NORTH OLYMPIC PENINSULA business meetings this week (all of the meetings are open to the public):
Port Angeles Regional Chamber of Commerce — Weekly luncheon meetings are held Mondays at noon in the second-floor meeting room of the Red Lion Hotel, 221 N. Lincoln St.
This Monday’s speaker will be Lt. Cmdr. Edward Geraghty of Coast Guard Air Station/Sector Field Office Port Angeles, who will discuss the Ediz Hook station’s role and activities.
Luncheon tickets are $13 and can be purchased from the meeting room cashier.
Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce — Weekly luncheon meetings are held Mondays at noon at the Port Townsend Elks Lodge, 555 Otto St.
This Monday’s speaker will be Penelope Partridge, coordinator of the Felicity Ann boat restoration project at the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding in Port Hadlock.
The Felicity Ann was the boat used in 1952 by Ann Davidson when she became the first woman to row across the Atlantic.
Lunch will be catered by Subway.
Forks Chamber of Commerce — Luncheon meetings are Wednesdays at noon at JT’s Sweet Stuffs, 80 N. Forks Ave.
This Wednesday’s speaker will be Bill - McMillan, the new Forks Community Hospital administrator.
Lunch costs $8; a bowl of soup, $4.75; and a cup of soup, $4. The entree will be chicken taco salad.
North Hood Canal Chamber of Commerce — representing the “Emerald Towns” of the Hood Canal, Quilcene and Brinnon — meets at 5:30 p.m. the third Monday of each month, alternating between the Quilcene and Brinnon community centers.
This Monday’s speaker will be Olympic National Park spokeswoman Barb Maynes, discussing “Park Visitation and Economic Benefits,” at the Quilcene Community Center, 294952 U.S. Highway 101.
A public workshop about the Olympic National Park Wilderness Stewardship Plan will be held at the Quilcene Community Center from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. April 1.
Port Angeles Business Association — Breakfast meetings are Tuesdays at 7:30 a.m. at Joshua’s Restaurant, 113 DelGuzzi Drive, Port Angeles.
Featured speakers this Tuesday will be PABA President Don Perry and Black Ball Ferry Line Marketing Director Ryan Malane on their recent meeting with Victoria business leaders on cross-Strait marketing possibilities.
There is a $2.16 minimum charge by Joshua’s for those who do not order breakfast.
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Public records officer certified by state agency
PORT ANGELES — Ed Schilke, in charge of police records for the Port Angeles Police Department, has become state-certified in the position.
Schilke recently was hired for the civilian, records-specialist position after spending 27 years as a police officer for Port Angeles.
Deputy Police Chief Brian Smith said gaining records certification is a rigorous process, administered by the Washington Association of Public Records Officers.
Schilke is the first one to do it for Port Angeles police.
Port Angeles police get about 1,500 record requests each year. Smith said stricter laws require those requests are properly handled so that only the proper information is released.
The state Public Records Act mandates that every government entity have a public records officer.
The certification process requires numerous training courses and continued education, with qualifications vetted by a certification committee.
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Energy lunch set
PORT TOWNSEND — The use of propane as a vehicle fuel is the topic of this month’s Jefferson County Energy Lunch Program.
The talk will be held at the Port Townsend Community Center, 620 Tyler St., at noon Tuesday.
It is free and open to the public, and those attending should bring their own lunch.
Brad Beauchamp from Roush CleanTech in Michigan will explain the production and use of propane as a vehicle fuel and share stories about propane’s use by King County’s Department of Transportation and other agencies and companies.
The hour-long presentation will be followed by a panel discussion from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. on “Justifying Local Conversion to Propane Transportation Fuels.”
Tuesday’s presentation, according to its sponsors, “is intended for Jefferson County fleet operators and for business, government, development and energy professionals who are interested in saving money and reducing emissions in transportation fuels.”
Energy Lunch programs are sponsored by Power Trip Energy Corp., Sunshine Propane, Alaska Power & Telephone Co., the Port of Port Townsend and Huber’s Inn, with the assistance of Local 20/20’s Energy Acion Group, the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce and WSU Jefferson County Extension.
Videos of previous talks are posted at www.porttownsendmedia.com/energy.
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Help your business
SEQUIM — A free small-business “foundational footwork” seminar will be presented at the Sequim Library, 630 N. Sequim Ave., from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.
SCORE counselors Chuck Lamb and Mark Hannah will offer tools and resources on everything from assessing your business idea — including customers, competition, location and financing – to the brass tacks of legal business structure: necessary licenses; getting insurance; preparing for county, state and federal tax payments; and strategic marketing plans.
