Business Beat

New faces:

Robert McKean has been appointed president and chief executive officer of United Security Bank. McKean has 20 years of experience in both commercial and retail banking, most recently as the senior vice president and manager of the retail banking division at Bank One in Cleveland, Ohio. He began his banking career in Spokane and was a regional vice president before leaving to take the Ohio job in 1993.

Action Mortgage has added the following people to its staff:

Jim Bendickson has joined Action’s North Spokane office as a loan officer. Bendickson, a business administration graduate of Washington State University, has been a loan officer in the Spokane area for almost three years.

Lynne Young has joined Action’s downtown office as an underwriter and trainer. Her responsibilities will include underwriting and coordinating residential loan support services and lending education. Young, who has 16 years of experience in all phases of mortgage lending, was formerly an assistant vice president and operations manager with a local bank. She received a bachelor’s degree from Eastern Washington University.

Thomas Wilkes has joined Action’s downtown office as a loan officer. Wilkes graduated from Montana State University with a degree in business management. A licensed contractor, he framed and built homes in Spokane before joining Action.

Action’s downtown office has hired Amy Turner as an operations supervisor. Turner has more than seven years experience in the mortgage and banking industry and most recently was a mortgage operations office with another financial institution.

Rayonier has named its management team to operate a recently purchased sawmill in Plummer, Idaho:

Ross Jewell was named general manager, Inland Wood Products. Jewell has held strategic planning and business development positions with Rayonier and has a master’s degree in business administration from Stanford University.

Tom Niebuhr was named lumber operations manager. Niebuhr has held a variety of management positions with Pacific Crown Timber Products Inc., including operator, sawmill superintendent and plant manager.

Jon Tweedale was named regional manager-Intermountain in Rayonier’s International Forest Products organization. He will be responsible for the purchase and harvest of timber and logs for use by Rayonier facilities and other customers in Washington, Idaho and Montana.

Mark Munkittrick, another longtime Pacific Crown employee, has been named resource manager. Munkittrick has more than 20 years of experience in log procurement.

John Eastin has been named human resource administrator. Eastin most recently managed personnel functions for Rayonier’s Northwest Forest Resource division in Shelton, Wash.

Dodie Ruzicki, a nationally recognized expert in patient education, has been named the new chair of Group Health Northwest’s consumer board of directors. Ruzicki, who is director of educational services at Sacred Heart Medical Center, has been on Group Health Northwest’s board for seven years and chairs the consumer governance and legislative affairs committees.

Susan Power Bratton has been named the new Edward B. Lindaman Chair for Science, Technology and Society at Whitworth College. Bratton received a doctoral degree in ecology from Cornell University and a master’s degree in theology from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena , Calif. Most recently, she was an associate professor of religious studies at the University of North Texas.

Karen Hammond and Michelle Ma have joined Century 21 Town and Country Realty Inc. in Coeur d’Alene, as associates. Hammond and Ma both have completed Century 21’s training program for new associates.

Moving Up:

Hollie Kirihara has been appointed general manager of Computer Solutions of Spokane Inc. She most recently was director of operations for New Horizons Computer Learning Center, a division of Computer Solution.

Moving:

The Airport Business Park has moved its administrative office to the Airport Corporate Center at 3707 S. Godfrey Blvd., suite 101.

Starting Up:

Thomas Sherry, Thomas Pratt, and Kenneth Van Voorhis have opened T.C. Sherry & Associates P.S. a professional landscape architecture firm. The firm, located at 7 S. Howard, suite 419, will offer landscape architectural services, including commercial, institutional, public and private concerns.

Go Spot Go Car Wash has opened two car washes in the area. One site is at 2400 First in Cheney, and the other is in Browne’s Addition at 1821 W. Sunset Blvd. The company also plans to open another site on North Market in Hillyard. Harry Adams and Jon Staenberg own the business.

Expanding:

Golden Rule Brake Service has opened a facility at 815 E. Francis. The company provides auto and light truck brake repair, shocks and struts, CV boots and joints.

New Horizons Computer Learning Center, the training division of Computer Solutions of Spokane Inc., has opened a facility in Kennewick to serve the Tri Cities area.

Digital Business Solutions, the new branch name for North West DevTec Inc., has expanded into flat fee maintenance and repair of computers and peripherals. Digital Business, 10220 N. Nevada, suite 170, is targeting firms with five or more employees and revenues under $15 million.

R & R Custom Colorlab has added digital processing to its services. R & R’s digital capabilities range from high resolution negative/transparency scans to professional quality dye-sublimation prints. Mike Miller is the manager of the digital services department.

