Jan 04, 2005

Puget Sound Regional Council

Charles E. Howard Jr. was named transportation planning director for Puget Sound Regional Council. The council develops policies for regional growth, and economic and transportation planning in King, Pierce, Snohomish and Kitsap counties. Howard was director of strategic planning and programming for the Washington State Department of Transportation and a planner for the Federal Highway Administration in Juneau, Boston, Washington, D.C., and Olympia.

Jump$tart Washington

Jump$tart Washington, a Seattle-based organization that promotes personal finance skills for youth, named its board of directors. Co-presidents are Chris Conway and Jeff Southard of Northwest Education Loan Association. Secretary is Nicole Schmauder of Consumer Jungle. Treasurer is Justin Young of Freestone Capital Management. Other members are Dana Twight, Debbie Wege, Barbara Mascarin, Will Rance, Sue Larkin, Stacy Augustine and Jamie Chase. Jump$tart is a coalition of banks, credit unions, organizations and government agencies.

Sport Boat Northwest

Seattle-based Sport Boat Northwest's partners Billy Schumacher, Rick English and Melinda Wade are moving their offices and expanding staff. A new 8,000-square-foot facility will be at 1123 Valley St. at the south end of Lake Union. It includes 1,500 square feet of office space and an indoor showroom for 16 boats. Hydroplane champion Mark Evans will join Sport Boat's sales staff. Steve Montgomery will work on advertising, marketing, public relations and promotions. He will locate his company, Montgomery Marketing and Communications, in the new facility.

Jan 03, 2005

Short Cressman & Burgess

Cohen

Sleight

Cohen is in the construction section, where he represents contractors, owners, municipalities and design professionals. Sleight joined Short Cressman & Burgess in 2002 and focuses his practice on construction and real estate related litigation. Short Cressman & Burgess is based in Seattle.

Executive Women's Golf Association

The Seattle chapter of Executive Women's Golf Association hosts a three-hour networking seminar on Jan. 25 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at CXO Golf Academy in Bellevue, 13434 N.E. 16th St. Speaker Randy Broad, owner and president of Bellevue-based CXO Golf Academy and Opal Enterprises, will speak on the gender gap in business and in golf. He'll give tips on ways to use golf to cultivate relationships with clients, prospects and vendors. Cost is $30.

Renton Chamber of Commerce

The board of directors of the Greater Renton Chamber of Commerce appointed Bill Taylor president. Taylor was the director of marketing and business development for Longacres Racetrack and is returning to Renton. Taylor has been executive director of the Leavenworth Chamber of Commerce.

Dec 30, 2004

Liberty Northwest Insurance

Liberty Northwest Insurance Corp. president and chief executive officer Tony Ferronato will retire in January. Ferronato will remain on the board of directors. Matt Nickerson assumes Ferronato's role. Nickerson has 20 years of experience in the insurance industryand has been with parent company Liberty Mutual Group since 1983. Portland-based Liberty Northwest is a private workers compensation insurer.

Port of Longview

The Port of Longview appointed Valerie L. Johnson as manager of business development, a new position to expand the Port's marketing efforts. Johnson was transportation manager at Vestas American Wind Technology in Portland. The Port of Longview has eight marine terminals and 300 acres of industrial property with connections to rail and interstate highway lines.

Port of Tacoma

The Port of Tacoma Commission will invest $1 million in the University of Washington, Tacoma, for education and environmental programs in the South Puget Sound region. This will be matched by a $500,000 University of Washington grant. Funds will be used to attract leading environmental science professors .

Such a program would allow leading research on ways to clea and maintaining urban waterways like Commencement Bay.