Jun 10, 2026

Patrick Hardwoods

Gray

Patrick Lumber Company, a century-old lumber wholesaler and specialty wood supplier, promoted Mark Gray to president of Patrick Hardwoods, a new premium hardwoods business the company launched last year. After more than a decade spent shaping the strategic direction of the Patrick Lumber family of companies, Gray is well-equipped to lead and support Patrick Hardwoods' growing reputation in the Pacific Northwest hardwood market, the company said.

“Mark has spent more than a decade across our trading and manufacturing operations,” said Natalie Heacock, president of Patrick Lumber. “He knows where specialty wood creates value, and he'll put that knowledge to work building Patrick Hardwoods' position in the Pacific Northwest.”

A graduate of Gonzaga University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Economics and Finance, Gray joined Patrick Lumber in 2013 and has held a range of leadership positions across the company's trading and manufacturing operations. Most recently, he served as the vice president of Patrick Lumber Manufacturing. When PLC established Patrick Hardwoods in 2025, expanding into premium local hardwoods, Gray was central to its formation and early direction. Today, he brings the same tenacity and drive to his latest role as president of Patrick Hardwoods.

Patrick Hardwoods operates out of a dedicated hardwood mill at the company's Philomath, Oregon campus, manufacturing a range of Pacific Northwest hardwood species, including an unconventional longer-length alder that exceeds the industry's typical 12-foot standard.

Jun 09, 2026

King County Superior Court

Manca

Gov. Bob Ferguson announced the appointment of Jessica Murphy Manca to the position of King County Superior Court Judge. Manca's appointment, effective July 1, fills the position that Judge Karen Donohue's resignation will vacate.

Manca is a career prosecutor with more than 15 years of experience in criminal law. She currently practices as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Western District of Washington, where she serves as the U.S. Attorney's Office's Criminal Civil Rights Coordinator — leading investigations of hate crimes and criminal violations of people's constitutional rights. Her practice has also focused on cybercrime, cyberstalking and financial crimes, and she previously served as the Western District of Washington's Project Safe Neighborhoods Program Coordinator — working with community leaders and nonprofits on gun-violence prevention, intervention and reentry programs.

Prior to joining the U.S. Attorney's Office, Manca spent a decade at the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office as a criminal trial and appellate lawyer. She appeared daily in King County's superior and district courts, handling hundreds of felony and misdemeanor cases, including approximately fifty jury trials. Manca earned a promotion to Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney in 2017.

Manca earned her bachelor's degree from Harvard University and her law degree with high honors from the University of Washington School of Law.

Jun 05, 2026

Perkins Coie

Perkins Coie announced that Jamie Evans has joined the firm's Corporate practice as a partner in the firm's Seattle office.

Evans focuses his practice on corporate and securities law, representing leading technology and life sciences companies across a broad range of corporate legal matters. With more than two decades of experience in the technology and growth-company ecosystem, Evans advises issuers, underwriters, and other parties in public and private offerings of equity and debt securities, with particular experience counseling technology companies on their initial public offerings.

In addition to his IPO and capital markets practice, Evans advises clients on SEC reporting and governance matters. Prior to joining Perkins Coie, Evans was most recently a partner in the technology capital markets group of a global law firm.

“I'm thrilled to join Perkins Coie,” Evans said. “The firm's strong public company advisory platform, leading technology practice, and collaborative culture make it an ideal fit for my clients and practice.”

Evans earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut and his Juris Doctorate degree from UC Berkeley School of Law.

Jun 04, 2026

Lee & Associates

Knecht

Four years after joining Lee & Associates, Shane Knecht has been promoted to director of marketing, that firm recently announced. Its Andrea Johnson said in a statement, “Shane has consistently demonstrated creativity, professionalism and a deep commitment to supporting our brokers and growing our brand.” Knecht added, “I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunity to continue growing with Lee & Associates.”

Seattle Department of Neighborhoods

Pham

Quynh Pham has been confirmed as director of the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods, following a unanimous Seattle City Council vote on May 19.

Pham brings more than 14 years of experience in community development, equitable investment, and local policy. She previously served as executive director of Friends of Little Saigon, where she championed cultural and economic vitality while supporting small businesses and community-driven initiatives. She also serves on the boards of Historic South Downtown and the Crescent Collaborative.

A first-generation immigrant, Pham also brings both personal perspective and professional experience to her leadership.

Her appointment marks a full-circle moment: Pham joined the very first cohort of the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods' People's Academy for Community Engagement (PACE), a program designed to help community members understand how city government works and how to navigate it to create change.

As the department celebrates its 35th anniversary, the department says it looks forward to the next chapter of connecting people, strengthening neighborhoods, and ensuring residents have a voice in policy making and decisions that impact local communities.

Jun 03, 2026

Zum and Seattle Public Schools

Zum, a provider of student transportation, announced it will be continuing its partnership with Seattle Public Schools (SPS) for the 2026–2027 school year.

Working with SPS since 2022, Zum plans to significantly expand operations here for the upcoming academic year. The company will add more than 130 new routes, bringing its total operations to over 280, serving students across the entire district.

Zum uses its Connected Mobility Experience (CMX), an integrated technology and operations platform that connects vehicles, drivers and school administrators in real time to optimize efficiency and communication. Zum's CMX system is used across 17 states and serves more than 4,500 schools, including several of the nation's largest public school districts.

To accommodate the additional routes and a growing fleet of over 130 new school buses, Zum says it is opening a new local facility and scaling up its workforce.

The company says it is committed to maintaining service reliability and alleviating student transportation anxieties through rigorous driver training and competitive workforce retention strategies.

Jun 02, 2026

KIRO Newsradio

KIRO Newsradio announced that its news team has been honored with seven Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards, recognizing outstanding achievements in broadcast and digital journalism.

Three of the honors reflect the team's consistent commitment to delivering timely, high-quality coverage across platforms: Overall Excellence — KIRO Newsradio; Newscast — Seattle's Morning News; Breaking News Coverage — Seattle ICE Protests Turn Violent.

In addition to these team achievements, several journalists received individual recognition for their outstanding storytelling and reporting: Excellence in Writing — The Charlie Harger Commentary by Charlie Harger; Hard News — The Boy In The Tent by Charlie Harger; Investigative Reporting — The Mayor's Letter by Charlie Harger; Sports Reporting — More Than A Home Run by Aaron Granillo.

“These awards are a testament to the dedication and passion our team brings to their work every day,” said Bryan Buckalew, director of News and Talk Programming for KIRO Newsradio. “From breaking news to in-depth investigations, our journalists are committed to informing and serving our community with accuracy, urgency, and integrity.”

The Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards are among the most prestigious honors in broadcast and digital journalism. They recognize excellence in news coverage that demonstrates the spirit of Edward R. Murrow's legacy of integrity and public service.

City of Kenmore

The city of Kenmore's “Let's Talk Kenmore” podcast won second place in the 2026 Blue Pencil & Gold Screen Awards from the National Association of Government Communicators. This annual international awards program recognizes excellent government communication products and those who produce them.

“Let's Talk Kenmore” is a lighthearted podcast aimed at connecting listeners to their local government, and to demystifying the role of government in the city of Kenmore. The podcast was launched in April of 2024 and is hosted by city's Engineering Administrative Specialist Amber Clifton. The show covers a range of topics ranging anywhere from summer activities and recreation to what to expect at City Council meetings. It's available on the city's website or wherever you get your podcast.