SEQUIM — Kathleen B. Cook has joined the boards of directors of Sound Community Bank and Sound Financial Bancorp Inc., its holding company.
Cook has more than 20 years of experience in bank regulation, examination and oversight.
During her career, Cook worked as attorney examiner and staff counsel to the superintendent of banks in Ohio; as senior attorney and vice president of regulatory compliance for Banc One Corp.; and most recently as vice president for regulatory compliance at Fannie Mae from 1992 to 1998.
Cook is retired and lives in Sequim. Sound Community Bank has branches in Sequim, Port Angeles and Port Ludlow.
A graduate of Sequim High School and Ohio State University, she is a volunteer with both the North Olympic and Jefferson land trusts.
Unemployment dips
OLYMPIA — Washington’s unemployment rate dipped to 5.9 percent in March — the first drop in several months.
The state Employment Security Department estimated that employment increased by 100,900 jobs from March 2014 to March 2015, with 88,900 new jobs in the private sector and 12,000 in government.
The drop followed several months of increasing or steady unemployment rates in Washington.
The state’s unemployment rate in January and February was 6.3 percent, while the national unemployment rate was 5.5 percent.
The number of unemployed people looking for work in the past month was 209,500 in March, down from 221,900 in February.
The construction industry led the way with 18,500 new jobs, followed by professional and business services with 17,700 new jobs, and education and health services with 13,200 new jobs.
County-by-county unemployment statistics for March will be released next week.
