Accomplished & Under 40 Honorees J-Z

Class of 2008

BY CHARITY THOMPSON of the VBJ

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Michael A. Jenkins

Michael A. Jenkins, 39

Co-owner

Coldwell Banker Commercial Jenkins-Bernhardt Assoc.

Nominated by: Elena C. Hopper, Coldwell Banker Commercial Jenkins-Bernhardt Assoc.

Mike Jenkins is known as an egalitarian whose work in real estate has broad economic impacts. With Coldwell Banker Commercial, he was a global top-five producer for two years and a No. 1 producer at state and regional levels for four years. Jenkins oversaw development and leasing of several local retail centers and office buildings, including The Palms Plaza. He is a member of the Washington Association of Realtors, the Commercial Association of Realtors, the International Council of Shopping Centers and the Young Executives Organization in Vancouver. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in human biology from Eastern Washington University and he and his wife, Jennifer, have three daughters, Kendra, Jailen and Nevaeh.

David Lawson

David Lawson, 36

Owner

Princeton Athletic Club, Vancouver

Nominated by: Susan Courtney, Courtney Consulting

David Lawson combines business savvy with a passion for health. In 2007, he purchased Princeton Athletic Club and within six months, it was voted the Best in Clark County by readers of The Columbian. Under his leadership, the club gives to at least 10 local nonprofits and makes efforts toward sustainability. Lawson worked for The Hilton Vancouver as senior sales manager and for The Hilton Portland as athletic club director. He is a certified personal trainer and mediator practitioner, mediating claims disputes for the city of Vancouver. Lawson has a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from Oregon State University. He and his wife, Connie, have two children, Annabella and Brendon. 

Kris Miller

Kris Miller, 38

Vice President, Relationship Manager

West Coast Bank, Vancouver

Nominated by: Amy Davis, Gary DesRochers, West Coast Bank

Kris Miller has risen in the ranks at West Coast Bank since 2003 and was a YWCA Clark County Woman of Achievement this year. She has been on the Junior Achievement Advisory Council in Clark County for six years and chairs the Evergreen School District Foundation’s auction. Miller is on the Marketing Committee for the Southwest Washington Contractors Association and helped establish the Humane Society for Southwest Washington’s annual Parade of Dog Homes. She is president of the parent-teacher organization at Fisher’s Landing Elementary School and has a Bachelor of Arts degree in business administration from Portland State University. She and her husband, Mark, have two sons, Drew and Luke. 

Jim Misner

Jim Misner, 34

Owner

Pro-Touch Painting Inc., Brush Prairie;

Capital Partner

Kiddigan Investments, Battle Ground

Nominated by: Jevon Domench, New America Capital

Leave it to Jim Misner to combine business and community service with childlike fun. He is a principal member of Kiddigan Investments (pun intended), which intends to fill an island in Cowlitz County with custom tree houses. Misner has owned Pro-Touch Painting for 12 years and donates significant time and materials to community painting projects. Misner co-founded the Hockinson Alliance, a business network and community action group, and volunteers with the Bethany House board of directors in Gresham, Options 360 in Vancouver and Battle Ground and Aware Inc. in Vancouver. He raises his children, Alexandria and Austin, with his fiancée, Stephanie Chandler.

Renee Newman

Renee Newman, 39

Vice President, Director of Cash Management

First Independent, Vancouver

Nominated by: Jennifer Rhoads, First Independent

Renee Newman makes “important connections between people who share her vision,” nominators said.She has worked in banking for more than 16 years, joining First Independent in 2007. She chairs the Vancouver Symphony board of directors, is on the development committee for Seton Catholic High School in Ridgefield and served on the Planned Giving Committee for United Way of the Columbia-Willamette and the board of directors for the Classroom Law Project in Portland.  Newman is a general securities registered representative and a licensed life and disability insurance agent. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in business management from Oregon State University and lives in Vancouver with her husband, Roger, and sons, Jack and Luke.

