Business Beat

NEW FACES:

PPL Coffman Engineers has added electrical and mechanical engineering departments and construction management services and expanded its existing structural engineering department. As a result of the changes, the firm has added the following people to its staff:

Traci Hanegan earned a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Idaho.

Steve Hawk graduated from Washington State University with a master’s degree in civil engineering.

Warren Horne, a senior mechanical designer, received an associate of arts degree in applied sciences from North Idaho College and has more than 20 years of experience in his field.

David Kimball, who is a mechanical engineer, has more than 26 years of experience and is a registered professional engineer in Washington, Idaho, Alaska and Oklahoma.

Karl Kolb received a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Washington and an MBA from Seattle University.

Tom Looney completed the electrical engineering program at Weber State College and previously worked for Coffman Engineers in Anchorage, Alaska.

Mark McMicheal earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Gonzaga University and has more than 15 years of experience.

Shawki Najjar received a master’s degree in electrical engineering from Gonzaga University while working as a design engineer.

David Ruff, a mechanical engineer and Gonzaga University graduate, previously spent three years in design and development of nuclear waste processing equipment.

Mark Sipe, who earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Idaho, is a registered professional engineer in Washington, Idaho and Oregon.

Rick Zilar, project/construction manager, graduated from Washington State University and has more than 16 years of experience in design, project engineering and construction.

Cheri Babbitt, who earned top honors for her role in producing a business travel newsletter, has been hired by Prestige Travel as its corporate sales manager.

John L. Scott real estate has hired the following new sales associates: Gerry Wimer, Spokane office, and Buz Dammarell and Kevin Wick, Spokane North office.

Windermere Real Estate’s Spokane-East Sprague office has hired Pat Binkoski as a sales associate. Binkoski, who is new to real estate, worked with the Spokane Fire Department for 15 years.

Dr. Randy Sandaine, a naturopathic physician, has joined the staff at Allied Health Professionals, an alternative medicine center located in the Grand Office Park, 1403 S. Grand Blvd.

Laura Bacon has joined Quality Inn Oakwood, 7919 N. Division, as sales manager and will be in charge of coordinating conferences and groups, sales and marketing.

MOVING ON:

Gene McKay, president of Bovay Northwest, has retired after a 40-year career.

MOVING UP:

Sandi Swackhammer was promoted to food and beverage coordinator from front desk supervisor at the Quality Inn Oakwood and will oversee all catering for the conference rooms and help coordinate conferences and groups.

KUDOS:

The Spokane Chapter of Executive Women International has named Georgette Grainger as Representative of the Year. Grainger, who is an assistant vice president in the Small Business Banking Center of Washington Trust Bank, was cited for her involvement in the organization’s activities.

HealthTalk, a health education program co-sponsored by HealthPlus and Rockwood Clinic, was named a winner in the 1996 National Health Information Awards which recognize the nation’s best in consumer health information programs and materials. HealthTalk won a Silver Award in the Total Health Information Program category.

The Washington Association of Wheat Growers has presented $25,000 to Washington State University to start an endowment fund for WSU’s Lind Dryland Research Station, which has been the focal point of WSU crop development and management research to help dryland growers for the past 81 years.

Arby’s, McDonald’s and Godfather’s Pizza, all of Pullman, were chosen as the friendliest restaurants on the Palouse, by a “secret shopper” survey conducted by Hotel and Restaurant Administration students at Washington State University. The group of 27 students also choose five employees to honor for their “outstanding and caring service in the hospitality industry.” The employees are: Erica Moe and Jason Roberg, both of Arby’s; Sabrina Wride, of Godfather’s Pizza; Holly Keefe of McDonald’s in Moscow; and Aaron Booth of Arby’s in Moscow.

The Hampton Inn Spokane was ranked sixth in the Northwest out of almost 600 Hampton Inns for the third quarter of 1996, and fourth in the nation year to date.

The following Spokane agents qualified as members of the 1996 executive council of New York Life Insurance Co.: Barry Folsom, Berge Borrevik, Scot Pyle, Colleen Stevens, Wes Teterud, Fran Cook, Steve Cote and Kelly Mellon.

CERTIFICATIONS:

Merrily Bjerkestrand has completed a training program conducted by The Protocol School of Washington to become a certified corporate etiquette consultant and an international protocol consultant. The program trains independent consultants to present seminars on business etiquette and dining skills for the ‘90s, how to succeed in the international arena and dine like a diplomat. Bjerkestrand also is a certified children’s etiquette consultant.

ELECTED:

Fred Zirkle, president of Zirkle & Co. in Spokane, was elected chairman of M&A Source, the world’s largest association for business brokers facilitating business transfers valued from $1 million to $1 billion.

