May 18, 2004

Department of Information Services

Gov. Gary Locke announced that the state Department of Information Services Director Stuart McKee is leaving DIS to join Microsoft as its U.S. national technology officer. His last day at DIS is June 4. McKee once directed Walt Disney Co.'s Internet business units, including ESPN.com, Disney.com and ABCNews.com. McKee was also a senior database administrator at Microsoft and a manager of information systems at Sabey Corp.

Strategies 360

Seattle-based company Strategies 360 named journalist Margaret Larson senior vice president of communications. Larson has won awards from the NY Film Festival and the Society of Professional Journalists. Federal lobbyist Jay Sterne is president of the firm's new office in Washington, D.C. Strategies 360 brings together experts in politics, marketing, business, public policy and federal relations. Other members of the firm include two-term Washington governor Booth Gardner, political strategist and firm CEO Ron Dotzauer, and Eric Sorenson, who was a Kellogg School of Business professor and also ran a marketing company.

Columbia Bank

Columbia Bank named Brian Baldwin vice president and manager of its Redmond branch. He will lead staff and develop new banking relationships. Lori Meyer is new vice president and manager of several branches in downtown Tacoma. She will lead retail operations and develop business opportunities. Columbia Bank is a subsidiary of Columbia Banking System and operates 34 branches in Pierce, King, Cowlitz, Kitsap and Thurston counties.

Starbucks

Starbucks Coffee Co. promoted Anne Saunders to senior vice president of marketing and retail for North America and Michelle Gass to senior vice president of category management. Saunders leads brand marketing, public relations and market research teams. Gass will oversee research and development.

Goldtech Mining

Goldtech Mining's board of directors elected Tracy Kroeker of Alberta, Canada, as president, CEO and director. Bellevue lawyer Tolan S. Furusho is secretary and treasurer. Goldtech said it acquired a 12,500-acre mining property from Solid Resources, a public mineral exploration company. Tracy Kroeker is senior vice president of Solid Resources.

James Beard Foundation

Executive Chef Eric Tanaka was named best chef in the Northwest/Hawaii region by the New York-based James Beard Foundation. After spending time in northern Italy and New York, Tanaka moved to Seattle. He is executive chef at Tom Douglas' Seattle restaurants, the Dahlia Lounge, Palace Kitchen and Etta's Seafood. The James Beard Foundation sponsors scholarships, programs and awards in the culinary arts.

May 14, 2004

Overlake Medical Center

Darin E. Libby has been hired as administrator and director of physician recruitment for Overlake Medical Center in Issaquah. Libby was a manager in the general health care division of ECG Management Consultants in Seattle. Overlake is a 337-bed medical center. It announced plans to build a hospital with up to 120 beds in Issaquah. For more information, visit http://www.overlakehospital.org.

Lewis & Clark College

Thomas J. Hochstettler will succeed Michael Mooney as president of Lewis & Clark College in Portland in August. Mooney resigned after 14 years. Paul E. Bragdon will be interim president. Hochstettler is a founder of International University Bremen, a private German research university, and also spent six years at Rice University as associate provost and history lecturer.

U.S. Small Business Administration

Norm Proctor is the new regional administrator for the U.S. Small Business Administration's Region X. Proctor will oversee financial assistance, business development and counseling programs in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. He was manager and chief national lobbyist at Paccar.

Washington State University

Rafael Stone was selected president of the Washington State University Board of Regents for 2004-2005. Elizabeth A. Cowles was named board vice president. Stone is a partner in the law firm Foster Pepper and Shefelman. Cowles is chair of Cowles Publishing Co.

McAdams Wright Ragen

Seattle-based investment advisor McAdams Wright Ragen appointed Marisa DiGiacomo senior vice president of its capital management division. DiGiacomo will help the firm build its investment advisory division. She held positions in financial services with Key Bank, Security Pacific Bank and Rainier Bank. McAdams Wright Ragen recently opened its first branch office in Bellevue and plans to expand into other regional markets.

WatchGuard Technologies

Mike McConnell resigned as senior vice president and chief financial officer of WatchGuard Technologies, an Internet security firm. The company said he is leaving to pursue other business interests. Jim Richman will serve as interim chief financial officer. Richman was CFO of Spacelabs Medical.

Washington Mutual

Washington Mutual appointed Debora Horvath executive vice president and chief information officer. Horvath will oversee technology efforts and be part of the company's executive management team. Horvath was senior vice president and CIO for Richmond, Va.-based G.E. Insurance, where she managed a $500 million budget. Jerry Gross is now executive vice president of technology.