Business Beat
NEW FACES:
Richard Tinsley has joined Visiontec LLC as vice president of manufacturing. Tinsley has more than 20 years of operations experience. He previously held top management positions at NexGen Manufacturing and Controls LLC and Nitec Inc. He also was the chief executive officer of Third Coast Electronics Inc., vice president of quality control at Key Tronic Corp. and director of manufacturing at Compaq Computer Corp.
Recent additions to the staff at LineSoft include:
Paul Achen and Kurt Heimbigner joined the company as software engineers responsible for developing and maintaining the company’s software product line. A graduate of the University of Washington, Achen most recently worked for Kaiser Aluminum. Heimbigner, who previously worked for Powerhouse Technologies in Bozeman, is a graduate of Montana Tech.
Jerrod Snyder was hired as a project engineer. He will be responsible for performing structural analysis, managing software implementation projects and providing sales support and customer service. He previously worked for Entranco in Bellevue, Wash., where he designed bridges and other structures. He earned a master’s degree in civil engineering from Washington State University.
Jim Poxleitner joined LineSoft as project manager. He has 19 years of utility experience in engineering and energy marketing, including operations, transmission, distribution, power quality and energy conservation. He received a master’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Idaho.
Ron Wasson has been appointed district executive director for the Eastern Area Office of the American Cancer Society. Wasson, who worked most recently in the insurance industry, earlier was executive director of the Festival at Sandpoint and director of operations and education for the Spokane Symphony Society from 1991 to 1996.
Karin Olsen-Lounsbury has joined Gonzaga University School of Law as associate director of development and alumni relations. Olsen-Lounsbury, who has a background in marketing and tourism, is a recent magna cum laude graduate in human resource management from Gonzaga.
Gonzaga University School of Law has named Kelly Nolen associate director of its Career Services Office. Nolen earned a law degree from the University of Texas School of Law and another degree in environmental and natural resources law from the Northwestern School of Law of Lewis & Clark College. She previously was an associate with Witherspoon, Kelley, Davenport & Toole in Spokane, and earlier worked for the Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund in Juneau, Alaska, and Sewell & Riggs in Houston.
Rose Poirot has joined the public relations staff at Gonzaga University as a writer/editor. Poirot has more than 20 years of public relations experience in health and human services, as well as higher education. She earned a bachelor’s degree in mass communication from California State University-Hayward and a master’s degree in creative writing from Eastern Washington University. She was director of marketing and public relations for Eastern Washington University for seven years, beginning in 1990.
Gary Blakley has joined Washington Trust Bank as a business banking officer in Coeur d’Alene. Blakley has more than 27 years of banking experience, including 20 years servicing business customers in North Idaho and Eastern Washington.
The certified public accounting firm of McDirmid, Mikkelsen & Secrest P.S. has hired Deanna Kriegh, Linda Shrope and Jackie Smith as staff accountants.
MOVING UP:
McDirmid, Mikkelsen & Secrest P.S. has promoted Susan Hoover to a supervisor and Patrick McDonald to senior accountant.
Teddie Gibbon has been promoted to station manager of KXLY-TV. Gibbon will continue her duties as vice president of Spokane Television Inc. with specific responsibilities for sales operations in radio and TV and in television programming. Gibbon, who joined KXLY Broadcast Group in 1983 as an account executive, has worked as local sales manager and national/general sales manager and was named a vice president of Spokane Television Inc. in 1988. She is a graduate of the University of Washington in communications/broadcasting.
Lane Guin has been named general sales manager for KXLY-TV. Guin joined KXLY in 1993 as national/Canadian sales manager and will continue to hold that position. He began his TV career at KSTW-TV in Seattle and was an original partner and part owner of KAYU-TV in Spokane.
ELECTED:
Officers of the Inland Northwest Chapter of the American Society of Home Inspectors through the year 2000 are: President, Gary Fuller, Building Tech Home Inspection Service, Spokane; vice president, Ray Schulhauser, Schulhauser Inspection Co., Pullman; secretary/treasurer, Buzz Freeman, Inland Home Inspections, Spokane; and education and speakers, Bill Meyer, Inland Home Inspection.
1999 board members of the local chapter of the American Society for Training and Development include: President, Curt Nead; president-elect, Dennis Ashley; secretary, Richard Johnson; past president, Jennifer Salmon; newsletter editor, Karen Yong; vice president of membership, Ken Ferguson; vice presidents of marketing, Sandy Bogdanski and Bev Johnk; and vice president of programs, Lee Spencer.
