Business Beat
New faces:
Sprint PCS (Personal Communications Services) has named Michael Smith as district manager for the Spokane, Inland Northwest area. Smith, who received a bachelor’s degree in business administration and marketing from Portland State University, was previously Inland Northwest market manager for AirTouch Cellular.
Jeff Bunch has joined the law firm of Phillabaum, Ledlin & Matthews. Bunch, formerly of the Washington State Attorney General’s Office, will focus on insurance defense and worker’s compensation litigation. He is a 1992 graduate of Gonzaga School of Law.
Bovay Northwest, a subsidiary of the global professional service company Dames & Moore, has named Seattlebased Robert Rosain as president. Rosain succeeds Gene McKay, who retired after 39 years. Rosain has more than 20 years of consulting and design engineering experience in water and waste for commercial, industrial and government clients.
Packet Engines Inc. has added the following people to its staff:
Paramjeet (PJ) Singh joined the company as director of software. He previously was engineering manager, principal engineer and director of switching at Chipcom, 3Com and Bay Networks respectively. Singh will be responsible for software architecture and implementation of Ethernet switching, network management and VLANs in high-performance networking products.
David Roth was named director of ASIC development. He previously headed VLSI design and design automation efforts on two processors for NexGen in Milpitas, Calif.
Vito Minetti joined Packet as director of international systems sales. He earlier was national account manager at 3Com Corp., where he oversaw accounts including Hewlett Packard, Fujitsu BCS and ICL.
Lee Runion was named director of OEM systems sales. Previously he was director of sales for the Northwest and Canada for Advanced Telecommunications Modules Ltd. Earlier in his career, he was a global account manager for Microsoft.
Packet Engines’ director of business development, Brian MacLeod, has moved to Spokane to become director of marketing for the company. MacLeod, a 14-year veteran of Silicon Valley, previously served as director of product marketing for Asante Technologies in San Jose, Calif., and marketing director for LAN products with DAVID Systems in Sunnyvale, Calif.
Oxyfresh Worldwide Inc. has appointed Chris Majer as president. Majer previously specialized in the development of organizational futures, leadership and teamwork through his Seattle-based company, SportsMind. With Majer’s appointment, Richard Brooke will now serve as Oxyfresh’s chairman of the board and chief executive officer.
Tena Wheat has joined the Spokane office of Harris Dean Insurance as an account executive. Wheat has been in the insurance industry for 24 years and owned and operated her own agency in Woodinville, Wash. She specializes in insurance for the landscape industry, as well as other contractors, and in all areas of business insurance, including arts and crafts and food concessions.
Steven Yoshihara has joined Washington Trust Bank as vice president and business banking officer in the bank’s commercial lending department. Yoshihara has extensive banking industry experience, specializing in commercial lending.
Elinor Magnuson has joined the consulting firm of Adams & Associates as senior associate. Magnuson has 15 years of experience in development, including a stint as executive director of Community Colleges of Spokane Foundation and as a founder of Foundation Northwest.
Coeur d’Alene-based A.C./Data Systems Inc. has added the following people to its staff:
Brad Herr, who was named director of finance and planning, has 17 years of experience as a business lawyer and CPA.
Mark Scuitti, appointed manufacturing engineer, has 18 years of experience in manufacturing engineering, including jobs with Itronix, NEC and Tektronix.
Craig Lenhart, who joined A.C./ Data as director of sales and marketing, has more then 15 years of experience in sales and marketing management and worked at Output Technology Corp. for the past seven and a half years.
Beth Karita, who was named executive assistant to the president, has more than 20 years of business experience in Japan and Sweden. She previously worked 10 years in Tokyo for the Swiss executive search firm of Egon Zehnder International.
KXLY’s radio sales department has added three experienced account executives to its staff: Tery Manley, Ami Kunz-Pfeiffer, and Connie Brown. Manley previously worked for the Citadel Group, Kunz-Pfeiffer for KKZX-FM and Brown for KHTQ-FM. Also, KXLY radio has hired Jackie Hughes, former special projects coordinator for Riverfront Park, as sales assistant.
Steve Weinberger has joined Advantage Physical Therapy. Weinberger, who was formerly with Spokane Sports & Orthopedic Therapy, is board certified in orthopedic physical therapy.
Larry Kelly has been named administrator of Camlu Retirement Residence in Coeur d’Alene. Kelly took over day-to-day management of Camlu from Don and Jean Morris, owners of the 86-unit facility.
Moving up:
Eric Paull, previously the vice president and manager of First Security Bank’s Sandpoint branch, has been named vice president and business relationship manager of the Sandpoint Business Financial Center. Paull, who joined First Security in 1983, will be responsible for expanding the bank’s services to business clients and prospective clients in the Sandpoint area.
