TCCC employees receive degrees

Two Tri-Cities Cancer Center employees graduated with their Master’s degrees in May.

Karen DuBois, RN, BSN, CHPN, a TCCC Nurse Navigator received an advanced registered nurse practitioner degree from Gonzaga University.

Michael Novakovich, TCCC’s director of business development, received a Master’s in Business Administration with a concentration in marketing from Washington State University.

DuBois will take on new duties and responsibilities including leading the Survivorship and Palliative Care programs.

Novakovich serves on the senior leadership team and is implementing new strategies to better provide for the growing needs of our community.

Clary honored

Kennewick Thrivent Financial representative Michelle Clary was one of 39 wealth advisors nationwide to receive the 2015 Voices in Philanthropy Award from InFaith Community Foundation in Minneapolis.

Selection was based on total outright and deferred charitable gifts made by Clary’s clients through InFaith in 2015.

Good retires

Sam Good, director of properties and development for the Port of Pasco retired May 1. Good joined the port in 2001 and was involved in several large land sales at the Pasco Processing Center included Syngenta and Kenyon Zero Storage.

She also assisted in establishing the Foster Wells Business Park inside the processing center, which is now home to Second Harvest Food Bank, Volm Companies, Basin Gold, the Rock Placing Company and Teton West.

Good was the chairman for the Tri-Cities River Shore Enhancement Council Technical Committee and was active in the Regional Transportation Planning Organization, the Northwest Marine Terminal Association, the Pasco Downtown Development Association and Pasco Specialty Kitchen as well as other organizations.

Carbaugh honored

The Columbia Chapter of the Health Physics Society recently awarded the Herbert M. Parker Award to Eugene H. Carbaugh. This is the chapter’s most prestigious award.

Carbaugh is a radiation safety scientist and senior health physicist with Dade Moeller, specializing in applied internal dosimetry. He has worked for the company since 2012.

He is the exposure evaluations technical lead of the internal dosimetry program at the Hanford nuclear site, dealing with workers exposed or potentially exposed to radioactivity and liaising with the Hanford dosimetry and occupational medicine staffs.

Carbaugh also serves on American National Standards institute committees for tritium and plutonium internal dosimetry and on scientific committees for the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements.

PNNL scientists receive grants

Three scientists at the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory received 2016 Early Career Research Program research grants. They are among 49 recipients nationwide to receive the annual research awards from among 600 applicants.

PNNL scientists Yingge Du, Kirsten Hofmockel and James Moran will receive funding to further their studies in climate science, energy storage and other areas important to the nation. Each will receive at least $2.5 million toward their research over the next five years.

The Early Career Research Program is managed by DOE’s Office of Science and awards research grants to young scientists and engineers at United States universities and national laboratories.

Kennewick lauded by AWC

The City of Kennewick was one of 112 cities and local governments to receive a 2016 WellCity Award from the Association of Washington Cities. These awards are given to cities meeting the AWC Employee Benefit Trust’s stringent WellCity standards in demonstrating a commitment to employee health.

This is the fifth year Kennewick has received the award. The city has 360 employees.

Award winners receive health benefits from the AWC Employee Benefits Trust, the state’s largest local government employee benefit pool for cities and other local governments. The cities receiving the award will earn a two-percent discount on 2017 medical premium contributions.

WSU students earn state honors

Students from four Washington State University campuses recently earned state honors for community leadership and service from Washington Campus Compact. They each received the newly created Presidents’ Award, part of the Students Serving Washington Awards program.

Three of the students are from the WSU Tri-Cities campus. Brent Ellis helped plan and build a Habitat for Humanity house for a family of Burmese refugees. Melanie Ford researched the impact of climate change on Washington agriculture. Elinor Lake helped redesign the campus recycling program to reduce waste.

Other WSU students receiving the award were Roy Puchalski, WSU Pullman; Kari Whitney, Global Campus; and Sean Pilbrook and Shain Wright, WSU Vancouver.

Jensen promoted

Isaiah Jensen was recently promoted to director of admissions at Charter College in Pasco. He has been Charter College’s assistant director of admissions since 2013.

Jensen has a Bachelor’s degree in business and sports management from Crown college in St. Bonifacius, Minn.

Lemley appointed to council

Richland City Councilman Phillip Lemley was appointed by Gov. Jay Inslee to serve on the State Building Code Council. He will represent the Association of Washington Cities including all 280 Washington municipalities. The term runs from through Jan. 5, 2019.

The SBCC was created to advise the legislature on building code issues and to develop the building codes used in the state. The codes ensure buildings and facilities constructed in the state are safe and health for the occupants, accessible to those with disabilities and the elderly and are energy efficient.

