Jan 27, 2022

Vibrant Cities

Fung

After co-founding Vibrant Cities in 2016 with her two partners, the developer announced that its Ming Fung has been elevated from CFO to president. She said in a statement, “I am excited to be increasing my responsibilities as Vibrant Cities continues to grow and serve the dynamic communities to Seattle and Portland. Multifamily options are in demand in both markets.” Said CEO James Wong, “I'm grateful to have such wonderful partners that I can fully trust and be in the trenches with every day.” Founder Pui Leung continues as managing director. The firm's Phil Lam was also promoted to principal and director of finance; and Cindy Li becomes to corporate relations manager. The developer's current projects include two apartment buildings underway in Lower Queen Anne, totaling 220 units. It's also nearing completion on Pivot, with 95 units on Capitol Hill. The firm has six more projects in the pipeline.

Thayer Manca in $80M Denver deal

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Aurora is part of the greater Denver area, and Aurora is where local shop Thayer Manca Residential recently paid $80.5 million for the 319-unit Highland Point apartments. TMR announced the deal this week. Joe Manca said the money came from a new $88 million value-add fund, and that the investment was his first in Colorado. “Our fund structure allows our investors to commit capital in advance, but does not require them to provide capital up front,” he explained. “This allows us to continue looking at properties through the same conservative lens as we have the last 40-plus years, without the pressure to deploy capital sitting in an account.” Renovations and a likely new name will follow. Said Manca, “Our renovation will maximize the substantial unrealized growth potential of this institutional sized asset.” The apartments, at 16893 E. Arkansas Ave., are a five-minute drive east to Florida Station, then a 45-minute trip east to downtown Denver via light rail.

Kenmore confidential!

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Mark your calendars: NAIOP will hold a Feb. 9 networking event and property tour at Kevin Daniels' renovated Lodge at St. Edward State Park in Kenmore. Which, by some strange coincidence, NAIOP named Hospitality Development of the Year at its Night of the Stars event in November. Details and registration: naiopwa.memberclicks.net.

Lasher Holzapfel

Lasher Holzapfel Sperry & Ebberson announced that attorneys James Blankenship and Joseph Evans have joined the firm. Blankenship joins the firm's Employment Law and Business Litigation practice groups. He represents and advises employers and employees in disputes involving wrongful discharge, discrimination, wage and hour claims and union matters. He also represents business entities in complex litigation, professional liability, and regulatory disputes. Evans joins the firm's Business Litigation group, bringing experience representing financial institutions and national lenders in consumer finance, commercial litigation and real estate matters. His practice has included representation in state, federal, and bankruptcy courts in Washington and Oregon. Lasher Holzapfel was founded 48 years ago in Seattle.

Carney Badley

Schalla

Susan Schalla has been elected to the board of directors and as director of associates at Carney Badley Spellman. Schalla has extensive experience in mergers & acquisitions on both the buy-side and sell-side, having successfully closed transactions with enterprise value up to $460 million. She has represented private equity firms in acquiring and selling portfolio companies, and has represented businesses in manufacturing, software, food and beverage, telecommunications, retail, consulting and professional services, and other industries.

Seyfarth

Sherwood

Douris

Meghan Douris and Ashley Sherwood have joined Seyfarth's Litigation department and Construction practice group as partners in the Seattle office. Previously, they served as construction partners at Oles Morrison. Joining Douris and Sherwood in their move to Seyfarth is associate Ryan Gilchrist. Seyfarth announced the formal launch of its Seattle office in 2020, the firm's first in the Pacific Northwest and fifth on the West Coast. Seyfarth's Seattle office is currently comprised of 30 lawyers, including 17 partners, from a cross-section of the firm's departments. Douris provides legal counsel to general contractors and subcontractors on a range of issues affecting their construction projects. Douris also helps organizations understand and secure government contracts in the construction and service industries. She founded Women Leaders in Construction and is a current member. Sherwood represents general contractors, subcontractors, and developers of all sizes on complex private and public construction projects at the state, federal, and international level. A past president of CREW Seattle, Sherwood currently serves on its board of directors and has held leadership positions since 2017. Gilchrist's practice spans construction, commercial litigation, real estate, and government contracts. With more than 900 lawyers across 17 offices, Seyfarth Shaw provides advisory, litigation, and transactional legal services to clients worldwide.

REVTech

Out of 70 applications from across the nation, Microsoft announced that REVTech, a local certified Woman / Veteran Owned Lakewood firm, is one of fifteen #BuildFor2030 Hackathon Heroes. REVTech's winning project, called Navigation Application (NAVApp), is currently deployed in the city of Seattle and gaining traction across the country. NAVApp assists both those experiencing homelessness, as well as city leaders and field technicians. The Microsoft #BuildFor2030 Hackathon seeks to drive transformative solutions and services into development to further the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals. The Sustainable Development Goals are a call for action by all countries to promote prosperity while protecting the planet. They recognize that ending poverty must go hand-in-hand with strategies that build economic growth and address a range of social needs including education, health, social protection, and job opportunities. The NAVApp works by creating real-time, secure, geo-accurate data by city employees and other service providers while at the same time being able to provide HIPAA compliant security and customized solutions for people experiencing homelessness. REVTech was founded in 2011 by husband and wife team RJ Naugle and Anne Sprute.

