Mar 21, 2014

WSU Alumni Association

Washington State University alumni and friends are invited back to campus to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the opening of the landmark Lewis Alumni Centre with a public open house beginning at 4:30 p.m. March 28.

The 25th anniversary event will feature refreshments, displays depicting the center's history and future, and conversations with Alumni Association volunteer leaders and other WSU dignitaries, including members of the original building committee and former Alumni Association Executive Director Keith Lincoln.

A landmark structure on the Pullman campus, the Lewis Alumni Centre was originally a barn designed in 1922 and constructed as a training and activity center for a variety or agricultural activities and programs. But following decades of use for a variety of purposes by WSU students and faculty, the barn fell into disuse and was slated for demolition. Prior to the scheduled demolition of the facility, however, a group of WSU alumni convinced the university to spare the building and instead renovate as an alumni center.

The resulting renovation commenced in 1983 at a cost of $4 million, all of which was raised among Cougar alumni and friends, who also donated carpeting, artwork and countless hours of sweat equity to the project. When the building re-opened as the Lewis Alumni Centre in March of 1989, the new structure featured the original massive beams of the old barn and a converted loft that now serves as the center's Great Hall.

The Partners Group

The Partners Group, which helps employers build employee benefit programs to improve and maintain employees' wellbeing, announced that it has won two prestigious healthy employee awards.

Healthiest Employers, the leader in employee health analytics, best practices and benchmark data, inducted The Partners Group into the 2014 Healthiest 100 Workplaces in America. Being named as a 2014 Healthiest 100 Workplace means The Partners Group has achieved remarkable and sustainable success through a broad range of corporate wellness programs and employee wellness initiatives.

In addition, the American Heart Association awarded The Partners Group its 2013 Fit-Friendly Worksite Platinum Award for its efforts to decrease healthcare expenses and increase productivity.

The Partners Group, with offices in Bellevue, Portland and Bend, Ore., is a locally owned, independent financial services, risk management, commercial insurance and employee benefit consulting firm.

Mar 20, 2014

Perkins Coie

Schindler

Perkins Coie announced that Lee Schindler has joined the firm's Seattle office as partner in the firm's Emerging Companies & Venture Capital practice. He was most recently counsel with WilmerHale in Boston.

Schindler serves as corporate counsel to high growth technology and life science companies and the venture capitalists that invest in such companies. Schindler has counseled companies through more than 100 preferred stock financings, 25 M&A transactions and three IPOs. Among the many technology and life sciences companies he has worked with are several startups emanating from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University.

Schindler received his J.D. from Harvard Law School, where he served as an editor of the Harvard Journal of Law and Technology and was a two-time recipient of the John M. Olin Fellowship in Law and Economics. He received his undergraduate degree from The University of Texas.

Mar 19, 2014

Washington State Ferries

SEATTLE (AP) — Washington State Ferries Director David Moseley has announced his resignation, effective April 15.

Moseley made the announcement Tuesday in a weekly report on ferry activities. He said when he took the position in 2008, the agency was in crisis in part because it had recently lost the motor vehicle excise tax as its main source of funding.

He said improvements to the ferry system during his tenure included adding new ferries, doing better maintenance and preservation of existing ferries, building a stronger financial base and communicating better with customers.

Moseley said in the statement he's pleased with the progress made but that it's time for the next person to build on the successes, correct mistakes and continue to move the system forward.

State of Oregon

Gov. John Kitzhaber has selected two officials to work on bringing more employers and jobs to Oregon.

The governor's office announced Tuesday that Kitzhaber has appointed Sean Robbins to lead the Oregon Business Development Department, the state's economic development agency, known as Business Oregon. Robbins is the president and chief executive of Greater Portland Inc., which works on economic development in the state's largest metro area. He replaces Tim McCabe, who is retiring after six years at the helm.

Robbins must still be confirmed by the Senate.

Kitzhaber also announced that he's hired Vince Porter to be his policy adviser for jobs and the economy. Porter is the director of the Governor's Office of Film and Television and was previously the vice president of production at Showtime Networks.

WSU political scientist alumnus honored

Retired political scientist Daniel M. Ogden, Jr., of Vancouver, recently was honored with the Washington State University Alumni Association (WSUAA) Alumni Achievement Award for a 50-year career of service to academia, the federal government and the local community.

