NEW HIRES

• Zam Ortega is the new graphic designer at the Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business. She most recently worked as the lead page designer for the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, a Seattle Times Co. publication. She recently won an award in a Northwest newspaper contest for best graphics for her logo and illustration for a Medicaid series called “Uncovered.” She is a Seattle University graduate.

• Dr. Tyler Swiss is a new board-certified otolaryngologist at Prosser Memorial Health’s Ear, Nose & Throat Center. He provides evaluation and surgical treatment for conditions affecting the ears, nose, throat, head and neck, including nasal and sinus surgery, sleep apnea evaluation and surgery, thyroid and parathyroid surgery, and hearing and voice evaluations. Swiss previously served as chief of combined surgical clinics for otolaryngology head and neck surgery at William Beaumont Army Medical Center in El Paso, Texas, and as a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Surgery at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso. He completed his residency in otolaryngology head and neck surgery at Madigan Army Medical Center and earned his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from Midwestern University in Glendale, Arizona. He is fluent in Spanish.

• United Way of Benton & Franklin Counties welcomed a group of mentors to serve local students through its Attendance Matters Mentoring Program during the 2026-27 school year. The program connects mentors with students who may be having trouble attending school consistently, offering encouragement, support and accountability:

• Lyllian McMillan, mentor at Jefferson Elementary School in Richland.
• Isaac Cervantes, mentor at Virgie Robinson Elementary in Pasco.
• Jasmin Ortega-Gallegos, mentor at Park Middle School in Kennewick
• Jeidi Leyva, mentor at Amistad Elementary School in Kennewick.
• Cynthia Escalera, mentor at Ochoa Middle School in Pasco.

• Jason Stanek is the new market assistant chief financial officer for Lourdes Health and Trios Health. He has more than 13 years of experience in accounting and finance, including healthcare finance leadership, budgeting, financial modeling, forecasting, audit preparation, cost reporting, variance analysis and financial statement preparation. Stanek will work with leaders across both organizations to strengthen financial planning and support strategic growth. He holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Eastern Oregon University and a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Portland State University.

• Dr. Costina Papatheodorou is a new family medicine physician at Lourdes Health and Trios Health. She provides care for patients of all ages, including preventive healthcare, annual, school and sports physicals, chronic and acute illness care, and hypertension and diabetes care. Her clinical interests include obesity medicine, women’s health and mental health care. Papatheodorou completed her family medicine residency with the Trios Health Family Medicine Residency Program in Kennewick, where she also served as chief resident. She earned her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine and a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from Chapman University in Orange, California. She will see patients at Lourdes Family Medicine in Pasco and Trios Care Center Chavallo in Kennewick.

• Dr. Jesse Wealing is a new pediatrician with Prosser Memorial Health. He provides pediatric care for children and adolescents, including well-child exams, acute illness and injury care, chronic condition management, immunizations and school physicals, and developmental and behavioral care. Wealing completed his pediatric residency at Phoenix Children’s Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona. He earned his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from Midwestern University in Glendale, Arizona, after earning a Master of Arts degree in biomedical sciences from the university and a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from the University of Arizona. He is accepting new patients.

• Will Sisk is the new medical surgical director at Trios Health in Kennewick as of Aug. 31. He has more than 10 years of nursing experience, including leadership in acute care, critical care and emergency services. Sisk leads the hospital’s medical-surgical teams, supporting staff development, patient experience, quality outcomes and patient-centered care. Before joining Trios Health, he was assistant nurse manager for medical-surgical services at Legacy Silverton Medical Center and later became the emergency department assistant nurse manager there. In those roles, he led initiatives focused on productivity, clinical education and patient outcomes.

• Ingrid Roundy is a new physician assistant at Prosser Memorial Health’s Spine & Comprehensive Pain Center. She provides spine care, pain management, physical medicine and rehabilitation services, and helps patients manage back and neck pain and improve function. Roundy has worked as a physician assistant in the Tri-Cities since 2021, evaluating and diagnosing patients with spine pain, caring for patients before and after spine surgery, and reviewing new patient referrals. She earned a Master of Science degree in physician assistant studies from Heritage University and a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology from Pacific Lutheran University. She is accepting new patients.

