Business Beat

New faces:

The law firm of Evans, Craven & Lackie P.S. has added the following people to its staff as associate attorneys:

Jon D. Floyd is a graduate of Gonzaga University School of Law. He specializes in worker’s compensation law, labor and employment law and his practice will emphasize the defense of employers in worker’s compensation matters.

Bruce J. Blohowiak, also a graduate of Gonzaga University School of Law, is the former executive vice president, chief operating officer and general counsel of Metropolitan Mortgage and Securities Co. Inc. and Western United Life Assurance Co. He will have a general practice, with an emphasis on assisting business growth, business and corporate law, association law, real estate transactions, Internet commerce and the purchase and sale of cash flows.

Don Schoesler has been hired as a human resource consultant at Moss Adams LLP. He will work with Angi Shamblin and Chris Benenson to provide consultative services to clients on a broad range of human resource management issues. Schoesler will primarily be responsible for offering companies HR DOTS - Human resource Department Off the Shelf” - and ABRA HR software from Best. He previously worked at Fireman’s Fund Insurance, Group Health Northwest, MSC Premera Blue Cross and Dealers Auto Auction.

Jenny Fechter has been hired as marketing coordinator for Shea Construction Inc. Her responsibilities include directing the development of all written, visual and historical project information. Fechter has a background in marketing, journalism and communications. She earned a bachelor’s degree in general communication with an emphasis in marketing from Whitworth College.

Shea Construction Inc. has hired Brian Singer as a project engineer. He is assigned to the $25.4 million Washington State University Health Sciences Building located at Spokane Riverpoint Higher Education Park. Singer received a bachelor’s degree in construction engineering management from Oregon State University. He previously worked as a project engineer for Natt McDougall Co., a general contractor.

Moving up:

Washington Trust Bank has promoted the following employees to trust officers:

Susan Rowe-Adler, who works in the Trust Department of the Private Banking Group, has been employed at Washington Trust for 11 years.

Wendy Christeson is the assistant manager in the Securities Services Department. She joined the bank in 1998.

Elected:

Sharon Kelly, who works for the Spokane Community College divisions of business, hospitality and information technologies and liberal arts and vocational related education, has been elected to the American Association for Women in Community Colleges’ Washington state board. She will serve as vice president of finance and memberships.

Holy Family Hospital medical staff officers and chairpersons for 2000 include: President, Dr. Jeffrey O’Connor; president-elect, Dr. LeRoy Byrd; immediate past president, Dr. Robert Zurcher; medical director, Dr. Myron Bloom; medical department chair, Sean Hurley; surgical department chair, Brian Padrta; cancer committee chair, Dr. Rod Peterson; clinical monitoring chair, Dr. Myron Bloom; credentials committee chair, Dr. Steve Darling; trauma/ICU committee chair, Drs. Greg Luna and Todd Green; anesthesia section representative, Dr. David Vanos; emergency services representative, Dr. Gary Gularte; family practice representative, Dr. J. Alan Maddox; internal medicine representative, Dr. Peter Weitzman; obstetrics representative, Dr. J.I. McKenna; pathology representative, Dr. Steve Darling; pediatrics representative, Dr. A. Chris Olson; radiology representative, Dr. Robert Handy; and member-at-large, Dr. Jay Reynolds, Providence Services of Eastern Washington board representative.

Kudos:

Christopher Blodgett senior research associate for the Washington Institute for Mental Illness Research Training, has been awarded the 2000 Washington State University Spokane Faulty Excellence Award in recognition of his outstanding teaching, research and community service. Blodgett, who has been with WSU Spokane since 1995, is also assistant director of community program development at WIMIRT and an associate professor in human development and cooperative extension. He was instrumental in obtaining a $2.8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Justice for the Spokane Safe Start Initiative, which aims to reduce children’s exposure to violence in Spokane.

Joel E. Ferris has been named Volunteer of the Year 2000 by KSPS-TV and the Friends of Seven. He was cited for his continuing efforts to raise funds on behalf of KSPS. Ferris, the retired founder of Joel Inc., is the immediate past president of the Friends of Seven board of directors and now is a director emeritus of the board.

The Visitor Center at the Post Falls Prime Outlets was one of three finalists for the Idaho Visitor Center of the Year Award. The center, which is operated by the Post Falls Chamber of Commerce, opened in 1996. It provides information to more than 170,000 business and leisure travelers each year, including an estimated 40,000 who come into the center annually for information on area attractions and businesses.