Vilders Selected SVC Foundation Head

Bruce Vilders, whose fundraising ability has made its mark on several institutions over the years, has been named the new Skagit Valley College Foundation executive director, replacing Pat Kennicott, who resigned.

“Bruce’s positive, energetic and resourceful work ethic will be an excellent addition to Skagit Valley College,” President Lydia Ledesma-Reese states.

Vilders has pent the past 11 years as coordinator of professional development and student programs for the Northwest Educational Service District (ESD) 189. During that time, he helped raise more than $5 million through entrepreneurial projects and state and federal grants.

He has an extensive background in program design and promotion and was responsible for the implementation and assessment of ESD programs interfacing with university and government agencies, SVC notes.

The Mount Vernon resident who has a masters from Grand Valley State University, Grand Rapids, Mich., also is certified in public relations by the University of Washington and holds certification in program administration, K-12 principal and elementary and secondary teaching.

In addition, he gained fundraising experience as producer of the film “Counting Days,” which was made in Skagit County and screened at the Lincoln Theatre Center a few years ago.

 

Dr. Diener Joins Staff at North Puget Oncology

Jakow G. Diener, M.D. recently joined the staff of board-certified physicians at North Puget Oncology Cancer Care Centers in Mount Vernon, Sedro-Woolley and Anacortes.

Diener, a medical oncologist, had a private practice in hematology-oncology in Huntington, N.Y., and also served as medical director of the Visiting Nurse Hospice of Suffolk and assistant attending and consulting physician at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, N.Y.

He joins Drs. Robert Raish, George Gjerset and Houshang Shetabi, as well as radiation oncologists Nicholas Muff and David Kantorowitz, and oncology nurse practitioner Ruth Mora Marshall. They serve patients at Skagit Valley, United General and Island hospitals.

 

Drs. Feldbau, Rubenstein Group Health Directors

Gary A. Feldbau, M.D. has been named medical director of Group Health Cooperative and president and chair of the board for Group Health Permanente, the state’s largest multispecialty medical group. At the same time, the organization named Simeon Rubenstein, M.D. as its first health-plan medical director.

In his new role, Dr. Feldbau will manage and lead more than 1,000 doctors and other health professionals who care for nearly 600,000 people in Washington and North Idaho, including one out of every 10 Washington residents.

Dr. Rubenstein will have primary responsibility for health-plan medical policy, medical management performance and health-plan relationship management with regard to delivery systems and provider groups.

Last month, Group Health signed contracts with nine local doctors’ offices and represents several other clinics here as well.

 

Boe Promoted at Peoples Bank, MV

Dennis Boe, a real estate loan manager for Peoples Bank in Mount Vernon, recently received a promotion to assistant vice president.

A long-time resident of Skagit County, Boe joined Peoples in 1996 as a loan officer and in time became a manager for Skagit County.

He’s a member of the Skagit-Island Counties Builders Association and North Puget Sound Association of Realtors. He’s also president of the Mt. Baker Middle School Parents Group and serves in the Skagit County EMS Council, Mount Vernon High School Design Review Team and Bethany Covenant Church.

During 2001, Peoples’ Skagit loan group originated more than $61.5 million in loans, a 21.8-percent increase from the previous year. This ranked Peoples Bank as the second-largest real estate lender in the county.

 

Peoples Bank Adds Loan-support Manager

Tami Madsen has joined Peoples Bank as assistant vice president and manager of commercial loan support.

In her new capacity, she will oversee the sales support and production functions for the commercial-lending teams of the Business Banking Group in Skagit and Whatcom counties.

A 17-year banking veteran, Madsen has extensive production-management experience in mortgage and commercial banking services.

Peoples is a $410 million, independent community bank with 15 offices throughout the immediate area, five of them in Skagit.

 

Willis Hired as Exec at Logan Creek

Tracy Willis has been hired as the new executive director of Logan Creek Retirement Center of Mount Vernon.

