Apr 17, 2026

Highline College

Chachere

Gov. Bob Ferguson recently appointed Lorraine Chachere to the Highline College Board of Trustees.

Chachere is the Economic Development Specialist for the City of Burien, which allows her to focus on ways to improve the quality of life for people by expanding their opportunities. She said she would bring that same commitment to Highline as a trustee.

Highline College Interim President Dr. Jamilyn Penn remarked that Chachere's extensive experience in economic development will be instrumental in cultivating a culture of innovation and progress at Highline.

Chachere said being a first-generation college graduate inspired her to apply for the trustee role. “I have experienced firsthand how access to education can transform lives and expand economic opportunities.”

Prior to joining the Board of Trustees, Chachere was a panelist at the 2024 and 2025 Leadership Summits at Highline College and attended fundraising events for the Highline College Foundation. She is a member of the Rotary Club of Burien/White Center, has volunteered at the White Center Food Bank, and is also a board trustee for the Highline Schools Foundation.

Apr 16, 2026

UserTesting

UserTesting, a provider of customer insights for the enterprise, announced the appointment of Ryan Roland as Chief Financial Officer. In this role, he will lead UserTesting's global finance organization, including accounting, financial planning and analysis, and information technology.

Roland joins UserTesting from Overjet, where he served as Chief Financial Officer and helped scale the company's financial operations during a period of rapid expansion. He has also held senior finance leadership roles at AKASA, an AI-first healthcare technology company, as well as Honor, Teespring, Jive Software, and SAP SuccessFactors.

“Our customers rely on us to help them avoid building the wrong things, and as AI accelerates how quickly products and experiences are created, the demand for what we offer is only increasing,” said Eric Johnson, CEO of UserTesting. “Ryan brings the experience we need to scale thoughtfully so we can meet that demand without compromising quality.”

Sound Credit Union

Sound Credit Union celebrated its partnership with Junior Achievement of Washington (JA) with a ribbon‑cutting ceremony recognizing the grand opening of Sound's educational storefront located in the BizTown section of JA's Auburn campus.

The new storefront is designed to give students hands‑on experience with real‑world financial concepts by simulating the operation of a financial institution. Through interactive roles such as CEO, CFO, Member Service Representative, and Community Relations Officer, students learn how a credit union functions while developing leadership and decision‑making skills.

As “consumers” within the BizTown experience, students practice essential financial habits, including saving money by “paying themselves first.” They also learn how credit scores—much like report cards—impact access to financial tools such as auto loans, home loans, credit cards, and even employment opportunities.

“This storefront gives us a meaningful opportunity to expose youth across Washington state to financial education in a fun and engaging way,” said Don Clark, president and CEO of Sound Credit Union. “Our purpose at Sound aligns perfectly with Junior Achievement's. We are both committed to equipping students with the tools and confidence they need to succeed financially, while also building leadership skills they can carry into their future.”

Apr 15, 2026

Seattle Times

Lynn Jacobson, managing editor at The Seattle Times, is retiring after more than three decades at the paper. Matt Canham, deputy managing editor who oversees local news coverage, will take over as managing editor.

Jacobson became managing editor in May 2021.

A graduate of the University of Washington and New York University, Jacobson covered theater in New York before returning to Seattle. She joined The Times in 2000 as an assistant arts editor and rose steadily through the ranks.

The Times is now the largest paper north of Los Angeles and west of Minneapolis by circulation, with 108,000 paid digital-only subscribers and daily print circulation of 60,000.

Canham, 45, came to The Times in December 2021 after nearly 20 years at The Salt Lake Tribune. He has signaled plans to expand coverage, particularly in state, local, and national politics.

The Times has also recently hired a Washington, D.C.-based correspondent, Anumita Kaur.

Perkins Coie

Perkins Coie announce that Chad Colton has joined its Commercial Litigation practice as a partner in Portland and Seattle.

Bringing two decades of experience, Colton represents clients in high-stakes commercial matters such as partnership, shareholder, breach of contract, IP, and licensing disputes. He also frequently serves as lead trial counsel for bet-the-company cases, often joining to advise and advocate for clients in the middle of litigation or immediately before trial.

“Chad is a seasoned trial lawyer with an excellent reputation among judges and peers in the Pacific Northwest,” said Shari Brandt and Julia Markley, co-chairs of the Litigation practice. “He immediately enhances our national litigation bench with his extensive lead counsel experience and strong track record across a range of commercial disputes. He also brings a deep commitment to mentoring younger lawyers and sharing practical insights that will strengthen our trial teams and client service.”

