Dolores Blueford named maritime project coordinator
Dolores Blueford was named as project coordinator for the newly formed Northwest Center of Excellence for Marine Manufacturing and Technology.
The center is an alliance of local maritime industry manufacturers, including WorkSkiff in Burlington, Nordic Tug in Burlington, Nichols Brothers in Freeland, Northern Marine in Anacortes and Janicki Industries in Sedro-Woolley.
The group’s goal is to train workers for the maritime industry.
Blueford previously served as business liaison to local boat manufacturers for the Northwest Workforce Development Program and as project team leader for the Targeted Industry Partnerships project.
A $100,000 state grant is jumpstarting the new center, which will be housed at the Port of Anacortes.
Blueford is a graduate of the University of Texas at El Paso, and is a certified National Workforce Professional.

Peoples Bank promotes three employees
Peoples Bank has promoted Tracy Deering, David Eldred and Lisa Holleman.
Deering moves from her position as operations manager at the Bellingham Home Loan Center to vice president and real estate loan operations manager.
Eldred moves from his position as assistant vice president and marketing director to vice president and marketing manager.
Holleman has held several positions at People’s Bank, and moves from her position as controller to vice president and controller.

Real estate class gives agents the “Advantage”
On Dec. 16, six Bellingham Keller Williams Realtors completed an Advantage program for high professionalism in realty. For eight weeks, they researched, studied and practiced advanced skills.
The course was facilitated by Washington State Licensed Real Estate Instructor Jodi Sipes, and presented by Bellingham Keller Williams.
The next Advantage program begins Feb. 7 and is open to all agents.

Alaska USA announces two promotions and a new hire
Alaska USA Federal Credit Union announced the promotion of Rachel Norman from vice president of personnel to senior vice president of personnel, and of Liz Behlke from marketing manager to vice president.
The nonprofit also welcomes Brad Bauges as regional vice president for its Whidbey Island office.

Audrey Borders to serve second term for BIAWC
The Building Industry Association of Whatcom County reelected Audrey Borders as president at its annual banquet Dec. 8. Under her first term, the BIAWC reached 400 members for the first time.
Borders is owner and general contractor for Borders & Son Quality Roofing Inc.

Zervas Group announces promotion and internship
Zervas Group Architects announced the promotion of Amberleigh Benner to Director of Marketing, and also took on Jon Butcher as an intern architect.
Zervas Group is a 12-person firm based in Bellingham that specializes in public, commercial, multi-family and custom residential projects. Zervas has been in business for 42 years.

Sprint hires Vicki Logan and Carlos Gonzales
Sprint announced two new hires, including former temporary employee Vicki Logan as a full-time outside sales event representative, and Carlos Gonzales as a retail communications consultant. Gonzales is fluent in Spanish.

Karen Thomas receives 2004 Summit Award
Bellingham RBC Dain Rauscher Financial Consultant Karen Thomas was named as a winner of the firm’s 2004 Summit Award, given to the “best-of-the-best” in financial consulting each year. Winners were selected from a pool of financial consultants trained by RBC Dain who have been in the business five years or less. Thomas was one of 71 winners chosen in 2004.

Mount Vernon Chamber CEO to sit on WCCE board
Mount Vernon Chamber of Commerce President/CEO Kristen Whitener has been asked to serve on the executive committee of the Washington Chamber of Commerce Executive Association.
Whitener has served on the board of directors since January of 2003. She will serve as board secretary throughout 2005, and will become board chair in 2008. Whitener also recently graduated from the Institute for Organization Management, a four-year program offered by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Airporter brings Laura Martin and Sarah Brooks onboard
Airporter Shuttle in Ferndale announced it has hired Laura Martin as marketing director and Sarah Brooks as sales director.

Brigid Collins welcomes Lisa Silverman
Brigid Collins Family Support Center in Bellingham welcomes Lisa Silverman as Pregnant and Parenting Outreach Coordinator. This position will allow her to work closely with the Department of Social and Health Services to ensure that clients have access to drug and alcohol evaluation and treatment services. Silverman received her bachelor’s degree in human services from Western Washington University.
The support center is a nonprofit organization dedicated to breaking the cycle of child abuse in Whatcom County.

La Conner Chamber board appoints three new members
Marci Plank of Viking Cruises, Marilyn Fenz of EarthenWorks and Jeff Hellam of Hellams Vineyard have been appointed to the La Conner Chamber of Commerce board of directors.

