New Hires & Promotions

Eastern Washington University has named Annika Scharosch as chief of staff, associate vice president of compliance. Scharosch previously served as associate vice president for compliance and business services, and as interim associate vice president for facilities and planning, at EWU.

Samantha Sawyer has been promoted to marketing and digital content coordinator at Bernardo Wills. Sawyer previously worked as graphic designer for the firm.

LSB Consulting Engineers has hired Taylor Tharp as structural engineer. Tharp previously worked for Fairbanks, Alaska-based Design Alaska under the same title.

Chicago-based accounting firm BDO USA PC has promoted Kimberlee Weber to assurance principal and practice leader for its Spokane office. Weber previously worked under the title of assurance director.

Piskel Yahne Kovarik PLLC has hired three associate attorneys. C. Price Anderson and Levi Frounfelter both recently graduated from the Gonzaga University School of Law and Anly Ribot recently graduated from the University of Idaho College of Law.

KPFF Consulting Engineers has expanded its team with two new employees for its Spokane and Coeur d’Alene offices. Katie Melby has been hired as senior civil and transportation engineer. Melby previously worked for Morrison-Maierle as a transportation engineer. Bryan Stutchman has been hired as transportation CAD drafter and technician. Stutchman previously worked for PACE Engineering as an engineering technician, in Redding, California.

Knight Wall Systems has hired two employees. Andrew Walsh has been hired as controller. Walsh previously worked for Wm. Winkler Co., in Newman Lake, under the same title. Nate Creason has been hired as production manager. Creason previously worked for Gillette Steel Center, in Gillette, Wyoming, as fabrication manager.

Awards & Designations

Kootenai Health Foundation has received $950,000 in multiyear grant funds from the Office on Violence Against Women at the U.S. Department of Justice. The grant will expand Kootenai Health’s Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner program.

Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center has been named “Best Hospital in the Spokane Metro Area,” as well as No. 4 overall in Washington state, in U.S. News & World Report’s 2025-2026 Best Hospitals rankings.

The University of Washington and Gonzaga University have named eight new members to the UW-GU Health Partnership Advisory Council: David Condon, Dan Getz, Toni Lodge, Kim Lynch, Teresa Slee Mayberg, Jessica McHugh, Ed Taylor, and Diane Timberlake. They will join returning members Latisha Hill, Christine Johnson, Kevin Parker, and Francisco Velazquez.

Gov. Bob Ferguson has directed the Washington State Department of Commerce to make three awards totaling $700,000 from the Governor’s Economic Development Strategic Reserve Fund. Greater Spokane Inc. is one of the three economic development investments, receiving $250,000 to expand the Mercer Mass Timber LLC manufacturing facility in Spokane Valley.

Wm. Winkler Co. has been named as one of the 2026 Best Places to Work in Construction by Harrisburg, Pennsylvania-based Best Companies Group.

Philanthropy

A $1 million gift to Gonzaga University from Tom and Nancy Woodley will help launch the Woodley Institute for Civil Engagement & Humanistic Dialogue.