Jul 10, 2026

BakerHostetler

Knowles

Sean Knowles has joined BakerHostetler's Seattle office as a partner in the firm's Litigation Practice Group and a member of the Securities and Governance Litigation team.

Knowles joins from an Am Law 100 firm, where he served as the firm-wide chair of the securities litigation practice. He has experience representing clients in securities class action litigation, shareholder derivative lawsuits, mergers and acquisitions litigation and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission enforcement proceedings and investigations.

With a career spanning nearly 30 years, and nationally recognized by Chambers USA and Best Lawyers in America, Knowles is adept at defending securities class actions and shareholder derivative actions against public companies of all sizes in a wide range of industries.

Knowles helps public companies, officers and directors navigate high-stakes shareholder and regulatory matters. Clients turn to him to defend securities class actions, shareholder derivative litigation, merger and acquisition disputes, SEC enforcement actions and investigations and claims under the Washington State Securities Act, as well as to provide practical guidance on corporate governance issues.

Knowles began his career in New York. Since 2007, he has been based in Seattle. He received his A.B. from Brown University and his J.D. from Columbia Law School.

BakerHostetler has six core practice groups — Business, Digital Assets and Data Management, Intellectual Property, Labor and Employment, Litigation, and Tax — and more than 1,000 lawyers coast to coast.

Snohomish County Superior Court

Nelson

Gov. Bob Ferguson announced the appointment of Lacie Nelson to the position of Snohomish County Superior Court Judge. Nelson's appointment fills the position that Judge Millie Judge's resignation will vacate.

Nelson is a career litigator with more than 18 years of experience in both criminal and civil cases. She currently practices at the law firm of Brewe Layman, P.S. in Everett, handling family law, personal injury and medical malpractice matters. She also serves as a judge pro tempore in Snohomish County District Court and as an arbitrator for King, Snohomish, and Skagit County motor vehicle tort claims.

Prior to joining Brewe Layman, P.S., Nelson spent three years as in-house counsel at GEICO. She also served as a deputy prosecuting attorney in Snohomish County and a deputy district attorney in Jackson County, Oregon. She has extensive courtroom experience, having tried 70 cases to verdict, over 60 of which were jury trials. Nelson also volunteered with the Snohomish County Family Law Clinic, providing legal advice to clients who could not afford to hire an attorney.

Nelson earned her bachelor's degree from Columbia University and her law degree from University of Oregon School of Law.

Jul 09, 2026

Hensel Phelps

Moore

Swenson

Willey

Franssen

Hensel Phelps announced the following employees have earned new professional certification.

Operations Manager Richard Franssen earned his Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) certification. The credential is nationally recognized and is awarded to industry professionals who demonstrate hands-on design-build experience, including direct involvement in best-practice collaboration during procurement, design and construction.

Franssen brings 20 years of experience to this credential, with a track record rooted in large-scale, operationally complex aviation projects delivered through progressive design-build. His work spans some of the most demanding airport environments in the country including the Alaska Airlines-led SEA Gateway project (also known as the North Main Terminal Redevelopment project) at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

Project Manager Connor Willey has earned his Associate DBIA certification.

Willey brings 10 years of industry experience, building a track record on complex, high-profile projects where collaborative delivery and stakeholder coordination are crucial. Across his projects, Willey has applied the communication, planning and problem-solving skills that define effective design-build delivery.

Senior Safety Manager Lars Swenson has earned his Certified Safety Professional (CSP) credential. Widely regarded as the gold standard in the safety profession, the CSP designation demonstrates advanced expertise in risk management, hazard mitigation and safety program implementation.

Swenson has been with Hensel Phelps for 11 years and supports multiple project teams and safety initiatives across a variety of market sectors, including aviation, data centers, ground transportation and hospitality. In support of the Pacific Northwest Director of Health and Safety, he participates in pre-job planning conferences to help establish safety plans for new contracts. He also conducts periodic safety inspections of jobsites, evaluating both trade partner operations and Hensel Phelps self-performed work using OSHA standards and Hensel Phelps safety program criteria.

Senior Safety Manager Caleb Moore has earned his Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) credential. The CIH is a globally recognized professional designation for health and safety experts, demonstrating expertise in anticipating, recognizing, evaluating and controlling workplace hazards to protect workers and the public.

At Hensel Phelps, Moore is responsible for on-site safety and security coordination, including implementation of project safety programs. His experience spans a diverse portfolio of heavily phased higher education, industrial, aviation, federal and wastewater projects.

Hensel Phelps is an employee-owned general contracting company founded in 1937, delivering planning, building and management services across a wide range of markets nationwide.

Jul 08, 2026

Thurston County Superior Court

Wood

Gov. Bob Ferguson announced the appointment of Kelly Wood to the position of Thurston County Superior Court Judge.

Wood's appointment, effective July 2, fills the position that Judge Carol Murphy's resignation will vacate. Judge Murphy retires after 34 years of public service, including 17 years on the Thurston County bench.

Wood is a career litigator with more than two decades of legal experience in all levels of both state and federal courts, including the United States Supreme Court. In his current role as a Senior Counsel and managing assistant attorney general, he advises and represents the Washington State Department of Ecology. Wood has also represented the state of Washington more broadly in various litigation matters, including Washington's lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Energy for worker health issues at the Hanford Nuclear Site.

He also supervises six attorneys who represent Ecology's Air, Climate, Nuclear Waste and Solid Waste programs and the Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council. Wood is also recognized nationwide for federal Clean Water Act litigation. He has been with the Attorney General's Office for 18 years in total.

Wood earned his bachelor's and master's degrees with honors from University of North Texas and his law degree with high honors from Seattle University School of Law.

