Kelly Haughton, retired since October from Tacoma-based Russell Investments, has received the William F. Sharpe Lifetime Achievement Award from the Index Business Association.

As strategic director for Russell, Haughton spearheaded the development of the Russell Indexes, now widely used by the investment industry. He served with Russell for 27 years, during which he saw his index methodology account for more than $4 trillion in benchmarked assets – or some 63 percent of all institutional products that use a benchmark.

His vision was to develop an equity benchmark that truly reflects the U.S. equity market, and his work continued as he led the development of the Russell/Nomura family of indices in Japan – where he served as chief executive of Russell Indexes Asia and also led the team that created the Russell Global Index.

More recently, Haughton has focused on the methodology strategy for index derivatives, including the transition of Russell Indexes futures contracts to the Intercontinental Exchange.

Although retired, Haughton continues as a strategic advisor at Russell.

United Airlines, once Sea-Tac Airport's dominant airline, saw its market share there continue dropping dramatically this year, new figures show.

United, struggling to recover from a bankruptcy reorganization and a tough economic climate, carried 220,141 fewer passengers from Sea-Tac in the first 10 months of 2008.

Those figures from Sea-Tac's owner, the Port of Seattle, show United in fifth place among the airport's 29 airlines with a 7.49 percent market share.

In 2002, United held a 12.23 percent share of the Sea-Tac passenger market.

United has shrunk its network to combat overcapacity and at the same time it has seen its traditionally strong markets such as Seattle - Los Angeles, Seattle-San Francisco, Seattle-Denver, Seattle-Chicago attacked by rivals such as Alaska, Southwest, Frontier and Virgin America.

Alaska Airlines is the airport's dominant airline with a 33.97 percent market share followed by its sister regional airline Horizon Air with 14.22 percent market share.

The combined Delta-Northwest airline is third with 12.3 percent of the Sea-Tac market.

Southwest Airlines is fourth with a 8.99 percent market share.

Juli Wilkerson, former chief of Tacoma's economic development department, announced Monday that she will retire as director of the state economic development department on Jan. 9.

“Governor Gregoire is a great leader and I have been honored and privileged to serve her,” Wilkerson said in a statement. “I am proud of what we have achieved. However, I am unable to commit for an additional four years and it is time for me to retire and be with my family.”

Wilkerson, 56, guided the Tacoma Economic Development Department from its inception in 1999. She helped create the "America's #1 Wired City" campaign and fought for big projects such as the glass museum and light rail.

Appointed by Governor Gary Locke and reappointed in 2005 by Gov. Chris Gregoire, Wilkerson has run the state Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development for five years.

Wilkerson has had a long career in state and local government. She worked for the City of Tacoma from 1991 to 2004, including as assistant city manager and director of the planning and development services department. She also worked for the state Department of Revenue and the Washington State Attorney General. She is a graduate of Gonzaga University School of Law.

“Juli has been an exceptional advocate and innovative leader for the interests of citizens, communities and businesses throughout the state,” Gregoire said in a statement. “She leaves the agency in excellent shape and prepared to address the current economic challenges and capture new opportunities in the emerging green economy.”

CTED established a public-private partnership to promote and fund tourism. Among the department’s achievements was the creation of a new business recruitment and expansion tool, www.choosewashington.com.

Boeing Co. and the union representing some 700 of its engineers in Wichita, Kan., are at a standstill in talks aimed at producing a new contract for the workers.

Boeing, without announcing its intentions to the union, the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace, halted negotiations Friday.

Now the union has asked its engineers to "work to rule" refusing holiday and voluntary overtime.

Negotiations of a serious basis began Nov. 16, but the union claims the company hasn't responded to its offers.

The union claims the company so far is only offering a raise in the first year of a multi-year contract.

SPEEA and Boeing recently settled on a new 4-year contract that provides a five percent average wage increase over each year of the contract.

In Wichita, Boeing recently announced some 800 layoffs because of declining military work.

Alaska Airlines today realigned its leadership naming chief financial officer Brad Tilden as the SeaTac-based airline's president.

Tilden will report to Alaska chairman Bill Ayer.

Taking Tilden's place as chief financial officer and executive vice president of finance for Alaska Air Group and Alaska Airlines is Glenn Johnson, formerly Alaska Airlines' executive vice president of customer service – airports and maintenance and engineering. In addition to leading the company's finance organization, he will oversee information technology, strategic planning and corporate real estate, the airline said.

Leaving Alaska Air Group will be its executive vice president of flight and marketing, Gregg Saretsky. Saretsky had worked for the airline in marketing leadership roles for 10 years.

The company also announced the election of Ben Minicucci as Alaska Airlines' chief operating officer and executive vice president of operations.

Previously vice president of Seattle operations, Minicucci will report to Tilden in this new position, and will lead flight operations and maintenance and engineering, in addition to airport customer service.

The Economic Development Board for Tacoma-Pierce County is telling its members in its December newsletter that not all is gloom and doom among local businesses.

Three larger EDB members have told the business development organization that they intend to expand next year to take advantage of the lull in economic activity.

* A local auto parts builder told the EDG that its business was up some 50 percent in September.

* A bio-tech firm says it intends to expand its workforce from the present 200 to 500 in the near future.

* A construction materials maker is investing in new equipment. The manufacturer said it wants to take advantage of down-cycle pricing on the new equipment.