Edward C. Nixon, “Richard Nixon, Master Teacher: His Impact on My Life and on the Rest of Us”
Ed Nixon grew up in the small Quaker community of Whittier, California, during the Great Depression. He was the youngest of the five Nixon brothers. Richard Nixon, 17 years older than Ed, was like a second father to him, as well as a teacher and mentor.
After receiving his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Duke and North Carolina State, Ed served our country as a Naval Aviator, helicopter flight instructor, and Assistant Professor of Naval Science at the University of Washington. In 1957, he married Gay Lynne Woods, who passed away in 2014.
Steve Heck, Chief Innovation Officer, Getty Images
As Chief Innovation Officer, Steve Heck is responsible for leading Getty Images’ Innovation Group, to spur further growth and new revenue streams for Getty Images, within new and existing markets. In this role, Heck oversees a dedicated research and development team that explores emerging technologies to generate new, or improve existing products in Getty Images’ portfolio.
Marcus Womack, Executive Vice President, Software & Services, Axon, “From Tasers to Body Cameras – a Company Transformation”
Marcus Womack is responsible for all software R&D at Axon, where he is dedicated to transforming the enterprise software experience for law enforcement, public safety, and justice professionals. In his role, he leads product management, engineering, design, and security for the Axon software platform. He is also the General Manager for Axon’s Seattle office.
Marcus joined Axon in 2013, after his company Familiar, where he was CEO and co‑founder, was acquired by Axon.
Kimberly Harris & Jon Fine, United Way of King County, “State of Homelessness in King County”
Jon Fine has been with United Way of King County as its President and Chief Executive Officer since 2000. Under Mr. Fine’s leadership, United Way of King County is one of the largest United Ways in the country and is also one of the leading human services organizations in the Puget Sound region.
Prior to United Way, Mr. Fine served a successful tenure as the CEO of the Seattle/King County Chapter of the American Red Cross. Before joining the Red Cross, Mr. Fine worked for Weyerhaeuser and then in the banking industry, with Puget Sound Bank, from 1981 to 1993. He served as Senior Vice President and Treasurer of Puget Sound Bancorp and as Managing Director of Puget Sound Securities.
Kimberly J. Harris is President and CEO of Washington state-based Puget Sound Energy, a subsidiary of Puget Energy.
Named president in 2010 and chief executive in 2011, Harris is focused on providing PSE customers with safe, dependable, and efficient energy service. Under her leadership, PSE has gained national industry recognition for its worker safety program and joined with the American Red Cross to launch the “Safe in the Sound” emergency preparedness initiative.
Steve Marshall, Executive Director, Center for Advanced Transportation & Energy Solutions, “The Future of Transportation: Smarter, Safer, Greener & Faster”
The Center for Advanced Transportation and Energy Solutions (CATES) is a Seattle-based think tank. Its Executive Director, Steve Marshall, is a former utility executive and utility chief legal counsel, with extensive experience in both the public and private utility sectors. He has been a leading advocate in moving from oil to electricity in transportation and other advanced transportation technologies, known as ACES (Automated, Connected, Electric and Shared).
Tom Reeves, TerraPower, “The Future of Energy & Rethinking the Role of Nuclear Power”
Tom Reeves is a Project Engineer who works in supply chain management at TerraPower, a Bellevue-based company developing advanced nuclear reactors, with the goal of providing the world with a more affordable, secure, and environmentally friendly form of nuclear energy.
Jonathan D. Mayer, PhD, Professor, Epidemiology & Geography, University of Washington, “Pain: The Largest Epidemic”
Jonathan Mayer is Professor of Epidemiology, Medical Geography, and Internal Medicine (in the Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases) at the University of Washington. He is also Adjunct Professor of Global Health and Services. Jonathan’s major interests are in the epidemiology of infectious diseases, the use and development of clinical trials in several areas, including pain and psychiatry. He has been spending much of his research and teaching time on the epidemiology and treatment of pain and pain disorders.
Brent J. Beardall, President & Chief Banking Officer, Washington Federal, “Washington Federal: After 100 Years, What’s Next?”
