Business beat

Banking

Mark Dresback will become RiverBank’s chief executive officer following the retirement of Dan Byrne. Dresback joined RiverBank at the start of the year with more than 30 years of banking experience in various management positions. Dresback graduated from Whitworth University with a bachelor’s in business management.

Mike Wilson has been hired as the chief banking officer of RiverBank. Wilson has 15 years of experience in business development, commercial lending, credit administration and executive management and recently served as senior vice president of real estate for Stay Alfred and senior credit officer at Inland Northwest Bank. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business management from Montana State University and a Master of Business Administration and Finance degree from Loyola University Chicago as well as Stonier Graduate School of Banking and the Wharton School of Business Leadership.

H

onors

The Northwest Chapter of the American Association of Airport Executives has awarded its Corporate Award of Excellence to T-O Engineers. T-O Engineers was recognized for its client support and engagement in the community through volunteer work, legislative support, community outreach and education efforts. T-O Engineers is a civil engineering firm with more than 160 employees across Idaho, Washington, Wyoming and Utah.

The Idaho Nonprofit Center presented Disability Action Center NW with its Outstanding Non-Profit award at Idaho Philanthropy Day. Nominees include nonprofit organizations, individuals, foundations, media outlets and businesses and are evaluated on their efforts and use of time and talent to serve local communities. DAC advocates for people with disabilities to help them lead fulfilling, independent lives. DAC also provides information about the latest adaptive technology as well as expertise and data pertaining to the American’s with Disabilities Act.

The Spokane Riverfront Park U.S. Pavilion project has received 16 regional, national and international awards. Featured awards include the Construction Management Association of America Project of the Year and the Design Build Institute of America Project of the Year. The project is the first to win both awards in the same year. The project team includes City of Spokane Parks and Recreation Department, Hill International, Garco Construction, NAC Architecture, Berger Partnership and GuildWorks.

Washington State Employees Credit Union has recognized several employees this year. The award committee is comprised of credit union board members and staff. This year’s winners are as follows: Amber Belcher, Employee of the Year – Service to Coworkers (Contact Center); Lynda Watkins, Employee of the Year – Service to Members (Lacey Credit Union Center Branch); Tovia Ryan, Service Excellence – Service to Coworkers (Information Technology); Levi Carlsen, Service Excellence – Service to Members (Spokane Valley Branch). This year’s volunteer of the year is Beth Kober (Member Loan Center).

The Gonzaga University Institute for Hate Studies has awarded its 2020 Eva Lassman Take Action Against Hate Awards. Leslie McAuley was recognized with the individual award. McAuley earned a master’s degree in theology at Whitworth University and has served for 24 years in a federal agency. Two years ago, she formed a book group at a prayer breakfast that has grown to more than 150 participants and works to bridge divides in the community. McAuley currently works as the coordinator of the reconciliation calling community in Whitworth’s office of church engagement and is the assistant pastor at Immanuel Church in Spokane. The organization award went to The Spokane County Human Rights Task Force for developing the Hate and Bias Incident Report, an online form to identify and care for victims of hate incidents and crimes. The Eva Lassman Memorial Student Research award went to Manojprabhakran Thirupal, a doctoral student in the School of Leadership Studies for work on the topic “White Supremacy in the Northwest” and to Christopher Combs from the College of Arts and Sciences for research on the topic “Gay in Cuba: Analyzing Sexual Stigmatization through the Lens of Class-based Experiences in a ‘Classless’ Society.” The awards are named for Eva Lassman, a Holocaust survivor and community educator on human rights who received the inaugural Take Action Against Hate Award in 2009.