Three realtors join RE/MAX
Three real-estate agents recently became associates at RE/MAX Whatcom County, Inc.
Carmen Andrew gained her real-estate license after serving as an assistant to one of RE/MAX’s top agents, Chris Weitzel, since 2000. Andrew also has marketing experience after gaining a bachelor’s degree in that field from Western Washington University. She continues to work with Weitzel and is based at the Sudden Valley office.
Karen Sherwin brings her background in small businesses to the Lakeway office. She focuses on residential sales.
Chad Schmitt offers 15 years of construction experience on projects that include custom homes and high-rise buildings. He has sold real estate since 2004. Based at the Lakeway office, Schmitt specializes in new construction and development.

Two appointed to Marina Advisory Committee
Hamilton Hayes and Rolland Province were appointed to the Port of Bellingham Marina Advisory Committee in January to each serve three-year terms beginning March 1.
Hayes is an active member of the Squalicum Yacht Club. Province is employed at Tri-State Marine will represent a marine-related business.
The current 15-member committee includes recreational boaters, commercial fishers, charter boat operators, local yacht club members, a City of Bellingham representative and a marine-related business representative.

White stages homes for sale
Adele White, senior consultant for Accent By Design, is now staging homes for area realtors and home sellers. Home staging has become almost mandatory in the competitive real estate world to obtain quick sales for maximum dollar. White guides home sellers through the staging process to make a home “buyer attractive” and memorable.
White has decorated homes in the Midwest, Southeast, East Coast and West Coast. She has a wide range of interior design knowledge and style that relates well to staging homes.

De Vries passes surveying examination
Brett De Vries of Compass Point Survey Group in Lynden recently passed the Washington state examination for certification as a land surveyor-in-training (LSIT).
This state certification qualifies De Vries as a survey project manager. He has nine years of surveying experience and a surveying technology certificate from Bellingham Technical College. De Vries, a lifelong Lynden resident, has performed drafting, research and calculations since 2000. His focus with Compass Point Survey Group has been on boundary surveys and subdivision projects within local municipalities.

Barkley Village manager honored by Haggen, Inc.
Paul Cooley of the Haggen Food & Pharmacy supermarket in Bellingham’s Barkley Village was named the company’s Store Manager of the Year in 2005. Also, the entire staff of the Ferndale Haggen Food & Pharmacy received top honors from Haggen, Inc. as 2005 Store of the Year.
Cooley was named Store Manager of the Year from among the company’s 14 Haggen stores in Washington and Oregon. He oversees 225 employees and operations of the store. Cooley has managed the Barkley Village store since 2003.
The Ferndale Haggen store was honored for excellence in numerous areas, including customer relations, community involvement and product presentation.
Whatcom County Haggen stores also had 11 department managers honored for being the best at their position in 2005. They were:
• Ferndale: Ida Hennigs, Market Street Manager of the Year; Jimmy Cafarella, Dairy/Deli/Frozen Manager of the Year; and Colleen Piatt, co-Bulk Foods Manager of the Year.
• Meridian: Emile Foisy, Meat Manager of the Year; Pam Scheleimer, Food Service Manager of the Year; Janice Richardson, Wine Specialist of the Year; and Kiley Culp, co-Bulk Foods Manager of the Year.
• Barkley Village: Scott Rauch, Grocery Manager of the Year; and Tyler Cook, Center Store Manager of the Year.
• Sehome Village: John Muljat, Orient Head Cook of the Year; and Art Allbery, Perishable Manager of the Year.

Excellence Northwest hires new executive director
Excellence Northwest, a local not-for-profit organization established in 2003, has hired Heather Snapp as its new executive director.
Formerly the program and member manager of Bellingham’s Sustainable Connections, Snapp has experience building nonprofit programs. Her years building Sustainable Connections’ operational processes and membership campaigns, as well as managing the technical and financial aspects of the organization, taught her “the life of running a not-for-profit organization is the life of running a lean, mean, yet compassionate business.”
Snapp discovered Excellence Northwest (ENW) while participating in the organization’s “Strategies for Excellence” courses. These impacted her life so positively that she decided to volunteer for the organization.
As executive director her immediate goals are focusing on ENW’s infrastructure and improving professional representation in the community with better Web resources, professional marketing materials and a strong volunteer network.

