Business Beat
New faces:
Thomas L. Mckeirnan has joined the law firm of Paine, Hamblen, Coffin, Brooke & Miller LLP as an associate. He previously practiced corporate and transactional law at Graham & James LLP/Riddell Williams P.S. in Seattle for four years. He has experience counseling clients on business structuring matters, purchases and sales of businesses and real estate, secured financing transactions and private placements of securities. Mckeirnan received an MBA from Gonzaga University and a law degree from the University of Washington. His practice emphasizes mergers and acquisitions, business and real estate transactions and general corporate matters.
Tom Colley has been named manager of Sterling Savings Bank’s Medical Lake branch. Colley, who has more than 30 years of experience in the financial services industry, most recently was relationship manager for KeyBank of Washington in Spokane. Earlier, he was customer service manager and regional operations/ personnel specialist for Rainier National Bank. For several years, he taught banking classes at Central Washington University. He received a bachelor’s degree in political science from CWU.
Jim Wright has joined Janek Co. Real Estate as a residential specialist. Wright, who has several years of experience selling homes, served in the Army for 21 years.
Janek Co. has added the following people to its staff:
Connie Cox joined the company as graphic designer/project coordinator. She has more than 12 years of experience in graphics and earned an associate’s degree in graphic design from Spokane Falls Community College. Cox previously was a graphic designer with a local building materials firm.
Heidi Brown was hired as the lead graphic designer and projects coordinator. Brown, who earned a bachelor’s degree in communications at Washington State University, previously was special projects coordinator at the Medford (Ore.) Mail Tribune. She was responsible for designing special section covers, special promotions and redesigning the newspaper’s format. Earlier, she held a graphic design position at Egghead.
Colleen R. Brandon has joined the Spokane Public Library Board of Trustees. Brandon, who was appointed to a five-year term, succeeds Joyce Jones, who retired from the board after serving for nine years. Brandon retired as owner/employment counselor for Oberg Personnel Agency last December. She has been active in a number of organizations, including Junior League, WAMPUM, MONAC, Junior Achievement and the Spokane Community College Office Technology Advisory Board.
Avista Corp. has named David A. Brukardt as vice president of investor relations, effective Aug. 12. Brukardt will be responsible for developing and implementing investor relations strategies and programs for Avista. He previously was director of investor and corporate relations at Harnischfeger Industries Inc. of Milwaukee, Wis. Brukardt also was a vice president of the Harnischfeger Foundation. Earlier, he was senior vice president and partner at a Wisconsin public relations and marketing communications agency and director of communication and public affairs for Case Corp. He earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Marquette University.
Moving up:
Robin Barker has been named local manager of business services for GTE in North Idaho and Eastern Washington. He will be based in Coeur d’Alene. Barker, who joined GTE 21 years ago, will supervise delivery of voice and data services and equipment to businesses in GTE’s franchised areas of North Idaho and selected out-of-franchise locations in Eastern Washington. He had been a special services technician in Coeur d’Alene since late 1994. Barker, who began his career with GTE as a technician in the company’s Newport switching office, has held various technical, supervisory and customer service jobs.
Gonzaga University has appointed Jolanta Kozyra as university registrar. Kozyra, who started working at Gonzaga in 1987, has served as associate registrar and associate dean of records since 1995. She served as assistant dean of admission for office operations before moving to the registrar’s office as assistant registrar in 1993. Kozyra, who has a master’s degree in counseling psychology, is pursuing a doctorate in educational leadership at Gonzaga.
Transactions:
Gus and Colleen Johnson have completed the purchase of McCollum Ford from Peggy Richardson and renamed the Spokane Valley dealership Gus Johnson Ford. Gus Johnson joined McCollum Ford as general manager in 1992 and immediately began the process of acquiring the dealership. He started working for Ford Motor Co. after graduating from Washington State University and currently is chairman of the board of directors for Northwest Ford Dealers, a trade group.
The Spokane Airport Board has awarded contracts to Half Moon Construction & Leasing Inc. of Colbert and Adairco Construction Inc. of Post Falls to expand surface parking at Spokane International Airport. Half Moon was awarded a contract worth $337,000 to expand the former employee parking lot by 590 spaces. Adairco’s low bid of $159,000 was accepted for work to expand the North Shuttle lot by 380 spaces. Anticipated completion date for both projects is Oct. 1.
Events:
Monday 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.
Tuesday - Malcolm Johnstone, new executive director of The Coeur d’Alene Downtown Association, will be the featured speaker at an Upbeat Breakfast presented by the Coeur d’Alene Area Chamber of Commerce at 7:00 a.m. at The Coeur d’Alene Resort. Cost: $8; for information, call (208) 664-3194.
Tuesday - The Spokane Area Chamber of Commerce presents a community reception to celebrate the capital project funding approved during the 1999 legislative session from 5:30-7 p.m. in the Washington Trust courtyard at the Spokane Regional Business Center, 801 W. Riverside. For information, call 459-4117.
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 - Leads Club, a networking organization for business leads and referrals, meets at 12:15 p.m. at the DoubleTree Hotel on Sullivan at Mission. For information, call Beth Ann at 921-9581.
Wednesday - The Service Corps of Retired Executives presents a workshop on “Preparing a Business Plan” from 8 a.m.-noon on the second floor of the Spokane Regional Business Center, 801 W. Riverside. Cost: $35; for information or to register, call 353-2820.
Wednesday - Heritage Professional Education presents a seminar on “Restructuring the Role of Today’s Nurse Manager” from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. at the DoubleTree Hotel City Center. Cost: $169; for more information, call (800) 397-0180.
Thursday - “NAWBO-Working for You” is the topic of a meeting of the Inland Northwest Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners from 5:30-8 p.m. at the Spokane Club, 1002 W. Riverside. Cost: $18; for reservations, call Nadine Sullivan at 924-8803.
Thursday - The Service Corps of Retired Executives offers free counseling to prospective or existing small-business owners from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce, 324 S. Pioneer Way in Moses Lake. For appointments, call 765-7888.
Thursday - The Lake City Women’s Chapter of Leads Club meets from noon-1:15 p.m. at the Coeur d’Alene Inn, 414 W. Appleway in Coeur d’Alene. For more information and reservations, call Karen Welts at (208) 667-5606.
Friday - The Spokane Area Chamber of Commerce presents an advance celebration of the grand opening of Phase I of River Park Square at 7:15 a.m. at Cavanaughs Inn at the Park. Cost: $12 for members if prepaid by Wednesday, $15 afterward, or $25 for nonmembers if prepaid, $30 after Wednesday; to register, call 459-4111 or register online at http:/ /www.spokanechamber.org.
Conventions: Friday through Aug. 18 Washington Vocational Association, DoubleTree City Center.