Oct 27, 2026

UMC

Giffin

UMC Inc. announced that Jeff Giffin has been named district energy manager. He will focus on helping campuses, healthcare systems, communities, utilities and large facility owners address their most pressing infrastructure challenges.

Giffen has nearly two decades of experience in high-performance building systems, energy efficiency, decarbonization, and sustainable energy infrastructure. He began his career at the University of British Columbia in progressively senior roles, ultimately serving as energy conservation manager and leading major energy efficiency and decarbonization initiatives, including a campus-wide steam-to-hot-water conversion and the development of a bioenergy cogeneration facility.

He went on to serve as a project engineer with Enwave Energy before joining Corix as regional manager for the Pacific Northwest, where he led the development and operation of low-carbon district energy systems, including the Bellingham District Energy Utility.

His relationship with UMC began as a client, working alongside the company on several successful design-build projects over the past five years, an experience that ultimately influenced his decision to join the organization.

One of the most significant projects of Giffin's career was UBC's $88 million steam-to-hot-water conversion project, which replaced a century-old campus steam system with a modern, medium-temperature hot water network.

UMC started in 1920 as a mechanical contracting company in the Pacific Northwest and has grown into a firm that supports every stage of the building lifecycle, from planning and construction to optimization, maintenance, and long-term performance.

Oct 22, 2026

BERK Consulting

Lobel

BERK Consulting has announced that Bryan Lobel has joined the firm as a senior associate.

Lobel is an urban planner with over 17 years of experience. His work spans economic development strategy, industrial land and market analysis, GMA subarea and housing planning, and land capacity analysis. He has a particular focus on information design to support complex analysis and decision making.

Prior to joining BERK, Lobel worked at urban planning firms in multiple cities in California and Philadelphia before returning to the Pacfic Northwest to lead economic strategy for a decade at a local firm.

Oct 21, 2026

Art Anderson

Dreher

Young

Bremerton-based engineering firm Art Anderson hired two new team members, Colin Young and Josh Dreher, bringing its staff count to above 40 employees.

Young joined as an electrical engineer. He holds both bachelor's and master's degrees in electrical engineering and is a licensed professional engineer in Washington and Alaska. He brings more than 11 years of experience in power generation, transmission and distribution systems, renewable energy projects, and utility infrastructure planning.

Dreher joined as a civil engineer bringing more than 17 years of experience. He is a licensed professional engineer specializing in waterfront, industrial and infrastructure projects. His background includes the design, analysis, and rehabilitation of marine facilities and waterfront structures, as well as structural design, assessments and construction support.

PLS Engineering

Wilde

Naglich

Uskoski

Valerie Uskoski joins Vancouver, Clark County-based PLS Engineering as a principal civil engineer. Uskoski is formerly an equity owner of Hayward Uskoski & Associates with over 20 years of experience, and is licensed in multiple states including Alaska. A graduate from WSU, she carries a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. Her past projects range from subdivisions, surface mine permitting, permit compliance, road realignments, stormwater design and much more. Uskoski is a board member of SAE Oregon and the Baja SAE committee chair.

Also joining PLS from Hayward Uskoski & Associates are Sadie Naglich and Preston Wilde. Naglich is a certified land use planner with nearly a decade of experience in public and private sector planning. She has managed a range of development projects, navigated complex land use regulations from early feasibility through land use approval.

Wilde joins with experience in civil engineering design and land use development. Wilde brings five years of project experience in a wide range of projects from residential, commercial and industrial projects.

Oct 14, 2026

Olson Kundig

Walters

Sami

Harris

Olson Kundig has promoted Pinar Harris, Vikram Sami and Brian Walters to principal.

Harris brings over 23 years of experience leading large-scale mixed-use, highrise residential, and hospitality projects across Florida and the Caribbean. Recognized for her progressive technical approach, collaborative leadership and effective communication, Harris works with clients to translate business goals into design solutions. She streamlines complex processes while focusing on design excellence to support project delivery at every scale.

Sami has been a leader in high-performance buildings for over 23 years, combining technical expertise with a love of design as Olson Kundig's Director of Building Performance. Sami leads Olson Kundig's participation in the AIA 2030 Commitment and mentors teams across the firm, bringing his expertise in building performance to projects including DARA, a free, accessible dashboard that empowers designers to balance embodied and operational carbon over a building's full lifespan.

Walters joined Olson Kundig in 2013, developing his expertise through urban commercial and mixed-use projects spanning a variety of scales. From interiors-focused tenant improvement projects to large, multi-block developments, each created opportunities to engage with the existing context of a project site and to contribute to the layers of history and development that compose the urban fabric. Walters collaborates closely with diverse groups of stakeholders to develop solutions to complex program and site requirements, while advocating for each project's specific vision and goals.