New Hires & Promotions

Cancer Care Northwest has hired Dr. Rebecca Kirschner as a surgical oncologist. Kirschner completed her internship at University of Vermont Medical Center and her residency at Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine.

Empire Airlines, a Hayden, Idaho-based cargo airline, has promoted Brett Dickey to vice president of technical services. Dickey joined Empire in 2006 and was previously director of quality assurance.

The College Success Foundation has hired five employees. Roseanne Oty has joined as a school-based adviser at Rogers High School. She previously worked for Whitworth University. Maggie McDonald has joined as a school-based adviser at Shadle Park High School. McDonald previously worked for Spokane Falls Community College. Daniel Causey has joined as a college and career coach at Shaw Middle School. Causey previously worked for Shanghai, China-based Shanghai Normal University. Patrick Dinges has joined as a college and career coach at Garry Middle School. Dinges previously worked for the Pullman School District. Jules Quinn has joined as a college and career coach at Yasuhara Middle School. Quinn previously worked for United Way of King County.

Spokane design firm Bernardo Wills has promoted one employee and hired two. Landscape architect James Davis has been promoted to associate.  James Leeson and Kylee Monroe have joined as landscape designers. Leeson previously worked for an architecture firm in Texas. Monroe is completing her master’s degree at the University of Idaho.

Spokane-based SPVV Landscape Architects has hired two landscape designers. Nestor Herrera is a recent graduate of Washington State University.  Nick Chapman, also a recent graduate of WSU, previously worked for Spokane KOA campground.

FāVS News, a nonprofit faith and values news website, has hired Bob Stout as development specialist. Stout previously worked in fundraising for nonprofits and higher education institutions.  

Phoenix-based law firm Fennemore has acquired Spokane-based Lucent Law PLLC and retained four employees. Attorneys Brett Sullivan and Spencer Stromberg have joined as directors. Sullivan and Stromberg cofounded Lucent Law in 2010. Joanna Puryear has joined as an of counsel attorney. Johnny Jones has joined as an associate.

Community-Minded Enterprises, a Spokane-based nonprofit, has hired Luc Jasmin III as director of strategic initiatives. Jasmin is an entrepreneur and a Northeast Youth & Family Services board member.

Associated Logging Contractors of Idaho has hired Clete Edmunson as its executive director. Edmunson previously worked as a high school principal and district superintendent in Idaho. 

Awards and Designations

The American Institute of Architects has awarded the Spokane County Library district and Spokane-based Integrus Architecture the Washington Council Civic Design Merit Award for the design of the Spokane Valley Library. The intent of the awards program is to promote, advocate, and celebrate quality design of publicly funded projects in Washington state.

Associated General Contractors of America has awarded the Inland Northwest Associated General Contractors two awards.  The NWAGC has earned the Medium Chapter of the Year Award for the second consecutive year. The chapter, which represents 400 commercial contractors throughout Eastern Washington and northern Idaho, also was awarded the 2024 National Public Relations Award for its Trade Up 2 Construction campaign.

Brian Napora of Spokane-based Gestalt Diagnostics, a medical and diagnostic laboratory, has been elected to co-chair of Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine Working Group 26. The group was established in 2005 to develop and extend the DICOM medical imaging standard for pathology and whole slide imaging.

James Hail has passed his Financial Industry Regulatory Authority exam and has become a registered representative of NYLife Securities LLC, a subsidiary of New York-based New York Life Insurance Co.

Philanthropy

The second annual Community Celebration, hosted by Alliant Employee Benefits, has raised $190,800 for three charities: Second Harvest, Maddies’s Place, and LaunchNW. Each organization will receive $63,600.