Mar 24, 2022

Urban Renaissance Group

Schmidt

Urban Renaissance Group recently announced that Brad Schmidt has joined the firm as managing director, to help lead its efforts in Denver. He makes the move from Sterling Bay, of Chicago. In his new mile-high post, he’ll oversee four existing investments and look for new development opportunities. URG’s Pat Callahan said in a statement, “Denver is an important growth market for Urban Renaissance Group, and we feel that Brad is the perfect person to lead the charge in our expansion. His diverse experiences in development, acquisitions and operations are key to driving our expansion.” Schmidt has over two decades in the field. URG currently lists about 350,000 square feet in Denver, where it began investing in 2014. Its four current holdings are mixed-use office buildings, but URG now says it wants to expand into multifamily and even hotel development there. It also has two sites where future plans haven’t yet been announced. In Denver, Portland and here, URG sizes its current portfolio at 12 million square feet.

Berkadia secures $51M for Bozeman units

Over in its Denver office, Berkadia announced its recent role in securing a nearly $51 million loan for a new multifamily project in Bozeman, Montana. Managing director Jennifer Quigley provided the construction loan for the 2131 Graf apartments, which are expected to break ground soon. BlackRidge Companies is the borrower and developer. The project will have 195 units. BlackRidge’s Will Ralph said in a statement, “Bozeman is in significant need of rental housing and 2131 Graf will provide an additional high quality housing option for the residents of Bozeman.” Completion is expected by the fall of next year. Berkadia, based here, said the funding came via through HUD’s Green Program, with a 40-year term and a 3.03% interest rate.

Avatar loans $5.8M for out-of-town quartet

Local shop Avatar Financial Group announced its recent provision of bridge loans totaling $5.8 million for four out-of-town properties. The beneficiaries were two industrial buildings in Marietta, Georgia; a Days Inn by Wyndham hotel in Clinton, North Carolina; and the buyer of an industrial property near Chicago. Avatar’s T.R. Hazelrigg IV said in a statement, “Avatar provides responsive bridge funding to allow sponsors the ability to meet their obligations and close deals. Our direct lending capabilities enable investors to seize opportunities that otherwise may be out of reach.” The firm has over $100 million in funds to make hard-money bridge loans, in amounts generally ranging from $1 million to $35 million.

Suquamish Tribe

Suquamish Tribal citizens voted to fill two Tribal Council positions up for election this year at the Tribe’s annual General Council gathering. Josh Bagley was elected Tribal Council vice chair and Denita Holmes was elected treasurer. Bagley, a former geoduck diver, is president of the Suquamish Seafoods Board and vice chair of the Suquamish Tribal Gaming Commission. Holmes is a teacher at Chief Kitsap Academy, a former member of the Suquamish Museum Board and an artist. Outgoing vice chair Wayne George and treasurer Robin LW Sigo were thanked by fellow Council members, and their services acknowledged by Tribal members. Tribal Council is now comprised of Chairman Leonard Forsman, Vice Chair Josh Bagley, Secretary Windy Anderson, Treasurer Denita Holmes, and three at-large members, Sammy Mabe, Luther (Jay) Mills III, and Rich Purser. The Suquamish Tribal Council is the governing body of the Suquamish Tribe, elected by Tribal citizens during their annual General Council meeting. Candidates elected to Tribal Council serve for three-year staggered terms. With approximately 1,200 citizens, Suquamish Tribe is a federally recognized sovereign nation. The village of Suquamish and seat of the Suquamish Tribal Government are located on the Port Madison Indian Reservation, along the shores of the Puget Sound near Seattle.

POSaBIT

Seattle-based POSaBIT Systems, a provider of point of sale software and payments infrastructure in the cannabis industry, has launched their payments solution in two new markets: Texas and Georgia. These are the 17th and 18th states overall where a POSaBIT solution is active, with the aim to enter a handful of additional markets over the remainder of 2022 and beyond. POSaBIT’s technology provides a safe environment for cash-only merchants. Ryan Hamlin is the CEO and co-founder of the company.

