Jan 14, 2026

Foster Garvey

Sterbank

Foster Garvey has promoted Bob Sterbank to principal in the firm's Seattle office. Sterbank has more than 30 years of municipal, land use and litigation experience. He is a veteran city attorney for the city of Snoqualmie, having advised mayors, city council members and other government administrators in cities across the greater Seattle area for nearly a decade. He has been recognized for his leadership by Washington Super Lawyers. He has served as counsel at the firm since May 2023. Sterbank is an active committee member and board member of the Washington State Association of Municipal Attorneys. Foster Garvey has offices on both coasts, and offers an extended national and international reach to serve companies, government entities and individuals across a full spectrum of legal services.

Skagit County Commissioners

Skagit County Commissioners Ron Wesen and Peter Browning have approved the nomination of Joe Burns to the vacant District 3 commissioner seat. District 3 encompasses eastern Skagit County including the cities of Burlington and Sedro-Woolley and the towns of Hamilton, Concrete and Lyman.

The previous District 3 commissioner, Lisa Janicki, retired Jan. 2. Commissioner Janicki's elected term ends on Dec. 31. With the decision to retire before the end of her elected term, a nomination process was conducted by the Skagit County Democrats to replace Commissioner Janicki. The replacement of a vacant county commissioner position is outlined in RCW 36.32, which states if there is one vacancy on the Board of County Commissioners, then the remaining two commissioners shall fill the vacancy.

Three candidates were nominated by the Skagit County Democrats for consideration by the Board of Skagit County Commissioners. Wesen and Browning interviewed the three candidates during a televised public meeting, and then voted to nominate Burns for the seat.

Burns will serve until the November general election results are certified. The District 3 commissioner seat will be on the ballot this upcoming November and the newly elected commissioner will take office after the election results are certified. Burns is a Sedro-Woolley City Councilmember, representing Ward 6, and teaches automotive shop classes at Sedro-Woolley High School. He currently sits on the Helping Hands Food Bank board and has previously served as the Sedro-Woolley Lions Club president. His work on the Sedro-Woolley City Council has focused on improving public safety and community health, including support for North Star, the community court system, and creation of the police department K-9 program.

Jan 13, 2026

JTM Construction

Orme

Johnson

Mikkelson

Mason

JTM Construction recently announced several promotions. Trent Mason has been promoted to senior project engineer. Mason joined JTM as an intern in 2022 and was hired full time in 2023, quickly taking on increased responsibility in support of project coordination and execution. In his new role, he will continue to provide technical support, assist with scheduling and cost tracking, and contribute to the successful delivery of construction projects. Dustin Mikkelson has been promoted to VDC & QC manager. Mikkelson has been with the company since July and brings nearly two decades of experience in the construction industry, having begun his career in 2006 as a drafter. Throughout his career, he has developed extensive expertise in virtual design and construction, quality control, and coordination across project teams. In his new role, he will oversee VDC and quality processes to support accurate planning, coordination, and project execution. Warren Johnson has been promoted to senior director of business development. Johnson joined the company in 2023 and brings extensive experience across the real estate and construction industry, having served in a range of roles including project manager before transitioning into business development management in 2001. In his new role, he will lead strategic business development initiatives, support client relationships, and contribute to the company’s long-term growth. Michael Orme has been promoted to project executive. Orme holds a Bachelor of Science in Construction Management from the University of Washington and joined JTM in 2012 after beginning his career in the construction industry in 2011. During his tenure at JTM, he has advanced through leadership roles with responsibility for overseeing complex projects, guiding project teams, and maintaining strong client partnerships. In his new role, Orme will provide executive leadership across multiple projects, overseeing operational performance, financial outcomes, and strategic alignment. JTM Construction is a Seattle-based general contractor delivering commercial construction projects throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Jan 09, 2026

JTM Construction

Grellner

Gilbert

Foisset

JTM Construction has promoted Jason Foisset to chief estimator, and Kennedy Gilbert and Keegan Grellner to project managers. Foisset has been with the company for nearly two years and brings more than three decades of experience in the construction industry, having begun his career in 1991. In his new role, he will lead estimating efforts, support preconstruction planning, and help guide cost strategy across a wide range of projects. Gilbert joined the company in 2020 as a project engineer, beginning his career on a large, ground-up mixed-use high-rise project where he developed a strong foundation in complex coordination, scheduling, and field operations. He later transitioned into JTM’s life science and critical environments work. Throughout his time at JTM, Kennedy has steadily advanced through increasing levels of responsibility. Through his work supporting both preconstruction and construction efforts, he has played a key role in managing schedules, budgets, and field coordination. In his new role, he will lead project teams and oversee project delivery from start to finish. Grellner joined the company in 2020 as a project engineer and has progressed through increasing levels of responsibility, contributing to the successful coordination and delivery of construction projects. His experience supporting both preconstruction and construction efforts has prepared him to manage project teams, schedules, and budgets in his new role. JTM Construction is a Seattle-based general contractor delivering commercial construction projects throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Jan 08, 2026

JTM Construction

Eakman

Pacyna

Wise

Lucero

JTM Construction has announced several promotions.

Monica Lucero has been promoted to marketing manager. Lucero has been with JTM since 2013; she was the office manager before transitioning into a marketing-focused role. She supported marketing efforts well before the company formally established its marketing department in 2020 and has played a key role in its growth and development since that time.

