Cooper leaves Whatcom tourism organization
John Cooper, president and CEO of Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism, has been selected to lead the Yakima Valley Visitors and Convention Bureau. A 25-year veteran of the tourism industry, Cooper has spent the past 14 years leading the Bellingham tourism bureau. During that period, annual visitor spending in Whatcom County grew 62 percent to $396 million and the organization’s budget grew from $280,000 to $670,000. Cooper was awarded Washington State Tourism Professional of the Year in 2003 and the Washington Society of Association Executives recognized him as Executive of the Year in 2001.
Prior to Bellingham, he was executive director of the Southern Oregon Visitors Association and the Corvallis Oregon Convention and Visitors Bureau.
In his capacity at the Yakima Valley Visitors and Convention Bureau, Cooper will oversee an organization with an annual budget of $1.80 million and the responsibility of managing the 41,000 square foot Yakima Convention Center and the Yakima Valley Sports Commission.
“I am excited about this opportunity,” Cooper stated. “With the burgeoning wine industry, downtown Yakima redevelopment, strong sports component, plans for an expansion at the convention center and other tourism projects, the Yakima Valley region is on a roll.”
Cooper replaces Kathy Coffee, who retired earlier this year after 18 years of service. He starts work in late June.

United General Hospital staff speaks at conference
Staff members from United General Hospital were selected to speak at the 20th Annual Northwest Regional Rural Health Conference in Spokane in March. Valerie Stafford, director of communications and Jill Eelkema, community education coordinator, were chosen to present one of the 20 workshops at the regional event.
Stafford and Eelkema presented a summary of United General Hospital’s outreach project in Eastern Skagit County. Funded by a Rural Health Leadership Grant from the Washington Health Foundation, the project is now in its second year and focuses on chronic health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and depression. The hospital credits the program’s success to its unique partnership approach that increases community awareness. Partners include Cascades Job Corps, Senior Services of Skagit County, Skagit County Community Action Agency, East Skagit County Resource Center, Statewide Health Insurance Benefit Advisors, Upper Skagit Library District and the Concrete Chamber of Commerce.

CEO will remain at Madrona Medical Group
Madrona Medical Group is pleased to announce that Dr. Erick Laine, after announcing his registration in mid-February, will be staying on as CEO.
“Organizational development is difficult – especially when modern healthcare demands transformations,” says Dr. James Bochsler, president of Madrona Medical Group. “The physicians and leadership of Madrona Medical Group have committed themselves to setting high standards and raising the bar. To reach them we will need to change what we do and make the commitment’s necessary to continue to move forward as a healthcare provider in the communities we serve.”

Whatcom Symphony names new executive director
Board President, Dave Bargelt, announced Mary Kay Robinson as the new Executive Director of the Whatcom Symphony Orchestra. Robinson received her undergraduate degree in music education and taught middle and high school music. After a return to school to receive her MBA, she made a career change and spent 20 years in the banking industry most recently in management with Washington Mutual.
“My new position with the Symphony combines my passion for music and music education with my business experience. My goal is for everyone to know the Symphony as one of the premier community orchestras in the country, both in terms of performance excellence and educational outreach efforts,” Robinson said.
Robinson is also dedicating her marathon run in the inaugural Bellingham Bay Marathon on October 7, to raising money for the symphony and its educational outreach programs.
“My goal is to raise $26,200. That means $1 per mile for the 26.2 mile marathon from 1000 people,” she said.

Nordic Tugs announces executive appointments
The Nordic Tugs board of directors announces the appointment of three key employees to newly created executive positions. David Goehring, Joe Franett and Paul Johnson received the promotions in recognition of their outstanding performance.
David Goehring is now the executive vice president and chief operating officer for Nordic Tugs. He will be responsible for overseeing all day-to-day company functions, including manufacturing, engineering, purchasing, finance, sales and marketing, human resources, customer service/warranty and administration. Goehring joined the company in 1996 and served as the company controller until his promotion in 2006 to vice-president and chief financial officer.
Joe Franett was promoted to vice president of operations, where his primary responsibility will be to oversee the company’s operations, including the sea trial program, engineering, product development, quality assurance, European Union and NMMA certification and safety and environmental compliance. In his eight-year tenure with the company, Franett has held the positions of human resource director, production manager and operations manager.
Paul Johnson was appointed vice president of production and will be responsible for the company’s production operations, including construction, production planning and scheduling, training programs and facilities planning. Johnson joined the company nearly three years ago as production manager.

NWBM writer wins award
Northwest Business Monthly writer Sara Geballe was recently awarded first place in the Washington Press Association’s 2006 Communicator of Excellence Contest for her article on the Port of Skagit that appeared in NWBM’s October 2006 issue.
Her area report – “A Picturesque Marina, Handy Airport, Bustling Business Park” – took top honors in the magazine special article category.
Geballe also received two second-place awards in the non-daily newspaper category for feature and news articles that appeared in the Whatcom Independent newspaper. The awards were presented at WPA’s annual luncheon on April 28 at the Museum of Flight in Seattle.

GaPac CFCU elects board of directors
GaPac Community Federal Credit Union held its 55th annual meeting at Northwood Hall in February. Elected to the 2007 Board of Directors, each for a two-year term, were incumbents: Barry Lawson, Kon Lemperes and Ron Olson. They will join Don Cook, LeRoy Fuller, Phil Whitson and Frank Castaneda. The 2007 Supervisory Committee consists of Clydia Hitchcock, Steve Seholm, Terry Bradley and Julian McAllister.

