Aug 05, 2026

Reid Middleton

Willoughby

Shablo

Rifenbury

Penberth

Fuller

In Everett, structural and civil engineering and land surveying firm Reid Middleton hired Josie Fuller, Kendra Penberth, Ava Rifenbury and Shane Shablo.

Fuller joins the firm as a senior marketing coordinator, bringing 10 years of marketing and communications experience. Penberth takes on a role as project administrator with eight years of project administration experience. Rifenbury is a designer in the waterfront group having graduated from Gonzaga University with a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering. Shablo was hired as new party chief for the survey department, and brings 38 years of surveying experience.

In Anchorage, Alaska, Reid Middleton promoted Courtney Willoughby to associate principal.

Folio: The Seattle Athenaeum

Cumming

Caroline Cumming, executive director of Folio: The Seattle Athenaeum, has announced plans to step down at the end of 2026 after a decade with the organization.

Folio's board of directors said it will immediately begin a search for her successor, reporting Cumming will remain in the role through the transition to ensure a smooth handoff.

Cumming joined Folio in 2016 as a part-time business manager and became its executive director in 2018, succeeding founder David Brewster. During her tenure, she guided the membership library through its relocation to Pike Place Market, navigated the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and oversaw a period of growth that expanded both its programming and membership base.

Under Cumming's leadership, Folio launched several notable initiatives, including Seattle's first Human Library event in 2022 and the 2025 NEA Big Read, featuring author Jess Walter. The organization also expanded its book discussion groups, literary programming and community events while strengthening its role as a cultural and civic gathering place in downtown Seattle.

Board President Robin van Steenburgh credited Cumming's leadership, nonprofit expertise and vision with helping shape Folio's success and long-term stability. As the organization celebrates its 10th anniversary, board members said they plan to build on her legacy by continuing efforts to create a multicultural, intergenerational library and cultural center in the heart of the city.

Middle of Six

Wallingford

The A/E/C marketing consultancy Middle of Six has hired Makenna Wallingford as a creative strategist. She brings 10 years of marketing expertise together with nearly five years of hands-on A/E/C design experience focusing on proposal development, creative storytelling and equitable design. Wallingford most recently worked at the national engineering firm, HNTB, where she served as a graphic designer responsible for designing infographics, accessible proposals and strategic presentations for major infrastructure clients across the western United States. Wallingford's experience includes digital accessibility design, advising teams on presentation best practices, and event planning and management.

Aug 04, 2026

Grant Zahajko Auctions

Photo via Grant Zahajko Auctions [enlarge]

Up for bid, a 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth baseball card.

Grant Zahajko Auctions will hold its final auction in Davenport on Aug. 12 before relocating its operations to Mesquite, Nevada, later this fall. The Sports Cards & Memorabilia, Comic Books, Autographs + Collectibles auction will be conducted both online and live from the company's Davenport gallery.

Founded in 2016, Grant Zahajko Auctions said it has enjoyed a strong relationship with the Davenport community, citing the city's affordability, small-town atmosphere and proximity to an international airport as key reasons for originally establishing the business there. Owners Grant and Gina Zahajko regularly travel nationwide to secure consignments for auction.

Company officials said the relocation will help reduce operating costs, improve access to a larger workforce and strengthen shipping logistics, allowing the firm to remain competitive while maintaining customer service standards. The new location will place the company closer to a larger pool of prospective consignors. Day-to-day operations and contact information will remain unchanged.

The company's new Mesquite facility is expected to be ready this fall, after which the move will begin and likely take several weeks to complete. Dates for the first auctions in Nevada have not yet been announced. Additional information is available at http://www.gzauctions.com.

Jul 31, 2026

Washington Conservation Corps jobs

The Washington Conservation Corps (WCC) program is recruiting about 260 AmeriCorps members to support critical restoration and recreation projects across the state.

WCC is a career-development program within Ecology providing hands-on experience and mentorship to young adults and military veterans. We work with more than 100 partner entities that have environmental restoration and recreation projects for our members including cities and counties, local conservation districts and parks departments, Tribes, state and federal agencies, and nonprofit organizations.

Our WCC members serve partner organizations either as part of a six-person field crew made up of one supervisor and five members or as an individual placement.

During the current WCC service year, which started Oct. 1, 2025, and ends Sept. 10, 2026, members supported hundreds of conservation projects throughout Washington. They reduced fuel loads in wildfire-prone forests near Spokane, created a self-guided walk focused on plants and trees at Tukwila Park in King County to commemorate Earth Month, and delivered supplies to Whatcom County residents impacted by the historic December 2025 floods.

WCC member positions are open to young adults ages 18-25, as well as military veterans and people with mental or sensory disabilities of any age. Members receive a living allowance, health insurance, professional training, and an education award after successfully completing their term.

