Dec 15, 2023

Cambia Health Solutions

Portland-based Cambia Health Solutions announced several changes to its leadership team. Lindsay Harris has been promoted to the new role of chief commercial officer to lead the day-to-day performance and growth of Cambia's health plan business across its four-state footprint, as well as leading network management, clinical services and marketing. Harris has over 20 years of experience in health care, most recently as president and CEO of Healthcare Management Administrators (HMA), a Cambia company. Aadam Hussain has been appointed president and CEO of HMA, where he will drive ongoing innovation, growth and support in the design of health plans for employers providing self-funded health benefits. Hussain has led digital programs and strategic partnerships for Cambia since 2020. Prior to Cambia, Hussain spent his career as both an operator and investor working with growth and early-stage health care companies. Finally, Laurent Rotival, who leads strategic technology solutions and serves as Cambia's chief information officer, has been promoted to executive vice president. These leadership changes will take effect Jan. 1.

Oregon Pacific Bank

Oregon Pacific Bank appointed Angelique Whitlow and Jason Hall to its board. Whitlow is the chief financial officer at Hunter-Davisson, and has a background in financial operations, strategic leadership and community engagement. Hall, a CPA partner at Hoffman, Stewart & Schmidt, has a background in assurance, tax consulting and financial statement analysis. The additions of Whitlow and Hall to the board highlights Oregon Pacific Bank's move to fortify its presence in the Portland market. This expansion complements the opening of the bank's new full-service branch in Tigard, Oregon.

Parks and Recreation Commission

Gov. Jay Inslee appointed Scott Merriman as the newest member of the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. The commission is made up of seven citizen members appointed by the governor. Commissioners are responsible for guiding the policies that steer the agency. Other duties include approving the agency's strategic plan, setting budget priorities and approving changes to Parks-related Washington Administrative Code. Merriman recently retired after 35 years of public service in governmental relations, where he worked with the state Legislature, tribes and local governments. Merriman's term runs through Dec. 31, 2028. He takes the seat vacated by Mark O. Brown, who sat on the commission for two consecutive terms, with his tenure totaling over 12 years. Brown also supported Parks through many transformative periods, including a shift from relying primarily on state general tax funding to developing the revenue streams that now fund 80% of the agency. The commission manages more than 100 state parks and properties totaling about 120,000 acres.

Dec 14, 2023

JLL

Betterman

JLL announced the recent hiring of veteran broker Matt Betterman. He makes the move from Newmark. As senior VP, his focus will continue to be on tenant representation in the downtown Seattle area.

Ewing & Clark

Argeres

Leaving his longtime perch at Yates, Wood & McDonald, broker Peter Argeres is now with Ewing & Clark, that firm recently disclosed. Casey Losh, the CEO at E&C, said in a statement, “We are ecstatic that Peter joined Ewing & Clark. He has been a top commercial broker in Seattle for over three decades.”

1892 Capital makes loans in Renton and Kelso

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Compton Lumber is now building a new home in Renton, following an October land deal worth almost $7 million, which the DJC then reported. And, more recently, 1892 Capital Partners announced that it loaned over $7.5 million to Compton to secure the site. Ryan Carter at Bellevue Capital Group brokered the deal. Charles Farnsworth at 1892 Capital said in a statement, “We are truly passionate about being a key enabler for individuals and businesses looking to purchase property and grow their portfolios.” The firm also recently provided over $1.5 million for a 17-lot subdivision in Kelso, with Montrose Homes LLC as the developer there. Corliss Ventures is the family-run parent to 1892 Capital, and Corliss is also a developer in its own right — and a century-old provider of materials to the building trades.

Woodland Park Zoo

Zhang

Woodland Park Zoo named Linda Zhang as its new chief financial officer. Zhang most recently was CFO for Seattle Indian Health Board. Her first day at the zoo will be Dec. 29. Zhang has leadership experience from diverse sectors, including nonprofit, health care, global manufacturing, investment consulting, architecture-engineering-construction and private equity. Previously, she was CFO of HRC Fertility Management, global manufacturer Fushi Copperweld and Chicago-based investment consulting firm Marco Consulting Group. In her new role, Zhang will oversee the business and finance strategy and operations at the zoo. She holds an MBA in finance from Penn State University, and a bachelor's degree in engineering and architecture from Tongji University.

Department of Commerce

Williams

Anderson

Washington Department of Commerce welcomed back two former agency executives to lead industry sector economic development: Julie Anderson rejoined the department in November as agricultural innovation sector lead; and Dr. Joseph Williams came back on board this month as information and communications technology (ICT) sector lead. Both are based in the department's Office of Economic Development and Competitiveness in Seattle. Anderson returns after stints with the city of Tacoma and Pierce County, where she was the elected county auditor for 13 years. Prior to that, she served Commerce (then the Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development) as a senior policy advisor focused on Washington's green economy job initiative, industry cluster development, and Innovation Partnership Zones. She also served on the Community Economic Revitalization Board, providing low-interest loans and grants for public infrastructure to promote private business growth. Williams will again lead ICT sector development at Commerce after serving as the Seattle director of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory from 2019 to 2022. He held the ICT sector lead role from 2016 to 2019, during which time the state experienced unprecedented economic growth in its tech sector. Williams most recently was the global lead partner for the cybersecurity practice at Infosys Consulting. During his previous tenure at Commerce, he was appointed as an assembly program fellow at Harvard's Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society, where he worked with others on developing an AI ethics framework. A former executive at Microsoft and Sun Microsystems, Williams also served as the dean of the School of Business, Government, and Economics at Seattle Pacific University. Williams will lead Commerce's work with the industry, stakeholders and partners to deepen Washington's status as a world leader in quantum computing, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence. His immediate focus includes helping the state secure federal funding made possible by the $280 billion CHIPS and Science Act.