Recent News

Mazuma Credit Union announced it has inked a multi-million dollar deal with American Performance Technologies (APT), a manufacturer of small engines used for motor, power sports and lawn equipment. The deal will help APT expand its operations facility and create 88 new jobs in the Kansas City metro area.

Mazuma Credit Union will provide $3 million in debt financing as part of an overall $7.7 million investment made by APT.

APT qualified for financing under the New Market Tax Credits (NMTC) Program, a federal tax program designed to help direct the flow of capital into low-income communities, by providing corporations with a tax credit incentive, and by using a qualified Community Development Entity (CDE) as part of the economic package. The CDE uses investments to provide financing to qualified business or real estate development projects located in low-income communities. APT will expand its operations facility located in the former Montgomery Ward store at Bannister Mall near I-435 and Bannister Road in south Kansas City, Mo.

APT qualified for NMTC financing assistance from the Kansas City, Missouri Community Development CDE (KCMO CDE). Since 2010, CDE financed more than $50 million in investments for low-income communities in Kansas City, Mo.

“This is what the NMTC Program is all aboutundefinedsupporting investments that grow businesses, create jobs and help transform communities,” said Ruben Alonso III, Executive Director of the KCMO CDE

The unique aspect of APT’s two-cycle engine is the greener engine technology that does not burn any oil, while producing fewer emissions with more specific output than today’s other two- or four-cycle small engines. Some benefits of this improved technology are zero oil consumption, three times more power of a similar size 4-stroke engine, best in class torque output, and increased engine life.
 
“Mazuma is honored to provide resources to an organization that will give so much back to the Kansas City metro area, in the form of new jobs and other very important economic activity.  Our Business Resources department has done an incredible job in fostering this relationship with American Performance Technologies.  We are eager to help small businesses succeed and will continue to make the resources available to do so,” said Brandon Michaels, President/CEO of Mazuma.

NNSA awards $80 million in relocation contracts for one of nation’s largest and most complex moves

When it comes to planning one of the largest and most complex industrial relocations in the nation, every day counts.  In just one year, the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) Kansas City Plant (KCP) will begin a carefully orchestrated move to its new location with the help of six relocation firms who were recently awarded contracts valued at about $80 million.

In one year from today,  January 23, 2013, KCP will begin the complex task of moving manufacturing, laboratory and office equipment from its current location at the Bannister Federal Complex to a newly constructed National Security Campus eight miles south at Botts Road and 150 Highway in South Kansas City.  The move will involve approximately 2,800 pieces of large capital equipment and over 40,000 moving crates filling approximately 2,600 semi-truck loads.

 “The one-year countdown to moving into the National Security Campus is an exciting and challenging time for all of us at the Kansas City Plant,” said Mark Holecek, manager of NNSA’s Kansas City Site Office. “This new facility offers tremendous advantages to the Nuclear Security Enterprise in flexibility, cost savings, and energy conservation. It is a key element of NNSA’s transformation efforts.”

KCP selected CB Richard Ellis (CBRE), the world’s largest commercial real estate company, to plan and manage the monumental task of relocating the nearly 3 million square feet facility, including manufacturing, engineering and administrative offices, to the new location. Additional supporting contracts to execute the move were awarded to P1 Group, Inc., Foley Company, Fry-Wagner, Graebel, and Daniels.  The total contract value is over $80 million and is one of the largest purchasing contracts awarded by Honeywell FM&T, the managing and operating contractor for KCP.

In January 2013, when construction of the new, state-of-the-art manufacturing and engineering campus is complete, the relocation contractors will begin moving the KCP operations in a phased-in approach.  The move will take place over a 19-month period and will allow for dual operations at both facilities to ensure continued delivery of product in support of national security.

 “We have been preparing for this move for several years,” said Chris Gentile, President of Honeywell FM&T. “Many talented people across NNSA have spent countless hours ensuring that our extensive detailed planning will minimize disruption to operations during this historic move.”

The new smaller, more efficient facility maintains the capability to assure the reliability, safety and security of the nation’s defense systems while enabling NNSA to recruit and retain the next generation of scientists and engineers. KCP remains committed to supporting the President’s nuclear agenda which includes enhanced safety, security and takes advantages of opportunities to reduce the number of warhead types.

Center School District is proud to announce that Center High School has been nominated by the Missouri Department of Secondary and Elementary Education for the 2012 National Blue Ribbon Schools award.

This prestigious National Blue Ribbon Schools award highlights and gives recognition to both public and private elementary, middle and high schools that are producing outstanding results for all students regardless of race or socioeconomic status.  Schools recognized as National Blue Ribbon Schools are those that have demonstrated consistent excellence, and in some cases, those that have made progress and closed gaps in student achievement.  The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program is part of a larger U.S. Department of Education effort to identify and disseminate knowledge about best school leadership and teaching practices. 