Five RE/MAX agents gain designations
Five RE/MAX Whatcom County real-estate agents recently earned the Accredited Buyer Representative designation after completing continuing education programs.
Charley and Luanne Highlander, Cherie Kukhahn, Matt McBeath and Bruce Mooney completed requirements for the ABR. Awarded by a division of the National Association of Realtors, the ABR recognizes agents who have completed studies in the field of buyer representation.
The Highlanders are relocation specialists and both recently were honored by RE/MAX for their high level of sales in 2006. Luanne Highlander previously has earned her Certified New Home Specialist and e-Pro designations. Charley Highlander is a listing and buyers agent.
McBeath, a life-long Whatcom County resident, has four years of real estate experience. All three are based at RE/MAX Whatcom County’s Lakeway (Bellingham) office.
Kukhahn works out of the RE/MAX Lynden office and earlier had obtained the Accredited Sellers Representative designation. She concentrates on residential and land listings.
Mooney previously attained the e-Pro designation. He has 20 years of experience, including the last four at the RE/MAX Ferndale office.

Three agents join RE/MAX Whatcom County
Three experienced real-estate agents – Noel Brown, Kristi Lovick Coy and Mallina Wilson – have joined RE/MAX Whatcom County, Inc.
Based at RE/MAX’s Lakeway (Bellingham) office, Brown has earned the Accredited Buyer Representative designation, awarded to agents who have completed studies in the field of buyer representation.
Coy, also at the Lakeway office, has achieved the Certified Residential Specialist designation, attained by only 4 percent of Realtors nationwide.
Wilson, an agent at RE/MAX’s Ferndale office, has three years of experience in real estate and also has been awarded the ABR designation.

Coyle named account rep for Cascade Radio
Al Coyle has been appointed an account representative for the Bellingham-based Cascade Radio Group.
A Whatcom County native, Coyle has six years of experience in media sales. He is a member of Whatcom Young Professionals and the Bellingham Chamber of Commerce. Coyle also volunteers in assisting local high school track and cross country teams.
Coyle develops marketing campaigns and promotions for clients of the group’s radio stations.
Cascade Radio Group includes five Bellingham radio stations: AM stations KGMI, KPUG and KBAI and FM stations KISM and KAFE.

SVC business students earn awards
Thirteen Skagit Valley College Business Management (BMT) students recently returned from a successful competition at the Delta Epsilon Chi State Career Development Conference held in Leavenworth. Accompanying the students were BMT instructors Kathy Payant and Sally Dixon.
The competition was comprised of two-year and four-year colleges and universities from around the state. Students competed in marketing and management business simulations and prepared presentations.
Skagit Valley College also received the Evergreen Award, which is presented to the college with the best presentation of what the business students have accomplished in the last year related to community service, fundraising, leadership training, and professional development. SVC has earned this award in nine out of the last 10 years.
First place winners are Molly McCormack, Kristen Twedt and Eva Schafer. Second place winners are Marlee Powell, Leigh Ann Orcutt and Shane Whitley. Third place winners are Carlesha Phillips, Derrick Gallard, Jon Hagen, John Monte and Caleb Williams. The medal winner was Erik Knutson.

Birch Equipment featured in national industry magazine
Sarah Rothenbuhler, owner of Birch Equipment Rental & Sales, is featured on the cover of the March 2007 edition of the nationally distributed Rental Management Magazine.
As one of the few remaining locally owned equipment rental companies, Birch has the largest selection of home improvement, construction and industrial equipment in the Northwest. Sarah Rothenbuhler and Birch Equipment are based out of the Northwest with stores in Bellingham, Mount Vernon and Anacortes, Wash., and Sitka, Ala.

Smith named “Super Lawyer”
Bruce Smith, a principal partner in the Bellingham law firm Barron Smith Daugert PLLC, has been named Super Lawyer by Washington Law & Politics magazine. Each year Washington Law & Politics surveys lawyers throughout Washington state and conducts additional research to identify lawyers who are recognized by other lawyers for the quality of their work and professional achievements. Only 5 percent of the lawyers in Washington are named Super Lawyers. The list of Super Lawyers is published as a special section in the June edition of the magazine.
Smith is recognized for his expertise in estate planning law. He has been licensed as an attorney since 1977, and limits his practice to estate planning, the preparation of wills and trusts, estate and trust administration and the planning of charitable gifts. He is also listed in “Best Lawyers in America,” and is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel.

Attorneys join Barron Smith Daugert
Dennis R. Williams and Steve Brinn have joined Barron Smith Daugert PLLC. Williams serves as Vice President of St. Luke’s Foundation and will become its president in 2008. He is also treasurer of LAW Advocates, an organization that provides pro bono legal services to low income people.
Brinn is a member of the Port of Bellingham Ethics Advisory Committee. He was a founder of the Campaign for the Arts, which has raised $4.5 million in private pledges for the new Arts District, and now serves as chair of its major donors committee.

Bellingham business coach receives surprise gift
Tshombe Brown of Your Signature Coaching & Consulting Group received the runner-up prize of a personal development package worth more than $20,000 from the Baron Mastery Institute, Vancouver, B.C.
In March, Brown entered a contest to become the top promoter of the Baron Mastery Institute’s cutting-edge educational programs, competing to win the grand prize worth more than $30,000. This honor went to George Greenwood of British Columbia, Canada.

