Feb 19, 2025

Reid Middleton

High

Garcia

R. Adwer

K. Adwer

Hippler

In Anchorage, Reid Middleton hired Aaron Hippler as a designer I. Hippler is finishing his degree from the University of Alaska-Anchorage and will provide structural engineering design.

In San Diego, Reid Middleton hired Klara Adwer as a designer I, Rwzan Adwer as a designer I, Pablo Garcia III as a designer I, and Nas High as an office administrator. Klara and Rwzan Adwer started at Reid Middleton as civil interns and recently graduated from San Diego State University. Both will focus on civil engineering projects.

Garcia joined the firm as a designer for structural engineering projects. High brings 13 years of experience, including six with the U.S. Army. She will support office operations for the San Diego office.

LMN Architects

Asher

LMN Architects announced the addition of Cristian Asher to its principal group and leadership team.

Asher has joined LMN Architects in the role of director of business development. He brings nearly 18 years in the architecture industry to LMN, seven of those in executive positions leading marketing, communications, and BD teams in California, Oregon, and now Washington. At LMN, he will spearhead efforts to secure new projects within the firm's five core market sectors and to consider new opportunities, geographies, and markets as they align with LMN's values and portfolio.

Asher has held leadership roles at notable architecture firms, including SERA Architects in Portland and Gensler at their headquarters office, with earlier experience at Perkins&Will and SMWM Architects in San Francisco. He has led winning pursuits worth over $1.5 billion in revenue across multiple sectors, including aviation, higher education, civic, and workplace.

Swenson Say Fagét

Kiers

Kuzubov

Borseth

Witthun

Ashford

Swenson Say Fagét Structural Engineers announced four promotions and one new hire.

Holly Ashford and Tyler Witthuhn were promoted to project manager. Ashford joined SSF's Seattle office in March of 2019. She holds a B.S. in Architectural Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. Ashford's projects include various new construction and renovation projects for single-family homes throughout the greater Seattle area, including three float homes. Other recent projects include the Bishop Blanchett High School Seismic Retrofit, a seismic retrofit of To the Moon Childcare in Seattle, a new office building in Carnation, and a tenant improvement project for Seattle Pizza Bar.

Witthuhn joined SSF's Ellensburg office in February of 2022. He holds an M.S. in Civil Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Witthuhn is currently working on a new dentistry building for Pacific Northwest University in Yakima, the Old Wenatchee Jail Adaptive Reuse for a speakeasy and retail spaces, the Pangborn Airport Hangar Analysis in Douglas County, a new Franz Bakery Warehouse in Yakima, and many single-family projects throughout Central Washington.

Mitchell Borseth and Dennis Kuzubov were promoted to project engineer.

Borseth joined SSF's Seattle office three years ago. He holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Gonzaga University. The majority of Borseth's time is spent with the SSF multifamily team. He is currently working on the St. Luke's Affordable Housing Apartments and the St. Luke's Market-rate Apartments in Ballard, the Bryant Manor Affordable Housing project in Seattle, the second phase of the Pepsi Blocks Apartments in Portland, and the Dawson Wilson Townhomes in Seattle. He is also working on two high-end single-family residences in Medina and Seattle.

Kuzubov joined SSF's Tacoma office in March of 2022. He holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Washington. Kuzubov's current projects include a new 50-unit Muckleshoot Supportive Housing project, two new Gateway North retail buildings in Bend, a new Treehouse project in Medina, the new A Street Townhomes in Tacoma, and the new Seabrook Pacific Landing mixed-use project. He is also involved with numerous single-family home renovations and new projects throughout the state, from Lopez Island to Ellensburg.

Alan Kiers joined SSF as a staff engineer.

Kiers joined SSF's Tacoma office in September 2024. Kiers holds a Bachelor of Science in engineering with a civil/environmental engineering concentration from Calvin University in Michigan. With four years of experience, Kiers is working on a variety of projects, including the new 8839 Pacific Avenue Townhomes in Tacoma, the new 16th and State Apartments in Boise, and single-family home projects in Gig Harbor, Seattle, and Lake Stevens.

Foster Garvey

Foster Garvey announced the addition of principals Susan Johnson and Claire Mitchell, associate Max Fujii and paralegal Nealy Evans, who join the firm's Commercial & IP practice from Stoel Rives. The former Stoel Rives team joins forces with Foster Garvey's liquor and cannabis team, led by Emily Harris Gant.

Johnson has spent more than two decades supporting breweries, wineries, distilleries, restaurant and hotel chains and other industry stakeholders on licensing structures, distribution agreements and policy matters. She represents clients in regulatory proceedings and works closely with government agencies on legislative initiatives affecting alcohol laws. She is licensed to practice in Washington and is nationally ranked in Chambers USA.

