RE/MAX adds realtors in county
Seven realtors with varying specialties recently joined Whatcom County RE/MAX, Inc.
Mike Flannery and Jackie Powers are now based at the Lakeway office in Bellingham. Flannery, licensed since 1978, focuses on land development and new residential construction. Powers, who has a broker’s license and previously worked in property management, specializes in investment properties and relocation assistance.
David Lynch, who became a Realtor last year, has become a member of the Gary Gallant Team at the RE/MAX South office in Sudden Valley.
The Ferndale branch, managed by Cyndy Berry, gained three agents. Dave Ulrich, licensed since 1982, and Marshal Watson, who has two years of experience, focus on residential properties. Nina Denson owned a bakery and worked for the Whatcom County Auditor’s Office before gaining her real-estate license this year.
John Vande Hoef, a Realtor since 2002, works with residential clients at the Lynden office managed by Rick Meyer.
RE/MAX Whatcom County, owned by Dean and Lori Reece, now has 82 realtors in five offices, including Bellingham, Sudden Valley, Ferndale, Lynden, and Point Roberts.

Pacific Northwest Credit Union elects board
Pacific Northwest Credit Union of Bellingham elected board members at its 38th annual meeting March 9. Union members re-elected John Giarde Jr. and Christi Lies to join current board members Laverne King, Hank Heftier, Ken March, Everett Thompson and Robert Trout.
Supervisory committee members are Everett Thompson, Gary Dulling and James Manthey. The credit union has 2,800 members and $16 million in assets.

Van Rijswijck named manager at Ferndale Haggen
Jim Van Rijswijck was recently promoted to store manager of the Haggen Food & Pharmacy in Ferndale.
Rijswijck joined Haggen in 2002 as a grocery manager at the Ferndale Haggen and earned the Grocery Manager of the Year award. He then moved to the Barkley Village Haggen and was named Center Store Manager of the Year in 2003 and 2004. Haggen operates 14 stores in Washington and Oregon including four in Whatcom County, two in Skagit County and one in Stanwood.

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans adds Moon
Gary Moon recently joined the staff of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. Moon is a Certified Public Accountant with more than 25 years of corporate accounting experience. He said he wants to share his expertise with Thrivent members. Moon will work out of the Burlington office.

Simpson earns “Spirit of Pride” award
The Hilton Hotels Corporation presented Mark Simpson, General Manager of the Hampton Inn Bellingham Airport, the fourth quarter 2004, “Spirit of Pride” award at the Hilton Focused Service conference in Las Vegas, Nev.
The “Spirit of Pride” is Hilton’s most prestigious team member award. The award recognizes outstanding contributions to guests, fellow team members and the local community as well as exemplary financial performance.
Spirit of Pride recipients receive cash, plaques and lapel pins for the individual and the hotel, lifetime recognition throughout their Hilton career, a celebration kit for the entire hotel team to honor and celebrate the honoree, and a congratulatory call from the CEO.
Simpson has represented Hilton Hotels Corporation for 13 years as the general manager of the Hampton Inn Bellingham Airport.

Rylaarsdam hired as golf specialist
Art Rylaarsdam of Mount Vernon was recently hired as a golf specialist at Supporting Youth in Sedro-Woolley, a company that manages fund-raising programs used by nonprofit organizations.
Rylaarsdam will oversee the company’s golf tournament series in Northwest Washington.

Summit Bank elects officers
James Bishop was elected chief executive officer and chairman of the board of directors of Summit Bank in Concrete. Previously, Bishop was president, vice chairman and CEO of Skagit State Bank, where he worked for 34 years.
Elise Cosgrove was also elected to the board of directors and was named vice president and commercial loan officer. She previously served as assistant vice president and manager of Skagit State Bank.
Tom Paulus was elected vice chairman of the board of directors of Summit. Paulus is owner and operator of Bayview Farms, Inc., a blueberry farm near Bow, and Ice Harbor Farms, Inc., a hybrid cottonwood plantation near Pasco.
James Bishop II was voted to the board and will serve as president and chief credit officer, the same positions he held at Skagit State Bank.

Stewart Title hires two
Stewart Title of Bellingham, Inc. recently hired two new employees to its staff. Sarah Brooks joined the sales and marketing department after working as the Sales Director for Airporter Shuttle/Bellair Charters. She brings several years of sales and marketing experience in Bellingham and internationally.Randy Marshall joined the staff as a residential and commercial tile expert. Marshall’s local title knowledge and commitment to the community are great additions to the Bellingham team.

