Business Beat

New faces:

Janine Hall has joined Credit Bureau Services as an employment screening account executive. Hall has more than 10 years of experience with Seafirst Bankcard Services in collections, customer service/sales and merchant services. She was lead/trainer in the Commercial Credit Card Department from 1996-98.

TicketsWest.com, an operating division of Cavanaughs Hospitality Corp., has hired Matthew T. Paremske as development director. Paremske has a strong background in development of transaction-based systems, reservation software, interfaces to third-party software and Web-enabled online sales of inventory. He previously was a team leader in systems development for Lasergate Systems Inc.

Jan Stricklin has been named executive director of the Whitworth Foundation, which assists donors in estate planning, deferred gifts, trusts and annuities on behalf of the college.

Stricklin previously was a client manager for Kaspick & Co., a national leader in the area of planned gift management and administration in Palo Alto, Calif. Before that, she worked for the Washington State University Foundation in the area of gift planning. Stricklin received a bachelor’s degree in English from Biola University in La Miranda, Calif.

Mary Ann Naylor has joined Burgans Fine Furniture as a sales design consultant. She formerly worked for Norwalk Furniture.

Moving up:

Chris Morris has been promoted to loan officer at the Coeur d’Alene branch of Idaho Independent Bank. Morris, who received a bachelor’s degree in 1993 from the University of Idaho, joined Idaho Independent in 1997. Prior to joining IIB, Morris worked for a title company and a local financial services company.

The Inland Automobile Association has promoted the following staffers:

Ruby Amerson was named supervisor of the AAA Service Center in Coeur d’Alene. She will be responsible for insurance, travel and financial activities at the Coeur d’Alene office. Amerson joined the auto club last fall as a trainer and customer service representative. Previously, she supervised the insurance operations at the AAA club in northern California.

Rick Hansen was named information services supervisor at Inland Auto headquarters in Spokane. He has developed the club’s management information services program since joining the staff in 1997, and has created the club’s Web site at http://www.aaainlandauto.com.

The duties of long-time AAA administrative assistant Mary Ostermeyer have been expanded to include corporate secretary. Ostermeyer also works at the downtown Spokane AAA Service Center.

Starting up:

Consumer Credit Counseling Service of the Inland Northwest will begin offering in-person financial counseling this month to residents of Newport and Republic, Wash. The free service will be available one day a month at first, but the frequency could be increased as demand grows. The organization previously offered in-person financial counseling only in Spokane, Coeur d’Alene and Sandpoint. For information or to schedule an appointment, call (509) 327-3777 or (800) 892-6854.

New identity:

Spokane United Methodist Homes, which acquired Hawthorne Retirement Community from Presbyterian Ministries Inc. in February, will begin doing business under the name of Rockwood Retirement Communities this month. The 80-acre Rockwood Retirement Community will be known as Rockwood South, while the Hawthorne Retirement Community will be called Rockwood at Hawthorne. Rockwood Forest Estates and Rockwood Manor will remain integral operating components of Rockwood South. Hawthorne Court and Hawthorne Manor will remain integral operating components of Rockwood at Hawthorne.

Kudos:

Donita Skinner of D.A. Davidson & Co.’s Spokane Valley office has been named to the Kemper Executive Council. The council recognizes and rewards financial representatives who sell Kemper mutual funds and annuities for their financial expertise and outstanding client service. Skinner, who has 12 years of experience in the financial services industry, is serving her fourth term on the Kemper Executive Council.

Kelli Marie Renslow, a student at Central Valley High School, has won a $500 Padgett Business Services Scholarship. She was chosen based upon her high school record, grade point average and test scores, as well as her future scholastic and career plans. Renslow plans to attend Seattle Pacific University.

A group of students representing Eastern Washington University was selected as one of the top 48 teams among 600 teams that participated in the 1999 Hallmark Cards/Students in Free Enterprise International Exposition. The Eastern team competed against teams from the United States, Albania, Brazil, Canada, Krygyzstan, Mexico, Poland, Russia and Tajikistan. Eastern team members attending the competition included Michele Stewart-Bale, Kristen Brower, Renee Jones, Christy Parrish, Jennifer Wilcox, Krysta Waterman-Steggell, Shelly Daugherty, Doug Theil, Silas Cordill, Todd Folsom, Melinda Sauvage, Lesa Holhauser and LouAnn Berg. Dianne Welsh served as advisor for the Eastern SIFE team.