Summer Arbogast has been promoted to manager of First Independent's Hazel Dell Branch. She joined the bank in 2010 as manager of a smaller branch in Cascade Park. She has more than 14 years of banking experience.

VHPR clients Baker Boyer Bank of Walla Walla and First Independent of Vancouver topped the state in Return on Equity for the first six months of 2011, according to the Seattle Times.

First Independent Bank was featured on the cover of Portland Business Journal's August 26 issue in an article about regional banks serving the healthcare market. With more than 100 medical industry clients already, First Independent's medical specialty division is expected to further fuel the bank's expansion.

Tamara Ferguson, First Independent branch manager, has been elected President of the Salmon Creek Business Group for 2011-2012.

First Independent Bank has awarded four SW Washington graduates $2,000 scholarships to attend Clark College in the fall.

Ronald E. Emmerson and Patrick Kelley named to the board of First Independent Bank

Smart Strategies for Women: a Conversation presented by First Independent Bank

Boyd Vander Houwen was quoted in a Mercer Island Reporter article by Terry Pile, discussing the accessibility of social media to job hunters and businesses alike.

The S&P traded lower on Tuesday, with chatter on the Street suggesting that inflation was quickly creeping back into the picture. VHPR friend and CNBC regular, Patty Edwards, talks about inflation and where you should be investing your money.

Longtime VHPR friend, Patty Edwards of Trutina Financial, weighs in on Microsoft on CNBC. "It's more of a bank than it is a technology company at this point. It's got so much cash," said Edwards, chief investment officer at Trutina Financial. "And the fact of the matter is, Kinect is really, really, really cool. But it's so small, it's never going to move the needle." To read the full article, visit CNBC's site at www.cnbc.com/id/40964996.

Patty Edwards of Trutina Financial, and longtime friend of VHPR, appears on CNBC on "Tweet the Street."

Megan Clubb, President & CEO of Baker Boyer Bank, brings you an update on the state of the bank, the local economy, and nation-wide regulatory reform.

My spouse and I just extended our membership to David Barton Gym in the Bravern complex in Bellevue. Since a bicycle jersey and spandex shorts are as close as you'll come to seeing me sans clothes, it wasn't their eye-catching tagline "Look Better Naked" that hooked us.

Baker Boyer Bank will close its Weston branch later this year in a cost-cutting move that will leave the community of less than 1,000 residents without a bank.

To read more visit the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin website at union-bulletin.com/stories/2010/7/23/baker-boyer-to-shutter-weston-branch.

Baker Boyer Bank was honored for the sixth consecutive year as one of the "2010 Best Companies to Work For" in the state by Seattle Business magazine.

Check out the new look of the Washington Federal Savings Bank website - http://www.wfsl.com/.  It is being updated by section and it's interesting to see that the search engines have been quick to scan the updated copy in each section. Great argument for keeping your website content up to date!

When Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner talked this week with community bankers from Washington state, two voices from Walla Walla were in the room. Megan Clubb, Banker Boyer Bank president, and Banner Bank President Mike Jones were among a group of bank presidents who met Tuesday with Geithner in Tacoma.

Seattle, WA – For the first time in more than 25 years, Washington Federal Savings is updating its company image and launching a new brand identity.  New signs are already being installed at many of the company’s Western Washington locations. Work will continue locally through early May. The company-wide initiative centers around shortening the corporate name to “Washington Federal” and re-branding the branches recently acquired from both Horizon Bank and First Mutual Bank.  All will operate under the “Washington Federal” name going forward.

SEATTLE – Washington Federal, Inc. (Nasdaq: WFSL), parent company of Washington Federal, today announced earnings of $82,111,000 or $.73 per diluted share for the quarter ended March 31, 2010, compared to $8,410,000 or $.10 per diluted share for the same period one year ago.

On Thursday, Fortune Bank announced it will try to raise $450 million in new capital in hopes of acquiring Northwest banks that have been weakened by the recession and real-estate.