Business Beat

Education

Steven Yoshihara has been appointed by Gov. Jay Inslee to serve on the Board of Trustees for Community Colleges of Spokane. Yoshihara, a graduate of Spokane Falls Community College and Gonzaga University, is the senior vice president for Washington Trust and works with businesses with credit needs that range from $250,000 to $25 million. He also currently serves on the board of directors for the Union Gospel Mission and the Fairmount Memorial Association.

Engineering

Todd Bridges, Stephanie Schweitzer, Jana Schultheis and Eric Bean have been promoted to vice president at Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories. Bridges, who has been with SEL since 2000, will oversee sales, customer service and technical support in the United States and Canada as vice president of sales and customer service. Schweitzer, promoted to vice president of marketing and communications, will oversee global marketing and promotions. Schultheis, vice president of property, began managing leases for SEL in 2001, when the company had about 150,000 square feet of property. In the time since, she and her team have managed the design, construction and maintenance of an additional 1.5 million square feet of property. Eric Bean, vice president and general counsel, will oversee the company’s contracts, insurance portfolio and immigration processes. He joined SEL in 2005 and has led the company’s law department since 2007.

Forestry

Marie Price has been hired as director of workforce training and development at Idaho Forest Group. Price will focus on formalizing internal training and development for more than 1,000 employees at seven mills. She comes to IFG from North Idaho College, where she also worked in workforce training and helped to create the college’s Wood Products Manufacturing Center for Excellence. Price serves on the board of directors for United Way of North Idaho and LERN (Learning Resources Network). She also is a member of the Panhandle Area Comprehensive Economic Development committee.

Insurance

Alliant Insurance Services has announced five moves. Brian Borden has been hired as a certificate coordinator. Maddison Baker, Emily Kratzer and Wendy Johndrow join Alliant as account representatives. Ines Kovacevic has been promoted to assistant account manager from account representative.

Nonprofit

Amy Morris has been hired by Make-A-Wish Alaska and Washington as its bilingual wish and administrative coordinator. Morris is a Whitworth University graduate and will coordinate wishes to include all Spanish-speaking wish families in the Eastern Washington region. She most recently worked as a medical receptionist at The Kid’s Clinic.

Greater Spokane Incorporated has named Cara Coon public affairs director. She will lead efforts to advance local, state and federal advocacy on behalf of Spokane and its business community. Coon comes to GSI from Umpqua Bank, where she served as the government affairs director. She is a graduate of Eastern Washington University.

Honors

Horizon Credit Union has been awarded the Dora Maxwell Social Responsibility Community Service Award for its Go-Givers Program, which allows each staff member to participate in up to 24 hours of paid volunteer service per year. Horizon employees have given 6,882 hours to 167 community organizations since the program’s inception. Horizon also was awarded the Top of the Hill Award, recognizing political advocacy efforts, including developing relationships with state and federal legislators and regulators, attending town hall meetings and fundraising to support the credit union movement. Horizon received the awards during the Northwest Credit Union Association’s annual MAXX convention. The NWCUA represents more than 180 credit unions in Washington, Idaho and Oregon.