Sep 28, 2023

BECU

BECU promoted Shawna Thompson to executive vice president and head of operations after more than 30 years of service. Thompson will lead the team in bringing a dedicated focus to operational efficiency and effectiveness across BECU's lending and credit operations, deposits and payments operations, fraud and default management as well as real estate and facilities. Since joining BECU, Thompson has held product and operational leadership roles across the organization's lending, finance, audit, product management and operations functions. In her prior role as BECU's vice president of servicing operations, she oversaw business strategies for servicing of deposits, debit cards, credit cards and ATM Operations, and processing of all deposits and payments, including ACH and wire transfers, and checks. Thompson currently sits on the board of the Hearing, Speech and Deaf Center and chairs BECU's Achieving Disability Awareness Employee Resource Group. She holds a bachelor's degree in business and marketing from Western Oregon University. BECU is Washington-based not-for-profit credit union, currently operating 60 financial centers.

Audere

Seattle-based Audere, a global digital health nonprofit, announced the formation of Audere Africa, a nonprofit subsidiary headquartered and led out of Johannesburg, South Africa. Audere Africa was formed to advance digital health development, bringing together artificial intelligence and machine learning research with expertise in the health challenges and needs of Africa. Audere Africa's board of directors has representation from Kenya, Zimbabwe and South Africa. Audere's HealthPulse solutions are currently leveraged in eight countries in Africa to support a growing set of conditions, including malaria, HIV, and COVID-19. Audere Africa will expand that footprint and will aid in the development and implementation of HealthPulse across the African continent. Development of Audere's projects is funded by grants and support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, and other global health partners.

Sep 27, 2023

Atlas Design Group

Rizvi

Beymer

Smith

Atlas Design Group has announced the addition of two new engineers, and one promotion in the third quarter of 2023: Elliot Smith, P.E., Conrad Beymer, E.I.T., and Samiah Rizvi P.E., respectively.

New senior project engineer Smith brings 11-years of AEC industry experience, both as a structural design engineer and as a general contractor. Smith has extensive experience designing concrete and steel structures, and his portfolio includes mid- and high-rise multi-family projects, as well as commercial office buildings and K-12 and higher education. With his significant renovation experience, he will be leading the firm's seismic renovation group.

New project engineer Beymer brings five years of structural engineering experience in the high-end single-family residential sector designing wood-framed buildings, concrete structures, and steel lateral force resisting systems. Beymer holds a BS in Civil Engineering with a Minor in Mathematics from Seattle University. With his significant timber building knowledge, he is now focusing on multi-family projects, shoring and construction engineering, and mass timber structures.

Rizvi was recently promoted to senior project engineer. She brings eight years of design experience to the firm while serving as a leader on the company's affordable housing teams. She is also active in business development and volunteer efforts. Rizvi specializes in timber structures and is expanding her portfolio to seismic renovations and concrete structures. She is also helping bolster the firm's mass timber and high-rise teams.

Cushing Terrell

Kane

Multidisciplinary design firm, Cushing Terrell, has welcomed Joe Kane to its healthcare design group as a senior healthcare specialist responsible for business development, client relationship management, and project management.

Kane brings more than 20 years of experience working in the healthcare industry to his role, including serving on design and construction teams for healthcare projects and serving as an owner’s representative for healthcare providers.

Kane’s experience includes large, multi-phase projects, replacement projects, and facility renovations across the state of Montana.

Cushing Terrell has 13 office across the United States, including a Seattle office.

MultiCare Tacoma General and Allenmore

Bratko

Eddie Bratko has been named president of MultiCare Tacoma General and Allenmore hospitals. Bratko joins MultiCare Health System from Catholic Health System (CHS) in Buffalo, New York.

Bratko will be responsible for the overall performance of both Tacoma General and Allenmore. He will build physician relationships and cultivate community partnerships for MultiCare throughout west Pierce County.

Bratko joined Catholic Health System in 2010 as their director of financial services. He then moved to Mercy Hospital in Buffalo as the chief operating officer, later becoming president in 2019. He most recently served as the system vice president for strategic deployment at CHS. Before moving into health care, he spent 12 years at United Parcel Service (UPS).

