The Iowa State Center announced two new employees last week.

Joan Greiner has been named conference sales coordinator, and Chris Leader will take on a position as assistant technical director of personnel and exteriors.

Leader, a May 1999 ISU graduate in general business management and native of West Des Moines, holds dual roles. He is in charge of hiring, training and firing the technical staff in addition to overseeing the supplying, setup, safety and tear down of outdoor events such as Imagination Destination and the Special Olympics Bicycle Race, which will take place this summer.

“[In the winter] I’m in charge of snow removal,” said Leader, who was previously employed as Hilton Coliseum building foreman.

As conference sales coordinator, Greiner’s goal is to bring in more business from the university, religious groups and businesses. Arranging conferences and meetings for as few as five and as many as 6,000 people is also part of her job.

She contacts faculty and attends trade shows in a constant effort to promote Ames and Iowa State.

“It’s an exciting business to be in, helping to showcase Ames,” she said.

Greiner is a resource for students as well. She will coordinate events for students who want to hold meetings but don’t necessarily know what the Iowa State Center has to offer.

One change the Iowa State Center will be making is updating the facilities and redecorating all the walls and floors.

“Everything was orange,” Greiner said. “We’re trying to remove all that.”

Before working at the Center, Greiner owned the Purple Peacock, a stationary and gift shop, and worked as sales manager for the Holiday Inn Gateway Center.

The California-native has lived in Ames for 11 years.