Feb 12, 2025

DeForest Architects

Slivka

Knowles

Kim

DeForest Architects announced the recognition of Julie Kim, Michael Knowles, and Mark Slivka as associates.

Kim joined DeForest in 2012. She graduated from Northwestern University then earned her Masters in Architecture from the University of Michigan. She is currently the firm's point person on Catskill View Preserve, a Net Zero home in upstate New York. Moving forward, Kim will focus on best practices for client engagement and project management.

Knowles has been with the firm for 11 years and has been the lead on several notable projects, including Tree House, Union Bay, and The Garden Gallery House. A northwest native, Knowles brings a wealth of building and technical knowledge built upon 30 years in practice. In addition to project work, he is committed to mentorship and raising the bar on DeForest's computer modeling and construction documents.

Slivka worked on custom residential projects in Hawaii before relocating to Seattle to join DeForest Architects in 2013. He has developed a depth of knowledge overseeing construction on a wide range of projects from Modern Family Tudor, to Keystone Cottage and Orcas Island Community Space. In the coming years, he will share his expertise in building technology and construction administration and help bring the firm's unique approach to the design process to new markets.

DeForest Architects recently moved their Seattle studio from Ballard to the top floor of the historic Jensen boat-building shed overlooking Portage Bay.

PLS Engineering

Koroteyev

Heckroth

PLS Engineering has welcomed Ryan Heckroth as a survey technician. Heckroth has worked in the industry as a party chief and lead crew member managing crews for client schedules, staking, topographic, boundary and monitoring projects. He has been responsible for the setup, calibration and maintenance of survey equipment and safety equipment including Trimble products such as Trimble Total station, GPS Receiver, scanners, and data collection. Early training includes Clark College courses in Survey and Geomatics.

In addition, Ivan Koroteyev has joined the civil engineering side of PLS. Koroteyev is a graduate of Portland State University with a Bachelors of Science in Civil Engineering. He brings expertise in project management, equipment operations and technical support. His experience includes construction management, structural/systemic analysis, hydraulic modeling, heavy equipment operation, drone operation, and he has provided on-site nuclear gauge compaction inspections. Koroteyev is currently pursuing his professional engineering license while at PLS.

Neiman Taber Architects

Ellis

Dekom

Neiman Taber Architects promoted Anton Dekom to principal and Sari Ellis to senior associate.

Dekom's expertise includes design leadership, project management, and technology integration. He is currently heading multiple projects including new mixed used apartments and renovations of older structures in landmark districts.

Ellis specializes in multi-family apartment design and accessibility. She is currently leading design and construction of a large new apartment building near University Village.

Rock Project Management

Wilson

Renton-based Rock Project Management Services has added Adam Wilson to its team as senior project manager. Wilson has over 26 years of experience in the construction industry, working on projects ranging from mass timber, K-12, higher education, large shell and core, lab, historic renovations, and complex high-end office tenant improvements. In his new position, Wilson will lead all phases of pre-construction and construction from design to turnover.

Stokes Lawrence

Wang

Stokes Lawrence named Theresa Wang as the firm's managing shareholder. Wang, who will maintain her practice as an intellectual property litigator, succeeds Kelly Twiss Noonan, who served as managing shareholder for more than two decades. Wang will be supported in the role by Karla Farina as chief financial officer, and Jennifer Porto as the firm's first chief operating officer. Farina and Porto were brought on late last year in connection with the planned leadership transition. Wang joined Stokes Lawrence as a junior associate and has practiced at the firm for 16 years, protecting the IP portfolios of software developers and other clients across the country and the world. She is nationally recognized as a leader in her field by Chambers USA, The Best Lawyers in America, World Trademark Review 1000, and Washington Super Lawyers. During Noonan's tenure as managing shareholder, the firm became qualified as majority women-owned with women constituting over 60% of its equity shareholders. The firm doubled its revenue and grew from 29 to 56 lawyers. It was also recognized as one of the top five firms of its size in Law360 Pulse's Ceiling Smashers list for its gender diversity efforts. With offices in Seattle and Yakima, Stokes Lawrence represents businesses ranging from small, closely held entities to larger corporations and the families and individuals who run those companies.

Parametrix

Sanchez

Anthony Sánchez has joined Parametrix as a principal consultant and national bridge practice leader. In a career spanning over 35 years, Sánchez has served as a field construction engineer, seismic researcher, bridge construction inspector, design engineer, project manager, and engineer of record for the design, construction, and maintenance of over 150 bridges. His bridge projects have received over 100 design awards on the local, state and national levels.

Sánchez comes to Parametrix from a national engineering firm where he served as major and complex bridge leader in the southwest region. His project experience includes conventional highway, transit and rail bridges, as well as major landmark crossings.

At Parametrix, Sánchez will lead the firm’s national bridge practice, which includes offices in California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, New Mexico, and Illinois providing civil and structural engineering services to state departments of transportation, municipalities, transit agencies, and other public agencies.

Feb 11, 2025

The Museum of Northwest Art

Waguespack

The Museum of Northwest Art (MoNA) named Christian Waguespack as its new director of curatorial affairs and curator of Northwest art, effective March 3. Waguespack comes to MoNA from the New Mexico Museum of Art + Vladem Contemporary in Santa Fe, where he has served as head of curatorial affairs and curator of 20th century art. Waguespack will provide strategic vision and managerial leadership to MoNA's collection, exhibition, research, and scholarship initiatives and will work to boost community engagement with the museum and its collection of Northwest Art. Waguespack has an arts-management background, having been involved in the planning, realization and opening of the Vladem Contemporary, the new gallery space of the New Mexico Museum of Art dedicated to exhibit post-war and contemporary art. MoNA's new position of director of curatorial affairs and curator of Northwest art is made possible by the M. J. Murdock Charitable Trust. The trust's mission is to enrich the quality of life in the Pacific Northwest by providing grants to organizations that seek to strengthen the region's educational, social, cultural, and spiritual base in creative and sustainable ways. It was created by the will of the late Melvin J. Murdock, who was a co-founder of Tektronix, in Beaverton, Oregon, and a resident of Vancouver. Since its establishment in 1975, with a bequest of about $91 million, the trust has focused its grantmaking efforts primarily in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington.

Naturally Seattle

Goldman

Naturally Seattle, the newest addition to the Naturally Network chapter roster, named Debi Goldman as its first executive director. Naturally Seattle's mission is to elevate the impact of conscious businesses in the natural or organic products industry in the Pacific Northwest. Goldman will lead efforts to build and grow the better-for-you CPG community, connecting Seattle and surrounding areas. With over 25 years of experience in nonprofit program management, community engagement, and the natural products industry, she is an advocate for fair trade practices and ethical business standards, and has dedicated her career to fostering sustainable growth and creating meaningful impact across industries. Goldman has been part of Naturally Network since 2022.

EdgeRunner AI

Seattle-based EdgeRunner AI named Jay Yonamine as its first chief product officer. Yonamine joins EdgeRunner from Google, where he spent the past decade building and scaling industry leading AI applications, initially focused on intellectual property and more recently as a Maps product lead, responsible for Google's largest consumer product with fully on-device AI inference. Prior to joining Google, Yonamine received a PhD in political science where he built AI models to forecast global political conflict for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Between his PhD and experience at Google, Yonamine has built applied AI systems in a broad range of industries including insurance, social media, and e-commerce.