WWU Trustees name new university president
The Western Washington University Board of Trustees has chosen Bruce Shepard, chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, as Western’s 13th president.
Shepard will succeed current President Karen W. Morse, who is retiring Sept. 1 after 15 years at Western. Shepard will assume his new duties at WWU on Sept. 1.
Shepard has served as chancellor at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay since 2001. His tenure has been marked by his work in growing the university and gaining private financial support for the institution.
Shepard was identified by the board of trustees as the preferred candidate in April after a nationwide search and extensive review of candidates. He was one of five finalists out of 53 applications.
Shepard came to the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay from Eastern Oregon University, where he served as provost and also was a professor of political science. Shepard’s academic background includes bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in political science from the University of California, Riverside.
A native of California, Shepard is an avid sailor. He and wife Cyndie have one son, Paul.

PEOPLES BANK HIRES OLSON AS RESIDENTIAL SALES MANAGER
Jeff Olson has been hired as vice president of sales and production for real estate lending by Peoples Bank, which is headquartered in Lynden.
Olson will provide sales planning and production support to the bank’s 32 loan originators throughout the Puget Sound region and Wenatchee. His primary office will be in Bellingham at the bank’s real estate loan center in Cordata.
Olson, who recently relocated to Whatcom County from the Bellevue area, has 37 years of experience in financial services, 32 of which have been focused on sales management, business development, recruiting, product development and market expansion.
He is involved is the community as an adviser and sponsor of the Washington Homeownership Center, a member of the King and Snohomish Master Builders Association, and in the past has been a volunteer for King County Habitat for Humanity.

MCKINLEY IS BELLINGHAM BULLDOGS’ HEAD COACH
Dick McKinley is head coach of the Bellingham Bulldogs Semi-Professional Football team this season.
McKinley is director of Bellingham’s Public Works Department.
The Bellingham Bulldogs play their home games at Civic Field. The season began in March.

TARRIDA IS NEW KITCHEN AND BATH DESIGNER
Jordan Tarrida is the newest kitchen and bath designer to join the Bellingham team at Valley Cabinets Kitchens & More.
Tarrida has a successful sales background, with specific experience in home improvement and cabinet design. Most recently, he worked for Hardware Sales Inc., where he gained valuable experience working as a kitchen and bath designer as well as assisting customers with their lighting and plumbing fixture needs. Previously, he served as owner/operator of Wholesale Interiors LLC, where he designed, sold and managed all of the company’s cabinetry projects.

NEW OFFICERS APPOINTED TO WOMEN’S PROFESSIONAL GROUP
The following have been appointed as 2008 officers for the Whatcom Women in Business association:
Evelyn Turner of The Easy Entrée has been appointed for a second term as president, Missy Bartel of Connections SLP as secretary, Cindy Grass of Al’s I-5 RV as treasurer, Barbara Sanford of Launching Success Learning Store as vice president of programs, Jeanette Coffey of Pre-Paid Legal Services as vice president of membership, Annette Booth of Allstate Insurance as vice president of publicity, and Patricia Campbell of Life By Desire as at-large officer. Diana Banister of Arbonne International is Webmaster and Becky Raney of Print & Copy Factory, past president, has agreed to continue her work on the group’s newsletter.
Whatcom Women in Business is comprised of women business owners and managers who focus on developing and maintaining proactive role models within the association and the community at large.

WWU PROFESSOR RECEIVES GRANT
Western Washington University assistant professor Jason Levy has received an $11,790 emergency preparedness grant from the North American Research Linkages Program to investigate emergency management strategies for coping with disasters that cross political and geographical borders.
Levy said he will use the grant to lead a team of students to study disaster management at the U.S.-Canadian border near Vancouver, B.C., and the U.S.-Mexican border near San Diego to investigate best practices for transboundary-disaster risk reduction and emergency management.

HAIR STYLIST ADDED TO AMOUR CHEVEUX STAFF
Heather Surls is the newest stylist at Amour Cheveux, Oak Harbor’s only AVEDA Concept Salon.
Surls, an experienced stylist who joins Amour from San Diego, specializes in precision haircuts, custom color, highlights, extensions, makeup and formal styles. She enjoys creating classic and modern looks for both men and women.

