Business Beat

New faces:

Craig Kuehl has joined Washington Trust Bank as assistant vice president and business banking officer. Kuehl, who is on the board of directors of the Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce, has more than 13 years of experience in the banking and financial industries.

Kathy Fontana-Johnston has joined Breezes Hair Design as a stylist/ educator. She has 24 years of experience in all areas of cosmetology and since 1996 has been a manager and instructor at the Glen Dow Academy of Hair Design. Fontana-Johnston earlier owned a salon and taught advanced classes.

Telect Inc. has hired the following people: Darrell Jackson, production engineering supervisor; Alan McElroy, forecast/planning analyst; David Damiano, new product development manager; Kenneth Ditto, product manager; Nikcole Schroeder, shipping coordinator; Lindsay Standish, mechanical engineer; Bill Harcus, procurement engineer; Jo Ann Davis, account sales manager; Melvin Reeves, senior product manager; James Spring, applications engineer; Joe Amado, programming supervisor; Teng Moua, mechanical engineer; Carla Ramirez, senior buyer/planner; Terry Thom, mechanical engineer; Robert Hughes, senior product manager; Scott Mitchell, senior product manager; Jerry Gradwohl, mechanical engineer; Roger Beck, senior electronic technician; Julie Tice, payroll administrator; and Shona McFarland, operations analyst.

Netivation.com has named Glen Hughlette as vice president of operations and chief operating officer of its Votenet.com division. He is responsible for managing the day-to-day business affairs and accomplishing the goals established for the division. Hughlette previously was president and CEO of Visible Systems Corp. He co-founded Information Engineering Systems Corp. in 1987 and was president and COO for nearly 10 years. Earlier, he spent six years as vice president, corporate secretary and CFO of Information Technology Association of America. He also founded the ITTA Foundation, a charitable organization dedicated to providing assistance to the disabled and disadvantaged through the use of computer software and services technology.

James Sloan has joined Netivation.com as corporate controller. He oversees the corporation’s day-to-day financial operations. Sloan previously was the controller for AT&T Solutions, where he won the AT&T Standing Ovation Award for implementing an automated financial reporting process that resulted in an estimated annual savings of 7,200 man-hours and $500,000. He also previously worked for Arthur Andersen LLP.

Moving up:

Washington Trust Bank has promoted the following employees:

Lori Hoerner was named assistant vice president. Hoerner, who is the operations manager in the Credit Services Group, joined Washington Trust in 1984.

Emily Faylor was promoted to retail banking officer. Faylor is a mortgage loan representative at the Spokane Home Loan Center and has worked at Washington Trust for 10 years.

Terry Goetz was named vice president. Goetz, who has more than 10 years of experience in human resource management, is the employment/employee relations manager in the bank’s human resources department. He joined the bank in 1998.

Craig Honeycutt was promoted to vice president. Honeycutt, who is the compensation and benefits manager in the human resources department, has 21 years of experience in human resources and operations.

New location:

Dr. Donald K. Grim, a podiatrist and surgeon of the foot, has relocated his office to 11 E. Rockwell. Grim previously occupied a downtown office for 23 years.

Elected:

New board members of the Better Business Bureau of the Inland Northwest include: Sonny Wittkopp, president, Music City; John Kalb, director of operations, Ultrafit; Jim Arnold, CFO, Netivation.com Inc.; Ken Sweatt, general manager, Spokane Optical; Brett Sullivan, president, Sullivan Homes; Dave Holinka, vice president, Sterling Savings Bank; Larry Bryant, marketing manager, Kootenai Electric Cooperative; Ken Ormsby, vice president, Barton Roofing; and Georgette Grainger, vice president, Washington Trust Bank. Board officers are: Chairman, Mark Keas, MDI Marketing; vice chair, Marlene Anderson, The Spokesman-Review; secretary, Bill Storms, KHQ-TV; treasurer, Chud Wendle, Wendle Ford; and acting past chair, John Omlin, Omlin Gunning and Associates.

Julie Raftis Litzenberger, co-owner of Cameo Catering and Event Facility, has been elected to a two-year term as president of the Spokane Restaurant & Hospitality Association.