Center High School was nominated for the award based on one of two criteria: 1) Exemplary High Performing: a school, whose students, regardless of backgrounds, is high performing.  This means your school is ranked among the state’s highest performing schools as measured by your performance on state assessments; or 2) Exemplary Improving: a school, with at least 40 percent of its students from disadvantaged backgrounds that has reduced the achievement gap by making the most progress in improving student performance as measured by the school’s performance on state assessments.

The Breast Center at St. Joseph Medical Center has been named a finalist in the Pink Well Challenge, a fundraising effort by The Lester and Sue Smith Foundation that is offering matching grants to organizations engaged in breast cancer research, prevention, treatment and patient support throughout the U.S. The Breast Center at St. Joseph is participating in the challenge in support of its WELL (Women Embracing and Loving Life) program, a healthy lifestyle program which supports and encourages breast cancer survivors to incorporate good nutrition, exercise and stress management into their daily lives.

As a finalist, the Breast Center at St. Joseph has filmed a short video about the WELL program which can be viewed at PinkWell.org now through Tuesday, May 15. The public is invited to view this video and vote for the Breast Center at St. Joseph. The organization whose video receives the most votes will receive $50,000 in grants from The Lester and Sue Smith Foundation. Individuals can vote every day through May 15 using Facebook, Twitter and personal e-mail addresses. If an individual has accounts for all three, he or she can cast three votes every day.

All finalists were also asked to submit fundraising goals. Organizations that meet their fundraising goals will receive a matching grant from The Lester Sue and Smith Foundation. The Breast Center at St. Joseph is raising $25,000. To donate online to the Breast Center, visit breastcenterSJ.com/donation.

On Sunday, November, 20, AT&T turned on its 4G LTE network in the Kansas City area, bringing customers the latest generation of wireless network technology. AT&T 4G LTE provides several benefits, including:

• Faster speeds. LTE technology is capable of delivering mobile broadband speeds up to 10 times faster than 3G. Customers can stream, download, upload and game faster than ever before.
• Faster response time. LTE technology offers lower latency, or the processing time it takes to move data through a network, such as how long it takes to start downloading a webpage or file once you’ve sent the request. Lower latency helps to improve services like mobile gaming, two-way video calling and telemedicine.
• More efficient use of spectrum. Wireless spectrum is a finite resource, and LTE uses spectrum more efficiently than 3G, creating more space to carry data traffic and services and to deliver a better network experience.
• Cool new devices. AT&T offers several LTE-compatible devices, including new AT&T 4G LTE smartphones and tablets.

“We continue to see demand for mobile broadband skyrocket, and our 4G LTE network in Kansas City responds to what customers want from their mobile experience undefined more, faster, on the best devices,” said Nancy Garvey, vice president and general manager for AT&T’s Greater Midwest Region.
 
AT&T offers seven 4G LTE-compatible devices:

• Samsung Galaxy™ Tab 8.9, available beginning Nov. 20
• HTC Vivid™
• Samsung Galaxy S™ II Skyrocket™
• HTC Jetstream™ tablet
• AT&T USBConnect Momentum 4G
• AT&T Mobile Hotspot Elevate 4G
• AT&T USBConnect Adrenaline

AT&T will continue to expand its 4G LTE footprint in Kansas City over the coming months. AT&T has already launched 4G LTE in Athens, Ga., Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio and Washington, D.C., and will launch in six more markets on Nov. 20, including Charlotte, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Oklahoma City, and San Juan, Puerto Rico. The Nov. 20 launches will expand AT&T 4G LTE to 15 markets total, meeting its 2011 market commitment. AT&T plans to reach 70 million Americans by year-end 2011.

Even as AT&T 4G LTE expands, customers will be able to enjoy more consistent 4G speeds as they move in and out of LTE areas. Not only is AT&T deploying 4G LTE, it has also deployed fast HSPA+ technology throughout its mobile broadband network. HSPA+, when combined with enhanced backhaul, provides customers with 4G speeds. Customers of competitors who have transitioned to LTE without further speed upgrades to their existing networks are likely to see a jarring drop-off in speeds when they move out of LTE areas.

AT&T plans to deliver 4G LTE over 700 MHz, as well as 1700/2100 MHz AWS spectrum, which enables strong coverage and excellent capacity.

Mazuma Credit Union recently announced that Brandon Michaels, Vice President/CFO, will take over for retiring President/CEO Rob Givens, effective January 1, 2012. Givens announced his retirement in May 2011.

Michaels joined Mazuma in September 2009 coming to Kansas City from San Francisco Fire Credit Union in San Francisco, CA where he served as Vice President of Finance (Chief Financial Officer). Michaels has more than 15 years of credit union industry experience and is serving as the third generation of credit union executives in his family.

“As one of the fewundefinedor maybe I’m the onlyundefinedthird generation credit union CEO, this is a huge personal accomplishment. One that I am sure my mother and grandmother are proud of as well,” said Michaels. Michaels’ grandmother is a retired credit union CEO and his mother is the current CEO of Western Healthcare Federal Credit Union in Concord, CA.