Lisa Janicki honored in business journal
Janicki Industries Chief Financial Officer Lisa Janicki earned a write-up in the Puget Sound Business Journal’s list of “Business Newsmakers of 2004.” Janicki won the coveted SWAN award in October. The prize, which is handed out each year by the Skagit Women & Alliance Network, honors top business and professional women in Skagit County. Janicki Industries is based in Sedro-Woolley.

Suzanne Butler takes over as manager of Co-op Deli
After managing the Mount Vernon Farmers Market for five years, Suzanne Butler now manages the Skagit Valley Co-op Deli in downtown Mount Vernon. She replaces Ken Ricci. Butler said she is excited about her new job, but will miss managing the market. Still, Butler said she will return to the market board of directors.

Cindi Sutton-Norris takes over salon
Mount Vernon resident Cindi Sutton took ownership of Main Street Hair and Nail Gallery following the retirement of Doris Frazier. Frazier retired after a 25-year career as a hair stylist.

McGuire joins collections company
Shelley McGuire is now the sales and marketing account executive at Debt Recovery Specialists in Mount Vernon. She has more than 20 years experience in communications, including 11 years with Lucent Technology.

Whidbey Chamber names Carol Moliter president
Carol Moliter of Bartelson Designs was installed as president of the Central Whidbey Chamber of Commerce Jan. 20. Formerly vice president, she takes over for Randy Williams.
Moliter said her primary goal is to increase membership and participation in chamber committees. The membership and event oversight committees have been inactive.
Moliter is a former Oak Harbor High soccer coach. Currently, she designs Whidbey General Hospital’s Pulse magazine in Coupeville.

Lisa Lee promoted to restaurant manager
Lisa Lee was promoted to restaurant manager at Erawan Thai Cuisine and Sushi in downtown Oak Harbor. She has worked as a server there since April, 2003.

Chris Weitzel named best Remax salesman
Remax Whatcom County named Chris Weitzel Salesman of the Month four months running at the last Remax Quarterly Awards Banquet.

Frieda Brester wins Two Year Service award
Bellingham Branch Office Administrator Frieda Brester won the Edward Jones Two Year Service award. Investment Representative Craig Roth said the honor is well deserved.
“Frieda is my right arm and is not only responsible for the daily operation of our branch, but she also works closely with my clients, helping me provide them with top-notch service.”

Henri Vanderhage receives $5,000 scholarship
The Washington State Bar Association awarded Lynden native Henri Vanderhage a $5,000 scholarship to continue his education in taxation. A certified public accountant, Vanderhage currently attends Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C.

Bellingham council member now accredited
Bellingham City Council member Bob Ryan recently received advanced municipal accreditation from the Association of Washington Cities. Ryan has served on the council since 1996, representing the 1st Ward, and has also served as Council President and Mayor Pro Tem. Ryan earned his Certified Municipal Leadership Certification in 1997 after 30 hours of classroom work and two years of community leadership.
Ryan served as chair of the Whatcom Council of Governments from 1999 to 2003, and was a member of the AWC Board of Directors from 2000 to 2004.
Larson Gross adds three new employees
Whatcom County’s largest locally-owned accounting firm announced the addition of three new employees in January.
Randy Oostra, CPA, joins the Lynden office as staff accountant. Oostra brings with him four years of experience in public accounting and two years as an accountant with Holland America.
Christine Wright joins the Bellingham office as staff accountant. Wright was named a Presidential Scholar and Outstanding Graduate in Accounting in 2003 when she graduated from Western Washington University. She later completed a Master’s in Business Administration.
Becky Crowe also joins the Bellingham office after more than 14 years in accounting-related fields, including managing accounting departments for several Northwest businesses prior to earning her bachelor’s degree in accounting from WWU in 2004.
Managing Partner Marv Tjoelker welcomes the new staff.
“We continue to be very pleased with the caliber of people we are attracting to our firm,” he said. “Our growth and continued success is a credit to the fantastic team of people we have in place.”

