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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Business Beat

Compiled By Tina Carey

NEW FACES:

TCI of Washington has named Ken Watts general manager for the Spokane system. Watts previously worked in Tucson, Ariz., where he managed a 100,000-household cable system for three years.

Dominic Zamora, an attorney and former auditor with the Internal Revenue Service, has joined the Spokane office of LeMaster and Daniels PLLC as a special consultant in tax and estate planning. While at the IRS, he was one of nine auditors responsible for the analysis and assessment of taxation on trusts and estates in the Northwest region. As an attorney, he served as an assistant attorney general for the state of Washington.

Sarah Bush Johnson has joined GroMedia, the agricultural communications firm, as an associate. Johnson, who received a bachelor’s degree from Western Baptist College, will oversee trade exhibit and Web site management and coordinate 4-H and FFA news.

Courtesy Communication Inc. has hired Jeremiah Trousdale as its technical support specialist for paging and mobile telephone service. Trousdale was previously with Golden State Cellular of Sonora, Calif.

Mike Fadich has joined J&M Electric of Moses Lake as an estimator/project manager. Fadich has seven years of sales experience in the electrical wholesale industry, including two years of quotation experience, along with a broad knowledge of all phases of electrical products.

Drs. Daniel Schmidt and Lon Madsen have joined Holy Family Hospital’s active medical staff in the practice of family medicine. Schmidt received his professional training at the University of Health Sciences - College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed a residency at Deaconess Hospital in St. Louis, Mo. Madsen is a graduate of the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific. He completed an internship and residency at the San Bernadino County Medical Center, and is certified by the American Board of Family Practitioners. Both join Drs. Piper, Krueger, Lahtinen and Vereen at the Doctor’s Clinic.

Quality Steel Buildings Inc. has added Steven “Cowboy” Marks to its staff. Marks will head the equine development and cattle division. He has designed custom horse facilities for 19 years from Texas to the Northwest.

Tomlinson Black North has added the following people to its staff:

Gary Tarkington was previously with Century 21 and Prudential Crane. He will specialize in residential property sales.

Frank Burger was previously with Prudential Crane for eight years. Burger, who earned GRI and CRS designations, will specialize in residential sales.

Two telecommunication veterans have joined Nextlink Washington:

Richard Yahne, who has 21 years of experience in the telecommunications industry, was named operations manager of the Spokane office. He previously was manager of GTE’s special service and data departments and supervised installation of large business switching systems and local area networks (LANs) in Coeur d’Alene.

Terry Jett brings more than 19 years of technical design experience to his new job as Nextlink sales engineer. Jett formerly was an expert in equipment and network technologies for US West. He will work with business customers and sales team members to provide networking solutions and technical design.

MOVING UP:

Dr. Steve Laney has been named assistant medical director of benefits management for Group Health Northwest. Along with his part-time administrative function, Laney, a family practitioner, will continue to see patients at the HMO’s Maple Street Health Care Center.

Coopers & Lybrand L.L.P. has promoted Greg Hougham to market managing partner of the Spokane office.

Carmen Bradbury has been promoted to general manager of the Inn at Priest Lake in Coolin, Idaho. Bradbury, who attended Spokane Community College, previously worked for Bonner County School District.

Creative Memories of St. Cloud, Minn., has promoted Melode Hall to director. Hall also was honored at the company’s national convention in Minneapolis for finishing 10th in national sales.

ELECTED:

New officers of the Washington State Association of Broadcasters include: chairman of the board, Verl Wheeler, president of Wheeler Broadcasting Inc., which owns KEYG-AM/FM in Grand Coulee and KZLN-FM in Othello; vice chairman of the board, Lon Lee, president and general manager of KHQ-TV; and secretary/treasurer, Val Limburg, professor of communications, Edward R. Murrow School of Communications, Washington State University.

Wishing Star Foundation board members and officers for 1998 are: Board chair: Susan Prince, Appleway Chevrolet; vice-chair, Tarri Bye; secretary, Lynn Winkler, Central Valley School District; treasurer, Dr. Anne Oakley, Physician Anesthesia Group. Other board members include: John Baker, The Spokesman-Review; John Mellick, Mortgage One; Mike Williams, Winston and Cashatt; Dan Nagy, Wendy’s; Ted Rusnak, B&B Distributors; John Goedde, Panhandle Insurance; Frank O’Neill, Maloney, O’Neill, Corkery & Jones; and Mark DeGon, Merrill Lynch.

APPOINTED:

Spokane Community College history instructor Scott Finnie has been named interim dean for the college’s business and hospitality careers division. Finnie currently is working on a doctorate in organizational leadership at Gonzaga University.

Georgeanna Conrad, a Spokane Community College student services counselor, will serve as the college’s interim dean of health and environmental sciences. She joined the faculty in 1974 as a culinary arts instructor.