The award is the highest honor bestowed by the WSUAA. Since 1970, fewer than 515 alumni have received it.

Ogden was one of a select group in 1960 that managed U.S. presidential campaign advances for Sen. Jack Kennedy, culminating in the final event in Philadelphia. The experience was co-authored by Ogden in the 1964 book, “Electing the President.”

He taught at Washington State University after earning his bachelor's degree in political science at WSU in 1944. He served as dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Colorado State University and distinguished visiting professor of public administration at Lewis and Clark College and Portland State University.

In government, he served on the staff of U.S. Secretary of the Department of the Interior Stewart Udall for seven years and as budget director for the department. He was director of power marketing coordination for the U.S. Energy Department and director of the Public Power Council in Portland.

Landau Associates

Ives

Brunner

Quarterman

In its Edmonds office, Landau Associates promoted Steven Quarterman to associate scientist, Mark Brunner to senior project planner, Evelyn Ives to senior staff engineer, Matthew Moroney to senior staff environmental scientist and Rosemary Trimmer to senior staff environmental specialist. Quarterman is an ecologist with more than 14 years of experience providing local, state, and federal permitting support related to sensitive species and habitats, wetlands, and other aquatic resources.

Brunner does air quality permitting, prepares environmental documentation, and completes due diligence environmental investigations. Ives does environmental remediation data collection, data evaluation, and industrial stormwater treatment design.

Trimmer

Moroney

Moroney collects field samples, drafts reports and does risk calculations, statistical analysis, and air dispersion modeling. Trimmer has 10 years of experience in environmental consulting, supporting industrial and civil projects. Landau provides geotechnical, environmental remediation and engineering, permitting and compliance services consulting.

Hanson Professional Services

Seow

Civil engineer Sheng-Wen Seow joined the Seattle regional office of Hanson Professional Services. He will work on railroad track, yard, bridge and intermodal projects, utilities, storm detention facilities and parking lots. He will also do field investigations; prepare plans, specifications and estimates; and evaluate construction. He has 14 years of civil engineering experience, including on projects for the Arizona Department of Transportation. Hanson is a national consulting firm providing engineering, planning and allied services.

HDJ Design Group

Reiselman

Mark Reiselman joined the Tri-Cities office of HDJ Design Group as a civil engineering designer. He previously worked at a local firm and has 15-plus years of design and drafting experience. He has worked on subdivisions, remediation at the Hanford nuclear plant site, and engineering design of commercial and educational buildings. HDJ is an engineering, planning, land survey and landscape architecture firm based in Vancouver.

Bernardo|Wills Architects

Widner

Michelle Widner, an interior designer with Bernardo|Wills Architects of Spokane, has been elected president-elect of the International Interior Design Association Northern Pacific Chapter, which serves Washington, Idaho, Alaska, British Columbia and Alberta. Following her one-year term as president-elect, which begins in July, Widner will be chapter president for a year. IIDA is a professional networking and educational association with 13,000 members.

SRG Partnership

Gelbrich

Danielson

McPherson

Simpson

In its Portland office, SRG Partnership hired Steve Simpson as a senior associate, Jenna McPherson as a designer and Laurel Danielson and Bethany Gelbrich as associates. Simpson has more than 20 years of experience, and is an adjunct professor for the School of Architecture and Allied Arts at the University of Oregon. His projects include the University of Oregon's Lewis Integrative Science Building. McPherson has interior design and project management experience, and will work in SRG's health care group. She previously specialized in orthodontic and dental office design at Green Curve Studio. Danielson is returning to the SRG interiors group to extend her 22-year tenure after a two-year absence. She has experience in higher education, library, civic and lab projects. Gelbrich has 13 years of experience in commercial and institutional work. SRG provides programming, planning, architecture and interior design.

DLR Group

Dalluge

DLR Group hired Charles Dalluge as president and chief operating officer. He will be based in Phoenix. Dalluge will be on the executive leadership team and lead operations in offices in the U.S. and internationally. He was formerly executive vice president of Leo A Daly. His experience includes stints in Hong Kong, Singapore, Hawaii, Phoenix and Washington, D.C., and managing projects in the Middle East and Asia. DLR Group provides architecture, engineering, planning, and interior design from offices coast-to-coast and in China.