Dec 22, 2022

Tacoma Arts Commission

The Tacoma Arts Commission recently awarded $138,000 in Community Arts Projects funding to 27 Tacoma organizations, groups, and businesses in support of 2023 public outreach projects in the fields of culture, dance, film, literary, music, performing, visual, and cross-disciplinary arts. Funded projects include the production of six cultural and arts festivals, four hands-on visual arts workshops, three music and performing arts series, two murals, two sound art projects, two video productions, two youth education programs, one community engagement project, one cultural dance party series, one dance performance series, one film festival, one literary arts publication and workshop, and one visual art exhibit. The Community Arts Projects funding program financially supports organizations and groups producing arts-focused community projects that are inclusive, accessible, and/or address equity issues. Community Arts Projects is one of two funding programs administered by the Tacoma Arts Commission.

GolfTec

The new Golftec Tacoma is now open. The is the sixth location in the Seattle area. The new training center is located at 3815 S Steele St, Suite H in Tacoma. The location features four training bays and the latest in teaching technology. The location also features Golftec's club fitting experience, TECFIT. This golf club fitting system matches ideal clubs and shafts to your swing. Additionally, the center will have a putting green, allowing staff to provide putting lessons and fittings with TECPUTT.

Symetra

Working with regulators in the U.S., Japan and Bermuda, Symetra Financial Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sumitomo Life Insurance, announced that it had established Symetra Bermuda Re Ltd. to reinsure certain risks of Symetra Life Insurance Company, a subsidiary of Symetra Financial Corporation. Symetra Bermuda Re is registered with the Bermuda Monetary Authority as a Class C insurer. On Dec. 20, 2022, Symetra Bermuda Re completed its first reinsurance transaction, reinsuring an 80% quota share of fixed deferred and fixed indexed annuities issued by Symetra Life on and after Jan. 1, 2022. Symetra will increase staffing and operations in both the U.S. and Bermuda to support the newly formed entity. Marsh Management Services (Bermuda) Ltd. will provide insurance management services and compliance support. Symetra Investment Management Company, a registered investment advisor, will act as asset manager for Symetra Bermuda Re's investment portfolio. In business since 1957, Symetra Financial Corporation is a diversified financial services company based in Bellevue.

Dec 21, 2022

AHBL

Sawin

Booth

AHBL announced the following leadership transitions.

After working at the firm for 34 years, Dan Booth, PE/SE will be retiring as firm president effective Dec. 31, 2022. Booth has been a structural engineer with the company since 1988 and led its structural engineering teams. Following Booth's retirement Todd Sawin, PE, DBIA will assume the role as president. Sawin has been a civil engineer for 16 years and served as a civil principal with AHBL for the past eight years. He will fill the role of president as well as serving on AHBL's executive team to streamline decisions made by the firm's 12 principals and will continue to lead AHBL growth in many markets including K-12 and Higher Education, Federal, Industrial and Mixed-use and Multifamily Development projects.

Booth launched his career at AHBL 34 years ago as a new graduate of UW Seattle. He spent his entire career working for AHBL. Throughout his career he was mentored by the original founders of AHBL and has spent the last 20 years, mentoring, and leading the Structural Division in Tacoma, WA. Booth earned his B.S. in Civil Engineering and his M.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Washington. His technical skill set includes a deep understanding and respect for structural engineering for both public and private clients. His projects ranged from municipal, education, recreation, and commercial/industrial.

In a news release, AHBL said Sawin’s work as a principal and his commitment to the corporation makes him an excellent choice for the role of president. He will continue to serve on the executive committee and provide guidance for the administrative functions of the firm, as well as work with his partners to continue to provide quality designs for clients while developing innovative solutions to project challenges. Sawin’s engineering experience includes design on a variety of project types including military, residential, commercial, municipal, and educational. He is DBIA certified and is an expert with alternative delivery methods including design/build and GC/CM. He will continue to mentor the AHBL Civil teams.

AHBL also announced that Drew McEachern, PE/SE and Ken Leland, PE/SE, both existing principals, will continue to lead the structural department.

PCS Structural Solutions

Plank

Williams

Legé

Parke

Ryan

Greissl

Shephard

Woodfork

Keppler

PCS Structural Solutions has promoted nine employees in its Seattle, Tacoma, and Portland offices.

Ted Ryan has been promoted to managing principal of the firm's Seattle office. Ryan has been with PCS for 21 years and leads the firm's private development work. His recent projects include high-end private residences across the United States, the Swyft Development in Kirkland, and the Siteline Development near Seattle Center.

Todd Parke has been promoted to managing principal of the firm's Tacoma office. Parke has been with PCS for 16 years and leads the firm's Healthcare Marketing Team. Parke's recent projects include PeaceHealth Ambulatory Care Center in Camas, the first mass timber medical building in North America; PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center Expansion in Vancouver, Washington; and Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center Renovation in Medford, Oregon.

Alex Legé has been promoted to principal in the firm's Seattle office. Legé has been with PCS for 15 years and leads PCS's Public Marketing Team, as well as serving as a subject matter expert in mass timber design, both internally and on the AIA Seattle Mass Timber Committee. Legé's recent work includes the award-winning Highline High School in Burien, Lindbergh High School Addition in Renton, Lincoln High School Renovation in Seattle, and Evergreen High School in Burien.

Steven Williams has been promoted to associate principal in the firm's Portland office. Williams has been with PCS for eight years and has been instrumental in growing the Portland office since it opened in 2017. A board member of the local A4LE chapter, Williams is primarily focused on public K-12 and higher education work, such as the Treaty Oak Skills Center in The Dalles, Oregon, but he has also managed many of the firm's local healthcare projects including the PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center expansion in Vancouver, Washington.

