WE CELEBRATE THE POWER OF KNOWLEDGE, COMMUNITY & PARTNERSHIP The power of this community and the ability to expand health sciences education and research are far greater than any one nurse, one pharmacist, or one physician. We celebrate the power of passion that makes your future health care providers work together to create a healthier Washington. Join us as we celebrate the power of community-driven health education.
spokane.wsu.edu
LIFE MOVES FAST. OUR DIGITAL BANKING IS FASTER. numericacu.com
Federally insured by NCUA
The Spokane Region’s Business Development Organization GreaterSpokane.org
GREATER COMMUNITY
Together, we put the pieces in place to attract organizations, talent, and people with big dreams to create a vibrant community.
GREATER GROWTH
GREATER VOICE
GREATER TALENT
Together, we support business expansion to create job growth for a thriving economy.
Business Retention and Expansion, StartUp Spokane, Life Sciences Spokane, Ag Expo/Agribusiness, Business Recruitment, Forward Fairchild, Capacity Building, PTAC (Government Contracting)
Together, we have a greater voice for the future of our region.
Local Advocacy, Regulatory and Rulemaking Issues, Elected Official Connections, State and Federal Agendas, Community Funding, Olympia Fly-in, D.C. Fly-in
Together, we build, champion and retain a talented workforce.
Career Connected Learning, Greater Minds, Business AfterSchool, Teaching the Teachers, Spokane STEM, Bonds and Levies, Professional Development, Driving to 60% Education Attainment
ENGAGEMENT
Investment, Communications, Partnerships, Events, Programming 2
2021-22 GSI CONNECT
The West Lawn Plaza is Open for Business The City of Spokane Valley has developed a new outdoor event space at CenterPlace Regional Event Center. The 10,540-squarefoot hard scape plaza is surrounded by lush green lawn and blends seamlessly into the natural backdrop of Mirabeau Point Park. The plaza and adjacent lawn are the perfect location for community celebrations, festivals, weddings, receptions and other events. The outdoor space has the capacity to serve 1,000 attendees. CenterPlace can provide additional indoor conference facilities, on-site catering and free parking. To tour or reserve the beautiful West Lawn Plaza, visit CenterplaceSpokaneValley.com or call 509.720.5200.
West Lawn Plaza CenterPlace Regional Event Center 2426 N. Discovery Place, Spokane Valley
CONTENTS 6 8 10 16 20 24 26 30 32 36 40 44 46 50
Growing Forward and Adapting for the Future How a CEDS Process Can Guide a Vision that Makes our Community Thrive Commercial Creamery Changes Up Product Mix for Shift in Retail Sales Creating Virtual Shopping for Top-Notch Service The Legislature Evolved with a New Reality Innovation Gives Opportunities to Build on Smart and Resilient Kids Kiantha Duncan Brings People Together, Leads Through Adversity CHAS Health Continues Commitment to Access and Equity The World May be in Upheaval, but Fairchild’s Mission Never Changes A Portfolio Diversification Argument for Social Inclusion Property Management Took on New Dimensions During COVID Catering Business Pivots, Innovates, and Finds New Opportunity Trials and Tribulations of a Booming Real Estate Market Transportation and Infrastructure Critical to Support a Healthy Economy
CREDITS
WRITER Pia Hallenberg, Owner, Content by Pia
Greater Spokane Inc. (GSI) is the Spokane region’s business development organization, leading transformative business and community initiatives to build a robust regional economy. This publication is made possible through a partnership of GSI and the Spokane Journal of Business. © 2021 Greater Spokane Inc.
GreaterSpokane.org
PHOTOGRAPHER Megan Schuyler Kennedy, Photographer,
Rogue Heart Media SPC (p 6, 20-21, 26-27, 32-33, 40-41, 46-47)
EDITOR Maria Vandervert, Communications and
Public Affairs Manager, Greater Spokane Inc.
DESIGNER Yolanda Pagaduan, Creative Marketing Manager,
Greater Spokane Inc.
CONTRIBUTORS Alisha Benson, CEO, Greater Spokane Inc. Paul Read, Board Chair, Greater Spokane Inc.
and Publisher, Spokane Journal of Business
Gary Ballew, VP, Economic Development, Greater Spokane Inc. Jeff Marcell, Senior Partner, TIP Strategies Commercial Creamery Company Jennifer Hendricks, Store Manager, Nordstrom Kimberly Taylor, Engineering and Robotics Teacher,
Sacajawea Middle School and Seattle University Aaron Wilson, CEO, CHAS Health Dr. Vange Hochheimer, Associate Professor of Economics, Whitworth University, and President and CEO, Grand Fir Analytics, LLC Ellie Aaro, Owner, Beacon Hill Lance Beck, President and CEO, Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce Nick Brommer, Photographer (p 47 top three) Spokane Valley Economic Development, Photograph (cover top left)
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A timeless approach that puts you at the center of everything. We’ll surround you with a team of local experts who love helping individuals and companies thrive. Privately Owned. Built in the Northwest.
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2021-22 GSI CONNECT
GROWING FORWARD AND ADAPTING FOR THE FUTURE Welcome and thank you for picking up this
year’s Connect Magazine: Growing Forward and Adapting for the Future. We felt this title was appropriate because over the past 18+ months that’s exactly what we’ve been doing. Those months navigating the pandemic changed our business and personal lives and we are now exploring how those experiences are shaping our future. When we talk about growing forward, adaptability is key. Our community has shown great ability to adapt, always navigating a way. However, our journey is far from over. One bright spot that has emerged, from an economic development standpoint, has been community collaboration, which has been remarkable throughout the pandemic. What we need to continue to do now is to harness this ability to work with one another and capitalize on rekindled partnerships. We have the opportunity to build on each of our organizations’ strengths and to continue to support each other. “Growing forward” means going forward together with a collaborative vision. Developing that vision started in June with a coordinated effort to develop a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) for the greater Spokane region called THRIVE Spokane. With already 57 organizations involved, THRIVE Spokane serves as an inclusive, strategy-driven plan to build capacity and guide economic prosperity and resiliency. Such a plan creates a healthy economy, where businesses and communities thrive. It means creating and retaining jobs, and equipping employees with new skills and opportunities. It means partnering with others in our community to address housing, transportation, diversity, workforce, childcare, and homelessness issues. It’s about creating a supportive environment for small businesses and startups to flourish. The importance of an inclusive small-business recovery is huge. We simply can’t grow our economy here without building on the heart of
our ecosystem – our small business community. Advocating for and supporting their success is essential, whether it’s addressing regulatory issues, childcare access solutions, workforce challenges, or access to capital. It’s about lifting everyone and creating an environment to grow, prosper, and have an exceptional quality of life. This all takes strategy, collaboration, coordination, drive, and funding. We currently lack sustainable, long-term funding for economic development efforts in our community such as a port district or “.09 funding,” and though we all continue to rely on private partners to fund economic development, that responsibility can’t be placed entirely on their shoulders. We need a broader solution that leverages their investments. All of this takes time, preparation, partnerships, and collaboration. To constantly grow through this ever-changing economy, we need to continue to work together and not lose sight of the goals of our region as a whole. We have proven to be resilient and extremely adaptable, tackling every challenge that has been thrown our way. If we can continue to build and improve on these principles, the future will be ours to shape. Let’s create something greater together!
Alisha Benson CEO, Greater Spokane Inc.
Paul Read Board Chair, Greater Spokane Inc. and Publisher, Spokane Journal of Business
GROWING FORWARD AND ADAPTING FOR THE FUTURE
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HOW A CEDS PROCESS CAN GUIDE A VISION THAT MAKES OUR COMMUNITY THRIVE THRIVE Spokane is the name of a new
comprehensive economic development strategy (CEDS) being developed for the greater Spokane region. It’s a vision coordinated in collaboration with community leaders to create a plan for a healthy and vibrant future. With funding from the US Economic Development Administration (EDA) and in-kind contributions and collaboration from economic development partners, Greater Spokane Inc. (GSI) is leading the effort with guidance from consulting firms, TIP Strategies, Inc. (TIP) and Maul Foster & Alongi, Inc. (MFA).
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Why develop a CEDS? Have you ever visited a community that just had a certain energy about it? A hustle at the coffee shop, or buzz around the diner? CEDS is a strategic plan that aligns a community around a common vision, creating opportunities for collaboration across the entire region. That collaboration leads to progress and momentum, economic growth, and diversification. The plan can also identify opportunities to create equitable growth, which aligns with the EDA’s investment goals. It is critically important to ensure that the Greater Spokane region’s community visioning process engages the broadest possible constituency to drive equitable and inclusive economic development for our community. Ultimately, the CEDS process will help us create a unifying vision focused on enhancing the economic prosperity of the Greater Spokane region over the next decade. How will THRIVE Spokane guide a regional vision? By bringing the region together as a collaborative community, we hope to answer: where does the region want to be in the next ten to twenty years? To accomplish this, the community needs to define a vision for equitable growth and regional prosperity. In partnership with a diverse variety of voices, partners, and organizations, GSI, TIP, and MFA are collectively leading conversations throughout the region to define what this means for Greater Spokane’s future.
Gary Ballew VP, Economic Development, Greater Spokane Inc.
Jeff Marcell Senior Partner, TIP Strategies
Ultimately, the CEDS will serve as a tool for economic development decision-making by guiding nearly all future efforts for our region— impacting areas from workforce development and talent attraction to industry networks and resources. When it comes to small businesses, the CEDS will shape future small business resources and support programs available to help businesses grow and become more resilient. With entrepreneurship, it will include strategies to boost innovation and technology to help our local startups scale. It will also address local workforce needs so businesses have access to the best talent to meet their business goals.
experts, residents, government officials, and are including those who have been left out of conversations in the past. These public outreach and engagement efforts will not only be used to recognize community partners and collaborators, but will also drive equity and inclusion in the CEDS economic development planning process.
