GreatAmerica Financial Services Corp. is excited to announce the recent hiring of strong industry talent into its Connected Technology Division, led by Jonathan Fales, who will serve as vice president and general manager. Fales is a senior executive with more than 47 years' experience in the United States, Europe and Asia. He most recently served as a divisional president. Fales is a former partner with The Alta Group and former executive with IBM Global Financing. He is a graduate of Vanderbilt University.

In addition to managing and growing its existing presence in the technology industry, GreatAmerica expects to expand offerings to include the value-added reseller (VAR) and national service provider markets, while providing the superior service for which it is known.

"Bringing in this team to join and collaborate with our existing team gives us an instant lift of experience in serving the value-added reseller and national service provider markets, as well as increasing our OEM and expanded software market expertise," said Martin Golobic, CEO, GreatAmerica.

In addition to Fales, the GreatAmerica team welcomes:

• Taylor Coakley, vice president of sales, is a tenured sales executive with more than 10 years' experience in the VAR technology space. Coakley holds a bachelor's degree from Southwestern Assemblies of God University.
• Kirk Sipes, director of business development, is a senior executive with more than 35 years of experience in the IT channel — more than 20 of those in business development roles. Sipes is a graduate of The University of Texas at Dallas business school.
• Cameron Sikes, director of business development, is a graduate of Texas State University in finance. Sikes is a seasoned sales and business development leader with five years of experience in the VAR technology industry.
• Dustin Roberts is a strategic technology analyst. In his 20 years as a senior IT director with experience in AI cognitive services, Roberts has designed and implemented many API integrations with companies like Apple, Cisco and CDW. He has successfully managed migrations of large data centers across the country with zero downtime. Roberts is a graduate of Trinity Valley Community College.
• David Rieck, director of credit, is an accomplished hands-on financial professional with 20-plus years of strategic and tactical financial expertise. He holds an MBA from Oral Roberts University and a bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin — Whitewater.
• Jon Anderson, account manager, has almost five years of experience in the equipment leasing industry. He attended the University of Iowa.
• Robert Finch, account manager, brings three years of experience in the equipment leasing space. He holds a bachelor's degree in finance from Illinois State University.

"When talking with Jonathan and his team, we saw immediate similarities in values and customer-focused philosophies," Golobic said. "We're certain they will fit culturally and are delighted to enhance the GreatAmerica team with their expertise. Their combined experience and deep understanding of the industry will benefit us all."

"We're truly excited to bring our experience in the technology channel to this strong and deep technology team," Fales said. "The people and customer-oriented culture is a terrific fit for our group, and we look forward to joining the GreatAmerica team."

The new team joined GreatAmerica on Aug. 30, 2024, and will play a pivotal role in moving into new markets while maintaining positive long-term relationships with existing customers.

In other news, GreatAmerica Financial Services Corp. has announced that its Employee Advised Fund fall application period opens after the Labor Day weekend to nonprofits in the eastern Iowa area. Applications will be accepted Sept. 3-30, 2024, until 4:30 p.m. Central. The Employee Advised Fund, launched in 2022 is in addition to the GreatAmerica Donor Advised Fund, established in 2001. The combined funds provide more than $1.1 million to projects in the Cedar Rapids/Iowa City, Iowa, corridor each year. Both funds are managed by the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation.

The Employee Advised Fund empowers GreatAmerica employees to make charitable giving decisions on behalf of GreatAmerica. They vote from a selection of nonprofit applications, directly impacting worthy organizations in the community.

This is the fourth round of giving for the GreatAmerica Employee Advised Fund. The fund has awarded $750,000 so far to more than 30 unique nonprofit organizations in the Corridor.

"Our employees are passionate about giving back to the communities where they live," Golobic said. "During the most recent spring 2024 giving cycle, they directed $250,000 to 15 area nonprofits, awarding grants ranging from $5,000 to $25,000."

Nonprofit organizations must have a registered 501(c)(3) and GreatAmerica employee sponsor to apply. The awards focus on four areas: health and human services; arts and culture; environment; and public projects. For more information or to apply, visit http://www.greatamerica.com/giving.