Customer Relationship Management Course Offered
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is a combination of business strategy, marketing focus, and technology that allows organizations to better understand and target customers. This course will weave the CRM vision with the GoldMine technology and familiarize those individuals interested in strengthening customer relations. The objectives of this course include; 1) Familiarize individuals with the business concepts and philosophies related to Customer Relationship Management (CRM), and 2) Relate the CRM business concepts and goals with hands-on training using the technology GoldMine 6.5. The course will be offered Tuesday, August 9 from 9am-4pm at the Center for Research and Innovation. Click here for more information. The registration form is available online.

Winning Ticket will Develop Efficiency and Quality in your Workplace
Purchase “Season Tickets” to reserve your company’s seats at in The Winning Ticket Training Series. One “Season Ticket” reserves a seat in each of the nine training sessions. This allows your company the opportunity to select your appropriate team member to benefit from the training topics. People within the organization that you would like to develop as potential leaders within your organization or people within the organization needing CEU’s should plan to attend. Topics include value stream mapping, communication, conflict resolution, tools of quality, lean office, teambuilding, customer profiling and more. The series will begin September 8. The full schedule is available on line. Contact the CRI for more details.

Online Professional Development Certificate in Human Resources Begins September 6
The Center for Research and Innovation will offer their on-line professional development non-credit certificate in Human Resources Management beginning September 6. The 12-week course is designed for professionals who are new to the human resources field or human resources assistants and staff who provide technical or administrative support. The interactive design of the program will help participants build a network of resources and people that will last long after the course is completed. Registration is available online, or contact the Center for Research and Innovation for more information.

News From the Natural Resources Consortium
”Allelopathy as a Mechanism for the Invasiveness of Typha Angustifolia”
An examination of cattail varieties in Minnesota, the chemicals they exude and their impact on other plants is the topic of a 3 p.m. natural resources presentation July 18 at the Bemidji State University Center for Research and Innovation. Presenting will be Meghann Jarchow, a graduate student at Mankato State University pursuing a master’s degree in plant ecology and holding a bachelor of arts degree in biology from Ripon College in Ripon, WI. The presentation is free and open to the public. The schedule of upcoming events is available on line.

Dr. Jerry Franklin to Present Ecological Forestry Lecture in Grand Rapids
Lecture by Dr. Jerry Franklin on principles of natural disturbance and stand development for application in silviculture will be presented on Thursday, September 8 from 9am to 12noon at the Sawmill Inn in Grand Rapids, MN. Franklin’s lecture will be followed by a responder’s panel of experts featuring Dr. Eric Zenner ( University of Minnesota), Ms. Cheryl Adams (UPM-Kymmene), Dr. John Almendinger (MN DNR) and Mr. Gary Swanson (USDA Forest Service, Chippewa National Forest) Registration for this workshop is available here.

Do Your Employees Have a Properly Fit Office?
The Bemidji State University Center for Research and Innovation will host a presentation providing instruction in Ergonomics and Back Safety based on guidelines applicable to any workplace environment. Presenting will be Joe Kapaun, an occupational therapist with North Country Peak Performance. Kapaun and his associates will instruct participants how to “fit the work to the worker” and how best to provide workplace safety education along with properly designed equipment, tools and work stations in an effort to prevent on-the-job injuries. The program will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, July 20. Advanced registration is required to guarantee lunch. Contact the CRI by email at cri@bemidjistate.edu or phone 218 755 4900 for more information.

Nonprofit Sector Economic Data Available
The economic scope and impact of nonprofit organizations in northwest Minnesota are critical factors that contribute to the dialog on the importance of maintaining a viable nonprofit sector. In a recent Volunteer Leadership workshop hosted by the Northwest Minnesota Foundation, CRI staffer Jeanne Edevold Larson presented the results of a research project on this topic that she and former staffer Anthony Schaffhauser conducted. Schaffhauser, now a Regional Labor Market Analyst with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Security, presented the same data at a recent forum in central Minnesota regarding the impact of nonprofits in the state. The research was funded by the Center for Rural Policy and Development and you can download a copy at www.ruralmn.org To view a June 19 commentary in the St. Paul Pioneer Press by the keynote speaker at the Volunteer Leadership regarding this topic, go to http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/business/columnists/11913408.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

CRI Partners with Leech Lake Tribal College, Leech Lake Reservation, and the Small Business Development Center to Offer FREE Business Courses
The Leech Lake Tribal College Center for Career Development is hosting a series of courses for anyone interested in starting their own business. Topics include Introduction to Business, Finances for the Non-financial Person, Marketing your Business, and Uses of a Computer in Your Business. Click here for more information.

CRI will be closed on Monday, July 4 in celebration of Independence Day. We wish you all a safe and happy holiday weekend.

Events and Links
The Department of Employee and Economic Development offers several programs that may be of help to you. Check out the latest news from DEED at http://www.cri-bsu.org/DEEDNewsletter_jul05.htm