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  6.  | Northrim Bank Announces New Hires and Promotions

Northrim Bank Announces New Hires and Promotions

Feb 27, 2019 | Finance, Right Moves

Northrim Bank announced that William (Bill) Kurtz, AVP has been named AVP Branch Manager. It also announced the promotions of Erika Bills, Assistant Vice President, Business Banker III, Cindy Cheely, Business Banker II, and Shauna Thornton, AVP, Branch Manager (Sitka).

Kurtz comes to Northrim Bank after working at Key Bank in Alaska for the past 2.5 years. He has 30 years of banking experience in the Retail and Investment divisions. Prior to relocating to Alaska, Kurtz managed several offices for SunTrust Bank in Tampa Bay Florida for 12 years. His passion is providing a perfect client experience as well as developing his team. Kurtz holds an Associate’s Degree in Finance. He also hold Investment Licenses Series 6 and 63 as well as State of Alaska Annuity and Life Insurance.

Bills has been with Northrim Bank for 23 years where she has held a variety of roles in retail banking and has 27 years of experience in the financial industry. She holds American Bankers’ Association diplomas for general banking, commercial banking, consumer banking and small business banking. Bills is an active volunteer in the Mat-Su Valley. She has been on the board of the Wasilla Chamber of Commerce, Mat-Su Food Bank and United Way of the Mat-Su Valley.

Cheely has been with Northrim Bank for 10 years and has 21 years of experience in the financial services industry. She has worked in a variety of departments at Northrim including Financial Sales, Lending and Retail Banking. Cheely has her Alaska Life Insurance License and received Northrim’s Customer First Service Award. She volunteers at McKinnell House and Friends of Alaska CASA.
 

Thornton has been with Northrim Bank since 2017 and has been over six years of experience within the financial industry. She holds a Masters of Public Administration from the University of Alaska Southeast and is completing her PhD in Organizational Leadership from North Central University. Thornton is an active volunteer with numerous organizations in Sitka including Brave Heart Volunteers, Sitka Youth Advocates and League of Women Voters. She is also the President of Sitka Rotary.

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Alaska Native regional, village, and urban corporations operate in every industry all around the state, often in regions that don’t attract attention from other corporations. Our cover story for December 2025 is an excellent example, as it covers the investment Aleut is making in its region, Unangam Tanangin, or the Aleutian Islands, which stretch 1,000 miles into the Bering Sea and Pacific Ocean. The Alaska Native special section also visits Kodiak and the handful of corporations benefiting that region, and looks back over fifty years of ANCSA corporation history and how the corporations have built, maintained, and strengthened communications and relationships with their shareholders.

Also in this issue: building a company and planning an exit strategy; several ESOPs, and UAS’ foray into a new model for tuition. Enjoy!

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