Nov 21, 2023

King County Library System

Miraflor

The King County Library System (KCLS) Board of Trustees has appointed KCLS Deputy Director of Public Services Angie Miraflor as interim director of the library system, effective December 19, following the retirement of current KCLS Executive Director Lisa Rosenblum. Miraflor joined KCLS in November 2021. She brings over 20 years of experience working in diverse communities throughout the country. Before coming to KCLS, she served as the director of central services at the St. Louis Public Library. Miraflor has also served as the director of customer experience at the Brooklyn Public Library, associate director of the West Bronx Library Network at the New York Public Library, and division manager for literacy and learning at the San Jose Public Library. She holds a master's degree in library and information science and a bachelor's degree in public relations from San Jose State University. The KCLS Board of Trustees is charged with hiring the new executive director. They are conducting a national search for the position, and they expect the effort to take several more months. Rosenblum announced her retirement in July. She has spent the past 35 years working for public libraries. Since she joined KCLS in January 2018, the library system has received numerous awards and accolades for outstanding services and innovation, including being named a National Medal finalist by the Institute of Museum and Library Services this year. Founded in 1942, KCLS is one of the busiest public library systems in the country.

Dorsey & Whitney

Locke

International law firm Dorsey & Whitney announced that former Washington Governor Gary Locke has joined the firm as a senior advisor. Locke is a former U.S. Ambassador to China, and Secretary of Commerce under President Obama. Locke will have a strong focus on assisting Dorsey's international practice. As the Governor of Washington from 1997 to 2005, Locke was the first Chinese-American governor as well as the first Asian-American governor in the continental U.S. He is currently chair of Committee of 100, an organization for Chinese Americans focusing on civic engagement, public policy, arts, culture, and philanthropy. Dorsey opened its Hong Kong office in 1995, its Shanghai office in 2001, and its Beijing office in 2015. Dorsey's U.S.-China focused team works across continents, helping international clients navigate business in China and helping Chinese companies achieve their business goals in the U.S., Europe, and around the globe. Dorsey conducts business on behalf of Chinese clients in the U.S. from across its U.S. national platform, with its U.S.-China practice headquartered in New York, and in Europe from its London office.

Columbia Sportswear

Long

Columbia Sportswear hired Cory Long as president of the SOREL brand. Long is a veteran of the footwear and apparel industry, most recently serving as global general manager and chief global merchant of DC Shoes. He has leadership experience at an array of brands, including Mitchell & Ness, Asics, Supra, and Converse. Long will begin his position in December 2023. Founded in 1938 in Portland, Columbia Sportswear's brands are sold in approximately 90 countries. In addition to the Columbia brand, Columbia Sportswear also owns the Mountain Hardwear, SOREL, and prAna brands.

Nov 17, 2023

Propeller

Propeller, a Portland-based management consulting firm, appointed Sunil Kasturi as its new chief executive officer. Kasturi has been with Propeller for over a decade, most recently working as Propeller's chief growth officer. Kasturi succeeds Amy Weeden, who has served as CEO since 2012. Propeller was founded in 2012 by Weeden and Jeff Foley. During Weeden's time as CEO, she led the business to annual revenues exceeding $45M, expanded it reach into five markets, and established Propeller as an advisor for several Fortune 500 companies. As part of long-term, strategic succession planning, Weeden will be transitioning into the role of chief strategy officer. In this role, Weeden will focus on the long-term strategy for Propeller, competitive positioning, partnerships, and other key strategic projects. Weeden will continue to remain as co-owner and chair of Propeller's board. Kasturi joined Propeller in 2013 as one of its first consultants. He moved into a director role, managing key client accounts before becoming Portland's first managing director in 2016. Kasturi helped establish and mature the San Francisco market and office as its managing director before being promoted to chief growth officer in 2021. As CGO, Kasturi helped expand and establish the Denver market, kicked off two emerging markets in Dallas and Minneapolis, consolidated cross-firm functions internally, and helped double the size of its practices. Kasturi has held leadership roles for Microsoft, ACME Business Consulting, and Intel.. He holds an MBA from Duke University, a master's degree in computer science from the University of Iowa, and a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from India's Birla Institute of Technology and Science. Propeller has offices in Portland, San Francisco, San Jose, Denver, Minneapolis, and Dallas.

