Jamie Hawk
General Foreman
Tracey Swirski
Senior Project Engineer
Associate DBIA™, LEED Green Associate
Tracey and her four siblings spent their childhood on the family’s 40-foot sailboat, fueling her adventurous nature and love of the outdoors. While still in her teens, she completed a two-year building trades course through the North Olympic Peninsula Skills Center, a hands-on experience that led her to pursue a BS in Construction Management from Washington State University. Tracey is a member of GLY’s Microsoft special projects team, where she appreciates working at all scales of a project. She is a graduate of the Young Executive Program through the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce.
Chris Mela
Accounting Manager
Chris leads GLY’s Accounting department with an enthusiasm for a supportive and tight-knit team culture. He views accounting as a new puzzle to solve each day and enjoys working through the challenges that accompany them. In his spare time, you can find Chris continuing to exercise his mind while reading, writing, and playing board games and video games.
Danielle Sessler
Senior Project Manager
Associate DBIA™
Construction was always part of the plan for Northwest native Danielle, having grown up in a family that owned a contracting business. She took a few detours first, earning a BFA in Metalsmithing and Art History from Central Washington University and working as a Senior Estimator focused on honing her preconstruction services skills. When she landed at GLY in 2013, we quickly recognized her background would be perfect for Design-Build projects. Outside of work, Danielle enjoys hiking, bouldering, climbing—and collecting “odd things that most people scratch their heads over.”
Laura Soma
Sustainability Manager
LEED AP BD+C
It’s no wonder that Laura’s passion is helping people find their potential. She’s worked hard to creatively forge her own career path and achieve her goals. She is active in a number of industry groups and peer networks focused on green building and leads GLY’s internal sustainability efforts. Her background as a Project Manager allows her to connect with clients and project teams to drive sustainability project goals while keeping budget and schedule at the forefront. Laura brings her love of responsible practices [and infectious good spirits] to every project.
Andrew Ellis
Senior Design Engineer
RA, LEED AP BD+C, Associate DBIA™
Andrew spent 14 years immersed in his original calling: Architecture. He found that the most enjoyable and rewarding moments occurred while collaborating with builders. Deciding to blend two passions together—design and construction—Andrew now leverages robust VDC tools to better understand, communicate, and help execute a project’s design intent. Simply put, he constructs the building virtually to iron out any wrinkles before it’s built in the field. Outside the office, Andrew can’t get enough of the mountains. The numbers speak for themselves. He’s made his way to the summit of Mount Rainier via 16 different routes!
Amanda Smith
Yard Coordinator
As a young girl Amanda lived in Hawaii, where a large portion of her family is Native Hawaiian. After moving to Monroe, Washington she spent her high school years in Mansfield, a small town in eastern Washington. She worked for local trucking company before joining GLY, driving HM350 Haul Trucks around jobsites to load onto lowboy trailers, or she calls them, giant Tonka trucks! As part of GLY’s tool and equipment team, she enjoys supporting Jobs from the ground up and watching as the build happens. Amanda and her husband originally met in middle school and later reconnected. Now you’ll find them riding dirt bikes with their kids and spending time exploring the PNW in their Jeep.
Katie Focher
Project Accountant
Katie ventured west from Missoula, Montana to attend Central Washington University where she majored in recreation and tourism and played softball. We love having a ringer on the GLY softball team! When she’s not managing the books for GLY projects she likes to golf, hike, go wine tasting, and watch the Mariners. Her bucket list includes a trip to every MLB stadium, minus Yankee Stadium.
Cameron Cole
Project Engineer
A Bellevue native, Cameron built the foundation for his career through several internships at GLY and earning a BS in Construction Management from Weber State University. His project experience thus far has focused on downtown Bellevue, including the Lincoln Square Expansion and West Main mixed use development. Off the jobsite, he’s an avid outdoorsman – hunting, fishing, skiing, and backpacking – and volunteering as a member of the King County Search and Rescue team. He recently stepped up to serve on the Coal Creek YMCA board of advisors.