Feb 13, 2026

Highline College

Highline College has announced a new agreement with Central Washington University that allows graduates of Highline's Bachelor of Applied Science in Business Management (BAS BM) program to pursue advanced degrees in business and accounting. The memorandum of understanding, finalized in December 2025, establishes a streamlined pathway into CWU's Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Master of Professional Accountancy (MPA) programs. Students who have completed the BAS BM program at Highline College, or are in their last two quarters of the program, are eligible to apply for admission to CWU's MBA or MPA programs. Located in Des Moines, Highline College offers more than 100 degrees and certificates in high-demand career fields, included seven applied bachelor's degrees.

Busy Bees North America

Early childhood education provider Busy Bees North America (BBNA) is expanding into Washington state, with the addition of 13 early learning centers in the greater Seattle area, via the acquisition of seven Kids N Us Early Learning Schools and six Birch Tree Academy locations.

“We're thrilled to welcome both Kids N Us and Birch Tree Academy into the Busy Bees family,” said Darla Kestle, CEO of Busy Bees North America. “These partnerships reflect our shared commitment to giving every child the best start in life. Both organizations bring long‑standing reputations for providing nurturing, high‑quality early learning environments and our priority is to continue the exceptional education experiences for families across the region.”

“Joining Busy Bees is a great opportunity for not only our families but our educators to continue with giving the children in our schools quality early childhood education,” said Lori Blades, founder of Kids N Us.

“This partnership marks an exciting new chapter for Birch Tree Academy,” said NForrey, Founder of Birch Tree Academy. “With Busy Bees' support and shared values, we can reach more families and continue delivering innovative, high‑quality learning experiences.”

With the addition of the new locations, Busy Bees North America now operates 270 centers across the United States and Canada.

Feb 12, 2026

CFRE Commercial Real Estate

Macdonald

CFRE Commercial Real Estate announced that Jocelyn Macdonald is now a new broker with that shop. She specializes in multi-asset class brokerage, with a focus on retail leasing, investment strategy and advisory services. The firm's Gary Hunter said in a statement, “Jocelyn brings a rare combination of market insight, negotiation skill and firsthand ownership experience.” Macdonald added, “and I look forward to delivering strong results for property owners and investors across the region.”

Truss Faber

Truss Faber PC, a construction and manufacturing law firm based in Seattle, has opened a new office in Anchorage, Alaska. The expansion strengthens the firm's ability to serve clients in construction, manufacturing, architecture, engineering, government contracting and related sectors operating in remote and highly regulated markets. Founding attorney John Theiss noted that the Anchorage location is a natural extension of the firm's long-standing work on complex remote projects. Several Truss Faber attorneys already have experience advising and litigating matters in Alaska and other remote regions. Truss Faber has represented clients in large-scale projects worldwide, from major metropolitan areas to remote Antarctica. Attorneys across the firm bring experience spanning government contracting, construction disputes, lease and contract matters, and international trade.

Gesa Credit Union

Gesa Credit Union announced it helped 735 families achieve home ownership in 2025, the best homebuyer year in the credit union's 72-year history. Of those that Gesa helped buy homes last year, 277 were first-time homebuyers, representing families who, in many cases, had long believed homeownership was out of reach.

Its community home loan program tackled many obstacles first-time buyers face: rising costs, confusing qualification requirements, and not knowing where to start. Gesa's approach paired accessible loan options with step-by-step guidance, helping families understand the home-buying process and navigate it from application to closing. The community home loan program has been so well-received that Gesa is extending it into 2026 for the busy spring and summer seasons.

This work is part of a larger, multi-year effort to elevate Gesa's Home Loan department so that the credit union continues to support families in its communities. Over the past two years, Gesa has invested significantly in technology, staffing, and training with the goal of becoming one of the most trusted mortgage partners in the Pacific Northwest.

Headquartered in Richland, Gesa operates 45 branches, loan centers, full-service student-operated campus branches at Washington State University, and 25 student-operated high school branches across Washington.

Feb 11, 2026

Cornerstone General Contractors

Weeger

Cornerstone General Contractors has hired Ryan Weeger as director of preconstruction. Weeger, an experienced construction management professional with more than 20 years of industry experience, brings extensive expertise in preconstruction and operations leadership, cultivated through years of work with several general contractors throughout the greater Puget Sound region.

Weeger's career includes notable projects for Seattle Public Schools and the Lake Washington School District, as well as large-scale commercial projects for Vulcan Real Estate, Expedia, Microsoft and Google. His professional background includes several industry-recognized credentials, such as the Design-Build Institute of America's Associate DBIA and the Collaborative Leadership Academy; the U.S. Green Building Council LEED Green Associate; and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's 30-Hour Outreach Training program. Weeger earned his bachelor's degree from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California.

Exxel Pacific

Stevens

Exxel Pacific has promoted Sam Stevens to project director. Stevens joined Exxel Pacific in 2020 as a senior project manager. Throughout his tenure, he has played a key role in the successful delivery of complex projects, leading integrated teams from initial concept through design and construction. In his new position, Stevens will continue to drive project success while fostering innovation, collaboration, and growth across Exxel Pacific's project teams.

Cochran

Ketz

Seattle-headquartered Cochran has promoted Don Ketz to vice president of field operations. In this role, Ketz will provide leadership and daily support to superintendents, general foremen, foremen, and field staff across the company's projects. His responsibilities will include scheduling, manpower planning, quality control and safety practices. Ketz brings extensive field experience to this leadership position, having most recently served as Cochran's general superintendent. In that role, he worked on some of Cochran's most significant projects, including the Microsoft Campus Refresh in Redmond, the multi-block Rufus 2.0 development in Seattle, the King County Metro electric-bus charging facility in Tukwila, and the Swedish Medical Center campus in Issaquah.

Hargis Engineers

Pentz

Reny

Mills

Bigbey

Kavulla

Sutton

Turner

Roper

Anderson

Seattle-based Hargis Engineers promoted Josh Kavulla to principal and Jared Bigbey to senior associate. Kavulla brings decades of experience supporting Fortune 100 clients across hyper-scale data centers, advanced research and laboratory environments, and ground-up campus developments that integrate both horizontal infrastructure and vertical building systems. Bigbey provides proactive life-cycle technology analyses and flexible implementation strategies to support retail logistics and fulfillment centers, particularly those incorporating robotics and rapidly evolving technologies.

Eric Mills has been promoted to principal in the mechanical leadership group. Mills brings 25 years of experience in HVAC, plumbing, and refrigeration systems in sophisticated operating environments. In his expanded role, Mills will guide multidisciplinary teams in developing scalable, energy-conscious solutions that support enterprise clients across multiple geographic regions and evolving operational needs.

Jake Reny, James Pentz, and MacGregor Anderson have joined the mechanical leadership team as senior associates. They support Fortune 100 clients and commercial projects nationwide, and contribute to internal initiatives focused on technology, efficiency, and technical staff mentorship. Pentz and Anderson began their careers at Hargis as interns.

David Roper has been promoted to associate principal, and Andrew Turner to associate, with the electrical program. Roper has extensive experience in commercial office environments, industrial, aerospace, and manufacturing-fabrication operations supporting Fortune 100 clients by delivering technically complex program spaces. Turner is an electrical consultant who supports national retail programs by contributing to the planning and implementation of scalable electrical systems.

Josh Sutton has been promoted to senior associate with commissioning services. With extensive experience as an electrical contractor and professional engineer, he supports fast-paced data centers, hospitals and retail fulfillment programs.