NEW HIRES

• The East Benton County Museum in Kennewick has hired Cathryn Tames as its new executive director/administrator. Tames, the former executive director of the Children’s Development Center in Richland, brings more than 35 years of experience in the nonprofit sector. Christy Watts, the former executive director, has retired.

• Michael D. Gallagher has joined Washington Policy Center, a free market think tank, as CEO and president. He is former president and CEO of Entertainment Software Association and served as an assistant secretary of commerce for telecommunications during the George W. Bush administration. During his tenure at ESA, he was credited with building bipartisan support for the industry at the state and federal level. He succeeds Daniel Mead Smith, who left in October to join Project 42, a Seattle nonprofit advocacy group.

• Dr. Gregory Bohn has joined Lourdes Health’s as a general surgeon. He specializes in general, thoracic, vascular, endoscopic and laparoscopic surgery, as well as wound care and management. Bohn earned his doctor of medicine from Wayne State University and his bachelor of science from the University of Michigan. Following medical school, he completed his internship and residency in general surgery with Blodgett Memorial Medical Center and Saint Mary’s Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
• Debbie Bravo has been hired as the lead interior designer at Architects West and will oversee the development and growth of Architects West’s new interior design studio. She brings more than 25 years of interior design experience, a passion for good design and a goal to bring the human experience to a higher level. Bravo has worked on all aspects of building projects and brings an extensive portfolio with her including public and private projects from the commercial office, health care, recreation, multifamily and residential sectors.
• Distinctive Properties Inc. has hired Matt Calvert as its newest real estate broker/Realtor. Calvert previously worked for five years in banking. He will specialize in residential real estate.
• Sierra Kellogg has been hired as assistant vice president of home loan center operations for Numerica Credit Union. She will help lead the credit union’s processing and funding teams across the Tri-Cities, Spokane, north Idaho and the Wenatchee Valley. She has 10 years of experience in the financial industry, specializing in mortgage and consumer lending. She was previously a processing manager at Caliber Home Loans.
• Liz Renz has joined the Port of Benton as an accounting clerk. She joins the port team after many years of working as office manager for the Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce. With experience in office management, customer service, professional services, accounting, audit, managing budgets, reporting and software, she brings a wide variety experience. Her role with the port will focus on accounting and administrative duties..
• Cornerstone Wealth Strategies Inc., a full-service independent wealth management firm based in Kennewick, has hired Tyler Scott as a wealth advisor and financial planner. The certified financial planner started in the finance industry in 2014, and his latest tenure was with one of the largest investment firms in the nation. He served a large client base and specialized in all aspects of financial planning, working to help his clients achieve their goals. He graduated from Southern New Hampshire University with a bachelor’s degree in business finance.
• Walla Walla-based Divots Golf LLC, which has a shop in Richland, has named PGA Pro Brady Sharp as director of golf. He will join a growing team of golf enthusiasts working to make golf more accessible year-round, as well as developing the next generation of golfers through the use of simulator technology, training and competitions. Sharp will spearhead engagement initiatives to increase golf participation. In his role, he will oversee all private golf lessons at the Divots Junior Golf Academy and contribute to the success of various events and tournaments.
• Steve Fisk, a school administrator with a record of successful innovative educational programs and supporting students, will be the next principal of Richland High School. He replaces current principal Tim Praino, who was recently selected to be Richland School District’s new executive director of human resources.

Fisk has 22 years of experience as a building administrator, with more than half of that time at North Central High School in Spokane. While there, he worked with his staff to establish the Institute of Science and Technology to give first high school students and then those in middle school the opportunity to explore careers ranging from genomic research to archaeology. He also holds a superintendent’s credential and recently led the Colville School District.

PROMOTION

• Chaplaincy Health Care has named Zoe Diaz as the director of standards and compliance. Diaz will ensure the nonprofit’s compliance with state, federal and local regulations, as well as company policies and procedures, audit control and inspections, licensure inspections and audits and security of related records. She most recently worked at Chaplaincy Health Care as an executive assistant where she worked with compliance through contract management, policy and procedure development, licensure and regulatory requirements and survey preparedness. Prior to joining Chaplaincy, Diaz was the home manager and compliance support at From the Heart adult family homes, where she managed and supported compliance in multiple homes. Her responsibilities included patient care auditing, care planning, home compliance for adult family home living standards and emergency preparedness.

