Feb 29, 2008

Graham & Dunn

Seattle-based law firm Graham & Dunn hired Rebecca R.A. Anderson as an associate. Anderson will work on the Emerging Companies and Entrepreneurs Team.

Nyhus Communications

Nyhus Communications, a Seattle-based public relations and public affairs firm, hired four new team members. They are Sally Poliak as chief operating officer, Gary Fuller as director of accounting and finance, Nate Cole-Daum as account executive and Leslie Boelter as account coordinator.

Multi Axis Games

Multi Axis Games of Port Angeles hired Tim Reddington as chief executive officer. Reddington has 23 years of experience in finance and administration and has helped launch several start-up organizations.

Feb 28, 2008

Puget Sound Energy

Puget Sound Energy hired Andy Wappler as senior public relations manager. Wappler was chief meteorologist for Seattle's KIRO-TV. At PSE, he will work to raise public awareness about the need for energy efficiency and renewable energy, and will head up the speakers bureau. Wappler is the son of Harry Wappler, a local television fixture from 1969 to 2002.

Knobbe Martens

Knobbe Martens, an intellectual property law firm based in Irvine, Calif., has opened an office in Seattle at 601 Union St. It will be staffed by four partners. They are Carol Pitzel Cruz, Maria Culic Anderson, Melanie Seelig and Mauricio Uribe. Anderson, Seelig and Uribe worked at Christensen O'Connor Johnson Kindness. Cruz was a partner in the firm's Orange County office.

Zumobi

Seattle-based Zumobi, a mobile widget platform, hired Ken Willner as vice president of market development. Willner worked at AT&T Wireless where he led the “American Idol” marketing campaign. He also founded Fizzylab, a contextual search and advertising space company.

Feb 27, 2008

Scottrade

Scottrade, a St. Louis-based branch-supported online investment firm, has opened a branch office in Auburn at 1102 Supermall Way. The Auburn office is Scottrade's 11th in Washington state.

City of Tacoma

Tacoma Rail Superintendent Paula Henry will leave the City of Tacoma to serve as a senior executive at large for a private railroad company after 23 years of working with the city. She has been the superintendent since 2005. Tacoma Rail Assistant Superintendent Alan Hardy will be interim superintendent upon Henry's departure.

Fran's Chocolates

The Seattle Hotel Group, developer of Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences Seattle, announced Seattle-based Fran's Chocolates is its first major retail tenant. Fran's has two other stores in the Puget Sound region but the Four Seasons location will be its flagship store. Fran's will occupy an 1,100-square-foot area, one of two retail spaces in the Four Seasons.

PRR

PRR, a Seattle-based public affairs and communications firm, hired Stephen Peer as senior associate and Niki Herr as account manager. Peer will handle the Washington State Department of Transportation and worked for 12 years with Pemco Financial Services. Herr has four years of planning and strategic experience and will work out of PRR's Capitol Region/Washington, D.C., office.

Alexander Hutton

Alexander Hutton, a Seattle-based middle-market investment banking firm, hired Ed Zittel as senior advisor in the firm's investment banking operations. Zittel was a managing partner and practicing CPA for Knight, Vale & Gregory.