Business Beat

New faces:

Wm. Andrew Myers has joined the law firm of Huppin Ewing Anderson & Paul P.S. as an associate. Myers graduated from Gonzaga University School of Law last May with magna cum laude honors. While attending law school, he co-founded Across Borders, an online international law journal which other law schools are now emulating. Myers’ practice will emphasize commercial litigation, creditor-debtor and bankruptcy.

GMAC Mortgage has added the following people to its Spokane staff. All formerly worked for Family Home Mortgage:

Carly Wold joins GMAC as a customer loan specialist. A graduate of Gonzaga University, she has more than five years of experience in the real estate and mortgage industry.

Susan Rott was hired as a customer loan specialist. Rott, who has a bachelor’s degree in business administration, was the manager of the closing department at Family Home Mortgage.

Jason Clark joined GMAC as a senior loan officer. Clark, who has experience in government loans, is president of the Spokane Mortgage Lenders Association and on the board of Spokane Homeownership Partners.

Charlie Peterson was hired as a senior loan officer. He has a solid background in government loans and is consistently one of the top originators of VA loans in the Spokane area.

Terri Peterson joined GMAC as a loan officer. She has experience with government and conventional loans and focuses on first-time home buyers. She worked in real estate before shifting to mortgage lending.

Loretta Cael, who has 17 years of experience in the mortgage industry, was named a loan representative. She is a past president of the Spokane Mortgage Lenders Association and current secretary of the Spokane Area Real Estate Coalition. She also serves on the board of the Spokane Homeowners Resource Center.

The Senior Homes Foundation of Eastern Washington has named Ann Price as chief staff officer and CEO. For the past six years, Price was development manager for the Spokane Food Bank. Earlier she was executive director at Mid-City Concerns. The Senior Homes Foundation was recently established by Spokane Baptist Association Homes to support the future program and service needs for residents of Lilac Plaza and Holman Gardens.

Craig Ziegler has joined Yates Funeral Homes in Coeur d’Alene as family service counselor. Ziegler, a licensed funeral director and insurance agent, oversees the pre-need insurance and after-care program. He managed the Yates Funeral Home in St. Maries from 1974 until 1981.

First National Financial Group Inc. has hired Michelle Snyder as a loan officer in its home loan division. Snyder has extensive experience in the customer relations/service field.

Re/Max of Spokane has added the following sales associates to its staff:

Cyan Parrish, who has four years of real estate experience and holds the GRI designation, previously was an interior designer.

Gene Strunk, a veteran of five years in the real estate industry, has prior experience in the restaurant and advertising businesses.

Moving up:

The accounting firm of LeMaster & Daniels PLLC has promoted the following employees:

Ardis R. “Art” Ribail has been appointed chief operating officer of the firm’s Spokane Valley office. A certified public accountant, Ribail joined the firm in 1986 and was made a member in 1996. He specializes in governmental services, representing a large number of tribal and institutional clients. Before joining LeMaster & Daniels, he worked in governmental auditing in Alaska.

Jeff Oka and Karen Creveling-Hughes were promoted to supervisor at the firm’s Spokane Valley office. Oka joined LeMaster & Daniels in 1996 as a staff accountant. Creveling-Hughes was hired in 1997 as a senior accountant in the firm’s tax and advisory business services department.

Steve Coleman, who joined the firm in 1996 as a senior accountant in the accounting and auditing department, was promoted to manager at the firm’s downtown Spokane office.

Sheri Pritchard was named a senior at the downtown Spokane office. She joined the firm in 1995 as a staff technician.

Paul Anastasi, a graduate of the University of Washington, was promoted to supervisor at the downtown office. He joined LeMaster & Daniels in 1994 as a staff accountant in the accounting and auditing department.

Design Works has promoted Becky Schmelzer to interior design specialist. Her responsibilities include providing design work and project oversight in both new construction and remodeling. A graduate of Washington State University’s Interdisciplinary Design Program, Schmelzer worked at the Bombay Co. in Spokane before joining Design Works as director of customer relations.

Moving:

Care Connection has moved to 539 W. Sharp, Suite D. Phone numbers are 325-1830, or (800) 300-8586.

Elected:

1999 officers of the Northwest Human Resource Management Association include: President, Alice Hardin; president-elect, Yvonne Shulman; past president, Connie Bantz; communications, Julie Bazo; membership co-chairs, Laura Wood and Kathryn Lee; program co-chairs, Cindy Drake and Bill Nicholson; professional development, Chris Purviance; diversity, Connie Bantz; legislative, Don Millikan; secretary, Lourie Morse; education, Jennifer Dunham; college relations co-chairs, Michelle Mors and Denny Beier; treasurer, Teri Barros; and seminars, Kay Cadero.

