GRANTS

• St. Vincent de Paul Food Bank in Pasco received a $200,000 Resiliency Grant from the Washington State Department of Agriculture to support families and individuals in need of food assistance. The funding will allow the food bank to provide nutritious foods such as proteins, dairy, fresh fruits and vegetables. Volunteer grant manager Deb Murray said the award was the maximum offered from the $14 million available statewide for the 2026-27 grant cycle, with individual awards ranging from $10,000 to $200,000. St. Vincent de Paul Food Bank & Community Services serves about 1,700 families each Wednesday at its Pasco warehouse.

DONATIONS

• Bechtel National Inc. donated $10,000 to Boys & Girls Clubs of Benton and Franklin Counties to help fund this year’s college tours, continuing a partnership that supports local youth as they explore higher education and career opportunities. The donation will help provide transportation, lodging and educational experiences for students in the college tour program, which takes students to colleges and universities across the state for firsthand exposure to campus life, academic programs and potential career pathways. This year’s tour will bring 30-40 students to Washington State University in Pullman, and 25-30 students to Columbia Basin College to learn about the college’s digital marketing and supply and demand programs. The donation reflects Bechtel’s more than 20 years of support for Boys & Girls Clubs of Benton and Franklin Counties.

• Big Bend Electric Cooperative, through its Caring Neighbors Program, awarded $1,840 to the United Way of Benton & Franklin Counties to fully fund one year of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library for every enrolled child living in the cooperative’s service area within the Connell and Mesa/Basin City ZIP codes. The funding will provide 118 local children with a full year of free books delivered to their homes through the program, which mails one age-appropriate book each month to children from birth to age 5 at no cost to their families. The Caring Neighbors Program is funded by co-op members who voluntarily round up their monthly electric bills or make additional donations to support community organizations and programs.

AWARDS & HONORS

• Several researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland were elected to the Washington State Academy of Sciences, joining 25 other new members in the 2026 cohort. New members will be inducted at the academy’s annual ceremony in Seattle. The researchers were recognized for their scientific and technical contributions to the state:

• Judah Friese, radiochemist specializing in nuclear forensics and technology for detecting and characterizing nuclear explosions.
• Nikolla Qafoku, laboratory fellow researching the transport and long-term behavior of radioactive atoms and metals in soils and groundwater.
• Karma Sawyer, director of PNNL’s Electricity Infrastructure and Buildings Division.
• Kevin Schneider, laboratory fellow recognized for engineering contributions to electric power systems.
• Nathalie Voisin, senior chief scientist for regional climate-energy dynamics.

• Heritage University’s Master of Social Work program has earned accreditation from the Council on Social Work Education’s Board of Accreditation, affirming the program’s commitment to preparing social workers to serve communities in Washington and beyond. Development of the program began in January 2023, and it welcomed its first Advanced Standing cohort of 22 students in August 2024; those students completed the program in July. A second cohort, including both advanced standing and traditional two-year students, began in August 2025, with the two-year students set to graduate in July 2027. The primarily online program requires students to be on campus just seven times per semester and draws students from the Yakima Valley, Tri-Cities, Seattle and other communities across the state. About 52 students are expected to begin the program this fall, with roughly 60 more anticipated to enroll in the following academic year.

• Mike Nelson, a safety specialist with Hanford Mission Integration Solutions, received the Safety Professional of the Year award from the American Society of Safety Professionals’ Lower Columbia Basin chapter. He was recognized for supporting HMIS’s maintenance organization and advancing a culture of continuous improvement across the Hanford site’s essential services. Nelson has been noted for his methodical approach to solving complex challenges, his objective evaluation of issues, and his work with craft personnel to guide corrective actions. He also mentors colleagues and recently earned a Mental Health First Aider certification.

NEW HIRES

• Reneé Brooks has been hired as the communications director for Central Plateau Cleanup Company. She brings more than 20 years of experience leading high-visibility and strategic communications, with a track record in shaping public perception and strengthening community engagement. Brooks most recently served as director of communications and public relations for Hanford Mission Integration Solutions, where she worked on workforce messaging, issue management and external outreach.  

• Sanyi Abdissa is a new family medicine physician associate at Good Shepherd Primary Care in Hermiston. He earned his Master of Physician Assistant Medicine from the University of Lynchburg School of Physician Assistant Medicine in Lynchburg, Virginia, and received his Bachelor of Science in biology and chemistry from the University of Mount Olive in Mount Olive, North Carolina. As a family medicine physician associate, Abdissa provides preventive care, annual wellness visits, chronic disease management, acute illness treatment and ongoing care for patients across all stages of life.

• Casey Waddell is a new vice president and commercial and ag banking officer at STCU. He brings more than 15 years of commercial and consumer banking experience, most recently with Banner Bank. Waddell completed the Washington Bankers Association Executive Development Program and served five years on the Downtown Walla Walla Foundation Board. He graduated from Walla Walla University in 2008 and currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the Blue Mountain Community Foundation.