Olen Laughlin joins Mount Vernon’s Strauss Jewelers
Olen Laughlin recently joined the Mount Vernon Strauss Jewelers staff. Laughlin brings 30 years of experience in the jewelry business, working in Bellingham and Burlington prior to joining the staff of Strauss Jewelers.
“A jewelry purchase can often seem like vast sea of choices,” he said, “I’m pleased that at Strauss we build relationships with customers for the long-term, taking care of their needs throughout their lifetime.”
Having spent his career in the jewelry business, both on the repair and sales sides, Laughlin brings broad experiences in all aspects of the business – from watches to gems.
Laughlin has lived in the Skagit valley with his wife and children since 1987.

Skagit PUD Commish named state chair
Skagit Public Utility District Commissioner Robbie Robertson was named chairman of the Issues Committee of the Washington State PUD Association. The association members provide electric, water, telecom, and sewer services to about two million customers in the state. Robertson, who lives in Conway, is the president of the Skagit PUD Commission.

Boundary Bay adds staff, expands reach
Boundary Bay Brewery and Bistro in downtown Bellingham has added two new members to its staff.
Local musician Chris Glass is now scheduling performances and entertainment for Boundary Bay. Having performed with the bands Barbed Wire Cutters and Sweetheart of the Rodeo for the past few years, Glass recently joined the Boundary Bay staff and has had the opportunity to examine the music scene at the brewery from both sides of the sound equipment.
“I am excited to be working with one of my favorite Bellingham businesses again,” Glass said.
Tammy Findlay will take the lead role in graphic design and ad production for Boundary Bay. Findlay has worked with the Boundary Bay staff for several years and recently accepted the position as the brewery’s graphic artist.
“With our broad schedule of entertainment and involvement in community events, I’m really pleased to have someone of Tammy’s talent and experience working with us,” said Janet Lightner, Boundary Bay’s general manager.
Waldo joins Fairhaven Realty
Fairhaven Realty of Bellingham has added Doug Waldo as a new sales associate. Previously, Waldo hosted a national television audience-participation talk show and a popular television magazine program. He was nominated five times for regional Emmy awards, receiving two in the “hosting” category.
An accomplished actor holding a Master’s Degree in Theatre Arts from WWU, Waldo has appeared in movies and numerous theatrical productions. In 2003, he received the Bellingham Theater Guild’s “Bentley” award for “Outstanding Actor in a Lead Role” for his performance of John Adams in the musical “1776”.

WCC inducts two to Hall of Distinction
Phil Sharpe and Patricia Hite were inducted into Whatcom Community College’s Hall of Distinction on April 14.
Sharpe provided leadership and counsel as a trustee from 1989 to 1999. Hite served as a trustee leader and historian and acted as a spokeswoman during the college’s early history.

Banner Bank hires Larsen
Banner Bank has hired Ken Larsen as Vice President and Assistant Manager of Residential Loan Production at the Bellingham Administration Office.
“Ken has managed a significant lending force in Washington and Oregon for the last several years. He has been a good competitor of Banner Bank in several markets and we are very excited to add Ken to the Banner production management team,” said Jim Logghe, Senior Vice President/Residential Loan Production Manager.
Larsen has been in the residential lending field for 14 years. Prior to joining Banner Bank, he was Senior Vice President and Manager of residential lending for Peoples Bank covering Washington and Oregon. Larsen earned his B.A. in Social Science from Eastern Washington University.

Milestone adds network engineer
Bellingham-based Milestone Information Solutions recently hired network engineer Jeffrey Honcoop. As a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer with eight-years of experience administering network operations in both small and enterprise-level business environments, Honcoop will recommend, implement and support Windows-based networks for Milestone’s customers.
Honcoop, who will complete his MBA with a specialization in Managed Information Systems and Accounting in June, will also utilize his knowledge of Microsoft Exchange and Terminal Services technologies to migrate, upgrade, and maintain email and remote access solutions for Milestone’s clients.
Born and raised in the Nooksack Valley, Honcoop makes his home in Maple Falls with his wife and five children.

Skagit State Bank promotes two new managers
Jackie Frazier is the new manager of Skagit State Bank’s College Way branch in Mount Vernon and Kim Walley is the new manager of the Ferry Street branch in Sedro-Woolley.

