Oct 02, 2025

NAIOPWA looks ahead

[enlarge]

Mark Oct. 15 in your calendars as the next NAIOP Washington monthly breakfast event. The Westin Seattle is the venue, and the coffee starts pouring at eight o'clock. The foggy topic is “predictions” for commercial real estate, which could mean anything. The all-broker panel of experts is to include Dylan Simon of Kidder Mathews, CBRE's Mark Washington, JLL's Buzz Ellis and Reid Rader from Eastdil Secured. Details and registration: naiopwa.org. Wear your speculation hats.

Liberty Bank

Carrier

Liberty Bank has promoted Jennifer Carrier to senior vice president and bank operations manager. Carrier first joined Liberty Bank in January 2010 as a branch manager, a role she held for several years. After a brief departure in 2015, she returned in September 2016 to lead the bank's Central Operations Department. In her new role, Carrier will continue to drive operational excellence and support Liberty Bank's mission of delivering exceptional service to its customers and communities. Founded in 2009, Liberty Bank is the only locally headquartered community bank in Kitsap County.

Port Blakely

Ancinas

Warjone

The Board of Directors of Port Blakely announced its intention to appoint Mike Warjone as the company's next chief executive officer, effective Jan. 1, 2026. Warjone will succeed Rene Ancinas, who will continue serving as board chair, ensuring continuity for the family-owned, renewable forest products company's 160-year legacy in the Pacific Northwest. Warjone, a fourth-generation family descendant, has served as president of the company's U.S. forestry operations since 2020. He is a recognized leader in the forestry industry and a champion of responsible forest management. During his tenure, he has supported the company's growth while advancing strategic priorities centered on sustainable forestry practices and environmental stewardship. A fourth-generation family member, Ancinas joined Port Blakely in 2005 and has served as CEO since 2010. Warjone joined Port Blakely in 1997 and has held various roles, including forester, silviculture manager, director of strategy, and VP of operations. He led significant timberland acquisitions and played a key role in advancing policy efforts that enabled Port Blakely to enter the voluntary carbon market. He holds an MBA from the University of Washington and serves on the boards of the Washington Forest Protection Association and Sustainable Northwest. He also chairs the Operating Committee for the National Alliance of Forest Owners. Gareth Waugh has been named U.S. forestry president, succeeding Warjone. With 25 years of experience at Port Blakely, Waugh has held key leadership roles in both the U.S. and his native New Zealand. Port Blakely grows and markets renewable forest products worldwide, owning and managing sustainable working forests in Washington, Oregon and New Zealand.

Oct 01, 2025

Nintendo

Pritchard

Bowser

Redmond-based Nintendo of America Inc. (NOA) has announced that Doug Bowser will retire as president and chief operating officer at the end of this year, after more than a decade in multiple leadership positions. He will be succeeded by Devon Pritchard, a 19-year veteran of the video game industry and long-standing member of the NOA leadership team. In addition, Satoru Shibata will join NOA as chief executive officer, while continuing his roles as managing executive officer and corporate director, member of the Board at Nintendo Co. Pritchard will also join the NOA Board of Directors and become a Nintendo Co. executive officer.

Bowser's tenure included delivering the Nintendo Switch system and the launch of Nintendo Switch 2 in the Americas. Also during his time with Nintendo, the company saw significant expansion into entertainment ventures such as theme parks and films.

“One of my earliest video game experiences was playing the arcade version of Donkey Kong,” said Bowser. “Since that time, all things Nintendo have continued to be a passion for both me and my family. Leading Nintendo of America has been the honor of a lifetime, and I am proud of what our team has accomplished in both business results and the experiences we've created for consumers.”

Sep 30, 2025

BMW Portland

Jeff Swickard, CEO of Swickard Auto Group, has purchased BMW Portland from Lithia Motors. The transaction includes both the franchise and its real estate. “This purchase is a personal and professional investment in Portland,” Swickard said. “Portland has been a part of my life for decades, and this is my way of investing in its future.” Swickard, a University of Oregon graduate, also purchased the landmark Portland “Big Pink” U.S. Bancorp Tower this summer. Many of BMW Portland's employees remain with the dealership, ensuring continuity for customers while adding Swickard's focus on hospitality and customer experience. Swickard Auto Group operates dealerships in Alaska, California, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii with a focus on premium automotive brands and community investment. Swickard Auto Group is headquartered in Summerlin, Nevada.