Having taken dozens of cases to trial across the country, Colton navigates litigation matters for clients in a variety of industries, with a particular focus on sports and entertainment disputes. Recently, he served as a lead trial counsel in several high-profile jury trials in the Pacific Northwest in matters seeking billions of dollars in damages. Chad handles commercial disputes in the healthcare, hospitality, retail, and manufacturing industries and has represented major companies in a wide range of issues from trade secrets to breach of contract and fraud. Prior to joining Perkins Coie, Colton was a shareholder at a Portland litigation boutique.

Colton earned his Bachelor of Arts from Brigham Young University and his Juris Doctorate degree from Lewis & Clark Law School.

RMC Architects

Mitchell

Bird

Tomczak

RMC Architects in Bellingham recently hired Sara Tomczak, Aidan Bird and Liam Mitchell to their architectural design team.

Tomczak is a licensed architect with a Master of Architecture from the NewSchool of Architecture & Design in San Diego and a Bachelor of Arts in communications from the University of Washington. Prior to RMC, Tomczak practiced architecture in Seattle, Mount Vernon and Bellingham working in architecture, interior design and construction management. Tomczak is currently working on a Port of Anacortes event facility, Lynden Door headquarters, and the Bellingham Housing Authority's Unity Street apartments.

Bird is a licensed architect with experience in architectural design and entitlements for custom residential, mixed-use housing, K-12 and higher education, as well as high-rise commercial projects. He holds a Master of Architecture degree from the UCLA and a Bachelor of Environmental Design from the University of Colorado, Boulder. Bird has worked with design firms in California and Seattle and is now applying his expertise to several projects, including Millworks Phase 2, the Whatcom County justice center, and the Port of Anacortes event facility.

Mitchell is a recent graduate of Washington State University, where he earned his Bachelor of Architecture, with previous experience practicing residential design. Since joining RMC, Mitchell has contributed to a variety of projects including the SWIFT Center assembly hall and renovations at Skagit Valley College, Whatcom Community College, and Bellingham Technical College.

Mahlum

Morales

Dunnam

Crumbaker

Mahlum recently promoted Stacey Crumbaker, Brett Dunnam and Stephanie Morales.

Crumbaker has been elevated to principal. She has almost 20 years of experience on projects that include Seattle Public Schools' Alki Elementary School, Shoreline School District's Kellogg Middle School, and Washington State's Capitol Campus Childcare Center, the first net zero/net positive building on capitol's campus. Crumbaker serves as President of the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) and contributes to the AIA and the Seattle Design Festival. She was one of five nationwide recipients of the 2020 AIA Associates Award and 2016 IIDA Distinguished Leadership Award. Dunnam has been elevated to associate principal. With 14 years of experience, he has broad experience working across all of Mahlum's markets, having led the design of the Benton County Crisis Center in Corvallis, Oregon; overseeing the design of the new campus plan for Western University of Health Sciences in Lebanon, Oregon; and serving as the design lead for Wy'east Middle School in Vancouver, Washington. He serves on the AIA Committee on Design, and on awards committees, and volunteers as a design reviewer for universities.

Morales has been elevated to associate having joined Mahlum in 2021. She has led engagement and design for Cornelius Elementary School in Forest Grove, Oregon, and co-led engagement for the Canby School District Master Plan and High School Addition in Canby, Oregon. Morales is a member of the Mahlum's JEDI committee (justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion) and mentors architecture students from diverse backgrounds through mentorship programs, local universities, and the National Organization of Minority Architects.

Apr 14, 2026

Greater Good Charities

Greater Good Charities, a global nonprofit focused on helping people, animals and the environment, said it has surpassed $1.1 billion in lifetime impact since its founding in 2006. The organization marked the milestone with the release of its 20-Year Impact Report, which documents two decades of humanitarian, animal welfare and environmental efforts worldwide.

Originally launched as an online platform connecting donors with charitable causes, Greater Good Charities has grown into a global operation active in 121 countries. The nonprofit works across disaster response, animal health and wellbeing, biodiversity and conservation, and humanitarian relief and development, relying on partnerships with more than 10,000 community organizations, nongovernmental organizations and corporate partners to deliver aid at scale.

According to the report, the organization has delivered $1.1 billion in aid across six continents, including more than 500 million meals for people and 895 million meals for pets. Its work also includes protecting more than 1.35 million acres of land, safeguarding 15 billion bees and native pollinators, providing 300,000 safe rides to school for girls, conducting over 76,000 spay and neuter surgeries, and distributing more than 3.5 million books.

“Twenty years of listening to and partnering with communities worldwide has shown us that people, animals and the environment are inextricably linked — and complex challenges require creative solutions,” said Liz Baker, CEO of Greater Good Charities. “By working with local leaders on-the-ground, as well as with manufacturers, distributors and retailers, we've redefined expectations for how quickly aid can move during a crisis.”

As it enters its third decade, Greater Good Charities said it will continue adapting its approach and using emerging technologies to respond quickly to evolving needs.