How are we reaching out to the community? The project team has begun utilizing a variety of in-person and virtual community engagement methods including surveys, one-on-one interviews, focus groups, roundtables, social media, and open public input via public notice and comment. We are facilitating meaningful community conversations with small business owners, workforce practitioners, economic development professionals, educators, industry
When will the CEDS project take place? The CEDS planning process launched in June 2021 and will continue through Spring 2022. The first phase of the project focuses on data collection and analysis from a variety of resources while the community engagement efforts will occur throughout the entire duration of the project. Learn more and contribute. The CEDS process will guide our vision for our community, and we can’t do it without you. We invite you to stay informed and up to date by visiting thrivespokane.org. There, you can sign up for regular updates, review ongoing work and provide feedback. GROWING FORWARD AND ADAPTING FOR THE FUTURE
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COMMERCIAL CREAMERY CHANGES UP PRODUCT MIX FOR SHIFT IN RETAIL SALES
Commercial Creamery Company is a specialty
food manufacturing company headquartered in Spokane with production operations in Jerome, Idaho. From humble roots over 100 years ago (founded 1908) Commercial Creamery has continued to evolve and innovate in the food industry. Today we are a thriving company with over 130 employees and sales throughout the USA and export to over 20 countries worldwide. As a mature company with strong roots, we have seen many economic and political uncertainties in our history and have adapted to meet changing demands. We also have the blessing of manufacturing food products that are a part of the everyday consumers diet. Ted Lingard, President of Commercial Creamery commented, “Our products are ingredients primarily for shelf-stable items at the grocery store. In early 2020, there was a major consumer shift toward longer-term food storage given the uncertainty of availability, along with the concern of even being able to get out of lockdown to go to a grocery outlet.” The effects of COVID changed the consumers everyday eating habits. Food Service consumption plummeted while retail grocery sales skyrocketed. We were able to quickly change our product mix to meet the increased demands for retail ‘comfort’ food items and easy-to-make, at-home meals for work-at-home families. With a changing customer 10 2021-22 GSI CONNECT
demand, we significantly increased sales in 2020 over the previous year. Building on this success, we purchased new packaging machinery in 2020 for future demand. Fortunately, previous to 2020, we had expanded our plant footprint and added production equipment in 2019. According to William Gilmartin, VP of Quality and Engineering, “The new equipment was used almost immediately to fill the increased demand in 2020, in fact, we are already looking at the potential for further expansion again in the near future.” William is part of the fourth generation of Gilmartins to own and operate Commercial Creamery. Mike Gilmartin, the current thirdgeneration company CEO, is retiring in Fall 2021 which will start the transition to fourth-generation leadership. Ted Lingard, the company’s first non-family board member, will be taking over as president/CEO in October to guide the company through the generational transition. “Ted has been instrumental in reshaping Commercial Creamery for the transition to the fourth generation owners and will help ensure a very bright future for the company,” said Mike.
Zero emission Quieter vehicle operation Testing and training now underway
All-electric public transit is coming to Spokane
Peg Currie Chief Executive, Sacred Heart Medical Center and Holy Family Hospital, and Chief Operating Officer, Providence Health Care “I’m overwhelmed with gratitude for Providence caregivers, frontline workers, volunteers and our community for their resilience, courage and compassion. We remain steadfast throughout the ever-changing, unprecedented health challenges caused by the pandemic. The pandemic accelerated new and innovative ways to deliver care to patients whether that be virtually or in the home. With the dedication of our caregivers, the innovative solutions in place and the continued support of our communities, together we will emerge from the greatest crisis of our lifetime resilient and transformed.”
Mark Norton Senior Manager, Business Development, Accrafab, and Chair, Inland Northwest Aerospace Consortium “Supply chain and logistics disruption is requiring a lot of bandwidth to manage these days versus two years ago. Pricing volatility for raw materials and components is also taking up a lot of time for engineering, sales and accounting in aerospace, which typically works off of long-term contracts. And a shallow labor pool is causing more companies to invest in automation to compensate for the lack of workforce.”
Economic Recovery and Business Growth
Creating Regional Partnerships
Developing Infrastructure “At Spokane County, we are committed to getting our economy back to the heights of success we saw before the pandemic. We are doing this through assisting our small businesses and families, while supporting public safety and law enforcement to foster an environment where our community can thrive. Spokane County remains one of the best places in the country to raise a family and grow a business."
Commissioner Josh Kerns 12 2021-22 GSI CONNECT
Implementing Sound Public Policy
Providing Streamlined Permitting
Kara Rowe
Sanya Ala, Ben Cabildo, and Marvo Reguindin AHANA
“Thankfully, farmers are used to adapting to change. This year not only have they endured the changing policies surrounding the pandemic, they’ve also survived one of the driest springs on record. From Lind to Reardan, wheat farmers of the Inland Northwest have had to brace for a very different crop year. More than 95% of our farms in Washington are family-owned and operated, and those farms are the backbone of rural Washington. Each of these families have made decisions that directly impact their local communities, including Spokane.”
“Corporations such as Avista and government agencies are contracting with AHANA to help them understand and develop supplier diversity programs for them to incorporate into their corporate culture. AHANA is now encouraging multi-ethnic businesses to become certified and is helping them to develop their business resume/capabilities statement that is needed to participate in supplier diversity programs.”
Board Member, Spokane Ag Expo of Greater Spokane Inc.
architecture | structural engineering | interior design
The HIVE™
The Podium™
Liberty Park Library
Shaw Middle School | Hillyard Library Projects slated for completion in 2021
www.integrusarch.com
GROWING FORWARD AND ADAPTING FOR THE FUTURE
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Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers 5th District, US House of Representatives “Together, we endured some of the most challenging times our communities have ever faced, and we are stronger one year later because of it. This pandemic taught us some important lessons. It showed us just how much we need one another, and it allowed us to re-evaluate how we spend our time. My hope is that we take these lessons to heart, continue to build relationships, and re-engage with those around us. Because the best way to predict the future is to invent it. Together, with American ingenuity, we can usher in a new era of innovation that will improve the lives of everyone in Eastern Washington for generations to come.”
Discover the history, cultures and art of the Inland Northwest and the world. DOWNTOWN IS WHAT WE DO The Downtown Spokane Partnership serves as Spokane’s only central city advocate. Established in 1995 to ensure Spokane’s urban core remains a healthy regional center of business, retail trade, government, education, transportation, and living. For an overview of membership and to get involved visit www.downtownspokane.org/members.
COMING IN 2021/2022 Louis Comfort Tiffany: Treasures from the Driehaus Collection
Selections from the Safeco Art Collection Awakenings:
Traditional Canoes and Calling the Salmon Home
American Impressionism: Treasures from the Daywood Collection
www.northwestmuseum.org
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We’re right here. With you. Just like you, we at Avista call the Inland Northwest “home.” We’re your neighbors, living and working alongside you each and every day. It’s why we care so much about our commitments to you. You can count on us to deliver safe, reliable and affordable energy. You also have our promise to help the regional communities we serve, whether it’s building prosperity through strategic partnerships and technology or offering our time, talents and resources to civic organizations and charities. Our mission is and will always be to improve life for us all.
myavista.com
CREATING VIRTUAL SHOPPING FOR TOP-NOTCH SERVICE Jennifer Hendricks Store Manager, Nordstrom
This last year was challenging for many
businesses and restaurants in Downtown. As leaders, we all needed to figure out new ways to serve customers and new ways to deliver highlevel service.
mission is to be focused on the customer and figure out a way to make things easier for them. If we can make shopping easier and maybe lift a little daily life heaviness for our customers that’s a good thing.
This last year taught me that delivering highlevel service doesn’t mean the same thing to each customer. Providing top-notch service for customers in the past meant setting up a fitting room and having a one-on-one styling appointment. Now it means having a virtual appointment with a stylist on facetime from the comfort of their living room. The best approach has been to offer different ways to shop. Things in life can be heavy and difficult. Our
Josh Kerns Chair of the Spokane County Board of Commissioners “I am not a fan of the term “New Normal.” I believe firmly that our community should be striving to get back to our “Old Normal.” Prior to the pandemic we had record low unemployment, affordable housing, and a booming economy. This pandemic has taken us off the economic rails and our mission should be to do whatever it takes as a community to beat down this virus, learn from the lessons of the last year, and return to the prosperity we were experiencing before this tragedy.” 16 2021-22 GSI CONNECT
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3808 N Sullivan Road • Building #N-15, Suite 202 • Spokane Valley, WA 99216 • 509.924.1720 • 800.334.4131 • crownwest.com
Colleen Condon Owner, Lilac City Early Learning Center “Right now, I’m noticing a lot of changes around recruiting and retaining staff. We have a great team at Lilac City ELC but we will be growing; it’s challenging to be competitive in recruitment and balance rewarding our great staff who worked throughout a global pandemic. Early Learning teachers are greatly underappreciated in our society and that must change if we are to continue supporting our community in such a foundational way.”
WE ARE HERE
to make communities better. Harnessing the vitality of nature, our landscape architects and planners create settings that enrich the human experience, making compelling places emerge out of respect for the nature, history, culture, and use of a site. Our designs feature artistic layouts and creative combinations of plantings and hardscapes to craft distinctive spaces that help define a community’s character, engage the senses, and offer captivating outdoor experiences.
Designing places, spaces, and visions.