STERLING AGENT “GREENS” YOUR HOME IN PARTY FASHION
Local eco-broker Shenandoah Myrick of Sterling Real Estate Group has founded “Greening Your Home,” a fun-for-all-ages educational class in a home-party setting for those who want to enhance the health and efficiency of their homes.
“Greening Your Home came about as home owners asked more and more and more questions about what being an eco-broker meant,” Myrick said.

ARCHER EARNS INSURANCE DESIGNATION
Shari Archer of Oltman Insurancy Agency of Bellingham has earned her Accredited Customer Service Representative (ACSR) designation.
The ACSR designation is awarded to individuals who successfully complete the ACSR training program and pass examinations that attest to the individual’s understanding and ability to assist clients with their insurance needs.
Archer, who joined the agency in 1996, is a Sehome High School graduate.

WORKFORCE STRATEGIES PRESENTED BY ALLIED HR’s Lewis
Kelly Lewis of Allied HR Consulting provided a workforce strategies presentation to the American Society of Women Accountants (ASWA) during a meeting on March 18.
“Employers everywhere struggle with either allowing sufficient time to make a thoughtful hire, not being prepared with the right questions, or having a consistent and effective process,” Lewis said. “Employers need practical tools to help them make the best hiring decisions.”

INSURANCE AGENT HAGEDORN EARNS DESIGNATION
Bob Hagedorn, property and casualty insurance agent at Snapper Shuler Kenner Insurance, has earned his Certified Insurance Counselor designation.
The designation is meant to provide excellent programs of practical value to the best insurance and risk management agents in the country, enabling that agent to continually work to bring greater knowledge and value to their customers.

TWEDT RECEIVES DESIGNATION
Paul D. Twedt, CLU of Northwestern Mutual Financial Network in Bellingham, has earned his Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) designation from the American College of Bryn Mawr, Penn.
With a ChFC designation, Twedt has received one of the most extensive educations available for financial professionals, which builds on their knowledge of advanced coverage of estate, retirement and other financial planning applications. As a managing director with the Northwestern Mutual Financial Network, Twedt is part of a network of specialists offering a wide array of insurance, investment products and services.

WWU PROFESSOR RESEARCHES NEIGHBORHOODS’ EFFECTS ON FAMILIES
Western Washington University professor of Sociology Kyle Crowder has received a two-year, $141,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health to continue his investigation into the effects of neighborhoods on families.
Crowder’s research, done in conjunction with his collaborator Scott South at the State University of New York at Albany, looks at how neighborhoods change opportunities and outcomes, especially in adolescents.

PETERSON APPOINTED SUSTAINABILITY DIRECTOR AT COLOPHON CAFÉ
Leah Peterson has been appointed director of sustainability programs for the Colophon Café in Fairhaven.
Peterson has worked at the restaurant on and off for five years and is currently an environmental studies student at Whatcom Community College, where she also works with WCC to initiate the food waste program.

COWGILL JOINS THE COURTYARD
Karen Cowgill is the new director of marketing at The Courtyard, a full-service dementia-care facility in Bellingham.
Cowgill most recently oversaw 600,000 square feet of out-of-state real estate.

STEWART TITLE PROMOTES GRANT
Elizabeth Grant, president and manager of the Stewart Title Bellingham office, has been promoted to Region C Sales director for Stewart Title.
Grant brings her substantial experience in management, escrow, and sales and marketing to her new position, working with the affiliate operations in Washington, Oregon and Alaska to grow marketshare in the region. Grant has 24 years’ experience in the title industry has been the president of the Bellingham operation for five years.

GRIMSTEAD JOINS WWU’S SBDC AS BUSINESS ADVISER
Eric Grimstead has joined the staff of business advisers at Western Washington University’s College of Business and Economics’ Small Business Development Center (SBDC).
Grimstead has more than 15 years experience in marketing, business development and accounting and has owned a marketing and Web-development company for the past seven years. During that time, he worked with clients in the manufacturing, retail and service sectors. He also has extensive experience in Internet marketing, copywriting and direct mail, and earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Puget Sound.

