Business Beat
New faces:
Witherspoon, Kelley, Davenport & Toole has added the following people to its staff:
Christopher G. Varallo joined the firm as an associate. He graduated from the Gonzaga University School of Law in 1999 and received his undergraduate degree from Colorado State University in 1995. Varallo will practice primarily in the areas of business and business litigation.
Claude F. Bailey joined Witherspoon, Kelley as a principle. A graduate of the University of Puget Sound and Gonzaga University School of Law, he served as chief criminal deputy prosecutor for Spokane County. Since entering private practice in 1970, his practice has been primarily in the area of business-related litigation.
Telect Inc. has hired Lynn Colwell as a communications specialist in its Corporate Communications Department. Colwell previously was interim assistant vice president of community relations at Empire Health Services, where she worked for two years. Earlier, she ran her own writing and communications business and was a writer for Community Colleges of Spokane.
Jane K. Baker has joined the staff of Kootenai Electric Cooperative as communications specialist. Baker has been an adjunct faculty member in the Communications Studies Department at Eastern Washington University. She previously was the development director at the Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery. Baker’s responsibilities include preparation, design and production of all formal communications with the members of Kootenai Electric Cooperative, local news media and community officials. Baker’s background includes a master’s degree in communication studies, experience in market research and 15 years of experience in the radio/TV broadcasting industry.
Mitzi Judd has joined Century 21 Premier Service. She has 2 years of local real estate experience.
Moving up:
Lynn Burton has been promoted to associate level at Structural Design Northwest. She joined the firm eight years ago as a structural engineer. Burton is the project structural engineer for the Spokane International Airport concourse “C” expansion. She is the current president of the Spokane Chapter of the Structural Engineers Association of Washington.
Yoke’s Foods has promoted the following employees:
Joe Hanson was promoted to vice president-grocery operations. He joined the company in September 1995 after working for Keith Uddenberg Inc. as a promotional buyer and writer. He was selected as Yoke’s Store Manager of the Year in 1997.
Darrell Toombs Jr. was named Deer Park store manager. He began as a box clerk for Yoke’s in 1989, and has progressed through several grocery department positions during his career. Toombs is a graduate of Spokane Community College and the Dale Carnegie Program.
Jim Weigel was promoted to bakery merchandiser. He has been with Yoke’s for 10 years and earlier was employed as a scratch baker for 11 years. He is a fourth-generation scratch baker.
Ken Chapin was named meat merchandiser. He has extensive experience in the meat industry and has worked at Yoke’s for 17 years. Earlier, he was with M&G Food City and Sandpoint Discount Warehouse.
Duane Wentz was promoted to produce merchandiser. He has been at Yoke’s as a produce manager for eight years. Before joining Yoke’s, he worked as a retail produce manager for nine years.
Moving on:
Parker Woodall has retired from his position as president of the North Idaho region of Washington Trust Bank. Woodall came to Coeur d’Alene in 1973 as superintendent of schools. His career in the financial services industry began in 1979 when he and a group of investors started Northern State Bank. In 1989, Northern State was sold to the owners of Washington Trust Bank but continued to operate as a wholly owned subsidiary until 1997 when it officially merged with Washington Trust. During that time, Woodall continued to serve as president of the bank, which expanded to four branches. He will continue to serve as a director of the Washington Trust Bank board.
Kudos:
The Spokane Advertising Federation has presented the Spokane Lifetime Achievement Award to Shaun O’L. Higgins, director of marketing and sales for The Spokesman-Review and president and chief operating officer of New Media Ventures Inc. The award recognizes a Spokane-area individual who has, over the course of his or her lifetime, made a significant contribution to the quality of life, business or civic vitality of the region. Higgins was honored for his commitment in presenting the region’s annual economic forecast. Higgins, who has been delivering the Spokane Advertising Federation economic forecast for 17 years, recently gave his final such presentation.
Best Western Cavanaughs Templin’s Resort in Post Falls has received the Best Western Director’s Award for outstanding quality standards. The Director’s Award honors Best Western International hotels who achieve a cleanliness and maintenance inspection score of 950 points or more out of a possible 1,000. Hotels must also meet Best Western’s requirements for design and high customer service scores to qualify for the distinction.
Events:
Monday - 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.
Tuesday - The Training and Education Coordinating Center presents session IV of a Zenger Miller leadership training core workshop on “Dealing with Emotional Behavior” from 6-9 p.m. at the Business Training and Applied Technology Center, 3939 N. Freya. Cost: $230 for the four-class series; call 533-4700 for information.
