News & Press

“It is the worst hour and a half of your life that you’re going to have, having an event like this,” Minneapolis Fire Department Chief John Fruetel said to a gathering of local officials and business leaders at Warehouse 23 in Vancouver Dec. 18.
From the vantage point of the event space overlooking the Columbia River and the Interstate 5 bridge, he talked in detail about the harrowing trial of Aug. 1, 2007, when the then-assistant chief was handling operations of the...

The business leadership organization Identity Clark County (ICC) has appointed Lance Barrett of Barrett & Co. PLLC to its Board of Directors, and named Ron Frederiksen of RSV Building Solutions as Director Emeritus.
Barrett, a CPA, is founder and managing partner of Barrett & Co. a Camas-based public accounting firm he created in 1986 that specializes in construction, manufacturing, transportation and real estate industries. Barrett brings more than 30 years of public and corporate...

The business leaders group Identity Clark County has selected Terry Wollam to the 2018 Ed Lynch Board Seat, a one-year courtesy appointment to the group’s Board of Directors.
A lifelong Vancouver resident, Mr. Wollam brings 20 years of real estate development and sales experience as owner and managing broker of Wollam and Associates, a real estate brokerage through RE/MAX Equity Group. Mr. Wollam has participated in development of more than 1 ,000 residential properties across the...

The business leadership organization Identity Clark County has appointed Cory Irwin of PacTrust to its Board of Directors.
Irwin is Leasing and Property Manager for PacTrust, one of the Pacific Northwest’s largest real estate developers and investment property owners with 12.9 million square feet of operating space and 201 acres of undeveloped land. Irwin is responsible for leasing and development of the Columbia Tech Center multi-use development in east Vancouver. Irwin began work...

The business leadership organization Identity Clark County (ICC) has appointed Keith Richards of Corwin Beverage Company to its Board of Directors, and named Elie Kassab of Prestige Development its first Emeritus Director.
Richards became CEO of Corwin Beverage in 2016, bringing 30 years of private company leadership to the 75-year-old iconic food and beverage distribution company which is based in Ridgefield and employs 150. The Seattle native has an MBA from Grand Canyon University and...

The business leadership group Identity Clark County expresses its appreciation to the Washington state legislature for approving a bill restarting a process for replacing the century-old outdated and accident-prone I-5 bridge.
The bill, SSB 5806, received an overwhelmingly strong concurrence vote today from the Washington Senate after amendments from the House, with a vote of 44-4, and now advances to Governor Inslee for his signature. It establishes a joint Oregon-Washington legislative...

The business leadership organization Identity Clark County has appointed Mike Nieto of Catworks Construction to its Board of Directors.
Nieto is President of Catworks Construction of Battle Ground, Wash., a full-service construction general contractor with civil, facilities, trucking and environmental divisions. The minority-owned business was formed in 2005 and employs nearly 40 who work across the western United States.
Nieto is president of the Southwest Washington Contractors...

The business leadership organization Identity Clark County has appointed Leigh Tapani of Tapani, Inc. to its Board of Directors. Leigh Tapani is President of Tapani, Inc., a professionally managed, family-owned construction company operating from Battle Ground since 1983. The company’s diversified work centers on general contracting, site development, roads, structural concrete, highway construction and environmental remediation.
Mr. Tapani started work with Tapani, Inc. after...

The business advocacy group Identity Clark County has selected Avaly Scarpelli to the 2017 Ed Lynch Board Seat, a one-year courtesy appointment to the group’s Board of Directors.
Ms. Scarpelli is Executive Director of the Building Industry Association of Clark County, a trade association representing land development and construction businesses which she has led since 2009 and supported for 13 years. She held marketing roles with the Clark County Event Center and Vancouver Mall, and...