Business Beat

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Education

• Christine Johnson has been appointed to the American Association of Community Colleges’ 21st Century Commission on the Future of Community Colleges. Johnson is chancellor of Community Colleges of Spokane.

• Whitworth University has appointed alum Greg Orwig as vice president of admissions and financial aid. Orwig previously served in the Office of the President as chief of staff and has worked for the university since 1999.

Engineering

• Aaron Hesse has been hired by Trindera Engineering in Coeur d’Alene as an electrical project engineer. He holds a degree from Eastern Washington University and previously worked for City of Cheney Light Department.

Finance

• Viren and Associates Inc. has hired Tom Steinert as a financial adviser. He previously worked for Symetra Financial and Safeco Insurance Co., and has more than 20 years of management experience.

• Marty Dickinson has been hired as corporate communications executive for Sterling Savings Bank. She previously worked for Downtown Spokane Partnership and Greater Spokane Inc., and holds a bachelor’s degree in business and marketing communications from Washington State University.

Health care

• Spokane Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery has hired Dr. Brian Hutto as an associate. Hutto is an instructor and lecturer and was previously with the Navy.

• Pinnacle Physical Therapy in Post Falls has hired Matt Hankes. He holds a doctorate in physical therapy from the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse and is a certified athletic trainer. He previously worked for Mayo Clinic Health Systems in Barron, Wis., performing outpatient orthopedic physical therapy.

• CHER Diabetes Education Center has hired Adam Quarles as a nurse practitioner. He holds a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Washington State University Intercollegiate College of Nursing and a master’s degree in nursing, family nurse practicum from Gonzaga University. He has served as a registered nurse at St. Luke’s Rehabilitation Institute for the last seven years.

• Dr. Byron Wright has been appointed as a cancer liaison physician for Deaconess Medical Center’s cancer program, for a three-year term.

Law

• Tom Bassett , Paul Fitzpatrick and Kathryn McKinley have been named “2011 Super Lawyers” by Washington Super Lawyers magazine. The magazine also named Michael “Mike” Keyes as a “2011 Rising Star.” Bassett, Fitzpatrick and Keyes are partners at K and L Gates Spokane and McKinley represents McKinley Fossum P.S. in Spokane.

Mining

• Coeur d’Alene Mines Corp. has hired Wendy Yang as vice president of investor relations. She previously worked for Brigus Gold Corp. and has more than 20 years of mining industry experience. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oregon and a master’s degree from Colorado State University. The company also hired William Orr as manager of technical services and operations support. He previously managed several major projects for URS (Washington Group International) and has more than 30 years of mine engineering, operations and project management experience. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mining engineering from the University of Missouri-Rolla.

Nonprofit

• Second Harvest Food Bank of the Inland Northwest received a $75,000 grant from Avista Foundation to support its “Future of Feeding Hope” capital campaign. The foundation also gave a $25,000 grant to The Salvation Army of Spokane’s Center for Nurturing Children and Families.

Real estate

• Keller Williams Realty Spokane has hired Kathleen Allen as an agent. She previously worked for Brad Moeller Inc. in Spokane.