BBBS names advisory board

Sandpoint resident Dennis Dye has been named president of the Kootenai County advisory board of directors for Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Inland Northwest.

Dye is vice president of AmericanWest Bank. Other advisory board members include:

•Immediate past president, Joel Palmer, principal Borah Elementary School, Coeur d’Alene;

•Vice president Juli Wolfinger, purchasing/logistics and building coordinator Coeur d’Alene Mines Corp.;

•Secretary Gayle Jacklin, key accounts manager, Jacklin Seed Co.

Elected directors are, Sally Ellingsen, vice president Sterling Bank, Coeur d’Alene; Julie Green, retired high school principal, Harrison; Kelly Howard, accountant, Transtector Systems Inc., Hayden; Doug Renfrew, retired, Coeur d’Alene; and Carl Stearns, business owner, Coeur d’Alene.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of America is a youth mentoring organization that currently serves 200,000 children nationwide. In Kootenai County, BBBS participates in two major fundraisers – Bowl for Kids’ Sake and, coming in 2007, the Kootenai Golf Classic. According to independent research, volunteer adult mentors who work with Big Brothers Big Sisters help children make significant academic progress and overcome other challenges they may face such as violence, drug or alcohol use.

For more information, contact the Coeur d’Alene office at 667-0975 or the Spokane office at (509) 328-8310 or visit www.bbbsspokane.org.