Dec 06, 2023

Parametrix

Reuss

Michelle Reuss has joined Parametrix as a senior consultant. She has 25 years of experience working in the public sector in the areas of project management, executive leadership, capital project planning and development, and strategic planning.

Reuss comes to Parametrix from Sound Transit where she most recently served as chief of staff and deputy executive director of business services for the Design, Engineering, and Construction Management department responsible for delivering the agency's $54 billion capital program. Prior to that, she served as Light Rail development manager, chairing direction and project management of the Lynnwood Link light rail project from the environmental phase through early construction, including negotiation of major agreements and securing federal grants for the project. She also played key roles for the University Link and Northgate Link light rail projects and for North Corridor planning to Everett.

At Parametrix, Reuss joins the firm's Strategic Advisory Services team, bringing her depth of experience in capital program delivery, organization effectiveness, and strategic consulting services to clients across the Western United States.

Thurston Chamber Foundation

Slaughter

The Thurston Chamber Foundation has named Schelli Slaughter as its new director. In the role, Slaughter will expand the foundation's impact and community engagement within Thurston County. Slaughter previously served as the director of the Family Support Center of South Sound for 13 years. Before that, she worked as the Thurston County public health director. For the last two years, Slaughter has contributed to health initiatives at Providence-Swedish and Choice Regional Health Network. Slaughter has a master's degree in health administration from the University of Washington and a bachelor's degree from the Evergreen State College.

Origami Solar

Origami Solar, a developer of sustainable and domestically produced steel solar module frames, appointed Lauren Busby Ahsler as vice president of engineering. Busby Ahsler brings over 15 years of experience leading mechanical and structural engineering teams and developing solar products. In her new role, she will head Origami Solar's engineering and testing team, driving innovations in extending the structural performance of Origami's steel module frame technology to support future market needs. Previously, Busby Ahsler served as director of structural engineering at Valmont Solar. She has a track record of building high-performing engineering teams, developing design and testing methodologies for novel product types, optimizing product designs for extreme environmental demands, and delivering differentiated solar products to the global solar market. In 2022, Origami Solar was awarded the grand prize in the U.S. Department of Energy's American-Made Solar Prize competition. The company is based in Bend, Oregon.

Idaho National Laboratories

The U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory, along with Idaho National Laboratory (INL), was chosen by the DOE for a demonstration project to validate a long-duration energy storage system developed by battery manufacturer CMBlu Energy. The collaborative project aims to improve microgrids in cold climates and make fast charging of electric vehicles more affordable in underserved communities. Over the course of the project, Argonne and INL will deploy and evaluate CMBlu Energy's Organic SolidFlow battery technology. The materials used in the construction of these batteries are non-metallic and abundant, with a goal to build resilient and domestic supply chains. The batteries are targeted for community, industrial and utility-scale applications of medium and long duration. The project also seeks to make fast charging of electric vehicles more affordable in rural and underserved communities by reducing charging facility installation and operational costs. The project will span two regions. In the Midwest, Argonne researchers plan to demonstrate the effectiveness of CMBlu's Organic SolidFlow batteries at the lab's Smart Energy Plaza. At the INL Battery Test Center in Idaho, researchers will conduct performance tests, including assessing how well the Organic SolidFlow batteries perform at different temperatures. This testing is crucial to ensure the technology's reliability in diverse environments. The INL center serves as the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy's (EERE) primary center for battery life and performance testing.

Dec 05, 2023

Okanogan Superior Court

Burke

Gov. Jay Inslee has appointed Kathryn I. Burke to the Okanogan County Superior Court. She will replace Judge Henry A. Rawson, who will retire from the bench December 31, 2023. Currently, Burke serves as the elected prosecuting attorney for Ferry County, a position she has held since 2015. In this role, Burke also acts as civil counsel to other elected officials, providing advice and representation on civil legal issues that impact the county. During her career, she has served the public as both a criminal prosecuting attorney as well as a criminal defense attorney. She has been recognized for her outstanding service to victims of crime, and was a founding member of the Ferry County Therapeutic Court. In addition, Burke has experience handling juvenile and family law matters, including dependencies, at-risk youth, paternity, and child support issues. Burke was born and raised in Okanogan County, and began her legal career there serving as a public defender. As a current member of the Washington State Bar Association's Small Town and Rural Practice Committee, she works collaboratively with others to strengthen and support the practice of law in Washington's rural communities. Burke earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Washington. She earned her law degree from Seattle University School of Law.