Willis, a resident of Skagit Valley for eight years, worked at United General Hospital in the Senior Behavioral Health Unit and later as marketing director for Harbour Pointe Retirement Center, Mukilteo, before coming to Logan Creek.

Willis says she hopes to increase community involvement within the facility by interfacing more with local programs and services. She replaces Judy Beck, who is “semi-retiring” to the job of activities director.

Willis is active with the Anacortes Public Library and is publicity chair for the library’s foundation board. She has a degree in English from California State University, Chico.

 

Adamson New RHC Program Director

David Adamson recently was installed at Riverside Health Club in Mount Vernon as program director.

With degrees in sports medicine, physical education, biology and education, he has extensive experience helping people live healthier lives and plans to draw attention to Riverside’s health programs, including back safety classes, blood pressure and screenings, speed and agility camps and related topics.

He is also certified as an athletic trainer, a personal trainer, strength and conditioning specialist and American Red Cross instructor. He has developed sports-medicine programs at Bellingham and Marysville-Pilchuck high schools and worked one-on-one with several Seattle Mariner baseball players.

Adamson lives in Bellingham with his wife, Leslie, and their 7-month-old son, DJ.

 

Former SVC Teacher on Language Exchange Team

Irina Wood, a certified Russian interpreter, has joined The Language Exchange in Burlington.

She has a master’s in linguistics from Tashkent State Pedagogical Institute of Foreign Languages in Uzbekistan and has been teaching Russian and Russian Life and Culture at Skagit Valley College since 1994.

She will help about 300 interpreters and translators with paperwork and continuing education to serve a wide range of clients, including governmental and private customers. She also will teach preparation courses at the exchange’s classrooms in Burlington.

 

Acord Named Office Director at Burl Chamber

Karr Acord has been hired as the new office director at the Burlington Chamber of Commerce.

“If you have any questions, please feel free to call or stop by our office between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.,” Acord states, adding that the office is closed for lunch from noon to 1 p.m.

The chamber is located in the old fire hall at 600 E. Victoria Ave. Call 757-0994.

 

Proforma Adds Another to Growing Staff

Bob Lama, owner of Proforma Creative Printing Solutions in Mount Vernon, has added his son, Jason Lama, to his staff as a sales executive.

Jason has more than five years of experience in sales, most recently with Pure Fitness Athletic Clubs in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Lama’s daughter, Michaela Lama, joined the staff a month ago.

Proforma supplies a complete line of printed business products and promotional items. Call 848-7714.

 

Two Massage Practitioners Join Bella Soul

Lisa Hall and Gina Ciarlo, both licensed massage practitioners, have joined Bella Soul Salon and Day Spa, now in Mount Vernon.

Ciarlo has three years of professional experience.

“I have been studying the human mind, body and spirit connection since 1998 and am honored to be serving Skagit County,” she says.

Hall joined the massage-therapy staff last February.

Bella Soul, owned by Ingrid Thornton, a massage therapist herself, is next to Riverside Health Club, at 331 Pacific Place.

 

NW Life & Times Hires New Staff Members

Northwest Life & Times magazine has named Len Hansen as editor and Scott Fassett as an account manager.

Hansen has specialized in communicating to, for and about mature adults for 29 years. Of his 102 professional awards, 63 were related to mature adults. Hansen has been a columnist for two syndicates for 20 years. He is the author of Life Begins at 50: A Handbook for Creative Retirement Planning, which is in its third printing, and has been an instructor for journalism and marketing communication classes at three colleges. He graduated from San Francisco State College with a degree in journalism and broadcasting.

Hansen also has been a contributor to Mature Outlook magazine and two Web sites. He most recently was editor of the “Mature Traveler” national newsletter.

Northwest Life & Times is a monthly magazine produced by Pulse Publications, which also publishes this magazine. It focuses on active and affluent mature adults who are homeowners in Whatcom, Skagit, Island, San Juan and north Snohomish counties.

