Apr 01, 2025

UBS Wealth Management USA

Harris

UBS Wealth Management USA announced that Amani Y. Harris has joined the firm as a first vice president and portfolio manager in the Seattle office. Harris joins the firm's Pacific Northwest Market, led by Rob Giordano, market executive, and Kevin Janke, associate market executive. Harris manages over $180 million in client assets for families and individuals. His approach centers on helping families create and sustain dynamic wealth across many generations. He is joined by Julie Hall, client service associate. Harris is a U.S. Army veteran. He brings over 20 years of wealth management experience to UBS and joins from Morgan Stanley. UBS is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, and operates in more than 50 markets around the globe.

Menlo Dental Transitions

Menlo Dental Transitions hired Luke Kapper as a practice advisor. Kapper will support dentists throughout the Pacific Northwest and surrounding areas as they navigate practice sales, acquisitions, and ownership transitions. He will offer personalized guidance tailored to each practice's goals, drawing on his experience in dental lending and business strategy. With nearly two decades of experience in the dental industry, Kapper has worked with both Bank of America Practice Solutions and Huntington Practice Finance, participating in over $1 billion in health care-related lending. His expertise spans practice acquisitions, multi-practice lending, real estate, project lending, and ground-up construction. Menlo Dental Transitions is a dental practice transitions brokerage headquartered in Tempe, Arizona.

Ogletree Deakins

Adam Cuff and Sharan Singh have joined labor and employment law firm Ogletree Deakins' Seattle office. Cuff joins as senior counsel. His practice focuses on employment law, and he defends employers in courts and in front of agencies on a wide range of issues from discrimination to compensation. He also advises employers on issues including disability, gender/sex, race/color, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, and veteran discrimination, retaliation, harassment, leave, and wage/hour lawsuits (including class actions) in the federal district and state superior courts in Washington and Oregon as well as charges in the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the federal Department of Labor Wage & Hour Division, and the Washington Department of Labor & Industries. Cuff earned his J.D. from the University of Washington School of Law. Singh recently joined Ogletree Deakins as an associate. Her practice focuses on representing employers in a range of labor and employment matters with an emphasis on labor arbitrations and unfair labor practice hearings. She represents employers before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Washington Office of Administrative Hearings, the National Labor Relations Board, the Washington State Public Employment Relations Commission, and other state and municipal agencies. She earned her J.D. from the University of Washington School of Law.

Mar 28, 2025

Delta Dental of Washington

Quirk

Delta Dental of Washington named John Quirk as its new chief legal officer. Quirk has been serving in this role since August of 2024. Quirk has been a licensed attorney for more than 19 years, and has supported several organizations in-house, including Amazon, Group Health Cooperative, Kaiser Permanente, and Providence/Swedish. In his new role, Quirk will provide legal, regulatory and other strategic support. Additionally, Quirk currently serves as a board member, secretary and executive committee member for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound. He graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor's degree in business administration with an emphasis on accounting from the University of Portland. He also earned a juris doctorate from Seattle University School of Law, and an LL.M in Taxation from New York University School of Law. Delta Dental of Washington was founded 70 years ago by Seattle area dentists, and today provides dental benefits to nearly 4 million people statewide and beyond.

Symetra Life Insurance

Agadi

Symetra Life Insurance appointed Ravi V. Agadi as vice president, platform partnerships, for Workforce Benefits. Agadi brings over 25 years of experience spanning insurance, management and M&A consulting, IT, and publishing. Most recently, he was president of MC Solutions, a Connecticut-based consultancy firm he founded that works with insurance companies on strategic initiative development and enterprise program management in group benefits and individual life insurance. Agadi is a member of the LIMRA Data Exchange Standards Committee. He earned a bachelor's degree and an MBA from the University of Connecticut. Symetra Life Insurance is a subsidiary of Symetra Financial Corporation, a diversified financial services company based in Bellevue. In business since 1957, Symetra provides employee benefits, annuities and life insurance through a national network of benefit consultants, financial institutions, and independent financial professionals and insurance producers.

