Weldon joins Special-T Signs & Graphics
Special-T Signs & Graphics, a locally owned business specializing in business images and customized signs, has added graphic designer Dave Weldon.
Weldon has 10 years of experience in creating logo identities and graphics for businesses, taking projects from conceptualization to installation. He brings skills in developing 3-D graphics for signs and posters and has designed logos for many Northwest bands that are used on CDs, T-shirts and show posters.
Landmark Real Estate hires new director
of assoc. operations
Teresa Bosteter has been appointed as director of association operations at Landmark Real Estate Management, LLC. Her new position will include full service management, dues and special assessment collection, attending association board meetings, providing monthly financial reports and assisting the various boards with day-to-day operations.
Originally from Southern California, Bosteter began managing associations in 1996 and has managed associations in this area since 2003. She is currently working on obtaining her broker’s license and continuing her education to earn more professional designations through the Community Associations Institute.
Bosteter will fill an important role including expanded responsibilities due to Landmark’s recent purchase of Property Management Professionals & Mountain Bay Cleaning & Maintenance, Inc.
Bouma joins Business Services Team at WECU
Kent Bouma has joined the Business Services Team at Whatcom Educational Credit Union as the new business services manager.
Bouma brings more than nine years of business banking experience in Whatcom County to the team.
Shelton, Nicol promoted by Peoples Bank
Peoples Bank has promoted Diane Shelton to senior vice president and human resources manager, and Amy Nicol has taken over management of the bank’s Ferndale office as assistant vice president and branch manager.
Shelton began working at Peoples Bank in 1967 as a teller. She has held a number of positions since 1983, including operations assistant, senior operations manager and branch administrator.
As senior vice president Shelton oversees employee benefits, compensation, interviewing and hiring, employment policy and employee satisfaction and retention.
Nicol joined Peoples Bank in 1997 and has more than 11 years of banking experience including seven years as branch manager of the Fairhaven branch.
As branch manager of the Ferndale office, Nicol is responsible for branch operations and business development in the area. She is active in the community as a Bellingham/Whatcom Chamber ambassador, treasurer of Whatcom Young Professionals and president of the Old Fairhaven Association.
Glasset appointed as president of
Evergreen Team Concepts
Evergreen Team Concepts, specializing in training, consulting and staff development for organizations of all types, has named Evan Glasset president of the company.
Glasset, speaker and trainer, brings 20 years of experience in sales, marketing and training to the company. He will be responsible for building and developing Evergreen’s team of professional trainers and taking the company into North American and European markets.
Farmers Insurance agent receives Topper Club honors
Richard James, a Farmers Insurance agent, has joined the Farmers’ “Topper Club” of Farmers’ top sales producers. James has been recognized by Farmers for outstanding sales achievements in 2007 and the past 19 years.
Farmers regards its Topper Club agents as its best quality agents for service and sales in auto, homeowners, life and business insurance products.
Owner of Borrowed Ground receives scholarship
Russ Beardsley, owner of Borrowed Ground LLC landscaping and hardscaping services, received a scholarship to assist master stone builders for Stonefest ’08.
The event took place from Sept. 17 through Sept. 20 and was hosted by Marenakos stone suppliers. The event drew participants from around the country to work in a variety of stone disciplines such as letter carving, sculpture, and dry stone masonry.
Workshop participants built a dry stone bridge from 60 tons of stone with the guidance of their instructors. The bridge measures 50 feet long, 8 feet wide and 54 inches tall.
Distinguished litigator returns home to Whatcom County
Ken Karlberg, distinguished litigator with national and international trial experience, has joined the Barron Smith Daugert law firm. Karlberg returns to his hometown of Bellingham after more than 20 years of legal experience in mid-to-large sized Seattle-and Atlanta-based law firms.
Karlberg’s litigation experience ranges from simple to complex commercial disputes, class actions, product liability actions, employment disputes, property losses, insurance subrogation, coverage claims, and personal injury defense.
Lewis joins 2009 NHRMA board of directors
Kelly Lewis, owner of Allied Human Resources Consulting, has been re-elected to the Northwest Human Resource Management Association 2009 board of directors. There she will serve as communications director and develop as well as maintain the association’s Web site.
