Apr 23, 2026

Foster Garvey

Ostdiek

Foster Garvey announced that Alice Ostdiek has rejoined the firm as principal in the Public Finance and Municipal Government practice, based in Seattle.

Ostdiek has practiced public finance and municipal law in the Pacific Northwest for more than 25 years. Her practice covers issues ranging from developing new governmental revenue sources to securing capital investments in critical urban and rural infrastructure through the issuance of tax-exempt and taxable bonds and other financing sources, often involving public-private partnerships.

Ostdiek spent the first 15 years of her legal career at Foster Pepper as a summer associate and law clerk, rising through the ranks to become principal. In 2015, she joined the Seattle office of business and finance firm Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth LLP.

Ostdiek holds a law degree from the University of Washington, a master's degree in public administration from the UW and a bachelor's degree from Grinnell College. She is licensed to practice law in Washington and Alaska.

BECU

Kullman

BECU, the country's fifth-largest credit union, announced it has welcomed Ron Kullman as executive vice president and chief risk officer. In this role, Kullman will lead the credit union's legal, risk, compliance and cybersecurity division.

Before joining BECU, Kullman most recently served as chief risk officer for Toyota Bank, where he helped modernize governance, strengthen board and executive risk reporting and implement an enterprise risk framework to support significant growth. Prior to Toyota Bank, as chief risk officer at Employers Holdings, he built the company's first enterprise risk management program, expanding risk, audit, compliance and information security capabilities. In addition, he held senior risk, security and credit leadership roles at State Farm Bank and credit policy and analytics roles at Chase Bank and Capital One.

Kullman holds a Master of Business Administration in Finance from Rochester Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from State University of New York, College at Fredonia.

Apr 22, 2026

Benton & Franklin Counties Superior Court

Howell

Gov. Bob Ferguson has appointed Commissioner Andrew Howell to the position of Benton & Franklin Counties Superior Court Judge. Howell's appointment, effective June 1, fills the position Judge Diana Ruff's resignation will vacate.

Howell is a career public servant who has served in his current role as a Benton & Franklin Counties Superior Court Commissioner in Pasco since 2022, where he presides over a wide range of civil and juvenile criminal dockets. He serves on several judicial committees, including Law Day and family, juvenile and criminal law.

Prior to becoming a court commissioner, Howell spent over a decade at the Benton County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, including six years as its Juvenile Division's Chief Deputy. He also spent five years prosecuting a wide range of felonies, specializing in complex cases, among other roles within the office.

Howell earned his bachelor's degree from Creighton University and his law degree from the University of Montana School of Law.

Apr 21, 2026

King County Superior Court

Scheinman

Gov. Bob Ferguson has appointed attorney Tenaya Scheinman to the King County Superior Court. Scheinman's appointment, effective May 1, fills the position that Judge Jim Rogers' retirement will vacate.

Scheinman is a career litigator with more than 20 years of experience. Since 2024, she has been an attorney at the King County Inquest Program in Seattle, where she presents evidence to juries investigating the facts and circumstances of deaths involving law enforcement. She also serves as a judge pro tempore in King County District Court, Snohomish County District Court and Edmonds Municipal Court.

Before joining the King County Inquest Program, Scheinman served for 16 years as a public defender in King County, where she was named a Senior Attorney in 2017. As a public defender, she represented hundreds of clients in a variety of criminal proceedings, trying over 35 cases to juries and dozens of bench trials. She started her career litigating complex securities fraud cases at the law firm of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati in Seattle.

Scheinman earned her bachelor's degree from Swarthmore College and her law degree from the University of Virginia.

Soutwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines named Seattle as one of a select group of West Coast cities launching its first-ever Sip and Ship program — a perk designed to make bringing wine home as easy as checking a bag. Starting April 24, customers can check one case of wine (up to 12 bottles) at no cost from Seattle. To participate, wine must be packed in a standard wine shipping box or wine suitcase that meets checked bag requirements.

Apr 17, 2026

Highline College

Chachere

Gov. Bob Ferguson recently appointed Lorraine Chachere to the Highline College Board of Trustees.

Chachere is the Economic Development Specialist for the City of Burien, which allows her to focus on ways to improve the quality of life for people by expanding their opportunities. She said she would bring that same commitment to Highline as a trustee.

Highline College Interim President Dr. Jamilyn Penn remarked that Chachere's extensive experience in economic development will be instrumental in cultivating a culture of innovation and progress at Highline.

Chachere said being a first-generation college graduate inspired her to apply for the trustee role. “I have experienced firsthand how access to education can transform lives and expand economic opportunities.”

Prior to joining the Board of Trustees, Chachere was a panelist at the 2024 and 2025 Leadership Summits at Highline College and attended fundraising events for the Highline College Foundation. She is a member of the Rotary Club of Burien/White Center, has volunteered at the White Center Food Bank, and is also a board trustee for the Highline Schools Foundation.

Apr 16, 2026

UserTesting

UserTesting, a provider of customer insights for the enterprise, announced the appointment of Ryan Roland as Chief Financial Officer. In this role, he will lead UserTesting's global finance organization, including accounting, financial planning and analysis, and information technology.

Roland joins UserTesting from Overjet, where he served as Chief Financial Officer and helped scale the company's financial operations during a period of rapid expansion. He has also held senior finance leadership roles at AKASA, an AI-first healthcare technology company, as well as Honor, Teespring, Jive Software, and SAP SuccessFactors.

“Our customers rely on us to help them avoid building the wrong things, and as AI accelerates how quickly products and experiences are created, the demand for what we offer is only increasing,” said Eric Johnson, CEO of UserTesting. “Ryan brings the experience we need to scale thoughtfully so we can meet that demand without compromising quality.”

Sound Credit Union

Sound Credit Union celebrated its partnership with Junior Achievement of Washington (JA) with a ribbon‑cutting ceremony recognizing the grand opening of Sound's educational storefront located in the BizTown section of JA's Auburn campus.

The new storefront is designed to give students hands‑on experience with real‑world financial concepts by simulating the operation of a financial institution. Through interactive roles such as CEO, CFO, Member Service Representative, and Community Relations Officer, students learn how a credit union functions while developing leadership and decision‑making skills.

As “consumers” within the BizTown experience, students practice essential financial habits, including saving money by “paying themselves first.” They also learn how credit scores—much like report cards—impact access to financial tools such as auto loans, home loans, credit cards, and even employment opportunities.

“This storefront gives us a meaningful opportunity to expose youth across Washington state to financial education in a fun and engaging way,” said Don Clark, president and CEO of Sound Credit Union. “Our purpose at Sound aligns perfectly with Junior Achievement's. We are both committed to equipping students with the tools and confidence they need to succeed financially, while also building leadership skills they can carry into their future.”