Jan 08, 2025

Architects West

Coddington

Cole Coddington has joined the team at Architects West as an intern architect. Coddington earned both his Bachelor's and Master of Architecture degrees from Washington State University. He comes from a family of architects, designers, and carpenters.

Through multiple years of construction and carpentry experience, and several years in the architectural industry, he has gained experience in a wide variety of project types. His experience includes multifamily residential and commercial architecture as well as high-end single-family residential projects.

Current projects Coddington is working on include a three-story tenant improvement for Mountain West Bank in Coeur d'Alene, ID, and Army & Airforce Express Upgrades at Yokota Air Base in Japan.

PCS Structural Solutions

Jesse

Taylor

Stefanov

Bowen

Williams

PCS Structural Solutions has promoted five employees in its Seattle, Tacoma, and Portland offices.

Steven Williams is promoted to managing principal of the firm's Portland office. Williams has been with PCS for 10 years and is instrumental in growing the Portland office, which opened in 2017. His current active projects include Banks School District Renovation, Gervais School District Renovation, and Renton High School Replacement.

McKell Bowen is promoted to senior associate. Bowen has been with PCS for nine years. He recently completed structural design for Tacoma Community College Center for Learning and Engagement building and is currently working on Swedish North Tower First Hill Expansion.

Georgi Stefanov is promoted to associate and is PCS's 2024 Positive Solutions Award winner. Stefanov has been with PCS for five years and is currently working on the Swedish North Tower First Hill Expansion. He recently completed structural design for River Ridge High School Addition and Renovation and Sumner High School Modernization and Expansion.

Brad Taylor is promoted to project manager and has been with PCS for five years. His recent work includes structural engineering at Evergreen Public Schools Music Room Additions and PeaceHealth St. Joseph Hospital Medical Center West Pavilion. Taylor is currently working on Pe Ell K-12 School Modernization project.

Joe Jesse is promoted to project manager and has been with PCS for four years. Jesse recently completed design for Cedarside Mixed-Use project and is currently working on Lakeridge Elementary School Seismic Retrofit and Herzl-Ner Tamid PK-12 School Addition.

Rice Fergus Miller

Hoggard

Laird

Jones-Lowell

Rice Fergus Miller (RFM) announced the addition of three professionals to its team. The new hires joined RFM last year.

Kenya Jones-Lowell returned to RFM with eight years of experience in high-end hospitality interior design. She specializes in tribal hospitality, planning and projects that reflect modern local culture. Her clients include 7 Cedars Casino, Tulalip Gaming Organization, The Burrard Group, Modern Aviation, and Springboard Hospitality. She currently serves as the vice-chair of her local planning commission and is a board member for the Hospitality Diversity Action Council. She is also a Coverings Rockstar, Boutique Design New York 18 alumni, Savannah College of Art and Design Lacoste alumni atelier, Gold Key recipient and a five-time Network of Executive Women in Hospitality (NEWH) TopID awardee.

Courtney Laird joined RFM as an interior designer and brings over 13 years of experience in the hospitality sector. Based in Portland, she has worked with brands such as Marriott, Hilton, and Hyatt. She is an active member of NEWH, National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) certified, and serves on the Interior Design Advisory Council at George Fox University, where she shares her expertise and supports the next generation of designers.

Lori Hoggard joined RFM as the new accounting manager. With over 20 years of experience in the accounting industry, Hoggard brings a wealth of knowledge from both within and outside the architecture, engineering, and construction industry. She has a background in the United States Marine Corps and holds a degree in Business Forensics. Starting this month, she will pursue a Master of Business Analytics degree.

Regence BlueShield

Cole

Regence BlueShield named Michael Cole as its new market president. Cole, currently the market president of Regence's health plan in Oregon, will add Washington to his portfolio while retaining his duties in the neighboring state. In addition to the Oregon market, Cole will oversee strategy and growth for Regence BlueShield, which serves more than 1.6 million people in Washington. He takes over for Claire Verity, who is retiring this month after a three-decade career in the health care industry, including four years as president of Regence BlueShield. In his expanded role, Cole will provide continuity by drawing on his experience working with producers, providers and community partners in the Northwest. Many Regence business partners, including providers, brokers and employers, work across both Washington and Oregon. Before joining Regence in 2023, he served as president of Aetna's North Atlantic territory, where he oversaw 11 states and 6 million members. Cole brings more than 20 years of executive health care leadership experience across a wide spectrum of the industry, including payer, payment integrity and health care diagnostics. Cole is a longtime board member at Erie Family Health Centers, a federally qualified health center providing safety-net care for the underserved, and on the board of Trillium Family Services, a behavioral health provider in Oregon. Regence BlueShield has been providing health care solutions to Washingtonians in select counties for more than a century.