Curnow passes CPA exam
Curnow & Company P.S. a Certified Public Accounting firm, has announced that Jack W. Curnow has passed all four sections of the CPA exam.
Jack W. Curnow joined Curnow & Company in 2005. Curnow has eight years of experience in accounting and finance and held positions with two Fortune 500 companies. His previous job titles included assset manager, senior financial analyst and field auditor.

Barber returns from Southeast Asia
Andrew Leese, best known for his haircutting work at The Barbershop at Fairhaven and four years spent racing on the WWU Cycling Team, recently returned from his post-university travels in Southeast Asia. This journey was the climax of a series of trips to Thailand while attending Western.
Leese grew up on Whidbey Island and attended barber school in his senior year of high school. He has been a barber for almost eight years and used the skill to help pay for college. Though Leese graduated last spring, he has resumed haircutting at The Barbershop at Fairhaven and looks forward to catching up and trading stories with his former clientele.

George joins Varner Systma & Herndon
Priscilla George has joined Varner Sytsma & Herndon CPAs as a full charge bookkeeper. George has more than eight years of bookkeeping experience.
Varner Sytsma & Herndon, CPAs is an accounting firm located in the Barkley District of Bellingham, providing accounting and tax services for clients located throughout the United States, Canada and abroad.

Local planner/builder attends housing forum
Local planner Bill Geyer, AICP, attended a forum on affordable housing conducted by the Seattle District Council of the Urban Land Institute in March.
More than 350 design professionals and government leaders discussed the lack of affordable housing and the social implications for a community. Government officials and private developers cited economic trends where it is increasingly difficult for in-city workers to afford an in-city home. Workers face a choice of higher prices for in-city housing or driving greater distances to obtain affordable housing, with the impact felt the most by low and moderate-income families. Conference attendees were provided data and tools to use for addressing housing affordability in their community.

Language Exchange hires Anderson
The Language Exchange hired Gretchen Anderson as the new translations division manager.
Focusing on customer education, service and quality, translation contracts and completed work have been done for Gensler Architects (subcontracted by MGM Grand) for brochures in Chinese about the largest new casino in Las Vegas, Washington state and Maine learning assessment tests in a variety of languages, City of Seattle for Seattle Center projects, U.S. Government Printing Office and National Archives & Records Administration.

Local PT appointed to national board
Elizabeth Hampton PT, BCIA-PMDB of Core Therapeutics Physical Therapy in Fairhaven has been appointed to the Specialization Academy of Content Experts in Women’s Health by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties.
Hampton will be working with a national team of clinicians and researchers in the field of women’s health physical therapy to write the board certification exam in women’s health for the American Physical Therapy Association. This is a significant step for physical therapists who work with pelvic pain and elimination disorders, as this important clinical work will be recognized as a board certified clinical specialty.

Whatcom Parks and Recreation Foundation honors Hertz
Former Bellingham Mayor Ken Hertz, was honored with the Whatcom Parks and Recreation Foundation’s William Dietrich award for outstanding leadership and dedication to parks and recreation in Whatcom County. More than 30 of the foundation’s members attended to celebrate a year of accomplishments in park enhancement, and to honor Hertz.
Hertz served as the director of Whatcom county parks for 10 years, during which time the county developed 21 major parks including Silver Lake, Lake Samish, Hovander, Tennant Lake and Lighthouse Marine Park.
Hertz is now the president of the Blossom Management Corporation, and continues to support parks and recreation. He has been a part of the Millennium trail committee.
Hertz will join past leaders and have his name placed on a granite stone on the base of the “Tree of Life” sculpture, created by artist Michael Jacobsen. The sculpture stands in the Big Rock Garden Park, one of the many Whatcom County parks that the foundation has supported through transfer grants and private donations.

Bockwoldt hired at Coldwell
Coldwell Banker is pleased to announce Jamie Bockwoldt as the newest sales associate. She will specialize in residential real estate.
Bockwoldt was born and raised in Bellingham and brings a great amount of sales experience to the staff. Previously, she worked as an Internet sales manager for Northwest Honda for three years.

Keith Cox Autobahn hires TeVelde
Keith Cox Autobahn is pleased to announce the recent addition of Lora TeVelde as an assistant to Rick Strotz, the Autobahn’s service manager. TeVelde was the office manager for Priority One Nutritional Supplements in Lynden. She will be responsible for parts inventory management and will assist Strotz in the care of the growing service customer base. TeVelde lives in Everson with her husband, Doug. They have three children.

Local woman attends conference in Nashville
Lisa Imus of Bellingham, a Star Leader with Silpada Designs, recently attended the Silpada Designs 2007 Leadership Conference, Feb. 8-11 in Nashville.
Imus qualified for the Silpada Designs annual Leadership Conference by reaching sales and recruiting goals set by the company. Imus was one of approximately 400 women of the nearly 18,000 Silpada Designs sales representatives from across the country that attended the conference. Silpada Designs is a jewelry company.

Forest named loan officer at First Horizon
The Bellingham office of First Horizon Home Loans continues to expand with the promotion of Lori Forest to loan officer.
Forest was a marketing specialist for five years with First Horizon before her appointment as a loan officer. She graduated from Sehome High School and earned a bachelor’s degree from American University in Washington, D.C.

Christina Oates joins Laserpoint
Laserpoint Awards & Promotions is pleased to announce the addition of Christina Oates to the staff.
“Chris was hired as administrative assistant/office manager. She will be managing the day to day production schedule of promotional orders, updating and adding current specials and new products to both websites and making sure things run smoothly,” said Laserpoint owner Kathy Cross.

