Business Beat

NEW FACES:

Connie Zilbert has joined Fidelity Associates Insurance Brokers as commercial lines customer service agent. Zilbert was formerly with American States Insurance Co.

Bill Spies has joined Wendle Ford Nissan Isuzu as heavy duty truck service manager. Spies has 25 years of experience in the trucking industry and was previously with the Stevens County Department of Public Works as fleet manager.

Heidi Knipprath has joined the Valley office of RE/MAX of Spokane as a residential real estate consultant. Knipprath, who is co-owner of Knipprath Cellars, has re-entered real estate sales from an administrative position at RE/MAX.

Diane Moore has joined The Davenport Hotel as the special events and marketing manager. Moore has experience in public relations, marketing, advertising and promotions, most recently as the creative writer for Oxyfresh, USA.

Barbara Sovde, Susie Luby and Mike Chambers have joined Janek Co. as sales associates. Luby and Chambers were previously with James S. Black, and Sovde was most recently the membership manager for the Spokane Area Economic Development Council.

Tessina Strunk has joined Farm Credit Services as an accountant. Strunk’s responsibilities will include asset/liability management, pricing and pricing exceptions and accounting for specialized credit products. Strunk, a 1992 graduate of Mount Marty College, Yankton, S.D., was previously with AgAmerica, Farm Credit Bank, as asset/ liability management specialist.

Chris Altig has joined Action Mortgage as manager of the Valley branch. Altig was previously an external loan representative with another financial institution. He graduated from the University of Washington with a bachelor of arts in business administration.

Judy Callahan, Jeannie Ward, Arlene Clarke, Jodie Montemayor, and Yolanda Strange have joined Century 21 Town and Country Realty Inc., as associates in the Post Falls office.

Holly Weidert has joined Century 21 Peoples Choice as an associated in the Deer Park office.

Ann Avey has joined Medical Rehabilitation Consultants Inc., as a nurse consultant in the unitization management department. Avey will conduct medical and surgical precertification/preadmission reviews as well as prenatal and well-baby education.

MOVING UP:

Jon Langstaff has been promoted to vice president of human resources at Hecla Mining Co. Langstaff’s responsibilities will include recruiting, compensation, benefits and labor relations functions, as well as corporate office administration management. A 32-year Hecla veteran, he previously served as personnel manager.

Michael O’Malley has been named an associate with Northwest Architectural Co. of Spokane and Seattle. A graduate of the Phoenix Institute of Technology, O’Malley rejoined Northwest in 1990 after working for Industrial Design Corp. of Portland. He has worked on projects ranging from the Wenatchee Middle School to the Command Post at Fairchild Air Force Base.

Michelle Chow has been promoted to office manager for VideoWave Television. Chow will be responsible for overseeing customer service, accounts receivable and dispatch. Chow earned a business administration degree from Gonzaga University.

STARTING UP:

Inland Imaging plans to open Coeur d’Alene Imaging Center, a new radiology facility, in August in the Tomlinson-Black Building at the corner of Northwest Blvd and Ironwood Drive. Dr. Robert S. Thornton is moving to the Coeur d’Alene area from Indianapolis to be the radiologist for the center. Services offered will include general radiography (X-ray), mammography, ultrasound and computed tomography (CT).

Franklin Quest, a time management consulting firm, recently opened an office on the second level of the NorthTown Mall. Rick O’Connor has been named store manager and will lead a staff of 10 employees. Franklin Quest’s products include the Franklin Day Planner system and Successories motivational products.

John Beutler and Associates has opened a branch office in Sandpoint. Paul Loman and Becky Freeland will be the real estate agents representing the office.

Motion Industries, a distributor of bearings, mechanical, electrical and fluid power components, has opened a branch in Spokane. The new branch, located at 7321 E. Trent, will be managed by Stan Wolf.

OPPORTUNITIES:

Rural Economic and Community Development, formerly Farmers Home Administration, has special assistance programs available to beginning farmers. These programs target loan funds to qualified beginning farmers for both operating and farm ownership loans. For additional information, contact the local RE&CD office at 509-353-2317.

ELECTED:

Loren Deranleau, Louise Hansen, Dave Smith and Culver Stone, were installed as new board members of The Arc of Spokane. Susan Anselmo was installed as the new board president.

Stockholders of Northwest Farm Credit Services have elected a new director and re-elected three others. The new director is Tim Corder of Mountain Home, Idaho. Re-elected were Gary Helm, Miles City, Mont.; Robert Krug, Connell, Wash.; and Gary Smith, Sequim, Wash.

John Goedde, president of Panhandle Insurance in Coeur d’Alene, has been elected to the Wishing Star Board of Trustees.

