Business Beat

New faces:

Shelley Rehn has joined Sedgwick James of Washington Inc. as a commercial account assistant. Rehn has more than 15 years of experience in the insurance industry. She previously worked for Fidelity and Associates.

Rockey West Public Relations has hired Brendan M. Farnell as an account executive. Farnell has previously worked for the Spokane Area Chamber of Commerce and the Spokane Area Economic Development Council. His clients at Rockey West include CH2MHill, the Economic Development Council and River Park Square.

Imperial Holly Corp. has named Richard Wells as manager of a new sugar beet processing factory under construction in Moses Lake. Wells joined Holly Sugar in 1961 at its sugar beet factory in Brawley, Calif., and rose through the ranks there until being named factory maintenance manager at Holly’s Hereford, Texas, factory in 1995. He later was promoted to production manager at Hereford. The Moses Lake factory, which will operate as Pacific Northwest Sugar Co. LLC, is scheduled to begin operating in late 1998.

Anne Medhus has been hired as assistant director of major gifts in the office of university relations at Gonzaga University. Medhus, who previously was a development associate for the School of Engineering at the University of Missouri-Rolla, will be responsible for enhancing endowment, building funds and equipment gifts at Gonzaga.

Jan Phillips has been named corporate health educator for Group Health Northwest’s Center for Health Promotion. Phillips earned a master’s degree in nursing from Syracuse University. She has taught nursing and worked as a health promotion consultant and has extensive experience in acute care, particularly with respiratory and post-open-heart surgery care.

Anthony Lentz has been appointed associate director for technology development and commercialization at the Spokane Intercollegiate Research and Technology Institute. He will oversee all research, development and commercialization activities at SIRTI and also manage the Emerging Technologies Center.

John R. Ryan is manager of SIRTI’s Energy Technologies Center, and Terry Chambers manages the Digital Technologies Center. James H. Lynch is the new projects manager for a select group of emerging technologies.

Moving up:

Key Tronic Corp. has promoted Calvin Miller and Scott Miller to program manager positions. They will oversee new product introduction for Key Tronic. Calvin Miller previously was a senior product engineer. Scott Miller had been manager of assembly operations.

Telect Inc. has promoted the following employees:

Kelly Lane was named product manager of voice frequency and cabling products. She is responsible for overall management of Telect’s voice frequency and cabling products, including developing and marketing new and existing products. Lane joined Telect seven years ago as a customer service representative.

Kingsley Johnson was named eastern region distribution account manager. He will oversee relationships with Telect’s eastern-based distributors, as well as recruit new distributors and train authorized distributors within his territory. Johnson, who has worked for Telect for eight years, most recently was inside sales team leader.

Dan Stainbrook has been named executive vice president-credit at Farm Credit Services. He oversees credit underwriting, corporate accounts lending, loan participations and syndications, collateral and appraisal services, and servicing of special credit. Stainbrook joined the Farm Credit System in 1974 as a credit officer in Meadville, Pa. He moved to Spokane in 1990, and most recently was senior vice president-credit.

Farm Credit Services has named Fred DePell as executive vice presidentfinancial services. He is responsible for the supervision, direction and performance of 42 branches in Washington, Idaho, Oregon and Montana. DePell joined Farm Credit in 1978 as a credit officer trainee in Burley, Idaho, and most recently was senior vice president-financial services.

Leslee Conner, a hydrogeologist, was promoted by Landau Associates Inc. to associate. Conner has 13 years of professional environmental experience and has been with Edmonds, Wash.-based Landau for eight years. She manages Landau’s Spokane office.

Starting up:

Mary E. Macri has established NorthWest Events LLC. The business creates, plans and coordinates corporate events, and contracts with vendors to help stage events.

Transactions:

Donald G. Rogge has assumed ownership of the Sign A Rama fullservice sign center at 101 N. Argonne. Sign A Rama franchise owners create, install and maintain vehicle, boat and aircraft lettering, window graphics, magnetics, yard signs, banners, nameplates, neon, channel lettering and other sign-related products.

Elected:

New officers and directors of the Spokane Chapter of the American Institute of Architects include: president, William Rash, Northwest Architectural Co.; vice president/president-elect, Sam Rodell, Kirkwood Rodell Associates P.S.; secretary, Douglas Menzies, associate professor of architecture and architecture coordinator, Interdisciplinary Design Institute, Washington State University; treasurer, Glen Cloninger, Glen A. Cloninger & Associates. Directors: Keith Ballantyne, Bernardo/Mills Architects; Sue Lani Madsen, ALSC Architects P.S.; Gary Joralemon, Integrus Architecture P.S.; Christopher Green, president of Architectural Concepts P.S.; and Roselea Duffy, Rundquist & Hard P.S.

