New Hires & Promotions

Spokane Valley-based Wagstaff Inc. has promoted Mike Kosmicki to vice president of research and development. He has been the chief architect of the company's core PLC and SCADA systems since 1998 and played a key role in numerous automation advancements.

Kaitlin Harris, Joseph Witters, Zane Simenton, Joshua Anderson, Kameron Lance, Koleton Vaughn, Sean Bruso, Saifaldeen Alkitani, Alex Petersen, and Bryan Ferrato have been sworn in as deputies for the Spokane County Sheriff's Office.

Meridian, Idaho-based J-U-B Engineers Inc. has hired two employees for its Spokane office. Derrick Braaten has joined as a senior planner. Braaten previously worked for the city of Airway Heights as a city planner. Greg Miller has been hired as a senior project engineer. Miller previously worked as civil project manager for Adams & Clark Inc., in Spokane.

Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel has appointed Rod Centers to director of strategic initiatives.

Awards & Designations

The Inland Northwest Associated General Contractors has announced the winners of its 2025 Build Northwest Awards, including eight companies with presences in Spokane County: Fisher Construction Group Inc.; Garco Construction Inc., Acme Concrete Paving Inc., N.A. Degerstrom Inc., Walker Construction Inc., Clearwater Summit Group Inc., Clearwater Construction & Management LLC, and Inland Northwest Precast LLC.

The Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce has named the winners of its 2026 Business Awards: Jubilant HollisterStier LLC, Victory Media, Canopy Credit Union, Spokane Hearing Oral Program of Excellence (HOPE), Avista Corp., and Spokane Conservation District.

Phil Champlin, executive director of the HUB Sports Center, has been designated the Harry E. Nelson Citizen of the Year Award by the Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce.

Scott Carr and Hayden Anderl, of Coldwell Banker Schneidmiller Realty, have been recognized as Top 10 individual agents within the Coldwell Banker network.

The Coeur d'Alene Tribe, with aboriginal lands in Washington state, has received a Technical Assistance award from the Washington State Department of Commerce for the Rockford Casino Solar Array Feasibility Study. Commerce has awarded 17 tribal communities a total of $16.8 million for 22 clean energy and resilience projects.

North Idaho College student Elspeth Gibson’s “Sunset on the Byway” poster design has been chosen to represent The Festival at Sandpoint for 2026.

Philanthropy

The Center for Law, Ethics & Commerce at Gonzaga University is being renamed to the Kennelly Center for Law, Ethics & Commerce, following the receipt of a philanthropic gift from Chris and Nan Kennelly.

Local Rosauers Supermarkets Inc. stores and Second Harvest Inland Northwest have partnered to raise more than $45,000 to fund local Bite2Go programs, which fight childhood hunger by providing meals for children on the weekends.