Mar 09, 2001

The Unity Group

Tom Cox has been hired as commercial lines manager for The Unity Group, a Bellingham-based insurance company. Cox has more than 15 years of commercial insurance experience with Fireman's Fund Insurance and Kemper National Insurance Co.

Heller Ehrman

Heller Ehrman White & McAuliffe announced the addition of Warren Rheaume as a lateral shareholder in its Seattle law office. Rheaume, former chair of the intellectual property litigaiton practice group at Foster Pepper & Shefelman, brings more than 17 years of intellectual property litigation experience to Heller Ehrman. His practice focuses on commercial litigation emphasizing trademark, copyright and trade secret issues.

Mar 08, 2001

Country Companies

Foster

VanPatten

Cari Foster and Loree Anne VanPatten have been named agents for the Country Companies, an insurance agency, and will be practicing from the agency's Everett office. Both Foster and VanPatten recently completed the firm's new agent school.

Dewaard & Bode

Sizemore

Kim Sizemore, credit manager at Bellingham-based credit services company Dewaard & Bode, was recently named a certified credit executive by the National Association of Credit Management(NACM). Sizemore is a board member of the NACM that services Western Washington and Alaska with credit information and accounts receivable management services.

Aegis Assisted Living

Stuart Ostfeld has been promoted to executive director for Aegis of Laguna Niguel. Ostfeld, the former assisted living director of Aegis at Shadowridge, will oversee the management and day-to-day operations of the Laguna Niguel location. Aegis Assisted Living is a Redmond-based company that has been recognized as a leader in assisted living as well as Alzheimer's and related dementia programs.

Perkins Coie

Seattle-based law firm Perkins Coie announced that Theodore Collins has rejoined the firm, where his practice will focus on corporate governance and commercial litigation. Collins had been serving as general counsel and senior vice president, law and contracts, for The Boeing Co. He held the position with Boeing from 1986 until November of last year.

Branch, Richards & Co.

Branch, Richards & Co., a Seattle-based CPA firm, announced that Ben Shull has been named a lead auditor in the firm's governmental and non-profit audit division and Brandy Reinke has been added as a staff auditor.

Colliers International

Oliveira

Commercial broker Oscar Oliveira jumped from CB Richard Ellis' Eastside office to become an associate vice president in Colliers International's Eastside office. Oliveira specializes in office sales and leasing. He holds a bachelor's degree in petroleum engineering from the University of Texas and shifted his career into commercial brokerage less than three years ago.

Federal Home Loan Bank

Susan Taoka became a member of the board of director of the Seattle Federal Home Loan Bank. Her term lasts three years. Taoka is CEO of the Seattle Chinatown International District Preservation and Development Authority. The bank, one of 12 like it around the country, primarily lends short-term funds to 375 financial institutions in eight Western states but it also issues grants to support creation of affordable housing. It has averaged about $12 million a year in grants.

Richard Swanson, chairman and CEO of HomeStreet Bank, was re-elected to a second three-year term on the board. Seattle Housing Authority executive director Harry Thomas was re-appointed to his fourth term. Thomas chaired the board during his second term. Pacific Northwest Bank vice chairman Steve Walden was re-elected to his second term.

Windermere Real Estate

Albert Rodriguez became a sales associate in Windermere's Capitol Hill office. Rodriguez previously worked for Amazon.com.

Coldwell Banker Bain

Twenty-three people joined eight offices of Coldwell Banker Bain:

• Donald McKinney in Bellevue East;

• James Seastone and Marina Georgiev in Duvall;

• Tonya Stephens, Mike West, Antonia Guerra, Peggy Metzger and Crystal Whittikiend in Everett

•Frances Carlsen and Diane Humble in Federal Way;

•Adam Cavailli, Aynn Appleton, Nicole Jacobsen, Marcia Chase and Geralyn Kogelman in Issaquah;

•Carol Hinderstein in Mercer Island;

•Katy Heady, John Brangwin, Kirsten Strand and Kendall Mugleston in Redmond;

•Teri Zindel, Ron Waxman and Burton Hill in Seattle-Lake Union.

Alvin J. Wolff Property Management Co.

Stacy Mattson became controller at Spokane-based Alvin Wolff. Mattson came from Brown & Delaney in Spokane. She holds degrees from Gonzaga University and Eastern Washington University. Also, Judith Kruiswyk joined the company as human resources director. Kruiswyk came from the Spokesman-Review newspaper.

A look at investment prospects

Local economist Doug Pederson of Conway Pederson Economics will give an updated economic forecast at Marcus & Millichap 2001 investor symposium on Thursday, March 15, starting at 9 a.m. at the Washington Athletic Club in downtown Seattle. The event is called "Puget Sound Economy: Prospects for 2001.