Opportunity Council staffer receives national award
Dave Finet, director of the Opportunity Council’s Building Performance Center in Bellingham, recently won the National Recognition Award for Excellence in Weatherization Program Management. He received the award in December at the U.S. Department of Energy’s national conference in Atlanta.
Among his achievements, Finet formed the Building Performance Center in 1997, a fee-for-service program dedicated to training, energy conservation and healthy, sustainable buildings. Finet, who is also the director of Energy and Home Repair for the Opportunity Council, has been with the nonprofit agency since 1986.
In addition, Finet was instrumental in developing the Weatherization Plus health program, a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development initiative to develop protocols and implement a set of procedures for low-income families’ homes in which a household member has asthma.

Mt. Baker Red Cross announces new chairman
The Mt. Baker Chapter of the American Red Cross has recently seated George Mundell, III, as its new chair. Mundell replaces Stan Snapp as chair, after serving as vice-chair in 2005.
Mundell grew up in Bellingham attending Happy Valley Elementary and Fairhaven Middle School before graduating from Sehome High School in 1978. Mundell earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Washington and graduated as a certified investment management analyst from the IMCA/Wharton Graduate Business School.
Mundell returned to Bellingham in 1994 to open the Morgan Stanley office here where he is currently the first vice president of investments.
Today he resides in the same south side neighborhood that he grew up in, where he now resides with his wife, Katie, and two daughters, Megan and Amelia.
He is motivated by the need for our community to be prepared for major disasters of all kind. “9-11 really brought that need home,” said Mundell, “and I knew that the organization to join to help ensure community preparedness was the American Red Cross.”

Gregory takes new position with Whidbey Island Bank
Whidbey Island Bank, a subsidiary of Washington Banking Company, is pleased to announce that Marcy Gregory has accepted a position as a real estate loan officer in Bellingham.
Gregory brings more than 26 years of banking and lending experience to the position, which is responsible for the origination of residential real estate, custom construction, builder and land loans in Whatcom County. Previously Gregory served as assistant vice president and senior loan officer for the bank’s dealer banking division.
A graduate of Western Washington University, Gregory earned a bachelor’s degree in business and has continued her education by earning various banking, sales and marketing certifications.
A life-long member of Whatcom County, Gregory enjoys reading, gardening, drawing and recently supporting her son’s championship Ferndale High School football team.
She currently resides in Ferndale with her husband Shawn, sons Tyler and Ryan, and daughter Jordan.

Hickman is Aussie Specialist
Mary Hickman has been selected as an Aussie Specialist Premier travel agent by Tourism Australia. Hickman, affiliated with Bellingham Travel and Cruise, joins only three other Washington state travel agents who are recognized as industry leaders for their knowledge of Australia.
Hickman has been affiliated with Bellingham Travel and Cruise for six years. In 2005, she visited Australia three times and was selected to attend Australia’s largest tourism show, the Australia Tourism Exchange, normally open only to suppliers and wholesalers.

Metzger brings expertise to International Absorbents
International Absorbents Inc., a developer and producer of environmentally friendly pet care and industrial products, announced Meg Metzger is new director of marketing for Absorption Corp, the company’s wholly-owned subsidiary.
Metzger has gained extensive experience through progressive marketing roles in her 21 years of marketing consumer products. As a reseller account executive and mass merchandise marketing manager with Microsoft and also marketing manager for the club store team with Procter and Gamble, she was instrumental in pioneering new distribution channels for both companies. In her capacity as director of marketing for Absorption Corp, Metzger will be responsible for developing and implementing the strategic marketing plan, partnering with the sales force to drive market share and developing leadership brands.

Johnson completes real estate course
Lylene Johnson of The Muljat Group’s Johnson Team recently completed a course aimed at improving services offered to real-estate buyers and sellers.
Johnson attended a Leadership University course in January. She learned principles, strategies, systems and techniques for assisting homebuyers. The program also showed Johnson ways to help sellers enjoy a quick, hassle-free and money-saving transaction.
Johnson is the office broker and a listing specialist for the Johnson Team.

Local Realtor attends D.C. conference
Bellingham Realtor Mark Brown of Windermere Real Estate/Whatcom, Inc., was chosen by the National Association of Realtors to attend a conference in Washington, D.C., on facilitating realtor political involvement. Conference courses included tools for energizing state and local grassroots activities, how to link realtors with their elected officials, and skills for fundraising. The conference was held in January at The Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill.
While in D.C., Brown was awarded the Whatcom County Association of Realtors Political Action Leader (PAL) Award for 2005.
“It is a few times in our life, that we see some of our young new members step forward and volunteer and become leaders and future leaders in our association. We are very pleased and honored to have a realtor step forward and assume leadership roles within our organization of the caliber of this candidate,” said Jon Soine, CRS, GRI, who announced the award.

