CentraCare Health was recently named one of the Best Places to Work for the seventh consecutive year by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal.
CentraCare ranked sixth among the top 10 in the large-company category. Gillette Children’s was the only other health care organization in the top 10 this year, capturing seventh place. Marco, based in St. Cloud, won first-place honors.
The Business Journal revised categories this year, expanding the definition of “large company” to include companies with 250 or more employees. In past years, the large company category included those with 1,000 or more employees.
The survey administered to employees of the 225 companies that entered the competition asked about company leadership, career growth and development, pay and benefits, recognition and other factors.
Shelby Hadley, was recently selected by a panel of peers to receive the Veterans’ Voices Award. Minnesotans from across the state nominated veterans who have honorably served and have shown exemplary community service to receive the 2015 Veterans’ Voices Award. From a host of nominees, nine “Legacy” veterans (age 41 and over) and 16 “On the Rise” veterans (age 40 and under) were selected to receive the Veterans’ Voices Award.
Hadley, a Minnesota Army National Guard veteran from Rice, was deployed twice as an Air Traffic Controller – Bosnia in 2003 and “Operation Iraqi Freedom” in 2008. She is involved in the St. Cloud area veteran community and serves as a peer mentor with Wounded Warrior Project and on the advisory board of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Minnesota. Shelby shared her military story by performing in The Telling Project’s play Telling: Minnesota 2015 at the Guthrie Theater. Described as a strong advocate for military youth and an amazing role model, Shelby continues to give back to her community through volunteer work with veterans service organizations and committees and projects advocating for veterans, military service members and their families. Hadley holds a bachelor’s degree from St. Cloud State University and is expected to complete an MBA program in September 2015.
Awards will be presented at the Veterans’ Voices Award Ceremony on Sept. 11 at the University of St. Thomas Anderson Student Center in St. Paul. Public and private sector achievements of 25 Minnesota veterans will be recognized. Gulf War veteran and WCCO-TV reporter Reg Chapman will emcee. Past award presenters were Gov. Mark Dayton and Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs, Retired Maj. Gen. Larry Shellito.
Since 9/11/2001 more than 88,000 men and women from Minnesota have been deployed – many have returned home from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. These veterans are our neighbors who defended the freedom of all Americans. This event is part of the Humanities Center’s Veterans’ Voices program that draws on the power of the humanities to call attention to the stories – which have often been missing – and contributions of veterans. This program empowers all Minnesota veterans to speak in their own voices through plays, art and/or discussion groups, and to publicly acknowledge veterans who are making an exceptional difference in their communities and throughout the state.