Elizabeth Tellessen
When Trains are a Man’s Best Friend Ferris Modernization Project
March - April 2014 #58 • $2.95 (Display Until May 15, 2014)
www.ibcatalyst.com
Contents
Vol. 10 Issue 2 March - April 2014
On the cover
Elizabeth Tellessen, Winston & Cashatt, Lawyers PSCa Photography by Diane Maehl
departments Editor’s letter The BOMB Travel like a pro EWI Hot off the BLOG Business news clips
Feature
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21 Women in Business Leadership Awards We’re proud to honor 12 local businesswomen who show exemplary leadership skills while making our community a better place.
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14 Ferris High School Modernization Project
Breezy corridors and blasts of arctic winds rushing through classroom doors are only memories now for Ferris High School students and staff, as January 31, 2014, marked the completion of interior construction of the ambitious Ferris modernization project.
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Business Newcomer Paul Manoguerra recently moved to Spokane with his wife Michelle, a registered nurse, and their three children to lead the Jundt Art Museum at Gonzaga University as director and curator.
through the trenches Todd Havens took his childhood love of trains and turned it into a successful career as owner of Western Rail, Inc.
March - April 2014
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Editor's
Letter The power of women in business
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he interview was taking longer than planned and I heard the baby begin to stir in her bassinet. Although the heat of concern rushed through me, I coolly continued to engage in the conversation and asked thoughtful questions of the businessman on the other end of the line. I had been assigned a major magazine feature that hinged on this interview, a feature that could, if done well, move me up a rung of the professional ladder. The businessman didn’t know I was working from home with a nursling as my copy editor. He continued explaining corporate trends as a little hand reached up and clasped the side of the bassinet. And then a second. The bassinet wiggled and two big, beautiful brown eyes popped up over the edge. I gave a little wave and silent “hello” to London, my six month old, and continued jotting down notes. The article was due the next day and I simply had to accomplish the task. As London began to fuss, I swiftly scooped her out of the bassinet and onto my lap. She spied an open tin of thumbtacks right away and reached for them. I tore off a piece of scotch tape and stuck it to her fingers instead. There was no way I was going to let my baby play with tacks. I was working hard to keep the businessman on course, while the baby was working hard to pluck the
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tape from her fingers. She reached for the tacks again, and I gave her a rubber band. She reached for the tacks yet again and I gave her a ruler. In one swift baby magic movement, she swiped my glasses off of my face with the measuring stick. I reached for my glasses . . . and then the thumbtacks. I needed just a few more minutes to wrap up the interview. So I let my baby play with tacks. I watched intently, and, like a good mother, I never let her put them in her mouth. Not all the way in, anyway. I finished the interview. I wrote the article above expectations and made the deadline. Not all women will let their babies play with tacks, thank goodness. But women find unique ways to work around challenges to get the job done, to move things forward, and to continue the climb. We’re an unstoppable force when we set our minds to it. Women may be the very force that will change the world for the better. It started in the home, has flowed into business, out into the community and around the world. I recently read an email newsletter from author and motivational speaker Danielle Laporte. She said, “I had the honor of a private conversation with The Dalai Lama once. The diamond of the meeting was this: ‘Women are the future,’ he said, looking me in the eye. ‘Women are the leaders of the future—they make peace.’” As we celebrate the Fourth Annual Women in Business Leadership Awards in Inland Business Catalyst, I dedicate this issue to ALL women making their way professionally, leaving a positive mark on all they do, and advancing business and community for the betterment of all. Here’s to each of you and to our 12 women leaders being honored with this special recognition. Cheers,
Vol. 10 Issue 2 March-April 2014
Editor Stephanie Regalado editor@ibcatalyst.com
Creative Director Senior Designer David Crary david@bozzimedia.com
graphic Designer & Traffic Manager Camille Mackie camille@bozzimedia.com
Photography Rajah Bose Darin Burt Diane Maehl Contributors Matt Behringer Darin Burt Dennis Held Cheryl-Anne Millsap Renee Sande Senior Account manager Jeff Richardson jrichardson@bozzimedia.com
Senior Account executives Cindy Guthrie cindy@bozzimedia.com
Debra Smith
debra@bozzimedia.com
Diane Caldwell
diane@bozzimedia.com
Operations & Finance Manager Kim Morin kim@bozzimedia.com
circulation manager & accounts receivable Theresa Berglund theresa@spokanecda.com
Publisher & CEO Vincent Bozzi
vince@spokanecda.com
Co-Publisher Emily Guevarra Bozzi emily@spokanecda.com
Find us on
facebook View our e-magazine ibcatalyst.com
Inland Business Catalyst magazine is published bi-monthly by Bozzi Media.
Stephanie editor@ibcatalyst.com
104 S. Freya St., Suite #209, Spokane, WA 99202-4866 Phone: 509.533.5350 | Fax: 509.535.3542 All contents © 2014. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. Neither Bozzi Media nor Inland Business Catalyst magazine assume responsibility for errors in content, photos or advertisements.
