Kelley joins Cancer Center
Dr. Joseph R. Kelley has joined the Tri-Cities Cancer Center as a radiation oncologist. Kelley earned his M.D. and Ph.D. from the Medical University of South Carolina. Kelley is a board certified radiation oncologist who worked for several years in the VA hospital system caring for patients with lung and prostate cancer. Kelley will begin treating patients in April.
Haiar joins ARES Corporation
Kevin Haiar, PE, SE, LEED®AP has joined ARES Corporation as a Structural Engineer. Haiar has extensive structural engineering experience in commercial and nuclear design applications. His design experience includes masonry, wood, steel and concrete including conventional cast in place as well as tilt-up and post-tensioned buildings. Prior to joining ARES, Haiar worked for Meier Architecture•Engineering, DCI Engineers and Eclipse Engineering Inc.
Chamber hires Conrad
Patrick Conrad has joined the Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce staff as its government affairs director. Conrad earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from Washington State University and previously was the communications consultant for the Washington State Department of Transportation. Conrad will oversee all matters pertaining to the Chamber’s Government Affairs department.
Apollo named safest company
Apollo Mechanical and Apollo Inc. received an Experience Modification Rate of .31, making them the safest company in Washington. It is the second year in a row the companies have earned the designation. With more than 700, employees, Apollo Mechanical and Apollo Inc. have proven track records of safety in the construction industry. In 2010, Apollo received an EMR of .33, the second lowest in the state for all industries — second to Enterprise Rent-A-Car. The companies’ 2011 EMR of .29 was 71 percent lower than the average company. The companies have also improved on their incident rate each year. Apollo’s current incident rate is impressive 41 percent lower than that of the average construction company and its Days Away and Restricted Time rate is 52 percent lower. The loss work-day rate for the past three years is 72 percent lower than its counterparts. In the past three years, Apollo Inc. and Apollo Mechanical have logged 4.6 million man hours and were able to work nearly 3 million man hours without a loss-time injury.
Banner Bank names branch manager
Barbara (Barb) Thompson has rejoined Banner Bank to manage its College Place branch at 1125 N.E. C Street. Thompson worked at Banner Bank for more than 25 years before leaving to pursue other opportunities in the banking industry. Prior to joining Banner Bank, Thompson was a teller supervisor/assistant branch manager at Baker Boyer Bank.
Ockey named to council
Joel Ockey, a managing principal in Waddell & Reed Inc.’s northwest region, has been named to the company’s Leadership Council, one of its highest honors for the firm’s field leadership team. The Leadership Council award is presented annually to the top eight Waddell & Reed managing principals nationwide, out of 100 division offices. The ranking is based on actively recruiting and managing Waddell & Reed financial advisors who best meet a set of performance criteria, including investment and financial planning sales generated in the previous year.
Clary honored by Thrivent
Michelle Clary, CFP, a Kennewick-based wealth advisor with Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, has qualified for the company’s Pinnacle Council for 2011. The Pinnacle Council is Thrivent’s highest recognition level for sales and service and of Thrivent’s nearly 2,300 financial representatives, only 97 qualified for the honor. Clary has been with Thrivent Financial for 11 years and has been recognized for her performance in each of those years.
McKee joins First Choice
First Choice Restoration has hired Jeff McKee as project manager. McKee has more than seven years of project management experience, specializing in water and fire mitigation and repair. McKee’s duties will include coordinating the mitigation or repair with home and business owners and coordinating and scheduling a repair crew. First Choice Restoration is a locally-owned, licensed general contractor in Washington and Oregon.
Wine Commission hires director
Steve Warner has joined the Washington Wine Commission as its new executive director. Warner has a bachelor’s degree in biology from East Tennessee State University and a MBA in international business and finance from Rutgers University. Born and raised in Washington, Warner graduated from West Seattle High School before serving the U.S. military’s Special Operations Command, first as a sergeant in the U.S. Air Force and later as a Lt. Commander in the U.S. Navy. Warner previously worked for Merck & Co. as a managing director based in Bucharest Romania. Prior to that, he held general manager and marketing positions in global and regional marketing in the Asia Pacific region and led teams while living in South Korea and Thailand.
