Business Beat

NEW FACES

Paula Johnson has been hired as a Realtor at John L. Scott Citywide. She will be working as a team with her daughter, Amy Gustaveson.

Next IT Corp. has hired Patrick Ream as vice president of financial services. He previously worked at Corillian Corp.

Darren Proszek has been hired at AmericanWest Bank as assistant vice president and commercial loan officer. He has 13 years of banking experience.

Blue Water Technologies has hired Mark Carl as an office administrator. He served eight years in the U.S. Navy and has worked in the accounting industry since 1998.

Michael Koivula has been hired as a lead scientist in method transfer and validation at HollisterStier Laboratories Inc. He previously worked at King Pharmaceuticals in Michigan as an analytical development scientist and holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of Minnesota.

Rod Price has been hired as a home loan consultant at Inland Northwest Bank.

The Washington State University Intercollegiate College of Nursing has hired Alisun Dvorak as director of alumni relations. She previously worked as the assistant director of alumni relations at Eastern Washington University.

Teresa Meyer has been hired as an account executive at BLUE541. She holds a degree in business communication from Eastern Washington University and has 12 years of experience.

Dr. Jamshid Alaeddini is now associated with Inland Cardiology Associates. He is a graduate of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences in Tehran, Iran, completed his residency at Lutheran Medical Center, in Brooklyn, N.Y., and a cardiovascular fellowship at the Ochsner Clinic Foundation in New Orleans.

Coffman Engineers has hired Luke Bergeron as a mechanical engineer. He has four years of experience in the mechanical engineering field.

David Heupel has been hired as regional sales manager at Infinisource Inc. He will cover the region including Washington, Oregon and Idaho.

Ginger Cohen has been hired as interim nurse director at St. Luke’s Rehabilitation Institute. She previously worked as vice president and chief clinical officer at Empire Health Services.

PROMOTED

Ascentium Corp. has promoted Amy Cleary to partner. She has been the director of the company’s Inland Northwest office since May 2005.

Kyla Meredith-Boucher has been promoted to director of the Inland Northwest Women’s Business Center. She previously worked as business adviser.

KUDOS

The Spokane Services Team — Education Service District 101 has received a 2006 Friend of Housing award from the Washington State Housing Finance Commission.

Brian Benzel, the superintendent of Spokane Public Schools, has received the 2006 Educational Excellence in Leadership Award from Educational Resource and Development Institute and Johnson Controls.

Inland Empire Distribution Systems has been named a Top 100 Third Party Logistics Provider by Inbound Logistics.

Christopher Edwards has earned the Certified Landscape Technician designation by the Washington Association of Landscape Professionals. Edwards works at Dew Drop Sprinklers & Landscaping.

Marcia Gimness has completed the e-Pro certification course offered through the National Association of Realtors. Gimness is an agent at John L. Scott Spokane Central.

The Idaho Recreation and Park Association has awarded Abbotswood Design Group the 2006 Outstanding Organization award.

APPOINTED/ELECTED

John Adams has been appointed to the board of directors of Empire Airlines. He is the president of Coeur d’Alene Tractor.

Idaho Gov. Jim Risch has appointed Lita Burns to a state task force that will address the nursing shortage in the state. Burns is the director of North Idaho College Health Professions and Nursing.

Two Spokane physicians have been elected as officers to the Washington State Medical Association. They are Dr. Deborah Harper, second vice president, and Dr. Dean Martz, assistant secretary-treasurer.

John Moody has been elected to the board of directors of Potlatch Corp. He is the president of Proterra Management in Houston.

Tim Timmins has been elected to president of the Idaho Building Contractors Association. He works at Eagle Ridge Builders in Hayden, Idaho.