Nov 25, 2003

Port of Tacoma

The Port of Tacoma named Alvaro Torres-Amigo, former manager of finance and business analyst for Sea-Tac International Airport, director of financial planning. The Port's Department of Finance and Administration hired four new employees due to restructuring. They include Sedonia Young, manager of administration; Don Kelley, accounts payable manager; Lien Dam, accounting manager; and Delene Jennings, payroll manager.

Westfield State College

Westfield State College in Springfield, Mass., named Vicky Carwein, chancellor of the University of Washington Tacoma, president of the college. Carwein, who replaces Frederick Woodward, is the school's first female president. Westfield is a liberal arts college.

Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission

Terry Thomas is leaving her position as executive director of the Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission, a seven-member citizen body that interprets, administers and enforces the Seattle Elections Code, Code of Ethics, Election Pamphlet Code and Whistleblower Protection Code. Thomas will join MCI Corp. in Ashburn, Va., as vice president for ethics operations.

Washington Family Business Awards

Six firms were named Best in the Northwest by the Family Enterprise Institute of Pacific Lutheran University's School of Business. Winners are Deeny Construction Co. of Seattle and The Revere Group, a Seattle packaging company, small business; Canlis Restaurant of Seattle, medium business; R.D. Merrill Co. & Merrill Gardens, a Seattle-based owner and operator of senior housing, large business; Cozza Optical of Spokane, new business; and The McGregor Co., a Colfax-based manufacturer of agricultural equipment, heritage business. Preston Premium Wines of Pasco and Alaska Distributors Co. of Seattle were also recognized.

Big Enough Clothes

Big Enough Clothes, a designer of children's clothing, hired Laura Fuller as a sales representative in the Auburn area. Big Enough is based in Norwalk, Conn.

Transportation Performance Audit Board

Pyles

Troy K. Pyles has been appointed to the state Transportation Performance Audit Board by Gov. Gary Locke. The board was recently created to help ensure transportation investments are executed efficiently. Pyles is a professional engineer and construction manager with 32 years of experience in public agency capital projects. He is vice president with Vanir Construction Management and manages the firm's Bellevue office.

Schuchart Corp.

Low

Sandra Low has joined Schuchart Corp. as a tenant improvement project manager. Low has 10 years of experience, primarily working in the Pacific Northwest on commercial construction projects. She holds a bachelor's degree in building construction from the University of Washington.

Dexter + Chaney

Dexter + Chaney has hired Perry Levine as its Western regional account manager. Levine will be responsible for selling the company's Forefront construction management software in Washington, Oregon, California and Hawaii. He previously worked in a similar role at Timberline Software. He holds a bachelor's degree in finance from California State University, Northridge.

Northwest Wall and Ceiling Bureau

The Northwest Wall and Ceiling Bureau recently recognized the architect, general contractor and owner of the Summit Building in Bellevue, which was the winner earlier this year of the association's 2003 Outstanding Project of the Year Award in the "Interior-Commercial" category for Washington. Awards were given to Bentall Capital, LMN Architects and Sellen Construction. Expert Drywall was the wall and ceiling subcontractor completing the metal-stud framing, drywall and veneer plastering on the 13-story office building.

Schlecht Construction

Schlecht Construction has won two awards from the Lower Columbia Contractors Association. For its work on Walt's Wholesale Meats in Woodland, Schlecht won the "Industrial Projects Valued Over $1 Million" category; and for an addition to New Heights Church in Vancouver, it won the "Commercial/Institutional Remodeling Valued Over $2 Million" category. Schlecht has offices in Kelso and Vancouver.