Oct 16, 2006

Association of Washington Business

Association of Washington Business President Don C. Brunell has been elected chairman of the Council of State Chambers, the national organization of CEO's of all state chambers of commerce. AWB is headquartered in Olympia and is recognized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce as Washington state's chamber of commerce.

Clear Channel Outdoor

Clear Channel Outdoor has named Bob Erickson its transit manager. Clear Channel Outdoor sells advertising on billboards, buses and street furniture in 60 countries.

Berk & Associates

Berk & Associates has hired Nicole Simpkinson as senior associate and Judy Hademan as business manager. Simpkinson was with the Washington Association of Counties and Sterling Associates. Berk & Associates is a public-policy consulting firm in Seattle.

Oct 13, 2006

Seattle Lighthouse for the Blind

Seattle Lighthouse for the Blind has appointed Kirk Adams as president-elect. Adams has worked at Seattle Lighthouse, a nonprofit that employs 170 people with visual disabilities, since 2000. He will be its first blind president since the 1940s.

Graham & Dunn

Seattle law firm Graham & Dunn has hired attorney Anne E. Klosterman as an associate. She has a J.D. from the University of Colorado and an L.L.M. in taxation from the University of Washington.

Associated Grocers

Associated Grocers has hired John Wiedmann as vice president for logistics. Wiedmann was director of distribution for Safeway in Seattle. Associated Grocers is a Seattle-based wholesaler of supermarket goods.

Oct 12, 2006

'Super Investors' conference starts Friday

Kendra Todd, author of “Risk & Grow Rich” and the first woman to win on Donald Trump's “The Apprentice” TV show, will be one of the speakers at the annual “Super Conference” presented by the Real Estate Association of Puget Sound (REAPS). The event starts Friday and continues through Sunday at the Hilton Seattle Airport Conference Center near SeaTac. The cost ranges from $119 to $379. Advance reservations must be made online at http://www.reapsweb.com.

Coldwell Banker Bain

Coldwell Banker Bain promoted Ron Sparks to vice president of sales and sales development. He was general sales manager for Coldwell Banker Bain. Sparks has more than 24 years of experience with Coldwell Banker in Bellevue and Southern California.

Professional Basketball Club

The Professional Basketball Club, LLC, which is purchasing the Seattle Sonics and Storm, has hired its real estate and legal team to find sites for an arena in the Seattle area. Cushman & Wakefield and the Seattle law firms Foster Pepper and McCullough Hill have been chosen so far. Additional firms to provide architectural and other services will be added.

Gallery Condominiums

Schnitzer Northwest is holding a VIP preview today event for the Gallery Condominiums in Belltown at the presentation center at 2500 First Ave. Suzi Morris, investment manager for Schnitzer, said more than 1,500 people have registered their interest in the project. Sales to the general public will begin on Oct. 28. Mithun is the architect and PCL Construction Services is general contractor. Realogics is the marketer. Prices will range from the mid-$200,000s to more than $1.6 million.

Norris, Beggs & Simpson

Norris, Beggs & Simpson Financial Services promoted Erich Guenther to finance officer. He joined NBS Financial Services in 2005 as an assistant finance officer, and worked on commercial real estate loans for correspondent life companies, conduits and other lenders.

Colliers

George McAfee has joined the Seattle office of Colliers International as sales associate specializing in office, industrial and business sales. He has more than 40 years in the high tech, manufacturing and service industries. Brickman Associates, a New York-based real-estate-investment company, picked Colliers Puget Sound Real Estate Management Services to manage Civica Office Commons in Bellevue. Brickman recently acquired Civica for a record-breaking $575 per square foot.

Merchant Risk Council

The Merchant Risk Council has hired Tom Donlea to be its first executive director. The council, which aims to prevent online fraud and promote secure e-commerce, has also relocated from Austin, Texas, to 325 N. 125th St. in Seattle. Donlea was executive director of Social Venture Partners International.

Washington Supreme Court

Steven Goff has been named court commissioner by the Washington Supreme Court's nine justices. He replaces Geoffrey Crooks who retired in September after 27 years in the position. The commissioner is a “gatekeeper” for the court and helps review petitions and motions that come before it. Goff was deputy commissioner.

Flexcar, Metro

Flexcar and King County Metro Transit are bringing their Job Access program to White Center. The program subsidizes access to Flexcar vehicles for training, education and interviews. Eligible low-income residents can rent Flexcars for job-related trips for $3 per hour.