March - April 2014
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B MB ✲
business at its best
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Photo by Travis Knight
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n 2011, with the hopes of finding work to get by while the market was at a low, Josh Hissong and Armando Hurtado started Hurtado | Hissong design group (HDG), a multi-faceted architecture and design studio with experience in a variety of project types such as commercial, multi and single family residential, mixed-use, hospitality and restaurant design. They both assumed they would wait out the construction lull and go back to work for another firm. But they quickly realized that their collective talents were filling a niche, one that they feel their “nothing
to lose” attitudes helped create. The Niche: They believe the hospitality/restaurant design niche was what launched them at first. Hissong’s experience in restaurants made it easy to explain to their clients the importance of form AND function. (Hissong has a new restaurant opening in April at 818 W. Sprague, next door to Fire Artisan Pizza. The new restaurant, NUDO, is a ramen house with a really cool look and a twist on the classic ramen house concept.) Why Spokane: “Spokane is such a perfect canvas for great design, with the amazing mix of old brick buildings and
Owners: Josh Hissong and Armando Hurtado Visit: 522 W. 1st Ave., Spokane, WA 99201
our city’s simple need to evolve. People in Spokane want cool, they want sexy and they are starting to expect it,” says Hissong. “We feel like we are growing with the city. We have an administration in Spokane that wants businesses to grow and flourish. This is evident from the mayor’s office, to the building department and everything in between. It’s an exciting time to be involved with architecture and design in Spokane.” Secret to Success: “We really didn’t care about getting rich, we didn’t care about being super busy, nor are we so oblivious that we think we can please everyone,” says Hissong. “This is reflected in our company’s personality, both in our office culture, our client relations and in our design. As it turns out, when you really have nothing to lose, all those things you didn’t initially care about seem to come at you ten fold and all of a sudden you are busy, you are starting to please most people and god willing the money, well you get it.” What’s Next: “We are starting to see a lot of repeat clients, both in the hospitality industry and on the development side. This is giving us opportunities to be involved in the longterm benefits of development, both in building ownership and other various business partnerships. We are now licensed for architecture in Washington, Idaho, and California, with current projects in 12 cities and towns. We have diversified into more ground up architecture, while still maintaining a large amount of the restaurant design, which is how we got ‘from there to here.’”
Call: (509) 321-5064 Surf: www.studiohdg.com March - April 2014
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the
Travel Like a Pro By Cheryl-Anne Millsap
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hile the act of travel has become more complicated, with constant security changes and updates, crowded airports and frequent weather cancellations, the list of iPhone and Android smart phone applications that make traveling easier keeps growing. Here are a few of the best apps for organized business travel:
Tripit (iPhone and Android). This is
my personal favorite. Tripit automatically creates an itinerary with flight confirmation numbers, airport terminal gates and hotel addresses. It can also sync to your calendar. You can share your itinerary with friends and family. Basic service is free, premium upgrade available. www.tripit.com
Featured Project: Sacred Heart Medical Center Emergency Department Coffman Engineers completed structural engineering for the $18.6 million Sacred Heart Medical Center Emergency Department, which opened October 2013. Additional team members included Bouten Construction Co., a prominent Spokane contractor, and Mahlum Architects, Inc., of Seattle. The project included a fully redesigned front entrance and a 36,000 sf, two-story addition to the existing hospital. The addition is adjacent to three separate existing buildings and required special detailing for seismic separation between the buildings. It was imperative the existing emergency
department remained operational during design and construction to continue to serve the community’s needs. To achieve this, Coffman’s structural engineers worked closely with the design team to navigate around existing utilities and foundations; creatively incorporating long spans in order to avoid placing new footings in a nearby utility courtyard and micro pile foundations to limit deep excavations. Structural design also incorporated long cantilevers and intricate detailing to actualize the striking architectural design of the building and entry canopy. www.coffman.com
GateGuru (iPhone and Android).
This handy worldwide app provides airport guides and listings for restaurants, shops, shoe shine kiosks, spas, lounges, A.T.M. service and free Wi-Fi. www. gateguru.com
FlightStats (iPhone and
Android). FlightStats’ live flight tracking app lets you access realtime status of worldwide flights by flight number, airport or route. The app also updates weather conditions. www.flightstats.com
CheckMate for Travel (iPhone). CheckMate allows you to check in to your hotel from your smartphone. You’ll get a call when the room is ready so all you need to do is stop by the desk and pick up your key.
MyRadar
(iPhone and Android). This is a good one for travelers who want to know what’s going on and what’s coming in. MyRadar provides realtime weather and radar displays allowing you to see weather that is coming your way that might impact flights and airline schedules. www.myradar.com
April 24-26, 2014
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xecutive Women International, a premier organization for networking and leadership advancement for today’s business professionals and their firms, has chosen Spokane and Northern Quest Resort and Casino for its annual event. EWI represents more than 2,000 companies and 2,300 representatives in nearly 60 Chapters located in the United States and Canada. The conference is open to the public and features nationally recognized and local speakers presenting leadership-focused programs, including: EWI Academy of Leadership Course: Lori Giavonnoni, EWI Educator: “Finding Your Voice: An Experience in Leadership—Establishing Your Leadership Brand” Dr Lisa Brown, Washington State University Spokane: “Leadership: It’s Not Easy to Be Right!” Marty Dickinson, Sterling Bank: “When Change is Inevitable, Leadership and Influence Are Key” Anna Liotta, Resultance, Inc: “What Makes Each Generation Tick and What Ticks Them Off ” For registration and more information, visit www.ewispokane.org.
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@ Inland Northwest Business Watch By Matt Behringer
Here is a look at some new, moving, or expanding businesses in the Spokane and Coeur d’Alene area from the local business blog, Inland Northwest Business Watch.
