Perkins Coie

Perkins Coie announced that Jamie Evans has joined the firm's Corporate practice as a partner in the firm's Seattle office.

Evans focuses his practice on corporate and securities law, representing leading technology and life sciences companies across a broad range of corporate legal matters. With more than two decades of experience in the technology and growth-company ecosystem, Evans advises issuers, underwriters, and other parties in public and private offerings of equity and debt securities, with particular experience counseling technology companies on their initial public offerings.

In addition to his IPO and capital markets practice, Evans advises clients on SEC reporting and governance matters. Prior to joining Perkins Coie, Evans was most recently a partner in the technology capital markets group of a global law firm.

“I'm thrilled to join Perkins Coie,” Evans said. “The firm's strong public company advisory platform, leading technology practice, and collaborative culture make it an ideal fit for my clients and practice.”

Evans earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut and his Juris Doctorate degree from UC Berkeley School of Law.

Lee & Associates

Knecht

Four years after joining Lee & Associates, Shane Knecht has been promoted to director of marketing, that firm recently announced. Its Andrea Johnson said in a statement, “Shane has consistently demonstrated creativity, professionalism and a deep commitment to supporting our brokers and growing our brand.” Knecht added, “I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunity to continue growing with Lee & Associates.”

Seattle Department of Neighborhoods

Pham

has been confirmed as director of the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods, following a unanimous Seattle City Council vote on May 19.

Pham brings more than 14 years of experience in community development, equitable investment, and local policy. She previously served as executive director of Friends of Little Saigon, where she championed cultural and economic vitality while supporting small businesses and community-driven initiatives. She also serves on the boards of Historic South Downtown and the Crescent Collaborative.

A first-generation immigrant, Pham also brings both personal perspective and professional experience to her leadership.

Her appointment marks a full-circle moment: Pham joined the very first cohort of the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods' People's Academy for Community Engagement (PACE), a program designed to help community members understand how city government works and how to navigate it to create change.

As the department celebrates its 35th anniversary, the department says it looks forward to the next chapter of connecting people, strengthening neighborhoods, and ensuring residents have a voice in policy making and decisions that impact local communities.

Zum and Seattle Public Schools

Zum, a provider of student transportation, announced it will be continuing its partnership with Seattle Public Schools (SPS) for the 2026–2027 school year.

Working with SPS since 2022, Zum plans to significantly expand operations here for the upcoming academic year. The company will add more than 130 new routes, bringing its total operations to over 280, serving students across the entire district.

Zum uses its Connected Mobility Experience (CMX), an integrated technology and operations platform that connects vehicles, drivers and school administrators in real time to optimize efficiency and communication. Zum's CMX system is used across 17 states and serves more than 4,500 schools, including several of the nation's largest public school districts.

To accommodate the additional routes and a growing fleet of over 130 new school buses, Zum says it is opening a new local facility and scaling up its workforce.

The company says it is committed to maintaining service reliability and alleviating student transportation anxieties through rigorous driver training and competitive workforce retention strategies.

PLS Engineering

Knott

PLS Engineering recently hired Kenny Knott as crew chief. He brings 10 years of experience in land surveying. Knott began his career as a crew member supporting his survey team. Knott has focused on forestry and boundary development and commercial timberland districts, topographical surveys, construction staking and residential staking projects.

CAST architecture

Kelly

CAST architecture has hired architect Meredith Kelly, who focuses on early learning and single-family residential. Her experience spans recreational, institutional, commercial, and residential projects combining sustainability with modern, approachable design. Kelly attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for her undergraduate degree in architectural studies, and earned her Master's of Architecture from the University of Washington. She is a licensed architect in Washington.

KMB architects

Eugenio

Vargas

KMB architects has two new hires: Natalie Vargas as an interior design associate, and Tyler Eugenio joining the architectural team.

Vargas recently graduated from Seattle Pacific University with a degree in interior design and is currently working with DCYF on the Echo Glen Children's Center Upper Campus visitors center predesign in Snoqualmie. She also serves as communications chair for the Pacific Northwest chapter of the Retail Design Institute.

Eugenio is a recent graduate from Washington State University with a degree in architectural design. Eugenio will support KMB's work with King County on regional animal shelter renovations in Kent.

