Bellevue Chamber Board of Directors

Kendall Anderegg is the President and Chief Operating Officer of Mutual Materials. She came from Intel to join Mutual Materials in 2002 and advanced into leadership roles working across the company in Information Technology, Operations, Sales, and Marketing before being promoted to company president in 2014. Today, Kendall is responsible for running all facets of Mutual’s business and has been instrumental in driving the strategic plan determining Mutual’s future growth plans. Kendall is also a fifth generation shareholder of the closely held private company.

As a graduate of the University of Washington, Kendall has a BA in Creative Writing and an MBA with an operations emphasis. Active in national industry associations, Kendall is the Chair of the Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute (ICPI), the first woman to be elected to that role.

Locally, she serves on the board and executive committee for the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce, the board of the Northwest Concrete Masonry Association, and on the Advisory Board for Girls on the Run of Puget Sound. She is also a member of Vistage International and coaches for the Cascade Striders youth cross country and track teams. She was recognized by Puget Sound Business Journal as one of their Women of Influence in 2016.

Jared Axelrod is the Manager of Public Policy for Amazon. He works with policymakers at the local, regional and state levels in Washington state. He also works with trade associations and policymaker organizations throughout the United States to better serve Amazon’s customers and advance Amazon’s public policy priorities and worldwide operations.

Prior to joining Amazon, Jared was the Government Affairs Manager for philanthropist Paul G. Allen’s Vulcan Inc. There, he was responsible for day-to-day government relations activities at the state and federal levels on a wide variety of projects, worked to implement legislative and public affairs initiatives for Vulcan and Vulcan-affiliated organizations, and represented Mr. Allen in various legislative, political, and business settings.

Prior to that, Jared worked at Ceis Bayne East Strategic, a local government relations and public affairs firm in Seattle, where he supported various public, private, and non-profit clients. He also previously served as a Legislative Aide for U.S. Senator Patty Murray in her Washington, D.C. office; handling the Senator’s defense, veterans’ affairs, technology, telecommunications, space, science, and judiciary portfolios.

Jared received his Masters of Public Administration from the Daniel J. Evans School of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Washington, and his B.S. in Political Science and Economics from the University of Oregon. He currently resides in Seattle.

Jim serves as Senior Manager of State Legislative Affairs for T-Mobile, at its headquarters in Bellevue, WA. He is responsible for government affairs in several western states, including Washington. Prior to T-Mobile, Jim built the state government affairs program at Western Wireless and led that group until it was acquired by Alltel Wireless. He also led the public affairs practice groups at two communications agencies in Seattle—Edelman and Nyhus. Clients included Microsoft, PhRMA, the Washington State Department of Commerce, the Washington Lottery, Sapphire Energy, Fate Therapeutics, Allied Waste, the Innovation Alliance, and the Space Needle.

Jim also served as House Counsel to the Washington State House of Representatives and Legislative Counsel to U.S. Senator Slade Gorton. Early in his career, he clerked for Court of Appeals Judge, Gerry Alexander and practiced law at the law firm of Owens Davies Mackie in Olympia. Jim received his law degree from Santa Clara University and was Editor-in-Chief of the Santa Clara Law Review. He received a BA in Political Science from the University of Washington in Seattle.

Bob joined Washington Federal with nearly 20 years of experience providing both growth and acquisition financing, as well as banking service solutions to clients ranging from local middle market firms to large public companies. The majority of his banking career has been spent working with companies in the technology, manufacturing, transportation, professional services, and distribution sectors.

Prior to banking, Bob was a mechanical engineer for 12 years, primarily in structural design. Bob holds an MBA from Kent State University and a BS in Mechanical Engineering from West Virginia University.

Stephanie Bowman currently serves as President of the Port of Seattle Commission. She’s also the Executive Director of Washington ABC, a statewide non-profit organization promoting policies and programs to help economically-disadvantaged communities build assets through investments in education, home ownership, savings, and small business development.

Stephanie has more than 18 years of experience working in the areas of transportation and economic development on the local, state, and federal levels; including at the Port of Tacoma and Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce. Stephanie has been active with the American Association of Port Authorities, the Coalition for America’s Gateways and Trade Corridors, and the Pacific Northwest Waterways Association. Locally she has served on the Boards of the Plymouth Housing Group and the Rainier Valley Food Bank. In 2007, Stephanie was selected as a Fellow with the American Marshall Memorial Foundation.

Raised in Hilo, Hawaii, Stephanie moved to Seattle in 1991. She lives in the Beacon Hill neighborhood in south Seattle and is an avid windsurfer.

Randi (Brooks) Brazen was a well known actress in the 80’s appearing in over 60 TV shows and movies during her 11 year career in Hollywood.  She starred in Murder She Wrote, Magnum PI, Designing Women, and Mancuso FBI just to name a few.  After moving to Bellevue in 1993 with three young daughters and her husband Joseph, their family has become pillars in their West Bellevue community.  They are one of the dominant forces in the residential real estate market with their Brazen@Windermere team; their legendary 520 Bar and Grill on Main Street, a place where Bellevue has gone for the past 15 years for Food, Fun & Cocktails; and most recently opened their newest venture Central Bar + Restaurant located at the base of the W Hotel.  Serving on numerous boards and charities, the Brazens are deeply entrenched in Bellevue and great ambassadors of this amazing place they call home.