Peters & Sons
Peters and Sons Flowers and Gifts has relocated to the former location of Cassano’s Grocery at 314 E. Sprague Ave. The shop is a long running local business with more than 100 years of operation and is a full service florist with a variety of gifts. For more information, call (509) 624-4151.
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Yards Bruncheon
Chef Adam Hegsted’s new restaurant is now open. Yards Bruncheon is a diner-style eatery with a walk up espresso window. The business is located at 1248 W. Summit Pkwy in Kendall Yards. For more information, call (509) 290-5952.
The Big Dipper
The Big Dipper is not exactly a new business for Spokane, but its reincarnation is. The business has been re-purposed as an event center, and is available for almost any event. The Big Dipper has a commercial kitchen, dance floor, and full bar. The Big Dipper is located in downtown Spokane at 171 S. Washington St. For more information, call (509) 863-8098.
Your Tips Needed
If you know of a business that is either new, moving, expanding or closing in the Spokane/Coeur d’ Alene area, let me know. Any tips are welcome, even if they are for your own business. Tips can be sent to inlandbusiness@yahoo.com or posted on the Inland Northwest Business Watch Facebook page. Inland Northwest Business Watch is a local business news and info blog, written by Matt Behringer. The site can be found at www.inlandnwbusiness.com or on Facebook. Contact Matt via e-mail at inlandbusiness@yahoo.com.
Business
News Clips
has connected with WSU Spokane’s College of Pharmacy to work on a joint research project with one of its prominent researchers. To learn more about Dahl Natural, visit www. dahlnatural.com.
North Idaho College unveiled its new Aerospace Center of Excellence program in November. The program is being funded with a $3 million federal grant awarded in September 2012 by the U.S. Department of Labor Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training initiative. Classes began this fall with 40 students enrolled. Learn more at http://labor.idaho.gov. Dahl Natural LLC recently relocated to Spokane from Corvallis, OR. Dahl Natural is a federally funded research operation that monitors pesticides for food and water safety. The company employs eight people and
Hot OFF THE
BLOG
Inland Northwest Lighthouse for the Blind (INL) is expanding with a $3.5 million, 41,000-square-foot addition to its existing facility, enabling INL to provide employment and training opportunities in the coming years for up to 100 individuals who are blind and visually impaired. INL is a private, not-for-profit social enterprise providing employment, support and training opportunities for people who are blind, deaf-blind and blind with other disabilities. INL expanded to Spokane in 2008. To learn more, visit www.seattlelighthouse.org.
Spokane-based Associated Painters Inc. announced plans to expand with a new $5.5 million, 32,000-squarefoot paint facility. The company, which refinishes and paints all types of domestic and international aircraft, plans to hire 30 new employees, bringing its total workforce to around 100. For more information about Associated Painters, visit www. associatedpaintersinc.com.
Photo by Dean Davis
Minapsys, developer of a user-friendly online platform for scheduling and group collaboration, recently relocated to Spokane. The startup’s founder and CEO, Mark Colby, is originally from Spokane. The company employs eight people and is located in the McKinstry Innovation Center. To learn more about Minapsys, visit www.minapsys. com. March - April 2014
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Business
Newcomer
Photo by Raja Bose, Gonzaga University
Paul Manoguerra Director and Curator of the Jundt Art Museum By Cheryl-Anne Millsap
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hen Paul Manoguerra moved to Spokane last summer with his wife Michelle, a registered nurse, and their three children Isabella, (17), Anthony (13) and Joie (12) he brought a fresh perspective and commitment to bridging art and community. As this issue’s Spokane Business Newcomer, Manoguerra talks about building a new career and new life in the Inland Northwest. What brought you to Spokane? I relocated to Spokane with my family, to lead the Jundt Art Museum at Gonzaga University as director and curator. Where did you live before the move? My family and I spent 11 years in Athens, Georgia, where I served as curator of American art and, eventually, chief curator for the Georgia Museum of Art at the University of Georgia. What was your first impression of Spokane? My first impression of Spokane actually occurred in May of 1996, when my youngest sister graduated from Gonzaga University and I visited for the first time. I had not returned to Spokane, however, until the interview
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process for my current position. Spokane seemed to me to have a great combination of outdoor activities, natural beauty, and cultural life. What part of Spokane do you call home? We live on the South Hill in a neo-French/Spanish Tudor revival sort of house built in 1937. In Athens, we had purchased brand-new construction and, as a family, we decided to look for something with character. And there are lots of homes in Spokane with great age and character. We live within walking distance of both Manito Park and the Perry Street Neighborhood. How do you hope to impact Spokane both through your work as director of Gonzaga’s Jundt Art Museum and community involvement? I have three overarching goals for the museum. One is to professionalize—to codify—the concepts and principals that we already follow, but at the highest professional standards for a museum. Second, we must take a good look at what is already a good relationship between the Jundt and the Spokane community. A lot of that is due to the work
my staff has been doing all along. The museum is one of the places where the university interfaces daily with the Spokane community. I want to continue to nurture that on behalf of the university—and to expand that relationship with Spokane, the Inland Northwest, and the arts community in the entire region. Third, the inward looking aspect. The ultimate goal is for students, faculty and staff to recognize the art museum as vital to the mission of the university, an essential part of the life of students, faculty and staff at the university. I will be Gonzaga’s representative to the next Leadership Spokane class, and I hope to learn a lot more about the region and to meet new people. But my full-time, all-hours gig—when I am not chauffeuring my children to their activities—will be connecting the museum to the life of GU and of Spokane.