West Richland Chamber presents awards
The West Richland Area Chamber of Commerce recognized outstanding citizens for their dedication in making West Richland and the surrounding area a quality place to live and work at its Annual Community Awards Banquet in February. Those honored included: Sgt. Bill Leach of the West Richland Police Department, Outstanding Police Officer; Caleb Castlebery, Benton County Fire District No. 4, Outstanding Firefighter; Betty Tsoukalas of William Wiley Elementary, Lisa Corning and Maren Benedict of Enterprise Middle School, and Margaret Koppenaal of Tapteal Elementary School, Outstanding Educators; Yoke’s Fresh Market of West Richland, Outstanding Business; Shelby Sawyer of Chandler Reach Winery, Outstanding Chamber Member; Delt Clark of Kadlec Medical Center, Outstanding Volunteer; Chuck Dawsey and Bruce Etzel of Benton REA, Outsanding Partnership; American Citizens Encouraging Support (A.C.E.S.), Herb Ganz Community Spirit Award; Julie Richardson, City of West Richland, Mayor’s Award; Peggy Forsgren, West Richland Area Chamber of Commerce, President’s Award; Peggy Forsgren, West Richland Chamber of Commerce, Executive Director’s Award. The 2012 Board of Directors for the West Richland Chamber of Commerce are: Darrell Toombs, Yoke’s Fresh Market, president; Delt Clark, Kadlec Medical Center, vice president; Nikki Geiszler, Banner Bank, second vice president; Troy Berglund, Benton REA, past president; Frank Wolf, Red Mountain Lions Club, treasurer; Tana Bader-Inglima, Port of Kennewick, secretary; Bob Marshall, West Richland Rentals, board member; Ruth Swain, City of West Richland, board member; Matt Peery, Benton REA PowerNET, board member; Shelby Sawyer, Chandler Reach Winery, board member; Mary Hopkin, Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business, board member; and May Hays, West Richland Area Chamber of Commerce and Benton REA, executive director.
Nurses elect new board
The Columbia River Nurse Practitioner Association, a local chapter of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, has elected its new board for 2012. The officers are: Pat Hall, president; Jaennifer Kaiser, president elect; Terri Davari, secretary; Kathy Brault, treasurer; Lynne Allen, ex-officio president; Bevin Briggs, legislative chairman; Yolanda Lara, membership/mentorship; Cynthia Beecher, public relations; and Courtney Hunter, education. The Columbia River Nurse Practitioner Association is a professional organization dedicated to the education and promotion of nurse practitioners in the community.
PNNL staff named distinguished inventors
Doug McMakin of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s National Security Directorate and Rick Pratt of PNNL’s Energy and Environment Directorate have joined the elite ranks of Battelle Distinguished Inventors. Both will he honored at PNNL’s annual recognition and rewards banquet Mar. 22. The title of Battelle Distinguished Inventor is reserved for staff members who have received 14 or more U.S. patents over the course of their career at Battelle or Battelle-managed laboratories. More than 60 Distinguished Inventors have been recognized to date — 18 of those from PNNL. MCMakin has worked at PNNL’s radar imaging laboratory since 1987. He has received 16 patents from the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. Pratt joined PNNL in 1999. His work has focused on embedded systems design and development. In 2006, Pratt received PNNL’s Inventor of the Year award.
Watts, Webster receive certification
Mark Watts and Jeremiah “Jer” L. Webster of the occupational safety and health firm Dade Moeller have earned Certified Safety Professional (CSP) credentials from the Board of Certified Safety Professionals.
Broadmoor RV named top dealer
Outdoor RV Manufacturing has presented Broadmoor RV of Pasco with a certificate of recognition as its top volume-based dealer based on retail sales in the U.S. and Canada for 2011. Outdoor RV manufactures Blackstone, Creekside, Timber Ridge and Windriver travel trailers.
Benton PUD receives award
For the ninth consecutive year, Benton PUD received the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting award from the Government Finance Officers Association of the U.S. and Canada for its 2010 comprehensive annual financial report.
Senior Life elects board
Senior Life Resources Northwest has elected new board officers for 2012. The officers are: Betty Sherman, president; Stan Goldsmith, vice president; and Connie Schneider, treasurer. Senior Life Resources Northwest is a Tri-Cities based nonprofit that provides regional supportive care services to help older adults and dependent individuals remain in their own homes and active in the community. Senior Life Resource Northwest client services are provided through its Home Care Services, Meals on Wheels and Senior Health Services programs.
Lawrence joins Herrig & Vogt
Kerry Lawrence has joined Herrig & Vogt LLP’s Kennewick office. Lawrence has more than 30 years of construction and construction law experience. He is a past chairman of the Legal Affairs Committee of the Associated General Contractors of America Seattle Chapter, past chairman of the Washington State Bar Association Section on Construction Law and past president of the Dispute Resolution Board Foundation North America. He has been a construction arbitrator and mediator for more than 20 years. He is a graduate of West Point and the University of Michigan Law School.
Campbell & Company receives award
Contracting Business magazine has named Campbell & Company of Pasco as its 2012 Residential Contractor of the Year. Campbell & Company was founded in 1983 under the name of Grassi Refrigeration. In 2002, Mike Campbell became the sole shareholder of the company and changed the named to Campbell & Company to emphasize the employees’ role in the success of the organization. The company’s main office is in Pasco and it has a satellite office in Union Gap to serve Yakima and the Lower Valley.
by Mary Hopkin
Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business
