BUSINESS BEAT.

Byline: The Register-Guard

People

Patricia Skipper has joined the Greenhill Humane Society as the new development director. Skipper is responsible for development and marketing, focusing on major gift fundraising and planned giving. She has 15 years of experience in fundraising, most recently as a fundraising consultant and as development director for Willamette Family Treatment.

Patti Gordon, formerly a real estate attorney in California, has joined GMAC Mortgage in Eugene as a loan officer.

Dr. Roy Blackburn has joined the practice of Dr. James Morris, forming Willamette Pain Management at 2401 River Road, Eugene. Blackburn completed his residency in internal medicine at St. Vincent Medical Center at Staten Island in 1990 and his residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation at Emory University in Atlanta in 1993. He served as medical director of Mena Medical Rehabilitation Center in Arkansas and most recently was a staff physician at the Lovelace Pain Clinic in Albuquerque, N.M.

Beverly Park has been hired by Northwest Christian College as the human resources director. She previously worked as the human resources manager for the Oregon State University Extension Service and as the recruitment manager for Spirit Mountain Casino in Grand Ronde.

Aaron Shonk has been hired as a grant coordinator for the Lane Community College Foundation. He previously was an independent consultant for a firm specializing in business and facilities management of public school districts in California.

Kudos

Helen Byrnes, chief executive officer of Northwest Community Credit Union, has been named 2004 CEO of the Year by the Willamette chapter of the Credit Union Association of Oregon. Byrnes, CEO at NWCU since 2002, is now in the running for state CEO of the Year. Also, NWCU board member Judy Shurts has been named Volunteer of the Year. She has been an NWCU member since 1976 and a board member since 1980.

Carene Davis-Stitt, co-owner of Deltanet Management Consultants and a member of Soroptimist International of Eugene, has been appointed 2005-07 editor of The International Soroptimist magazine, published by Soroptimist International.

The Eugene-Springfield Tax Association has elected the following officers for 2005-06: president, Catherine Susman of Arnold Gallagher Saydack Percell Roberts & Potter; vice president, Jami Seal of Moss Adams; secretary, Mary Savage of Kernutt Stokes Brandt & Co.; and treasurer, Jeff Bourdage of Jones & Roth CPAs. Other board members are Ian Richardson of Gleaves Swearingen Potter & Scott, Will Forsyth of Hershner Hunter and Coben Tistadt of Isler & Co.

Delta Sand & Gravel and the McKenzie Watershed Council have been jointly awarded the annual Oregon Plan Award by the state Department of Geology & Mineral Industries for fish and wildlife habitat restoration work conducted on Delta property near the confluence of the Willamette and McKenzie rivers. Delta worked with the watershed council to create an artificial alcove along a channel of the Willamette River to provide refuge for fish from fast-moving water when the main channel is running high. The project was funded by the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board.

Open for business

Bob Ward has opened Big Bob's Welding in the Business Center Incubator at 2455 Maple Leaf, No. 4, in North Bend. Ward builds hand rails, truck racks, customized wrought iron fencing and gates and does custom fabrications. He also has a mobile unit to work on-site.

Business Beat runs Tuesdays and Thursdays. It covers promotions, new hires, professional achievements, new businesses, relocations and other news. Fax items to Business Beat, 683-7631; e-mail to businessnews@ guardnet.com (with text in message body and photos attached); or mail to Business Beat, The Register-Guard, P.O. Box 10188, Eugene, OR 97440. Photos cannot be returned. For information, call 338-2572.