APPOINTED:
Darryl K. Reber, executive director of Inland Empire Residential Resources, has been appointed to a three-year term on the Affordable Housing Advisory Council of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Seattle. The council advises the Seattle bank’s board of directors and staff on how they can help financial institutions address the affordable housing needs of communities in Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, American Samoa and Guam.
First Security Bank N.A. has appointed five new members to its Northern Idaho Advisory Board. They are: Loren Albright, owner of Albright & Thurston Construction in Sandpoint; Eve L. Benedict, the third-generation dealer/operator of Knudtsen Chevrolet Co. in Coeur d’Alene; Shelley L. Bennett, broker/owner of Harden Realty in Moscow; Doug Chadderson, president of C&S Textiles, doing business as Carpet Center in Coeur d’Alene; and James Hottois, president of Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston.
EVENTS:
Monday - The Small Business Development Center presents a “Prebusiness Workshop” from 6-9 p.m. at the Spokane Intercollegiate Research and Technology Institute, 665 N. Riverpoint Blvd. Cost: $25; for information, call 358-7890.
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.
Monday through April 7 - Inland Northwest Associated General Contractors presents a supervisory training program on “Construction Law and Contract Documents” from 6-8 p.m. each Monday and Wednesday at the SCC Apprenticeship and Training Center, 2110 N. Fancher. Cost: $240 for members, $425 for nonmembers; for information or to register, call Carolyn Pierce at 535-0391 or 1 (800) 572-4108.
Tuesday - Northside Networking meets at 7 a.m. For information about location and topics, visit the organization’s Web site at http://www.nwcities.com/northsidenetworking or call 467-2081 or 468-9695.
Wednesday - Spokane Community College presents a women-owned business fair from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at the SCC Lair-Student Center Lobby, Building 6, 1810 N. Greene. No charge; for information, call 533-7030.
Wednesday - Linda B. Keene, vice president for market development at American Express Financial Advisors, will speak on “Patterns of Success: The Diverse Fabric of Business Women” at 11:30 a.m. at the SCC Lair-Student Center Lobby, Building 6, 1810 N. Greene. No charge; for information, call 533-7030.
Wednesday - Associated Industries of the Inland Northwest presents a human resources roundtable on “Performance Appraisal Forms and Systems” from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at 920 N. Washington. Cost: $15 for members, $22 for nonmembers; for information, call 326-6885.
Wednesday - The Idaho Small Business Development Center presents a class on “So You Want To Open Your Own Business” from 6-9 p.m. at the North Idaho College Workforce Training Center, 525 W. Clearwater Loop in Post Falls. Cost: $25; for information, call (208) 769-7863.
Wednesday - The Service Corps of Retired Executives presents a workshop on “Preparing a Business Plan” from 8 a.m.-noon at the Business Information Center in Room 240 of the Spokane Regional Business Center, 801 W. Riverside. for information or to register, call 353-2820.
Thursday - The Hispanic Business and Professional Association meets at noon at Cavanaughs Fourth Avenue, 110 E. Fourth. For more information, call 891-0625.
Thursday - The Spokane Public Library presents a free intermediate Internet class at 2 p.m. in meeting room 1A of the downtown library, 906 W. Main. For information, call 444-5312.
Friday - The Service Corps of Retired Executives presents a seminar on “How to Save Money on Your Taxes” from 8:30 a.m. to noon at the Spokane Regional Business Center, 801 W. Riverside. Cost: $15 in advance, $20 at the door; for information or to register, call 353-2820.
Friday - WSU Spokane presents a free Lunchtime Learning program by Suzanne Snowdon, landscape architecture adjunct faculty, on “Historic Residential Landscaping” from noon-1 p.m. at the Riverpoint Higher Education Park, 668 N. Riverpoint Blvd. For information, call 358-7500.
Saturday - Spokane American Advertising Awards will be presented during a ceremony at 5:30 p.m. at Cavanaughs Ridpath Hotel. Cost: $35, or $280 for a corporate table of eight; to purchase tickets, call Denise Hulsizer at 326-8818.
Saturday - The Inland Northwest Chapter of the American Society of Home Inspectors meets at 8 a.m. at 2211 E. Riverside. For information, call Gary Fuller at 448-3048 or Buzz Freeman at 534-6398.
Saturday - The Spokane Public Library presents a free beginning Internet class at 10 a.m. at the downtown library, 906 W. Main. For information, call 444-5312.