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Ferris
Construction
FERRIS HIGH SCHOOL New Village-Style Campus Reflects Close-Knit Community By Renée Sande
B
reezy corridors and blasts of arctic winds rushing through classroom doors are only memories now for Ferris High School students and staff, as January 31, 2014, marked the completion of interior construction of the ambitious Ferris modernization project. Originally built in 1963, at the corner of 37th Avenue and Regal Street, Ferris High School’s previous California-style campus of separate buildings connected with outdoor walkways—reminiscent of other sprawling modern-style structures throughout Spokane at the time like the Northtown Mall—wasn’t exactly fitting for all of the Pacific
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Northwest’s four seasons. Thanks to the support of Spokane citizens when they approved the $288 million construction bond in 2009, the new Ferris High School provides a much warmer learning environment and looks right at home amidst the groves of tall ponderosa pines and Oregon grape. “Two of the biggest differences from the old to the new school are energy efficiency and comfort,” says Dana Harbough, architect, NAC Architects, and co-principle in charge of the project. “The old school was known for being really cold. There were literally hundreds of doors so cold air was always blowing in, and the poor insulation and old glass systems didn’t keep much warmth in or cold out."
Setting the Stage
In 2007, NAC Architects gave the community their first peek of what was to come in the following years, with the 54,000-square-foot gymnasium and fitness center, with a decidedly distinct Northwest flavor. The building’s elegant combination of contemporary flat roof and pitched roof forms, with supporting brackets under the eaves, exposed beams, and floorto-ceiling windows, is complemented with masonry and brick, and has a definite earthy feel and sense of academia and permanence. Inside the facility, the main-events gymnasium is capable of holding up to 1,775 spectators, as well as a 200-seat auxiliary gym, fitness center, weight room and multi-purpose mat/wrestling room. Funded by the 2003 bond, the $14.9 million building got the campus buzzing in anticipation of future construction. “When we built the athletic complex, the school district was very interested in the idea that the architecture would have the feel of a village,” says Harbough. “As we developed the rest of the school, we looked to maintain that idea, in a simplified version.”
Community Vision
A campus truly born from community vision, the Ferris design concept meant bringing existing elements together along with input from all parties involved, including students, teachers, parents and alumni. Focus groups were formed and questions asked: What did they want from their new school? What elements were important and should stay and what needed to go? How could they increase efficiency? “There was a lot of interest in keeping the open campus, so the new design allows students to stay within the building to go from class to class. However, they can walk outside, through campus, if they prefer,” says Greg Brown, capital projects manager for Spokane School District #81. “They also wanted the school to reflect the woodsy area behind the school.” There were important elements from the old school that needed to be incorporated into the new, including Harold Balazs sculptures, a plaque commemorating Ferris Alumni Veterans, and the Victory Bell from the Center Courtyard. Security was a big concern, so cameras were planned throughout all buildings, in and out, and all parking areas. In addition to these challenges, NAC Architects were designing around the athletic complex and existing auditorium—the only building from the old campus that would be renovated, rather than replaced—in drafting a cohesive plan for the campus. “We couldn’t have replaced the auditorium, in kind, with the same number of seats and stayed within budget. March - April 2014
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Ferris Const.
It made more sense to renovate the space we already had,” says Brown. This was good news for Ferris and the 200 parents who work so diligently every year to bring their largest fundraiser, the beloved Ham on Regal production, to the community. “We love it—the improved sound system, the lights are beautiful,” says Mark Patrick, Ferris parent and cochair for Ham on Regal. “The school is unbelievable; they did an excellent job of combining user-ability with amazing architecture and décor.”
Sustainable In and Out Conservation and sustainability were important elements of the Ferris project and were incorporated from preserving the landscape to recycling construction debris to using up-cycled resources to the buildings and all their functions.
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“Preserving the existing habitat, and keeping the grounds at low maintenance were huge issues,” says Bill LaRue, landscape architect with Bernardo Wills Architects, and one of four representing the firm on the project. With this in mind, an arborist was brought to the site to ensure existing ponderosa pine trees’ root systems weren’t disrupted during construction. Native plants that had been removed in prior years were replanted, and other drought-resistant, native-adaptive plants were placed throughout campus, including the three courtyards. In addition, native basalt boulders were placed for seating, a dry-stream bed was built to facilitate drainage, and decomposed granite was used to cover walkways, offsetting the architecture’s natural earth tones. To conserve water, an extremely sophisticated watering system was
installed. It operates via a central control system at the district office and three computerized controllers on site. A built-in weather station monitors evaporation rates to figure out how to most efficiently water the grounds and fields. As for the buildings, Ferris is one of the first high schools in Washington State to use all LED lights throughout their auditorium. “In Washington State, public buildings are required to meet a certain level of sustainability,” says Harbough. “On the Ferris project, this included such things as using better insulation and recyclable resources wherever possible, installing low-flow toilets to conserve water and using LED lights throughout.”
Under Budget, On Time and Almost There
To allow school to remain in operation during construction, the project was broken down into three phases. The first phase included some classrooms, the library, a cafeteria, and parking north of the gym and was finished in August 2012.
