Aug 05, 2026

Folio: The Seattle Athenaeum

Cumming

Caroline Cumming, executive director of Folio: The Seattle Athenaeum, has announced plans to step down at the end of 2026 after a decade with the organization.

Folio's board of directors said it will immediately begin a search for her successor, reporting Cumming will remain in the role through the transition to ensure a smooth handoff.

Cumming joined Folio in 2016 as a part-time business manager and became its executive director in 2018, succeeding founder David Brewster. During her tenure, she guided the membership library through its relocation to Pike Place Market, navigated the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and oversaw a period of growth that expanded both its programming and membership base.

Under Cumming's leadership, Folio launched several notable initiatives, including Seattle's first Human Library event in 2022 and the 2025 NEA Big Read, featuring author Jess Walter. The organization also expanded its book discussion groups, literary programming and community events while strengthening its role as a cultural and civic gathering place in downtown Seattle.

Board President Robin van Steenburgh credited Cumming's leadership, nonprofit expertise and vision with helping shape Folio's success and long-term stability. As the organization celebrates its 10th anniversary, board members said they plan to build on her legacy by continuing efforts to create a multicultural, intergenerational library and cultural center in the heart of the city.

Aug 04, 2026

Grant Zahajko Auctions

Photo via Grant Zahajko Auctions [enlarge]

Up for bid, a 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth baseball card.

Grant Zahajko Auctions will hold its final auction in Davenport on Aug. 12 before relocating its operations to Mesquite, Nevada, later this fall. The Sports Cards & Memorabilia, Comic Books, Autographs + Collectibles auction will be conducted both online and live from the company's Davenport gallery.

Founded in 2016, Grant Zahajko Auctions said it has enjoyed a strong relationship with the Davenport community, citing the city's affordability, small-town atmosphere and proximity to an international airport as key reasons for originally establishing the business there. Owners Grant and Gina Zahajko regularly travel nationwide to secure consignments for auction.

Company officials said the relocation will help reduce operating costs, improve access to a larger workforce and strengthen shipping logistics, allowing the firm to remain competitive while maintaining customer service standards. The new location will place the company closer to a larger pool of prospective consignors. Day-to-day operations and contact information will remain unchanged.

The company's new Mesquite facility is expected to be ready this fall, after which the move will begin and likely take several weeks to complete. Dates for the first auctions in Nevada have not yet been announced. Additional information is available at http://www.gzauctions.com.

Jul 31, 2026

Washington Conservation Corps jobs

The Washington Conservation Corps (WCC) program is recruiting about 260 AmeriCorps members to support critical restoration and recreation projects across the state.

WCC is a career-development program within Ecology providing hands-on experience and mentorship to young adults and military veterans. We work with more than 100 partner entities that have environmental restoration and recreation projects for our members including cities and counties, local conservation districts and parks departments, Tribes, state and federal agencies, and nonprofit organizations.

Our WCC members serve partner organizations either as part of a six-person field crew made up of one supervisor and five members or as an individual placement.

During the current WCC service year, which started Oct. 1, 2025, and ends Sept. 10, 2026, members supported hundreds of conservation projects throughout Washington. They reduced fuel loads in wildfire-prone forests near Spokane, created a self-guided walk focused on plants and trees at Tukwila Park in King County to commemorate Earth Month, and delivered supplies to Whatcom County residents impacted by the historic December 2025 floods.

WCC member positions are open to young adults ages 18-25, as well as military veterans and people with mental or sensory disabilities of any age. Members receive a living allowance, health insurance, professional training, and an education award after successfully completing their term.

Positions start service on Oct. 5, 2026, and end on Sept. 15, 2027. Field crew interviews are scheduled on a rolling basis, so we recommend applying early at https://apps.ecology.wa.gov/wcc/

Jul 30, 2026

The Greater Everett Chamber of Commerce

The Greater Everett Chamber of Commerce has launched Meet Everett, a new marketing campaign designed to reframe the conversation about Everett by introducing the people who manufacture, innovate, create, serve and invest there.

The campaign features business owners, entrepreneurs, manufacturers, innovators and community builders telling their own Everett stories. Through video, photography, outdoor advertising and digital content, Meet Everett highlights the people behind the businesses and ideas helping shape the city.

“Meet Everett is about changing the way people see our city by introducing them to the people who are already building remarkable businesses, products and experiences here,” said Wendy Poischbeg, president and CEO of the Greater Everett Chamber of Commerce. “Everett has an incredible legacy of making, but that story is still being written in our manufacturing facilities, laboratories, restaurants, shops and gathering places every day.”

