MTI Appoints New Grants Director
Deb Shirk recently joined MTI as director of grants and contracts and member of the leadership team.
Shirk brings 15 years of grant writing experience, primarily in education. She spent 10 years between the Dakota County Technical College and the University of Minnesota, where she developed relationships with federal, state and local resources.
“[Grant work] is all about building capacity,” she says. “It gives the ability to leverage funding to develop new program content, to sustain programming, to develop staff credentials.” For example, she says, MTI has worked closely with Minnesota’s Job Skills Partnership (MJSP) to develop several programs regarding training within the industry.
MJSP grants require partnerships between academic resources and specific local businesses, she says.
“You can gain exposure to geographic markets that you might not otherwise have touched before,” she says.
Shirk’s husband, Jim, is a Blackhawk helicopter pilot and instructor for the National Guard. As part of that activity, Shirk spends time as a family support worker for the Family Readiness Group, an entity of the government.
“Our role is to help connect families to resources,” Shirk says, which could include anything from access to health care, to finding help plowing driveways.
A lifelong resident of Lakeville, Shirk has two children, ages 17 and 13.
— Anne Mason
MTI Adds New Business Growth Consultant
Earlier this year, MTI opened the doors to its much-anticipated northeast Minnesota office. With the hiring of Diann Lowinski, MTI has reopened a relationship home-base with Duluth and the Iron Range.
“Northeast Minnesota presents important strategic opportunities for MTI,” says Bob Kill, MTI’s president and CEO. “The area has a significant sense of entrepreneurship and local community backing, and a real appreciation for the kind of stable, well-paying jobs that can come from manufacturing.”
MTI has developed working relationships with companies based on the Iron Range, Duluth and northeast Minnesota, but opening an office with staff based in the area sends a message that it expects long-term growth opportunities, he added.
Staffing the office is Duluth native Diann Lowinski, a seasoned professional with more than 20 years of business experience.
After attending the University of Minnesota, Duluth, Lowinski relocated to the Twin Cities, where she worked for nine years as a monetary fraud analyst for Money Gram International.
She moved back to Duluth as a national business analyst for United Health Group, where she worked for 10 years, gaining firsthand experience in Six Sigma. Most recently she has worked with her husband at his Duluth-based plumbing and heating business.
“Diann brings to MTI a strong sense of customer service A.M. whether they are large or small.” Kill says. “Her diverse experience enables her to analyze the struggles of a growing business, whether they are large or small.” MTI's office is located in the US Bank building in downtown Duluth.
- A.M.