Nov 13, 2019

AKS Engineering & Forestry

Misbach

Hines

M. Downhour

A. Downhour

Beskow

Summers

Wirth-McGee

Tualatin, Oregon-based AKS Engineering & Forestry hired Paul Beskow as a civil engineer, Amy Downhour as a civil engineer/project manager, Michael Downhour as a project surveyor and Bill Hines as a GIS analyst. In Keizer, Oregon, it hired Lyle Misbach as a civil engineer/project manager and Julie Wirth-McGee as a natural resource specialist, and in Vancouver Michael Summers as a civil engineer/project manager.

Beskow provides scoping, design, bidding, cost estimating and construction support for engineering projects. He has over five years of experience with public and private projects in the Northwest. Amy Downhour is on the land development team and is managing projects in Carlton, Corvallis and Gresham, Oregon. She has seven years of experience in land development management, design of master planned communities, and as district engineer for utility districts in the Houston area.

Michael Downhour is a land surveyor who is also a drone specialist and FAA-certified sUAS pilot. He has 12 years of industry experience, most recently as a project surveyor at a Houston engineering company. Hines has 13 years of experience in geographic information systems services, serving public and private clients in the Northwest. He has a background in photography, graphic design, IT/IS support, and GIS/AutCAD data integration and geospatial analysis. Misbach has 26 years of engineering experience and provides engineering, floodplain management and project management. He was a city of Salem public works department engineer for 13 years, overseeing public works programs and coordinating private and public development. Wirth-McGee is a wetland scientist with 15 years of experience in the public and private sectors. She has provided specialized services for local, state and federal permits in Oregon, Washington and Idaho. Her experience includes field assessments, environmental and natural resource permitting, NEPA coordination and documentation including biological assessments, and permit compliance assistance during construction. She is helping manage AKS' natural resources.

Summers has 15 years of civil design experience in transportation improvements, subdivision and industrial and commercial projects. He was county engineer for Clatsop County Public Works where for four years he was public works director. He has worked in greater Vancouver in site developments. At AKS, he will augment the project engineering team and focus on Southwest Washington commercial and residential site development. AKS provides civil engineering, surveying, GIS, planning, natural resources, landscape architecture, water resources, consulting arborist, forestry/forest engineering and construction management services.

DLR Group

Eckhardt

In Seattle, DLR Group hired architect Jackie Eckhardt. She will collaborate with design and planning teams to grow the firm's presence in the Pacific Northwest. Eckhardt has a background in architecture and campus planning and will guide strategic business development and manage design teams to deliver projects for higher education institutions. She is a member of the Society for College and University Planning. DLR provides architecture, engineering, interiors, planning and building optimization.

Parametrix

Mazzola

Mark Mazzola joined Parametrix as a senior transportation and environmental planner. He will lead the Seattle environmental planning group. Mazzola has over 18 years of experience in public policy, environmental assessments and transportation planning, and expertise in planning, environmental review and implementation of public transportation and infrastructure projects. He has 12 years with the Seattle Department of Transportation where he led the environmental review and permitting team for transportation and infrastructure improvements. He was the SDOT's environmental lead on the Elliott Bay Seawall and Waterfront Seattle projects. Parametrix provides engineering, planning and environmental sciences.

Bassetti Architects

Burns

Bassetti Architects hired Lydia Dominy Burns as an associate principal. Burns has over 22 years of design experience, including 15 focused on K-12 schools and higher education design. She has experience in bond planning, project management and firm leadership, and has worked in Southwest Washington for the past six years. She is past president of the Oregon/Southwest Washington Chapter of the Association for Learning Environments and on the board of directors. She works in the Portland office.

Riverpoint Medical

Doug J. King is the new CEO of Portland-based Riverpoint Medical, a developer, designer and manufacturer of medical devices focused on sutures for the surgical and animal health markets. King was president of Medtronic's spinal business and has over 30 years of medical device industry expertise.

Alaska Communications

Anchorage-based Alaska Communications named Laurie Butcher as chief financial officer. Butcher joined Alaska Communications in 1997 and has held several leadership roles in finance and accounting, including senior vice president of finance. Prior to that, she held roles in public accounting at Price Waterhouse and Deloitte & Touche, and was controller for Teamsters Local 959. Alaska Communications provides broadband and managed IT services for businesses and consumers in Alaska.

Amazon

Amazon is now accepting applications for its Amazon Future Engineer program from students planning to enter college in the fall of 2020. The program offers $40,000 scholarships to study computer science at a four-year college or university to 100 high school seniors from underserved and underrepresented communities. Amazon also links a guaranteed paid internship with the deal. Students can apply until Jan. 17 at amazonfutureengineer.com.

OtoNexus

OtoNexus Medical Technologies was voted the Most Valued Company by hundreds of investors attending the Keiretsu Angel Capital Expo over the summer in Redmond. OtoNexus was selected from 20 companies who presented and exhibited at the expo. The Seattle-based company is developing an ultrasound-based medical device to assess middle ear infections.

Brightwork Consulting

Seattle-based Brightwork Consulting is now an LGBT Business Enterprise after receiving certification from the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce. Brightwork is an IT consulting firm providing risk management, project management and business strategy.

Colvos Construction

Dargan

Daves

Peterson

Tacoma-based Colvos Construction hired seven to help with an estimated $40 million in projects. The additions include a superintendent, project engineer, two carpenters, a laborer, an administrative assistant and the newly created director of business engagement position. New superintendent Randy Peterson has nearly 40 years of construction experience and specializes in tenant improvements in healthcare, office and education facilities. New project engineer Roman Daves recently graduated from BYU-Idaho with a bachelor's in construction management. He was an intern last year at Colvos. Deanna Dargan is director of business engagement. She is the former owner and marketing strategist at Tairis Group and was director of marketing at BCRA in Tacoma and The Rush Companies in Gig Harbor.

Hermanson Co.

Hermanson

Robinett

A new year will bring change at Kent-based Hermanson Co., as Paul Robinett will step into the role as president. Current President Rick Hermanson has held the role for 21 years and will become CEO on Jan. 1. He transitioned the company from a sheet metal shop into one of the region's largest mechanical construction and service companies. Robinett has been with the company for 18 years. He led its expansion into healthcare and critical environments mechanical construction.