Oak Harbor residents earn top Alaska USA Mortgage Company award
Oak Harbor residents Lyn Bankowski and Sandy Farley have earned Top Producer awards from Alaska USA Mortgage Company. A senior mortgage loan originator and office manager, Bankowski was chosen from a field of more than 40 originators for the 2006 Top Originator award. Farley, who is a senior processor, was named the Top Processor for 2006 out of nearly 20 processors.
Bankowski is a certified mortgage-planning specialist with more than 20 years experience in the real estate lending business. She has been recognized consistently for her service at Alaska USA Mortgage Company since joining the team in 2001.
Farley has been a part of the Alaska USA Mortgage Company team for six years. She achieved the distinction of Processor of the Year in both 2002 and 2003. In 2004 and 2006 she was named Processor Top Producer, and in 2005 she earned second place in the Processor Top Producer competition.

Hugh Lewis adds new associate
Hugh Lewis, Attorney at Law, P.C., is pleased to announce the addition of Matthew P. Hammatt as an associate of the firm. Hammatt earned his law degree from the University of Wisconsin and is admitted to practice of law in the states of Illinois, Wisconsin and Washington.
He previously practiced in Chicago as an intellectual property associate with the law firm of Kirkland & Ellis, as well as serving as counsel for True North Communications Inc. where he was responsible for contract and license negotiations and counseling in the areas of advertising, marketing, copyright, trademark, promotions and entertainment law.
For the past five years, he was vice president of the real estate division of Talbot Investment Company in Bellingham. He will focus on the areas of condominium and community association development and association representation.

Newlight named investment consultant
Morgan Stanley’s J. Michael Newlight, branch manager and financial adviser in its Global Wealth Management Group (GWMG) office in Bellingham, has completed a rigorous investment consulting training program conducted jointly by Morgan Stanley, a premier financial services firm, and The Wharton School, a leading finance school in the country.
Newlight, 59, has been a financial adviser for more than 25 years. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Oakland University in Rochester, Mich., and has completed graduate work in economics at Western Washington University. He currently lives in Bellingham with his wife, Delight Green.

New retail manger for Northwest Computer
Chris Johnson has joined Northwest Computer as retail operations manager. Johnson, formerly operations manager for Circuit City in Bellingham, has a degree in business from Western Washington University.
After a successful seven years with Circuit City, Johnson welcomes the opportunity to manage Northwest Computer’s retail store. “I’ve been referring customers to Northwest for years – they’ve always offered more product knowledge and technical expertise than the big box stores can. It’s great to have the support of such a large and well-developed technical team.”

Five agents join RE/MAX Whatcom County
Five real-estate agents recently joined the Bellingham office of RE/MAX Whatcom County Inc.
Pete Coy is a former president of the Bellingham/Whatcom Chamber of Commerce & Industry and Coy has earned a master of business administration (MBA) degree.
Bernd Werny focuses on residential properties and the needs of senior citizens. He also has a background in restaurant ownership and management.
Michele Boudreau worked in the real-estate market in the San Diego area and has broker licenses in Washington and California.
Two former contractors will use their construction knowledge to help buyers and sellers. Ron Kulman spent 25 years as a general contractor specializing in log homes, new construction and remodeling projects. Mark Lawrence has 20 years of experience in public and private construction.

Moss Adams adds four to Bellingham office
Moss Adams LLP welcomed Virginia Cronin, Casey Holloran, Jay Liu and Crystal R. Volk to the Bellingham office in April.
Virginia Cronin received her bachelor degree and masters in accounting from Central Washington University. She is a staff accountant.
Casey Holloran received her bachelor of science in accounting with a minor in Spanish from Western Washington University in 2007. She is also a staff accountant.
Jay Liu received his bachelor of science in business administration with a concentration in accounting from Washington State University in 1998. He is a senior accountant in the business assurance department.
Crystal R. Volk received her bachelor of science in accounting with a minor in French from Gonzaga University in 2002, and is a staff accountant in the business assurance department.

Barron Heating adds personnel
With the success of Bellingham-based Barron Heating and Air Conditioning’s two Mount Vernon stores, they have added several new key staff members
Forrest Schandel and Carol Kvangnes have joined the sales team of the company’s two stores, Backyards and Fireplaces For Your Home, in Mount Vernon.
Kvangnes comes with 12 years’ sales experience in backyard design and furnishings. New sales associate, Elsie Snow, has a background in interior design.
Chris Hallgrimson has been hired as a new warehouse manager, bringing with him an extensive background in inventory, warehousing and delivery.
Cathryn Shepherd has been now promoted to retail store manager for both stores.
Former Mount Vernon operations manager, Chris Baisch, has been promoted to Barron’s/Backyards corporate sales manager.
In addition, two new residential HVAC Specialists have been hired forBellingham’s Barron Heating and Air Conditioning, including Wes Diskin and Grant Albert.
The 35-year-old, locally owned company now employees 105, and serves customers in Whatcom, Skagit, Snohomish, San Juan and Island counties. The company recently earned a Silver Medallion Award for sales and service from Jaccuzi.
SVC graduate and Head Start employee receives national award
Skagit Valley College graduate and Head Start employee Cinthya Fuentes received the Head Start Early Childhood Education Award for an Outstanding Graduate during a ceremony in Washington, D.C. last month.
Fuentes is a graduate of the college’s Early Childhood Education program and is currently a center teacher at SVC’s Skagit/Islands Head Start in Burlington. She was chosen from a nationwide pool of candidates for her leadership in dual language curriculum, success in her degree program, mentorship of other employees pursuing college degrees and her application of knowledge and training in support of Head Start children and families.

