People
The Port of Everett has hired veteran maritime professional Walter Seidl as marketing director. Seidl, a licensed merchant mariner from the Maritime College in New York, has spent the past 27 years in terminal, logistics and vessel operational roles on the West Coast. He started with U.S. Lines on Staten Island, learning how to stevedore container vessels.
Optician Kathi Woods-Shelton has joined The Everett Clinic Vision Center. She will open a new Everett Clinic Vision Center at Harbour Pointe in Mukilteo with ophthalmologist Lizabeth Raemont and optometrist James Santoro. Shelton is a member of the Optician’s Association of Washington and the American Board of Opticianry. She earned her ophthalmic dispensing degree at Seattle Central Community College.
Robert Preti, president and chief scientific officer of Progenitor Cell Therapy, has joined the Scientific Advisory Board of Bothell’s BioLife Solutions. Preti co-founded Progenitor Cell Therapy in 1999. Since its inception, that organization has served more than 100 clients from around the world and has experience with more than 20 cell-based therapeutics.
Keller Williams in Everett has added seven agents since May. Seasoned agent Scott Babbitt joined from Preview Properties Skagit. Caleb Houvener came from The Force Realty. Marie Hartung and Kelly Turner joined from Windermere. Three agents, Charmae deBoer, Steven Hall and Danielle Robinett, began their real estate careers with Keller Williams Everett.
The Fearey Group in Seattle has hired Alex Fryer as account supervisor. With nearly two decades of communications and journalism experience, Fryer offers a new layer to The Fearey Group’s established list of clients. Prior to joining The Fearey Group, Fryer owned and operated a namesake communications consulting firm.
Kudos
Western Washington University was named one of the best colleges in the nation to work for by The Chronicle of Higher Education. Western, which has been honored three years in a row, is the only four-year university in the state recognized this year. Highline Community College also was recognized.
The Snohomish County Public Utility District improved to fourth place, up from seventh place last year, in J.D. Power’s 2013 Electric Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction Study for the West Region, Midsize Segment. On a 1,000-point scale, the PUD received 667 points. The top winner, Clark Public Utilities, received 724.
The Government Finance Officers Association awarded the City of Mountlake Terrace the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for the 2013/2014 biennial budget. The city’s biennial budget was rated outstanding as a policy document. To receive the budget award, the city had to satisfy nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation.
Good deeds
Trailside, the Boys &Girls Club of Snohomish County, held a grand opening and community celebration of a newly-built basketball court on Friday. The basketball court was made possible by the collaboration of McKinstry and Leadership Snohomish County. The Trailside Boys &Girls Club offers free memberships to youth ages five to 18.
Events
On Tuesday, “Getting Your Dough to Rise,” the monthly personal finance show on KSER-FM (90.7), will feature certified financial planner and registered investment advisor Kurt Wanner of Crosswind Advisors in Everett. He will be in the studio from 6 to 7 p.m. with host Chuck Noel. Listeners can call in questions to 425-303-9070 during the program.
The next Washington Clean Technology Alliance breakfast event will feature a presentation of potential breakthrough research from Washington State University. The event is from 7:30 to 9 a.m. on Wednesday at the Washington State Housing Finance Commission, 1000 Second Ave., Suite 2800, in Seattle. Online ticket sales end 24 hours before the event at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/399432. Tickets are $50 at the door.
The Zonta Club of Everett will host a meeting to discuss the topic of violence against women at 7:30 a.m. on Aug. 8 at the Everett Golf and Country Club. Cost of the breakfast is $14. For more information, contact Michelle Dietz at 360-631-2027 or email michelledietz@comcast.net.
EvergreenHealth is seeking hospice and palliative care volunteers. Details are available at an open house from 10 to 11 a.m. on Aug. 17 at United Way of Snohomish County. A three-day training session is planned for new volunteers in September. For more information, go to www.evergreenhealth.com or email LstHospiceVolunteers@evergreenhealth.com.
A morning mixer will be hosted by Kelly DuByne of Distinctive Interior Designs and Monika Kristofferson of Efficient Organization. The event is from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. on Aug. 20 at the Lake Stevens Chamber cffice, 10020 Lundeen Park Way in Lundeen Park. There will be a light breakfast, door prizes and a networking.
Classes, workshops and webinars
The Department of Labor and Industries will conduct workshops to help loggers reduce injuries and employers keep worker compensation rates down. The first is at 1 p.m. on Aug. 14 in Everett. Two others are at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Aug. 15 in Mount Vernon. Employers can sign up at www.Lni.wa.gov/safety/traintools/workshops or 360-902-4255.