Ferris High School Modernization Team: Architect: NAC Architecture, PIC (Principal in charge), Steve McNutt Structural Engineer: DCI, PIC Mark Aden and Craig Crowley, PM Lynn Burton Civil Engineer: DCI, PM Wade Gelhausen General Contractor: Garco Construction Geotechnical: Budinger and Associates Mechanical L & S Engineering, PIC Brad Bergler Electrical: NAC Engineering, PIC Bruce Turner Fire Protection: FP Engineering, PIC Glen Satre Landscape Architect: Bernardo Wills Architects, Dell Hatch For the full list of subcontractors, visit www.garco.com. March - April 2014
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Ferris Const.
The second phase, which was just completed, included more classrooms and performing arts facilities near the auditorium. Now, with the project in the last phase of construction, which includes additional parking and outdoor athletic fields and courts, Brown says they are on schedule and anticipate coming in under budget at project completion in August of this year. “We currently anticipate the project to come in at $86 million. The budget passed by the voters in 2009 was $102 million.” As the largest construction project scheduled for Spokane School District #81, with the $288 million bond of 2009, the Ferris modernization project has increased the school’s educational space by 183,700 square feet, bringing the school’s total square feet (including gym and fitness center) of floor space to more than 270,000. When completed, the school will serve 1,650 students comfortably, with flexibility to add 300 more students, Brown says. Approximately 1,600 students attend Ferris now. Ferris administrators couldn’t be happier. Todd Bender, assistant principle of
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student services at Ferris, and construction liaison, says you can feel the renewed sense of pride in the climate at Ferris. “We are so lucky. We have a much safer and more secure campus, we’re all under one roof with state-of-the-art security, we’re much more energy efficient. Aesthetically, you will not find a nicer school.”
Grand opening of the new campus is scheduled for September 13 and 14, 2014. Tickets to the Ferris production Ham on Regal may be purchased from any cast member or at Round Table Pizza (4510 S. Regal), 2nd Look Books (Lincoln Heights Shopping Center), Rosauer’s (2610 E. 29th Avenue) and the Ferris Business office (37th and Regal Street).
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Hello consistent branding. Good-bye elevator music. The average customer spends 15 minutes a day on hold. Hold On will make that time work for you, every minute of every business day.
Staci Clary | Owner | (509)599-5291| staci@holdon.us holdonnow.com
HD VIDEO CONFERENCING "Multimedia Business Training, Video Conferencing, Distance Learning . . . It's All Right Here!" "This amazing Business Training and Conference Center is a regional jewel."
Business meetings, individual interviews, boardroom to classroom, this facility serves the Inland Northwest with formal, superb technology, and multimedia-training excellence. Be amazed at the interactive state-of-the-art, high-definition equipment and experience the professional amenities, services, and capabilities available here. The professional video conferencing can connect you live, face-to-face, and give a truly "global reach" to your meeting or conference.
East 4003 Broadway, Spokane, WA 99202
509-535-7794
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2901 E. Trent Ave., Spokane, WA 99202
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By Stephanie Regalado
e are proud to honor the spectacular women in business leadership with the Fourth Annual Women in Business Leadership Awards. Please join us in celebrating this year’s Top Twelve along with all the remarkable women in business across our region. We went in a slightly different direction this year, honoring all of the finalisit equally. So, let me present the 2014 winners. Cheers, Ladies!
Photography Diane Maehl Photography 168 S. Division Street | (509) 459-0766
Hair & Make-up Linda Biel and Team Urbanna Natural Salon and Spa 168 S. Division Street | (509) 747-7076
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Established Business Leaders
These women have been business leaders or owners for more than five years. They represent a business of any size and industry.
Heather Hanley
The Hanley Collection - The Tin Roof, Concept Home & reSkued Creative Director
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he Hanley Collection is a group of three extraordinary showrooms specializing in fine home furnishings, home decor, lighting, area rugs and Interior Design. As an owner Heather’s role changes by the hour (she can drive a fork lift in heels and present to a client the next hour!), but as creative director her job is to keep it creative, fun, and fresh in all areas of the business. Heather does all of the buying, oversees the merchandising, and handles all of the marketing, as well. Most rewarding professional accomplishment: The Tin Roof recently received a coveted national ARTs Award, recognizing our creative direction including advertising, display and merchandising. Just being nominated by the industry was an honor, but actually winning as the retailer of the year for the entire western region at the Dallas Market ARTs Gala was truly one of the highlights of my career.
What motivates you? I am motivated by the desire to create an extraordinary shopping experience, both through the products and services we offer, and through the environment itself. Shopping for furniture should be fun and inspirational! Favorite business advice: My best advice is to be naturally curious and develop a voracious appetite for learning. An entrepreneur doesn’t always have someone to turn to for the answers, and sometimes the questions are hard to sort out. I try to read something new every day and review something old every day. If something is worth doing, it’s worth mastering.
