Nov 03, 2004

Columbia Bank

Columbia Bank added nine bankers from Washington Mutual Bank to its King County commercial lending team. Senior vice presidents are Bill Barclay, Chris Gruenfeld and Patrick McMenamin. Vice presidents are George Reynolds and Janis Watford. Assistant vice presidents are Sean Edwards, Joseph Jornadal and Jessica Nguyen. Kevin Meabon is a financial analyst officer. Columbia Bank is a wholly owned subsidiary of Columbia Banking System and has 34 branches in Pierce, King, Cowlitz, Kitsap and Thurston counties.

Northwest Indian Bar Association

The Northwest Indian Bar Association announced its governing council. President Lael Echo-Hawk is a reservation lawyer for the Tulalip Tribes near Marysville. Vice President Lisa Atkinson practices in Seattle and represents tribes. Treasurer Gabe Galanda is an associate with Williams, Kastner & Gibbs and litigates complex commercial and Indian law. Secretary Christina Parker is an in-house reservation lawyer for the Tulalip Tribes and its Indian Child Welfare Program. Leona Colegrove, Bernice Delorme and Juliana Repp are at-large members. Colegrove recently joined Williams, Kastner & Gibbs as an associate after serving as tribal lawyer for the Quinault Nation. Delorme is a tribal lawyer with the Puyallup Tribe of Indians. Repp practices in Spokane. NIBA is a nonprofit with native and Indian lawyers, judges and students. It serves Indian Country in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Alaska.

Institute of Certified Public Accountants

Robert L. Bunting succeeds S. Scott Voynich as chair of the board of directors of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Bunting was chairman and chief executive officer of Moss Adams LLP, an accounting and consulting firm with 18 offices in Washington, Oregon and California. American Institute has 340,000 members in business and industry, public practice, government and education.

Washington Restaurant Association

Olympia-based Washington Restaurant Association named officers to its board of directors. Paul Childers of Clancy's Family Restaurant in Vancouver was elected chair. Peter Braun of Orchard Foods in Silverdale is vice chair. Michael Carr of Bellevue's Schwartz Brothers Restaurants is secretary/treasurer. Bill Cheung, owner of Williams Restaurant Management in Kelso, will be immediate past chair. The association's members include more than 4,000 restaurant and food service outlets.

Nov 02, 2004

Aloecorp

Lacey-based company Aloecorp named Javier Sanchez Solano plant operations manager for its 250-employee Mexico operation. Sanchez was general manager at Weaver Popcorn Co. in Argentina and plant manager for Kroger Co.'s Ralphs Grocery Co. in California. Robert Espinoza is Aloecorp's quality assurance manager at its newly expanded aloe processing plant in Lyford, Texas.

Mama Stortini's Ristorante

Mama Stortini's Ristorante is opening at 3207 E. Main Ave. in Puyallup. It has 160 employees including catering staff and the restaurant caters for small venues around King, Pierce and Thurston counties. The renovation's project team included: Helix Architecture & Design, Fife; Merit Co. General Contractor, Tacoma; Tacoma Plumbing and Heating, Tacoma; Sullivan Painting Service, Lakewood; Bargreen-Ellingson, Tacoma; and Culbertson Sign Service, Tacoma.

Kibble & Prentice

Steve Wagner is a vice president in Kibble & Prentice's property casualty division. Wagner works with Northwest businesses to develop insurance and surety programs. Kibble & Prentice is based in Seattle.

Coldwater Creek

Coldwater Creek plans to open a 5,300-square-foot retail store in Alderwood at 3000 184th Street S.W. in Lynnwood this week. The company says more than 250,000 of Coldwater Creek's Internet and catalog customers live within 50 miles of the shopping center. It will employ 25.