Allstate certifies two Skagit agents
Sylvia Noaeill of the Sweden Insurance Allstate agency in Mount Vernon and Pam Fisher of the Bogh Insurance and Financial Services agency both have achieved certification as professional representatives through Allstate Insurance.
Reinschmidt named GM of Saratoga
Ken Reinschmidt is the new general manager of Saratoga Commercial Real Estate, a full-service commercial real estate brokerage, management and consultation firm in Bellingham. Reinschmidt takes over for his wife, Saratoga’s founder Lydia Bennet, after she was hired as the new Real Estate Director for the Port of Bellingham.
Reinschmidt has managed technical services, sales and marketing for Baker Petrolite, an international chemical services supplier for the last 17 years. He is an honors graduate of Montana State University and is a real estate investor.
Saratoga Commercial Real Estate was founded in 1994 to provide professional real estate services, specializing in comprehensive asset management and brokerage of commercial real estate assets.

Waterfront Advisory Group members named
Port of Bellingham and City of Bellingham officials announced their appointments to the newly formed Waterfront Advisory Group (WAG). The group was created to continue input from the community voice when determining the future of the Bellingham waterfront and to ensure that the principals outlined by the Waterfront Futures Group continue to be implemented.
The city appointed: Robyn duPre, the program director of Resources for Sustainable Communities; Vanessa Blackburn, business developer for family company Blue Futures Filter; Maureen Camandona, community relation and marketing manager for Whatcom Transit Authority; Byron Elmendorf, retired director of Parks and Recreation Department; and, Derek Long, Sustainable Connections director.
The port appointed: Brad Smith, Dean of Huxley College and former U.S. Environmental Protection Agency administrator; Randy Bilof, chairman of the Port’s Marina Advisory Committee; Cy Lindberg, vice president of Wells Fargo Bank and president of the Boys and Girls Club of Whatcom County; Ken Raithel, member of Blaine Citizen’s Wastewater Advisory Committee and former landscape design architect for the National Parks Service; Chris Fairbanks, vice chairman of the Whatcom Marine Resources Committee and member of the Northwest Straits Commission and consultant in Marine Fisheries Science.

Mount Vernon’s Piazza appointed to path committee
John Piazza, Sr. of Piazza Construction, Inc. in Mount Vernon was recently appointed to the Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH). The partnership originally met in Washington DC on April 5.
PATH is a private-public initiative dedicated to accelerating the development and use of housing technology’s created by the White House Office of Management and Budget. The group was organized to mimic the federal programs of Energy Star and Building America. It’s goals include reducing the monthly cost of new housing by 20 percent, cutting the environmental impact and energy use of new homes by 50 percent or more, improving durability and reducing maintenance costs by 50 percent and reducing the risk of life, injury and property destruction from natural hazards.

Banner Bank promotes Cromer
Banner Bank recently promoted Michael Cromer to Assistant Vice President/Commercial Loan Officer at the Bellingham branch.
“Michael is an excellent employee well deserving of this promotion,” said Mike Yeend, Vice President/Commercial Team Leader. “He is a quick study who will serve the bank’s commercial clients very well.”
Cromer joined Banner Bank in 2003 as a Senior Credit Analyst. Prior to joining Banner Bank, he was a Research Analyst at Zevenbergen Capital Investments LLC in Seattle for seven years and earned the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation in 2001. Cromer graduated with a B.A. in business from the University of Washington in 1993.

Bennett hired as Port Real Estate Director
Lydia Bennett will begin her job as the Port of Bellingham’s Real Estate Director on May 16. Bennett is the founder and President of Saratoga Commercial Real Estate.
Bennett was a key member of the port and city of Bellingham’s Waterfront Futures Group, which developed a community vision for the future of Bellingham’s waterfront. She is also a member of the Downtown Renaissance Network.
Bennett will manage and market the Port’s real estate holdings and guide the Port in strategic real estate investments.
“The opportunity to work on the various Port real estate projects is so very exciting and intriguing to me that I couldn’t pass it up,” Bennett said. “While it is somewhat sad to leave my current position and people I work for and with, I am looking forward with great anticipation to the challenges that this position will bring.”

Buri reelected chair of law council
Philip Buri of Buri Funston, PLLC was re-elected as chair of the Law & Justice Council in Whatcom County. The council was created in 1997 to serve as a conduit for public advisement to the local law and justice system and to bring together major players to support various initiatives in the county.
Buri said that he is honored to be chair of the council. “We work very hard to ascertain that people are treated fairly and to help with the direction of our legal system,” he added.
The Law & Justice Council recently worked with county officials and the political action committee for the Jail Levy. The initiative, where one-tenth of one percent of the county sales tax will be used to construct Iron Gate Facility, was voted in last November.

