People
Peter Quist of Lake Forest Park has been named director and business development advisor at the Small Business Development Center at Edmonds Community College. The center offers free one-on-one business advice and access to research and resources for local business owners.
Jim Stephanson is the new director of development for Bethany of the Northwest. His primary role will be to encourage charitable gifts and increase awareness of what Bethany does in the community. He is an Everett native and a graduate of the University of Washington.
Michael Tsoukalas, vice president and commercial loan officer of Mountain Pacific Bank based in Everett, is a recent graduate of the Pacific Coast Banking School. The program focuses on risk management, financial performance and leadership. Company officials said he was in the top 10 percent of his class of 215 graduates in the three-year, graduate-level program.
Everett dentist Amy Norman, who focuses on cosmetic and advanced dentistry, was voted Best/Favorite dentist in KING-TV’s Western Washington awards for the second straight year. She has practiced in the area for 15 years.
Mohammed Yaseen, a tobacconist at Tobacco Town in Mill Creek, has qualified for membership in the International Premium Cigar &Pipe Retailers Association.
Pat McBride of the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties has been named president of the Building Industry Association of Washington.
Good Deeds
Rodland Toyota will collect food for the Volunteers of America Food Bank each Friday from 2 to 6 p.m. starting this Friday until Dec. 31. Bring canned food donations to the company’s sevice and parts department at 6816 Evergreen Way or to the Albertson’s grocery at Evergreen Way and Madison Street.
Union Bank, which purchased Everett-based Frontier Bank earlier this year, has awarded a $25,000 grant to the Arts Council of Snohomish County to aid their campaign to build the Schack Art Center in downtown Everett. Targeted to open next spring, the center would include a variety of working shops, a warm glass studio, exhibit spaces, a gallery and classrooms.
Awards
An agency of the Department of Defense has honored Comcast’s Washington region with its Seven Seals Award for extraordinary support for its employees serving in the National Guard and Reserve. It’s the highest award by the group, the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve. The award was presented last week on Veteran’s Day in Everett.
Cascade Financial Corp., the parent company of Everett-based Cascade Bank, was voted Favorite Snohomish County Company with fewer than 250 employees in NWjobs.com’s People’s Picks campaign for the second year in a row. Voters praised the company’s community volunteer efforts and positive work environment.
Meetings
The South Snohomish County Chamber of Commerce will hold its monthly networking session at 7:15 a.m. Friday at the Lynnwood Convention Center. Members can bring a nonmember for free.
Business coach and author Larry Ransom will be the keynote speaker at the Greater Marysville-Tulalip Chamber of Commerce meeting Friday at 7 a.m. at the Canoes Cabaret at the Tulalip Casino, 10200 Quil Ceda Blvd. Ransom works in organizational development and executive coaching.
Chambers in Everett, Arlington and south Snohomish County will hold a reception at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 17 for local lawmakers to talk about business issues. It will be held at the Future of Flight Aviation Center, 8415 Paine Field Blvd.
News
A search for the leader of a new business organization that would combine the chambers in Everett and South Snohomish County with the Snohomish County Economic Development Council got under way last week. The search committee received about 12 applicants for the post, said Jean Hales, president of the south county chamber. She said the group hopes to find a leader by mid-December.
The Edmonds Chamber of Commerce will hold a discussion forum for entrepreneurs or would-be entrepreneurs at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at the Bracket Room of Edmonds City Hall, 121 Fifth Ave. N. It will include remarks and a facilitated talk about starting and sustaining a small business, challenges, issues and lessons learned.
Registration for winter classes at Edmonds Community College starts today. Classes begin Jan. 3 and include offerings aimed at providing employees with job expertise. A grant would pay for training in a number of energy efficiency or energy management certificates. Call 425-640-1509 or visit www.edcc/energy for more information. Other classes focus on project management, QuickBooks, event coordination and emergency business continuity.
The Lynnwood Public Facilities District has extended the management agreement for the Lynnwood Convention Center with SMG, a convention and entertainment management firm. The company has management the center since it opened in 2005. The agreement is for an additional five years.
Send your Business FYI news and color photos to Mike Benbow, Business editor, The Herald, P.O. Box 930, Everett, WA 98206, by fax at 425-339-3435 or by e-mail at economy@heraldnet.com.
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