Dominic leads Microsoft’s Global Public Affairs team. He leads a team of more than thirty-five communications and government affairs professionals based in Seattle, Washington D.C., and Brussels. He’s responsible for defining and telling the broad story about Microsoft’s role in the world, and the contribution the company makes to the communities.

His team works to help strengthen the company brand and advance the company’s public policy agenda around the world. At a time of rapid technological change this agenda is focused on ensuring technology is trusted, used responsibly, and leaves nobody behind.

Dominic’s team is responsible for all of Microsoft’s global communications across a range of high-profile issues at the intersection of technology, corporate reputation and public policy. Areas of responsibility include privacy, cybersecurity, environmental sustainability, human rights, global trade, accessibility, public policy, litigation, compliance, affordable access, corporate social responsibility, and Microsoft Philanthropies.

He’s a member of both the Communications Senior Leadership team, and the Senior Leadership team for the company’s Corporate, External and Legal Affairs function. He reports directly to Microsoft president, Brad Smith.

Prior to this role, Dominic has held a variety of communications leadership roles at Microsoft in both the U.S. and Asia. These include roles in Global Communications, Corporate Communications and in the Windows Product Division.

Jennifer Clark is General Manager of specialty sales at Alaska Airlines. A Pacific Northwest aviation professional, she is directly accountable for steering the strategic and tactical efforts of Alaska Airlines’ corporate sales efforts with a staff of professionals. She is responsible and accountable for all sales and revenue for Alaska’s private charter agreements, wholesale business, group sales, seafood customers and small and medium-sized business customers. Jennifer works in tandem with other business sales leaders to drive incremental revenue through the business travel community and travel management companies, leveraging aspects of Alaska’s commercial offerings and alliance partnerships.

Jennifer was born and raised in Bellevue, Washington. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications at the University of Washington. Prior to joining Alaska Airlines, she worked in the telecommunication industry from 1989 – 2015 where she worked for McCaw Cellular Communications which was later acquired by AT&T. During this time, Jennifer became a Director of Sales and developed and hired a large, national sales team across the country.

Jennifer stayed with AT&T until 1999. She then joined Nextel Communications as a Sales Director and worked to build their first national accounts team. Nextel was later acquired by Sprint in 2005 where Jennifer served as Director of Sales over a 10-state region in the Pacific Northwest and Desert Mountain area managing a team of over 75 sales professionals.

Jessica Clawson is a land-use attorney with McCullough Hill Leary. Her focus is land use entitlements in complex urban regulatory environments. Born and raised in the Puget Sound area, she has assisted in permitting thousands of residential units and several million square feet of office space in the region.

Jessica enjoys spending weekends on Hood Canal with her husband, two young children, and a very large cat.

Chris is a founding partner of Falco Sult. He heads the firm’s management advisory services and consulting functions.

Chris’s clients cover a wide range of industries including printing and graphic arts, real estate, construction, high tech, property management, wholesale distribution, manufacturing, professional services and service organizations.

Chris is a member of several professional organizations which include the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Washington Society of Certified Public Accountants, the International Business Brokers Association, the National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts, Alliance of Merger & Acquisition Advisors, Vistage International and the Printing Industries of America and Southern California.

Currently, Chris serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors for The Seattle Humane Society. He also participates as an active member of the Board of the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce and a Trustee for the Eastside Business Alliance. He is also a member of the Washington State Department of Revenue Business Advisory Council.

In the past, Chris has served as Chairman of the Board for the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce and as Vice Chair of the Bellevue Entrepreneurs Center. He has also served as Board President of Sahalee Country Club and General Chairman for the 2010 US Senior Open at Sahalee and Assistant General Chair of the 2016 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. He recently served as the Chair of the Eastside Business Roundtable. Chris is a former member of the Board of Directors for the Greater Redmond Chamber of Commerce and has also been a volunteer in the Lake Washington School District “Lunch Buddy” program. Recently, he was appointed and participated on the City of Redmond’s Homeless Task Force.

In addition to his undergraduate work at the University of New Mexico where he received his Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Chris also holds insurance licenses and is a Registered Investment Advisor. He is also a certified M&A advisor and business broker, holding credentials as a Certified Business Intermediary and as a Certified Merger & Acquisition Advisor.

Brian Franklin joined PMF Investments in 2009 and now serves as the company’s President. He specializes in large-scale project management, marketing and operations.

Carrying on the legacy created by his father, Nat Franklin, Brian’s focus is on expanding PMF’s portfolio of retail and mixed-use properties as well as the company’s geographic footprint. He prides himself on a commitment to structuring deals that benefit all parties involved. This means thinking creatively, balancing recognized national brands and unique local businesses as tenants, and always taking a team-oriented approach with each project partner.

