Movers & Shakers March 4, 2010
Benefits firm offers help to employers
At least 100 Idaho businesses have been affected by the sudden closure of Boise-based XpressFlex, an employee benefits firm providing flexible spending account administration services to area employers. XpressFlex shut its doors and froze all accounts on Tuesday amid FBI investigation according to the Idaho Statesman.
Advanced Benefits Management of Coeur d'Alene, a licensed third party administrator since 2002 for flex spending accounts, COBRA and other services, is offering to assist employers caught in the situation. For the month of March, Advanced will waive customary new-group set-up fees and waive the first month's participant administration fees for all groups affected by the XpressFlex closure.
Advanced currently serves more than 300 employer groups throughout the northwest, including Ada County, city of Boise, Idaho Falls School District, North Idaho College, as well as many privately owned companies. Advanced has been one of the few administration companies doing business in Idaho that is actually licensed through the Department of Insurance and is bonded to protect their customers.
Direct all inquiries to Rachel Fletcher, Advanced Benefits Management's sales executive, at 208-277-1040 or e-mail at rfletcher@mybenefits247.com To learn more about Advanced, visit www.mybenefits247.com
Lubrication for education
Oil Can Henry's is offering $84,000 in college scholarships. Each participating Oil Can Henry's location will award one scholarship.
Students can apply at http://www.oilcanhenrys.com/scholarship/. Applications must be postmarked by April 7. High school seniors are encouraged to apply for one of the 84 $1,000 college scholarships offered by Oil Can Henry's.
Scholarship finalists will be selected on the basis of academic record, leadership, participation in school and community activities, and work experience.
All high school seniors planning to continue their education by enrolling in full-time undergraduate study at an accredited two-year or four-year college or vocational-technical school are eligible.
The application requires a high school transcript and a 300-word essay on "What trust means to me."
Hession joins Blue Water
Blue Water Technologies, Inc. hired Dennis Hession as director of special projects.
Hession, a management executive and business lawyer, recently served as mayor of Spokane, following terms as a city council member and city council president. He has been active as a civic leader for many years, serving on the board of directors of the Association of Washington Cities and as legal advisor to the National League of Cities.
Hession graduated from Gonzaga University with a bachelor's degree in psychology and minors in chemistry and biology. He also earned a law degree from Gonzaga and holds a master of laws in taxation from the University of Florida. Mr. Hession is currently a member of the Faculty of the Gonzaga University School of Law. In his career as a lawyer he specialized in municipal securities and municipal law and represented many governmental entities.
Hession serves as the chairman of the Public Works Board of the state of Washington. As Director of Special Projects he will lead Blue Water's business group featuring renewable energy from municipal wastewater treatment plants.
"I visited Blue Water when I was mayor and was very impressed with their vision and innovative treatment solutions," he said in a press release. "Sharing with local governments the Blue Water science that would convert waste from their wastewater treatment facilities to renewable energy was an opportunity I could not pass up."
Blue Water President Tom Daugherty said he is excited about adding a man of Hession's caliber to the team.
"Dennis has an incredible background understanding the challenges faced by municipalities across the nation," he said. "He was recently on the short list for the Region 10 EPA Administrator. Blue Water will benefit greatly from his understanding of environmental resource issues. We look forward to his leadership for our renewable energy group."
If you have a new, relocated or expanded business, or announcement of events, promotions or awards, The Press wants to let our readers know. The service is free and items run Tuesday through Saturday. To get the word on the street on your movers and shakers, call city editor Bill Buley at 664-8176 Ext. 2016 or e-mail bbuley@cdapress.com.