Brent Beardall is President and Chief Banking Officer of Washington Federal (NASDAQ: WAFD), the largest bank headquartered in the State of Washington. It was recently announced that he will be appointed CEO on April 1, 2017. In March 2014, Beardall became Chief Banking Officer responsible for all client-facing activities, and in July of 2016, he was named President.
Beardall, age 45, joined Washington Federal in 2001, as Controller, after serving as Audit Manager with Deloitte & Touche for three years. In 2003, he was promoted to Chief Financial Officer and joined the executive management committee.
The Rev. Dr. Lucas Mix, Evolutionary Biologist & Episcopal Priest, “Thinking Fairly: How We Reason in Science & Religion”
Lucas Mix studies the meanings of “life” in biology and theology. After receiving a PhD in evolutionary biology from Harvard (2004), he studied divinity and was ordained priest in the Episcopal Church. He has served as an inner city pastor, college chaplain, college professor, and consultant on interdisciplinary communication.
Joseph C. Todd, Chief Information Officer, City of Tukwila, “Cities & Businesses Providing Digital Equity Together”
Joseph Todd was hired by the City of Tukwila in 2016 as its Chief Information Officer. He brings a wealth of knowledge from the private sector, where he spent seventeen years in research and development, corporate audit, and implementing and operationalizing large scale enterprise systems for front and back office users.
Previously, Joseph was a Senior IT Manager, leading Collaboration Services at Alaska Airlines and a Senior Manager at the Boeing Company, where he spent 15 years and held several leadership roles in various organizations, which included: Shared Services Group, Information Technology, Phantom Works, Boeing Research and Tech, Boeing Corporate, BCA Airplane Programs, Boeing Defense and Spaces Systems, and Sales and Marketing.
Drs. Garrett Hyman & Gary Chimes, Lake Washington Sport & Spine, “Why We Started the Health Optimization Movement”
Garrett Hyman, MD, MPH, is the founder of Lake Washington Sports & Spine. Dr. Hyman and his business partner, Gary Chimes, MD, PHD, launched their Health Optimization Program in January 2017, with the intent of helping athletes of all ages live a healthy and optimized lifestyle.
Keeping people active is the mission at Lake Washington Sports & Spine, which Dr. Hyman founded in 2012 to help patients and staff live the best possible versions of themselves. LWSS specializes in sports medicine, plus health and wellness optimization, combining musculoskeletal expertise with vast clinical wisdom and a desire to incorporate happiness-based medicine into their treatment programs.
John V. Rindlaub, Former Executive Vice President/Regional President, Wells Fargo International Group, “Leveling the Playing Field on Trade With Asia, Including China”
John Rindlaub served as an executive vice president and Asia Pacific Regional President for the Wells Fargo International Group until July 2016, when he returned to the Pacific Northwest. Based in Hong Kong for five years, his responsibilities included ensuring enterprise-wide consistency and effectiveness of the bank’s governance framework and Asian platform, and John represented the interests of the company to bank regulators, central banks, financial institutions, Asian multi‑nationals, and U.S. companies with activities in Asia. Previously, John served as CEO for Wells Fargo’s Commercial Banking activities in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Western Canada. He joined Wells Fargo in the Pacific Northwest Commercial Banking role in 2002.
Zach Scott, Seattle Sounders, “Reflections on a Long Professional Soccer Career & Bringing an MLS Title to Seattle”
There’s only one nickname appropriate enough to stand the test of time for Zach Scott: Mr. Sounder. Scott started his career with the Sounders in 2002, when the team was in the USL-1 division. He anchored the back line for six years before the team joined MLS in 2009. From 2002‑2008, Scott made 154 appearances for the team and scored eight goals, including the decisive penalty in a 2008 semifinal shootout against Sporting Kansas City that sent Seattle to the semifinals.
Joe Landon, Chairman, Space Angels Network
Space Angels Network is the world’s largest angel investor network focused on space companies. Chairman of the Board Joe Landon is a prominent connector of entrepreneurs and investors in the space industry, and he has been featured in media outlets such as The New York Times, The Economist, The Huffington Post, Bloomberg TV and Space News. Joe also serves as CFO of the billionaire-backed asteroid mining venture Planetary Resources, and he previously led Spaceflight Program Development at Space Adventures, Ltd. and worked as an engineer at Boeing Satellite Systems.