Jan 26, 2022

PCS Structural Solutions

Lyons

Bowen

Cate

Williams

Plank

Sidhu

Dragovich

Baker

Park

Lin

Jesse

Taylor

Braun

Davis

Shrestha

PCS Structural Solutions promoted 15 staff in its offices in Seattle, Tacoma, and Portland. Jared Plank and Steven Williams have been promoted to senior associate. Plank joined PCS's Tacoma office in 2018, bringing over 14 years' experience in high-rise, hospitality, and parking garage design. Plank's recent projects include the Muckleshoot Casino Resort in Auburn and Bates Technical College Center for Allied Health Education in Tacoma. He is currently working on a new mid-rise office building in Seattle and a parking structure at PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center in Bellingham. Williams joined PCS in 2014 and is based in the Portland office. Williams has eight years in project management and is actively involved in business development, introducing PCS services to new clients in the Portland market. Williams recently completed work on two new schools for Vancouver Public Schools: the Jim Tangeman Center and the Vancouver School of Arts and Academics. He is currently working on PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center Expansion and Renovations and West Sylvan Middle School.

PCS promoted Leah Cate, McKell Bowen, and Justin Lyons to associate. Cate joined the Tacoma office in 2020, bringing 8 years' experience in structural design for new construction and renovations. Cate is currently working on an emergency department expansion at PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center in Vancouver and MultiCare Covington Ambulatory Surgery Center renovation. In addition, she is working on the Morningside Adaptive Re-use project in Tacoma and two multi-story, mixed-use projects in Olympia and Tacoma. Bowen joined the Tacoma office in 2015. Bowen recently completed work on the new Pierce College Fort Steilacoom Glacier Building and is currently working on the 750,000 square-foot Swedish First Hill Medical Center North Tower project and upgrades at MultiCare Tacoma General Hospital. Lyons brings 14 years of experience in the Pacific Northwest designing healthcare, multifamily residential, steel office, and seismic retrofit projects. Lyons joined PCS in 2019 and also works out of the Portland office. He is currently working on the 345,000 square-foot Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center Tower addition and renovation in Medford, Gilkey Hall renovation at Oregon State University, and a renovation and addition at Mercy Medical Center in Roseburg.

Hai Lin, Hanna Park, Jacob Baker, Jared Dragovich, Sunny Sidhu, and Sharoo Shrestha have been promoted to project manager. Lin earned a Master's degree in Civil Engineering from Virginia Tech and joined the Tacoma office in 2018. Lin is a part of PCS's internal Sustainability team, which investigates design practices that reduce the carbon footprint of new construction and is working to achieve net-zero carbon structures by 2050. Lin recently completed work on the Muckleshoot Resort Casino in Auburn and is currently working on Samaritan Healthcare Hospital in Moses Lake and PeaceHealth parking structure in Bellingham. Park joined PCS's Seattle office in 2017 after earning her Master's degree in Civil Engineering from George Washington University in D.C. Park is currently working on Northwest Kidney Center at Yesler Terrace, renovations for King County Housing Authority Park Royal Apartments, and an 82,000 square-foot addition to Kitsap County Courthouse in Port Orchard.

Baker joined the Tacoma office in 2017 after earning his Master's degree in Civil Engineering from Washington State University. Baker recently completed two award-winning projects—Webster Elementary School for Seattle Public Schools and South Sound Behavioral Health in Lacey. He is currently working on the new Fawcett Elementary School, a design-build project for Tacoma Public Schools. Dragovich joined the Tacoma office in 2017 after earning his Master's in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois. Dragovich is currently working on the new 80,000 square-foot Naches Trail Elementary School for Bethel School District and the new million Franklin Pierce High School Performing Arts Center in Franklin-Pierce School District and the 70,000 square-foot new Student Services and Instruction building for Grays Harbor Community College.

Sidhu earned a Master's in Civil Engineering from Oregon State University and joined the Seattle office in 2018. Sidhu's work has particularly focused on high-end residential projects, and he is currently working on residences in Seattle, Gig Harbor, Orcas Island, and Manzanita, Oregon. Shrestha joined PCS Structural Solutions in 2019 following the completion of her doctoral degree studies in Civil Engineering (Structures) at Oregon State University. Shrestha recently completed work on Vancouver School District's School of Arts and Academics and is currently working on the 345,000 square-foot Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center Tower addition in Medford, Oregon, and the $300 million additions and renovations at PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center in Vancouver.