Kerrick Bauman, owner of L&L Farms in Connell, Wash, has been elected president of the Pacific Northwest Vegetable Association. Jim Klaustermeyer Jr., owner of Klaustermeyer Farms in Basin City, Wash., was elected vice president, and Lynn Child, who owns LC Farms in Quincy, Wash., was elected secretary/ treasurer.

Officers of the newly-formed Gonzaga University Staff Assembly include: President, Bobbie League, School of Education; vice president, Rosemarie Murphy, security; and secretary, Roberta Willey, Arts & Sciences. Other members of the assembly, designed to provide a forum for open communication and ongoing dialogue among staff and between staff and administration, are Juan Adams, plant services; Richard Almanza, plant services; Bob Bartlett, cultural diversity; Kim Gieber, philosophy; Gail Jennings, religious studies; Nancy Masingale, faculty services; Raymond Reyes, associate academic vice president for diversity; and Peter Tormey, university relations.

Spencer Sherwood of Yakima has been elected president of the Eastern Washington University Alumni Association. Sherwood, controller for Baumgardner Imaging Inc., joined the board in 1996 and was vice president of the association for the past year. He is a 1969 graduate of EWU.

Spokane businessman Gordon Budke has been elected chair of the Eastern Washington University Board of Trustees for 1998-99. Jean L. Beschel will serve as vice chair. Budke, former managing partner at the Spokane office of Coopers & Lybrand, is now an independent business consultant. He was appointed to the eight-member Eastern board last December.

Certifications:

Linda Besse has been designated a Fine Homes Specialist by Prudential Real Estate Affiliates Inc. She was honored for demonstrating professionalism and commitment to representing buyers and sellers in the fine homes market. Besse, who has 15 years of experience in the real estate business, also is an associate broker and has earned the Certified Residential Specialist designation.

Larry Carroll, general manager of TPM Resource Solutions, was recently recertified as a Certified Association Executive with the American Society of Association Executives. Prior to recertification, applicants are rated on their experience and accomplishments in association management and must successfully complete a comprehensive, one-day examination which tests general knowledge of the association management profession.

Kudos:

Chipman Moving & Storage of Spokane, an agent of United Van Lines Inc., has achieved membership in United’s “President’s Club.” The honor is bestowed on agents who reach at least $1 million in sales for the United system over the past year.

The National Association of Life Underwriters has named Thomas Koelewyn of New York Life as a winner of the 1998 NALU 100% Agency Award. The award is given annually to agency managers who have all of their eligible agents registered as active members of the National Association of Life Underwriters. It is the highest honor bestowed upon agency managers and general agents by the association.

Tom Drynan has been named a member of the 1998 Chairman’s Council of New York Life Insurance Co. Members of the council rank in the top three percent of New York Life’s active agents in the United States, based on 1997-98 sales. Drynan, who has been a New York Life agent since 1990, is associated with the company’s Spokane general office.

Events:

Jan. 4 - The Training and Education Coordinating Center presents session I of a Zenger Miller Leadership Training Core Series on “Your Role and the Basic Principles” from 6-9 p.m. at the Business Training and Applied Technology Center, 3939 N. Freya. Cost: $225 for the four-class series; for information or to register, call 533-4700.

Jan 4-27 - The Training and Education Coordinating Center presents a course on “New Directions in Career Planning” from 5-9 p.m. at 3939 N. Freya. Cost: $221.32; for information or to register, call 533-4728 or 533-4700.

Jan. 4-Feb. 3 - Inland Northwest Associated General Contractors presents a workshop for construction superintendents and foremen and other supervisory personnel on “Oral and Written Communications” from 6-8:30 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays at the Spokane Community College Apprenticeship and Training Center, 2110 N. Fancher. Cost: $240 for AGC members, $425 for nonmembers, $100 for registered apprentices; for information or to register, call Carolyn Pierce at 535-0391 or (800) 572-4108.

Jan. 5. - The Service Corps of Retired Executives offers free counseling to potential and existing small-business owners from 9 a.m.-noon at Tri-County EDD, 347 W. Second, Suite A, in Colville. For appointments, call (509) 684-4571.

Jan. 5-12 - The Small Business Development Center presents a course on “How to Develop a Basic Marketing Plan” from 6-9 p.m. at the Spokane Intercollegiate Research and Technology Institute, 665 N. Riverpoint Blvd. Cost: $45; call 358-7890 for information or to register.