Nancy Sanford Hughes, President, StoveTeam International, “Cooking Shouldn’t Kill”
Nancy Hughes is a graduate of Whitman College, the mother of three, and the grandmother of two. Prior to her work establishing StoveTeam International, she was a stay‑at‑home mom.
In 2003 she met Irma, a young woman whose hands had been burned shut after falling into an open cooking fire. Wanting to help, she transformed a small Rotary club project into an effective international charity that has helped develop local factories to produce life-saving, fuel-efficient cookstoves in the developing world.
Dr. Tim Mills, Superintendent, Bellevue School District, “Bellevue School District — Did You Know?”
Dr. Justin (Tim) Mills joined the Bellevue School District as Superintendent in July 2012. Prior to his role in Bellevue, Mills was Superintendent of the North Clackamas School District in Oregon, a district serving more than 17,000 students.
Mills has also served as superintendent in the Mesa Valley County (22,000 students) and Brush Public School Districts, both in Colorado. He was the Colorado Superintendent of the Year in 2009.
Christine L. Martin, Executive Director, Airlift Northwest, “Under Our Wing: The Airlift Northwest Story”
Since 2008, Chris Martin has been leading Airlift Northwest on its mission to improve health and serve the community by saving lives, wherever needed, 24‑7‑365.
By employing some of the most highly trained and experienced nurses and pilots in the country, Airlift Northwest has the ability to handle any patient transport, from advanced cardiac life support to neonatal resuscitation — regardless of the patient’s ability to pay. Airlift Northwest operates out of five bases around Washington State and one in Juneau, Alaska. Chris Martin’s plan to extend Airlift Northwest’s reach and coverage area is motivated by her strong desire to be accessible to as many patients as possible.
Yahn Bernier, Valve Corporation, “Valve’s (Lack of) Structure: How It Actually Works & Empowers Our Employees”
Yahn Bernier is a computer game programmer and corporate director for Valve Corporation in Bellevue. He originally grew up beside the beaches of central Florida, with a brief stint in Ethiopia, where his father’s job took the family.
Yahn attended Harvard, where he received a degree in Chemistry, and then attended the University of Florida, where he received his law degree. He then worked as an attorney for a patent law firm in Atlanta. After writing one too many patents for polyester chemicals, Yahn and his wife Beth McCaw moved to Seattle in 1998, when Yahn retired from the practice of law to pursue his hobby of making video games.
Yahn has worked on the technology that underlies most of Valve’s products, from the game software and tools to Steam. He was one of the original programmers on Valve’s first game Half‑Life, which won over 50 Game of the Year awards.
Young Entrepreneurs: Ben Waters, CEO & Co‑Founder, WiBotic, Inc. & Belle Pan, Primary Innovator, Founder & Student Member, iRummage
Ben Waters co-founded WiBotic, Inc., in 2015 to commercialize the wireless charging solutions he developed at the University of Washington. WiBotic provides wireless power solutions and fleet management systems to charge the rapidly growing ecosystem of aerial, mobile, and aquatic robot fleets.
As a graduate student, Ben developed the FREE-D System — a wireless power system for implanted medical devices called left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) — to eliminate power cables that penetrate through the skin to power these implanted heart pumps.
Belle Pan is the main innovator of iRummage, turning used goods into money for schools. Users buy and sell items on the iRummage mobile platform, and the proceeds go to schools. Buyers gets cheap goods, and sellers have raised money for a school and received a tax deduction from their donation. User studies show 100% interest and support from buyers, sellers, and schools alike, with the strongest interest from schools.
iRummage is also a business education platform for kids. School campaigns will be run entirely by students, structured in the form of a company.
Colin Berg, Eddie Bauer Historian & Curator of Company Archives, “Northwest Born, Adventure Raised”
Colin Berg has been a professional writer for 30 years. He has worked for Eddie Bauer for a total of 19 years over a 29‑year period.
For the last 9 years he Colin has been the brand historian and curator of the company archives. In that role, he has traveled to New York and Munich, Germany, to give presentations to media representatives. He has given interviews to several trade publications, including Inventory, Gear Patrol, Mental Floss, and Outside.