Business Beat
Danny Patterson has been hired at DCI engineers as a civil project engineer. He holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Walla Walla College and has five years of engineering experience.
Inland Northwest Bank has hired Caroline Eliason as vice president and loan servicing manager. She has 30 years of experience in the industry.
Joel White has been hired as executive officer at the Spokane Home Builders Association. He previously worked at the Building Industry Association in Clark County and holds a master’s degree in public affairs from Washington State University.
Steve Brewster has been hired as a real estate agent in the new downtown real estate office of Century 21 Beutler & Associates.
CH2M Hill has hired Roger Flint as Spokane area manager and vice president. He holds a master’s degree in public administration from Eastern Washington University and previously was the division director of Public Works and Utilities for the City of Spokane.
Michael Wright has been hired at Taylor Engineering. He is a graduate of ITT in computer-aided design and drafting and previously worked as a mechanical drafter at Microtronics.
Exit Real Estate-Jones & Associates has hired James Kumar as an agent. He has worked in the hospitality industry for the last eight years.
Greg Partch has been hired as vice president of private banking at Intermountain Community Bank. He is a graduate of the University of Idaho and has more than seven years of community banking experience.
LandAmerica Transnation & Title Insurance Co. has hired Fritz Hille as a commercial account manager. He previously worked as a lender account manager in the company’s Phoenix office.
Rick Pearman-Gillman has been hired as a sales associate at Tomlinson Black Valley.
Matt Lothyan has been hired as manager of international tax at Telect Inc. He holds a master’s degree in taxation and previously worked as director of domestic and international tax at Western Wireless.
Spokane Home Builders Association has hired Bill Taylor as membership director. He previously worked at the Central Washington Home Builders Association in Yakima.
PROMOTED Gene DiRe has been promoted to associate director at Catholic Charities. He previously worked as director of the counseling program.
Mark Griffith has been promoted to senior vice president of Sterling Savings Bank. He has been with the bank since April 2004 and is a graduate of Eastern Washington University.
Garco Building Systems has promoted Pat McElwain to product technologies services manager. He has been with the company since 1977 and previously worked as the drafting supervisor.
KUDOS
Kathy Christie has received the Women of Leadership Award at the Spokane Area Women’s Leadership Conference. Christie is the assistant vice president for planning, assessment and research at North Idaho College.
Dr. Edmund Gray has received the Nathan Davis Award for outstanding government service — career public servant at the local level from the Washington State Medical Association. Gray is a longtime physician in Colville, Wash., and a Providence Health Care board member.
Jennifer Wiemers has received the Personal Banker of the Year award from Sterling Savings Bank. Wiemers is an employee in the Coeur d’Alene branch of the bank.
Grant Marks, a vice president, financial consultant at D.A. Davidson & Co., has been named to the President’s Club for his performance and his outstanding service to clients.
Kathy Krause has received the Quarterly Outstanding Service award from Spokane Federal Credit Union. She works in the collections department of the credit union.
Network Computer Systems has earned the designation of Small Business Specialist from Microsoft Corp.
Anthony Baker Burns has been named a Key Producer by Ohio Casualty Group. He is an independent insurance agent in Spokane.
The Dirne Community Health Center in Coeur d’Alene has been awarded the Health Heroes award in the business/organization category from Panhandle Health District.
The following employees of Spokane Public Schools have been named as Distinguished Classified Employees of the Year: Marilyn Blair, the cafeteria manager at Chase Middle School; Keith Jones, student specialist/security at Havermale High School; Linda Kilmer, special education instructional assistant at Madison Elementary; and Barb Vally, instructional assistant at Regal Elementary.
APPOINTED
Paul Dircksen has been appointed to vice president of exploration at Timberline Resources Corp. He has over 35 years of experience in the mining and mineral exploration industries.
Lunell Haught of Haught Strategies has been appointed to the Institute of Management Consultants USA National Ethics Committee.
Gov. Dirk Kempthorne has appointed Ron Nova to the 2010 Idaho Olympic Committee. Nova is the general manager at Schweitzer Mountain Resort.
NEW BUSINESS
Velocity Internet is now offering DSL and dial-up services in Spokane. The office can be reached at (509) 448-5658.