paul, announced the following staff appointments: Lisa Hollingsworth, promoted to director of advocacy and litigation; Vannm Khen, promoted to director of finance; Molly Bryant, Gino Polverari and Alena Carl have joined the St. Paul office as a staff attorneys in Housing; Heather Mendiola has joined as the lead attorney in Housing; Susan McDonough, staff attorney on the Hotline; Anna Martinez Pacheco, paralegal in the Agricultural Worker Project, and Lindsey Drozd, staff attorney in the Agricultural Worker Project.

MANUFACTURING

Protolabs, a Maple Plain-based digital 3D-printing manufacturer, announced Dan Schumacher as its chief financial officer; Schumacher had been serving as interim CFO and has overseen the company’s investor relations for nearly five years.

MARKETING

Collective Measures, a Minneapolis-based performance marketing agency, announced the naming of Liz Barrere as board chair and the additions of board members Laura Liu, Rachael Marret, Luke Schlegel and Allison McMenimen Bakken. Barrere has been a board member since 2020; Liu formerly was an executive at Northwest Airlines, and Marret is former president of McCann Minneapolis; Schlegel and McMenimen Bakken are Collective Measures executives.

OPENINGS

Goldfish Swim School announced the opening of a franchised location at 1278 Town Centre Drive, Suite 160, Eagan. The franchise is owned by Dave and Sarah Handley.

SERVICES

Deluxe, a Shoreview-based business services company, announced the following executive promotions: Jean Herrick, previously vice president of human resources, to senior vice president and chief human resources officer; Cameron Potts, previously vice president of corporate communications, to senior vice president and chief communications officer.

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