Announcements
Marine Corps Toys for Tots Program division that serves the area from Smokey Point to the King County line needs a warehouse where it can collect, sort, count and distribute thousands of donations. For more information, or if you are interested in discussing the use of your facility, contact Mary E. Butler at butlerm39@yahoo.com or 425-344-0359.
Cascade Valley Hospital and Clinics is seeking vendors for a community health and safety fair to be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sept. 14 at Cascade Valley Hospital in Arlington. Businesses and nonprofits promoting health, fitness, public safety and emergency preparedness are encouraged to participate. For more information, go to www.cascadevalley.org/healthfair or call 360-618-7848.
Schack Art Center is seeking nominations for Artist of the Year and Art Advocate of the Year. Nominations are due by 5 p.m. on Aug. 10. Each recipient is honored with an awards ceremony, permanent recognition and a Schack Art Center lifetime membership. Visit www.schack.org for more information or to download the nominaion forms.
HomeStreet Bank will open a retail branch in Everett, the fourth in Snohomish County. It will be managed by Marilyn Boe, manager of the HomeStreet Marysville bank branch since 2000. The branch is scheduled to open in the fall at The Library Place building adjacent to the Everett Public Library.
HopeWorks Social Enterprises has launched its newest enterprise, ReNewWorks Home and Décor, a consignment store selling gently used, upscale home furnishing and gift items. The official open house was July 19. The store is at 7100 Evergreen Way, Suite C, in Everett. ReNewWorks donates a portion of sales to Housing Hope.
Washington Banking Co., the holding company for Whidbey Island Bank, declared a cash dividend for the 61st consecutive quarter. The cash dividend of $0.09 per common share will be paid on Aug. 19 to shareholders of record on Aug. 5.
FS Bancorp, the holding company for 1st Security Bank of Washington, reported 2013 second quarter net income of $1.1 million, or $0.36 per diluted share, compared to $621,000 for the same period last year. The second quarter of 2012 was reported prior to the completion of the company’s initial public offering on July 9, 2012.
The Snohomish County Public Utility District has launched a systematic conversion of street-light fixtures it owns and maintains to energy-efficient LEDs. As part of a regular maintenance cycle, the utility plans to change nearly 36,000 fixtures over five years. The gradual conversion to LEDs applies only to street lights the PUD owns and maintains.
Filmmakers can register for the 100-Hour Sci-Fi Film Challenge presented by Short 10 Cinema in Everett until Tuesday. The event is Thursday and Friday. Registration is $75. A registration link is at www.short10cinema.com.
Frontier Communications announced that Troy Reynolds and Avnil Prasad will be Frontier’s inaugural science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) interns. They will work with Frontier’s technical and engineering departments to understand the role of broadband technology. Both are pursuing engineering degrees in the fall at Everett Community College and the University of Washington, respectively.
Washington State University had seven industry-collaboration projects selected for funding by the Joint Center for Aerospace Technology Innovation. JCATI awarded $1.27 million in its second round of grants in 2013 to 16 research projects with the goal to solve technological questions relevant to the Washington aerospace industry. A project at Western Washington University was also selected.
Peoples Bank awarded the grand prize Hawaiian vacation in its Do You Know Everett contest to Crystelle Fischer of Marysville. Fischer’s name was selected from nearly 40 entries that correctly identified all of the landmarks and locations in the contest, which ran May 20 through June 29 as a grand-opening promotion for the Peoples Bank Everett office.
All Things HR has moved to a new office in Lynnwood, which includes a conference room for rent that seats up to eight people. Parking is free. For more information, go to allthings-hr.com.
Mukilteo-based Teo has announced the availability of Cloud and Cloud+ services. Teo Cloud service provides UC applications, SIP trunking, long distance charges and support from a single vendor. Cloud+ adds a UC node to allow for UC capabilities to remain operational even if cloud service or Internet connectivity is interrupted.
About 3,000 Snohomish County Public Utility District customers are supporting solar energy by participating in the utility’s voluntary Planet Power green energy program. Customers can opt to contribute $3 or more each month as part of their utility bill payment or make a one-time payment of $15 or more. For more information, go to www.snopud.com/planetpower or call 425-783-1700.
Statewide taxable retail sales for the first quarter of 2013 were up 8.0 percent compared to the same time period a year ago, to $26 billion, according to a report released by the Washington State Department of Revenue. Retail trade reached $12 billion, an 8.2 percent increase from the first quarter of 2012. Complete tax statistics are posted on the department’s website.
Pahlisch Homes, a family-owned home builder, selected Cascade Windows for the 2013 NW Natural Street of Dreams in Oregon. The Street of Dreams showcases top builders, designers and building suppliers.
Biz Bits runs Monday through Saturday in The Herald and on Monday at HeraldNet.com/bizblog. Send your news and high-resolution color photos to businessnews@heraldnet.com.
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