Networking -- June 2017

SCORE volunteer helps launch 140 businesses 

SCORE volunteer P. Simon Mahler helped launch 140 businesses that employed more than 1,700 people in 2016, according to an annual report published by PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Mahler created a 30-day virtual incubator program for those looking to launch a business.

SCORE has helped more than 10 million aspiring entrepreneurs since 1964 by providing small business mentoring and workshops. More than 11,000 business experts volunteer as mentors in 320 chapters serving local communities and entrepreneur education to help grow one million small businesses annually.

Purcell ranked among 10 best family law attorneys 

Mathew Purcell of Purcell Family Law in Richland has been named 2017 10 Best Family Law Attorney for Client Satisfaction by the American Institute of Family Law Attorneys.

The group is a third-party attorney rating organization that publishes an annual list of the Top 10 Family Law Attorneys in each state. To be selected, attorneys must pass a rigorous selection process.

Tri-Cities Vein and Vascular Institute re-accreditated

Tri-Cities Vein and Vascular Institute, located in Richland, has earned a three-year re-accreditation by the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission in in the areas of extracranial cerebrovascular testing, peripheral venous testing, peripheral arterial testing and visceral vascular testing.

To receive the designation, organizations must undergo an intensive application and review process.

IAC has granted accreditation to more than 14,000 sites throughout the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico.

Anderson named director of career and technical program 

Tricia Anderson has been named Kennewick School District’s director of Career and Technical Education, or CTE, program.

Anderson has experience as an assistant principal, CTE director, business education instructor, student advisor, mentor teacher and principal.

She has a bachelor’s degree in general studies with a minor in art from Eastern Washington University, as well as a master’s degree in professional studies in teaching and learning from Heritage University. Anderson also holds vocational teaching and CTE certifications from Central Washington University, an administrator certification from Heritage University and a principal professional certification from Seattle University.

Bonus, Slade travel to Washington, D.C. 

Emily Bonus, daughter of Kim and Adam Bonus of West Richland, and Tyler Slade, son of Roscoe and Shawna Slade of West Richland, were chosen to represent Benton REA on the National Rural Electric Cooperatives Association Electric Cooperative Youth Tour.

This is the second year Benton REA sent students on the tour.

During the week-long trip, the students toured museums, memorials and monuments. They met and spoke with legislators and had the chance to meet students and leaders from many states.

Applications for the 2018 NRECA Electric Cooperative Youth Tour will be available in the fall to the children of Benton REA members entering their sophomore or junior year in high school.

Visit bentonrea.org/youth-education to learn more.

Hampton Inn names new managers

Brenda Romay has joined the Hampton Inn Richland as sales manager, and Melody Goller was promoted to assistant general manager.

Romay has hotel catering and sales experience. In her new role she will acquire new group and conference business, maintain existing accounts and network.

Goller has worked at Hampton Inn for six years, most recently as sales manager. Her new duties include accounts receivable, front desk operations and overseeing the property in the absence of the general manager.

Kennedy attends Edward Jones’ leaders conference 

Certified financial planner Shelley Kennedy attended Edward Jones’ financial advisor leaders conference May 10-12 in St. Louis.

The Richland-based Kennedy was among only 538 financial advisors who qualified from the firm’s 14,000 in the U.S. and Canada.

The conference recognized advisors who are among leaders in the company and provided training to help them serve more individual investors in their communities.

Edward Jones is a Fortune 500 company providing financial services for individual investors. The firm’s advisors work directly with more than seven million clients.

Lourdes’ rehabilitation unit receives performance award

Lourdes Medical Center’s Acute Rehabilitation facility received a 2017 “Top Performer Award” from Uniform Data System for Medical Rehabilitation. This is the third time Lourdes has been recognized for this award.

The UDSMR evaluated 800 qualifying facilities using its program evaluation model.

Lourdes has been serving the Mid-Columbia region’s health care needs since 1916.

Marsh, Wiley receive MSA lifesaving awards

Jim Marsh and Dan Wiley have been honored with Mission Support Alliance’s Presidents’ Lifesaving awards from MSA President Bill Johnson.

The awards recognize employees who demonstrate caring and courage by taking immediate action directly attributable to saving someone’s life.

Marsh responded to a man who was not breathing and had no pulse. He directed someone to call 911 and administered CPR for more than 10 minutes until the paramedics arrived. The man was taken to a hospital and continues to recover from a heart attack.

