Oct 22, 2024

National Wildlife Refuge System

Fernandez

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service named Juliette Fernandez as the new chief of the National Wildlife Refuge System in Hawaii, Idaho, Oregon, Washington and the Pacific Islands, including America Samoa, Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Fernandez is currently the project leader for the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge Complex, which includes four refuges along the Columbia River near Vancouver. Her previous experience includes managing a refuge near Nogales on the international border of Arizona and Mexico, leading projects that prioritize equitable access to green spaces, and fostering meaningful connections with diverse communities in urban areas. Her expertise in natural resource and conservation management has been demonstrated at refuges across the country and in the field, as a regional supervisor for the National Wildlife Refuge System in Arizona and New Mexico and nationally. Fernandez will oversee 67 national wildlife refuges, four marine national monuments and one national monument, two conservation areas, and one waterfowl production area. Fernandez begins her tenure later this year, working with a team of wildlife and natural resource management professionals. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service works with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats.

Sound Growth Partners

Sound Growth Partners (SGP) has acquired Stueve Construction. SGP, along with Brookside Capital Partners, Capitala Group, and other investors, provided all the capital required to complete the transaction via SGP's One-Stop Buyout structure. Headquartered in Algona, Iowa, Stueve provides engineering, design and construction services for bulk fertilizer storage facilities in the U.S. Founded in 2023, SGP is a Seattle-based private equity firm investing in clear market leaders within the lower middle market. SGP provides all the capital necessary to close a transaction. The firm invests in companies with $2 million to $10 million of EBITDA in niches within the Consumer Products, Business Services, Distribution and Light Manufacturing industries.

Frazier Healthcare Partners

Frazier Healthcare Partners has completed its acquisition of DirectMed Imaging from NMS Capital. DirectMed Imaging provides aftermarket parts and component repairs for diagnostic imaging equipment, and supports provider organizations by extending the life of medical imaging equipment to improve patient access, reduce waste, and lower healthcare costs. Founded in 1991, Frazier Healthcare Partners is a private equity firm focused exclusively on the healthcare industry. Since its inception, Frazier has raised over $8 billion of capital for private funds and co-investment opportunities and has invested in more than 200 companies over 33 years. Frazier is headquartered in Seattle, and invests broadly across the U.S., Canada, and Europe.

Oct 18, 2024

City of Kenmore

Lucash

Kenmore Deputy City Manager Stephanie Lucash has been recognized as the national 2024 Leadership Trailblazer Award winner, presented by the League of Women in Government. The Leadership Trailblazer Award celebrates women who have made significant contributions to public service and demonstrated exemplary leadership in government. Lucash has dedicated over three decades to public service, championing efforts to elevate women in local government and inspire positive change. Additionally, Lucash served as the president of the Washington City/County Management Association over the past year. Lucash has worked for the city of Kenmore since 2021, where she has been instrumental in spearheading key initiatives including the American Rescue Plan Act funding and COVID-19 response efforts, leading regional partnerships, building relationships with the local business community, and advocating for access to mental health services and affordable housing.

Seattle Aquarium

Davidson

After more than 20 years of service to the Seattle Aquarium and following the grand opening of the new Ocean Pavilion expansion on Aug. 29, President and CEO Bob Davidson has announced his retirement. He will remain in his role at the Seattle Aquarium until a successor is appointed in summer 2025. Davidson became the president and CEO of the newly nonprofit Seattle Aquarium in 2010, after serving as CEO of the Seattle Aquarium Society since 2002. He's played a pivotal role in enhancing the nonprofit's board and expanding its programs, solidifying its mission both locally and nationally. Under his leadership, the Seattle Aquarium has become the largest marine conservation institution in the northwestern United States, transforming from a local aquarium into a globally recognized conservation organization. Under Davidson's leadership, the vision for the Ocean Pavilion expansion began to take shape in 2014, with LMN Architects and Thinc Design leading the conceptual design. Construction commenced in 2019, with financial support coming from over 4,000 donors and the city of Seattle, the state of Washington, King County, the Port of Seattle, and the federal government. Davidson's career spans public service, business, and leadership roles within the Woodland Park Zoo. He was a leader in the $45 million project to revitalize Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo, Zoological Society board president and later as its executive director and CEO. He received the Woodland Park Zoological Society Medal for his efforts to revitalize the zoo in 1994 and served as vice chair of the King County Zoo Bond Oversight Committee. Spencer Stuart, a search and leadership advisory consulting firm, is leading the search for the Seattle Aquarium's new president and CEO.

Harts Plumbers, Electricians & HVAC Technicians

Harts Plumbers, Electricians & HVAC Technicians announced that it is continuing its partnership with the Seattle Kraken, an alliance that helped generate $10,850 for Seattle Children's Hospital in 2023. As part of the partnership, for every goal scored by the Kraken, Harts donates $50 to the hospital.

“At Harts, giving back to the community is a pillar that our entire company is built on,” said Richard Hart, co-owner of Harts Plumbers, Electricians & HVAC Technicians. “Partnering with the Kraken gives us a great opportunity to support the Compensated Care Fund at Seattle Children's. This fund ensures that families who need the hospital's services can focus solely on the well-being of their child, without financial burden.”

Oct 17, 2024

Emerald Heights

Clark

Alexandra Clark, wellness program manager at Emerald Heights, was named the 2024 Activity Director of the Year by the Washington State Association of Activity Professionals (WSAAP). Clark has worked at Emerald Heights since 2017 and has been instrumental in developing programs to promote physical and mental wellbeing for its residents in assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing and independent living. She has been an active participant in WSAAP since 2019 and has spent nearly 15 years working in activities. In her current role at Emerald Heights, Clark oversees all trips and events, life enrichment activities and the fitness department. WSAAP was established in 1965 to foster and maintain the highest standards of excellence in activities while training and educate those in the profession. WSAAP offers education, accreditation, resources and networking events to its members. Emerald Heights, sponsored by Emerald Communities, is a not-for-profit senior housing and services organization located in Redmond.

Recreation and Conservation Office

Pullin

The Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office has hired a member of the Spokane Tribe of Indians as its first tribal affairs director. Dawn Pullin joined the agency from the Washington State Patrol, where she served as the tribal liaison for nearly four years, working to address the missing and murdered indigenous persons crisis. Pullin served as the Spokane Tribe's chief executive officer and its director of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. She also worked as contracting officer for Indian Health Services, an agency within the federal Department of Health and Human Services. Pullin recently started the nonprofit Tribal Nation Building to support tribal sovereignty and nation building and independence. She is a member of the Spokane Regional Domestic Violence Coalition Board and the Innovations Human Trafficking Collaborative Board, and teaches fitness classes at Gonzaga University. Pullin has a bachelor of arts degree in business administration from Eastern Washington University and a master of business administration degree from the University of Phoenix. The Recreation and Conservation Office is a small state agency that administers state and federal grants to create recreational opportunities, recover salmon and orca from near extinction, and conserve wildlife habitat and working farms and forests. The agency distributes about $209 million in grants annually. It also is home to the Governor's Salmon Recovery Office, orca recovery coordinator and Invasive Species Council.