First Independent appoints
new leader
Renee Newman
Reflecting the changing ways in which people want to manage their
finances, First Independent has reorganized its retail banking
business and appointed Renee Newman
to lead the new organization.
Promoted to senior vice president and director of retail banking,
Newman is responsible for the branch network, virtual banking
(online, mobile and remote channels), community banking for small
business owners, and client services.
“Today our clients have many ways to do their banking,” said Newman.
“By putting all of our retail channels under one umbrella, we can be
more effective, more efficient and deliver a more consistent client
experience.”
In
recent years, online and mobile banking have grown increasingly
popular, particularly among younger adults and busy families and
professionals. Despite that trend, many clients and small business
owners still want to visit a bank branch for at least some
transactions. Over the past several years, First Independent has
been repositioning and resizing its branch operations to reflect
changing demographics, population and transportation patterns in
Southwest Washington. At the same time, the bank has responded to
new technology and changing consumer habits to offer more choices
about how to bank.
“First Independent has succeeded for 100 years because it has
evolved as times change,” said Brett
Bryant, executive vice president and chief relationship
officer. “Reorganizing our retail banking business makes sense as we
look at how people bank today and the many ways we can deliver our
services. With her experience and energy, Renee Newman is the ideal
professional to manage this important function as we head into our
second 100 years.”
Newman joined First Independent in 2007 as head of the bank’s Cash
Management Office. With more than 18 years of experience in retail,
commercial and private banking, she has held increasingly
responsible positions at organizations ranging from small community
banks to national institutions. She holds a B.A. in business
management from Oregon State University as well as earning
securities and insurance licenses from Oregon and Washington. Newman
is on the board and is past chair of the Vancouver Symphony
Orchestra.
Evergreen Habitat for Humanity elects new board of directors
Bill Bryant
Evergreen Habitat for Humanity announces the newly elected officers
and directors for their 2010 board of directors. Effective January
1, 2010, Russ Chambers,
retro-commissioning and energy manager of Educational Service
District 112, assumed the position of past president.
Bill Bryant, insurance agent
of Bryant and Associates, assumed the position of board president.
Shawn Elpel, attorney of
Duggan, Schlotfeldt and Welch, assumed the position of vice
president, Justin Myers, vice
president of retail banking management of West Coast Bank, will
continue in the position of treasurer.
Susan Riley, kitchen/bath
designer of DeWils Interiors, assumed the position of secretary.
The 2010 board of directors are as follows:
Brad Eriksen, attorney,
Jordan, Schrader and Ramis; Tony
Hodge, director of business development, Team Construction;
Chad Peterson, financial
consultant, Pacific Northwest region, Thrivent Financial for
Lutherans; Larry Scherer,
owner/operator, Scherer Enterprises;
Cindy Thompson, senior loan assistant, West Coast Bank; and
Brenda Tiefenthaler, regional
marketing coordinator, CWCapital.
Melisa Murguia, service team leader, First Independent Bank,
joined the board as a newly elected director.
Since 1991, Evergreen Habitat for Humanity has worked to improve
living conditions for low-income Clark County residents. The
nonprofit organization works in partnership with people in need,
from all walks of life, to develop communities by building safe,
affordable housing. Currently, Evergreen Habitat for Humanity has
had more than 120 families attend information seminars on home
ownership.
SWWDC director tapped for
national Leadership Council
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Lisa Nisenfeld
The National Skills Coalition (NSC),
formerly known as The Workforce Alliance, has selected
Lisa Nisenfeld, executive
director, Southwest Washington Workforce Development Council (SWWDC),
to serve on its Leadership Council. NSC is a national coalition of
community-based training organizations, community colleges, unions,
business leaders, local officials, and leading technical assistance
and research organizations that promote policies that invest in the
skills of America's workers, helping them better support their
families, and helping American businesses better compete in today's
economy.
Nisenfeld, one of 60 Council members nationally, brings more than 30
years of workforce development leadership to the Council. In
addition to her position with the local Workforce Development
Council, she is also chairperson of the Washington Workforce
Association, an alliance of the 12 workforce councils in Washington.
She also co-chairs NSC's Skills2Compete Campaign in Washington,
which is aimed at increasing training to prepare workers for middle
skill jobs (those requiring more than high school but less than a
four-year degree), the fastest growing segment of jobs in
Washington.
"Ms. Nisenfeld is one of the real-world experts we depend on to tell
us what changes are needed in public polices to make skills more
accessible to every worker and industry based on the needs of local
communities," said Andy Van Kleunen,
National Skills Coalition's executive director. "Her ability to
mobilize colleagues and diverse workforce partners is critical to
ensuring our workforce is prepared to meet the needs of industry."
For more information, visit
www.nationalskillscoalition.org.
Children’s art exhibit at
WSU
Brightly colored paint, abstract forms and feathers are only a
sample of the tools preschoolers from Washington State University
Vancouver's Child Development program used to express themselves
through art. For the third year, works by preschoolers aged three to
five will be on display in the WSU Vancouver Library. The exhibit
will be up through Feb. 26.
The WSU Vancouver Library is open Monday through Thursday 8 a.m. to
10 p.m., Friday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to
7 p.m. Admission is free. Parking is available at parking meters or
in the Blue Daily pay lot for $3.
News Briefs
Starting in February 2010, the Family Birth Center at Southwest
Washington Medical Center is offering a Teen Labor and Birth Class,
designed to meet the special needs of the expectant teen. The class
meets once a week for three weeks from 6 to 9 p.m. Cost is $70 for
the expectant mother and one support person. Visit
www.swEvents.org or call
514-BABY(2229) to
register. Those wanting to register using a State Medical Coupon or
to pay by check should also call this number. The medical coupon
will pay for either a Labor and Birth Preparation five-week series
or weekend-only series.
Calendar
The Vancouver Design Review Committee
meets at 4 p.m. today, Jan. 28, 4400 NE 77th Avenue, Conference Room
3A. For more information, call
487-7882.
<> Slocum
House Theatre will be performing
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare-Abridged written by
Borgeson,
Long and
Singer, and directed by
Tony Bump, 8 p.m. tonight,
Jan. 28, 605 Esther Street. Those interested in seeing the sketch
comedy should visit
www.slocumhouse.com
or call 696-2427.
Thursday
on the air
One Place Across Time (digital)--5:28 p.m. CVTV
Clark County Land Use Hearings (live)--5:55 p.m. CVTV
Clark County Board of Health (1-27)--11 p.m. CVTV
Community
Calendar Links
Thursday,
January 28, 2010 Headlines
Links to news of
local & national significance
Baird's site among those hacked--Columbian, AP
Ben Bernanke confirmation vote: Senate gives Fed Chair a second
term--Huffington Post, AP
Obama: High-speed rail from Seattle to Portland--Columbian, AP
'The Catcher in the Rye' author J.D. Salinger dies--USA Today,
Deirdre Donahue
Toyota scrambles to repair pedal problem-Oregonian, AP