Brian has led some of the firm’s highest profile development and redevelopment projects, including Bellevue’s Kelsey Creek Shopping Center, which is anchored by Washington State’s first Walmart Neighborhood Market. He has played central roles in revitalizing underdevelopment properties and creating new community gathering places that contribute vibrancy and economic activity to cities and neighborhoods.

Brian is a graduate of the University of Arizona where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree. Brian lives in Bellevue with his wife Ashley and their two Golden Retrievers.

Gary Guenther, a shareholder and senior vice president at Kidder Mathews, is an expert in developing & implementing successful commercial real estate strategies for corporations, individuals, and investors in the greater Puget Sound region, with an emphasis on the Eastside market. His clients range from large corporate headquarters, healthcare organizations, startup to scaleup technology companies, and local & institutional investors.

In his 20 year career, Gary has been involved in hundreds of leasing and sale assignments worth billions of dollars, including corporate relocations, sale leasebacks, lease renewals, subleases, acquisitions/dispositions, and build-to-suits. His market knowledge, longstanding relationships, and creative strategic planning help his clients achieve maximum value and flexibility with all their commercial real estate needs.

Prior to joining Kidder Mathews, Gary worked with the real estate affiliate of the Government of Singapore. He previously served on the Kidder Mathews board of directors, is regularly asked to present on market real estate trends as a CRE expert, and has earned the title of CoStar Power Broker.

Azmeena Hasham leads Verizon’s Community Engagement program in Western Washington, where she works to support the missions of nonprofits and community leaders across the state. She also actively advocates for Connected Communities, which enable smart cities and connected vehicles in order to save lives and prevent injuries, reduce harmful emissions, enhance public safety, and improve transportation and digital equity. Azmeena aspires to build deeper relationships with communities across Washington and ensure that Verizon employees have meaningful volunteer opportunities to give back and strengthen their community.

Azmeena has a background in both the business and technical divisions of Verizon. She has held multi-functional roles in R&D, Product Management, Enterprise Architecture and Public Policy. She has lived and worked in six countries and speaks four languages. She holds an MBA from Cambridge University, UK; MSc Computer Science from Carleton University, Canada; BSc Mathematics and Computer Science from McGill University.

Azmeena has two sons and is an avid fan of the outdoors. She can be found year-round hiking and trekking in the mountains.

Nancy Heen is a seasoned executive who, prior to founding Axelerate in 2003, spent 17 years in the aerospace industry leading large, cross-functional technical teams responsible for the successful design and implementation of complex projects. She launched Axelerate with a focus on providing comprehensive project management support to organizations large and small in both the public and private sectors.

Over the years, she has expanded the company’s mission to include on and off premises contract support for business intelligence, content management, and information technology, as well as outsourcing, temp-to-hire, and direct placement services. Her ability to understand and successfully match the client’s needs and business culture with corresponding consultant skills and experience has resulted in Axelerate’s continuing growth and success.

A natural leader, Nancy has an inclusive communication style that allows multiple opinions to surface from which she can determine the essential problem to be solved and select the best consultant for the job. She is able to consume large amounts of information and winnow out the relevant pieces needed to understand what a client needs and what kind of resources will bring success. In order to ensure success for both her clients and for Axelerate, Nancy seeks out the most highly qualified and experienced people to fill Axelerate’s professional roster, putting them through a significant vetting process before assigning them to a client. The combination of her successful project completion stats, professionalism, and integrity has bred loyalty to Axelerate from both her client base and her staff.

Nancy takes great pride in giving back to the community. She has been a long-time year-round supporter of Hopelink and its mission to provide stability to those in crisis while equipping clients to exit poverty on a permanent basis.

Jim is from Boulder, CO and a graduate of the University of Colorado. 
 
With professional focus on public policy, public affairs and strategic communications, Jim joined Kemper Development Company as Vice President in 2004.  
 
Prior to joining Kemper, Jim worked in Washington DC as a legislative aide to US Senator Frank Murkowski; in Law and Corporate Affairs for Microsoft Corporation; and as Director, US Public Policy at Amazon.  
 
In his role at KDC, Jim is responsible for government affairs, public relations, communications and strategic initiatives.  Jim manages a land-use legal team and works closely with KDC’s corporate marketing, operations and real estate development teams.
 
Jim is immediate past chairman of the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce and has served on the boards of the Bellevue Police Foundation, Eastside Business Alliance, Overlake Hospital Foundation, Association of WA Business, Seattle Sports Commission and the International Friends School in Bellevue. 

In addition to his duties as Chairman of the Board and Manager of our Bellevue Commercial Department, Dwight is an Account Executive and active in our Real Estate Practice Group. He coordinates the resources within our firm to design and implement insurance and risk management programs that support his clients’ business objectives. He directs our account teams in risk analysis, exposure reviews, and account marketing strategies.

