Oct 27, 2026

UMC

Giffin

UMC Inc. announced that Jeff Giffin has been named district energy manager. He will focus on helping campuses, healthcare systems, communities, utilities and large facility owners address their most pressing infrastructure challenges.

Giffen has nearly two decades of experience in high-performance building systems, energy efficiency, decarbonization, and sustainable energy infrastructure. He began his career at the University of British Columbia in progressively senior roles, ultimately serving as energy conservation manager and leading major energy efficiency and decarbonization initiatives, including a campus-wide steam-to-hot-water conversion and the development of a bioenergy cogeneration facility.

He went on to serve as a project engineer with Enwave Energy before joining Corix as regional manager for the Pacific Northwest, where he led the development and operation of low-carbon district energy systems, including the Bellingham District Energy Utility.

His relationship with UMC began as a client, working alongside the company on several successful design-build projects over the past five years, an experience that ultimately influenced his decision to join the organization.

One of the most significant projects of Giffin's career was UBC's $88 million steam-to-hot-water conversion project, which replaced a century-old campus steam system with a modern, medium-temperature hot water network.

UMC started in 1920 as a mechanical contracting company in the Pacific Northwest and has grown into a firm that supports every stage of the building lifecycle, from planning and construction to optimization, maintenance, and long-term performance.

Oct 23, 2026

APWA

The Washington chapter of the American Public Works Association has announced its newest board members, who officially begin their duties this week. Board members will serve the membership and help address goals and challenges facing public works professionals across the state.

Newly elected board members for the 2027-2028 term are Tricia Juhnke, public works director for the city of Shoreline; Travis Rakeshaw, stormwater maintenance lead for the city of Walla Walla; Sonia Palma, operations manager for the Seattle Department of Transportation; and Dustin DeKoekkoek, Seattle office director at Toole Design.

Mary Heather Ames, deputy public works director for the city of Pasco, has been elected secretary for 2027.

The chapter encouraged members to connect with board leaders to share priorities and challenges affecting the public works profession.

Tideworks

Following the recent acquisition by Diversis Capital, Seattle-based terminal operating system provider Tideworks Technology has announced the appointments of Mark Traynor as chief product and technology officer and Guenter Schmidmeir as chief revenue officer.

Traynor brings more than 20 years of experience across terminal technology, operations and automation. He will lead Tideworks' product and engineering organizations, with a focus on advancing the company's product architecture, strengthening integration capabilities and building extensible solutions that can evolve with customers' operational and technology needs.

Schmidmeir brings more than 25 years of experience across the maritime, terminal and logistics sectors. He will lead Tideworks' commercial and revenue strategy, with a focus on expanding into new markets, strengthening customer relationships and translating his terminal-industry experience into new growth opportunities.

“Mark and Guenter bring complementary strengths to Tideworks,” said Subbu Bhat, president of Tideworks Technology. “Mark's experience in terminal technology, integration and product architecture will help us build more connected and extensible solutions. Guenter's industry and commercial experience will help us enter new markets and build relationships with a broader set of terminal operators. Together, they strengthen our ability to turn deep industry knowledge into better technology and greater value for our customers.”

With the support of Diversis, Tideworks will continue investing in its products, people and customer relationships while delivering the technology and service terminal operators around the world rely on.

Oct 22, 2026

MacDonald-Miller

Lambert

MacDonald-Miller Facility Solutions, a Pacific Northwest provider of design-build mechanical, electrical and plumbing services, has appointed Matt Lambert as vice president of construction services.

In the newly created role, Lambert will oversee construction development, pre-construction services and project delivery. The company said the appointment is intended to strengthen project execution and deepen collaboration with general contractors across its construction portfolio.

Lambert brings more than two decades of construction industry experience. He spent 18 years with Howard S. Wright, where he worked on major projects including City Center Plaza, Microsoft B87 and the Microsoft Redmond Campus Modernization program in partnership with MacDonald-Miller. Most recently, he served as a vice president at Dycom Industries, leading development and operations across multiple company divisions.

The leadership transition comes as longtime construction executive Bret Lovely prepares to retire at the end of 2026 after 38 years with MacDonald-Miller.

Founded in 1965, MacDonald-Miller Facility Solutions employs more than 1,600 workers in Washington and Oregon and is among the largest design-build mechanical firms in the United States. The company serves customers across construction, healthcare, biotech, commercial office, marine, mission-critical and technology sectors and is a signatory of the Climate Pledge.

Oct 21, 2026

Papé Machinery

Humdinger Equipment announced Papé Machinery as its newest authorized dealer. This partnership expands Humdinger's reach, connecting customers in California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon and Washington with Tana's landfill and recycling equipment.

As an authorized dealer, Papé Machinery will provide full sales, service, and technical support exclusively for Tana landfill compactors and shredders, delivering dependable, high-performance solutions for customers in waste management and recycling operations.

Papé Machinery offers equipment sales, parts, rentals and service solutions aimed at helping customers maximize productivity and keep operations running efficiently. Papé Machinery is also a leading provider of John Deere construction, forestry and agricultural equipment throughout the western United States.