RISING STAR AWARD WINNERS OFFER THEIR ADVICE TO FUTURE LEADERS
“ Ask a lot of questions , don ’ t be afraid to reach out to people with more experience , and every once in a while , take a risk . Slowly but surely push yourself out of your comfort zone and you could have a good story at the end of the day .” – Dylan McDonough
“ Don ’ t be afraid to fail . It took me a while to find a job that combined all the things I ’ m good at , and offered me the ability to pursue other areas of my life that are very important . Don ’ t be afraid to put yourself out there , and be nice to people .” – Elena Glass
“ If you think there is something you may be passionate about or may be interested in , you have to try stuff ! Also , find a mentor . Nancy ( Hoglund ) has been a huge mentor to me , and I have a few other people within the Fransden organization that have done so as well , and they really made a big impact on me . As decisions came up and as I went through challenges , having somebody who has experience that I can bounce ideas off is so hard to beat .” – Blayne Lorron
Theatre , Glass is also a performer at other theaters in the Twin Cities . She has been in productions at the History Theatre , Old Log Theatre , Nautilus Music Theatre , Yellow Tree Theatre and the Ordway .
Blayne Lorron , Fransden Bank
Blayne Lorron , 27 , of Maple Grove has only been with Frandsen Bank & Trust since early 2020 , but has advanced her career quite a lot in a very short amount of time . She started out as a bank teller at the Vadnais Heights branch when it was still considered Peoples Bank Midwest .
“ I kind of walked in the door looking for an entry-level job and I had no idea what was coming for me ,” said Lorron .
HEDC Board Members gather at 2022 Business Appreciation and Awards Event : L to R Cindy O ’ Donovan , Right4 Your Business ; Liz Moscatelli , VHEDC Executive Director ; Megan Dohmen , Frandsen Bank & Trust ; Kyle Sommer , Toshiba Business Solutions ; Joe Erickson , IC System ; Debby Gustafson , TCM ; Mike Pelto , MidWestOne Bank ; Mary Buerkle , Buerkle Automotive Group and Scott Haupt , SEH .
“ My supervisors saw that I had promise and was interested in what we were doing . They helped me re-enroll and go back to college , and really supported me through learning a whole new business .”
While working as a full-time employee at the bank , Lorron completed her Bachelor ’ s in Business Administration with a focus on Finance at Bemidji State University . It wasn ’ t long before she was moving up at the company .
She went from bank teller , taking in deposits and helping customers trouble shoot as they had issues come up , to the position of universal banker . That job involved helping open customer accounts .
From there she advanced to the bank ’ s loan department , then became a teller supervisor . After about six months in that role she advanced to the position she holds now , working as a cash management specialist in the bank ’ s corporate office .
“ I serve as a subject matter expert when it comes to extra products that a business might need , such as ACH or wires , or having remote deposit ,” she said .
When asked how it feels to have won the Rising Star award , Lorron commented , “ What a career accomplishment . It feels amazing . I am so honored to have been recognized by the VHEDC , and appreciative of what they have done for me .”
Lorron is a 2021 graduate of the Northeast Metro Young Professionals program , and has received mentorship from program manager Nancy Hoglund that she says has made a huge difference in her career .
Allison Johnson , formerly IC System
Also recognized with a Rising Star Award in 2022 was Allison Johnson , who used to work as the Training and Development Manager at IC System , a debt collection agency based in St . Paul .
She started working at the company in 2008 as a representative and quickly became the lead representative . In 2016 , she was promoted to Operations Supervisor , then in 2019 promoted again to the position of Training and Development Manager .
Allison was a participant in the VHEDC 2019 North Metro Young Professionals cohort . According to program manager Nancy Hoglund , she was highly engaged and immersed herself in the program . “ When the NMYP program leader asked for volunteers to help at a White Bear Food Shelf event , Johnson showed up with a van full of food and a $ 1,000 check collected from her colleagues at work ,” said Hoglund .
44 Northeast Metro Business