Administrative Team
.jpg)
JILL ZETTERWALL | HR & Compliance Director
Loyalty means ‘stepping up your game!’
In addition to serving as Simonson’s Human Resources and Compliance Director, Jill Zetterwall has been one of Simonson’s most talented stylists since 1984. In that time, she has built a base of clients, many of which have been coming back for more than 20 years! Her advice for such long-term success: “Love your work; love every person who walks in the door!” For Jill, loyalty is a clearly a two-way street.
As the chain of Simonson’s salons has grown, she has used her extensive experience and people skills to foster enduring relationships with other managers and team members, making her the ideal person to head up Human Resources. In this role, Jill is responsible for ensuring a safe work environment, for developing managers, and for getting stylists, technicians, therapists, and aestheticians the right training to advance their careers, equipping them to give customers with the most memorable and high quality experience. In addition to her many certifications, Jill has advanced education in Employment Law, Worker’s Comp, Health Care Reform, and Leadership.
Jill may have finesse as a stylist, but true to her Minnesota roots, she is a sports fan and coaches those around her with the same gusto as on the athletic fields: “Step up your game! You gotta know customer service.”
MELISSA ARMSTRONG | MARKETING & MEDIA COORDINATOR
Talking up the buzz about simonson’s!
Serving up a great balance of fresh creative energy, business savvy, and community mindedness, Melissa Armstrong brings to bear her multi-faceted talents on her ever-changing demands as Simonson’s Marketing and Media Coordinator. “Whether it is updated technology, social media applications, or a different product, there is always something new and innovative,” she says of her busy but intensely satisfying work. With an accomplished background in advertising, project management, and event planning, Melissa’s current work brings out the best of Simonson’s corporate brand of superior customer care and perpetual renewal.
Growing up in the Twin Cities area, Melissa chose to attend the University of Minnesota for her education, enjoying both the local feel of her hometown campus as well as the diverse metropolitan student body. She graduated with a degree in Journalism with an emphasis in advertising. She also minored in Retail Merchandising. Her professional experience spans nonprofit, corporate, and community organizations including an exciting position with a professional sports franchise. Coupled with her polished design and social media skills, Melissa has everyone talking about Simonson’s!
Melissa makes her home in the Uptown neighborhood of Minneapolis, keeping fit on the lakeside running trails and frequenting the trendy restaurants or boutiques of the hipster hot spot.
.jpg)
DIANE CARDONI | BUYER & MERCHANDISER
Making the best in retail detail.
Diane Cardoni’s six years at Simonson’s caps an accomplished retail and merchandising career spanning four decades. As the buyer and merchandiser, her responsibilities include creating displays and ensuring the salon environment is comfortable and welcoming. She has extensive experience in both small and large scale retail environments. Contrasting the scale and scope of her responsibilities, she says of her big-box experience that decisions are made at the top and their execution flows downhill yet on the multi-location scale she works now, she is able to flex her creative muscle with a touch of the eclectic, and with pride she can say simply, “I did that!” With such a broad foundation, she has truly found her niche. She is the embodiment of Simonson’s creed: If there’s a better way, we’ll strive to find it.
In addition to her responsibilities in merchandising, Diane also serves as a Guest Service Representative at the Anoka salon, something she is ideally suited for. She appreciates the daily challenge to make every client count and ultimately that she is able to make a difference. “The company has faith in my abilities,” she says, adding, “my job is as exciting today as it was when I started.”
ASHLEY THOMPSON | Executive Assistant
Bringing things together.
In every organization, there is someone who has a way of bringing things together. At Simonson’s, that someone is Ashley Thompson. Not only does she work closely with leadership in ensuring the books balance, she is often the first person guests are greeted by when they arrive. She came to Simonson’s in 2008 as a guest services representative. She established herself as hard working and a leader and somehow still found time to earn her Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Minnesota School of Business. She has an eye toward furthering her career with a CPA or CMA designation, and at some point, an MBA. Ashley is clearly on a mission!
Her assertiveness and competence have won her promotion to her current position where she trains new guest service representatives in addition to managing payables, payroll, and other accounting functions. Ashely is a Minnesota native, having grown up in the Twin Cities suburb of Blaine.
Nita Larson | Senior Sanitation Steward
Nita ensures our salon and spa environments are clean and beautiful. She received the Simonson's F.A.C.E.T.S. Award in 2009 for her Formidable Achievement of Commendable and Extraordinary Team Spirit. The Simonson's F.A.C.E.T.S. Award recipient is selected by votes from Simonson's team members.
