SEATTLE, WA Lease Crutcher Lewis (Lewis) promotes Jeff Cleator from Vice President of Commercial Operations to President of the Washington Operation. Gary Smith, who has been President since 2012, is assuming an executive role focusing on major pursuits and project execution. He will also have more time for his role as mentor to the next generation of company leaders.

"I am excited about this new role," said Cleator. "I see it as an opportunity to extend leadership deeper into the organization so we can better serve our clients and sustain our growth."

Jeff Cleator started with Lease Crutcher Lewis as an intern, hired by Chairman Bill Lewis. Since that time, Cleator has been deeply involved in construction sales and operations holding positions of project engineer, project manager, senior project manager, Commercial Division Manager and Vice President. Cleator is a graduate of the College of Built Environments and the Executive Management Program at the University of Washington. He is a member of the Lean Construction Institute and founded the company's continuous improvement initiative called "Lewis Lean."

"A key to our success throughout the years has been the depth of our talented people and our ability to provide opportunities for them," said Bart Ricketts, CEO. "A big part of this critical process is developing thoughtful succession plans throughout our organization. Jeff's 28 year career and continual advancement is evidence of this."

Prior to his role as President of the Washington operation, Smith served as General Manager and in multiple principal roles for more than 10 years. He will continue to be a key connector in the community and across the industry with his involvement in the AGC, Seattle Aquarium, SeaTac Coalition, and NWCCC.