News from the Biz Bank ... Reno chosen as top city to do business

StoneHedge Financial Group, a Nevada-owned and operated full-service investment company and strategic alliance partner of Business Bank of Nevada, hired Carson City's Jay Tomlinson to manage a portion of the company's growing Northern Nevada operation. Tomlinson joins StoneHedge Financial with 40 years of experience in the investment and financial planning business. He will work at Business Bank's Carson City branch, 1811 E. College Parkway.

Business Bank

Business Bank also hired Beverly Caputo, a Carson Valley resident and muralist, to paint a 14- by-16-foot mural in the bank's new Minden branch. The mural, which is her first public project in Carson Valley, will capture the historical essence of Northern Nevada when it's completed and unveiled at the bank's May 5 VIP grand-opening reception. For an image of the mural color study, go to www.bbnv.com/ural.htm.

Radil

Rene Radil of Carson City recently joined the local office of the financial services firm Edward Jones as a branch office administrator.

Radil must complete the firm's training program within six months to graduate from a trainee into her new position. She has lived in Carson City for about two years.

Senior shotz

Upcoming high school seniors and their parents are invited to attend Senior Shotz, an informational open house at a.k.a. Smiles Photography. Local photographer Heather Steuer will offer tips on things to do for seniors in order to capture the best images for their senior portraits. These tips will be related to such things as clothing, hair, makeup and color choices.

Senior Shotz is May 4 and 5 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at a.k.a. Smiles Photography in the Costco Shopping Center, Reno. Contact Heather Steuer at 825-3686 for further information.

The Best

Inc. Magazine, the nation's premier publication for entrepreneurs, named Reno as its best place for doing business in America. The list - in the May issue of Inc., available Tuesday - is based on an objective review of job growth data in 274 cities supplied by the federal government.Sustained job growth balanced among many industries was the leading indicator of an entrepreneurial hot spot.

Buoyed by its low housing prices, a friendly business environment and scores of Silicon Valley refugees, Reno is this year's top city for entrepreneurial growth, according to the magazine. Florida, with its increasing numbers of highly educated workers fleeing higher-priced western and northern regions, boasted a staggering six of the top 25 cities on the list.

Major news on this year's list is the exodus of companies from high-cost urban centers to less-expensive and more business-friendly suburbs and small cities. The lower costs offered by such regions allow entrepreneurs to compete with rivals overseas.

n Contact reporter Becky Bosshart at bbosshart@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1212.