Nov 17, 2023

Propeller

Propeller, a Portland-based management consulting firm, appointed Sunil Kasturi as its new chief executive officer. Kasturi has been with Propeller for over a decade, most recently working as Propeller's chief growth officer. Kasturi succeeds Amy Weeden, who has served as CEO since 2012. Propeller was founded in 2012 by Weeden and Jeff Foley. During Weeden's time as CEO, she led the business to annual revenues exceeding $45M, expanded it reach into five markets, and established Propeller as an advisor for several Fortune 500 companies. As part of long-term, strategic succession planning, Weeden will be transitioning into the role of chief strategy officer. In this role, Weeden will focus on the long-term strategy for Propeller, competitive positioning, partnerships, and other key strategic projects. Weeden will continue to remain as co-owner and chair of Propeller's board. Kasturi joined Propeller in 2013 as one of its first consultants. He moved into a director role, managing key client accounts before becoming Portland's first managing director in 2016. Kasturi helped establish and mature the San Francisco market and office as its managing director before being promoted to chief growth officer in 2021. As CGO, Kasturi helped expand and establish the Denver market, kicked off two emerging markets in Dallas and Minneapolis, consolidated cross-firm functions internally, and helped double the size of its practices. Kasturi has held leadership roles for Microsoft, ACME Business Consulting, and Intel.. He holds an MBA from Duke University, a master's degree in computer science from the University of Iowa, and a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from India's Birla Institute of Technology and Science. Propeller has offices in Portland, San Francisco, San Jose, Denver, Minneapolis, and Dallas.

Seattle Opera

Seattle Opera General Director Christina Scheppelmann announced that Chris Burkett, longtime member of Seattle Opera's development team, will take over as the next director of development. Burkett brings years of experience building donor relationships to the role, which he began in October 2023. Burkett started at Seattle Opera in 2018, when he was hired as an individual giving officer overseeing mid-level giving. In 2021, he was promoted into the role of associate director of development for individual giving, in which capacity he led the individual giving team, helped shape broader departmental strategy, and spearheaded the fundraising plan for the company's annual fundraiser, the Big Opera Party. Burkett has served as interim director of development since June 2023. Before joining Seattle Opera, Burkett spent several years working in donor relations at large-scale hunger-relief network organizations, both in Seattle and in the Midwest. Established in 1963, Seattle Opera serves the people of the Pacific Northwest through music, storytelling, and programs for people of all ages. Each year, more than 50,000 people attend the company's performances, and more than 100,000 people are served through school performances, radio broadcasts, and more.

Lattice Semiconductor

Lattice Semiconductor has appointed Que Thanh Dallara and John Forsyth to the company's board of directors. Forsyth will also serve as a member of the Nominating and Governance Committee and Dallara will serve as a member of the Compensation Committee. Dallara has over 20 years of general management and enterprise transformation experience in multiple industries globally. Dallara is currently EVP and president of the global Diabetes Operating Unit at Medtronic. Prior to joining Medtronic, she was the president and CEO of Honeywell Connected Enterprise, Honeywell's software business. Prior to that, she was SVP and chief commercial officer of Honeywell. Forsyth is currently the chief executive officer, president, and a member of the board of directors at Cirrus Logic, a supplier of low-power, high-precision mixed-signal processing solutions for mobile and consumer applications. Prior to assuming the role of CEO, Forsyth held the positions of president, chief strategy officer, and vice president of marketing where he was instrumental in driving Cirrus Logic's product strategy. He also served as vice president of audio products at Wolfson Microelectronics, which was acquired by Cirrus Logic in 2014. Lattice Semiconductor is based in Hillsboro, Oregon.

Nov 16, 2023

SanMar

Draughn

SanMar Corp., a supplier of wholesale accessories and apparel, named Dean Draughn as vice president of sourcing and product development. Draughn brings more than 30 years of end-to-end global experience spanning the entire product life cycle from design to distribution. During his 33-year career, he has developed expertise in leading teams for supply chain management, operations, development, manufacturing, compliance, and quality. Draughn is a member of the Cotton Board, an administrative arm of the Cotton Research and Promotion Programs that serves as a key liaison to the United States Department of Agriculture. Draughn previously served as an appointed member of the United States Department of Commerce and the Office of the United States Trade Representatives International Trade Advisory Committee for Textiles and Apparel. He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Family owned and operated, SanMar is based in Issaquah, with nine distribution centers nationwide and apparel from more than 30 brands.

Electric Era Technologies

Seattle-based Electric Era Technologies, a manufacturer of EV fast charging stations, announced the launch of the first of more than 10 commercial installations across the United States this year, with an installation of its proprietary PowerNode charging station at a Portland Plaid Pantry, with a goal of 10,000 installations across the U.S. by 2030. The Plaid Pantry installation is the first-of-its-kind deployment for Electric Era's patented AC-coupled microgrid EV fast charging technology which combines battery and grid power in real time to distribute to EVs when they charge. The technology uses 25% of the typical draw from legacy EV chargers on the electrical grid, from 800kW down to 200kW, allowing operators to avoid demand-based operating expenses and bolstering the reliability of aging infrastructure. A 10-minute charge from the PowerNode charging station can typically deliver 100 miles of range, depending on the vehicle age and onboard technology. Electric Era Technologies was launched in 2019 by former SpaceX engineers; its PowerNode EV charging stations deliver high-speed, electrical grid-friendly charging at gas stations, convenience stores and quick service retailers across the United States.

NuScale Power

NuScale Power announced the opening of the first privately-funded NuScale Energy Exploration Center (E2 Center) at Seoul National University with partners GS Energy Corporation, Doosan Enerbility Co., and Samsung C&T Corporation. As the first E2 Center in Asia, the educational training hub serves as a workforce development tool for South Korea to develop the next generation of advanced nuclear experts, technologists, and operators, positioning the country to become a regional leader of small modular reactor (SMR) deployment in Asia. The deepening partnership between NuScale and Korean energy industry leaders will help Korean companies advance their SMR capabilities, which could lead to exports of Korean-supported SMRs in the future. Founded in 2007, NuScale is headquartered in Portland.

New restaurant at Rainier Square

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Fogo de Chao is a Brazilian steakhouse chain, which recently confirmed plans to open a new location at Rainier Square. Specifically, it'll take the rooftop level of 400 University, the small companion office building south of the main Rainier Square tower. Expected to open next year, the upscale eatery will have a 5,000-square-foot terrace for outdoor dining. Fogo CEO Barry McGowan said in a statement, “Following the success of the Lynnwood and Bellevue restaurants, we were eager to bring another location to Washington. We are thrilled to open our first Seattle restaurant and rooftop lounge downtown.” Wright Runstad & Co. developed the two new towers, and its Walt Ingram said the restaurant “will be an incredibly important and well-timed addition to our Rainier Square offerings, will add to Seattle's vibrant culinary scene and, as importantly, signal the continued activation of downtown in general.”

Clise Properties

Hill

Clise Properties recently announced that Lori Hill is joining the firm as VP of leasing; she makes the move from Unico Properties. Clise said in a press release, “Lori has a deep understanding of and appreciation for the culture and history of Clise Properties.” The family-run company, founded in 1889, has an extensive portfolio of downtown office buildings, plus one hotel. Clise also announced a bit of reshuffling in its executive suite: Al Clise becomes executive chairman, and Dave Cuthill is now CEO. And Bryan Joyner now takes the positions of president and CFO.