Business Beat
New faces:
Dean Franz has joined the consulting firm of Inland Pacific Engineering as a senior civil engineer. Franz has more than 15 years of experience in land development and public works projects. He was previously with Spokane County Public Works, Division of Engineering and Roads. With the addition of Franz, the firm plans on expanding further into municipal engineering professional services.
Ross Printing Co. has hired Mitzi Lutton as a customer service representative in the Flexographic Printing Division. She will support the company’s network of dealers and brokers of roll label products in the Pacific Northwest and Mountain states. Lutton, who was previously a sales representative with Banta Corp. and Security Press in Seattle, received a bachelor’s degree from the College of Notre Dame. She has experience in advertising, sales promotion and public relations.
Dr. Michelle R. Messer has joined Valley Young People’s Clinic. Messer, who graduated from Albany Medical College in New York, completed a residency at the University of Michigan and a fellowship in pediatric critical care at the University of Buffalo. She has participated in medical missions to Guatemala, Central America.
Dr. Steven Day has joined the Spokane Eye Clinic. Day received his medical degree from Duke University and completed a residency in ophthalmology at the University of Pittsburgh. Day, who has fellowship training in glaucoma, specializes in the diagnosis and management of glaucoma, cataracts, and retinal disease.
Jacklin Seed has hired Cathe Bateman as an administrative assistant in Nezperce, Idaho. Bateman, who has many years of experience in agribusiness, previously worked for Columbia Grain, the McGregor Co. and West One Bank, all in Nezperce. Her responsibilities include maintaining spreadsheets for inventories, equipment maintenance, pellet sales, dispatching equipment to area growers and southern Idaho growers, providing tracking for payables and charges, preparing tags, shipping documents, and maintaining GPS filed mapping system.
The following people have been accepted for membership in the Spokane County Medical Society:
Dr. Mark Calderwood has joined Rockwood Clinic in the practice of ophthalmology. He graduated from the University of Chicago and completed an internship at Keesler Medical Center and a residency at Truman Medical Center.
Dr. Timothy Bax has joined Associated Surgeons P.S., in the practice of general and vascular surgery. Bax graduated from the Oregon Health Sciences University and completed an internship, residency and fellowship there.
Windermere Real Estate has added Wayne Schwenke and Krista Roth Lieseke to its Kettle Falls, Wash., office as sales associates. Schwenke previously worked for 33 years in the timber industry. Roth Lieseke joined Windermere after two years at Prudential Whidbey Pacific Realty.
Moving up:
Dan Peterson has been promoted to vice president at First Security Bank. He currently is a relationship manager for the Bonners Ferry Business Financial Center. Peterson joined the bank in 1992 as assistant branch manager and in 1996 was appointed relationship manager. His responsibilities include providing financial services such as loans, insurance, employee benefits and investments to business and agriculture customers.
Washington Mutual has promoted Bill Skavdahl to manager of its Pullman and Colfax financial centers. Skavdahl will oversee the management and operations of the financial centers and their employees. He also will be responsible for quality control, regulatory compliance and consumer and mortgage loan originations. Skavdahl was previously the assistant manager at the Pullman Financial Center.
Washington Trust Bank has made the following appointments:
Emily Faylor was promoted to certified mortgage loan originator at the bank’s Spokane Home Loan Center. Faylor is a Washington state housing certified originator and trainer who has been with the bank for 10 years.
Pat Hamilton was appointed Five Mile Branch manager. Hamilton, who has held various positions since joining the bank in 1964, is currently a vice president.
Christine Miles was named manager of the bank’s Indiana and NorthTown branches. Most recently, she was manager of the bank’s Lincoln Heights Safeway branch. Miles is a retail banking officer who joined the bank in 1995.
Moving on:
Regence BlueShield has named John Carlson executive vice president of external services. Carlson spent the past year as a vice president in the Spokane office of Sedgwick Noble Lowndes, where he spearheaded a new business growth program for the company. Previously he was a senior executive at Medical Service Corp. of Eastern Washington for 14 years. At Regence BlueShield, Carlson will be responsible for all marketing strategy and sales, regional operations, government programs, communications and the company’s wholly-owned subsidiaries.
Elected:
New officers of the Inland Northwest Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners include: President, Susan Thomas, Selective Media and Marketing; president-elect, Nadine Sullivan, W.O.W. Pollution Control Systems; vice president, Leann Freshour, Weekender Casual Wear; secretary, Nancy Racek, The Gourmet Gift Horse; treasurer, Teri Little, United Specialty Advertising; membership, Jan Krogh, Jan Krogh Insurance Inc.
