Harborstone Credit Union

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Lakewood-based Harborstone Credit Union has agreed to acquire HUSTL, the all-digital banking platform and brand operated by Arizona's Vantage West Credit Union.

Under a purchase and assumption agreement approved by both institutions' boards, Harborstone will acquire HUSTL's assets and intellectual property and assume the platform's associated deposit liabilities. Existing HUSTL deposit members are expected to become Harborstone members, subject to membership eligibility requirements.

Harborstone said the acquisition will expand its digital banking capabilities and extend its reach among digital-first consumers, including freelancers, gig workers and small-business owners that HUSTL was designed to serve.

“The credit union movement has always been built on collaboration, and this transaction reflects that spirit,” said Geoff Bullock, president and CEO of Harborstone Credit Union. “Vantage West has created an innovative digital platform and product offering in HUSTL that serves consumers in new and meaningful ways, and we're honored to continue that work. Together, we're creating new opportunities to serve members, expand financial access, and demonstrate what's possible when credit unions help credit unions.”

The deal follows Harborstone's recent growth through acquisitions of Seattle-based First Sound Bank in 2024 and Mount Vernon-based SaviBank in 2025, as well as its 2025 merger with Community 1st Credit Union. The credit union now reports approximately $3.2 billion in assets, $2.4 billion in loans and $2.7 billion in deposits.

The transaction is expected to close in December, subject to regulatory and customary approvals. Harborstone was advised by McQueen Financial Advisors and Luse Gorman PC.

Employment Security Department

Gov. Bob Ferguson has presented leadership awards to two Employment Security Department staff.

JR Richards and Jessica Barr earned the Governor's Outstanding Leadership Award, which recognizes managers in state government who demonstrate extraordinary leadership through performance results in the previous year.

Richards is the agency's insurance services director. Under Richards' direction, Employment Security successfully integrated service delivery across its three benefits programs: Unemployment Insurance, Paid Family & Medical Leave and WA Cares.

Her nominator said Richards exemplifies the values of Washington's public sector, making her a standout candidate for the award.

Barr is Employment Security's North Sound regional director. She oversees WorkSource offices in Snohomish, Skagit, Island, Whatcom, Kitsap, Clallam and Jefferson counties.

She has been a driving force behind statewide improvements at WorkSource offices in her region, directly resulting in better service for customers in several key areas. Her nominator said she demonstrates that leadership is not about authority, but about service, relationships and results.”

Olson Kundig

McLaughlin

Marshall

Goodner

Fritz

Druse

Savage

Olson Kundig has promoted the following to senior associate: Eric Druse, Alex Fritz, Scott Goodner, Megan Marshall, Kelsey McLaughlin and Chris Savage.

Mackenzie

Filipowicz

Mackenzie has hired Genie Filipowicz as senior laboratory planner to lead a new Laboratory Planning and Design practice.

The practice expands the firm's ability to support clients with specialized lab programming, planning, and design services across a wide range of research, education, healthcare, public safety, and advanced technology environments. Projects range from renovations and facility modernization efforts to new research, teaching, and testing facilities.

With nearly four decades of experience in the lab planning field, Filipowicz has designed laboratories across industry and market types, including private, public, and federal clients. Working closely with scientists, architects, engineers, and faculty, she translates big-picture research goals into highly functional laboratory spaces that support scientific discovery, innovation, and operational excellence.

Filipowicz began her career under the mentorship of Earl Walls, a pioneer of the laboratory planning profession. Her expertise spans the full project lifecycle, from visioning and programming through design and implementation.

Filipowicz's experience will bolster Mackenzie's capabilities in life sciences, physical sciences, healthcare, forensic disciplines, and advanced technology sectors.

Rainier Partners

Rainier Partners, a Seattle-based private equity firm investing in lower middle-market services businesses, has been named to Inc. Magazine's 2026 list of Founder-Friendly Investors. The recognition marks Rainier's first inclusion on the list, reflecting the firm's continued growth and commitment to being a trusted partner to business owners.

Inc.'s annual Founder-Friendly Investors list recognizes private equity firms, venture capital firms, and lenders with a track record of successfully backing founder-led companies. To compile the list, Inc. speaks with entrepreneurs who have partnered with investment firms and evaluates data on company growth over the course of those partnerships.

“Being named a Founder-Friendly Investor for the first time is a meaningful milestone for Rainier, and the accomplishment is aligned with what we set out to build from day one of the firm,” said Rainier Co-Founder and Managing Partner Jon Altman. “Founders put years into building their businesses, and when they choose to partner with us, we take that trust seriously. We're very proud of the team we've built at Rainier, and the recognition is a strong signal that our approach is resonating as we grow.”