EDASC welcomes Therese Larsen
The Economic Development Association of Skagit County added Therese Larsen to its staff as WorkFirst Business Outreach Coordinator as part of the recently launched Bridge project.
Larsen’s job is to market jobseekers to the business community, and she will work from the EDASC office to better link the two cooperating services.
“I am honored to be part of this endeavor,” she said. “When I work with people to help them find employment I am rewarded, as well, when they find security and satisfaction in a new job.”
Larsen spent the past four years working in career services and employer outreach with the Cascades Job Corps Center in Sedro-Woolley. She has also worked as the School-to-Work coordinator for the PrepWork Consortium.
When EDASC first gathered its WorkFirst Bridge Partners around the table everyone agreed that many Skagit County workers needed better training to escape poverty and into higher-paid jobs.
They wrapped these ideas into the Bridge Proposal and were rewarded with a $76,000 grant from the state.
The Washington State Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development provided EDASC and the alliance a six-month grant to launch the project.
Other alliance partners include: the Department of Social and Health Services, Employment Security, Skagit Valley College, the Northwest Workforce Development Council and Skagit County Community Action Agency.
Many of the workers targeted by the alliance are chronically unemployed and lacking in basic job skills.
The first new class for jobseekers is slated to start Feb. 2.

Economic education council elects Robert Christey
The Washington Council on Economic Education recently elected Robert Christey of Merrill Lynch to serve as chair of its board of directors. He replaces David Nelson of Western Washington University’s economics department.
Harmony Elementary School teacher Charles Collier and Premier Agendas’ Jon Allison were reelected vice president and secretary/treasurer respectively.
Bellingham mayor names new CAO
Bellingham Mayor Mark Asmundson recently named Kitsap County Administrator Malcolm Fleming as the city’s new chief administrative officer. Fleming is a graduate of Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and has 18 years of public policy experience.
Fleming, a New Mexico native, said he looks forward to moving to Bellingham with his wife Susan, and two children.
“Bellingham is a terrific place,” he said. “It has tremendous opportunities, such as the G-P redevelopment, and some serious challenges, like the problem facing most Washington cities -- service cuts forced by budget constraints. I can’t wait to start working with Mayor Asmundson, the city council, city staff and others to capitalize on the opportunities and tackle the challenges in a manner that enhances public trust and produces significant, positive and lasting benefits for residents.”
Fleming will begin working in March. His salary is set at $103,000. He replaces Don Keenan, who resigned last September.
James Palmer receives CBA accreditation
James Palmer of James R. Palmer, LLC Business Consulting and Appraising in Oak Harbor recently became one of just six Certified Business Appraisers in Washington state. Palmer has more than 30 years of experience in solving problems for businesses. CBA accreditation involves approximately 10,000 hours of training and experience in business appraisal, including at least 90 hours of in-class course work, submission of four professional references, a six-hour written exam and two full appraisal reports to be approved by the Institute of Business Appraisers Qualifications Review Committee. On average, one in seven applicants are accepted.

Unity Group congratulates new CICs and new hires
The Unity Group & Financial Services in Bellingham announced Greg Poehlman, Mike Anastasi and Mike Sargent have completed an insurance education program and have each attained the designation of Certified Insurance Counselor. All three studied and tested for 18 months to qualify for the title.
Unity Group also welcomes Jennifer Sluys as an employee benefits specialist, and JoAnne Foster as an account manager. Both bring nearly a decade of experience.

John L. Scott welcomes two new agents
John L. Scott announced the addition of Don Elliot and Quoc Tran to its Bellingham office. Elliot is a former commercial fisherman and restaurant owner, and Tran is a bilingual graduate of the David Hutton Real Estate School.

Horizon Bank commercial team hires new VP
Jay Kaemingk was recently hired as vice president and manager of Horizon Bank’s Skagit County Commercial Team. Kaemingk will oversee commercial lending from his office at the Skagit County Commercial Center in Burlington. Kaemingk, a Lynden native, brings 30 years of experience at financial institutions. Horizon is headquartered in Bellingham and maintains branches in Whatcom, Skagit and Snohomish counties.

Frontier Bank welcomes Dwight Jeppson
Dwight Jeppson recently joined Frontier Bank’s Bellingham office as a commercial loan officer. Jeppsen brings with him 30 years of experience in real estate.

Michael Smith earns LEED accreditation
Michael Smith of Zervas Group Architects in Bellingham recently earned his Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. Smith is president of the American Institute of Architects Washington Council, an organization that pushes for buildings to meet LEED standards.

Judy Haugness joins Whidbey Island Bank
Whidbey Island Bank welcomes Judy Haugness as assistant vice president and real estate loan officer in Bellingham. Judy has 14 years of experience in mortgage banking. She is a member of the Whatcom County Board of Realtors, and both the county and state boards named her “Affiliate of the Year.”

