Oct 08, 2026

Clise Properties

Freeburg

Clise Properties announced last month that Benjamin Freeburg has joined the firm as its new CFO. He makes the move from Martin Selig Real Estate. Clise says the industry veteran is succeeding Bryan Joyner, who'll retire in December after 34 years with the company. A.M. Clise said in a statement, “Ben has the right background to understand capital markets, operating platforms and investment strategies to support and elevate our diverse portfolio. We are confident his experience will provide transparent leadership and great collaboration with our internal and external partners.”

Seattle Public Utilities

Seattle Public Utilities has been selected as a 2026 Sustainable Water Utility Management Award winner by the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies. The award will be presented Oct. 27 during the association's Executive Management Conference in Seattle.

The national award recognizes drinking water systems for environmental stewardship, financial responsibility and equitable service delivery. SPU operates the largest water utility in the Pacific Northwest, serving 1.6 million people in Seattle and the surrounding region.

“Seattle Public Utilities is honored to accept AMWA's Sustainable Water Utility Management Award,” SPU General Manager and CEO Andrew Lee said. “It's wonderful to be recognized for our long history and commitment to sustainable financial management, environmental stewardship, and delivering equitable essential services to 1.6 million people in the Puget Sound region.”

Seattle's drinking water comes from the Cedar River and South Fork Tolt River watersheds, which encompass 100,000 acres of protected forest. SPU's water system includes 1,900 miles of pipeline, and the utility also incorporates climate science into its water-supply planning and participates in regional salmon recovery and water conservation efforts.

Oct 07, 2026

Rice Fergus Miller

Stallings

Leigh

Bremerton-based architecture, interior design and planning firm Rice Fergus Miller (RFM), recently announced two leadership promotions as it heads into its 40th year in business.

Danielle Leigh has been promoted to business operations and HR director. Leigh will oversee overall business operations in addition to her previous role as HR director. Leigh has more than a decade of experience in human resources, business administration and business management. In this new role, she will align HR strategy with RFM's business goals and support talent acquisition, retention and organizational planning. She holds an MBA from Eastern Washington University, and certifications as a Senior Professional in Human Resources and Tribal Human Resources Professional.

Kati Stallings has been promoted to marketing and business pursuits manager. Stallings will lead marketing strategy and business development. She previously served as senior marketing and pursuits specialist. Stallings has more than 15 years of experience in marketing and business development within the architecture, design and construction industries. In her new role, she will focus on marketing strategy, brand and communications, new business pursuits and partner relationships. She is based in Boise and works with clients and partners across the Pacific Northwest and Intermountain West.

The Society

Lu

The Society, an interiors-led hospitality design collective based in Portland, with offices in Seattle, has named Sandy Lu as its new design director. Lu takes the reins as the studio marks 10 years of creating story-driven design. Lu brings more than 20 years of hospitality design experience across North America, including work with brands such as Autograph and Le Méridien. She joins The Society from Vancouver, B.C., firm CHIL Interior Design, where she served as hospitality design director for 10 years. In her new role, she will lead the studio's creative direction and expand its work into higher-tier lifestyle projects, food and beverage, and branded residences.

Lu previously worked at Wimberly Interiors in Los Angeles.

Snell & Wilmer

Scisciani

Snell & Wilmer announced Anthony R. Scisciani III joined the firm's Litigation, Investigations, and Trials practice in Seattle.

Scisciani comes from HWS Law Group, where he practiced for 24 years and served as managing partner since 2020. He represents clients throughout Washington and Oregon in complex civil litigation matters with a focus on construction and general liability disputes, including matters involving construction defect, worksite injury, consumer protection, professional liability, fire loss, transportation accidents, and property preservation.

Scisciani regularly helps local, regional and national clients manage risk and navigate challenges on matters arising from development, construction, remediation, and renovation of residential, commercial, and mixed-use projects. He has experience representing clients through settlement negotiations, arbitration and trial, leveraging his experience conducting hundreds of fact and expert witness depositions to strengthen clients' interests and resolve claims.

