The Bellingham Business Journal

Nancy Ivarinen was named professional woman of the year by Whatcom Women in Business.

Ivarinen is the first attorney to win the award, which recognizes the contributions of women through their leadership, mentorship, business acumen, ethics, and community involvement.

Ivarinen is a staff attorney with Northwest Justice Project, which provides legal advocacy to low-income victims of abuse or domestic violence. She is also the paralegal studies program director and an instructor at Whatcom Community College.

Whatcom Women in Business’s member of the year award went to Melinda Shenk. Shenk established Marianne’s House in 2005, which is a local activity center for adults with developmental disabilities that she named in memory of her sister, Marianne, who had a special love for the developmental disabilities community.

Shenk, who has been a member of Whatcom Women in Business and chaired its annual fundraising event for the past two years, recently made a career change and returned to school to pursue a paralegal degree.

For more information about Whatcom Women in Business, visti www.wwib.org.