Blais, Bai named chief residents

Two Trios Health residents were recently chosen to serve as chief residents for the hospital system’s family and internal medicine residency programs.

Dr. Kirk Blais, who is beginning his third year of residency, was selected for internal medicine. He received his Doctor of Osteopathis Medicine degree from the A.T. Still University-Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine in Kirksville, Miss., in 2013.

Dr. Eric Bai, is also beginning his third year of residency. He was selected for the family medicine program. He graduated as a Doctor of Osteopathic medicine from the Touro University Nevada College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2014.

They will each serve for one year, beginning June 27.

Distinguished alumnus named

Doug Hamrick, retired chemical disposal project manager, was presented with the Washington State University Tri-Cities Distinguished Alumnus of the Year Award May 7.

He was honored for his service, career achievements and dedication to the promotion of educational excellence.

Hamrick has 40 years of experience working in nuclear operations and chemical weapons demilitarization. He served in leadership positions at high hazard facilities at Hanford, Rocky Flats, Colo., and Anniston, Ala. He was project manager of the Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility from 2002-2009.

After returning to the Tri-Cities in 2012, Hamrick has joined the board of the Tri-County Partners Habitat for Humanity and the Reach Museum Foundation.

Hamrick and his wife, Julie, also sponsor two WSU scholarships.

Energy NW recognized for safety

The American Public Power Association recently awarded Energy Northwest first place in its 2015 Safety Awards of Excellence for safe operating practices. EN received top honors in the category for utilities with between one and four million worker hours.

The only other Northwest utility to receive a Safety Award of Excellence as Oregon’s Milton-Freewater City Light and Power, which competed in a category for smaller utilities.

Frost honored

Stephen Frost, utility safety coordinator for Benton PUD, has received the Career Commitment to Safety Award from the Northwest Public Power Association. The award recognizes one individual each year for their outstanding proficiency in safety as demonstrated by their leadership in safety in their utility and the industry and who has made a significant contribution to safety over their career.

Frost’s career began in 1982 at Montana Power Company. He later became a safety coordinator for Electrical Safety Consultants International before being hired by Benton PUD. He serves as a shared-resource between Benton and Franklin PUDs, Benton REA and the City of Richland.

He also led a team in developing a training program on electrical safety fundamentals for first responders.

Corey receives scholarship

Bryndalyn Corey, a Chiawana High School student and a Columbia Basin College Running Start student, is one of 10 youths to receive a $10,000 scholarship from The Timken Company.

She is the daughter of Mike Corey, a machinist with H & N Electric, a Timken Brand in Pasco. After graduation, Bryndalyn Corey plans to attend the pre-veterinary program at Washington State University Tri-Cities before applying for the veterinary school at WSU Pullman.

Benton County dispatcher honored

Benton County Emergency Services dispatcher Amanda Lee was honored in April for her efforts in the home delivery of a baby girl. In April, Lee received a frantic call from a family member who was with the mother. She calmly offered guidance, support, encouragement and finally congratulations. Lee received a certificate and traditional stork pin.

KFD promotes firefighters

The Kennewick Fire Department and City of Kennewick will promote three firefighters in May.

Firefighter/paramedic Christopher Feather will be promoted to the position of captain/paramedic on B-Shift. He has been with the KFD for nearly 20 years and served as a paramedic for 14 years and as acting captain for 13 years.

Firefighter/EMT Andy Finley will be named captain/EMT on A-Shift. He is a 15-year veteran of the KFD.

Firefighter/EMT Jake VanHorn will be promoted to captain/EMT on C-Shift. He has been with the KFD for 15 years and is a member of the Tri-County Hazmat Team.

Volunteers honored

Four dedicated Pasco Invite volunteers who recently died were honored during the April 16 competition held at Pasco’s Edgar Brown Stadium.

Those honored during the 55th annual event were: John Howard, Columbia Basin College wrestling and golf coach; CJ Mitchell, a Tri-Cities basketball, football and baseball official; Mick O’Larey, a longtime Pasco Bulldog booster; and Pete Felsted, a Pasco School Board member.

Pasco Invite officials also recognized the work of three other longtime volunteers, Gary Hackney, Sharon Anderson and Steve Crawford.

G2 Construction recognized

G2 Commercial Construction Inc., a general contractor in Kennewick, has been named a Career Builder with Butler Manufacturing. Butler provides commercial design-build construction materials to contractors. Only those contractors who have demonstrated total competence in design and construction are eligible for this, Butler’s highest affiliation.

Founded in 2005, G2 Commercial Construction has 35 employees and has been an authorized Butler Builder for five years. G2 is the only authorized Butler Builder in the Tri-Cities area.