Apr 20, 2023

Department of Revenue

Shirk

Gov. Jay Inslee named Drew Shirk director of the state Department of Revenue, effective June 16. Acting director John Ryser, who has held the post since Vikki Smith left DOR last year, will continue to lead the agency until that time. Shirk has served as the executive director for legislative affairs in the office of Gov. Inslee since 2017. As a member of the governor's senior leadership team, Shirk manages relationships with legislators and leadership on behalf of the governor. He also manages executive branch legislative proposals, mobilizing support for the governor's priorities in the Legislature and advising the governor on legislation. In that capacity, Shirk has helped to design and pass policies in clean energy, gun violence prevention, education and abortion rights. Shirk has spent more than three decades in public service. He began his career with DOR's compliance division in 1989 and was promoted to a series of leadership positions there. He most recently served as the department's assistant director for tax policy before joining the governor's office. Shirk received his bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Washington and completed graduate coursework at Eastern Washington University's public administration program.

ExtraHop

Bowling

Seattle-based ExtraHop announced that Mark Bowling will assume the new role of chief information security and risk officer (CISRO). Bowling will be responsible for implementing effective security, information security, and risk management frameworks to maximize growth opportunities for ExtraHop. Bowling will report to Lauren Zajac, chief legal and compliance officer at ExtraHop. Under Zajac's leadership, Bowling and his team will help shape the future information security landscape and associated practices to adapt to the ever-evolving world of cybersecurity. Jeff Costlow, deputy CISO at ExtraHop, will report directly to Bowling. Bowling will also be responsible for all other aspects of ExtraHop security to include facility security, physical security, and personnel security. Prior to his civilian career, Bowling spent more than two and a half decades investigating and combating cybercrime and nation-state attacks in leadership roles with the FBI and the Department of Education, and as a nuclear officer in the U.S. Navy. He previously held the role of director of information security and compliance for the Washington Regional Medical System, the virtual CISO for United Capital Financial Advisors, and the director of security and compliance for Southwest Power Pool. He has spent several years as a consulting CISO for numerous organizations in the healthcare, electric utility, and financial services verticals.

SpecterOps Raises

SpecterOps announced it has raised a $25 million Series A venture funding round led by Decibel. This funding will accelerate the adoption of BloodHound Enterprise, a platform for comprehensively removing identity attack paths in Microsoft's Active Directory and Azure AD. It will also expand company research and development initiatives. Other investors in this round include Kevin Mandia, the CEO and founder of Mandiant, as well as Jon Oberheide and Dug Song, the co-founders of Duo Security. BloodHound Enterprise was launched in 2021, and is used worldwide by companies like Capital Group, the University of Texas at Austin and Woodside Energy. Funding will also be used to expand SpecterOps' services and training solutions. Seattle-based SpecterOps is a cybersecurity solutions and services provider specializing in knowledge of adversary tradecraft to help clients detect and defend against sophisticated attackers. Decibel is an independent venture firm based in Silicon Valley that backs technical founders and helps them find product-market fit and accelerate their business.

Apr 19, 2023

Department of Ecology

April is earth month, and the Washington Department of Ecology is marking the event with a campaign that places an emphasis on keeping Washington litter free. Roadside litter affects road safety, the environment and the wellbeing of local communities. More than 75% of Washington residents do not litter, but despite this, an estimated 26 million pounds of material still litter Washington's roads every year. Each year, the Washington State Department of Transportation and Ecology spend more than $12 million combined to fund cleanup efforts. Pickup crews and volunteers collected more than 1,641 tons of garbage off state highways in 2022 alone. Millions of pounds of litter are left behind. Ecology's “Simple As That” campaign is designed to reduce littering by changing the behaviors that cause it. The campaign gives people simple tips to avoid littering. It encourages Washingtonians to keep a litter bag in your car. Use a litter bag while traveling to keep your vehicle tidy and reduce the chances of littering accidentally when you open a door or window. When visiting parks and other recreation areas, bring a bag with you so it's easy to pack out what you packed in.