Courtney Wise has been promoted to director of marketing. Wise brings more than a decade of professional marketing experience, having held dedicated marketing manager roles since 2014, where she began her career as marketing manager for a real estate company. She entered the AEC industry in 2016 and has since developed broad experience across the built environment, where she served as marketing manager for a specialty fabrication firm, architecture firm, and general contractors. Since joining JTM in September 2024, Wise has led the company's marketing department, overseeing strategy, brand positioning and marketing operations.

Ryan Pacyna joined JTM in 2021 and brings more than 15 years of information technology experience. He was recently promoted to IT manager. He began his career in 2007 as a network administrator and has since built a broad background supporting enterprise systems, infrastructure, and end-user technology across evolving business environments. In his role at JTM, Pacyna oversees the company's IT operations, focusing on system reliability, cybersecurity, and technology solutions that support the organization's day-to-day operations.

Sean Eakman has been promoted to project manager. Eakman has been with the company for three and a half years. In his new role, he will continue to support project planning, scheduling, and team collaboration from preconstruction through completion.

JTM Construction is a Seattle-headquartered general contractor serving the Pacific Northwest, delivering commercial construction projects across multiple sectors.

Jan 07, 2026

Bellevue College

Jazmyn Clark

Bellevue College announced that Jazmyn Clark, Smart Justice Policy program director at the ACLU of Washington, will be the keynote speaker of the college's annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. event. Clark leads statewide efforts to reduce mass incarceration, end the criminalization of poverty, and dismantle systems that perpetuate racial inequity.

The event, “Beloved Community: Building One Hope, One Humanity,” takes place Wednesday, Jan. 14, in the Gary Locke Ballroom (U Building) and is free and open to the public. The program begins at noon with a light lunch, followed by welcome remarks from Dr. David May, president of Bellevue College. The keynote address is scheduled from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. The program aims to reflect Bellevue College's ongoing commitment to access, equity, and student success, continuing the college's tradition of observing Martin Luther King Jr. Day through education, dialogue, and community engagement.

Lasher

Seattle law firm Lasher elevated Harman Bual, Will Reingold, Jr., and Amanda Whitely to principals of the firm. Bual is a business litigation attorney assisting clients with contract, corporate, bankruptcy, intellectual property and real estate matters. Reingold, Jr. focuses his practices on family law and appeals, where he helps clients navigate the legal and personal complexities of divorce and related family-law issues. Whitely maintains a broad business-focused practice that includes corporate & business law, estate planning, probate, private wealth services, and estate and gift tax law. She advises clients on business succession, tax planning, and advanced estate planning strategies.

Founded more than 50 years ago, Lasher provides comprehensive legal services to businesses, their owners, and to families. The firm's practice areas include business and tax law, divorce and family law, civil litigation, creditors' rights and bankruptcy, employment law, estate planning, probate and related litigation, and real estate law.

Jan 06, 2026

BakerHostetler

BakerHostetler has elected 26 lawyers to firm partnership. The new class includes attorneys from all six of the firm's core practice groups and from 12 of the firm's 18 offices across the United States. Two lawyers from the Seattle office, Nikki Sanford and Alexander Vitruk, were named partner. Sanford focuses her intellectual property practice on patent prosecution and global intellectual property portfolio development for emerging U.S. market leaders and multinational corporations. Drawing on extensive research and academic experience in physics, mathematics and biomedical engineering, she advises across scientific fields such as artificial intelligence, software, mechanical and electrical systems, and life sciences technologies. Sanford has contributed to multinational research initiatives ranging from nuclear physics to computer science, and builds portfolios that protect complex, cross disciplinary innovations. Vitruk advises clients on complex data privacy and cybersecurity matters, offering practical solutions to help companies comply with rapidly evolving privacy and data protection laws and defending class actions. He advises and defends clients across different industries on multifaceted issues such as biometric privacy, artificial intelligence, pixel-related technologies and HIPAA compliance. Vitruk also has substantial experience defending clients in securities, consumer protection, ERISA and employment class actions. BakerHostetler helps clients around the world address complex and critical business and regulatory issues, and employs more than 1,000 lawyers nationwide.

L'Ecole No. 41

L'Ecole No. 41, one of the founding wineries of Washington's Walla Walla Valley, has formed a national partnership Winebow, one of the leading distributors of Pacific Northwest wines. The partnership adds distribution in Washington and California — the two markets where the partners were not already aligned — to their existing partnership in 15 other markets. L'Ecole No. 41 and Winebow are now aligned in California, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. “Winebow has been a terrific partner, and we are excited to expand our partnership with them across their national footprint,” said Ryan Pennington, chief operating officer for L'Ecole No. 41. “Winebow has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to Washington wine, and we look forward to continuing our work with them to grow the Washington wine category in our home market and across the country.” L'Ecole No. 41 and Winebow first began working together in 2014, when Winebow merged with The Country Vintner, which at the time represented L'Ecole No. 41 in 12 markets. L'Ecole 41 then aligned with Winebow in three additional markets in 2021. The addition of Washington and California to the partnership completes the alignment of L'Ecole No. 41 across Winebow's national footprint and significantly increases the partners' volume of business together.