Clark County business briefs

People in business

• Kaiser Permanente Northwest has hired Kenneth R. Wright as executive director of dental services. Wright will lead clinical and financial operations for the Dental Care Program, which serves more than 190,000 members in 17 facilities. Dr. Wright, a board-certified periodontist, served as the chief of dental services for Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Alexandria, La., prior to joining Kaiser.

• Port of Vancouver Executive Director Larry Paulson has received the 2011 Distinguished Service Award from the Pacific Northwest Waterways Association. The award recognizes Paulson for a lifetime of achievements supporting the Northwest port community. Paulson, an attorney and retired brigadier general with the Oregon Air National Guard, joined the port in 1997. He plans to retire from the port in April 2012 and the port’s deputy executive director, Todd Coleman, will succeed Paulson as the port’s new chief.

• Amy Price has been promoted to branch manager at Riverview Community Bank’s Battle Ground office. Price has worked for Riverview for nine years, serving as assistant manager in Stevenson and Battle Ground.

• The Washington State Bar Association has announced that Chehalis attorney Brian J. Kelly has been elected governor for District 3. He was sworn in for a three-year term at the annual awards banquet in September. He assumed the Board of Governors position that had been held by Vancouver attorney Loren S. Etengoff.

• Columbia Machine Inc., a family-owned palletizer manufacturer, has hired Pat O’Connor as business development manager. He will expand Columbia’s presence with major accounts and contribute to the enhancement of Columbia’s palletizer product line.

Other business briefs

• The Infrastructure Assistance Coordinating Council held its annual Infrastructure Awards program in Wenatchee in mid-October. The city of Washougal received the Community Facilities Infrastructure Award for the pedestrian tunnel project between downtown and the Columbia River waterfront. The city of Camas earned the Creative Solutions Award. Camas constructed the Washougal River Greenway Trail Bridge. The Washougal River pedestrian bridge and greenway trail was the final link of a larger project that began more than 20 years ago.