Riverfront Park Ice Age Floods Playground City of Spokane, Washington
18 2021-22 GSI CONNECT
www.bernardowills.com
THE LEGISLATURE EVOLVED WITH A NEW REALITY Pia Hallenberg Owner, Content by Pia
20 2021-22 GSI CONNECT
The date was March 13, 2020,
and Senator Andy Billig was driving home from Olympia when he got a call saying all Washington schools were going to shut down because of COVID. It was the end of the legislative
session – a time Billig said he usually looks forward to because he gets a chance to reflect on the hectic session, reorganize and catch up. But that phone call changed everything. “Instead of the last day of the session signaling the beginning of a time to reflect, it signaled a new stage of momentous decision making that has continued non-stop since then,” Billig said. Re-elected to the state Senate by constituents of the 3rd Legislative District in 2016, Billig was then elected Majority Leader by Senate Democrats in 2018. He has also served a term as a State Representative, so the relatively predictable rhythm of the legislature has been part of his life for years. That rhythm went out the window when the pandemic hit. “These past one-and-a-half years have been intense. There was no playbook to look at, no one knew what was going to happen with the pandemic,” Billig said. “The flip side of that early uncertainty is that now I am looking back and see results that are really gratifying.”
of January, there was still a lot of uncertainty about how the pandemic was going to play out. “We weathered the immediate storm, so we were able to get some work done,” Billig said. “One positive is that we had no COVID transmission in the legislature all year.” As the co-owner of the Spokane Indians Baseball Club, Billig said it proved insightful for him to experience the pandemic and recovery through the lens of a legislator with the perspective of a business owner. “I can really understand what business owners went through because our business was shut down for a year. That was an entire year with no revenue,” Billig said. “We wanted to come back and be open, but we had huge concerns that our employees or fans would get sick. And it was hard to find staff.” In hindsight, Billig said being a business owner added a different and valuable perspective to his pandemic decision-making.
“It took hours to log a vote and it was just really difficult to find a good solution for that,” Billig said.
“We had to make sure we did everything we could to help keep businesses alive,” Billig said. “There were hundreds of millions of dollars in business support grants. We waived some liquor license fees to help the hospitality industry, and we made some adjustments to unemployment insurance tax, so the businesses hit hardest by the pandemic didn’t also take the biggest hit there.”
When the Legislature returned to session in the second week
For many, the pandemic worked like a big reset button: isolated
Like all large organizations, the Washington legislature faced logistical and technological challenges when it was faced with conducting a mostly remote legislative session – something that had never been attempted before.
GROWING FORWARD AND ADAPTING FOR THE FUTURE
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at home, away from work and colleagues and ingrained workday habits, people suddenly had time to assess their lives. “I am not sure I would use the phrase ‘the new normal’ – I see a change in us that’s more like an evolution,” Billig said. “We had this societal reflection during the pandemic – and that’s evolving into a new reality. We had this sort of shock to the system – and I don’t think we are done with that yet; that shock is not over.” Billig said the pandemic exposed what he calls cracks in society: we have a childcare crisis, not everyone has access to the healthcare they need and some workers are simply not going back to work. “We knew we had a childcare crisis even before the pandemic – now we have to really focus on fixing that,” Billig said. “For a variety of reasons, the workforce has not come back as strongly as
we had hoped for. We have got to make sure the labor market is robust because workers are the engines of our economy.” Those are just some of his top priorities. The pandemic didn’t make it more difficult to get things accomplished in Olympia. Billig said people have this idea that there is all this fighting going on in the legislature all the time. “We actually collaborate and agree and do bi-partisan work all the time, but that doesn’t always make the news,” Billig said. “Early on I would say there was an unusual coming together, there was a high level of collaboration that really helped our state.” The remote session forced the legislature to have remote hearings – meaning that people could testify in Olympia without leaving Spokane. “That is something Senator
Padden and I worked on pulling together for years, to make it easier for people in Eastern Washington to testify,” Billig said. “It worked really well, so we plan on keeping that.” For the Third Legislative District, Billig’s priorities are very clear: focus on infrastructure, education, and access to healthcare. “Infrastructure includes broadband. We learned from the pandemic how vital access to a fast internet connection is,” Billig said. Overall, he’s optimistic about pandemic recovery and the future. “I am so proud of our state. We have come out of the pandemic as one of the healthiest and most resilient states in the country – that is something to be very proud of,” Billig said.
Ezra Eckhardt President and CEO, STCU “We know the world is a more complex, virtual, and disconnected place. We also know that our members need the most trusted and reliable solution provided to support their financial needs. We have created a more connected and aligned set of channels and experiences for them so they can always be confident that STCU will give world-class service. With all of the uncertainty around us, we want our members to know STCU will always be “Here for Good” and more importantly, here for you. Our sole mission is to serve the heart of our members and to continue to earn your trust today, tomorrow, and into the future…..just like you have come to expect for the past 87 years.” 22 2021-22 GSI CONNECT
INNOVATION GIVES OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD ON SMART AND RESILIENT KIDS Kimberly Taylor Engineering and Robotics Teacher, Sacajawea Middle School and Seattle University
W
hen I stand in my classroom gazing at all the eyes looking at me, I have come to an unyielding realization. Our kids are the answer to our collective future. They come to school with more street smarts, resiliency, hardships, tenacity, and mental health issues than most generations before them. Their personal experiences and discernment of the world must always be considered. So, as a teacher, my focus has been to look ahead for the next “REAL WORLD” challenge. This almost guarantees and legitimizes the time and effort each student will put into a final project. Kids want to make a difference in the world they live in, just ask them. Five years ago, I recognized there was a missed opportunity with our eighth-grade students. Through support from the district, I created a new class called Advanced Engineering that focused on community service projects. This class would take a group of 60 students through an arduous engineering journey. The beginning addressed real problems around us. We started by interviewing all the staff (collecting data). We then went into the community with a mindset that eighth-grade students can not only solve baffling dilemmas, but could engineer one-of-a-kind inventions that solved problems. We were on our way. I’ve always referred to myself as a learner more than a teacher. On every occasion that I introduce a new potentially unsolvable problem I specifically say, “I am not sure how we are going to solve this problem.” I am sincere, and students can tell when I’m nervous feeling like I have bitten off more than I can chew. This emphasizes the challenge placed before us. All students learn how to use all the resources they have in class. They begin by sketching out ideas, materials, and measurements in an engineering journal and then meet as a think tank to share ideas, look for weaknesses, and create groups based on similar ideas. Then, they 24 2021-22 GSI CONNECT
use Autodesk Inventor to virtually create their ideas in three dimensions. From this point, they decide which tools are needed to create their working prototype. Having a woodshop, soldering stations, painting room, laser cutters, and 3-D printers available gives students the opportunity to find what they need to begin their builds. Why is this class so important? Students learn all the 21st-century skills used in industry today. They learn how to successfully determine which tools they need for a job, how to correctly use the tool, and teach others how to use it. They’re immersed in geometry, material sciences, English, precise measurement, and research. Students get an opportunity to work with different organizations and companies that have rigid requirements and time constraints. These connections give them a glimpse into what a real job is like; however, the most important thing to me is them getting an opportunity to work with children and adults who have a real life-threatening or severe disability. Their focus is off themselves and instead on a situation they can solve. We have worked with the Los Angeles FBI and the Seattle and Spokane Bomb Squads, La Joya Child and Family Development, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Shriners Children’s Hospitals, Friendchips, and other nonprofit organizations. If your business or organization would like to get involved, contact Kimberly Taylor at kimta@spokaneschools.org.
FOR 50 YEARS KIEMLE HAGOOD has been redefining commercial real estate by creating value and powering progress in our communities. We unite clients, community leaders and employees to find solutions that drive opportunities. While our business is and always has been real estate, our passion will always be community.
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GROWING FORWARD AND ADAPTING FOR THE FUTURE 25
KIANTHA DUNCAN BRINGS PEOPLE TOGETHER, LEADS THROUGH ADVERSITY Pia Hallenberg Owner, Content by Pia
I
n the middle of a global pandemic, during the violent civic-uprising that followed the death of George Floyd, Kiantha Duncan was already steadily at work for justice for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and other people of color) groups in Spokane. A community leader, activist, philanthropist and a nonprofit consultant with her own leadership consulting business, Duncan found herself on the executive committee of Spokane NAACP at a time when the whole country was in flux, 26 2021-22 GSI CONNECT
grappling with a surge in racism awareness. “There was so much going on. We were in the middle of the uprising after George Floyd’s death, we were deep in the pandemic, there were protests, all these things that caused us to be more aware of everything going on around us,” Duncan said. “It was a lot. It is a lot. It continues to be a lot.” As if all of that wasn’t enough, that’s also when Duncan agreed to accept the position as
president of Spokane NAACP. “We had strategized about how the next iteration of NAACP should look and it was decided the best move was for me to take the helm of the organization,” Duncan said. “But for me to do so, the organization was going to look a lot different than it had in the past.” Duncan said the NAACP both nationally and locally has always held power to fight injustice, to fight against inequality, fight against oppression and racism.