Sila

Sila, a next-generation battery materials company, has begun operations at Sila Moses Lake, its new automotive-scale silicon anode plant in Moses Lake. The team has begun testing and refining process recipes and the plant will soon begin producing initial batches of Titan Silicon, Sila's Si/C silicon anode material for customer applications including electric mobility, consumer electronics, drones, AR/VR, and satellites. Sila Moses Lake spans more than 600,000 square feet on a 160-acre site. Operations will initially support 2-5 GWh of capacity with the capability to expand up to 250 GWh within five years. By manufacturing domestically, Sila is replacing graphite, a critical mineral overwhelmingly sourced from China, with a higher-performing, American-made alternative. “With the opening of Sila Moses Lake, Washington state is continuing to lead the way in innovation. This facility will create hundreds of good jobs in Moses Lake and help power our transition to electric vehicles with next-generation battery technology, manufactured here in Washington,” said Gov. Bob Ferguson. Founded in 2011, Sila's major financial investors include 8VC, Bessemer Venture Partners, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, Coatue, Matrix Partners, Sutter Hill Ventures, and funds and accounts advised by T. Rowe Price Associates. The U.S. Department of Energy including its Advanced Research Project Agency — Energy has awarded Sila over $120 million in grant support over the last decade to develop, scale, and manufacture its Si/C anode technology in the U.S.

Sep 26, 2025

Summit Bank

Stirek

Oregon business executive John Stirek has joined Summit Bank's Board of Directors. Stirek retired in 2024 after a long tenure with Trammell Crow Company/CBRE, where he served as president of Western Operations and Capital Markets, chief operating officer, and national director of development and investment. He is a co-founder of Rogue Venture Partners and has served on corporate and community boards, including the CBRE Foundation and the Lake Oswego School District Foundation. He also serves on the advisory board of Financial Beginnings, a nonprofit focused on financial education. Stirek holds a B.S. in accounting from Oregon State University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. According to Paul Weinhold, chair of Summit Bank's Board of Directors, “After a comprehensive search we believe John's business acumen and community roots are perfectly aligned with our continued growth plans at Summit and our initiatives in the Portland market.” Summit Bank has offices in Eugene/Springfield, Central Oregon and the Portland metro area.

NextCycle Washington

NextCycle Washington is now accepting applications for its six-month Circular Accelerator program. Businesses, entrepreneurs, universities, nonprofits, community-based organizations and tribal nations are eligible to apply with their projects that reuse or repair items, recover organic materials, or use recycled content in new products. NextCycle Washington provides one-on-one business and technical coaching, connects supply chain partners, and helps to identify potential funding pathways. Programming will run January 2026 through June 2026, and includes a two-day in-person workshop in January, followed by strategic training opportunities and access to expert coaches and industry experts. The program culminates with an in-person showcase event in May where participants pitch their projects to a live audience with the chance to attract investors, win monetary awards and generate publicity. Interested organizations have two opportunities to attend virtual information meetings where they can ask questions and engage with program facilitators and alumni teams. Deadline for applications is Oct. 31. Additional information is available at http://www.NextCycleWashington.com/apply. NextCycle Washington is an initiative of the state Department of Ecology and the Washington Recycling Development Center.

MCUSA Consulting

Bellingham-based MCUSA Consulting has appointed John Connor as chief business development officer. In his new role, Connor will lead MCUSA's efforts to transform the senior health insurance marketplace through the creation of Medicare options that blend value-based care principles with flexibility and transparency. MCUSA Consulting is the consulting arm of MedicareCompareUSA, a Medicare insurance-solution network currently supporting more than 650 hospitals, health systems, physician groups and pharmacies around the United States. A veteran of the health insurance industry for more than a quarter of a century, Connor holds an MBA from Boston University and a bachelor's degree in economics from Boston College. Most recently, Connor served as vice president, business development for San Francisco-based FairSquare Medicare where he helped steer strategy and sales for the tech-forward insurance brokerage and innovative AI product developer.