• Dr. Colton Riner is the newest interventional spine and musculoskeletal medicine provider at Prosser Memorial Health’s Spine & Comprehensive Pain Center. He specializes in the diagnosis and nonsurgical treatment of spine, joint, nerve and musculoskeletal conditions, with a focus on helping patients reduce pain, improve function and return to the activities they enjoy. Riner completed a physical medicine and rehabilitation residency at Providence St. Luke’s Rehabilitation Medical Center in Spokane and a North American Spine Society interventional spine and musculoskeletal medicine fellowship at Wake Forest in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He earned his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine and a bachelor’s degree in exercise science from Brigham Young University. His training includes image-guided, minimally invasive procedures such as epidural injections, joint injections, medial branch blocks and radiofrequency ablation. Riner also founded a residency exam preparation course, led musculoskeletal ultrasound workshops and founded an orthobiologics journal club. He has provided sports medicine coverage at Eastern Washington University and at Connell High School, where he grew up.

• Dr. Blake Christensen is joining Trios Health to provide family medicine and obstetrical care for patients and families throughout the Tri-Cities region. He treats patients of all ages, with services that include preventive health; annual, school and sports physicals; immunizations and vaccines; chronic and acute illness care; minor conditions and injuries; hypertension; diabetes; and obstetrical care. Christensen completed his family medicine residency with the Trios Health Family Medicine Residency program in Kennewick and a family medicine obstetrics fellowship at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama, in July 2026. He earned his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine – Southern Utah in Ivins, Utah, and a bachelor’s degree in biology from Utah State University in Logan, Utah, where he graduated magna cum laude. He is board certified by the American Board of Family Medicine and is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. His professional interests include patient-centered primary care, obstetrical care and improving care experiences for mothers, babies and families. He sees patients at Trios Care Center Chavallo in Kennewick.

• Dr. Uchechukwu Uneze is a board-certified pulmonologist who joined the newly established Prosser Pulmonology Center at Prosser Memorial Health. He specializes in pulmonary and critical care medicine and treats respiratory conditions including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic bronchitis, pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary fibrosis and interstitial lung disease. He also provides evaluation and treatment for shortness of breath and chronic cough, lung cancer screening, pulmonary function testing and advanced diagnostic procedures, including robotic and navigational bronchoscopy, endobronchial ultrasound and complex airway management. Uneze earned his medical degree and a master’s degree in public health from St. George’s University School of Medicine in Grenada. He completed his internal medicine residency at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in Newark, New Jersey, where he served as chief resident of wellness and community outreach. He remained at the medical center for a pulmonary and critical care medicine fellowship, serving as chief fellow. He is board certified in pulmonary disease and internal medicine by the American Board of Internal Medicine.

• Carlo Chavez is Freeform’s new Tri-Cities market manager. He has more than 20 years of experience in facilities, logistics, contracts and operations. He began his career at HAPO Community Credit Union in 2001, starting in the mailroom and undergoing a series of promotions and increased responsibility. In his new role, Chavez will focus on expanding Freeform’s presence throughout the Tri-Cities and beyond. Freeform is a commercial interiors company which bought the Fuse SPC building at 723 The Parkway in December 2025.  

PROMOTIONS & ELECTIONS

• Joanna Ruiz is the new general manager of the HAPO Center in Pasco. She succeeds Mike McCall, who is moving into an advisory role after two years leading the venue. Ruiz has served in a leadership role at the HAPO Center and has been its primary public-facing representative to clients, community partners and staff. Before joining, she was vice president of operations for a multi-location piano retail and wholesale organization, where she worked across operations, sales and business development in domestic and international markets. Bilingual in English and Spanish, Ruiz plans to strengthen the venue’s connection with the region’s Hispanic and Latino community.