to have; that’s not how the world works.” Duncan moved to Spokane a little over six years ago, and in 2020 she was appointed by Governor Jay Inslee to serve on the Board of Trustees of the Community Colleges of Spokane. Duncan lives in Spokane Valley with her partner, Sylvia Brown. Duncan gave a TEDx Talk in early 2020 about her own experience of childhood trauma. The talk was titled, A Perfect 10, meaning that she experienced ten different types of childhood trauma. In the very intimate talk, she tells the audience that anyone who has experienced trauma is responsible for repurposing it for something good. “It is not easy, and it is something that you have to work on every single day,” she said in her talk, before sharing three steps toward healing. “Let go of the trauma that has happened to you – don’t let it overpower you; let love be your guide to living and healing and commit to leading others to healing.” “To me, that sounded exhaustive. I am not a fighter, that has never been my style,” Duncan said, reflecting on when she decided to accept the role as president. “I work with people. I want to identify the problem and help people find a solution. I am a collaborator; I have always been much less focused on fighting.” At the top of Duncan’s agenda is helping anyone in Spokane overcome any apprehension toward the NAACP. She said NAACP generates powerful responses because it was
created in response to something – inequality, racism, injustice – and therefore has held very strong positions in the past. “We held those positions out of necessity and there is tension helping organizations in our city understand that while NAACP held particular positions in the past, that may have changed in the present,” Duncan said. “This last year has helped us all see that there are lots of opportunities for BIPOC people to live better here. We can’t hold people in the positions they used
She often begins her Facebook posts with, “Spokane, I am telling you this because I love you…” not as a way to soften the blow of what she’s about to tell you, but to set up the right perspective: one of deep love for this community. Dinner parties at the Duncan Brown household are legendary: not only because of the fabulous food, but mostly because the parties draw people together from all parts of Spokane – and they open lines of communication that sometimes
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lead to healing. “When you have a community that is so very polarized you have to bring people out of their tight corners and into a shared space, or you are never going to move forward,” Duncan said. But in-person meetings were not always an option over this past year. Duncan struggled a little with the Zoom meeting format, but made a strategy: “I show up to online meetings as my full self. I show up so people can feel who I am, hear my words, hear that I talk from my heart.” During her inaugural NAACP presidential address – which was delivered online because of COVID – she presented one of her goals for the organization: partnerships. And one of the new partners was the Spokane Club, a legacy organization that has not always been open to Black people and other minorities. “I took a lot of heat for that one, that was hard. A lot of our people didn’t like that partnership,” Duncan said. “But I believe in my method: what I am hoping these partnerships show is that everything changes, the weather, the trees, everything changes, we can’t just hold organizations in spaces closed off by past mistakes.” Another partnership is with the Spokane Journal of Business, and more are to come. Duncan is also working on creating an organization that encompasses all the higher education institutions in Spokane, with the goal of helping students who come to Eastern Washington to go to school, family away from family. “There have been racial incidents at all institutions, and I don’t want to get the phone
call after the situation has been addressed,” Duncan said. “NAACP wants to be in the room when the conversation happens, so we can help make things better for everyone involved.” In some ways, Duncan said she feels like all the turmoil and upheaval over the past year has created a great, big reset. People’s work-life changed, business changed, travel changed, and the world was shut down by a pandemic which Duncan said took away “all the noise and forced us to focus on faith, work, and family.” We are now slowly coming out on the other side, and she has some questions for us to think about: “How do we use this moment in time? We will never experience this again in our lifetime, a time where everyone is so raw. How do we reimagine our community, our city, our state, our world – because we almost have a blank slate now.”
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CHAS HEALTH CONTINUES COMMITMENT TO ACCESS AND EQUITY Aaron Wilson CEO, CHAS Health
The COVID-19 pandemic tested all of us to
innovate and grow in different ways. At CHAS Health that meant finding new ways to ensure access to healthcare services remained available to those most vulnerable in our community. It meant trying something different and then trying it again based on what we had learned and everchanging guidance. It meant working together, staying the course, and remaining focused on our mission to serve our community. Early in the pandemic, it became evident that COVID-19 testing was not available at the level needed for our community to fight the virus. CHAS Health made a commitment to provide testing access to everyone, with more than 62,000 tests administered to date. That meant staff working in parking lot tents and trailers, at homeless shelters, and at the homes of those too nervous to leave for testing. The same access issues are true for COVID-19 vaccines. We again provided access, from largescale vaccination locations to pop-up clinics for people who struggled to get access. To date, we have vaccinated more than 40,000 members of our community against COVID-19. We knew that these efforts were necessary and vital, that
those most vulnerable for complications from COVID-19 were also those least likely to have ready access to testing and care. CHAS Health is committed to access and equity in healthcare for every member of our community. It is a cornerstone of who we are and has been since our founding in 1994. During the pandemic, the fact that access is a significant barrier for those most in need was visible on every level. Housing, technology, transportation, education, and language barriers directly impact people’s ability to care for themselves and their families. If there was any silver lining of COVID-19, it is increased awareness that these social determinants of health directly impact the health of our neighbors and community. We are all interconnected, and we have a responsibility to ensure that every member of our community has access to the resources they need to not just survive but thrive. It is vital to the overall health of our economy and of our region. As we move to the “next normal,” CHAS Health will continue to focus on meeting those most in need where they are, providing access, dignity, and equity for every person in our community and working toward the goal of a healthier community, one neighborhood at a time.
Building a more resilient Spokane, together Whatever tomorrow brings, we stand strong as your homegrown partner in health since 1933. When you choose Asuris, you and your employees get concierge-level service, options for telehealth and alternative care, and a plan that fits your needs. Let’s build a more resilient Spokane, together. Give us a call at (509) 922-8072.
30 2021-22 GSI CONNECT
THE WORLD MAY BE IN UPHEAVAL, BUT FAIRCHILD’S MISSION NEVER CHANGES Pia Hallenberg Owner, Content by Pia
32
Since 1942, Fairchild Air Force
Base has been one of Spokane’s cornerstones. You don’t have to spend much time here before you notice the giant planes flying over or learn to recognize the profile of a KC-135 Stratotanker on its way home from a mission. Like everywhere else, the global pandemic brought new challenges to Fairchild, but that didn’t stop Colonel Cassius T. Bentley III from assuming command of the 92nd Air Refueling Wing at Fairchild Air Force Base on July 1, 2020 – right in the middle of a pandemic shutdown. “The big thing for us is that our mission and our responsibilities don’t change no matter the situation,” Bentley said. “Yes, some of our meetings went virtual and we had to wear masks and follow all the protocols like
everyone else, but our mission to extend reach and deterrence through empowered Airmen stayed the same.”
“They had to be very innovative: they tested people outside and they also added telehealth for Fairchild Airmen,” Bentley said.
Bentley said Fairchild has deep community connections and those helped the base immensely – especially early on.
Adding telehealth allowed for Airmen to be treated from a remote location so medical staff could prioritize their health without potentially being exposed to COVID.
“I’ve been at many bases, and I don’t think anywhere else has a better relationship with the community than we have here at Fairchild,” Bentley said. It was base medical staff that bore the brunt of COVIDrelated work early on. The base medical clinic staff there quickly organized an isolated respiratory clinic, to help safely mitigate COVID cases.
“Even though it seems like COVID is better managed now, we still have to follow the same rules as everybody else.” Not everyone on base could switch to telework – Bentley matter-of-factly points out that you simply can’t repair an airplane from home – still, in some ways, COVID pushed the base to be a little more flexible around Airmen and civilians’ work schedules. “We do allow more telework now if it makes sense to the person in their particular position, and sometimes it really helps people with childcare and other issues at home,” Bentley said. “We also learned that not all faceto-face meetings were needed. By cutting back on meetings we gave more time back to our Airmen to do their work and gained more time in our actual meetings to deal with the harder issues face-to-face.” That’s a practice he hopes to continue. Innovation is constant on base and there are many examples of how Airmen worked through unusual and challenging situations. For instance, the 92nd Maintenance Squadron aircraft metals technology shop created a jackscrew mounting bracket for the KC-135 Stratotanker. They reverse-engineered needed 33
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parts and created the bracket from the ground up, saving the fleet of KC-135s from the aircraft boneyard. And the Logistics Readiness Squadron invented something called the “Dawgbone”, an assistive tool that can be placed on the bed of any trailer or cargo loading vehicle, allowing Airmen to safely load and unload pallets of cargo more effectively. Bentley gives great credit to his maintenance crews who keep some of the 64-year-old airplanes going strong.
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During COVID some of the mechanics got fitted with exoskeletons - braces that are worn that can help in physically demanding jobs to help relieve shoulder and backpressure for the maintenance crew who often work with their hands above their heads for extended periods of time. Fairchild also took extra steps to make sure anyone with mental health challenges could get help.
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“Our One Fairchild Initiative includes helping agencies such as mental health providers, chaplains, and the DUI task force,” Bentley said. “We started a new club program to get families out of the homes and help them meet their neighbors. It is very important to us that we make sure we take care of folks and get them the help and support they need. Our Airmen are our number one priority.” Air Force families continued
to relocate to Fairchild during the pandemic though some assignments were put on hold. “It’s tough for a family to arrive to a new location that’s also in shutdown,” Bentley said. “This year we have many more people moving on to the base,” Bentley said. “Housing is currently a challenge for us. But the community has been a tremendous support in helping us address this and other issues.”
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Reflecting on his first year in charge of the world’s largest tanker wing, Bentley said he is proud of his Airmen and how they faced all the challenges with compassion and determination.
“Fairchild didn’t skip a beat. We are the largest tanker wing in the world, and that comes with great responsibility. Our team is always ready to answer the call, we’re always ready to go – that’s what we do.”
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“The 92nd Air Refueling Wing at Fairchild Air Force Base does much more than refueling. It is always ready for nuclear alert missions and on standby for homeland defense missions in addition to our typical refueling missions,” Bentley said.
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A PORTFOLIO DIVERSIFICATION ARGUMENT FOR SOCIAL INCLUSION Dr. Vange Hochheimer Associate Professor of Economics, Whitworth University, and President and CEO, Grand Fir Analytics, LLC
As a financial economist, I teach my students
about the business case for closing the education opportunity gap and striving for a diverse labor force. In a nutshell, given a globalized world, comprised of a melting pot of ethnicities with different tastes and preferences, it would be risky to create and invest in products designed for a homogeneous population.
Innovation resulting from diverse ideas in the workplace has the added benefit of expanding market share. The expansion of market share will in turn increase the financial resiliency and profitability of the firm, similar to the case of a well-diversified investment portfolio. Diversity in people and in production allows businesses to hedge against market volatility.
Investment portfolio theory teaches us that if you spread your investments across different asset classes, your risk exposure will be minimized. Investing in a diverse pool of assets that include domestic stocks, bonds, short-term investments, international stocks, and a variety of funds, helps mitigate the downside of the market. The benefits of a diversified investment portfolio come from the fact that not all assets in the portfolio will be correlated to the overall economy in the same way. When some asset values go down and others go up in the portfolio, the net negative impact can be completely or partially offset. This set of inverse correlations in your portfolio, contribute to a stable and profitable investment portfolio.
In terms of the portfolio diversification argument for social inclusion, expanding education opportunities to a diverse population will result in a skilled labor force that is productive and innovative. A skilled and diverse workforce will lead to increased profitability for the firm. There is compelling research that suggests that a skilled and diverse workforce leads to benefits that go beyond profitability. Studies show that diversity in the workforce leads to stronger governance and better problem-solving abilities. For instance, a survey conducted by the Pew Research Centre suggests that more women in the workplace leads to better problem-solving, ethical behavior and mentoring.
