Bob Warthen has been selected to fill the position of Vice President, Commercial Services Administration, Business and Commercial Services. Warthen is a skilled leader with more than twenty-five years of industry experience. He has been employed with Alaska USA since 2005, most recently as credit administration manager.

Alaska Pacific University (APU) selected Valerie Nurr’araaluk Davidson as its next President. Davidson served as commissioner of the Alaska Department of Health & Social Services and then the lieutenant governor under then-Governor Bill Walker. Prior to that, she worked for more than fifteen years as a national policymaker, focusing on matters affecting Indigenous health.

Davidson earned a juris doctorate with a certificate in Indian law from the University of New Mexico School of Law and a bachelor’s degree in education with a minor in bilingual education from the University of Alaska Southeast.

PDC announced the addition of two new employees to its Juneau office: Jennifer Kemp and Evan Venechuk.

Kemp joins PDC as a CADD Engineering Technician. She is a 2002 graduate of Centralia College where she earned her associate’s degree in technical arts. Kemp has more than sixteen years of experience with civil 3D modeling, AutoCAD, GPS, and GIS technology. Most recently, Kemp worked as a crew chief on a survey crew as well as developing an initiative to locate utility and light poles using GPS and GIS technology.

Venechuk joins PDC as a Land Surveyor in Training. In this position, Venechuk will calculate boundary corner search/staking coordinates and provide technical and CADD support for the Land Survey team. Venechuk has more than five years of surveying experience, as well as extensive experience in the mining industry in Alaska.

PND Engineers announced the following new hires.

Forrest Savel earned his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from UAF in 2018. He has a background in construction, having worked previously as a summer laborer with the Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities and as an intern with R&M Consultants. Most recently Savel worked full-time as a distribution designer for Chugach Electric Association.

Jake Randazzo brings fifteen years of experience in hands-on primary and secondary soil testing, data reduction, and soil lab operations. He is also experienced in geotechnical investigations, pile driving analysis, wave equation analysis, pile driving inspection, concrete testing, and other inspection work. Randazzo has an associate’s degree in process technology from Kenai Peninsula College; holds ACI, NICET, and Nuclear Gauge certifications; and has done field work all over Alaska, including the North Slope.

Lisa Morris recently joined R&M Consultants as a Graphic Designer in the firm’s marketing group. Morris will be responsible for providing print and web/interactive graphic communications in support of R&M’s marketing, communications, and project initiatives. Morris has nineteen years of professional design experience in Alaska, with fifteen of those years spent serving the A/E/C industry. Morris has a bachelor’s in journalism and mass communications from the University of Oregon.

Mark D. Anderson also joined R&M as the firm’s Group Manager of Structural Engineering. Anderson has forty years of Alaska experience in all aspects of structural engineering. Since joining R&M, he has provided structural quality control and design input for the Port of Alaska Petroleum Cement Terminal project. Anderson has a bachelor’s and master’s in civil engineering, both from the University of Idaho.

Northrim Bank announced the promotion of several employees throughout the bank.

Amber Zins has been promoted to EVP–Chief Administrative Officer. Zins has been with Northrim Bank for twelve years, when she was hired as the internal audit manager. For the past two years, she has been the human resources director. Zins holds a bachelor of business administration in accounting from UAF and is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).

Cindy Fields has been promoted to SVP–Internal Audit Director. Fields joined Northrim in 2018 and has sixteen years of experience in audit and regulatory compliance. She holds a bachelor’s degree from UAA and is a CPA and Certified Internal Auditor (CIA). Fields is the president of the Institute of Internal Auditors Alaska Chapter.

Joe Gelione was promoted to SVP–Commercial Loan Unit Manager. Gelione started at Northrim in 2017 and has more than thirty years of experience in the financial sector, working in banking in Alaska for more than twenty-five years. He holds a bachelor of business administration in finance from Stockton University. Gelione has served on the board of directors of Bean’s Café and Alaska Junior Theater.

Tammy Kosa was promoted to SVP–Regional Market Manager, Fairbanks. Kosa has been with Northrim since 2004 and has more than twenty-six years of banking experience. She holds a bachelor’s degree in international business from UAF. She volunteers with Junior Achievement of Alaska.

Nicole Pintsch has been promoted to VP–Controller of Financial Reporting. Pintsch has been with Northrim since 2007 when the bank acquired Alaska First Bank. She has been in the financial industry for fifteen years. Pintsch holds a bachelor of business administration in accounting from UAA. She volunteers with Junior Achievement of Alaska, Teach Children to Save, and Girls on the Run.

Terre Lefebvre was promoted to AVP–Merchant Relationship Manager. Lefebvre joined Northrim in 2003 and has more than twenty-one years of experience in the financial industry. She attended Roger Williams University. Lefebvre has volunteered with Teach Children to Save, Anchorage City Wide Clean Up, and United Way’s Day of Caring.

Kiersten Russell has been promoted to Loan Officer II. Russell started at Northrim in 2014 and has held a number of positions throughout the bank. She will complete her bachelor of business administration in accounting this spring from UAF. She also holds certificates for business and commercial lending. She is a member of the AGC Construction Leadership Council.

Elias Wilterding was promoted to Credit Administration Officer. Wilterding has been with Northrim since 2013 where he worked in the facilities department before moving to credit administration. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from UAA.