Minninger, Haggen join Coldwell Banker
Mike Minninger is a new agent in Coldwell Banker Miller-Arnason’s Bellingham office. Minninger takes great pride in the fact that he has lived here all of his life and knows the community inside and out. After serving clients in the office equipment industry for more than 17 years, he has chosen to work with Coldwell Banker Miller-Arnason because they are one of the most recognized and respected companies in the area.
Jeff Haggen has also joined Coldwell Banker Miller-Arnason. Haggen has spent the last 30 years in the grocery industry. At Haggen’s he was able to play a part in the real estate management of the company, including the selling of surplus real estate assets and negotiating leases and contracts. He is active in the community being on numerous boards. Haggen and his wife Karen have three children.

Service Manager joins Northwest Computer
Northwest Computer welcomes Bryan Stone as their new service manager. Stone previously managed the 12-person service department at Best Buy and trained their Geek Squad staff in customer-focused techniques. He has also worked as systems administrator for the Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce.
“I like to take a customer-centric approach,” said Stone. “I joined Northwest Computer because they have the same philosophy.”
“Bryan’s background covers the full range we need,” said John D’Onofrio, CEO of Northwest Computer. “His experience in managing large service departments and his positive attitude toward customer service is just the right combination for us.”

McGee attends QuickBooks consultant’s conference
Chris McGee of Business Support Services Northwest recently completed advanced coursework at the Sleeter Group’s Annual QuickBooks Consultant’s Conference in Nevada. McGee is a business consultant and certified QuickBooks Pro Advisor and Trainer.
McGee says his history of involvement in ongoing education lets him continually provide the newest tips and tricks for increasing a client’s bottom line, such as customizing QuickBooks for job costing and budgets for construction and manufacturing companies.
McGee has a master’s degree in administrative science from John Hopkins University, and has been manager for 10 years with BSSNorthwest.

Everett gains crisis training certification
Bob Everett, manager of Merchant Patrol Security, has successfully completed both the professional assault crisis training in-service instructor and the in-service instructor-restraint certification given by Pro-ACT, a nationally recognized assault crisis training program.
Merchant Patrol Security (MPS), located in Wenatchee, is the Eastern Washington security division of Parker Corporate Services, Inc., based in Bellingham.
Everett is now a qualified trainer to help organizations such as hospitals, treatment centers and clinics, develop effective programs to minimize the risks from assault crisis, including crisis de-escalation and evasion. In addition he is qualified to teach basic principles of restraint, including manual restraint and seclusion. The training will be available in both Western and Eastern Washington.

Everybody’s Yoga welcomes new instructors
Everybody’s Yoga of Bellingham recently added two new teachers to its staff of Viniyoga instructors. Barb Swanson and Carrie Bergin join owner Abby Staten in adapting yoga practices to changing needs and conditions, and in making yoga accessible to all people. Everybody’s Yoga recently added a core strength class to its curriculum. Core strength is essential for low back stability and greatly benefits a person’s overall health.

Three join Botanical Laboratories
Botanical Labora-tories of Ferndale has added three new staff members over the last few months:
Sajal Sahay (“Saj”) joined BLI in August 2005, as the company’s new head of marketing. Sahay comes from Philips, where he spent almost four years, most recently as the director of strategic marketing for their Sonicare power toothbrush line of products. Sahay has more than 15 years of marketing, sales, finance and general marketing experience for MNC’s such as Philips, Bausch & Lomb, IBM and Arthur Andersen & Co., where he focused on healthcare-related mergers and acquisitions.
Tim Schaafsma joined the company in December 2005 as Director of Operations. Schaafsma has more 20 years of experience with the direct marketer Amway Corporation, where he held several executive positions within global operations and supply. Most recently he headed all operations activities for IdeaSphere/TwinLab from their primary manufacturing and distribution facility in Utah.
Carl Sell joined Botanical as president and CEO in October 2005. Sell’s extensive business experience has included more than 20 years with the Procter and Gamble Co., where he held a number of domestic and global leadership roles in sales and customer marketing, as well as being involved in several P&G acquisitions. In 2000, Sell became President of Color Prelude, an international provider of consumer product samples, and for the last three years has worked for Johnson & Johnson as general manager of Neutrogena Cosmetics.