Inland Automobile Association (AAA) corporate communications manager Ed Sharman was elected president of the Washington State Good Roads & Transportation Association. Dale Stedman, retired head of the Eastern Washington-Northern Idaho AAA Club, was re-elected vice president of the association’s Eastern Division.

Former Pasco Mayor Joe Jackson was elected chair of the Eastern Washington University Board of Trustees. Jackson, an EWU graduate who was Pasco mayor from 1983 to 1987 and again from 1990 to 1991, also served as EWU board chairman in 1988-89. James Kirschbaum, executive vice president of Source Capital in Spokane, was elected vice chair.

The Wishing Star Foundation has elected its 1997 board officers: chair, Susan Prince, Appleway Automotive; vice chair, Tarri Bye, Spokane Teachers Credit Union; treasurer, Anne Oakley, Physician Anesthesia Group; and secretary, Lynn Winkler, Central Valley School District. Other board members include: immediate past chair, John Baker, The Spokesman-Review; John Mellick, United Security Bank; Dan Nagy, Wendy’s; Bob Tomlinson, Tomlinson/Black Realtors; Ted Rusnak, B&B Distributors; John Goedde, Panhandle Insurance; and Mike Williams, Winston and Cashatt.

The Gonzaga University School of Law Board of Advisors elected Va Lena Curran, a 1958 Gonzaga Law School graduate, as president. The board, made up of attorneys and other professionals, advises the law school dean on a variety of matters concerning the school.

William Zuppe, president of Sterling Savings Association, was elected to America’s Community Bankers Board of Directors. The 48-member board represents a national trade association of 2,000 progressive community bankers from institutions across the United States.

Bob Hamacher, general manager of KAYU-TV, Spokane, KCYU-TV, Yakima and KBWU-TV, Tri-Cities, was reelected to the board of directors of the Washington State Association of Broadcasters for a one-year term. Other directors re-elected to two-year terms are Verl Wheeler, KEYG-AM/FM, Grand Coulee; Lon Lee, KHQ-TV, Spokane and Kosta Panidis, KAQQ-AM, KISC-FM, KNFR-FM, KNJY-FM, Spokane.

Verl Wheeler also was elected vice-chairman of the board and Val Limburg, professor of communications, Edward R. Murrow School of Communications, Washington State University, was elected secretary/treasurer of the board.

The North Idaho Chapter of the National Association of Life Underwriters recently elected the following officers: Al Hassell, national committeeman; Everett Headrick, treasurer; Jack Domit, president; Sharon Latimer, secretary; and Judy Anderson, past president.

EVENTS:

Dec. 3 - Steve Ullrich, WSU Crops and Soil Sciences Department, will speak at a breakfast meeting of the Whitman County Agribusiness Technology Association at 7 a.m. at Hartley’s Wheel Inn in Steptoe, Wash. Call 397-6290 for information.

Dec. 3 - Microsoft and ValCom Business Center present a free “Corporate Solutions Briefing” from 8:30-11:30 a.m. in the Phase 1 Classroom Building at Riverpoint Higher Education Park, 668 N. Riverpoint. Call 1 (800) 550-4300 to register.

Dec. 3 - Microsoft and ValCom Business Center present a seminar on “Inside the Microsoft Desktop” from 1-3:30 p.m. at the Phase 1 Classroom Building at Riverpoint Higher Education Park, 668 N. Riverpoint. Call 1 (800) 550-4300 to register.

Dec. 3 & 4 - WSU Cooperative Extension, Whitman County presents the second session of the “QUICKEN Farm and Ranch Financial Record Keeping” workshop at the Public Service Building in Colfax. Call 397-6290 to register or for more information.

Dec. 4 - John Palmer, director of Scaffold Training Institute in Houston, will present an 8-hour workshop on “Scaffold Training-Competent Person” certification from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Inland Northwest Associated General Contractors (AGC) training room, 4935 E. Trent. Cost: $200 for AGC members, $300 for non-members; call Carolyn Pierce at 535-0391 for registration and more information.

Dec. 4 - Microsoft and Hewlett Packard present a free seminar on “Enhancing Communication and Collaboration with Microsoft Exchange and Corporate Intranets” from 8:30-11 a.m. at the Phase 1 Classroom Building at Riverpoint Higher Education Park, 668 N. Riverpoint. Call 1 (800) 550-4300 To register.

Dec. 4 - Microsoft and Hewlett Packard present a free seminar on “Internet Connectivity and Security with Windows NT 4.0” from 1-3:30 p.m. at the Phase 1 Classroom Building at the Riverpoint Higher Education Park, 668 N. Riverpoint. Call 1 (800) 550-4300 To register.

Dec. 4 - The Fulcrum Institute presents a seminar on “Handbook Policy Development” from 1-5 p.m. at the institute’s office, 905 W. Riverside, Suite 304. Cost: $50; call 838-2799 for more information or to register.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: 12 Photos

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