Credo Construction builds its team
Brand new Bellingham construction company Credo Construction welcomes Josh McKissick and Todd Lindsey to supervisory positions. McKissick has a bachelor’s degree in construction management from Central Washington University, and Lindsey has 18 years of construction experience.

Kathy Herndon earns master’s degree
Kathy Herndon, CPA, MST of Varner Sytsma & Herndon recently earned her master’s degree in taxation from Golden Gate University. Herndon has practiced accounting for more than 15 years and is a registered representative with the Washington state Department of Financial Institutions Security Division. Varner, Sytsma & Herndon is based in Bellingham.

St. John Glass congratulates graduates
St. John Glass employees Jason Guthrie, Tom Raske and Adam Faber recently graduated from a three-day course that taught them how to install Schulte closets. The course was offered by Schulte Training University in Cincinnatti, Ohio. St. John Glass is in Bellingham.

Max Shelton named a Smith Barney associate
Financial consultant Max Shelton of Smith Barney’s Bellingham office announced the firm has named him a financial planning associate after he completed a personal financial planning program. Shelton holds a degree in financial management from Western Washington University and has worked with Smith Barney for two years.

Dany Swanson now a certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor
Bellingham’s Varner, Sytsma & Herndon, CPAs announced its client bookkeeper Dany Swanson is now an Intuit-certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor for completing a comprehensive curriculum designed by Intuit to test the knowledge of accounting professionals.

Mediterranean restaurant honored
Coppa, A Mediterranean Bistro, located in Fairhaven was named in Best Places Northwest as one of the best places in Bellingham. The annual review of restaurants and accommodations noted Coppa’s generous servings and affordability.

WWU names new VP of external affairs
Robert F. Frazier will join Western Washington University May 1 as vice president of external affairs. Frazier comes from the University of Montana and replaces Robert G. Edie. Edie retired in February 2004.
“I am confident that Vice President Frazier will be an excellent advocate for Western, both externally and internally, and am looking forward to welcoming him to campus,” said university President Karen Morse. “He has a great deal of experience in higher education working with legislative and community relations, communications and marketing, and will be a strong addition to Western’s administrative team.”

LaConner chamber welcomes Marci Plank
Marci Plank of Viking Cruises recently joined the La Conner Chamber of Commerce board. She and her husband Bob Plank have run Viking Cruises for three years.

A.G. Edwards named “smart” company
A.G. Edwards & Sons, Inc. was named one of “The Top Ten Smartest Companies in America” in the recently released book, “What’s Your Corporate IQ?” The book was written by best-selling author Jim Underwood and published by Dearborn Trade Publishing.

NSEN names officers
The Northwest Special Events Center recently announced new 2005 officers. Colleen Smiley of Creative Creations in Mount Vernon is president, Donna King of Catering A la King in Sedro-Woolley is vice president, Colleen McKnight of Hart’s Floral and Cedar Bay Gift Baskets in Mount Vernon is treasurer, Tshombe Brown of Your Signature Event in Bellingham is secretary and Lynn Lennox of Blanchard Chapel in Bow is membership coordinator.

Bank NorthWest announces new hires, promotions
The Bank of the Pacific d/b/a Bank NorthWest welcome Walker Evans as senior vice president of commercial banking, Amy Brock as assistant vice president and Lori Milton as vice president and commercial loan officer of the real estate division. Walker and Milton bring with them more than 20 years of experience and Brock has 12.
The bank also congratulates Philippe Swaab for his promotion to executive vice president and manager of the real estate lending division, and of Nick Morgan to senior vice president and manager of the Lynden Agricultural Loan Center.
Lynda Erickson has also been promoted to assistant vice president of commercial banking.

Café brings on consultant
The Colophon Café in Bellingham recently hired Scott Fraser for consulting purposes. Fraser is a good friend of co-owner Chris Brainard, and brings with him extensive experience in restaurant operation and culinary arts. Fraser also plans to open his own restaurant, The Gourmet Hideaway,” in Oak Harbor by mid-July.

Madrona welcomes two new physicians
Madrona Medical Group recently recruited Dr. Ben England and Dr. Peter Filuk in response to a shortage of doctors in Whatcom County.
England is a board-certified Internist and a graduate of the Medical College of Ohio, and Filuk is a Pediatrician and a graduate of the University of Washington’s School of Medicine. Madrona Medical Group is a physician-owned group of doctors based on Cordata Parkway in Bellingham.