Business Beat

New faces:

DigiDeal Corp., which creates game concepts and products for the gaming and casino industry, has added the following people to its Spokane-based corporate staff:

Don Miller was named chief financial officer. Miller, who previously was president of Johnson Matthey’s Wafer Fabrication Materials Group, has 15 years of experience in financial management, operational analysis, capital planning and procurement, cash flow management and acquisition and divestiture activities. He will be responsible for developing, overseeing and implementing DigiDeal’s long-term strategic financial planning.

Victoria Erickson was hired as director of marketing and public relations. Erickson has more than 15 years of experience in advertising, marketing and public relations. She previously worked in the radio and television industries. Erickson will oversee marketing of DigiDeal products, as well as public relations and investor relations.

Claudia Allen joined DigiDeal as product support specialist. Allen, who has more than five years of experience in international sales and marketing, client management, training and field support, previously worked in the telemarketing industry. She will be the contact person for DigiDeal and its international manufacturer/distributor, John Huxley of the United Kingdom.

Brooke Carpenter also joined DigiDeal as a product support specialist. She will be a liaison between DigiDeal Corp. and its domestic and sovereign nation manufacturer/distributor, PPDS Financial Corp. of Las Vegas, Nev.

Thomas, Dean & Hoskins Inc., a full-service civil and structural engineering firm, has named Alan Lewis as the registered land surveyor in charge of its Spokane region land surveying operations. Lewis previously spent five years as survey manager for Professional Engineering Consultants and seven years for Kaiser Engineers Hanford. His 24 years of experience in surveying and mapping includes railroads, industrial environments, boundaries, civil projects, geodetic control, GPS and construction staking.

Lon C. Lee, president of KHQ Inc. and general manager of KHQ-TV, Channel 6 in Spokane, has been named to the board of directors for Tidyman’s LLC. Lee, who has worked for broadcasters in Phoenix, Sacramento, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Miami and Jacksonville, is currently chairman of the board of directors for the Washington State Association of Broadcasters and has held several positions with the National Association of Television Program Executives. He is a member of the board of trustees of the Spokane Area Chamber of Commerce and has served on the boards of United Way, Momentum, Spokane Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Better Business Bureau and the Spokane Community College Foundation board.

Moving up:

Morgan Stanley Dean Witter has appointed Bud Ralston as assistant branch manager of the firm’s Spokane office at 201 W. North River Drive. Ralston, who joined Morgan Stanley Dean Witter 6-1/2 years ago, earned a bachelor’s degree from San Francisco State University and a master’s in public administration from George Washington University. He is a past president of Spokane North Rotary Club and past assistant district governor of Rotary District 5080.

Andy Keys has been promoted to general sales manager at Wendle Ford Suzuki. Keys joined Wendle after receiving a bachelor’s degree from the University of Idaho in 1990. He has held several sales positions, most recently Ford sales manager. Tom Bouffard replaces Keys as Ford sales manager. He was previously general manager of Courtesy Chevrolet in Poulsbo, Wash.

Starting up:

Vorpahl Wing Securities, a Spokane-based broker-dealer, has hired Dennis Roginski to head its newly formed Fixed Income Trading Department. Roginski, who has more then 13 years of experience in the fixed income area, will scan various bond offerings throughout the nation and disseminate that information to independent brokers. The objective is to expand the number of fixed income investments offered to clients.

Certifications:

Joseph Pace, right-of-way maintenance coordinator for Inland Power & Light Co., has successfully completed the certified arborist examination administered through the International Society of Arboriculture and its local chapter. The ISA program tests and certifies an individual’s knowledge in the field of arboriculture, which includes the care and preservation of shade and ornamental trees. Certification is valid for three years.

Jewelers of America has awarded George H. Meier of Clark’s Diamond Jewelry in Coeur d’Alene the designation of JA Certified Master Bench Jeweler. Meier is the first bench jeweler in Idaho, and only the 50th nationwide, to receive the distinction, which is the highest level of the JA Bench Jeweler Certification Program. Meier has been in the jewelry business for nearly 40 years, starting at age 14 as a polisher at a trade shop.