Helping Servicemembers Shine

BBB partners with veterans groups for business event

Burnsville, MN – May 2, 2013 –As the Better Business Bureau of Minnesota and North Dakota’s (BBB) local Military Line® program nears its one-year anniversary, it will mark the occasion with an event promoting the hiring and nurturing of veteran talent. The BBB is partnering with the Minnesota Departments of Military Affairs and Veteran Affairs, and the United Veterans Legislative Council to offer Get in Line: Help Veterans Shine – a training targeted at business owners and hiring professionals. It will be held Tuesday, May 14 at the BBB’s office in Burnsville.

“In only its first year, our Military Line program has seen tremendous response and provided outreach to servicemembers throughout Minnesota and North Dakota,” said Lisa Jemtrud, Director of the BBB’s Educational Foundation - the Institute for Marketplace Ethics. “This training builds on that momentum, with the goal of reinforcing to businesses what an asset veteran talent can be to their organizations and also helping veteran-owned businesses become aware of opportunities that are available to them through the state of Minnesota.”

Among the speakers on May 14 will be Annette Kuyper, Director of Military Outreach for the Minnesota Department of Military Affairs, and Barb O’Reilly, Director of Women Veteran and Employment Initiatives for the Minnesota Department of Veteran Affairs. Vicki Lokken-Paverud, the BBB’s Military Program Coordinator, will also be presenting, as well as Jerry Kyser, 1st Vice Chairman with the United Veterans Legislative Council of Minnesota.

This seminar will help business owners and hiring professionals:

  • Identify current challenges and develop strategies to recruit, hire and retain veteran talent.
  • Gain insight into the military culture.
  • Discover BBB Military Line outreach programs and resources.
  • Translate the experience veterans possess to civilian skill sets.
  • Learn about the Yellow Ribbon Recognition Program
  • Become aware of opportunities for Veteran-friendly and Veteran-owner Minnesota businesses.

When: Tuesday, May 14, 2013, 12:30 – 4:30 p.m.

Where: BBB of Minnesota and North Dakota, 220 S. River Ridge Circle, Burnsville, MN

Register online by May 9 at TheFirstBBB.org/events. For more information or if you have questions, contact Vicki Lokken-Paverud at 651-695-2428 or .

The BBB of Minnesota and North Dakota launched their local Military Line program on May 19, 2012. This program isdesigned to help Minnesota and North Dakota servicemembers and their families make wise financial decisions and avoid scams.

Supported by an established national network with a century of expertise in marketplace knowledge, the mission of the BBB Military Line is to improve financial readiness and consumer education for service members, their families, and the military community.

Media Contact: Dan Hendrickson, Communications Coordinator

651-695-2463 /

The mission of the Better Business Bureau is to be the leader in building marketplace trust by promoting, through self-regulation, the highest standards of business ethics and conduct, and to instill confidence in responsible businesses through programs of education and action that inform, assist and protect the general public.We are open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.Monday through Friday. Contact the BBB at bbb.org or 651-699-1111, toll-free at 1-800-646-6222.

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