Henny speaks at technology summit
George Henny, president of FiberCloud, will join Washington Governor Chris Gregoire and the region’s technology leaders in Bellevue April 12 for the 2007 Washington State Technology Summit. Henny will moderate a panel discussion on Washington’s innovative business models in wireless and telecommunications.
The Washington State Technology Summit is an annual event that brings together the region’s entrepreneurs, researchers, industry executives, government officials, civic leaders and economic development champions to collectively examine technology innovation and the growth of Washington’s industries.
Henny is president of FiberCloud Inc., a regional Internet data center company with three locations in Seattle, Everett and Bellingham. The co-location centers are a result of Henny’s avant-garde business solutions and his 23 years’ experience with Whidbey Telecom, for which he continues to serve on the executive team and as strategist. Henny also founded the Internet division of Whidbey Telecom in 1994.

EDASC honors its own
The Economic Development Association of Skagit County honored those key to the organization at EDASC’s annual Economic Forecast Dinner held on February 22 at St. Joseph Center in Mount Vernon. Recognized this year are those listed below.
Outgoing board members: Martin Boer, Meyer Sign & Advertising Company, 2004-2007; Jill Rouw, Oostra, Rouw & Associates, 2002-2007; Dan Peth, John Peth & Sons, 2003-2007; Lisa Janicki, Janicki Industries, Past President 2006; Jerry Heller, Port Of Skagit County, 1995-2007
Volunteer of the Year: Mary Anstensen, Construction Unlimited Inc.
Golf Tournament & Winefest: John Voth, Horizon Bank, 10 years of service
Beyond the Call: Lynn Longan, Washington State Community, Trade & Economic Development
Partnership Award: Bruce Alexander, Skagit Valley College; Dick Larman, Washington State Community, Trade & Economic Development; Skagit County Planning & Development Services Department; Brian Humphrey, WorkSource Mount Vernon Affiliate

Architect Larsen retires
Lowell Larsen, AIA, retired from HKP Architects in January. Lowell joined firm founder Henry Klein and David Hall in 1972, and served as Partner-in-Charge since 1979 on hundreds of public projects and numerous private residences.
Larsen received his architectural degree from the University of Oregon in 1968. He then joined the Fred Bassetti Corp., one of Seattle’s most well established and honored firms.
Larsen was deeply dedicated to the practice of architecture and the ability to improve one’s community through design. Some of his contributions include: the Aquatic Center at Tacoma’s Stadium High School, Mount Vernon School District’s Cascade Commons, Skagit County’s administration building, Port Susan Middle School in Stanwood, Skagit Valley College Oak Hall at Whidbey Island, Bellingham Technical College’s Technology Center and Morse Hall, University of Washington marine labs and dormitories at Friday Harbor.
Larsen served as a member of the board for the Northwest Chapter of the American Institute of Architects from 1999-2001.
HKP Architects partners, David Hall, AIA, and Julie Blazek, AIA, LEED AP, continue the tradition of the firm (formerly The Henry Klein Partnership, Architects) focused on exceptional community design and service.

Local mystery authors make appearance
Clyde Ford will be aboard the lsland Caper for a book reading and signing of “Red Herring” and “Precious Cargo,” the first two books of his nautical mystery series that take place in Bellingham Bay and the San Juan lslands.
Clyde is an award-winning author whose novels have received critical acclaim, the most recent of which is the 2006 Hurston/Wright Legacy Award in Contemporary Fiction for his novel, “The Long Mile.”
The Legacy Award is the highest honor bestowed on an African American writer by the Zara Neal HurstonlRichard Wright Foundation.
Thanks to Island Mariner Cruises, the May 5 reading will take place through the land and seas where Ford’s mysteries take place.
Bellingham’s Linda Allen, author of the Jozie Hunter mystery series, will also be onboard. “Bellingham Homicide” was released last year. Her second novel of the series, “Bellingham Betrayal” should be in print by early May.

