Business Examiner

The average cost for a typical American family of four receiving health care through an employer-sponsored preferred provider organization this year is $20,728, according to the 2012 Milliman Medical Index (MMI). While the 6.9 percent increase over 2011 is the lowest rate of increase in the 10 years of this study, the $1,335 increase surpasses last year’s record of $1,319.

“The average rate of increase this year dips below 7 percent for the first time since we began analyzing these costs, but the total dollar increase is still the highest we have seen,” said Lorraine Mayne, principal and consulting actuary with the Salt Lake City office of Milliman Inc. read more »

Nominations are being accepted for the Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal’s “40 Under Forty” program, which recognizes outstanding young business leaders on the Kitsap Peninsula.

Forty individuals will be recognized in the class of 2012 for the contributions they have made within their fields.

To be eligible, all of the following requirements must be met. read more »

Amina Kocer-Bowman, the 9-year-old girl who was critically injured in an accidental shooting in her third-grade classroom, will be the civilian grand marshal for the annual Armed Forces Day Parade on Saturday in Bremerton.

The girl, who was released from the hospital April 3, will ride with her family on a car in the parade, Bremerton Chamber of Commerce executive director Mike Strube confirmed.

Bremerton Mayor Patty Lent said that what the youngster has gone through in her ongoing recovery from the shooting is “almost like being a veteran.” read more »

Kitsap Mental Health Services is among the first organizations receiving federal Health Care Innovation awards. Made possible by the health care reform law — the Affordable Care Act — the awards will support 26 innovative projects nationwide that will save money, deliver high-quality medical care and enhance the health care workforce. The preliminary recipients of awards totaling $122.6 million expect to reduce health spending by $254 million over the next three years.

“We can’t wait to support innovative projects that will save money and make our health care system stronger,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. “It’s yet another way we are supporting local communities now in their efforts to provide better care and lower cost.” read more »

The bank he’s retiring from is a whole lot bigger than it was when Jim Carmichael came to Port Orchard 35 years ago, joining the executive management of Kitsap County Bank in 1977 when it had $47 million in assets and four offices.

Carmichael will retire as president and CEO at the end of June, having shepherded Kitsap Bank’s steady growth into an institution that has more than $900 million in assets and operates 21 locations across five counties in Western Washington.

“I have experienced both triumphs and great challenges during my tenure,” Carmichael said in a news release announcing his retirement. “We have achieved record growth, numerous mergers and acquisitions, assumed a failed bank, raised capital for the first time in over 50 years, and successfully navigated through the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. read more »

Gateway Fellowship Church has hired Mark W. Costa, president and CEO of the North Mason Chamber of Commerce, to be director of communications and development for the expanded Gateway Christian Schools.

Costa will oversee internal and external marketing, communications, community relations and strategic devel-opment for the Gateway Christian School, which the church has operated in Poulsbo since 1974, and Crosspoint Academy in Bremerton, which Gateway recently acquired from Seattle-based Crista Ministries.

Costa, who helped increase membership in the North Mason Chamber during his year-and-a-half tenure there, will focus on increasing enrollment at the Gateway Christian Schools. read more »

Lee Murray has been surfing since the late 1960s, starting out at age 12 in California. But several years ago, Murray discovered standup paddling — and that was pretty much the end of his surfing days. Now, he no longer has to wait for the right wind and other conditions, and can go out on the water any time.

“The paddle completely changes it. Surfing is a difficult sport and windsurfing is the same, because you have to learn so many things,” he says. “Flatwater paddling is the easiest sport to learn that I’ve seen. It’s simple — you need a board, a paddle and a swimsuit.”

Murray was so hooked into his new hobby, last October he decided to start a new business in downtown Gig Harbor, Lee’s SUP. read more »

Washington has become the first state in the nation to formally recognize a voluntary employee benefit program that encourages workers to continue their education with assistance from their employer.

Senate Bill 6141 legally defines Lifelong Learning Accounts (LiLAs), which are savings accounts funded through matching employer-employee contributions and dedicated to covering the education costs of the participating employee. The law builds on a pilot program that has operated since 2009 with employers in Thurston, Lewis, Pacific and Grays Harbor counties. read more »

Gig Harbor made Smithsonian magazine’s list of 20 best small towns in America. The list, published in April at smithsonianmag.com, included towns from across the country whose culture and lifestyle make them the best for visiting, according to the magazine.

The publication worked with a geographic information systems company to identify towns with populations under 25,000 that had a high concentration of museums, art galleries, historic sites, botanic gardens and other cultural attractions. read more »