Ryzex, a Bellingham-based technology services company, announced in June that Rud Browne, Ryzex Chairman and Founder, received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2007 Award in the manufacturing category in the Pacific Northwest. According to Ernst & Young, the award recognizes outstanding entrepreneurs who are building and leading dynamic, growing businesses. Browne was selected by an independent panel of judges.
“This is a great honor and testament to all those individuals who helped build Ryzex into the great company that it is,” said Browne. “I feel very fortunate to have such a great team of people beside me.”
Browne has built Ryzex into one of the world’s largest data collection resellers and integrators – serving more than 6,000 customers worldwide. The company has more than 350 employees in sales, service and repair operations across North America and Europe.
As a Pacific Northwest award winner, Browne is now eligible for consideration for the 2007 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the year national program.

Diehl named 2007 Dealer of the Year
Bob Diehl of Bellingham’s Diehl Ford car dealership received the Robert P. Mallon Dealer of the Year award in May at the 2007 Washington State Auto Dealers Association (WSADA) convention. The award recognizes contributions to the auto industry, quality dealership operations and outstanding community service. Diehl is the third-generation owner of Diehl Ford, which celebrates its 100th anniversary next year.
Diehl is known for his community activism as well as his service to his fellow dealers and industry. Diehl was the president of WSADA in 1987-88, and still serves on the board of directors.
He also serves the greater Whatcom County community through his support of the United Way, the Bellingham School District, the Workshop for the Handicapped, and as past president of such organizations as the YMCA and the Bellingham Rotary Club. Diehl has received recognition for his accomplishments before, including the Lifetime Achievement Award from Northwest Business Monthly.

Skagitonians to Preserve Farmland welcomes development director
Skagitonians to Preserve Farmland (SPF) recently announced that Susan Macek took over the post of development director. Macek comes from a high-profile position as director of communications and marketing at Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center in Seattle, where Macek helped enhance the visibility and reputation of the renowned pediatric center.
At SPF’s Mount Vernon office, she will work with Executive Director Allen Rozema and Office Manager Linda Jones to expand awareness of SPF and its goals in protecting Skagit County’s agricultural heritage. “We’re a small but mighty team,” said Macek. “It’s an honor to be here.”
The new development director brings remarkable skills, talent, expertise and energy to the job at SPF. In addition to leading the Seattle Children’s Hospital communications team for more than two decades, she holds a master’s degree in nonprofit leadership from Seattle University. Her bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University is in journalism, but her affinity has always been for nonprofit work.

Halvorsen joins Whidbey Island Bank
Whidbey Island Bank is pleased to announce that Maia Halvorsen has joined the bank as sales manager for residential real estate lending.
Halvorsen has 15 years of real estate lending and sales experience in Skagit and Whatcom counties. Previously, Halvorsen served as an associate broker, specializing in new construction and condominium sales.

massage therapist gains geriatric certification
Sheila King of King Therapeutic Massage in Bellingham has earned the designation of Certified Geriatric Massage Therapist.
King achieved the advanced certification level through Day-Break Geriatric Massage Institute of Indianapolis, Ind. She attended classes, gained lab experience with geriatric clients and passed a written examination. King is the only massage therapist in Whatcom County with Day-Break’s geriatric certification.

Peter James Photographic Art appoints director
In preparation for the introduction of new marketing programs custom tailored for local businesses, Peter James Photographic Art enthusiastically embraced new associate director, Michelle Hancock.
As the associate director, Hancock will be thoroughly involved with optimizing current production, integrating new systems and educating the public about the programs to be introduced.
“Michelle Hancock is increasing my ability to provide the Whatcom County business community with the tools they need to remain competitive in an economy that is dominated by large corporations,” said Peter James.

SVC selects Custer as executive vice president
Skagit Valley College (SVC) has selected Dr. Harriet Custer to serve as the college’s executive vice president for instruction and student services.
Prior to joining SVC, Custer was the vice president for academic affairs at Illinois Valley Community College in Oglesby, Ill. She also held positions with the Iowa Department of Education, and served as the Iowa State director of community colleges. She began her life long career in higher education at Des Moines Area Community College as an adjunct English instructor, then tenured faculty and finally program chair for developmental education.

Auerbach earns SRES designation
Keller Williams Western Realty is pleased to announce that real estate agent Kathy Auerbach has earned her Senior Real Estate Specialist Designation.
The Realtor with the SRES designation has taken special training in order to optimally assist persons 55 years of age or older in buying and selling real estate. Only 31 Realtors in Whatcom County have this designation, and nationally less than 1 percent of all Realtors have received this specialized training.

