Kehoe, Rosbach honored by Merrill Lynch
Merrill Lynch Financial Advisors Richard Kehoe, first vice president - investments, and Rick Rosbach, certified financial manager, of the Kehoe Rosbach Group, from the Bellingham office, were recognized as 2005 Merrill Lynch Consumer Finance Champions. This is the third consecutive year the group has been recognized. Consumer Finance Champions consist of the top percent of all Merrill Lynch Financial Advisors for mortgages, credit and lending.

Library trustees elected
At the February meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Whatcom County Library System the following officers were elected for a one year term: Amory Peck, chair; Nina Cox, vice-chair; and Janet Boyhan, secretary.
Library trustees are volunteers who are appointed to a five-year term through the action of the County Council.

Beard joins Chicago Title
Bruce Beard has joined the their sales team at Chicago Title Insurance Company.
Beard comes from a family of true pioneers to the state of Washington and has been a life long resident of Whatcom County. He attended and graduated from the Meridian School District.
He has been in the title insurance industry for more than 17 years. With is professional and personal knowledge of Whatcom County, Beard will be an asset to our office.
With Beard’s love and talent of fastpitch, he was voted Whatcom County’s Sports Personality of the Year in 1986 and was one of Seattle’s Sports Personality of the Year finalist in 1987. He was a member of the 1988 Fastpitch World Series Champions. He has traveled the world because of fastpitch and it is in New Zealand that he met his wife Robyn.
Bruce and Robyn just celebrated their 20-year anniversary. They have two sons, Mitchell and Conner, and one daughter, Erin, and live in the county.

Brown joins Roche Harbor
Lisa Brown has been hired by Roche Harbor as assistant to the general manager. She brings with her a background and education in advertising, marketing and real estate and assumes highly involved roles in the resort’s marketing program and Web site design.
Brown has four children and, as a former gymnast, coached middle-school cheerleading for the past four years and also founded Next Level Athletes, a non-profit organization through which she and her husband develop skills in middle and high school athletes.

Superintendent recognized nationally
Bellingham School District Superintendent Dale E. Kinsley is one of 23 superintendents selected from a national pool based on their leadership and commitment to integrate and sustain quality citizenship education and service-learning in K-12 schools.
Kinsley has been the superintendent of the Bellingham School District since 1991. He completed his undergraduate degree at Princeton University and his doctoral study at the University of Massachusetts. From 1981-1991, he was superintendent of Santa Cruz City Schools in Santa Cruz, Calif. From 1971 to 1981, he was a faculty member at the University of California at Santa Cruz and director of teacher preparation.
He is a veteran volunteer, having served in the Peace Corps, VISTA and on a variety of community boards, and has directed international and research programs for The Peace Corps, USAID and UNESCO. He was recognized by his peers as the 2001 Washington State Superintendent of the Year.
Kinsley joined the other national leaders in April at the National School Boards Association (NSBA) Annual Conference.
Ransom joins sales staff at Lehmann’s
Lehmann’s Maytag Home Appliance Center of Bellingham expanded its sales staff in March with the addition of Caleb Ransom.
Ransom, a Meridian High School graduate, has eight years of sales experience, primarily in Bellingham. He is responsible for helping customers find new and used appliances that best fit their needs, third-generation owner Terry Lehmann said.
Lehmann’s is located next to Gold’s Gym on Iowa Street. The company makes service calls in most of Whatcom and Skagit counties and has a parts department.

Charbonneau joins United Way
Erica Charbonneau is the new vice president of resource development for United Way of Whatcom County. Charbonneau brings to the position more than eight years fund development, program management and community building experience with not-for-profit organizations, and an additional six years of sales and management experience working in the area of finance.
In her new position, Charbonneau will manage the resource development activities of United Way of Whatcom County to maximize fundraising to meet health and human service needs and donor charitable needs.

Musician Storms books entertainment for Emerald Bay
Emerald Bay Events has hired Bob Storms to direct the live entertainment division of the company. He will book musicians and live bands for the celebrations put on by Emerald Bay. Storms is a musician himself, with more than 400 songs in copyright. He has played in various professional bands since the age of 12, including the world famous 10th Avenue Jazz Band, which toured internationally for five years. He also previously served as a music teacher and won numerous awards including the Music Teacher of the Year award in 2000 in the Northwest District.