Boeing

Boeing named Dana Deasy as the company's new chief information digital officer and senior vice president, Information Technology & Data Analytics. Deasy will oversee all aspects of information technology, information security, and data and analytics. He will report to Boeing President and CEO Kelly Ortberg and serve on the company's Executive Council. “Dana is a well-respected, global technology leader who has a track record of delivering on innovative technologies across large and complex organizations,” said Ortberg. “With the need to stay vigilant to protect against cyber threats, and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence playing a larger role across all industries, our IT team will have a key role as we focus on meeting our safety and quality goals, delivering reliably for our customers and positioning ourselves for the future.” Deasy brings to Boeing more than 40 years of technology and leadership experience and a career that has spanned multiple industries. Most recently, he served as chief information officer at the U.S. Department of Defense and before that, at JPMorganChase, BP and General Motors. His career started in information management at Rockwell's Space Systems Division. Deasy replaces Susan Doniz, who left the company late last year.

Jan 07, 2025

NWCCA

Flinn

Knutson

Kahler

Orlosky

Mehrer

Sumison

Harris

The Northwest Wall and Ceiling Contractors Association has elected its officers for 2025, including Kurt Mehrer of Mehrer Drywall as board president. Other officers are vice-president Robert Orlosky of Olympic Interiors, and James Kahler of Northwest Partitions as secretary-treasurer. Directors are Greg Knutson of G.K. Knutson, Andrew Flinn of Firstline Systems, Rick Harris of Performance Contracting, and immediate past-president Nathan Sumsion of Western Partition. The NWCCA mission is to provide exceptional member services, harmonious labor relations through unified employer representation, and the advancement of industry standards to empower and strengthen signatory wall and ceiling contractors' businesses.

King County Superior Court

Gov. Jay Inslee has appointed Susan Llorens to the King County Superior Court to fill one of the two new seats approved by the King County Council, effective Jan. 1. Llorens' nearly 20-year legal career includes serving as an assistant attorney general in multiple divisions of the Washington State Office of the Attorney General. Most recently, she has served as a section chief and appellate advisor of the agency's Complex Litigation Division, where she is responsible for opioid-related litigation and manages a team of attorneys and staff in support of that effort. She has also litigated other significant and complex civil cases related to violations of the Consumer Protection Act and the constitutionality of state statutes. Llorens has twice received the attorney genera's Excellence Award for her work. Llorens also previously served as a senior staff attorney for the Court of Appeals, Division I. In addition, Llorens has served as a pro tem judicial officer since 2014, including as a pro tem commissioner for King County Superior Court and a pro tem judge for Seattle Municipal Court. Llorens has presided over a broad range of matters, including those pertaining to dependent children, involuntary commitment proceedings, arraignments, trial setting and sentencing hearings. Llorens earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Texas and her law degree from the University of Washington School of Law.

Jan 03, 2025

Lasher Holzapfel Sperry & Ebberson

Beecher

Blankenship

Good

Kusunose

Lasher Holzapfel Sperry & Ebberson appointed Taro Kusunose as its new managing principal. Kusunose has been a principal with the firm since 2008 and is a member of its Corporate & Business Law, Real Estate and Trademark Registration practice groups. He takes the reins from Mario Bianchi, under whose leadership the firm enjoyed sustained growth, celebrated its 50th anniversary, and began the process of a brand refresh. Additionally, Lasher Holzapfel elevated Desiree Good, James Blankenship and Brent Beecher to principals in the firm. Good practices in family law matters, including divorce, child custody, parenting, child support and legal separation. Blankenship is chair of the firm's Employment Law group and a member of Business Litigation Practice group, where he represents and advises employers and employees in disputes involving wrongful discharge, discrimination, wage and hour claims and compliance, and workplace policies. He also represents business entities in complex litigation, professional liability, and regulatory disputes. Beecher litigates a wide array of issues, focusing on trusts and estates, business disputes, insurance coverage and insurance bad faith issues. Lasher Holzapfel Sperry & Ebberson was founded over 50 years ago in Seattle.

King County Superior Court

Gov. Jay Inslee appointed Jennifer Petersen to the King County Superior Court. She will replace retiring Judge Kristin Richardson, who will retire on Feb. 1. Petersen has focused her 20-year career primarily on representing the people as a trial attorney in the criminal and civil divisions of the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office. While serving in the criminal division, Petersen tried approximately 80 jury trials, including domestic violence, sexual assault and homicide cases. In the civil division, her practice focused on employment litigation. In addition, Petersen has worked to mentor younger lawyers in her office. She also served as a volunteer facilitator on her office's equity action group, which reviewed the office's filing and disposition standards through the lens of equity and social justice. Petersen earned her bachelor's degree from Central Washington University and her law degree from the University of Washington School of Law.