With decades of broad, bottom-line business experience, Lamb and Hannah are two of three SCORE counselors based with the Clallam County Economic Development Council who offer free, confidential business counseling and mentoring services.
SCORE is a 50-year-old national nonprofit organization that partners with the Small Business Administration to aid small businesses in getting off the ground, growing and achieving their goals through education and mentorship.
Hannah, Lamb and the third Clallam SCORE counselor, Mike McCarty, were individually honored recently with the Clallam EDC’s Olympic Leader award for 2012.
The award recognizes a business or business leader who has had a significant impact on the economic growth and stability of Clallam County.
For more information, visit www.nols.org/events/sequim.htm or phone the Clallam EDC at 360-457-7793.
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Business after 50
PORT TOWNSEND — “Business After 50,” the last of four presentations in the “Encore: Transforming Life After 50” workshop series, will be held from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.
The free event will be at the Port Townsend Library Learning Center, 1256 Lawrence St.
The series is designed for those between the ages of 50 and 69 who are contemplating getting back into the job market.
Directing Wednesday’s presentation will be Kenna Eaton and Collin Brown.
Eaton is the general manager of the Port Townsend Food Co-op and has spent her adult working life in the food industry.
Brown is a certified life coach and has a broad business background.
He is a founding board member and treasurer of KPTZ, Port Townsend’s community radio station.
For more information, phone 360-344-3061 or email nschroff@cityofpt.us.
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Sound Community Bank staffing
SEQUIM — Sound Community Bank has made two changes to its Sequim branch staff.
Kirsten Pavlak has been promoted to assistant vice president and senior residential loan officer.
Heather Wells has joined as a loan account executive.
Both will work out of the Sequim branch at 541 N. Fifth Avenue.
Pavlak has been with Sound Community Bank for more than 11 years.
Before her promotion, she held positions in lending and retail banking.
She received numerous awards for customer service, loan production and community involvement.
Pavlak volunteers with a variety of organizations, including the Sequim Food Bank, the Irrigation Festival and Relay For Life, and maintains membership in both the Sequim and Port Angeles Association of Realtors.
Pavlak was part of a group of lenders who in 2010 received Affiliate of the Year from the Sequim Association of Realtors.
“I cherish my clients and believe commitment to both customer service and community are imperative,” Pavlak said.
Wells’ prior experience includes 13 years at First Federal, where she was an assistant vice president and senior loan officer.
Wells has earned awards for high loan production and customer service.
“I’m very passionate about serving my clients, and I’m dedicated to helping them fulfill each one of their lending needs,” Wells said.
She is a member of the Sequim Association of Realtors and the North Peninsula Building Association.
Sound Community Bank has North Olympic Peninsula branches in Port Angeles and Sequim.
For more information, visit www.soundcb.com.
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Spring schedule at McComb
SEQUIM — McComb Gardens, 751 McComb Road, will switch to its spring hours of operation beginning Saturday.
The nursery will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week.
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New loan officer at Colbalt Mortgage
PORT TOWNSEND — Sequim native Aimee Dennis has been hired as senior mortgage loan officer and branch manager for Cobalt Mortgage’s Port Townsend and Sequim branch offices.
“As someone who knows the Olympic Peninsula inside and out, we’re privileged to have Aimee onboard to manage our presence in the region,” said Dave Bochsler, Cobalt Mortgage national sales manager.
Dennis is an alumnus of Sequim High School and graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington in 2001.
Prior to beginning her career as a loan officer in 2003, she was a licensed stockbroker and financial adviser for Morgan Stanley.
She brings more than 10 years of industry experience to her new role.
“Being a loan officer is about being a trusted resource for the residents of my community, many of whom have become some of my closest friends and business associates,” Dennis said.
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New Sequim RE/MAX staffer
SEQUIM — Tanya Kerr has joined the staff of RE/MAX Fifth Avenue, 560 N. Fifth Ave.
Kerr has worked in real estate since 2005.
For more information, phone Kerr at 360-670-6776.
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Pet food demo set
SEQUIM — Best Friend Nutrition, 680 W. Washington St., B-102, will host a demo party for the Blue Buffalo brand of dog and cat foods from noon to 4 p.m. Monday.
Regional brand manager Shayla Bowman will share information, samples, coupons and tastings with the public and pets that attend, and a door-prize drawing will be provided.
Best Friend Nutrition is a health food store for pets and is owned and operated by Jim and Hope Williams.
For more information, phone 360-681-8458.