KIRO Newsradio

KIRO Newsradio announced that its news team has been honored with seven Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards, recognizing outstanding achievements in broadcast and digital journalism.

Three of the honors reflect the team's consistent commitment to delivering timely, high-quality coverage across platforms: Overall Excellence — KIRO Newsradio; Newscast — Seattle's Morning News; Breaking News Coverage — Seattle ICE Protests Turn Violent.

In addition to these team achievements, several journalists received individual recognition for their outstanding storytelling and reporting: Excellence in Writing — The Charlie Harger Commentary by Charlie Harger; Hard News — The Boy In The Tent by Charlie Harger; Investigative Reporting — The Mayor's Letter by Charlie Harger; Sports Reporting — More Than A Home Run by Aaron Granillo.

“These awards are a testament to the dedication and passion our team brings to their work every day,” said Bryan Buckalew, director of News and Talk Programming for KIRO Newsradio. “From breaking news to in-depth investigations, our journalists are committed to informing and serving our community with accuracy, urgency, and integrity.”

The Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards are among the most prestigious honors in broadcast and digital journalism. They recognize excellence in news coverage that demonstrates the spirit of Edward R. Murrow's legacy of integrity and public service.

City of Kenmore

The city of Kenmore's “Let's Talk Kenmore” podcast won second place in the 2026 Blue Pencil & Gold Screen Awards from the National Association of Government Communicators. This annual international awards program recognizes excellent government communication products and those who produce them.

“Let's Talk Kenmore” is a lighthearted podcast aimed at connecting listeners to their local government, and to demystifying the role of government in the city of Kenmore. The podcast was launched in April of 2024 and is hosted by city's Engineering Administrative Specialist Amber Clifton. The show covers a range of topics ranging anywhere from summer activities and recreation to what to expect at City Council meetings. It's available on the city's website or wherever you get your podcast.

Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories

Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL) announced the recipients of the SEL Scholarship Program for the 2026–27 academic year. This year, SEL awarded 15 scholarships — 13 valued at $5,000 and two at $2,500 — to outstanding students pursuing degrees in engineering and applied technology.

In addition to financial support, the SEL Scholarship Program reflects the long-standing commitment of SEL to education, innovation and empowering the next generation of engineers and technologists. By investing in students who demonstrate both technical promise and strong character, SEL aims to support future leaders who will help make electric power safer, more reliable and more economical.

Meet the scholars:

Bhavana Shree Pothuri, electrical engineering, Texas A&M University

Laura Harris, computer engineering, University of Idaho

Miram Elag, electrical engineering, Purdue University

Mason Heiner, electrical engineering, University of Idaho

Andrew Hunt, electrical engineering, Washington State University

Roslynn Movius, electrical engineering technology, Lewis-Clark State College

William Ingels, computer engineering, Michigan Technological University

Silas Smith, computer engineering, Colorado School of Mines

Jared McCrory, engineering, Whitworth University

Charles Liu, computer science, Washington State University

Chiagoziem Nzewi, electrical engineering, Drexel University

Mame Diop, electrical engineering, University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Scott Sagen, electrical engineering, Boise State University

Kolby Uhlenkott, electrical engineering, Montana Technological University

Micah Spencer, robotics and communications systems engineering technology, Idaho State University

SEL invents, designs and builds digital products and systems that protect power grids around the world. This technology prevents blackouts and enables customers to improve power system reliability, safety and cost. SEL, a 100% employee-owned company that is headquartered in Pullman, has manufactured products in the United States since 1984 and now serves customers in 174 countries. SEL provides unmatched technical support, customer service and a 10-year worldwide warranty.

Skanska

Gabales

Skanska, a global construction and development firm, has hired Ivi Gabales as senior director-business development strategist for its Seattle office. Gabales brings nearly 20 years of experience across architecture, engineering, marketing and business development leadership in the architecture, engineering and construction industry, including roles at Rice Fergus Miller, Glumac and BCRA, as well as leading her own AEC consulting practice.

In her new role, Gabales will lead strategic business development initiatives focused on strengthening client relationships, expanding market opportunities, and supporting long-term growth across key sectors in the Pacific Northwest.