Pam Pyrc
Associated Industries Senior Vice President, Marketing and Development
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ssociated Industries helps organizations be better employers to the people they hire. Members of Associated Industries have access to a team of experts who provide top-quality training and guidance on health insurance, safety, HR practices, and employment law. Pam directs corporate marketing and branding programs to advance Associated Industries’s overall business strategy. Her role is to search out growth opportunities (and create new ones), and then position the organization to take full advantage of them. Most rewarding professional accomplishment: I’m most proud of my work on LeMaster Daniels’s 100-year anniversary. As part of the centennial commemoration, we completely rebranded the company. The rebranding process is a soulsearching undertaking for any company, but especially so for a 100-year-old accounting firm that had been
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traditionally very conservative. I orchestrated the rebranding and oversaw the yearlong celebration in 12 unique markets. What motivates you? I am passionate about the tangible value a great brand can bring to an organization. When a company understands its identity, it makes much better strategic decisions. Excellent marketing and a strong brand can make a significant difference in the success of a company—it can lead to greater profits, which means the organization can hire more people, its important goods and services are more widely distributed, it can give more generously to its community, and so on. Favorite quote: “I think the most productive thing to do during times of change is be your best self, not the best version of someone else.” Seth Godin
Carla Altepeter
Numerica Credit Union President/CEO
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umerica is a not-for-profit financial cooperative with $1.3 billion in assets, and 17 branches in Washington and Idaho. They provide a full line of consumer and business products and services. Carla provides strategic direction, vision, leadership and management in all functional areas of the credit union; she represents the credit union within the industry and local communities; as well as serving state, national and international credit union initiatives. Most rewarding professional accomplishment: Numerica as President/ CEO. This position is the fruition of many years of preparation, development and determination. Only 15% of the CEOs of billion dollar credit unions are women. My career began as a credit union teller at the age of 17. My path included completing a BA and an MBA while working full time, rising through the ranks within the industry, and accepting my first CEO position at the age of 32. What motivates you? I have always been an eager learner. I have always been motivated to serve those around me. In our industry things are changing and evolving rapidly. What I knew yesterday will not always be applicable tomorrow. I know that I have to continue to learn and grow to remain at the top of my game, and to serve our employees and members well—Numerica and my entire team deserve nothing less. Favorite quote: “A woman is like a tea bag; you never know how strong it is until it’s in hot water.” Eleanor Roosevelt
Environmentally Conscious Design energy and water efficiency natural resource-efficient materials site responsive design new construction
passive solar design healthy indoor environments straw bale remodels
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March - April 2014
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Emerging Business Leaders
These women have been in their current role of business leadership or ownership for less than five years. They have made significant strides in a short period of time in their leadership role and represent businesses of any size and industry.
Elizabeth A. Tellessen
Winston & Cashatt, Lawyers PSC Real Estate Lawyer, Shareholder and Member Board of Directors
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inston and Cashatt commits to practice law as a profession and to measure its sense of success through a balancing of professional accomplishment, prosperity and harmony. As a shareholder and Board member, Elizabeth assists in the management of the firm’s 50 lawyers and staff. As a lawyer she assists clients with a broad array of issues related to the use and development of land. Most rewarding professional accomplishment: I was asked to become a shareholder at Winston and Cashatt after five years in practice and selected to serve on our board of directors only two years later. I am grateful to my partners for their trust in
my abilities and respect for my opinions. But the greatest returns in this profession come from those clients who trust me to act on their behalf and make decisions that impact and shape their lives and businesses. What motivates you? I am motivated to keep our law firm strong in this changing professional and economic climate for the benefit of our staff, clients, community, as well as the past, present and future attorneys of Winston and Cashatt. Favorite quote: “Work hard. Stay humble.” Those aren’t my words, and I am not sure who to give credit to, but it is difficult to go wrong if they are followed.
Sasha Jackowich Weiler
Rockwood Health System (Deaconess Hospital, Valley Hospital, Rockwood Clinic) Senior Director of Marketing and Communications
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ockwood Health System includes the family of provider s—Deaconess Hospital, Valley Hospital and Rockwood Clinic. Sasha has oversight for all marketing and communications activities for two hospitals and more than 40 clinic locations, including advertising, brand management, media, internal and external communications, crisis and issues management. Most rewarding professional accomplishments: My father’s cancer diagnosis prompted my desire to move back to Spokane. While visiting him in the hospital one day he said, “You’re not ‘allowed’ to move back unless you have a job that’s equivalent to what you have now.” At the time, I was director of marketing for a three-hospital system in Las Vegas. I started tirelessly job-
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hunting in Spokane and landed the director of marketing job at Valley Hospital. My father told me how incredibly proud he was of me for getting that job in a down economy/competitive job market. He passed away six months later. What motivates you? I want to set an example for my team—to model hard work, but also smart, strategic work. I am inspired by working with physicians and other clinical staff who want to do the best for patients. I want to bring new patients to them through marketing. Favorite quote: “Make your boss’s job easier. Be a resource to your peers. Make the people who work for you better.” That’s a mantra I created and try to follow.
(509) 838-7037
Pamela “PJ” Carlson-Hafner Haskins Steel Co., Inc. Director of Administration
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askins Steel Co., Inc. is one of Spokane’s largest metal service centers. Haskins was the recipient of the 2011 Patriotic Employer award and the 2010 Washington Manufacturing Award. PJ’s duties include maintaining perfor mance benchmarks, managing business finances and ledgers, developing codes of conduct and operational policies, while overseeing human resources and leading the administrative staff. Most rewarding professional accomplishment: Throughout my career I have found facilitating the success of others as the most rewarding. What motivates you? I remember the lantern in the dark that showed my mother the way home. Favorite quote: “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” John Quincy Adams
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March - April 2014
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MOVERs & SHAKERS These women have been in their current role of business leadership or ownership for less than five years. They have made significant strides in a short period of time in their leadership role and represent businesses of any size and industry.