Peterson named executive chef at Lakeway Inn
David Peterson, who has more than 13 years of restaurant and resort experience, has been named executive chef at Bellingham’s Lakeway Inn & Conference Center.
Peterson is directing all food-service operations at the Lakeway Inn, including The Oboe Café, Poppe’s Bistro & Lounge, onsite banquets and offsite catering. Peterson’s culinary background includes two years at The Enchantment Resort, a four-start restaurant in Sedona, Ariz. Since 1998, he’s overseen kitchens and created menus at various Whatcom County restaurants, including Big Fat Fish Co., Fuego 542 and Boundary Bay Brewery.

WWU professor receives award from Harvard
Western Washington University professor William Demmert received the Alumni Achievement Award March 3 at the Alumni of Color Conference (AOCC) at the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE).
The award recognizes and celebrates the work of HGSE alumni of color by honoring individuals who have made significant contributions in the field of education.

Bellingham Aviation Services hires chief flight instructor
Bellingham Aviation Services welcomes Jeff Eriksen as the new chief flight instructor. Eriksen has been a commercial pilot and flight instructor since 1997, and has flown in all four corners of the country. He brings a wealth of local knowledge to the flight school from his most recent position working as a charter pilot for a Friday Harbor-based airline.

TAG appoints executive director
TAG, the leading technology association in Northwest Washington is proud to announce the recent appointment of Anna Ehnmark as the organization’s first executive director.
“Anna Ehnmark has served as the Public Relations Chair on the TAG Board for three years and has not only excelled at raising the awareness of TAG and the local technology sector, but has also been instrumental in developing TAG’s new strategic plan,” says Robin Halliday, president of TAG.
A member of the local technology industry, Anna Ehnmark is co-owner of OpenAccess Network Services LLC, a Bellingham-based Internet service provider.

CPI Plumbing adds Becky Zorn
CPI is also pleased to announce the addition of new customer service representative Becky Zorn.
“As the scope of our service department grew, we felt that this addition was necessary to continue providing the same level of personal attention that our customers have come to know and trust,” said Owner Kelly Schols.
CPI Plumbing and Heating is a full service new construction, remodel and service company.

Local agent honored by COUNTRY
COUNTRY Insurance & Financial Services Agent Ryan Grams has earned a position on the organization’s distinguished All American team.
Grams is among a group of 372 top COUNTRY agents and agency managers who qualified for the award. COUNTRY has more than 2,000 agents and agency managers in 14 states. He has been named an All American four times.

Three join Keller Williams Realty
Dennis Kelly, Donna Quimby and Monica Colville have joined the Keller Williams Realty office in Bellingham.
Dennis Kelley was born and raised in Le Mesa, Calif., and moved to Whatcom County in 1999. Before becoming a real estate agent Kelley was a limousine chauffeur. Kelley became an agent because he wanted to do something that helped people.
Donna Quimby is a native of Whatcom County who previously owned and operated an in home day care. Quimby has her bachelor’s degreee in accounting and her minor in business administration from WWU. Quimby took and interest in real estate when she purchased her first home in 1985.
Monica Colville was born and raised in Santa Barbara, Calif., and moved to Whatcom County in 1990 for the beauty and the small town atmosphere. Colville has spent the last 10 years in retail sales and decided to become an agent because of her life long passion for real estate.

Kirschman honored for sales and teamwork
Leena Kirschman of Neighborhood Mortgage has been honored as the company’s Mortgage Consultant of the Quarter for First Quarter 2007. Since joining the company in November 2006, Kirschman has been a standout salesperson as well as a valuable resource and mentor to many of the other mortgage consultants. Kirschman brings to her position at Neighborhood Mortgage a tremendous volume of experience in lending, as well as a model work ethic and desire to share her gifts with the people she works with.

Volunteers awarded with donations to nonprofits
Whatcom Volunteer Center held a celebration on April 29 to thank and recognize the tremendous volunteers who contribute so much to Whatcom County. The annual Heart & Hands Awards event was held at Bellingham High School. The afternoon event celebrated the outstanding service of more than fifty members of the community.
Eight people were honored with Heart & Hands Awards including a $250 donation in their name to a nonprofit of their choice. They are: Chuck Mather, Jenny Shuler, Lynn Cooper, Jeanne Yanco, Daniel Roth, Laetisha Elsing, Con Van Beek and Dieter Haiber.

Local photographers find success in competitions
The photographers from Yary Photography submitted 23 entries into the Professional Photographers of Washington print competition, held in Ocean Shores March 30 - April 3. The PPW Print Exhibit selected all 23 of Yary’s entries to be on display during the conference.
Tina Muller, Radley Muller, Cindy Brown, Sally Kolar, Rachel Hathaway and Jordan Radke all won awards for their photographs as well. All of Yary Photography’s Award Winning images are on display in the “Photo Awards” section of the company’s Web site, www.yaryphoto.net.

Therapist contributes to support officers
Integrative massage therapist and counselor Marie Matteson contributed one-hour massages and one-minute stress release sessions to the winners of the six-week long Whatcom County Support Officers Group for their 2007 Fitness Challenge. The competition included area firefighters, police officers, support officers and dispatcher teams from Bellingham and Whatcom County.
The winners were: Brian Chissus, Jeremiah Smith, Jon Knutsen, Tawsha Dykstra and Rich Holdridge. They won the challenge by not only loosing weight, but also gaining muscle mass.
Matteson specializes in treatment for injuries and stress management.

