Names and Faces

Shirley Burnham recently joined New West Health Services as a registered nurse case manager. A Montana native, she joins the medical services department, bringing several years of experience with Blue Cross of California. Prior to that, she spent 23 years as staff nurse and supervisor at a skilled nursing facility in Lewistown.

Neal Blossom has been named director of research and environmental affairs at American Chemet Corp. in East Helena, responsible for managing research and development activities as well as leading Chemet's regulatory compliance program and representing the firm in several national industrial organizations. Blossom has been with Chemet since 1988 and was most recently director of technical services. He holds a degree in chemical engineering from Montana State University.

Dianne Centrella has joined Payne Financial Group as a commercial lines client account manager. She was previously with Marsh for 21 years, most recently as vice president-commercial lines senior client advisor.

Whitney Scofield has joined the Independent Record as an advertising sales consultant. A Livingston native, she recently graduated from Carroll College with degrees in marketing and management business administration. She can be reached at 447-4025.

Michael Strand, the CEO and general counsel for Montana Independent Telecommunication Systems, has been elected chairman of the Montana Council of Cooperatives for 2007. Strand, CEO of MITS for 12 years, graduated from Cornell University and the University of Washington School of Law. The MCC represents nearly all of the cooperative businesses in the state, including telephone and electric cooperatives, credit unions, commodity cooperatives, farmers' cooperatives and others.

Brittany Allen recently joined Eaton Turner Jewelry as a jeweler. She successfully completed the graduate bench program at New Approach School for Jewelers in Virginia Beach, Va. She can be reached at 442-1940.

Changes

Joshua Abrahamson is the new owner of Helena's Pit Stop, the oil change and service center at 915 N. Last Chance Gulch. Abrahamson currently serves as a Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Air Force in the 341 Explosive Ordnance Disposal.

Learning Ops

The Business Resource Center at CTI will host a workshop on "Mail Merges Using Databases" on Tuesday, Jan. 30 from 8 a.m. to noon. Students will learn mail merges in Microsoft Word using Excel, Access and Outlook databases, as well as the merge option in Microsoft Publisher. Cost is $75. For more information or to register, contact Connie Roope at 443-0800.

Anniversaries

The following people were recently recognized by their employers for years of service:

Coldwell Banker Ahmann Brothers: Josh Ahmann, Libby Goodwin, each 2 years.

Correction

Patty Foster-Sodja, CEO of Sodja Construction, was misidentified in a photo caption in last week's Briefcase.