Business Beat

Accounting

HMA CPA has hired Matthew Maniscalco, staff accountant, and Sara Brendel, administrative assistant. Maniscalco earned his MBA from Eastern Washington University. Brendel recently relocated to Spokane and has an MBA from Argosy University, in Orange, California. HMA CAP is a locally owned tax and accounting firm.

Banking

Ann Thomas has been named vice president/assistant relationship manager in professional banking at Mountain West Bank’s Coeur d’Alene headquarters. Thomas started in the banking industry in 2007 as a teller, moving up to branch manager. She was hired by Mountain West Bank in 2013 as vice president and branch manager of the bank’s Ironwood branch.

Education

Kevin Brockbank, Ed.D., has been named Spokane Community College’s acting president for the upcoming academic year. He has been with the Community Colleges of Spokane since 2015 as vice provost of strategic initiatives.

Amy Sharp has been named the new director of Washington State University’s Women’s Resource Center. Sharp returns to WSU after four years as student life manager in enrollment and student services at the College of Western Idaho, in Nampa. She previously worked at WSU as an academic coordinator and retention counselor.

Health

Dr. Carolina See has joined Spokane Respiratory Consultants . See is board certified in pulmonary medicine, critical care medicine, sleep medicine and internal medicine. She is the first interventional pulmonologist in the region and will employ minimally invasive endoscopic techniques to improve patients’ breathing.

Insurance

Donna Hutchinson has been awarded Safeco’s Personal Lines Achievement Award for the second consecutive year. The award recognizes her competence, product knowledge, customer service and integrity. Hutchinson works at Dan Hoffman Insurance Agency.

Miscellaneous

Steve Edgar, co-founder of Empire Unmanned LLC, in Hayden, has been appointed to the Unmanned Aircraft Systems in Controlled Airspace Aviation Rulemaking Committee. In the position, he will oversee regulations and policies regarding the flight of unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones.