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NEW HIRES

• Gesa Credit Union, headquartered in Richland, has hired two home loan officers, Ken Mundel and Rick Craig, to its Spokane region. Both have experience working in the financial services industry for the last 19 and 30 years, respectively. In their new roles, they will originate mortgage loans for Gesa members across the Northwest. Gesa, the second largest credit union in the state, serves more than 280,000 members.
• Jaime Shimek has been named executive director of communications and external engagement at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. An Eastern Washington native, Shimek has more than 20 years’ experience working with congressional and state legislative bodies, and federal agencies. Most recently, she served as the majority clerk for the House Appropriations Energy and Water Subcommittee in Washington, D.C. From 2016-17, she worked as director of federal affairs at PNNL. Prior, she served as the deputy assistant secretary of Senate affairs at DOE, where she provided strategic advice to the secretary of energy and departmental leadership, managed the department’s relationships with the Senate, and shaped departmental programmatic policy and activities. She also served as a senior policy advisor to U.S. Sen. Patty Murray and began her career with U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell. She earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from Washington State University in Pullman and a master’s degree in government from Johns Hopkins University.
• Total Energy Management of Richland has hired Robert Rojas to work in its operations department. Rojas has over 30 years’ experience in construction.
• Trios Health has hired Erik Rammelsberg, a doctor of nursing practice, to be a Trios Urgent Care provider. Rammelsberg worked as a registered nurse in Trios’ Emergency Department from 2013-22. During his tenure in the emergency department, he served as a charge nurse, triaged patients according to acuity and need, and provided bedside care and assessments of patients of all ages with problems ranging from non-urgent to life-threatening. He completed his degree through Washington State University and his bachelor of science in nursing in 2012, as well as a bachelor of science in psychology in 2007 from Washington State University.
• Cynthia Nygren has joined Banner Bank as assistant vice president, branch manager of the Richland branch. She has worked in the banking industry for nearly 30 years. She has extensive experience managing successful branches and assisting small businesses with their finances. Banner Bank is a Washington-chartered commercial bank serving Washington, Oregon, California and Idaho.
• The Children’s Developmental Center has hired Chris Dingman as a development associate. He is from the Tri-City area and has lived here most of his childhood and young adult life. For the past 17 years, he has worked internationally in the countries of South Korea, Myanmar, China, Taiwan and Thailand as an early childhood and physical education teacher.
• Lourdes Health has hired Dr. Antony Y. Kim as a locum cardiologist. Kim is an experienced cardiologist specializing in the treatment of coronary artery disease, arrhythmia and heart failure. He has advanced training in procedures including cardiac catheterization, trans-esophageal echocardiography, cardiac rhythm modifying device implantation, nuclear stress testing, cardiopulmonary stress testing, and advanced therapies. He received his medical degree from Louisiana State University School of Medicine in New Orleans in 1994. He has more than 28 years of diverse experience, especially in cardiovascular disease. Kim is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in cardiovascular disease, internal medicine and advanced heart failure and transplant.
• Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani has hired William M. Hughbanks as senior counsel in the firm’s Spokane office. He joins the construction practice group. Hughbanks focuses his practice on complex commercial litigation with an emphasis on construction related matters. He regularly assists clients at the outset of a construction project by reviewing, negotiating and developing contract documents to protect the clients’ interest. He also counsels his clients in preparing claims and evaluating liability when a dispute arises on a project. He most recently served as president and CEO of the Inland Pacific Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors.

GRANTS

• STCU presented 27 regional teachers with $200 classroom grants as part of its efforts to welcome educators back to school. The not-for-profit credit union, which was founded by teachers, was honoring its roots by awarding the grants to 200 total educators – a total of $40,000 to winners drawn at random. Because even the price of pencils and paper are subject to the effects of inflation, the amount of each grant award has been increased from $150 to $200. Winners can spend their grant on anything that will enhance students’ classroom experience, whether a basic need or something special. Teachers in the Kennewick, Pasco and Richland school districts received grants, along with an educator from Educational Service District 123.

DONATIONS

• Washington River Protection Solutions donated $15,000 to the Kadlec Foundation to support critical Kadlec programs and services on Sept. 12. Since 2008, WRPS has given $8 million to community organizations that support education, community services and workforce and business development.
• Columbia River Mensa, a local chapter of American Mensa, donated $2,500 to Delta High School’s STEM programs for the 2022-23 school year. Delta, a STEM-focused high school comprised of students from Pasco, Kennewick and Richland school districts, will use the money to support technology improvements with the goal of keeping the school relevant, innovative and up to date with industry trends.
• The Benton Franklin Fair donated $2,132 to Second Harvest Tri-Cities in honor of National Hunger Action Month in September. Those money will help provide 9,530 meals for those in need in the community. Over the past 14 years, the fair has donated the equivalent of 130,000 pounds of food to the nonprofit. The fair donates $2 from each adult admission ticket sold on opening day.