Dog care specialists receive certification at Conference
A slew of Bellingham dog care specialists received certification for completing a three-day seminar discussing Canine Social Behavior and Fighting and Dog Friendly Training Methods.Those receiving certification included: Angela Lenz, owner of Tails-A-Wagging and obedience instructors Laura Berger and Kerry Mitchell; Celeste Patten owner of Downtown Hound; Amy Carr owner of Happy Dog Ranch and Jean Barnett of Brigadoon Assistance Dogs.
The seminar was lead by Ian Dunbar, veterinarian, author, animal behaviorist and founder of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers and Sirius Puppy Training, which most positive-reinforcement puppy kindergarten classes across the country are based.
WWU students join Bellis Fair marketing team
Kay Tharp and Ashley Nelson, both seniors at Western Washington University, recently joined the Bellis Fair Mall as marketing interns for the 2005 Spring quarter.
Both Tharp and Nelson are participating in GGP Prodigies, an internship program that gives juniors and seniors hands-on experience in the shopping center business world, while also creating a talent pool for the company’s 200 centers and regional offices.
Tharp will promote mall programs and retailers through media and web communications and will assist with leasing efforts by conducting a market analysis. She will graduate in June with a bachelor’s in business administration with a concentration in marketing.
Nelson will also graduate with a business administration bachelors and a marketing emphasis in June. Nelson will assist in planning and implementing programs and promotions and support retailer sales through market intelligence and strategic communications during her internship.
Boy Scouts honor Diehl
Whatcom County businessman Bob Diehl recently received the 2005 Good Scouter at a luncheon presented by the Mt. Baker Council of Boy Scouts of America.
The Scouts honored Diehl for his lifelong embodiment of the values found in the Scout oath and law. The award was the first in what is to be an annual ceremony.
About $45,000 was raised to support Scouting programs in Whatcom County.

Horizon Bank promotes six employees
Six Horizon Bank employees were recently promoted from within. Ellen Huffman, internal audit manager for Horizon Bank, was promoted to vice president/internal audit manager. She has been a Horizon Bank employee since June of 1998.
Suzanne Skerjanc, deposit accounts administrator, was promoted to assistant vice president/retail banking administrator. Skerjanc has been in the Banking industry for 14 years, eight of which have been at Horizon Bank.
Wilma Myren, lending operations administrator for Horizon Bank, was promoted to assistant vice president/lending operations administrator. Myren has held a number of positions in her 20 years at Horizon Bank and was named real estate support employee of the year in 2003.
Ann Noble, mortgage loan specialist for Horizon Bank, was promoted to assistant vice president/mortgage loan specialist. Noble has been employed at Horizon Bank since 2004, and has been in the lending arena for 12 years.
Greg Phillips, underwriter for Horizon Bank, was promoted to assistant vice president/underwriter. Phillips began his career at Horizon Bank in 1991.
Marla Rodgers, purchasing manager for Horizon Bank, was promoted to assistant vice president/purchasing manager. Rodgers has more than 15 years of banking experience and serves on the board of Operation Whatcom Home Front.
Horizon Bank is headquartered in Bellingham, Washington, and operates 18 full-service branches, three Commercial Banking Centers and three Real Estate Loan Centers throughout Whatcom, Skagit, Snohomish, and Pierce Counties.

Horizon hires senior commercial real estate lending executive
Frank Jeretzky was recently hired as a senior commercial real estate lending executive for Bellingham-based Horizon Bank.
Jeretzky has 27 years of experience in the banking industry with expertise in commercial real estate development lending. He also enjoys serving his community through various hospital and school district advisory boards and currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Bridge Fellowship.

Murray joins Keller Williams
Meredith Murray recently joined Keller Williams Realty in Bellingham as a new, independent realtor. Murray has extensive experience with the Real Estate industry and her clients can trust that all the details of their sale or purchase of property will be handled efficiently. Meredith earned her B.A. at the University of New Hampshire.

Hovde joins WECU
Richard Hovde recently joined the Business Services Team at Whatcom Educational Credit Union. He will be involved in the ongoing development of systems, financial product lines, and business services to expand the credit union’s emphasis on meeting the financial needs of its business members. He brings 35 years experience in commercial banking to WECU.
With more than 37,000 members, WECU is Whatcom County’s largest member-owned, not-for-profit financial cooperative, now serving all residents of Whatcom County.

Peoples Bank adds Cook
Peoples Bank recently hired Michaele Cook as the branch manager at the Bank’s Sedro Woolley office, located inside Food Pavilion.Cook joins Peoples Bank with more than 31 years of experience in the financial services industry, including 20 years in mortgage lending. In her new position, she will be responsible for branch operations, business development and mortgage originations at the Sedro Woolley branch. She attended Hillsborough Community College and can read, speak, and write Spanish with proficiency. “We are excited to have Michaele join our team,” commented Anthony Repanich, Senior Vice President of Retail Banking for Peoples Bank.Peoples Bank is a $645 million, independent community bank. The bank was founded in 1921 in Lynden and operates 23 branches in the Northwest.