Grams certified as investment adviser
COUNTRY Insurance & Financial Services Agent Ryan Grams of Bellingham is now registered to offer customers expanded financial planning and investment management services.To obtain the investment adviser representative registration, Grams met state licensing requirements and completed a certification program combining classroom sessions and personal study.Grams serves clients from the COUNTRY’s Bellingham office.

Ogdon takes role at Rice Insurance
Sarah Ogdon has joined Rice Insurance, LLC, as a member of the Personal Lines staff. Ogdon is an accredited customer service representative (ACSR), which recognizes extensive training in customer service. She brings to Rice a varied insurance background, and is well versed in all aspects of personal insurance. Rice is based in Bellingham.

Rubincon adds strategic adviser
Rubincon Ventures, Inc. announced the addition of Professor Martin Moskovits to its advisory team. Moskovits will be assisting the company to identify new business opportunities, potential acquisitions, possible technical licenses and new investment opportunities.

Madrona adds board-certified pediatrician
Dr. Steven Wallace, a Board-Certified Pediatrician with more than a decade of pediatric practice experience to his credit, has joined Bellingham’s Madrona Medical Group.
A native of Nashville, Tenn., Dr. Wallace earned his bachelor’s degree in Biology at the University of Virginia before advancing to the University of Pennsylvania. While there, Dr. Wallace was awarded both a medical degree and a Ph.D in anatomy, with an emphasis in neuroscience.
Following his residency and practice in Seattle, Dr. Wallace accepted an offer to begin a new pediatric practice in Missoula, Mont.
Dr. Wallace is married to fellow pediatrician Dr. Jennifer Rosquist. Together they have one child, a toddler.
The couple enjoys a host of outdoor activities including mountain biking, cross country skiing, and sea kayaking.

Bulling assists in Pakistani earthquake relief effort
Bellingham resident Peter Bulling traveled to Pakistan to aid in relief efforts after the earthquake in that country in October of last year. Bulling, born in Denmark, has extensive experience in disaster response from working with the Danish Red Cross for 12 years. It is as a member of the Danish Red Cross that he was called upon to serve in Pakistan.
In Pakistan, Bulling organized a base camp that at any given time was tasked with feeding, housing and providing lavatory facilities for 50-120 men and women of diverse cultural backgrounds. As part of the plan, Bulling and his Danish Red Cross team recruited, hired and trained local Pakistani residents to run the camp. The camp will continue to serve those assisting with relief and reconstruction efforts for many months to come.
Bulling, a disaster response volunteer with the local Mt. Baker Red Cross Chapter, was in Pakistan for more than three months.

Four join RE/MAX
Four real-estate agents have become associates at RE/MAX Whatcom County, Inc.
Sheila Walls and George Fedecky have joined RE/MAX’s Sudden Valley office. Both have been high-performing agents in Sudden Valley in recent years. Wells has been a licensed real-estate agent since 1974. Fedecky has more than 30 years of sales experience and became a licensed agent in 1996.
RE/MAX’s Lakeway office in Bellingham added Charley Highlander and Jordon Olson.
Highlander partnered with his wife Luanne, already a RE/MAX agent, to form the Highlander & Highlander Team. Charley Highlander, a longtime mechanical engineer with construction experience, is focusing on residential and new-construction sales. Luanne Highlander is a relocation specialist.
Olson has been a licensed agent since 2003. He also has extensive experience in construction and investments.

Burns receives professional wetland scientist certification
Analiese Burns of Bellingham recently received her Professional Wetland Scientist (PWS) certification from the Society for Wetland Scientists. The PWS certification identifies qualified individuals who have experience and knowledge in managing wetland resources.
Burns owns Common Ground Environmental Consulting and has managed wetland delineation and mitigation projects for residential, commercial and public projects. Burns enjoys working with individuals and agencies to create a livable community where human needs are balanced with natural resources.
Common Ground Environmental currently offers services including wetland and stream permitting, natural resource assessment and native landscape design. Common Ground Environmental is suited for both public and private clients interested in intelligent, integrated and progressive land use decisions.

Anderson joins Blue Sea Systems
Blue Sea Systems, manufacturer of innovative and reliable marine electrical products, has added Dave Anderson Enterprises as independent representative for the Midwest.
Dave Anderson has been a marine industry representative in the Midwest for more than 30 years, and a boater for most of his life. His experience translates into an excellent sense of product application. His primary focus is on the OEM marine industry. Anderson has established close working relationships with marine industry customers.
Anderson Enterprises represents Blue Sea Systems in Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Indiana, Ohio and Iowa.

