Dec 11, 1995

Paratransit Services

Verna Mason has been hired as vice president of operations for Paratransit Services. Mason has 14 years of transit management experience. She recently left the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority, where she managed its paratransit system. Prior to that, she was transit administrator for Kansas City, Mo.

Jones & Stokes Associates

Jones & Stokes Associates, an environmental consulting firm with offices in Bellevue, Sacramento and Irvine, Calif., and Phoenix, Ariz., has added Laura Riedel as director of administrative operations. Before joining the company, Riedel was director of human resources for Genencor International Inc., an international biotechnology company in South San Francisco.

Conley & Associates Inc.

Scott Hardy has been named to the newly-created position of vice president of electronic marketing for Conley & Associates Inc., a Seattle-based marketing firm specializing in automobile sales. Hardy started his marketing career at a radio station. His experience includes work on the Home Shopping Network, Showtime and The Movie Channel.

Port of Kalama

At the annual meeting of the Washington Public Ports Association (WPPA) earlier this month, the Port of Kalama was chosen "Port of the Year" by its sister ports in Centralia, Longview, Vancouver, Tacoma and Seattle. The Port of Kalama was recognized for its successful efforts in locating BHP Steel on its North Port site. Australian steel manufacturer Broken Hill Proprietary Co. announced last September that it will construct its Pacific Northwest steel coil finishing facility at Kalama. The plant will employ 230 people and represents a $221 million investment. The port held fast to its vision of 15 years to locate a major industrial user on the 200-acre deep-water site, resisting the temptation to split it up into smaller parcels. During that time, the agency spent $5 million of its own revenues on preliminary engineering and infrastructure so it would be ready when the right client came along.

Pierce Transit

Jean Jackman has joined Pierce Transit as public relations officer. Jackman has 20 years of experience in public relations and journalism, working in transportation, health care, software and other industries. Most recently, she was with advertising and public relations firm Jacobson Ray McLaughlin Fillips. Jackman has won numerous awards for writing and editing.

Dec 08, 1995

Wolfe Internet Access

Mark Dantche, a 10-year veteran in the computer systems and Internet industry, has been promoted to vice president of sales at Wolfe Internet Access L.L.C. of Seattle. Joyce Smith has been named vice president of operations. Smith comes from an extensive background managing systems operations and customer service.

Washington State Historical Society

With a $10,000 gift from the Burlington Northern/Santa Fe Railroad, the Washington State Historical Society has achieved its $5 million capital campaign goal for the new state history museum. Combined with the donation of property for the museum, plus other funds for additional educational program enhancements, the society has raised over $8 million in private and local support. The fund-raising campaign began in 1991 with a feasibility study and the first major gifts were committed in 1992. Chief among them were donations from the Boeing Co., Weyerhaeuser, the Murdoch, Cheney, and Forest foundations, and the National Endowment for the Humanities. The new museum will open in the summer 1996.

Municipal Golf of Seattle

Municipal Golf of Seattle, operator of the city's three municipal golf courses, has named Matt Amundsen head pro at West Seattle Golf Course. Amundsen has been assistant pro at West Seattle for seven years and replaces Mary Margaret Pless who is now teaching at West Seattle.

Midcom Communications

Midcom Communications Inc., a Seattle-headquartered provider of long-distance telecommunications service to small-and medium-sized businesses nationwide, has named Robert L. Nitschke as executive vice president and chief operating officer. Nitschke, 48, has 20 years of operations and information systems management experience. He comes to Midcom after six years with U.S. Intelco Holdings, a telecommunications holding company based in Olympia, most recently serving as the company's vice president and president of its subsidiary USI-Gateway Inc., which is developing products and services for local number portability. Previously, he had served as vice president of operations and director of information services for another U.S. Intelco Holdings subsidiary, U.S. Intelco Networks. Prior to that, Nitschke spent three years as president of Robert Nitschke and Associates, an investment and business consulting firm.

First Choice Financial Services Inc.

First Choice Financial Services Inc. of Renton has announced the purchase of A.F.I. Mortgages' branch operation, located in Tukwila. The operation will have a combined sales and back office staff of 32 people. First Choice executives said they will run the mortgage operation in Tukwila and Woodinville as a net branch of Hallmark Mortgage, one of the largest broker companies in Washington. The new company will produce between $40 million and $50 million dollars in closed mortgage loans annually.

Universal Management

Universal Management, a national employment and human resource services firm, has added Kurt Nance, representing both the graphic arts and retail industries, and John Goehring, handling all office support positions, to its Seattle office. Nance has an extensive screen printing background, while Goehring, who also takes over as applicant administrator, brings several years of clerical experience to the firm. In Universal Management's Spokane branch office, Kenia Brouse has been hired to handle the company's office support positions, and Julie Brazo has joined the firm to concentrate on the health care and retail industries.