Bratko earned a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in economics from the University of Buffalo.

Lattice Semiconductor

Sherri Luther, Lattice Semiconductor's chief financial officer, received a Women CFOs of the Year Award from the Financial Executives International Silicon Valley (FEISV) association. The first-ever FEISV Women CFOs of the Year Awards recognize women's contributions and leadership in the accounting and finance fields. Lattice Semiconductor serves customers in the communications, computing, industrial, automotive, and consumer markets. The company is based in Hillsboro, Oregon.

Sep 26, 2023

Tacoma Arts Commission

The Tacoma Arts Commission has announced this year's AMOCAT Arts Award winners: Foster's Creative (Arts Patron), Southeast Asian Comedy Collective (Community Outreach by an Organization), and Kristina Batiste and Reid Ozaki (Community Outreach by an Individual). The AMOCAT Arts Awards honor the people and organizations that positively impact the community with their innovation and commitment to the arts. The Arts Patron award recognized Foster's Creative for its devotion to strengthening the local arts scene, highlighting Tacoma's neighborhoods, and crafting enduring art for the community. The Community Outreach by an Organization award recognized the Southeast Asian Comedy Collective for its work in creating an environment in which Southeast Asian comedians can thrive, challenging stereotypes and nurturing an atmosphere for diverse voices and experiences. The Community Outreach by an Individual award recognized Kristina Batiste and Reid Ozaki, founders of the Tacoma Pottery Salon, for building a community, providing educational opportunities, and preserving the history of pottery in the Northwest. The 2023 awardees will be honored at Kaleidoscope, the annual Tacoma Arts Month opening party, on Oct. 5, from 6:30-9 p.m., at STAR Center.

Valent BioSciences

To meet the increasing demands and projected growth for its arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) products, Valent BioSciences plans to construct a manufacturing facility in White City, Oregon. This new plant will complement the existing headquarters and manufacturing operations for its subsidiary company, Mycorrhizal Applications, in Grants Pass, Oregon. As a supplier of mycorrhizal soil inoculants, Mycorrhizal Applications researches and markets mycorrhizal fungi. These specialized fungi colonize plant roots to create a symbiotic root-and-mycelial network within the surrounding soils, increasing efficiency in nutrient and water absorption to optimize plant hardiness and vigor. The White City facility will produce AMF used in the agriculture, horticulture, and turf and ornamental markets. Headquartered in Libertyville, Illinois, Valent BioSciences is a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sumitomo Chemical Co.

Trico Companies

Fresch

Burlington-based Trico Companies hired Nicholas Fresch as a senior project engineer in the Service Division. Fresch has over eight years of experience in the construction industry, beginning as a carpentry apprentice and moving into drafting, CNC programming and millwork fabrication/design. Subsequently, he transitioned into project management and engineering as a specialty subcontractor. Fresch spent 10 years in the Navy, and holds a bachelor's degree in business administration and IT systems management from the University of Washington.

Clark Construction

Bainbridge Island-based Clark Construction won two honors in the 2023 Groundbreaker Awards by Procore Technologies. The first was in the Project Excellence: General/Main/Head Contractor category for Clark's reHOME project. This project repurposed many items from a medical clinic renovation into a series of tiny homes for local farm workers. Those items, over 26,000 pounds worth, were also diverted from the landfill. The second award, Groundbreaker of the Year, went to Clark CEO Casey French. Procore reports that French is passionate about building the culture of Clark, made up of nearly 50% women, minorities and underrepresented groups.

ABC of Western Washington

Two more firms have joined the Associated Builders and Contractors of Western Washington: Insulation 4 Less of Tacoma; and Straight Up Electrical of Buckley. Insulation 4 Less is a commercial and residential insulation contractor. Straight Up Electrical provides service work, generator installs, electrical service gear, tenant improvements and more.

National Skills Coalition

Local philanthropist MacKenzie Scott donated $6 million to the National Skills Coalition. The one-time gift was made through her charitable organization called Yield Giving. NSC is a nonprofit that aims to raise skills of American workers across industries.