NIACC John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (JPEC) and the Leadership Series present the Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Iowa Conference (CEIC) Entrepreneurial Speaker Showcase in the North Iowa Community Auditorium on February 25, from 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.

The public is invited to purchase tickets to the Entrepreneurial Speaker Showcase, which will feature speakers Mike Marolt, president of eq-life, a Best Buy entity; Melinda Nelson Masson, president and CEO of The Merit Companies; and Curtis, Dennis and Jon Lewerke, co-founders of Woodharbor Doors & Cabinetry, Inc.

The CEIC will bring together entrepreneurs that have made a significant impact on Iowa, the United States and even the world. Event speakers will inspire you and allow you to dream the impossible. They will encourage you to reach for the stars. This event will challenge you to dream and to dream big!

"This is really an historic event at NIACC. We have challenged ourselves and the local Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization to think outside the box to deliver the message about entrepreneurship as a tool for people with a passion to realize their dreams," Jamie Zanios, Director of the NIACC John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (JPEC), said. "We expect this conference to help demonstrate the opportunities as well as provide ideas on how to accomplish those dreams."

Marolt is president of eq-life, a new retail test concept integrating health, wellness and technology products, resources and services. The eq-life test store, scheduled to open in early 2005, is an entity of Best Buy Corporation and is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Marolt’s more than twenty years in retail management have set the stage for this new venture. In his most recent position, Marolt was senior vice president of Retail Operations and Services for Best Buy Stores, leading a department of 430 people that supported the 600-store group. Prior to joining Best Buy in 1985, Marolt was with the J.C. Penney Company and Kmart Corporation.

As CEO and president of The Merit Companies, Inc., Masson is responsible for business development and acting as Merit's spokesperson to the industry and business communities. She also serves as the company's visionary molding and re-aligning Merit's course and strategy. Masson’s commitment to servant leadership has been recognized locally, regionally and nationally. The MERIT Companies comprises Merit Property Management, Inc., Merit Association Services, Inc. and Community Technologies, Inc. These three enterprises partner with developers, builders and homeowners associations to offer innovation, bring value and enhance community lifestyles. Under Masson’s leadership, The Merit Companies have enjoyed a phenomenal 22 years of continual growth! Merit Property Management, Inc. manages over 195 community associations and 70,000 residential units throughout California, making it one of the largest property management firms in the country. Masson is also a NIACC graduate.

Three brothers, Curtis, Dennis and Jon Lewerke established Woodharbor Doors & Cabinetry, Inc. in October 1993. Curtis Lewerke, President; Dennis Lewerke, Vice President of Sales; and Jon Lewerke, Vice President of Manufacturing, originally established Fieldstone Cabinetry. With the Lewerke brothers at the helm, Fieldstone prospered to become a $15 million dollar cabinetry manufacturer with a nationally recognized name in the kitchen and bath industry. After the sale of Fieldstone to Masco Corporation in 1986, Curtis, Dennis and Jon left the Masco/Fieldstone organization in 1993 to form a new company – Woodharbor Molding & Millworks, Inc. After successfully making a name for Woodharbor in the interior door market, the marketing scope was expanded to include the familiar kitchen and bath products that gave them their start. Woodharbor is an ISO 9001 Quality Certified company with an independent dealer network that stretches from coast to coast. The manufacturing operations include two facilities totaling 360,000 square feet. Woodharbor’s operations include an employment base of approximately 450 people making them a strong contributor to the economic success in the North Iowa area.

Conference sponsors include the Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization! (CEO!) as well as the JPEC’s at NIACC, Iowa State University, the University of Iowa, the University of Northern Iowa and Drake University.

Tickets cost $10 for this event. For tickets to the CEIC Entrepreneurial Speaker Showcase, call the NIACC Box Office at 1-888-466-4222, ext. 4188, or purchase tickets online at www.niacc.edu/ceic.

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For more information, contact the Marketing and Community Relations Department
North Iowa Area Community College, 500 College Drive, Mason City, Iowa  50401
422-4295 or 1-888-GO NIACC, ext. 4295
www.niacc.edu