GOFF PROMOTED TO OPERATIONS MANAGER
Cameron Goff of Ferndale has been promoted to operations manager by Deception Pass Tours, an award-winning tour company.
Goff has been with the company since its inception, serving as naturalist aboard the hourly tours of Deception Pass Bridge and the surrounding area. In his new role, he will be responsible for keeping an eye on customer service to ensure that guests feel that they have received excellent value.
Goff is working toward becoming a U.S. Coast Guard-certified captain, and expects to receive his license sometime this summer.

HUNTLEY, FLEISHMAN JOIN RE/MAX WHATCOM COUNTY
Kevin Huntley and Jim Fleishman have joined RE/MAX Whatcom County’s Bellingham office.
Huntley brings three years of experience to RE/MAX. He has earned multiple awards for sales production during the last three years at another local real-estate agency. The Bellingham native offers extensive knowledge in the residential and commercial real estate markets.
Fleishman, newly licensed, has 25 years of sales management and marketing expertise. He will focus primarily on condominium and luxury home markets.

LIND, HANSTAD RECEIVE COASTAL COMMUNITY BANK APPOINTMENTS
Coastal Community Bank, headquartered in Everett, has appointed Jeff Lind as senior vice president and commercial team leader and John Hanstad as vice president and commercial lender.
Lind joins Coastal with 20-plus years of banking experience, most recently with Whidbey Island Bank. He has held leadership roles in both management and executive positions, and has served as regional manager within an investment department, as well as a retail sales manager and commercial lender. He also has extensive experience in real estate in Snohomish and Island counties. Lind’s community service includes participation in the Stanwood Chamber of Commerce and Stanwood Lions Club. He currently serves as president of the Stanwood Camano Area Foundation.
Hanstad comes from Whidbey Island Bank after 10 years experience as a commercial lender in Snohomish, Island and Skagit counties. He also brings with him 20 years’ experience in banking, including branch management and commercial lending. Hanstad is active in Design Stanwood and the Stanwood Chamber of Commerce.

LAUDENBACH ACHIEVES NATIONAL RECOGNITION
Five-year agent Joe Laudenbach of Sterling Real Estate Group has been awarded the Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR) designation by the National Association of Realtors.
Laudenbach joins more than 32,000 real estate professionals in North America who have earned the ABR designation. All were required to successfully complete a comprehensive course in buyer representation and an elective course focusing on a buyer representation specialty.

KULSHAN CLT TRUSTEES, OFFICERS ANNOUNCED FOR 2008
The Kulshan Community Land Trust membership elected Andrew Connor and Bill Sterling as new trustees, and former Bellingham Mayor Tim Douglas was appointed to the board during KulshanCLT’s 2007 annual celebration in November.
Connor has been a Bellingham resident since 2003. He is active in the Sunnyland Neighborhood Association and a performing artist and one-half of the local comedy duo “The Cody Rivers Show.”
Sterling is owner of Sterling Custom Services, a general contractor and stone masonry company. The Whatcom County native was a founding director of Evergreen Land Trust in 1983. He also was one of the co-founders of KulshanCLT in 1999 and served as a trustee through 2006.
Douglas, a longtime former mayor and recent interim mayor of Bellingham, serves as director of the Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development. His professional, board and neighborhood affiliations give him a broad perspective and keen interest in working closely with neighborhood groups as Bellingham updates its Comprehensive Plan to provide infill opportunities and mixed-use projects.
The following officers were elected at the Board of Trustees meeting in January: President Alex Ramel, program manager for ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability; Vice President Jessica Wight, case manager for Northwest Regional Council; Secretary AnnMarie Jordan, resource specialist with Northwest Workforce Development Council; and Treasurer Eric Plum, a massage therapist who has a degree and background in accounting. Remaining board members are Bill Findley and Elsie Heinrick.

BELLINGHAM PHYSICAL THERAPIST ATTENDS WORKSHOP
Bellingham physical therapist Julie DePaul, PT, BCIA-PMDB, recently attended the visceral manipulation workshop for the thorax, level 4, offered in Seattle by The Barral Institute.
Visceral manipulation is a manual therapy in which light, specifically placed pressure encourages normal mobility, tone and tissue motion of the internal organs and their connective tissue.
DePaul is certified in biofeedback for pelvic floor dysfunction and has practiced as a physical therapist in Bellingham for 30 years. She owns HEALTHY FOCUS Physical Therapy.