Dwight works with some of our most complex and challenging real estate and property accounts. He is an expert in structuring risk management programs for mixed-use, commercial, retail, industrial, and residential exposures. He also specializes in complex wrap up placements for multi-family projects of all types (apartment, condominium, and townhome). As a specialist in accounts headquartered in the Pacific Northwest and along the West Coast, Dwight’s expertise extends to earth movement, flood, wind, and other catastrophic property exposures. He offers a full range of support and educational services tailored to our real estate clients, utilizing both in-house and third-party resources: property valuation tools, earthquake modeling, deductible and limit analysis, and assistance with allocation methodology.

Prior to joining Parker, Smith & Feek in 2002, Dwight held management positions in the technology and telecommunications industries, where he developed an extensive background in sales, business development, and operational management. Dwight received a B.S. in finance from the University of Washington.

He is active in industry associations, including the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP) and Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA). Dwight is also a member of the Pacific Real Estate Institute (PREI). He is a past board member of the Eastside District YMCA, where he has been involved in capital campaigns and fundraising.

Betsy Kippenhan is currently the Vice President of Human Resources for the Washington Region. Prior to relocating to Washington in 2018 she served as the Vice President of Talent Acquisition and Management since 2015. Betsy joined Comcast in 2012 as the Director of Talent Operations. Before joining Comcast, Betsy served as the Senior Manager of Talent Acquisition for the US at Wolters Kluwer North America, which is a global leader in professional information services. She began her professional career in 1997 with Advantage Resourcing, where she spent 13 years in a number of HR roles with increasing responsibility, and last served as the Vice President of Field Solutions.

Betsy holds a Master’s of Science in Management with an emphasis on Organizational and Leadership Development from Regis University in Denver, Colorado and a Bachelors of Arts in Political Science from The Ohio State University.

Outside of work, Betsy enjoys spending time with her family, golfing, hiking and fly-fishing.

As Bank of America’s Pacific Northwest Credit Executive, Brandon Kirkbride is responsible for leading a regional organization and delivering a broad range of credit solutions to commercial customers in ten U.S. states.  Brandon’s organization is focused on structuring, underwriting, documenting, and delivering debt related transactions for private and public businesses.  He has regional accountability for all existing and new commercial lending for companies ranging from $5 million to $2+ billion in annual revenues.  Brandon has expertise in complex and structured transactions for clients in a broad range of industries.  He has delivered a full suite of debt and related solutions including working capital, real estate, leveraged lending, acquisition finance, and syndicated finance solutions. 

Matthew Klutznick, a native of Chicago, holds a B.A. in Business Administration from Columbia College and is a licensed real estate broker in California, Oregon and Washington state. He is currently the General Manager of The Bravern. Over his 30 years in the shopping center industry, he has developed, redeveloped and managed luxury and airport retail throughout the United States.

Ken Krivanec is the President of Quadrant Homes in Washington state. He has held other roles at Quadrant including Executive Vice President and Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. Ken has significant experience in strategic planning, consumer research, land acquisition, product design and development, operations, project/corporate finance, sales/marketing, organizational development and mortgage operations. He developed his homebuilding expertise with Ivory Homes, Ryland Homes and KB Home. He currently serves as a Board Member and Executive Committee Member of the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust and the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce.

Kenneth attended the University of Utah, Baylor University and the University of Washington Business School.

Matt Laukaitis is the Senior Vice President and General Manager of SAP’s Consumer Industries practice in North America and is responsible for the division’s strategy, partner ecosystem, and revenue performance throughout the region.

Since joining SAP in 2004, Matt has been a leader within SAP’s U.S. consumer industries organization and a hands-on strategic partner for customers; helping them solve their most critical business challenges. He has also led SAP’s corporate citizenship program in the U.S., Pacific Northwest, connecting SAP volunteers with local community organizations, placing an emphasis on K-12 education, and family support organizations. Prior to SAP, Matt worked at IONA Technologies, Netfish, RR Donnelley, and Apple, where he served in sales and sales leadership positions.

Matt holds a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and an MBA from the Thunderbird School of Global Management in Phoenix, Arizona.

Craig provides audit, accounting, and financial advisory services to closely held businesses and their owners since joining the firm in 1998. He serves clients in real estate, retail and wholesale, software development, distribution, and marketing. Craig also has extensive experience in auditing and providing consulting services to early-stage businesses, and venture-backed and private equity-backed companies.

Craig currently serves on the Accounting Advisory Board for Washington State University National Board of Advisors and is President for The Club at Snoqualmie Ridge. He is a past board member for Northwest Entrepreneurs Network, Allinial Global Business Development and Marketing Committee, and Treasurer and Executive committee member for Bellevue Police Foundation.

Craig has a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting and Finance from Washington State University and is an alumni from the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce Young Executives.

J. Michael Marsh joined Overlake Medical Center in April 2014 to serve as the organization’s president and CEO. With 33 years of experience in strategy, business development and operations supporting hospitals and health systems; Marsh has demonstrated success at all levels of management within different markets and across the entire continuum of care.

