Business Beat

New faces:

LineSoft Corp., which provides consulting services and software solutions to the utility transmission and distribution industry, has hired the following people:

Renee LaRocca joined the company as director of product marketing. For the past nine years, LaRocca was a consultant providing program/product management for local high-tech companies, including Itron and Itronix in Spokane. Earlier, she was the director of marketing for Skil/Dremel in Chicago. LaRocca earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Illinois and an MBA from Eastern Washington University.

Darold Orgill was named a customer support engineer. His responsibilities include engineering software testing and analysis, as well as providing engineering and technical support to LineSoft clients nationwide.

Orgill, a professional engineer, previously worked for URS Corp. as a civil project engineer. He received a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Gonzaga University and was recently elected vice president of the American Society of Civil Engineers in Spokane.

Scott Derrickson joined LineSoft as a customer support engineer. He is responsible for assisting clients in installation, training and customer support. Derrickson previously worked for IBM in Rochester, Minn., as a senior technician specialist. He earned an AAS from Wisconsin Indian Head Technical College in Superior, Wis.

Mark McCall was named a senior software engineer. His responsibilities include the development, maintenance and support of LineSoft’s product line. McCall previously worked for Washington Mutual Bank, where he was vice president and manager of programming and support. He has written several technical books on computer science and was once the technical editor for Mid-range Computing Magazine. McCall attended Spokane Falls Community College and Gonzaga University.

Linette Laiminger joined LineSoft as a project manager. She will be responsible for managing line design and optimization projects for clients throughout the United States. Laiminger was previously a principal with Info Partners Consulting in Spokane. She earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science and a master’s degree in organizational development from Gonzaga University.

GenPrime, a biotechnology company specializing in microbiological testing for the dairy and brewing industries, has added the following people to its staff:

Dale Damron joined the company as business manager and will oversee accounting, human resources and administrative functions. A certified management accountant, Damron previously was a senior cost accountant at Itronix.

Kim Maxwell was hired as a laboratory technician. She will assist in new product research and development. Maxwell is a 2000 graduate of Eastern Washington University, where she majored in biology.

eNetwork Capital.com Corp., a Spokane-based business consulting and Internet technology company, has added the following people to its staff: DeeAnn Arebalos joined the company as executive assistant to the president. Ray Cravran, Paul Adams and Eugene Evans all were hired as marketing consultants, while Kayleen Norquist joined the company as a Web designer and Arthur Dodson joined the firm’s telemarketing division.

Moving up:

Robin Oos, an Allstate insurance agent, has earned the “Personal Financial Representative” title and may now sell variable annuity, variable life and mutual fund products, in addition to auto, homeowner and traditional life insurance products. Oos has completed the Series 6 and Series 63 securities license exams, as well as an extensive Allstate training curriculum.

Events:

Monday - The Small Business Development Center presents an “Introduction to Construction Bidding” from 6-9 p.m. at the Spokane Intercollegiate Research and Technology Institute, 665 N. Riverpoint Blvd. Cost: $35; call 358-7890 for information or to register.

Monday - The Downtown Chapter of Business Networking International presents “Networking at Noon” from noon-1:30 p.m. at the Ram Restaurant. For more information, call Carol Groves at 994-0047.

Monday - The Professional Business Referral Group meets from 7-8:15 a.m. at Solicitor’s Corner, 6301 N. Division. For more information, call John B. Nugent at 327-7707.

Tuesday - The Service Corps of Retired Executives offers free counseling to existing and potential small-business owners from 9 a.m.noon at the Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce, 8817 E. Mission. For appointments, call 924-4994.

Tuesday - The Valley Chapter of Leads club, a networking organization for business leads and referrals, meets at 12:15 p.m. at Shari’s Restaurant, 320 N. Sullivan. For more information, call 926-8481.

Tuesday - Northside Power Networking meets at 7 a.m. Call 468-9695 or 467-2081 or check online at http://www.nwcities.com/pn for meeting details.

Tuesday and Wednesday - Global Credit Union offers free “First Time Home Buyer Seminars” under the Washington State Housing Finance Commission House Key Program from 6-8 p.m. each night at the Global Credit Union, 1520 W. Third.

Wednesday - Leonard J. Weber, director of The Ethics Institute at the University of Detroit Mercy, will deliver the Aram Lecture in Business Ethics at 7:15 a.m. in the Jepson Center Auditorium on the GU campus. His topic is “Rising Expectations: The Cutting Edge in Business Ethics.” Cost: $7.50, including a continental breakfast; for more information, call 323-3404.

Wednesday - The Small Business Development Center presents a “Pre-business Workshop” from 6-9 p.m. at the Spokane Intercollegiate Research and Technology Institute, 665 N. Riverpoint Blvd. Cost: $25; call 358-7890 for information or to register.

Wednesday - The Service Corps of Retired Executives presents a workshop on the “ABC’s of Starting a Business” from 9 a.m.-noon on the second floor of the Spokane Regional Business Center, 801 W. Riverside. Cost: $20; for more information, call 353-2820.

Wednesday - The Service Corps of Retired Executives offers free counseling to potential and existing small-business owners from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Panhandle Area Council, 11100 Airport Drive, Hayden. For appointments, call (208) 772-0584.

Wednesday - The South Hill Spokane Chapter of LeTip International meets from 7-8:30 a.m. at Ripples Restaurant in WestCoast River Inn, 700 N. Division. For Reservations, call Kelly Porter at 893-1743.

Thursday - Washington State University and the Spokane Regional Chamber of Commerce present the Fourth Annual Research Forum from 4-6:30 p.m. in the Phase One Classroom Building at the Riverpoint campus, 668 N. Riverpoint Blvd. Admission is free and open to the public. For reservations, call 358-7528 or e-mail siharris@wsu.edu.

Thursday - The Downtown Chapter of Leads Club, a networking organization for business leads and referrals, meets at noon at the Cathay Inn, 3714 N. Division. For more information, call Michele at 755-5000.

Friday and Saturday - Nancy Isaacson, associate professor in the doctoral program in leadership studies at Gonzaga University, presents a workshop on “Trust Building and Repair in Organizations” from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. both days. Cost: $249; register online at http://www.gonzaga.edu/ continuingeducation or call Leisa at (800) 793-1722 or 323-3548.

Conventions:

Today through Saturday Northwest Mining Association, DoubleTree Hotel City Center and Spokane Center.