Icertis

Bellevue-based Icertis, a global provider of AI-powered contract intelligence, named Shashi Mandapaty to its Strategic Advisory Board. Mandapaty was most recently the chief procurement officer at Johnson & Johnson, where he led global procurement of more than $30 billion across 35,000 suppliers to drive innovation and value by embedding procurement into the broader business ecosystem. Procurement Magazine recognized Mandapaty as the No. 1 CPO in Healthcare and No. 2 overall CPO in its Top 100 Leaders for 2025. As part of the Icertis Strategic Advisory Board, Mandapaty will advise the company as it leads procurement to maximize the value of business relationships and drive strategic decision-making with GenAI-powered agentic workflows. Mandapaty's career spans three continents and multiple industries. Prior to joining Johnson & Johnson, he earned industry recognition and delivered measurable results over the course of more than 16 years at Procter & Gamble.

Mar 27, 2025

Toll Bros. names Bellevue development

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In the Crossroads area of Bellevue, Enclave at Kelsey Creek is the moniker of a new luxury home subdivision from Toll Brothers. The company announced a hard-hat tour on April 6 for prospective buyers, to begin at 1 p.m. at 12 148th Ave. N.E. The 11 three-story homes start at 2,864 square feet and about $2.4 million. Toll's Kelley Moldstad said in a press release, “Our new home designs provide a unique opportunity for home shoppers to create their own one-of-a-kind residence while enjoying the best of everything this beautiful area has to offer.” Construction should wrap this fall.

Judy Runstad adds to honors

Runstad

Philanthropist and real estate attorney Judy Runstad is extremely prominent in her field. She recently retired from Foster Garvey, and a private banquet will be held in her honor next month. She also remains vice-chair at Wright Runstad & Co. Adding to all those achievements, she was recently named Seattle King County First Citizen for 2025. The award comes from the Seattle King County Realtors organization. Its Garrett Nelson said in a statement, “Judy Runstad exemplifies the high qualities of leadership, selflessness and philanthropy.” Jon Scholes of the Downtown Seattle Association added, “Judy's impact has made an indelible impression on our city to the benefit of us all.” And from the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, its Rachel Smith calls her longtime friend “many things to many people in our community — business executive, city builder, civic leader, political force of nature and family matriarch.” The First Citizen awards began in 1939.

Mohr Partners

Marona

Based in Dallas, advisory firm Mohr Partners has a new Seattle office. The news came earlier this month. Mohr said in a press release that Spencer Marona will lead the office; he makes the move from Flinn Ferguson. He said in a statement, “I am thrilled to return to my roots in commercial real estate and tenant representation. I am confident Mohr Partners has the best advisory platform to serve my local and national occupier clients.” Mohr plans to add staff to its Seattle office, one of about two dozen nationwide. CEO Robert Shibuya said of the expansion, “A significant number of our existing national clients lease or own corporate real estate in the Seattle area, and Spencer's strong understanding of the local commercial real estate markets make him an ideal professional to execute their transactions.”

Gantry secures $16M refinancing in Pinewood

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Two years ago, Guntower Capital acquired an empty senior community, then called Cogir of Northgate, in the Pinehurst area. It reopened as the Highlander apartments earlier this year, with 121 units priced for workforce-level tenants. Now the ownership has benefited from a $16.2 million Fannie Mae loan arranged by Gantry, the latter firm announced last week. Its Mike Wood, Mike Taylor and Tim Brown led the refinancing effort. Wood said in a statement, “The transformation of the Highlander apartments from a dated assisted living facility to a contemporary apartment community is a testament to successful value-add investing. The redevelopment of this asset into workforce housing opened the door to agency programs that reward project sponsors with exceptionally attractive terms.” Because the Highlander is affordable to households earning up to 80% of area median income, it's eligible for Fannie Mae's Sponsor Dedicated Workforce Housing program.