McCoy travels to D.C.
Judy McCoy, co-owner and administrative manager of Camtec Precision Inc., a precision tool and die shop in Bellingham, traveled to the Boos Allen Hamilton Company in Washington, D.C., in April to serve as the on-site facilitator for the 20th anniversary presentation of the “2007 Annual Briefing for Administrative Professionals” telecast around the world.
McCoy currently serves in the position of president-elect on the IAAP International Board of Directors and will be installed as president at the association’s 2007 International Convention and Education Forum in Tampa, Fla., this summer.

RE/MAX agent receives “Most Referred” award
Michelle Clark, an associate broker for RE/MAX Whatcom County, has been named among the top three “most referred” real estate agents in Bellingham.
The announcement was made by Most Referred Real Estate Agents, Inc., which commissioned a survey of more than 75,000 agents about whom they would recommend if they were no longer selling real estate. Agents used client service, honesty, integrity and outstanding market knowledge as criteria in their recommendations.
Clark has been named to the RE/MAX Hall of Fame for exceptional achievements during her career. She also has served as a state director the last eight years for the Whatcom County Association of Realtors and was its Realtor of the Year in 1998.

Eminent physician moves to Washington
Dr. Mitchell Kahn, an internationally renowned expert in performing arts medicine, has relocated from New York City to Bellingham to open Bellingham Internal Medicine Associates. This general internal medicine practice, located on Squalicum Parkway, is on the site of the former AIM-HY Clinic, previously owned by Dr. James Major. The practice is open to patients age 16 and over and accepts major insurance plans, including Medicare.
Performing arts medicine, a relatively new specialty, treats the medical problems of performing artists, including ballet dancers, opera singers and instrumentalists. It bears many similarities to sports medicine, requiring a broad medical knowledge and a thorough understanding of the lifestyles and occupational needs of performing artists.
Before relocating to Bellingham, Kahn was director of the Miller Healthcare Institute for Performing Artists in New York City, the largest and most comprehensive center for performing arts medicine in America. Winner of many awards for medical service, Kahn was featured in 2006 in New York Magazine’s “Best in New York” issue. The New York Daily News praised him as one of the city’s “50 Unsung Heroes,” citing Dr. Kahn’s “gentle bedside manner” and “warm fatherly style of family practice.”

Local graphic designer wins Guru award
Scott Montgomery, owner and graphic designer of Scott Montgomery & Associates, won the Guru award in the artistic category at the annual Photoshop World conference.
The Guru Awards are a special Photoshop competition just for conference attendees of Photoshop World, and were created to honor and recognize the design, photography, retouching and creativity of attendees. Guru Awards have become the most prestigious and coveted awards in the international digital imaging industry.
Montgomery’s piece is displayed on Photoshop World’s Web site and will be featured in Photoshop User magazine.

Haggen Systems Administrator graduates from USC program
Norris Johnson, senior systems administrator for Haggen, Inc., graduated in April from an intensive 14-week management program at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.
Johnson completed the Food Industry Management Program at USC’s Marshall School of Business. The program, sponsored by the Western Association of Food Chains, is designed to develop general management skills, leadership qualities and communication expertise.
Johnson, a graduate of Washington State University, joined Haggen Inc., in 2003 as a systems administrator and then was promoted to his current position at corporate headquarters in Bellingham.

Northern Economics Inc. adds staff
Bill Schenken accepted a full-time job offer this March to become the fourth consultant in the Bellingham office of Northern Economics Inc (NEI). Schenken started with NEI as an intern in January 2006 while completing his MBA in Sustainable Business at the Bainbridge Graduate Institute (BGI). He transitioned to a part-time position soon after completing his studies at BGI. Schenken brings several years of sustainability, information technology and mathematical analysis experience to NEI, in addition to the communication, team work and business analysis skills he developed while at BGI.

Pioneer Ford GM completes management program
Pete Wolkin, general manager and co-owner of Pioneer Ford in Lynden, recently completed an intensive, one-year dealership management course.
Wolkin graduated from the Dealer Candidate Academy of the National Automobile Dealers Association. The specialized training curriculum is designed to improve the skills of owners and high-level management at dealerships.
Wolkin and his parents, Andy and Jim Clay, purchased Pioneer Ford three years ago.
“As local owners, we take it as our personal responsibility to give Whatcom County the best dealership possible,” Wolkin said.

Hearing Northwest owner donates hearing aids
Hearing Northwest owner Patricia Burns, a locally owned and operated hearing aid clinic and an Audible hearing aid dispenser, announced the successful completion of a one-day hearing aid mission trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, on February 28, that resulted in 110 adults and children receiving 220 hearing aids. The mission trip was completed in conjunction with the Starkey Hearing Foundation in an effort to fulfill the foundation’s commitment to helping the world to hear and the local Mexican Lions Club.

Sucee earns certification
Susan Sucee earned her PLS, the advanced certification for legal professionals in September 2006. PLS is the designation for lawyer’s assistants who want to be identified as exceptional. Certification is received after passing a one-day, four-part examination, which demonstrated dedication to professionalism and acceptance of the challenge to be exceptional.
Sucee studied for nine months prior to taking the exam and was the only Washington state resident to pass the exam in September. Sucee is a native of Bellingham and has worked in the local legal community for 15 years.