Twedt receives industry honor
For the seventh time, Paul D. Twedt, managing director of the Northwest Washington Group of Northwestern Mutual Financial Network, has qualified for membership in the Million Dollar Roundtable, an international, independent association comprising the top 5 percent of life insurance producers in the world.
Twedt has been associated with Northwestern Mutual since 1992. As managing director, he provides guidance and solutions for a variety of financial needs and goals as well as mentoring new financial representatives.

Tourism Australia recognizes Hickman
For the third straight year, Mary Hickman has been selected as a Premier Aussie Specialist by Tourism Australia. Hickman, affiliated with Bellingham Travel and Cruise, earned the designation based on her travels, expertise and knowledge of Australia. She joins only three other agents in Washington and 115 agents nationwide who have earned this designation for 2007.

Randy Best honored with Pacesetter Award
Randy Best, financial adviser and district manager, has been named a recipient of the Waddell & Reed’s Pacesetter Award, a top honor for financial advisers during their first year with the firm.
Pacesetter awards are presented to the top of Waddell & Reed’s first-year financial advisers, based on an analysis of investment, insurance, and financial planning sales.
Best has been a professional in the financial and insurance services industry for 15 years, and joined Waddell & Reed as a district manager in January 2006.

Demmon hired at Hearing Northwest
Hearing Northwest is pleased to introduce the newest member of its team, Tracey Demmon, MA, CCC-A, Audiologist. She has been a licensed audiologist in Whatcom County for almost seven years, after completing her master’s degree in communication sciences and disorders-audiology at Western Washington University.

DeYoung receives industry honor
David R. DeYoung, a financial representative of Northwestern Mutual Financial Network in Bellingham, has been recognized as the New Client Lives Leader for the Northwest region. He surpassed more than 60 financial representatives in the region to receive this honor. This is a career milestone that indicates sales achievement.
DeYoung has been associated with Northwestern Mutual since 2003. As a financial representative, he provides expert guidance and innovative solutions for a variety of financial needs. He is also an active member of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisers.

New Community Council president
Stan Dyer of Lynden is the new president of St. Joseph Hospital’s Community Council. Dyer, a retired hospital administrator, is serving a one-year term. He follows outgoing council president Andy Garcia. The Community Council is a volunteer group organized at the invitation of the hospital’s Governing Board. The council acts in close cooperation with Nancy Bitting, CEO, and serves as a link with the community. Council members are selected to represent a cross-section of the community and serve a three-year term.

WWU professor to attend education panel in England
Larry Estrada, director of American Cultural Studies and associate professor at Fairhaven College at Western Washington University, traveled to England in March to present at the Oxford Round Table, a discussion panel convened to consider education policy in the United States, United Kingdom and other selected countries.
Estrada, one of 35 to 40 people invited to participate on the panel, lectured on “Labor Organization and Activism within U.S. Immigrant/Ethnic Communities Post-1965.” Only six or seven of the delegates were asked to present at the round table forum.
“I’m excited to participate,” said Estrada, who was also invited last year but was unable to attend. “It is an honor to have the opportunity.”

Port of Everett hires Port of Skagit County’s Heller
Port of Everett has selected Jerry Heller for the new position of chief administrative officer. Heller is currently the executive director of the Port of Skagit County.
Heller will make the transition to the Port of Everett during April 2007. Port of Skagit County deputy executive director Patsy Martin will assume Heller’s executive director position.
The Port of Everett has developed the chief administrative officer position to bring much of its routine legal services in-house, provide leadership for a number of important projects and provide additional representation for issues that affect port operations.

Skagit Valley Medical Center hires first pediatrician at Stanwood Clinic
Dr. Talat Khan recently joined six pediatricians at the Skagit Valley Medical Center and is the first pediatrician practicing in the Medical Center’s clinic in Stanwood.
Khan graduated from Sindh Medical College in Karachi, Pakistan, and completed her residency training at William Beaumont Hospital in Michigan in July 2004. Khan is certified by the American Board of Pediatrics. She is fluent in both Urdu and Hindi.