Alex Davis, August Braun, Brad Taylor and Joe Jesse were promoted to project engineer. Davis joined PCS's Seattle office in 2019 after earning his Master's in Civil Engineering at the University of Washington. Davis has a broad resume of residential projects and is currently working on Yesler Terrace Sawara Apartments for Seattle Housing Authority, the Siteline eight-story, mixed-use development in Seattle, and the new seven-story, mixed-use Africatown Plaza building in Seattle. Braun earned a Master's in Civil Engineering from University of Washington and joined the Seattle office in 2019. Braun is working on a broad range of healthcare and office projects, including the new 878,000 square-foot Block 95 tower at Swedish First Hill Medical Center in Seattle, Valley Medical Center renovations in Renton, and Seagen office renovations in Bothell.

Taylor joined the Tacoma office in 2019 after earning his Master's in Civil Engineering and Wood Science from Oregon State University. Taylor completed his thesis on in-plane shear performance of CLT and CLT-concrete diaphragms. He is currently working on a three-story high-end residence on Mercer Island and an expansion at the Elwha River Casino in Port Angeles. Jesse joined the Seattle office in 2021 after earning his Master's in Civil Engineering from the University of Washington. Jesse is currently working on a 22,000 square-foot residence in Texas, the new Block 95 tower at Swedish First Hill Medical Center in Seattle, and an 18,000 square-foot residence in Medina.

Stantec

Omura

Stantec hired Ben Omura as a senior associate in the firm's mechanical engineering practice. Omura will be based out of Seattle. He is a licensed professional engineer and LEED AP BD+C certified, specializing in residential and workplace projects. With a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Southern California, Omura's career has taken him from California to Chicago and Japan. For the past four years, he has worked on several projects in Seattle such as the Costco Headquarters expansion and Skyline's Olympic Tower completion. He is currently working on MEP tasks for a regional bus transit facility in Colorado and the Bull Run Water Filtration facility for the Portland Water Bureau.

Madrona Venture Group

Seattle-based Madrona Venture Group announced that James Phillips is joining the firm as a strategic director. Phillips will work with Madrona's portfolio company founders and executives, sharing his insight and operating experiences and will collaborate with the investment team. Phillips is the president of the Digital Transformation Platform group at Microsoft, a product development group spanning Microsoft's business applications and services. Prior to joining Microsoft, Phillips was a founder and CEO of Akimbi Systems and a co-founder at Couchbase. He held engineering, product management, corporate development and marketing leadership roles at Intel, VMware and Synopsys, and spent two years as a technology investment banker with UBS PaineWebber. Phillips joins a growing group of experienced operators joining the firm to help portfolio companies and assist the investment team. Recent strategic directors include founder and CEO of Apptio, Sunny Gupta, president and CEO of Tableau, Mark Nelson, and senior director of business development and strategic alliances at Nanostring, Charlotte Hubbert.

IRG Physical & Hand Therapy

IRG Physical & Hand Therapy is offering a training and mentorship program to local medical residents through the Swedish Family Medicine Residency Program. Through the program, first- and third-year residents participate in a 4-week rotation with certified physical therapists to learn about treatment for common musculoskeletal conditions. In addition to providing mentorship and job shadowing opportunities, IRG Physical & Hand Therapy also provides a yearly lecture on the benefits of physical therapy and treatment of relevant conditions. IRG Physical & Hand Therapy accommodates up to 22 residents who participate in medical rotations throughout the year. IRG Physical & Hand Therapy is headquartered in Mill Creek, and operates over 35 outpatient orthopedic clinics throughout the Puget Sound region.

ZoomInfo

ZoomInfo announced it has expanded its global operations in London and named Simon McDougall as its first chief compliance officer. ZoomInfo plans to relocate some of its senior executives to London in 2022 and is actively hiring for U.K. roles to expand sales and service capabilities locally and regionally. With more than two decades of international experience in data privacy, London-based McDougall will oversee ZoomInfo's compliance function. Most recently, McDougall was deputy commissioner for the Information Commissioner's Office, the U.K.'s independent authority that upholds information rights and promotes openness by public bodies and data privacy for individuals. Previously, McDougall built privacy consulting practices at Promontory, an IBM company, and Deloitte, working with clients from a range of sectors in Europe, the U.S., and Asia, and served on the board of the International Association of Privacy Professionals. ZoomInfo is headquartered in Vancouver, Wash.

Ziply Fiber

Ziply Fiber announced that after an initial rollout in Kirkland last month, it has begun offering ultra-high-speed 5-gig and 2-gig residential fiber internet service to nearly 170,000 residential customer addresses in 60 cities and towns across Washington, Oregon and Idaho. By mid-year, these multi-gig residential services will be available in most of the company's four-state fiber footprint. Ziply Fiber began building out fiber in markets throughout the Northwest in 2020 and has announced 57 fiber construction projects since then. The company plans to introduce its 5-gig and 2-gig service in Montana later in Q1 2022. As the company continues to expand its fiber presence, Ziply Fiber's expansion into new fiber markets will be built with multi-gig services enabled. Ziply Fiber is headquartered in Kirkland, and has major offices in Everett, Beaverton, Oregon and Hayden, Idaho. Most of Ziply Fiber's executive team, which consists of former executives from AT&T, CenturyLink, and Wave Broadband, either grew up in the Northwest or have spent the better part of 30 years living here.