Naff earns designation
The Oltman Insurance Agency of Bellingham is pleased to announce that Jennifer Naff recently earned her Accredited Customer Service Representative (ACSR) designation.
The ACSR designation program is offered by the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of Washington and the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America. It is an international designation program to promote and recognize the professionalism of customer service personnel in the insurance industry.
Naff is a graduate of Liberty Christian High School in Lompoc, Calif. She is a member of Cornwall Church and has been employed at Oltman Insurance since September 2003.

Port Commission chooses officers
In the first Port of Bellingham Commission meeting of the new year, the Port Commission swore in two new commissioners and elected officers for 2006.
Port commissioners Doug Smith and Scott Walker were sworn in at the January 10 meeting. Both were re-elected last November. Smith has served on the commission for seven years and Walker for 15 years. Each term will last four years.
The commission chose Jim Jorgensen to serve as president, Walker, vice president, and Smith as secretary for 2006.

RE/MAX agents recognized by Whatcom County Association of Realtors
A pair of RE/MAX Whatcom County agents were elected to key positions by the Whatcom County Association of Realtors (WCAR).
Darin Stenvers, associate manager for RE/MAX Whatcom County, was elected to a three-year term as a local director for WCAR. Stenvers also was reappointed as its education chair and honored as its Realtor of the Fourth Quarter for outstanding service to the organization and community. A full-time realtor for eight years, Stenvers has attained the industry’s accredited buyer’s representative, certified residential specialist and e-pro designations.
Michelle Clark, an associate broker for RE/MAX Whatcom County, was elected to a three-year term as a state director. She previously has served eight years as a WCAR state director. Clark, with 20 years of real estate experience, also has achieved the ABR and CRS designations and is a graduate of the Realtors Institute.
Both Stenvers and Clark are based in RE/MAX’s Lakeway (Bellingham) office.

Bell, Steele selected as industry mentors
H.D. Vest Investment Services, a non-bank subsidiary of Wells Fargo & Company, selected local investment advisor representatives Gene Bell and Rick Steele to be mentors in the HD Vest Mentor Program.
The mentor program is for new advisors who want to learn from someone more experienced and successful in the field. Bell and Steele will each mentor a new advisor for approximately three years. In working with their prospective mentor, the new advisors will develop superior technical and interpersonal skills.
Chosen mentors exemplify the highest standards of ethical, regulatory and client-focused business practices and are role models in the way they use corporate office tools and services to build their financial planning practices.
Gene Bell & Associates is based in Bellingham.

CPA firm grows team
Varner Sytsma & Herndon CPAs has added two additional team members.
Julie Harkness, CPA, has joined the team as a staff accountant. Harkness is a graduate of Western Washington University and has more than nine years of public accounting experience with extensive expertise in the area of small business taxation and accounting for general contractors. She is currently working toward completing her masters in taxation from Golden Gate University. Harkeness is an active member of the Washington Society of Certified Public Accountants.
Cori Pettigrew has joined the firm as the afternoon receptionist. Pettigrew has more than 20 years of experience in customer service.

Students join board for state award
Two students in Western Washington University’s manufacturing and supply chain management program are serving on the board of examiners for the Washington State Quality Award.
Seniors Zach Lutes and Adam Horsman are part of a committee reviewing applications for the state version of the Baldrige Award, the nation’s top award for performance excellence and quality.
Jere Hawn, program manager for the manufacturing and supply chain management program, and a judge for the state quality award, nominated the students for the board. Other examiners represent businesses, trade associations and government agencies.
Founded in 1994, the Washington State Quality Award recognizes leadership, strategic planning, customer and market focus, process management and business results.

Interim executive director of McIntyre Hall selected
Skagit Valley College has selected Nida Tautvydas, of Basalt, Colo., to serve as Interim Executive Director of the McIntyre Hall Performing Arts & Conference Center. SVC made the appointment and will continue to operate McIntyre Hall in cooperation with the Skagit Regional Public Facilities District and the Skagit Performing Arts Council.
Tautvydas has more than 17 years of experience in all aspects of performing arts management. Since 1998, she served as executive director for the historic Wheeler Opera House in Aspen, CO. Tautvydas earned a master’s degree in performing arts management from Columbia College in Chicago, Ill., and a bachelor’s degree in music performance from the University of Wisconsin in Madison.

