PROMOTIONS

• Dr. Elizabeth Brallier has been promoted to program director for the Family Medicine Residency Program at Trios Health. Before receiving this promotion, she was working as the interim program director since November 2024. Brallier joined Trios as a family medicine physician and residency core faculty member in November 2022, where she supervised resident physicians as they saw patients and provided education through the context of patient care and training.  

• Columbia Ability Alliance has announced three promotions:

Kim Pierret was promoted to chief operating officer; she was previously working as the chief financial officer. In this role, Pierret will oversee and drive operational results across all mission services programs and business lines. She will also collaborate closely with Michael Novakovich, president and CEO, to identify and develop opportunities to increase the number of individuals served across the enterprise and associated community impact.

Janel Miles was promoted to chief financial officer; she was previously working as a controller. In this role, Miles will ensure accurate financial reporting and oversee the accounting department, which manages annual budgeting, financial reporting, payroll, state and federal reporting, cash management, billing and fixed assets.

Renee Hale was promoted to staff accountant; she was previously an accounting specialist. CAA said she has been an integral part of the accounting team, contributing to the organization’s financial stability and success. 

• STCU has promoted several individuals to the executive leadership team.

Tracy Ballard was promoted to senior vice president of human resources and organizational development. Ballard joined STCU’s team in 2012. She has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Eastern Washington University. 

Amy Friemel was promoted to senior vice president of loan operations. Friemel joined STCU as continuous improvement manager in 2018 and was promoted to VP-director of continuous improvement. She previously was a vice president at Umpqua Bank after positions at Boeing and Triumph Composite Systems. Friemel has a degree in business administration from EWU.

Amy Warker was promoted to senior vice president of brand marketing. Warker joined STCU in 2018 as director of brand marketing. She attended Boise State University and holds a bachelor’s degree from Lewis-Clark State College. 

• Heather Tibbett has been promoted to executive director of The STEM Foundation. Tibbett will be taking on the role previously held by Deb Bowen. Tibbett previously spent 10 years working for Junior Achievement, where she was recognized as the top special event fundraiser, per capita, across the nation. Over the past three years at The STEM Foundation, Tibbett led the continued development of the STEM Like ME! suite of programs, in addition to serving as deputy director.

DONATIONS

• The Reach Museum has received a $10,000 grant from Bechtel National Inc. to expand access to school field trips. This funding ensures that all students can experience hands-on learning at the museum. Bechtel’s support aligns with its broader mission of fostering STEM education and workforce development in the Tri-Cities region.

• Kadlec Foundation directed more than $797,000 in donor contributions toward equipment, programs and services at Kadlec Regional Medical Center and Kadlec Clinic for spending in 2025. Approved funding requests include new infant warmers, scopes for children who need colonoscopies, two new ultrasound machines, a monitor to check for brain swelling, support for those facing socioeconomic disparities – including through the Good Samaritan fund, which provides items like gas or meal cards and hotel vouchers, or support from social workers for those who experienced a trauma resulting in a hospital stay and more.

• Abadan has donated $13,000 to Mid-Columbia Meals on Wheels, a program of the nonprofit Senior Life Resources Northwest. The contribution helps support Meals on Wheels in providing nutritious meals to seniors throughout the region as food prices rise. Last year, Meals on Wheels delivered 278,000 meals to seniors throughout Benton and Franklin counties.

NEW HIRES

• Carrie Meyer is the new chief of staff at Hanford Mission Integration Solutions. She has over 30 years of experience, with more than 18 of those in federal service. Meyer most recently worked as the director of the Office of Communications and Stakeholder Engagement in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management.

• Collin Meharg is the newest member of the Thurston Wolfe Winery winemaking team. He studied chemistry and went on to get a double bachelor’s degree in general chemistry and global wine studies from Central Washington University. After graduating, Meharg’s work in the wine industry began with a lab position at a large-scaled winery in Prosser. He then traveled to New Zealand to expand on his education before returning to Washington to begin his winemaking career. He worked in the Columbia Gorge as a lab technician for Maryhill Winery and as an assistant winemaker for Cascade Cliffs Vineyard and Winery. In January 2025, he joined as an assistant winemaker to Wade Wolfe at Thurston Wolfe, which is in Prosser. 

• Dr. David Yam has joined Prosser Memorial Health’s new spine center. He is a neurological spine surgeon with over 20 years of experience in spine surgery. Yam specializes in minimally invasive techniques, motion preservation surgery and complex spinal procedures. He has an extensive career spanning private practice, academic neurosurgery and leadership roles in neurosurgery. He has led clinical spine programs at numerous institutions, served on top tier leadership councils in spine and actively participates in research and development of new technology aimed at delivering better outcomes with less risk. He has also trained more than 500 other surgeons in advanced techniques in spine surgery.

• Kailey Friesz, an advanced registered nurse practitioner, has joined Prosser Memorial Health’s Digestive Health Center. She specializes in advanced assessment, including diagnostic evaluation and therapeutic recommendations for a wide range of digestive conditions. Friesz holds a Master of Science in Nursing – Family Nurse Practitioner from Frontier Nursing University and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Washington State University. In addition to her clinical expertise, she is a member of the Gastroenterology & Hepatology Advanced Practice Providers and the American College of Gastroenterology. She grew up in the Tri-Cities.

• Brian Mackey has been hired as the new winemaker at Zillah’s Dineen Vineyards. Most recently, he was the head winemaker at Chateau Ste. Michelle, where he worked for 14 years, rising through the ranks from enologist to assistant winemaker and finally head winemaker in 2018. He oversaw all red winemaking at Chateau Ste. Michelle, where his wines earned numerous accolades. Mackey holds a bachelor’s in English from Boston University and a viticulture certificate from Washington State University’s viticulture and enology program.

