Mar 03, 2009

Seattle City Light

Seattle City Light's Communications and Public Affairs Division made a series of promotions and new hires. Janice Boman was promoted to strategic advisor II, marketing and promotions. She has worked with the city of Seattle for 27 years. Scott Thomsen was promoted to strategic advisor II in charge of external communications. Thomsen has been with the utility for two years. John Gustafson was hired as internal communications manager for Seattle City Light. He previously worked for an international telecom company.

Human Factors and Ergonomics Society

Dan Odell, an ergonomist with Microsoft, has become the 2009 president of the Puget Sound chapter of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society. The nonprofit helps bring Puget Sound area human factors and ergonomic professionals together to share information and ideas.

OutBack Power Systems

Arlington-based OutBack Power Systems, a manufacturer of power electronics products for renewable energy applications, hired Ray Barbee as director of product management and technical services. Barbee has 25 years of electrical and electronics industry experience. He recently worked at GridPoint Technology.

Child Care Resources

The board of directors of Child Care Resources hired Deeann Burtch Puffert as chief executive officer. Puffert has served in various leadership roles at CCR since its beginning in 1990. She has been interim CEO since October when the nonprofit's founding CEO, Nina Auerbach, left to lead Thrive by Five Washington.

Associated Builders and Contractors

Spokane's James Elmer, founder and president of James W. Elmer Construction Co., last week was sworn in as national chairman-elect for the Associated Builders and Contractors. Elmer previously served as ABC's Region 1 vice chairman, representing members and chapters in 11 western states. He has been involved with the association since 1986. He holds a bachelor's degree in construction management from Washington State University.

Central Washington University

Three of the four Central Washington University construction management teams recently won awards at the Associated Schools of Construction Student Competition 2009 in Reno, Nev. The school's commercial team took first place and is competing this week in San Diego at the National Student Championship. Its heavy-civil and multifamily teams took second place in their divisions. The commercial team is coached by Bill Bender, who chairs the school's Industrial and Engineering Technology Department. It is made up of David Kortekaas of Marysville, Michael Crook of Spanaway, Garrett Gibson of Gig Harbor, Jake Wells of Pendleton, Ore., Michael Yellam of Burien, David Igelmund of Medina and alternate Ian Knowles of Graham. The judges honored CWU student Stacy Goetz as the most outstanding student for the multifamily presentation. CWU competes in Region 7, which includes 12 schools.

Synergy Construction

Synergy Construction of Woodinville won an Award of Merit from the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials for its work on the Jim Wiley Community Center in the Greenbridge development in Seattle's White Center. The King County Housing Authority-owned project also was nominated for a national Award of Excellence for its design. Tonkin Hoyne Architecture & Urban Design of Seattle is the architect. NAHRO is a housing and community development advocate for adequate and affordable housing.

Swinerton Inc.

San Francisco-based Swinerton Inc. surpassed its goal of staffing 250 LEED Accredited Professionals. In 2007, the general contractor started a program to get 250 employees certified. It now has more than 264 LEED AP staffers, more than 20 percent of its workforce, ranging from superintendents to senior executives. Swinerton operates an office in Bellevue under the name Swinerton Builders.

MacKay & Sposito

Chris Sherby was promoted to survey manager at MacKay & Sposito’s corporate office in Vancouver. Sherby holds a bachelor’s degree in geomatics from the Oregon Institute of Technology. He has nine years of land surveying experience, is a member of the Land Surveyor’s Association of Washington and sits on the Clark College Field Survey Advisory Committee. M&S offers civil engineering, land and construction surveying, land-use planning, landscape architecture and construction management services.