Rainier's founder-focused investment philosophy is rooted in long-term partnerships with business owners and management teams who share the firm's commitment to growth. Rainier seeks opportunities where its industry experience, operational expertise, and financial resources can build on what founders have already established. The firm works closely with founders to identify growth opportunities, maximize value, and position their businesses for the future.

Rainier reports over $400 million in assets under management.

UMC

Giffin

UMC Inc. announced that Jeff Giffin has been named district energy manager. He will focus on helping campuses, healthcare systems, communities, utilities and large facility owners address their most pressing infrastructure challenges.

Giffen has nearly two decades of experience in high-performance building systems, energy efficiency, decarbonization, and sustainable energy infrastructure. He began his career at the University of British Columbia in progressively senior roles, ultimately serving as energy conservation manager and leading major energy efficiency and decarbonization initiatives, including a campus-wide steam-to-hot-water conversion and the development of a bioenergy cogeneration facility.

He went on to serve as a project engineer with Enwave Energy before joining Corix as regional manager for the Pacific Northwest, where he led the development and operation of low-carbon district energy systems, including the Bellingham District Energy Utility.

His relationship with UMC began as a client, working alongside the company on several successful design-build projects over the past five years, an experience that ultimately influenced his decision to join the organization.

One of the most significant projects of Giffin's career was UBC's $88 million steam-to-hot-water conversion project, which replaced a century-old campus steam system with a modern, medium-temperature hot water network.

UMC started in 1920 as a mechanical contracting company in the Pacific Northwest and has grown into a firm that supports every stage of the building lifecycle, from planning and construction to optimization, maintenance, and long-term performance.

APWA

The Washington chapter of the American Public Works Association has announced its newest board members, who officially begin their duties this week. Board members will serve the membership and help address goals and challenges facing public works professionals across the state.

Newly elected board members for the 2027-2028 term are Tricia Juhnke, public works director for the city of Shoreline; Travis Rakeshaw, stormwater maintenance lead for the city of Walla Walla; Sonia Palma, operations manager for the Seattle Department of Transportation; and Dustin DeKoekkoek, Seattle office director at Toole Design.

Mary Heather Ames, deputy public works director for the city of Pasco, has been elected secretary for 2027.

The chapter encouraged members to connect with board leaders to share priorities and challenges affecting the public works profession.

Tideworks

Following the recent acquisition by Diversis Capital, Seattle-based terminal operating system provider Tideworks Technology has announced the appointments of Mark Traynor as chief product and technology officer and Guenter Schmidmeir as chief revenue officer.

Traynor brings more than 20 years of experience across terminal technology, operations and automation. He will lead Tideworks' product and engineering organizations, with a focus on advancing the company's product architecture, strengthening integration capabilities and building extensible solutions that can evolve with customers' operational and technology needs.

Schmidmeir brings more than 25 years of experience across the maritime, terminal and logistics sectors. He will lead Tideworks' commercial and revenue strategy, with a focus on expanding into new markets, strengthening customer relationships and translating his terminal-industry experience into new growth opportunities.

“Mark and Guenter bring complementary strengths to Tideworks,” said Subbu Bhat, president of Tideworks Technology. “Mark's experience in terminal technology, integration and product architecture will help us build more connected and extensible solutions. Guenter's industry and commercial experience will help us enter new markets and build relationships with a broader set of terminal operators. Together, they strengthen our ability to turn deep industry knowledge into better technology and greater value for our customers.”

With the support of Diversis, Tideworks will continue investing in its products, people and customer relationships while delivering the technology and service terminal operators around the world rely on.

JLL

Miller

To be based here in Seattle, Patrick Miller has joined JLL, that firm recently announced. He makes the move from Snap, and was previously with Amazon's real estate division. His new role is global president for JLL's technology group. JLL says he now “oversees strategic account management and the delivery of customized real estate management solutions that help technology companies worldwide navigate evolving business and workplace needs through data-driven insights.” JLL's Sanjay Rishi said in the press release, “Patrick possesses a powerful combination of industry expertise, strategic vision and deep understanding of how technology can drive better business outcomes.”

Greystar

Byrne

This week, Greystar announced its hiring of multifamily veteran Jason Byrne, who becomes senior director of development with the builder/developer. He makes the move from Willow Bridge, which was related to Lincoln Property Co. Greystar's Aaron Keeler said in the announcement, “Jason knows this region and the people in it. As we deepen our investment in the Pacific Northwest, that experience will help us continue to identify and execute the right opportunities.”

