Business Beat

NEW FACES:

Trinity Universal Insurance Companies announces the following staff changes:

Pam Johnson was promoted to a personal lines unit manager.

Diane Risk was promoted to a personal lines underwriter.

William “Fred” Ogram IV joined the planning staff of Ramm Associates Inc. Ogram has more than 15 years of landscape architecture, planning and project management.

Elizabeth Kennar and Thomas McKiernan, both of Spokane, joined the Seattle law firm of Riddell, Williams, Bullitt & Walkinshaw, as associates.

Kennar and McKiernan both graduated from the University of Washington School of Law.

Windermere’s Spokane-Manito office has added two sales associates: Joel Spealman has one year of real estate experience with Tomlinson Black.

James Bakker has worked as a home designer and builder for 17 years and will begin working in real estate.

Dean Young has joined Windermere’s Colville office as a sales associate.

MOVING UP:

RW Robideaux & Co. announced the following staff changes: Denise Harfield was chosen as director of leasing. Harfield has been with RW Robideaux & Co., for nine years and served as senior account executive for managed accounts.

Gary Clarke was promoted to vice president of RWR Northwest, a subsidiary of RW Robideaux & Co., which focuses on real estate brokerage services and tenant representation. Clarke has more than 30 years of experience in the real estate business.

Machelle Dinneen was promoted to managing director of retail properties. Dinneen has been involved with the current operations and future planning of the River Park Square retail shopping center for the past three years.

Washington Trust Bank announces the following staff promotions:

Dennis Patterson was promoted to executive vice president of the bank’s retail division, and is responsible for 26 branches, consumer lending, small business banking, investment banking, investment services and the home loan center.

Eric Davis was promoted to executive vice president of the bank’s commercial division, and is responsible for the commercial lending, private banking, cash management and trust/ asset management departments.

Patricia Idlof of Ramm Associates Inc., was promoted to partner. Idlof joined the firm in 1993.

Lisa Higginbothom joined Trinity Universal Insurance Companies Northwest Region as an agency automation representative. Higginbothom holds a masters degree in business administration from Eastern Washington University.

Gonzaga University announced the following faculty promotions.

Those being promoted from associate professor to professor are: Clarence “Bud” Barnes, school of business administration; Betsy Downey, history; Ed Schaefer, music; Joanne Smieja, chemistry; Kathie Yerion, math/computer science.

Those being promoted from assistant professor to associate professor are: Gabriella Brooke, modern languages; David Calhoun, philosophy; Paul DePalma, math/ computer science; Thomas Jeannot, philosophy; Dan McCann, physical education; Sr. Joy Milos CSJ, religious studies; Nancy Staub, biology; June Stewart, law library; and Brian Steverson philosophy.

STARTING UP:

Michaelsen, Mix & Rodrigues, L.L.C., is a new firm, formed from the practice of the Law Offices of Howard K. Michaelsen, P.S. Michaelsen, is a graduate of Gonzaga University School of Law, and practices in the area of real estate closings, real estate litigations, and collections law.

Other members of the firm are: Thomas Mix Jr., a GU School of Law graduate. Mix will practice in the areas of personal injury and general civil litigation. Daryl Rodrigues, also a GU School of Law graduate, will practice in the areas of criminal defense, personal injury and psychological/psychiatric malpractice.

TRANSACTIONS:

James E. Banks Surveying Co., will become part of Meckel Engineering & Surveying Inc., in Coeur d’Alene. Banks office in Wallace, Idaho, will serve as the local branch office of Meckel.

Hanna & Associates advertising agency, based in Coeur d’Alene, has added two grocery chains, Dorothy Land Market of Dayton, Ohio, and Gregerson’s Foods of Gadsden, Ala., to its client list.

AgAmerica, Farm Credit Bank, installed a new and advanced card access control security system, the NT3400, from Simplex-Spokane.

ELECTED:

Leadership Spokane selected the following as board members:

Ivan Bush, equal opportunity officer for Spokane School District 81; Bruce Bushman, marketing vice president for American Express Financial Advisors; Garman Lutz, senior vice president of finance at Empire Health Services; Pam Tajima Praeger, dean of instruction for community and professional technical education with the Community Colleges of Spokane; Lisa Samuels, community leader; and Corey Strasser, a student at Lakeside High School in Nine Mile Falls.

MSI Insurance Cos. elected new board members, including Dixie Riddle, a farmer from Mead.

The Land Surveyor’s Association of Washington elected Walter Dale, PLS of James F. Benthin and Associates, as state second vice president.

The Spokane Ag Expo Board elected new officers:

Dick Brantley, Western Farmer Stockman Magazines, first vice president.

John Reuland, Senske Lawn and Tree Care, second vice president.