• Beth Durodoye is the new vice president for academic affairs at Heritage University. She previously worked as the dean of the College of Arts, Sciences and Education at Montana State University-Northern. Durodoye earned a doctorate in counselor education with a specialty in multicultural counseling from the University of Virginia and is a National Certified Counselor. She has also authored more than 20 peer-reviewed national and international publications, three books, and numerous book chapters.

•  Latara Lampkin has been hired as the director of the Ross Institute for Student Success at Heritage University. She will lead Heritage’s efforts to research and promote effective practices for serving “new majority” students, first-generation, low-income and historically underrepresented learners who make up nearly the entire Heritage student population. Lampkin brings extensive experience in educational research, policy and collaborative partnerships. She recently worked as a senior research associate at the Florida Center for Reading Research at Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida.

NEW HIRES

• EverStar Realty Inc. in Kennewick has added four commercial real estate brokers to its Kennewick office:

• Mary Williams, a commercial real estate broker with more than 28 years of experience in the Tri-City market, helping landlords, tenants, sellers and buyers with office, retail, industrial and investment transactions. She has served on the board of directors of Goodwill Industries of the Columbia for more than nine years.
• F. “Dean” Maldonado, a commercial real estate broker who began his career in 1995 in Vancouver, Washington, managing 250,000 square feet of Class A office space before moving into development work spanning hospitality, retail, land sales, offices, restaurants, city halls, port offices, public roads and trails, and a police station. Over the past 17 years, he has been a key partner and investor in the development of more than 200 acres in Kennewick’s Southridge area.
• Jaimi Marden, a commercial real estate broker who has worked alongside Maldonado for 13 years, focusing on commercial vacant land sales, build-to-suit projects, leasing and working with investors to buy and sell income-producing properties.
• Corren Heeren, a commercial real estate broker with five years of experience in commercial transactions and investments.

Maldonado, Marden and Heeren make up the Franklin-Dean Real Estate team, whose recent projects include a 35-acre development in Ridgefield, featuring a grocery store, retail space, fuel station and drive-thru coffee shop.

EverStar was founded in 2007 by local businesswoman and philanthropist Gayle Stack, who serves as president of the Tri-City Association of Realtors board of directors and treasurer of the Benton Franklin Fair & Rodeo board of directors.

• Chris Corry is the new vice president of industry partnerships and research at the Building Industry Association of Washington. As a member of BIAW’s external affairs team, he will oversee the organization’s housing research center, industry data and reporting, and its work with external coalition partners, stakeholders and industry allies. He also will serve on the executive management team. Corry has worked at the Washington Policy Center since 2024, most recently as Eastern Washington director, and previously spent a decade in the insurance industry as an auditor, audit manager and advisor. He earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Washington and is currently serving his fourth term as a state representative from the Yakima area.

• Dr. Holly Quinn has joined Trios Health as an obstetrician/gynecologist and will see patients at the Trios Obstetrics and Women’s Health Clinic. Quinn provides comprehensive obstetric and gynecologic care at the clinic, located on the sixth floor of the Trios Care Center at Southridge in Kennewick. She earned her medical degree from Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara and her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California, San Diego. She completed her residency training in obstetrics and gynecology at The Brooklyn Hospital Center, and speaks English and Spanish.

• Dr. Melvin Wahl is a new board-certified orthopedic spine surgeon at Prosser Memorial Health’s Spine Center. He has over 25 years of surgical experience, including more than 18 years dedicated to full-time spine practice in the Tri-Cities region. Wahl earned his medical degree from the University of Washington School of Medicine and completed his orthopedic surgery residency through the University of Washington Department of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, where he served as chief resident.

• Michael Perala, a certified physician assistant, has joined the Spine Center team at Prosser Memorial Health in Prosser. He brings more than 26 years of experience, with a background in orthopedic surgery, spine care, total joint replacement, extremity surgery, athletic training and injury management. Perala previously spent more than two decades with Northwest Orthopedics, where he supported patient care in clinical and surgical settings and served as a lead preceptor for physician assistant and University of Washington PA students. He also has worked as a certified athletic trainer for the Philadelphia Eagles and as an instructor and certified athletic trainer at Davis High School. He is certified by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants and is a certified athletic trainer. Perala earned his Bachelor of Health Science in physician assistant studies from the University of Washington School of Medicine, dual master’s degrees in education and sports science from Boise State University, and a Bachelor of Science in zoology with a minor in athletic training from the University of Washington.

• Juan Arias has joined Petersen Hastings Wealth Advisors in Kennewick as a portfolio analyst. He supports the firm’s investment team by executing security transactions, monitoring and maintaining client account asset allocation targets, preparing financial reports and researching portfolio and investment strategies. Originally from Portland, he recently relocated to the Tri-Cities to be closer to family. He earned his Bachelor of Business Administration with a concentration in finance from Portland State University, along with minors in accounting and economics. He previously provided billing support in the asset management industry and worked as a legal assistant supporting an immigration law practice.