Kinney, Gillig earn designation
Keller Williams Western Realty is pleased to announce real estate agents Ben Kinney and Jodel Gillig have completed ABR (Accredited Buyers Representative) training.
Kinney has been a licensed realtor in Whatcom County since joining Keller Williams Western Realty in August of 2004.
Gillig has been a licensed realtor in Whatcom County since joining Keller Williams Western Realty four years ago and works with a wide variety of buyers and sellers.

Tourism leaders honored at awards luncheon
Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism recognized and presented several awards to local businesses, officials and individuals within the tourism industry during its awards luncheon in May at Hotel Bellwether. Awards presented included the 2007 Tourism Business of the Year Award, Priscilla Sabin Award, Tourism Bureau Volunteer of the Year Award and other recognitions.
The Bellingham Farmers’ Market and Depot Market Square each received the 2007 Tourism Business of the Year Award for serving as continuous ambassadors for Bellingham and Whatcom County.
Carole MacDonald, owner of The Inn at Mount Baker and president of the Mount Baker Foothills Chamber, received the 2007 Priscilla Sabin Award. This accolade honors past CVB Director Priscilla Sabin and recognizes outstanding efforts made by a frontline individual in the tourism industry.
Volunteer of the Year went to Bette Alexander for her many years of dedicated service.

Nelson testifies on Hill
George Nelson, director of the Science, Math and Technology Education (SMATE) program at Western Washington University, was invited to testify before a U.S. House subcommittee seeking educators’ perspectives on working with science, technology, engineering and math education (STEM) programs.
Nelson testified on May 15 before the Subcommittee on Research and Science Education of the House Committee on Science and Technology.
The subcommittee was looking for educators’ perspectives on working with STEM education programs supported by federal agencies, including NASA, NOAA, National Institute of Standards and Technology, EPA and Department of Energy. The hearing highlighted how the federal agencies can best contribute to raising the level of scientific literacy for all students.

SVC instructor receives statewide leadership award
SVC instructor Bill Overby received the prestigious Presidents Award from the Washington Recreation and Park Association (WRPA) during its recent annual conference. Overby, who also chairs the college’s administration of justice department, received the award for his life-long service to parks in Washington state.
“Throughout his career, Bill has embodied the qualities one thinks of when describing a park ranger, and now serves to mentor future park rangers that will dedicate their lives to the protection of valuable cultural, historic and environmentally sensitive park lands,” said WRPA President Pete Mayer.

Nordic Tugs hires new marketing director
Nordic Tugs Inc. hired Tamara Anderson as its new marketing director. Anderson will be responsible for strategic planning and implementation of Nordic Tugs’ domestic marketing programs and for development of marketing programs for the company’s expansion into the European market.
Prior to joining Nordic Tugs, Anderson served as the marketing communications manager for construction equipment manufacturers Genie Industries and sister company Terex Construction Americas. A 10-year marketing veteran, Anderson is the owner of Marine Marketing Northwest, a marketing consulting firm specializing in the marine industry. Prior to starting her own consulting business, she managed public relations for U.S. Marine brands Bayliner, Maxum and Trophy.

Medel joins Keith Cox Autobahn
Keith Cox Autobahn recently announced the addition of Dino Medel as general sales manager. Medel comes to Cox after nearly 12 years with Homestead Northwest in Lynden. He will be responsible for managing the sales team. Medel lives in Lynden with his wife and two daughters.
Keith Cox Autobahn is a full service independent car dealer on Iowa Street in Bellingham specializing in recent model BMW, Audi and Volkswagens.

Westford leads four-county funeral association
Rob Westford has been elected president of the Northwest district of the Washington State Funeral Directors Association. The district includes Whatcom, Skagit, Island and Snohomish counties. Westford is a licensed funeral director and third-generation owner of Westford Funeral Home & Cremation. Founded in 1907, Westford is a full-service, family-owned funeral home located in Bellingham.

Former chef joins Fairhaven Realty
Garrett Smith, a former chef and paint contractor, is now a Realtor with Fairhaven Realty. He came to Bellingham nine years ago and started his own painting business, which focused on new construction and remodels. Garrett brings this special knowledge and background to the real estate field. In his spare time Garrett enjoys racing motorcycles, playing guitar and traveling the world with his wife Mary, who also shares his passion for enjoying the Northwest outdoors.

WWU prof travels to New Zealand
Western Washington University assistant professor Tilmann Glimm will spend a portion of his summer break in the South Pacific – not on the deck of a sailboat among emerald seas, but working with New Zealand’s iconic domesticated animal, the sheep.
Glimm, an assistant professor of mathematics, will assist a team of biologists and computer scientists at AgResearch, a publicly owned research institute working to develop and source biotechnologies for the agricultural sector in New Zealand. His specific project involves exploration of certain cell processes in embryonic development by creating mathematical models based on ongoing experiments. The cell processes under investigation have an important impact on the growth and quality of wool of local sheep.
Glimm’s research is funded by a grant from the New Zealand government; he has been there since mid-July and will stay through August. He said he hopes the results from this summer’s research will result in more long-term funding.