The Washington Wheat Commission’s new officers include: chairman, Karl Felgenhauer of Fairfield; vice chairman, Christopher Shaffer, Walla Walla; and treasurer, Philip Isaak, Coulee City. Kahlotus wheat farmer Lynn Blair was appointed to a three-year term on the board, representing farmers in Benton, Franklin, Kittitas, Klickitat and Yakima counties. Charles Berry and Mitchell Payne were reappointed to represent the baking and warehouse industries, respectively, on the board.

Certifications:

The Australian Tourist Commission has designated Tina Arendt of Travel Management Inc. as a Certified Aussie Specialist. She completed a comprehensive training program and destination examination.

Todd Claypool, a Lutheran Brotherhood district representative associated with the Peter Mauritsen Agency, has earned the Life Underwriter Training Council Fellow (LUTCF) designation. The designation is awarded to those who have successfully completed an LUTC study program covering various topics in life underwriting, including personal insurance, the fundamentals of financial services and disability income protection.

Kudos:

Dennis Cutter, president and chief executive officer of Spokane Railway Credit Union, has been presented a “Friend of the Foundation” award by the Credit Union Foundation Inc. Cutter, who is only the second individual to receive the award, was honored for his continuing support of credit union development and his 16 years as chairman of the Credit Union Foundation.

Thomas A. Drynan has been named Agent of the Year by the Spokane General Office of New York Life Insurance Co. Drynan ranked 207th out of more than 7,300 active New York Life agents. He also qualified for the 1997 Million Dollar Round Table, President’s Council, Centurion and High Flyer Elite.

Events:

Monday through Thursday - The Service Corps of retired Executives offers free counseling to potential and existing small-business owners from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. in the Business Information Center at the Spokane Area Chamber of Commerce, 1020 W. Riverside. For appointments, call 353-2820. Counselors also are available on Tuesdays at the Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce, 8817 E. Mission. For appointments there, call 924-4994.

Tuesday - The Consumer Credit Counseling Service of the Inland Northwest presents a workshop on “Home Buying in Today’s Market” from 6-9 p.m. at 1912 N. Division. A second workshop will be held from 6-9 p.m. April 15 in the CCCS Coeur d’Alene office, 1048 N. Third. Cost: $20; for more information or to register, call 327-3777 or (800) 892-6854 and ask for the education department.

Wednesday - The Service Corps of Retired Executives presents a workshop on “Basics of Recordkeeping” from 8 a.m.-noon at the Spokane Area Chamber of Commerce, 1020 W. Riverside. Cost: $35, including materials; for information or to register, call 353-2820.

Thursday - Jerry Haupt of Haupt Management Consultants will speak on “Growing Your Business: Why ‘Founder’s Zeal’ Is Not Enough!” at a meeting of the Spokane Area Chamber of Commerce Small Business Council from 7-8:30 a.m. in the chamber’s Spokane Room, 1020 W. Riverside.

Thursday - Julie Prafke of Humanix Personnel and Training Services, will speak on “Employee Motivation” during a meeting of the Inland Northwest Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners at 6 p.m. at Shilo Inn, 923 E. Third. Cost: $15 for members, $25 for non-members; for information, call Cathy Doerr at 838-8755.

Saturday - The Washington State Housing Finance Commission presents a free Homebuyer Education Seminar from 8 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at Farmers & Merchants Bank, 25 N. Mullan. For information or reservations, call Landie Chappell or Joan Hathaway at 922-9405.

April 14 - The Small Business Development Center presents a class on the “Top 20 Home-based Business Ideas” from 6-9 p.m. at the Spokane Intercollegiate Research and Technology Institute, 665 N. Riverpoint Blvd. Cost: $35; call 358-7890 for information or to register.

April 14 - Gonzaga University communications arts Professor John Caputo will discuss “Intercultural Communication Skills for the Workplace” at 2 p.m. at Hughes Hall Auditorium on the GU campus as part of Gonzaga’s professional development program series “Beyond Tolerance.” For information, call 328-4220, ext. 3256.

April 14-June 6 - The Institute for Extended Learning presents a course on accounting concepts and procedures from 6:30-9 p.m. each Monday at Ferris High School, 3020 E. 37th. Cost: $70; call 533-3770 for information or to register.

April 17 - Northwest Inland Empire APICS holds its monthly dinner meeting beginning with a social hour at 5:15 p.m. at Templin’s Resort in Post Falls. Cost: $15; for reservations, call Debra Benson by April 11 at 459-5202 or e-mail dbenson@spokesman.com.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: 12 photos

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