Jan 16, 2004

Lane Powell Spears Lubersky

Lane Powell Spears Lubersky named Diane M. Butler, Robert J. Guite, Susan B. Jahnke and Matthew J. Macario partners in the Seattle office and made Tanya Durkee a partner in the Portland office. Butler's practice focuses on business immigration; Guite's practice focuses on employee benefits, ERISA litigation and class action litigation; Jahnke focuses her practice on banking and bankruptcy; Macario's civil practice emphasizes securities, real estate and construction litigation; and Durkee focuses her practice on commercial litigation.

Habitat for Humanity

Habitat for Humanity of Snohomish County, a Christian not-for-profit housing organization, named Mary E. Fears executive director. Fears, an accredited public relations practitioner, is the former marketing director for Leadership Technology Group. Habitat for Humanity International is based in Americus, Ga.

FOX Sports Grill

Gregory R. Buck was named general manager of Seattle's FOX Sports Grill. Buck was recently assistant manager at McCormick and Schmick's in Seattle. FOX Sports Grill was founded by FOX Sports and B&B Restaurant Ventures in 2002.

Kent City Council

Kent City Council elected Julie Peterson president and swore in four new councilmembers. They are Ron Harmon, public works; Dr. Deborah Ranniger, public safety; Debbie Raplee, public safety; and Les Thomas, public safety.

Clark Nuber

Vincent Stevens was promoted to shareholder at Clark Nuber, a Bellevue-based CPA and consulting firm. Stevens is a leader in the firm's not-for-profit services group and directs the software consulting services division. He is on the Community Building Committee and is chair of the Audit Review Committee of the United Way of King County.

Jan 15, 2004

Ming's Asian Gallery

Ming's Asian Gallery, a Seattle-based importer of Eastern antiques, art and home furnishings, will open a new gallery in Seattle's International District on Jan. 22, to coincide with the beginning of the Lunar New Year. A formal blessing will be performed by Kang Yong Kil of the Nung Gak Il Shim Temple at 12:38 p.m.

Chicago Title Insurance

As of Jan. 20, the Seattle office of Chicago Title Insurance Co. will be located in the Bank of America Tower at 701 Fifth Ave., Suite 2400. All phone and fax numbers will remain the same.

Tacoma Public Utilities

David Curry was named to the Tacoma Public Utility Board, the five-member governing body for Tacoma Public Utilities. Curry is president of Foundation for Grace, which provides free leadership training to business, political, religious and non-profit leaders.

Ubermind

Ubermind, a Seattle-based professional services firm that develops custom enterprise applications, named Michael Xenakis to its board of directors. Xenakis, a software architect, co-founded the company in 1999. Some of Ubermind's clients include Adobe Systems, Apple Computers, AT&T Wireless, Citigroup and Mortgage Investment Lending Association.

Hillis Clark Martin & Peterson

Sarah A. Dunne and Michael N. Kot joined Hillis Clark Martin & Peterson, a Seattle-based law firm. Dunne's practice emphasizes commercial and employment litigation while Kot's practice focuses on real estate and business matters.

Trammell Crow Co.

Wyk Parker and Dave Lamont have joined the Seattle office of Trammell Crow Co. Parker, formerly of Colliers International, joins as a vice president. He has 16 years' experience in real estate in the Puget Sound region and has completed about 600 sales and leasing transactions. He will focus primarily on brokerage services in the Southend market. Lamont has eight years' experience as a leasing and investment sales broker. He will work with Tom Abbott, director of brokerage services, as a senior associate in investment sales. Lamont's focus will be national as well as local markets.

Stellar International Holdings

Stellar International Holdings, a private investment company in Seattle, began repositioning its asset base last year. "We brought in a new president, Jeffrey Cook, and a new CFO, Valerie Margulis to drive what we see as an exciting period of growth ahead for SIH," Chairman and CEO Lars Jonsson said Monday when he announced the $52 million sale of a Stellar asset, the 12-story Frank Russell Building in Tacoma, to Wells Real Estate Investment Trust. Cook formerly was president and CEO of Penford Corp., and Margulis is the former director of real estate finance for Vulcan Inc.

BC Real Estate Associates

Mike Davis and Sarah Harkovich have joined BC Real Estate Associates in Bellevue. Both will continue their focus on land acquisition and new construction sales. Davis has 22 years of real estate experience, including land development, large-scale residential construction, commercial construction and sales. Harkovich's primary responsibility is to work with home builders, who are building up to 12 homes per year. She locates lots and meets with local government officials to determine feasibility. She also works with title and escrow companies and works with home buyers and manages information for BC's home-builder clients.

Rental Housing Association of Puget Sound

The Rental Housing Association of Puget Sound has elected Vincent J. Mullally president for 2004. Others elected are Cathy Jeney, vice president; Christopher T. Benis, second vice president; Lou Novak, treasurer; and Lou Micheli, secretary. The 3,200-member association says it is the largest group of rental housing owners in the Northwest. Members range from owners of a single rental house or condo to the largest apartment complexes.

WestCoast Hospitality

WestCoast Hospitality Limited Partnership, a subsidiary of the publicly traded WestCoast Hospitality Corp., has acquired the Red Lion Hotel Yakima Gateway in Yakima. The partnership previously controlled the 172-room property through an operating lease. In September, it exercised an option to purchase the hotel for $6.25 million. WestCoast used most of the proceeds from the previous sale of Red Lion River Inn in Spokane to buy the Yakima hotel. WestCoast officials say there will be no changes in the operation or name of the Yakima property.

Upcoming NAIOP event

NAIOP's annual Commercial Leasing Forecast will be at 7 a.m. Jan. 21 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, 721 Pine St., in Seattle. Scheduled presenters are Ed Curtis of Washington Partners, Jeff Jochums of Colliers International, Arie Salomon of Puget Sound Properties, Susie Detmer of CB Richard Ellis, Gary Bullington of Cushman & Wakefield, Dan Boring of GVA Kidder Mathews and Robert Briscoe of Meriwether Partners. Cost is $30 for National Association of Industrial and Office Properties members and $45 for nonmembers. Reservations are due Friday and can be made at www.naiopwa.org or by calling (206) 382-9121.