Business Beat
New faces:
Mark Mykleburg has joined Spokane Railway Credit Union as vice president of lending. Mykleburg, who has more than 18 years of lending experience, previously was group vice president with Associates Financial Services.
Continental Savings Bank has hired Sharon Inman as a residential construction loan officer at its Spokane branch, 1330 N. Washington, Suite 2450. She will be responsible for originating new construction loans, expanding the current builder portfolio and servicing existing accounts. Inman has more than 24 years of experience in construction lending in Spokane.
Lewiston-based Regence BlueShield of Idaho has added the following people to its board of directors:
Nancy Vannorsdel is president and chief executive officer of the Boise Area Chamber of Commerce. Vannorsdel has served as senior vice president of Wells Fargo Bank in Boise and as senior vice president of First Interstate Bank. She is a past president of the Idaho Banker’s Association.
Richard J. White of Lewiston is the vice president and third-generation co-owner of Ray J. White and Sons, a commercial and residential real estate sales, property management, land development and consulting firm. He is also the owner of Richard White Co., a commercial real estate company in Houston, Texas, and has served as president of Beeson Interests, another Houston real estate and property management company.
Wayne Hollingshead is general manager of the Lewiston Morning Tribune and Moscow-Pullman Daily News. He serves on the board of directors of the Lewiston Chamber of Commerce and the Lewis-Clark Healthcare Alliance and is a member of the Palouse Economic Development Committee.
Moving up:
Sandpoint-based Coldwater Creek has appointed David Gunter as director of investor relations. Gunter, who has served as the company’s director of corporate communications for the past 16 months, will retain that title and assume additional responsibilities for handling communications with the investment community. Before joining Coldwater Creek, Gunter was a business writer for The Spokesman-Review and was city editor and business editor for the Coeur d’Alene Press and business editor of the North Idaho Business Journal.
Starting up:
Jeff Berglund has opened Morgan Mortgage Inc. at 3917 N. Post. The company specializes in commercial real estate lending. Berglund previously worked for Parkside Properties & Finance Inc. of Spokane.
Elected:
Mike Gwartney of Boise has been elected chairman of the Regence BlueShield of Idaho board of directors. He is president of Political Consulting Ltd. and is the former chairman of Farmers and Merchants State Bank.
Barbara Bennett, Nick Pupo, Terrie Scott, Paul Wilkening and Laurie Wolf have been appointed to the Spokane Food Bank board of directors, effective July 1. Bennett will hold a one-year term; the others will serve three-year terms. New officers for the 1999-2000 fiscal year will be chairman, Gary Singer, Dutch’s; secretary/treasurer, Deena Presnell, Coopers & Lybrand; and past chair, Michael Gilmartin, Commercial Creamery.
The following people have been elected as officers of the Spokane Estate Planning Council for 1999-2000: President, James D. Howard; vice president, James H. Bockemuehl; secretary-treasurer, Paul D. Fitzpatrick; program chairperson, Renee Grandinetti; and membership chairperson, Robert Blume.
Kudos:
Coldwater Creek has received the Large Employer of the Year Award for 1998 from Goodwill Industries International. The Sandpoint-based direct mail retailer was chosen from among 184 Goodwill organizations in North America. The honor is awarded annually to a company with more than 200 employees that has demonstrated “outstanding concern for people with disabilities and other special needs.” Coldwater Creek won the award based on its collaboration with Goodwill Industries of the Inland Northwest to provide work for disabled individuals. The company also was cited for helping to develop training programs for people making the transition from welfare to work.
Avista Corp. took top honors in the Web site category of the Utility Communicators International 1999 Better Communications Competition. The award was presented during the group’s 1999 national conference held in late May in San Antonio, Texas. In conjunction with its switch to the Avista name, the company developed a set of 10 interlinked Web sites, all grouped under the Avista brand.
Jerry P. Bryant, Stevens County engineer, has been named the 1999 County Engineer of the Year by the Washington State Association of County Engineers. County engineers are nominated by their respective councils or boards of commissioners for the award. A statewide peer review committee makes the final selection. Bryant was cited by Stevens County commissioners for doing “an outstanding job of dealing with the public” while being “consistent and knowledgeable in daily interactions.”
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.
Tuesday - The Valley Chapter of Leads Club meets at 12:15 p.m. at the DoubleTree Hotel in the Spokane Valley. For more information, call Beth Ann at 921-9581.
Tuesday - Power Networking meets at 7 a.m. to exchange business leads and other business information. For information on location and topics, call 468-9695 or 467-2081.
Tuesday and Wednesday - The U.S. Postal Service and Amtrak sponsor a visit by the “Celebrate the Century Express” from 11:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday at the Amtrak station, 221 W. First. For more information, call 626-6854 or log onto the Postal Service Web site at http:/ /www.usps.com, then go to the Celebrate the Century section.
Tuesday through July 16 - The Institute for Extended Learning presents a class on “Change and the Team Player” from 5:15-8 p.m. each Monday through Thursday at Pitney Bowes, 501 N. Riverpoint Blvd. Cost: $150.90; to register, call Gini Stiles at 533-4777.
Wednesday - The Service Corps of Retired Executives presents a workshop on the “ABC’s of Starting a Business’ from 9 a.m.-noon on the second floor of the Spokane Regional Business Center, 801 W. Riverside. Cost: $20; for information, call 353-2820.
Thursday - The Small Business Development Center presents an “Employers Tax Seminar” from 8:45 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Spokane Intercollegiate Research and Technology Institute, 665 N. Riverpoint Blvd. Cost: $20; call 358-7890 for information or to register.
Thursday - The Service Corps of Retired Executives offers free counseling to potential and 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 (509) 765-7888.
Friday - Spokane County Commissioner Kate McCaslin will give a talk on the “State of the County” during a Good Morning Spokane Area meeting sponsored by the Spokane Area Chamber of Commerce at 7:15 a.m. at the DoubleTree Hotel Spokane Valley. Cost: $12 if prepaid by Wednesday, $15 after for members, $25 if prepaid by Wednesday, $30 after for nonmembers; for information, call 459-4111.
Saturday - The Northeast Community Center presents a free two-hour “Introduction to the Internet” course covering Internet terms and definitions, the use of Web browser software and how to use the Web to find information from 9:30-11:30 a.m., noon-2 p.m. and 2:30-4:30 p.m. To register, call Terressa or Joseph at 487-1603.
July 25 through 28 - The Community Development Society presents its 31st annual international conference, “Weaving the Fabric of Resilient Communities,” at Cavanaugh’s Inn at the Park. Deadline for reservation is Monday; for more information, call (888) 771-8717.
Conventions
Sunday through Thursday American Guild of Organists, Cavanaughs Inn at the Park.
Friday through July 13 - Prince Hall Grand Lodge, Cavanaughs Ridpath Hotel.