The Business & Entrepreneurial Services Center currently has professional training opportunities, a resource library and incubator office space available in Detroit Lakes, Perham and Hawley. For more information, stop by the BES offices on the campus of M State in Detroit Lakes, give us a call at 218.844.5420 or check out the BES website at www.BESMState.com.

M State sales and marketing instructor Bryan Christensen has been named interim director of the college's Business & Entrepreneurial Services, which is located on the Detroit Lakes campus and involved in business incubators in five area communities.

Christensen, a Detroit Lakes native, succeeds Beth Pridday and will serve as director through June 2013. Prior to joining M State, he was director of safety and security for United Tribes Technical College and a criminal justice instructor for Rasmussen College. He is also a marketer for two family businesses and has been involved in instruction for both BES and M State's Custom Training Services.

He earned an AAS in computer and networking from M State, a bachelor's degree in management from the University of Minnesota and an MBA from the University of Mary and Southwest State University.

"We're excited to have Bryan join the BES group," said G.L. Tucker, dean of CTS and BES. "His experience with instruction and family businesses fits with our goal of looking for additional synergies between BES and all areas of M State."

BES provides both credit-based courses and workshops and training opportunities designed to strengthen new and existing businesses. BES was instrumental in the start-up of incubators in Detroit Lakes, Frazee, Hawley, New York Mills and Perham, and it supports The Hive, an innovative incubator marketing agency co-op on the Detroit Lakes campus.

Tucker said BES stakeholders will have the opportunity to be involved in the discussions as a long-range strategy is developed for BES during the coming months.

1. A person who organizes and manages an enterprise or venture (business) and assumes significant accountability for the inherent risks and the outcome;
2. French, from Old French, from entreprendre, to undertake.