BCWI names top Christian work places

The top 33 Christian work places nationwide were recently announced at the Christian Leadership Conference in Dallas, Texas. The Best Christian Workplace Institute (BCWI), a human resources consulting firm on Mercer Island, selected the winners after surveying more than 7,800 employees across the United States to identify work places with a Christian mission. This year, three Washington state businesses received awards: Bellevue Christian School, Bellevue; the Tacoma Rescue Mission, Tacoma; and Logos Research Systems Inc., Bellingham.

BCWI’s survey consists of 56 questions about overall employee satisfaction and involvement, management effectiveness, personal development opportunities, pay and benefits, team work and Christian culture — personal character, leadership, integrity and honesty. The survey also gages whether or not “employees feel the organization is reflecting Christ in the world,” said Al Lopus, who co-founded BCWI in 2002 with Helen Lee, a former editor of Christianity Today.

BCWI has operated on Mercer Island for six years and has a staff of four employees. Its vision is to “help Christian organizations set the standard as the best, most effective work places in the world.”

BCWI is located at 9311 S.E. 36th St., Suite 120, on Mercer Island. For more information, visit www.bcwinstitute.com.

WoodenO grant from Allen Family Foundation

The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation has announced the recipients for its most recent award cycle. The $11 million in charitable contributions distributed last month were to 77 different agencies in five western states. This included more than $5 million for arts and culture grants, $3 million for communities and social change and $3.6 million for youth engagement work.

The Foundation issued a $5,000 grant to WoodenO Theatre through the Seattle Shakespeare Festival for their Summer Shakespeare in the Park series. The series has played in Mercer Island parks during the summer months for many years.

According to a press release, a great percentage of the funds went directly to finance what the foundation calls “new models for education.” Education grants of note include a $600,000 grant over three years to Highline School District in Des Moines, Wash., for the district’s aviation high school and a $1.6-million grant was given to the Technology Access Foundation to establish a secondary school in Federal Way to promote academic achievement for minority and low-income youth. For more details on Allen Family Foundation grants, go to PGAfamilyfoundation.org.

TV stars

Islanders Hiro Nishimura and E. Jaye Thompson appear to be on the cusp of a new career. The two WWII veterans from Mercer Island can be seen in a network television advertisement for Puget Sound Energy showcasing alternative energy sources that the company has been developing.

“Someone called the post commander looking for a couple of WWII veterans, and they got us,” Thompson, 89, explained. The two stood and posed for a half hour, wearing their uniforms on the steps of the VFW hall. The commercial shows the pair for just a few seconds. “I wished they would have shown more of the hall,” Thompson said. “We have been working on it.”

Thompson and his wife have heard from several people who have seen the commercial but have only seen it once themselves.

College Night party

The Mercer Island Boys & Girls Club is planning a college-themed fundraiser for Club parents and adults on Saturday evening, May 31, at the Club at 2825 West Mercer Way .

The evening will feature live music from Seattle’s hot party band, “The Disco Ballz,” and will include cocktails and dinner, silent and live auctions, music and dancing, and your favorite college party games

Party-goers are encouraged to wear school colors, Greek letters, jerseys, togas or favorite college gear.

The cost is $75 per person, $150 per couple. Seating is limited. Please RSVP to Jeremy Peck at jpeck@positiveplace.org or (206) 436-1949 by May 16.

Veith appointed

Richard Veith of Mercer Island has been appointed to the Western State Hospital Advisory Board for a term effective on March 10, 2009 and ending Dec. 31, 2009. Veith is the chair of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington School of Medicine. He is currently a member of the Executive Committee, UW Medicine Physicians, Board of Trustees, UW Medicine Physicians and previously a member of Board of Directors, UW Neighborhood Clinics, UW Medicine. The Western State Hospital Board monitors the operation and activities of the hospital; reviews and advises the hospital budget; makes recommendations to the governor and the legislature for improving the quality of service provided by the hospital; and consults with the secretary of DSHS regarding the selection of superintendent.

Manuel Cawaling is new director at YTN

Youth Theatre Northwest (YTN) has announced the selection of Manuel Cawaling as executive director. Cawaling brings extensive experience in arts and education to YTN, most recently as the managing director of the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center in Seattle.

Cawaling has a special connection to Youth Theatre Northwest. He has directed several productions for the theatre, including “A Story of Sadako” and “Beauty and the Beast.” Cawaling has a long history in the visual and theatrical arts in the region.

Prior to joining Langston Hughes, Cawaling held leadership roles at other arts organizations, including Northwest Asian American Theatre, Seattle Children’s Museum and Wing Luke Asian Museum. Manuel is also a member of the Public Art Committee of the Seattle Office of Arts and Culture and was appointed by the mayor to be a Seattle Center Advisory Commissioner.

“We are thrilled to have Manuel leading the team,” said Doreen Kindred, co-president of the Board of Directors. “His expertise will enable us to continue to fulfill the theatre’s mission to serve the youth of the Puget Sound region by providing an environment for excellence in arts education.”

Cawaling rounds out an extraordinarily talented team, including Mimi Katano, artistic director, who has been with YTN for nine years, and Amanda Lee Williams, education and outreach director.

“Manuel is a superb choice for executive director, and he comes to the theatre at an auspicious time,” said John Gordon Hill, long-time director and past board president. “July marks YTN’s 25th anniversary, and we are reaching out to our alumni, many of whom have worked with Manuel. We believe his vision and creativity, with the support of our families and alumni, will take YTN to new heights.” YTN will be hosting a year of special programming for alumni, current students and the community.

YTN’s next production is “Phantom Tollbooth,” on the Mainstage May 30 – June 14. This summer, YTN will be producing “Pigs! The Rock Musical,” “Charlotte’s Web,” and “Cinderella” as well as its summer camps.

For more information, go to www.youththeatre.org.

Graham Nichol honored

The American Heart Association (AHA) presented an Award of Meritorious Achievement on April 29 to Dr. Graham Nichol, M.D., M.P.H., a Mercer Island resident, professor of medicine and director of the Harborview Center for Prehospital Emergency Care at the University of Washington in Seattle. The award, presented at AHA’s 2008 “You’re the Cure on the Hill” Awards Luncheon in Washington, D.C., recognizes individuals for specific, significant accomplishments or projects that affect the association nationally.

Nichol and Dr. Lance Becker, M.D., professor of emergency medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, received the award for their work as founders of the association’s Resuscitation Science Symposium.