Business Beat

New faces:

The Spokane office of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP has added the following people to its staff:

Brian Wiese has joined the firm as an assurance/business advisory services senior associate. Wiese previously worked for KPMG Peat Marwick in Short Hills, N.J.

Brian Tenney joined PricewaterhouseCoopers as an assurance/business advisory services associate. He is a graduate of the University of Idaho.

Amy Wendelburg also joined the firm as an assurance/business advisory services associate. She is a graduate of Carroll College.

Tom Susens has joined Group Health Northwest as executive director of health care operations in Spokane and Coeur d’Alene. Susens, a registered nurse with a master’s degree in business administration, will partner with Dr. Brad Pope, district medical director, in leading Group Health Northwest’s health care center division. From 1995-1998, Susens worked for Polyclinic in Seattle where he supervised staff and departmental operations. Earlier, he was a multiunit nurse manager at Sacred Heart Medical Center.

Sherry Lewis, formerly with Jerry Packard and Associates, has been hired as vice president of outside sales for Adventures in Advertising. Lewis, who has been in the ad-specialty business for the past six years, is currently vice president/president-elect for Executive Women International.

Boyd-Crowley North Better Homes and Gardens has added the following sales associates to its staff:

John Gallucci has 30 years of experience in the Spokane real estate market. He specializes in commercial and residential properties.

Jim Schindler specializes in residential properties, planned unit developments and low-maintenance, secured communities.

Don Kahl has an MBA in finance and 25 years of experience in the business and financial fields, including nine years as director of finance for a nationwide real estate management company. His specialties are commercial properties, farms and rural acreage.

Moving up:

The following employees of Washington Trust Bank have been promoted:

Teri Van Noy was named vice president. She is the manager of Direct Banking, which includes the bank’s telephone customer service center and other electronic delivery products. Van Noy, who has 12 years of banking experience, has worked for Washington Trust since 1989.

Georgette Grainger was promoted to vice president. She is a business banking officer in the Corporate Banking Division. Grainger joined Washington Trust in 1978 and is the current president of Executive Women International.

Debbie Squires was promoted to retail banking officer. She is operations manager in one of the bank’s retail support areas. Squires has nearly 21 years of experience in the financial industry, the last seven years with Washington Trust.

Starting up:

McCollum Ford has launched a corporate buying program and named Sharon Blessing as coordinator. The program, called “B.E. First,” offers employers a benefit program for their employees that enables them to purchase new and used vehicles at a preferred corporate reduced price. Members also are eligible for discounts on service and parts at McCollum Ford. Blessing, who earned an MBA from Eastern Washington University, has worked in general business management and as a computer consultant.

Elected:

Stockholders of Northwest Farm Credit Services have elected one new director to their board of directors and re-elected three others: Ed Malesich, of Dillon, Mont., was elected to the board. He owns a commercial cow/calf operation and has served nine years on the Missoula and Dillon local advisory committee. Re-elected directors include: Gene Batali of Yakima, who owns a peppermint farm and distillery; Art Lee of New Plymouth, Idaho, who is in a family partnership that includes a dairy and cattle operation and more than 1,000 acres of irrigated cropland; and Bill Robinson of Rigby, Idaho, who runs a diversified family operation consisting of cattle, hay, grain and pasture. The board re-elected Mary Frits, of Chester, Mont., as chair; Lee was elected vice chair.

1999 officers of the Spokane County Medical Society include: Dr. Bryan E. Fuhs, president; Rodney L. Trytko, president-elect; Dr. Ryan F. Holbrook, vice president; Dr. Deborah J. Harper, secretary treasurer; Dr. L. Elizabeth Peterson, secretary treasurer-elect; and Dr. Thomas J. Allerding, past president and chairman of the Executive Committee.

Events:

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

Monday - The Small Business Development Center presents a “Pre-Business Workshop” from 6-9 p.m. at the Spokane Intercollegiate Research and Technology Institute, 665 N. Riverpoint Blvd. Cost: $25; for information or to register, call 358-7890.

Tuesday - C. Stephen Allred of the Idaho Division of Environmental Quality is the featured speaker at an “Upbeat Breakfast” presented by the Coeur d’Alene Area Chamber of Commerce at 7 a.m. at The Coeur d’Alene Resort. Cost: $8.

Tuesday - Robert Lowman, associate vice provost for research and director of the Office of Research Services at the University of North Carolina, will lead a free workshop on “Building Industrial Partnerships” presented by the Spokane Intercollegiate Research and Technology Institute and Eastern Washington University from 8:30 a.m.-noon in Room 307 at SIRTI, 665 N. Riverpoint Blvd. To register, call 358-2059.