• Baylee Hoburg is the new client service coordinator at Fulcrum Wealth Management Group in Kennewick. She is responsible for scheduling, information updates and general service needs.

• Coldwell Banker Tomlinson has added Ron Almberg as managing broker in the Tri-Cities, where he will work alongside Branch Manager Glen Gosch to support agents throughout the region. Almberg brings more than 15 years of real estate experience, having begun his career in 2010 and earned his Washington managing broker license in 2019. He has since served as both managing broker and designated broker, overseeing multiple offices across Eastern Washington. In his new role, he will focus on coaching and mentoring agents, providing contract guidance and supporting business growth. Almberg is also a Washington state-certified real estate clock hour instructor, teaching courses including Code of Ethics, CORE – Current Practices in Washington Real Estate and Fair Housing. He has held numerous leadership roles in the Realtor community, including serving on the Tri-City Association of Realtors Board of Directors since 2016, as the association’s president in 2022 and currently as its 2026 treasurer. At the state level, he has served on several Washington Realtors committees, was professional standards chair in 2021 and vice president of operations in 2022, and is set to serve as treasurer in 2028.

PROMOTIONS

• Nate Wehunt has been promoted to senior vice president of product and intelligence at STCU. He’s been with STCU since 2024. Wehunt is a Spokane native, returning home after time in California and Illinois, where he led digital banking and e-commerce teams for City National Bank and Harris Bank, respectively. Wehunt attended Spokane Falls Community College, Eastern Washington University and the University of Washington.

• Catholic Charities Serving Central Washington has announced two executive leadership promotions effective July 1. Whitney Carlson was appointed executive vice president and chief operating officer, and Steve Wilmes was promoted to vice president of mission advancement.

• Carlson, who joined the agency in 2011 as an independent living case manager, previously served as director of youth and housing supportive services and will now oversee day-to-day operations across the organization.
• Wilmes, who previously served as director of advancement and has spent more than 12 years building relationships with donors, parishes and community partners across Central Washington, will oversee board development for Catholic Charities and Catholic Charities Housing Services while leading efforts to expand community partnerships and the agency’s mission.

• Gloria Jones-Dance has been promoted to director of the Center for Intercultural Learning and Teaching at Heritage University. She assumes leadership of the center after serving seven years as its co-facilitator, contributing extensively to faculty professional development with a strong focus on culturally responsive teaching and equitable teaching practices. Jones-Dance also redeveloped University 101, Heritage’s foundational course designed to support student success and reflect the university’s inclusive mission. She earned a bachelor’s degree in child and family studies from Washington State University, a Master of Science in early childhood studies from Walden University, a Master of Business Administration from Colorado Technical University and a doctorate in learning analytics from National University.

• Larry Berg, an atmospheric scientist, is the new director of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) User Facility, based at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland. Nine DOE national laboratories manage and operate ARM, with the director’s office at PNNL providing leadership for key facility operations, including aerial operations, engineering processes, data management and technical direction. Berg assumed leadership of ARM on July 26, succeeding Jim Mather, who retired after 25 years at PNNL and had led ARM since 2007. Berg’s connection to ARM began in graduate school, and he has continued studying land-atmosphere interactions, clouds, turbulence and aerosol processes throughout his career. He has served as co-principal investigator for several ARM field campaigns, chaired the ARM User Executive Committee and serves on the ARM Science Board. Berg earned a bachelor’s degree in meteorology from Pennsylvania State University in 1993 and a master’s degree and a doctorate in atmospheric sciences from the University of British Columbia in 1996 and 2002, respectively.

• Tiara Wharton at Fulcrum Wealth Management Group in Kennewick was recently promoted to marketing and events specialist. She is responsible for assisting in marketing execution and event coordination.

• Prosser Memorial Health has named Dr. Jack Brandabur medical director of its Digestive Health Center, effective Aug. 1. He is a board-certified interventional and general gastroenterologist with more than 30 years of experience in advanced digestive health care. He joined Prosser Memorial Health in 2024, previously serving as medical director for the Swedish Digestive Health Institute and executive medical director for the Providence Digestive Health Institute. In his new role, he will provide clinical leadership and help guide growth of the health system’s digestive health services, which diagnose and treat conditions affecting the esophagus, stomach, intestines, colon, liver, pancreas and biliary system.

• Lt. Col. Douglas D. Droesch has taken command of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Walla Walla District, succeeding Lt. Col. Kathryn A. Werback during a change of command ceremony held in Walla Walla on July 15. Werback served as district commander for the past two years and is slated to transfer to Portland, Oregon, to serve as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Northwestern Division deputy commander. Droesch, a native of West Boylston, Massachusetts, most recently served as the Infrastructure, Storage, and Supply Branch head at NATO’s Allied Joint Force Command in Naples, Italy.