Cheryl Morgan, former branch manager at First Security’s Osburn, Idaho, office, was named manager of the Sandpoint office. Morgan, who has 16 years of banking experience, joined First Security in 1980.
Steve Tregellas, regional manager at Agrium Inc.’s Spokane office, has been named marketing manager, anhydrous ammonia, for the combined Agrium and Viridian Inc.
Kari Kostelecky has been promoted to the quality verification specialist at US Marine’s Spokane plant. Kostelecky has been an employee at the Spokane Wire Shop for 10 years.
Starting up:
Republic Mortgage Co., an affiliate of Old Kent Bank of Idaho, has opened an office in Coeur d’Alene at 501 Lakeside Ave. The branch manager is Randy Teall, who has more than 20 years of experience in the banking industry. Teall was formerly with AccuMortgage in Coeur d’Alene. Other staffers, all previously affiliated with AccuMortgage, include: Diana Warren, Kathy VictoRino and Benita Pattee, loan officers; Shiela Kelly, underwriter; and Anne Comstock and Edie Clark, processors.
Moving:
Dr. Elizabeth M. Vennos has moved her office for the practice of dermatology to Suite 202 in the Medicus Building, 12615 E. Mission.
Transactions:
Baker Construction of Spokane has been awarded contracts totaling $6 million for 12 commercial projects in Washington, Oregon and Idaho, including: construction of a 10,000-square-foot Granny’s Buffet in Lewiston; construction of a 30,000-square-foot distribution center and retail outlet in Lakewood, Wash., for Schuck’s Automotive; an expansion of High Nooner and Meineke Muffler to a 10,000-square-foot retail mall at Pines and Alki in Spokane; a $500,000 remodel of the former Spokane Cominco fertilizer plant at 15020 E. Euclid; a new facility at 4009 E. Francis for Max Outdoor, an outdoor equipment retail store; a remodel of the former StaFit location at Mission and Hamilton for Videoland; a $100,000 retail remodel for Sprint Spectrum at 15327 E. Sprague; a 6,400-square-foot newly-remodeled office and retail space for Bank and Office Interiors on North Foothills Drive; and the expansion of Diamond Parking’s Airport Park and Jet Lot near the Sunset Highway.
Elected:
Jim Zahand, of DowElanco-Spokane, was named treasurer of the Far West Fertilizer & Agrichemical Association. Zahand previously served on the association’s board of directors.
Goodwill Industries of the Inland Northwest officers and directors for 1997 include: chairman of the board, Jim Hawley, Kiemle & Hagood; vice chair, James Calderhead, consultant; secretary, Stave Wuitschick, CEO of Rockwood Retirement Community; treasurer, Charles Romberg, Andre-Romberg Insurance Inc. Directors are: Dr. Timothy Bruya, The Physicians’ Clinic of Spokane; Ron Childs, Productivity Point International; Frank Conklin, attorney; Dennis Dellwo, Growth Management Appeals Board; Sean Douglas, Wendle Motors Inc.; David S. Hayward, Washington Trust Bank; Marcea Mandsager, Nextlink; Marti Kransberger, Children’s Miracle Network; Don Pederson, retired; Helen Hazen Rymond, retired; The Rev. Homer Todd, St. Paul United Methodist Church; and Rich Williams, Kaiser Trentwood.
Kudos:
The Best Western Thunderbird Inn of Spokane has qualified for the prestigious Best Western Director’s Award for quality standards. This is the second straight year that the Thunderbird Inn has received the award.
Spokane Airways was awarded the Washington State Department of Transportation, Aviation Division 1996 Fixed Base Operator of the Year, Award of Excellence.
Patrick B. Cerutti and Roger H. Underwood, attorneys with the law firm of Lukins & Annis, have been included in The Best Lawyers in America listing. Cerutti practices corporate law and Underwood practices trusts and estate law. Lukins & Annis now has nine attorneys listed in the national publication.
Events:
Friday - The Workplace Connection, a non-denominational Christian business group, holds its monthly meeting at First Presbyterian Church, 318 S. Cedar at 7 a.m. Call John Schram at 328-5627 for information.
Jan. 6 - The Community Colleges of Spokane Small Business Development Center presents a free introductory reception from 6-7 p.m. at 665 N. Riverpoint Blvd., regarding a 17-week course, “NxLevel Training for Entrepreneurs,” which begins Jan. 13. Reservation deadline is Thursday; call 358-7890 for information.
Jan. 7 - Northwest Inland Empire APICS presents an eight-session class on Systems & Technologies each Tuesday through Feb. 25. Registration deadline is Tuesday. Cost: $125 for members, $150 for non-members. Mail payments to Jim Holcomb, 6015 N. Montevista Place, Spokane WA 99205.
, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: 12 Photos
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