WWU PROFESSOR RECEIVES GRANT TO STUDY LANGUAGE, CULTURE
Western Washington University Professor William Demmert recently received a $125,575 grant to study the influences of indigenous language development and a culturally based education program on improved academic performance.
The grant from the Kamehameha Schools in Hawaii will help Demmert show that students who learn an indigenous language and have the support of a culturally based education program will do as well or better than their peers who do not have an educational program that supports the students’ indigenous language, cultural heritage and tribal identity. The grant’s goal is to identify teaching and curriculum strategies that will be more successful with students who are not currently served well by schools.

BENTSEN NAMED GENERAL MANAGER OF BURLINGTON HOTEL
Lennart Bentsen has been appointed general manager of the Hampton Inn & Suites hotel located in Burlington.
Bentsen will direct all areas of the hotel’s operations, including guest services, sales and marketing efforts and hotel administration.
Bentsen was involved with the opening of the hotel in 2006, and prior to joining the Hampton Inn & Suites Burlington he managed multiple departments in Canadian hotels/resorts. He graduated from Colorado Technical University with a degree in business administration.

WWU’S LEVY APPOINTED TO NATURAL RESOURCES INSTITUTE POSITION
Jason Levy, Western Washington University assistant professor of disaster reduction and emergency planning at the Huxley College of the Environment, has been appointed to a three-year term as an adjunct professor in the Natural Resources Institute (NRI) at the University of Manitoba.
Levy will participate in the formulation and execution of graduate-studies policy and provide advice on the choice of thesis/practicum topics for graduate students. During his term, he will remain a full-time faculty member at Western.

BELLINGHAM CARDIOLOGIST ACCEPTS STANFORD POSITION
Dr. William L. Lombardi, a partner in Bellingham-based North Cascade Cardiology, PLLC, has accepted an adjunct clinical professorship at Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif.
An internationally recognized interventional cardiologist, Dr. Lombardi, MD, FACC, FSCAI, will instruct university fellows, faculty and physicians around the nation in chronic total coronary occlusion (CTO) techniques. The unique medical procedure utilizes the body’s small blood vessels to access and clear blocked arteries. Only about 100 of these complex surgeries were conducted in the United States in the past year, and Dr. Lombardi performed one-third of those procedures.
The new position will take Dr. Lombardi to Stanford one day each month for the next two to three years. He sees a possibility for linkages between the university CTO program and institutions and medical practices in Bellingham.
In addition to his practice at North Cascade Cardiology, Dr. Lombardi is medical director of Cardiac Catheterization Laboratories at St. Joseph Hospital in Bellingham.

BENNETT NAMED DIRECTOR OF LEADERSHIP SKAGIT
Kathryn Bennett of Anacortes has been named director of Leadership Skagit (LS), a nine-month, leadership-training program organized through a partnership with the Economic Development Association of Skagit County, Washington State University and Skagit Valley College.
Bennett is the former executive director of the Island Hospital Foundation. She has 25 years experience in nonprofit management, including executive director positions with the American Red Cross and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Washington and Alaska. For the majority of her career, she served as CEO of the American Red Cross for the state of Hawaii and the American Territories of the Pacific. Most recently, she provided facilitation, nonprofit consulting and coaching through Bennett and Bennett, LLC. She is a graduate of the Leadership Skagit Class of 2004 and has served as a coach and as co-chair of the program’s curriculum committee.

WWU’S MORSE HONORED BY STATE REPRESENTATIVES AND SENATE
The Washington State House of Representatives honored Western Washington University President Karen W. Morse during the recent legislative session, noting her many achievements and contributions to higher education and the state.
Rep. Kelli Linville (D-Bellingham) moved for adoption of a resolution at the House of Representatives that described President Morse’s many accomplishments. Morse, who is in her 15th year as president at Western, will retire this September. The House approved the resolution.
On Feb. 11, the Washington State Senate also honored President Morse, citing her 15 years of service.