Hansen is overseeing an editorial expansion of the magazine, which now includes health, fitness and travel departments, a calendar of events and features on mature adults.

Fassett most recently was an account manager for Office Systems Northwest, specializing in fully integrated document management systems for clients in Skagit and Whatcom counties.

 

Zoro Leaves KeyBank in Bellingham

Peggy Zoro, president of KeyBank’s Trans-Mountain District serving 11 counties including Skagit, has left her position to pursue other career and community interests. She has been replaced by Jim Peoples, her counterpart in the Seattle-Bellevue district, which has been combined with Trans-Mountain.

Zoro is well known in the area for her local participation in community and business affairs. She recently addressed the Business Forum put on by Western Washington University, which was attended by a number of Skagit professionals.

“Peggy has done an outstanding job since joining Key in 1993 and we wish her the very best in her new endeavors,” says Yank Heisler chair and chief executive officer of KeyBank National Association.

“I’m looking forward to the opportunity this change will give me to pursue a variety of interest, while remaining an active participant in the greater Bellingham community,” Zoro says.

 

Stiles to Run for Anderson’s Seat

Sedro-Woolley attorney Brock Stiles has tossed his hat into the ring for the forthcoming District 3 race for county commissioner, now held by Ted Anderson.

Stiles, who has practiced law since

1986, will run as a Democrat. Anderson, a Republican, says he will run for a third term.

The district represents Skagitonians throughout the eastern half of the county and is by far the largest of the three. Only voters within the district will vote in the Sept. 17 primary, while all of the county will vote in the General Election Nov. 5.

Stiles comes from a pioneer family. His grandparents came to the Sedro-Woolley before 1920 and his father, Bill, started the law practice, now on Metcalf Street, in 1952. Brock attended the University of Washington and Willamette University in Salem, Ore., where he got his law degree.

He and his wife, Kathy, have two children, Sarah, 12, and Jonathon, 11.

 

MV Downtown Biz Group Names Board

The Downtown Business Community recently elected its board of directors for the next year. They are:

Robert Desmarais, president; Megan O’Bryan, vice president; Linda Kyle, treasurer; and board members Vicki Young, Reid Thompsen and Linda Duckworth. The secretary post is still vacant.

 

Ledesma-Reese Receives Achievement Award

Outgoing Skagit Valley College President Lydia Ledesma-Reese has been presented a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Latino Education Achievement Project (LEAP).

Ricardo Sanchez, LEAP’s director, presented the award “for exemplifying dedication, vision and courage as the leader and founding member of the (LEAP) project in Washington State.”

Ledesma-Reese recently resigned her position as college president, effective July 1, to move to California to be near her family.

“Dr. Ledesma-Reese is unique among college presidents in our state,” Sanchez says. “She has shown the courage and commitment to move our state to address the needs of Latino children and families by establishing unprecedented K-20 partnerships.”

 

Former PSRC President Moorad Honored

Commodities Now magazine has named Shell Oil Products U.S. vice president of safety, health and environment Judith Moorad one of its 50 Key Women in Energy, as published in its December issue.

The Association for Women in Computing (AWC) selected Moorad, former president of Puget Sound Refining Co. in Anacortes, as a recipient of its Award for Leadership in Technology. This award will be presented in June.

“Both the environmental and safety records improved dramatically by the time Judith completed her role as refinery manager at Puget Sound,” says Rob Routs, president and chief executive officer of Shell Oil Products U.S. “She backed the Process Safety Management Initiative, which resulted in some unique enhancements to the coker unit to protect worker safety.” Six persons died in a coker-unit explosion in during her term as president.

She assumed her role for the Shell and Texaco joint venture, Equiva Services, as vice president, safety, health and environment in February 2001.

 

College Announces Hall of Fame Inductees

Skagit Valley College recently announced its slate of Hall of Fame inductees for 2002. They are:

• Jack and Shirley McIntyre, former Sedro-Woolley community members, for their leadership and $6 million contribution to the Skagit Performing Arts Center.

