Business Beat

New faces:

Metropolitan Mortgage & Securities Co. Inc. has added the following people to its staff:

Georgiana Yoshioka joined the company as chief of operations. She previously was a consultant for Kmart Corp. in Troy, Mich.

Elaine Hoskin was hired as chief credit risk officer. She was previously vice president of Portfolio Management and Underwriting in Stamford, Conn.

Joel Rosenberg was named treasurer and will oversee the treasury department. He previously worked for Prudential Bank, a subsidiary of Prudential Insurance, in Atlanta, Ga.

Robert Crump and Jennifer Ross have been appointed to three-year terms on the board of directors of Kootenai County United Way. Crump, who is general manager of Kootenai Electric Cooperative, is serving his first term on the board. Ross, the co-op’s marketing and community relations specialist, has four years of prior experience on the board. She will serve as Kootenai County campaign chair for 2000. Ross, who is the first person to have served in the position twice, was also campaign chair in 1995. She also was appointed to the executive board.

Michael Houbrick has joined Ambassador Programs International as program director. His responsibilities include speaking at meetings throughout the country to recruit student ambassadors for People to People. Most recently, he was owner/president of Mr. Brick & Co., a Hollywood, Calif.-based talent agency. Earlier, he was vice president of promotion, advertising and publicity at Universal Studios. He began his career in the entertainment industry as a clown with Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey.

Moving up:

Metropolitan Mortgage and Securities Co. Inc. has promoted Diane Brown to insurance information systems manager. She has been with Metropolitan’s information systems team since 1984.

Lumbermen’s of Washington Inc. has promoted Tim Swaney to estimating supervisor at its Spokane truss plant. Swaney has worked for Lumbermen’s at the plant since its acquisition in 1995 and most recently was a truss and building material outside salesman.

Starting up:

Robert W. Cameron has opened DJ’s Barber Shop at 5112 N. Market. Cameron specializes in tapered haircuts, flattops, bowl cuts, beard trimming and weight loss consultation. He began his career as an apprentice barber in 1965, became a master barber in 1972 and a certified hair stylist in 1974.

Opportunities:

The Kaiser Aluminum Manufacturing Technology/Skilled Crafts Endowment Fund is offering three full-year scholarships, valued at about $1,500 each. The scholarships are available to area high school seniors who want to pursue a two-year degree in manufacturing technology through Community Colleges of Spokane or North Idaho College. Students must meet certain other eligibility requirements. For an application, contact the CCS Foundation, 2000 N. Greene, Spokane, WA 99217-5549, or call 533-8611. The deadline for applications is April 1.

Kudos:

Joyce Gibson, operations supervisor for Enhanced Software Products Inc., has been named 1999 Employee of the Year. A recipient is chosen based on “their level of commitment, loyalty, attitude, performance and achievement.”

New York Life Insurance Co. agent Robert Forster of Spokane has qualified for the Life Foundation Award, which is presented to agents who sell 100 or more life insurance policies in their first contract year. Only 33 agents have qualified for the award since it was introduced in 1998. Forster has been a New York Life agent since November 1998. He previously specialized in employee benefits for Inland Northwest businesses. Forster has qualified for the 1999 New York Life Executive Council.

Michael McClane, a Spokane-based agent for Allstate Insurance Co., has received the company’s Honor Ring, which reflects outstanding sales achievement by an Allstate agency. McClane is among 56 Honor Ring recipients in Washington state. McClane’s agency, which is located at 3001 S. Mt. Vernon, Suite A2, has operated since 1972.

Evelyn Creager has been honored for her long and exceptional service to the Spokane Chapter of the American Institute of Architects and the Washington Council AIA. She was made an honorary affiliate member of the Washington Council.

Employees from local Jack in the Box restaurants have contributed $2,400 to Big Brothers and Sisters of Spokane County through the Jack in the Box Foundation. The donation was raised through a Jack in the Box employee-giving program.