Newcomer
EVGENIYA BROWNLEE
Davenport Hotels and The Centennial Hotel Spokane, Revenue Manager
Davenport Hotels provide world-class service, sublime surroundings and luxury.
in Spokane, then I feel the environment in our city has mentors who care and are invested, and that the strength and value we bring as women is being realized. I can only hope to be as inspirational and supportive to others as Lynnelle and Marie have been for me.
Your Role: I’m responsible for maximizing hotel rooms' profitability through the proper allocation and pricing of daily rooms inventory, and implementing sell strategies and evaluating their effectiveness. Proudest Moment: Year over year, I have
Your Advice: Don’t hesitate to voice your
been exceeding my financial goals by more than $1,000,000.
opinion, and don’t doubt yourself. Believe you are just as strong—if not stronger—than any male, and the only thing that separates you from someone “successful” is taking the first step toward your goal. I have met so many smart women who had aspirations and goals, but because they lacked self-confidence, they stopped themselves from achieving them. Go get it, girl!
What do you feel Spokane’s business environment has to offer women? I
have the incredible fortune of working under unbelievably talented and strong females: managing director, Lynnelle, and director of revenue management, Marie. These two women inspire me, support me and continue to show me what being a woman in business is all about. If there are more women like them
Organization
photo by Ari Nordhagen
STEP HAN IE CURRAN
Your Word: Honest
Spokane Public Facilities District, Chief Executive Officer
The Spokane Public Facilities District owns and operates the Spokane Arena, Spokane Convention Center, First Interstate Center for the Arts and the soon to be Spokane Sportsplex, the only venue of its type west of the Mississippi. They exist to generate economic impact through tourism for the Spokane Region. Proudest Moment: Being named CEO
of the PFD. When the previous CEO announced his retirement, I was told the board wanted to look outside Spokane. While I understood how they might not have seen me in the role—I had only been general manager for two years—I did not believe it made sense to bring someone in from the outside when I had dedicated my career to the PFD. No one else would possibly care as much as I did, about the PFD, the venues, the clients, the guests and the employees. My parents immigrated to the U.S. so their children would have
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opportunities they did not. I knew this was the moment where I showed my parents their sacrifice was worth it. Out of 100 applicants from across the country, I made it to the head hunter’s top 8, then top 5, then 3, then 2 then 1. I prepared as if my life depended on it because my life as I knew it did. Your Advice: Don’t take no as the final answer. If I had accepted that, I never would have applied for this position. Your Word: Resourceful