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CHEYENNE EDITION: Phil Long Lincoln

April 27, 2012 by Kate

Phil Long Ford introduces Lincoln luxury for a new generation

For some driver, the Lincoln automotive brand is still connected to the popular luxury Town Cars of the past. Dan Jonuska, however, says that misconception will soon be a thing of the past when Phil Long opens its revamped showroom for the revamped Lincoln brand in June.

“We’re excited,” says Jonuska, general manager of Phil Long Ford Lincoln in Motor City. “Ford has been such a strong brand in recent years, especially strong here in our community. I think Phil Long is therefore the perfect place to introduce Colorado Springs and southern Colorado to the new Lincoln.”

The excitement is certainly understandable. The Lincoln MKZ, the first of Lincoln’s new line of vehicles to be revealed, created a lot of excitement at the recent New York International Auto Show. The streamlined design includes a split front grill and chrome accents, and under the hood, a six-cylinder engine or a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder EcoBoost hybrid version that’s rated for 40-plus miles per gallon, the highest in the luxury class.

“The technological advances in the MKZ are impressive,” says Jonuska, who explains in particular MyLincoln Touch, a smart-phone integration system with an 8-inch touch screen, voice-activated navigation and more. Plus, the MKZ offers an industry-first retractable panoramic roof, measuring 4 feet long and more than 3 feet wide.

“It’s also an amazingly quiet, comfortable ride with luxury-car performance,” says Jonuska. “It’s the sort of ground-breaking car that will attract a whole new generation of luxury buyers.”

Lincoln calls this new target market “culturally progressive luxury customers,” a younger group who crave a personal, more boutique buying experience. Phil Long’s newly redesigned, 6,000-square-foot showroom will provide that experience. Already, 40 percent of Lincoln’s customers are conquests from other brands, and Jonuska says the brand’s new culture will only grow that number.

“Younger buyers tend to be loyal to brands that provide smaller-scale, customizable and quality buying experiences,” he says. “With the MKZ and the seven models Lincoln is rolling out in the next three years, these won’t just be stunning cars. I think they’ll earn that new generation’s lifetime loyalty.”

The Lincoln showroom is scheduled to open to the public June 1, 2012 at 1212 Motor City Drive. For more information, call Phil Long Ford Lincoln at 719-575-7100 or visit them online at fordmotorcity.com.

This article published in the April 27, 2012 Cheyenne Edition.

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Jobs: University of the Rockies

August 8, 2010 by Kate

By Kate Jonuska

It’s no surprise that University of the Rockies new provost, Tina Parscal, PhD, has a passion for quality: She has 20 years of experience in higher education and, promoted from within, was the university’s former director of academic quality. With her new position overseeing not only academic curriculum but also faculty and the student experience, she plans on taking her dedication to quality to the next level university-wide.

“I think one of the nice vantage points I had as director of academic quality is a perspective of seeing across programs ways we can improve our existing high quality,” says Parscal. “One of the things I hope to implement is a strategic examination and review of the quality of our curriculum.”

One main way she hopes to achieve this goal of further excellence on every level is by working with the Quality Matters initiative, a consortium which reviews universities against the best industry standards and also measures student outcomes. In other words, Quality Matters researches if an institution is constructing their educational experience in the best possible way and if the students are matching the levels of success they expect.

“Accreditation is wonderful, but this goes further in terms of internal, continual processes for improvement,” Parscal explains, who says that Quality Matters values what employers are looking for today. “By linking to those (expectations), we can insure that we are adequately preparing students for their practice and career. It’s an assurance to our students that we are delivering what the profession demands.”

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published in the Aug. 8, 2010 Springs Jobs.

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Jobs: Colorado Technical University

August 1, 2010 by Kate

By Kate Jonuska

A doctorate may seem like a lofty, abstract goal, a degree for academics cloistered in university libraries and laboratories. But at Colorado Technical University’s Institute for Advanced Studies, graduate students can guide their education toward their personal passions with programs in the most in-demand, cutting-edge career paths.

“It’s an applied program rather than a theoretical program, and it is student-driven,” says Dr. Joanne Preston, director of education of the IAS, which offers doctorates of computer science and management. “In other words, the student comes in with their passion and excitement and interests, and they can pursue that. In other programs, the chair of your committee tells you what you’re going to research, whereas our faculty guides students toward their own passions.”

For instance, one student decided to specialize in creating software to interact with autistic children. Another studied the power of quantum computers, while others have specifically focused their management program on emerging markets in China. The CTU program helps these students make a real-world difference in their field of choice rather than focusing on theoretical knowledge.