“Ivi's experience across the AEC industry, combined with her strong relationships throughout the region, makes her an important addition to our team,” said Don Kowalchuk, executive vice president and general manager, Skanska USA Building in Seattle. “She brings the strategic mindset and market understanding needed to help us build on our momentum in Seattle and identify new opportunities across the Pacific Northwest.”

Gabales began her career as an architect before moving into marketing and business development leadership.

Gabales holds a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of the Philippines and serves on the boards of the Seattle Architecture Foundation and the Filipino American Construction Professionals of the Northwest (FACPROS).

Port of Bremerton

The Port of Bremerton has been honored with the Washington Public Port Association's Community Outreach Award, recognizing the port's public outreach efforts tied to its Airport Feasibility Study.

The award highlights the port's commitment to transparency, accessibility, and meaningful public participation in evaluating the potential introduction of passenger and/or cargo service at Bremerton National Airport. This initiative displays long-term implications for both regional economic development and local quality of life, and in recognizing the significance of this project, the port prioritized robust community engagement from the onset.

The port used a multi-channel outreach strategy to ensure that residents and stakeholders of Kitsap County had opportunities to learn about the project and share feedback. These efforts included a community-wide survey that exceeded response expectations, a hybrid public open house, and ongoing communication through social media, newsletters and dedicated project websites. The port used these means to identify and directly address key community concerns, and those insights are helping shape the continued work of the study.

Fora Landscape Architects

Shoji-Jeevanjee

Gastmans

Lewis

Hermsen

Jones

Chan

At Fora Landscape Architects, Abby Jones and KC Hermsen have been promoted to senior associate. Isa Lewis has been promoted to designer II. New team members include Alderik Gastmans, Sonia Shoji-Jeevanjee, and Nancy Chan.

Jones' promotion reflects her success managing large and complex projects in the K-12 education and mixed-use realms. Recent notable work includes Illahee Middle School, Crescent Harbor Elementary School and the Everett Riverfront Development.

Hermsen began at Fora with a strong background in mixed-use and transit-oriented design projects as well as campus planning and high-rise tower projects. At Fora, Hermsen continues this work delivering projects such as Amazon AUS20, 11040 Main and Lake Stevens Elementary School #8.

Lewis' promotion recognizes success with complex community-oriented design projects, including award-winning projects like the Snoqualmie Tribe Harvest Kitchen, College Place Campus and Evergreen Transition Sensory Garden. Lewis has also lead the development of Fora's internal carbon calculator and established goals for the firm's climate action work.

Gastmans joins Fora with 25 years of experience in the landscape industry, from landscape construction to design/build to irrigation auditing. He has successfully guided design and construction processes for large public athletic field complex projects, parks, and a range of educational K-12 school campus projects.

Shoji-Jeevanjee brings wide-ranging experience in mixed-use residential, parks and school design across Southern California. She has expertise in visual communication and hand graphics, creative design thinking, thoughtful team coordination, project management and client communication skills.

Chan brings a background in journalism and graphic design to the landscape architecture field, using those skills to weave storytelling and visual communication through her work. She has over 12 years of experience in a diverse range of urban projects including mixed-use communities, multi-family residential, open space/transit projects and commercial office developments.

DLR Group

Binder

St. Cyr

DLR Group announced the promotions of Adam St. Cyr and Bob Binder to corporate leadership roles. With more than 25 years of architectural and strategic leadership experience, St. Cyr is now a managing principal. He is credited with growing the Texas region from two offices, 72 employees, and $17.5 million in revenue in 2022 to four offices, 134 employees, and $67.6 million in revenue. He works with the K-12 Education studio and DLR Group's project management systems, leadership development and cross-office collaboration.

With over 30 years of leadership at DLR Group, Binder has been promoted to senior principal. His key achievements include expanding the K-12 education sector in Colorado, being appointed Southwest region higher education leader in 2015, and driving 73% growth in gross revenue across the firm's Colorado Springs, Denver, Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Tucson offices in just three years. DLR Group's Seattle office opened in 1986.

Deacon Construction

Peeples

Deacon Construction has added Steven Peeples as division manager for Special Projects in its Seattle office.

Peeples brings more than 25 years of leadership experience in real estate development, construction management, and operations across multifamily, mixed-use, hospitality, and commercial projects throughout the Pacific Northwest. His background spans both owner/developer and general contractor perspectives, giving him a well-rounded command of preconstruction, budgeting, scheduling, entitlement strategy, and full-cycle project execution.

