Jun 04, 2026

Seattle Department of Neighborhoods

Pham

has been confirmed as director of the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods, following a unanimous Seattle City Council vote on May 19.

Pham brings more than 14 years of experience in community development, equitable investment, and local policy. She previously served as executive director of Friends of Little Saigon, where she championed cultural and economic vitality while supporting small businesses and community-driven initiatives. She also serves on the boards of Historic South Downtown and the Crescent Collaborative.

A first-generation immigrant, Pham also brings both personal perspective and professional experience to her leadership.

Her appointment marks a full-circle moment: Pham joined the very first cohort of the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods' People's Academy for Community Engagement (PACE), a program designed to help community members understand how city government works and how to navigate it to create change.

As the department celebrates its 35th anniversary, the department says it looks forward to the next chapter of connecting people, strengthening neighborhoods, and ensuring residents have a voice in policy making and decisions that impact local communities.

Lee & Associates

Knecht

Four years after joining Lee & Associates, Shane Knecht has been promoted to director of marketing, that firm recently announced. Its Andrea Johnson said in a statement, “Shane has consistently demonstrated creativity, professionalism and a deep commitment to supporting our brokers and growing our brand.” Knecht added, “I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunity to continue growing with Lee & Associates.”

Jun 03, 2026

Zum and Seattle Public Schools

Zum, a provider of student transportation, announced it will be continuing its partnership with Seattle Public Schools (SPS) for the 2026–2027 school year.

Working with SPS since 2022, Zum plans to significantly expand operations here for the upcoming academic year. The company will add more than 130 new routes, bringing its total operations to over 280, serving students across the entire district.

Zum uses its Connected Mobility Experience (CMX), an integrated technology and operations platform that connects vehicles, drivers and school administrators in real time to optimize efficiency and communication. Zum's CMX system is used across 17 states and serves more than 4,500 schools, including several of the nation's largest public school districts.

To accommodate the additional routes and a growing fleet of over 130 new school buses, Zum says it is opening a new local facility and scaling up its workforce.

The company says it is committed to maintaining service reliability and alleviating student transportation anxieties through rigorous driver training and competitive workforce retention strategies.

PLS Engineering

Knott

PLS Engineering recently hired Kenny Knott as crew chief. He brings 10 years of experience in land surveying. Knott began his career as a crew member supporting his survey team. Knott has focused on forestry and boundary development and commercial timberland districts, topographical surveys, construction staking and residential staking projects.

CAST architecture

Kelly

CAST architecture has hired architect Meredith Kelly, who focuses on early learning and single-family residential. Her experience spans recreational, institutional, commercial, and residential projects combining sustainability with modern, approachable design. Kelly attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for her undergraduate degree in architectural studies, and earned her Master's of Architecture from the University of Washington. She is a licensed architect in Washington.

KMB architects

Eugenio

Vargas

KMB architects has two new hires: Natalie Vargas as an interior design associate, and Tyler Eugenio joining the architectural team.

Vargas recently graduated from Seattle Pacific University with a degree in interior design and is currently working with DCYF on the Echo Glen Children's Center Upper Campus visitors center predesign in Snoqualmie. She also serves as communications chair for the Pacific Northwest chapter of the Retail Design Institute.

Eugenio is a recent graduate from Washington State University with a degree in architectural design. Eugenio will support KMB's work with King County on regional animal shelter renovations in Kent.

Jun 02, 2026

KIRO Newsradio

KIRO Newsradio announced that its news team has been honored with seven Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards, recognizing outstanding achievements in broadcast and digital journalism.

Three of the honors reflect the team's consistent commitment to delivering timely, high-quality coverage across platforms: Overall Excellence — KIRO Newsradio; Newscast — Seattle's Morning News; Breaking News Coverage — Seattle ICE Protests Turn Violent.

In addition to these team achievements, several journalists received individual recognition for their outstanding storytelling and reporting: Excellence in Writing — The Charlie Harger Commentary by Charlie Harger; Hard News — The Boy In The Tent by Charlie Harger; Investigative Reporting — The Mayor's Letter by Charlie Harger; Sports Reporting — More Than A Home Run by Aaron Granillo.

“These awards are a testament to the dedication and passion our team brings to their work every day,” said Bryan Buckalew, director of News and Talk Programming for KIRO Newsradio. “From breaking news to in-depth investigations, our journalists are committed to informing and serving our community with accuracy, urgency, and integrity.”

The Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards are among the most prestigious honors in broadcast and digital journalism. They recognize excellence in news coverage that demonstrates the spirit of Edward R. Murrow's legacy of integrity and public service.

City of Kenmore

The city of Kenmore's “Let's Talk Kenmore” podcast won second place in the 2026 Blue Pencil & Gold Screen Awards from the National Association of Government Communicators. This annual international awards program recognizes excellent government communication products and those who produce them.

“Let's Talk Kenmore” is a lighthearted podcast aimed at connecting listeners to their local government, and to demystifying the role of government in the city of Kenmore. The podcast was launched in April of 2024 and is hosted by city's Engineering Administrative Specialist Amber Clifton. The show covers a range of topics ranging anywhere from summer activities and recreation to what to expect at City Council meetings. It's available on the city's website or wherever you get your podcast.