Assistance available for small business affected by storm

The North Central Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and SCORE offices at Central Lakes College are available to assist in the recovery efforts of small businesses affected by the recent storms.

The SBDC and SCORE have counselors available to work with business owners to assess the long-term impact of the storm to their business and to develop recovery plans so they can get back on their feet as quickly as possible. 

“Some businesses are suffering financial losses from the storm, whether they had physical damage to their property or not,” said Greg Bergman, SBDC director. “Being able to recover financially can be difficult for many impacted small businesses. We are there to help them through that process.” 

CLC welcomes first local Ojibwe speaker/instructor

Central Lakes College welcomes its first local Ojibwe speaker/instructor, who will teach the Ojibwe language class in the fall and spring semesters.

John Benjamin, or his Ojibwe name Waabishkigaabaw, is from the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe.

He brings a high level of knowledge around the language and culture, said Mary Sam, CLC’s Director of Diversity, Equity and Tribal Relations.

“John is a well-respected Ojibwe instructor within the Mille Lacs Band community and across the region,” she said. 

Benjamin is one of two Mille Lacs Band members who received mentoring from Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College Ojibwe instructor Dan Jones throughout last year.

Academic advisor Dan Davidson returns to CLC

Dan Davidson returns to Central Lakes College after a year of absence on leave.

Davidson will serve as an academic advisor. It’s a role he’s had a lot of experience in, having been in the Admissions and Academic Advising fields for more than 20 years at CLC.

In his position at the college, he’ll be serving in a duel Admissions/Advising role, assisting with the Minnesota Education Fairs and new student admissions. As an advisor, Davidson will focus on Associate in Arts and transfer degree seeking students, as well as assisting with registration sessions. 

His previous leadership focus involved: Credit for Prior Learning, Associate in Arts Honors Degree, Automotive Technology, Criminal Justice, Marine and Small Engine, Natural Resources Technology and Welding.

Erich Heppner returns as Director of Student Life

Erich Heppner returned to Central Lakes College to serve as Director of Student Life. 

Heppner, a CLC alumnus himself, was first brought on as Director of Student Life in 2008. He led a dynamic program for five years before taking on a new opportunity at the University of Colorado Boulder.

Feeling a pull to come home to CLC and the Brainerd lakes area, Heppner returned to CLC this week. In his post, he’ll create fun and engaging activities for the wide range of students at the college. He’ll also work to increase the participation and effectiveness of student government groups on both the Brainerd and Staples campuses.

Heppner is looking forward to creating strong and lasting partnerships with community businesses and local leaders.

Originally from Warroad, MN, Heppner enjoys playing and watching hockey, soccer and broomball. He has two very large, friendly Bernese Mountain dogs named Ralph and Rascal. Heppner is excited to be back at CLC and plans to become very involved in the communities of Brainerd and Staples.

Don't miss “We are all Criminals” on Aug. 28

“We are all Criminals” will be presented at 1 p.m. Friday, Aug. 28 in the Chalberg Theatre, on Central Lakes College’s Brainerd campus. 

One in four people in the U.S. has a criminal record. This is the other 75 percent. 

The production examines those with criminal histories but no record. Doctors, lawyers, social workers, students, retailers and retirees tell their stories of crimes they got away with, and consider how different their lives would have been had they been caught. 

The stories are about youth, boredom, intoxication, as well as luck, class and privilege. 

A discussion will follow the performance. The project seeks to challenge society’s perception of what it means to be a criminal and how much weight a record should be given.

The event is sponsored by the Central Lakes College Office of Diversity and Equity and Crow Wing Inside Out Connections. 

The project depends on people volunteering their stories. To share yours, email Emily at Emily.baxter@weareallcriminals.org.

CLC student earns bronze in SkillsUSA Championships

Central Lakes College student Tommy Hoheisel, of Pierz, earned a bronze medal in the SkillsUSA Championships held in Kentucky June 22-26.

The SkillsUSA Championships is the showcase for the best career and technical students in the nation. Contests begin locally and continue through the state and national levels.

More than 6,000 outstanding career and technical education students –– all state contest winners –– competed in 100 different trade, technical and leadership fields during the championships. 

Hoheisel, who is attending CLC in the PSEO program, competed in the high school division.

SBDC business consultant at CLC named 'State Star'

Peter Nelson of Brainerd was recently recognized as the Minnesota Small Business Development Center’s (SBDC) State Star for 2015 at the Minnesota SBDC Program annual conference in Minneapolis.

The award recognizes business consultants and staff in the SBDC Program who have demonstrated extraordinary commitment to the program and the business community. 

