Business Beat

New faces:

Debra Urman-Botkin has joined Lukins & Annis P.S. as an associate in the law firm’s Spokane office. Urman-Botkin received a bachelor’s degree from Loyola Marymount University of Los Angeles in 1979, a bachelor’s degree in accounting from California State University of Long Beach in 1985 and a master’s degree in business taxation from the University of Southern California in 1992. She graduated from the Gonzaga University School of Law this year. Urman-Botkin, whose practice will focus on tax law, previously worked as tax manager for Mitsubishi Motor Sales of America Inc. and as a senior tax specialist at KPMG Peat Marwick LLP.

The following people have joined Keller Williams Realty Spokane, a full-service real estate brokerage:

Teresa Main, formerly with Windermere, joined the firm as a real estate agent. She has sold real estate since 1990 and is a buyer’s agent for both Terry Norlen and the Garwood Group.

Brad Wiedrich, a real estate agent who has 10 years of experience, was formerly with Windermere. He is a buyer’s agent for the Garwood Group.

David Olmsted joined Keller Williams as an owner/real estate agent. He heads up the Olmsted Team and is one of the firm’s Spokane owners.

Lorna Persello is a real estate agent who was previously with Prudential. She has been selling real estate since 1994.

Windermere Real Estate has added the following sales associates to its Spokane office:

Barb Wheeler previously worked for the Central Valley School District.

Monica Mayard formerly worked for Olympic Boat Center.

Shery Katcher previously worked for Mountain Meadows Construction.

Carol Green, associate chancellor for student affairs at Montana State University-Northern in Havre, has been named vice president of student success at Spokane Falls Community College. She assumes her new post Feb. 1. Green has been associate chancellor for student affairs at MSU-Northern since 1998. Earlier, she was an assistant professor in the university’s College of Education. She also worked as director of student affairs at Utah State University in Logan. She earned a doctoral degree in adult, community and higher education, as well as a master’s degree in counseling, from Utah State University. She received a bachelor’s degree in education from Westminster College in Salt Lake City.

Starting up:

Powder Basin Associates has added an adult drug court program to its existing services. The firm will administer the program under terms of an agreement reached with the Kootenai County prosecutor’s office. Joseph Beckett and Lindsey Parent, who are certified alcohol and drug counselors, will facilitate the program. Coeur d’Alene-based Powder Basin Associates offers a wide range of chemical dependency and mental health counseling.

Signal Point Advertising Graphics has opened at 13886 W. Riverview Drive in Post Falls. The advertising and graphic design firm serves Coeur d’Alene, Post Falls and Spokane. Owner Thomas Latham has worked for top agencies in the Inland Northwest and has design experience with clients such as Avista, Hagadone Corp., The Spokesman-Review, Kansas State University, Idaho Fish and Game Department and Key Tronic. The new agency offers logo design, corporate identity, custom graphics, advertising campaigns, strategic ad copy and placement, creative services, Web sites, online catalogs, virtual storefronts and digital graphics.

Elected:

Thomas M. Culbertson has been elected a fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel. The college is a national association of more than 2,700 lawyers who have made outstanding contributions to the field of trust and estate law in their communities.

Kudos:

Home Environments of Spokane has been chosen as the winner of Coleman Spas’ “Highest Customer Satisfaction” award for 2000. Home Environments also received a gold award for an outstanding job in selling the Coleman line of luxury hot tubs.

Colville Tribal Enterprise Corp. has received the Indian Tribal Enterprise of the Year Award. The corporation was nominated by the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development. In announcing its selection, a spokesman for the national center said the CTEC “has contributed tremendous economic benefits to the communities it serves,” especially the corporation’s construction and wood products enterprises.

Gonzaga University’s office of university relations has received a 2000 Council for Advancement and Support of Education Circle of Excellence Award for Educational Fund Raising for its overall fund-raising performance. Gonzaga was one of 30 colleges and universities out of 1,200 chosen to receive the award. The award recognizes institutions that show solid program growth, breadth in the base of support, and a mature, well-maintained program.