ESS Tech

ESS Tech, a manufacturer of long-duration energy storage systems for commercial and utility-scale applications, will deliver three Energy Warehouse systems to Coldwell Solar, a developer and builder of renewable energy projects for California's commercial, agricultural and utility sectors. The systems will be installed in a solar + storage microgrid at Roederer Estate, Scharffenberger Cellars and Domaine Anderson, California wineries in Mendocino County known for their sparkling and still wines. Coldwell Solar worked with the wineries to design a system that met their needs and the microgrid is expected to be operational in late 2023. The ESS solution will safeguard the wineries against the impacts of Public Safety Power Shutoff events and other grid interruptions to ensure winery operations 24/7, demonstrating the role that energy storage can play in rural agricultural applications and supporting the operations of a major employer in the region. In addition, the winery will avoid significant demand charges and realize energy savings by utilizing ESS technology to reduce grid electricity use during peak periods. ESS' long-duration energy storage technology is safe and non-toxic, making it ideal for wildfire prone regions. ESS Tech is based in Wilsonville, Oregon.

Fluke

Everett-based Fluke, a provider of industrial tools and integrated software, announced its designation as a North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) Registered Training Provider (RTP). As a NABCEP RTP, Fluke will provide educational resources to help solar professionals work safely, efficiently, and accurately in support of the growing industry. Fluke recently launched its new NABCEP-approved training course, Tools and Techniques for Commissioning and Maintaining PV Systems, led by Fluke's NABCEP certified solar application specialist and educator, Will White. Designed for professionals who want to expand their expertise on the tests and measurement tools used during PV array installation, commissioning, and maintenance, the course can be credited toward a professional's NABCEP certification. In some cases, it can help satisfy the hours required to take NABCEP's exam for PV Installation Professional Board Certification. Fluke will also be offering its new NABCEP registered training course online.

Apr 18, 2023

Alaska Communications

The Alaska Communications Board of Directors has appointed Jim McCarley to act in the role of interim CEO on a temporary basis. Bill Bishop, current president and CEO, is taking a leave-of-absence due to health issues. McCarley has 30 years of technology experience, including aerospace and oil and gas. He has over 18 years leading large organizations, including multi-national corporations and technology companies. McCarley will relocate to Anchorage during his time as interim CEO. He will officially join Alaska Communications April 24. Alaska Communications, an affiliate of ATN International, is a provider of advanced broadband and managed IT services for businesses and consumers in Alaska. The company operates a statewide data network connecting Alaska to the contiguous U.S.

Vacasa

Portland-based Vacasa, a vacation rental management platform, announced that director Eric Breon has decided not to stand for re-election at the end of his current term. Breon, who founded Vacasa in 2009, has served on the company's board as the director designee of his controlled affiliate, Mossytree, since December 2021. Mossytree has selected Kimberly White, a former employee of the company, to serve as its designee on the company's board of directors, subject to her election as a director at the Annual Meeting, expected to occur on or about May 23, 2023. Jeff Parks, is chairman of Vacasa's Board of Directors and is the co-founder and managing partner of Riverwood Capital. Vacasa manages homes across more than 500 destinations in the United States, Belize, Canada, Costa Rica, and Mexico.

ExtraHop

Seattle-based ExtraHop, a provider of cloud-native network detection and response (NDR), has been recognized by Gartner in the Overall Enterprise Network Equipment Market, Worldwide, ranking second in NDR market share. ExtraHop is one of 11 vendors named in the Overall Enterprise Network Equipment Market report. Demonstrating consistent growth throughout 2022, the company experienced a 34.5% increase in revenue year-over-year. This comes on the heels of the news that ExtraHop was named as a Representative Vendor in the 2022 Gartner Market Guide for Network Detection and Response for the third time. In 2022, ExtraHop expanded its partner ecosystem with 15+ new integrations to drive greater adoption of Reveal(x), the ExtraHop NDR platform, and help customers streamline their security tool stacks.