While at home, Wiley heard his father call for help and found him gasping for air. His father had stopped breathing and no longer had a pulse. He began performing CPR. When paramedics arrived, they continued CPR and stabilized his father to take him to the hospital.

Ignite Youth Mentoring hires executive director

Troy Farley is Ignite Youth Mentoring’s new executive director.

Farley has experience as an executive director of Young Life and as an intervention specialist at Chiawana High School.

Ignite Youth Mentoring aims to empower young people to find hope and safety through adult mentors who help them form strong values, develop social and job-related skills and discover God’s purpose for their lives.

Kadlec receives re-accreditation

Kadlec has been awarded a three-year re-accreditation in stereotactic breast biopsy by the American College of Radiology.

A stereotactic breast biopsy involves a special mammography machine to help guide the radiologist’s instruments to the site of an abnormal growth.

The accreditation is awarded to facilities meeting the college’s practice parameters and technical standards after a peer-review evaluation by board-certified physicians and medical physicists.

Wheatland receives five-star rating 

Spokane-based Wheatland Bank, which has a Pasco branch, earned a five-star rating from Bauer Financial, a bank rating firm.

The rating system considers capital adequacy, profitability and asset quality.

Wheatland has received the rating for 41 consecutive quarters, increasing its designation to “Exceptional Performance Bank.”

Wheatland Bank was founded in 1979 and has 14 branch offices.

Adams named account executive 

Travis Adams has been named as a business account sales executive for the Tri-City area for U.S. Cellular.

Adams has been with U.S. Cellular for two years and will work to improve customer loyalty and retention. He will be based at the company’s Richland business office.

Khawandi named Trios CMO; Slack joins as hospitalist 

Dr. Wassim Khawandi has been appointed chief medical officer for Trios Health. Khawandi is a practicing board-certified nephrologist and has served as medical director of Trios Medical Group since 2014.

Khawandi attended medical school at American University of Beirut Medical Center in Beirut, Lebanon. He completed an internship and residency training at Indiana University in Indianapolis, as well as a fellowship at Emory University in Atlanta. He also holds a master’s in business administration in health care from George Washington University School of Business in Washington, D.C.

Nicole Slack, who holds a doctor of nursing practice degree from Washington State University, has joined Trios Medical Group Hospital Medicine as a hospitalist.

In her new role, Slack will provide inpatient care primarily at Trios Southridge Hospital.

Slack has nearly five years of experience working as a registered nurse in Trios Health hospital units.

Trios Health is the Kennewick Public Hospital District’s system of care serving the greater Tri-Cities.

Kleppin named director of Christian mentoring program 

Todd Kleppin is the new executive director of the Christian Association of Youth Mentoring program, a nationwide, faith-based mentoring program.

Kleppin has experience as a youth pastor and was the founder and executive director of Ignite Youth Mentoring.

The association works with individuals, churches and nonprofits in 46 states to plant new mentoring programs, train staff and volunteers, provide curriculum and offer consulting support.

Hunt, Gibbons receive Simon mall scholarships 

Columbia Center, a Simon mall, recently awarded a $1,500 college scholarship to Elizabeth Hunt, a Richland High School graduate. She will attend Brigham Young University this fall.

Evan Gibbons, a Kamiakan High graduate, received a $1,000 scholarship he will use at the University of Washington.

Over the past 15 years, Columbia Center has awarded more than $25,000 to 17 local high school graduates.

Monson Wealth owner earns professional designation 

Eldon Monson, registered investment advisor representative and owner of Monson Wealth Management in Kennewick, has completed the retirement income certified professional designation. The designation is specific to knowing best practices including Social Security claiming, risk management and distribution strategies.

Monson founded his fee-only independent advisory practice in 2000.

Banner Bank named SBA regional lender of the year

Banner Bank has been named 2016 Regional Lender of the Year for the Seattle/Spokane District of the U.S. Small Business Administration, and a Star Performer for the Portland district.

The SBA determined the lender of the year winner by measuring the number of approved small business loans, total dollars approved and a bank’s willingness to utilize all SBA programs. Banner ranked third among all banks serving the state and was the top Washington-based lender, closing 168 loans for $28,192,300 last year, according to a news release.

WRPS named mentor of the year

Washington River Protection Solutions, the Department of Energy’s Office of River Protection’s tank farms contractor, was recently awarded the Fiscal Year 2016 Mentor of the Year award for leadership in mentoring local small businesses.