Mitchell represents a diverse range of clients, including national grocery chains, e-commerce retailers, alcohol brand owners and entertainment venues. Her work centers on complex state and federal liquor licensing matters, promotional advertising regulations, tied house issues, sponsorship agreements and other alcohol industry transactional matters. She also to collaborates with regulators on securing mission critical and often time sensitive regulatory approvals. Mitchell serves on the board of directors of the Washington Wine Industry Foundation where she works in concert with other industry professionals to support the continued success of winemakers and vineyards in the state. She is licensed to practice in Washington, Oregon and New York and is nationally ranked in Chambers USA.

Fujii advises breweries, wineries, distilleries and retailers on federal and state liquor licensing, compliance and corporate transactions. He assists clients with permitting, tied house compliance, direct-to-consumer shipping and distributor franchise matters, and supports retail expansions, winery acquisitions and operational plans for sports and entertainment venues. He is licensed to practice in California.

Evans has more than 20 years of experience supporting attorneys and clients in the beverage and hospitality industries, and is experienced with managing multistate license portfolios for alcohol suppliers and hospitality businesses, including restaurants, hotels, cruise lines, resorts and entertainment venues.

Foster Garvey has offices in Seattle, Portland, Washington, D.C., New York, Spokane and Tulsa.

Feb 14, 2025

Boise Cascade

Barney

Boise Cascade promoted Joanna (Jo) Barney to executive vice president of its Building Materials Distribution (BMD) division. She will oversee the company's 40+ distribution facilities, including millwork and door shops, across the U.S. Barney joined Boise Cascade in 2005. Prior to this promotion, she was the senior vice president of BMD Western Operations. Before that she served in several key roles and progressive leadership positions, including general manager of BMD Western Operations and branch manager for BMD's Salt Lake City, Utah, location. Boise Cascade is one of the largest producers of engineered wood products and plywood in North America and a leading U.S. wholesale distributor of building products.

K&L Gates

Global law firm K&L Gates added Samuel Breeze as a partner in its Intellectual Property practice. He joins the firm's Seattle office from Lee & Hayes, where he served as chair of its design practice group. Breeze advises clients on how to protect their brands by securing intellectual property on the ornamental aspects of their inventions. He focuses his practice on the protection of the industrial design of electronic devices, graphical user interfaces, sports equipment, apparel, and other ornamental inventions. Over the course of his career, Breeze has helped clients obtain thousands of U.S. design patents and foreign registrations. He has extensive experience protecting designs outside the United States, including knowledge of the requirements involving The Hague Agreement. Breeze also has patent experience with life science technologies, including medical equipment and other biomechanical inventions. K&L Gates' IP practice includes more than 250 lawyers and professionals, offering clients IP services across four continents.

Concord Technologies

Seattle-based Concord Technologies named William Cavanaugh as its chief executive officer, succeeding its founder Chris Moore. Moore, who led the business for more than 29 years, will now serve as chairman. Cavanaugh, who joined Concord in 2022 as its president, will focus on continuing to deliver double-digit revenue growth riding on Concord's clinical data exchange network. Concord Technologies provides secure document exchange, intelligent document processing, and interoperability solutions to the health care industry.

Feb 13, 2025

A bit more about that Hawthorne sale

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As the DJC reported last week, Cushman & Wakefield represented the seller in a $22 million apartment deal on Capitol Hill. The brokers for the 63-unit Hawthorne were Dylan Roeter, Tim McKay, Dan Chhan and Matt Kemper. The same firm also arranged the $13.1 million Fannie Mae loan, originated by Greystone's Michael Zampetti, on behalf of buyer Felson. C&W's Dave Karson, Chris Moyer, Paul Roeter, Mitch Rothstein and Mary Shin lead the loan effort. Buyer Adam Felson said in a statement, “We are very excited to grow our presence in Seattle. The Hawthorne stood out to us as a compelling opportunity, given the excellent location, high parking ratio and early 2000s vintage.” The building, with 86 structured parking stalls, is now said to be 95% occupied.

Kidder Mathews

Herrmann

Piper

Anderson

Simon

In its Tacoma office, Kidder Mathews has added two new brokers to its multifamily platoon, led by Dylan Simon and Jerrid Anderson in Seattle. The new hires, both moving from First Western Properties, are Elijah Piper and Tony Herrmann. Piper said in a statement, “This is an incredible opportunity to elevate the service I provide to clients.” The duo brings the squadron up to 13 brokers. Said Simon, “Seattle's multifamily market is settling into a new rhythm, and investors are finding their footing again. Growing our team and the geography we service will allow us to serve clients in every market they own.”