The Institute for Extended Learning’s Mary Averett has been named dean of instruction and district director of business and industry education. Averett will be responsible for employment and retraining contract services, international trade education, continuing professional education programs, computer training programs and for the Small Business Development Center.

Gonzaga University marketing Associate Professor C. Scott Bozman has been appointed the Sam M. Walton Free Enterprise Fellow at Gonzaga. The fellowship is given through the Students in Free Enterprise, a nonprofit organization supported by individuals, foundations and businesses.

Leads Club, a structured networking organization intended to help increase business, has appointed Beth Ann Daigre as a chapter consultant. Daigre will oversee the development and growth of chapters in Eastern Washington and North Idaho.

KUDOS:

Shindler’s Inc., Orthotic & Prosthetic Services has received a three-year accreditation award in orthotics and prosthetics from the American Board for Certification in Orthotics and Prosthetics Inc. The award is the highest level of accreditation achievable in the orthotics/prosthetics profession. Shindler’s received high marks for organization management, professional staffing qualifications and responsibilities, patient care management, quality assurance and facility and safety management.

The Idaho-Montana Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects has presented the following awards:

The Rathdrum Prairie Combustion Turbine project developed by Washington Water Power Co. received an honor award for site design and design process in the design category.

The Coeur d’Alene Downtown Revitalization Phases 1 and 2 (Sherman and Lakeside) received a merit award in the design category. Consulting landscape architect was the Landmark division of Architects West.

A site development at Lake City High School also received a merit award in the design category. Consulting landscape architect was the Landmark division of Architects West.

In the Planning category, the jury presented a merit award to the Comprehensive State Water Plan for the South Fork of the Snake River. Landscape architect for the project was Ellen Berggren of the Idaho Department of Water Resources.

The Cody Pathway Regional Trails Master Plan for Cody, Wyo., received a merit award in the design communications category. Landscape architect for the project was CTA Architects of Billings.

EVENTS:

Wednesday - Associated Industries of the Inland Northwest presents a workshop on “Productivity-Based Performance Reviews” from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. at 920 N. Washington. Cost: $115 for members; to register, mail checks to Associated Industries, P.O. Box 2125, Spokane, WA, 99210-2125, or register on line at http://www.aiin.com.

Wednesday - The chambers of commerce from Spokane, Spokane Valley, Coeur d’Alene, Sandpoint and Post Falls present a Regional Economic Forecast breakfast from 7:30-10 a.m. at the Ridpath Hotel. Cost: $25 in advance, $30 at the door; for more information, call Patrick McGaughey at (208) 664-3194.

Wednesday - The Service Corps of Retired Executives presents a workshop on “Preparing a Business Plan” from 8 a.m.-noon at the Spokane Area Chamber of Commerce, 1020 W. Riverside. Cost: $35; for information or to register, call 353-2820.

Wednesday and Thursday - A Washington State Housing Finance Commission Certified Homebuyer Education seminar will be held from 6:30-9 p.m. both nights at Monroe Court, 901 N. Monroe, Suite 256. For information or reservations, call Charlene Plaster or Ron Jensen at 327-7711.

Thursday - Merrill Lynch presents a free luncheon seminar for women on “What Every Woman Should Know About Money” from noon-1 p.m. at Patsy Clark’s Mansion. For more information or to register, call Margot Hamstra at 458-4219.

Saturday - Seafirst Bank presents a job fair from 3-6 p.m. in the lobby of the Seafirst Bankcard Services Building, 1616 S. Rustle. For more information, call Tammie Hilgers at (206) 358-7116.

Dec. 10 - The Small Business Development Center presents a class on “Marketing Your Product Abroad” from 6-9 p.m. at the Spokane Intercollegiate Research and Technology Institute, 665 N. Riverpoint Blvd. Cost: $35; call 358-7890 for information or to register.

Dec. 10 - Associated Industries of the Inland Northwest presents a workshop on “It’s About Respect: Making Your Workplace Harassment-Free” at 920 N. Washington. Cost: $49 for members, $75 for non-members; for information, call 326-6885.

Dec. 11 - The Inland Northwest Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners will discuss “Managing Growth: Are Your Prepared?” during a meeting from 5:30-8 p.m. at the Shilo Inn, 923 E. Third. Cost: $15 for members, $25 for non-members; for information and reservations, call Susan Thomas at (208) 773-3906.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: 12 Photos

MEMO: Do you want to submit an item for “Business Beat?” Send a brief press release to: Bill Sallquist, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane WA, 99210-1615. Photos will be used, space permitting, with new staff additions, promotions and new businesses. Put names on backs of photos. If you want a photo back, write “WILL CALL” on the back and pick it up at the newspaper reference library.

Do you want to submit an item for “Business Beat?” Send a brief press release to: Bill Sallquist, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane WA, 99210-1615. Photos will be used, space permitting, with new staff additions, promotions and new businesses. Put names on backs of photos. If you want a photo back, write “WILL CALL” on the back and pick it up at the newspaper reference library.