CAROL AARON AND RUTH WILLIAMS-BRINKLEY
PeaceHealth has named Carol Aaron and Ruth Williams-Brinkley to its system board of directors.
With more than 30 years of healthcare experience, Aaron’s deeply held commitment to community health as well as her passion for organizational talent development makes her a valuable addition to the PeaceHealth system board.
Aaron returns to PeaceHealth as a member of the Board of Directors. She retired from her role as PeaceHealth’s executive vice president and chief administrative officer at the end of 2019 after nine years of service. As the chief administrative officer, she was responsible for Human Resources, Mission Services, Governance, Marketing and Communications, and Business Integration. She successfully implemented mission, business and talent strategies to accelerate PeaceHealth moving to an integrated health system serving communities in Oregon, Washington and Alaska.
With over 35 years of healthcare experience, Aaron has worked as a system healthcare executive leader, at St. Joseph Health, Sutter Health and Alexian Brothers in California. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Labor Studies from San Francisco State University and a master’s degree in Human Resources and Organizational Development from the University of San Francisco. She also served as a board member for the Ministry Leadership Center, a multi-system Board dedicated to the development and formation of Catholic executives. Aaron’s deeply held commitment to people-centric community health and wellness, as well as her passion for organizational and talent strategies will be instrumental to the PeaceHealth Board as we ready our organization for the next 130 years.
In addition to serving as a System Board member, Ruth Williams-Brinkley is president of Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Mid-Atlantic States, Inc. In this role, Williams-Brinkley oversees all of Kaiser Permanente’s care delivery and health plan operations in Washington, D.C., suburban Maryland, Baltimore and Northern Virginia. Ruth joined Kaiser Permanente in 2017, serving as president of Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals of the Northwest. She oversaw all of Kaiser Permanente’s care delivery and health plan operations in Oregon and markets in Vancouver and Longview/Kelso, Wash.
Prior to that she served as CEO of KentuckyOne Health; president and CEO of Carondelet Health Network in Tucson, Ariz.; and as president and CEO of Memorial Healthcare System in Chattanooga, Tenn. Williams-Brinkley holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from De Paul University and an honorary doctoral degree from Spaulding University in Louisville, Ky.
Aaron and Williams-Brinkley will support PeaceHealth’s ongoing commitment to the highest level of quality care in our communities.
DREW BARRETT
Barrett & Company, PLLC, a leading Washington certified public accounting and business advisory firm, recently announced Drew Barrett as its Managing Partner, succeeding Lance Barrett. Regarding the transition, which is effective immediately, Lance said, “Drew’s leadership skills and business acumen are tremendous assets that will help propel continued success for Barrett & Co. Drew’s vision for the firm’s future is inspiring and very exciting for all of us.”
“We are looking forward to creating a flexible, innovative firm that is truly focused on proactive value-added client service while heavily leveraging relationships, knowledge and technology,” Drew said. “Barrett & Co is a firm with a depth of expertise in the construction industry and will continue to reinforce this niche, while also providing insight and technical expertise to a broad range of industries.”
Drew has 10 years of experience in public accounting and worked in the banking industry previously. He is adept at strategic business planning, mergers and acquisitions, financial analysis and integrating both tax and assurance services. He has worked extensively with companies with annual revenues ranging from $ 2 million to over $ 200 million.
Drew is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in the state of Washington and earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Gonzaga University. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Oregon and Washington CPA Societies.
ED FAULK AND BRYANT ENGE
Coldwell Banker Bain, a leading provider of real estate brokerage services throughout the Pacific Northwest, recently announced that two brokers in its Coldwell Banker Bain of Vancouver West office have been awarded top honors by the Clark County Association of REALTORS® (CCAR) for 2020.
Broker Ed Faulk, who is also currently president of the CCAR Board, was named REALTOR® of the Year, the highest tribute that CCAR bestows on an individual. Honorees display what’s referred to as “REALTOR® Spirit” – a faithfulness to the principles of the REALTOR® organization, professionalism and its Code of Ethics. They are an active professional member and dedicated to the betterment of the membership as a whole. They provide outstanding service and contributions to the association and the real estate profession.
Faulk’s nomination included attributes related to his leadership acumen, ability to work together, and grow and adapt the organization during a year of significant change. He also serves on the Board for the Washington Association of REALTORS®, has been a multi-million producer for Coldwell Banker Bain since 2003, holds a GRI (Graduate of the Realtor Institute) designation and is a certified Global Luxury broker.
Bryant Enge, who joined Coldwell Banker Bain of Vancouver West in 2018, received CCAR’s REALTOR® Horizon Award, recognizing outstanding participation as a new REALTOR®. Horizon Award winners exhibit energy and enthusiasm through their involvement in CCAR activities. They are eager to help and display leadership skills that add to the overall success of the association and its membership.
The organization noted Enge’s emergence as a solid leader within its Government Affairs Committee, and how he embraces REALTOR® values in how CCAR works with elected officials and the community. Enge holds a Master of Business Administration in Finance from the University of Oregon, and a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Oregon State University.
BREA VIRATOS
Vancouver dietary supplement manufacturer Columbia Nutritional has appointed Brea Viratos as its new Chief Executive Officer. The former Chief Operations Officer for Columbia Nutritional, she brings to the role more than a decade of experience in the industry and a commitment to quality that will guide the company going forward.
Viratos officially became CEO of Columbia Nutritional on Dec. 1, 2020, replacing interim Chief Restructuring Officer Clyde Hamstreet.
“Brea is the absolute right leader for this role at Columbia Nutritional,” Hamstreet said. “Her experience, her expertise in quality and her vision for the company’s future are exactly what Columbia needs right now.”
Viratos joined the company in 2018, working first as director of quality and then as vice president of quality. Prior to her time at Columbia, she worked at a large nutraceutical contract manufacturer in quality management for five years, and before that spent six years at Bayer managing a high-throughput food science laboratory.
Viratos earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biomedical science from Southern Oregon University and a Master of Science degree in engineering and technology management from Portland State University. She also earned a graduate certificate in project management from PSU and has a Green Belt in Six Sigma.
Off the clock, Viratos’ passions include fitness, hiking, rafting, climbing mountains, continuous improvement and making wine.
“I am incredibly excited and honored by this opportunity at Columbia Nutritional,” Viratos said. “This company has a 20-year history of quality and customer satisfaction, and I’m looking forward to leading it into the future with a renewed commitment to excellence.”
