Brian Ross
Managing Partner
Brian leads YarrowBay's team of accomplished professionals and drives the
company's focus on creating lasting value for its partners, customers, and
the communities where it operates. He and his team consistently take challenging
projects from vision to reality, delivering innovative, resourceful product
with uncompromising excellence.
Brian co-founded the organization in 2001 and brings decades of business
experience with a strong emphasis on real estate to its leadership.
His background encompasses all aspects of the land and project development
process, including experience as a custom homebuilder. Prior to founding
YarrowBay, he directed land acquisition
and subsequent development for a prominent Eastside firm.
As managing partner, Brian takes a hands-on approach to working with
YarrowBay's clients and community stakeholders. He recognizes the importance
and value of a highly competent team and has brought top professionals from
all over the region together to plan and execute the company's projects.
Relationships are a key component in YarrowBay's success, and Brian is
committed to building long-term associations that are based on respect,
honesty, and performance that exceeds expectations. It's a core value
and simply "the right way to do business" for this organization.
A lifelong Eastside resident, Brian continues to be active in local community
affairs and is a long time member of the Master Builders Association. He makes
his home in Kirkland with his wife, Kim, and their two daughters.
David MacDuff
Chief Operating Officer
David has 18 years experience specializing in land acquisition, finance development and sales. He brings a remarkable record of achievement in managing master planned communities to Yarrow Bay Development. Most recently, he led the development of Talus, a 2,000-unit master planned community in Issaquah for Intracorp, directing all facets of the project from concept development, through design/engineering/permitting, construction and sale to builders.
David and his team of consultants and contractors skillfully moved Talus through complicated and evolving political and regulatory processes to create win/win solutions for all. The result is an outstanding, successful community that has garnered widespread recognition and a number of awards, including the Master Builder Association Gold Nugget Citation of Merit (2003), Puget Sound Regional Council's "Vision 2020" Award (2003), Cascade Land Conservancy's inaugural New Directions Award (2003), and the Mountains to Sound Greenway Certificate of Merit (2002).
David is a graduate of Lawrence University in Wisconsin and holds an MBA from Seattle University.
David serves on the board of the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust and is an avid outdoorsman. He and his family make their home in Preston.
Colin Lund
Director of Development
Colin specializes in Land Development Strategy, Project Negotiation, and Project and Consultant Management on behalf of Yarrow Bay Communities, following a successful career as Director of Planning for Triad Associates. His responsibilities at Yarrow Bay include overseeing all pre-development activity and management of its land development staff.
He has a broad background and wide range of experience in all facets of land and project development, including work in the public sector as a planner for the City of Pasadena and the Orange County Transportation Commission.
Among Colin's notable accomplishments are authoring and negotiating a development agreement for the Talus Master Planned Community in Issaquah, and his expertise in comprehensive feasibility analyses, entitlement strategies, and project representation during public processes. Colin is an active ULI Member and serves on a District Council.
Colin earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Urban & Regional Planning at California Polytechnic University and holds a Transportation Analysis Certificate from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He also completed Executive Leadership Training at Harvard University. He and his family reside in Woodinville.
Kevin Thomas
Senior Site Designer/Landscape Architect
Kevin brings over 15 years of land use planning and site design experience to
YarrowBay Communities. His work has contributed to the success of numerous
residential projects throughout the Puget Sound region, including The Farm at
Woods Creek, Outlook Ridge, and most recently, Bridges.
Kevin's strengths include his ability to work through the three-dimensional
challenges of highly constrained sites, which are common in the Puget Sound area.
He consistently provides thoughtful, innovative solutions in determining the
highest and best use for a site to maximize its potential.
At the same time, Kevin understands that creating quality communities is not
just about the numbers. It's about neighborhoods where people live and play,
and it's about creating value that sustains and enhances the quality of life
for residents as well as the community at large. Kevin brings his personal
talents and commitment to this mission, which drives all of YarrowBay's operations.
Kevin is a graduate of Iowa State University with a Bachelor's degree in Landscape Architecture and Master's degree in Landscape Architecture.