The argument in favor of portfolio diversification has significant relevance to the benefits that can accrue from having a diverse market and workforce. For instance, research suggests that there is a positive correlation between high-skilled immigration, innovation, and economic growth. Singapore is a great example of a country that has benefited from being a multicultural nation with ethnic and religious diversity. Today, Singapore is a significant global financial center and is internationally recognized as a most technologyready nation. Singapore’s diverse market and workforce has led to “creative destruction” or innovation that has resulted in increased “Schumpeterian profit”. Schumpeterian profit occurs when firms can capitalize on the returns from creative innovation.
In conclusion, think about this question: Imagine if our investment portfolios were comprised of just one stock?
36 2021-22 GSI CONNECT
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PROPERTY MANAGEMENT TOOK ON NEW DIMENSIONS DURING COVID Pia Hallenberg Owner, Content by Pia 40 2021-22 GSI CONNECT
“We certainly had many challenges, but we have also found significant success through this COVID pandemic,” Hester said. “Though I’m not sure if we did business that differently.” After the initial shutdown period, Kiemle Hagood was considered a critical business and that meant 50 percent of the staff could come back into the office. “Property management is handson – sometimes you just have to be there,” Hester said. Protocols at the medical facilities managed by Kiemle Hagood changed quickly and maintenance staff had to stay on top of every detail. “There were new safety and security steps put in place and we had to completely change the janitorial contract for one building,” Hester said. “COVID in some ways made us better at what we do. We had to react and adapt more quickly.” Early on, Hester said it was decided to rotate staff in and out of the office, so 50 percent came in and 50 percent worked from home. That brought on new cybersecurity concerns that had to be addressed.
If overseeing property
management for 2.5 million square feet of medical facilities during a global pandemic ever kept Gordon Hester, President and CEO of Kiemle Hagood, awake at night – he’s not saying.
“We didn’t always know which type of computer systems employees had at home, or whether their internet connections were fast enough and secure,” Hester said. “We took some measures very quickly to get better VPN connections and make sure everything was working.” Some local areas – including where his own home office is
located – don’t have a strong broadband connection. “That’s not necessarily something you worry about until you must work from home,” Hester said. “This was a reminder of how important broadband is.” Kiemle Hagood of course also sells real estate, and the sales department went through 90 days of not being able to show any property to potential buyers in person. “That was financially the biggest challenge for us early on,” Hester said. “There was a lot of Facetiming and Zooming going as our sales staff tried to do their jobs and be creative.” Yet amid challenges Hester said Kiemle Hagood had the biggest year ever in its Coeur d’Alene and Moscow, Idaho, offices. “That was driven by consumer demand for investment real estate and land sales, at the same time as our sales team actively worked the market,” Hester said. In Spokane, where real estate prices were climbing by the minute, Kiemle Hagood saw similar success in the brokerage area. Yet there are many real estate unknowns to be addressed as the COVID pandemic is beginning to lift. Housing is on everybody’s mind as it’s gotten increasingly challenging to find starter homes and rentals at the lower price point Spokane had gotten used to. Large office spaces have yet to be repopulated by employees
GROWING FORWARD AND ADAPTING FOR THE FUTURE
41
who now work remotely. “You can see it in downtown. The office space vacancy is almost 25 percent, and the physical vacancy may be as high as 50 percent,” Hester said. Long-term lease agreements keep commercial tenants locked in, making it difficult to assess just how much vacant commercial space may be available downtown. And no one knows how many downtown office buildings are going to fill up to pre-COVID levels. “What I am hearing is that many businesses are thinking of coming back this fall” Hester said. “Office workers are already coming back. I’d say perhaps half of the workers who have not already returned to an office, will come back by fall.” Which means there may be some empty office space downtown, just like in
many other larger downtown areas around the country. It’s certainly possible some of that space could be converted to residential units. “Some of it could be converted to apartments. We have already seen some of that,” Hester said. “You are going to continue to see that happen as long as there is vacant office space available.” Another real estate area in flux is retail. Hester said COVID just poured gas on the fire that was already burning under those retailers who were already struggling to adapt to new consumer habits. “Before COVID, successful retailers were already changing how they were doing business,” Hester said. “They had a curbside pickup option, a great online option, and also a store option. COVID put even
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more pressure on retailers than we’d seen before.” Kiemle Hagood is celebrating its 50th year in business and Hester said he is very proud of how the company’s employees have handled the COVID crisis. “Real estate is a relationship business, and our employees are so important,” Hester said. “It is so important to have the right people on board during challenging times.”
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CATERING BUSINESS PIVOTS, INNOVATES, AND FINDS NEW OPPORTUNITY Ellie Aaro Owner, Beacon Hill
We all share those early pandemic moments that
brought a tremendous shift to our business world. For us, it was March 12, 2020 while preparing for a 500-person event when we received the call that it was being canceled. This began a relentless surge of phone calls with questions, cancelations, and postponements for upcoming events. In all, about 200 contracted events from that date through the end of the year were either canceled, significantly downsized, postponed (sometimes multiple times), or delayed indefinitely. Within just a couple of weeks, we realized that a pivot from in-person events was necessary. In early April 2020, Beacon at Home, our family meal delivery program, was born. We had a simple goal in mind; keep our staff employed. In the initial days, our systems were clunky; submission form and emailed orders with a follow-up phone call for payment. Even during this time, our loyal customers showed up. The need appeared high enough to create an online storefront. By Mother’s Day, we were starting to pick up on orders and launched our first holiday meal delivery. As the year came to a close, the necessity for at-home meals continued and food insecurity plagued many vulnerable populations in Spokane. We created Care to Nourish, a program creating nourishing ready-to-eat meals for families in need. Thanks to generous support from Washington Trust Bank, Spokane Teachers Credit Union, and a partnership with Spokane Hospitality Coalition, over 2,100 meals were delivered to our partner nonprofits. These meals kept families fed and provided work for our food production partners. With each new program, there were inevitably challenges. Our Executive Chef Ryan Jordan learned how to adapt to new “at home” ratios and focused on menus that worked well for a reheat format. We tested holiday corporate giving, but struggled to format our meal delivery concept to appeal to corporate customers. All this time, the 44 2021-22 GSI CONNECT
events side of Beacon Hill was still running, only now with ever-changing scenarios, restrictions, and guidelines. Tons of quiet hours behind the scenes were put into even the smallest 2020 event. Advocating for some stability for the events industry, while keeping safety at the forefront, became a full-time job. There were beautiful successes to keep us going. We’ve become more connected with our customers through weekly newsletter and text marketing, where we share Beacon at Home menu offerings and many of our coveted recipes. We were able to meet our goal of keeping our staff employed. Chef Ryan created some delicious new recipes, like his Indian Butter Chicken, or Rosemary Grilled Chicken Thighs - so delicious it is being showcased at many summer weddings. After years of searching, Beacon at Home may even offer a solution to help us more comfortably handle our annual slow season. Most recently, we’ve added Beacon To Go to our offerings. This new service provides our quality catering with reduced service, packaged in ecofriendly containers. Perfect for gatherings at home, casual corporate meals, and more. Beacon To Go has helped us navigate staffing shortages, while maintaining proper staffing levels for full-service events. We love these new programs but hosting in-person gatherings at Beacon Hill again is rejuvenating. For 2021, we are nearing 100% recovery for weddings and hoping to see corporate events follow that trajectory for 2022. We continue to run the Beacon at Home program and love seeing excited faces when we drop off Beacon To Go. The road ahead is still uncertain, but we are hopeful. Most importantly, we are grateful to anyone who has trusted us with anything from a family meal to your most cherished moments throughout our two decades doing business in Spokane.
Mark Mattke CEO, Spokane Workforce Council “The past year has taught us much about our capability to adapt and innovate as the environment changed rapidly. One of the major lessons was scaling the use of technology to effectively connect more workers to jobs, more students to classrooms, and more people to each other – whether separated by geography or safety protocols. We also saw more fully the extent of the digital divide and lack of access to technology that acts as a barrier to economic growth and career advancement for many in our community. As we move into the recovery, we need to find ways to work together and bridge these gaps so everyone in our community can participate in the new economy.”
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TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS OF A BOOMING REAL ESTATE MARKET Pia Hallenberg Owner, Content by Pia
I
t is not just the summer weather that has been unseasonably hot – the Spokane real estate market followed right along. Homes stayed on the market for just a few days, and almost every buyer has a story of the teethgnashing bidding war they had to endure before they got the keys.
Swelling demand for housing was also brought on by an influx of people moving to Spokane at a higher rate than in previous years. Remote workers, recently released from the confines of an office by the pandemic, are seeking away from the big metro areas, looking for a quality of life that can be found here.
“I’d say we’re about 30,000 housing units off in Spokane,” said Eric Johnson, president of Spokane Association of Realtors® and director of training for Northwest Real Estate Brokers. “How did it get this bad? It’s a hangover from the recession. To catch up we would have to produce at least 1,800 units a year, and we did 500.”
“It’s a great market for real estate investors who specialize in coming in and buying things up,” Johnson said. “Guys like me should be super happy. But at the same time, I care deeply about people, and we want to solve this housing issue.”