MacDonald-Miller

Lambert

MacDonald-Miller Facility Solutions, a Pacific Northwest provider of design-build mechanical, electrical and plumbing services, has appointed Matt Lambert as vice president of construction services.

In the newly created role, Lambert will oversee construction development, pre-construction services and project delivery. The company said the appointment is intended to strengthen project execution and deepen collaboration with general contractors across its construction portfolio.

Lambert brings more than two decades of construction industry experience. He spent 18 years with Howard S. Wright, where he worked on major projects including City Center Plaza, Microsoft B87 and the Microsoft Redmond Campus Modernization program in partnership with MacDonald-Miller. Most recently, he served as a vice president at Dycom Industries, leading development and operations across multiple company divisions.

The leadership transition comes as longtime construction executive Bret Lovely prepares to retire at the end of 2026 after 38 years with MacDonald-Miller.

Founded in 1965, MacDonald-Miller Facility Solutions employs more than 1,600 workers in Washington and Oregon and is among the largest design-build mechanical firms in the United States. The company serves customers across construction, healthcare, biotech, commercial office, marine, mission-critical and technology sectors and is a signatory of the Climate Pledge.

BERK Consulting

Lobel

BERK Consulting has announced that Bryan Lobel has joined the firm as a senior associate.

Lobel is an urban planner with over 17 years of experience. His work spans economic development strategy, industrial land and market analysis, GMA subarea and housing planning, and land capacity analysis. He has a particular focus on information design to support complex analysis and decision making.

Prior to joining BERK, Lobel worked at urban planning firms in multiple cities in California and Philadelphia before returning to the Pacfic Northwest to lead economic strategy for a decade at a local firm.

Art Anderson

Dreher

Young

Bremerton-based engineering firm Art Anderson hired two new team members, Colin Young and Josh Dreher, bringing its staff count to above 40 employees.

Young joined as an electrical engineer. He holds both bachelor's and master's degrees in electrical engineering and is a licensed professional engineer in Washington and Alaska. He brings more than 11 years of experience in power generation, transmission and distribution systems, renewable energy projects, and utility infrastructure planning.

Dreher joined as a civil engineer bringing more than 17 years of experience. He is a licensed professional engineer specializing in waterfront, industrial and infrastructure projects. His background includes the design, analysis, and rehabilitation of marine facilities and waterfront structures, as well as structural design, assessments and construction support.

PLS Engineering

Wilde

Naglich

Uskoski

Valerie Uskoski joins Vancouver, Clark County-based PLS Engineering as a principal civil engineer. Uskoski is formerly an equity owner of Hayward Uskoski & Associates with over 20 years of experience, and is licensed in multiple states including Alaska. A graduate from WSU, she carries a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. Her past projects range from subdivisions, surface mine permitting, permit compliance, road realignments, stormwater design and much more. Uskoski is a board member of SAE Oregon and the Baja SAE committee chair.

Also joining PLS from Hayward Uskoski & Associates are Sadie Naglich and Preston Wilde. Naglich is a certified land use planner with nearly a decade of experience in public and private sector planning. She has managed a range of development projects, navigated complex land use regulations from early feasibility through land use approval.

Wilde joins with experience in civil engineering design and land use development. Wilde brings five years of project experience in a wide range of projects from residential, commercial and industrial projects.

Papé Machinery

Humdinger Equipment announced Papé Machinery as its newest authorized dealer. This partnership expands Humdinger's reach, connecting customers in California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon and Washington with Tana's landfill and recycling equipment.

As an authorized dealer, Papé Machinery will provide full sales, service, and technical support exclusively for Tana landfill compactors and shredders, delivering dependable, high-performance solutions for customers in waste management and recycling operations.

Papé Machinery offers equipment sales, parts, rentals and service solutions aimed at helping customers maximize productivity and keep operations running efficiently. Papé Machinery is also a leading provider of John Deere construction, forestry and agricultural equipment throughout the western United States.

Alaska Airlines

Siva

Alaska Airlines announced that Amaresh Siva has been named chief information technology officer. Siva will begin next month and will report directly to CEO Ben Minicucci. He will also serve on the company's Executive Committee.

In this newly created role, Siva will bring Alaska's technology and digital capabilities together under a single enterprise leader. He will set and execute the company's enterprise-wide technology, data and digital strategy, with responsibility for strengthening core platforms, advancing digital capabilities and building scalable data and artificial intelligence foundations to support operational excellence, resilience and long-term growth.

“Technology is central to nearly every part of our operation and every interaction with our guests and employees,” Minicucci said. “Amaresh is a proven enterprise technology leader with the experience to strengthen performance today while building the modern, secure and resilient platforms we need for the future. His track record leading complex transformations, scaling data and AI capabilities and developing high-performing global teams makes him the right leader for this important role.”