Washington Technology Center names new chair
Robin Halliday has been named chair of the Washington Technology Center’s (WTC) board of directors. Halliday is currently the president of the Technology Alliance Group. Washington Technology Center’s 20-member board is made up of academic and business leaders throughout the state. The board serves as an advisory arm to the state-charted agency, which promotes technology and innovation-based economic development throughout Washington.
Halliday has served on the WTC’s Board of Directors since August 2002. She has more than 25 years of senior management and project management experience in small technology companies. Halliday is a graduate of the University of Washington and has a post-graduate degree from Western Washington University.
The WTC is a statewide economic development agency focused on technology and innovation.

Horizon Bank promotes two
Horizon Bank recently announced that Jay Kaemingk has been promoted to senior vice president and team leader of the Skagit County Commercial Center. Kaemingk has more than 32 years of commercial banking experience and his familiarity with the Skagit County marketplace will significantly contribute to the success of Horizon.
The bank also announced that Kelli Holz was promoted to senior vice president and is the recipient of its Chairman’s Award for fiscal year 2007. Holz’s experience, education and financial knowledge have been a significant asset to Horizon for the past 18 years. She is a certified public accountant and currently serves as the bank’s controller.

Denooyer earns aesthetician degree
Longtime Bellingham resident Katy Denooyer, a laser technician and patient care coordinator with the Centre for Facial Plastic & Laser Surgery for the past eight years, recently earned her aesthetician degree. Denooyer completed the program at Evergreen Beauty & Barber College in Everett. With her degree, she will be adding facials, complete waxing services and eyebrow and eyelash tinting to her list of treatments. Denooyer is also a highly trained specialist for laser hair reduction, Fotofacial skin rejuvenation, wrinkle reduction, Vascutouch lesion and vascular therapy treatments.

Mountain View Physical Therapy hires therapist
Ferndale-based Mountain View Physical Therapy recently announced the hiring of a new physical therapist, William “Keith” Hill. Hill began seeing patients July 2. He graduated with honors from the University of Puget Sound in 1989 with a degree in physical therapy. Since that time he has worked closely with physicians and patients in the Seattle area to assist with progressing through the rehabilitation phase of post surgical, orthopedic and chronic pain issues. Keith and his wife, Michele, recently moved to the area.

Photographer McGee launches Web site
Bellingham-based photographer Jeanne McGee recently launched a Web site featuring her artistic family portraits and fine art décor photographs. McGee has been a professional full-time photographer since 1986.
She has several portfolios to choose from including people, seascapes and flowers. Her work is available for stock and commercial uses also. McGee was named a 2006 emerging artist for the United States and has had photographs shown locally at Blue Horse Gallery and Allied Arts. She will be a part of the Whatcom Artist Studio Tour, a two-week event taking place in October.

WWU’s Kalpakian starts memoir-writing program
Western Washington University’s Laura Kalpakian, author of “The Memoir Club,” will use the tools of fiction to give structure to the past in a new “Writing the Modern Memoir” certificate program beginning this fall.
The course will be taught from 6-9 p.m. Tuesdays and will cost $445.
The three-quarter program is designed for serious writers interested in crafting memoirs and will stress elements of the writing process, including creating, expanding, editing and connecting ideas; providing prompts to spark writing; working with dialogue and scenic depiction; and completing exercises to develop voice. Through the development and editing of materials, writers will create a unique narrative voice.
“The fabric of the past is never clean, pressed, neatly folded and stacked chronologically,” Kalpakian said. “The past comes to us in bits and tatters, ragged ends finished off by imagination. Writing a memoir uses the tools of fiction to give these story fragments structure.”

Natale joins Western’s SBDC
Western Washington University’s College of Business and Economics Small Business Development Center (SBDC) has appointed a new business adviser.
Andrew Natale joined the group in May and has more than 22 years experience as a small business owner. He has also served as a business consultant for health-food stores, managed numerous restaurants, and has taught small-business management courses in the School of Business at Northern Arizona University. Natale is a former member of the Southern Nevada Executive Council and received his MBA from the University of Southern California.
“Andrew brings a strong business background and expertise to the SBDC that can assist businesses in Whatcom County,” said SBDC Director Tom Dorr. “In addition to Bellingham, he will also serve the Birch Bay, Ferndale and Point Roberts areas.”