Les Schwab Tire Centers has opened a store at 31st and Regal in the Lincoln Heights area.

Kudos:

The McGregor Company, a locally owned fertilizer and crop protection dealer, has announced its employees who have earned the designation, Certified Crop Adviser (CCA). The certification program establishes and monitors standards for agronomic knowledge, experience, continuing education, ethics and professionalism. Washington CCA’s: Bruce Palmer, Colfax; Doug Wendt, Endicott; Ted Deerkop, Mike Dial, Garfield/Palouse; Darrin Fleming, LaCrosse; Steve Roy, Oakesdale; Dan McGreevy, Rob Sinclair, Pullman; Everett Widman, Jeff Black, Larry Trull, Thornton; Tom Kucklick, St. John; Dan McKinley, Carl Richter, Dayton; Mike Bergevin, Gary Gluck, Touchet; Pat McConnell, Gary Burt, Larry Hector, Tom Morasch, Waitsburg; Ellie Charvet, Lado Pisinger, Eltopia; Clark Capwell, Steve Ledgerwood, Pomeroy; Gordon Wagner, Plaza; Ken Fuchs, Fairfield; Joe Fox, Todd Spence, Tekoa; George Arland, John Greenwood, Davenport; Rod Heimbigner, Wilbur. Idaho’s CCA’s: Loren Morscheck, Genesee; Ron Moser, Moscow; Charles Wedin, Leland/Kendrick; Mike Frei, Bill Spencer, Grangeville; Jeff Becker, Tammany; Pat McGreevy, Anatone; Pat Barnett, Nez Perce.

Events:

Tuesday and Aug. 1 - The community college’s Small Business Development Center presents a class on how to do a market feasibility study from 6-9 p.m. at the Spokane Intercollegiate Research and Technology Institute (SIRTI), 665 N. Riverpoint Blvd. Cost: $45; call 358-2050 for more information or to register.

Tuesday - The Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) offers free business counseling to potential and existing small business owners/ operators: TRIDEC SBDC, 901 N. Colorado, 1-4 p.m., call 735-1000; Lewis-Clark State College, SBDC at L-CSC, Lewiston, 9-noon, call 208-799-2465.

Wednesday and Aug. 2 - A class on basic taxes for small and home-based businesses will be offered by the community colleges’ Small Business Development Center from 6-9 p.m. at SIRTI, 665 N. Riverpoint Blvd. Cost: $50; call 358-2050 for more information or to register.

Wednesday - The Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) offers free business counseling to potential and existing small business owners/ operators: Panhandle Area Council, 11100 Airport Drive, Hayden, Idaho, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., call 208-772-0584.

Wednesday - The Womens Network for Entrepreneurial Training (WNET) meets at 7:30 a.m. at the Spokane Area Chamber of Commerce, 1020 W. Riverside Ave. The meeting is open to WNET members and women interested in small business ownership. Cost: $3.00, including refreshments. Participants will tour the new Spokane Area Business Information Center (BIC). To register, call the Spokane Area Business Information Center at 353-2800.

Wednesday - The Washington State Fruit Commission has scheduled a board of directors meeting from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Ellensburg Best Western, 1700 Canyon Road, Ellensburg, Wash.

Thursday - A free seminar about FHA 203(k) and conventional remodeling/ rehabilitation home loans will be offered from 6-7:30 p.m. at the Hampton Inn, 2010 S. Assembly Rd. Speaker will be Dave Walker, A Continental loan officer who specializes in these loans. For reservations, call Cheryl Lipp at 325-9955.

Thursday - The community colleges’ Small Business Development Center presents a workshop on how to develop your product/invention from 6-10 p.m. at SIRTI, 665 N. Riverpoint Blvd. Cost: $40; call 358-2050 for more information or to register.

July 1 - The Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) offers free business counseling to potential and existing small business owners/ operators: Lewis-Clark State College, SBDC at L-CSC, Lewiston, 9-noon, call 208-799-2465; TRIDEC SBDC, 901 N. Colorado, 9-noon, call 735-1000.

Conventions:

Monday-Friday - Whitworth College, Institute of Ministry, Whitworth College.

Tuesday & Wednesday - Northwest Power Planning Council, working sessions and committee meetings, WestCoast Ridpath.

Tuesday-Sunday - National Taxidermists Association, annual convention, Sheraton Spokane.

Friday-Sunday - Spokane Singles Summerama, regional meeting, Sullivan Park.

Friday-Sunday - Amateur Softball Association of America, B area 16 & under boys softball tournament, city wide.

July 30 - Allegro Baroque and Beyond, royal fireworks concert, Riverfront Park.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: 12 Photos

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