Nov 25, 2025

Ash Grove Cement

Southworth

Ash Grove Cement hired Phil Southworth as senior market manager. He will work from Ash Grove's Bellevue sales office, and his assigned territory will cover Western and Central Washington, along with the state of Alaska. Southworth comes to Ash Grove from Oldcastle Inc. CRH, where he was vice president of operations in charge of manufacturing concrete products. Southworth was awarded the Bronze Star for his leadership during military service in Iraq.

Washington State Court of Appeals

Hill

Gov. Bob Ferguson announced the appointment of Tyson R. Hill to the Washington State Court of Appeals, Division III — his first appellate appointment since taking office in January. Hill's appointment, effective Jan. 1, fills the position being vacated by Judge George Fearing's retirement that date. Hill has more than two decades of legal experience as a superior court and district court judge, judge pro tempore, appellate attorney and prosecutor. He has served more than four years in his current role as Grant County Superior Court Judge in Ephrata, appointed by Gov. Jay Inslee in 2021. He co-founded and presided over Grant County's first therapeutic drug court, and he has regularly served as a pro tem judge for the Court of Appeals, Division III. Prior to becoming a Superior Court Judge, Hill served more than seven years on the Grant County District Court bench. He also served four years as the Grant County Prosecutor's Office's lead appellate attorney, where he argued before Division III and the Washington State Supreme Court. Earlier in his career, he clerked for Washington State Supreme Court Justice James M. Johnson. Hill also worked as a consultant to the U.S. — China Economic & Security Review Commission. Hill earned his bachelor's degree from Brigham Young University and his law degree from the University of Washington.

Washington State Lottery

Gov. Bob Ferguson appointed Brian Bennett as the new director of Washington's Lottery. Bennett's experience spans more than three decades, including serving as mayor and a member of the City Council for the City of Burien and 16 years at the global technology company F5 Inc. Most recently, Bennett served as a vice president in F5's legal department, managing a team that supported sales and operations for the company. Bennett previously practiced law in Seattle, working with clients on technology, government, immigration and health care issues. He also worked as a legislative assistant in the Washington State Senate. Bennett is a graduate of the University of Washington, where he earned a degree in comparative literature. He earned his law degree from New York University. Outside of work, Bennett volunteers for the Ukrainian Association of Washington State, supporting Ukraine and Ukrainian refugees in Washington. Previously, Bennett chaired the Burien Shoreline Advisory Committee and served on Burien's Planning Commission. He also worked for a nonprofit environmental law firm in Ukraine and spent a year teaching English in Moscow, Russia.

Nov 21, 2025

Compass Construction

Anderson

Ostrander

Swenson

Hart

Shuman

Kirkland-based Compass Construction recently added several new team members. Brad Shuman joined Compass as superintendent. Shuman brings over 40 years of hands-on construction experience, including managing complex, phased projects on occupied sites. He has a background in public sector and educational facility construction and is skilled in schedule creation and implementation. Cody Hart joined as project accountant. Hart brings over five years of experience in project accounting for construction and real estate projects. He holds a M.S. in Accountancy and a B.S. in Business Administration from Central Washington University, as well as a Project Management Certificate from the University of Washington. Dan Swenson joined Compass as assistant superintendent for the Cultivate project in Redmond. He has more than 20 years of experience in residential and commercial construction, including overseeing multimillion-dollar projects and managing teams through all phases of construction. Swenson earned his B.A. in Communications from the University of Washington. Hanna Ostrander joined Compass as safety representative. She has hands-on experience in heavy equipment operation, welding, and jobsite safety, and has supported safe work practices on a range of construction sites. Ostrander brings a strong foundation in safety training and holds several industry certifications. Additionally, Justin Anderson was promoted to project director. He joined Compass in 2011 as a project engineer and has since led numerous projects, including Vail, Yesler Terrace Phase 2, and 21 Boston- Compass’ largest completed project to date. Anderson is a University of Washington alumni and is currently enrolled in their Commercial Real Estate Certificate Program.

Nov 20, 2025

Kaye leasing is going okay!

[enlarge]

In Belltown, Skanska USA opened its 31-story, 324-unit Kaye apartment tower this summer to residents. Down at the street level, the building has two bays of retail/commercial space, with about 5,200 square feet. The brokers are Real Retail's Maria Royer and Deborah Ross. Skanska said this week that those have been claimed by a gym and an eatery, both to open next spring. Eva's Cafe & Bar will take about 1,100 square feet. Its Mikayla Benedict also operates House of Eve and Evoke Cafe Bar (both downtown). She said in a statement, “We're excited to join Belltown's incredible neighborhood energy, and to share something warm, welcoming, and uniquely ours.” Jerard Macalma will be the executive chef for the grab-and-go operation, working with manager Bradley Anderson. On Kaye's north end, BodyRok will have about 4,200 square feet for its Pilates-style machines. BodyRok has two gyms in California, and is new to our market.

CBRE

Loveall

The Society of Industrial and Office Realtors announced this week that local broker Patricia Loveall, of CBRE, has been named this year's winner of the Mildred C. Hanson “Millie” Award. (The late Hanson was a top broker in the greater New York area.) Loveall, of course, has earned many other industry honors over her long career. SIOR's Saadia Sheikh said in a press release, “Patricia's decades of service and outstanding achievements exemplify the excellence and impact that women bring to the commercial real estate profession, and her commitment continues to inspire leaders across our industry.”