Two join St. Luke’s Foundation board
The board of directors for St. Luke’s Foundation has two new members. They are attorney Steve Adelstein, partner in Adelstein, Sharpe & Serka, and physical therapist Terry Busch, clinic director for Affiliated Physiotherapy Associates.
Adelstein is a 1971 graduate of Western Washington University (WWU) and a 1974 graduate of Gonzaga University Law School. As a former member and president of the board of directors for Whatcom Volunteer Center, he has a deep history of remaining active in area non-profit organizations, including serving as a director of the Western Foundation for WWU.
Busch, raised in Pullman, is a 1970 graduate of University of Iowa. He was named director of physical therapy at St. Luke’s Hospital in Bellingham in 1974, before founding Northwest Physical Therapy Services in 1977. Busch sold the business in 1993 and remains as the clinic’s director.

Opportunity Council announces new board members
Joan Beardsley, a Bellingham City council member, and Laurie Caskey-Schreiber, Whatcom County council chair, have joined the Opportunity Council board of directors filling designated slots for local elected officials. They replace former Bellingham City councilman Grant Deger and Whatcom County councilman Sam Crawford.
Another recent addition to the board is Sharon Grier, a mental health counselor for children and families of the Lummi Nation, who joined the board in October.
The Opportunity Council is a private, nonprofit community action agency governed by a volunteer board of directors equally representing the public, private and low-income sectors of Island, San Juan and Whatcom counties.

Laird joins Digital Ecosystems board
Digital Ecosystems Corp. has appointed Allan D. Laird to its board of directors. Laird has extensive international oil and gas industry experience and is an expert in unconventional gas reservoirs. He presently provides engineering and business development services to Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd. of Colorado. He has also held executive-level positions at other industry companies.

Pioneer Ford appoints Alves general manager
Pioneer Ford in Lynden has named Scott Alves its general manager, responsible for overseeing the dealership’s sales, parts and service departments.
Alves has 16 years of experience in the auto industry, including the last 10 years as a manager of a major Bellingham dealership. He now manages Pioneer Ford’s inventory of 160 new and used vehicles, as well as its 35 employees.
“I wanted to be a part of Pioneer Ford’s transformation into a prominent county dealership,” Alves said. “Owners Andy Clay and her son Pete Wolkin are visionary and want to create a successful Lynden business. Since prices at most dealerships are competitive, superior customer service is our top priority.”

Piazza Construction attends national Builders Show
John and Dottie Piazza, John Piazza Jr. and Scott Ball, head of the remodel division, recently attended the National Associate of Home builders (NAHB) Builders Show in Orlando, Fla. The largest builders show in the world, 105,000 people representing more than 20 countries attended.
John and Dottie, Senior Life directors of NAHB, have attended the show for nearly 30 years to keep current with the industry. John believes Piazza Construction, Inc., has been so successful in part because he and Dottie have been attending these meetings since 1979. Piazza Construction has been in business since 1973.

Women’s Professional Network announces 2006 board members
New board members for the Women’s Professional Network are Secretary Jessica Miller, Newsletter Editor Jane Atherton, Marketing/Networking Chair Char Osterman and Speaker Chair Randi Axelsson.
Returning to the board are Co-Presidents Toni Taft and Teresa Schmidt. The key to the word businesswomen is “busy.” Taft and Schmidt find that the sharing of the responsibilities of president works well for both.
Other returning board members include Treasurer Jodie Beatty, Website Editor Jessica McCaslin, Membership Chair Jessica Renner and Publicity Chair Janice Ward.

Burlington businesswoman earns professional designation
Kay Hall, with Homes Enhanced by Kay in Burlington, has recently been awarded the Masters designation an Accredited Staging Professional. Hall successfully completed a detailed course and passed a thorough examination on preparing homes for sale. Staged homes compete better in the market as their clutter-free spaces and artfully placed furniture and accessories allow the home’s positive attributes to shine. Staged homes in all price ranges traditionally sell faster and/or for more money in today’s real estate market.
Hall works with realtors in Skagit, Whatcom, Snohomish and King counties.

Fox focuses on felines
Kolleen Fox, owner of Cat Nap Inn Bed & Breakfast Exclusively for Cats in Sedro Woolley, recently attended a feline behavior class hosted by the Seatte/King County Human Society. The training focused on understanding a cat’s motivation behind what we consider “misbehavior” and how to correct those behaviors.
The Cap Nap Inn offers boarding, grooming and specialty services such as caring for diabetic cats and massage.

Langley Chamber welcomes new director
Nancy Rowan is the new executive director of the Langley Chamber of Commerce. Rowan hopes to create more networking opportunities for businesspeople on southern Whidbey Island as well as sprucing up the chamber’s offices for visitors. Rowan moved to Langley in 2004.