• Gabe Martin has been named director of transit planning at Ben Franklin Transit. Martin started with the agency nearly 20 years ago as a Dial-A-Ride driver and worked his way up through operations. His experience as a dispatcher, supervisor and Dial-A-Ride driver informs his work in planning. Before his promotion, Martin was a member of the agency’s planning team.

• Derek Sandison, director of the Washington State Department of Agriculture, has been elected president of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture for 2026-27. His fellow members elected him during the organization’s annual meeting in Portland, Maine. As president, he will lead the association’s board of directors and help guide its work on issues important to farmers, ranchers and the broader agriculture and food system. Sandison has led the Washington department since 2015.

• Paul Ellyson has been promoted to senior vice president and commercial banking market manager in Spokane at Columbia Bank, which has locations in the Tri-Cities. He will lead the bank’s regional expansion and work to grow its middle market customer base. Ellyson has 33 years of banking experience in Spokane. He most recently served as senior commercial relationship manager, managing and growing relationships with middle market businesses and delivering the bank’s commercial banking services. He also serves on the Greater Spokane Incorporated Partner Engagement and Growth Committee board.

• Dave McMahon is the new director for D4 End States at Central Plateau Cleanup Company (CPCCo). He brings more than 20 years of construction, maintenance, operations and project leadership experience, including 17 years at the Hanford site. McMahon has been one of the company’s senior leaders for five years, including two years as deputy director for D4 End States. He will direct senior project and facility leadership teams and serve as a key interface with customers. He succeeds Marty Ellis, who is moving into a senior technical advisor role after more than 40 years within the Department of Energy complex. Ellis began his career at Hanford’s K Basin and has held nuclear facility operations, maintenance, engineering and project leadership roles at Hanford, Oak Ridge, Savannah River and Rocky Flats. He plans to retire in the coming months. The company will not name an acting deputy director and will post the position soon.

DONATIONS

• United Way of Benton & Franklin Counties mailed its 200,000th book through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in August. Through the program, children from birth to age 5 who are registered receive one age-appropriate book each month at no cost to their families, delivered to their homes until their fifth birthday. The organization says the milestone represents thousands of local children who have had the chance to build home libraries and strengthen early literacy skills.

• Hanford Tank Waste Operations & Closure (H2C) donated $10,000 to 3 Rivers Community Foundation in support of its Meet the Moment campaign. The campaign ended Sept. 30. H2C works with the U.S. Department of Energy to remove, treat and dispose of tank waste at the Hanford Site. The foundation says large community investments like this help strengthen the network of nonprofits serving Benton and Franklin counties.

• Providence St. Mary Foundation raised $55,000 at the Tough Enough to Wear Pink night during the Walla Walla Frontier Days PRCA rodeo. The money will support programs, services and equipment for cancer care at Providence St. Mary Medical Center. Donations came from attendees and from businesses taking part in a fundraising challenge. The Whitman College baseball team helped collect donations in memory of Jan Erickson, a former Whitman College staff member for whom a fund that pays for free mammograms is named. .

• Amentum donated $15,000 to United Way of Benton & Franklin Counties through a Cornerstone gift. The contribution will help support United Way’s day-to-day operations. As a Cornerstone supporter, Amentum joins a group of leading organizations whose investments help drive long-term, systemic change. The gift will assist United Way’s work on initiatives such as early childhood learning programs, student success and access to essential services for families facing hardship.  

AWARDS & HONORS

• Eric Ogden, a computer science teacher at Hanford High School in the Richland School District, was named New Career and Technical Education (CTE) Teacher of the Year by the Washington Career Counseling and Employment Readiness CTE Section. He received the award at the WA-ACTE Conference in August. Ogden is entering his third year at Hanford, where he teaches video game design, introduction to computer science, advanced placement (AP) computer science and AP cybersecurity. Before becoming a teacher, he spent 12 years as a software engineer. He also serves on Individualized Education Program (IEP) teams and advises several student organizations. Under his leadership, Hanford’s robotics, esports and competitive coding programs have earned regional awards and state appearances. Ogden is now a nominee for the Washington Association for Career and Technical Education’s CTE New Teacher of the Year award.