Positions start service on Oct. 5, 2026, and end on Sept. 15, 2027. Field crew interviews are scheduled on a rolling basis, so we recommend applying early at https://apps.ecology.wa.gov/wcc/

Jul 30, 2026

The Greater Everett Chamber of Commerce

The Greater Everett Chamber of Commerce has launched Meet Everett, a new marketing campaign designed to reframe the conversation about Everett by introducing the people who manufacture, innovate, create, serve and invest there.

The campaign features business owners, entrepreneurs, manufacturers, innovators and community builders telling their own Everett stories. Through video, photography, outdoor advertising and digital content, Meet Everett highlights the people behind the businesses and ideas helping shape the city.

“Meet Everett is about changing the way people see our city by introducing them to the people who are already building remarkable businesses, products and experiences here,” said Wendy Poischbeg, president and CEO of the Greater Everett Chamber of Commerce. “Everett has an incredible legacy of making, but that story is still being written in our manufacturing facilities, laboratories, restaurants, shops and gathering places every day.”

The first Meet Everett bus-side advertisements are set to go live this week, featuring Katherine Hillmann of South Fork Baking and John Carswell of APEX Everett.

The campaign website, MeetEverett.com, includes the first three video stories, featuring Vince Rossetti and Sean Drought of Tapped as well as Hillmann of South Fork Baking and Carswell of APEX Everett.

Additional videos featuring Parker Burke of Fluke, Savanna Thompson of Helion and Sotirios Rebelos of Apollo Exos Records are set to join them this week.

Jul 29, 2026

Anchor QEA

Bridges

Anchor QEA has brought on Todd Bridges, whose leadership roles span government, academia and the private sector. Bridges has more than three decades of experience in research, engineering and environmental science. This includes 30 years with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, where he most recently served as the Army's senior research scientist for environmental science. While with the Corps, he founded the internationally recognized Engineering With Nature initiative, which promotes infrastructure solutions that work with natural systems. He has also led a five-year international effort that produced the International Guidelines on Natural and Nature-Based Features for Flood Risk Management.

Bridges has authored or coauthored more than 100 publications and has received numerous professional honors, including the Distinguished Presidential Rank Award in 2021. He is a member of the Western Dredging Association and serves on its Board of Directors. He is also a professor of practice in resilient and sustainable systems at the University of Georgia College of Engineering.

Ware Malcomb

Kurasaki

Henry Kurasaki has joined the Ware Malcomb Seattle office as director of architecture. In this role, he will serve as a key member of the firm's office leadership team, help shape its local architectural practice and lead business development efforts across the Pacific Northwest region.

Kurasaki brings more than 25 years of experience to Ware Malcomb as both a licensed architect and a commercial real estate leader. His career spans architecture firm leadership and owner-side real estate strategy, guiding multi-state portfolios, leading high-performing design teams, and overseeing complex real estate programs for corporate, retail, industrial, financial and operational environments.

Kurasaki has guided large-scale planning, design and construction initiatives through all phases of development, providing leadership, client engagement and strategic planning. Kurasaki helps clients navigate evolving business, sustainability, and facility challenges and brings practical insight into emerging energy and building technologies for greater operational efficiency and sustainability goals.

SMR Architects

Sauter

Froehlich

SMR Architects has promoted Alexander Froehlich and Nate Sauter to associates. Froehlich began studying architecture in high school. While at the University of Oregon, he led several community-based design-build projects, which solidified his commitment to socially responsible architecture. He has worked in both architecture and construction. A Washington licensed architect, Froehlich has served as a former Co-Chair on Seattle AIA's Committee on Homelessness, applying his advocacy-driven mindset to his professional associations as he does to his design work.

Sauter is an 18-year veteran of the construction industry. After 10 years in the field, he went on to earn a Bachelor of Architecture from Penn State's Schreyer Honors College. His work at SMR has combined his technical expertise with his commitment to creating enriching spaces for disadvantaged populations. At SMR, he has worked on the implementation of unit standardization with the goal of maximizing efficiency and streamlining the design process. He is a licensed architect in Washington and recently achieved his TiD-B certification, reflecting his commitment to designing spaces that are sensitive to the needs of trauma-affected populations.

PLS Engineering

Hankins

PLS has hired Alec Hankins as a civil engineer. Hankins has a strong foundation of local engineering experience, having contributed to pump station access improvements, roadway design and stormwater infrastructure projects. His hands-on experience includes developing site layouts and grading plans for a local park project, performing site inspections, and reviewing as-built plans, plot plans, and maps to ensure compliance. He has also built valuable field and construction knowledge through a local surveying internship, and as an estimator and intern with a concrete specialty contractor.

Hankins is a recent Oregon State University graduate with a degree in civil engineering, a 4.0 GPA and consistent recognition on the Dean's List. His commitment extends beyond the classroom through a strong record of community service.