Tuesday - Power Networking meets at 7 a.m. to exchange business leads and other business information. For information about location and topics, call 468-9695 or 467-2081.

Tuesday and April 20 - The Small Business Development Center presents a class on “Developing a Marketing Plan” from 6-9 p.m. both nights at the Spokane Intercollegiate Research and Technology Institute, 665 N. Riverpoint Blvd. Cost: $45; call 358-7890 for information.

Wednesday - Tim Wick, purchasing agent for Wagstaff Inc., will discuss supplier evaluations during a dinner meeting of APICS at 5:15 p.m. at the DoubleTree Inn Spokane Valley. Cost: $17; for reservations, call Debra Benson at 459-5202 or e-mail debrab@spokesman.com by Monday.

Wednesday - Attorney John Riherd will discuss employer laws and responsibilities during a meeting of the Eastern Washington Subcontractors & Suppliers Association at 11:45 a.m. at the Spokane Valley Elks Lodge. For information, call 534-3408.

Wednesday - The Idaho Small Business Development Center presents a class on “Landlord law” from 6:30-9:30 p.m. at the North Idaho College Workforce Training Center, 525 W. Clearwater Loop, Post Falls. Cost: $39; for information, call (208) 769-7863.

Wednesday - The Small Business Development center presents a class on “Product Presentation and Display” from 6-9 p.m. at the Spokane Intercollegiate Research and Technology Institute, 665 N. Riverpoint Blvd. Cost: $40; for information or to register, call 358-7890.

Wednesday - The Service Corps of Retired Executives presents a workshop on “Preparing a Business Plan” from 8 a.m.-noon at the Spokane Regional Business Center, 801 W. Riverside. Cost: $35; for information or to register, call 353-2820.

Thursday - The Spokane Area Chamber of Commerce presents a Business After Hours meeting from 5:15-7 p.m. at the Empire Club, 818 W. Riverside. Cost: $5; to register, call 459-4111.

Thursday - Winners of the Block Kids and CAD/Drafting competitions will discuss their projects during a meeting of Spokane Chapter 143 of the National Association of Women in Construction at 5:30 p.m. at Cavanaughs Fourth Avenue. Cost: $15; for information or reservations, call Dotty Parkhurst at 535-3531.

Thursday - “Teaching with Courage” is the topic for the monthly meeting of the American Society for Training and Development at 11:30 a.m. at Cavanaughs River Inn, 700 N. Division. Cost: $12 for members, $17 for nonmembers; call 625-3843 for information or to register.

Thursday - Jeffrey L. Snyder of the Washington State Auditor’s Office will review the annual report on fraud in state agencies during a breakfast meeting presented by the Washington Society of Certified Public Accountants from 7:30-9:30 a.m. at the Schoenberg Center on the Gonzaga University campus. Cost: $45 for nonmember CPAs, $40 for members and non-CPAs and $10 for students; for information, call Jim Morrison at 455-8173.

Thursday - Vickie Birkenthal, Spokane County director of information systems, will speak on “The Ins and Outs of E-mail and How Spokane County Survived” during a meeting of the Spokane Chapter of the Association of Records Managers and Administrators at 5:30 p.m. at the Bayou Brewery. For reservations, call Ashley Salvage at 444-7267.

Thursday - The Idaho Small Business Development Center presents a class for supervisors on “Interviewing to Select the Best” from 6:30-9:30 p.m. at the North Idaho Workforce Training Center, 525 W. Clearwater Loop, Post Falls. Cost: $39; for information, call (208) 769-7863.

Thursday and April 22 - The Small Business Development Center presents a class on “Marketing / Business to Business” 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.

Friday - The Spokane City-County Y2K Task Force holds an open meeting on Y2K remediation and contingency planning, with a focus on transportation, from 8-10 a.m. in the City Council Chambers, 808 W. Spokane Falls Blvd.

Friday - The People’s Law School section of the Washington State Trial Lawyers Association presents a daylong seminar on employment law issues at Spokane Falls Community College. For information or to register, call 326-6660 or (800) 732-9251.

Friday - Pinnacle Promotions, an agency of Gonzaga University marketing students, presents “The Excitement Is Climbing” to promote Inland Northwest Pontiac dealers from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Foley Library Lawn on GU’s campus. For information, call Kim Daude at (509) 487-0663 or Mary Hall at (208) 457-9103.

Friday - The University of Idaho Alumni Association will honor Sandra T. Powell, chief financial officer of Potlatch Corp., during a Silver and Gold Celebration at 6 p.m. at Hotel Lusso, 1 N. Post. Cost: $25; for information, call Tim Helmke at (208) 885-7957.