Aug 02, 2012

Woodcock Washburn

Woodcock Washburn hired Timothy Casey to work at the intellectual property law firm as partner in its Seattle office. Casey co-founded and ran the IP operations of SilverSky, a business development firm, and was an in-house manager with Apple Computer, Silicon Graphics, and MCI. Woodcock Washburn is a national law firm.

Yapta

Seattle-based Yapta named James Filsinger as the new CEO. Filsinger is a travel industry executive with experience at global startups and Fortune 500 companies. He was CEO of EZYield.com. Yapta assists in travel planning and tracking airfares.

Adams & Associates

Adams & Associates, an employment agency, has a new brand name: SOS Employment Group. Utah-based SOS Employment Group matches people with jobs, and has offices in the United States and Canada.

Suncadia

Suncadia named Roger Beck managing director, responsible for real estate development and hospitality operations. He has been Suncadia's interim manager and helped with recapitalization of the 6,400-acre Kittitas County project with Oaktree Capital Management. He also worked as manging director for the Resort at Squaw Creek in Squaw Valley, Calif., and president of Semiahmoo Co., developer of the Resort at Semiahmoo in Blaine. Destination Hotels & Resorts, a subsidiary of Lowe Enterprises, operates Suncadia.

Seattle Planning Commission

Architect David Cutler of GGLO was elected chairman of the Seattle Planning Commission. Amalia Leighton is vice chair; Jeanne Krikawa and Colie Hough Beck are Land Use and Transportation Committee co-chairs; Catherine Benotto is Housing and Neighborhood Committee chair; and Mark Johnson is Executive Committee at-large member. The commission formed a special task force to lead a multi-year effort to update the city's comprehensive plan. Josh Brower, Kevin McDonald and Leslie Miller will lead the task force.

King County Housing Authority

King County Housing Authority Executive Director Stephen Norman was elected president of the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities. He is on the boards of the Corporation for Supportive Housing; and Building Changes, formerly AIDS Housing of Washington. He co-chairs the King County Interagency Council on Homelessness. The King County Housing Authority provides housing for 48,000 people.

Keller Williams

Brenda Nunes joined Keller Williams Kirkland as a broker and sustainable building adviser. She works with Ben Kaufman, who is leading the company's International Green Coaching and Training Program. Nunes was an agent with Kaufman's company, GreenWorks Realty, which merged with Keller Williams last year. Nunes advised the National Association of Realtors on its Green Certification Program, and teaches the program in Washington state. She is past president of the Kirkland Chamber of Commerce, and was a founding member of Sustainable September for the city of Kirkland, which offers educational events.

EMB Management

Laura Carver joined EMB in Bellevue as a condo community association manager. She worked at Community Management Corp. in Virginia. EMB's Janelle Fenton and Melissa Schneider received the Certified Manager of Community Associations designation.

Bellevue Towers

Bellevue Towers received final approval for Fannie Mae financing, providing more options for buyers. The downtown Bellevue project has sold 96 condos for $58.2 million this year, bringing the 539-unit project to 65 percent sold. The project is selling at least 15 condos a month. Construction on the two towers started six years ago. Developer Gerding Edlen transferred the unsold units to the lender, Morgan Stanley Mortgage. Prices were cut by an average of 40 percent.

Seattle Short Sales

A law firm called Seattle Short Sales will give a two-hour seminar for real estate brokers about the state Foreclosure Fairness Act at 11:30 a.m. Aug. 23 at Bellefield Office Park Conference Center in Bellevue. The $20 fee is paid at the door, but advance registration is required. For more information or to register, go to http://tiny.cc/yvaciw or call (800) 603-3525.