Tuesday - Leads Club, a networking organization for business leads and referrals, meets at 12:15 p.m. at Shari’s restaurant, 320 N. Sullivan. For reservations or information, call Melissa at 893-9717.
Tuesday - Power Networking meets at 7 a.m. to exchange business leads and other business information. For location and information about topics, call 468-9695 or 467-2081.
Tuesday through March 9 - The Inland Northwest Associated General Contractors presents unit 4 of a supervisory training program on “Contract Documents and Construction Law” from 6-8:30 p.m. each Tuesday and Thursday at the Spokane Community College Apprenticeship Training Center, 2110 N. Fancher. Cost: $240 for AGC members, $425 for nonmembers and $100 for registered apprentices; for information or to register, call Sherry Lynn Dow at 535-0391 or (800) 572-4108.
Wednesday - The Rev. Robert Spitzer, president of Gonzaga University, will be the guest speaker at a meeting of the Spokane Association of Insurance and Financial Professionals from 11:45 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Spokane Club. Cost: $15, unless you are a member of SAIFA. For information, call Todd J. Bauman at 747-3121.
Wednesday - The Honorable Roger Simmons, Canada’s consul-general in Seattle, will speak on “The Canada-U.S. Border: Bridge or Wall?” during a talk presented by Eastern Washington University and Gonzaga University at 7:30 p.m. at Gonzaga’s Jepson Center Auditorium. The lecture is free and open to the public.
Wednesday - The Service Corps of Retired Executives presents a workshop on “Preparing a Successful Business Plan” from 8 a.m.-noon on the second floor of the Spokane Regional Business Center, 801 W. Riverside. Cost: $35; for information or reservations, call 353-2820.
Wednesday and Feb. 16 - The Small Business Development Center presents a class on “Beginning Recordkeeping” from 6-9 p.m. both nights at the Spokane Intercollegiate Research and Technology Institute, 665 N. Riverpoint Blvd. Cost: $45; call 358-7890 for information or to register.
Thursday - Thatcher Thompson, vice president of equity research for Merrill Lynch, will discuss “Wall Street Visionaries and Liars” during the Gonzaga University Dean’s Business Forum at 7:15 a.m. in the Jepson Center Auditorium on the GU campus. Cost: $10, including continental breakfast, if prepaid, or $12.50 at the door; for reservations of information, call 323-5502.
Thursday - A representative of the state Department of Social and Health Services will be the guest speaker at a meeting of the Hispanic Business/ Professional Association at 11:30 a.m. at the Days Inn on Sunset Highway. For information, call Grace Vera at 927-1936.
Thursday - The Small Business Development Center presents a class on “Excellent Customer Service” from 5:30-9:30 p.m. at the Spokane Intercollegiate Research and Technology Institute, 665 N. Riverpoint Blvd. Cost: $40; call 358-7890 for information or to register.
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 - The Downtown Spokane Chapter of LeTip International meets from 7-8:30 a.m. at the Ram restaurant, 908 N. Howard. For reservations, call Pat Bishop at 926-0141.
Thursday - The Lake City Women’s Chapter of Leads Club meets at noon at the Coeur d’Alene Inn, 414 W. Appleway in Coeur d’Alene. For information or reservations, call Karen Welts at (208) 667-5606.
Friday - “Lobbying for Your Business” is the topic to be discussed at a Good Morning Spokane Area meeting presented by the Spokane Area Chamber of Commerce at 7:30 a.m. at Shilo Inn, 923 E. Third. For reservations, e-mail lklymko@chamber.spokane.net or call 459-4105.
Friday - The Inland Northwest Associated General Contractors presents a seminar on “Construction Quality Management” from 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Spokane Community College Training Center, 2110 N. Fancher. Cost: $55 for AGC members, $99 for nonmembers; for information or to register, call Sherry Lynn Dow at 535-0391 or (800) 572-4108.
Feb. 17 - Van Housor of the Enough Is Enough Program will lead a supervisory training workshop on substance abuse prevention presented by the Coeur d’Alene Area Chamber of Commerce from 1-4 p.m. at the Kootenai County Justice Building, 451 Government Way in Coeur d’Alene. Cost: $49 for members, $75 for nonmembers; registration deadline is Friday.
Feb. 19 - The Gonzaga University School of Law and the Thomas More Scholarship Program present a continuing legal education program on “Leave No Child Behind - Preventing Youth Violence in the Next Millennium” from 8 a.m.-5:00 p.m. at Cavanaughs Ridpath Hotel, 515 W. Sprague. Cost: $125 for attorneys, $100 for teachers and $75 for other professionals; the cost increases by $25 after Saturday. For information or reservations, call Marge Buck at 323-3738 or (800) 448-2138.