REALTORS MURRAY, PACE ATTEND KELLER WILLIAMS CONVENTION
Meredith Murray and Nancy Pace, Bellingham Realtors, attended the Keller Williams International “Family Reunion” annual convention in Atlanta, along with nearly 9,000 Keller Williams Realtors from across North America.
Murray also received her first KWI award – a Bronze Medal for her gross commissions earned in 2007. She also recently earned her Accredited Buyer Representative designation.

BELLINGHAM SELECTS NEW FIRE MARSHAL
Bellingham Fire Chief Bill Boyd has selected Jason Napier as Bellingham’s new fire marshal.
Napier, 37, replaces Don Smith, 64, who is retiring after 26 years of service. Smith has served as fire marshal for the past three years.
Napier brings a broad range of experience and expertise gained from 15 years with the Kent Fire Department. One of the first in the country to be certified as a fire marshal by the International Code Council, Napier also holds certifications as a building official, alarm technician, fire investigator, instructor and public educator. Additionally, Napier has a strong background in emergency scene operations and technical rescue, including service on the Seattle area FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Task Force.

CARUCERIU, HAMILTON JOIN PRUDENTIAL KELSTRUP REALTORS
Connie Caruceriu and Jan Hamilton have joined Prudential Kelstrup Realtors as sales associates.
Caruceriu will concentrate on residential and multi-family real estate sales and looks forward to reaching out to her fellow Romanians in Whatcom County and British Columbia.
Hamilton brings more than seven years experience, as well as professional credentials including CRS, GRI and ABR. She also is a member of the Commercial Brokers Association.

STATE MIGRANT COUNCIL TEACHER RECEIVES NATIONAL AWARD
Maria Valerio, head teacher for the Washington State Migrant Council and a student in Skagit Valley College’s Early Childhood Education (ECE) program, received the national Head Start Office Higher Education graduate award for 2008 during a ceremony in Washington, D.C.
Dr. Jean Simpson, Office of Head Start Education specialist, presented the award to Valerio in recognition of her success as a college student and as an Early Childhood Education teacher. Valerio is one of only five students nationwide to receive the award, which is presented to Head Start teachers who not only succeed at work and in college, but who also encourage their fellow staff members to meet new higher educational standards for Head Start teachers.
In addition to working at the Washington State Migrant Council - La Paloma Mount Vernon Center, Valerio is completing her associate in technical arts degree in Early Childhood Education this quarter at the college.

BELLINGHAM CHIROPRACTOR GAINS SPORTS CERTIFICATION
Dr. Steve Noble of Noble Sports Chiropractic in Bellingham has earned his Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician designation.
Dr. Noble attended a minimum of 100 hours of a post-graduate programming focusing on physical fitness and the evaluation and treatment of injuries encountered in sports. He also passed a comprehensive written examination. The CCSP designation has been awarded by the American Chiropractic Board of Sports Physicians to only 4,000 others worldwide.
Dr. Noble, a graduate of Western States Chiropractic College in Portland, Ore., is trained in several techniques particularly suited to the treatment of athletes of all ages and abilities. He is certified to implement the Graston Technique for soft tissue mobilization of acute and chronic conditions.

KENNEDY, PALMER JOIN WELLS FARGO PRIVATE CLIENT SERVICES
Ron Kennedy and Shannon Palmer have joined Wells Fargo Private Client Services (PCS) as private bankers. As private bankers, Kennedy and Palmer will provide customized and creative banking solutions to clients in Whatcom, Skagit, San Juan and Island counties.
Kennedy will be based in Wells Fargo’s Anacortes banking store and will serve clients in Skagit and Island counties and the San Juan Islands. He has previously worked as a corporate banker and senior relationship manager with Citibank/Citigroup and JP Morgan Chase. The Conway resident earned a bachelor’s degree from Gordon College in Wenham, Mass., and a master’s in business administration from Boston University. He is fluent in German and Czech.
Palmer will be based in the new wealth management offices in Bellingham and will serve customers primarily in Whatcom County. She most recently worked as a premier banking and investments client manager for Bank of America. The Birch Bay resident earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Montana.