Bergquist joins Asset Advisors
Eric Bergquist of Bellingham has joined Asset Advisors LLC. Bergquist graduated from Western Washington University with bachelor’s and master’s degree in business administration. He also completed the requirements to earn the Chartered Life Underwriter and Chartered Financial Consultant insurance designations from the American College, Bryn Mawr, Penn.
Bergquist received his insurance license in 1987 and specializes in employee benefits, but can also provide his clients with insurance for Life, Health, Disability, and Long Term Care as well as retirement planning.
Bergquist has lived in Bellingham since 1980. He and his wife of 18 years have two children, ages 15 and 11.

Bratt garners recognition for second year
For the second year in a row, Phil Bratt, CEO of Baron Telecommunications, was awarded the Gold Circle Award at the annual national convention of the Technology Assurance Group in San Diego, Calif. The award is given for achievement of the highest benchmark when measuring profit, productivity and industry training. Bratt was one out of only five recipients of the award.
The TAG convention is the premier event for the telecommunications industry, representing more than $300 million in products and services. The organization’s sponsors include international leaders in the field, notably Toshiba, GreatAmerica and Mitel.

New owner for event-planning business
Creative Celebrations, an event planning company located in Mount Vernon, has new ownership.
Melissa Olson, a Camano Island resident and former employee of Creative Celebrations, recently purchased the company from Colleen Smiley, who established the business more than 20 years ago. Smiley, who will remain a part of the business as a senior consultant said, “I am thrilled to be passing the baton to someone so capable, and who shares my enthusiasm for the wedding and event business.”
The business has relocated to the Main Street Plaza, located on the revetment in downtown Mount Vernon.
“I am excited to build upon the positive and well-known reputation that Creative Celebrations has in the community,” said Olson.

Dawson managers gain LEED certification
Jake Lindsay and Ryan Pflueger, project managers at Dawson Construction, Inc., recently attained LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Accredited Professional status. LEED emphasizes state-of-the-art strategies for sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality. Through the certification process they gained a clear understanding of green building practices and principals, as well as LEED requirements, resources and processes; both have provided assistance on Dawson projects applying for LEED certification.
Dawson has completed a handful of projects applying for LEED Certified Status including Western Washington University’s Wade King Student Recreation Center, Port Townsend’s City Hall Improvements and Annex Addition, and North Cascades Environmental Learning Center. In addition, Dawson is currently constructing the Denali National Park & Preserve Eielson Visitor Center in Denali Park, Alaska, that will be applying for a LEED Gold Certification.

Gould receives Honor Ring award
David Gould of Bellingham has been recognized by Allstate Insurance Company for high standards in customer satisfaction, customer retention and financial service sales.
Because of this, Gould has achieved the distinctive Allstate Honor Ring award. For nearly 60 years, the Honor Ring has been Allstate’s symbol of outstanding achievement. Worn with pride by generations of Allstate producers, the Honor Ring recognizes Gould’s performance and is a symbol of his dedication to assisting customers.
“It’s a tremendous honor to earn Honor Ring,” said Gould. “I am committed to serving my customers and I’m pleased that the company has acknowledged my efforts.”

Hooper is Leopold fellow
David Hooper, associate professor of biology at Western Washington University, was named a fellow of the Aldo Leopold Leadership Program.
The program, named for environmental scientist Aldo Leopold, trains fellows to communicate their work effectively to non-scientific audiences.
Hooper, a plant ecologist, studies biodiversity, examining the ways different species coexist and the effect of global environmental change on ecosystems.
Hooper is in his eighth year at WWU. His research has included assessments of the changing plant diversity in California grasslands, and the influence of climate warming on carbon dioxide uptake and release by Arctic tundra. Hooper also is studying the effect of streamside vegetation and watershed land use on salmon habitat in the Pacific Northwest.