Nelson, a business consultant with the North Central SBDC at Central Lakes College, was recognized for his work in assisting financially stressed businesses, helping guide companies through the development of growth plans, and working with business owners to prepare for transitioning their business to new owners in the future. Nelson has also been an active member of the Minnesota SBDC Advisory Council and has been a speaker at many business events. 

CLC going tobacco-free Aug. 14

Central Lakes College will be tobacco-free starting Aug. 14.

CLC is following a trend consistent with the rest of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System (MnSCU). CLC is the 18th MnSCU college to adopt a tobacco-free policy. 

The tobacco-free campus policy is in alignment with the mission of CLC. It promotes social norms that support healthy living and lifestyle choices by discouraging tobacco use, protecting against involuntary exposure to harmful secondhand smoke, and encouraging and supporting cessation efforts.

“Creating a tobacco-free environment for students and communities is a positive move,” said Ajeet Yadav, Environmental Health and Safety director at CLC. 

CLC instructor meets with former President Jimmy Carter

Central Lakes College political science instructor Steve Wenzel met with former President Jimmy Carter last week at the Carter Center in Atlanta, Georgia. 

This is the second time Wenzel was invited as a guest to a Board of Councilors event. The first was in 1986 when the Jimmy Carter Library was dedicated. 

Last week’s event was in part to celebrate Books for Africa, a cause to which CLC donated a significant amount of library and faculty textbooks in 2014. 

The guest of Patrick Plonski, executive director of Books for Africa, Wenzel was able to chat with President Carter during the two-day trip. 

CLC instructor attends national conference

Central Lakes College Natural Resources instructor and certified wildlife biologist Dr. Bill Faber attended a Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters conference in Minneapolis last week.

There, Faber met with two national conservation supporters: Ted Roosevelt IV, the great-grandson of President Theodore Roosevelt, and Collin O’Mara, the executive director and president of the National Wildlife Federation in Washington, D.C. 

The event was held to discuss the importance of the Boundary Waters for hunters, anglers and all wildlife enthusiasts, and the threat to critical habitat and recreation areas posed by proposed sulfide ore copper mines.

The event was sponsored by the National Wildlife Federation, Minnesota Conservation Federation and the Minnesota Division, Izaak Walton League of America in support of the Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters coalition. 

Sign your child up for SEaM Camp

Students grades 6th-12th are invited to a Summer Engineering and Manufacturing (SEaM) Camp hosted by Central Lakes College.

The camp runs 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. July 6-10 at CLC’s Staples campus. A daily bus will transport campers from Brainerd to Staples. 

The camp gives students a chance to get some hands-on experience in electronics, motor controllers, computer aided drafting, manufacturing machining and robotics automated systems. 

In teams, students will start building their “battlebots” on the first day of camp. On the last day, they’ll compete, maneuvering their battlebots through an obstacle course. Students will also compete in robot hockey and the main event: The Battlebot Demolition Derby. Awards will be given for top competitors. 

CLC Announces Spring Honors List

Central Lakes College, Brainerd and Staples, has announced its 2015 spring semester honors list.

The President’s List includes 388 students who earned a grade-point average of 3.75 to 4.0 while enrolled for at least 12 credits. 


The Dean’s List includes 398 students who earned a grade-point average of 3.25 to 3.74.

The released honors list does not include students who have requested no release of information.

Central Lakes College is a comprehensive community and technical college in the Minnesota State 
Colleges and Universities System. The college serves about 6,000 students annually in liberal arts 
and career education programs.

Series brings in renowned poets from across the nation

Pulling in a taste of culture to an isolated small town often falls on the shoulders of the local community college. It can be a daunting task, as obstacles like funding and resources arise. 

But Central Lakes College - a community and technical school serving about 6,000 students per year - is bringing a taste of exceptional poetry to students, staff and the people of Brainerd, located in the center of Minnesota.

It’s through a program called Verse Like Water.

In its third year, the series has brought in eight renowned poets from across the nation to hold readings and a workshop, for the town of 13,500 people. Several of the poets are Pulitzer Prize winners or former U.S. Poet Laureates. 

The program is more than just a chance to hear some great poetry, though. It has brought a new dimension to the college, said CLC President Larry Lundblad. 

“It shows that the college is really trying to reach out and do some extraordinary things for the students and community,” he said. 

TRIO Upward Bound students attended Girls in STEM Conference

Six Central Lakes College TRIO Upward Bound students attended Girls in STEM Conference at Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis, IN May 29-May 31.

The conference was hosted by the Mid-America Association of Educational Opportunity Program Personnel.

Students were able to build robots, make batteries out of potatoes, paint using maggots, tour the IUPUI campus and meet students from 10 states. 