Kidder Mathews

Paulsen

Kidder Mathews announced this week that its Eric Paulsen has risen to the post of chief operating officer. He's been with the firm for four years, and counts over three decades in the profession. CEO Bill Frame said in a statement, “His experience, positive energy, and drive to win make him the perfect fit to lead our growth and promote our outstanding company culture.” Said Paulsen, “I'm committed to collaboration that empowers our teams to succeed and provide unmatched service to our clients.” He'll oversee 19 offices in six West Coast states including our own.

Avatar loans $10M for California project

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Based here in Seattle, Avatar Financial Group provides or arranges financing all around the county. It recently announced the provision of a $10.1 million bridge loan in La Jolla, California. The borrower refinanced old debt for a luxury home now under construction. The new financing carries a two-year term at a 10.5% initial rate and a 44% loan-to-value. Avatar's T.R. Hazelrigg IV said in a statement, “This financing allows an experienced developer to complete a best-in-class home in a premier location, ensuring it reaches its full market potential.”

Dwight finds $22M for E. Washington units

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West of Spokane is the city of Airway Heights. There, Dwight Capital recently announced that it arranged a $22.5 million refinancing package for the 128-unit Skyview Heights. The money came in the form of a 223(f) loan from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Dwight said it achieved a favorable rate via HUD's Green Mortgage Insurance Premium (MIP) program. McBride Capital represented the unnamed property owner.

eXp Realty lauds Bothell broker

Nominally based in Bellingham, founded in 2009, eXp Realty is an entirely virtual brokerage, with its agents working all around the county and in Canada. It recently named its top producers for 2024, and that list includes Chandra Vennapusa of Bothell. His desk also includes Texas. Last year, says eXp, he closed an “impressive $101,252,631 in sales on 98 sides, a testament to his expertise and commitment to excellence.” Company CEO Leo Pareja said of all its top performers, “Our agents continue to push boundaries, leveraging innovative strategies, unwavering dedication, and a commitment to top-tier service for their clients. Their achievements prove the power of eXp's model and our collaborative culture — this is what the future of real estate looks like.” The company says it now has 83,000 agents across 25 international locations.

Washington Patriot Construction

Remond

Murphy

Heaton

Finch

Montgomery

Louie

Washington Patriot Construction has promoted Sarah Montgomery to controller and Carrie Finch to senior accountant. In addition, the firm has hired Aileen Heaton as project manager, Tonya Murphy as marketing manager, Christen Redmond as accounting assistant, and Lillian Louie as marketing/administrative assistant. Montgomery has 13 years of experience in construction accounting. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Central Washington University, and is an active member of the Construction Financial Management Association. In her new role, she succeeds Dave Rutherford, who served as the firm’s controller since its inception in 2009. Montgomery will oversee all accounting operations, in addition to financial reporting responsibilities. Finch has over 25 years in construction accounting. She recently transitioned from her role in accounts payable/accounts receivable into a senior accountant role, mainly focusing on accounts receivable, contracts, and project set up for subcontracts. Finch has been promoted in recognition of her consistent contributions to improve firm-wide accounting processes and procedures. Heaton brings 17 years of experience in commercial construction. Her background includes a diverse portfolio of projects ranging from tenant improvement projects to large commercial construction. As project manager, she will be leading commercial and industrial projects in the firm’s private sector market. Murphy has nine years of experience in the A/E industry and succeeds Carole Vose, who has served as the firm’s marketing manager since 2013. She brings a wealth of technical capabilities and strong organizational skills, and will lead the firm’s marketing strategies to effectively promote a strong corporate image. Redmond brings over 10 years of accounting experience in the hospitality and construction industries. She holds a bookkeeping certification from Penn State University and has also studied computer programming and accounting. Redmond is involved in subcontracts, subcontractor compliance, and other accounting functions. Louie joined the firm as administrative/marketing assistant. She graduated from Pacific Lutheran University in May of 2024 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with a concentration in graphic design. She offers administrative support to our operations team, and uses her graphic design expertise to aid the marketing department with graphics and branding across all channels.