Published July 2001

People Watching

Providence names new chief executive
Providence Everett Medical Center has tapped Cleveland executive Gail Larson to lead the hospital and its affiliated health-care organizations in Snohomish County.

Larson, 59, is a Seattle native and University of Washington graduate. She begins her duties Aug. 1. She is the fourth person to hold the chief executive post since the 1994 merger of Everett’s two hospitals.

She heads Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital, a 226-bed facility, and University MacDonald Women’s Hospital, a 104-bed hospital. Both are associated with University Hospitals of Cleveland and Case Western Reserve University.

She has worked for the organization since 1988.

Larson was picked from a pool of about 100 applicants following the January announcement by former chief executive Ray Crerand that he was retiring in March.

Crerand took the helm of Everett’s hospital in 1997, three rocky years after the merger of the city’s two formerly independent hospitals. In the first three years after the merger, two chief executives were named and later resigned.

“I’d like to offer some stability in the leadership,” Larson said.

United Way honors
volunteers, community leaders
Awards to local “community builders” were presented by United Way of Snohomish County at its fifth annual “Spirit of Snohomish County” breakfast at the Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel last month. Four of the nine awards presented for outstanding leadership and community involvement included:

• Caring Company of the Year: Bank of America.
• Spirit of Labor: Laura Wentworth, Chair of the Snohomish County Labor Council’s Community Services Committee and a board member with United Way.
• Reeves/Sievers Award: Roy Yates, known for his 31 years of community service with the YMCA, Everett School Board, Boys and Girls Club, Everett Community College Board, Camp Fire Boys and Girls and United Way of Snohomish County.
• Community Impact Award: Mike Hatch, who retired three years ago after working for more than 30 years as Director of Work Opportunities. He is on the board of ARC, serves with the Developmental Disabilities Council and is a longtime supporter of Special Olympics.

Also, five “Women Leading the Way” honors were presented:

• Philanthropy: Nancy Kniest, for her leadership positions in Zonta, the Children’s Association, Everett School District Foundation, Campfire Boys and Girls, and Housing Hope.
• Leadership: Jackie Minor, recognizing 35 years of community leadership and volunteerism, including involvement with United Way, the Everett YMCA, Central Washington University and the Board of Directors of GTE Northwest.
• Volunteering: Doris Wentworth, who helped the Snohomish School District create a suicide prevention group at Snohomish High School and served on the Conference Committee for the Juvenile Court’s Diversion Unit for 23 years. She has been a member of the Snohomish Community Kitchen board for the past 10 years and volunteers at the women’s shelter in Everett.
• Youth: Lillian Walters, for serving on the YMCA’s Southeast Branch Board of Directors, being active in its teen Connection program designed to help new students feel safe and connected; running a peer mediation program and tutoring other students.
• The Helen R. Kendall Award: Colleen Wilson, Monroe Police Chief, was chosen for her spirit of giving and outstanding leadership in her community.

More People Watching:
Everett resident Joni Earl has been named Executive Director of Sound Transit. The agency’s board of directors last month voted unanimously to make Earl head of the agency. She has held the post as acting executive director since January, when Bob White resigned. Earl previously served as Snohomish County Deputy Executive under Executive Bob Drewel.

Steven Sterner has been promoted to Assistant Vice President of EvergreenBank’s Lynnwood branch. Sterner, who worked at the Lynnwood branch for five years until 1999, will focus on building commercial relationships and cultivating community involvement.

Susan Millan has joined Everett-based Shockey Brent Inc. as a planner.

The Snohomish County Tourism Bureau has expanded the duties of Rachael Park and Miranda Prescott. Park is the new Information and Events Manager and will provide free assistance to groups traveling to the county and to couples planning weddings. She also will provide customer service workshops for front-line employees in the travel, tourism and hospitality industries. Prescott is the new Information and Community Tourism Manager. She’ll help small communities forge small-scale tourism projects. Both will continue to manage the county’s four visitor information centers.

Dr. Peter Rolfe has joined Snohomish-based Pilchuck Veterinary Hospital, and Dr. Brandi Scharmer will join the center this month.

Rich Munoz has been named Corporate Controller of EverTrust Financial Group and its subsidiaries. His responsibilities will include directing the overall accounting activities of the holding company and its affiliates and overseeing the management and regulatory reporting function.

SkeleTech Inc., a Bothell-based company that provides therapeutically focused research services in bone and central nervous system biologies, has added Jack Polidoro to its executive team as Vice President of Sales and Marketing.

Paul G. Zane has joined Windermere Real Estate’s Mukilteo office as an associate broker, and Kristine Nicholls has joined Windermere’s Monroe office as a sales associate. Kevin Kuhlman has joined Windermere’s Mill Creek office as a sales associate.

Diane Dempcy has joined the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties as Director of the Master Builders Care Foundation. Allison Betz has joined the association as its Public Affairs Director.

Sally Cox has joined Perteet Engineering of Everett as a Proposal Manager.

Sharon Davis has joined Cascade Bank as Branch Manager and Vice President of the bank’s downtown Everett office. Davis, a Stanwood resident, has 24 years of experience in consumer banking.

Everett native Dr. Jon Tiessen has joined Northwest Foot Clinic of Mount Vernon and Island Foot and Ankle Care, which has offices in Anacortes, Oak Harbor and the San Juan Islands.

James Goldsmith, Rowena Carrasca and Rosa Veilleux of Bank of America Small Business Banking recently received the Girl Scouts’ Totem Sculpture Award, which is given to an individual community member or organization for meritorious service of lasting value to all girls of Girl Scouts — Totem Council. The three helped develop and implement a new troop banking system at Bank of America.

Erika Seims, Relocation Coordinator for John L. Scott Real Estate in Lynnwood, recently was awarded the RELO Certified Coordinator designation. The RCC designation is given through a RELO certification program and is presented to individuals who have met certain educational requirements for handling the duties of a relocation coordinator.

David Sato has been promoted to Assistant Vice President, and Heather Wood has been named a New Accounts Officer at the Marysville office of Frontier Bank.

Vivian Barton is the new Director at Children’s World Learning Center, 12812 Third Ave. SE, Everett.

Peggy Pisac, Regional Business Manager for the Department of Corrections in Monroe, received the 2001 Governor’s Distinguished Management Leadership Award.

Dave Compton, an environmental health specialist, and Judy Silk, a public-health nurse, recently were honored for 25 years of service with Snohomish Health District.

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