Business Beat

New Faces

Grant Bishop has been hired as a front end developer for 14Four. He previously worked as a software engineer and 3-D artist for DigiDeal. He holds a master’s degree in computer science and technology, with a focus in advanced computer graphics and 3-D animation, from Eastern Washington University.

Blue541 in Coeur d’Alene has hired Monte Mindt to join the company’s graphic design department. He graduated from the Art Institute of Seattle.

Bill LaRue Jr. has been hired as a landscape architect for Bernardo-Wills Architects. He has more than 24 years of landscape architecture experience and previously served as a principal of his own firm, Aspen Landscape Architects LLC. He holds a bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture from the University of Idaho.

Pearson Packaging Systems has hired Randy Denny as vice president of sales and marketing. He has more than 25 years of sales leadership experience and holds a bachelor’s degree in business marketing from the University of Idaho. He previously served as a vice president for General Dynamics Itronix.

Marty Doeleman has been hired by Next IT Corporation as a subject matter expert. The company has also hired Adrian Folsom as an application analyst.

Bernardo-Wills Architects has hired Brianna Musser to work for the company’s interior design department. She holds a bachelor’s degree in interior design from Washington State University.

Troy Braga has been hired as controller/manager for the Inland Northwest Community Foundation. He previously worked for a four-season resort in North Idaho in accounting, finance and management and was a financial analyst for four years at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland. He holds a bachelor’s degree in finance and human resources management from the University of Idaho and a master’s degree in business administration from Washington State University.

Bernardo-Wills Architects has hired John Chrisman as a quality assurance manager. He holds a bachelor’s degree in construction management from Central Washington University and previously worked as a project manager for Garco Construction Inc.

Promotions

Peter Martinelli has been promoted from tax manager to principal of tax and small business services for BehlerMick P.S. He has been with the company for more than three years.

Pearson Packaging Systems has promoted Andrea “AZ” Zaman to chief financial officer. She has been with the company since 2005.

Kudos

Melissa Williams has earned the Certified in Long-Term Care designation from CLTC Board of Standards Inc. Williams is an agent with New York Life Insurance Co. in Spokane and a financial services professional with Star Financial and Insurance Services Inc.

The International College of Dentists inducted Katherine Hakes, D.D.S., as a fellow. Hakes operates a family and aesthetic dentistry in North Spokane.

Craig Wilcox received a 2010 Idaho Transportation Department I-way Leadership Award for his work on the North Idaho Benches project. Wilcox is a financial consultant for D.A. Davidson and Co. in Coeur d’Alene.

The Association of Residential Cleaning Services, International, awarded The Cleaning Authority of Spokane with its Residential Cleaning Seal of Excellence.

Dennis Wheeler received a Distinguished Service Award from the Alaska Miners Association for his efforts in bringing the Kensington Gold Mine near Juneau, Alaska, into production. Wheeler is CEO of the Coeur d’Alene Mines Corp.

The following individuals were recognized during the Idaho State Bar and Idaho Law Foundation’s annual Resolution Meeting on Nov. 9: James Michaud of Sagle, Idaho, former 1st District and senior district judge, received the Denise O’Donnell Day Pro Bono Award for exceptional volunteer legal work; Dennis “Denny” Davis, shareholder and board member of Witherspoon Kelley law firm in North Idaho, received the Professionalism Award; and a retiring judge, Charles Hosack was honored for 11 years of judiciary service.

Gifts

Avista employees donated $10,000 to the company’s Project Share Fund. The fund provides emergency energy assistance to residents in eastern Washington, North Idaho and parts of southern and eastern Oregon during the winter heating season.

The Coeur d’Alene Children’s Village received $45,557 and an additional contribution of $12,000 per month for the coming year, from Silverwood Theme Park to support the organization’s Serving Adult Foster Youth program. More than $45,000 was collected from people who donated change while riding the theme park’s Bungling Bandits Train Ride.