Aug 20, 2025

Dept. of Social and Health Services

Angela Ramirez

Gov. Bob Ferguson appointed Angela Ramirez as Washington's new Secretary of the Department of Social and Health Services, effective Sept. 22. Ramirez recently served as chief of staff at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through Jan. 20. Since January, she has advised on several projects.

Ramirez's experience spans more than two decades across local, state and federal government. In her recent role at HHS, she coordinated one of the largest federal departments with over 90,000 employees and a $1.7 trillion budget — the largest of any federal agency. Ramirez led department-wide initiatives, advised the secretary and senior officials, and steered policy and personnel strategies on issues ranging from reproductive health to behavioral health and workforce development.

Before leading HHS as chief of staff and, prior to that, deputy chief of staff, Ramirez served as a Special Assistant to the President in the White House, shaping legislative efforts such as the American Rescue Plan. She also served as senior staff on the Biden Presidential Transition and on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Her positions during her 18 years as Congressional staff included serving as executive director of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and chief of staff to then-Assistant Speaker Ben Ray Luján, playing pivotal roles in leadership, legislation and campaign strategy.

Ramirez is a graduate of Princeton University, where she earned a degree in political economy and a certificate in Spanish language and literature. Her early career included a fellowship in the California State Senate and roles in policy analysis and local justice systems. Her community service has included volunteering at Charlie's Place, teaching English as a second language, and mentoring with Big Brothers Big Sisters. She was named to Politico's Power List and has been recognized as a key Congressional staffer in the National Journal. The appointment follows a competitive national search drawing candidates from more than 11 states.

Aug 19, 2025

Smartsheet

Berner

Bellevue-based Smartsheet named Stephanie Berner as its new chief customer officer. Berner brings over 15 years of leadership experience from industry B2B innovators, including Atlassian and LinkedIn, where she was crucial in building and scaling high-performing teams. She has expertise in navigating global growth, from pre-IPO to international enterprise. As CCO, she will help Smartsheet to enter new markets and redefine customer success as it integrates AI capabilities into its work management platform.

Uncommon Bridges

Frame

Uncommon Bridges, a Seattle-based consulting firm specializing in community engagement and strategic planning, has appointed Noel Frame as its new managing partner. The firm's mission is to create vibrant, just and thriving communities, which it does by consulting for governments and organizations on issues like homelessness, affordable housing, workforce and transportation. Frame joined Uncommon Bridges in 2015. She is also a part-time legislator, serving as vice chair of the Finance, Ways & Means Committee for the Washington state Senate, representing the 36th District in North Seattle. Frame is one of four partners from diverse, multidisciplinary backgrounds along with Ishmael Nuñez and Andres Mantilla. During the recent legislative session, Frame led the passage of legislation addressing the state's $16 billion budget shortfall, and has spent years working with the business community to find a replacement for the business and occupation tax. The firm was founded in 2009 by Brian Douglas Scott as BDS Planning & Urban Design. In 2024, it rebranded as Uncommon Bridges to better represent its expertise in consensus facilitation.

Aug 15, 2025

Kitsap County

Anglesey

After an extensive nationwide search, Kitsap County appointed Kory Anglesey as its new public works director, effective Sept. 2. With a career spanning over three decades in military service, Anglesey brings leadership and strategic expertise to his new role, focusing on enhancing infrastructure, financial sustainability, organizational development, and community engagement in Kitsap County.

He replaces long-time Public Works Director Andew Nelson, who retired in April after nearly 11 years of service to the county.

Anglesey's most recent military roles were focused on public works leadership at two Navy installations and one Marine Corps installation. He most recently served as the public works officer at Naval Base Kitsap, where he managed a department of over 600 people, overseeing $13.1 billion worth of facilities and a $265 million annual budget. His team handled major construction projects, environmental programs, and facility planning, with a particular focus on waterfront development and coordination with federal, state, and local regulatory agencies.

Before returning to Washington state, Anglesey served as the public works officer at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island. He also served as the public works officer at Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti. Anglesey holds a Bachelor and a Master of Science in Civil Engineering from Brigham Young University and the University of Colorado at Boulder, respectively. He also received a Master of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College. He begins the Executive MBA program at the University of Washington Foster School of Business this fall.