Dirty Dan Harris Restaurant hires new executive chef
Joao (Gio) d’Aquino has been named executive chef of Dirty Dan Harris Restaurant in Bellingham’s Fairhaven district. D’Aquino is a graduate of the California Culinary Institute Academy in San Francisco. He comes highly qualified and has served as line cook for the Harbor House in San Diego and also as food production manager for the Silicon Valley Marriot hotels. Prior to joining the Dirty Dan’s Restaurant family he was sous chef at the Silver Reef Casino.
“It’s a perfect match. Gio is well suited to coordinate, expedite and add creativity and passion to our kitchen. He has fit in well with our staff and we are very pleased to have him,” said owner Steve Papadakis.

cartoonist commemorates Roswell incident
Bellingham cartoonist Doug Ogg has been commissioned to produce a special cartoon commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Roswell incident.
Ogg’s cartoon, titled “Return To Roswell,” will be offered as a signed and numbered poster, limited to 1,000 prints. All proceeds from the sales will go to the UFO Festival Committee, a nonprofit, city-sponsored organization dedicated to commemorating the Roswell incident through educational and cultural activities.
As a guest of the July festival, Ogg will be making a rare, personal appearance to individually sign and dedicate the collectible prints.
“I have long been fascinated, and inspired by the story of Roswell,” said Ogg. “Creating this piece was tremendous fun, and I’m honored to be a part of this year’s festivities.”
Located in southern New Mexico, the town of Roswell achieved international notoriety as the scene where a UFO supposedly crashed in 1947. In the decades since, the “Roswell Incident” has been the subject of numerous books, movies and documentaries.

Roberts completes certificate program
Jon Roberts, owner and principle designer of Cascade Custom Homes & Design of Oak Harbor, recently received the Certified Aging-In-Place Specialist degree from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). The NAHB certification identified qualified individuals who exemplify professionalism in the building industry.
The three-day certificate program trained Roberts in the unique needs of the older adult population, aging-in-place home modifications, common remodeling projects, and solutions to common barriers.
Roberts owns Cascade Custom Homes & Design, a full service custom home and remodeling builder with complete in-house architectural design services.

Taylor attends CISR Course
Suzanne Taylor, personal lines customer service representative for the Bob Wallin Insurance agency of Bellingham, has successfully completed the Certified Insurance Service Representatives’ agency operations course.
The insurance course was one of the five parts offered by the National Alliance for Insurance Education & Research of Washington. After the successful completion of all five courses covering all major areas of the insurance field, and five comprehensive examinations, Taylor will be awarded the CISR designation by the National Alliance, the nation’s foremost provider of professional insurance and education.

CENTURY 21 Bay Properties adds Reavis
CENTURY 21 Bay Properties recently announced that Theresa Reavis has joined its firm as a sales associate. She will specialize in residential property sales in Whatcom County.

Wills promoted to assistant vice president
Troy Wills was recently promoted to assistant vice president and branch manager at the Peoples Bank Barkley Village branch, located inside Haggen Foods on Woburn Street.
Wills joined Peoples Bank in 2005 and helped develop the Barkley branch into one of the bank’s top branches. As assistant vice president, he will continue to be responsible for branch operations and business development at the Barkley Village branch.

SVC Faculty Members Honored for Teaching Excellence
Several Skagit Valley College faculty members have been recognized for teaching excellence during the college’s commencement ceremonies, which took place in Mount Vernon and Oak Harbor.
At the Mount Vernon campus, Anne Ziomkowski, counselor and director of women’s programs, received the Puget Sound Energy (PSE) Excellence in Teaching Award. The annual award is organized through the SVC Foundation and recognizes a SVC faculty member who demonstrates teaching excellence, a positive attitude and has had an impact on the college and its students. Faculty members are nominated by their peers and are selected by a committee of prior faculty recipients. The award includes a $1,500 stipend and was presented by Teresa Loop of PSE. Ziomkowski was recognized for her advocacy for students and for her dedication to improving student success and retention.
Also at Mount Vernon, student body President Brian Trinh presented chemistry instructor Roxanne Finney with the Teacher of the Year award. This annual award is voted on, and bestowed by, the Mount Vernon campus student body and recognizes a faculty member for outstanding teaching in the classroom. Finney was especially noted for her engaged and exciting teaching and her commitment to helping students enjoy and succeed in their chemistry studies. She joined SVC in fall 2006.
At SVC’s Whidbey Island campus, students annually recognize faculty and staff members who demonstrate superior performance both inside and outside the classroom. Math instructor Jeff Stady received the full-time faculty award. Nursing instructor Louvenia Ringuette received the part-time faculty award. Student Programs Adviser Penny Perka received the exceptional staff award.