Electronics technician received NMEA certification
The National Marine Electronics Association announced that Bryan Hennessey, of Anacortes Marine Electronics, has been tested and certified as an NMEA Certified Marine Electronics Technician (CMET). This qualification test measures technical expertise and practical experience in marine electronics for recreational and commercial vessels.

Allstate Insurance staff member earn designation
Michelle Moena with the State Street Insurance Allstate agency of Scott Richardson and Carl Angell has completed a comprehensive coursework to build her skills, knowledge and professionalism and has received the Certified Professional Representative designation.

Spasojevich earns designation
Michelle Spasojevich of Valley Broadcasters Inc. in Mount Vernon has successfully met the requirements to earn the designation of Radio Marketing Professional (RMP) as certified by the Radio Advertising Bureau. The RMP designation is the first step in a comprehensive, multi-level training and certification program developed and administered by the Radio Advertising Bureau.

Rystrom completes training in childhood/adolescent weight management
Jan Kincaid Rystrom of Haggen Inc., recently earned a certificate of training in childhood and adolescent weight management from the American Dietetic Association.
The intensive program is designed to educate professionals about weight management care. The program also covers nutrition guidelines for healthy eating for children and adolescents.
Rystrom is manager of Haggen’s WellAware classes, as well as a certified diabetes educator and a nutritionist. She will be presenting classes this summer on shopping practices, menu planning and cooking skills that enhance a healthy lifestyle. The classes will be open to children, adolescents and parents.

Century 21 Bay properties announces new sales manager
Carl W. R Dufton, broker/owner of CENTURY 21 Bay Properties announced Steve Mason as the real estate company’s new sales manager. Mason will support agents in both the Bellingham and Birch Bay offices by helping them to achieve their personal goals.
“Steve is a welcomed addition to management team at CENTURY 21 Bay Properties” said Dufton. “As we look to grow our business and create the best possible real estate experience for the home buyers and sellers residing in or relocating to the Whatcom County area, talented and experienced professionals such as Steve are crucial to our overall success.”

Trott joins North Coast Credit Union
Dave Trott has joined North Coast Credit Union as the senior vice president and chief lending officer. Trott has 27 years of local banking experience. He will direct the credit union’s lending programs with an expanded focus on home loans, lot loans, mobile home loans, custom construction and builder loans and small commercial real estate loans.

Baron telecommunications hires wiring expert
Baron Telecommunications has hired Owen Simons to implement the company’s growing cabling services. Simons has extensive international experience in cabling, with background in installation, splicing, termination testing and troubleshooting of burial (underground) cable. He has been a project manager in South Africa and worked extensively in Canada with installation and termination of voice projects, Cat5E and Cat6 data cable.
“To have a professional with the caliber of expertise and experience of Owen in a market like Bellingham is extraordinary, and we are very pleased on behalf of our customers,” said Phil Bratt, CEO of Baron Telecommunications.

Baristas win in Fidalgo Bay Coffee competition
Fidalgo Bay Coffee held their first annual Best Barista Competition (BBC) in April, where 15 local baristas competed for bragging rights of being the Best Barista and the grand prize of $1,000.
Each barista was challenged to create a unique signature hot or iced espresso drink for the judges to taste and critique, as well as complete a written coffee knowledge test. After the scores were totaled from these two difficult challenges, the top five baristas with the most points moved into the final “Latte Lightening Round.”
During the Latte Lightening Round, Tabitha Bates from Cruisin’ Coffee’s Anacortes location completed the most double tall lattes within the five minute time frame given. She now has all the bragging rights of being The Best Barista of the First Annual BBC hosted by Fidalgo Bay Coffee, as well as $1,000 for her efforts.
Second place and $500 was awarded to Rosemary Whiting of Kwick Stop Espresso, Lynden; third place and $250 was earned by Savannah Powers of Morgan’s Espresso, Sedro Woolley. Jessica Doolittle of Friday Harbor’s Up Town Espresso received fourth place and Anglia Etter of Mount Vernon’s On the Road Espresso came in fifth. Honorable mention was given to Leah Thompson of Supreme Bean, Port Orchard.

Tourism bureau hires marketing intern
Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism hired Wendy Carpenter as the spring marketing and public relations intern.
Carpenter’s responsibilities at the bureau include working with local and national media to promote the region as a desirable travel destination, tracking media publicity and assisting with key marketing projects such as the bureau’s award winning Roadtrip Programs that promote travel packages throughout the region.
Carpenter is currently a senior at Western Washington University working toward a communications major. She has also worked at Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office, using her minor in sociology. She will graduate at the end of 2007.

Dorr recipient of award
The Washington Small Business Development Center Network has named Tom Dorr, director for Western Washington University’s College of Business and Economics’ Small Business Development Center (SBDC), a recipient of the Ron Battles Excellence Award. The award was presented in honor of Dorr’s dedication and excellent service to businesses in Whatcom County.
“Tom was selected based on a number of glowing client nominations, his body of work demonstrating commitment to excellence, and his above and beyond approach to clients, to community and to stakeholders at large,” said Brett Roger, state director for the Washington SBDC

Business Bank hires IT manager
Brian Fannin has recently been hired as IT manager for Business Bank of Skagit and Whatcom counties. Fannin’s many certifications include Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer 2003, Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator 2003 with Security Specialization, and Microsoft Certified Small Business Specialist.
“Brian’s addition to Business Bank will prove to be a wonderful asset to the bank. His IT expertise will allow for timely integration of new technology, thereby benefiting each and every Business Bank customer,” stated Chief Financial Officer Rob Woods.