• Bruce Van Tassell, Whidbey Island community member, for his leadership and contribution to SVC through its foundation.

• Judi Knutzen, alum and former staff and faculty member of the college.

• Arlene Nelson, former student, faculty and long-time staff member.

• Del Tillotson, former administrator and faculty member.

The awards are made to those who’ve made positive and outstanding contributions to the college. They are to be honored at the induction ceremony April 11, 6 p.m., SVC Cafeteria. Call 416-7764 for ticket information and reservations.

 

Almvig Attends Confab on Justice Information

Mike Almvig, Skagit County’s manager of information services, recently attended a symposium on integrated justice as part of a team representing Washington state.

The National Justice Information Symposium, March 25-27 in Washington, D.C., was put on by SEARCH, the National Consortium for Justice Information and Statistics.

“What the public doesn’t know is how limited our ability to get information on an individual truly is,” Almvig says. “None of our systems are linked in any significant way, so we must look up information in multiple systems to find out if someone is incarcerated somewhere in the state or not, or if they are wanted in another jurisdiction.”

Almvig has been a leader in advocating the integration of justice information systems and currently serves as chair of the State and Local Subcommittee of Association of County/City Information Systems and the state Department of Information Services Customer Advisory Board.

 

McKeon Honored for Work with Insurance

John McKeon, a long-term-care insurance representative in this area, recently was honored by GE Long Term Care Insurance as one of the company’s top agents for 2001.

McKeon, who lives in Arlington but serves Skagit and other nearby counties, was ranked 14th among 1,800 of GE’s long-term-care specialists in the United States, including 30 in this region.

During 2001, McKeon requalified as a master agent and helped 225 people obtain the protection of long-term-care insurance. In recognition of his accomplishments, McKeon will join other master agents and their guests on a five-day Diamond Experience Conference in Venice, Italy, May 5-10.

“The focus of my career is helping my clients protect their assets and gain peace of mind,” McKeon states. “The personal recognition is great, but I get a lot of satisfaction every day by helping wonderful people in such an important area of planning.”

For more information, call McKeon at 1-800-353-5023, Ext. 4, or e-mail johnmckeon@earthlink.net.

 

Local Mary Kay Star Receives Career Car

Linda Lowe of Sedro-Woolley, a Mary Kay independent sales director in this area, recently was awarded the use of a new Pontiac Grand Am for her work with the company.

Lowe took delivery at Dewey Griffin Pontiac in Bellingham last February. Independent beauty consultants earn the use of Mary Kay career cars through outstanding sales and team building. The Grand Am is part of one of the largest commercial fleets of GM passenger cars in the world, including 9,000 valued at more than $130 million. Among them are the famous pearlized pink Cadillacs that are associated with the late Mary Kay.

Mary Kay provides about 750,000 women in 37 markets around the world with opportunities to discover the advantages of owning their own business, finding financial independence and learning about flexibility, career growth, dynamic and modern sales incentives and an innovative product line.

To reach Lowe or learn more information, call 856-5514.

 

Koetje Continues on NWMLS Board of Directors

Jim Koetje of Skagit Valley Properties in Mount Vernon is continuing his role as a board member for the Northwest Multiple Listing Service, representing real estate brokers and agents in 13 counties of Washington state.

Koetje’s term expires in 2004. He is the only representative north of Everett on the NWMLS board, which includes 24 professionals as well as president and chief executive officer Jack Johnson. The service is headquartered in Kirkland.

 

County Loses Business Leader

The business community lost one of its own over the past couple of months.

• Bill Whitsell, who died at 84 on Feb. 20, was known far and wide for his popular office-supply store, Whitsell’s, which he operated on Riverside Drive until his retirement in 1981. He came to Mount Vernon in 1959 after spending 24 years at Union Printing Co. in Bellingham and went to work at Eldridge’s Stationery store in Mount Vernon. He opened Whitsell’s in 1964.