The first Meet Everett bus-side advertisements are set to go live this week, featuring Katherine Hillmann of South Fork Baking and John Carswell of APEX Everett.

The campaign website, MeetEverett.com, includes the first three video stories, featuring Vince Rossetti and Sean Drought of Tapped as well as Hillmann of South Fork Baking and Carswell of APEX Everett.

Additional videos featuring Parker Burke of Fluke, Savanna Thompson of Helion and Sotirios Rebelos of Apollo Exos Records are set to join them this week.

Jul 28, 2026

KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM

Michaels

KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM, a Bonneville station, announced the addition of Inside Out with Tami Michaels to its weekend programming lineup. The one-hour show will premiere on Saturday, August 8 and air weekly from 2:00 to 3:00 PM PT.

Hosted by Tami Michaels — a Pacific Northwest's lifestyle and home improvement expert — Inside Out will bring listeners an entertaining and informative mix of interior design trends, practical how-to advice, innovative home and lifestyle products and services, pet topics, and more. Michaels, a licensed General Contractor with more than 25 years of diverse interior design experience, brings a designer's eye and a contractor's know-how to every conversation.

“I am incredibly honored to join the legendary team at KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM and to start this new chapter in a city that truly lives and breathes local radio,” said Michaels. “My goal has always been to spark entertaining and helpful conversations on home improvement from an interior designer's perspective. There simply is no better way to do that than right here on KIRO Newsradio. I can't wait to get behind the mic for the debut of Inside Out and start connecting with our listeners every Saturday from 2–3 PM. We're going to have some fun and tackle home improvement topics that matter, creating spaces — and lives — where happy people truly live.”

Jul 24, 2026

Gesa Credit Union

Gesa Credit Union and Willamette Valley Bank, together with the bank's parent company, Oregon Bancorp Inc., have announced a definitive agreement for Gesa to acquire the Salem-based community bank, bringing two community-first institutions.

Under the agreement, Gesa would acquire substantially all of Willamette Valley Bank's assets and assume substantially all of its liabilities, in an all-cash transaction. The transaction was unanimously approved by the boards of directors of Gesa Credit Union, Willamette Valley Bank, and Oregon Bancorp.

The acquisition is subject to regulatory approval and approval of the Oregon Bancorp shareholders. The transaction is expected to be completed in the first half of 2027. Following the completion of the transaction, Willamette Valley Bank and Oregon Bancorp will dissolve and the remaining assets will be distributed to the stockholders of Oregon Bancorp.

Willamette Valley Bank opened in Salem in 2000. Gesa has operated since 1953.

The most immediate change for customers after closing would be the name on the door. Willamette Valley Bank's four branches in Linn and Marion counties and its loan office in Washington County, in the Portland metro area, will stay open and staffed by the same teams. At that point, the people who bank there would become member-owners of Gesa.

Jul 23, 2026

Truebeck Construction

Sunde

Truebeck Construction announced that Aileen Sunde has joined the company in Client Development and Community Partnerships at its Seattle office. With 20+ years of experience in the AEC industry, Sunde brings a strong track record in community engagement, industry partnerships, and communications.

She has extensive experience leading outreach programs and developing apprenticeship pathways and was recognized with ANEW's Agent of Change award, which recognizes individuals who champion equity, cultural heritage, and inclusion in the construction industry. She works closely with local schools, nonprofits, and trade organizations to expand access to careers and growth opportunities in construction.

Sunde holds a B.S. in Interior Design from Bellevue College and is actively involved in several regional advisory boards and workforce development programs.

Truebeck Construction is an industry-leading full-service general contractor specializing in technical building, complex projects, and interiors.

Jul 22, 2026

Maul Foster & Alongi

Hoffman

Maul Foster & Alongi has promoted Matt Hoffman to principal planner in its Seattle office. For more than 20 years, Hoffman has helped communities, public agencies, and private organizations transform underutilized properties into productive assets through a blend of land use planning, development economics, and real estate strategy.

Throughout his career, Hoffman has guided projects that advance affordable housing, economic revitalization, workforce development, infrastructure planning and brownfield redevelopment across Washington. His work focuses on helping communities evaluate development opportunities, secure funding, and create actionable implementation strategies for projects that generate long-term community benefits.

Hoffman's expertise also extends to economic development and land use policy. He regularly advises ports, local governments, economic development organizations, and industries on business planning, market analysis, and grant-funded initiatives.