Sep 25, 2025

Lee & Associates

Corp

Lee & Associates used social media this week to announce its hiring of Rachel Corp. She'll be based in the Tacoma office. Said Lee on Instagram, “Rachel brings a thoughtful, people-first approach to everything she does, both in business and in life. She's known for building lasting relationships, staying grounded in her values, and showing up for her clients and community with integrity and care.” She makes the move from KW Commercial.

Cowlitz County Superior Court

Karmy

Gov. Bob Ferguson has appointed current Cowlitz County Superior Court Commissioner Jill Karmy to the position of Cowlitz County Superior Court Judge. Karmy's appointment, effective Nov. 1, fills the position that Judge Marilyn K. Haan's resignation will vacate. Karmy is a career public servant with more than two decades of legal experience as a superior court commissioner, civil attorney and prosecutor. She has served more than three years in her current role as Cowlitz County Superior Court Commissioner in Kelso, where she presides over a wide range of civil and criminal dockets.

Karmy runs a solo-practice law firm, where she has represented plaintiffs and defendants in a variety of cases and claims. She also serves as a contract prosecutor for the cities of Battle Ground, Ridgefield and La Center, handling criminal prosecution and city code enforcement matters. Earlier in her career, Karmy spent several years as a partner at Parham, Hall & Karmy in Longview. She also served as an associate attorney at several firms in and around the Portland area. She served on the Washington State Bar Association Board of Governors from 2014-2017, including one year as the state bar treasurer, representing Southwest Washington's Congressional District 3. Karmy earned her bachelor's degree from Pacific Union College and her law degree from Lewis & Clark Law School.

Redmond Police Department

The Redmond Police Department (RPD) has been named the winner of the Aerial Achievement Award in the category of Drone as First Responder (DFR) Program Excellence. The honor was announced during the Aerial Achievement Awards Dinner and Celebration at Skydio's Ascend Conference.

Presented annually by Skydio, the Aerial Achievement Awards recognize outstanding drone programs and their mission impact across industries nationwide. “This award reflects the vision, leadership, and commitment of our team in building Washington's only full-time Drone as First Responder program,” said Police Chief Darrell Lowe. “More than just technology, it signifies real-world results that lead to safer outcomes for our officers and community. The recognition is a testament to the dedication of everyone at RPD who embraces innovation to enhance public safety.” Launched in April 2024, the Redmond Police Department's DFR program enhances emergency response capabilities by deploying drones to 911 calls. The drones arrive on scene ahead of officers, providing live aerial visuals that allow for faster, more accurate assessments. This real-time intelligence supports better decision-making, de-escalation of potentially volatile situations, and, when appropriate, the cancellation of unnecessary ground responses, preserving resources for higher-priority incidents.

Sep 24, 2025

T-Mobile

Gopalan

Bellevue-based T-Mobile has named Srini Gopalan, current chief operating officer, as its next chief executive officer, effective Nov. 1. Gopalan will assume the role from Mike Sievert, who has been appointed vice chairman, a newly created management position. As vice chairman, Sievert will continue in a management role and on the board, to support T-Mobile's CEO and leadership team, advising on matters of long-term strategy, innovation, talent development and external relations. Gopalan joined T-Mobile as chief operating officer, an appointment made by Sievert and the board following a multi-year succession planning process. Since that time, Gopalan has worked alongside Sievert and T-Mobile's leadership team. Gopalan brings extensive technology expertise to the CEO role. Before T-Mobile, he was most recently CEO of Deutsche Telekom's Germany business. He previously held senior leadership roles at Bharti Airtel, Capital One and Vodafone. In his current role as T-Mobile's COO, Gopalan has led the entirety of the company's Technology, Consumer and Business groups.

Kitsap County

Jewell

Kitsap County has appointed Kirsten M. Jewell as assistant county administrator. Jewell brings more than 20 years of public service leadership, including extensive experience in Kitsap County government and recent service at the state Department of Commerce. Most recently, Jewell served as interim housing policy director at the state Department of Commerce, where she led the Policy and Strategic Initiatives Unit for the Housing Division. In this role, she supervised a team of five policy specialists and provided strategic leadership on complex, politically sensitive projects across state agencies. She guided statewide housing initiatives, developed legislative policy, and strengthened collaborative relationships with key partners including the governor's office, state legislators and community organizations. Prior to her state service, Jewell spent eight years as manager of the Housing and Homelessness Division for Kitsap County's Department of Human Services, where she oversaw multimillion-dollar grant portfolios, and partnered extensively with community partners to implement new housing programs and services. Jewell's earlier county experience includes 11 years with the Kitsap Regional Coordinating Council, where she managed countywide initiatives and coordinated regional legislative policy development. She holds an Executive Master of Public Administration from the University of Washington's Evans School of Public Policy and Governance, and a Bachelor of Arts from Carleton College.