Kortlever receives top honors
Janell Kortlever of Neighborhood Mortgage received the company’s highest award, Mortgage Consultant of the Year, for 2006.
Kortlever has been in banking for five years and joined Neighborhood Mortgage when the company was a true startup and run from the owners’ home just two years ago. As a “founding member” of the team, Kortlever has acted as a leader in sales and in education, constantly researching and staying ahead of the information curve in a business that is constantly changing.

Proforma co-owner featured in national publication
Maureen Lama, co-owner of Proforma Creative Printing Solutions, was featured in the February issue of the ASI Advantages Magazine. ASI (Advertising Specialty Institute®) is the largest media and marketing organization serving the advertising specialty industry, with a membership of 22,000 distributor firms (sellers) and 3,300 supplier firms (manufacturers) of advertising specialty items. Advantages is published 14 times per year and distributed to more than 26,000 subscribers throughout the country.
Lama and her husband, Bob, have owned and operated their Proforma franchise since March 2000. With 650 franchises and more than $24 million in monthly sales, Proforma is one of the largest suppliers of promotional items, printing, logo’d apparel and business forms in the country.

Loughmiller earns professional certification
Melanie Loughmiller of RMC Architects passed the Certified Administrative Professional exam for the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP). The IAAP works in partnership with employers to promote excellence among administrative professionals through continuing education, authorized programs and publications.
Loughmiller was tested in office systems and technology, office administration, management and advanced organizational management. She studied for six months prior to taking the exams and was among the 40 percent who passed the first time.
Loughmiller has worked at RMC since 2000 and has been a member of IAAP for 10 years. She is the current vice president of the Bellingham chapter.

Moss Adams adds three associates
Moss Adams LLP welcomed Diane Hack, Jana Law and David Merwin to the firm in January.
Hack graduated from the University of Alaska Southeast in December 2006 with a degree in business administration.
Law received her degree in August 2006 from Western Washington University.
Merwin received his degree in accounting with a minor in business management from Western Washington University in June 2006.
All three join the firm as staff accountants.
Port of Skagit County elects commission officers
Port of Skagit County Commissioner Kevin Ware will serve as commission president for 2007. Commissioners elected Jerry Kaufman vice president and Glenn Allen secretary of the three-member body.
Ware was also elected 2007 president of the Port of Skagit County’s industrial development corporation, an IRS-designated entity that can issue tax-free bonds for economic development projects within the port’s district.

Excellence Northwest adds Birsner
Excellence Northwest is pleased to welcome Diane Birsner. Birsner serves as the office and customer relations manager, a newly created position. She brings to Excellence Northwest a unique set of skills, expertise and experience in office management and business administration, customer service, marketing, event planning and logistics, and professional development in education.

Grant awarded “Rookie of the Year”
Neighborhood Mortgage recently honored standout sales team members with annual awards. Taylor Grant, who has been with the company for one year, was awarded Rookie of The Year for his outstanding drive and teamwork in his first year as a mortgage consultant. Grant is recognized around the office for his consistent achievement of his sales goals as well as his willingness to serve clients all over Western Washington.

Sutton receives PADI certification
Charlynn Sutton, owner of Gone Diving in Bellingham, received her Master Scuba Diver Trainer (MSDT) certification from the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI).
Along with getting an MSDT rating, she also received her Emergency First Response, Primary Care (CPR) and Secondary Care (First Aid) for children, infants and adults. Sutton, who specializes in all-female classes, will now offer more specialized diver training for continuing education credits.

Agents honored by RE/MAX
Roxy Seligman and Chris Weitzel, real-estate agents with RE/MAX Whatcom County, placed among the top 1 percent in 2006 in RE/MAX’s Pacific Northwest region.
Seligman and Weitzel, both based at RE/MAX’s Sudden Valley office, received Chairman’s Club honors for their high sales volume in 2006. Only 44 RE/MAX agents among the 4,644 in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana qualified for the honor. Weitzel also ranked 10th in paid commissions among RE/MAX agents in Washington.
Three other RE/MAX Whatcom County agents were honored at a regional awards luncheon Feb. 20. Blake Boatman was inducted into the RE/MAX Hall of Fame for his career sales achievements within the company. Charley and Luanne Highlander each were acknowledged as 100% Club members for their high level of paid commissions during 2006. Boatman and the Highlanders are based at RE/MAX Whatcom County’s Bellingham office.
RE/MAX Whatcom County received the Office Volume Award for ranking among the highest in the region among RE/MAX agencies with multiple offices.