He and his family make their home in Mill Creek.
Sterling Hamilton
Senior Financial Analyst
Sterling Hamilton is a financial and market analyst who has worked and consulted in land use planning and sustainability practices for the past six years. Mr. Hamilton has conducted regional economic analysis, market research and financial analysis for a wide variety of public institutions and private businesses. Sterling’s broad experience has led him to a passion for land use issues and the intelligent means for growth in the Puget Sound region.
Sterling’s analytical work stems from his strong ability to approach his quantitative tasks with an eye for creativity. Sterling understands that the way forward in any economic climate may not always be clear, but that creative problem solving is both beneficial and even necessary in finding optimal solutions to complex real estate and land use opportunities.
Sterling spent the early part of his career working in affordable housing and, while in Seattle, he worked as an associate project manager for HomeSight. He still maintains strong relationships with the many men and women of the non-profit development sector. Through these relationships and his own experiences, Sterling aspires to maintain the ideals of housing as a means to individual wealth and security for all peoples of our region. Sterling obtained his Master’s degree from the University of Washington in Urban Design and Planning, studying under George Rolfe in the Runstad Center for Real Estate Studies. Sterling’s education has helped to shape his understanding of both public and private interests in the development process.
Prior to joining Yarrow Bay, Sterling completed several market studies for Built Green® Washington which have been utilized by many “green” organizations in understanding the value of environmental certifications for homes in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties. These studies were the first of their kind and led to Sterling’s presentation of his findings in a panel discussion at Built Green Washington’s annual conference on sustainability. Sterling’s ability to provide objective economic analysis to a growing number of “green collar” professionals has aided to the overall understanding of the correlation of market realities and new ideas.
Sterling is an active naturalist and outdoor enthusiast, making regular trips to the mountains and the ocean where he enjoys many of the sports they provide. Sterling lives with his wife in the First Hill neighborhood of Seattle.
Megan Nelson
Director of Legal Affairs
Megan is a graduate of Stanford Law School. Her education also includes a double major in Economics and Government from Claremont McKenna College in southern California. Prior to joining YarrowBay, Megan was an attorney at a preeminent real estate, land use and environmental law firm in the Pacific Northwest. During that time, Megan counseled private and municipal clients on a wide range of real estate, land use, and environmental matters, including purchase and sale transactions, critical areas and shorelines regulations, the State Environmental Policy Act, and the Growth Management Act.
Megan brings this experience to her work at YarrowBay. She supports the organization's needs in legal and regulatory matters, from working with local jurisdictions in project entitlement processes to structuring complex land transactions. Megan takes an collaborative approach to her work, including managing outside counsel, thus keeping her energy high and focusing on optimal performance.
Outside her professional life, Megan serves as a board member for Habitat for Humanity of East King County. Megan lives with her husband Ryan in northeast Seattle and enjoys horseback riding and collecting Washington wines.
Michael Huey, P.E.
Project Manager
As a Professional Engineer (PE), Michael brings extensive development and
engineering experience in both the public and private sectors to YarrowBay,
where he manages large residential development projects.
He served as an engineer for Snohomish County, providing civil engineering design
on capital improvement projects, reviewing land use applications and construction
plans for compliance, and coordinating technical support among county departments,
other governmental agencies, and outside consultants.
Michael joined a prominent regional civil engineering firm Triad as a Project
Engineer in 2002, managing civil design, plan preparation, consultant coordination,
and client communication for large residential and commercial developments until
he moved to YarrowBay in 2005.
His background, technical expertise, and his focus on preventing development issues
make Michael a valued team member in moving YarrowBay's projects efficiently
through the approval and construction processes.
He holds a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Washington and
is active in the Master Builders Association and Professional Consultants of
Snohomish County (PCSC).
Ryan J. Kohlmann, AICP
Project Manager
Ryan has worked in the field of planning and land development for over ten years.
Before joining YarrowBay, Ryan worked as a Senior Planner with the City of
Issaquah's Major Development Review Team (MDRT) reviewing the communities of
Issaquah Highlands and Talus. He brings extensive experience from the public
sector focusing on affordable housing, project management, permitting, and design
review.
