Spokane Public Schools Teacher

Program Assistant for Operations, Empire Health Foundation

What a joy and honor to be the recipient of the 2017 Linda Finney Diversity Scholarship. After being inspired and encouraged by a few community leaders, I decided to apply to the program. This honor from Leadership Spokane and also additional funds from my employer, Empire Health Foundation to support my learning journey is definitely one of my highlights for this year. As an immigrant woman, I am looking forward to getting exposed to different functions of my community which will also strengthen my belief about building community and what it means to be a servant leader. I believe that Leadership Spokane will be a place where I will continue to grow and become a stronger member of my new home, Spokane. I am excited about serving with my cohort, having exposure to diverse perspectives and learning the stories of my fellow sojourners as we contribute to sustainable impact in our region.

Diversion Supervisor/Racial & Ethnic Disparity Grant Coordinator, Spokane County Juvenile Court

I am extremely honored to be the third recipient of the Linda Finney Diversity Scholarship. I have been very interested in joining Leadership Spokane for the last several years however my place of employment does not provide financial assistance. This year with the support of my family I decided that I would apply and pay my way through the program on my own if necessary. If I had not received this scholarship I would not have been able to participate this year.

I have worked with diverse and marginalized communities for the last 17 years. A re-occurring theme that I have seen when working with youth and families in-need is that if they feel supported and encouraged; are taught that they are in fact worth advocating for; and are assisted with resources they have a high likelihood of implementing positive changes and moving forward from their current circumstances. Spokane already has many programs and resources that address these challenges however we as a community need to support each other’s businesses and organizations in unity and inclusiveness. Social equity for people of all races and ethnicities is something we as a community should strive for. Our youth and families could benefit greatly if those of us who work with them were able to see our own biases and work through them in order to promote fair treatment.

I look forward to sharing knowledge with and learning from my cohort in order to gain connection, skills, understanding of what our community needs, as well as gain opportunities to effect positive change in our community through collaboration and leadership.

Union Gospel Mission of Spokane
In the 1990’s I worked in corporate sales. I enjoyed meeting people and the challenge of my job. Later that changed when I was diagnosed with a chronic illness. I became sicker and I eventually went on permanent disability. This caused me great depression, a divorce, becoming homeless and even a suicide attempt. After spending time in a recovery program, I finally embraced the person I have become and my unique circumstances. Both working and volunteering for non-profits encourages me to see people differently. Being awarded the Linda Finney Diversity scholarship has helped me rewrite my story. Leadership Spokane is more than a class about our city. It is a class that teaches each of us to accept others and to embrace the different outlooks we all have. In the 2015 class, we all contribute and we all listen. We listen to learn. My world has expanded and now I want to give back. This scholarship has given me a new way to look at life and I will forever be grateful.

Director & Chief Executive Officer, Spokane Tribal College
I am grateful and honored to have been the first recipient of Leadership Spokane’s Linda Finney Diversity Scholarship. My participation in the 2014 leadership class offered me insight into the various interwoven functions of the city from a set of perspectives very different from my own. I hope that my presence in the class likewise provided some alternate perspective to my classmates and the program as a whole. Multiple voices make for responsive organizations, and Leadership Spokane’s continued pursuit of realistic representation will pay off in a city of deeper awareness and greater heart.

Spokane Public Library Foundation
Director of Strategic Partnerships & Development

Legislative Assistant, Spokane City Counicilmember Karen Stratton

After witnessing a religiously motivated act of hate, Skyler founded the Compassionate Interfaith Society on his undergraduate campus and began working with civic leaders to create a more pluralistic community in the greater Spokane area. Since then, he has spoken on the power of interfaith cooperation internationally and at the White House, contributed to the Millennial Values project at the Berkeley Center at Georgetown University, and has been a research associate mapping out religious landscape of the Inland Northwest at the Pluralism Project at Harvard University.
Skyler has spent the last year as a Germanacos Fellow for the Interfaith Youth Core, where he developed the award winning “Meet the Neighbors” campaign, an online toolkit complete with videos for exploring Spokane’s religious landscape. The project gained national attention this year and has been hailed as an innovative project by the White House. Skyler currently serves as an Ambassador to the Parliament of World’s Religions, the Vice President of the Board of Trustees for Spokane Faith & Values, and the President of the Spokane Interfaith Council. He also works as a legislative staffer to the City Council in Spokane and is an avid fan of marmot watching in Riverfront Park.

Rotary Club of Spokane #21
When I was approached by one of my Past Presidents about participating in Leadership Spokane, I was honored. A further suggestion to apply for the DaZelda Scholarship delighted me. I have the distinct privilege of knowing the Amstadter family and have heard stories of Zelda, the wonderful woman for whom the scholarship is named. The opportunity to represent this very special lady and her ideals inspires me. Zelda was a woman of such heart and principal. I am very proud to carry forward this piece of her legacy as I spend the next year in Leadership Spokane, and then the years to come discovering each day new ways to embrace our community, to “strengthen my heart and to increase my capacity to do good in the world.” I want to thank the Amstadter family for believing in me and my Board of Directors for investing in this program on my behalf. I am looking forward to an amazing experience.

Wishing Star Foundation
As the leader of a grassroots nonprofit, I knew that our budget just wouldn’t support the cost of tuition for Leadership Spokane. However, after attending an informational briefing, I knew that the value and benefits of the program far outweighed the monetary cost. I was determined to make it work and after some digging, learned about the DaZelda Scholarship provided by the Amstadter family. I have become a recipient of the scholarship and have had the privilege of joining the Leadership Spokane Class of 2015 because of it. Thank you for the opportunity to join this amazing program!

Marshall the Photographer
Spokane is a richer city when everyone is offered a seat at the leadership table. Winning the DaZelda scholarship allowed me, a small business owner and artist, to spend a year with other emerging leaders deepening our knowledge base and building relationships – both of which help us to work together to make Spokane a better place for all. I am deeply grateful to Ira Amstadter and his wonderful family, especially grandma Zelda, the inspiration for the scholarship. Ira is a shining example of how alumni can use their resources to positively affect Spokane. Are you the next Ira?

Girls Scouts Eastern WA and Northern ID
I applied for Leadership Spokane, class of 2013, knowing I would need a scholarship(s) to attend. I received assistance from the Leadership Spokane scholarship fund, and then amazingly was awarded the first ever DaZelda Scholarship. I worked for a non-profit that would have been unable to cover the tuition. As someone who has spent my career working in the servant leadership environment every day, I am grateful for the wonderful opportunity it provided me to learn more about our community assets and needs and to interact with other servant leaders. I will forever be grateful to Ira and Susan Amstadter for their gift!

Program Director, Transitions Transitional Living Center/ EduCare

I am excited and honored to be the winner of the 2016 scholarship to Leadership Spokane. I am looking forward to developing new leadership skills and learning how I can use those skills to better serve the families in our programs and also to contribute to the success, prosperity, and opportunities in Spokane.

I am truly grateful to the Smith-Barbieri fund for this opportunity. It will be a long lasting investment as I look forward to using what I learn as a leader to serve both the programs I direct as well as the community of Spokane that is my home.

Community Relations Facilitator, Skils’kin

Being in the Leadership Spokane Class of 2015 has completely changed me as a leader on so many levels. It has helped me to see the different perspectives and ideas of other amazing leaders within in our class, I’ve also learned to see outside of the disability community bubble and focus on the needs of the whole Spokane community.

I am incredibly grateful to the Smith-BarbIeri fund and Skils’kin for investing in me as a leader. I will return this investment by continuing to serve the Spokane community for years to come.