Jerry Nies
Nies to lead national council
Jerry Nies has been elected president of the National Agent Advisory Council for Seattle-based Safeco Insurance Co. of America. The advisory council’s aim is to help Safeco and its agents improve communication, resolve concerns and create business opportunities.
Nies is principal at Camas-based Nies Insurance, which he founded in 1972 in Battle Ground. The company has five offices in Vancouver, Battle Ground and Camas. Nies is a charter property casualty underwriter and represents insurance agents on a committee of the Washington State Insurance Commissioner. He also is on the administrative board for Clark County Emergency Medical Services District No. 2. and the board of directors for Northwest Heart of Gold Inc., a Portland-based nonprofit that raises funds for cancer research at Oregon Health Sciences University.
Alan Hargrave
Port of Vancouver hires project manager
Alan Hargrave has been hired as a project manager at the Port of Vancouver, and as such, will oversee construction of the West Vancouver Freight Access Project, the Kinder Morgan bulk facility relocation and expansion of the port’s maintenance building.
Hargrave is a Port of Camas-Washougal commissioner, but his new position does not create a conflict of interest because the two ports’ projects are not in competition with each other, according to the Port of Vancouver.
Hargrave was a construction management consultant, and worked 28 years as an estimator and project manager at Washougal-based George Schmid and Sons Inc. He also is on the Columbia River Economic Development Council board of directors.
Rich Biggs
Biggs named national director
Rich Biggs has been appointed national director of the New York-based Professional Insurance Agents. He is currently president of PIA Washington/Alaska in Vancouver. Biggs is a principal at Vancouver-based Biggs Insurance Services, and serves on the Vancouver School District Foundation Board and the Washington State University Risk Management and Insurance Advisory Board.
He is a member of Vancouver Rotary and is on the board of directors for the Clark County chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame.
Yon Park
Vancouver Radiologists gains specialist
Yon Park has joined Vancouver Radiologists, specializing in body imaging and MRI at South View Center at Fisher’s Landing and Legacy Salmon Creek Hospital. She holds a medical degree and a Master of Public Health degree from Oregon Health Sciences University.
Jason Olson, Alexis Bond
LSW Architects names associates
Vancouver-based LSW Architects has promoted Alexis Bond and Jason Olson to associate positions.
Olson has been with the company for seven years in various positions. He worked most recently as a project architect and was involved with the 60,000-square-foot remodel and addition of Clark College’s Gaiser Hall. He continues as project manager and is collaborating on Columbia Basin College’s new vocational technologies building in Pasco, Wash.
Bond has been with the company since 2003. She continues to serve as an administrative and support services team leader and business development coordinator. Bond is a member of the current Leadership Clark County class.
Elena Robinson
Vancouver Neurologists hires doctor
Elena Robinson is the newest doctor at Vancouver Neurologists, specializing in headaches and neuropathic pain. Robinson holds a medical degree from the University of Washington in Seattle.
Kirsten Thompson
First Independent adds VP
Kirsten Thompson has been hired as a relationship manager and vice president in the commercial real estate division at Vancouver-based First Independent. She previously worked in lending at U.S. Bank in Portland and in similar positions at Washington Mutual and First Horizon National Corp. Thompson has a bachelor’s degree in management and economics from Salt Lake City-based Westminster College.
Aaron Bledy
Columbia River Bank hires manager
Aaron Bledy has joined the Vancouver Tech Center Team of Columbia River Bank as vice president and electronic banking manager. Bledy has worked in finance services for 12 years and will be involved with Internet business processes and the bank’s treasury management product suite.
Greg Cox, Beth Faulkner, Jerry Brown
Riverview Bancorp hires mortgage brokers
Greg Cox, Beth Faulkner and Jerry Brown are the newest mortgage brokers at Vancouver-based Riverview Community Bank.
Cox works at the bank’s Longview branch and has worked for more than 20 years in banking.
Faulkner works at the bank’s 162nd Place branch in East Vancouver and has more than five years experience in banking locally. She is a member of the Clark County Association of Realtors and the Washington and national associations of mortgage brokers.
Brown works at the Longview branch and has more than five years of local lending experience.
