Punkie Johnson Takes over Frontier MV Branch

Cecilia “Punkie” Johnson recently joined Frontier Bank’s Mount Vernon office as company vice president and branch manager.

Former manager of Bank of American in downtown Mount Vernon, Johnson has more than 29 years of experience in banking, most of them in Skagit County.

“We are excited to have a banker with Punkie’s experience join our team,” says Tim FitzGerald, who has served as interim manager of the Mount Vernon branch, 119 E. College Way; he also is a former manager of Frontier’s Burlington office.

“Frontier Bank’s diverse product mix and commitment to high-touch, personalized service will enable Punkie to better serve her countless business contacts in the area,” he says.

Johnson is a member of the Rotary Club of Mount Vernon and the City of Mount Vernon Mayor’s Advisory Committee, serves on the Financial Committee of the Mount Vernon Christian School, and formerly served 10 years on the city’s Planning Commission. She also is a past board member of the Mount Vernon Chamber of Commerce.

 

Piazza Jr. Heads Construction Company

John Piazza Jr. has been named president of Piazza Construction, Inc. of Mount Vernon, taking over from his father, John Piazza Sr.

The younger Piazza has 15 years of experience in the construction industry and counts among his projects Parkside Special Care in Sedro-Woolley, the La Conner Retirement Inn and Oak Harbor Retirement Community, as well as a host of custom homes.

Piazza Construction was established in 1973 and is a design-build company that bids and builds projects, not only on a turn-key basis, but also as a joint venture partner with prospective clients as the need arises.

Call 424-3547 for more information.

 

Grunhurd Named Head of Cascade Nat’l Gas

Dave Grunhurd has been promoted to director of the Northwest Region for Cascade Natural Gas, serving operations in the Bellingham and Mount Vernon districts.

“We are continually striving to improve services to our customers through better practices and operation efficiencies. Mr. Grunhurd’s appointment reinforces that dedication to improving services,” says Will Odell, vice president of Cascade.

Grunhurd joined the company in 1976 and has served as district manager in Grays Harbor and, since 1988, Bellingham. He has a degree in business from Central Washington University and lives with his family in Bellingham.

 

Alumbaugh Joins Synergy Salon

Barbara Alumbaugh is the new esthetician at Synergy Salon, 2108 Riverside Drive in Mount Vernon.

Alumbaugh has served for two years as an award-winning licensed massage therapist at the salon but switched over last December. She offers European, teen and men’s facials; any kind of body waxing, wraps and treatments; and make-up applications.

Call 428-5055 for an appointment.

 

Williams & Nulle Appoints Two to Island Offices

Patricia Anderson and Deborah Emel have been appointed to the Williams and Nulle, PLLC offices in Anacortes and Oak Harbor, where they will each maintain offices.

Anderson, a certified public accountant who resides in Anacortes and was previously assigned to the company’s Mount Vernon office, is president of North Cascades Chapter of the American Society of Women Accountants, board member of the Northwest Chapter of the Washington Society of Certified Public Accountants and member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Emel, a paraprofessional, has 14 years of small-business financial recordkeeping for a range of companies including a ski resort, property-development company and several law firms. She serves on the Funding and Development Committee of the Balley Company of Spokane, coordinated the 2001 catalog of the Coupeville Arts Center and served as tutor in the Washington Literacy Program.

Williams and Nulle was established in 1952 and comprises six partners, seven CPAs, eight paraprofessionals and four support staff.

 

Moorad Leaves PSRC for Texas Post

Judith Moorad, who held the reins through difficult times as president of Puget Sound Refining Co. in Anacortes, has moved on to become vice president of safety, health and environment for Equiva Services, an arm of PSRC’s parent company, Equilon Enterprises, in Houston, Texas.

Named to succeed her in the March’s Point office was Thomas N. Smith, former operations manager at Shell before it merged with Texaco and became Equilon.

Moorad, who was profiled in the October 2000 issue of The Skagit County Business Monthly, took over administration of PSRC after the merger and guided it through the difficult times that followed the Thanksgiving Eve coker-unit blast that killed four workers in 1998.

She will oversee corporate policies, standards and procedures on safety and health for Equilon and its sister company, Motiva Enterprises. She says she and her husband, Bruce, also will maintain a presence here with a home in the area.

 

Cartwright Joins Team at Prudential Skagit

Corinne Cartwright has joined Prudential Skagit Realtors in Mount Vernon as a Realtor.

A member of the Skagit County Association of REALTORS, Cartwright has lived in the area for 20 years, is married with four children and lives in Sedro-Woolley.

Prudential’s offices are located at 300 E. College Way. Call 428-4111.

 

Wilson Elected to Moss Adams Post

Russ Wilson, certified public accountant and managing partner with Bellingham-based Moss Adams LLP, has been elected to the firm’s executive committee for a second two-year term

The committee is the governing body for the company’s 25 offices, three affiliates, 175 partners and more than 1,400 staff in Washington, Oregon and California.

Moss Adams’ Bellingham office serves clients in Skagit, Whatcom and Island counties.

 

Fedor Provides Seminar to Help Women Job Seekers

Sandra Fedor, owner of Mystic Wind Nail and Body Impressions in Sedro-Woolley, recently gave a seminar to help women feel more confident in preparing for job interviews.

The seminar was presented as part of a Workforce Development Council program last month in Bellingham.

To assist Fedor, Jakie and Dale Boudreau of J.D.’s Impressive Nails in Sedro-Woolley and EZ Flow Nail Systems of California donated nail-care products for the presentation, Fedor says.

 

Blackbird Celebrates 10th Anny at Printwise

Martha Blackbird, lead press operator at Printwise Inc. of Mount Vernon, recently celebrated her 10th anniversary with the company.

“Martha is an accomplished operator with a love of printing,” say owners Jeanne Glick and Jean Leib.

For more information, call 424-5945.

 

Local State Reps Pegged for House Posts

The two state representatives from the 40th District, Jeff Morris of Sedro-Woolley and Dave Quall of Mount Vernon, have been invited to co-chair House committees for the Democratic Party.

Morris, who lives north of Alger, was selected as co-chair of the House Finance Committee.

Quall was reappointed to co-chair the House Education Committee.

Rep. Barry Sehlin, R-Oak Harbor, was named co-chair of the House Appropriations Committee. He represents the 10th District, which includes Fidalgo Island.

Democrats and Republicans are equally represented, 49 to 49, in the state House of Representatives, necessitating co-chairmanships.

 

Bratt Selected for Advisory Position

Phil Bratt, owner of Baron Telecommunications, has been selected to serve as adviser on the National Dealer Advisory Council for Toshiba America Information Systems.

The council serves to keep consumers informed on technology issues.

Baron has been the exclusive authorized dealer for Toshiba in Skagit, Whatcom and Island counties for 17 years, one of the longest standing tenures in the nation. Bratt is its president.

For more information, call 428-6026.

 

Middleton Dies of Lung Cancer

Bill Middleton, a gregarious former professional soccer star in England who worked in sales in Skagit and Whatcom counties for many years, passed away the day after Christmas. He was 64.

Middleton was diagnosed with lung cancer last summer while working for WebEFX.com , a Website designer in Mount Vernon.

“He was a soccer player, and as far as I know he never smoked,” says John Albrecht, who worked with him at WebEFX.

Middleton, who also worked at one time in sales for the Whatcom Business Pulse, sister publication to this magazine, traveled back to England after the diagnosis. He died Dec. 26, leaving three grown children and six grandchildren as survivors.