Spokane’s housing challenges began long before the pandemic hit, and as the recession lifted Johnson said “everyone” wanted to buy a home. “We didn’t have the labor pool to build,” Johnson said, “and when the pandemic hit it didn’t shut down demand as expected. In times of crisis, people seek to meet their basic needs and housing is just one of those needs.” 46 2021-22 GSI CONNECT
Like others, Johnson expects that some downtown office space will remain vacant. The same goes for retail space. “There is likely to be more vacant commercial property into fall,” Johnson said. “And there are chances that some of those downtown buildings could be repurposed. We have to be very mindful of how we use those spaces.” To solve the housing challenges there is only one way forward: build more. Johnson said he hopes the
city will work with developers and builders on streamlining permitting and rezoning some areas, to make construction easier. “Infill development is all we can do right now and that may not be enough,” Johnson said, adding that perhaps declaring a housing crisis could allow some changes on a state level with the growth management act. “It can be very difficult to impact change on a state level.” When Mayor Nadine Woodward proclaimed a housing emergency in late July, Johnson welcomed the proposed changes as a step in the right direction. “Allowing four housing units per lot in the city is pretty aggressive, but it’s important to remember that there are still building codes, parking requirements and services that need to be present for it to be feasible,” Johnson said about one change that would allow for higher density in residential neighborhoods. Johnson added that he doesn’t think the mayor’s proclamation will lead to “massive changes”
GROWING FORWARD AND ADAPTING FOR THE FUTURE 47
but it may increase the number of rentals or condominium offerings which will give Spokanites more choices when it comes to housing. “It opens the doors for accessory dwelling units as well as re-
development of dilapidated homes and that may incentivize replacement with multi-unit residences,” Johnson said. Overall, Johnson is optimistic about the future, and he is not worried that the market will implode like it did around the
dot.com crisis. “Real estate follows employment,” Johnson said. “As employment gets stronger, we will still be pretty bullish going forward. And the market will stabilize.”
Marvo Reguindin President, Thinking Cap Communications “A home office means increased internet usage and electricity. I’ve given my employees a home office allowance to help pay for increased utilities. They also have more control over their day and how they want to work. I encourage taking more mental and screen breaks during the day. Payroll is now deposited directly into their bank accounts.”
Family-owned and operated since 1959, Eljay Oil is your single source supplier of Chevron products and Bulk Fuels for the Inland Northwest.
48 2021-22 GSI CONNECT
509-926-9595 | EL J AYOI L . C O M
TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE CRITICAL TO SUPPORT A HEALTHY ECONOMY Lance Beck President and CEO, Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce
The Regional Transportation Coalition, organized by the Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce, the Inland Northwest Associated General Contractors, and Greater Spokane Inc., along with business and community leaders has been advocating for infrastructure needs and opportunities to support economic growth in Spokane County. The Coalition’s focus has been on driving regional collaboration between the private sectors, municipal governments, and economic development organizations to inform policymakers, grow economic opportunities and grow funding that will improve the region’s transportation system. Everyone at the table can agree that our region wins when we work together. That goes for both funding acquisition and system management which is why convening this group of leaders is so important. Through the efforts of the coalition, two priorities have emerged: adequately funding maintenance and preservation (M&P) of the existing transportation system, and finishing the projects we have already started. The current M&P budget for the state is woefully underfunded and the backlog list continues to grow. We are already seeing the effects of an inadequate M&P budget through the closure of a bridge in Spokane because it was deemed unsafe and the numerous highway surface failures across the region due to the recent extreme heat. 50 2021-22 GSI CONNECT
Roger Flint, COO of Parametrix and President of the Spokane Area Good Roads Association recently said, “In addition to our critical transportation capital needs that address safety, congestion, and mobility – we have to adequately fund maintenance and preservation of our existing system as well. Continuing to “kick the can” to future generations is simply wrong.” We must also finish what we have started. There are several key projects throughout our region with the promise of funding by the state legislature through the 2015 Connecting Washington program. However, declining gas tax revenues and COVID impacts have put those projects in jeopardy. The Coalition recognizes that our current revenue system for transportation, both on a state and local level, is broken. The gap is widening leaving local municipalities left staring at the potholes. “Our primary transportation funding mechanisms are no longer aligned with the technology advancements and policy goals of the transportation system. We need to modernize our funding mechanisms to ensure we have sufficient, sustainable, and equitable investments in our transportation infrastructure,” said Kelly Fukai, Commissioner, Washington Transportation Commission and Manager of Public and External Affairs at Spokane International Airport.
Tim Henkel President and CEO, Spokane County United Way “As with most others, we shifted nearly our entire operation to virtual. We conducted staff, board, and community volunteer meetings completely virtual since March of 2020. Since most of our engagement in the community is done in person, the pandemic caused us to shift nearly all of these to virtual interactions. Some of our volunteer outreach and engagement efforts have been difficult to carry out given social distancing and other requirements. Nevertheless, we have worked with GSI and other groups to make sure that opportunities like PPE distribution had sufficient volunteer support to carry this out.”
THRIVING BUSINESS More than 1,500 manufacturing businesses call Spokane County home.
EDUCATION & TALENT More than 77,000 students at 8 universities and 4 colleges feed a growing 250,000 person workforce.
AVAILABLE PROPERTY Whether you are in the West Plains, Deer Park, Spokane Valley or anywhere else in the region, there is property to meet your development needs.
NICE ADVANTAGE, SPOKANE! AdvantageSpokane.com
GROWING FORWARD AND ADAPTING FOR THE FUTURE