The students included: Danielle Sand (Browerville High School) and Rosalyn Stewart-Kuschel (Onamia High School), both in CLC PSEO, as well as high school students Amy Lochli (Staples-Motley High School), Elizabeth Brown (Staples-Motley High School), Jasmine McRoss (Onamia High School), and Makayla Kowalczyk (Pierz-Healy High School).

Two CLC courses receive QM recognition

Central Lakes College instructor Mary DeVahl had two courses recognized as QM certified by the Minnesota Online Quality Initiative.

The courses are College Study Skills and General Psychology.

DeVahl’s courses are among nearly 300 higher education courses nationwide to be given the honor this year by the Minnesota Online Quality Initiative, an organization that uses peer review of online or blended courses for Quality Matters (QM) recognition. 

Each of the recognized courses has been formally reviewed in a rigorous peer review process and meets Quality Matters standards. Each faculty member has received a certificate and a QM seal to display on their course materials.

There are 305 Quality Matters recognized courses from MnSCU institutions and the University of Minnesota from 2010-2015.

Since 2013, CLC has had 10 total courses receive the QM certification. Most recently, instructor Julie Austin’s World Literature class was recognized earlier this month.

Column: CLC students tour Costa Rica

During the week of Spring Break, March 9-15, a group of 23 Central Lakes College (CLC) students, faculty, and community members traveled to Costa Rica for a Global Studies class. The itinerary and tours were arranged by Education First (EF) who provided our bilingual tour guide, Carlos, and very capable bus driver Walter (“Apa”) for the week. 

We began our excursion by flying into San José, Costa Rica. After one night in the capital city, we traveled by bus and boat to Tortuguero National Park on the east coast of the country. Costa Rica is known for its diverse ecosystems. We spent two days in the rainforest of this national park observing the local wildlife by boat and visiting local shops and restaurants in the village of Tortuguero. 

Free Career Information Night to feature several CLC programs

Come learn about several CLC programs at a free Career Information Night from 5-7 p.m. Tuesday, June 16 in the cafeteria of the Brainerd campus.

Get more information on the following programs: Criminal Justice, Dental Assisting, Nursing, Computer IT (RITA Grant), Honors Department/General Studies, Healthcare Admin and the AME Grant (Manufacturing Careers).

“Central Lakes College offers many exciting career paths and we want to share what those career paths are and how those in the surrounding Brainerd area can achieve them,” said Andres Freeman, a recruiter in the Admissions Office at CLC. “Our faculty and staff really want it to be known that we are here to help students achieve their goals, even if they don't know what they want to do yet.”

There will be prizes will be given out at the event, and food and beverages will be provided.

For more information regarding Career Information Night on Tuesday, June 16, contact Andres Freeman at afreeman@clcmn.edu or 218-855-8161.

Jon Hassler Festival coming in June at CLC

Come celebrate the life and works a Minnesota author at the Jon Hassler Festival being held June 14-15 at Central Lakes College.

Hassler was an English instructor at CLC when he wrote his first book, Staggerford. The college library is now named after him and was designated a literary historic landmark last year. 

"Many people in our area may recognize the name Jon Hassler, but might not know much about him. This conference gives people a special insight into his works as well as his life as a Minnesota author, artist and educator. It's going to be an exciting two days,” said Kari Frisch, Hassler Festival educational outreach coordinator and speech instructor at CLC.

Student veteran advancing education through AME Grant

Bartholomew Lindberg never wants to stop learning, to never stop exploring.

That’s why the Brainerd native turned to Central Lakes College for the Welding Program. When he was signing up for classes, he also found out about Advanced Manufacturing Education (AME) Grant at the college. The AME Grant offers advanced manufacturing education and training programs to create a better-trained, more skilled manufacturing workforce.

Out of all of the options, 27-year-old Lindberg chose the Certified Production Technician Certificate.

“It’ll look good on my resume,” he said. 

He continued, “This will get my foot in the door for the manufacturing industry. Knowledge is power.”

The AME Grant programs are a good choice for a lot of people like Lindberg, said Dale Ray Thiesen, manager of strategic grant initiatives for the AME Grant.

“If you’re dedicated, if you’re motivated, if you want a career, not just another job, here’s your chance,” he said.

Three former Raiders invited into NFL training camps

Three former Central Lakes College Raiders have been invited into NFL training camps.

They are:

· Frank Mays, CLC Defensive End 2010-11 (All-American in 2011), from Bemidji.

· Stoney Burns, CLC Cornerback 2010 (All-American in 2010), from Orlando, Fla.

· Robert Howell, CLC Defensive Tackle 2010-11, from Minneapolis.

“It is exciting to see graduates of Central Lakes College and the Raider Football Program continue to pursue their dreams of professional football with such great success,” said Greg Medeck, head football coach at CLC. “These young men have elevated their athletic careers to the highest level and each began their journey here at CLC.”