Aug 22, 2024

Seattle Art Museum

Rio

Following an international search, Aaron Rio has joined Seattle Art Museum as its new Tateuchi Foundation curator of Japanese and Korean Art. He will oversee the museum's artistic program of Japanese and Korean art, including its collections and exhibitions at all three of SAM's sites (Seattle Art Museum, Seattle Asian Art Museum and Olympic Sculpture Park). However, his role will primarily focus on the Seattle Asian Art Museum, SAM's original home and its current hub for Asian art and culture. Rio succeeds Xiaojin Wu, who served in the position from 2012 to 2022. SAM debuted the renovated and expanded Seattle Asian Art Museum in 2020, which included more and improved exhibition space, more programming space, and the new Atsuhiko and Ina Goodwin Tateuchi Conservation Center, the only studio in the western United States dedicated to the structural conservation of East Asian paintings. Since 2019, Rio has served as associate curator in the Department of Asian Art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Rio earned his PhD in Art History from Columbia University.

Unico lands new tenants in Tacoma

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Alston Construction and Panattoni Development have found a new home in Tacoma, the two firms announced this week. They'll share the 17th floor at Unico Properties' 1201 Pacific tower, in the heart of downtown. That offers about 15,135 square feet. Brokers and terms weren't announced. Kidder Mathews' Will Frame and Drew Frame represent the building, Tacoma's largest office structure, with its 307,643 square feet. Developed in 1970, the 25-story tower was once known as Wells Fargo Plaza. Today, asking rents begin at about $32 per square foot per year. Unico acquired the building in 1997. Other tenants include WSP, Gordon Thomas Honeywell, Merrill Lynch, Propel Insurance, NY Life and Regus.

NAIOP dives into south Puget Sound

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The south end of Puget Sound, chiefly Pierce County, will be the focus of a NAIOP gathering on Sept. 4. Appropriately, the 11 a.m. gathering will be held at the Tacoma Convention Center. Lunch will be served, and two panel discussions are scheduled. One includes Andrea Reay of the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber, Tacoma Deputy Mayor John Hines and state Representatives Dan Bronoske and Kristine Reeves. The second convenes Chris Rossman of Fourth Avenue Capital, Rick Kolpa from Prologis, Whitney Wilkins of Sage Investment Group and Michael McClure of MJR Development. The latter recently completed renovating an old downtown office tower, now dubbed Tacoma Centre (pictured). Details and registration: naiopwa.org

New brokers at Colliers

Colliers announced last week the addition of a veteran pair of brokers, who made the move from CBRE. Those would be Geoff Pendergast and Rick Hart, who both assume the title of senior VP. Colliers' Scott Blankenship said in a statement, “Their ability to navigate the complexities of the Puget Sound market will greatly benefit our clients, as we continue to grow our service offerings and maintain our leadership position in the region.” Colliers said the new hires marked “a significant step in the firm's strategic growth in the Puget Sound area as the firm continues to find and recruit top talent in the market.”

Pack Ventures

Ken Horenstein

Pack Ventures, an independently run venture capital fund, is collaborating with the University of Washington to boost innovation and support entrepreneurial ventures emerging from the university. This collaboration provides opportunities for Husky alumni to invest in promising startups and will help bolster the UW's entrepreneurial ecosystem. The collaboration between the UW and Pack Ventures was formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding signed earlier this year. As a result, Pack Ventures became a preferred venture partner of the UW and CoMotion, the university's collaborative innovation hub. Leveraging this relationship, Pack Ventures has launched its second fund, aiming to raise $30 million to invest in startups with UW affiliations. The fund has already attracted over 50 investors. The UW is among the top institutions in the nation for securing federal research funds, receiving more than $1.5 billion in fiscal year 2023. Ken Horenstein is the founder of Pack Ventures and a UW alumnus. To date, Pack Ventures has raised over $10 million from more than 100 investors and invested in 29 companies connected to the UW, including those founded by faculty, students and alumni.

Data I/O

Redmond-based Data I/O Corp. announced a chief executive officer transition plan, with industry veteran and current Data I/O board member William Wentworth to become president and CEO. Wentworth will replace Anthony Ambrose through a managed transition plan. Wentworth becomes president effective Sept. 1, and CEO effective Oct. 1. Wentworth comes to Data I/O with a wealth of industry experience spanning over 35 years, including private equity and M&A exposure. As the CEO of Source Electronics, he was a Data I/O customer and led the sale of controlling interest of Source Electronics to HIG Capital in 2001 and the company's subsequent sale to Avnet in 2008. More recently, as president and owner of Wentworth Advisors, he has consulted in the programming, IT, and private equity markets, focusing on expanding deal flow, performing due diligence and board service. He has been a member of the Board of Directors of Data I/O since May 2023, serving as chair of the Corporate Governance & Nominating Committee and member of the Audit and Compensation Committees. Ambrose served as CEO of Data I/O for 12 years. He will assist Wentworth during the transition period and will be available to consult for the company for the next 12 months. Wentworth will continue to serve on Data I/O's Board of Directors, although he will be reclassified from an independent member to an executive member. After Oct. 31, Ambrose will no longer be a member of the board following his retirement as CEO of the company.

