Business Beat
Construction
Spokane chapter No. 143 of the National Association of Women in Construction has announced its officers and board of directors for the year. New officers include President Andrea Seeberger of Lydig Construction, Vice President Dotty Johnson of Bouten Construction Co., Secretary Kathryn Piraino of Associated Construction Inc. and Treasurer Talia Brestar of Central Pre-Mix. Sarah Cottam of Associated Builders and Contractors, Melanie Craft of Rolling Rock Excavation, and Kathleen Johnson and Brea LaRue, both of Garco Construction, have been named directors.
Patrick Linhart has been hired as project manager at Baker Construction & Development. Linhart has 34 years of industry experience and is a graduate of Oregon State University.
Government
Russell Cornell has been named Spokane County building and code compliance director. He began his career performing inspections for the city of Lake Stevens, Washington, in 1998, and has since worked for the city of Missoula and Spokane County. Cornell will work to improve permitting processes and public engagement efforts.
The city of Spokane Valley has hired Annie Gannon as public information officer. She most recently served as communications manager at Community Colleges of Spokane.
Insurance
Chris Williams has been awarded the Star Award from the National Association of Dental Plans in recognition of his volunteering excellence. Williams is quality and compliance manager, group dental claims for Guardian Life Insurance Company of America. He heads Guardian’s dental claims operation, which processes nearly 13 million claims annually.
Law
Darren Digiacinto, Benjamin Rascoff and Gabrielle Roth have been named principals at Winston & Cashatt, Lawyers. Digiacinto joined the firm in 2017 and focuses on construction litigation, real estate matters, commercial litigation and bankruptcy. Rascoff specializes in employment matters, personal injury, class action and commercial cases. He joined Winston & Cashatt in 2015. Roth, a graduate of Gonzaga Law School, joined the firm in 2016 and specializes in family law and guardianship.
Heather Yakely and Geana Van Dessel have been hired at Kutak Rock. Yakely, who will lead the litigation team in Spokane, has practiced in employment and constitutional law, municipal law and tort defense in her 20-year career. Van Dessel specializes in complex commercial litigation, including trademark, contract, banking, employment and consumer protection. Both are graduates of Gonzaga University.
Miscellaneous
Don and Ronda Gilger have been named executive directors of the Coeur d’Alene Kroc Center. The Gilgers have served the Salvation Army for more than 30 years, most recently in the country of Moldova but primarily in the western United States. They are both majors in the organization. The Gilgers replace Ben and JoAnn Markham who served at the Kroc Center since 2009.