Jared Plank has been promoted to associate principal in the firm's Tacoma office. Plank has been with PCS for four years and has over 18 years of industry experience. Jared focuses on private development projects, contributing his deep expertise in post-tensioned design for hospitality, housing, and parking projects. His recent work includes PeaceHealth Saint Joseph Medical Center Parking Garage in Bellingham, Elwha River Casino Expansion in Port Angeles, and the Muckleshoot Casino Resort in Auburn.

Kirk Keppler has been promoted to Director of Innovation in the firm's Tacoma office and will head a team that enhances PCS's continued advancement in the structural engineering industry. Keppler has been with PCS for 25 years and serves as a subject matter expert on PCS's Steel Design Team. Keppler's recent projects include Swedish First Hill Expansion in Seattle, Virginia Mason Franciscan Health South Sound Cancer Center in Tacoma, MultiCare Auburn Medical Center Expansion in Auburn, and PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center Expansion in Vancouver.

Shadow Woodfork has been promoted to associate in the firm's Portland office. Woodfork has been with PCS for 11 years and has over 18 years of industry experience. He is an active proponent of wood design for commercial and multifamily projects, serving as PCS's internal Wood Design Team leader. This year, Shadow has worked on seven large multifamily projects in Portland including the Analog PDX mixed-use building and The Pearl Medical Center, an adaptive reuse of an existing medical building in Portland.

Annabel Shephard has been promoted to project engineer in the firm's Portland office. Shephard joined PCS in 2020 and serves on the SE 2050 Commitment Program leadership group and as chair to the Oregon chapter of the Structural Engineering Engagement and Equity (SE3) Committee. Shephard's recent work includes Isabelle Terrace Apartments in Hillsboro, Oregon, and Mercy Medical Center addition and renovation in Roseburg, Oregon.

Jaycob Greissl has been promoted to project engineer in the firm's Tacoma office. Greissl joined PCS in 2019 and is currently working on several healthcare projects including PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center Emergency Department. Jaycob serves on PCS's internal Sustainability Team and Fun Group and has been active in coordinating staff volunteer efforts for local philanthropic organizations.

SCJ Alliance

Beck

Tova Beck has joined SCJ Alliance's office in Gig Harbor. Beck, who grew up in Gig Harbor, is a design engineer with the firm's transportation design group. She earned a bachelor's degree in architecture design and a master's in construction management, both from the University of Washington. Her experience includes work on the East Link and Lynnwood light rail extension projects.

The Gig Harbor team is currently involved in many projects throughout Western Washington, focusing on transportation and construction management projects that improve safety and access for all members of our communities.

City of Tacoma

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency selected the city of Tacoma to receive a total of $1 million in grants for environmental job training programs funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The funding is among 29 new grants awarded nationally through EPA's Brownfields Job Training Program to recruit, train and place workers for community revitalization and cleanup projects at Brownfield sites. EPA's $500,000 Brownfields Job Training grant will support the city of Tacoma's Local Employment and Apprenticeship Training Program, known as LEAP. With this new round of funding, LEAP will train 140 students and place at least 79 in local environmental jobs. Graduates of LEAP will receive 260 hours of instruction in HAZWOPER, flagger and forklift operator, asbestos and lead paint safety, and up to seven certifications. Partners include Child Care Resources of Pierce County, Clean Harbors, Clover Park Technical College, Conoco Concrete Plumbing, Department of Agriculture, Goodwill of the Olympics and Rainier Region, NOW Environmental, Scot Eckley Landscape and Design, TCB Industrial, Walker Specialty Construction, Washington Brownfields Coalition, Workforce Central and Worksource Pierce. Since 1998, the EPA has awarded 371 Brownfields Job Training grants. With these grants, more than 20,341 individuals have completed trainings and over 15,168 individuals have been placed in careers related to land remediation and environmental health and safety.

Neurilink

AVI Systems, a global systems integrator, announced it will acquire Neurilink, a full-service audiovisual design and integration business that serves the Northwest United States with a staff of 47 in Boise and Seattle. Neurilink was launched in 2012 by founder and CEO Michael Fornander, who will continue in a leadership role with AVI Systems after the acquisition is complete. Bill Smith, who has served Neurilink as CFO, will become regional finance manager at AVI Systems. All Neurilink employees will be invited to transition to AVI Systems, joining the company and its 830 employee owners. With this acquisition, AVI will have 28 office locations in the United States.

Suquamish Tribe

The Suquamish Tribe's charitable giving is nearly $1 million so far in 2022, with most help going to non-profits, schools and first responders working within the Tribe's traditional territory. Much of this giving happens via the Tribe's charitable nonprofit, the Suquamish Foundation. In the third quarter of 2022 alone, the Suquamish Foundation donated $150,437 to charitable organizations, schools, Native American groups, event sponsorships, and civic organizations, mostly in Kitsap County. The Suquamish Foundation's total giving for the year was $530,876. The Tribe's business ventures, which operate under the Port Madison Enterprises umbrella, donated an additional $222,164 to local groups in 2022. Suquamish Tribal government donated another $210,000 to area first responders. Total funding from the Tribe's foundation, enterprises, and government totaled more than $960,000. The Suquamish Tribe's Foundation is a tribally chartered non-profit that contributes each quarter to groups that support the quality of life, environment, and culture of the central Puget Sound region. Some of the Foundation's largest ongoing gifts go to Kitsap Strong, which helps people in the Kitsap community heal from intergenerational trauma and toxic stress. The Tribe also contributes matching funds to Kitsap Great Give, as it has since the first year of the group's countywide funding campaign. The Foundation also help fund the Seattle Aquarium's planned new Ocean Pavilion, and contributed to Western Washington University's planned longhouse, which will offer a space for indigenous students and others to learn about the state's tribal nations and diverse cultures.