Siva brings 29 years of experience building and scaling digital, data, infrastructure and AI platforms across healthcare, retail and consumer finance. He joins Alaska from CVS Health, where he most recently served as chief digital and technology officer for Health Care Delivery. His responsibilities also included enterprise data and AI platforms and innovation labs.

At CVS Health, Siva led large-scale modernization and AI initiatives in a highly regulated, high-availability environment, including cloud migration, digital engineering and the deployment of AI tools with measurable business and customer outcomes. Earlier in his career, he held senior technology leadership roles at Target Corp., where he helped rebuild Target.com and the Target app and modernize infrastructure and cloud platforms. He previously spent nearly a decade with GE Capital, building marketing technology used across 18 businesses in 17 countries.

Siva holds an MBA from XLRI (Xavier School of Management in Jamshedpur, India) and a bachelor's degree in technology with honors from the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur.

Child's Play Charity

Child's Play Charity announced the appointment of Katie Stone Perez as its new executive director.

Perez joins Child's Play after more than two decades at Xbox. Her career has been defined by a commitment to expanding access to play and building inclusive gaming communities.

With a background in child psychology and personal experience navigating pediatric cancer within her own family, Perez brings a deep understanding of the emotional and therapeutic value of play. Her passion for supporting kids, combined with her industry expertise, makes her uniquely suited to lead Child's Play into its next era of growth.

In her new role, Perez will oversee Child's Play's hospital partnerships, therapeutic gaming initiatives, research investments, and community engagement efforts. She will also guide the organization's strategic development as it continues to grow its network hospitals worldwide.

Since 2003 Child's Play Charity has been improving the lives of children in hospitals through the power of play. Founded by Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins of Penny Arcade, Child's Play partners with pediatric hospitals around the world to deliver games, technology and innovative tools that support healing and bring joy. For 23 years Child's Play has been endowed by the gaming community, and is dedicated to finding new ways to help kids.

Skagit County Superior Court

Sebens

Gov. Bob Ferguson has appointed Haley Wolcott Sebens to the position of Skagit County Superior Court Judge.

Sebens' appointment, effective Jan. 1, fills the new position created by a law signed by Ferguson earlier this year. This is the first new position added to the Skagit County Superior Court since 2006.

Sebens is a judicial officer and longtime litigator with over 16 years of legal experience. She has served as a Skagit County Superior Court Commissioner since January 2025. As a Commissioner, she presides over court calendars including domestic and family law, child welfare and dependencies, at-risk youth, guardianship, probate and estate cases. She serves on the Superior Court Judges Association Family and Juvenile Law Committee and the Minor Guardianship Committee.

Prior to being appointed as commissioner, Sebens acted as judge pro tem for municipal and district courts including Snohomish District Court, city of Ferndale and city of Lynnwood.

Sebens earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Washington. She graduated from Gonzaga Law School, where she served as an editor of the Gonzaga Law Review.

Highline College

As the first community college in King County, Highline College recently celebrated its founding 65 years ago.

On Oct. 10, 1961, the college opened its doors to 385 students and operated out of 14 portable classrooms on the campus of the former Glacier High School on South 142nd Street in SeaTac/Burien.

It now serves approximately 14,000 students annually and has more than 350,000 alumni. In addition, it is one of 34 community and technical colleges in the state of Washington and has been located on its 80-acre campus in Des Moines since 1964.

WASWD

The Washington Association of Sewer & Water Districts (WASWD) recently awarded $12,000 in scholarships to 12 Washington state individuals who are preparing for careers in the clean water industry.

In continuation of WASWD's Clean Water Careers outreach program, this year's scholarships broke previous records in the number of recipients and total amount awarded, enabling students from all around our state to pursue careers ranging from fluid mechanics and environmental sciences, to the administrative management of water and wastewater utilities.

Here are the winners: Elisabeth Clary, Bellingham; Benedicte Diakubama, Kent; Gavin Eliason, Spokane Valley; Alexandra Estrada, Ephrata; Maddie Fannin, Des Moines; Cloey Fletcher, Olympia; Kara Glassman, Arlington; Sarah Lord, University Place; Kurin Miller, Tumwater; Mya Schlepp, Seattle; Ruby Warner, East Wenatchee; and Grace Willis, Orcas Island.

Named after Walt Canter, an industry advocate and commissioner of the Cedar River Water and Sewer District for nearly 50 years, WASWD's Scholarship Fund facilitates and encourages entrance, advancement and retention of employees in the water and wastewater industry.