Prior to joining Overlake, Marsh spent 26 years with Providence Health and Services, with 14 of those years in senior executive positions. In his most recent role, he served as chief administrative officer for Providence’s Western Washington region.

From 2006-2011, Marsh served as both chief operating officer and chief strategic officer for Providence’s Washington/Montana; region supporting five markets (1,700 beds, 500 physicians, 25,000 employees) and a full continuum of post-acute services. In this role, he was additionally responsible for information services, communications, advocacy/government relations, strategy/business development and physician services.

Marsh holds a master’s degree in Health Services Administration from the University of Washington. He is married and has one grown daughter and a grandson.

Josh Marti is the Co-Founder and Chairperson of Bellevue based Point Inside, Chairperson of the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and Member of the United Rentals Advanced Solutions Group.

At Point Inside, we’ve built the most flexible and advanced indoor mapping and location technology but, mapping is not what we do – it’s how we do it.

Our mission at The Bellevue Chamber of Commerce is to foster a healthy business environment by providing strategic leadership, advocacy, tools, and resources for business success.

United Rentals Advanced Solutions Group works to connect man, machine, material and environment for its customers by using innovative technologies to disruptively increase job-site productivity and safety.

Considered an expert in wireless location based systems, I was responsible for several of the largest consumer GPS deployments prior to co-founding Point Inside in 2009. I’m blessed to have so many cool colleagues, a beautiful wife, four rambunctious daughters and the funnest job on the planet!

Honored as a Seattle 40 under 40, I hold a Bachelors of Science in Electrical Engineering from Seattle University and sit on EE & CE Advisory Board as Past Chair.

Dave Masin is the current Director of Sales, Marketing, and New Business Development at Catalyst Workplace Activation, a commercial furniture company providing workplace solutions to companies both locally and nationally. 

Dave is a fourth generation Seattle-lite, growing up on Mercer Island, having attended Mercer Island High School and the University of Washington (aka – the Harvard of the West).  Dave is a former President of Masin’s Fine Furnishings & Interior Design in Bellevue, Washington, a fourth generation, family-owned retail furnishings store and interior design firm. Dave has served on numerous boards and is an active volunteer.

When he isn’t playing duck, duck goose with his two young children, Dave enjoys cooking, running, watching football (go Seahawks!), entertaining, and great wine.

Milbrath is responsible for delivering on AAA’s brand promises – trust and peace of mind — every day. He has been with AAA Washington for 30 years working in Travel, Automotive, and Human Resources.  Currently his areas of oversight include the delivery of Emergency Road Service (ERS), the Approved Auto Repair Network, operations of the ERS Fleet, the full-service leisure Travel Agency, and the Member Services in its 17 AAA Store locations throughout the Club’s territory. High quality service delivery in every interaction with members is his primary goal and responsibility.

Milbrath continues to work closely with the AAA National Office and other clubs, serving on workgroups and project teams to improve the overall AAA Association’s effectiveness. He has been involved since the inception in 2012 of AAA’s Automotive Engineering initiative, testing, and evaluating new vehicle technologies including the building blocks of fully automated vehicles.

Milbrath received a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree from Pacific Lutheran University and his MBA from Western Washington University. He also attended the Executive Education Program at Columbia University and is a graduate of the Leadership Tomorrow program.

Penny Milliken is currently CEO of HeR Interactive, developer, and publisher of Nancy Drew videogames and mobile apps. Penny’s background is a unique mix of entertainment marketing and finance. She has been working in the Entertainment industry for over 20 years with more than half of that time at The Walt Disney Company, both in the U.S. and Europe.

Her broad entertainment background includes digital media, television animation, feature animation, theme parks, motion pictures, and filmed entertainment. She has to her credit some of the most successful branding and franchise roll-outs for entertainment properties.

Penny has an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Prior to business school, Penny was a commercial banker at Continental Illinois National Bank. Penny is a voting member of the Television Academy (Emmys) and is a board member and treasurer of the Traverse City Film Festival.

Senior Executive, Quality Architect, and Leader with over 30 years of experience building and inspiring teams that delight customers with innovative solutions spanning many emerging and existing technologies in US and International market. After receiving his master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering from University of Texas Michael started his career at Texas Instrument where he led various teams in designing and delivering ASIC chipset used in Military applications, later on Michael took the leadership in delivering advanced processors used in SPARC stations. Michael joined Microsoft in 1997 where he held many leadership positions including managing Microsoft Office International quality development for more than 9 years. He then joined Microsoft Windows Division where he managed quality teams delivering Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10 along with many other deliverables such as Surface and IOT line of products. His last few years at Microsoft Michael worked as Partner Quality Manager and Architect in Windows Analog Division where he played a major role in developing HoloLens. Michael is a serial entrepreneur with proven track record in disruptive technologies. He’s passionate about learning new technologies and consider himself life-long student, researcher, challenging the unknown, and explorer. After 19-year Michael, left Microsoft to pursuer future challenges in Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality world. He is currently involved in training, consulting, developing, and innovation in Mixed Reality technologies in many industries such as Education, Medical, Automotive, manufacturing, and e-commerce.

