Apr 29, 2026

Seattle Aquarium

McCann

Seattle Aquarium has named Meg McCann as president and CEO.

“I'm deeply honored and excited to continue leading and supporting the Aquarium's efforts to inspire conservation of our marine environment on the waterfront and in the broader community,” McCann said.

A lifetime love of the ocean brought McCann to the Seattle Aquarium in 2024. She served as chief operating officer before briefly serving as acting president and CEO in 2025, ahead of the Ocean Pavilion's grand opening. She reassumed the role of acting president and CEO in January 2026.

“Meg has demonstrated incredible leadership and resiliency in this role since joining the aquarium just two years ago,” Charles Wright, Jr., Seattle Aquarium Board chair, said. “She has twice served as interim CEO and risen to every challenge. Not only is she the right leader to guide the Seattle Aquarium into its new era of conservation leadership, but she also brings the knowledge, experience and passion needed to make that vision a reality.”

Since joining the Seattle Aquarium in 2024, McCann has overseen a dramatic rise in visitors from around the world, with the aquarium now welcoming more than one million people a year. She has also supported many innovative initiatives that blend technology, marine conservation science and sustainability to advance the nonprofit's mission.

McCann has lived in Seattle for 26 years. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in music from the University of Hawai'i and a J.D. from Seattle University School of Law. She is currently completing an Executive MBA at University College of Dublin Smurfit Graduate Business School.

Apr 24, 2026

Lease Crutcher Lewis

Hall

JB Hall has been promoted to executive vice president of Lease Crutcher Lewis' growing Data Centers & Advanced Technology (DCAT) division, which he leads.

In a few short years, Hall has helped build the DCAT group from the ground up. The team is 70-plus strong, delivering data center projects in Washington, Oregon, Arizona and Texas. With 500-plus megawatts of capacity underway, the company's portfolio spans new builds, adaptive reuse, and fit-outs, meeting client needs with speed, precision and reliability.

With experience leading data center projects across the U.S., Europe, and Asia, Hall leads Lewis' DCAT division with an eye toward paced growth in the Western U.S.

Holland & Knight

Mitchell

Holland & Knight has expanded its Tax-Exempt Organizations and Philanthropy Practice Group with the addition of Alexandra Mitchell as a partner in Seattle.

Mitchell was previously a principal and national leader of the Exempt Organizations and Philanthropy Group in RSM's Washington National Tax office. Prior to this, she was a managing director in KPMG's Washington National Tax office.

Mitchell brings two decades of experience advising tax‑exempt organizations, institutional clients, and private wealth principals on complex federal tax matters. Her practice focuses on exempt organization structuring, charitable giving, Internal Revenue Service examinations, private letter rulings and philanthropic planning for high‑net‑worth individuals, family offices, investment funds, private foundations, educational institutions and healthcare systems. Earlier in her career, Mitchell practiced tax and nonprofit law at two large international law firms in Washington, D.C.

Mitchell received a J.D. degree from The George Washington University Law School, an LLM degree in Taxation from New York University School of Law and a BA degree from Georgetown University.

Founded in 1889, Holland & Knight is a global law firm with approximately 2,200 lawyers and other professionals in 35 offices worldwide.

Apr 23, 2026

Foster Garvey

Ostdiek

Foster Garvey announced that Alice Ostdiek has rejoined the firm as principal in the Public Finance and Municipal Government practice, based in Seattle.

Ostdiek has practiced public finance and municipal law in the Pacific Northwest for more than 25 years. Her practice covers issues ranging from developing new governmental revenue sources to securing capital investments in critical urban and rural infrastructure through the issuance of tax-exempt and taxable bonds and other financing sources, often involving public-private partnerships.

Ostdiek spent the first 15 years of her legal career at Foster Pepper as a summer associate and law clerk, rising through the ranks to become principal. In 2015, she joined the Seattle office of business and finance firm Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth LLP.

Ostdiek holds a law degree from the University of Washington, a master's degree in public administration from the UW and a bachelor's degree from Grinnell College. She is licensed to practice law in Washington and Alaska.

BECU

Kullman

BECU, the country's fifth-largest credit union, announced it has welcomed Ron Kullman as executive vice president and chief risk officer. In this role, Kullman will lead the credit union's legal, risk, compliance and cybersecurity division.

Before joining BECU, Kullman most recently served as chief risk officer for Toyota Bank, where he helped modernize governance, strengthen board and executive risk reporting and implement an enterprise risk framework to support significant growth. Prior to Toyota Bank, as chief risk officer at Employers Holdings, he built the company's first enterprise risk management program, expanding risk, audit, compliance and information security capabilities. In addition, he held senior risk, security and credit leadership roles at State Farm Bank and credit policy and analytics roles at Chase Bank and Capital One.

Kullman holds a Master of Business Administration in Finance from Rochester Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from State University of New York, College at Fredonia.

Apr 22, 2026

Benton & Franklin Counties Superior Court

Howell

Gov. Bob Ferguson has appointed Commissioner Andrew Howell to the position of Benton & Franklin Counties Superior Court Judge. Howell's appointment, effective June 1, fills the position Judge Diana Ruff's resignation will vacate.

Howell is a career public servant who has served in his current role as a Benton & Franklin Counties Superior Court Commissioner in Pasco since 2022, where he presides over a wide range of civil and juvenile criminal dockets. He serves on several judicial committees, including Law Day and family, juvenile and criminal law.

Prior to becoming a court commissioner, Howell spent over a decade at the Benton County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, including six years as its Juvenile Division's Chief Deputy. He also spent five years prosecuting a wide range of felonies, specializing in complex cases, among other roles within the office.

Howell earned his bachelor's degree from Creighton University and his law degree from the University of Montana School of Law.

Apr 21, 2026

King County Superior Court

Scheinman

Gov. Bob Ferguson has appointed attorney Tenaya Scheinman to the King County Superior Court. Scheinman's appointment, effective May 1, fills the position that Judge Jim Rogers' retirement will vacate.

Scheinman is a career litigator with more than 20 years of experience. Since 2024, she has been an attorney at the King County Inquest Program in Seattle, where she presents evidence to juries investigating the facts and circumstances of deaths involving law enforcement. She also serves as a judge pro tempore in King County District Court, Snohomish County District Court and Edmonds Municipal Court.

Before joining the King County Inquest Program, Scheinman served for 16 years as a public defender in King County, where she was named a Senior Attorney in 2017. As a public defender, she represented hundreds of clients in a variety of criminal proceedings, trying over 35 cases to juries and dozens of bench trials. She started her career litigating complex securities fraud cases at the law firm of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati in Seattle.

Scheinman earned her bachelor's degree from Swarthmore College and her law degree from the University of Virginia.

Soutwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines named Seattle as one of a select group of West Coast cities launching its first-ever Sip and Ship program — a perk designed to make bringing wine home as easy as checking a bag. Starting April 24, customers can check one case of wine (up to 12 bottles) at no cost from Seattle. To participate, wine must be packed in a standard wine shipping box or wine suitcase that meets checked bag requirements.