Aug 21, 2024

Associated Earth Sciences

Johnson

Associated Earth Sciences Inc. has hired Jim Johnson as principal engineering geologist. Most recently with WSP (formerly Golder), Johnson brings more than 37 years of local and national experience covering a diverse range of public and private projects.

His work includes geotechnical site exploration, design and construction, geologic hazards assessment and mitigation design, geophysical investigations, and environmental support.

AESI is a multi-disciplinary, professional consulting firm specializing in providing geotechnical engineering, hydrogeologic, geophysical, and geologic services with offices in Kirkland, Tacoma, Mount Vernon, and Winthrop.

BCRA

Rydman

BCRA has promoted Joseph Rydman to managing principal. With a 19-year career at BCRA, preceded by five years at Lawhead Architects, Rydman has demonstrated exceptional dedication and expertise in the architectural field.

Throughout his tenure at BCRA, he has significantly influenced the multifamily market, leading numerous projects. Additionally, Rydman has successfully managed an array of project types, including fire stations, restaurants, retail spaces, self-storage facilities, and hospitality venues. Notable completed projects include Stadium Apartments, Madison 25, The Luke, and Traxx at Terrace Station.

Otak

Yamashita

Otak has elevated Jon Yamashita to regional director of Oregon and Southwest Washington.

Yamashita has more than 30 years of experience in the industry and has led the Otak survey and mapping team for the better part of the past decade. His expertise covers a comprehensive range of surveying while his knowledge and commitment to precision has made him an invaluable asset on the way to completing countless projects.

Yamashita has served as board chair for the Leadership Clark County program for the last three years after completing the program himself and participating on the board over the last decade.

In his new role Yamashita looks to build on the firm's ability to bring a truly integrated team to each project that caters directly to client goals. This includes providing a unified set of strategies around how work is selected, pursued, won, managed and executed.

Studio Meng Strazzara

Purtha

Parsons

Greenheck

Watkins

Jamieson

Weyrick

Thomas

Studio Meng Strazzara has promoted several employees to leadership positions.

Peter Jamieson and Nick Watkins have been promoted to senior associate; Riley Greenheck and Rebecca “Becca” Parsons have been promoted to LEED green associate; and Daniel Purtha, Shirley Thomas and Ethan Weyrick are now associates

Jamieson has national experience designing and managing commercial projects ranging from adaptive reuse to multifamily residences.

Watkins has a diverse background for both education and commercial projects.

Greenheck started as an intern at SMS when he was in high school. Upon graduating college, he was immediately hired full-time to run projects for the firm's commercial practice.

Parsons is a dedicated and detail-oriented designer with a passion for Revit modeling.

Purtha produces deliverables from schematic design to construction documents with accompanying high-quality renderings. He prioritizes sustainability.

Thomas brings international experience to SMS. Her attention to detail and ability to refine designs leads to highly polished buildings.

Weyrick is a proven project manager. He is an eager student of his craft and is constantly developing new skills and applying them to each project.

Rock Project Management Services

Cauilan

Pickard

Renton-based Rock Project Management Services hired Katelyn Pickard and Joseph Cauilan as assistant project managers. RPM provides owner's representative services to public and private clients throughout Washington that have education, technology, health care, transportation and municipal projects. Pickard has 10 years of experience providing technical support to project teams on a variety of project types, especially with environmental-related projects. Most of Pickard's project experience has been developed through her involvement with underwater dive operations at various industrial sites, including plants, bridges, water treatment facilities, retaining walls, fuel docks, and tunnel boring machines. Cauilan is a recent electrical/electronic engineering graduate from the University of Washington, Bothell. He has an interest in circuit design, and power system design and analysis.

Lasher Holzapfel Sperry & Ebberson

Lasher Holzapfel Sperry & Ebberson announced that Aaron Schwartz, Emily Husa and Faye Washburn have joined the firm. Schwartz joins the firm as counsel, with nearly 20 years of litigation practice spanning a wide range of matters from simple wage disputes to complex class actions involving hundreds of millions of dollars. He represents individuals and companies on matters including employment litigation and discrimination, commercial disputes, insurance coverage, sexual abuse, and complex mass torts. Husa joins Lasher as a litigation attorney after two years of summer internships through the LEAD-WA program. She recently graduated from Seattle University's School of Law, during which time she also was a Judicial Extern for the Hon. Janet Chung, Court of Appeals of Washington Division 1. Washburn also spent a year as a summer intern with Lasher, and recently graduated from Seattle University's School of Law. She joins the Family Law Practice Group and will continue to work on complex financial dissolutions, post-dissolution matters, prenuptial agreements and parenting plan litigation. Lasher Holzapfel Sperry & Ebberson was founded over 50 years ago in Seattle, and provides comprehensive legal services for businesses, their owners and families.