MATT GOODRICH PROMOTED AT RAYMOND JAMES FINANCIAL SERVICES
Matt Goodrich has been promoted to co-branch manager of Raymond James Financial Services Inc.’s Bellwether Way office in Bellingham.
Goodrich previously served as a financial adviser at the branch. He has more than 10 years’ experience in the financial services industry and is a registered principal and financial adviser.

LOCAL PHOTOGRAPHER PRESENTS AT PROFESSIONAL EVENTS
Bellingham photographer Tore Ofteness displayed his construction photography at the annual meeting of the Associated General Contractors of Washington in January.
The exhibit, titled “Construction as Art,” consisted of images from the Tacoma Narrows Bridge project, on which Ofteness was contract photographer for a year, as well as other construction projects from around Washington state and Alaska. More than 300 AGC members attended the event.
Ofteness also attended the annual conference of the Professional Aerial Photographers Association International in Los Angeles, which included more than 100 aerial photographers from around the United States, Canada, Denmark and Australia.
At the conference, Ofteness showcased his aerial photographs for the Northwest during a presentation titled “Koma Kulshan: The Great White One.” He also was awarded the runner-up ribbon for the Best of Show image, “Flower Moon,” a photo of Mount Baker with the full moon from May 2007.

HARRYMAN JOINS SYNERGY SALON & DAY SPA
Morgan Harryman has joined the professional team at Synergy Salon & Day Spa in Mount Vernon.
Morgan graduated from Gene Juarez Academy in Seattle more than seven years ago. She specializes in color, but continues to educate herself by attending many educational seminars, which have included coloring techniques, color correction, hair cutting/styling and updos for special occasions.

TERCERO AGENCY EARNS TRIP TO NASCAR EVENT
Navor Tercero, agency owner of Tercero Insurance, was recognized by Nationwide Insurance as one of the top commercial producers in the Pacwest Region, which includes Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Utah and Arizona.
The agency earned a trip to NASCAR Las Vegas UAW-Dodge 400 to watch the races. Nationwide Insurance is the official insurance sponsor of NASCAR and the Nationwide Series.

LARRY GOODRICH ACHIEVES MEMBERSHIP IN RAYMOND JAMES’ 2008 EXECUTIVE COUNCIL
Larry Goodrich, CFP and branch manger of the Bellwether Way office of Raymond James Financial Services Inc. in Bellingham, has been named to the firm’s 2008 Executive Council. This marks his 25th year of recognition of providing outstanding guidance and service to the investing public and exemplary professional growth.
Executive Council honors are presented only to those financial advisers who have demonstrated an extremely high level of commitment to clients through personal service and professional integrity.
Goodrich, who joined Raymond James in 1982, has more than 40 years experience in the financial services industry. He offers a comprehensive range of investment and financial planning alternatives for individuals and businesses.

INSURANCE AGENT ROLLO VAN SLYKE EARNS PRESTIGIOUS ‘ELITE’ STATUS
Rollo Van Slyke, owner of the Rollo Van Slyke Farmers Insurance Agency Inc. of Bellingham, has qualified as an “Elite” agent during 2007 by Farmers Insurance.
Elite status is awarded to agents for consistently high sales volume of commercial insurance policies, plus high client retention, service and profitability.
Of the nearly 750 Farmers agents located throughout Washington state, Van Slyke’s Agency is among a select group of less than 4 percent of these agents who achieve Elite status.

FOUNDATION BOARD MEMBERS RETIRE, NEW BOARD MEMBERS RECOGNIZED
St. Luke’s Foundation recently honored retiring board members Carol Dittrich, Margaret Miller and John Moore and filled their positions with Matt Rose, Betty Miller and Leslie Farris. Executive Director Chuck Beard also announced his plan to retire in July.
Dittrich and Margaret Miller are both founding (1982) board members, and Moore has served on the board since 1983.
Rose is COO of Northwest Radiology/Mount Baker Imaging, Betty Miller serves in computer services for Bellingham School District, and Farris is publicity chair for Bellingham Dollars for Scholars Foundation and an active member with many other groups in the community.
Beard has led the foundation for 11 years. During his tenure, the foundation’s endowment has grown by $3.4 million and more than $4.7 million has been invested in Whatcom County healthcare. The board is currently conducting a search for a new executive director.