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published in the Aug. 1, 2010 Springs Jobs.

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Jobs: Regis University

July 11, 2010 by Kate

By Kate Jonuska

When you want to move into a position of responsibility in the workplace, understanding business theories and management skills is certainly important. But beyond being effective business people and managers, students in Regis University’s College for Professional Studies also learn the more complex and valuable lesson of how to be a successful leader.

“We refer to leadership skills as soft skills, but they’re the hardest to acquire,” says Peter Bemski, Ph.D., chair of Regis’ Master of Science in Organization Leadership (MSOL) program.

“Organizational leadership is a much more dynamic, interactive approach, and therefore it’s a much more applied perspective, as well. You don’t think about yourself, but are more aware of how you fit and interact with others,” he explains. “I think in this day and age, people need skills in both areas. Effective management really enables leadership.”

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published in the July 11, 2010 Jobs section of The Gazette.

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Home & Style: Broadview Terrace

May 23, 2010 by Kate

By Kate Jonuska

Being one of the most desirable areas in town with its great views, great schools and great outdoors you might think it hard to find a great home in Southwestern Colorado Springs, let alone a great new-construction home. But tucked into a hillside behind Bear Creek Regional Park, developers are building Broadview Terraces, a gated community that offers the best of the Southwest at an affordable price.

“The property is roughly 16 acres in total, and it goes all the way down the hill,says Jon Schlichting, one of the community’s managing partners. 典he topography going down the hill allows the majority of our homes to take advantage of views of Garden of the Gods and Pikes Peak, views that even our competitors down the street can’t offer and that definitely distinguish us from other developments.”

Broadview Terraces will eventually offer 85 home sites, 26 of which are available in the Phase 1, currently in progress. With their semi-custom single-family patio homes, the developers’ focus is on creating a low-maintenance lifestyle without sacrificing an ounce of quality or livability.

“We’re looking at the move down buyer, someone maybe moving from Broadmoor or Skyway,says RE/MAX Advantage Realty broker Darrell Wass, who is exclusively marketing the community. Those owners who had a nice home and they want something low maintenance so they can travel, but that’s still big enough for their lifestyle.”

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published in the May 23, 2010 Springs Home & Style.

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Jobs: University of the Rockies

May 9, 2010 by Kate

By Kate Jonuska

In many careers, emotions and personal thoughts are pushed out of the equation in the quest for professionalism and neutrality. But the University of the Rockies, a graduate-level institution focusing on various branches of psychology, knows that the most rewarding careers are instead those that tackle emotions and personal issues head on, jobs whose purpose is to improve another person’s quality of life.

The professionals helping others face-to-face in the field are those in clinical psychology, says Dr. David Solly, dean of the University of the Rockies School of Professional Psychology.

“That branch of psychology is the area that works with individuals who have fairly severe adjustment or emotional issues, who need someone to do some personal counseling or therapy to learn how to copy with the stressors in life,he explains. 鏑ife is not easy, and we like to believe that clinical psychology can help make life a little easier by helping people cope with it… (and) it’s rewarding emotionally and personally to know you’re had an impact in someone’s life in that way.”

Students drawn toward a career in clinical psychology are people who are genuinely interested in the welfare and happiness of others, and students are drawn toward the University of the Rockies to pursue their studies because of the school’s specialization in the field and also because of their academic philosophy.

“One of the great advantages of our program in clinical psychology is that instead of being PhD program, its’a PsyD, a doctorate of psychology,says Solly, who adds that while the former is a more academic or research-oriented degree, the PsyD is focused on in-the-field practice. In other words, the university focused on creating scholar-practitioners rather than scholar-scientists.

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published in the May 9, 2010 Springs Jobs.

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Jobs: ADD STAFF

February 28, 2010 by Kate

Local staffing firm celebrates 25 years of success
By Kate Jonuska

In 1984, one woman with a passion for helping people find work took out a loan to start a locally owned and operated staffing agency. Twenty five years later, ADD STAFF founder and president Cari Shaffer is rightfully proud of and excited by the independent company’s success.

“We’ve employed more than 38,500 individuals since 1984,” says Shaffer, who started with mainly accounting and administrative staffing, and then expanded into technical, executive and direct hire arenas – recently introducing allied medical staffing, as well. “When we made it to five years, we were elated of course, but I was sure not to rest on those laurels … Turning 25 made me think it’s been such a quick 25 years. It’s a fast ride, but it’s been so much fun.”

