Biz Bits: SEL promotes employee to chief technology officer
PULLMAN — A top engineer at Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories in Pullman has been promoted.
Greg Zweigle is now SEL’s chief technology officer, a role formerly held by SEL founder and President Edmund O. Schweitzer III, according to an SEL news release.
Zweigle most recently was an SEL research and development fellow engineer, leading research and software teams, a job he had held since 2013.
In Zweigle’s new role, he will set the technical direction of the company, collaborating with executives and technical experts as SEL develops innovative technologies, according to the news release.
“(Zweigle) has played a key role in the invention and design of so many SEL products,” said Schweitzer, who will continue as president and chairman of the board of directors of SEL.
“(Zweigle’s) creative and intelligent in his approach, but he’s also a back-to-the-basics guy, and I love that,” Schweitzer said. “When you start with first principles, you will get the right answers.”
Zweigle joined SEL in 1998 as a developer engineer. Over the years, he held a variety of roles in research and development at SEL involving the development of protective relays, software and programmable integrated circuits. He holds 32 patents and has co-authored more than 36 technical papers.
Like Schweitzer, he holds a doctorate from Washington State University.
Zweigle has a bachelor’s from Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa, a master’s in both chemistry and electrical engineering from WSU and a doctorate in electrical engineering and computer science. Schweitzer’s doctorate is in electrical engineering.
SEL is the largest private employer in the region. Its headquarters and largest manufacturing site are in Pullman where it employs 2,712. It has a manufacturing facility in Lewiston with 943 employees and recently debuted a new printed circuit board factory in Moscow that has a staff of 55.
They are among more than 5,500 employees SEL has at offices around the world.
SEL invents, designs and builds digital products and systems that protect power grids. The technology prevents blackouts and allows customers to improve power system reliability and safety.
Palouse hospitals announce additions of new health care providers
MOSCOW — Three physicians have joined Gritman Medical Center in Moscow and an oncologist has started treating patients at a practice that’s a joint venture of three hospitals on the Palouse.
The new faces at Gritman Medical Center are as follows:
Dr. Steve Bii, a pediatrician at Moscow Family Medicine Downtown clinic at 623 S. Main St. A primary care provider and pediatric hospitalist, Bii sees children from the time they are infants through adolescence. He most recently completed a pediatric residency at Seattle Children’s Hospital. Originally from Kenya, Bii’s medical degree is from Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. The telephone number of his clinic in Moscow is (208) 882-2011.
Dr. Cameron Jones at Gritman’s Moscow Family Medicine Westside clinic at 2500 W. A St. A southeastern Idaho native and graduate of the University of Iowa’s medical school, Jones treats patients at all stages of life. He most recently completed a residency in family medicine and a fellowship in rural medicine at Kootenai Health in Coeur d’Alene. The telephone number of his clinic is (208) 874-0075.
Dr. Adam Kappmeyer at Gritman Internal Medicine at 719 S. Main St. A graduate of Logos School in Moscow, Kappmeyer learned about Gritman as a middle school and high school student shadowing health-care providers in the emergency department. He also served as a junior volunteer, stuffing envelopes for and hanging coats at hospital fundraisers. A University of Idaho graduate, he earned his medical degree through the WWAMI Medical Education Program. WWAMI is the medical school at University of Washington for the states of Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho. Kappmeyer most recently completed a residency in internal medicine and pediatrics at Strong Memorial Hospital at the University of Rochester in New York. The telephone number of his practice is (208) 883-1152.
At the same time, Dr. Rajeev Rajendra has joined Palouse Oncology & Hematology at 803 S. Main St. Suite A in Moscow. The specialty practice is a joint venture of Gritman, Pullman Regional Hospital and Whitman Hospital and Medical Clinics in Colfax. Rajendra accepts patients through physician referrals. He most recently was the medical director of internal medicine, hematology and oncology at the Cow Creek Health and Wellness Center in Roseburg, Ore. The other provider in the practice is Jonathan Holloway, a nurse practitioner with specialized training in cancer treatment. The telephone number of their practice is (208) 882-1778.
Williams may be contacted at ewilliam@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2261.