Sterling Realty Organization

Gibson

Sterling Realty Organization has a new director of asset management: Casey Gibson, who makes the move from Martin Selig Real Estate. He said in a statement, “As an exceptionally well-regarded organization, I look forward to contributing to the company's growth while adding value across all stages of the real estate investment life cycle.” SRO's Matt Skager added, “We're thrilled that he is joining our team, and are confident that his background and skills will contribute to our continued growth.” The company portfolio, extending to Utah, spans about 2.3 million square feet.

Kidder Mathews lands new tenants for Swig

[enlarge]

Everybody knows the Lake Union Building, at 1700 Westlake Ave. N., since it protrudes out over the lake — and has its own dock! (When constructed in 1970, such things were allowed.) Owner Swig Co., of San Francisco, owns the building, and recently announced two new leases. Terrell Marshall Law is relocating from Fremont to take 7,000 square feet. Its brokers were Connor McClain and Joe Conner at Colliers. And the financial advisory firm Mariner is taking 3,000 square feet. Its brokers were Bailey Hallis and Jake Bos of JLL. Swig's brokers are Todd Battison and Jeff Huntington of Kidder Mathews. Swig's Annie Doud said in a statement, “We're delighted to welcome Terrell Marshall Law and Mariner to the Lake Union Building, an ideal, eco-friendly location for innovative companies looking for high-quality work environments that combine modern amenities with inspiring lakefront views.” Occupancy for the five-story building is strong, with only about 9% of the space unclaimed.

LegacyFirst sets up shop

Taylor

MacFarlane Partners, of San Francisco, has been a periodic investor in our market. But it's had no irons in the fire since the pandemic. Now it's announced an independent new venture, or spinout, dubbed LegacyFirst, which will be based in Seattle, with a new office at Pier 70. MacFarlane veteran Landon Taylor will co-chair the new venture, which is to focus on partnering “with family offices, select institutional investors, corporations, large nonprofits and government — in transforming underutilized or undervalued commercial real estate into enduring engines of economic prosperity.” Co-leading the firm is Murad Siam, of Los Angeles firm IDS Real Estate Group. Also on board is Dirk Hallemeier, a veteran from MacFarlane and other California enterprises.

SIOR

Heeter

Last December, Kidder Mathews' Kraig Heeter was tapped to lead the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors Foundation. His role as SIOR foundation president has now begun. He said in a statement, “I'm excited to work with my colleagues to expand that impact, support our members and foster the growth of future leaders.” Heeter is a veteran in the industrial sector, working out of the Tukwila office. He's been a SIOR member for nearly a decade, and has been in the trade for over 20 years.

Fourth Avenue makes $22M Medford buy

[enlarge]

Fourth Avenue Capital has offices in Spokane and Seattle. It's a multifamily investor across the broader Pacific Northwest. And it recently announced a 96-unit deal in Medford, Oregon. It acquired the Ridgewood garden apartments, which were developed in the early 2000s. CBRE's Josh McDonald and Joe Nydahl worked both sides of the $22.1 million transaction, with the seller being Investors Capital Group. Fourth Avenue also assumed the old loan, with a very low 3.9% rate. Its Davis Vaughn said in a statement, “By selectively focusing on growing secondary markets with limited supply, we are able to deliver outsized yield to our investors.” Fourth Avenue now has about 1,500 units in its portfolio, with a value of around $450 million. It's also planning another 500-plus new units.

Hensel Phelps

Koob

Seavey

Winfield

Hensel Phelps announced that two employees in the Pacific Northwest Region, Paul Winfield and Tyler Seavey, have received their DBIA certificates. Winfield serves as Hensel Phelps' management representative. He has experience in developing and monitoring project master schedules, estimating, job cost reports and establishing and implementing effective communication procedures for all team components. He has applied his DBIA expertise on projects including the progressive design-build Caltech Resnick Sustainability Center and the Caltech Chen Neuroscience Research Building. Seavey manages all day-to-day client needs and concerns. He brings experience in developing and monitoring project master schedules, estimating, job cost reporting and implementing effective communication procedures across teams. He has applied his DBIA expertise on ground transportation such as the Downtown Redmond Link Extension project, aviation and public sector projects. Additionally, Dave Koob received his Associate DBIA. He manages project costs by establishing preliminary budgets and final cost estimates. He is experienced in all aspects of procurement for hard bid, conceptual and design-build projects, as well as preconstruction cost controls involving cost estimating, cost analysis and value engineering. Koob is currently providing estimating services for a confidential client data center project in Central Washington.

Skagit County Superior Court

Crandall

Gov. Bob Ferguson named current Skagit County Superior Court Commissioner Mary Crandall to the position of Skagit County Superior Court Judge. Crandall's appointment, effective Dec. 31, fills the position that Judge Thomas Verge's resignation will vacate. She has served four years in her current role as Skagit County Superior Court Commissioner in Mount Vernon, where she presides over matters such as civil protection orders, probate, guardianship, at-risk youth and juvenile offender calendars. She serves on several statewide judicial committees, including family and juvenile law, ethics and guardianship and probate. Before joining the Skagit County Superior Court as a commissioner, Crandall regularly served as a pro tem judge in San Juan County District Court for two years while also working as a prosecutor in Skagit County. In her legal practice, Crandall investigated and prosecuted a variety of criminal cases, including murder and gang-related weapons offenses, working closely with victims and witnesses. Earlier in her career, Crandall spent five years in Portland at the Multnomah County District Attorney's Office. Prior to that, she clerked for Lane County Circuit Court Judge M.K. Merten in Eugene, Oregon. Crandall earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Washington and her law degree from the University of Oregon.