Josh Brooks of Columbia Basin Denture Clinic has been presented with the 2015 Humanitarian of the Year Award from the Mustangs for Mustangs, a Prosser grassroots group.

The Richland City Council elected councilman Bob Thompson as the city’s new mayor at its Jan. 5 council meeting. Councilman Terry Christensen was elected as mayor pro tem. Thompson and Christensen will serve two-year terms. Dori Luzzo Gilmour was welcomed as the newest council member.

Dr. Brenda Slusser has been promoted to president of the Charter College campus in Pasco. Slusser will be responsible for managing the campus operations. Slusser has worked in education since 2008, formerly serving as president of Charter College’s Lynnwood campus. She has a Ph.D. in organization and management from Capella University and an MBA from the University of Phoenix.

Trios Medical Group has hired Lori Evans, CNM, for its obstetrics and gynecology team. Prior to joining Trios, Evans practiced as a certified nurse midwife at Carle Clinic and Carle Hospital in Urbana, Il. For seven years and also at Planned Parenthood Prenatal Clinic in Champaign, Ill. Evans has a Bachelor’s degree in nursing from Old Dominion University in Virginia and a Master’s degree in maternal child health from the University of Illinois. She is a certified nurse midwife. Evans will practice at the Trios Care Center at 320 W. 10th Ave., Suite. 102 in Kennewick.

The Allied Arts Association has presented the prestigious 2015 Condotta Award for Excellence in Two-Dimensional Medium to photographer David Wyatt. The award was established by Leola Condotta in memory of her husband, Denny Condotta, who died in 2004. The couple supported and led civic arts groups in the Tri-Cities for many years. The award is presented to an artist who exhibited in the Allied Arts Gallery during the previous year and recognizes originality, mastery of technique and quality of execution and presentation.

Wyatt, a Master Aerial Photographer, has received multiple honors for his work in international, regional and local competitions, including Best of Show at the 2012 Allied Arts juried show.

Rob Blethen, the former publisher of the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, has joined Baker Boyer bank in Walla Walla as vice president and Walla Walla family advisor manager.

Most recently Blethen was the general manager of the Yakima Herald. Blethen graduated from the University of Washington with a focus on communications. He has also completed management programs at Northwestern University Kellogg Graduate School of Management and the American Management Association.

Jim Carey, the owner of Cruise Holidays, has accepted an exclusive invitation to experience a European river cruise in France to celebrate the agency’s achievements in counseling Tri-Cities’ travelers. Carey joined other members of Cruise Holidays International’s President Circle aboard Uniworld’s S.S. Catherine from Avignon, France to Lyon, France, along the Rhone River. The Cruise Holidays President’s Circle honors agencies based on their overall gross profit or year-over-year growth from the previous year. Carey has been named to the President’s Circle four times.

Trios Medical Group has hired Marco De Santis, D.O. to join its endocrinology team.

De Santis previously practiced with Lutheran Medical Group in Fort Wayne, Ind. He completed a fellowship in endocrinology and medical residency in internal medicine, both at McLaren Medical Center Macomb in Mount Clemens, Mich.

De Santis received a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Bradenton, Fla. He is board certified in internal medicine with subspecialty board certification in endocrinology. De Santis’ practice is at the Trios Care Center at Vista Field at 521 N. Young St. in Kennewick.

The Benton Conservation District was recognized with two awards for its Heritage Garden program. The Washington Native Plant Society has honored the BCD with the 2015 Outstanding Partner Award for an integration of resources and assistance to promote the use of native plants that honor our natural, cultural and geologic histories into water-smart landscaping. BCD’s Heritage Garden program has blossomed due to the efforts of volunteer Donna Lucas, who received the Washington Association of Conservation District’s 2015 Special Service Award. BCD is a non-regulatory local government agency whose mission is to encourage wise stewardship of natural resources including soil, water, plants and wildlife.

PNNL scientists cited

Six scientists at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory are included in a new analysis of scientists whose work is cited most often by peers. The analysis, published by Thomas Reuters, recognizes scientist who are among the top one percent of researchers worldwide when it comes to other researchers citing their work. The analysis covers citations in a number of scientific areas from 2003-2013.

Richard Easter, Steven Ghan and Philip Rasch were included for their cited work in climate science. All three are developing new ways to understand a very important climate issue that poses uncertainty: What is the impact of clouds and small particles in the atmosphere as the climate changes.

Ji-Guang (Jason) Shang, Jun Liu and Yuehe Lin were noted for work in chemistry, energy storage and materials science. Shang and Liu focus their work on materials science and energy storage, particularly batteries that are smaller, more efficient, less expensive and even fundamentally different than current technologies. Zhang was recognized in the magazine’s engineering category, while Liu was recognized for his work in both the materials science and chemistry fields.

Lin, whose primary appointment is at Washington State University and who has a joint appointment at PNNL, was recognized for his research in chemistry.

Thrivent Financial representative Michelle Clary, CFP®, CLU®, ChFC®, recently earned the designation of Retirement Income Certified Professional®, or RICP®, after completing an intensive three-part course offered by The American College of Bryn Mawr, Pa. in conjunction with LIMRA International and GAMA International.

To earn the designation, Clary completed a three-part course that focused on various risks and solutions that can impact retirement.

Kimberly J. Powell, an attorney with Ashby Law PLLC, recently attended the National Institute of Trial Advocacy’s certificate program — the Family Law Trial Advocacy Program in Boulder, Colo. As space for the family law program is limited, only a handful of attorneys are able to attend. Powell was the only attorney in attendance from the Pacific Northwest. NITA is a leading provider of legal advocacy skills training and each year the organization puts on an eight-day Family Law Trial Advocacy Program in partnership with the American Bar Association’s Section of Family Law. Also referred to as a ‘boot camp’ for family law trial lawyers, the program covers all of the skills used in family law proceedings.

Jon Amundson, Richland's assistant city manager, recently received the Credentialed Manager designation from ICMA, the International City/County Management Association. Amundson is one of more than 1,300 local government management professionals currently credentialed through the ICMA Voluntary Credentialing Program. To receive the designation, a member must have significant experience as a senior management executive in local government, have a degree, preferably in public administration or a related field, and demonstrated a commitment to high standards of integrity and lifelong learning and professional development.