PROMOTIONS

• Gesa Credit Union, headquartered in Richland, has promoted Cheryl Adamson from vice president, general counsel, to executive vice president of legal and administration, general counsel. Adamson brings more than 30 years of experience working in private practice with an emphasis on commercial litigation, business representation and insurance matters. Adamson is a Kennewick native. She earned a bachelor of business administration from Gonzaga University and a juris doctor degree from the University of Washington School of Law. Prior to joining Gesa in 2021, Adamson practiced at Rettig Forgette Iller Adamson LLP in the Tri-Cities and Bohrnsen Stocker Smith Luciani Adamson PLLC in Spokane. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, exercising and completing puzzles.
• Ben Richardson has been promoted to chief financial officer of Numerica Credit Union. He will oversee all financial decisions and activities within the organization. Offering more than two decades of experience in banking and corporate finance, Richardson has been acting CFO since 2021. Prior to that, he was Numerica’s senior vice president of finance. Richardson earned a finance degree from Ohio State University and a master’s in business administration from Ohio University, where he was the program’s valedictorian. He’s also a certified public accountant and graduate of the Stonier Graduate School of Banking, an American Bankers Association program in partnership with the renowned Wharton School.
• Feed the Children, a nonprofit anti-hunger organization based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, has promoted Chris Gard, a Richland native, to vice president of marketing, communications and creative. Prior to joining Feed the Children in 2021 as senior director of marketing and creative, he spent the first half of his career as a director and designer for NBCUniversal, before becoming director of creative for Lionsgate TV Guide. He then took his experience into the technology industry, where he led Apple’s worldwide Creative Services department and also worked for the Silicon Valley unicorn start-up Picsart as head of global creative. Gard lives in Oklahoma City.
• Columbia Industries has promoted two employees. Edgar Castro has been promoted to controller. He has been with the Kennewick-based nonprofit for six years, most recently serving as the accounting manager. He holds a master of business administration with an accounting concentration from Eastern Oregon University.

Amy Robinson has recently been promoted to community center manager. She has worked in various positions with CI for nearly nine years, most recently serving as CI community center coordinator.

Columbia Industries, which began in 1963, is focused on helping people with disabilities and other challenges.

AWARDS & HONORS

• For the 15th year, the Pasco School District has earned a 2022 Partnership District Award from the National Network of Partnership Schools (NNPS) at Johns Hopkins University. NNPS said the district conducts evidence-based strategies to help schools become welcoming places that engage all parents and the community in ways that improve student attendance, behavior, achievement, health, graduation rates, postsecondary plans and other outcomes – even during the pandemic. The district, a member of the network, cited specific leadership structures, processes and activities that help schools organize more effective and equitable programs of family and community engagement for student success in school. NNPS requires evidence of key program components including teamwork, clear goals, well-designed and well-implemented plans, direct facilitation of school-based Action Teams for Partnerships, evaluation of progress and network connections.

The district’s Rowena Chess Elementary also earned its third Partnership School Award from NNPS. Rowena Chess was commended for organizing and hosting the STEAM Showcase and Carnival, which will be included in the new book of Promising Partnership Practices 2022. Reviewers praised this activity for its indoor-and-outdoor design to counter the isolation due to Covid-19 and bring all partners in students’ education back together.

• The Children’s Reading Foundation of the Mid-Columbia presented the 2022 Literacy Legacy award to Bechtel National Inc. for its longstanding support of children’s literacy on Sept. 9. Bechtel has supported the foundation’s mission over the past two decades by providing significant resources to raise young readers across the Mid-Columbia. Bechtel’s senior managers have continuously served on the foundation board and provide policy guidance, financial support and hands-on volunteerism. Bechtel has donated about $175,000 over the years supporting the organization and its Books and Vines fundraiser.
• Healing Hands Project was named one of 50 Period Heroes within the 50 states. Founder Rachel Fidino accepted the honor and announced aspirations to provide even greater outreach in support of women in need. As an award recipient, the project received an allotment of nearly 40,000 feminine pads from Always, facilitated by MSL Group, that will be donated to women in need throughout the state. Fidino launched the nonprofit was launched in 2016 when she started talking to homeless women in Seattle about how to access feminine hygiene products. Fidino, an advanced practice registered nurse, is the owner of New U Women’s Clinic & Aesthetics in Kennewick.
• Dr. Katina Rue, a Trios Health Family Medicine provider and Family Medicine Residency Program director, was named president of the Washington State Medical Association (WSMA) at its annual House of Delegates meeting on Oct. 2. She is the first Latina and the first osteopathic physician to hold the top office at the WSMA. The organization represents more than 12,000 physicians, physician assistants, resident physicians, and medical students throughout the state. Rue holds faculty positions at the Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine, Washington State University Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, University of Washington Department of Family Medicine, and Pacific Northwest University College of Osteopathic Medicine. She has held several hospital and clinic positions and is board certified in family medicine and osteopathic manipulative treatment.