Mar 19, 2010

Clipper Vacations

Clipper Vacations hired Vicki Renne as product manager and Rodney Cubberly as sales manager. Renne has marketing and product management experience. Cubberly has experience in hotel sales. The Victoria Clipper operates daily trips year-round to Victoria and the San Juan Islands.

HIMC

HIMC Corp. of Tacoma hired Charles Mathews as interim CEO. Mathews has served on the company's board since January 2009 and was recently managing member of an accounting and business consulting firm in Phoenix. Mathews replaces Jerry Cornwell, who resigned to pursue other opportunities.

Washington State University

William Moos, a WSU Distinguished Alumnus Award recipient and former athletics director at the University of Montana and the University of Oregon, will be the new athletics director at Washington State University. Moos is expected to sign a seven-year contract and succeeds Jim Sterk who is taking the position of athletics director at San Diego State University.

Designtheory

Designtheory, a working studio and store for artisan-crafted jewelry, is holding a grand opening March 20 from 6 to 9 p.m. at 2132 Westlake Ave. The event will feature live music. The studio also carries artifacts, botanicals, stationary and accessories.

Mar 18, 2010

Seattle Mortgage

Joe Krumbach is the new branch manager and assistant vice president of Seattle Mortgage's Southcenter office. Officials of the company, a subsidiary of Seattle Bank, say they expect the branch to grow to 12 to 14 loan officers. Krumbach was vice president of Normandy Mortgage and is past president of the Seattle Mortgage Bankers Association. He is president-elect of the Washington Association of Mortgage Professionals' King County Chapter. Other new staff members at the branch are loan officers Justin Mitchell and John Kipley, and Shand Dragland, who oversees processing and branch compliance.

Kennedy Associates

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency named Seattle-based Kennedy Associates an Energy Star Partner of the Year for the second straight year. Kennedy was cited for its energy management practices and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. It will be recognized at a ceremony tomorrow in Washington, D.C. In 2009, Kennedy, an institutional real estate adviser, measured energy consumption each month in 22 million square feet of commercial properties and said it found ways to reduce energy use and carbon dioxide emissions by 6 percent. Kennedy CEO Mike McKee said increasing energy efficiency reduces operating expenses for his company and tenants and increases financial performance for building owners. Kennedy is owned by its leadership team and Canada's largest adviser, Bentall, along with two institutional investors: Caisse de Depot and the British Columbia Investment Management Corp.

GVA Kidder Mathews

GVA Kidder Mathews opened a valuation advisory office in Portland. Senior Appraiser Rebecca Horvat is manager of the office, which is in Suite 950 of 1 S.W. Columbia St.

John L. Scott

Pat Giles, a John L. Scott marketing vice president, won the Microsoft Innovation Award for her work on online strategies. Microsoft gives the award to companies that use new Microsoft technologies. John L. Scott officials say their company was the first in the nation to feature Virtual Earth, which is now Bing Maps. The company also uses Microsoft technology in its Neighborhood Wizard. It also started JLSconnect that uses Microsoft technology as part of social networking efforts.

Everett Mall

The International Council of Shopping Centers awarded two silver U.S. MAXIs to Everett Mall. The mall won for its gift card campaign and for advertising. Individual recipients for the awards are Marketing Director Julie Tennyson, Marketing Assistant Jodi Peterson, General Manager Linda Johannes, Steadfast Commercial Properties Director of Corporate Retail Marketing Kristi Keene and Jennifer Ward, graphic designer with Pick of the Litter Design.

WorkForce Central Team

Tacoma's WorkForce Central hired Jessica Neal-Smith as business services director for the Business Connection Team. The team provides business consulting and staffing solutions to South Puget Sound employers. Neal-Smith has 10 years of workforce development and business leadership experience.

Wells Fargo

Wells Fargo named Melanie Chinn Seattle metro business banking manager. Chin has 24 years of experience in financial services, including 17 with Wells Fargo and was recently Washington commercial real estate business banking manager. She will be based in Seattle at 505 Fifth Ave. S., and will lead 13 team members.

China Relations Council

Fraser Mendel, a shareholder in the Seattle office of Northwest law firm Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt, was elected to serve as general counsel to the Washington State China Relations Council. WSCRC is a private nonprofit business association that promotes relations between the state of Washington and the People's Republic of China.

Sound Physicians

Tacoma-based Sound Physicians, a hospital medicine organization, hired Chris Paddison to its executive team as chief operating officer. Paddison has 25 years experience in health care management.