Phoenix Water Systems Inc. has selected executive officers and board members. The board includes: Dr. Don Condon, chairman, Dr. Dan Cutler, B.J. Adams, J.David Mize and Raymond Smith. Executive officers are: Ray Smith, president; Charles W. McKain, vice president; and J. Paul Seifert, treasurer.

Al Berger owner and operator of Cunningham Studio of Quality Photography, has been elected president of the Spokane Professional Photographers Association.

Spokane Sexual Assault Center advisory board has elected Lori Nicol Bingham as president for 1995-1996.

The Board of Trustees of Hospice of Spokane has elected new officers: Rebecca Kates, president;Darlene Chovan-Anderson, vice president; Dar Clode, secretary; and David Fruci, treasurer. Other new Board of Trustee members are: Reverend Gary Bowker, Dr. Bruce Cutter, Gail Goeller, Dr. Romel Mackelprang, and Linda Urquhart.

Linda Tompkins was named Vice-Chair of the Washington State Transportation Commission. She is an attorney with the law firm of Lukins and Annis.

The 1995-96 board members of the Spokane Jaycees Downtown Chapter are: Lori Jo Knoles, chairman; Michael Thronson, president; Bob Austin, executive vice president; Timothy C. Krsul, membership vice president; Terry Carlson, management vice president; Brian Wetterling, community development vice president; Angie Nance, individual development vice president; and Mary Sue Shull, treasurer.

EVENTS:

Monday-Friday - The automotive department at Spokane Community College will host the 1995 annual conference of the North American Council of Automotive Teachers (NACAT) at the Ridpath Hotel. Exhibitors will represent aftermarket manufacturers, publishers, suppliers of audio-visual and training aids, tool manufacturers and equipment producers. Keynote speaker will be Mike Powers from Bowenscarfe motors in Seattle. For more information, call Bill Mason at 533-8066.

Tuesday - The Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) will offer free business counseling to potential and existing business owners from 9 a.m. to noon at Lewis-Clark State College, SBDC at L-CSC, Lewiston. Call (208) 799-2465. Also, from 9 a.m. to noon at TRIDEC SBDC, 901 N. Colorado, call 735-1000, and 1-5 p.m. at Richland Chamber, 515 Lee Blvd., call 946-1651.

Tuesday and Thursday - The community colleges’ Small Business Development Center presents a workshop on how to market products or services and develop professional marketing skills on a small budget from 6-9 p.m. at the Spokane Intercollegiate Research and Technology Institute, 665 N. Riverpoint Blvd. Cost: $45; call 358-2050 for more information or to register.

Wednesday - The Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) will offer free business counseling to potential and existing business owners from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Panhandle Area Council, 11100 Airport Drive, Hayden; call (208) 772-0584.

Thursday - Bill Hillar, director of education and employment development at St. Luke’s Rehabilitation Institute, will speak on “How to Keep from Losing Your Life before You Die” at the July meeting of the Spokane Chapter of the National Association of Women in Construction. Networking begins at 5:30 p.m., dinner at 6 at Cavanaugh’s Fourth Avenue, 110 E. Fourth. Cost: $12, including dinner; call Charlotte Whiteford at 255-6178 by Tuesday for reservations or more information.

Thursday - The collunity colleges’ Small Business Development Center presents a seminar on basic tax issues for small businesses from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at SIRTI, 665 N. Riverpoint Blvd. Cost: $20; call 358-2050 for more information or to register.

Thursday - The Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) will offer free business counseling to potential and existing business owners from 9 a.m. to noon at North Idaho College Work Force Training Center, 525 Clearwater Loop, Post Falls; call (208) 769-3296.

July 24 - The community colleges’ Small Business Development Center presents a workshop on basic start-up information for new businesses from 6-9 p.m. at SIRTI, 665 N. Riverpoint Blvd. Cost: $25; call 358-2050 for more information or to register.

July 31 - Persons interested in taking the Internal Revenue Service’s two-day, four-part tax examination on federal tax law and ethics can now obtain applications. The completed application must be postmarked no later than July 31. The examination will be held on Sept. 21 and 22 in Seattle, Spokane and Tacoma. The fee for persons taking all four parts is $55, and for persons taking less than four parts, $45. Interested persons can obtain a special enrollment examination package, Publication 1470, by calling the IRS main information number at 1-800-829-1040.

CONVENTIONS:

Today-Thursday - American Bonanza Society, annual national convention and exhibition, Sheraton Spokane.

Saturday-July 24 - International Networking Corp./Grant Family, Grant family reunion, Sheraton Spokane.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: 12 Photos

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The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Compiled by Spokeaman-Review staff