Ryan's strengths include the ability to understand local comprehensive planning
and development regulations, and manage complex permit and review processes. He
also brings a trained eye for good urban design as well as a skilled background
in developing creative and innovative solutions to today'
s development world, including working on Built Green® and LEED® certified projects.
His broad experience in master-planned communities will help drive YarrowBay's
efforts in Black Diamond's new ventures.
Ryan is a graduate of the University of Washington with a B.A. in Planning.
He is also an active member in the American Planning Association, the American
Institute of Certified Planners (AICP), and a Young Leader in the Urban Land
Institute (ULI). He and his family make their home in Sammamish.
Ryan Kemp
Project Manager
Ryan Kemp joined YarrowBay in March 2007, and focuses his efforts on project planning and entitlement, consultant management, construction processes, and market research.
Mr. Kemp’s key talents include effective communication skills, thorough understanding of development regulations, and the ability to build strong working relationships with local jurisdictions and stakeholders.
Prior to joining YarrowBay, Ryan worked in land acquisition and project management for a residential land development and home building firm in Pierce County, WA.
A Young Leader member of the Urban Land Institute, Mr. Kemp holds a BA degree in Business Administration with a focus in Real Estate from Washington State University. While attending WSU, he was an analyst for the Washington Center for Real Estate Research.
Ryan and his wife Lyndee reside in Kirkland.
Daina Mereness
Project Assistant
Daina brings over 14 years of administrative experience in land strategies
consulting and development to the YarrowBay Team. Prior to joining YarrowBay,
Daina worked for Harbor Development, a land development company, and Heartland,
a land strategies consulting and investment company. She has worked and volunteered
for the University of Washington Certificate Program in Commercial Real Estate, coordinating and compiling instructor materials and acting as a liaison between students, instructors, and the University.
Daina holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with an
emphasis in marketing from Montana State University-East. Daina and her son make
their home in Lynnwood.
Missy Gallagher
Contracts and Accounting Administrator
Missy has an extensive background in financial and cost accounting as well as
significant public sector experience. She contributes valuable insights and helps
identify solutions to the challenges private companies and municipalities face in their shared community building efforts.
Her experience includes nearly eight years with the City of Issaquah's Public
Works Engineering Department, where she managed complex, multi-year water,
stormwater, sewer, and transportation budgets. She was also the grant management
Specialist and facilitated three successful federal audits with the State
Auditor's Office related to transportation projects.
Working closely with the Major Development Review Team in the Engineering
Department, she was also responsible for the cost tracking of Issaquah's two
new Urban Villages, managing developer billings with extensive cost breakdowns.
In the private sector, Missy worked for a commercial sheet metal contractor and
an asbestos abatement firm as a full charge bookkeeper.
She will work under the YarrowBay Communities umbrella, where her focus will be
cost control management and reporting, and operations for the company's Black
Diamond projects.
Missy and her two daughters make their home in Black Diamond.
Jim Muhlbeier
Associate Broker, Windermere RE
Jim Muhlbeier is a land acquistion specialist with over 23 years experience in the real estate brokerage industry, perfecting his abilities in land and lot sales.
Jim’s real estate career began in the mid-1980s working with Greg Sahar of Gregory Richard Realtors in Bellevue, Washington and, then, John L. Scott Real Estate where he honed his skills in land development, lot and project sales, including negotiating purchase and sale agreements, feasibility analysis, tracking through the development, to the final element of lot/project sales to end users.
This well-rounded background, along with a track record as a top producer, is now serving YarrowBay in areas of land acquistion and sales.
Through the years, Jim has developed relationships with some of the area's largest builders and developers. These are the cornerstone of his approach to his philosophy of "getting it done." Jim’s clients appreciate his relentless manner and attention to doing business, which has resulted in his proven track record of continued success. Jim has sold over 10,000 residential building lots thus far in his career.
Jim and his wife, Kay, make their home in Sammamish and enjoy spending time at their ranch in Cle Elum.
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