Making Good: Idaho job changes, recognition and other achievements [The Idaho Statesman]

Aug. 13--Technology

Pamela Prather-Sherman has been appointed business development specialist at the Idaho Technology Council. This is a new position created by the ITC that will leverage Prather-Sherman's core competencies to manage business development for the organization.

Prather-Sherman has a background in business development through her previous roles for the Association Management Group and Unity Media. In her position with the Association Management Group, she was responsible for reaching out to current and prospective association members and promoting the value of the organization. Prather-Sherman also has specific experience with the tech industry through her position as business development manager for Unity Media, in which she was responsible for developing customer relationships, strategic marketing activities and focused business initiatives.

A successful entrepreneur, Prather-Sherman founded and ran Prather Company Real Estate in Meridian for seven years before joining Unity Media.

Prather-Sherman's position with the Idaho Technology Council will focus on increasing membership, communicating member value and providing a touch point for current and prospective members. She will also manage and coordinate sponsorships for signature ITC events, most notably the upcoming Idaho Technology Council Hall of Fame Celebration featuring the Idaho Innovation Awards. That event, presented by Stoel Rives & Kickstand, is scheduled for Oct. 23 at the Boise Centre.

Through focusing on business development activities and helping Idaho technology companies become connected to key ITC initiatives, Prather-Sherman will bolster the Idaho Technology Council's mission to help tech companies start, grow, and thrive.

Education

Jennifer Martindale will lead the newly formed Systems and Process Improvement department at Boise State University. This department, located within University Financial Services, will provide cross-trained experts to deliver support, broadly focusing on identifying and implementing efficiencies, enhancing understanding and awareness of policy and procedures, and providing operational data and efficiency monitoring to be used by all levels of management.

Martindale has been with the university since June 2000. As associate controller, she focused her efforts on the student side, and as controller she led the external audit process. Since 2007, she has worked on special projects focused on operational effectiveness and has used automated tools as well as strong facilitation skills to improve processes that touch many areas of campus. Prior to working for Boise State, she shepherded the University of Utah through a PeopleSoft payroll conversion.

Insurance

Travis Gerhard has been named a member of the 2013 Executive Council of New York Life Insurance Company.

Members of the Executive Council are among the most successful of the company's sales force of 12,250 licensed agents. Gerhard has been a New York Life agent since May 2009 and is associated with New York Life's Idaho general office in Boise.

Gerhard is a lifelong Idaho resident and attended Bishop Kelly High School and Boise State University.

Media

Ron Harris has been added to the Boise operations of Journal Broadcast Group as the new operations manager for its radio division. Harris will oversee operations of 107.1 K-Hits (KTHI-FM), 94.9 The River (KRVB-FM), 100.3 The X (KQXR-FM) and Variety Rock 105.1 (KJOT-FM).

Harris has 25 years of broadcasting experience and, most recently, was the operations manager in the Tri-Cities, Wash., area. Before that, he was director of operations for Clear Channel at its Yakima, Wash., cluster. He also was on-air talent in Seattle at 107.7 The End and 97.3 KBSG, and national format manager for broadcast programming in Seattle for seven years.

Harris graduated from Clover Park College in Tacoma, Wash., and was a part-time instructor for their Radio Broadcasting Program on campus.

Harris was a local chaiman for the Muscular Dystrophy Association's "Kids Carnival" program, helping coordinate dozens of fundraising events for the March of Dimes, and coordinating a supply drive in Eastern Washington for troops deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. He also volunteered for the Humane Society of Tacoma/Pierce County, the American Cancer Society of Eastern Washington and the Benton County Food Bank.

Nonprofits

Dave McFadyen, vice president of operations at St. Luke's, Brandon Woods, general manager of West-Pak Equipment Company, and Larry Price, vice president of sales and marketing at Syringa Networks, have joined the board of directors for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Ada County.

The 25-member volunteer board provides oversight and direction to the organization's three facilities and works closely with the honorary council to promote the clubs' mission and programs. Clubs are located in Garden City, Meridian and Kuna, and serve nearly 4,000 at-risk local children each year. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Ada County provide a wide variety of youth development programs conducted by trained, professional staff. Key programs emphasize academic success, good character and citizenship, and healthy lifestyles.

Retail

The RC Willey store in Meridian hosted a Volunteer Expo in July to celebrate the donations made to local charities. Those organizations and others were invited to educate RC Willey employees on their missions and volunteer opportunities available in the community.

Checks were presented to: The Assistance League of Boise for $2,500; The Boise Bicycle Project for $1,500; and The American Cancer Society for $ 1,000. Also, 400 backpacks were donated to the Idaho Foodbank for the school backpack program.

Jay Saenz has joined Social Good Network, a Boise Internet startup, as sales and marketing manager.

Saenz will be responsible for direct sales and marketing to new nonprofit customers, as well as customer service for Social Good Network's nearly 200 cause customers. Saenz previously worked in sales and promotions for AT&T, CompUSA, Boise State Public Radio and the Modern Hotel & Bar.

Social Good Network, headquartered in Boise, is an innovative online fundraising platform that connects companies, causes, and crowds through its Go Anywhere Fundraising?, which uses storytelling and social sharing to increase its online fundraising.

Technology

Kelly Wallaert has joined Orion Integration Group as a project manager in the low-voltage cabling and infrastructure division.

Wallaert has 30 years working in the low voltage communications industry, spending 10 years as an onsite project manager for a major technology company in the Northwest. He pursued and attained the Building Industry Consulting Service International's Registered Communications Distribution Designer designation (RCDD) and has kept it current for the past five years. One of the highest design credentials, an RCDD is recognized globally as the gold standard in expertise regarding design and installation of information transport systems including data, audio, visual and surveillance. This information is crucial for the proper function and design of necessary building components, including phone, Internet and security systems. Wallaert has used this knowledge working with school districts throughout Oregon and Southwest Washington.

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(c)2013 The Idaho Statesman (Boise, Idaho)

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