Aug 14, 2025

Phosio

Phosio announced that Joe O'Keeffe, who previously served as vice president of research at Meta, has joined the company as executive chairman. O'Keeffe is recognized for display and optics innovation across startups and big tech. At Meta, he led the display and optical systems R&D for next-generation Augmented Reality glasses, playing a key role in shaping Orion glasses. Prior to Meta, he founded and scaled photonics companies, including InfiniLED (acquired by Meta). Phosio develops advanced lens coating materials that enable immersive visual experiences through lightweight AR eyewear, and is based in Corvallis, Oregon.

Smartsheet

Following nearly two decades at the helm of Smartsheet, Mark Mader will retire as CEO of the Bellevue-based firm at the end of September. He will also retire from the board of directors. Software industry veteran Sunny Gupta will assume the role of executive chair and acting CEO. In this role, Gupta will provide strategic oversight and operational support. Mader will remain with the company as an advisor and work closely with Gupta to ensure a smooth transition. Smartsheet's board has initiated a comprehensive search to identify a new CEO. Gupta brings more than 20 years of experience scaling high-growth software businesses. From 2007 to 2024, Gupta served as CEO of Apptio, which he co-founded before it was eventually acquired by IBM in 2023. He previously held leadership roles at Opsware, iConclude, and Rational Software. Smartsheet is an AI-powered, enterprise-grade modern work management platform.

EdgeRunner

Seattle-based EdgeRunner AI named Jack FitzGerald as the company's first Chief Science Officer, leading AI research and strategy. FitzGerald joins EdgeRunner from Amazon, where he spent the past decade building and scaling AI research organizations. Initially working in product management as part of Amazon retail and then as a science leader for Amazon Alexa, FitzGerald most recently was a principal scientist helping lead Amazon AGI, including the development of the Amazon Nova foundation models. Prior to Amazon, FitzGerald held roles across the Department of Defense, including as a nuclear physicist at both the Defense Threat Reduction Agency and Air Force Institute of Technology. He holds a B.S. in Physics from the United States Air Force Academy and M.S. in Nuclear Physics from the Air Force Institute of Technology. EdgeRunner AI provides domain-specific, air-gapped, on-device AI agents for military and enterprise. The company specializes in creating hyper-personalized AI assistants that function independently of internet connectivity, transforming workflows in secure and private environments.

Aug 13, 2025

PCC Community Markets

PCC Community Markets, the 72-year-old retail grocery cooperative serving the Puget Sound region, hired Amy Chow as the co-op's new chief financial officer. Additionally, PCC concluded this year's board of trustees election, with Will Daughterty elected to the board for the first time and Cindy Bolton and Angela Owen re-elected for new terms.

Chow brings financial and retail expertise to the co-op, backed by more than two decades of leadership across finance, strategy and operations. She most recently served as CFO of Sur La Table following a 12-year tenure with the company, where she played a key role in shaping strategic direction, driving execution, and supporting financial decision-making across the organization. Her broader career spans leadership roles across the retail, technology and consulting sectors. She succeeds former CFO Chris Naismith, who recently retired.

Daughterty, president and CEO of Pacific Science Center, brings over 30 years of leadership experience at Amazon, Expedia, AT&T and McKinsey. In addition, his board service includes BECU, KEXP, and Oxbow Farm & Conservation Center. Bolton, a PCC member for over 20 years and chair of the board's Audit and Finance Committee, has more than 25 years of strategic, financial, and operational leadership and currently serves as CFO of Seattle Art Museum. Owen is an omni-channel executive with experience at REI Co-op and Eddie Bauer. The board of trustees is comprised of up to 13 trustees, each elected by PCC's active membership, which now numbers over 118,000 members.

The trustees serve three-year terms, with a maximum of three consecutive terms. Founded in Seattle in 1953, PCC Community Markets is a certified organic retailer and the largest food cooperative in the United States with more than 118,000 active member-owners. PCC currently operates 16 stores in neighborhoods across the Puget Sound region including Bellevue, Bothell, Burien, Edmonds, Issaquah, Kirkland, Redmond and Seattle.