Prudential Kelstrup honors employees
The company’s top producers were honored at the Prudential Kelstrup Realtors’ annual awards banquet held in February at the Skagit Valley Hotel & Casino. Mike Parcher, a 13-year veteran with Prudential Kelstrup, was recognized as the Salesperson of the Year. Top Commercial Salesperson was Cal Leenstra, while Tony Kelstrup took Top Team honors. Kevin Huntley was named Rookie of the Year.

AudienceCentral hires Spaulding as director of operations
AudienceCentral, provider of the innovative online communications platform PIER, announced that Alexandrea Spaulding has joined their team as director of operations. Spaulding’s primary responsibilities in this position include general operations management, finance, administration and marketing for AudienceCentral.
Spaulding moved to Washington state in 2003, bringing with her 15 years of experience in communications and marketing management for technology companies in the San Francisco area. In her most recent position prior to her move to Washington, Spaulding served as the director of corporate communications at Openwave Systems, a pioneering company in the wireless Internet software and services field. Prior to Openwave, Spaulding held positions in management, marketing and public relations with Cosmo Software, Silicon Graphics and Mclean Public Relations.

Allied Arts hires Hutchins
Hutchins will draw on her more than 15 years’ experience in the arts and nonprofit sectors to lead Allied Arts through its current restructuring process.
Her work has focused on promoting and enhancing public participation in the visual arts and creating environments for dynamic informal educational opportunities for all ages. Most recently, Hutchins served as the community programs manager for the Evergreen AIDS Foundation in Bellingham.

Logos’ Skipton promoted
Logos Bible Software has promoted Andrew Skipton to chief financial officer.
Skipton joined Logos Bible Software fulltime in 2003 after 13 years of public accounting experience. He formerly served the company as finance director.
Logos Bible Software, a privately held corporation located in Bellingham, is a publisher of award-winning, multilingual Bible software.

Peoples’ Swan promoted
Tera Swan has been promoted to assistant vice president and deposit services manager for Peoples Bank. Swan has more than 13 years of financial services experience, all with Peoples Bank. Most recently, she was assistant retail administrator, and helped direct the bank’s retail division. In her new position, she will oversee the deposit operations area of the bank.

Bell promoted by Peoples
Sarah Bell has been promoted to the position of business banking officer at the Peoples Bank’s downtown Bellingham location.
Bell joined Peoples Bank in 2005. Most recently, she was a business lender with the Bank’s Bellingham Business Banking Group. As business banking officer, she will continue to be responsible for production and management of the small business portfolio and work closely with the bank’s four Bellingham branches. Bell holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in business administration from Western Washington University. She is a member of Whatcom Young Professionals and has participated in Washington Business Week, a weeklong summer program designed for high school students interested in business.

New assignments for BFD employees
The Bellingham Fire Department promoted Chief Roger Christensen to the rank of Assistant Chief March 1. Chief Christensen is responsible for emergency response programs including oversight of city fire and emergency medical operations, countywide fire and emergency medical dispatch and administration of Whatcom Medic One.
This position became open when Assistant Chief Andy Day assumed responsibilities for emergency preparedness activities including management of the newly created City of Bellingham Office of Emergency Management, as well as oversight of departmental training and fire prevention programs.

Bothel leads Baron & Co.’s Web development group
Baron & Company, a full-service marketing firm located in Bellingham, has hired Chris Bothel as Digital Media Manager. Bothel’s responsibilities in this position will include managing the day-to-day activities of Baron’s Web development group, and be responsible for the creation, development and production of digital media.
“We’ve seen a large growth in the demand for our digital media services from local businesses. Bothel was hired specifically to keep up with this demand and manage the division,” said Gerald Baron, president of Baron & Company.