Aug 13, 1996

Safeco Corporation

Rod Pierson, senior vice president, secretary and controller, has been appointed chief financial officer of the Safeco Corporation. He also serves as senior vice president and director of Safeco's insurance subsidiaries. Pierson joined Safeco in 1974 after working as a CPA with Coopers & Lybrand.

American Seafoods Company

Seattle-based American Seafoods Company has appointed Thomas Warner as senior vice president of sales and marketing. Warner will oversee the company's sales and marketing activities worldwide. American Seafoods is the world's largest producer of frozen-at-sea whitefish blocks and surimi. It is a privately held company that operates 25 factory trawlers in 5 countries with offices in Seattle; Dutch Harbor, Alaska; Tokyo, Japan; Buenos Aires and Ushuaia-Tierra Del Fuego, Argentina; Punta Arenas, Chile; and Molde, Norway.

Pacific Northwest Ballet

Pacific Northwest Ballet (PNB) has promoted six dancers and added eight new company members for the 1996-1997 Season. Jeffrey Stanton has been promoted to principal. Seth Belliston to soloist and Natalia Haigler, Maria Chapman, Carrie Imlerand Jodie Thomas have been promoted to full company members. New members include Alexandre Tardy joins PNB as a soloist, and Jeremy Connor, John Todd, Astrit Zejnati and Nicholas Ade are new additions to the corps de ballet. PNB's new apprentices are Patrick Tulleners, Valorie Von Tobel and Taryn Wayne. These dancers with the rest of the PNB company will kick-off the season on September 24 with the opening of Carmina Burana at the Seattle Center Opera House.

Odyssey, The Maritime Discovery Center

Odyssey, The Maritime Discovery Center located on Seattle's waterfront, has hired fund-raiser Erin McCallum to oversee the final phase of the organization's $12.6 million capitol campaign. McCallum joins Odyssey from The Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Ohio where she directed a $30 million capital campaign.

Bellevue Community College

Bellevue Community College is offering a new career transition program titled Compass for Success. In contrast to transition programs which focus exclusively on resume-writing and immediate re-employment, Compass for Success allows unemployed workers the chance to recreate their careers based on their own skills and interests as well as the demands of the job market. The first phase of the program is a 50-hour class combining interest assessment, skill building, and career planning. Those receiving unemployment benefits may qualify for tuition assistance from Workforce Training. Compass for Success in a 5-credit class at BCC. For more information on the program, contact Amy Luinstra at (206) 641-2279.

Aug 12, 1996

Safeco

Boh Dickey has been promoted to president and chief operating officer of the Safeco Corporation. Previously, Dickey was executive vice president and chief financial officer. As president and chief operating officer he will have overall responsibility for its life insurance subsidiaries and the corporation's financial operations, including the mutual fund, credit company, real estate, surety, investment and Talbot Financial operations.

Grand Yachts Northwest

Grand Yachts Northwest has moved its offices to 2400 Westlake Avenue N. The new location will make the boats more visible and accessible to customers. Joining Grand Yachts in their move is Tony Witek. With sales offices in Seattle, Portland and Bellingham, Grand Yachts deals in fine trawlers and long-range cruising yachts. The company also operates a bareboat charter fleet of new Grand Banks and Kadey-Krogens from their Bellingham location.

Metawave Communications

Dino Vendetti has joined Metawave Communications Corporation as vice president of product management. Formerly Vendetti served as director of Qualcomm Inc.'s CDMA Product and Business Management group. Headquartered in Redmond, Metawave Communications Corporation designs, manufactures and markets multibeam antenna systems and engineering services that allow wireless communications service providers to optimize call quality, coverage and capacity.

Restaurants Unlimited

Restaurants Unlimited's management team has retaken ownership and control of the restaurant division, which split from the Cinnabon division in April of this year. Also participating in the acquisition, together with Restaurants Unlimited's senior lender, US Bank of Washington, are several Seattle-area private investors. Final closing for the acquisition took place August 8. The terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Restaurants Unlimited is based in Seattle and operates 26 restaurants in seven states, including Alaska, California, Hawaii, Indiana, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and Washington. Puget Sound-area locations include Cutters Bayhouse, Palisade and Palomino.