Kagen presents free seminar on long-term care
Robin Kagen, a local insurance agent specializing in long-term care, is offering free seminars to large and small businesses. “Protect your salary and savings from long-term care costs” addresses how working people can safeguard their ability to work, and their retirement savings, while a family member needs long-term care at home or in a facility. The costs of care also can endanger a small business’ stability.

Bellingham writer signs film deal
Bellingham-based writer Darren G. Davis, best known for his many contributions in the comic book industry, has signed an option agreement to Energy Entertainment to translate his popular creations into feature film properties.
With Davis’ recent string of successful creations, Hollywood wasn’t even going to wait for his newest creation to hit the stands before they decided to complete their set with Davis’ story, “Victoria’s Secret Service.” Several of his other comic creations have been optioned by Hollywood film studios.
“Victoria’s Secret Service” follows the story of a team of young girls whom together protect the Queen of England, on a secret team established in the 19th century during the rule of Queen Victoria.

Doll Technology Group mourns passing of co-founder
Robert Doll, co-founder of Doll Technology Group, a Sedro Woolley-based manufacture of “clean and green” products and technology solutions, passed away at the end of December after a lengthy battle with cancer. He was 68.
Doll was a recognized and respected member of the aviation community. A Fellow in the Royal Aeronautical Society, Doll was president of International Aero, Inc., before founding Doll Technology Group. He also held executive positions with United Airlines and Continental Airlines as well as being recognized for excellence with several industry awards.

Rhea joins Custom Closet & Bedrooms
Don Rhea recently joined the staff of Custom Closet & Bedrooms as general manager. Rhea brings his 25 years of business experience to assist the rapidly growing company located in Bellingham’s Hannigan Business Park. Rhea, who previously worked as controller for Edellleen Dairy, will work to integrate new ideas into Custom Closet & Bedroom’s regional markets.

Tresselt gains promotion
Kimbler & Thomas Financial Group, Inc., of Bellingham has promoted Rebecca Tresselt to the position of senior account administrator. She will be in charge of all securities account processing and client service.
Tresselt graduated from Western Washington University in 1995 and previously worked as a branch office administrator with Edward Jones Investments. Tresselt started with Kimbler & Thomas in March 2005.

Nicholas continues security industry education
Larry A. Nicholas, CPL, president of Accurate Lock and Security Inc., recently returned from a weeklong training session in San Diego. The training included working real-world problems hands on and project planning, such as installing specialty high-security locks in a Department of Defense-contractor classified computer and communications facility.
Nicholas is the fourth-generation owner of Accurate Lock & Security Inc. He is a graduate of Western Washington University and is certified by the international Associated Locksmiths of America. Nicholas has designed and installed high security projects for government at all levels, and industrial and small businesses.

Asset Advisors welcomes Bergquist
Asset Advisors LLC, located on Bellwether Way in Bellingham, welcomes a new associate Eric Bergquist, CLU, ChFC. Eric, formerly with Mutual of Omaha, specializes in employee benefits, with a focus on life, health, disability and long term care insurance. Eric obtained his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration from Western Washington University. After receiving his license to sell securities and insurance, he entered the financial services industry in 1987.
Eric came to Bellingham in 1980, has been married for 18 years and has two children, ages 15 and 11.

Willis to manage Cap Sante Court
Cap Sante Court Retirement Community owner Duane Clark has chosen Tracy Willis to take over day-to-day operations.
Tracy Willis is the new executive director for Cap Sante Court Retirement Community.
Duane Clark, owner, is transitioning to a less day-to-day role. Clark’s office will continue to be at Cap Sante Court. He will be shifting his focus to the Anacortes Sister Cities Association, Anacortes Rotary and the Anacortes Chamber of Commerce.
Cap Sante Court will continue to be a family owned and run facility. Clark’s wife, Nancy, and mother, Alice, will continue to spend some time at Cap Sante Court.
In Clark’s search for a new executive director he wanted to continue to foster the respect and compassion and high standards of Cap Sante Court. With those qualities in mind, Tracy Willis was chosen.
Willis has lived in Anacortes for many years and has worked in the senior healthcare environment in Skagit and Snohomish counties in positions of management and marketing. Tracy spent four years working at the Anacortes Library and has spent considerable time serving on various community advisory boards.