Walker Sands

Walker Sands, a full-service marketing agency focused on accelerating the growth of B2B brands, has promoted Annie Gudorf to senior vice president, public relations. Gudorf has played a pivotal role in accelerating the growth of the agency’s public relations department since joining Walker Sands in 2013. Gudorf also serves as managing director of Walker Sands’ Seattle office, where she oversees operations, including growing and engaging the team and leading client work from B2B tech brands across the West Coast. In her new role as senior vice president, Gudorf will continue serving as strategic PR counsel for her clients, and focus on growing the agency’s PR department in Seattle through employee and client development. Walker Sands is one of the fastest-growing B2B marketing agencies in the world, with offices in Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle, Boston and Atlanta.

Mar 23, 2022

Architects West

Bravo

Debbie Bravo has been hired as the lead interior designer at Architects West, and will oversee the development and growth of Architects West's new interior design studio. The establishment of an interior design studio to complement architecture and landscape architecture services is reflective of Architects West's integrated design philosophy and holistic approach. Bravo brings more than 25 years of interior design experience. She has worked on all aspects of building projects and brings an extensive portfolio with her including both public and private projects from commercial office, healthcare and recreation to multi-family and residential project types.

Additionally, Bravo has a WELL AP certification that gives her the background to work with the client to focus on the health and wellness of the people in the building – taking it a step beyond merely implementing sustainable building design practices.

Environmental Science Associates

Bumback

Environmental Science Associates, an environmental consulting and planning firm, has named Stacy Bumback as senior vice president and regional director in the Pacific Northwest. She will direct the operations and strategic growth and development of the region, with a focus on ensuring continued client satisfaction. With over 24 years in consulting, Bumback brings a wide array of experience to ESA — from business development and strategic planning to growing and nurturing her team in a collaborative and inclusive work environment.

Bumback most recently served as the environmental science and planning business unit manager and Seattle office leader at Jacobs Engineering. Her team of 60 staff spanned multiple offices across Washington, Oregon, and Alaska. Prior to Jacobs, Bumback held management positions at AECOM as environmental department manager overseeing staff across four offices in Washington and Oregon and as cultural resources group Leader at Jones & Stokes/ICF.

In addition to her operational expertise, Bumback has a technical background in archaeology and cultural resources management, having led a number of large and complex environmental and cultural resources projects over her career. Of special note was Bumback's role as program archaeologist for Washington's SR-520 Bridge Replacement Program, in which she was responsible for designing and implementing the concurrent testing strategy for three alternatives; coordinating the key cultural milestones with the NEPA process, including the evaluation of 200+ historic buildings; evaluating a deeply buried pre-contact fish weir for the National Register; and facilitating effective communications with the Quinault Indian Nation and the Chehalis Indian Tribe. Most recently, she's been working with the National Science Foundation and National Aeronautics and Space Administration to develop tribal consultation policies in compliance with the January 26, 2021, Presidential Memorandum to strengthen nation-to-nation relationships.

Bumback holds a BS in Anthropology from Oregon State University and an MA in Cultural Resources Management from Sonoma State University. She is a Registered Professional Archaeologist and a member of the Society for American Archaeology, Society for Historical Archaeology, Association of Washington Archaeologists, Society for California Archaeologists, and the National Association of Environmental Professionals. Bumback will be based out of ESA's Seattle office, but will work regularly from the firm's Portland office.

Ethos Civil

Johnson

Funches

Epstein

Mellott

Ethos Civil is pleased to announce its recent formation and establishment in the Pacific Northwest region. The Tacoma-based firm offers civil engineering, entitlement, and project management services. Principals include Don Mellott, Andy Epstein, Mike Funches, and Lucas Johnson. Mellott recently worked as a managing principal at BCRA and has 30 years of professional experience. Epstein recently served as the owner and principal engineer at Third Day Design and has 19 years of experience. Funches is a recently retired Lieutenant Colonel, serving for 22 years with the US Army Corps of Engineers. Johnson recently worked as a project manager at AHBL and has 14 years of experience.

Ethos Civil is a veteran-owned small business with expertise on K12, federal, commercial, multi-family, parks, assisted living, and residential development projects. Ethos Civil is currently serving as the prime consultant on the South Park Plaza project for Seattle Parks and will serve as the civil engineer on the upcoming Memorial Stadium project with Federal Way Public Schools. The Memorial Stadium project will be a design-build delivery with BNBuilders and McGranahan Architects.