APPOINTMENT

• Dr. Amy Person of Kennewick was appointed to the Public Health Advisory Board by Gov. Jay Inslee. She is the health officer for the Benton-Franklin Health District.

DONATIONS

• The North Franklin School District received $2,500 through the CHS Seeds for Stewardship program to continue offering a Washington Office of Superintendent Public Instruction-approved Class A CDL preparatory course at Connell High School. The stewardship program was designed to support organizations and projects focused on safety and ag education. CHS SunBasin Growers donated the money to the program to empower a safer, stronger rural America as the money goes directly back into communities where CHS owners and employees work, live and do business. Since 2019, CHS Ag Retail locations have donated more than $552,000 to CHS Seeds for Stewardship.
• The Pacific Power Foundation has awarded Heartlinks Hospice & Palliative Care a $10,000 grant to assist with its mission of enriching the lives of patients and their families in need of end-of-life care throughout Benton, Franklin and Yakima counties. Specifically, the grant will support the pediatric palliative care program which supports children up to age 20 who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness or chronic condition.

AWARDS & HONORS

• The Richland-based BrandCraft was one of 21 Washington businesses with a combined $1.4 billion in revenue on 2022 Inc. Magazine’s list of the fastest-growing private companies in the Pacific region. Collectively, the Washington honorees added 2,166 jobs in the past year. BrandCraft was No. 139 for the West, showing 75% growth. Legwork, a Wenatchee software firm, was the only other Eastern Washington firm, ranking No. 141 with 73% revenue growth.

• Matthew Riesenweber, an independent LPL Financial advisor in Kennewick, has been recognized by Barron’s as one of the 2022 Top 1,200 advisors in America. Riesenweber, CEO and wealth advisor of Cornerstone Wealth Strategies, was recognized as the 19th advisor in the state. The annual list highlights outstanding financial advisors based on data provided by about 6,000 financial professionals, according to Barron’s. Advisors are assessed based on varying factors contributing to the quality of their practice, including revenue produced for the firm, regulatory record and philanthropic work.

• Edward Jones Financial Advisor Shelley Kennedy of Richland was named to the annual list of America’s Top Women Wealth Advisors for 2022 by Forbes and SHOOK Research. Kennedy ranked No. 19 among Top Women Wealth Advisors Best-in-State in Washington. She has served area investors for the past 11 years. To compile the 2022 list of 1,377 women, research analysts conducted more than 16,000 interviews with nominees. Criteria included client service, compliance records, community involvement, the investment process, assets under care and tenure in the industry. Kennedy is one of 36 Edward Jones financial advisors to be named to the 2022 Forbes list of America's Top Women Wealth Advisors and subsequently the Top Women Wealth Advisors Best-in-State, which is published in the February-March issue of Forbes.
• Tri-Citians Rob Koenig, a director in the Richland Seniors Association (RSA), and Larry Elliot, were recognized on March 17 by KAPP and STCU in their monthly Volunteers Count project as outstanding community volunteers for their years of service in Fields of Grace, a nonprofit organization whose volunteers harvest fruit and produce donated by local farmers to be distributed to food banks. In honor of their service, STCU presented a $1,000 check to Fields of Grace in their name.
• Michelle Clary of Piton Wealth is newly certified as an accredited estate planner designee by the National Association of Estate Planners & Councils. Clary has earned multiple significant financial certifications, including certified financial planner, certified life underwriter, chartered financial consultant and retirement income certified professional. She has been in the financial industry for more than 20 years, advising clients around the country in faith-based wealth management.
• Kennewick School District nurses recently were honored as recipients of a special achievement award given as part of Educational Service District 123’s annual Crystal Apple Awards program. The award honors a person or group for contributions to the education community. School nurses were recognized for their extraordinary efforts during the Covid-19 pandemic to protect and help students, staff, and families to navigate guidelines and address questions and concerns.
• The city of Richland received a certificate of achievement for excellence in financial reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada. The city was recognized for its annual comprehensive financial report for the fiscal year ending Dec. 31, 2020. The report was judged by an impartial panel to meet the high standards of the program, which includes demonstrating a spirit of full disclosure to communicate its financial story and motivate potential users and user groups to read the report.