Business Beat

New faces:

John G. Goller has become an associate with the Spokane law firm of Paine, Hamblen, Coffin, Brooke & Miller LLP. He earned a bachelor’s degree in English literature and economics from Gonzaga University and his law degree from Gonzaga University School of Law. Goller, who was formerly a deputy prosecuting attorney, will emphasize insurance defense litigation and general litigation in his practice.

Janice Bradley has been appointed deputy director of public services for Spokane Public Library, effective July 26. She succeeds Nancy Ledboer. Bradley’s responsibilities include planning, directing and evaluating public service operations for the six-branch system. Bradley previously was director of the Lewistown, Mont., Public Library. Earlier, she was head of extended campus library services at Washington State University and served as head of access services at Arizona State University’s West Campus Library.

Wayne E. Williams and Larry Weis have been elected to the board of directors of Avista Communications, an affiliate of Avista Corp. Williams, who is president and chief executive officer of Telect Inc., a Spokane-based telecommunications and data communications manufacturer, will serve a three-year term as an outside member of the board. Weis, chief executive officer and general manager of Pend Oreille PUD in Newport, Wash., was elected to a two-year term.

Moving up:

Mary Lien has been promoted to general manager of the Coeur d’Alene/Post Falls Convention and Visitors Bureau. Lien, who joined the organization two years ago, previously was the grant administrator. Earlier she was the sales director. Lien has 25 years of experience in the hospitality and sales industries.

Richard McEachran, chairman of the board and formerly general manager of Burgans Fine Furniture, has been named president and chief executive officer. Bruce McEachran former board secretary and treasurer, was named general manager.

Starting up:

Wells Fargo Private Client Services has expanded its Spokane operations by opening a private mortgage banking office to provide services to high net worth individuals in Spokane and North Idaho. Scott Rudy has been named manager of the new office, which provides various lending options to affluent borrowers. Rudy previously worked for First Interstate Bank for eight years, starting there as a product manager in the Mortgage Group. Prior to joining Wells Fargo, he worked at SeaFirst Bank as a vice president in private banking. He earned a master’s degree in business from the University of San Diego.

Certifications:

The Professional Truck Drivers Institute has certified the basic tractor-trailer course offered by Northwest Career Training Center. To achieve the certification, the center had to demonstrate that its course meets strict guidelines established by the institute, which is managed by an affiliate of the American Trucking Association.

Kudos:

Jerry Mason, a Coeur d’Alene lawyer who serves as city attorney for the city of Post Falls, has been honored by the Association of Idaho Cities with the Boyd A. Martin Award. The award recognizes exceptional contributions benefitting city governments in Idaho. Mason served as the association’s representative on the Legislative Interim Committee on Private Property Rights. His efforts resulted in modernizing the Local Land Use Planning Act. He also traveled the state giving workshops and training sessions to city officials about planning and zoning issues.

Three faculty members of the Intercollegiate Center for Nursing Education/Washington State University College of Nursing have been recognized for their service to the college and to the nursing profession:

Freddi Van Gemert received the Jan Holloway Excellence in Clinical Instruction Award for her “high level of caring with students and clients/ families in the clinical setting.” She was cited for her “caring involvement, advocacy for women and children and her hands-on nursing care for clients.”

Carol Miller received the Jan Holloway Excellence in Clinical Instruction Award for her “positive interactions to bring forth the best in students.” Nomination forms cited her ability to “effectively motivate students to higher levels of performance.”

Jan Holloway was presented the Faculty Service Award, which is given annually to the faculty member who represents the highest degree of service to students, colleagues and the community. She was cited for her dedication to meeting the health care needs of the community through speaking engagements and television appearances and the development of brochures, programs and audio-visual material, particularly in the area of cancer prevention. Holloway retired at the end of spring semester after 29 years on the faculty of the college.

Dr. Samuel Palpant of Spokane is one of five University of Washington clinical faculty members at the Department of Medicine’s regional teaching sites chosen to receive the 1999 WWAMI Excellence in Teaching Award. Palpant, a clinical associate professor of medicine, was cited for having a teaching style that “engages students and illuminates ideas.”