Known for building collaborative, high-performing teams and delivering strong outcomes for clients and stakeholders, Deacon says that his proactive approach and deep industry relationships make Peeples a valuable addition.

Mutual of Enumclaw

Peterson

Mutual of Enumclaw recently hired industry veteran Joe Peterson as its new vice president of claims and chief claims officer.

Peterson joins the MOE team with more than 20 years of claims leadership experience, most recently serving as vice president – P&C Claims at Zenith Insurance Company. In that role, he was responsible for the strategic and operational leadership of the Agribusiness Claims organization, with a focus on performance, innovation, and organizational alignment.

Previously, Peterson held senior leadership roles at Zenith, including assistant vice president and director of casualty claims, with oversight of complex casualty and litigation portfolios. Over the course of his career, Peterson has a reputation for building strong culture with a focus on the development of the claims team. He also held multiple claims leadership positions at Allied/Nationwide Insurance, where he built and led high-performing teams and reinforced technical excellence.

Mutual of Enumclaw is a Washington-based regional insurer specializing in personal, business, and farm and ranch coverage.

ACI Mechanical & HVAC Sales

Keller

ACI Mechanical & HVAC Sales has named Tyler Keller vice president, Data Center Solutions. Keller brings more than 17 years of experience driving revenue growth, with expertise in hyperscale, colocation and AI infrastructure, combined with a strong engineering background. Keller will lead ACI's data center solutions division, focusing on expanding the company's presence and supporting both existing and emerging client relationships.

Prior to joining ACI, Keller served as global account manager, Enterprise Solutions on Carrier's Global Data Center team. Earlier in his career, he held roles at Automated Logic, a Carrier company, managing large-scale automation projects for global enterprise clients across various markets.

Headquartered in Seattle, an ESOP company, ACI Mechanical & HVAC Sales is an the Pacific Northwest's premier partner for commercial HVAC applications. ACI collaborates with consulting engineers, contractors, and their customers to deliver solutions in data centers, industrial, education, commercial office, and healthcare. ACI is a team 55 degreed sales engineers and project professionals working with over 50 equipment manufacturers.

Liberty Bank

Woods

Liberty Bank announced the appointment of Rob Woods as executive vice president and chief financial officer.

Woods brings decades of financial leadership and community banking experience to Liberty Bank, which is based in Poulsbo. Prior to joining the organization, he spent more than 20 years with SaviBank, where he was a founding member and chief financial officer.

Earlier in his career, Woods held the role of chief financial officer at Columbia Trust Bank in Kennewick and gained additional experience with several financial institutions, including the Federal Home Loan Bank.

Woods holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from Western Washington University and a Master of Finance from Seattle University. He also completed advanced banking studies at the University of South Carolina's Graduate School of Bank Investments and Financial Management.

Liberty Bank is a locally owned community bank.

Cameron MacAllister Group

Ferriss

Davis

Bergeron

Dennis-van Dijl

Frantz

Wilson

Gilday

Cameron MacAllister Group (CMG), a California-based consulting and marketing firm serving A/E/C clients throughout the country, has added seven principals to its ownership team: Kate Frantz and Saskia Dennis-van Dijl who are based in the Pacific Northwest, and Tiffany Bergeron, Clark Davis, Lori Ferriss, Larisa Forester Gilday, and Scott Wilson who serve clients nationwide including the Seattle area.

CMG was founded 40 years ago by Mark Cameron and has now grown to a team of 20. Cameron is stepping down from formal ownership and will remain active as a consultant.

Parametrix

Arizmendiz

Randy Arizmendiz has joined Parametrix as a senior principal engineer. He brings 20 years of experience planning, designing, and delivering advanced wastewater treatment systems for municipal and industrial clients throughout the West Coast.

Arizmendiz comes to Parametrix from Revida Water, where he served as vice president of engineering and construction. His experience includes large-scale organics-to-energy facilities, anaerobic digestion and renewable natural gas systems, advanced wastewater treatment, industrial water reuse, and integrated energy recovery infrastructure.

At Parametrix, he joins the firm's water division, which provides electrical and supervisory control and data acquisition, flood control, stormwater, wastewater, and drinking water services to cities, counties, water districts and others throughout the Northwest.