Seattle Opera

Seattle Opera General Director Christina Scheppelmann announced that Chris Burkett, longtime member of Seattle Opera's development team, will take over as the next director of development. Burkett brings years of experience building donor relationships to the role, which he began in October 2023. Burkett started at Seattle Opera in 2018, when he was hired as an individual giving officer overseeing mid-level giving. In 2021, he was promoted into the role of associate director of development for individual giving, in which capacity he led the individual giving team, helped shape broader departmental strategy, and spearheaded the fundraising plan for the company's annual fundraiser, the Big Opera Party. Burkett has served as interim director of development since June 2023. Before joining Seattle Opera, Burkett spent several years working in donor relations at large-scale hunger-relief network organizations, both in Seattle and in the Midwest. Established in 1963, Seattle Opera serves the people of the Pacific Northwest through music, storytelling, and programs for people of all ages. Each year, more than 50,000 people attend the company's performances, and more than 100,000 people are served through school performances, radio broadcasts, and more.

Lattice Semiconductor

Lattice Semiconductor has appointed Que Thanh Dallara and John Forsyth to the company's board of directors. Forsyth will also serve as a member of the Nominating and Governance Committee and Dallara will serve as a member of the Compensation Committee. Dallara has over 20 years of general management and enterprise transformation experience in multiple industries globally. Dallara is currently EVP and president of the global Diabetes Operating Unit at Medtronic. Prior to joining Medtronic, she was the president and CEO of Honeywell Connected Enterprise, Honeywell's software business. Prior to that, she was SVP and chief commercial officer of Honeywell. Forsyth is currently the chief executive officer, president, and a member of the board of directors at Cirrus Logic, a supplier of low-power, high-precision mixed-signal processing solutions for mobile and consumer applications. Prior to assuming the role of CEO, Forsyth held the positions of president, chief strategy officer, and vice president of marketing where he was instrumental in driving Cirrus Logic's product strategy. He also served as vice president of audio products at Wolfson Microelectronics, which was acquired by Cirrus Logic in 2014. Lattice Semiconductor is based in Hillsboro, Oregon.

Nov 16, 2023

SanMar

Draughn

SanMar Corp., a supplier of wholesale accessories and apparel, named Dean Draughn as vice president of sourcing and product development. Draughn brings more than 30 years of end-to-end global experience spanning the entire product life cycle from design to distribution. During his 33-year career, he has developed expertise in leading teams for supply chain management, operations, development, manufacturing, compliance, and quality. Draughn is a member of the Cotton Board, an administrative arm of the Cotton Research and Promotion Programs that serves as a key liaison to the United States Department of Agriculture. Draughn previously served as an appointed member of the United States Department of Commerce and the Office of the United States Trade Representatives International Trade Advisory Committee for Textiles and Apparel. He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Family owned and operated, SanMar is based in Issaquah, with nine distribution centers nationwide and apparel from more than 30 brands.

Electric Era Technologies

Seattle-based Electric Era Technologies, a manufacturer of EV fast charging stations, announced the launch of the first of more than 10 commercial installations across the United States this year, with an installation of its proprietary PowerNode charging station at a Portland Plaid Pantry, with a goal of 10,000 installations across the U.S. by 2030. The Plaid Pantry installation is the first-of-its-kind deployment for Electric Era's patented AC-coupled microgrid EV fast charging technology which combines battery and grid power in real time to distribute to EVs when they charge. The technology uses 25% of the typical draw from legacy EV chargers on the electrical grid, from 800kW down to 200kW, allowing operators to avoid demand-based operating expenses and bolstering the reliability of aging infrastructure. A 10-minute charge from the PowerNode charging station can typically deliver 100 miles of range, depending on the vehicle age and onboard technology. Electric Era Technologies was launched in 2019 by former SpaceX engineers; its PowerNode EV charging stations deliver high-speed, electrical grid-friendly charging at gas stations, convenience stores and quick service retailers across the United States.

NuScale Power

NuScale Power announced the opening of the first privately-funded NuScale Energy Exploration Center (E2 Center) at Seoul National University with partners GS Energy Corporation, Doosan Enerbility Co., and Samsung C&T Corporation. As the first E2 Center in Asia, the educational training hub serves as a workforce development tool for South Korea to develop the next generation of advanced nuclear experts, technologists, and operators, positioning the country to become a regional leader of small modular reactor (SMR) deployment in Asia. The deepening partnership between NuScale and Korean energy industry leaders will help Korean companies advance their SMR capabilities, which could lead to exports of Korean-supported SMRs in the future. Founded in 2007, NuScale is headquartered in Portland.