Miller Hull

Doub

Albores

Moggio

Miller Hull announced that three of its members have been promoted to principal in its Seattle and San Diego studios; Elizabeth Moggio, Mathew Albores, and Steve Doub. Moggio's role at Miller Hull is to translate and synthesize, gathering information from a variety of sources, visual, contextual, social, cultural to create a cohesive and beautiful design. As a project manager, she has over 20 years of experience in the design and project management of public and academic spaces. Her leadership and management skills were instrumental in leading Miller Hull's most recent Progressive design build delivery projects, University of Washington's Hans Rosling Center for

Population Health and University of Washington's Health Education Science Building.

Coming from a long line of family members who worked in the U.S Foreign Service, Mathew Albores is always surprised yet pleased that he has been able to work on so many Embassy and consulate projects. A project manager leading large consultant teams, he's coordinated with high level stakeholders within the U.S. Department of State and local municipalities. Most recently, Mathew leads Miller Hull's work for completion of the $195 million Deschutes County library bond measure, delivering new central, regional, and branch libraries for the county. He is a founding member of Miller Hull's Equity-ops group.

As the firm's specifications writer and QC lead, Steve Doub has essentially been exposed to every project in the office, always offering input and sharing lessons learned. A leader of Miller Hull's delivery process, he educates colleagues on risk evaluation, building science, materials, and construction techniques. As a specifier, he is an active member of the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) and is currently on the review committee for the second edition of CSI's Construction Specifications Practice Guide.

Parametrix

Audar

Jun Audar has rejoined Parametrix as a Senior Designer based out of Seattle. He has over 20 years of engineering experience specializing in CADD support for roadway, rail, bridges, and wastewater treatment projects.

Audar rejoins Parametrix from WSP USA where he served as a Senior Supervising CADD Designer. He was previously with Parametrix from 2004 to 2007. His project experience includes the Sound Transit's Central Link Light Rail, Washington State Department of Transportation's SR 520 Bridge Program, and the City of Seattle's Alaskan Way Viaduct and Seawall Replacement Program. At Parametrix, Audar joins the firm's Puget Sound region transportation team, working on projects for the Washington State Department of Transportation and other public agencies.

Techstars

Techstars, a global investment business that provides access to capital, one-on-one mentorship, and customized programming for early-stage entrepreneurs, and Protocol Labs, creator of the Filecoin and IPFS decentralized storage protocols, announced the inaugural class of the Filecoin Techstars Accelerator. This selective accelerator has accepted 12 startups who are building on top of the Filecoin and IPFS protocols to participate in a 13-week intensive program which will provide hands-on mentorship, curated entrepreneurial content and programming, up to $120K in funding, and access to Techstars’ network of mentors, investors, alumni and corporate partners. The program, based at Techstars’ Seattle facility in Startup Hall on the University of Washington campus, will operate on a virtual and in-person hybrid basis. The 12 companies participating in the program include: Bailport, Ecko, Haiphen, MerkleBot, MetaPals, Mint State Labs, Peeranha, The Bloop Browser, SharpShark, StaTwig and TransCrypts. Over the course of the 3-month program founders will have access to a mentor pool of serial entrepreneurs, subject matter experts, and industry experts from Techstars Seattle, as well as crypto-specific mentors from Protocol Labs and the broader Filecoin ecosystem.

SMPS

The Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) is celebrating SMPS Seattle’s 40th anniversary by hosting its first ever silent auction. For this auction, they are asking members and their companies to donate items for bidding. The auction will open for bidding leading up to the Reign Awards evening where the auction will close and items can be claimed. The proceeds from the auction will be donated to one or more non-profits. Questions or information about donating an item should be addressed to Paula Welly or Jeremy Richard at paulawelly@paceengrs.com and jrichard@designwesteng.com. Commitment to donate is due by Monday, May 2, 2022. The SMPS Seattle chapter has more than 300 members from hundreds of firms throughout Washington, Montana, Idaho and British Columbia.

Whitman

Christina and Peter Dawson have donated a $2 million gift to Whitman to endow the Kathleen M. Murray Chair in Computer Science. The chair is named for Whitman President Kathleen Murray, who is retiring at the end of this academic year. Established in 2015, the computer science program was approved as a new major in 2016 during Murray’s first year in office, and then officially offered to students starting with the 2017-18 academic year. Since then, it has continued to expand, with courses including web design, introduction to data science, computational problem solving and human-computer interaction. Graduates have gone on to careers at Google, Microsoft and other competitive companies. Each full-time computer science faculty member currently advises nearly 30 students. The Dawsons’ gift will allow the college to search for an additional computer science faculty member this year.