The DOE Mentor of the Year award is given to the federal contractor that demonstrates excellence in meeting requirements of the department’s mentor-protégé program.

It is the second time WRPS has received the award, the first being in 2011.

Tri-Cities Cancer Center named best place to work 

The Tri-Cities Cancer Center has been named one of the top 150 health care organizations to work for in the U.S. by Modern Healthcare.

The ranking will be revealed at a banquet Sept. 17 in Las Vegas during Modern Healthcare’s “Workplace of the Future” conference.

Modern Healthcare provides business and policy news, research and information for the healthcare industry.

Hanford grad Li named Goldwater Scholar

Chenguang Li, a Richland resident and Hanford High School graduate, was recently named one of 240 sophomores and juniors chosen from 1,286 applicants from across the country as a 2017 Goldwater Scholar. She is majoring in physics modified by biology at Dartmouth College.

The scholarship program was established by Congress in 1986 to serve as a living memorial to honor the lifetime work of Arizona Sen. Barry Goldwater. It is designed to foster and encourage outstanding students to pursue careers in the fields of mathematics, natural sciences and engineering.

The one- and two-year scholarships cover the cost of tuition, fees, books and room and board up to $7,500 per year.

Trios earns stroke care recognition 

Trios Health recently received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get with the Guidelines Stroke Gold Plus Achievement award for the second straight year.

The award recognizes Trios Southridge Hospital has reached a goal of treating patients with 85 percent or higher compliance to core standard levels of care for 12 consecutive months or more. Gold Plus hospitals also must demonstrate 75 percent compliance to seven out of 10 stroke quality measures during the 12-month period.

Trios Health is the Kennewick Public Hospital District’s system of care serving the greater Tri-Cities.

Myers joins INB as mortgage loan officer 

Ian Myers has joined INB’s Kennewick branch as a mortgage loan officer. Myers has many years of mortgage lending experience.

INB was founded in 1989 in Spokane and provides personal and business loans.

Banner’s Way earns internal auditor credential

Diane Way, vice president and audit manager at Banner Bank’s Kennewick location, has earned the certified internal auditor, or CIA, designation from the Institute of Internal Auditors.

The certification is a globally accepted designation for internal auditors. To receive the certificate, applicants must meet a number of professional, personal and educational requirements as well as pass a three-part exam.

Way joined Banner Bank’s internal audit department in 2003.

Ford joins Meier Architecture Engineering 

James Ford has joined Meier Architecture Engineering in Kennewick to provide electrical engineering support to the company and its clients.

Ford has more than 13 years of experience in electrical design and construction and earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Washington State University.

Cole joins Prosser downtown association 

Jesalyn C. Cole has joined the Historic Prosser Downtown Association as its executive director. The association works to create a vibrant, beautiful and prosperous downtown.

Prosser is a Washington State Main Street community, a designation that allows access to programs and funding for businesses in the downtown core.

Local organizations receive partnership awards

Several local organizations recently were named winners of the 2017 Smart Communities Awards by Gov. Jay Inslee:

• City of Kennewick: planning and funding Columbia Drive Urban Revitalization area project.
• Port of Kennewick: funding Columbia Drive Urban Revitalization area project.
• Benton County: funding for infrastructure to complete Columbia Gardens Wine and Artisan Village and prepare the Willows for commercial development to further the Columbia Drive urban revitalization project.
• Columbia Basin College: partnering in non-traditional approach to economic development and construction of the CBC Culinary Institute.

McEwen joins PayneWest Insurance 

Brandon McEwen has joined the commercial division at Paynewest Insurance in Richland as a commercial insurance sales executive. In his new role, McEwen will specialize in nonprofits, agriculture, physicians and medical malpractice as well as commercial construction.

He is a graduate of Washington State University.

ARES provides internship to two engineering students 

ARES Corp. is providing summer employment opportunities for two undergraduate engineering students.

Adrian Chavez, an electrical engineering student at Washington State University Tri-Cities, and Cody Wills, a mechanical engineering student at the University of Idaho, are serving as engineering interns in ARES’ local office.  They are supporting design teams performing work for Hanford, Sandia and Los Alamos as well as commercial clients.

Since opening in May 1995, the company’s Richland office has contributed to the career development of numerous engineers through internship opportunities.