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LEAVITT CAPITAL COMPANIES FIELDSTONE MEMORY CARE BERNARDO-WILLS ARCHITECTS, PC RESIDENCE INN BY MARRIOTT LEE & HAYES FIRST AMERICAN TITLE INSURANCE COMPANY BERRY BUILT & DESIGN, INC. RESOURCE SYNERGY LEGALSHIELD FIRST CHOICE COFFEE SERVICES BEST WESTERN PLUS - CITY CENTER RETIREMENT NATIONWIDE, INC. LEONE & KEEBLE, INC. FIRST CHOICE HEALTH NETWORK, INC. BETTER HEALTH TOGETHER RICHARD H DENENNY & COMPANY LIFE FLIGHT FIRST COMMAND FINANCIAL SERVICES BIG SKY PUBLIC RELATIONS RICHARDS, MERRILL & PETERSON, INC. LIGHTHOUSE FOR THE BLIND, INC FIRST INTERSTATE BANK BII RIVERBANK LILAC BLOOMSDAY ASSOCIATION FISHER CONSTRUCTION GROUP BLINK EYECARE, PLLC RIVERSIDE SCHOOL DISTRICT LILAC CITY EARLY LEARNING CENTER FISHER’S TECHNOLOGY BLRB ARCHITECTS RIVERVIEW RETIREMENT COMMUNITY LITE-CHECK FLEXHIBIT BOB CLOUSE INSURANCE SERVICES ROBERT HALF LONGBOW FINANCIAL SERVICES FRANCISCO R. VELAZQUEZ, M.D., S.M BOEING CO ROCKWOOD RETIREMENT COMMUNITY SOUTH HILL LONGHORN BARBECUE RESTAURANT WEST FRANK GURNEY, INC. BOUTEN CONSTRUCTION ROLOFF DIGITAL FORENSICS LLC LORAN GRAHAM CO. FREEFORM INTERIORS BRETT SPORTS/SPOKANE CHIEFS/INDIANS RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE CHARITIES LUKINS & ANNIS PS FREEMAN SCHOOL DISTRICT #358 BREWS BROS COFFEE BARS ROSAUERS SUPERMARKETS, INC. LUTHERAN COMMUNITY SERVICES NORTHWEST FRESHVUE BROADWAY TRUCK STOPS ROTHROCK COMPANY LYDIG CONSTRUCTION, INC. FRONTIER BEHAVIORAL HEALTH BRUNCHEONETTE RUBY HOSPITALITY/GVD COMMERCIAL LYN-TRON, INC. FRONTIER NORTHWEST BUDINGER & ASSOCIATES RYERSON, INC. MACDONALD-MILLER FACILITY SOLUTIONS FRUCI & ASSOCIATES PS BUMBLEBAR, INC. S2 MEDIA MACKENZIE RIVER PIZZA, GRILL & PUB G. ARGER COMPANY REAL ESTATE, INC. BURLINGTON NORTHERN SANTA FE RAILROAD S360 MANGIA CATERING CO. GALLAGHER BENEFIT SERVICES, INC. C & H FOREIGN AUTO REPAIR S3R3 SOLUTIONS MANN-GRANDSTAFF VA MEDICAL CENTER GARCO CONSTRUCTION, INC. CANCER CARE NORTHWEST SAINT GEORGE’S SCHOOL MANPOWER GATHER CANOPY CREDIT UNION SALVATION ARMY - SPOKANE COUNTY MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. FAMILY OUTREACH CENTER GEOENGINEERS, INC. CARE PATROL SANDIS CIVIL ENGINEERS, SURVEYORS, PLANNERS MARYHILL WINERY GESA CREDIT UNION CAREER PATH SERVICES SCAFCO MASSMUTUAL GIRL SCOUTS OF EASTERN WASHINGTON & NORTHERN IDAHO CARRINGTON COLLEGE SCHOEDEL & SCHOEDEL, CPAS PLLC MAX J. KUNEY CO. GLOBAL CREDIT UNION CATHAY INN SCORE MCALOON LAW PLLC GLOVER MANSION / RED ROCK CATERING CBRE/HEERY SECOND HARVEST MCCLINTOCK & TURK, INC. GOLD RESERVE CORPORATION CELLNETIX SENIOR HELPERS MCGREGOR COMPANY GONZAGA PREPARATORY SCHOOL CENTENNIAL REAL ESTATE INVESTMENTS SENSKE LAWN & TREE CARE MCKINSTRY COMPANY GONZAGA UNIVERSITY CENTERPLACE REGIONAL EVENT CENTER SEVEN2 MEDCURITY, INC GOOD WORKS INC. CENTRAL PRE-MIX CONCRETE CO. A CRH COMPANY SHARKEY’S CUTS FOR KIDS MEDICAL LAKE SCHOOL DIST. #326 GOODALE & BARBIERI COMPANY CENTRAL VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT 356 SHOGUN RESTAURANT MERCER ADVISORS GOODWILL INDUSTRIES OF THE INLAND NORTHWEST CFW ADVISORY SERVICES SHRINER’S HOSPITALS FOR CHILDREN - SPOKANE MERRY GLEN GOODWIN GROUP INC CHAMPION TAX & ACCOUNTING, INC. SILVERWOOD THEME PARK & BOULDER BEACH WATER PARK METALS FABRICATION GR8PM, INC. CHARLIE’S PRODUCE SPOKANE SIMPLY NORTHWEST MIRABEAU PARK HOTEL & CONVENTION CENTER GRAND CANYON UNIVERSITY CHENEY SCHOOL DISTRICT #360 SKAGIT FARMERS SUPPLY MMEC ARCHITECTURE & INTERIORS GREATER SPOKANE COUNTY MEALS ON WHEELS CHILDREN’S HOME SOCIETY SKILS’KIN MOBILE BILLBOARDS NORTHWEST GREATER SPOKANE INC. CHIMNEY ROCK MORTGAGE SLEEP INN / MAINSTAY SUITES MOBIUS DISCOVERY CENTER GREATER SPOKANE VALLEY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE CHRIST KITCHEN SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION MODERN MACHINERY GREENSTONE CINTAS SNAP/WOMAN’S BUSINESS CENTER MORNING STAR BOYS RANCH GUS JOHNSON FORD CITY OF AIRWAY HEIGHTS SODEXO INC. MORNINGSTAR FOUNDATION H&R BLOCK CITY OF CHENEY SONDEREN PACKAGING CO., INC. MORRISON-MAIERLE, INC. H2E INCORPORATED CITY OF DEER PARK SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO. MOSS ADAMS LLP HAASE LANDSCAPE, INC. CITY OF LIBERTY LAKE SPEAK STUDIOS INC MOUNTAIN WEST BANK HABITAT FOR HUMANITY CITY OF MEDICAL LAKE SPOKANE AREA GOOD ROADS ASSOCIATION MT. SPOKANE SKI & SNOWBOARD PARK HAINSWORTH COMPANY CITY OF MILLWOOD SPOKANE ARTS MUKOGAWA FORT WRIGHT INSTITUTE HALLOCK CONSULTING CITY OF NEWPORT SPOKANE ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS MULTICARE HEALTH SYSTEM HAMPTON INN & SUITES DOWNTOWN SPOKANE SOUTH CITY OF SPOKANE SPOKANE CONSERVATION DISTRICT MULTIFAB, INC. HART CROWSER CITY OF SPOKANE VALLEY SPOKANE CORPORATE HOUSING MURPHY BROTHERS HAYDEN HOMES, LLC CLIFTONLARSONALLEN LLP SPOKANE COUNTY MURPHY BUSINESS SALES - SPOKANE HAYDN HALSTED REAL ESTATE COCA COLA OF SPOKANE SPOKANE COUNTY LIBRARY DISTRICT MW CONSULTING ENGINEERS HDG ARCHITECTURE COEUR D’ALENES COMPANY SPOKANE COUNTY TITLE COMPANY N.A. DEGERSTROM, INC. HDR COFFMAN ENGINEERS, INC. SPOKANE COUNTY UNITED WAY NAC ARCHITECTURE HEALTH SCIENCES & SERVICES AUTHORITY OF SPOKANE COUNTY COLDWELL BANKER TOMLINSON SPOKANE SPOKANE FOOD SERVICES, INC. / MCDONALD’S NAI BLACK HENNESSEY FUNERAL HOME & CREMATORY COLLEGE SUCCESS FOUNDATION SPOKANE GYMNASTICS NATIONAL COLOR GRAPHICS HILL INTERNATIONAL, INC. COLLINS AEROSPACE SPOKANE HARDWARE SUPPLY, INC. NATIONAL ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS ASSN., INLAND EMP. HISTORIC FLIGHT FOUNDATION COLUMBIA BANK SPOKANE HOME BUILDERS ASSOCIATION NCI NEESER CONSTRUCTION, INC. HOLD ON NOW COLUMBIA BASIN DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE SPOKANE HOOPFEST ASSOCIATION NECTAR CATERING AND EVENTS HORIZON CREDIT UNION COLUMBIA ELECTRIC SUPPLY SPOKANE HOUSING VENTURES NINE MILE FALLS SCHOOL DISTRICT #325 HORIZON HOSPICE COLUMBIA SURGICAL SPECIALISTS SPOKANE HUMANE SOCIETY NORDSTROM HOSPICE OF SPOKANE COMCAST SPOKANE INDUSTRIES NORTH BY NORTHWEST A DIGITAL STUDIO HOTSTART, INC. COMMERCIAL CREAMERY CO. SPOKANE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT 141ST AIR REFUELING WING NORTHEAST COMMUNITY CENTER ASSOCIATION HUB INTERNATIONAL NORTHWEST COMMUNITIES IN SCHOOLS SPOKANE LILAC FESTIVAL ASSOCIATION 360 CLARITY NORTHEAST PUBLIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY HUB SPORTS CENTER COMMUNITY COLLEGES OF SPOKANE SPOKANE PACKAGING 940 NORTH NORTHEAST WASHINGTON EDUCATIONAL SERVICE DISTRICT 101 HUMANIX STAFFING AND RECRUITING SERVICES COMMUNITY FRAMEWORKS SPOKANE PROCARE A & L TRANSMISSION NORTHWEST AUTISM CENTER HUPPIN’S TV, AUDIO, CAMERAS & MORE COMMUNITY HEALTH ASSOCIATION OF SPOKANE SPOKANE PRODUCE INC. A CATERED AFFAIR NORTHWEST BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION HYDRAFAB NORTHWEST INC COMMUNITY HEALTH PLAN OF WASHINGTON SPOKANE PUBLIC FACILITIES DISTRICT A-L COMPRESSED GASES NORTHWEST FARM CREDIT SERVICES IEDS LOGISTICS COMMUNITY-MINDED ENTERPRISES SPOKANE PUBLIC LIBRARY A.M. LANDSHAPER, INC. IGNITE NORTHWEST CONOVER INSURANCE SERVICES LLC SPOKANE PUBLIC RADIO KPBX, KSFC, KPBZ NORTHWEST MUSEUM OF ARTS & CULTURE A.W. REHN & ASSOCIATES, INC. IHEARTMEDIA CONSTRUCTION ASSOCIATES OF SPOKANE SPOKANE PUBLIC SCHOOLS NORTHWEST NATURAL RESOURCES INSTITUTE (NNRI) A4VENTURES INCYTE DIAGNOSTICS CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY TRAINING COUNCIL OF WA SPOKANE REGIONAL CLEAN AIR AGENCY NORTHWEST ORTHOPAEDIC SPECIALISTS, P.S. ABC MINI STORAGE INLAND EMPIRE PAPER CO. CONSTRUCTIV LLC SPOKANE REGIONAL HEALTH DISTRICT NORTHWESTERN MUTUAL ABILITY EMPLOYMENT SERVICES INLAND IMAGING, LLC CORNER BOOTH MEDIA SPOKANE REGIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT MUSEUM NORTHWESTERN STAGE LINES ABM INLAND NORTHWEST BEHAVIORAL HEALTH COURTYARD BY MARRIOTT SPOKANE REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION COUNCIL - SRTC NOVATION INC ABSCO SOLUTIONS INLAND NORTHWEST BUSINESS ALLIANCE COWLES COMPANY SPOKANE SPORTS NUMERICA CREDIT UNION ACCRA-FAB, INC. INLAND NORTHWEST COUNCIL, BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA CRAFT3 SPOKANE TRANSIT AUTHORITY NUVODIA ACME CONCRETE PAVING INLAND NORTHWEST METALLURGICAL SERVICES, INC. CRESCENT BUILDING SPOKANE UNIVERSITY DISTRICT NW ALLOYS - ADDY ACME MACHINE WORKS INLAND NORTHWEST RESEARCH CROWN WEST REALTY, LLC SPOKANE VALLEY FIRE DEPARTMENT OAC SERVICES, INC. ACRANET, INC. INLAND NORTHWEST SOCIETY OF HUMAN RESOURCES CRUX SUBSURFACE, INC. SPOKANE VALLEY SUMMER THEATRE OAKS CLASSICAL CHRISTIAN ACADEMY ACTIONCOACH BUSINESS COACHING INLAND NW ASSOCIATED GENERAL CONTRACTORS CYCLEBAR SOUTH HILL SPOKANE WORKFORCE COUNCIL ODOM CORPORATION ADAMS & CLARK, INC. INLAND POWER CYRUS O’LEARY’S PIES SPOKANE YOUNG PROFESSIONALS OMLIN GUNNING & ASSOCIATES PS ADEPT CONSTRUCTION LLC INLANDER PUBLICATIONS, INC. D.A. DAVIDSON & CO. SPRING ENVIRONMENTAL, INC. OPENSQUARE ADM MILLING CO. INNOVIA FOUNDATION DAA NORTHWEST STANTEC CONSULTING INC. OXARC, INC. ADVENTURES IN ADVERTISING INTEGRUS ARCHITECTURE PS DATAPRO SOLUTIONS, INC. STAPLES, INC. #635 PACIFICSOURCE HEALTH PLANS AERO-FLITE INC. INTERSTATE CONCRETE & ASPHALT DAVENPORT HOTELS STAR RENTALS INC. PAINE HAMBLEN LLP AEROSPACE JOINT APPRENTICESHIP COMMITTEE IRG PHYSICAL & HAND THERAPY DCI ENGINEERS, INC. STATE BANK NORTHWEST PALINDROME LLP AEROTEK ITRON, INC. DE LEON FOODS STCU PAPE’ MATERIAL HANDLING AGING & LONG TERM CARE OF EASTERN WASHINGTON J & A BODY