Gloria Ochoa-Bruck (2012)City of Spokane

Gloria is Director of Local Government and Multi-Cultural Affairs for the City of Spokane. Upon graduating from the University of Idaho College of Law, Gloria served as a Benton County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney and then transitioned into private practice with a focus on State and Federal criminal law. Prior to her position with the City, she held a judicial services contract with the Spokane Tribe of Indians and served as Chief Judge for Spokane Tribal Court. She is an adjunct professor at Gonzaga University School of Law, President and founding member of the Latino Hope Foundation, a member of the Hispanic Business Professionals Association, the Latina/o Bar Association, the Spokane County Bar Association’s Diversity Committee and co-chair of the Youth and Justice Forum and member of Washington Women Lawyers. Gloria is a graduate of Leadership Tri-Cities Class XII, and the 2014 Washington Equal Justice Community Leadership Academy. She serves on the board of directors for Habitat for Humanity Spokane, Boys and Girls Club of Spokane County, the United Way, Excelerate Success, the Washington Initiative for Diversity Governing Council and the Washington State Bar Association Lawyer’s Fund for Client Protection Board. Gloria is a Qualified Administrator of the Intercultural Development Inventory. She also is the 2016 recipient of the Leadership Spokane Alumni Lifetime Achievement Award.

Julie Orchard (2014)Providence Health and Services

Julie has been a Human Resource Professional for over 20 years, serving Skils’kin in Spokane for 13 years and Frito Lay, Inc. in Spokane and Seattle. She has been with Providence for four years. Born and raised in Spokane, Julie graduated as a proud Eastern Eagle with a BA in Communications. She has served on numerous boards in Spokane, including the Inland Northwest Society for Human Resource Management (INSHRM); Inland Northwest Business Association (INBA), and Leadership Spokane. Recently, Julie was elected to serve as the President of the Washington State Society for Human Resource Management (WASHRM) Council, providing guidance to chapters across the state. She is also part of a dynamic committee of professionals that work with the Journal of Business to bring the Best Places to Work INW program to our community. Julie has had 28 happy years married to Marty Orchard (2018), and as a parent to Jim and Jessica (Youth Leadership 2017). Julie keeps servant leadership at the forefront as she works to enhance her community through her work with Providence and on the boards she serves.

Chrystal Ortega (2017)Girl Scouts of Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho

Chrystal retired from the USAF after 22 years a Master Sergeant working in the Information Technology field. She has lived in Spokane with her husband and daughter since 2011 and has been an active community volunteer with many non-profit organizations as well as leading a Girl Scout troop and acting as the Service Unit Manager for the West Plains. She is a 1999 graduate of Bellevue University majoring in Business Administration and completed her graduate degree in Public Administration at Wilmington University in 2005. Currently, she is employed as the Events Director at Girl Scouts Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho.

Greg Partch (2016)Banner Bank

Chris Patterson (2008)BreakThrough, Inc.

Chris was born and raised in and around Spokane. He owns a BreakThrough Inc. (Staffed Residential Program) that specializes in working with clients that are Developmentally Delayed, Sexually Aggressive Youth, Sexually Reactive Youth, Dual Diagnosed, Bi-Polar, Autism Spectrum and Behaviorally Challenging Youth and a broader range of specific needs for each client. Chris currently employs 90 fulltime staff throughout the state of Washington. He and his wife also own a franchise called Phenix Salon Suites that will be located in Lynwood, Washington. Chris serves on the Eastern Washington Policy Center Advisory Board, is an appointee to the Children’s Justice Task Force, was a board member of the Partners Advancing Character Education program, and is a Jennifer Dunn Leadership Graduate as well as a Rotary 21 Member.

Brady Peterson (2009)Lukins & Annis, P.S.

Brady practices commercial and real estate law. He is a part of the International Law Society and a member of the American, Washington State and Spokane County bar associations. He also serves on the Marketing Committee for Lukins & Annis. Brady is a published author in the Montana Legal Review and is fluent in Spanish.

Nathaniel Prior (2020)Gesa Credit Union

A graduate of the Leadership Spokane GOAT class of 2020, Nathaniel is a lifelong Washingtonian that settled in Spokane in 2017 after living all over the state. Going through the program and serving on the Leadership Spokane Board has been one of the most life-changing and meaningful experiences of his life. As an executive at Gesa Credit Union, Nathaniel continues to travel across the state and serves on various boards in Spokane.

“My life’s mission is, I want to make a difference, with people who want to make a difference. Leadership Spokane exposed me to a larger, complicated, and beautiful community full of the most exceptional people who want to and are making a difference right here! It showed me I was not the only one. I found my people and will be forever grateful.”

Matthew Proehl (2016)Quinn Custom Homes

Matthew Proehl is the Owner of Quinn Custom Homes in Northern Colorado. He graduated from Colorado State in 1994 with a BS in Construction Management. He is a Paul Harris Fellow in Rotary. He made Spokane his home from 2014 to 2019 working for Lydig Construction as a Senior Project Manager. In 2019 Matthew, his wife Melissa and their daughter Madison moved back to Colorado to be closer to family. He has two older children Jordan and Jessica and two grandkids Ava and Alan. He has always believed that true success comes from serving others. Growing up and throughout his career, he has embraced the principles of servant leadership, striving to put the needs of his team and organization before his own. He has have found that this approach not only helps to build trust and collaboration among team members, but also fosters a sense of shared purpose and commitment to achieving common goals. Matthew considers the Class of 2016 BCE as part of his family.

