The Washington State Department of Commerce announced that Aaron Wheeler will be departing his position as director of the Washington State Broadband Office (WSBO) on June 27. Wheeler, who was appointed to the role by former Governor Jay Inslee in March 2024, is returning to the Suquamish Tribe, where he previously served for 18 years in information technology.
During his tenure of approximately 18 months, Wheeler oversaw two rounds of applications for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program (BEAD). The office was preparing to launch the third and final round when new federal guidelines necessitated significant changes to the state’s BEAD process. Wheeler expressed enthusiasm about returning to the Suquamish Tribe, citing his passion for IT and education work within the tribal community.
In other technology sector movements, Microsoft is losing Nikesh Parekh, who joined the company through its acquisition of his startup Suplari four years ago. Parekh, who has spent the last two years developing enterprise applications for Microsoft Copilot and Copilot Studio, announced his departure via LinkedIn. He indicated plans to focus on select projects aimed at expanding human potential through artificial intelligence.
The on-demand moving services platform Dolly is also seeing a significant departure as co-founder and former CEO Michael Howell exits after 11 years with the company. Following Dolly’s acquisition by Taskrabbit approximately one year ago, Howell announced his departure on LinkedIn, expressing gratitude to his team, mentors, investors, and customers. He plans to take time for reflection before determining his next career move.
In legal sector developments, Jessica Nguyen is taking on a new role as strategic advisor at San Francisco’s Paragon Legal while
maintaining her position as deputy general counsel for AI Innovation & Trust at DocuSign. Nguyen brings extensive experience from previous legal positions at companies including Avalara, Microsoft, Payscale, and Lexion.
The AI2 Incubator in Seattle has welcomed Hawa Drammeh as a summer intern. Drammeh, who studies Computer Science and Biochemistry at the University of Washington, has an impressive background including internships at major tech companies such as Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Blue Origin, and LinkedIn. She is also known for founding CSEED, a student-led technology and entrepreneurship organization at UW.
YoungTech, a Seattle startup community organization, has made two new additions to its team. Eleanor Knight, a Business Administration student at the University of Washington, has joined as the brand and content strategy associate, where she will oversee storytelling, digital presence, and community engagement. Matthew Chiu, studying Information Systems and Marketing at UW, has taken on the role of business operations and communications associate, bringing experience from positions at Highspot and Okta.
These personnel changes reflect the dynamic nature of the Pacific Northwest’s technology sector, with movements across various domains including government broadband initiatives, artificial intelligence, legal technology, and startup ecosystems. The region continues to see significant shifts in leadership and talent across both established companies and emerging ventures.