Sep 24, 2025

HKS

Zellear

Global design firm HKS hired Brian Zeallear, AIA, DBIA, NCARB, as a Principal and Health Studio Practice Leader. Based in the firm's Seattle office, Zeallear brings three decades of experience leading complex health care projects and building teams across the West Coast and internationally. Before joining HKS, Zeallear held leadership roles and led large-scale hospital inpatient and outpatient facility projects from concept through construction, as well as lean design consultancy efforts.

“As a child, I was fascinated by how the built environment could reflect how someone wants to live,” Zeallear said. “That early interest evolved into a deep commitment to designing environments that improve lives—especially in health care, where architecture and interiors play such a vital role in healing.”

Community Roots Housing

Echohawk

Colleen Echohawk has been appointed by the Community Roots Housing board of directors as the new CEO, effective Oct. 6. Echohawk brings over 20 years of experience as an executive leader, small business owner, and community organizer to the role. This includes serving as Executive Director of Chief Seattle Club, where she led the effort to create nearly $100 million in new affordable housing in Seattle, and CEO of Eighth Generation, a Native-designed art and lifestyle brand. She is an active member of the board of trustees for both Seattle Foundation and Seattle Colleges. As CEO of Community Roots, Echohawk will help to advance the organization's mission to create inclusive affordable housing and foster thriving, just communities.

“For me, this work is about more than buildings—it is about dignity, belonging, and hope. I am eager to work alongside our residents, staff, board, and community partners to ensure that together we create inclusive, welcoming neighborhoods where every person has the opportunity to thrive,” Echohawk said.

PCS Structural Solutions

Suddath

Vita

Steele

Loewenherz

Wang

Kith

PCS Structural Solutions welcomes new employees, Andrew Wang, Adam Loewenherz, David Steele, Alex Vita, Dylan Suddath, and Jimmy Kith.

Wang is a design engineer in the Seattle office. He holds a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from the University of Washington and a master's degree in structural engineering from Stanford University. Wang is working on a private residence in Bellevue, Issaquah High School parking garage and the Swyft project in Kirkland.

Loewenherz is a design engineer in the Seattle office. Loewenherz is a recent graduate from the University of Washington with a master's in civil engineering and bachelor's degree from California Polytechnic State University. Currently, Loewenherz is working on Issaquah High School and the Renton High School replacement project.

Steele is a BIM Tech III in the Tacoma office. Steele has six years of BIM experience in the healthcare and sports industries. Steele is working on the Television Washington Building in Olympia and the Sumner High School addition.

Vita is a graduate of Oregon State University. Vita is a design engineer in the Portland office and is working on two commercial retail projects and the Renton High School replacement project.

Suddath is a graduate of North Carolina State University and brings two years of dedicated structural engineering experience to the PCS team. Suddath is a project engineer in the Tacoma office and is working on The Village senior living facility and MultiCare IT Print Shop renovations.

Kith is a design engineer in the Seattle office. Kith graduated from the University of Washington with a bachelor's in civil engineering. Kith is working on a seismic upgrade at the Seattle Public Schools-Emerson Elementary School and the Olympic College Innovation and Technical Learning Center.

T-Mobile

Gopalan

Bellevue-based T-Mobile has named Srini Gopalan, current chief operating officer, as its next chief executive officer, effective Nov. 1. Gopalan will assume the role from Mike Sievert, who has been appointed vice chairman, a newly created management position. As vice chairman, Sievert will continue in a management role and on the board, to support T-Mobile's CEO and leadership team, advising on matters of long-term strategy, innovation, talent development and external relations. Gopalan joined T-Mobile as chief operating officer, an appointment made by Sievert and the board following a multi-year succession planning process. Since that time, Gopalan has worked alongside Sievert and T-Mobile's leadership team. Gopalan brings extensive technology expertise to the CEO role. Before T-Mobile, he was most recently CEO of Deutsche Telekom's Germany business. He previously held senior leadership roles at Bharti Airtel, Capital One and Vodafone. In his current role as T-Mobile's COO, Gopalan has led the entirety of the company's Technology, Consumer and Business groups.

Kitsap County

Jewell

Kitsap County has appointed Kirsten M. Jewell as assistant county administrator. Jewell brings more than 20 years of public service leadership, including extensive experience in Kitsap County government and recent service at the state Department of Commerce. Most recently, Jewell served as interim housing policy director at the state Department of Commerce, where she led the Policy and Strategic Initiatives Unit for the Housing Division. In this role, she supervised a team of five policy specialists and provided strategic leadership on complex, politically sensitive projects across state agencies. She guided statewide housing initiatives, developed legislative policy, and strengthened collaborative relationships with key partners including the governor's office, state legislators and community organizations. Prior to her state service, Jewell spent eight years as manager of the Housing and Homelessness Division for Kitsap County's Department of Human Services, where she oversaw multimillion-dollar grant portfolios, and partnered extensively with community partners to implement new housing programs and services. Jewell's earlier county experience includes 11 years with the Kitsap Regional Coordinating Council, where she managed countywide initiatives and coordinated regional legislative policy development. She holds an Executive Master of Public Administration from the University of Washington's Evans School of Public Policy and Governance, and a Bachelor of Arts from Carleton College.