Ulrike Berzau
St. Luke’s Rehabilitation Institute Hospital Administrator
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t. Luke’s is the region’s largest inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation provider and only Level I Trauma rehabilitation hospital, accredited by CARF and Joint Commission and the 2013 Hospital of Choice Award winner. Ulrike provides leadership, strategic direction and operations management for the hospital, multiple outpatient locations and contracted rehabilitation services. She also collaborates with community healthcare providers to optimize care for people in our community. Most rewarding professional accomplishment: Seeing the progress and the accomplishments of individuals, teams and organizations, which I have the privilege of knowing and working with. Each of us can significantly influence the quality of life of others, individuals, and the
community. Another rewarding recognition is the recent announcement of St. Luke’s Rehabilitation Institute being recognized as a national Top 10 Hospital of Choice Award. What motivates you? As Vincent Roazzi said, “To change your life YOU have to change your life. I know that I am the catalyst of my success.” Knowing that we have infinite potential and the ability to create inspires me. We impact our world and it’s truly up to us to make a difference. Favorite quote: “Never change things by fighting the existing reality . . . to change something build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.” Richard Buckminster Fuller
Marianne Guenther Bornhoft Windermere Manito Realtor
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arianne has more than 19 years of Real Estate experience. She was the 2013 Past President of The Spokane Association of Realtors. Marianne is also a Director for the Washington State Realtor Association and the Washington Association of Realtors; Vice President Elect of Information Systems 2014 and is a past Spokane Association Director. Most rewarding professional accomplishment: In 2012, I won the Spokane Association’s Realtor Achievement Award. I also won the Spokane Association’s 2009 Excellence in Professionalism Award. In 2008, I was voted as #2 Realtor in Spokane by the Inlander’s Best of Issue. In 2007, I received Catalyst’s 20 under 40 award. I have consistently stayed at the top of
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my profession. I have exceeded all MLS sales volume levels including Diamond, Platinum, Gold and Silver. I was the first Realtor in Spokane to receive an E-Pro Certification and I have also earned Senior Real Estate Specialist designation (SRES), and The Green Designation. Community Involvement: I have been on numerous boards and involved with more than two dozen charities or nonprofits in the Inland Northwest. Favorite quote: “To be successful in real estate, you must always and consistently put your clients’ best interests first. When you do, your personal needs will be realized beyond your greatest expectations.” Anthony Hitt
Are your savings earning what they should? 2901 N Argonne Suite 1-B Spokane Valley, WA 99212 509-924-0581
Carla E Brooks, AAMS ® Financial Advisor Denise Vickerman
Ramada at Spokane Airport General Manager
Member SIPC
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amada, the only full-service hotel located at Spokane International Airport, is designated as one of Ramada’s finest hotels with high quality accommodations and exceptional customer service. Denise manages the hotel operations in such a manner that customer satisfaction and budgeted profit margins are achieved and a good company image is projected, thus ensuring continued growth. Most rewarding accomplishment: After 23 years working at the Ramada, being promoted to the general manager position in May of 2007, which was backed by a petition signed by employees endorsing me for the general manager job. What motivates you? Challenges that give me the opportunity to grow and perhaps even change my perspective, to learn new things and achieve set goals along the way, seeing the team that continually supports me flourish and succeed as well. Favorite business advice: A good leader inspires people to have confidence in their leader; a great leader inspires people to have confidence in themselves. A leader is humble, a good listener, surrounded by good people, has a bold vision and courage with a “never give up” attitude and knowing that failure is just a learning experience.
SpokaneHouse.com
CONGRATULATIONS!
Marianne Guenther Bornhoft 2014 Women in Business Leadership Recipient
marianne@bornhoft.com | (509) 879-3779 March - April 2014
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Nonprofit Leaders
These women lead nonprofit organizations in our region.
Linda Thelma Finney Leadership Spokane Executive Director
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eadership Spokane prepares people to serve as policy-level civic leaders through study of servant leadership, cultural competence, and critical aspects of the region’s infrastructure and by connecting them to the region’s key leadership network. Linda’s roles include setting vision, organizational administration, board governance, recruitment and training, fundraising and budget, writing, public speaking, supervising and inspiring staff, connecting people with needs and opportunities and to one another, mentoring. Most rewarding professional accomplishment: This June I will retire, wrapping up nearly 15 years here. I have worked with most of the 1,147 adult graduates and many of the 493 youth graduates: gifted leaders who are moving this community forward. What motivates you? My role
models are my grandmothers, for whom I was named. I watched them work hard, struggle, persevere, get dirty and win through. I watched them paint their nails, put on a flowered jersey dress, matching earrings and necklace, a big hat and go to Club or Grange to see their friends. They taught me that work brings joy, struggle brings competence, and you can speak your mind and be kind. They taught me that a network of friends and colleagues is vital, because our individual strengths and weaknesses are powerfully leveraged in a group that shares a vision—and good times. Favorite quote: “You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” Eleanor Roosevelt
Regina Malveaux, J.D.
