Sep 23, 2005

Short Cressman & Burgess

The Seattle law firm Short Cressman & Burgess named John J. Houlihan Jr. chair of its real estate practice section. Houlihan concentrates on real estate, environmental law and environmental insurance.

Washington State University

Gov. Christine Gregoire reappointed Washington State University Board of Regents members Elizabeth Cowles and Rafael Stone. Their new terms expire in 2010. Cowles chairs Cowles Publishing Co., a Spokane-based media, forest products, insurance and real estate company. Stone is a partner in the Seattle office of law firm Foster Pepper & Shefelman.

Global Market Insite

Internet-based market research company Global Market Insite named Richard Scionti vice president of the Global Enterprise Solutions Group. Scionti was a worldwide chief information officer for Research International Group in London. GMI is located on Mercer Island, but Scionti will be based in New Jersey. GMI recently acquired NetReflector (Seattle), MI Pro AS (Norway) and Insight (China).

Sep 22, 2005

Banner Bank

Assistant Vice President Devon Beckham has joined the team at Banner Bank's Kirkland branch, providing commercial loans to businesses. Beckham was a credit analyst at Washington Trust Bank. Banner Bank is based in Walla Walla.

Port of Tacoma

The Port of Tacoma named Sue Coffey East Coast regional sales manager. Coffey has more than 20 years of experience in the shipping and transportation industries. She will be based in Summit, N.J. The Port of Tacoma handles $29 billion in annual trade and is a major center for bulk cargo and cars.

Charter Telecom

Victoria, B.C.-based telecom company Charter Telecom announced plans to open its first U.S. office in Seattle this fall. Many of its clients are Fortune 200 companies with head offices in Washington. Charter plans to staff the Seattle office with two engineers and a sales manager.

Cushman & Wakefield

Guidinger

Michele Guidinger has been promoted to operations manager for Cushman & Wakefield's West Coast region. She was senior operations manager for the Seattle and Bellevue offices. She'll continue to manage administrative, human resource and office operations in the Puget Sound region, plus oversee operations managers in Portland and California. Guidinger was Cushman's Operations Manager of the Year in 2004.

Equity Office Properties

Equity Office is planning a $2 million elevator modernization at 1111 Third Avenue in Seattle. Equity is installing ThyssenKrupp Elevator's Destination Dispatch. Passengers enter their destination into a touch screen in the main lobby or on each floor and are directed to specific elevator cars. The system dispatches cars more efficiently and decreases wait times.

DocuSign

Seattle-based DocuSign says it has made it easier for customers with slower Internet connections to review and sign documents online. Officials say this will help real estate agents and mortgage brokers.

Gilbane Development

Gilbane Properties, a Providence, R.I.-based development company with a project in Anacortes, has changed its name to Gilbane Development Co. Gilbane is planning a waterfront cottage community with 103 homes in Anacortes.

John L. Scott

Carol Whitman and Rowena Howell have joined John L. Scott University Place's sales team. Other new agents are Wayne Lubin and Kevin Gilchrist at the Seattle Center office; Craig Jenkins, Boyana Campbell and Mike Runyan, Gig Harbor; Seanjohn Walsh, Laurelhurst; Candace Hopkins, Poulsbo; Tristan Stone, K.C. Brants, Justin Sloan and Kathi Mydland, Redmond; Molly Ellis, Monroe; Lorna Watkins, Becky Long and Aileen Zacharias, Kirkland; Kristina A. Johnson, Bellevue Main; Ken Kelly, Highlands; and Walt Davis, Lakeside.

Windermere Real Estate

Chris Cooley is a new sales associate at Windermere's Queen Anne office. Cooley previously was a sales associate with Coldwell Banker in Mammoth Lakes, Calif. Finnian Durkan is a new sales associate at the Ballard office.

Sustainable development meeting

A meeting on sustainable development in Pierce County will be held at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Tacoma Library, 1102 Tacoma Ave. S. A speech by Mark Huppert of Catapult Community Developers will be followed by group discussions on low-impact development, green building, farming and transportation.

NAIOP

This year's NAIOP community enhancement project is improving Happy Medium School, now known as the Giddens School, at 620 20th Ave. S. in Seattle. On Oct. 1, more than 250 volunteers from the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties will build an outdoor covered play area, replace fences, paint buildings and make other improvements. To contribute or volunteer write pam@poeconstruction.com or call NAIOP at (206) 382-9121.

CEOs for Cities

Carol Coletta, president and CEO of CEOs for Cities, will give a speech on the role of culture in creating a vibrant city center at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 3 at Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall of Seattle's Benaroya Hall, 200 University St. The free event is part of Mayor Greg Nickels' Center City Strategy. Coletta has researched where 20 and 30-somethings are moving in America and why.

Discover U

Discover U's class about finding real estate deals in the next hot neighborhoods is at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 6 at 7106 Woodland Ave. N.E., Seattle. Mortgage broker David Hopkins of Northwest Lending and broker Mark Hopkins of Northwest Real Estate are the instructors. Cost is $45. Registration is required and can be done by calling (206) 365-0400.

Construction and Real Estate Conference

The 2005 Construction and Real Estate Conference will be Oct. 7 at the Seattle Sheraton Hotel and Towers, 1400 Sixth Ave. The Washington Society of Certified Public Accountants is hosting the daylong conference, which offers continuing education credits. Cost is $235 for society members and $310 for others. Register under the What's Happening section wscpa.org or by calling (425) 644-8199 or (800) 272-8273.