The Green Building Certification Institute has awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Platinum certification — the highest possible, most rigorous certification in the LEED system — to the University of Washington Tacoma's Russell T. Joy Building.
 
The Joy Building is the first in Tacoma and first in the University of Washington to achieve a Platinum rating in the "new construction/major remodel" LEED system. It is the second state-funded building to receive the recognition.

The Professional Truck Driver Institute has granted Bates Technical College's Commercial Truck Driving-Entry Level program recertification.

PTDI certification, valid for five years, means the career education program meets or exceeds industry standards. The certification also helps ensure graduates are adequately qualified to safely handle the demands of the truck driving profession.

The Evergreen State College ranks 10th in the nation on Peace Corps' 2012 rankings of colleges and universities in the small category (less than 5,000 undergraduates). This ranking is up from 11th in 2011.

There are currently 20 Evergreen undergraduate alumni serving as Peace Corps volunteers. Since 1961, more than 200 Evergreen alumni have served as Peace Corps volunteers.

Tacoma-based BLRB Architects will design the remodel for the historic Washington Elementary School building, if the Tacoma School Board approves the administration's recommendation at its Jan. 26 meeting.

A staff team selected BLRB as the top firm from among three finalists interviewed Jan. 11.

In its first six months, online university WGU Washington has more than doubled its enrollment, underlining the demand for non-traditional, affordable higher education options for the state's adult learners.

WGU Washington was established by the legislature in April 2011 in partnership with Western Governors University. WGU Washington enrolled its first students on July 1, 2011, which included existing WGU students living in the Evergreen State – a total of 983 students.

For the fifth consecutive year, nonprofit, online Western Governors University has been named to Military Advanced Education's 2012 Guide to Top Military-Friendly Colleges & Universities.

WGU Washington is a state-endorsed university established by the legislature last year. WGU Washington is one of three state partnerships with Western Governors University and shares the same educational model.

Highline Community College's Board of Trustees has approved a resolution to support legislative efforts to secure new revenues.

The state's budget reductions have left the college with diminished resources necessary to carry out its mission and meet the educational needs of the community. Last year, the state allocation to the Des Moines-based school dropped 20 percent, from $25 million to $20 million. Additional reductions foreseen for the 2011-13 biennium will likely prevent another 1,000 students from attending HCC.

The College of Business at Washington State University was the only Pac-12 school to rank in the top 10 in any of four criteria used by U.S. News & World Report for its inaugural edition of Top Online Education rankings.

WSU's online master of business administration and executive MBA program ranked first in admissions selectivity and third in student engagement and accreditation.

Harpreet Kaur M.D. has joined Garden Terrace Alzheimer's Center of Excellence in Federal Way as full-time, on-site physician. She previously was a medical consultant for Western State Hospital in Tacoma and also was a hospitalist for Fountain Valley Regional Hospital in southern California. Kaur earned her medical degree from Goa Medical College in India. She is board certified in internal medicine.

Benson Porter has been named president and CEO of BECU. He will take over in April from retiring CEO Gary Oakland who served in this role for 25 years. Porter has spend the last five years as president and CEO of First Tech Federal Credit Union in Palo Alto, Calif.  He also has experience working for the Washington State Senate Banking Committee and the state's Division of Banking.  Porter is a graduate of Whitman College and received a law degree from Seattle University.

Karli Jorgensen has been confirmed to serve as a Kent Municipal Court judge. She has served as Kent's primary Pro Tem Judge since 1996. Jorgensen has a juris doctorate degree from the University of Washington. Since 1985, she has worked in both government and private practice engaging in criminal and civil law. Jorgensen is a member of the Washington State Bar Association, as well as the United States District Court of Western Washington and the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Andy Bird has been named aerospace liaison for Clover Park Technical College. He is instructional dean for technology, transportation and science/engineering. Bird's new area of responsibility includes directing the more than $2.2 million in federal and state aerospace grants recently awarded to the college. Since 2008, Bird has led the college's efforts to form a strong partnership with its aerospace industry partners, including Boeing. He has a bachelor's degree in biochemistry and a master's degree in education from Western Washington University, and has worked for CPTC since 2007.

