Sales associate joins Keller Williams Realty

Chris Wilhite has joined the team of sales professionals at Keller Williams Realty Coeur d’Alene.

Prior to starting with Keller Williams, Wilhite was the owner of C.K. Wilhite Enterprises, a high school and junior high school teacher, financial adviser and golf professional.

Ellingsen graduates from banking school

Sally Ellingsen, a vice president for Umpqua Bank, graduated from Pacific Coast Banking School in September. Courses encompassed risk management, financial performance and more. Ellingsen, of Coeur d’Alene, is one of 229 executives from 31 states who graduated this year.

Parks wins writing award

Silver Valley writer Carrie Stuart Parks took top honors in her category in the prestigious Carol Awards from American Christian Fiction Writers. It is considered the highest achievement for published authors of Christian fiction in the previous calendar year.

Parks’ book “A Cry from the Dust’ was selected from hundreds of entries as winner in the Mystery/Suspense/Thriller category. Mentored by New York Times bestselling author Frank Peretti, “A Cry From the Dust” was Parks’ debut novel.

An internationally known forensic artist, Parks is a graduate of Kellogg High School and Lewis Clark State College. A lifetime resident of the Silver Valley, Parks still lives on the family ranch in Cataldo. Her novels are loosely based on her forensic cases and feature forensic artist Gwen Marcey.

Her second book, “The Bones Will Speak,” released Aug. 11, opens with a scene set in Kellogg.

Piaskowski joins team at Advanced Benefits

Advanced Benefits welcomes Ashley Piaskowski to its team of benefit professionals as a senior account manager and marketing director.

“With over 15 years of customer service experience, Ashley brings a keen awareness to the marketing and service needs of our clients,” Mark Fisher, owner and co-founder of Advanced, said in the company’s media announcement of the hire.

Most recently Piaskowski was the patient outreach and enrollment coordinator for Heritage Health. Her success in that role led her team to be recognized as the state’s most successful team for Your Health Idaho, the state-based insurance exchange under the Affordable Care Act. Ashely is involved with Kootenai County Young Professionals and the Coeur d’Alene 2030 Project.

Contact Ashley at (208) 664-3482 or ashleyp@trustab.com.

Gera joins ASI; Busson-White earns CMCA credential; Dion earns AMS designation

Association Services, Inc. announced the addition of Jan Gera to its management team as a senior account manager. Gera comes with an extensive background in HOA management and customer service. She has managed community associations in Idaho, Nevada and New Mexico. A resident of North Idaho since 1995, she is very excited to have returned to the area and join the ASI team. Gera is a member of Community Associations Institute and holds both CMCA and AMS certifications.

Laura Busson-White has been named a Certified Manager of Community Associations by the National Board of Certification for Community Association Managers. Busson-White joins a select group of certified managers nationwide who have demonstrated the professional knowledge that is vital for effectively managing condominium and homeowner associations and cooperatives. White has served on the Association Services team for two years. To obtain and maintain the CMCA credential, a manager must complete comprehensive course work, pass a national certification exam, adhere to the CMCA Standards of Professional Conduct, and take continuing education courses to recertify.

Jody Dion recently earned the Association Management Specialist designation from Community Associations Institute. Dion is one of more than 3,800 managers nationwide who have earned this level of professional recognition in the community association field. Dion has served on the Association Services team for six years. To earn the AMS designation, managers must have two years of experience in community association management and complete advanced course work. In addition, they must have earned the basic industry certification for managers. Professional managers provide administrative, operational and managerial counsel to community association boards. They typically are responsible for managing budgets and contractors, directing association personnel, and overseeing compliance with homeowner association covenants and restrictions.

Beginning its ninth year of professional management of planned communities, condominiums, townhomes, and property owners associations throughout Kootenai, Bonner and Shoshone counties, Association Services, Inc. remains one of the only local companies to exclusively represent community associations. For more information, contact ASI at (208) 676-8626 or visit www.asi-hoa.com.

Marketpad names Schultze area manager

Gary Schultze has been named area manager at Marketpad.com. Schultze has more than 10 years of sales and marketing experience in the concrete and music industries. He is a Hayden resident and will be overseeing the Kootenai County area. Schultze joined Marketpad in February 2015.

Marketpad.com is an online business directory located in Coeur d’Alene. It offers a variety of online resource tools including business directory listings, URL addresses, discounts and deals, marketing services and more. Marketpad is located in The Sunset Mall, 296 W. Sunset Ave, Suite 11, Coeur d’Alene.

If you have a new, relocated or expanded business, or announcement of events, promotions or awards, The Press wants to let our readers know. The service is free and items run Tuesday through Saturday. To get the word on the street on your movers and shakers, email City Editor Maureen Dolan at mdolan@cdapress.com.