Jul 07, 2026

Seattle Art Museum

Feltens

The Seattle Art Museum (SAM) announced the appointment of Frank Feltens as its new Susan Brotman Chief Curator. An internationally respected curator, scholar and museum leader, Feltens joins SAM from the Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art, where he most recently served as Associate Director for Curatorial Affairs and Curator of Japanese Art. He will begin his new role at SAM Aug. 17.

As chief curator, Feltens will lead SAM's Curatorial division, shaping the museum's collections, exhibitions, publications and long-term artistic vision across its three sites: the Seattle Art Museum, Seattle Asian Art Museum and Olympic Sculpture Park. Working closely with Illsley Ball Nordstrom Director and CEO Scott Stulen and museum leadership, he will oversee exhibition planning, collection strategy, acquisitions, scholarly initiatives, and a team of curators representing SAM's globally recognized collections.

Feltens joins SAM after a decade at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art, where he helped guide the museum's curatorial strategy and organizational transformation while continuing to build an internationally recognized scholarly career in Japanese art. As associate director for Curatorial Affairs, he co-led one of the world's premier Asian art museums, overseeing curatorial teams, strategic planning, and major collection initiatives as the institution entered its second century.

Jul 02, 2026

Cascadia Sustainable Aviation Accelerator

The Cascadia Sustainable Aviation Accelerator (CSAA) has appointed Jake Gentry as its executive director. Gentry, who helped form the organization three years ago, will lead CSAA's efforts to make the Pacific Northwest the global center of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production.

CSAA was formally launched in January 2026 with backing from a Washington state appropriation and more than $10 million in private philanthropic investment. It has assembled a broad coalition of aviation industry leaders, research institutions, Tribal representatives, policymakers, and sustainability advocates united around a single goal: scaling locally produced, low-carbon SAF to one billion gallons annually by 2035.

Gentry will oversee CSAA's full portfolio of initiatives, including feedstock and supply chain development, offtake strategy, shared research and development infrastructure, clean energy integration, and policy advocacy. He builds on a coalition that includes Alaska Airlines, Amazon, Boeing, Washington State University, Snohomish County, Earth Finance, Microsoft, the Port of Seattle and the Washington State Department of Commerce, among others.

He will also oversee the Cascadia Sustainable Aviation Institute, an innovative research and development facility at Paine Field in Snohomish County. The institute will house researchers from Washington State University and other academic institutions to test and analyze SAF, scaling the scientific advancement and speeding adoption timelines. The institute will open in a temporary facility this summer.

Jul 01, 2026

Hensel Phelps

Hickernell

Lehrman-Schmid

Franssen

Hensel Phelps recently announced promotions of three employees in the Pacific Northwest Region.

Richard Franssen has been promoted to operations manager. Franssen has been with Hensel Phelps for over 20 years and has supported a diverse portfolio totaling more than $4.6 billion across a wide range of markets, including aviation, transportation, healthcare and hospitality. He has also contributed to correctional and civic facilities. Most recently, Franssen played a key leadership role on Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)'s SEA Gateway project, helping guide the team through execution and delivery. The Alaska Airlines-led project reached substantial completion just in time to support increased travel demand during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Kabri Lehrman-Schmid has been promoted to general superintendent. In addition to co-founding Build with Pride Seattle, she has received numerous honors throughout her career, including: 2023 BD+C 40 Under 40; 2023 ENR Top 20 Under 40; 2023 ENR Northwest Top Young Professional; 2022 AGC Washington Rising Star; 2019 Top 20 Outstanding Women in Construction by Construction Business Owner and the 2019 Washington Women in Trades Award. During her 19-year career with Hensel Phelps, she has worked across multiple markets, including aviation, higher education, research/laboratories, federal, civic and correctional facilities.

Jim Hickernell has been promoted to general superintendent. Hickernell has been with Hensel Phelps for 18 years and has contributed to projects totaling more than $3.5 billion in value. His experience spans data centers, aviation, research/laboratories, healthcare and civic and correctional facilities. Hickernell also played an integral role in the successful delivery of the SEA Gateway/North Main Terminal Redevelopment project, contributing to field leadership and project execution. The project was successfully delivered using a progressive design-build approach and was completed ahead of schedule and under budget, with zero claims or litigation. Hickernell supported field execution efforts that helped minimize impacts to ongoing operations and contributed to a strong safety record, including zero serious lost-time injuries.

Hensel Phelps is a 100% employee-owned general contracting company founded in 1937. The firm delivers planning, building and management services across a wide range of markets nationwide.

Jun 30, 2026

Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories

Quintanilla

Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL) has named Jesse Quintanilla vice president of property. He succeeds Jana Schultheis, who retired from the company in June.

In this role, Quintanilla will oversee all SEL property holdings, including more than 2 million square feet of owned and leased space across 109 offices worldwide. He will direct the SEL property management team, which leads the design and construction of new SEL buildings, and the facilities team, which provides maintenance and operational support for all properties.

Quintanilla joined SEL in 2005 as an accountant and has held roles of increasing responsibility, including finance manager, finance director and director of business operations. In his most recent role, he led the global panel business unit, which integrates SEL technology into enclosure panels used in protection and automation solutions. Prior to joining SEL, Quintanilla worked for Motley-Motley, a regional construction company.

Quintanilla has a bachelor's degree in business administration with a concentration in accounting from Washington State University and a master's degree in business administration from the University of Idaho. He serves on the Accounting Academic Advisory Board for the University of Idaho and the International Business Advisory Board for Washington State University.

SEL invents, designs and builds digital products and systems that protect power grids around the world.