Business Beat

New faces:

U.S. Bank has named Robert P. Aravich as senior vice president and manager of Eastern Washington/Northern Idaho Commercial Banking. Aravich, who will be based in Spokane, will manage a team of commercial banking relationship officers. He most recently managed U.S. Bank’s Business Banking Group in Salt Lake City. Earlier, he managed corporate accounts for U.S. Bank - then West One Bank - in Boise. Aravich earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Juniata College in Huntington, Penn., and is a graduate of the Pacific Coast Banking School in Seattle.

Joi Rhodes has joined Keller Williams Realty Spokane as a real estate agent. Rhodes, who began selling real estate this year, was previously with Windermere Real Estate. She is now a buyer’s agent for the Hardie Group.

The Spokane office of the American Cancer Society has added the following people to its staff:

Katrina Finnegan was named volunteer services coordinator. She will oversee management and support of volunteers in an area that encompasses Eastern Washington, Eastern Oregon and Montana. Finnegan received a master’s degree in counseling psychology from Gonzaga University in 1996. She was previously an assistant coach in the Eastern Washington University soccer program.

Kimberly Pickering was hired as community cancer control manager for prevention and detection in the Spokane office. She completed requirements for a bachelor’s degree in applied developmental psychology from Eastern Washington University in August. Prior to joining ACS, she worked at Lakeland Village in Medical Lake.

Sean Policani joined the Spokane ACS office as materials coordinator. He was previously a job placement specialist with Goodwill Industries.

Cheryl Jennings was hired as office receptionist. Jennings, who has more than 12 years of experience working in patient and customer services, was previously a merchant representative at a Spokane bank.

Moving up:

The following people have been promoted by the Spokane office of the American Cancer Society:

Mark W. Harry was appointed call center coordinator for the Eastern Region. For the past five years, Harry was the materials coordinator for the Spokane ACS.

Sherry Hansen, who joined the American Cancer Society 5-1/2 years ago, has been promoted to assistant to the Eastern Region vice president. Her duties include supervising support staff in offices in Billings, Missoula, Kennewick and Spokane. Before joining ACS, she worked for the Farm Credit Banks in Spokane for nine years.

Elected:

Spokane Authors and Self-Publishers has chosen the following officers for 2001: President, Tim Hillebrand; vice president, Jim Hooppaw; secretary, Jolene Feher; and treasurer, Phyllis Heinel.

New officers and board members of Spokane Mental Health for 2001 include: President, Maria Hernandez-Peck, Eastern Washington University; vice president, Margaret Bruya, Washington State University/ICNE; secretary, James Hawley, Kiemle & Hagood, commercial leasing; treasurer, Elaine Myers, LeMaster & Daniels P.S.; and past president, Ned Barnes, Witherspoon, Kelley, Davenport & Toole. Dan Byrne of Sterling Savings Bank was elected to the board.

Kudos:

Sacred Heart Medical Center has received a “2000 Consumer Choice Award” from the National Research Corp., which surveys 160,000 households nationwide and includes 2,500 hospitals in its research. Only 122 of those hospitals received the consumer choice designation. NRC specializes in health-care performance measurement.

Wells Fargo Foundation has awarded a $40,000 grant to the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture, formerly Cheney Cowles Museum. The museum will use the donation for on-site and outreach education programs during the 18-month period following its reopening in December 2001. The funds will enable hundreds of students throughout Eastern Washington to visit the museum free of charge. Wells Fargo’s donation will also provide funding for transportation, development of teacher resource packets and outreach materials, docent training and ongoing K-12 curriculum and Web site development. The museum is currently closed for a $28 million expansion project.

Events:

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 the 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 potential and existing small-business owners from 9 a.m.-noon at the Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce, 8817 E. Mission. For appointments, call 924-4994.

Tuesday - North Side Power Networking meets at 7 a.m. Call 468-9695 or 467-2081 or check the Web site at http://www.nwcities.com/pn for meeting details.

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 Beth Ann at 924-4507.

Wednesday - The Service Corps of Retired Executives presents a workshop on the “ABCs 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 information, call 353-2820.

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

Thursday - Spokane Authors and Self-Publishers meets at 11:30 a.m. at the Old Country Buffet, 5504 N. Division. For more information, visit the Web site at http://www.synergetics.org/sasp, or call Tim Hillebrand at (208) 883-8814 or Jim Hooppaw at (509) 466-8148.

Thursday - 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 North Idaho College Workforce Training Center, 525 Clearwater Loop in Post Falls. For appointments, call (208) 769-3296.

Thursday - EdwardJones presents “Outlook 2001: A Pound of Prevention” at 3 p.m. at 2020 Lakewood Drive, Suite 224, in Coeur d’Alene. For reservations or questions, call (208) 664-9294.

Thursday - The Downtown Spokane Chapter of LeTip International Inc. meets from 7-8:30 a.m. at the Ram Restaurant, 908 N. Howard. For reservations, call Pat Bishop at 926-0141.

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 Beth Ann at 924-4507.

Friday - A consultants roundtable on “Referrals Among Members” will be featured at a meeting of the Inland Northwest Society of Consulting Professionals from 7:15-9 a.m. at the Spokane Club. Call 742-8868 to make a reservation or visit the society’s Web site at http://www.inscp.com.

Jan. 8 - The Small Business Development Center presents a class on “Patents, Trademarks, Copyrights” from 6-9 p.m. at the Spokane Intercollegiate Research and Technology Institute. Cost: $35; call 358-7890 for information or to register.