AND FENDER DEER PARK SCHOOL DISTRICT #414 STELLAR INDUSTRIAL SUPPLY PARAMETRIX, INC. AIR PROS J-U-B ENGINEERS, INC. DESAUTEL HEGE STEPHEN G. DASHIELL, PS PASS WORD, INC. ALASKA AIR JACK BUELL TRUCKING CO. DESIGN I.T. SOLUTIONS STEVEN A. MEEK ARCHITECTS PATHFINDER STRATEGIES ALASKA USA FEDERAL CREDIT UNION JACK SILZEL DESIGN SOURCE, INC. STEVENS / CLAY, P.S. PATRICK DUNN ALL LINES INSURANCE LLC JACKSON CONTRACTOR GROUP DESIGNER DECAL, INC. STONEBRAKER MCQUARY AGENCY GROUP, INC. PAYNE PROPERTIES & DEVELOPMENT COMPANY ALLERT CATTLE RANCH JEWELRY DESIGN CENTER DEVRIES BUSINESS SERVICES STONEWAY ELECTRIC SUPPLY PAYNEWEST INSURANCE ALLIANT INSURANCE SERVICES JOHNSTON ENGINEERING DIRECTORS MORTGAGE STRATA, INC. PAYTRACE ALLIED ENVELOPE CO. JOURNAL OF BUSINESS DISHMAN DODGE RAM CHRYSLER JEEP STRATEGIC RESEARCH ASSOCIATES PEARSON PACKAGING SYSTEMS ALLWEST TESTING & ENGINEERING JOURNEY DISCOVERY CENTER, INC. DISPATCHHEALTH STRATEGY LABS PEPSI BEVERAGES COMPANY ALSC ARCHITECTS, PS JOYA CHILD & FAMILY DEVELOPMENT DIVCO INC STRATFORD SUITES PHOENIX PROTECTIVE CORPORATION ALTA SCIENCE & ENGINEERING JUBILANT HOLLISTERSTIER LLC DIVCON, INC. SUNCADIA RESORT PHOTON BIOSCIENCES, LLC ALTEK, INC. JUNIOR LIVESTOCK SHOW OF SPOKANE DIVISION OF VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION SUNSHINE DISPOSAL & RECYCLING PHYSICAL THERAPY ASSOCIATES ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION WASHINGTON STATE CHAPTER K&N DOUBLETREE BY HILTON SPOKANE CITY CENTER SUNSHINE HEALTH FACILITIES PHYSICIANS INSURANCE AMERICAN MEDICAL RESPONSE K-L MFG CO, INC DOWERS COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE GROUP SVN CORNERSTONE PIERSOL CONSTRUCTION INC. AMERICAN ON-SITE K&L GATES, LLP DOWNTOWN SPOKANE PARTNERSHIP SWINERTON BUILDERS PINNACLE INVESTIGATIONS AMERICAN RED CROSS INLAND NORTHWEST CHAPTER KAISER ALUMINUM DRY FLY DISTILLING INC. T-O ENGINEERS PIONEER HUMAN SERVICES ANGUS BRANDS, ANGUS MEATS, INC. BOLD EATS KAISER PERMANENTE DUPREE BUILDING SPECIALTIES T.W. CLARK CONSTRUCTION, LLC PITNEY BOWES, INC. ANTHONY’S RESTAURANT KALISPEL TRIBAL ECONOMIC AUTHORITY E-Z LOADER BOAT TRAILERS TACFUL GEAR, LLC PLANET FITNESS APPITURE BIOTECHNOLOGIES, INC. KAYU-TV FOX 28 EAST VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT #361 TACOMA SCREW PRODUCTS, INC. PLESE PRINTING & MARKETING APPLIED SCIENCES LABORATORY, INSTITUTE FOR SHOCK PHYSICS KERSHAW’S, INC. EASTERN STATE HOSPITAL TAMARACK CENTER PLESE REALTY LLC ARBOR CREST WINE CELLARS KHQ TV EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY TAYLOR ENTERPRISES, LLC POINTGUARD FINANCIAL, PLLC ARBY’S KIEMLE & HAGOOD COMPANY ECLIPSE ENGINEERING, INC. TC ENERGY POWER MARKETING ARC OF SPOKANE KING BEVERAGE, INC. EDGE CONSTRUCTION SUPPLY TDR LOGISTICS POWERS ECONOMICS ARCHBRIGHT KINGFISHER FINANCIAL PBC EDWARD JONES - KENNETH FAUST TDS PRECISION CUTTING TECHNOLOGIES ARCHITECTS WEST KLUNDT | HOSMER DESIGN EIDE BAILLY TECHRESOURCE PREMERA BLUE CROSS ARGUS JANITORIAL, LLC KPFF CONSULTING ENGINEERS ELJAY OIL CO., INC. TECK AMERICAN INCORPORATED PREMIER MANUFACTURING ASHLEY HOUSE NW KPMG, LLP EMPIRE BOLT & SCREW, INC. TERRA BLANCA PRIDE PREP SCHOOLS ASSOCIATED INDUSTRIES KREM-TV AND KSKN-TV EMPIRE HEALTH FOUNDATION THE PAULSON BECKER AGENCY PRIMESOURCE CREDIT UNION ASURIS NORTHWEST HEALTH KRIS FUEHR ENDURIS WASHINGTON TOM JOHNSON PRO MECHANICAL SERVICES INC, AT&T KSPS-TV ETTER, MCMAHON, LAMBERSON, VAN WERT & ORESKOVICH, P.C. TOMBARI PROPERTIES PROFORMA AVIDEX KXLY BROADCAST GROUP EVANS CRAVEN & LACKIE, PS TOTAL RECLAIM / ECOLIGHTS PROTO MANUFACTURING, INC. AVISTA L & S ENGINEERING ASSOCIATES EVCO SOUND & ELECTRONICS TOUCHMARK ON SOUTH HILL PROVIDENCE HEALTH CARE BAKER COMMODITIES, SPOKANE DIVISION L.E.A.P.S. AND BEYOND INC EXCELSIOR WELLNESS TRAILBREAKER CIDER PROVISIONAL RECRUITING BAKER CONSTRUCTION & DEVELOPMENT, INC. LA QUINTA EXCHANGE TRANS-SYSTEM, INC. PTERA BALDWIN SIGN CO. LAFARGE NORTH AMERICA EXECUTECH TRESKO MONUMENT PYROTEK INC. BANK OF AMERICA LAKE COEUR D’ALENE CRUISES EXECUTIVE WOMEN INTERNATIONAL TRIPLE-NINE DIGITAL QUANTUM FINANCIAL PLANNING SERVICES BANNER BANK - SPOKANE LAMAR ADVERTISING EXOTIC METALS FORMING COMPANY LLC U-DISTRICT PHYSICAL THERAPY RAINBOW ELECTRIC, INC. BANNER FURNACE & FUEL, INC. LANDAU ASSOCIATES, INC. FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE U.S. BANK RAINMAN SEAMLESS RAIN GUTTERS BARRISTER WINERY LANDMARK RESTAURANTS/THE ONION/FRANK’S DINER FAIRWINDS RETIREMENT COMMUNITY UGLY DUCK RANDALL / DANSKIN, P.S. BBB NORTHWEST – PACIFIC LATAH CREEK WINE CELLARS, LTD FAMILY PROMISE OF SPOKANE UMPQUA BANK RANDALL & HURLEY, INC. BEACON HILL EVENTS LAW OFFICE OF STEVE GRAHAM FARMLAND COMPANY UNION GOSPEL MISSION RANGEMASTER SHOULDER THERAPY BECKER BUICK GMC TRUCK, INC. LAWTON PRINTING, INC. FELTMAN EWING, PS UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD RAY TURF FARMS, INC. BECU LCD EXPOSITION SERVICES FERGUSON WELLMAN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON RE/MAX - JENNIFER VALERIEN BEGONA COFFEE LLC LEADERSHIP SPOKANE FERNWELL EXECUTIVE SUITES UPS REARDAN-EDWALL SCHOOL DISTRICT BELL-ANDERSON INSURANCE LEAGUE OF EDUCATION VOTERS FOUNDATION FIBRENEW SPOKANE URM STORES, INC. RESIDENCE INN BY MARRIOTT
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for your support and commitment to create a vibrant Spokane region. Together we’re greater!
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S TCU COMMERCI A L A ND BUSINE SS SERVICE S
“We love having STCU as part of our team.” - Otto Klein, SVP, Spokane Indians Baseball Team
The crack of the bat. The 7th inning stretch. The chance at a foul ball. Since 1903, the Spokane Indians Baseball Team have given us pure, family fun on hot summer nights. STCU is honored to be the home team's business banker, providing checking and merchant services, so they can focus on the fun stuff, like Bark in the Park Night. To learn more about how STCU can serve your business, give us a call at (509) 579-7150, visit any branch location, or explore stcu.org/business. Insured by NCUA.
SUZY DIX
REALTOR
Welcome to a different way to think about buying and selling real estate. It’s a difference I think you’ll appreciate. Real estate is not just my career; it’s also something I invest in myself. I am a true believer in what I do, and I think that after working with me, you will be too. I work as an individual agent, not as a team. I do all my own meetings, showings and listing appointments. I have 2 full time assistants that work in the office only. When you call me I answer the phone!
GIVING BACK Spokane is my home too and I’m a firm believer in giving back to my community. Past and present boards I’ve served on include The Ronald McDonald House of Charities, The Nature Conservancy of Washington Board of Trustees, Dishman Hills Conservancy, SpokAnimal, WSU Planned Giving, Morningstar Boy’s Ranch and past president of the Spokane Polo Club.
BUYING
SELLING While we can all be encouraged by the positive movement in lending and real estate values, it can sometimes be uncomfortable for sellers to put a property on the market. I have confidence in our regional real estate landscape and guide my clients in overcoming any hesitancy to sell. While things are looking up and good opportunities are available in the market, I also understand that I am often managing my client’s largest asset. In one year I’ve sold $11,625,400 residential acreage (homes on 2+ acres), $11,180,952 residential and $5,397,000 in land on a total of 48 transactions. It’s a responsibility I take very seriously.
I feel for my sellers and work hard for them to gain the most from their home or property sale.
The regional real estate market is very good. Whether for a residential home or out-of-town acreage, now is a great time to buy, with historically low interest rates. Though I have deep expertise in residential acreage and prestige properties, my listings can shift with the market. Currently about half of my real estate sales and listings are for in-town residences.
I would be happy to talk with you about the market and show you city or country properties that will meet your specific requirements.
Visit www.suzydix.com for more information • (509) 994-9300