• The Kadlec Tri-Cities Cancer Center in Richland received a perfect score of 100% on its recent in-person Quality Oncology Practice Initiative accreditation survey, allowing it to continue its accreditation. The program, developed by the American Society of Clinical Oncology, reviews how cancer care is delivered, from treatment safety to patient support, through a detailed on-site survey. A perfect score means the center met every standard reviewed. The program surveys participating cancer programs every three years.

• Jim Floyd, a Washington State University graduate researcher at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, was selected as a Platinum Award winner in the American Chemical Society Division of Energy and Fuels Student Award Competition. The recognition honors his presentation on solvent and catalyst design for reactive carbon capture. Floyd showed how working pH control influences amine-based carbon dioxide capture and conversion, and that amine sterics and nucleophilicity govern reaction selectivity and capture-agent stability. He joined the lab in April 2025 through the PNNL-WSU Distinguished Graduate Research Program. His research spans solvent effects in heterogeneous catalysis, integrated carbon capture and conversion, biomass utilization, and nanotube materials.

• Carolyn Pearce and Marcelo Elizondo were named Laboratory Fellows at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland. The title is one of the lab’s highest honors for scientific and engineering staff and recognizes sustained excellence, innovation, leadership and service. Fellows are appointed by the laboratory director after external peer review. Pearce rejoined the lab in 2016 and has advanced geochemistry and radioactive waste research, focusing on mineral behavior in waste forms and subsurface environments. She also holds appointments at Washington State University and the University of Manchester’s Dalton Nuclear Institute. Elizondo has spent 17 years at the lab, where his work includes bulk electric system modeling, resilience analysis and cross-border power system operations.

• Lourdes Health in Pasco received the Rural Hospital Achievement of Quality Excellence from the Washington State Hospital Association. The association presented the award June 28 during its Rural Hospital Leadership Conference in Chelan. Lourdes earned the gold level, the award’s highest designation. Quality measures considered this year included fall prevention, sepsis and opioid harm prevention. To be eligible, hospitals must submit data through the Washington State Healthcare Authority’s Medicaid Quality Incentive Program, which the association manages.

• Skip Novakovich, a commissioner for the Port of Kennewick, received a Quilt of Valor from Sandy’s Quilts of Valor and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5785 during the port’s Sept. 22 commission meeting. The award is presented to service members and veterans who have been touched by war, and the quilt is wrapped over the recipient’s shoulders to represent comfort and healing. The local VFW post and Sandy’s Quilts of Valor nominated Novakovich, who is the 12th community veteran the post has nominated for a quilt this year. Nearly 1,000 quilts have been awarded to Washington veterans in 2026. Novakovich enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve in April 1969, received a direct appointment to first lieutenant in 1974, was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1991 and retired in 2007.  

• Kennewick School District recognized staff and schools with its 2026 Staff Excellence Awards, honoring those who go above and beyond for students and the community:

• Southridge High School, recipient of the Family Engagement Award.
• Joe Morgan, transportation bus driver and Staff Support Person of the Year.
• Loralee Cortese, ECEAP preschool paraeducator and Staff Support Person of the Year.
• Amanda Gervais, Southgate Elementary paraeducator and Staff Support Person of the Year.
• Sean Holloway, Substitute Teacher of the Year.
• Melissa Whitmore, Vista Elementary counselor and Certificated Specialist of the Year.
• Krystal Waters, third-grade teacher at Sunset View Elementary and Elementary Teacher of the Year.
• Jennifer Arreguin, math and science teacher at Desert Hills Middle School and Middle School Teacher of the Year.
• Don Fankhauser, chemistry teacher at Kennewick High School and High School Teacher of the Year.
• Jake Davis, Chinook Middle School principal and Administrator of the Year.