Mar 11, 2026

EBD Services

Alley

Project management and consulting engineering firm EBD Services has hired Kristy Alley as director of business development.

Alley currently serves as co-chair of the NAIOP Washington State Eastside Committee, and previously served two terms on the NAIOP Washington State Board of Directors, including a term at the national level. She also served on the DBIA MarCom Committee and her participation in the SMPS Seattle chapter, including one term on the Board of Directors. According to LinkedIn, Alley brings over 27 years in business development to her new role.

Wolf Water Resources

Thomas

Washington and Oregon-based watershed science and engineering firm Wolf Water Resources has hired Skye Thomas to provide professional land surveying services as part of the firm's integrated approach to landscape resiliency and infrastructure projects. Thomas will lead the land surveying and aerial services practice. With 17 years of experience, Thomas is experienced in topographic, bathymetric, and boundary surveys; title research and legal descriptions; FEMA floodplain and elevation surveys; and aerial imagery and acquisition using light detection and ranging, also called LiDAR. He is licensed in Washington, Oregon and California.

Olson Kundig

Alameddine

Keith

Reynders

Larsen

Vaughn

Luth

Carlos

The following members of the Olson Kundig team have been promoted to architectural designer III: Melissa Vaughn, Luke Larsen, John Reynders, Mackenzie Keith, Omar Alameddine, Adriana Carlos and Eric Luth.

Swenson Say Fagét

Holzhauer

Bovee

Nettesheim

Swenson Say Fagét Structural Engineers (SSF) promoted Laura Nettesheim to project manager, and Karina Bovee and Elliot Holzhauer to project engineers.

Nettesheim joined SSF's Seattle office in April 2021. She holds a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from the University of Maryland, and a Master of Science in structural engineering from Purdue University. Nettesheim's projects include single-family homes, float-home renovations, and retail tenant improvements. She was on the SSF team that studied 102 city of Seattle Parks and Recreation buildings to confirm which are URM, and began preparing preliminary seismic renovation plans for 46 buildings.

Bovee joined SSF's Tacoma office in April 2022. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from Walla Walla University. Current and recent projects include the American Legion Post community and apartment building renovation in Raymond, multiple market-rate and affordable multi-family buildings throughout the Puget Sound region, the new Allenmore Medical Office Building in Tacoma, and the Portland Hyatt renovation.

Holzhauer joined SSF's Seattle office in July 2022 after graduating with both Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in civil engineering from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. His project experience includes an addition to the historic Royal Block Hotel in Waitsburg, an assessment/repair/retrofit of Pioneer Hall in Seattle, and several projects in Seattle including the adaptive reuse of a seafood warehouse building for West Canal Yards and a seismic study of Our Lady of the Lake Church. Holzhauer was also part of the Seattle Parks URM project team with Nettesheim.

Puget Sound Partnership

Roberts

Gov. Bob Ferguson has appointed Mindy Roberts as the new executive director of the Puget Sound Partnership.

Roberts brings decades of experience in clean water, habitat protection, and environmental policy. She previously served for 10 years as Puget Sound program director at Washington Conservation Action, an environmental nonprofit, where she worked to advance environmental policies at the state, federal and local levels; strengthen clean water regulations; and protect and restore healthy habitat for salmon, orcas and people.

Before joining Washington Conservation Action, Roberts served 16 years as an environmental engineer at the state Department of Ecology. She helped develop the original Marine Water Quality Vital Sign adopted by the Partnership and led Ecology's Salish Sea modeling efforts to understand how sewage and toxic pollution impact people and natural resources. She also served as affiliate faculty at the University of Washington Tacoma from 2008 to 2023, where she developed and taught an undergraduate field course on stream ecology.

She earned three engineering degrees, including a bachelor's from the University of California, Berkeley, master's from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and Ph.D. from the University of Washington.

Puget Sound Partnership is the state agency that leads the region's collective effort to restore and protect Puget Sound. The Partnership works with hundreds of tribal, federal, state and local partners on actions that advance recovery based on science.

Mar 10, 2026

Novelty Hill-Januik Winery

Smith

The Novelty Hill-Januik Winery has added Tanner Smith as the new executive chef at its Woodinville Winery.

Classically trained in French cuisine, deeply immersed in Latin-style cooking from a young age, and with an affinity for foods from throughout the world, Smith's approach is grounded in technique, guided by exceptional ingredients, and driven by the heart.

The winery's philosophy is creating food that is elevated in quality while remaining welcoming and accessible. Smith brings this perspective to the Tasting Room, Wine Club, and private events.

Most recently, Smith served as executive chef for the restaurant group behind Brimmer & Heeltap and its sister projects.

Bellevue College

Bellevue College has been designated a 2026 Leader College of Distinction by Achieving the Dream (ATD), a national organization committed to advancing community colleges as accessible hubs of learning, credentialing and economic mobility.

“This designation as a Leader College of Distinction by Achieving the Dream belongs to Bellevue College's entire community,” said Bellevue College President David May. “Our vision is rooted in transforming lives and strengthening our region through education. Together, we are building systems that not only help students enroll, but persist, graduate, and contribute meaningfully to the Eastside region and beyond. We are building a future-focused, vibrant community as a result.”

ATD created the Leader College of Distinction designation in 2018 to recognize institutions that have demonstrated sustained excellence in advancing student success outcomes over time. Leader Colleges of Distinction must demonstrate sustained and expanding success in early momentum metrics, such as course success rates and student retention, as well as in milestone momentum outcomes, such as rates of completion; a strong culture of data-informed continuous improvement; and evidence that effective practices are institutionalized.

Mar 06, 2026

Western Specialty Contractors

Western Specialty Contractors has been sold to employees through an ESOP. ButcherJoseph & Co. served as the exclusive financial advisor on the transaction, Founded in 1915, Western is a century-old company with a national footprint and a reputation for technical excellence across restoration and specialty construction. The ESOP ensures long-term continuity, preserves the company's independence, and aligns ownership with the employees who have driven Western's growth for more than 100 years.

ButcherJoseph & Co. Director Rick Hennessey noted that Western is “a textbook example of a company whose culture and values align naturally with employee ownership.”

Western CEO Ben Bishop Jr. said the move “recognizes the contributions of our employees in a meaningful way while positioning the company for long-term stability and growth.”

The transaction provides Western with a tax-advantaged structure that supports continued investment in operations, leadership development, and strategic growth initiatives.

Cairncross & Hempelmann

Cairncross & Hempelmann announced that Duncan Greene has joined the firm's Land Use & Zoning Group, further strengthening its capabilities in land use, zoning, and development matters across the Puget Sound region.

Duncan brings over 20 years of experience advising property owners, developers and businesses on complex land use and permitting issues, including project entitlements, regulatory compliance, and navigating local approval processes. His practice focuses on helping clients move projects efficiently from planning through approval, with strategic guidance grounded in a deep understanding of Washington's regulatory framework.

“With more than two decades of experience advising clients on complex land use, environmental and regulatory issues, Duncan is an exciting new addition to our land use team,” said Randall Olsen, Cairncross & Hempelmann partner and Land Use & Zoning Practice group leader. “He expands our capabilities and shares our commitment to providing exceptional service to our clients.”