May 03, 2022

Standard Insurance

Malagamba

Portland-based Standard Insurance (The Standard) announced that Amy Malagamba has been named assistant vice president of marketing. In her new role, Malagamba will be responsible for corporate-wide marketing strategy and services including brand, sales enablement, creative services and marketing communications. Malagamba has more than 30 years of experience in corporate communications. She joined The Standard's corporate marketing and communications organization in 2013 and was promoted to second vice president of corporate communications in 2015. Prior to joining The Standard, Malagamba held leadership roles in communications, investor relations and marketing at firms including Tektronix and Mentor Graphics. The Standard, in business since 1906, is a family of companies dedicated to helping customers achieve financial well-being.

Clean Energy Fund

The Clean Energy Fund of the Washington state Department of Commerce has funded Qualco Energy to deploy a hydrogen generation solution from Modern Electron. The Qualco Energy renewable biogas project in Snohomish County leverages Modern Electron's cost-efficient and environmentally friendly method for producing clean hydrogen with no CO2 emissions. Qualco Energy, a partnership of the Tulalip Tribes, Northwest Chinook Recovery and the Werkhoven Dairy, will deploy Modern Electron's natural gas pyrolysis technology to produce clean hydrogen. By using cow manure in a digester instead of applying it directly to farm fields, Qualco helps to prevent the cow manure from being washed into streams and rivers. The biogas is also used to generate electricity used by the Snohomish County Public Utility District No. 1. The pilot plant will be implemented at a bio digestor site operated by Qualco Energy located at a dairy farm in Monroe.

Dept. of Commerce

Washington Department of Commerce Director Lisa Brown announced two new appointments to key leadership roles in the state agency. Veteran journalist Liz Rocca joins Commerce's executive leadership team as communications director, and Stephanie Bowman is Commerce's new maritime industry sector lead. Rocca joins Commerce from the King County Sheriff's Office, where she served as chief of staff and media relations manager. In addition to her role as a strategic and policy adviser, she managed all internal and external communications initiatives, and served as a liaison with the King County Council, Executive's Office and Office of Law Enforcement Oversight. Rocca was also a reporter and newsroom manager, including with Seattle television stations KIRO, KCPQ and KOMO. Bowman is responsible for developing and implementing state policies that support the sustainability and expansion of the maritime industry in Washington, and will work closely with maritime businesses, supporting international trade and shipping, Washington state export businesses, the commercial fishing industry and recreational boating. Bowman served for eight years as a commissioner for the Port of Seattle, where she led the effort to combine the marine cargo operations of the Ports of Seattle and Tacoma, resulting in formation of the NW Seaport Alliance. Prior to her elected public service, Bowman worked on federal port, international trade and transportation policy in Washington D.C., and for more than 15 years on regional and state economic development issues.

Sequoyah

Zemanek

Curre

Redmond-based electrical and technologies contractor Sequoyah promoted Kyle Curre to preconstruction manager and hired Zoey Zemanek as senior marketing and communications specialist. Curre, part of Sequoyah's team since 2012, began his career as a field supervisor. The company says his unique combination of practical field experience and conceptual thinking spurred his pursuit of a management career, and starting in estimating, he quickly found his passion in preconstruction, engineering and pre-planning. Zemanek is assisting the marketing team in project pursuits, as well as internal and external communication campaigns.

AGC of America

Associated General Contractors of America named Boise State University as one of its most successful student chapters of 2021. BSU's chapter won the Construction Management Skills Award for its effort to restore the historic “woodshed” at Schick-Ostolasa Farmstead. To go along with the award, the chapter received $2,000, as well as an additional $1,000 travel stipend to attend AGC's annual convention. Two other schools — University of Massachusetts Amherst and Kansas State University — also won awards.

AGC Southern District

SAK Builders, FPH Construction, Gino Campanoli Crane Service, Sound Glass Sales and Palmer Scholars joined the Associated General Contractors of Washington's Southern District in Tacoma.

Apr 29, 2022

Ultra Safe Nuclear

Cuevas

Ultra Safe Nuclear announced that Steven Cuevas, VP of legal affairs and general counsel has been elected to the board of the United States Nuclear Industry Council (USNIC). Cuevas joins other nuclear industries leaders to increase supply chain opportunities for advanced nuclear technologies in the U.S. and worldwide. Cuevas is one of three new appointments to the USNIC board. As a board member, Cuevas joins industry peers in efforts to advocate for initiatives that expand opportunities across the sector. These initiatives include promoting responsible policies that enable the deployment of a variety of advanced nuclear technologies. Ultra Safe Nuclear is a Seattle-based firm in the deployment of micro reactors, and a strong vertical integrator of nuclear power technologies, committed to bringing safe, commercially competitive, clean and reliable nuclear energy to markets throughout the world.

Small Business Administration

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Seattle District has recognized Richard Brinton as the 2022 Small Business Exporter of the Year. Brinton is the founder and president of Edmonds-based BBD International. Founded in 1997, BBD International began by exporting construction equipment. Today, Brinton's expertise lies in providing parts for high pressure waterjet cutting machines, pierce nuts, and military equipment. The SBA Small Business Exporter of the Year award – part of National Small Business Week May 1-7, 2022 – recognizes small businesses engaged in exporting for at least three years. Winners must demonstrate significant increase in export sales, profits and job growth. A celebration honoring local SBA winners from Washington and the SBA Seattle District, which serves Washington state and northern Idaho, will be May 4, 2022 at the Museum of Flight. Other SBA local awards that will be recognized at the celebration include Young Entrepreneur of the Year, Rural Small Business of the Year and Washington Small Business Person of the Year.

SeekOut

Bellevue-based SeekOut announced that David Faugno, executive vice president and former CFO at Qualtrics, has joined its advisory Board. The addition to the board comes at a time in the industry where recruiting, employee engagement, and retention are top priorities across all business sectors. Faugno has more than 25 years of global financial and business operations experience across multiple technology sectors. His experience and track record with M&A, global business operations, and strategic leadership has earned him accolades such as 2012 Francisco Partners portfolio CFO of the Year and 2013 Silicon Valley Business Journal CFO of the Year as CFO of Barracuda Networks. Faugno currently sits on additional advisory and corporate boards, and also serves as a venture partner at Accel. SeekOut is a talent platform that companies use to quickly hire, grow, and retain great talent while focusing on diversity, technical expertise, and other hard-to-find skillsets. Founded in 2017, SeekOut has raised $189 million in funding, is backed by Tiger Global Management, Madrona Venture Group, Mayfield, and Founders Circle Capital and is valued at $1.2 billion.