Sep 02, 2026

Washington State Department of Commerce

Rider

The Washington State Department of Commerce announced Kelly Rider as its new Housing Policy Director, effective Sept. 16.

Rider brings nearly two decades of experience advancing strategic housing and human services initiatives across Washington state.

Before joining Commerce, she spent nine years with King County, advising the County Executive and County Council on housing, homelessness and behavioral health.

In roles including housing policy and special projects manager, director of external affairs/government relations, chief of staff, and director of community and human services, Rider led major initiatives such as Health Through Housing, the Crisis Care Centers levy, and the Veterans, Seniors, and Human Services levy.

Her leadership resulted in the opening of more than 1,000 new supportive homes, financing 2,299 affordable homes across 21 sites, and launching new behavioral health care facilities. Rider holds a Master in Public Administration from the University of Washington Evans School of Public Policy & Governance.

Sep 01, 2026

GT Capital

Bauman

GT Capital, a private real estate investment and development firm, announced that Charlie Bauman has been named president.

Bauman will oversee the firm's day-to-day operations and real estate transactions, working in partnership with GT's founders on capital allocation and portfolio growth across the Pacific Northwest.

Bauman has spent more than 15 years in investment management and real estate, with a background spanning wealth management, investment banking, REIT investing, and local development.

Founded in 2010, GT Capital focuses on long-term ownership and disciplined capital deployment across commercial, residential, and marine properties.

Aug 28, 2026

Lake Washington Windows & Doors

Qualified Remodeler, a publication serving remodelers and home improvement companies in the U.S., has ranked Lake Washington Windows & Doors as No. 188 on its 48th annual TOP 500 remodelers of 2026. Since 1978, the QR TOP 500 has tracked the industry’s largest and fastest-growing companies. In 2026, the TOP 500 represented nearly $25 billion in remodeling sales volume and 2.2 million completed jobs.

Lake Washington Windows & Doors was chosen as a 2026 TOP 500 remodeler by the Qualified Remodeler editorial staff for meeting criteria including installed remodeling dollar volume, years in business, industry association membership, certification, awards and community service.

Founded in 2008 and headquartered in Renton, Lake Washington Windows & Doors handles window replacement and door installation for homeowners across King, Pierce, Kitsap and south Snohomish counties, with showrooms in Renton, Seattle and Tacoma.

Aug 27, 2026

Kidder Mathews

Schmeltekopf

Cobb

Stafford

Beeson

Martindale

Kidder Mathews is expanding to Texas, with its new office there in Dallas. The brokerage has long operated in Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada and Arizona. It announced this month that Mart Martindale, Brandon Beeson, Wilson Stafford, John David Cobb and Claire Schmeltekopf have joined the firm, bringing its national footprint to 20 offices across six states. Kidder's Bill Frame said in a statement, “Dallas has long been one of the country's most dynamic commercial real estate markets, and we have been deliberate about finding the right people before planting our flag.” Most of the new hires come from Edge Realty Partners. Kidder calls itself the largest fully independent commercial real estate firm on the West Coast, now with a headcount of over 900.

CFRE Commercial Real Estate

Delay

Jack Delay has joined CFRE Commercial Real Estate, that firm announced this month. He's a recent Gonzaga grad. CFRE's Gary Hunter said in a statement, “Jack's background in sales, construction, and property management aligns perfectly with our integrated service model at CFRE.” Delay will serve in a specialized broker role to facilitate client and tenant communications across both apartment and commercial asset management sectors, says CFRE, which is based in Bellevue.

Panattoni Development

Zaborowski

Panattoni Development said this month that Drew Zaborowski has joined the firm as senior development manager. He makes the move from Bear Creek Real Estate, and has ample experience with the industrial market in Frederickson. Panattoni’s Travis Hale said of Zaborowski, “His depth of experience, strategic mindset and strong understanding of the Northwest market make him an outstanding addition to our team.”

Town & Country Markets

Town & Country Markets has appointed Jennifer Daquiz Hare, Leslie Rice and Ed Nakata to its board of directors, the grocery retailer announced. Nakata also will serve as president of the company's Family Council, helping guide family governance and future ownership planning. CEO Ryan Ritter said the appointments support the company's long-term strategy and commitment to serving customers while preserving family values. He said the new directors bring a range of expertise and perspectives to the board. Daquiz Hare joins the board with more than 30 years of experience in corporate finance, strategy and business growth. She most recently led PNC Bank's Corporate & Institutional Banking expansion in the Pacific Northwest.

Rice brings more than three decades of leadership experience in finance, operations and strategic planning, including executive roles with Wells Fargo, Safeco, DaVita and PEMCO. Nakata brings more than 20 years of experience in technology strategy and digital transformation, including leadership roles at Microsoft, JPMorgan Chase and McKinstry.

Founded in 1957 by brothers John and Mo Nakata and friend Ed Loverich, Town & Country Markets operates as an independent, family-owned grocery retailer.

Aug 26, 2026

WSECU

Zhu

Harry Zhu will be WSECU's next president and CEO, the credit union announced last week. He will join the member-owned cooperative on Sept. 21.

Zhu succeeds Gary Swindler, who will retire next month after a 37-year career with the $5.1 billion credit union. Zhu was hired following a nationwide search by the board of directors.

“We are excited for Harry to build on our past success and elevate WSECU to the next level of member service and organizational growth,” said Vikki Smith, WSECU's board chair. “With his depth of executive experience, people-focused leadership and success in helping institutions evolve in a fast-changing landscape, we know Harry is the right leader at the right time.”

Most recently, Zhu served as CEO at USAlliance Federal Credit Union in Rye, New York, recognized as one of the nation's most innovative credit unions as well as a top employer. He previously spent 13 years as a senior executive at Alliant Credit Union, a nationwide digital-only $20 billion institution, where he held roles including chief retail lending officer, chief financial officer and chief risk officer. In these positions, Zhu led significant initiatives that helped Alliant grow from $7 billion to $18 billion in assets, more than double its membership, and improve the member banking experience.

He holds master's degrees in both business administration and engineering from the University of Michigan and brings Fortune 500 leadership and strategic consulting experience to the role. Zhu will live and work in WSECU's headquarters area of Olympia.

WSECU is a not-for-profit credit union open to all Washington residents, with a special emphasis on serving those who embrace the values of giving, sharing and supporting their communities. WSECU was founded by a small group of Washington state employees in 1957 and now has over 315,000 members, 25 branches, $5.1 billion in assets and has been recognized on the Forbes Best-In-State Credit Unions list for Washington state for six consecutive years.