Pacific Asset Advisors joins X, the other X

Close

Brokerage X Team Retail Advisors is based in Phoenix, with offices in 50 U.S. markets and in Canada. The firm announced this week that our own Pacific Asset Advisors is joining X as an affiliate. Leasing specialist Pacific Asset is led by Brad Close, who said in a statement, “Joining forces with the national affiliates within the X Team platform is a natural progression. We continue to grow our established retail property management service line, and a key focus this past year was building the premier retail brokerage team.” That team now numbers around 13, including five hires last year: Michael Olsen, Tony Omlin, Adam Greenberg, Ryan Cornish and Tyson Clarke. Last year, the firm arranged 146 leases spanning about 5 million square feet.

More on Altitude 104 ... er, we mean The Ellyson

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In Pierce County, the 230-unit Altitude 104 recently sold for almost $40 million to Oro Capital Advisors of Nevada. (The DJC reported the sale last week; Berkadia was the broker for seller Goodman Real Estate.) Changes are now coming to the garden apartments, which are in the Parkland area, near Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Starboard Real Estate announced that it's now running, renaming and renovating the complex, which was developed in 1989. The company's Lindy Harvey said in a press release, “Residents can look forward to modernized interiors with quartz countertops and new flooring, as well as exciting community upgrades — including an enhanced clubhouse, a new dog park, an outdoor kitchen area and refreshed exteriors.” The complex is now The Ellyson, and it serves a very diverse community of renters. Said Harvey, “Our team speaks more than four languages, which is a huge asset for our diverse resident base, and we go above and beyond to accommodate their needs.”

All about Everett!

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The Greater Everett Chamber of Commerce is hosting a Feb. 19 lunch event titled, appropriately, Everett Rising. It's to be held at downtown's Kings Hall, a vintage events space, at 1611 Everett Ave. Speakers will include Craig Skotdal of Skotdal Real Estate and Lisa Lefeber, the CEO and executive director of the Port of Everett. Topics will include the Kaiser Permanente expansion, the Everett Station District (where light rail should arrive by perhaps 2041), the port's ongoing Waterfront Place mixed-use redevelopment effort and other transit-oriented development in the city. Details and registration: everettchamber.org

Ballard Spahr

Wyant

Christopher Wyant has joined Ballard Spahr's Litigation Department and Antitrust and Competition Group as a partner, firm Chair Peter Michaud announced. Wyant has experience in all aspects of antitrust litigation. He has represented defendants in multidistrict price-fixing cases brought by class plaintiffs, direct-action plaintiffs, and attorneys general. He has also represented both plaintiffs and defendants in monopolization cases. Wyant provides advice to clients facing government investigations and counsels clients on antitrust compliance. His broader commercial litigation practice focuses on local, national, and international disputes involving breaches of contract, fiduciary duties, mergers and acquisitions, investment banking, and debtor/creditor claims. Wyant is the first partner to join Ballard Spahr since its combination with Lane Powell on Jan. 1. He is resident in Seattle, one of Ballard Spahr's three new offices. Wyant joined Ballard Spahr from K&L Gates. He is the second Antitrust and Competition partner to join the firm as of late, following Kristen Broz, who joined the firm from Fox Rothschild in December 2024.

Pacific Northwest CMAA

The Construction Management Association of America (CMAA) Pacific Northwest Chapter is hosting its Annual Construction Conference 2025 for construction managers, engineers, contractors, owners, designers, and providers on April 18 at the Lynnwood Convention Center located at 3711 196th St. S.W., Lynnwood. The conference will also be live streamed through Zoom. More details including the Zoom link will be provided at a later date. Tickets are $400 for CMAA affiliated organization members or public agencies, $450 for non-CMAA members, and $20 for students. Register before April 1 to avoid late fees. Additional information is available at info@pnwcmaa.org.

Alderwood Water & Wastewater District

The Alderwood Water & Wastewater District (AWWD) appointed Patrick Peck, a long-time Edmonds resident, to fill the vacancy on its board of commissioners. This position was recently vacated following the retirement of Commissioner Donna Cross. “We are thrilled to welcome Pat back to the district in this new role,” said John McClellan, general manager of AWWD. “Having recently retired after 40 years of dedicated service in our Maintenance and Operations department, Pat brings an invaluable wealth of experience and deep knowledge of our industry and the communities we serve. His expertise will undoubtedly be an asset to our Board as we continue our mission to provide high-quality water and wastewater services.” Peck will serve on the board until the end of 2025. At that time, the position will be open during the November 2025 general election. The AWWD Board of Commissioners is a publicly elected body responsible for providing strategic and policy oversight to AWWD's operations.