Dec 14, 2001

Schnitzer Steel Industries

Leonard Schnitzer will retire as CEO of Schnitzer Steel Industries effective Jan. 1. He will remain chairman of the board of directors. Schnitzer has served the Portland business for 55 years serving as board chairman since 1971 and CEO since 1973. Robert W. Phillip, president of the company, will assume the additional duties of CEO. Schnitzer Steel is a recycler of ferrous metals and manufacturer of finished steel products.

Court Appointed Special Advocates

King County Superior Court is asking for volunteers to train as Court Appointed Special Advocates. CASA volunteers represent children involved in custody and visitation disputes in family law cases. Volunteers will investigate cases for the King County Superior Court in Seattle and the Regional Justice Center in Kent. Orientation and training is scheduled on a regular basis. Information is available by calling (206) 296-9320.

Literacy Works

A new collaborative effort called Literacy Works that promotes literacy in the workplace has been formed with the help of a $50,000 challenge grant from the Paul G. Allen Charitable Foundation. Literacy Works is a partnership of the Seattle-King County Workforce Development Council and three community-based organizations. The program brings English classes tailored to a company's needs directly to the worksite. The challenge grant will be matched by $50,000 from the Workforce Development Council. For information call (206) 448-0474.

Evergreen Community Development

Mahnaz Eshetu has joined Evergreen Community Development Association as loan officer and strategic planning manager. Most recently she was the strategic advisor and senior economic development specialist for the city of Seattle strategic planning office and the office of economic development.

Jore Group

Stockholders of the Jore Group have agreed to sell all of its domestic operations in Hawaii, Alaska and Seattle to Northland Holdings. A new holding company, Jore International has been formed for all international operations. Both America Cargo Transport and Strong American will be subsidiaries of Jore International, and will remain under their current management and ownership. The balance of the Jore Group with its affiliates are scheduled to be transferred to Northland during the first week of January 2002. Joe Sanders will be vice president of business development of Jore International and remain in his present position as president of America Cargo Transport. Larry Stauffer will be president of the Jore Group and its affiliates.

North Cascades Institute

Kris Molesworth, former executive director of Northwest Bookfest, has joined North Cascades Institute as director of development. Molesworth will lead all fund-raising efforts for the nonprofit educational organization, including the Reach for the Peaks Campaign to support the future North Cascades Environmental Learning Center in North Cascades National Park. Founded in 1986, the North Cascades Institute is a natural history education organization.

Dec 13, 2001

Interim Solutions LLC

Tracy Giles started a Seattle-based commercial real estate consulting firm named Interim Solutions LLC. Giles, who has 15 years of experience, will provide due diligence, project management and financial services. She worked until recently as an assistant project manager with what she calls a "heavy emphasis on the financial side" for Teutsch Partners in Seattle. She closed seven construction loans and three investment offerings during her two years at Teutsch. Before that she worked as contract administrator for Winmar, the former Safeco Insurance real estate subsidiary.

Plymouth Housing Group

Christopher Brown, Julie Wade, Ken Carter, Lyn Krizanich and Mary Stevens joined the board of Plymouth Housing Group. Brown is a tax and business attorney. Wade, who moved to the area from Texas 20 years ago, is also a lawyer, working for Starbucks. She worked 10 years at the Seattle Housing Authority. Carter, who grew up in Japan, has worked as a stockbroker for 15 years. Krizanich, who lives near Pike Place Market, has worked for 17 years in commercial development and management. Stevens worked for 13 years as a fundraiser, including as development director for A Contemporary Theater.

Plymouth's latest project is 73 apartments for formerly homeless men and women on the former Ivar's site on Lower Queen Anne, at First Avenue and Denny Way. Construction is expected to begin soon on the six-story structure, which will include first-floor retail. Plymouth assembled $9 million in funds from the Washington Housing Finance Commission, the National Equity Fund, the city of Seattle's housing levy, the state, Seattle Housing Authority, Washington Mutual, Federal Home Loan Bank and Impact Capital.

Marcus & Millichap

Robert Di Pietrae received the CCIM Institute's Certified Commercial Investment Member designation. Di Pietrae, who specializes in brokering sales of affordable housing complexes in Oregon and Washington, has worked at Marcus & Millichap since 1990. He's now a senior associate.

Cain & Scott

Dick Duncan is a sales agent for the Seattle-based apartment brokerage of Cain & Scott. Duncan holds a degree in economics from Harvard. He has brokered apartments, developed about 300 units and arranged financing for several thousand units as a representative of other parties, Cain & Scott said.

John L. Scott

Brian Hauer has been hired as a residential agent in John L. Scott Real Estate's Laurelhurst office. The firm described him as a "second-generation Realtor." The Auburn office added Jim Ferguson, Levi Venn, Scott Bergen and Vera Dekhtyar as agents.

Issaquah added Bob Young, David Arnold, Eliza Stephenson, Debbie Scavotto and Jeff Wickland. The Magnolia office added Bob Bouffiou, Karen Young, Karen Wiginton, Michael Southwick and Ian Pharmes. Bellevue South landed Cheryl Lewis and Christian Crijanovschi.

The firm's third-generation owner and president, J. Lennox Scott, meanwhile, became a member of the National Association of Realtors' Executive Committee, starting Jan. 1, and will serve a year. The committee totals 45 members; 39 are elected and six are appointed by the Chicago-based association's president. Scott received one of the six appointments by president Martin Edwards.

HomeSight

Wells Fargo Bank gave $250,000 to a new revolving loan fund set up by the non-profit, low-income housing developer HomeSight to help people buy Puget Sound-area homes. The city of Seattle previously contributed $1.1 million to the fund, now available to home buyers.