NICK CHESTER
Levy Restaurants and Line & Lure Seafood Kitchen and Tap are excited to welcome Nick Chester as general manager. In his new role, Chester will oversee day-to-day operations and work closely with the chef and staff to create the ideal experience for guests. He has 26 years in the restaurant industry, an extensive background in management and strong experience in training and development.
Chester comes to Line & Lure Seafood Kitchen & Tap from Oswego Grill, where he served as general manager, overseeing financial growth, operations and guest relations. During his tenure as general manager, Chester scaled unit sales growth from $4.9 million in annual sales to $5.6 million in three years. Additionally, his team was known for having low levels of turnover and a great deal of loyalty under his leadership.
Prior to Oswego Grill, Chester served as a bar manager at P.F. Chang’s China Bistro and a training manager at Newport Seafood Grill (Pacific Coast Restaurants/Restaurants Unlimited).
JACOB PIERRON
Davidson & Associates Insurance Agency of Vancouver recently welcomed Jacob Pierron to the team as a business agent. Pierron recently moved to Portland, Ore., after graduating from Miami University of Ohio and spending four years in the insurance industry in Columbus, Ohio.
BLAKE THIESS
Prestige Care Inc., a leading provider of senior living and skilled nursing and rehabilitation care, recently announced that Blake Thiess, PHR, SHRM-CP, was recently promoted to director of talent acquisition. In this role, Thiess will oversee the company’s recruiting and talent acquisition strategy and execution across more than 80 long-term care centers and communities.
As the director of talent acquisition, Thiess will lead Prestige’s overall recruiting efforts and will maintain a hands-on role in training recruitment staff at the community level. He will also continue his efforts to build Prestige’s talent pipeline and support its strategic vision to focus on the organization’s long-term goals.
Thiess joined Prestige Care in 2015 as a recruiter, where he supported various recruiting and talent acquisition efforts at Prestige’s Central Support office and for leadership roles at its assisted living communities, including training and onboarding activities.
As an active member within the healthcare industry, Thiess has spoken at several conferences, including the Idaho Health Care Association’s Spring Workshop, the Washington and Oregon Health Care Association annual conventions, as well as the California Assisted Living Association convention, where he has shared insight on various talent acquisition and recruitment topics. Additionally, he is also the president-elect for the Oregon & Southwest Washington Association for Health Care Recruitment (OSWAHCR).
Before joining Prestige, Thiess worked in recruiting and human resources roles at a number of companies in the Pacific Northwest.
KAREN WINGER VINEYARD
Bank of America Merrill Lynch Global Commercial Banking has hired Karen Winger Vineyard as market executive of its Pacific Northwest (PNW) and Canada region. Winger Vineyard will work closely with other regional executives to deliver the bank’s capabilities to clients and further develop the Oregon, Inland Northwest and broader PNW markets. A veteran banker with 27 years of extensive expertise in middle market banking and business development throughout the region, she will be based in Portland. She graduated cum laude with a bachelor’s in mathematics from Claremont McKenna College.
CONNOR WEBB
Connor Webb recently moved to Pinnacle Capital Mortgage as a mortgage advisor. He has been in the mortgage industry for two and a half years since graduating from Washington State University. He assists with residential purchases and refinances, and is glad to help anyone, from first time homebuyers to seasoned investors.