Kudos:
Catherine O’Connell and Glen Squires, both of Spokane, have completed the two-year agriculture and forestry leadership development program sponsored by the Washington Agriculture and Forestry Education Foundation. The program covers local, state, national and international public affairs issues and how they interrelate, how to analyze issues in a decision-making process, how to improve personal skills in working with people and in communications, and issues impacting Washington’s natural resource industries.
John Burns, Washington State University Whitman County Cooperative Extension agent, has been named the 12th recipient of the Kenneth J. Morrison Extension Award in Agronomy and Soils. The award recognizes WSU extension faculty for significant contributions to agronomic crop production and soil management.
Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co. has honored agents Kent Lupton and Edward Van Vliet for sales excellence during the year ending May 31. Lupton received the Top 100 award reserved for the 100 best performers, while Van Vliet received the Emerald Class award for those who recorded sales of more than $7 million. Both men are associated with Northwestern Mutual’s Brian Hubbell General Agency in Spokane.
Connie Psomas has been awarded an all expense paid trip to the Big Island of Hawaii as one of the top independent consultants for PartyLife Gifts Inc., a direct sales marketer of candles and candle accessories. Psomas provides customers in Eastern Washington with decorating advice and assists with developing and training new consultants.
United Lithographers of Spokane has received an award for outstanding achievement in print/graphic arts self promotion in the Premier Print Awards sponsored by Printing Industries of America. The company received a Certificate of Merit for a four-color piece with a combination of offset and variable data printing.
Twelve Washington Water Power Energy Services employees have been certified as energy managers. Those who passed the Association of Energy Engineers certification exam and qualified to receive the Certified Energy Manager designation include: Randy Bareither, Linda Brandon, Renee Coelho, Roger Curtis, John Dunlap, Rob Gray, Laurie Heagle, Brian Kealoha, Tom Kliewer, Tom Lienhard, Mike Littrel and Steve Negretti.
Washington Water Power’s Project Share fund-raising campaign, which supports a community emergency heating assistance program, ranked first in a competition among national fuel fund providers. Project Share won top honors from the National Fuel Funds Network in four media categories for outstanding promotional fund-raising materials: first place for best brochure, best television public service announcement, best radio public service announcement and best overall campaign.
Events:
Tuesday through Friday - The Service Corps of Retired Executives offers free counseling to potential and existing 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.
Thursday - Terri Bowersock of Phoenix, Ariz., chairman and owner of Terri’s Consign & Design Furnishings, will be the guest speaker at a meeting of the Inland Northwest Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners at 6 p.m. at the Spokane Club, 1002 W. Riverside. Cost: $35; for information and reservations, call Susan Thomas at (208) 773-3906.
Friday - “Working Together to Grow Our Regional Economy” is the topic of the Good Morning Spokane Area gathering presented by the Spokane Area Chamber of Commerce at 7:15 a.m. at Granny’s Buffet, 9606 N. Newport Highway. For reservations, call 459-4111.
Friday - The Hispanic Business and Professional Association meets at 11:45 a.m. at Cavanaughs Fourth Avenue, 110 E. Fourth. For more information, call 891-0625.
Sept. 14 - The Inland Northwest Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning Association presents a class on “Math for Technicians” at the Master Technician Training Center, 811 E. Sprague, No. 6. Call 747-8810 for registration information.
Sept. 14 through Dec. 14 - The Small Business Development Center presents a course on “NxLevel II-Business Plan Development” from 6-9 p.m. at the Spokane Intercollegiate Research and Technology Institute, 665 N. Riverpoint Blvd. Cost: $275; for information, call 358-7890.
Sept. 15 - The Washington Bankers Association in cooperation with the Spokane Area Chamber of Commerce and eight other sponsors presents a free Year 2000 seminar for businesses from 7-9:30 p.m. in the Phase I Building auditorium at the Riverpoint Higher Education Campus, 668 N. Riverpoint Blvd. Call Diane Clawson at 459-4111 for reservations or more information.
Sept. 16 - The Washington Bankers Association in cooperation with the Spokane Area Chamber of Commerce and eight other sponsors presents a free Year 2000 seminar for businesses from 7:30-10 a.m. in the Phase I Building auditorium at the Riverpoint Higher Education Campus, 668 N. Riverpoint Blvd. Call Diane Clawson at 459-4111 for reservations or more information.