Sep 23, 2025

Compass Construction

Bennett

Gomez

Waters

Duhs

Alvarez

Kirkland-based Compass Construction recently promoted five employees. Jorge Alvarez has been promoted from labor foreman to assistant superintendent. He joined Compass in January 2017 as a punch on the Stoneway project and was promoted to labor foreman in 2022. Before joining Compass, he worked in irrigation systems and landscaping with Premier Concepts. He is currently on the Belroy project in Seattle. Brittany Duhs has been promoted from safety representative to safety manager. She joined Compass in 2020 as a project engineer on the Legacy West Seattle project, was promoted to assistant superintendent in 2021, and transitioned into safety in 2023. Duhs holds a B.S. in Marketing from California Baptist University and brings experience in project coordination, marketing, and real estate. Chris Waters has been promoted to senior project engineer. He joined Compass in 2020 as a project engineer on the Yesler project and recently completed work on the Bellevue Station project. Prior to joining Compass, Waters worked as an architectural designer with experience in design-build, structural drafting, and hands-on construction. He attended the University of Arizona College of Architecture. Luis Gomez has been promoted from laborer to carpenter. He joined Compass in 2017, starting on the Newcastle project, and brought with him prior experience in both production and custom home remodels, as well as cabinet installation, drywall, and finish work. He is currently part of the Simon Northgate project team. Joe Bennett has been promoted to field superintendent. He joined Compass on the Liza project in 2022 as an assistant superintendent and is currently part of the Simon Northgate project team. Bennett has over 30 years of experience spanning all phases of construction.

Washington Wild

Washington Wild has named Kat Brigham, enrolled member and former chair of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, the 2025 Conservation Voices Award recipient. The award honors her role in the Indigenous Climate Project in partnership with Washington Wild. Brigham worked closely with Washington Wild board member Steve Robinson to elevate traditional ecological knowledge from Pacific Northwest tribal leaders and highlight both the impacts of climate change and potential Indigenous-led solutions. She is a featured voice in the Indigenous Climate Project's oral history video series and appears prominently in the full-length documentary Climate Story. Brigham has been an advocate and participant in the “Tribes and Climate Change” curriculum teacher training workshops. She played a key role in workshops hosted by the Tulalip Tribes and Quinault Indian Nation and is currently helping plan upcoming trainings in eastern Washington with the Umatilla and Yakima Nations in 2026. Brigham will be recognized at Washington Wild's annual Wild Night Out celebration on Sept. 25 at the Woodland Park Zoo's Zoomasium Room in Seattle. Tickets are available at http://www.wawild.org/WNO. The Conservation Voices Award has been presented by Washington Wild since 2009 to individuals or organizations that have worked with Washington Wild to use their voice to support protecting wild lands and waters in Washington.

Sep 19, 2025

Foster Garvey

Riggs

Kinsella

Fulton

Foster Garvey has added Graham Fulton, Kenzie Kinsella, Jake Riggs and Arlington Schade as associates in the firm's Seattle and Spokane offices.

Fulton joins the firm's Litigation group. As a 2024 Summer Associate, he drafted an amicus curiae brief with Washington's Family Violence Appellate Project (FVAP) in a Domestic Violence protection order and custody proceeding. Graham holds a J.D. from Seattle University School of Law and a bachelor's degree in Political Science and Government from the University of Washington.

Kinsella joins the firm's Commercial, IP & Technology group after gaining experience as a 2023 and 2024 Summer Associate. Previously a member of the Native American Law Student Association at UW Law, Kinsella brings a passion for social justice and advocacy to the team. She holds a J.D. from the University of Washington School of Law and a bachelor's degree in Biology and Women's & Gender Studies from Pacific Lutheran University.

Jake Riggs joins Foster Garvey's Business & Corporate Finance group. Riggs has held operations, production and general management roles. Most recently, he served as a Senior Supply Chain Manager for Blue Chip Group based in Salt Lake City, Utah. He holds a J.D. from the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law, an M.B.A. from Texas A&M University and a bachelor's degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Colorado.

Schade returns to Foster Garvey after serving as a law clerk in the firm's Real Estate, Land Use & Environmental group. Schade co-published a research memorandum on the 2021 Washington State Energy Code. She holds a J.D. from Gonzaga University School of Law and a bachelor's degree from Eastern Washington University in Criminal Justice with a minor in Sociology.