Business Beat

New faces:

Marsh has added the following people to its Spokane staff: Lorie Johnston joined the Benefits Department as an analyst and will work with Paul Belles and Mark Patrick. Johnston is a recent graduate of Eastern Washington University in health administration. She has several years of experience with QualMed.

Ralph Gamon was hired as a sales executive in the Commercial Department. He will specialize in medical malpractice insurance. Gamon previously worked for Pointshare Corp.

in Spokane where he held sales and management positions for Eastern Washington.

Kolette “Koko” Brock was hired as a consultant in the Benefits Department. She was previously with Regence BlueShield of Idaho as a marketing executive. Brock will work in the Coeur d’Alene area.

Don Creveling joined Marsh as a consultant in the Benefits Department. He was previously director of provider and network relations for Intermountain Administrators in Missoula. Creveling will work in the Missoula area for Marsh.

Charlotte Perkins has been hired as a client representative in the Commercial Department of Seabury & Smith Inc. Perkins previously worked for RLI Insurance in Los Angeles as an underwriter/supervisor. She will work with Jim Dinneen in the Spokane office.

Dr. Michael D. Whiting is joining the staff of Family Health Associates P.A. at 914 Ironwood Drive, Suite 101, in Coeur d’Alene. Whiting was previously a family practice physician with the Blue Mountain Medical Group in Walla Walla. He received his medical degree from Loma Linda University School of Medicine and is certified by the American Board of Family Practice.

Heritage Funeral Home and Crematory has hired Scott G. Carver as funeral service manager. Carver is a graduate of the Mount Hood Community College Funeral Service Education Program and has passed the national board examinations of the International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Board.

eNetwork Capital.com Corp., a Spokane-based business and information technology consulting firm, has hired Kayleen Norquist as a Web designer.

Moving up:

Joanna Ellington, associate professor at Washington State University at Spokane’s Health Research and Education Center, has been named director of biomedical development for WSU Spokane health sciences. Ellington is co-founder of her own biotech start-up, Advanced Reproduction Technologies Inc.

Rob L. Stewart, manager of Sterling Savings Bank’s Argonne and Valley branches, has been promoted to vice president. Stewart joined Sterling in June 1998 as manager of the Argonne branch. He now oversees both Argonne and Valley branches, as well as the Valley business banking team. Before joining Sterling, he held positions as CEO for Grocer’s Federal Credit Union, vice president of marketing and sales for KromaGraphics, and a commercial loan officer with Seattle First-National Bank in Seattle. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Eastern Washington University.

Sterling Savings Bank has promoted Denise L. Leonard, a customer loan analyst, to assistant vice president. Leonard, who joined Sterling in 1986 as a note teller, has more than 11 years of experience in consumer lending. She held positions that included credit review specialist and indirect consumer loan underwriter. Prior to joining Sterling, she worked in Old National Bank’s consumer loan servicing department and in the accounting department at Farm Credit Bank.

Transactions:

The Spokane office of Moss Adams LLP has merged its retirement plan administration practice with Randall & Hurley Inc. The firm offers administrative services to more than 400 qualified retirement plans in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana, as well as certain nonqualified and cafeteria plans. Two former members of the Moss Adams Retirement Benefits Group have joined Randall & Hurley: Scott Sevigny joined the firm as a pension consultant. He has more than three years of pension administration experience, including work in complex trust asset reconciliations. His new responsibilities include working with clients whose retirement plans utilize the firm’s daily valuation, telephone response and Internet access systems.

Patricia Gamache, who joined Randall & Hurley as a pension consultant, has more than 18 years of experience in pension administration and consulting. Her responsibilities will include helping clients educate employees about the benefits of retirement plan participation. She is the president of the newly formed Spokane Chapter of the National Institute of Pension Administrators.

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.

Tuesday - The Entrepreneurs Forum of the Great Northwest presents “Inland Northwest: A Good Region for HighTech and Bio-Tech Businesses” from 5-8 p.m. in Bay 1 of the Spokane Ag Trade Center. Admission is free; for more information, call Hollie Smith at 455-5477 or Dick Heckroth at 459-4126.

Tuesday - Northside 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.

Tuesday and Wednesday - A 170-booth trade show, free seminars and computer labs are among the highlights of the 20th Anniversary Computer & Business Technology Expo from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. both days at the Spokane Convention Center. Admission is free; for a seminar schedule and online registration, visit http:/ /www.abadanevents.com.

Wednesday - The Whitworth Institute and Graduate School of International Management and Title VIB, U.S. Department of Education hold an information meeting on “Market Research Team Projects” at 3:30 p.m. at the Spokane Intercollegiate Research and Technology Institute board room. The program offers businesses a costeffective way to assess new international markets. To register, call Karla Sammons at 777-4279 or e-mail her at ksammons@whitworth.edu.

Wednesday - The Small Business Development Center presents an “Introduction to Business Web Pages” from 6-9 p.m. at the Spokane Intercollegiate Research and Technology Institute, 665 N. Riverpoint Blvd. Cost: $35; call 358-7890 for information or to register.

Wednesday - The Service Corps of Retired Executives presents a workshop on “Preparing a 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 to register, call 353-2820.

Wednesday - Northwest Inland Empire APICS presents “Student Night” at 5:15 p.m. at Players & Spectators, 12828 E. Sprague. Cost: $20, $10 for students; for reservations, call Linda Simmons at (208) 777-1133 or e-mail lsimmons@ifriendly.com.

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

Thursday - The Small Business Development Center presents an “Employers Tax Seminar” from 8:45 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Spokane Intercollegiate Research and Technology Institute, 665 N. Riverpoint Blvd. Cost: $20; call 358-7890 for information or to register.

Thursday - “What Does Customer Service Really Mean?” is the topic of a Breakfast for Your Brain session presented by the Service Corps of Retired Executives from 7:30-8:45 a.m. in Suite 240 of the Spokane Regional Business Center, 801 W. Riverside. Cost: $15 general, $10 for chamber members; for reservations, call 353-2800 or register online at http:/ /www.spokanechamber.org/bic.

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.

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 and Oct. 19 - The Small Business Development Center presents a class on “Beginning Recordkeeping” from 6-9 p.m. at the Spokane Intercollegiate Research and Technology Institute, 665 N. Riverpoint Blvd. Cost: $45; call 358-7890 for information or to register.

Friday - “Ethics/Diversity in the Workplace” is one of several workshops planned as part of the “Unity in Our Community Conference” presented by Community Colleges of Spokane from 8:15 a.m.-1:30 p.m. in the SCC Lair-Student Center, Building 6, 1810 N. Greene. Cost: $15 in advance, $20 at the door. For information or tickets, call 533-3034.

Friday - The Service Corps of Retired Executives presents a workshop on “Effective Marketing to Increase Sales” from 8 a.m.-noon at the Tri-County EDD Facility, 347 W. Second, Suite A in Colville. Cost: $25; to register, call 353-2800 or (509) 684-4571 or e-mail bic@spokane.net.

Oct. 16 and 17 - Steve Ricketts of Edward Jones Investments presents a free seminar for women on “Smart Women Finish Rich” at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 16 or 1:30 p.m. Oct. 17 at Chic A Ria Restaurant. For reservations, call Mary at 328-6785.