Craig Pankow joined The Partners Group in 2016 with over 30 years of experience under his belt in the insurance field, including extensive expertise in team and operational leadership, strategic planning, and sales management. Craig draws from his insurance experience as President & CEO of PointSure Insurance Services, Western Region Marketing Officer of Willis of North America, Executive VP/Co-Founder of Penhurst Insurance Services, and Regional Marketing Officer of Eagle Pacific Insurance Company.

Craig is a graduate of City University with both a BA and Master’s degree in Business Administration and Management. Craig also has an Associate’s degree in Risk Management from the Insurance Institute of America.

Craig was one of eight founding members of the Rick Pankow Foundation, an all-volunteer that is designed to help cancer patients and their families deal with the financial challenges of the disease. He stays busy raising funds for this organization through an annual golf tournament, a 5K run/walk, and the Trees of Hope campaign. In his free time, Craig enjoys the outdoors by hiking and boating with his wife and four daughters.

Pam Rock is a seasoned healthcare professional with a background in service line management; healthcare operations; and strategy, program and business development. She currently serves as the Vice President, Medical Service Lines and Specialty Programs at Seattle Children’s. She is responsible for the growth and development of the various pediatric medical sub-specialty programs, oversees operations of Seattle Children’s partnerships with community hospitals for contracted professional services, and has oversight for Seattle Children’s regional network operations. Prior to joining Seattle Children’s, she served as the Cancer Center Director at Overlake Medical Center. 

Pam has a master’s degree in healthcare administration from Arizona State University, a bachelor’s degree in health education from the University of Utah and is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives.

She currently serves on the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce Board, as well as on the Board of the Washington State Healthcare Executive Forum (WSHEF), the local chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE). 

John began his career with KeyBank in 2005 as Senior Vice President of Retail for the Seattle Cascades District. Previously at Wells Fargo, he was the Community Bank President for Marin County and San Francisco, California. In 2013, John was promoted to the Regional Retail Leader responsible for 143 retail branch locations as well as KeyBank Mortgage in the state of Washington.

John is very involved in a diverse selection of civic and community boards and councils including serving on the Executive Board of Directors for the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce, where he’s Vice Chair of Finance; Board Member on the Academy of Finance; and Chair of the Board for the March of Dimes, Washington chapter. John has served as a mentor for at risk teens and for the Executive Development Institute (EDI) focused on Asian and Hispanic leadership development. John grew up in Northern California’s Sonoma County and graduated from the University of California at Davis with a degree in Management and Economics.

Alex Rule is the Area Vice President, Sales for Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.’s Northwest employee benefits consulting practice, where he supervises and supports a team of senior consultants serving more than 500 local, national, and global companies.

With over 25 years experience in the health care and insurance field, Alex is an expert in employee benefits and an astute observer of health benefit trends and issues. He understands the challenges employers face in today’s market, including the need to balance increasing costs while maintaining high-quality benefit programs. He helps clients navigate complicated questions, including impacts of regulatory mandates, technology, a changing workforce and consumer demand, while finding solutions to best meet their needs.

In addition to his consulting work, Alex has held key management positions with insurance companies with a special focus on payer/provider relations, network and product development, and the delivery of cost and quality transparency initiatives.

He holds a bachelor’s degree from Bowdoin College, has earned CLU, ChFC and CEBS designations and is an active volunteer with Rotary International.

Greg Russell has been a business transactional attorney for more than 25 years. Much of his practice consists of serving as the functional equivalent of an external general counsel for businesses ranging from “mom and pop” companies to those having more than $500 million in annual revenue. By learning about the business and operations of clients, Greg is able to provide alternatives and solutions to businesses consistent with their objectives in response to legal matters that arise.

With a broad-based corporate advisory and transactional background, Greg’s practice includes advising businesses and business owners concerning succession planning, shareholder and partner agreements, commercial transactions, mergers and acquisitions, commercial real estate matters (including project financing and real estate syndications), asset and stock purchases (including purchases and sales of businesses), and commercial finance and related transactions (including private placements of securities under Regulation D). He also represents clients in the negotiation, drafting, and review of complex business agreements.

Greg also frequently advises businesses on executive compensation (including deferred compensation through option and other incentive programs) and shareholder disputes (including shareholder “divorces”).

Greg’s real estate practice includes representing buyers and sellers of real property, forming special purpose entities to hold and manage property, representing promoters and developers in raising capital, syndicating real estate transactions, and helping clients obtain project financing through Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the SBA.

Aside from practicing law and family matters, Greg is passionate about helping to improve the community. He has been instrumental in a number of community programs. He has served as a volunteer lawyer at the Eastside Legal Assistance Program since 1991; and since 1991, has been a board member and/or officer with the Downtown Action to Save Housing (where he is currently Chairman of the Board).