Guadalupe receives 3rd place in Toastmasters competition
Cecelia Guadalupe competed in the District Toastmasters Evaluation and International Speech Contest in April, garnering a third place award. Guadalupe is a member of the Messengers 6:45 a.m. club that meets at Christ the King Church Tuesday mornings. She is also currently serving as Vice President of Education.
Guadalupe had been a member of Toastmasters less than seven months when she entered the competition.

Culligan Northwest hires human resources, marketing coordinator
Culligan Northwest is pleased to welcome Janie VanderBrink as its new human resources and marketing coordinator. VanderBrink will be responsible for human resources management, community outreach and customer follow-up. She will also be enhancing the company’s information technology systems.
“Janie is a multi-talented asset to our team,” says Co-owner Eric Clarke, “She’ll be able to help keep customer satisfaction high while also handling key behind-the-scenes projects.”

Banner Bank promotes Keeling
Banner Bank is pleased to announce the promotion of Erika Kelling to branch manager of its Barkley Boulevard branch.
Kelling has worked for Banner Bank for over nine years, most recently as a customer service manager at the downtown Bellingham Branch. She earned an associate degree from Whatcom Community College.

Fairhaven Realty adds McNamar
Nanc McNamar joins Fairhaven Realty as a Realtor. She was born and raised in Seattle. After working for the University of Washington School of Medicine for nearly twenty years, McNamar moved to Bellingham in 1998. Her love of old architecture drew her attention to the vintage, Victorian 4-plex on F Street. Over the next six years, she and her husband, Bryon Scott, brought the age-worn property to its now beautiful condition. In 2004, they moved to the big island of Hawaii where Nanc got her real estate license. Having returned to beloved Bellingham, Nanc is eager to apply her skills to the market here.
“Real Estate is my true love. It is my goal to enhance the purchasing and selling transactions for my clients and make them a positive experience. I promise to use all of my energy and expertise to further this,” McNamar said.

State association names Rep. Bailey for L.E.A.D.E.R. award
The Washington Economic Development Association (WEDA) has selected Rep. Barbara Bailey as recipient of its L.E.A.D.E.R. award. The award is provided in recognition of Leadership in Economic Advancement, Development and Effective Revitalization of Washington.
Bailey, R-Oak Harbor, accepted the award during the 2007 WEDA Spring Conference in Spokane.
According to WEDA’s immediate past chairman, Bruce Kendall, the association selects a legislator from each of the four caucuses who displayed outstanding leadership and dedication for their efforts to revitalize the economy of both urban and rural communities.

Jake Squires State Farm Insurance Agency adds two agents
Jake Squires State Farm Agency is please to announce the addition of Bradly Venables and Kimberley Woods. They will be joining Jake Squires and Nancy Leavitt in assisting and servicing clients with all aspects of insurance and financial needs.
Both Venables and Woods have earned their Washington State Property, Casualty, Life and Disability licenses and have completed State Farm requirements in all fields including becoming State Farm Bank certified.

Western professor earns Fulbright award
Fallou Ngom, Western Washington University assistant professor of French and Linguistics, received a Fulbright Research and Teaching Award and will teach and study in Senegal, West Africa.
Ngom is one of 135 Americans selected to teach or conduct research in 27 African countries for the 2007-2008 academic year. The award was given after a national competition and is one of the most prestigious awards in the field.
Ngom will teach at University Gaston Berger and study the linguistic system of Wolofal, an Arabic-based writing system used to transliterate the Wolof language in Senegal. This writing system is not widely known and rarely studied. French is considered to be the official language in Senegal. However, according to Ngom, the only specialist of these West African Arabic-based systems in the United States, more than half of Senegalese people are illiterate in French. Wolofal is the popular form of written communication in rural areas but the Senegalese national literacy programs do not recognize it.

Lyter Photography and Design awarded county and state projects
Barbara Lyter of Lyter Photography/Design in Oak Harbor has just been awarded a contract from Island County Health Department to design four “Z Card Pocket Guides” for four trail systems in Island County.
Lyter has also been awarded a contract from Washington State Parks to design the new Kiosk at Fort Casey and she designed the masthead for the Deception Pass email newsletter “Current” for the State Parks system.
In addition to her recent contract awards, Barbara Lyter has been enjoying special praise for her work. Lyter Photography/Design was voted Business of the Month for April by the Greater Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce. Her entry, “Driven to Abstraction,” was accepted in a juried show at the North Bank Gallery in Vancouver, Wash.

Northwest Computer adds accounting manager
Susan Sanvictores is the new accounting manager for Northwest Computer. Sanvictores formerly served as comptroller for Robert Young and Associates as well as business manager for the Toyota Center Arena and Three Rivers Convention Center in the Tri-Cities area.
“Our business continues to evolve,” Northwest Computer’s John D’Onofrio says. “As we grow, our financial management needs have grown commensurately. Susan brings high level skills both in terms of accounting and personnel management to the team.”

Administrative professional of the year awarded
The Bellingham Chapter of the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP) is pleased to announce Christina Van Wingerden as the recipient of the 2007 Administrative Professional of the Year award. Van Wingerden was recognized and awarded at a luncheon held in celebration of administrative professionals throughout Whatcom and Skagit counties on April 25, 2007 at the Bellingham Golf & Country Club.