Nov 12, 2025

Hensel Phelps

Waldo

Coyne

Moore

Poppelreiter

Perry

Ryan Perry, Associate DBIA, with experience working on aviation and data center projects, and Brady Poppelreiter and Brian Cordell with aviation-type projects, are now project superintendents at Hensel Phelps.

Caleb Moore now works as a senior safety manager supporting and overseeing project teams and safety initiatives. He brings knowledge of safety and health technical requirements, and considerations and protective measures for accident-free work sites. He will also participate in pre-job planning conferences to help establish safety plans for new contracts. Moore is currently working on the ARS-WSU Bioscience Research Building and the P-290 Earth Covered Magazines project.

Jennifer Coyne now leads the Project Development Team and supports procurement and marketing efforts, actively gathering intelligence on potential opportunities and cultivating client relationships. Coyne helps shape strategic plans to secure new work in targeted and emerging markets, aligning business development with the company's long-term growth strategies.

Hensel Phelps also welcomes Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) manager Christian Waldo to the team. Waldo coordinates various design disciplines utilizing BIM technology and works closely with design teams and trade partners to facilitate constructability reviews and develop efficient solutions for building system coordination.

Washington Trust Bank

Washington Trust Bank has signed Seattle Mariner's catcher Cal Raleigh to a three-year partnership. This is the bank's first-ever partnership with a professional athlete. “I'm proud to partner with Washington Trust Bank who has a long tradition of guiding their clients and supporting communities I care deeply about,” said Raleigh. “It's great to work with a group that shares my values, and I look forward to supporting the team as they continue making a positive impact in people's financial journeys.” Washington Trust's partnership with Raleigh is an exclusive within the banking industry, and residents can expect to see the ball player in select campaigns, events and activations over the next three years. Headquartered in Spokane, Trust Bank currently has 45 branches and offices in Washington, Idaho and Oregon.

Metis

Metis, a mergers and acquisitions advisory firm specializing in the wine industry, announced that its CEO, Erik McLaughlin, has been named a 2025 Wine Industry Leader by Wine Business Monthly. McLaughlin previously received this honor in 2019, making him one of a select few to be recognized twice with this award. More than 350 nominees were reviewed, vetted, and judged. McLaughlin was selected for his work in facilitating complex acquisitions and partnerships that have reshaped the wine landscape across California, Washington and Oregon. In 2025, Metis expanded its presence to California. This strategic move complements the firm's existing offices in Washington and Oregon, positioning Metis to provide comprehensive M&A advisory services across all major West Coast wine regions. Under McLaughlin's leadership, Metis has completed over 50 transactions and built a team with more than 100 years of combined wine industry experience. Metis is named for the Greek goddess of prudence and wise counsel, and has offices in Napa, Willamette Valley, and Walla Walla.

State Transportation Commission

Gov. Bob Ferguson has named Matt Ransom of Camas and Gael Tarleton of Seattle to the Washington State Transportation Commission, filling two open seats reserved for representatives west of the Cascade Mountains. Ransom serves as the executive director of the Southwest Washington Regional Transportation Council and brings more than 25 years of experience in local and regional government. He has overseen projects and initiatives for the city of Vancouver and C-TRAN, the transit service provider in southwest Washington. In his current role, he collaborates with local governments and transportation agencies across southwest Washington and bi-state partners in Oregon to plan and fund regional transportation priorities. Tarleton is a former state legislator and Port of Seattle commissioner who has also held leadership roles with the city of Seattle, University of Washington and the federal government. In the Legislature, she served as chair of the House Finance Committee, vice chair of the House Technology & Economic Development Committee and on the House Transportation Committee. Ransom replaces Commissioner Roy Jennings of Clark County, who served 11 years on the commission. Tarleton replaces Commissioner Shiv Batra of King County, who served nine years. The Washington State Transportation Commission provides guidance to lawmakers and the governor on transportation policy and serves as the state's tolling authority, setting toll rates and ferry fares. Every four years, commissioners update the Washington Transportation Plan, which guides transportation decisions and investments statewide. By law, the commission is composed of four members from west of the Cascade Mountains and three from the east.

Berger Partnership

Bell

Berger Partnership has hired landscape designer Ari Bell, whose background spans ecoacoustics, amusement park landscapes, Arctic permafrost preservation, and the relationship between performance and place. Bell has a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Vassar College and a master's degree in landscape architecture from the University of Virginia.

Nov 07, 2025

Stoel Rives

Stoel Rives has elected nine attorneys to the firm's partnership, effective Jan. 1, 2026. The new partners are located in five offices spanning the firm's geographic footprint — Anchorage, Boise, Minneapolis Seattle and Portland.

Stoel's new partners in Northwest offices are: Shannon Bleicher (Anchorage) – Bleicher is a natural resources attorney in the firm's Environment, Land Use & Natural Resources practice group. She represents natural resource developers and regulated utilities on land, mineral, and regulatory matters. She earned her J.D. from Creighton University School of Law.