Brent Mathison, Farmers and Merchants Bank, secretary/treasurer.

The Board of Directors of the Moscow-Latah County Economic Development Council announced the election of new officers for several board positions:

Jim Haynes, Pacific Simulation Inc., president.

Barry Ramsay, Protech Package Tooling Division of Potlatch, vice president.

Shelley Bennett, Bennett & Associates Real Estate, immediate past president.

Rick Gerrard, GTE Inland Northwest, new board member.

Goodwill Industries of the Inland Northwest elected its 1996 officers:

Marcea Mandsager, US West Communications, chairman.

Jim Hawley, Kiemle & Hagood Co., vice chairman.

James Calderhead, secretary.

Charles Romberg, Andre-Romberg Insurance Agency Inc., treasurer.

KUDOS:

Century 21 Northwest Region honored three area offices and sales teams.

Century 21 Premier Service, was honored with the Quality Service Award, Golden Eagle Award and the Centurion Trophy. Broker/Owner Joe Mann accepted the awards on behalf of his sales team. The Quality Service Award recognizes offices that consistently achieve exemplary customer satisfaction ratings.

Doug Beu, Pete Miller and Ric Lake were honored as top producers in the office.

Century 21 Kelly Davis Inc., in Colville, also received the Quality Service Award, Golden Eagle Award and Centurion Trophy. Broker/Owner Kelly Davis accepted the awards on behalf of his sales team.

Top producers in the office - Dave Hutchens, Dave Price and Denny Blair - were also honored and received individual awards.

Century 21 Kelly Davis also earned the President’s Award, the highest honor bestowed by Century 21 corporate. The award is presented to only 45 companies nationally and Kelly Davis was the only office in the Northwest to receive it.

Century 21 Town & Country Realty Inc., in Coeur d’Alene, received the Golden Eagle and Centurion awards. Broker/Owners Daniel and Sharon Flanagan accepted the awards on behalf of their sales team. The office also received honors for Top Listing Office, Top Selling Office and Top Overall Office for listing and selling in the Inland Empire Council.

Top producers honored included: Hap Hilbish, Roger Harte, Tonda Barsuglia, Young Burdette, Gene Harding and Bob Dreyer.

CERTIFICATIONS:

Stephen Faust of Smart Choices, a human resource consulting firm, has been certified to facilitate the Dependable Strengths Articulation Process. DSAP is a training program which allows people to explore their own, as well as others’ good experiences, respect and admire each other’s accomplishments and become a supportive community.

Robert Stevenson, executive director of Samaritan Counseling Center since 1982, has been certified by the state of Washington as a mental health counselor. Stevenson has been certified since 1977 by the American Association of Pastoral Counselors.

Gary Thunem, owner and operator of Padgett Business Services, has received the enrolled agent (EA) designation and can represent taxpayers before all administrative levels of the Internal Revenue Service.

EVENTS:

Monday and Tuesday - A class on the Franklin System for effective time management, will be offered by the community colleges’ Training and Education Coordinating Center, 3939N. Freya, from 6-9 p.m. both days. Cost: $195; call: 533-4700 for information and to register.

Tuesday - The Inland Northwest Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) Roundtable presents a free program on legal issues in electronic commerce and electronic data interchange, in the fourth floor boardroom at the Spokane Intercollegiate Research and Technology Institute (SIRTI), 665 N. Riverpointe Blvd., beginning at 1:30 p.m. Call 358-2081 for reservations, or Dorothy Hooley at 358-2044.

Tuesday - The Spokane Chapter of Washington Women Lawyers will host Lisa Stone of the Northwest Women’s Law Center, speaking at a noon lunch meeting at 717 W. Sprague, Suite 1200. Open to members and non-members.

June 11 - Program on conflict resolution, offered by the community colleges’ Training and Education Coordinating Center, 3939 N. Freya, from 6-9 p.m. Cost: $35; call 533-4700 for information or to register.

June 11 - Colville-Spokane Chamber Sports Day, presented by The Spokane Relations Committee, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. in Colville. The sponsored activities include lunch with the Colville Chamber Board of Directors, trout fishing at a private lake (no license required), 18 holes of golf at the Elks Club, dinner with the Colville Chamber of Commerce. Cost: $48 to fish, $61 to golf; call Diane Clawson at 459-4111 for information.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: 12 Photos

MEMO: Do you want to submit an item for “Business Beat?” Send a brief press release to: Bill Sallquist, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane WA, 99210-1615. Photos will be used, space permitting, with new staff additions, promotions and new businesses. Put names on backs of photos. If you want a photo back, write “WILL CALL” on the back and pick it up at the newspaper reference library. Allow three weeks for publication.