Jim Swift, chairman and CEO of Holmes Murphy & Associates, has announced several organizational changes as part of the company’s planned leadership-perpetuation strategy. Swift will oversee growth plans along with client acquisition and retention for HMA Inc., holding company for Holmes Murphy & Associates. Swift will manage all operations for Holmes Murphy, including information technology, human resources and accounting. Dan Keough and Dennis Bishop will now oversee all Holmes Murphy regional divisions, in addition to their current leadership responsibilities. Jason Hellickson will be the company’s chief operating officer, as well as its national practice leader. Keough, as president of the northern division, will direct the Des Moines property-casualty and employee benefits business as well as the offices in Cedar Rapids and Davenport, Iowa; Madison,Wis.; Omaha, Neb.; Peoria, Ill.; and Sioux Falls, S.D. He will continue to oversee Holmes Murphy’s corporate marketing function and affiliated companies Innovative Captive Strategies and Creative Risk Solutions. Bishop, president of the southern division, will oversee offices in Dallas, Texas; Overland Park, Kan.; Denver; Oklahoma City; Scottsdale, Ariz.; and St. Louis.

Michael Wells, president and CEO of Wells’ Dairy Inc., has joined the Iowa Business Council (IBC). Membership in the IBC, a nonprofit, nonpartisan association that comprises 24 members and includes the top executives of Iowa’s 20 largest employers, the three state universities and Iowa’s largest banking association, is by invitation only. Wells began his career with Wells’ Dairy as a route driver in 1977 while working his way through college. He also serves on the board of the International Dairy Foods Association.

Metro Waste Authority announced that its first year of using wheeled carts for its Curb It! recycling program resulted in the largest single-year increase in recycling in the program’s 16-year history. In the past year, a total of 26,357 tons were collected across the metro area, an increase of 3,000 tons. “We are pleased with the increase in recycling as a result of the new wheeled carts,” said Tom Hadden, executive director of Metro Waste. “Our hat’s off to our residents for being such avid recyclers and growing the program.” On July 1, 2000 additional households in unincorporated Polk County joined the Curb It! program.

The Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals (DIA) Thursday issued a warning about a phony health inspector who is preying on Iowa food establishments. “The caller claims that he needs the employee’s cell phone number in order to prepare for the investigation,” said Dean Lerner, director of the DIA. According to a release, Casey’s General Stores Inc. notified the DIA that two of its stores in Atlantic were targeted by the phony inspector. Questions about a state food inspector’s identity may be directed to the Food and Consumer Safety Bureau at (515) 281-6538.

House of Mercy, a comprehensive social service agency focused on helping women and families deal with significant life issues such as trauma, chemical dependency and mental health problems, has received a $10,000 grant from Principal Financial Group Foundation Inc. The grant will be used to continue and expand House of Mercy’s self-sufficiency and financial independence programming to women in need.