David Brandon (Boise) – Brandon is a tax attorney in Stoel's Corporate practice with broad experience in domestic and international transactional tax matters. He earned his J.D. and LL.M, Taxation, from the University of Washington School of Law.

Whitney Brown (Anchorage) – Brown is an attorney in Stoel's Litigation practice and chairs the firm's Appellate Critical Motions Group. She returned to Stoel Rives after serving as a law clerk to Justice Sonia Sotomayor of the U.S. Supreme Court. Brown received her J.D. from UCLA School of Law.

Alex Pearson (Seattle) – Pearson is an attorney in Stoel's Corporate practice group and a member of the Energy Industry Group. He advises renewable energy sponsors and developers in project finance matters for the financing of renewable energy projects across the country. Pearson earned his J.D. from University of Washington School of Law, and served as editor-in chief of Washington Law Review.

Bradley Prowant (Minneapolis/Boise) – Prowant is a commercial litigator in the firm's litigation practice group, representing a range of clients in complex commercial litigation and appellate advocacy across the country. Prowant received his J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School.

Connor Smith (Anchorage) – Smith is a trial attorney in the firm's Litigation practice group. He represents clients in the commercial fishing, energy, mining, and oil and gas industries and works frequently with Alaska Native Corporations. Smith received his J.D. from Seattle University School of Law.

Ariel Stavitsky (Portland) – Stavitsky is an energy and environmental attorney in the Environment, Land Use & Natural Resources practice group. She represents clients across multiple industries, including energy development, natural resource production, and manufacturing, with focuses in environmental and natural resource-related litigation and energy facility permitting. Stavitsky received her J.D. from University of Oregon School of Law.

Michael Such (Portland) – Such is a tax attorney in the Corporate practice group. In his practice, he primarily represents renewable energy clients in all tax matters related to project development nationwide. Such received his J.D. from Lewis & Clark Law School.

Nov 06, 2025

NAIOP Washington looks to crystal ball

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Brokers will convene on Nov. 12 at the next monthly breakfast confab hosted by NAIOP Washington. The events begins at 8 a.m. at the Westin Seattle. Four brokers on the panel are charged with answering a weighty question: “How will borrowing costs, changing market dynamics, and global economic pressures continue to impact the CRE market into 2026 and beyond?” Reading the tea leaves will be CBRE's Tom Pehl, JLL's Lisa Stewart, Real Retail's Maria Royer and Jeff Forsberg from NAI Puget Sound Properties. Details and registration: naiopwa.org

Avatar Financial Group

Williams

Bridge lender Avatar Financial Group announced its recent hiring of Matt Williams, who joins the firm as a director of capital markets. Avatar is based here in Seattle; Williams will work out of the regional office in North Carolina. In addition to holding an MBA from Texas A&M University, Williams recently completed a 20-year stint in the U.S. Army, where he earned a Medal of Honor for his service in Afghanistan. Avatar's said TR Hazelrigg IV said of the hire, “Matt brings a rare combination of strategic focus, operational excellence, and personal integrity that aligns perfectly with our values at Avatar.”

Colliers

Wayne

Colliers says that veteran broker Sam Wayne has returned to the firm, now as senior VP in charge of its multifamily division, after several years at Cushman & Wakefield. Wayne explained the decision thusly: “I came back to Colliers because this is the right platform to build something big. Seattle multifamily is at an inflection point. Investors want more than brokerage. They want a partner who can anticipate shifts, source the right capital and unlock value others overlook. That's the platform we're creating here.” The firm said in the press release that “Wayne will assemble a high-performing team focused on investment sales, land development and joint-venture equity.”

CFRE Commercial Real Estate

Nakamura

Late last month, CFRE Commercial Real Estate announced that Ross Nakamura had newly joined the firm as a broker. Gary Hunter leads and founded the brokerage, and said of its new member, “Ross' broad experience and commitment to delivering results align perfectly with our approach.” Nakamura added, “I look forward to helping clients navigate complex real estate decisions and maximize the value of their investments.”

City of Redmond

The city of Redmond has announced the vacancy of City Council Position No. 1, following the resignation of Councilmember Osman Salahuddin.

“While Councilmember Salahuddin's enthusiasm and thoughtful contributions as a member of City Council will be missed, we sincerely thank him for his dedication to Redmond and wish him well in his next chapter,” said Mayor Angela Birney. “We also look forward to City Council filling this vacancy and ensuring that Council's service to the community continues uninterrupted.”

A Councilmember since 2023, Salahuddin's role concludes this week. His council position and remaining term through 2027 will be filled by an external candidate voted on by current council members. City Council will review vacancy-related materials at its Nov. 12 study session, followed by review of the recruitment process at its Nov. 18 Committee of the Whole meeting. At that time, the city will formally announce its timeline and process for filling the vacancy.