Business Briefly for Nov. 6

First Nevada Broadband Summit heads to Dayton on Nov. 19

DAYTON - A partnership between the governor's office and nonprofit group Connect Nevada will hold the first Nevada Broadband Summit in Dayton this month.

The event, titled "Wired for Success," will bring state, county and local leaders into a discussion about broadband expansion and the role it will play in the state's economic future.

The one-day even is scheduled for Nov. 19 at Dayton Intermediate School. Planned attendee's include Gov. Brian Sandoval's Deputy Chief of Staff Ann Wilkinson, Michael Skaggs of the state Office of Economic Development and State Health Information Technology Coordinator Lynn O'Mara, among others.

People who couldn't make it to the event in person can still contribute to the discussion and ask questions on Twitter with the hash tag #NVbroadband.

The RSVP deadline to attend in person is Nov. 9. To do so, visit www.connectnv.org. For more information, contact Lindsey Niedzielski at 343-9600 or lniedzielski@connectnv.org.

Local business gives $500,000 in free life insurance

Local financial planning company Abowd & Rose Financial Group has helped raise enough money to provide about $500,000 in free life insurance coverage to Northern Nevada families.

Abowd & Rose worked with MassMutual Life Insurance Company's LifeBridge SM charity to provide the assistance to working families in need. The Oct. 15 event at the Boys & Girls Club in Carson City brought families in to apply for the program and also enjoy family-friendly activities such as face painting and pony rides. Families who qualified for the program also left with $50 gift cards to Walmart.

Abowd & Rose has pledged to support the program in the future and hold similar annual events.

New dentist takes over Mountain Dental in Carson City

Dr. Matthew Schofield has taken over Mountain Dental at 913 Mountain St. in Carson City.

The American Fork, Utah, native has called Nevada home for the past seven years and has lived in Carson City since July 2010. He bought Mountain Dental, which has been in existence since the 1960s, in March.

In a statement he said he and his family of six have enjoyed the beauty of the area and its family friendly atmosphere. He wrote that his team is focused on a "positive, personalized and friendly dental experience."

PR firm warns of targeted scams

Christel Hall of PRowrite Public Relations in Minden recently heard her firm had won a "Best In Business Award" saying that her firm was top of "the many" public relations and marketing businesses in Minden.

"Right.... All three of us?" she wrote in a warning email to colleagues.

She said that the email telling her of the so-called award looked very professional, but on closer inspection it was clearly a scam, having come from the U.S. Commerce Association - not a Chamber of Commerce affiliate - and said the winners needed to order their awards.

"While this scam might be familiar to many of you, I thought I would post this message so that those of you who have not heard of it won't have to waste any time reading or making sense of the email," Hall wrote in the email. "It's basically an outfit that makes money off the award some duped person might decide to purchase."

Job seeker's club forms in Carson City

Path2Work Job Club has started meeting Fridays at 2 p.m. at Comma Coffee, 312 S. Carson Street, to offer support and advice to area job seekers.

The club charges a $25 "commitment fee" for a six-week membership. The fee is to "remind job seekers that they have invested in themselves and need to take advantage of the friendship sand advice offered by the club each week," according to a press release.

"This was a missing piece in the job search services offered in this area," said co-founder Larissa Faulkner, who holds a Ph.D. in communications. "People could go to occasional workshops, meet with a career counselor a few times, or take a new course, but they had no one to talk to regularly to help them stay focused on the right path to employment."

The group is also seeking a charitable sponsor to help members who are living below the poverty line.

For more information, contact Faulkner at 443-1594, Kathleen McGlone at 884-2168 or Lori Royal 883-1178.

RE/MAX agent wins regional award

Mary Jo Brummer, a Carson City-based RE/MAX agent, was awarded a certificate of excellent for reaching the No. 7 individual sales position in Nevada in June.

Brummer has been in the real estate industry for more than 14 years and holds the certified residential specialist and certified distressed property expert designations.

"Mary Jo has been an integral member of our team and is more than deserving of this Certificate of Excellence," said Phil Reith, Broker/Manager, of RE/MAX Realty Affiliates. "Receiving this certificate is a tremendous accomplishment. Mary Jo continues to raise the bar in real estate, making us and this community proud."

Brummer can be reached at RE/MAX Realty Affiliates, 2310 S. Carson Street, Suite 1, Carson City, NV or on her cell phone at 721-5905.

Nominations for National Guard/Reserve's employer support award being accepted

The Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, a Department of Defense agency, is now accepting nominations for the 2012 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award.

The award is the highest the Department of Defense's highest award for civilian employers who count National Guardsmen and military reservists among their employees. Nominations may be submitted through Jan. 16 at www.freedomaward.mil.

Liberty Mutual in Reno to change locations

RENO - Liberty Mutual Insurance in Reno will move its Reno branch office to the Reno Tahoe Tech Center at 10315 Professional Circle, suite 115.

It held its ribbon cutting on Thursday and is back open for business.

To contact the agency, call 323-8600 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Local doctor earns national recognition

Dr. James R. Colgan, member of the board of managers of the Sierra Surgery Hospital in Carson City, was named one of the top 150 physician leaders in the ambulatory surgery center industry, according to Becker's ACS Review, an industry publication.

Colgan is also chairman of the board for the Carson Ambulatory Surgery Center, founder of Physicians Managed Care and medical director and board member of Physicians Select Management.

Becker's ACS Review picked the physicians on the list based on their leadership efforts in surgery centers or ASC-focused companies, as well as their work in advocating for surgery centers on a local or national level.