Oct 05, 2016

Tacoma Minority Business Center

Tacoma is using a $1.5 million federal grant to open the Minority Business Development Agency Business Center and help minority-owned businesses get capital, contracts and export opportunities. This is part of a national network of centers. An open house is set for Wednesday, Oct. 12, from 11 a.m. to noon in the Council Chambers of Tacoma Municipal Building at 747 Market St. Information is at mbda.gov/businesscenters/tacoma.

Thurston County Chamber

The Thurston County Chamber is launching a new public policy division, led by Doug Mah of Doug Mah & Associates, to coordinate the Shared Legislative Partnership, organize resources, and work with the county's legislative delegation on issues such as land-use, permitting and regulatory matters. The team will include legal counsel and a public relations expert.

HDR

Bao

Andersen

Zapel

Warnock

Morsell

Borovansky

In Seattle, HDR hired Sally Morsel as a senior regulatory specialist, Cory Warnock as a project manager and fisheries biologist, and Ed Zapel as hydraulic design lead. In Portland, it hired Emily Andersen as a senior regulatory specialist, and Le Bao as a project manager and senior fisheries biologist. In Coeur D'Alene, Idaho, the firm promoted Jenna Borovansky to Northwest hydropower regulatory and environmental manager. Morsel has worked on hydropower project licensing and relicensing projects for over 20 years. She has a background in zoology, hydrogeology, water chemistry and the National Environmental Policy Act, and on rural transportation and mining projects in Alaska. Warnock has 16 years of experience in regulatory and natural resource issues with hydropower clients in the Northwest and Alaska. He manages hydropower licensing and relicensing. Zapel has over 10 years of experience with the Corps of Engineers and 20 years in consulting, with projects in Alaska, the Northwest, California and the Midwest. He has focused on river engineering projects. Andersen has 15 years of experience as a hydropower licensing and regulatory consultant, with work in the Northwest, Oklahoma, Tennessee and North Carolina. Bao has 18 years of federal, utility and consulting experience, including Federal Energy Regulatory Commission licensing and compliance. He has worked with hydropower clients in the Northwest, California and Alaska. Borovansky has 17 years of experience with FERC licensing, multi-stakeholder process facilitation and negotiation support, and water quality permitting in the west and Alaska. HDR provides engineering, architecture, environmental and construction services, with over 225 locations.

OAC Services

Winters

Johnson

Richardson

In Seattle, OAC Services hired Kyle Richardson as a senior program manager, Kim Johnson as a senior project coordinator, and Mellany Winters as a human resources and payroll specialist. Richardson has 29 years of construction management experience. He has worked on transportation, aviation, heavy civil and commercial projects. Johnson has nearly 15 years of experience providing project support to consultants in vertical transportation. She has supported modernization, new construction and maintenance projects. Winters has over 15 years of experience in payroll, accounts payable, and receivable expense and cost recovery. She will support the company in human resources, payroll and accounting.

BHC Consultants

Kincaid

Ochiltree

In Seattle, BHC Consultants hired Cameron Ochiltree as project manager. In Tacoma, it hired Barbara Kincaid as senior planner. Ochiltree is a civil engineer with 19 years of experience managing and supporting wastewater, and water facility design and construction. He recently worked on Morse Lake Pump Plant for Seattle Public Utilities. Kincaid has 12 years of experience working for local and tribal governments. She is supporting Black Diamond as community development director under a contract the city has with BHC, a municipal services consulting firm.

Gustafson Guthrie Nichol

Cottier

Chiu

Vondrak

In Seattle, Gustafson Guthrie Nichol hired Hannah Vondrak and Selina Yu-Han Chiu as designers and Chrystie Cottier as an administrator. Vondrak's experience includes construction documentation and administration, and planting designs for streetscapes, campuses and housing across the country. Selina Chiu has worked on projects in China, Colombia and Tennessee for design firms in Rotterdam, New York, Hong Kong and Chicago. Cottier's experience includes interior design, graphic design, visual merchandising, fashion styling and jewelry design. GGN is a Seattle-based landscape architecture firm.

Zervas Architects

Moehl

Bellingham-based Zervas Architects hired Jennifer Moehl as an interior designer. Moehl has over 15 years of experience in commercial interior design and project management, including in Denver with a hospitality architecture and design firm and a tenant improvement firm. Zervas provides architecture and interior design.

GeoEngineers

In Seattle, GeoEngineers hired Cora Johnson as a geotechnical engineer. In Redmond, it hired Colton McInelly and Jaclyn Bronner as staff geotechnical engineers, Chelsey DeWitt as a staff geologist in the environmental group and Nancy Webb as a payroll specialist. In Tacoma the firm hired Lucy Astorga as a staff geotechnical engineer. GeoEngineers is a 340-person earth science, engineering and technology consulting firm headquartered in Seattle, with 14 offices nationwide.