Industry honors Anacortes manager

Terry Lewis, assistant manager at the Flounder Bay Café in Anacortes, was named a Washington Restaurant Association all-star for 2002. WRA all stars are “…statewide industry leaders chosen for their leadership ability, community involvement, work history, ethics, and their ability to inspire others,” said Joan Hitchens, editor of the WRA News Update.

Awards were handed out at the hospitality awards gala dinner in Seattle.

 

Scott joins unity as benefits specialist

Jon Scott is an employee benefits specialist with the Unity Group, an insurance and financial services company with offices in Sedro-Woolley.

Scott has 17 years experience in insurance, including stints as president of a local chapter of the Washington Association of Health Underwriters and as a lobbyist in both Olympia and Washington, DC. Most recently, he was regional sales manager for NYL Care.

 

County hires new resource policy administrator

Tom Karsh was appointed by the Skagit County Board of Commissioners as the new Natural Resources Policy Administrator. He will coordinate and manage natural resource policy for the board of commissioners, focusing on policies related to water resources, agriculture, fisheries, and sewage treatment. Karsh will establish working relationships between county government, citizens groups, property owners and business groups.

Karsh joined Skagit County in 1979 as an environmental health specialist and became director of planning and the permit center in 1998. He has an environmental science degree from Humbolt State University in California.

 

Preview adds sales staff

Darrell D. Estill joined Preview Properties Skagit as a sales associate. Most recently, he was sales director at Stonebridge, an active adult community in Mount Vernon. Estill also has experience in title insurance, real estate and construction.

 

State hires new Labor and Industries director

Paul Trause is now director of Washington’s Labor and Industries department. L&I employs 2,700 and oversees workplace safety and the worker’s compensation system. He assumes the new role as the state presses ahead with unpopular ergonomics rules and after an increase in worker’s compensation rates.

 

Agricultural board formed to advise county agriculture

A twelve-member board charged with advising Skagit County government on agricultural issues will begin meeting this month. A primary goal of the board will be to show county government how they can best support and strengthen agriculture in the county.

The board will seek to influence county policy on land use, especially with reference to the revised comprehensive plan, according to Rich Doenges, spokesperson for Conservation Futures.

Value-added production is another area where the board will work to help foster agricultural viability in Skagit County.

Initial meetings will focus on developing a protocol for the board’s deliberations.

Members will serve a variety of terms stretching from one to three years and were selected by Skagit County commissioners from an applicant pool.

The Commissioners appointed members to one, two, and three year terms to assure that no more than 33 percent of the membership will expire in any years. Murray Benjamin, Dave Boon, Bob Finbonner, and Oscar Lagerlund will serve one-year terms. Bob Hughes, Mike Hulbert, Larry Jensen, and Roger Knutzen will serve two-year terms. Randy Good, Rose Merritt, Beth C. Vander Veen and Lyle Wesen will serve for three years.

 

Wright finds OASYS

Troy Wright joined OASYS, Inc. as vice president of sales. He will oversee the company’s overall sales and marketing program.

Wright has 10 years experience in office equipment, software and imaging products. Most recently, he was dealer sales manager/senior executive for VisualEdge Technology, where he oversaw vendor acquisition for a five state area in the northwest. He specialized in serving the architectural, engineering, construction and manufacturing industries.