Business beat
New faces
Exit Real Estate North Spokane has hired Ginny Morse and Linda Feighner. Both previously worked for Keller Williams Realty Spokane.
Will and Jessica Chervenak have been hired as customer specialists for The Kitchen Engine. Will is a student at Eastern Washington University, and Jessica also works as a server at The Old European. Spokane VA Medical Center has hired Kathleen Janke as a physical therapy assistant. In addition, the center has hired Dr. Becky McIlonie as an optometry resident. Dr. McIlonie is a graduate of Jamestown College and Pacific University’s College of Optometry.
Tom Cassels has been hired as chief financial officer for Bank of Fairfield. He has more than 15 years of finance, accounting and bank industry experience. The bank also has hired Rich Brittain as executive vice president and chief credit officer. He previously worked for American West Bank and Inland Northwest Bank and has more than 30 years of credit administration experience.
SDS Realty has hired Bob Niles as a commercial real estate agent. He worked for two community banks in Spokane for the past 16 years and served as a national Small Business Administration lender.
Kathryn Grabel has been hired as advertising manager for Spokane International Airport by The Young Agency. She previously worked as a membership account executive for Greater Spokane Inc. She has more than 10 years of sales and marketing experience and holds a master’s in business administration from Ohio University.
Kudos
The Washington State University Alumni Association awarded Dr. Edwin Tingstad with its Alumni Achievement Award for his contributions to the field of medicine and support of the university. Dr. Tingstad, a practicing board-certified orthopedic surgeon, earned a bachelor’s degree in history from the university and is a former WSU running back.
Melissa Murphy George was named the top-selling real estate agent in Spokane for August for $924,875 worth of inventory sales, based on volume. She currently works for Windermere Manito.
Appointed
Wells Fargo Bank has appointed Jane Folden as manager for the company’s East Sprague Avenue location and Spencer Brower as manager for the location at Northwest Boulevard and Ash Street. Folden previously worked as store manager for the company’s Northwest and Ash location, and Brower previously worked as a personal banker for the company’s South Spokane store. Both have been with the company since 2005.
The Women Helping Women Fund has appointed Sima Thorpe as board president. New 2009-2010 board members include: Patsy Gayda of Spokane Teachers Credit Union; Melissa Murphy George of Windermere Manito; Nancy Mahoney of Dew Drop Sprinklers and Landscaping; Jamie Tobias Neely of Eastern Washington University; and Nancy Rust of Community-Minded Enterprises.
Kim Zentz has been appointed by Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire to the Clean Energy Leadership Council. Zentz serves as executive director of Sirti.
New business
Deanar Young has opened A Knead 4 Life Inc. massage therapy practice. The company specializes in providing Swedish, deep-tissue and forearm dance massages. Young is a member of the American Massage Therapy Association and is a graduate of Apollo College’s massage therapy program. Location: South Hill Massage Center, 327 W. Eighth Ave., Suite 222. Contact: (509) 624-0567.