Lyceus Group

Seattle-based Lyceus Group, a communications agency specializing in the financial services industry, has been recognized as the Best PR & Communications Firm at the 2023 Institutional Asset Manager Awards. This recognition highlights Lyceus Group's work in helping clients share their stories and enhance their branding efforts. The Institutional Asset Manager Awards celebrate excellence and industry leadership among asset management firms and service providers across various categories. The service provider categories encompass all major areas of the wider asset management industry. Founded in 2016, Lyceus Group represents a diverse range of clients in the financial services and technology sectors, including mutual funds, ETFs, private equity firms, hedge funds, startups, cryptocurrency funds, private credit funds, and fund service providers.

Valant

Resurgens Technology Partners, a software-focused private equity firm, announced its investment in Seattle-based Valant. Valant provides technology to connect behavioral health patients and providers, delivering solutions with a cloud-based EHR and practice management platform. Resurgens invested in Valant alongside the firm's operating partner, Trey Carter. Carter joined Resurgens in February 2023 to support investments in the behavioral health technology space following a 28-year career in the industry. As part of Resurgens' investment, Carter will join the board and partner with the Valant management team to accelerate the company's growth. Valant software supports the clinical, administrative, and financial functions of a behavioral health practice, serving practitioners, patients, and practice owners. The Resurgens investment will expand the ways in which Valant serves its customers and accelerate its new client acquisition. Valant is Resurgens' seventh platform investment in the firm's $500 million second fund and represents a continuation of the firm's strategy to invest in the growth of vertical software companies that are leaders in their market segments. Resurgens is headquartered in Atlanta.

Lakeside Industries

Mike Lee

Jaime Lee

Jaime Lee is the new president of Issaquah-based Lakeside Industries. He takes over for Mike Lee, who stepped into the role of CEO and board chair. Jaime previously was vice president. He started his career at Lakeside by working over summer breaks and gained experience working with the equipment shop, crusher, asphalt plant and road crew. After receiving a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from the University of Colorado at Boulder, he spent two years working for a bridge and civil contractor in the Denver area. He rejoined Lakeside in 2008. A Lakeside news release says Jamie has robust knowledge in the fields of bidding, construction, sales, permitting, environmental and quality control. Mike Lee began his career at Lakeside in the 1980s as a laborer. After graduating from Boston College with a degree in business management, he returned to Lakeside as an estimator and has held various leadership positions since. In 2006, he became president. Lakeside bills itself as the region's largest private asphalt paving and construction company, with 11 regional divisions spanning western Washington and northwest Oregon. It also produces asphalt mixes from 15 asphalt plants.

Skanska

vanSwearingen

Global construction and development firm Skanska USA promoted Margot vanSwearingen to project executive for the Seattle region. Prior to joining Skanska in 2012, vanSwearingen earned a bachelor's degree in architecture from the University of Washington, and spent six years at an integrated design firm working on K-12 design. She focused on the impact of design and how environments contribute to student and teacher success. Skanska says vanSwearingen has become known for her operational excellence, acumen and passion for winning work, and ability to build and develop high-performing teams. Some of her projects with Skanska included the UW Magnuson Health Sciences T-Wing renovation, Fairview Middle School, Bryant Montessori School and the recently completed Highline High School.

Hensel Phelps

Cardenas

In Bellevue, Hensel Phelps promoted Carlos Cardenas to VDC manager. Cardenas joined Hensel Phelps in 2018. The company says he has been training field staff on how to use VDC tools on their own so that they can increase their virtual design and construction (VDC) capabilities.