Business Beat

New faces:

Sherry Thompson has joined WindStar Group Inc., a regional systems integration firm providing information technology solutions and services to businesses in a seven-state area, as an account manager. She was previously a client representative with IBM Corp. in Texas.

Ann Price has been named Second Century Capital Campaign director for the Cheney Cowles Museum. She will oversee day-to-day planning, coordination and supervision of a private sector fund-raising campaign to support the capital expansion, endowment fund, and bridge funding plans of the Eastern Washington State Historical Society/Cheney Cowles Museum and historic Campbell House.

Price previously was chief executive officer of The Senior Homes Foundation of Eastern Washington. She was development manager of the Spokane Food Bank for six years beginning in 1992. A 1998 graduate of Leadership Spokane, Price earned a bachelor’s degree in theater production/TV production and communications from Arizona State University.

The March of Dimes board of directors has named Otto Klein as board chair for its Inland Northwest Division. Klein is vice president-sponsorships for the Spokane Indians baseball team. Klein will help to facilitate March of Dimes board recruitment, fund-raising and local and national sponsored events. He is a graduate of the University of Portland.

Jeff Presley has joined Pullman-based Advanced Hardware Architectures Inc. as vice president, business development. He will pursue new opportunities for the company’s family of forward error correction products. Presley, who co-founded Internet Engineering Associates, most recently worked in business development for World Wide Packets.

Moving up:

Lee Allinger has been promoted to district recruiter for the Spokane office of the Farmers Insurance Group of Companies. She joined the company last August as the district manager and training assistant. Allinger earned a bachelor’s degree in health care administration from the University of Nevada/Las Vegas in 1993 and an MBA from EWU in 1997. She also holds a graduate certificate in health care administration.

Simplot Turf and Horticulture has promoted Chris Claypool to senior vice president of marketing in the Jacklin Seed business unit. His responsibilities include business strategies for seed and fertilizer products in overseas markets and global distribution network establishment. He also will oversee management of the international group, with offices in China and Australia, and department of Jacklin Seed business units for seed sales in the United States. Claypool joined the J.R. Simplot Co. in 1993 and most recently served as international manager. He earned a bachelor’s degree in international studies and Spanish from Brigham Young University in 1992.

Irene Gonzales has been promoted to sales manager at WindStar Group. She will oversee the day-to-day operation of the WindStar sales team.

Transactions:

Global Travel has joined Virtuoso, which bills itself as the nation’s most prestigious travel network. Less than 1 percent of travel agencies in America are accepted as members in the network, which handles more than $2.5 billion a year in luxury leisure travel. The affiliation is expected to enable Global to offer competitive pricing in luxury travel, as well as special amenities such as complimentary room upgrades, airport transfers, special dining options, exclusive shore excursions and custom itineraries.

Certifications:

Sharon Latimer, a Coeur d’Alene-based marketing executive for Regence BlueShield of Idaho, has been granted the Life Underwriter Training (LUTC) Fellow designation. The designation is presented to individuals who meet or exceed qualification standards set by LUTC and the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors. It acknowledges Latimer’s long-term commitment to professionalism on behalf of clients, establishes her competence and business experience, demonstrates her commitment to NAIFA’s Code of Ethics and fosters additional professional development. Latimer has been an insurance professional for more than 23 years.

Thomas L. Nihoul, a senior financial adviser with the American Express Financial Advisors Spokane office, has been awarded the company sponsored designation Business Financial Advisor. Course work and a series of examinations are required to qualify for the designation, which signifies that holders have the technical expertise to effectively analyze small-business client needs and develop comprehensive financial plans.

Kudos

Marian McDonnell Horton, coordinator for WSU Spokane enrollment services, has been elected to a three-year chairmanship series of the Regional Council of the Western Regional College Board.