Business Beat

NEW FACES:

Fulcrum Environmental Consulting Inc. has added the following people to its staff:

Amy Critchfield joined the company as an administrative assistant. Her responsibilities include maintaining office records, document review, data management, quality control, assisting technical staff and the production of maps and floor plans utilizing computer aided drafting (CAD). Critchfield earned a bachelor’s degree at Eastern Washington University.

Myra Boughter was hired as Fulcrum’s in-house corporate accountant. A CPA since 1981, Boughter has extensive experience in financial, payroll and business tax accounting. She previously worked for Standard Medical Imaging.

Matthew Rasmussen has joined Taylor Engineering Inc. as a design engineer. Rasmussen is a 1998 civil engineering graduate of Washington State University.

Recent additions to the staff of McFarland & Alton P.S. include:

Cindy Benson, a certified public accountant, who was hired as an assistant accountant for the firm’s Healthcare and Banking Services groups. A 1997 graduate of Gonzaga University, she spent the past year studying in Florence, Italy.

Judy Lundgren who was named a senior accountant in the Tax Department. A CPA, Lundgren previously was a staff accountant at Richards, Johnson & Granberry in Fairbanks, Alaska. She graduated from Montana State University and also is certified in Montana and Alaska.

Michael Handy, a 12-year veteran of the Spokane Marketplace, has joined First National Financial Group Inc. as senior commercial loan officer.

Independent Counseling Services has hired Nancy L. Greinert as a certified marriage and family therapist. Greinert received a master’s degree from Seattle Pacific University and has been in practice in Western Washington for the past six years. She specializes in child, family and relationship counseling.

Charles Allen has joined the Chewelah office of Windermere Real Estate as a sales associate. Allen previously worked for John L. Scott Realty in Chewelah.

First National Financial Group Inc. has expanded its Business Development Division with the addition of Lorraine Gray as senior commercial processor. Gray has worked in the organizational processing field for more than 16 years.

Mark Woodworth has joined TPM Resource Solutions as a sales/service representative for the Timber Products Manufacturers Trust. He will be responsible for servicing the trust’s 160 member accounts and adding companies to the trust and will assist in expanding the trust’s products and services. Woodworth previously worked as an agent for Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co.

Don Myklebust has rejoined the Spokane-Manito office of Windermere Real Estate as a sales associate. He previously worked at the office from 1993 to 1997. Most recently, he was with Remax-Citywide for eight months.

Kim Perdue has joined the North Spokane office of Tomlinson Black. Her background includes six years in banking and seven as a stockbroker.

Diane Rowen Garmire has joined the Camp Invention program as the North Idaho and Eastern Washington regional coordinator. Camp Invention is a science and creativity camp for second- through sixth-graders that will be introduced in the summer of 1999. Garmire is an art specialist for the Spokane School District. She previously worked for the Post Falls School District as a facilitator for the gifted and talented.

The American Cancer Society has named Gretchen Wick as income development coordinator for Spokane County. Wick, a graduate of Washington State University, previously worked for a telecommunications company in the TriCities area. She also worked eight years in event planning and fund raising for the Yakima Family YMCA.

MOVING UP:

Idaho Independent Bank has promoted Toni Capaul to assistant vice president at its Coeur d’Alene branch. Capaul has 10 years of experience in real estate and consumer lending and has completed course work at North Idaho College and the American Institute of Banking.

The following employees of Coeur d’Alene-based Magnuson, McHugh & Co. P.A. have received promotions:

Tori Gray was promoted from senior tax accountant to tax manager. A 1989 graduate of North Idaho College, she received her accounting degree from the University of Montana in 1992 and joined the firm that year. She earned a certificate of educational achievement in tax planning last month after completing a three-year program.

Michelle Schini-Mitchell was promoted from senior accountant to manager. Schini-Mitchell, who joined the firm in 1995, received a degree in accounting from the University of Arizona in 1990. She worked three years for the international firm of KPMG Peat Marwick in California before joining Magnuson, McHugh. She is on track to earn certified fraud examiner status next year.

Renae Hermen has been promoted to media director of Wendt Advertising & Public Relations and will supervise media staff in Wendt’s Great Falls, Mont., and Spokane offices. Hermen creates advertising plans and buys Internet, television, radio, print and outdoor media ad space or air time on behalf of Wendt clients. Before joining Wendt, she worked for ad agencies in Great Falls and Fargo, N.D. She is a graduate of Moorhead State University.

Jeffrey L. Hazen, an environmental engineer with the Spokane consulting firm Budinger & Associates Inc., has received his professional engineer’s license.