• Board certified oncologist-hematologist Dr. Nikolaos Myriounis has joined Trios Health. He specializes in all cancer diagnoses, gastrointestinal malignancies, blood/platelet disorders and solid tumors. He earned his medical degree from the University of Athens – School of Medicine and completed his residency in internal medicine at Berkshire Medical Center - University of Massachusetts and further specialized in hematology and oncology as a fellow at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center, Tufts University.  

• Steve Hauschild has joined STCU as the senior vice president of commercial banking. Since 2016 Hauschild has worked at BECU as market leader for eastern and central Washington, north Idaho and Oregon. Hauschild recently served on boards of the Spokane Colleges Foundation, Greater Spokane Incorporated and MultiCare INW Foundation, among other community activities. He studied business and accounting at Gonzaga University and holds an MBA from Washington State University.  

• Prosser Memorial Health has hired Dr. Joshua Spendlove, a board-certified urologist. Spendlove has over a decade of experience in urology, oncology and minimally invasive procedures. He earned his medical degree at Creighton University School of Medicine, graduating cum laude, followed by a urology residency at the University of Colorado Denver.

• Shelby Clark was appointed as the new Gaye and Jim Pigott Endowed Chair of Nursing at Heritage University. She will replace Christina Nyirati, who retired after the spring 2024 semester. Clark earned her doctor of nursing practice in population health & systems leadership at the University of Washington. She grew up on the Yakama Reservation and is an enrolled member of the Yakama Nation.  

• Scott McNamee is Tri-Cities Prep’s next president, starting in June. McNamee brings experience in education and administration having worked in Catholic schools, universities and parishes throughout his career. He currently holds the position of director of campus ministry at Marian University in Indianapolis, Indiana, his alma mater.  

AWARDS & HONORS

Jeanette McLerran, a registered nurse, has received The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses from Trios Health. She has been an RN at Trios Health since 2023 and began working in the progressive care unit and is currently working in the surgical unit. She connects with patients on a personal level and consistently delivers high quality nursing care. McLerran was nominated by a family member of a patient who has special needs. The family member was thankful for McLerran’s patience and care.

• Hayden Homes was named a Great Place to Work for the second year. Great Place to Work is the global authority on workplace culture and employee experience. The award is based entirely on what current team members say about their experience working with Hayden Homes. This year at Hayden Homes, 98% of all team members said the company is a great place to work.

• Matt Riesenweber, a wealth advisor at Cornerstone Wealth Strategies in Kennewick, was recognized as one of America’s top 1,200 financial advisors by Barron’s. Riesenweber has over 22 years of experience in the financial services industry and provides a comprehensive range of services, including retirement planning, financial planning and investment management.

• Taylor Sandoval, a counselor at William Wiley Elementary School in West Richland, has received the Washington School Counselor Association’s Rising Star Award. Sandoval, now in her third year as a school counselor in the Richland School District and her fifth year in the profession, has made significant contributions to student well-being and school counseling practices. 

• James West, assistant principal at Cascade Elementary School in Kennewick, has been recognized as the Washington State 2025 Elementary Assistant Principal of the Year by the Association of Washington School Principals. West has played a pivotal role in transforming Cascade Elementary into a welcoming and student-centered learning environment where every child feels valued, supported and empowered. His leadership has driven key initiatives, including enhancing schoolwide safety, improving student attendance and implementing a Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports program.

• Shelley Kennedy of Edward Jones in Richland has been named to Forbes’ ranking of Top Women Wealth Advisors in Washington for 2025. To compile the list, SHOOK Research analysts conducted individual interviews with nominees. Criteria that determined the final list included industry experience, best practices, compliance records and assets under care.

• Yong Wang, a WSU regents professor with the Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture’s School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering at Washington State University, gave the distinguished faculty address during Showcase Week on March 25 in Pullman. The talk discussed how catalysis – the use of a catalyst to increase the rate of a chemical reaction – will factor in the creation of more ecologically-friendly and efficient energy systems. In addition to his role as regents professor at WSU, Wang serves as a laboratory fellow and acting director of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s Institute for Integrated Catalysis. WSU’s Showcase event honors the scholarly achievements of faculty, staff and students.

• Association of Washington Cities has given Benton Public Utility District (PUD) the 2025 Golden Apple Award for outstanding employee health promotion programs in Washington state. The Benton PUD 360 program offers employee incentives for personal growth in eight dimensions of well-being: emotional, environmental, financial, intellectual, occupational, physical, social and spiritual.

• The Tri-City Herald received the Toby Nixon Award for its longtime commitment to defending Washington state’s transparency laws in its editorial pages and using those laws for the newsroom’s reporting. The Kennewick-based newspaper received the award March 14 at the Washington Coalition for Open Government’s annual Sunshine Breakfast which honors open-government advocates, journalists and legislators. Laurie Williams, the Herald’s executive editor, accepted the award, saying, “We fight the fight every day.” 

Williams recently received national recognition for her 41-year career in journalism. She was named to Editor & Publisher Magazine’s Masters of the Media 2025 list. Williams joined the Herald straight out of college in 1984 as a city beat reporter and rose through the ranks to the top spot in the newsroom. The Kennewick woman was nominated for her leadership skills, commitment to journalistic and publishing excellence, and ability to lead during challenging times. “Laurie is behind virtually every one of the awards the Herald has earned under her leadership. ... Laurie is 100% committed to news and being the voice for the Mid-Columbia. ... Laurie swings for the rafters – every day, every edition,” according to her nomination.