Sep 23, 2025

Compass Construction

Bennett

Gomez

Waters

Duhs

Alvarez

Kirkland-based Compass Construction recently promoted five employees. Jorge Alvarez has been promoted from labor foreman to assistant superintendent. He joined Compass in January 2017 as a punch on the Stoneway project and was promoted to labor foreman in 2022. Before joining Compass, he worked in irrigation systems and landscaping with Premier Concepts. He is currently on the Belroy project in Seattle. Brittany Duhs has been promoted from safety representative to safety manager. She joined Compass in 2020 as a project engineer on the Legacy West Seattle project, was promoted to assistant superintendent in 2021, and transitioned into safety in 2023. Duhs holds a B.S. in Marketing from California Baptist University and brings experience in project coordination, marketing, and real estate. Chris Waters has been promoted to senior project engineer. He joined Compass in 2020 as a project engineer on the Yesler project and recently completed work on the Bellevue Station project. Prior to joining Compass, Waters worked as an architectural designer with experience in design-build, structural drafting, and hands-on construction. He attended the University of Arizona College of Architecture. Luis Gomez has been promoted from laborer to carpenter. He joined Compass in 2017, starting on the Newcastle project, and brought with him prior experience in both production and custom home remodels, as well as cabinet installation, drywall, and finish work. He is currently part of the Simon Northgate project team. Joe Bennett has been promoted to field superintendent. He joined Compass on the Liza project in 2022 as an assistant superintendent and is currently part of the Simon Northgate project team. Bennett has over 30 years of experience spanning all phases of construction.

Washington Wild

Washington Wild has named Kat Brigham, enrolled member and former chair of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, the 2025 Conservation Voices Award recipient. The award honors her role in the Indigenous Climate Project in partnership with Washington Wild. Brigham worked closely with Washington Wild board member Steve Robinson to elevate traditional ecological knowledge from Pacific Northwest tribal leaders and highlight both the impacts of climate change and potential Indigenous-led solutions. She is a featured voice in the Indigenous Climate Project's oral history video series and appears prominently in the full-length documentary Climate Story. Brigham has been an advocate and participant in the “Tribes and Climate Change” curriculum teacher training workshops. She played a key role in workshops hosted by the Tulalip Tribes and Quinault Indian Nation and is currently helping plan upcoming trainings in eastern Washington with the Umatilla and Yakima Nations in 2026. Brigham will be recognized at Washington Wild's annual Wild Night Out celebration on Sept. 25 at the Woodland Park Zoo's Zoomasium Room in Seattle. Tickets are available at http://www.wawild.org/WNO. The Conservation Voices Award has been presented by Washington Wild since 2009 to individuals or organizations that have worked with Washington Wild to use their voice to support protecting wild lands and waters in Washington.

Sep 19, 2025

Foster Garvey

Riggs

Kinsella

Fulton

Foster Garvey has added Graham Fulton, Kenzie Kinsella, Jake Riggs and Arlington Schade as associates in the firm's Seattle and Spokane offices.

Fulton joins the firm's Litigation group. As a 2024 Summer Associate, he drafted an amicus curiae brief with Washington's Family Violence Appellate Project (FVAP) in a Domestic Violence protection order and custody proceeding. Graham holds a J.D. from Seattle University School of Law and a bachelor's degree in Political Science and Government from the University of Washington.

Kinsella joins the firm's Commercial, IP & Technology group after gaining experience as a 2023 and 2024 Summer Associate. Previously a member of the Native American Law Student Association at UW Law, Kinsella brings a passion for social justice and advocacy to the team. She holds a J.D. from the University of Washington School of Law and a bachelor's degree in Biology and Women's & Gender Studies from Pacific Lutheran University.

Jake Riggs joins Foster Garvey's Business & Corporate Finance group. Riggs has held operations, production and general management roles. Most recently, he served as a Senior Supply Chain Manager for Blue Chip Group based in Salt Lake City, Utah. He holds a J.D. from the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law, an M.B.A. from Texas A&M University and a bachelor's degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Colorado.

Schade returns to Foster Garvey after serving as a law clerk in the firm's Real Estate, Land Use & Environmental group. Schade co-published a research memorandum on the 2021 Washington State Energy Code. She holds a J.D. from Gonzaga University School of Law and a bachelor's degree from Eastern Washington University in Criminal Justice with a minor in Sociology.