Jenny Duffy has been selected as Mason General Hospital & Family of Clinics' December Employee of the Month. She is a registered nurse  and works in the Emergency Department at Mason General Hospital. Duffy has bachelor's degree in nursing from the University of Phoenix.

Tula Mollas has been selected to receive the 2012 National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development Excellence in Teaching award. She is a developmental education instructor in English and math at Clover Park Technical College.

A U.S. Department of Labor grant awarded to Highline Community College's Center of Excellence for International Trade, Transportation and Logistics is targeting one of Washington's strongest – and relatively unknown – sectors.

"As an industry, supply chain management involves many different types of business processes," said Allison Clark, economic development manager for the college. "Because of that, I think many people don't realize it exists, or know about how many great job opportunities there are in this area."

What's the connection between Olympia and the construction of the 1776-foot tall One World Trade Center building at Ground Zero in New York? You might be surprised.
 
"We all have our perspective on what's not working, whether the topic is politics, media, the environment or the economy," said Michael Zimmerman, academic dean and provost for The Evergreen State College. "The newest Evergreen Magazine offers a different focus. It highlights what is working and tells the stories of people with ties to Olympia – Greeners with inspiring stories, who simply make the world better."

David Sinding has joined Windermere Professional Partners' 19th Street office in Tacoma. He has worked in the real estate industry since 1999.

Fran Hunter has received Master Reviewer certification. Hunter is an online instructor for the Dental Administrative Specialist program at Clover Park Technical College.

Organizations substantially increased spending on learning and development, according to the findings of ASTD's 2011 State of the Industry Report. Organizations in the United States spent $171.5 billion on employee learning during 2010, up from $125.8 billion in 2009.

The report demonstrates that despite current economic challenges, senior executives understand that a highly skilled work force is a strategic differentiator, and they are investing in the development of their employees.

Jeff Kraft has joined Kidder Mathews' Tacoma brokerage division as a vice president. He will specialize in retail leasing, development and acquisitions. Kraft previously worked for Neil Walter Co.

Frederick Mendoza has been appointed to the Highline Community College Board of Trustees. After 30 years of public and private law practice, Mendoza founded Mendoza Law Center, PLLC in 2007. Prior to entering the private law sector, Mendoza served as King County deputy prosecuting attorney in the criminal and fraud divisions. He is a graduate of the University of Washington School of Law.

Michael Radzienda M.D., SFHM has joined Sound Physicians as chief medical officer for the Midwest region. He also will serve Sound Physicians' Northeast region practices. Radzienda most recently served as vice president for hospital medicine and clinical effectiveness at Vanguard Health Systems, a 25-facility, for-profit hospital management corporation with more than 20,000 employees. He is a Senior Fellow in the Society of Hospital Medicine and serves on the organization's Practice Management committee. Radzienda also has held faculty appointments at three medical schools. He graduated from Loyola University's Stritch School of Medicine.

Highline Community College and Washington Export Initiative have formed a partnership to help businesses that are interested in entering or expanding their reach across the globe.

The Washington Export Resource Center web portal offers access to a diverse network of stakeholders, products and services aimed at helping businesses expand their markets. WERC provides free online training, assessment tools, news and information about events.

University of Puget Sound is part of a group of five colleges that are joining forces to establish a broader and more diverse intellectual community in the Northwest.

Through an $800,000 grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the newly formed Northwest Five Consortium of Liberal Arts Colleges will create learning, research, and development opportunities for faculty and students.

Sarah Holdener has been named director of community relations and event management for Saint Martin's University. She previously worked in the university's Office of International Programs and Development, where she oversaw the coordination of the summer cultural exchange programs. Holdener also has been a key planner of the Saint Martin's University Dragon Boat Festival, an annual event in late April that draws more than 6,000 spectators and 32 racing teams. She has a bachelor's degree in foreign language and international affairs from the University of Puget Sound.

Tanya Carroccio R.N., MSN, has been named chief nursing officer for Capital Medical Center. She most recently was vice president and chief nursing officer at Valley Health Warren Memorial Hospital in Front Royal, Va. Carroccio has a bachelor's degree from Arizona State University, a master's degrees in nursing and a master's degree in business administration. She is an active member of the American Organization of Nurse Executives and the American College of Healthcare Executives.