Jan 22, 2026

Walsh Construction Co.

Katzen

Rinehart

Walsh Construction Co. has announced two recent promotions.

Elizabeth Rinehart has been promoted to president of the Washington region. Rinehart began her career as an AmeriCorps Team Leader with Habitat for Humanity before joining Walsh in 2005 as a project engineer. She has since served as project manager, senior project manager, and most recently, Washington's general manager.

As president, Rinehart will continue to lead the company's preconstruction efforts, oversee operations in the Seattle and Tacoma offices, and ensure project quality and client satisfaction. She will work closely with Walsh's Oregon region and Corporate President Matt Leeding.

Tyler Katzen has been promoted to operations manager for the Washington region. Katzen began at Walsh as an intern in 2007, before joining full time in 2008 as a project engineer. Since then, his roles have included workforce coordinator, assistant superintendent, superintendent, and operations manager for Walsh's self-perform team, RDF Builders.

In his new role, Katzen will support teams across the region by helping to ensure projects are executed safely, on budget, on schedule, and with the highest level of quality. He will collaborate closely with project managers, estimating, general superintendents, quality, and subcontractor partners to optimize project performance and proactively mitigate risk.

Jan 21, 2026

Baird Private Wealth Management

Hawkins

Baird Private Wealth Management, an employee-owned, international wealth management, asset management, investment banking/capital markets and private equity firm, hired Janet Hawkins as an associate branch manager. She will help to oversee the firm's Seattle office.

Hawkins comes to Baird with more than three decades of industry experience. In the past, she has held leadership positions at Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch, Charles Schwab and Ameriprise Financial, where she partnered closely with advisors and leadership teams to drive growth, attract and develop talent, and strengthen culture. Hawkins holds Series 9 and 10 certifications and graduated from Allegheny College with a bachelor's degree in economics.

The Seattle office is a key part of Baird's ongoing private wealth management expansion in Washington. In August, Brian Petersdorf joined as an associate branch manager and Stacey Mulier recently joined as the branch administrative supervisor. Baird also has private wealth management offices in Bellevue, Mount Vernon, Spokane and Yakima. Baird's Private Wealth Management business encompasses nearly 1,400 financial advisors averaging 20 years of industry experience and serving clients coast-to-coast with client assets of more than $350 billion.

State Superior Court

Webster

Gov. Bob Ferguson has appointed Thomas Webster to the Superior Court for Stevens, Pend Oreille and Ferry Counties. Webster's appointment fills the position vacated by Judge Jessica Reeves, who retired from the bench Dec. 31. Webster is a career litigator with more than two decades of legal experience. In 2009, he founded the Webster Law Office in Colville, which handles a broad range of civil matters and where he currently serves as counsel following the offices' sale to GLP. Upon moving to Washington, Webster spent three years practicing at the law firm of McGrane & Schuerman in Colville.

Prior to coming to Washington, Webster spent five years as a partner at Tingle Knight Webster & Juckett in Des Moines, Iowa. Outside of the courtroom, Webster was a member of the Rotary Club of Colville from 2007 to 2025. He also taught a people's law course through his current law firm, where he presented seminars, facilitated legal workshops and authored course materials to help members of the public understand their legal rights and access the justice system. Webster earned his bachelor's degree from Cornell College and his law degree from Drake University.

Jan 16, 2026

King County Superior Court

York

Gov. Bob Ferguson appointed Daniel York to the King County Superior Court. York's appointment fills the position vacated by Judge LeRoy McCullough, who retired from the bench at the end of 2025. York is a career litigator with more than 15 years of legal experience. He currently practices family law as a partner at the Seattle law firm of Wechsler Becker. He also serves as a Family Law Commissioner Pro Tem in King County and is the current chair of the King County Bar Association's Family Law Section. York is a United States Marine Corps veteran who served in Iraq and Kuwait. Earlier in his career, York spent more than eight years providing reduced rate representation for survivors of domestic violence in Seattle. During that time, he also served four years as an adjunct professor at Seattle University School of Law, where he taught multiple family law focused courses, and four years as a volunteer attorney at New Beginnings Domestic Violence Clinic. York earned his bachelor's degree from Texas Tech University and his law degree from the University of Houston. He also completed master's level mental health counseling coursework at St. Mary's University prior to attending law school.

