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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Business beat

Have an item for Business Beat? Email businessbeat @spokesman.com.

Education

Ryan Hardesty has been named curator of art and exhibitions for the Museum of Art at Washington State University. Hardesty is an art curator and exhibit designer who has worked with the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture and the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston.

Engineering

Trindera Engineering has hired Rebecca Greer as document control coordinator in its Spokane office and Aarin Morris as a software engineer in its Coeur d’Alene office. Greer was a manufacturing planner at Lockheed Martin in Melbourne, Florida. Morris is a licensed journeyman electrician who was a process controls programmer at Irwin Research and Development in Yakima.

Finance

Spokane Teachers Credit Union has hired Marianne McCormack as a community relations officer and Erik Puthoff as a community development officer. McCormack was a news producer and special project coordinator for KREM TV. Puthoff was a marketing director at Spokane City Credit Union.

Health care

Krista Kinard will join Spokane Eye Clinic as a neuro-ophthalmologist in July after completing a fellowship in neuro-ophthalmology at the University of Utah John A. Moran Eye Center. Kinard received her medical degree from the University of Utah School of Medicine and completed an ophthalmology residency at the Moran Center. She is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society, American Medical Association and the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.

Hospitality

Brian Quinn has been named by Red Lion Hotels  Corp. as senior vice president and chief franchise officer. Quinn has more than 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry. Prior to joining Red Lion, he worked as executive vice president of development at Driftwood Hospitality Management and vice president of upscale development for InterContinental Hotels Group.

Insurance

Scott Peterson has joined ISU-Haddock and Associates as a commercial insurance agent. Peterson holds an Accredited Advisor of Insurance designation and was a commercial sales executive at PayneWest Insurance. He is a member of the Post Falls Chamber Ambassadors as well as the Coeur d’Alene Chamber Membership Outreach Committee and serves on the board of the Downtown Business Owners Association.

Law

Sean E. Johnson has opened Johnson Law Firm, PC. He was previously a partner at the firm of Corette Pohlman & Kebe, PC in Butte. Johnson has 11 years of experience practicing complex civil litigation, insurance defense, plaintiff’s personal injury, criminal defense, real estate and family law. He earned a juris doctor degree from Gonzaga University in 2003 and is admitted to practice in Montana and Washington, as well as the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Miscellaneous

Palouse Knowledge Corridor has named the winners of the first Entrepreneur of the Palouse awards as follows: Biketronics won in the Business category; Scott Gropp of Gropp Heating, Air & Electric won in the Individual category; and College Hill Custom Threads won in the Rising Star category.

Weldon Barber has opened a location at 9502 N. Newport Highway, Suite 6. For more information, call (509) 456-8992 or visit http://weldonbarber.com.

Real estate

Kurt Mogensen has joined Keller Williams Realty Spokane.

Sola Raynor has joined Windermere’s Manito office as a broker. Raynor was with Kestell Company Realtors.

Retail

Etailz has hired Elisabeth Roginski as a customer care specialist and Taylor Cook as a lead generation specialist.

Tourism

The recipients of Visit Spokane’s 2014 Inland Northwest Tourism Awards have been named as follows: Little Smoke Cigar Festival, Exceptional Festival or Event; Spa Ssakwa’q’n at the Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel, Best Attraction; No-Li Brewhouse, Spirit of the Inland Northwest; The Tin Roof, Rockin’ Retailer; Arbor Crest Wine Cellars, Creative Venue of Excellence; Frank’s Diner, Extraordinary Everyday Eatery; Masselow’s Restaurant at Northern Quest Resort & Casino, Top Table; Harry Sladich of the Red Lion Hotels Corp., Leadership Excellence in Tourism Award Winner; Matt Gibson of Spokane Public Facilities District, Tourism Professional of the Year; Celeste Wilson of Oxford Suites Spokane Valley, White Glove; Sarina Peregrina of Chinook Steak, Pasta and Spirits at the Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel, Silver Spoon; Nicole Patton of DoubleTree by Hilton Spokane City Center, Superior Service; Melissa Boland of Northern Quest Resort & Casino, Best Impression Meeting Sales and Services; Monte Koch of Spokane Public Facilities District, Lights, Camera, ACTION; Bob Blum of Northern Quest Resort & Casino, Heart of the House; Becca Watters of Spokane Public Facilities District, Rising Star.

Transportation

Joseph Marek has earned master technician certification from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence. Marek is a technician with Durham School Services.