JPEC Staff

Ted Bair, Kelley Crane, Mark Olchefske, Tim Putnam, Terry Schumaker,  Elizabeth Smith, Mary Spitz, Jamie T. Zanios

Jamie T. Zanios, Vice President

Board Director: AAA Minnesota/Iowa since 1987, The Auto Club Group since 2002; currently serves as chair, AAA Minnesota/Iowa; Board Chair of Mercy Medical Center – North Iowa; Board Chair of the Economic Development Revolving Loan Fund; Board Chair of the Eastern Orthodox Trust Fund; Board Member North Iowa Tennis Club, Advisory Board Member of the Globe’s “In Business” publication

Other Business Activities: Commercial Real Estate development, Managing Partner in Atlas Properties LLC, President/Chairman of Iowa Packaging Corporation

Prior Business Experience: SVP Kingland Systems Corp.; Director Sales and Marketing, Wellborn Industries; President, Zanios Foods; Founded Century Wines Ltd. (new business start up partnership); Founded a National Software Users Group for a proprietary software application; Investment Representative, Paine Webber; Vice President, The Patten Companies – Advertising;

Education: Mason City High School, 1964; BBA University of Iowa, 1969, with an emphasis in Journalism

Family: Wife: Nancy Smythe Zanios, Children: Thomas James Zanios III, Whitney Smythe Zanios, and Parker William Zanios

Interests: Tennis, Golf, Sailing, Swimming, Skiing, Reading, Jogging

Contact Jamie at: zaniojam@niacc.edu or call 641-422-4162

Tim Putnam, Associate Director

Tim Putnam is Associate Director for the North Iowa Area Community College John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center. The center offers comprehensive entrepreneurial training and support programs for entrepreneurs, small business owners, communities and students. Tim has led presentations and workshops on entrepreneurial education, creating an entrepreneurial community creating a community angel fund, and small business development at both state and national conferences. Current areas of focus include creating an entrepreneurial campus, entrepreneurship education, state wide FastTrac® programming, administrative support for the North Iowa Venture Capital Fund, LLC and regional economic development through entrepreneurship. Tim has over 10 years of management experience with Pizza Hut of America, Inc., leading sites across the Midwest.

Tim is a board member of United Way of North Central Iowa and Mason City Economic Development Corporation. He serves on the Iowa Entrepreneurship Task Force and the Iowa Business Council Entrepreneurial Task Force.

Tim has a BS in Business Administration from Kansas State University and a Master's in Public Administration from Drake University.

Contact Tim at: putnatim@niacc.edu or call 641-422-4192

Ted Bair, Director - Small Business Development Center

Ted Bair is the Director of NIACC’s Small Business Development Center. Ted focuses on helping entrepreneurs start, operate, and exit their businesses in addition to offering workshops and training sessions. As a local entrepreneur in Mason City for over 25 years, Ted’s practical and real world experience will help grow North Iowa’s businesses.

Ted is a NIACC alum and received his bachelor’s degree from Buena Vista University. He has also completed additional coursework at The University of Iowa.
 
Contact Ted at: bairted@niacc.edu or call 641-422-4342

Mark Olchefske, Director - Regional Business Development Services

Mark Olchefske is the Director of Regional Business Development Services at the North Iowa Area Community College John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center. He provides consulting to new North Iowa companies through the Regional Business Incubator System funded by Congress and with established companies through the Business Accelerator Program funded by the Iowa Department of Economic Development (IDED). He also provides technical assistance to businesses that are owned by women, minorities and individuals with disabilities through IDED’s Targeted Small Business Program.

Mark received his Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Minnesota and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of St. Thomas. Over the past 25 years, he has held executive positions in Product Development, Operations, Import/Export, Marketing, and General Management at a variety of industry leading companies.

Contact Mark at: olchemar@niacc.edu or call 641-422-4191

Terry Schumaker, Director - Workforce Development Partnership

Terry Schumaker is Economic Development Director for the Workforce Development Partnership – a partnership made up of North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC) and Iowa Workforce Development (IWD). In this position, Terry works with North Iowa businesses to help them access business services available to them through NIACC and IWD. He has been in this position since March 2000. Some of his primary focuses are assisting businesses in accessing job-training funds through the Iowa Department of Economic Development and customizing employee recruitment and training strategies. Terry also works closely with North Iowa economic development organizations and other college and workforce development staff on various economic and workforce development projects. Prior to coming to NIACC, Terry spent four years as Executive Vice President of the Oskaloosa Area Chamber & Development Group in Oskaloosa, Iowa. He has an Associate of Arts degree from North Iowa Area Community College, a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Administration & Economics from Minnesota State University, Mankato, and a Masters of Business Administration degree from Drake University.

Contact Terry at: schumter@niacc.edu or call 641-422-4170

Kelley Crane, School Partnership Entrepreneurial Coordinator

Kelley Crane is the School Partnership Entrepreneurial Coordinator, which focuses on K-12 entrepreneurial education. Kelley is organizing the Entrepreneur for a Day program and facilitating the fifth grade program across North Iowa.

Kelley received her bachelor of science in public relations from Northwest Missouri State University. Her background is in community relations, recruitment and education.

Contact Kelley at cranekel@niacc.edu or call 641-422-4234

Elizabeth Smith, Administrative Assistant

Elizabeth Smith is the Administrative Assistant for the Business Incubator at the North Iowa Area Community College John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center. She is assisting Mark Olchefske working with Incubator clients in the Incubator and Business Center.

Elizabeth received her Bachelor of Arts in Business Management and Media Communications from Waldorf College in Forest City, Iowa and is currently pursuing her MBA. Her background is in marketing, advertising, and public relations with manufacturing and non-profit organizations.

Contact Elizabeth at: smitheli@niacc.edu or call 641-422-4384

Mary Spitz, Administrative Assistant

Mary Spitz is the Administrative Assistant for the North Iowa Area Community College John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center and the Small Business Development Center.

Mary received her Bachelors of Business Administration from Campbell University in North Carolina. Previously Mary worked as an assistant to the CEO at Mitchell County Regional Health Center in Osage.

Contact Mary at: spitzmar@niacc.edu or call 641-422-4111 or 4342