After a nationwide search, Mazuma found their next CEO among its own executive team. John Walls, chairman of Mazuma’s board of directors, said, “After several intensive interviews, the [selection] committee recommended Brandon Michaels to replace Rob Givens. We all agreed that Brandon has all of the qualities we were looking for and has demonstrated as the current CFO the leadership and knowledge of the financial and social environments needed to continue Mazuma’s growth and progress into the future.”

Michaels began his career filing loan papers for his grandmother when he was 12 years old. “Notwithstanding the knowledge from both my mother and grandmother, the most important aspect I learned was the philosophy of the credit union movement,” said Michaels. Since 1908, the credit union philosophy of ‘people helping people’ has been the mantra of the credit union industry.”

Michaels will continue the innovative principles that retiring CEO Rob Givens brought to Mazuma the past 10 years. “Mazuma will continue the innovative legacy we have enjoyed the last several years, and we will not stop changing. Any organization that stops adapting to the changing needs of members will soon find themselves extinct.”
One challenge Michaels would like to focus on is the youth movement within Mazuma. “I hope to infuse some youth and energy into positioning the credit union to capture a larger share of younger members. I hope to expand the walls of innovation and reach beyond our perceived cognitive boundaries. In order to change, we need to think differently. My career is focused on doing the best I can for our team members and our members,” said Michaels.

Michaels is part of The Crash Network, or The Crashers, a credit union movement consisting of young credit union professionals who “work hard to be an incubator that pushes the industry, and its young talent within, into the future through meet-ups, development projects, online collaboration and mentorships,” as explained by Brent Dixon, founder of The Crash Network.

“My work [within The Crash Network] has allowed me to see different perspectives and lead a very different mix of people than what you typically find in a finance/accounting department,” Michaels said.  “We all have a personal story that shapes how we lead, and the perspectives we bring to the table. My personal story is one of being a third generation CEO, but also one of being a former bank examiner, pilot, father, etc.”

Michaels has a Bachelors of Business Administration–Finance from the University of Oklahoma. His professional activities include:  a member of Credit Union Executives Society (CUES) and Credit Union National Association (CUNA) CFO Council Committee, and selectee of Filene Research Institute’s 30 under 30 program. He graduated with high honors from the Western CUNA Management School, a degree program for credit union professionals. Michaels is a pilot and member of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.

The National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) Kansas City Site Office today issued a Notice of Availability for the transfer, sale, or lease of the Kansas City Plant (KCP) property located at the Bannister Federal Complex in Kansas City, MO.  The NNSA has determined that the 122-acre manufacturing and warehouse facility is “excess to its needs” and is available to be marketed for reuse once KCP operations move to a new facility about eight miles south of the current plant.  The move is scheduled to be completed in November 2014.

“As responsible community partners, we want to ensure that this facility remains a viable component of the south Kansas City area,” said Mark Holecek, NNSA Site Manager. “We will aggressively market the site in order to identify a successful transition strategy for the property. We hope to attract a broad audience interested in commercial and industrial real property development.”
 
The Kansas City Plant shares the 300-acre Bannister Federal Complex with the General Services Administration (GSA). Within the Bannister Federal Complex, the KCP facilities include about 1.2 million square feet of well-maintained manufacturing space comprised of machining, mechanical and electrical assembly, rubber and plastics formulation and fabrication, testing, measurement, laboratories, clean rooms, painting, heat treat and inventory storage. Another 1.6 million square feet is comprised of manufacturing support and office space. The site is zoned heavy industrial and is located within a mixed used development area consisting of residential and commercial/industrial properties.

The Notice of Availability also provides information on NNSA’s environmental remediation efforts underway at KCP.  As recently announced, the NNSA and GSA agreed to consolidate efforts and address in a comprehensive manner the environmental assessment and cleanup of the Complex through the submission of a permit modification request to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and the Environmental Protection Agency.  To date, the NNSA has invested nearly $70 million on environmental corrective actions at KCP. This joint agency effort will help identify any additional corrective action, if necessary, and the implementation of any new or modified final remediation plans.  

NNSA, with GSA as a cooperating agency, is also developing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to comply with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act.

DeVry University will be starting a new semester the beginning of November, and we are preparing to assist new students in locating part-time employment while they are attending school.  We also have current students seeking paid internships within their degree fields and for employment while in school.  Please mark your calendar for:

Tuesday, November 8, 2011 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. (set up will be open for employers at 12:30 p.m.) at DeVry University, 11224 Holmes Road - Kansas City, MO 64131.

You may RSVP by filling out a form at: https://dvi.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_bITbENnsGgJ6nL6  no later than Wednesday, November 2, 2011.

If you can't make it to the fair you can still utilize our Job Book/Postings Referral Service  by simply sending a copy of your job leads no later than November 2, 2011 to cblackman@devry.edu.  Additionally, degree related part-time jobs are accepted for posting year-round. 

Questions?  Contact Carrie Blackman at cblackman@devry.edu , or 816-943-7461.  You will receive a confirmation with event details prior to the event.