UNR professor honored; new escrow officer

University of Nevada, Reno electrical engineering professor John Kleppe was honored with the inaugural Olympus Lifetime of Educational Innovation Award for his 37-year record as an innovative engineering educator.

He was honored at the 10th annual Meeting of the National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance held Thursday in Portland, Ore.

The award recognizes faculty members who have demonstrated a sustained contribution throughout their career to stimulating and inspiring innovative thinking in students in their own universities and throughout academia.

"Dr. Kleppe is the most effective person I have ever known in connecting academia and entrepreneurship with social responsibility, doing it all in a manner that students find strongly motivating," said Paul MacCready, father of human powered flight, who was selected as Engineer of the Century.

Western Title hired Kim Thompson as a new escrow officer for its 301 W. Washington St., Carson City, branch. Visit www.westerntitle.net.

Landmark Homes Design Center, located in their corporate headquarters on Damonte Ranch Parkway, 985 Damonte Ranch Parkway, suite 300, is open by appointment only for home buyers who are under contract for a new Landmark Home.

The center will be offering an open house twice a month (the second Saturday 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and the third Wednesday 5-8 p.m.). New buyers may view many options and upgrades available to them in their new Landmark home.

The design center is managed by Ann Marie Walsh, who is responsible for organizing all trade partners, products and the design and creation of the new design center.

Visit Landmark Homes on the Internet at www.landmarkhomes.com.

Those interested in learning how to develop a plan for marketing nature tourism in their communities are invited to attend an April 5 event at the Piñon Plaza in Carson City. The 9 a.m.-noon workshop draws on the lessons learned in a recent Nature Tourism Marketing Plan commissioned by the Fallon Convention & Tourism Authority. The cost is $30, or $75 for the two-day program, including the Wildlife Festivals Forum. For information contact Karen Killebrew, (530) 878-1330 or e-mail karen@NatureMedia.net. Visit www.cawatchablewildlife.org/conferences.htm.

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Employer Lynx, Inc., of Carson City, was awarded a four-year contract by the State of Nevada Department of Administration Purchasing Division to perform background investigations for various state agencies. The scope of work will allow state agencies to select from 26 specific background investigations from a menu system.

"The addition of public agencies within the state of Nevada system is an important component in the continued growth of Employer Lynx. It will enable us to expand our portfolio of pre-employment and background investigation services, which will benefit our entire member roster by providing added value in areas not previously offered," said Doug Moser, account executive and client liaison.

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1-800-Flowers.com recently announced its new West Coast expansion into Reno, which will serve as a distribution center for their Plow & Hearth brand, which specializes in gifts for the home, hearth, yard and garden.

Plow and Hearth has experienced significant growth since it was acquired by 1-800-Flowers.com in 1998 and was included on Inc. magazine's list of the 500 fastest growing companies in America for four consecutive years.

1-800-Flowers.com is leasing a 140,000-square-foot distribution center from DP Partners, a Reno industrial development company. In addition to the new Reno distribution center, Plow & Hearth products are also fulfilled through their Madison, Va., and Vandalia, Ohio, locations.

According to the company, the Reno center will greatly enhance Plow & Hearth's shipping capabilities to their western region customers.

The distribution center is located in the DP Partners LogistiCenter, east Reno at 625 Waltham Way, suite 101-102.

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The Southern Nevada Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners honored State Commissioner of Insurance Alice A. Molasky-Arman with a Woman of Distinction award at its eighth annual awards ceremony held in Las Vegas this month.

This year, 14 organizations were chosen to nominate an honoree in their field. The National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors of Southern Nevada unanimously selected Molasky-Arman as the insurance/financial services recipient of this prestigious award.

• Contact reporter Becky Bosshart at bbosshart@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1212.