Seattle Mag
Most Influential: Robb Hunt and Steve Tomkins
Executive Producer Robb Hunt and Artistic Director Steve Tomkins turns Village Theater into a nation
Sure, it takes a village to create a theater, but at Issaquah’s Village Theatre, executive producer Robb Hunt and artistic director Steve Tomkins understand that it requires a special passion to turn a theater into a nationally renowned incubator of powerhouse productions. Under the guidance of Hunt and Tomkins (who’ve been with Village Theatre since…
Most Influential: Zoran Popovic and David Baker
Computer Scientist Zoran Popovic meets Biochemist David Baker to collaborate on a video game that en
The meeting of University of Washington computer scientist Zoran Popovic and biochemist David Baker reads a bit like a sci-fi adventure: Computer scientist meets biochemist; computer scientist and biochemist collaborate on a video game that enables tens of thousands of people to contribute to scientific research by folding three-dimensional protein configurations on their home computers;…
Most Influential: M.D. and CEO Mitchell Gold
Mitchell Gold is CEO of Dendreon Corp. rocked into national headlines
Mitchell Gold and the company he heads, Seattle-based Dendreon Corp., rocketed into national headlines this year when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Dendreon’s Provenge as a treatment for late-stage prostate cancer. The value of the company’s stock multiplied more than 10 times as analysts estimated the drug could generate about $1 billion in…
Most Influential: Senator Tracey Eide
State Senator Tracey Eide has worked since 2000 to pass the primary-offense law for cell phones behi
Considering our burgeoning iPhone, smartphone, anyphone population, it’s virtually impossible to dispute state Senator Tracey Eide’s influence over our daily lives. As the driving force behind Washington state’s new cell phone law, which mandates parking our handheld phones before getting behind the wheel (or risking a $124 fine), Eide has worked since 2000 to pass…
Most Influential: The Seattle Times Staff
The Seattle Times staff is the recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for breaking news
The Pulitzer Prize for breaking news in journalism celebrates “a distinguished example of local reporting…with special emphasis on the speed and accuracy of the initial coverage, presented in print or online or both.” Last year, when The Seattle Times learned that four Lakewood police officers had been slain in a Pierce County coffee shop, Times…
Most Influential: Seattle Storm Lauren Jackson
Forward Lauren Jackson help lead Seattle Storm to victory
Possibly the finest player in the Women’s National Basketball Association this decade, Lauren Jackson reminded basketball fans in 2010 that experience, maturity and talent are an awesome combo platter on the menu of leadership skills. At 29, Jackson’s body has experienced enough bruises and breaks to qualify her for a lifetime of guest appearances on…
Most Influential: Founder Kim O’Donnel
Kim O'Donnel is not only a writer, but the founder of Canning Across America
“It was like spontaneous combustion.” That’s how Kim O’Donnel describes the response to her off-the-cuff Twitter suggestion that maybe there should be a national day dedicated to canning. O’Donnel, a former Washington Post food writer who moved to Seattle two years ago (and who at the time of her Twitter post had canned only once…
Most Influential: Speight Jenkins
Seattle Opera general director Speight Jenkins is a hands-on ambassador
Seattle Opera general director Speight Jenkins is a hands-on ambassador. Now in his 28th season, Jenkins attends every performance, greets patrons as they arrive and seizes every opportunity to create new opera fans—even when he’s 30,000 feet in the air. “I’ve never gone on a plane flight [on which] I haven’t convinced someone to try…
Most Influential: Broker Laura Miller
Former restaurateur Laura Miller is the go-to agent for chefs seeking something more than kitchen he
If they ever create a James Beard Award for brokering restaurant deals, Laura Miller is a shoo-in. In a town where restaurants open more frequently than Twilight sequels, even in a bad economy, Miller is the go-to agent for chefs seeking something more than kitchen help. A former restaurateur, Miller likes to work with chefs…
Most Influential: Our Selection Panel
We couldn’t have identified the region’s most influential people without the assistance of our 2010
We are grateful to:Nancy Auer, M.D., board of trustees chair, Swedish Medical Center; John Carlson, KVI-AM commentator; Bob Frause, CEO, the Frause Group; Daisley Gordon, executive chef, Campagne and Cafe Campagne; Stacy Graven, executive director, Meydenbauer Center; Linda Hartzell, artistic director, Seattle Children’s Theatre; Leslie D. Helm, editor, Seattle Business; Alvin Alexander Henry, director of…
Most Influential: Football player Jake Locker
Quarterback for the University of Washington football team
He stayed. Jake Locker could have taken the money and run unimpeded to the nearest wealth management firm. As one of the best college quarterbacks in the nation last year—on a so-so team—Locker had the talent to jump from college football to the National Football League. But he chose to honor his commitment to the…
Style: Tailor Made with James Todd
Gene Juarez's James Todd adds a spirited twist to the Tom Ford skinny suit with pops of pattern
WHY WE LOVE HIS LOOK: It’s only fitting that James Todd has “creative” embedded in his job title. As a creative director for Gene Juarez Salons, Todd’s artistic vision extends from sleek haircuts to his thoughtful approach to suiting. “I’m notoriously formal,” he jokes about his trademark weekday attire, typically a luxe suit accented with…
Shopping Around: November’s Shopping Finds
Our top shopping finds for the month
Wax OnWhen pressed on the inspiration for his new line of apparel and bags, 27-year-old Green Lake–based designer Mike Jolley looks straight down—at his tin-cloth Filson coat, passed down to him by his grandfather. A descendant of cotton farmers, Jolley has taken heritage to heart with the recent debut of his Legacy Clothing “Prospector 2011”…
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