YWCA of Spokane Executive Director
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he YWCA of Spokane is a $3 million human services agency providing emergency shelter, transitional housing, legal, and counseling services to victims of domestic violence, children exposed to trauma and women needing to re-enter the workforce. Regina is chief executive friend raiser, fundraiser and policy advocate responsible for taking her organization from “Good to Great” as they move to ensure dignified service delivery and opportunities for their clients to transition to more stable and empowered lives. Most rewarding professional accomplishment: I’m proudest of having closed the budget gap and brought equity in pay to the last organization that I ran. As nonprofit leaders and the boards, which govern our agencies, it is important that we recognize and compensate the highly trained, committed staff who commit themselves and their
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careers to the important work of our mission. My organization has the unique perspective of having a 100% woman led board and a 90% woman employee base. As discussions about pay equality are taking shape in our national dialogue, I think it is particularly important for organizations like mine to be leaders both in the discussion and in practice. What motivates you? When I am successful in raising the resources that my agency needs to continue to provide the safe shelter, housing or legal services that a woman and her children might need it means that we help that family move from what is often THE most traumatic moment in their lives to a new place of hope, healing and empowerment. Favorite Quote: “Well behaved women rarely make history.” Laura Thatcher Ulrich
Kari J. Chapman
House of Charity, Catholic Charities Spokane Vocational Coordinator/Caseworker
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ouse of Charity provides emergency shelter services for men 18+ (women can access all services except the sleeping program), meals, free medical and case management services, to the low income and homeless population of Spokane. They see between 150-300 patrons per day. Kari has created and implemented a vocational program to serve patrons who are in need of employment. She assists with removing barriers to employment as well as resumes, cover letters, job searching, interviewing, etc. Most rewarding professional accomplishment: Watching clients’ entire lives change because they were given hope and an opportunity has been the most rewarding part to me. Everyone has infinite worth and deserves a second (third, fourth) chance. What motivates you? I see awareness and changes in our community that are moving us in a very positive direction toward battling homelessness. That awareness means all of the work we are doing is worth it and lives are being saved because of it. Favorite quote: “Don’t give up! Don’t let one defeat discourage you. Changes don’t happen overnight, but if you stay committed, you WILL succeed.” Author Unknown
March - April 2014
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Through The
Trenches
Todd Havens
Western Rail
The little company that Could 30
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Story and photo by Darin Burt
“
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ost of the time, if I don’t know you, I’ll just say that I deal in lease, finance, and parts for railroad equipment,” says Todd Havens, owner of Western Rail, Inc. “If I say that I work with ‘locomotives’ then they’ll ask, ‘Lionel toy trains?’ and I say, ‘No, the REAL ones,’ and then we’re into a 45-minute conversation because everybody loves locomotives.” Simply put, Western Rail buys and sells locomotives. Much like a used car dealer, they buy equipment from auctions and from other railways that are decommissioning their trains. They then refurbish them and resell or lease to mom-and-pop short line railroad companies, corporations like Cargill Grain, BP America, Tyson Foods, and quarries and mines, to utilize in their operations. Western Rail owns 65 to 100 locomotives at any one time. Their main yard is located in Airway Heights; locomotives that can be rebuilt are sent on the track to the rebuild facility in Usk, Washington; those that aren’t worth bringing back to life are scrapped for parts. From his office inside a restored caboose, Havens, 47, handles everything from appraisals, contracts and human resources to locating and buying equipment. “When I was growing up, I loved trains. The fascination with railroading in America grabs every man, and it’s really cool to work in this industry,” he says. Like the Little Engine that Could, Havens built up steam and persevered in his climb to success. He started out working for a small railroad equipment brokerage company as a part time job in the shipping department when he was 16 years old, then moved up to sales while attending college. But the owner of the company decided to switch tracks and relocate the business to Whitefish, Montana. That route didn’t agree with the itinerary of Havens and some of the other employees, so he hawked his Harley Davidson motorcycle and used the proceeds to start Western Rail. It was a pretty gutsy move for a 20-year-
old kid. “When you’re that age you’re fearless and brave as hell. I just needed a job and I wanted to prove that I could do it,” Havens says. “As I got more involved, the challenge was to see how many more locomotives I could acquire.” In 1990, Havens and the employees who followed him, moved into a small office in Spokane, and rented out storage spaces throughout town and around the West Coast. After about five years, Western Rail relocated to 23 acres in the Airway Heights industrial area where they had room to grow. Another factor in the move was the opportunity to buy a short line railway from Burlington Northern when they abandoned the Geiger Spur that traveled through Airway Heights and Fairchild Air Force Base (FAB). Western Rail took over the railroad operation in 2005, but soon after, Homeland Security forced FAB to relocate the tracks through Cheney. The longer route proved impractical, so Havens sold this interest to Eastern Washington Gateway Railroad. Western Rail now has ten employees and more than a thousand customers across the country. Sometimes, getting a locomotive ready to go back into service requires little more than a new paint job; a complete rebuild from wheels to exhaust stacks can take up to six months. Price tags range from $100,000 to $900,000. Riding ups and downs in the economy has been a challenge for Western Rail as it is with any business. Before establishing the necessary credit lines, Havens risked second and third mortgages on his house, and maxed out credit cards, to raise capital for purchases. “I knew a good deal, and I knew that I could recover that money, pay off the loans and make a profit,” he says. “The railroads are a leading indicator of the economy, so if we’re dead then six months later the economy is going to flop; the railroads take everything to market, so if we get super busy, we know the economy is going to climb,” he adds. “The only way to make money in business is to take risks, and if you’re not willing to do that then you need to work for somebody else.” March - April 2014
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