KCEDC Intern Program Kicks Off with Breakfast and ‘A-Game’
ALGONA — Motivational speaker Brenda Clark Hamilton of Fresh Coffee Professional Growth Programs spoke at the Kossuth County Economic Development Corporation’s annual Intern Breakfast, which was held May 24 at the KC Hall in Algona. Brenda encouraged the group to set their attitudes for future success with her presentation “Bring Your ‘A-Game’…to Every Aspect of Your Life.” This year’s breakfast was attended by about 75 interns and business people. “This is a great program,” Clark Hamilton said, “And the reason I think it’s great is because (the interns) receive training so early in their careers about what employers are looking for. Some people go through their whole careers and don’t get this. It puts them on the right note.” Dawson Trotman, founder of the Navigators said “The greatest amount of wasted time is the time not getting started.” This principle is being applied in the KCEDC Intern Program.
From a program that mixed Clark Hamilton's experiences in the corporate world with current research and a healthy dose of audience participation, those who attended the breakfast took away practical knowledge that will aid them in both life and work immediately.
First year interns Cody Weaver, Algona, and Zac Thompson, Ledyard, are working with the Kossuth County Engineering Department. The presentation was something both young men found useful. “It was informational and motivational,” Weaver explained. “It helped you understand how much your mood can effect others.”
“I thought it was very helpful. It gives you ideas about how to keep your mood up,” added Thompson.
Bob Jennings, a member of the KCEDC Career Intern Committee from Algona Municipal Utilities, was pleased with the program and what it said to interns. “Brenda does a great job,” he said, “The message was: Do a great job, but if you have a great attitude you will be successful. You can take all she said and apply it to your life overall.”
Nick Roethler, who serves on the Career Intern Committee, was a 3-year participant in the intern program. He is employed by Kuehl & Payer Ltd. in Algona, which was one of his intern program employers. Now that he is in the workforce full-time, Roethler appreciates the value of programs like the intern breakfast, which he was able to experience while a participant. “I could learn all the math and science behind these things, but until I worked on it… I finally had an ‘a-ha’ moment. That’s what helped me know what was coming down the road,” stated Roethler. Events like the intern breakfast, as well as the CEO Intern luncheon and skill building sessions that help interns deal with finances, insurance, resumes and interviews, not only help people who are preparing to embark on careers, but they also send another positive message. “This was good, very good,” Roethler said, “It’s good to show interns there are people out there who think they matter and for companies to say ‘we need you.’ It works both ways.”
Local business leaders back up Roethler’s assessment about the two-way value of the program. “The intern program is critical for us as a company to be able to sell what we have to offer,” said Darin Massner, CEO of Country Maid Inc., in West Bend. “The intern program is an excellent way for area businesses to create some awareness of what the region has to offer. There are a lot of businesses and opportunities interns may not know about. They network and shape awareness of the area.”
“We find it adds a lot of value for us because they bring in new ideas,” said Ed Berg, President and CEO of Pharmacists Mutual Insurance Company in Algona. The company usually takes on a number of interns each year. “It’s been good for us.”
“There is a lot of commitment from businesses because interns are the future,” said KCEDC Executive Director Maureen Elbert. The fact employers are hiring more interns and participation in the program is on the rise are signs the economy is bouncing back, she added. Elbert encouraged interns to interact with mentors and to take advantage of time spent in the program. “Supervisors or mentors may be the most important people you meet in your life,” she noted. “There are a lot of lifelong relationships made.”
Scenes from 2010 Intern Breakfast |
2012 KCEDC Intern Breakfast 