Davidson takes roll in Border Policy institute
Former Sumas City Administrator David Davidson has recently taken the position of project director for Western Washington University’s multidisciplinary Border Policy Research Institute (BPRI).
The BPRI focuses on issues related to transportation, environment, energy, immigration, mobility and security affecting the U.S.-Canadian border.
As BPRI project director, Davidson assists the institute’s director in seeking funding for the BPRI, administering grants, supervising research and research assistants, and conducting academic-based research.
Davidson served as city administrator for Sumas from 1997-2005. Through his administrative duties, Davidson dealt with issues concerning the U.S.-Canadian border, including cross-border flooding in the Nooksack River Basin, cross-border aquifer contamination and border transportation and security.
Davidson received a master’s degree from the University of Washington in public administration and a master’s in computer science from the University of Virginia. Before becoming city administrator, Davidson was a planning consultant, an analyst for a Northwest nonprofit organization, a software consultant and a teacher.

Robson Joins Lynden’s Body Sense Massage
Dyona Robson, a licensed massage practitioner, has joined the staff of Body Sense Massage in Lynden.
Robson has two years of professional experience after graduating from the massage therapy program at Ashmead College. She specializes in pregnancy massages, having completed a prenatal and perinatal massage course. Robson also offers injury treatment, deep-tissue and Swedish relaxation massages. Billing is available for patients covered by insurance or the state Department of Labor and Industries.

Madrona’s Geist recognized for diabetes care
The National Committee for Quality Assurance and the American Diabetes Association have recognized Dr. Michael Geist of Madrona Medical Group in Bellingham for providing quality care to his patients with diabetes.
To receive endorsement through the Diabetes Physician Recognition Program, which is valid for three years, Geist submitted data that demonstrates performance that meets the program’s key diabetes care measures. These measures include eye exams, blood pressure tests, nutrition therapy and patient satisfaction, among others. When people with diabetes receive quality care as outlines by these measures, they are less likely to suffer complications such as heart attacks, stroke, blindness, kidney disease and amputations.
Geist, originally from Iowa, moved to Washington at an early age and grew up in Maple Valley. He graduated from the University of Washington School of Medicine in 1993. He is married to Dr. Nancy Bischoff, a Madrona pediatrician, and together they have a daughter, Olivia. In his free time Geist likes to play with his daughter and enjoys woodworking, skiing and playing guitar.

Peoples Bank welcomes Hull
Peoples Bank is pleased to announce that Jennifer Hull has been hired as assistant branch manager at the bank’s Anacortes office located inside Safeway Foods.
Hull joins Peoples Bank with more than 12 years of experience in the financial services industry, including four years as branch manager. In her new position she will be responsible for assisting with branch operations and business development at the Anacortes branch.

Thomas selected to Dain Rauscher Consulting Group
Karen L. Thomas, CFP®, CIMC®, associate vice president-financial consultant in RBC Dain Rauscher’s Bellingham office, recently was selected to be a member of the firm’s Consulting Group, an exclusive group of consultants recognized for their success in building consultative, fee-based businesses.
To qualify for the group, Thomas demonstrated a commitment to a consultant-based investment practice, helped clients build investment portfolios and maintained an excellent record of customer service.

Madrona adds husband and wife team
Madrona Medical is pleased to welcome Drs. Keith Comess and Frances DeRook. Both are board-certified cardiologists who, in addition to their individual medical practices, will also serve to co-direct Madrona’s Cardiac Imaging Services.
The pair also helped to design Madrona’s new Advanced Imaging Center, which opened this month.
Married, and with one child, the team of Comess and DeRook are returning to Western Washington from Maine, where both served at the Central Maine Heart and Vascular Institute.
Comess is a graduate of the University of Arizona College of Medicine, class of 1979. DeRook is a graduate of the Cincinnati College of Medicine, class of 1987. In addition to their medical practices, the pair has extensive teaching records, including time spent at such institutions as Stanford, Dartmouth and the University of Washington.
Outside of their medical practice the pair enjoy a host of interests. Both enjoy backpacking, hiking and reading.