Along with a team of dedicated, mostly long-term employees, Shaffer has built ADD STAFF into the best locally based, independent staffing agency in Colorado Springs by focusing on creating relationships and serving the needs of both hiring companies and job seekers, considering both to be clients deserving of top notch treatment.

“We effect a huge piece of a person’s life, because you spend so much time at work,” she explains. “On the other side of the coin, companies also spend a lot of time with their employees, who can be truly negative or positive to their business. So if you can place an employee with an organization where they fit happily, they bring so much to the table.”

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this story, which published in the Feb. 28, 2010 Spring Jobs.

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Jobs: Regis University

February 21, 2010 by Kate

By Kate Jonuska

Career dissatisfaction often stems from a feeling that something is missing, whether that’s time, self expression, financial reward or personal fulfillment. The beauty of pursuing a continuing education in a helping field such as counseling is that you might not only find and fix the source of your own unhappiness, you’re also equipped to try to improve the lives of others, which might ultimately be the larger reward.

“I’ve never done anything as fulfilling as counseling in my life,” says JoLynne Reynolds, assistant dean of the School of Education and Counseling, a division of Regis University’s School of Professional Studies. “There’s a sense that you’re honoring the humaness in all of us, meeting people where they are and not judging them, but helping them examine their lives and find ways to be more happy and fulfilled.”

Offering masters of arts degrees in counseling (which leads to becoming a Licensed Professional Counselor) as well as marriage and family therapy (designed for aspiring Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists), Regis finds that many students are drawn toward counseling’s physical benefits. The median salary is $45,000 to $50,000, for instance, and the Occupational Outlook Handbook predicts employment of mental health counselors will grow by 30 percent through 2016.

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published in the Feb. 21, 2010 Springs Jobs.

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Jobs: University of the Rockies

February 14, 2010 by Kate

By Kate Jonuska

Reorganizing your resume, practicing your interview skills and polishing your professional appearance are all vital ways of marketing yourself for a new position or new promotion, but those with true ambition and drive realize that often education and only education can get your foot in the door of your dream office.

“In an intellectual society like ours and a service economy like ours, education becomes a huge benefit to those that have it and a detriment to those that don’t,” says Dr. Ernest Price, provost of the University of the Rockies, a psychology-focused graduate school based in Colorado Springs. “Less than 30 percent of Americans have any degree at all – and that’s a big number – but that means 70 percent don’t. Once you get down to masters and doctoral numbers, which are the programs we offer, it becomes less than 2 percent.”

Among that 2 percent of graduate degrees, Price believes one of the most valuable across many fields is the study of organizational leadership, which is a great extension of the university’s specialization in psychology.

“It’s a great adjunct to the clinical (psychology) program, which is concerned with the ways individuals act and think,” he explains. “But organizational leadership lends itself to those that want to focus within organizations, looking into the minds and behavior of people as a group. It’s analyzes why people and therefore why organizations behave as they do, and then gives you the ability to guide that organization toward its goals.”

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published in the Feb. 14, 2010 Springs Jobs.

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Jobs: GCM Lincolnshire Arbora

January 24, 2010 by Kate

By Kate Jonuska

Every career requires you to become an expert in something, whether that specialty is working with people, sales, research, design or predicting the stock market. But the trained and talented professionals at career-management firm GCM Lincolnshire Arbora specialize in careers themselves, other peoples’ careers and how to improve them.

“Most people have never been taught what to do to maximize their careers to where they want to be. They basically let the company take care of it or let chance take care of it,” says GCM CEO Mark Renn. “What we do is empower people to move in the direction they want. That can mean getting a certain position, but it can also mean getting to another level or moving laterally. We do everything from career transitioning to maximizing their position in the industry they’re already in.”

GCM’s certified career counselors are more than head hunters, more than human resource professionals. Instead, much like actors and athletes have agents, a career manager is the person in your corner, representing your best interests. By charting your career path, they’re able to pin down your passions and talents, maximize your marketability, find the best opportunities and even negotiate terms to your best advantage.

“In today’s world, we find everyone is doing a job search incorrectly in different ways, in some way. We have a very strong, quality process that makes things happen for our clients,” explains Renn, who says GCM’s clients are getting jobs very quickly despite a slower job market. “People should really check into our services to see if it’s right fit for them, because frankly, if we can shorten that job search even one month or two – and they will with us – that’s a tremendous amount of money to recoup.”

CLICK HERE to read the full text of this article, which published in the Jan. 24, 2010 Springs Jobs.

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