Donette studio photographers earn honors in Western states competition
Donette Studio had more entries selected for display in the Western States Print Competition Gallery than any other studio in the entire competition, which was held at the Professional Photographers of Washington Annual Educational Conference in March at the Semiahmoo Resort in Blaine.
Donette’s photographers received a combined total of 12 awards of merit for their portrait entries. The Professional Photographers of Washington (PPW) awards merits that are applied toward professional degrees granted by the association. In addition to these honors, Lesley Keefer of Donette Studio was awarded the Degree of Associate Fellow of Photography from the PPW.
Best Portrait of a Group was awarded to “Our Pride and Joy,” a portrait of Donny and Cindy Brown’s family of Bellingham, photographed by Keefer. The Brown family portrait also received the honor of a Judges Choice Award and a National Merit. Keefer’s other three entries in the portrait category were also selected to be on display.
“The Centurion,” a portrait of Leland Dobson of Deming, photographed by Sally Kolar, was selected as a finalist in the Best Portrait of a Man category and received a National Merit. Her other three entries were also selected for display. In addition to her success in the competition, Kolar received a PPW scholarship to any photography school of her choice.
“My Security,” a portrait of Vivian Bloom, daughter of Dr./Dr. Ed and Jessica Bloom of Bellingham, photographed by Melissa Hernandez received a National Merit. Her other entries were also selected to be on display in the gallery.
Cindy Brown, Donette Studio’s newest photographer, also attended the conference and was awarded a PPW scholarship for her to attend a photography school of her choice.

Heiner named to Hall of Distinction
Whatcom Community College President Harold G. Heiner has been chosen as the 2006 inductee to Whatcom Community College’s Hall of Distinction, as approved by the College’s Board of Trustees.
Heiner has served Whatcom Community College for more than 27 years. Heiner started as Dean for Instruction in 1978 and was appointed president of Whatcom Community College in 1984.
During Heiner’s tenure at Whatcom Community College, many achievements have been realized, including a campus design that is in the forefront of beauty, functionality and technological advances. Further, President Heiner has sat on the Whatcom Community
College Foundation Board as Vice Chair since its inception in 1987.

DIS names new president
Randy McIntyre has been promoted to president of DIS Corporation.
McIntyre joined DIS in 1984, and currently has more than 22 years of experience with the company and its customers. McIntyre will continue to be responsible for managing the sales and marketing department covering all of North America as well continuing to manage the system installation division.
DIS Corp. is the leading provider of full business systems for construction and farm equipment dealers with systems installed in more than 2,500 dealers in the United States and Canada. Headquartered in Bellingham, DIS was founded in 1980 by Bob Brim who continues as CEO. DIS employs more than 150 computer professionals located in nine states and Canada.

Two join No. 1 Collision
No.1 Collision, with locations in Whatcom and Skagit counties, has added two employees to its Burlington branch. Tiffany Phillips has assumed the parts and operations position and Jeff Schwab is directing the paint department. Facility Manager Jeremy Nunnikhoven reports 100 percent growth during the company’s second year of operations at the Burlington facility.

Saldivar promoted by Peoples
Jerimy Saldivar has been promoted to banking officer and merchant services manager at Peoples Bank.
Saldivar joined Peoples Bank in 2001 and has more than eight years of banking experience, with four of those years specializing in merchant services. As banking officer and merchant services manager, Jerimy will continue to serve as the bank’s full-time merchant services coordinator. He will continue to deliver, install and test merchant equipment, recommend merchant solutions, train merchants on proper acceptance procedures, and develop new merchant business for the Bank.

Krienen joins Shell’s Anacortes refinery
Susan Krienen has replaced Tom Smith as the site manager at the Shell Puget Sound Refinery. Smith returned to Houston in November 2005 to head up an expansion project at the Shell Port Arthur Refinery. He had been site manager at the Anacortes refinery since January 2001. Brett Woltjen, operations manager at the refinery has been serving as interim site manager.
Susan Krienen (pronounced cree-nan) has extensive refinery management and operation experience with Marathon, ExxonMobil and The Williams Companies. Most recently she served as operations manager at the Marathon Ashland LLC Canton, Ohio refinery. Previously, she was plant manager at the 190,000 barrel per day Williams refinery in Memphis, Tenn., and served in various positions with ExxonMobil and Mobil Oil. With those companies she held a number of refinery posts including technical and operations manager as well as headquarters positions in procurement, planning and analysis.
Krienen graduated with honors from Michigan Technological University receiving a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering. She has been active in the communities where she served including serving on the board of directors for the Memphis Chamber of Commerce and the Mid-South United Way board. She enjoys hockey, including playing on several hockey teams and coaching youth hockey.

Huisman joins Moss Adams
Moss Adams LLP is proud to welcome Travis Huisman to the firm in March as a senior in the tax department in the Bellingham office. Huisman received his degree in accounting in 1995 from Western Washington University.
Huisman has more than five years experience working in private industry.

