Business Beat

NEW FACES:

Mark Thompson has been appointed branch manager of Sterling Savings’ Spokane Valley branch. Thompson has more than 17 years of experience in the financial industry and most recently was vice president/branch manager for another financial institution in Washington.

Principal Mutual Life Insurance Co. recently added four agents to its Spokane office:

Norm Ettinger and Erik Peterson are both recent graduates of Washington State University.

John Goode is a recent Eastern Washington University graduate.

Larry Montague was in private business for 25 years.

Connie Woodard has joined American Sales College as director of customer service training. Woodard, who has an extensive training background with Spokane School District 81, serves on the board of directors of the American Society of Training Developers.

Three former Red Lion Hotel managers have joined Goodale & Barbieri Cos.’ Hospitality Division:

John Taffin was named Spokane regional hospitality manager and will oversee the operations of four Cavanaugh’s Inns in Spokane as well as the Crescent Court Ballroom and Exhibition Center and food services at Falls Fish Co. Taffin most recently was general manager of the Red Lion in Bakersfield, Calif., and the Spokane Valley Red Lion.

Anne Thompson will be general manager of Cavanaugh’s River Inn. Thompson, former general manager of the Spokane Valley Red Lion, was a Red Lion manager for 10 years.

Jolene DiSalvo was appointed director of sales for Cavanaugh’s Inn on Fifth Avenue in Seattle, scheduled to open in May. DiSalvo, former director of sales at the Sea-Tac Red Lion in Seattle, also will market seven other Cavanaugh’s Inns in Spokane, Kennewick, Yakima and Kalispell, Mont.

The Waterford has hired the following people:

Kim Buer, Alzheimer’s manager, holds a bachelor’s degree in therapeutic recreation with a minor in gerontology from Central Michigan University.

Jennifer Hughey, administrative assistant to the general manager, has a bachelor’s degree in business management. She is responsible for worker’s compensation and administrative activities.

Yvonne Shulman, human resources manager has 20 years of human resource experience in health care and banking. Shulman’s responsibilities include personnel management and employee training.

Chuck Freeman, environmental services manager, was formerly a district manager for a health care services group and managed environmental departments in 13 nursing homes in Washington, Oregon and Idaho. He is responsible for managing maintenance, housekeeping, laundry and groundskeeping departments.

The USA Dry Pea and Lentil Council has hired Tanya Wojtowych as director of research and information. Wojtowych, previously employed in the Pacific Northwest wine industry, will manage the collection and dissemination of research and information, and will be involved in domestic and international market promotion activities for the council.

Steve Kuhn has joined AgAmerica Farm Credit Bank as senior accountant. Kuhn, a CPA, was previously product manager for Northwest Farm Credit Services. He is responsible for financial reporting and accounting policy at AgAmerica.

Management Recruiters of Spokane has named David Seefeld general manager. Seefeld has eight years of recruiting experience and most recently was a partner in The Jackson-Hawthorne Group. He was chosen both National Rookie of the Year and National Account Executive of the Year during his career with Sales Consultants from 1988-1992.

KUDOS:

Three members of the Spokane Area Economic Development Council (EDC) have been recognized for extraordinary efforts on behalf of the EDC and received the EDC Extra Mile Award:

Darin Klundt of Klundt & Hosmer Design Assoc.; Frank Tombari of Farmers & Merchants Bank; and Mike Taylor of Taylor Engineering.

Safeco Insurance Companies’ Spokane branch received the company’s top customer satisfaction rating for 1995. The branch, which opened in 1977 and has 243 independent agents, received a 96 percent claims customer satisfaction rating.

Gem Berry Products Inc. of Sandpoint was named grand prize winner of the Finest New Red Raspberry Product in America contest for 1995. Gem Berry’s Raspberry-Huckleberry Syrup captured the top new product honor. The winning formula was created by Elizabeth O’Brien.

Merle Kennedy and Jerry Kennedy of Foisy and Kennedy Insurance and Realty Inc. were honored as the 1996 business of the year by the Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce. Gary Reit, owner of the Coulee House Motel in Coulee Dam, was honored as Chamber Achiever for 1996.

Wendt Advertising has won four awards in the regional “Best of NAMA” (National Agri-Marketing Association) competition. Wendt received two first-place awards and two merit awards for advertising work done for Agrium, a leading producer and supplier of major plant nutrients in North America.

Hampton Inn Spokane was ranked fifth in the nation out of 431 Hampton Inns for 1995. The Hampton Inns are ranked through surveys mailed to customers and are judged for cleanliness, customer service, decor and overall guest satisfaction. The Hampton Inn Spokane has been ranked in the top 1 percent for the past three years.