ACCOUNTANTS JOIN VARNER SYTSMA HERNDON
Accountants Bob Alberg and Lukas Henne have joined the staff at Varner Sytsma Herndon (VSH), a Bellingham CPA firm serving businesses and individuals.
Alberg has more than 20 years public accounting experience in diverse areas of accounting and taxation. He has a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a master’s degree in taxation.
Henne joins VSH after graduating late last year with an accounting degree from Western Washington University, where he also played basketball for the Vikings and served as team captain his senior year.

3D CORPORATION APPOINTS PROJECT MANAGER
Ryan Pavitt has been appointed project manager by 3D Corporation in Bellingham.
Pavitt is one of 3D’s many skilled network engineers, and he has completed more than 30 successful projects.

MCGARRY RETURNS TO APPLIED RESERCH NORTHWEST
Traci McGarry has returned to Applied Research Northwest (ARN) as call center manager and human resource director.
McGarry previously worked for ARN as senior supervisor before teaching English in South Korea for two years. She directs all human resources and coordinates call center-related project management at ARN, and assures data quality by monitoring and providing on-going training to interviewers and supervisors. She also works closely with the operations manager to manage scheduling, work flow, deadlines and resources.
ARN is a social scientific research firm that specializes in survey research in a wide variety of contexts, including evaluation research, client follow-up, community research, public polling and organizational research.

WOIWOD RECEIVES “EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR” AWARD
Linda Woiwod, dean of student services at Skagit Valley College, has been selected Educator of the Year by the Washington State Community and Technical College Women’s Programs Council.
Woiwod was recognized for 21 years of dedication to higher education opportunities for women through leadership, mentorship and scholarship opportunities in women’s and displaced homemaker’s programs. The award, a framed print by Alaskan artist Rie Muñoz, was presented during the council’s winter meeting in Olympia. Margo Grothe, coordinator for the Displaced Homemakers Program at SVC, accepted the award on Woiwod’s behalf.

BANNER BANK PROMOTES WOOD IN FERNDALE
Barbara Wood has been promoted from personal banker to Ferndale retail branch manger by Banner Bank.
Prior to joining Banner Bank in 2002, Wood served as an assistant manager for US Bank in Bellingham.
Banner Corporation is the parent company of Banner Bank, a commercial bank that operates in 29 counties in Washington, Oregon and Idaho. It is also now the parent of Islanders Bank, which operates three branch offices in the San Juan Islands.

YONALLY HIRED BY BANK OF AMERICA
Sharon Yonally has joined Bank of America Mortgage as a mortgage loan officer.
Yonally, who has more than 20 years’ experience working in the local mortgage market, specializes in mortgage planning, and educating and assisting clients to make informed choices about their financing options while integrating the mortgage into the client’s overall financial plan. As an industry authority on both fixed and adjustable rate mortgages, she works closely with clients to customize their loan to address their personal long- and short-term financial and investment goals, as well as payment and equity objectives.

WWU PROFESSOR NAMED TO EUROMED PROJECT
Western Washington University associate professor Nicholas Zaferatos has been named the principal investigator of the EuroMed Sustainable Communities project, an effort sponsored by the European Union to build sustainable economies across cultural and political boundaries.
The island of Kefalonia, Greece, with its ancient ties to the Mediterranean olive-oil industry, will be one of the first test-case subjects in the EuroMed Sustainable Communities project led by Zaferatos. The goal is to create micro-economies based on the principles of sustainable development within the olive oil industry, following the Fair Trade business approach that has been adapted to the global coffee-growing industry.
EuroMed stakeholders meetings are aimed at resulting in a viable and sustainable business proposal that can be implemented to start development. The stakeholder group includes non-government organizations and local farming communities from Tunisia, Greece, Italy, Palestine and Jordan. Among the attendees providing technical expertise to the stakeholder group will be fellow WWU faculty members Gigi Berardi-Alloway (Environmental Studies) and James Loucky (Anthropology)..