Yellowstone Bank hosts more than 70 tech leaders at Billings Member Reception 2016
Yellowstone Bank hosted more than 70 guests for the Montana High Tech Business Alliance's reception and CEO Roundtable in Billings on April 21, 2016. The event marked the Alliance's first reception in Billings, our ninth overall. Ty Elkin, President and Jason Hinch, Vice President, of Yellowstone Bank's Homestead branch and their team served locally-sourced wines from Yellowstone Cellars & Winery along with gourmet hors d'oeuvres, beer, and good company at the bank's Shiloh location. Several prospective members attended and the Alliance is pleased to welcome new Billings-area members Employee Benefit Management Services (EBMS), Kampgrounds of America (KOA), CUC Software, Diamond B Technology Solutions and Parsec Data Management. Photos by Thomas Kurdy, Ndigena.
CONNECT: Preparing Computer Science Grads for Jobs from Missoula to Billings
Kathy Boelter, President of technology staffing and recruiting firm Arrow Solutions Group in Billings (left), Craig McKenzie, Chair of Computer Systems Technology at MSU-Billings City College (center), and Rob Smith, PhD, a faculty member in the Computer Science Department at the University of Montana discussed opportunities for training and employing more CS graduates across the state. Members traveled to Billings from Missoula, Helena, and Bozeman for the reception. Additional representatives from higher education attended including Rocky Mountain College and Montana State University.
PROMOTE: Lightning Talks Feature Arrow Solutions Group and High Point Networks
Longtime Alliance members Mike Ross, Account Manager for High Point Networks (pictured) and Kathy Boelter, Founder of Arrow Solutions Group, gave five-minute lightning talks on their companies at the reception. Ross was introduced to the Montana High Tech Business Alliance at a past TecNet in Billings. TecNet is a series of networking events for IT professionals organized by Arrow Solutions Group. The next TecNet will be held May 19 at 360 Office Solutions in Billings.
ACCELERATE: CEO Roundtable Offers Tips for Workforce Attraction and Retention
Yellowstone Bank also hosted an afternoon CEO Roundtable at the Billings Hotel. Kathy Boelter of Arrow Solutions Group and Brittney Souza, Director of BillingsWorks at Big Sky EDA, shared an overview of workforce development initiatives in Billings. The discussion centered on the importance of company culture in attracting and retaining employees. Watch for a recap of takeaways from the workforce discussion in future newsletters. Pictured left to right are Jim Boelter, VP of Operations for Arrow Solutions Group, Jef Sutherland, SVP, Franchise Operations for KOA, John Adams, AVP, Information Systems for KOA, and Bill McCullouch, Director of IS for EBMS.
