Seattle’s Office Evolution: Demand, Development, and Repurposing Assets

Responding to Demand Shifts, Reassessing Portfolios, and Unlocking New Value Through Repositioning and Strategic Upgrades

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  Wende Miller

  Wende Miller is a Principal for Talon Private Capital (TPC). Wende joined TPC in 2012. During her time at TPC, Wende has overseen asset management and leasing for TPC’s portfolio, including partner properties. She has completed over 4.5 million square feet of new, pre-leased, and renewal leases while overseeing property management, project management and brokerage teams in multiple markets. Wende has spent the majority of her 27 year real estate career as a broker specializing is significant transactions for owners, major law firms, corporations, financial institutions and professional and technical firms in the Puget Sound Region. She has implemented much of what she learned as a broker into her daily interactions now as an owner, while leaning on her vast industry relationships to ensure the most advantageous results for TPC properties, their investors and partners. Wende attended Coastal Carolina University in South Carolina where she was a member of the cross country and track teams. Wende is a member and has been actively involved in several industry related organizations such as Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW), CoreNet, National Association for Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP) and Downtown Seattle Association (DSA) and was recently recognized as a Power Woman in Commercial Real Estate by Bisnow. She is also committed to giving back to her community having served as a board member for the Hope Heart Institute, Bishop Blanchet Boosters, Camp Fire USA and a member of the Jubilee Women’s Center Steering Committee where they were successful in raising $5 million in a capital campaign. Additionally, Wende has enjoyed coaching track & field, basketball and soccer for her children’s teams over the years but is now adjusting to the empty nest life since the last of her five children has gone to college.

  Talon Private Capital

  Principal

  Wende Miller

  Principal

  Talon Private Capital

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  Patrick Gilligan

  Patrick Gilligan serves as the Senior Executive Vice President for Lincoln Property Company’s Pacific Northwest and Mountain West regions, and is responsible for all business operations throughout Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Utah. This includes the implementation of all service lines and oversight for all acquisition, development, and redevelopment activities. He has over 20 years of experience in real estate investment and development, and has been a part of Lincoln since 2006, completing over $5.5 billion in transactions. Since entering the Pacific Northwest and Mountain West markets in 2014, he has grown Lincoln’s portfolio to over 10 million sq. ft. of office, industrial, retail, and multi-family assets under management, including such notable projects as Pacwest, Wells Fargo Center, The Sutton multi-family development in Portland, OR; Terminal 1 in Vancouver, WA; and Eastport Logistics in Boise, ID. He also played an integral role in securing development rights to The Point in Draper, UT; a 100-acre master-planned mixed-use community that will result in over 3.3M sf of office, retail, entertainment, and residential projects. Prior to running the Pacific Northwest and Mountain West regions, Patrick served as a Vice President in Lincoln’s San Francisco office for nearly a decade.

  Lincoln Property Company

  Senior EVP

  Patrick Gilligan

  Senior EVP

  Lincoln Property Company

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  Chris Angus

  Chris Angus joined Unico Properties with over 20 years of industry experience. His past responsibilities have included leading preconstruction efforts, supporting constructability analysis, systems selection and integration, sustainability, cost and scheduling feedback. He has worked on a variety of projects including commercial, educational, hospitality, institutional, non-profit and residential projects at all levels of design and construction. Prior to joining our team, Chris worked with Sellen Construction overseeing Preconstruction Services. He has also worked for an international project management and cost control firm on a wide range of project types and sizes.

  Unico Properties

  SVP, Development and Design

  Chris Angus

  SVP, Development and Design

  Unico Properties

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  Rachel Fenton

  Rachel Fenton is recognized for her work collaborating on and accelerating infrastructure projects with municipalities throughout the West. She has a Master of Urban Planning from the University of Utah, a strong background in Government Relations, and significant experience in the wireless industry. This diverse background gives her the ability to create and foster longstanding symbiotic relationships with Municipalities, commercial real estate developers, and partners in the wireless industry. As the Director of Wireless Solutions in the Pacific Northwest, Rachel is responsible for working with jurisdictions, building owners, developers, and wireless providers (T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T) to augment networks in hard-to-reach and dense places. Her role includes addressing one of the major challenges facing many cities right now, which is to bridge the digital divide. She brings with her twenty-eight years of experience and has spent over ten years working within the City of Bellevue. Working for Boldyn Networks, a wireless infrastructure powerhouse with a global presence, Rachel is part of an international team and works to deliver advanced shared network infrastructures that are needed for a smart, inclusive, and sustainable future.