NEXTLINK Washington has promoted the following staffers:

Tom Newbury, previously branch manager, was named regional vice president for information systems and processes. He will be responsible for identifying and implementing “best practices” throughout the region. Newbury, who will continue to work out of the Spokane office, has been with the company for the past year.

Marty Dickinson has been named branch manager for NEXTLINK Spokane. Dickinson was marketing manager for the past three years, and has represented the Spokane operation on several national NEXTLINK teams.

Dick Yahne has been promoted to director of operations for Spokane. He will oversee switching, provisioning, installation, repair, engineering and outside plant functions. Yahne was operations manager for the past two years.

Jon Wittry, formerly outside plant manager, has accepted a position with the company’s resource affiliate, which handles central administrative functions for the entire company. As manager of outside plant and access engineering, Wittry will develop standards and provide outside plant support to affiliates nationwide.

ELECTED:

Officers of the Post Falls Chamber of Commerce for 1999 include: President, Dick Harris, School District 272; first vice president, Cort Wilcox, D.A. Davidson; second vice president, Debbie Green, Washington Trust Bank; treasurer, Leslie Gourley, LeMaster & Daniels; and secretary, Vicki Morris, Idaho Small Business Development Center. Newly elected board members are: Barbara Broncheau, Jacklin Seed Co.; Freeman Duncan, Duncan Law Offices; Patty Harris, North Country Mortgage; Jim Dickinson, Dickinson Insurance; Pat Leffel, Riverbend Commerce Park; Dave Dean, Washington Trust Bank; and Vicki Paramore, Cavanaughs Templin’s Resort.

The Spokane Building Owners and Managers Association has elected the following officers and directors for fiscal year 1999: President, David B. Wright; president-elect, Kevin L. Kragt; vice president, Eric A. Mewhinney; and directors Brad G. Bailey, Peter J. Cain, Toni L. Habets, Gordon W. Hester, Dave W. Tomson and Dennis W. Wright.

The Spokane Unit of the American Cancer Society has elected the following officers for 1998-99: President, Dr. Tom Allerding, Pathology Associates Inc. P.S.; vice president, Vicky Dalton, Spokane County; treasurer, Ruth Reynolds, Telephone Pioneers; secretary, Mary Giannini, Witherspoon, Kelly, Davenport & Toole P.S. Board members include: Cindy Albrecht, Community Health Education & Resources; Marna Bateman, Holy Family Hospital; Toni Cooley, Sacred Heart Medical Center; Dan Fitzgerald, Buffalo Apparel Inc.; Candice Henderson, D.J. Irvin Co. Inc.; Dr. Nancy Magnuson, Washington State University; Dr. Joni Nichols, Spokane Oncology; Dr. Joel Sears, Advanced Dermatology & Skin Surgery; and Linda Thompson, Sacred Heart Cancer & Research Center.

Eddie Eckenberg of Eckenberg Farms in Mattawa, Wash., was elected 1999 president of the National Hay Association. Mark Anderson of Ellensburg and Glen Knopp of Moses Lake were elected to the board of directors.

KUDOS:

The Community Colleges of Spokane has received a $1.2 million state grant to develop new training programs and provide free tuition for low-income parents seeking to upgrade their job skills. The grant was the largest single award received by any of Washington state’s 32 community and technical colleges under the WorkFirst welfare reform program.

The National Association of Manufacturers has given Spokane Congressman George Nethercutt its legislative excellence award, said Telect Chairman Bill Williams Jr., a NAM member.

EVENTS:

Monday through Friday - The Service Corps of Retired Executives offers free counseling to existing and potential small-business owners from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Business Information Center in Room 240 of the Spokane Regional Business Center, 801 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.

Monday - Associated Engineers will hear about “Changes in Engineering Education from a Local and National Perspective” at noon at Cavanaughs Inn at the Park. Lunch $10, salad alone, $3. Dr. Dennis Horn, dean of engineering at Gonzaga University will be the speaker.

Wednesday - The Spokane office of the state Department of Revenue presents a free New Business Outreach workshop from 8:30-11:30 a.m. and again from 1:30-4:30 p.m. in the eighth floor training room at 4407 N. Division. For information, call 482-3805.

Tuesday - The American Business Women’s Association, Spokane Falls Chapter, will hold its monthly meeting at 5:30 p.m. at Matties Restaurant. For information or reservations, call Irene LaBounty, 534-6560.Thursday - The Spokane Area Chamber of Commerce presents Business After Hours from 5:15-7 p.m. at the Wishing Star Foundation, 915 W. Second, Suite 3. Cost: $5; for information or to register, call 459-4111.

Thursday - Associated Industries of the Inland Northwest presents a seminar for trainers on “What Everybody Hates” from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. at 920 N. Washington. Cost: $17; for information, call 326-6885.