Barney Silver is the Vice President, Finance & Operations, for BitTitan, Inc., a Bellevue based SaaS software company. He is responsible for business operations including finance, legal, real estate, and corporate development. He began his career in New York in the investment banking division of Morgan Stanley and has over 20 years of experience as a financial leader and CFO in the technology industry. He has advised businesses on capital raising (debt and equity), and complex mergers and acquisitions. He has worked for and advised early stage companies as well as large multinationals in Asia, Europe, and the U.S.

Barney holds an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and a bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College.

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Gary Smith is a 29-year veteran in the media industry and has been involved with our industries digital technology and digital publishing since its inception. Gary is a graduate of Eastern Washington University with a BS in Computer Science.

He spent his first 14 years in the industry at The News Tribune in Tacoma, WA. While in Tacoma, he led the newspapers development efforts first with Audiotext which migrated to bulletin board services and then the internet. Gary’s last role there was Interactive Media Director.

In 2003 Gary moved to Raleigh NC, where he became the Vice President of Interactive Media. Over the next 13 years, Gary continued to lead the N&O in digital publishing advancements while growing the business side of the operation. He became VP of IM and Classifieds in 2006 and VP of Advertising in 2014.

At the start of 2017, Gary joined The Seattle Times in Seattle, WA as Vice President of Advertising.

Leslie Smith is the Director of Public Policy at Vulcan Inc. and an integral member of the government and community relations team. In addition to building strong relationships with elected and civic leaders, she participates in regional policy deliberations on issues ranging from transportation infrastructure to homelessness and housing.

Prior to joining Vulcan, she was the founder of the Alliance for Pioneer Square; the economic development organization credited with the transformation of Seattle’s oldest neighborhood.

In addition to her roles in leading non-profits, Leslie has run her own consulting firm, served as COO of the Bainbridge Graduate Institute, CEO of the Washington Initiative for Supported Employment, and as the executive in residence for the Center for Disability Policy and Research. Leslie brings a track record of vision, strategy, and effective execution in senior leadership positions across sectors. She has a MA in organizational systems and is a certified executive coach.

Karina has practiced public accounting since 1999. She provides business consulting, tax planning, and tax compliance services for corporations and flow-through entities; with a focus on professional services firms, real estate and hospitality industries. Karina helps clients achieve their strategic goals through tax planning and entity structuring. Her focus is optimizing taxation and helping clients choose options that are best matched to their business models, needs, and cashflows. Karina is well versed in the nuances of various business structures and applicable tax law. She provides innovative solutions to operational issues and strategic goals such as entity selection, equity/debt structuring, equity compensation, ownership succession, and M&A transactions. Karina approaches client service through a collaborative way of proactively engaging with clients, identifying their needs profile, and developing solutions that are best suited for their businesses.

Justin’s extensive knowledge and expertise of the construction trades comes from growing up in the family business and the depth of experience gained over the last 25 years in the industry. He has extensive experience managing and supervising everything from podium mixed-use and other multi-unit projects to general commercial buildings and healthcare projects. Today, Justin leads Synergy Inc. as CEO with a commitment to operational excellence and developing innovative solutions to industry problems. Under Justin’s direction, the company launched Synergy Modular, Inc. to solve the cost and trade shortage issue prevalent industry wide. By partnering with offsite suppliers to provide full modular construction services, they are able to offer a single source contract for turn-key buildings with a fixed cost in 40-50% less time. Synergy now has the ability to deliver projects of all types for our select developer partners using the best technology available for the unique needs of each to ensure our client’s success.

Carol is an accomplished executive with extensive experience in marketing and government relations. She has a diverse background in telecommunications, civic business groups and philanthropic organizations. She has over 20 years of experience with the AT&T External Affairs organization leading numerous successful campaigns to gain government support for wireline and wireless network programs. Over the life of her career at AT&T, she has experienced tremendous industry evolution.

Carol has held many leadership roles with Community Based Organizations. She currently serves on the boards of the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce; USO Northwest; the Washington E911 Advisory Council; Washington Alliance for Better Schools; and the national board of InspirASIAN, one of AT&T’s 12 Employee Resource Groups.

Born in Key West, Florida, Carol grew up in Southern California and graduated from Santa Ana High School and the University of Redlands. Carol lives in Woodinville, Washington where she enjoys gardening, golf, travel, and spending time with friends and family.

Kevin Wallace oversees all development and acquisition activity for Wallace Properties. He is also responsible for all legal matters for the company’s three divisions: Brokerage, Property and Asset Management and Investment/Development. Kevin began his career as a Real Estate Attorney at K&L Gates in 1997 then moved to Foster Pepper in 2001. Active in a variety of civic endeavors, he is a native of Bellevue, where he serves on the Bellevue City Council and lives with his wife Natalie and three sons: Gabe, Garrett and Zachary.

Andy Wappler is vice president, Customer Operations & Communications for Puget Sound Energy.

Wappler leads the company’s customer service, customer engagement, communications, community engagement, and strategic business intelligence teams. His groups are charged with coordinating customer/community outreach, enhancing our data capability and developing our customer service platform.