  Boldyn Networks

  Director

  Moderator

  Rachel Fenton

  Director

  Boldyn Networks

The Experience-Driven Office: What’s Next?

How Today’s Most Forward-Thinking Offices Foster Collaboration, Productivity, and Well-Being

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  Mary Fialko

  Real estate professional with a background in architecture, urban design, policy, project management, and finance. I care about making smart spaces- ones that combine sustainable and attractive design and a sense of surprise or delight. I have a passion for communities, and am dedicated to creating the types of places that allow cities and communities to thrive socially, economically, and health-wise.

  Skanska

  Director, Real Estate Development

  Mary Fialko

  Director, Real Estate Development

  Skanska

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  Ed Palushock

  Ed Palushock, AIA, LEED AP, is an Associate Principal at Mithun, a nationally recognized integrated design firm advancing sustainable, community-focused environments. With over 30 years of experience in workplace and office design, Ed brings a hands-on, place-based approach that blends design vision with execution. Drawn towards a tectonic approach, he focuses on how buildings come together, achieve high performance, and create people-centered spaces that shape the city’s evolving urban fabric.

  Mithun

  Associate Principal

  Ed Palushock

  Associate Principal

  Mithun

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  Kara Schmidt

  As Studio Director for Mancini, Kara specializes in crafting dynamic environments that enhance customer experience, hospitality, and future adaptability. Her work spans industries such as technology, law, finance, manufacturing, restaurant, and R&D, each project guided by a human-centered approach that embraces every client's unique brand and culture. Notable projects include Rover's headquarters in Seattle, Fluke's headquarters campus in Everett, and Orrick's offices in Seattle and Portland. Her extensive leadership experience includes serving as President of the International Interior Design Association's (IIDA) Northern Pacific Chapter, where she championed industry advocacy, leading the Chapter to win the Large Chapter of the Year Award.

  Mancini Duffy

  Studio Director

  Kara Schmidt

  Studio Director

  Mancini Duffy

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  Jim McCracken

  Jim joined Emerald Blue in 2016, bringing over 30 years of experience in commercial services. Prior to Emerald Blue, he spent 9 years at JLL, focusing on major account management and vendor oversight within the MAC (Move, Add, and Change) program. He also held leadership roles for over 16 years with Steelcase dealerships in the Northwest. A Six Sigma Green Belt, Jim is passionate about process improvement and quality. He is also a U.S. Air Force veteran, having served 5 years specializing in aircraft weapon release systems.

  Emerald Blue

  VP, MAC Accounts

  Moderator

  Jim McCracken

  VP, MAC Accounts

  Emerald Blue

Presentations

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  Nathan Cheeseman

  Nathan joined Forsite in 2021, bringing decades of experience from leadership roles across the travel, telecommunications and financial services industries. Before coming to Forsite, Nathan spent 14 years at XE, a global currency and international payments company headquartered in Kansas. In his last position there, he was part of the global exec team and led the global commercial business operations, working with teams across the globe including Austin, LA, and Seattle. Nathan is truly passionate about delivering client solutions that are easy to use, minimize risk, and enhance productivity and efficiency.

  Forsite

  CEO

  Nathan Cheeseman

  CEO

  Forsite

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  Kezia Lynch

  Kezia Lynch is a seasoned leader in customer success, marketing, and operations, currently serving as the Vice President of Strategy & Operations for the USA at Parkable. Having led Parkable's growth into the UK and Ireland, she is now based in Denver, Colorado. As a swiss army knife, Kezia plays a pivotal role in expanding Parkable's presence and impact in the U.S. market.

  Parkable

  Vice President of Strategy & Operations

  Kezia Lynch

  Vice President of Strategy & Operations

  Parkable