Founded in 1938, Snell & Wilmer is a full-service business law firm with more than 500 attorneys practicing in 17 locations.

Oct 06, 2026

Governor's Space Council

The new Governor's Space Council will advise Gov. Bob Ferguson on how to keep Washington competitive in the industry and identify ways the state can improve its standing as a global leader in the space economy. Ferguson signed an executive order creating the council at the Museum of Flight last week, as the DJC then reported.

Members include representatives from the commercial space industry, aerospace and advanced manufacturing sectors, higher education institutions, labor and more. The Governor's Space Council members include: Andy Lapsa, Stoke Space; Rob Meyerson, Interlune; Jeff Thornburg, Portal Space Systems; Austin Link, Starfish Space; Colin Doughan, Gravitics; Michael Edmonds, Blue Origin; Lisa Scalpone, Amazon LEO; Cornelia Rosu, SpaceX; Kelly Maloney, Space Northwest; Kent Mayor Dana Ralph; Redmond Mayor Angela Birney; Claudia Kauffman, D-47th District; Alex Ybarra, R-13th District; Brendan Wales, FUSE; Jason Chan, IAM 751; Ray Goforth, SPEEA; Bill Pike, PNNL; Mehran Mesbahi, University of Washington; Washington State University President Betsy Cantwell; Lynn Strickland, Aerospace Joint Apprenticeship Committee; Trevor Devaney, Hi-Rel Laboratories; Scott Keeney, nLIGHT; and Philip Johnston, Starcloud.

Washington is home to more than 90 space companies employing more than 13,000 workers, generating approximately $4.6 billion in annual economic activity and $1.6 billion in annual payroll. Approximately two-thirds of the world's operational satellites are built in Washington. Washington's premiere universities play a critical role in research, development and growing the industry's future workforce.

Seattle Opera

General and Artistic Director James Robinson announced last week that Huang Ruo, an internationally renowned composer whose opera “The Monkey King” became a sensation when it premiered in San Francisco last year, will serve as Seattle Opera's first composer-in-residence beginning in 2027.

“Huang Ruo is one of the foremost composers of opera in the United States, and I couldn't be prouder to announce his residency with Seattle Opera,” said Robinson, who has directed several of Huang Ruo's operas, beginning with the North American premiere of “Dr. Sun Yat-sen” at Santa Fe Opera in 2014. “Beyond his accomplished record as a composer, Huang Ruo is also a compelling advocate for opera who believes deeply in the art form's power to bring people together. He's one of the most engaging and enthusiastic people I know, and I think Seattle Opera audiences will be fascinated by his perspectives.”

Huang Ruo's residency, which will last for three years, will begin at the start of the 2027/28 season with the Seattle premiere of his opera “M. Butterfly.” Based on the Tony Award-winning play by David Henry Hwang, the opera tells the true story of a fateful relationship between a French diplomat and a Chinese opera singer.

Oct 02, 2026

Evergreen Goodwill

Sparks

Evergreen Goodwill of Northwest Washington has promoted Derieontay Sparks to chief revenue officer. The expanded role brings the organization's primary revenue-generating functions and key operational teams under a unified leadership. The title change also recognizes his impact on Evergreen Goodwill in a time of major transformation of the organization's operations, systems, and tuition-free adult education programs.

Sparks previously served as senior vice president of Retail, Growth Operations and Customer Experience. Since joining Evergreen Goodwill in 2017, he has held increasingly senior leadership roles across the organization. His expertise also extends beyond Evergreen Goodwill through his participation on the National Retail Federation's Sustainability Council, where he contributes to conversations about sustainability, circularity and the future of retail.

In his new role, Sparks oversees Thrift Retail, E-Commerce, Transportation, Salvage, Outlet, Zero Waste and Donor Services, with responsibility for strengthening performance across the organization's revenue and operational ecosystem. The expanded scope reflects Evergreen Goodwill's focus on creating greater value from donated goods and building a stronger, more sustainable business model.