ELECTED:

Dodie Ruzicki, director of educational services at Sacred Heart Medical Center, has been elected chair of the Group Health Northwest board of directors. Ruzicki also chairs the board’s Consumer Governance and Quality committees, is a member of the Finance Committee, and serves as a board representative on the Nominating Committee.

Lucinda Whaley and Patricia Williams, attorneys for the law firm of Winston and Cashatt P.S., have been elected 1996 officers in the Federal Bar Association for the Eastern District of Washington. Whaley, whose practice includes trial work with an emphasis on commercial litigation, was elected president. Williams, who specializes in bankruptcy law as well as commercial transactions and employment law, was elected trustee at large.

The Spokane Area Economic Development Council (EDC) has elected 1996 officers: board of trustees chair, John Wagner, executive vice president and manager of Seafirst Bank’s Spokane Commercial Banking Office; vice chair, Frank Tombari, vice president, Farmers & Merchants Bank; secretary/treasurer, Marshall Farnell, Spokane County director of administrative services.

New members of the EDC board are: Steve Baker, president, Northern Technologies; Jan Ekstrom, president, Janek Co.; Peter Kerwien, business strategist, Washington Water Power; Debra MacKay, vice president, MacKay Manufacturing; William Poppy, administrator/CEO, Rockwood Clinic P.S.; Eric Schindler, shareholder, Anderson ZurMuehlen & Co.; Dennis Scott, public works director, Spokane County; and William Wrigglesworth, executive vice president/managing executive, Sedgwick.

Gonzaga University School of Law Professor John Morey Maurice was elected president of the Federal Defenders of Eastern Washington and Idaho, a non-profit community of legal defender organizations. Maurice is a member of the Spokane Civil Service Commission, directs the Thomas More Scholarship Program and Continuing Legal Education.

Edward McBride, director of gift planning for the University of Idaho, is the new president of the Inland Northwest Planned Giving Council. Other officers of the Spokane-based council are: vice president, Carol Neupert, director of development for Sacred Heart Medical Center; secretary, Nancy Gunn Harsha, development director for Lutheran Social Services of Washington and Idaho; treasurer, David Walker, vice president and trust officer for U.S. Bank of Washington; membership chair, Jane Orr, director of planned giving for Gonzaga University; program chair, Steve Kocharhook, director of development for Catholic Diocese of Spokane.

EVENTS:

Tuesday - Former Oakland Raiders football great Ben Davidson is among guest speakers for the Washington Association of Life Underwriters Sales Congress at 8:30 a.m. at Cavanaugh’s Inn at the Park. For information or to register, call Cathy Knecht at 928-3534.

Tuesday - Planned Television Arts sponsors a free small-business workshop at 7 p.m. at the Red Lion City Center to present ideas for home businesses, where to get start-up money and what you need and what you don’t. Call 1-800-322-2700 for information.

Wednesday - The Spokane Chapter of Professional Secretaries International’s holds its monthly meeting and dinner at 5:15 p.m. at Cavanaugh’s River Inn. Call Patricia Crocker-Fox at 533-7065 for information and to make a reservation.

Wednesday - The Inland Northwest Treasury Management Association holds a luncheon meeting at noon at the Shilo Inn in Spokane, with speaker James Moody, president of InterLink Services Inc. Cost: $10 for members, $12 for non-members, $15 at the door; call Vickie Erickson at 353-7078 for information or to register.

April 2 - Gary Ludlow of Premenos Corp. will speak on “Costs of Implementing EDI” at a meeting of the Inland Northwest Electronic Data Interchange Roundtable at 1:30 p.m. at the Spokane Intercollegiate Research and Technology Institute, 665 N. Riverpoint Blvd. Cost: free; For information or reservations, call 358-2081 or Dorothy Hooley at 358-2044.

April 24-26 - “Vision 2000 - Re-engineering for Excellence” is the theme of the Region X conference of the Association of Records Managers and Administrators International at the Richland Tower Inn, 1515 George Washington Way, Richland. Discount for registration through Friday; for information, call Brian Sprouse at (509) 734-9052 or Judie Reed at (509) 376-6922.

CONVENTIONS:

Today-Monday - Spokane Area Allied Florists, annual spring design show, Spokane Falls Community College.

Tuesday-Friday - Washington Rural Health Association, annual conference, Cavanaugh’s Inn at the Park.

Wednesday - Northwest Public Power Association, customer choice meeting, Red Lion City Center.

Friday-Saturday - Right to Life/ Spokane, annual state conference, Red Lion City Center.

Friday-March 31 - Creighton and Associates, Spokane Home and Garden Show, Spokane Center.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: 12 Photos

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