RE/MAX of Anacortes honors outstanding agents
RE/MAX agents recently received the following awards for their dedication to professionalism and excellence:
Anita Hilde Lang and Roxy Seligman earned Platinum Club membership by producing annual sales of more than $8 million.
Roberta Cargill, Joy Gardner and Julie Lovejoy joined the 100 Percent Club for producing more than $3 million.
Roberta Galloro and Max Loftis joined the Executives Club for their high sales production.
Stephen Hardy, TFAIR O’Harrow and Shirley Wolcoski joined the President’s Club for their achievement and level of sales production.

Locals publishing professionals included in national directory
Janey Bennett and Robin Ireland, both of Bellingham, were included in a national directory of professionals by publishing industry expert and author Elizabeth Lyon.
The detailed guide features profiles of America’s top freelance editors, ghostwriters, proofreaders, copy editors and technical writers.
Bennett made the list as a proofreader and copy editor and Ireland made it as a developmental, substantive and copy editor as well as a bookdoctor and ghostwriter.

RE Sources promotes new Executive Director
RE Sources recently promoted Robyn du Pré to Executive Director after former director Mary Morrison stepped down to move back to the East Coast.
RE Sources Board President Robin Robertson said that losing Morrison is tough but the promotion of du Pré, a long-term staff member will make the transition easier.
“Robyn has a long history with the organization, having served as the North Sound Baykeeper until 2003,” Roberts said. “She has 20 years of experience working in non-profit conservation and educational organizations.”
RE Sources is a Bellingham-based non-profit environmental education organization, which operates a number of community programs, including The RE Store locations in Bellingham and Seattle.

Aronoff relocates to Fairhaven
Dr. Karen Aronoff recently moved her office to 1106 Harris Ave., Suite 312, in Fairhaven’s Finnegan’s Alley. Her practice concentrates on clinical and managerial psychology.Aronoff’s Thunderbolt Coaching focuses on executive coaching, strategies for personal and professional success, emotional intelligence, practical leadership skills and executive presence.Aronoff’s clinical practice is limited to treating anxiety and related disorders, including panic disorder, agoraphobia, obsessive compulsive disorder, phobias, stress reduction and relaxation.She holds a doctorate in psychology from The Miami Institute of Psychology and an MBA from Indiana University. She began her practice in Miami, Fla., in 1988, moving to Bellingham in 1999.

Photographers place photos in finals
Two photographers from Bellingham’s Yary Photography each placed two photographs in the finals of an international wedding photography competition sponsored by Modern Bride, Bride’s Magazine, Eventpiz.com and Wedding and Portrait Photographers International.
Radley Muller’s photograph “Love’s Embrace” was a finalist in the Best Portrait category. Muller’s “What’s Under Here?” was a finalist in the Humor category.
Tina Muller’s photographs, “Passion Rules!” and “Come Rain or Come Shine” were finalists in the Romance Category.

Attorney speaks at legal conference in Toronto
Bellingham-based attorney Greg Boos, an expert in homeland security and immigration issues, was a featured speaker at the April 1 American Immigration Lawyers Association’s 2005 Continuing Legal Education conference in Toronto. The conference focused on ways border security and immigration issues continue to evolve in the wake of the Sept. 11 tragedy.
Boos, of international law firm of Boos & Chang, spoke about the current processes and procedures for legal travelers to enter the United States and the economic impact of these regulations.

Nichols joins Cascade Dafo
Jon Nichols recently joined Ferndale-based Cascade Dafo, Inc., the leading supplier of pediatric orthoses, as the company’s new director of information technology services. Nichols responsibilities will include vision planning, project management and operations for all aspects of computing and information technology at the company.
Nichols was previously the director of information at Brown & Cole for five years. During nine years at Brown & Cole he was also the director of point of sale operations for the Food Pavilion Rewards program rollout.

Bramble Berry CEO to appear on HSN
The Home Shopping Network carried Brumble Berry, Inc. products on its network programming in early May. Brumble Berry, a Bellingham-based soap products distributor, aired on HSN May 3, 4, 5. Brumble Berry CEO Anne-Marie Faiola also appeared on the show to market the company’s soap kits, which make 20 bars of soap utilizing multiple colors and scents.
Brumble Bee opened in 1998 and now serves thousands of soap makers across the country from its 11,000 square foot warehouse in Bellingham.