Red Cross welcomes newest board members
The newest board members of the Mt. Baker Chapter of the American Red Cross, who will serve three-year terms ending in 2008, have a range of experience with non-profit organizations, businesses, and the Red Cross. What they have in common, though, is their devotion to strengthening our community.
Returning to the Mt. Baker Chapter Board of Directors is Larry Goodrich, a previous two-term member of the Whatcom County Chapter of the Red Cross before it merged with Skagit Valley to form the current Mt. Baker Chapter. Larry has been a financial planner for more than 30 years, and is president of Goodrich and Associates, a Bellingham-based registered investment advisor affiliated with Raymond James Financial Services. He and his wife Lee have been active with the Boy and Girl Scouts of America and Larry has also been a board member of the Squalicum Harbor Business Association and is past commander of the Bellingham Sail and Power Squadron.
Lou Weltzer, a civil engineer and the maintenance and reliability manager for the BP Cherry Point Refinery, also brings Red Cross experience to the board, though not previously with this chapter. Lou graduated from Purdue University and served as the chairman of the board of directors of the American Red Cross of Northwest Indiana, which serves a population of about one million.
New to the Red Cross are board members Dan Kier and John Moles. A graduate of Montana State University, Kier is a chemical engineer and project manager at the ConocoPhillips Ferndale Refinery where he has worked since 1994.
John Moles is the owner and president of Moles Family Funeral Services, and the fourth generation of his family to provide such service in Whatcom County. A graduate of Seattle Pacific University, Moles is also a member of the Rotary Club of Bellingham, a board member of Whatcom Community Foundation, the treasurer for Bellingham Dollars for Scholars, and a trustee of the Whatcom County Old Settlers Association.

Dozen join Moss Adams
Moss Adams LLP pf Bellingham welcomes 12 new staff members to the firm. Stephanie Berg, Elizabeth Corcoran and Joe Lembo were hired in November. Shawn Cecotti, Tiffany Holmgren, Michelle Moons, Robert Ostrow, Sara Soderberg, Chelsey Hageman, Dan Heverling, Zach Nordwell and Kevin Boyle joined the firm in January 2006.
Berg graduated from Western Washington University (WWU) in June of 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in accounting.
Corcoran graduated from WWU in August of 2005, where she received her degree in accounting. She was previously employed in the purchasing department at WWU.
Lembo graduated from WWU in June of 2005 with a degree in accounting. He recently worked for the Washington State Auditor’s office for six months as the assistant state auditor.
Cecotti received his degree in accounting from WWU in June of 2005. He was previously employed at the Washington State Auditor’s Office.
Holmgren received her degree in accounting from WWU in December of 2005.
Moons received her degree in accounting from Seattle Pacific University in June of 2005.
Ostrow has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington. He has five years of public accounting experience specializing in tribal governments.
Soderberg graduated from Metropolitan State College in Denver, Colo., with a degree in accounting.
Hageman currently is a student at WWU and plans graduating with a degree in accounting in December of 2006.
Heverling received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting from Washington State University. He was previously employed with KPMG.
Nordwell will graduate in June 2006 from WWU with a degree in accounting.
Boyle has a bachelor’s degree in political science and economics from the University of California Los Angeles. He has 15 years of accounting experience specializing in wealth services and high net worth individuals.

Scaief brings private practice to Bellingham
Peggy Scaief has opened a psychotherapy office at Gateway Centre in Bellingham.
Scaief brings her talents and skills of more than 20 years in social work and psychotherapy, during which she worked successfully in private practice for the past six years.
Scaief’s master-level training and advanced certification provides expertise in making assessments for many types of disorders: depression, anxiety disorder, panic disorder, bipolar disorder, attention deficit disorder, eating disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder.

RE/MAX realtors gain certifications
RE/MAX Whatcom County, Inc. announced that four of its realtors recently earned certifications by completing specialized training.
Cherie Kukhahn of RE/MAX’s Lynden office became one of the first in Whatcom County to earn the accredited seller representative designation. Kukhahn completed training by the seller agency council in marketing, pricing, negotiations and problem resolution. She also served as a seller’s representative in at least 10 closed property sales.
Luanne Highlinder of the Bellingham office was awarded the designation of certified new home specialist. It signifies her completion of training in architectural and building-site design, topography, construction terminology and building schedule.
Rick Alexander of the Lynden office and Matt Despain Tonjes of the Bellingham office recently achieved the accredited buyer representative designation. Awarded by a division of the national association of realtors, it recognizes agents who have completed continuing education in the field of buyer representation.

Swanson, Anderson join Innovative A/V
Pro Sound & Communications of Bellingham is pleased to announce its new residential division, Innovative Audio Video. This new division will cater to the growing needs of integrating electronic systems for residential users.
Innovative Audio Video welcomes Jason Swanson and Nathan Anderson to this new division.

Wisbey becomes investment consultant
Darrin Wisbey, manger of the Wells Fargo banking store in Lynden, has obtained licensure to join Wells Fargo Investments as an investment consultant. He is now able to offer a select group of investment products.
A Custer resident, Wisbey has worked for Wells Fargo for five years.