New Hires and Promotions

Spokane County Fire District 9 has hired Matthew Vinci as fire chief. Vinci previously worked as fire chief for Vashon, Washington-based Vashon Fire and Rescue. Vinci has 32 years of experience in fire service.  

Providence Inland Northwest Washington has added four providers to its oncology care services. Dr. Daphne Ly has joined as a general surgeon at Providence Breast Health. Ly completed a breast and melanoma surgical oncology fellowship at University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Wichit Srikureja has joined as a gastroenterologist at Providence Digestive Health Institute. Srikureja completed his internal medicine residency at the Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Medicine, in Rochester, Minnesota, a gastroenterology fellowship at Loma Linda University, and advanced training in endoscopy and endoscopic ultrasound at University of California Irvine Medical Center. Angeliki Arvanitis has joined as a physician assistant at Providence Gynecological Oncology. Arvanitis is a graduate of Northeastern University’s Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies program, in Boston. Lindsay Whetzel has been hired as a physician’s assistant at Providence Breast Health. Whetzel is a graduate of Carroll College, in Helena, Montana, and has 11 years of clinical experience. 

Spokane-based Landmark Restaurants has promoted two employees. Jessica Kuizin has been promoted to general manager from kitchen manager at The Onion Taphouse’s downtown Spokane location. Denelle Ford has been promoted to general manager of The Onion Taphouse’s North Spokane location. Ford previously worked as the assistant manager.

Spokane-based Bernardo Wills, a multi-disciplinary design firm, has promoted two employees and hired one. Chantelle Patchin has been promoted to director of talent and culture. Patchin previously was the human resource and finance generalist. Emily Moline Meyer has been promoted to director of client services. Meyer’s previous position was client engagement manager. William Sinclair has been hired as landscape architect and land use planner. Sinclair previously worked for Spokane-based Storhaug Engineering.

Spokane-based ALSC Architects PS has hired Robin Pecka as an interior designer. Pecka holds a master’s degree in interior design and has worked on diverse projects ranging from universities to workplaces.

Spokane law firm Piskel Yahne Kovarik PLLC has promoted William B. Emmal to senior associate. Emmal practices in the areas of construction disputes, real property and landlord-tenant litigation, trade secret and intellectual property disputes, and business litigation.

Awards and Recognition

Providence Inland Northwest Foundation has named seven members to its board of directors: Gina O’Neill, a pharmaceutical sales representative; Janelle Brennan, an attorney with North Houston Pole Line/ Quantra Services Inc.; Jeff Galloway, a Spokane-based attorney; Kory Kolterman, an accountant with Fruci & Associates; Paul Milani, a Spokane-based health care executive and pharmacist; Roxann Nammour, chief mission officer for Providence in Eastern Washington and Montana; and Wayne Manuel, chief digital and information officer at Avista. 

The University District Development Association has named four new members to its board of directors: Neil Christopher Apeles, chief nursing officer at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center; Megan Hulsey, vice president of Craft3; Marvo Reguindin, executive director of AHANA; and Tom Tellefson, a senior vice president at McKinstry Co.

STCU and partners have awarded $200,000 for workforce housing projects in Spokane County and North Idaho. Habitat for Humanity was awarded $100,000 for its Woman Build program. This includes $25,000 from STCU and additional funds from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines, a cooperative of more than 1,200 financial institutions that provide mortgage lending. In addition, Panhandle Affordable Housing Alliance was awarded $43,544 and LEAP Housing was awarded $30,000. The Northeast Public Development Authority was awarded $25,000 for the Wellesley Project, an affordable housing and child care project in Hillyard. 

Jason Johnson, a financial adviser at Spokane-based 509 Wealth Management, has been recognized as one of LPL Financial Holdings top financial advisers. LPL is a financial services company that provides brokerage and investment advisory services to financial advisors and institutions nationwide.

Philanthropy

Avista Foundation awarded $54,650 in grants to 21 nonprofit organizations in Washington, Idaho, and Oregon to support environmental initiatives, as well as arts and culture efforts. Recipients include: Feast Collective, Stage Left Theater Association, Spokane Audubon Society, Spokane Valley Summer Theatre, Spokane Youth Symphony, Terrain Programs, and Carrousel Players of the Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre. The Avista Foundation offers four grant cycles each year, and since its establishment in 2002, has made grants totaling over $17 million.