Dec 15, 2000

Returns Online

Returns Online, a Seattle-based business-to-business company providing multi-channel returns management solutions for the retail industry, announced the expansion of its management team with the addition of David Ashton as director of North American sales, and the internal promotions of Craig Eidem to vice president of engineering and network operations, and Christy Adkinson to vice president of marketing. Both Eidem and Adkinson have been named officers of the company. As a former sales director for Ernst & Young, Ashton brings more than 15 years of sales management and business development experience to Returns Online. Eidem brings more than 15 years of experience in systems and software engineering for the Internet, telecommunications and avionics industries. Adkinson has 14 years of experience in engineering design and strategic marketing management.

Columbia Bank

Wayne Mannie was recently promoted to senior vice president, commercial lender for Columbia Bank, the principal affiliate of Columbia Banking system. Formerly with Puget Sound National Bank, Mannie has been in banking for 25 years. Columbia Bank is a full-service commercial bank providing products and services to individuals, businesses and the real estate community. Columbia Bank currently has 28 branches in Pierce, King, Kitsap, Thurston and Cowlitz counties.

Columbus Group

Vancouver-based Internet professional services company Columbus Group announced the commencement of American-focused operations with the opening of its first U.S. office in Seattle. The company was formed over five years ago, with the vision of providing a wide scope of Internet Services that would enable large organizations to build their online businesses. Columbus Group's Seattle office is open at the top floor of 1932 First Ave. The director of Western U.S. operations is Rich Adam.

Tangis

Tangis, a Seattle-based company that creates software technologies to make wearable computers work, has added syndicated high-tech columnist, Jesse Berst to the Tangis advisory board. Berst is an internationally recognized technology expert and one of the pioneers of the e-mail and Web world. He conceived and created ZDNet AnchorDesk and built it into the world's largest daily email newsletter.

HostPro

HostPro, the Nampa, Idaho-based Internet and Web hosting subsidiary of Micron Electronics, announced the appointment of Robert Carlier as vice president of marketing. Carlier will be responsible for leading branding and marketing efforts across the company’s broad range of Web hosting, e-commerce and Internet services. He brings more than 20 years of domestic and international marketing experience with a variety of companies, including serving as senior director of marketing for Oracle Corp.

Dec 14, 2000

Davis Wright Tremaine

Employment and labor law partner, Henry Farber has relocated to and Linda White Atkins has rejoined the Bellevue law offices of Davis Wright Tremaine. Farber joined the firm in 1993. Prior to joining Davis Wright Tremaine, he was general counsel to Frederick & Nelson. Atkins returns to the Bellevue office as of counsel and will continue to practice in real estate, land use and natural resource law. She spent a year as a real property specialist for XM Satellite Radio.

Seattle Goodwill

Seattle Goodwill has named Sharon Beda as manager of its Tukwila Goodwill store and Joyce Johnson as manager of its Bremerton Goodwill store. Beda brings extensive retail experience in both non-profit and for-profit businesses to the Tukwila store. Johnson has been the assistant manager of the Bremerton store for a number of years. Sales made in its nine thrift stores generate more than 95 percent of the funds needed to operate the organization's adult basic education and employment and training programs.

Association of Washington Business

The Association of Washington Business has established an award for excellence in the workplace in honor of the Frank J. Russell Co., a Tacoma-based pioneer in the area of employee benefits. Founded in 1936 by Frank J. Russell, it was one of the first companies to offer its employees tuition assistance, career planning and paid sabbaticals for employees with the company 10 years or more. The Frank J. Russell Co. will be the first recipient of the award.

Friends of the Children

A youth mentoring initiative, called Friends of the Children, starts this month at Thurgood Marshall Elementary School. The initiative hires full-time professionals, called Friends, who make long-term commitments to work one-on-one with selected children beginning in first grade.

Three former Microsoft executives, Mike Murray, Nick MacPhee and Sharon Maghie started the local chapter, replicating a successful model started seven years ago in Portland by businessman Duncan Campbell. Dr. Ed Khalfayan, one of the Seahawks surgeons, has joined the team to form a new non-profit board.

David Bashore, previously youth development coordinator for Atlantic Street Center, was hired as executive director to help implement the new program. Lisa Hui and Alvin Burleson have been hired as the first Friends and will assist Principal Ben Wright and his staff in their efforts to improve achievement levels at Thurgood Marshall.

Opus Northwest

Jennifer Benton joined Bellevue-based office and industrial developer Opus Northwest as a property manager. Benton previously managed properties in Minneapolis. She has five years of experience and attended St. Cloud State University in Minnesota.

Harbor Properties

Girard

Alison Girard was promoted to director of marketing for Seattle-based apartment developer Harbor Properties, which also owns and operates three Northwest ski areas. Girard worked the past four years as marketing director at Mission Ridge, one of the ski hills. Now she'll market Harbor's Seattle properties. Before Mission Ridge, Girard worked as marketing coordinator for McCormick Taylor & Associates Inc, an environmental planning and engineering firm. She holds a B.A. with a concentration in German from Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Penn., and studied a year at Albert Ludwigs Universitaet in Germany.

Appraisal Institute

Campos

Mountlake Terrace appraiser Marc Campos was elected 2001 president of the Seattle chapter of the Appraisal Institute. Campos, a commercial appraiser for almost 20 years, is principal of Campos Appraisals. The chapter also named Jim Irish as appraiser of the year. Irish works as a commercial appraiser for the King County Department of Assessments. The chapter elected James Price as 2001 vice president, Murray Brackett as treasurer and Valerie Foster as secretary.

Swedish Hospital

Swedish Hospital donated the property that houses the Rainier Beach Clinic to the clinic's non-profit operator, Puget Sound Neighborhood Health Centers. The clinic, at 8444 Rainier Ave. S., was the first opened by Providence Seattle Medical Center outside of Providence's hospital walls. It serves mainly low-income people. Earlier this year, Providence aligned with Swedish Health Services, which included Swedish taking ownership of Providence properties. Swedish said it may have closed the clinic if it didn't give it to the nonprofit.