“I wear several hats,” says
Kirchoff, “all aimed at connecting
the community with the college and our
continuing education and customized training
endeavors.”
By all appearances, he’s hit the
ground running. “I’ve met
so many people I almost feel like I’ve
been running for office,” Kirchoff
says.
Among his initial efforts, Kirchoff
has begun administering a $400,000 Minnesota
Job Skills Partnership grant recently
awarded to Anoka-Ramsey Community College
(ARCC), Cambridge Medical Center and
Grandview Christian Ministries. The grant
will fund development and implementation
of new patient-care methods at both health
care facilities. Kirchoff will coordinate
the development of a patient-lift training
center on the Cambridge Campus, as well
as oversee the fiscal management of the
grant.
Kirchoff, whose main office is on the
Cambridge Campus, is also working with
two new Small Business Development Centers
(SBDCs), one based at the Cambridge Chamber
of Commerce offices and the other based
on the ARCC’s Coon Rapids campus.
Overseen by the Minnesota Department
of Employment and Economic Development,
both facilities are designed to assist
individuals who are considering starting
a business, as well as those in existing
businesses considering expansions. The
Cambridge SBDC office developed out of
an initiative spearheaded by the Cambridge
Area Chamber of Commerce. Kirchoff will
be working directly with contracted SBDC
counselors at both locations.
“We’re a clearinghouse for
information and consulting for small
businesses,” Kirchoff says.
Kirchoff will also work with larger
businesses in the area to evaluate their
customized training needs and set up
employee training programs. The goal,
he says, is to create training tailored
to an employer's workforce, timeline,
industry, or business plan.
Kirchoff has years of experience developing
training programs for military personnel
as a Brigade Command Sergeant Major in
the U.S. Army, and for businesses in
East Central Minnesota. He holds a master’s
in Human Resources Development and Training
from St. Cloud State University.
“We are pleased that we could
fill this important new position with
someone of Barry’s broad leadership
and training background,” says
ARCC President, Dr. Patrick M. Johns. “His
efforts will further solidify the college’s
ties with the East Central Minnesota
business community and demonstrates our
commitment to the community’s economic
development.”
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