Wappler has a Master of Science degree in Journalism from the Medill School at Northwestern University and a Bachelor of Arts degree with Honors in English from the University of Washington.

He is married and has two children.

Leshya is a partner at Wig Properties and leads the development of mixed use and retail projects. Ms. Wig has worked in real estate development for over 10 years at companies including Colliers International, IDS Real Estate Group, and Blake Hunt Ventures. While at Wig Properties, Ms. Wig has led the development of 230K SF of retail property, and during her tenure at IDS Real Estate Group, she managed in excess of 500K SF of industrial and office properties. Ms. Wig holds an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and a Bachelor of Arts in economics and psychology from Claremont McKenna College.

As W2A’s Chairman, Tony has helped resolve public policy challenges for almost every major industry in the Pacific Northwest. He specializes in executive counsel, serving as a strategic advisor to several elected officials, CEOs and top managers. Tony is known for his keen ability to diagnose, resolve and articulate sensitive internal and public issues.

Tony helped launch W2A after a 15-year career on Capitol Hill, where he managed political campaigns, worked as a press secretary and served as Chief of Staff to U.S. Senator Slade Gorton. The Capitol Hill newspaper, Roll Call, twice placed him on their “Fabulous 50” list of congressional staffers. He saw first-hand how public policy can positively or negatively impact our economy, environment and Northwest way of life.

An Oregon State University alumnus, Tony serves on the OSU Foundation’s Board of Trustees and is Chair of the Beaver Caucus, a volunteer-led group that advocates for higher education and OSU’s interests in Salem, He also serves on the boards of the Seattle Chamber of Commerce and the Bellevue Downtown Association.

Cindi and Tony live in Clyde Hill and are active in their community. Their oldest son, Joshua, 20, is in his second year at The University of Iowa’s inclusive college program for young adults with intellectual disabilities. Their youngest son, Jacob, is 14 and is an 8th grader at Chinook Middle School.

Sue Anderson is the Vice President of Operations for Century Link in Washington state. She is responsible for delivery of consumer and business-based fiber services and oversees corporate social responsibility, community, and public relations.

In 2015, Sue was awarded Woman of the Year by the University of Washington Undergraduate Women in Business as well as several other awards in previous years.

Sue has partnered with the Seahawks since 2012 and recognizes ten High School Athletes of the Week and four non-profit organizations with on-field recognition at Seahawks home games each year.
With a BA in Business Administration, Sue graduated from the University of Washington and got her Masters of Business Administration from Seattle Pacific University.

Sue was born and raised in Woodinville, Washington.

Patrick Bannon has been president of the Bellevue Downtown Association, a membership organization of business and civic leaders who champion a strong economic and cultural heart for Bellevue and the Eastside, since 2013. He was the communications and public affairs manager there for seven years before moving into his current role. Patrick and the BDA team support members with advocacy, marketing and major community events, and strategic programs to help the Downtown area thrive.

Prior to the BDA, Patrick was an account executive for the Seattle and Los Angeles offices of Hill+Knowlton Strategies. He also worked for a year in Hokkaido, Japan as an English teacher for junior high students. Patrick serves on the board of the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, and he is a past chair and board member for Leadership Eastside. He graduated from Pepperdine University, where he also met his wife, Sunni. They are Eastside residents with two fast-growing kids and a yellow Lab.

Judy Buckmaster is responsible for developing and cultivating effective strategic partnerships with community organizations, post-secondary institutions, and businesses that are aligned to the district vision, mission, goals, and priorities.

For more than 35 years, Judy has served the children and families of the Bellevue School District. Judy grew up in Montana and then moved to Washington to attend college. Beginning as a teaching intern at Bellevue High School, Judy continued in the district in a variety of positions including 15 years of teaching, several years as a teacher supervisor, 14 years as principal including time at Eastgate Elementary, Lake Hills Elementary, and Tyee Middle School, and most recently, seven years as the Executive Director of Student Services.

Judy earned a B.A. from Whitman College, a M.A. degree from Central Washington University and principal credentials from the Danforth Educational Leadership Program at the University of Washington.

Away from the office Judy enjoys spending time with family and friends, baking and cooking for others, gardening, reading, and service projects in the community. Judy and her husband Neil have two grown children and their house is now filled with the antics of a seven-year-old black lab and her sidekick a two-year-old tuxedo cat.

Brad Miyake was appointed Bellevue City Manager by the council in 2013. Since then he has successfully guided the organization through a unique period of economic growth, increased demand for services, and long-term budget challenges.

Miyake has been instrumental in Bellevue’s focus on customer service through the One City/High Performance Organization program. In addition, he continues to champion the city’s Diversity Advantage Initiative which emphasizes equity, access, and inclusion for residents. Prior to his current position, Miyake served as a deputy city manager, director of the Utilities Department, and as a longtime budget manager for the city.

He is a member of the International City Management Association and the Washington City/County Management Association.