Business Beat

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Accounting

 Nicholas Knapton, P.S. has promoted Viktoriya Malko from Staff A accountant to senior accountant and Nick Crooks from Staff B accountant to Staff A accountant.

 McDirmid, Mikkelsen & Secrest, P.S. has promoted Travis Bean from Staff B accountant to Staff A accountant and hired Melissa Webb as a Staff B accountant.

 Dina West has been hired as director of accounting for Embassy Management LLC. West worked as a controller for Envision EMI in Virginia.

Architecture

 Paul Hirzel, a professor in the School of Design and Construction at Washington State University, has received a merit award from the Seattle chapter of the American Institute of Architects for excellence in design.

Education

 Community Colleges of Spokane has hired Jeff Brown as dean of Business, Hospitality and Information Technology at Spokane Community College and Bonnie Brunt as dean of Visual and Performing Arts at Spokane Falls Community College. Brown worked as director of Great Falls College Montana State University’s division of Business, Trades and Technology. Brunt worked as interim dean of Visual and Performing Arts at SFCC and prior to that was a Spanish instructor at the college from 2004 to 2012.

 John White has been promoted to chair of the department of pharmacotherapy at the Washington State University College of Pharmacy. White is a licensed pharmacist and has been involved in diabetes research and education since 1987. He has been affiliated with the WSU College of Pharmacy for more than 20 years and worked as acting chair of the department.

 The Washington Higher Education Facilities Authority has named Brian Benzel as a “Proud Partner” for his work in providing affordable financing for Whitworth University. Benzel is the retiring vice president for finance and administration at Whitworth, where he has worked since 2007. Previously, he worked as superintendent of Spokane Public Schools and was named Washington Superintendent of the Year in 1993.

Finance

 David Bobbitt has been named corporate board chairman of the Pacific Northwest Banking School for his fourth term. He is chairman and CEO of Community 1st Bank. Bobbitt is on the Western Independent Bankers board of directors and is co-chair of the legislative committee of the Post Falls Chamber of Commerce.

 Madeline Buescher has been ranked in the top 25 percent of financial advisers who scored 96 percent or more in client satisfaction in an Ameriprise Financial Client Relationship Study. Buescher has been with Ameriprise Financial Services Inc. as an adviser for 29 years.

 Mark Lupton, a financial representative with The Hubbell Financial Group, has been named a member of the 2013 Northwestern Mutual Forum group.

Health care

 The American Physical Therapy Association Section on Geriatrics has awarded Lori McCormick certification as an Exercise Expert for Aging Adults. McCormick is a physical therapist and director of the Touchmark Health & Fitness Center.

Hospitality

 Melissa Boland has become a certified meeting professional by the Convention Industry Council. This is a nationally recognized professional certification of the meetings, conventions and exhibitions industry. Boland is catering and conference services manager at Northern Quest Resort and Casino.