Business Beat

New faces:

LineSoft Corp., which provides consulting services and software solutions to the utility transmission and distribution industry, has added the following people to its staff:

Steve Helmbrecht joined the company as chief financial officer. He will oversee the company’s financial operations, including accounting, budgeting, treasury, tax, human resources and investor relations. Helmbrecht previously was senior vice president of international operations for SS&C Technologies in London, England. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Washington and a master of taxation from the University of Denver.

Jeffrey Moe was hired as computer software analyst and programmer. He previously worked for Puget Sound Energy in Seattle as a senior analyst and programmer. Moe earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in geology from the University of Montana.

Shirley Hindley joined LineSoft as customer liaison. She will support LineSoft’s account executives and account engineers. Additional duties include coordinating marketing and sales administrative support activities for the company’s vice president of marketing and business development and vice president of sales and delivery. Hindley previously was executive officer of the Coeur d’Alene Association of Realtors.

Darrell Overbay was hired as a software engineer and member of the firm’s custom code group. He is responsible for developing and extending LineSoft’s core suite of products for individual clients and building system interfaces. Overbay, who previously worked for Navigant Consulting in Denver as a senior GIS consultant, earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Gonzaga University.

Danny Williams joined LineSoft as a project engineer. Williams was previously a civil engineer with Duke’s Energy’s engineering and services group in Norcross, Ga., where he served as a power transmission design engineer. His responsibilities at LineSoft include transmission engineering design and consulting services at the Atlanta, Ga., office. He received a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Alabama at Huntsville.

Josh Earle was hired as a design engineer, responsible for providing engineering consulting, transmission and distribution line design, and project management services to LineSoft customers. He has a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Gonzaga University.

Michael Kolar was named a marketing writer in LineSoft’s marketing communications group. He will create marketing materials, such as proposals, specification sheets and customer presentations. Kolar previously was a senior writer for Getronics Corp. He received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois and a master’s degree from Gonzaga University.

Greg Lancaster joined LineSoft’s marketing communications group as a marketing writer. Lancaster, who was previously manager of bids and proposals for Getronics Corp., will be responsible for leading and writing responses to proposals and customer presentations, specification sheets and other marketing-related literature. He earned a bachelor’s degree in history and journalism from Eastern New Mexico University and a master’s degree from the University of Oregon in communications law. He also holds an ABD in communications law from the University of Washington.

Moving up:

Doug Kimball has been named commercial loan officer at the Newport branch of Pend Oreille Bank. Kimball, who joined the bank in 1997, previously was assistant vice president in the Sandpoint branch, where he worked in the commercial loan department and was instrumental in setting up and administering the Business Manager Program which provides cash flow to business customers through accounts receivable funding. Kimball, who has a bachelor’s degree in business administration, replaces Greg Schmiesing, who left to pursue a degree in veterinary medicine.

Starting up:

Edward Jones Investments is planning a celebration from 3-6 p.m. Tuesday to commemorate the opening of a new branch office at 2901 N. Argonne, Suite 1B. The office is headed by investment representative Scott Rozett. For information, call 924-0581. An item in last Saturday’s Business Beat gave an incorrect date.

Kudos:

Elizabeth “Liz” West, financial aid program coordinator at Washington State University Spokane, has been chosen as the 2000 WSU Employee Excellence Award winner. She was cited for her “willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty,” including organizing volunteers to host international students for Thanksgiving dinner. West has worked for WSU for nearly 20 years, including almost 18 years as a program support supervisor in the continuing education program at the ICNE/WSU College of Nursing. The Employee Excellence Award is sponsored by PEMCO Insurance and carries a $1,000 award.