Port Blakely

René Ancinas is President and Chief Executive Officer of Port Blakely Companies, a fourth-generation family-owned business with forestry and real estate interests in the Pacific Northwest and New Zealand. In this role, Rene oversees all operations of the company, including working forests in Washington and Oregon (Port Blakely Tree Farms), as well as New Zealand (Blakely Pacific); development and ownership of residential and mixed-use community developments (Port Blakely Communities) and a log-exporting business (Pacific Lumber & Shipping). René is also president of the Real Estate division, and actively involved in the daily operations of Port Blakely Communities.

René joined the Seattle-based company in 2005 as a succession candidate for the role of Chief Executive Officer, was officially named CEO designee for the organization in December 2008 and assumed the CEO role in July of 2010.  Prior to joining Port Blakely Companies, René was a founding member and the first president of the Eddy Family Council, where he led a five-year effort to establish a sustainable family business governance structure.

René has extensive experience in program management and product development. He spent several years with Kodak EasyShare Gallery (formerly Ofoto.com) as a senior technical program manager overseeing cross-functional teams that designed, developed and launched consumer products using digital images. He brings a wealth of experience and insights from outside of the industry to the company.

René grew up in the Sierra Nevada mountains of northern California. A professionally trained classical clarinetist, he received a bachelor of arts in music from Oberlin College Conservatory of Music in 1988, and a master of arts in music from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in 1990.  In the spring of 2009, René earned his Executive MBA from the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business.   He currently lives in Seattle with his family.

As Chief Financial Officer for Port Blakely Companies, Kim Hillyard oversees and directs the financial and accounting functions of the organization’s businesses: Port Blakely Tree Farms, Pacific Lumber and Shipping, Blakely Pacific and Port Blakely Communities. As a member of the executive management team, Kim is a key contributor to the overall strategic vision and direction of Port Blakely Companies. 

With over 20 years experience working for multi-generation, family-owned companies, Kim brings with him extensive knowledge and insight on guiding financial strategy to meet the unique needs of sustainable family businesses. Prior to joining Port Blakely in 2005, Kim served as Chief Financial Officer for Laird Norton Company, a seven-generation, family-owned business based in Seattle.

Kim holds a bachelor of arts in accounting from Utah State University, where he also minored in business administration and Korean language. Kim earned accreditation through the Washington State Board of Accountancy as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).

Kim is member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Washington Society of Certified Public Accountants. He is also an active supporter of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), having earned the Eagle rank in Scouting as a youth.  He currently serves on the BSA Chief Seattle Council Executive Board.

Kim resides in Kent, Washington, with his wife Lisa and their three children.

Lindsay Geyer is the Vice President of Human Resources for Port Blakely Companies. As a member of executive management, Lindsay contributes to the overall strategic vision and direction of Port Blakely Companies. She is also responsible for leading and overseeing human resources (HR) and communications functions company wide. Lindsay is honored to be the only non-family member of the Eddy Family Council, the assembly of family owner representatives.

Lindsay brings with her over 25 years of experience in human resources and organizational development. Her expertise and skills in managing the human side of business dynamics is attributed to a wide range of working experiences as an independent consultant and manager serving diverse industries that include hospitality, technology and manufacturing. Prior to joining Port Blakely Companies in 2000, she worked for Westin Hotels & Resorts where she held several HR-related positions including corporate director of employee relations. 

Lindsay holds a bachelor of science degree in education from Indiana University and a master of science degree in organization development from Central Washington University. She has earned accreditations from both the Center for Creative Leadership and Development Dimensions International. 

Lindsay is a member of the Society for Human Resources Management and a board member of the Puget Sound Health Alliance.

Lindsay currently resides in Edmonds with her husband Jon; they enjoy working in the garden and spending time with friends and family.

Jonathan Avedovech is Corporate Controller & Treasurer for Port Blakely Companies in Seattle and is responsible for consolidated financial statements, investor activity, daily treasury functions, GAAP audits and the overall budget processes.

Prior to joining Port Blakely in 1996, Jonathan worked for Rayonier, Inc. as an accountant with his primary duties focused on log accounting.

Jonathan studied accounting at the University of Washington in Seattle, where he received a bachelor of arts degree from the School of Business in 1992. He earned Certified Public Accountants (CPA) accreditation from the Washington State Board of Accountancy in 2001.

Jonathan is a member of the Washington Society of Certified Public Accountants and serves on the board of the Community Services for the Blind & Partially Sighted.

He currently resides in Shoreline where he enjoys spending time with his wife and children, biking, swimming and camping.

Greg Trapp is the Director of Information Technologies for Port Blakely Companies. In this role, Greg leads the Information Technology (IT) department, providing leadership and strategic vision in the development and management of technology services and solutions for all of Port Blakely’s businesses in the United States and New Zealand.

Since joining Port Blakely in 1994, Greg has been instrumental in identifying, developing and overseeing the implementation of all major technology projects including the integration of forestry software applications and the development of company-wide records retention policies and procedures.

Prior to his current role, Greg was president of Merlin Software, a microcomputer consulting firm specializing in custom database applications and general support services for single and multi-user systems running Microsoft DOS and/or Microsoft Windows.  

Greg has earned several accreditations, including a Microcomputer Manager certificate from the University of Washington, Microsoft Certified System Engineer accreditation from Microsoft University and an ITIL Foundation certificate in IT Service Management from the IT Service Management Forum. He is a member of the Society for Information Management.

Greg is an avid soccer fan, coaching youth, recreational and select teams for 18 years. He also served on the Ballard Youth Soccer Club Board of Directors from 2000–2006, supporting over 1,200 kids in year-round soccer.

Greg currently resides in North Seattle with his family and, in addition to soccer, enjoys biking, gardening and do-it-yourself home improvement projects.