Ag Business Center welcomes new director
David Bauermeister is the new executive director of the Northwest Ag Business Center. The center assists farmers in Skagit, Island, San Juan, Whatcom and Snohomish counties in developing value-added or innovative agricultural products.

Robbins elected to Pacifica Radio national board
Rip Robbins, general manager of Skagit Valley College’s radio station, KSVR, was recently elected to the national board of directors for Pacifica Radio, one of the national radio networks to which KSVR subscribes. Pacifica Radio is a non-commercial network known for its emphasis on community involvement and providing a voice to underrepresented viewpoints. KSVR is one of only five full-power college and community radio stations in Washington state to offer Pacifica Radio network programming. The station has been an affiliate since 1997.
Robbins, of Bellingham, has been with SVC since 1994 and has been general manager since 1995. In addition, he was instrumental in the station’s affiliation with Pacifica and Radio Bilingue the premier Spanish-language radio network.
Robbins began his term with the Pacifica Radio board of directors in March and will serve for two years. During his term, he will represent approximately 80 Pacifica-affiliated stations.

Hampton, Mitchell trained in Graston Technique
Elizabeth Hampton, PT, BCIA-PMDB, and Brenda Mitchell, PTA, of Core Therapeutics PT and Pilates Studio, completed Level 1 of training in the Graston Technique in Portland, Ore., last month.
The Graston Technique, originally developed by athletes, is changing the way clinicians and clients view treatment of acute and chronic soft tissue injuries by utilizing an innovative, patented form of instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization enabling clinicians to more effectively break down scar tissue and fascial restrictions. Core Therapeutics PT integrates the Graston Technique into their manual therapy practice treating sports, orthopedics and pelvic ring dysfunction. Core PT joins St. Joseph Hospital Outpatient Rehab as well as Altus PT in offering this treatment technique to Whatcom County.

New agent at Tercero
Tercero Insurance Agency, an exclusive Nationwide Insurance agency located in Burlington has hired Tonya Kagel as an associate agent. Kagel is licensed to sell property, casualty and life insurance products and has more than six years experience in insurance, most recently in Bellingham and previously in Mesa, Arizona.

Broadway Chiropractic welcomes new doctor
Dr. Robert Curtis joined Bellingham’s Broadway Chiropractic May 1. Curtis is a chiropractic physician who specializes in working with athletes. He joins chiropractor Theresa Murry in the practice.
Also recently joining the clinic are licensed massage therapists Linda Brearley and Erin Sallee.
Broadway Chiropractic opened its doors in 2000 with two staff members and today employs nine.

Nelson heads ReUse Works
Bellingham native Joel Nelson was recently elected president of ReUse Works’ Board of Directors. Nelson, a wellness consultant and 2006 graduate of Whatcom Community College, is a founding board member of the nonprofit organization. In addition to his leadership role with ReUse Works, Nelson is a trainer and board member of the National Coalition Building Institute and vice-president of the Whatcom Family Community Network.
ReUse Works is a Whatcom County job training program that salvages, repairs, and sells home appliances.

Williard interns at RMC Architects
Jason Williard has joined Ross McClure Cornwell Architects (RMC) as an Intern Architect. Williard received a Bachelor of Architecture from Syracuse University School of Architecture in 2001. He also attended Syracuse University’s architecture program in Florence, Italy in the spring of 2000. Williard was on the dean’s list and was part of the university’s honors program. He received the Chancellor’s Award for Public Service for his participation in the West-side Design Charette, an annual program giving students the opportunity to design for the community.
Williard is currently working full-time on building details and elevations for The Townhouses at Morse Square, part of a large, mixed-use development project in downtown Bellingham. He will begin taking his architectural licensing exams in the fall.

Nicol promoted by Peoples Bank
Amy Nicol has been promoted to assistant vice president and branch manager of the Peoples Bank’s Fairhaven branch.
Nicol joined Peoples Bank in 1997 and has more than nine years of banking experience, with five of those years at the bank’s Fairhaven branch. As assistant vice president and branch manager, she will continue to be responsible for branch operations and business development at the Fairhaven branch. Nicol is active in the local community as vice president of the Fairhaven Association, is a Bellingham/Whatcom Chamber Ambassador, and has been a perennial team captain for the Bellingham Relay for Life.