Clark Pacific

California-based Clark Pacific, a design-build manufacturer of prefabricate building systems, announced that it will open offices in Washington and Arizona that will allow the company to meet growing demand for prefabrication in these regions. Clark Pacific designs, engineers, fabricates and installs high-performance building envelope systems known for their versatility, owner value and durability. “This represents an exciting new chapter for Clark Pacific,” said Don Clark, CEO of Clark Pacific. “In the Pacific Northwest, we are committed to building on our success in facades, delivering high-performance, aesthetically pleasing and sustainable building envelope solutions.”

State of Alaska

Fifty years ago, Alaskan voters amended the state constitution to set aside a portion of the state's revenues from oil and minerals, establishing the Alaska Permanent Fund to benefit all generations of Alaskans. “The generations who established and built the Permanent Fund prioritized the future of Alaska over their ability to take more for themselves,” stated Deven Mitchell, executive director and CEO. “Fortunately for our state, they turned a time of short-term extraordinary wealth from nonrenewable resources into Alaska's greatest renewable resource. Fifty years later, it is our turn to lead to ensure that the fund continues to serve Alaskans for generations to come.” Per the 1976 amendment, a portion of all the state's oil and mineral revenues — along with special appropriations to grow the fund and inflation proofing to maintain the fund's purchasing power — is deposited into the fund's principal. These contributions are transformed into long-term, renewable financial revenues through global investment, generating income to support essential state services and the annual Permanent Fund Dividend, which is distributed directly to Alaska residents. The Alaska Permanent Fund has grown to become the largest sovereign wealth fund in the U.S., with a value exceeding $85 billion and a 9.35% rate of return in fiscal year 2025.

Jan 15, 2026

Perlo Construction

W. Peterson

J. Peterson

Perlo Construction has expanded its footprint into the Puget Sound region, with the opening of a new office in Tacoma. Founded in the 1950s, Perlo specializes in a range of sectors including industrial, manufacturing, distribution, storage, retail, healthcare, education, auto dealerships, office and tenant improvement projects. Beyond traditional construction services, Perlo offers comprehensive preconstruction services, including budgeting, constructability reviews, design-build delivery, and ongoing facility improvements. Its Special Projects Group is equipped to handle everything from minor repairs to full-scale renovations, providing clients with a single, reliable partner throughout the entire lifecycle of their buildings.

Jordan Peterson has been promoted to director of operations, and will oversee operations for Perlo's Tacoma office. Whitney Peterson has been promoted to senior training & development manager. She will relocate to Tacoma to help co lead Perlo's newly opened office. She brings more than a decade of diverse industry experience, including subcontractor relations, special projects, and large-scale industrial work. Riley Pifer has been promoted to project engineer with Perlo's Special Projects Group, and will also relocate to Tacoma. Pifer joined Perlo after completing three years as a summer intern, bringing with her a strong foundation in construction management and hands-on experience across a wide range of smaller scale projects.

Delta Dental of Washington

McWashington

Delta Dental of Washington has hired Shawn McWashington as its new director of sales. McWashington will lead a full team of sales professionals and oversee the organization's sales strategy. He brings a broad background in sales, business development and customer strategy, having held leadership roles at Amazon,Trupanion and HomeStreet Bank.

McWashington earned both his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Washington State University, where he was also a student-athlete. He was a starting wide receiver on the first WSU team to reach the Rose Bowl in 67 years. He later completed his PhD coursework in athletic administration from Florida State University. McWashington has served on the board of directors for the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle and Communities in Schools of Washington. He also contributes his time and expertise to initiatives supporting education, equity and youth development.

Delta Dental of Washington was founded 70 years ago by Seattle area dentists.