Lewis, also an active member of the Mount Baker Chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management, has nearly 20 years of experience in the human resource field.
She is designated as both a certified senior human resource professional and certified compensation professional.
Larson Gross appoints Visser as Lynden team leader
and manager
Larson Gross has expanded their professional team with the addition of Kelli Visser as team leader and manager in the Lynden office.
Visser is a resident of Whatcom County and graduated Magna Cum Laude with an accounting degree from Western Washington University. She has spent the past seven years in public accounting, most recently as a senior tax manager where she specialized in tax planning and compliance for manufacturing and distribution companies. She is also in the process of earning her master’s degree of science-taxation through Golden Gate University.
Hart appointed new director at Allied Arts
of Whatcom County
The executive board of Allied Arts for Whatcom County has appointed Kelly Hart as executive director.
Hart has over 15 years of experience in arts management; including both in-depth education and work with the arts. She received her bachelor’s degree in art history from the University of Oregon and has a master’s certificate in arts management from the University of Massachusetts.
Hart has served as executive director for the Buhl Arts Council in South Central Idaho, and has served on a variety of boards and committees such as the Sun Valley Gallery Association, Scenic-By-Way Plan Committee, the Idaho Commission on the Arts and more.
Best receives Chartered Leadership Fellow designation
Randal Best, a district manager for Waddell & Reed in Bellingham, has earned the Chartered Leadership Fellow designation.
The designation is awarded to financial professionals who successfully complete specific education and work experience requirements, and pass a series of related examinations. The master’s level program provides financial services managers with the knowledge and tools to achieve key organizational goals while preparing them for the challenge of leading financial services organizations.
Best has been a professional in the financial services industry for 12 years and counsels clients throughout the Northwest with ongoing financial affairs and goals. He joined Waddell & Reed in 2006.
Noted chiropractor opens business in Bakerview Square
With more than five years of experience working with families and professional athletes, Bellingham native Dan Scodeller has returned to Bellingham to open Bakerview Family Chiropractic in Bakerview Square.
Returning from California, Scodeller worked the last four years as the official chiropractor of the U.S. Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach, Calif. He was head of the medical team consisting of chiropractors, physical therapists, athletic trainers and massage therapists. The U.S. Open of Surfing, a weeklong event, is the only six-star professional surfing competition in North America with only the top 100 surfers in the world qualifying.
Scodeller brings experience in helping athletes before and after their heats and making sure their bodies perform at peak performance. His practice in Bellingham is a family practice specializing in treating families of all ages.
Gregoire announces appointment to board of directors
Chris Phillips, director for community affairs at St. Joseph Hospital, has been appointed to the Prescription Drug Assistance Foundation board of directors. The term is effective Sept. 8 and ends Sept. 15, 2010.
Phillips is a member of the Public Health Advisory board of Bellingham and the Port of Bellingham.
Sofie joins Louis Auto Glass
Karen Sofie has joined Louis Auto Glass as a customer service representative and will be responsible for greeting customers and smoothly processing their transactions.
A mother of three children, Sofie lives in Bellingham with her husband Mark. She has more than 15 years in sales and customer service.
Sofie says she is passionate about providing the highest standard of service in the marketplace.
Moles appoints advanced planning professionals
Moles Family Funeral Homes & Crematory has made the additions of Scott Fassett and Brian Flowers as Family Service Advisors due to rising interest in pre-planning funerals.
Fassett, of Ferndale, is serving families primarily through Moles-Bayview Chapel. Fassett has worked with Whatcom County families and business professionals in a variety of arenas including office equipment, sport, and real estate.
Flowers, of Everson, is serving through the Moles-Ferndale and Moles-Greenacres Memorial Park offices and is a life-long Whatcom County resident. Flowers attended Western Washington University and has managed and provided for all aspects of care and support for developmentally disabled adults.
Douglas, Arevalo-Hays appointed to college boards
Timothy Douglas of Bellingham has been appointed to the Whatcom Community College board of trustees effective Oct. 1 and ending Sept. 30, 2013. Douglas was mayor of the city of Bellingham and a Peace Corps director. He has been a board member for organizations such as Kulshan Community Land Trust and Whatcom Coalition for Healthy Communities.
