The Alaska Health Education Consortium has awarded Vivian Echavarria its Barbara Berger Award for Excellence. Echavarria, who is a certified health education specialist with a master's degree in public health, works as assistant administrator for the Alaska Native Medical Center. The award recognizes several of Echavarria's career accomplishments, including her establishment of the first Women, Infants and Children program in the Bristol Bay region and Echavarria's training and orientation of healthcare providers and educators in health education methodology for Alaska Natives.

Naomi Orot, a junior at East Anchorage High School, and Andy Christopherson, a senior at West High School, are conducting internships at the Alaska Export Assistance Center. The internships are conducted through the Anchorage School District Gifted Mentorship Program. The students will spend an aggregate total of three months interning part-time with the center, a field unit of the United States Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

The Alaska Hotel & Lodging Association recently announced its 2002-2003 board of directors. The executive committee included: chairman, Jeff Butcher, Hotel Halsingland; president, Frank Rose, Denali Bluffs Hotel and Grande Denali Lodge; vice president, Jack Reiss, Denali Park Resorts; and secretary/treasurer, Jon Faulkner, Land's End Resort. Regional directors are Chris von Imhof, Alyeska Prince Hotel; Brad Snowden, Hotel Seward; Jeannette Duenow, Nana Management Services, Hotel Division; Sharlene Berg, Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge; Patty Fitzpatrick, Hampton Inn; Jane Greenwood, BW Kodiak; and Susan Motter, Spring Hill Suites Fairbanks. Allied directors include Walt Leffek, Hospitality Resources & Concepts; Randy Comer, ReMax Properties; and Clayton Halverson, Bond, Stephens & Johnson. Past presidents serving on the board are Cathy Schultz, Sophie Station Hotel; Max Lowe, Millennium Hotel Anchorage; Dennis Lavey, Day's Inn Hotel; Alan Budahl, Anchorage Marriott Downtown; Bill Dugdale, Westmark Anchorage; and Terry Latham, Best Western Golden Lion.

Summit Mortgage has hired Danny Elliott as a mortgage loan originator. Elliott has six years experience in the mortgage-lending industry. Elliott has a bachelor's degree from Harding University.

AMC Engineers/Adams, Morgenthaler and Co. Inc. has promoted Mark D. Langberg to associate engineer. Langberg, a professional engineer, has worked as a mechanical engineer on the Dimond High Replacement School project, which is in its final construction stages. Langberg, who has worked at AMC for the past six years, is involved in engineering, construction and commissioning several projects in the state, for clients including the Anchorage and Juneau school districts, the University of Alaska and the Alaska Court System.

Kuhn

Koonce Pfeffer Bettis has hired Jeff Caguioa as an intern architect. Caguioa holds a five-year architectural degree from Saint Louis University in Baguio, Philippines. The architectural, landscape architectural, and interior design firm has hired Karen Hume as a finance assistant. Hume has 17 years of finance accounting.

Dennis McMillian will take over as full-time president of the Foraker Group by April 1. McMillian has served as president of both United Way of Anchorage and the Foraker Group since the formation of Foraker in 2000. A 22-year veteran of the United Way system, McMillian started with the United Way of Anchorage in 1992.