Ali Novinger

Ali Novinger, 34

Marketing and Community Coordinator

Beaches Restaurant & Bar, Vancouver

Nominated by: Shay Shinall, Fort Vancouver Regional Library Foundation

Ali Novinger wears “her character on her (rolled up) sleeves,” nominators said. At Beaches Restaurant and Bar, Novinger manages events such as Summertime Cruisin’, which raised about $130,000 for nonprofits this year, and the Green Eggs and Ham literacy event at 44 schools. She further serves the community coordinating auctions for the Vancouver Boys and Girls Club and the Washington State School for the Blind. Novinger caters events for the city of Vancouver, the Vancouver National Historic Reserve Trust and Southwest Washington Medical Center. She raised more than $18,000 for Pearson Air Museum in this year’s Dancing with the Local Stars and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in management and marketing from Pennsylvania State University.

Renee Nutter

Renee Nutter, 36

Chairwoman

Nutter Foundation, Vancouver

Nominated by: Lisa Schauer, MacKay & Sposito Inc.

Renee Nutter has more than a full-time job chairing the Nutter Foundation, but she doesn’t get a paycheck. “Not a money paycheck,” she said. “The rewards are the smiles on the kids’ faces.” Her family started the foundation to benefit nonprofits and children’s programs. She coordinated this year’s Dozer Day, increasing ticket sales 35 percent and sponsorships 250 percent for the Parks Foundation of Vancouver and Clark County. Nutter is a past member of the Southwest Washington Independent Forward Thrust’s board of directors, has coached girls’ soccer for more than five years and leads South Ridge Elementary School’s chess team. She and her husband, Jerry, have two children, Jerry Jr. and Sammi.

Shirley Schwartz

Shirley Schwartz, 39

Scholarship Program Manager

Clark College Foundation, Vancouver

Nominated by: Ara Serjoie, Clark College Foundation

Shirley Schwartz is known as a “gateway to student success” at Clark College. She has worked for the Clark College Foundation since 1999, starting as a scholarship administrative assistant and rising to become scholarship program manager in 2006. Schwartz has helped grow the college’s scholarship program and giving capacity, partnering with donors and area schools. She coordinates Clark’s annual scholarship reception and revived the foundation’s newsletter, which reaches more than 25,000 readers. Schwartz has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Christian education from the former West Coast Christian College and is pursuing a Master of Arts degree at Multnomah University. 

Jaret Sutherland

Jaret Sutherland, 31

General Manager

Electrix, Vancouver

Nominated by: Kymra Knuth, Electrix

Jaret Sutherland is a community-minded electrician. He has worked for more than 13 years in construction and has worked with Electrix since its inception in 2001, playing “a major role in (its) explosive growth,” nominators said. He has managed projects for clients including Exxon, Pennzoil and Hewlett-Packard, and his safety program made Electrix the first contractor to win the Intel Safety Excellence award twice. Sutherland is active in the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and the National Electrical Contractors Association and holds numerous state licenses. He volunteers his electrical skills at Pioneer Elementary School, has coached soccer for seven years and volunteers for Vancouver’s Sausage Fest. He and his wife, Christine, have two children, Madeline and Sander.

Amaya Urzaa, 32

Vice President,

Commercial Loan Officer

Bank of Clark County, Vancouver

Nominated by: Michael C. Worthy, Bank of Clark County

Amayaa Urzaa is a single mother who won’t be held back. She has worked in banking for 12 years, and her superiors said her leadership exemplifies “the best characteristics we look for.” Urzaa is on the Certification Committee for Lake Oswego-based ASTRA Women’s Business Society and is a Junior Achievement classroom instructor in Vancouver and Portland. She was a member of Portland Mayor-Elect Sam Adams’ Affordable Workspace Task Force, an assistant coach for Rose City Soccer Club, a member of the United Way of the Columbia-Willamette’s Young Leaders Society and a volunteer for YWCA Portland’s Yolanda House. She holds a bachelor’s degree in international studies and economics from Portland State University.