Sonia Arevalo-Hays, of Ferndale, has been reappointed to the Community College District No. 25 board of trustees effective Oct. 1 and ending Sept. 30, 2013. Arevalo-Hayes is the co-owner of TC Trading Company. She is a member of the Marine Hotel Association, Whatcom Hispanic Organization and Washington Latino Business Association.
Assist2Sell team joins RE/MAX Whatcom County
Robert and Marlene Campbell of Assist2Sell recently moved their real estate business to RE/MAX Whatcom County. The Campbells have sold more than 60 homes year after year while operating their own Assist2Sell agency.
The Campbells bring more than 55 years of combines sales and marketing experience with them. Robert is a broker associate and Marlene is a buyers and staging specialist. They hold 11 professional designations, from being nationally accredited buyers’ representatives to a graduate of the Realtor Institute.
Whatcom County Association of Realtors honors McBeath, Weaver
The Whatcom County Association of Realtors has awarded Matt McBeath of RE/MAX Whatcom County and Sandy Weaver of Chicago Title its third-quarter awards.
McBeath has been named the association’s Realtor of the third quarter. He is a lifelong Whatcom County resident and has five years of real estate experience. McBeath earned the designation of accredited buyer representative last year. He has served this year as an association director and chair of its 100-year anniversary committee, and has contributed many hours to a revision of the organization’s bylaws.
Sandy Weaver has been selected as affiliate of the third quarter. Weaver has been in the real estate industry for 18 years, including the last 10 years as sales manager of Chicago Title’s Bellingham office.
Kortlever receives high honors at Neighborhood Mortgage
Janell Kortlever, licensed mortgage advisor of Neighborhood Mortgage, has been honored as the company’s third- quarter sales star.
Kortlever consistently demonstrates leadership, community involvement and sales excellence. She currently serves on the board for the Blaine Chamber of Commerce and the Blaine Boys and Girls Club.
AAA hires Scholl as insurance agent
AAA Washington has hired Michele Scholl as an insurance, agent at its Bellingham Service Center located at 4280 Meridian St.
Scholl will specialize in personal-lines insurance including auto, home and life and customizing programs so that clients receive the best value for their dollar.
Leopold appoints Oppenheimer, promotes Jorgensen
The Leopold Retirement Residence has hired Ginger Oppenheimer as its marketing director. Whitney Jorgensen, former marketing director, has been promoted to the newly created position of operations manager and will also serve as activities director.
Oppenheimer was the former marketing manager at the Community Food Co-op as well as an editor and magazine department manager at the International Society for Optical Engineering. She serves on the board of directors of the Downtown Renaissance Network. In addition to marketing, branding and PR, Oppenheimer is also responsible for booking events.
Before joining The Leopold in 2006, Jorgensen ran Sterling Senior Support Services LLC, which offered a variety of in-home services to support seniors.
Whatcom Young Professionals welcomes McMullen as secretary
The Whatcom Young Professionals, a division of the Bellingham/Whatcom Chamber of Commerce, has appointed Christina McMullen as secretary to the advisory council.
McMullen is a marketing associate at Snapper Shuler Kenner and brings board experience from the Barkley Business Association, where she currently acts as the association’s secretary. She is also involved in the Women’s Professional Network and the Bellingham/Whatcom Chamber of Commerce.
Chelsea Marr promoted to supervisor
Industrial Credit Union has promoted Chelsea Marr to supervisor of its Fred Meyer branch in Bellingham.
Marr brings four years of experience of ICU to the branch. She now oversees the Fred Meyer branch’s auto and consumer loans as well as business banking services. Marr also supervises four employees at the branch.
Gordon, O’Donnell & Sands join RE/MAX
Whatcom County
Scott Gordon, Dan O’Donnell and Jim Sands have been appointed to the Bellingham office of RE/MAX Whatcom County.
Gordon brings more than 10 years of real estate experience to the company, a lifetime member of the sales master club and a consistent top producer while selling in Utah, California and Washington. He is experienced in every aspect of real estate but specializes with buyers.
O’Donnell has been licensed since 2001 and is a lifetime resident of Whatcom County, where he helps clients get the information they need to make informed decisions in buying and selling properties. His business is based on trust and word of mouth referrals for resale and investment properties.
Sands, who was born and raised in Whatcom County, has 25 years experience in owning and managing businesses in Bellingham. He was licensed in 2007 and is a graduate of the Real Estate Institute.
Sands is also a certified negotiating expert and a member of the Commercial Broker Association. His area of specialization is in residential and commercial sales.
Northwest Youth Services appoints Larson, Samuelson
Northwest Youth Services has appointed Anne Larson as new executive director.
Larson took over the position this past May when the previous executive director, David Webster, left to become the chief administrative officer for the city of Bellingham. Larson has previously served as both the associate director and clinical director at Northwest Youth Services for four years and has been a Bellingham resident for 20 years.
Originally from Milwaukee, Wis., she has done doctoral coursework in collaborative health psychology and is a licensed mental health counselor. Before joining the Northwest Youth Services team, she was a private practice therapist in a large psychology group for 13 years, and then developed medical and mental health programs and shelters for the homeless in her hometown as well as in Portland, Ore.
Northwest Youth Services has also made the addition of Sonya Samuelson as donor and community relations manager. Originally from Anchorage, Alaska, Samuelson was the promotions and marketing director for Chilkoot Charlie’s, a large nightclub in Anchorage, for six years. She was also the executive director at the United Way of Grays Harbor in Aberdeen and worked there until her husband’s career brought them to Bellingham.
Leeper’s Marine adds technician to meet
increasing demand
Leeper’s Marine, a family-owned Bellingham business since 1985, has recently added marine technician Lloyd Peters to meet increasing demand for its services.
Peters has nearly five years of experience as a technician at Olympic Boat Centers and has a pair of certifications from Mercury Marine. He handles repairs to boats, engines, trailers, plus boat winterizing and installation of electrical components.
Lewis receives certification with WorldatWork
Kelly Lewis, owner of Allied Human resources Consulting, has been re-certified as a certified compensation professional with the WorldatWork organization. WorldatWork is the world’s leading nonprofit professional association dedicated to knowledge leadership in areas of total rewards, compensation, benefits and work life.
Lewis is an active member of the Mount Baker Chapter of SHRM and has nearly 20 years of experience of working in the human resource field. She is also designated as a certified senior human resource professional.
WWU Board of Trustees selects Zoro as representative
The board of trustees at Western Washington University has selected trustee Peggy Zoro to serve as its representative on the board for the new development entity that will work with the Port of Bellingham on Western’s expansion to the waterfront.
Gov. Gary Locke appointed Zoro to Western’s board of trustees in 2003. She is currently senior vice president and regional manager of Wells Fargo Bank’s Wealth Management Group for the North Puget Sound Region. Zoro’s 37-year banking career also includes experience at KeyBank, where she served as senior vice president and district president and at Security Pacific Bank, where she served as first vice president and regional manager.
Larson Gross hires CPA for Lynden office
Larson Gross has expanded their professional team with the addition of Ann Packard.
Packard has recently relocated to the Deming area after spending more than eight years in private-industry accounting positions in Idaho and California. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in accounting from Brigham Young University. Her experience includes controller and accounting manager roles as well as a brief period in public accounting.
Awards/Anniversaries
Hickman recognized by Tourism Australia
Mary Hickman, premier Aussie specialist for Bellingham Travel and Cruise, has been recognized as one of the top five Aussie specialists in the U.S. by Tourism Australia. Hickman was presented an Opal Award for the Best Niche Itinerary at the annual meeting of Aussie specialists held in Los Angeles.
The award is voted on by a panel of selected industry representatives. It is given to a specialist who demonstrates an extensive knowledge of Australia as well as creativity in organizing a complex itinerary to meet the budget, interests and requests of clients.
Northwest Wildlife Rehabilitation Center to receive
peace award
Northwest Wildlife Rehabilitation Center will receive Honorable Mention at the 6th Annual Peace Builders Awards hosted by the Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center. The awards ceremony will take place Nov. 8 from 7 p.m. to 10 pm.
Northwest Wildlife Rehabilitation Center is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the rehabilitation of sick, injured, and orphaned wildlife. Located in Whatcom County, the organization receives more than 3,500 calls annually and admits more than 900 animals a year.