Dave Schaub (2017) Inland Northwest Land Conservancy

Dave joined Inland Northwest Land Conservancy as Executive Director in 2017. An outdoorsman with deep ties to Spokane, Dave has the ideal combination of qualifications and experience: conservation, education, and business. Dave has a BA in Psychology from Swarthmore College and is a 2017 graduate of Leadership Spokane. He was a board member and a past president of the Dishman Hills Conservancy and is a member of the Spokane County Parks Advisory Committee. Prior to his involvement in conservation work, Dave’s professional experience includes owning a green building supply business in Montana and teaching public school in Seattle. Dave’s outdoor experience includes serving as a NOLS Alaska Instructor and hiking the entire Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada. A proud father of two children, Dave and his wife Heidi spend as much time as they can exploring the beautiful lands and waters of the Inland Northwest on foot, by bike, on skis and by boat throughout the year.

Patty Shea (2003)Patty Shea is a Spokane native. She retired from Avista Utilities in 2019 after a 39-year career and immediately transitioned into starting her own business. She is owner of, Patty Shea Consulting, LLC, “Fixer of the Tough Stuff.” She is a private pilot, motorcycle enthusiast, still loves driving her first car, a 1969 XR7 Cougar, and is finalizing the publication of her first book!

Tonya Sherman (2007)Golden Tree Grove

Tonya is an experienced HR professional, energetic educator, and lifelong learner. As a strategic leader and business partner, she develops and implements creative solutions to deliver exceptional/sustainable results. Tonya continually seeks new opportunities to enrich her personal and professional growth. She is an active community member currently living in beautiful Sandpoint, Idaho.

Lisa Shier (2017)Lydig Construction, Inc.

Ryan Smith (2018)USAR

Ryan Smith, Class of 2018, is the Director of Field Operations for Ravenswood Solutions (a TECH Co. & subsidiary of SRI International) and works on defense related work around the globe. In the Army Reserves, Colonel Smith currently serves as the Commander of the 420th Engineer Brigade with over 3000+ Soldiers in 6 states. Ryan is originally from Ione, Washington, and returned to Spokane area after 8 years on Active Duty to raise his two girls. Ryan also serves as a board member for the Spokane County Veterans Advisory Board and member of the Pacific Norwest PMP group. He is a proud WSU Grad with a B.S. in Forestry (GO COUGS!) and has a Master’s from both Missouri Science & Technology in Geology & Geophysics, and a Master of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College.

Whit Spencer (2018)Spokane County Fire District 9

Whit Spencer has lived in Spokane for 40 years. A former Army Cavalry Scout, Whit serves the community as a Fire Equipment Operator and Paramedic for Spokane County Fire District 9. Whit also mobilizes to many of the wildfires in our region as a Logistics Section Chief with an all hazard incident management team. Whit is also a recent graduate of Whitworth University with a BA degree in Public Administration. During his time off from work Whit enjoys heading outdoors and can usually be found untying a knot in a fly line along one of our local rivers. Elysia Spencer, Class of 2016, and Whit have been married for 18 years and have two children, William (12), and Nicole (8).

Kim Taylor (2012)Community Colleges of Spokane

Kim Taylor has lived in Spokane since 1982 and has taught psychology since 1999. She is a psychology professor at Community Colleges of Spokane. Her goal is to design and teach psychology, as well as teaching community courses to students via on-campus and online courses. Taylor also participates in several campus committees, initiatives and projects. She also is directly affiliated with American Psychological Association and is the Board Vice President at the Inland Northwest LGBT Center where she serves as managing editor for Ins & Outs, a collaborative alternative publication. She also serves as Vice Chair to the Spokane Human Services Advisory Board and is on the Spokane County Substance Abuse Advisory Board.

Tim Thomas (2017)Bouten Construction Company

Tim Thomas is a Vice President- Project Executive for Bouten Construction Company. In this role he oversees the company’s many projects and mentor the project management teams. Born and raised in Spokane, Tim holds a B.A. in Business and Economics from Washington Status University. He serves on the boards of the Greater Inland Northwest Chapter of the American Red Cross, the Spokane Regional Plan Center and the Catholic Funeral and Cemetery Services serving the Catholic Diocese of Spokane. Tim enjoys flying as a licensed private pilot, boating and assisting his wife in helping their three children through college

Dirk Vastrick (2016)Dirk Vastrick Presents

Dirk has lived in Spokane for over 30 years. He spent 40 years in the private sector in sales, sales management, and business training before joining the State of Washington and WorkSource Spokane late in 2010. He retired from there early in 2019. His primary responsibility was teaching basic life success principles workshops for those who were unemployed and building one-hour training programs for staff. Dirk then launched his own business consultancy and motivation company – Dirk Vastrick Presents – in 2019. His clients have included the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and WorkSource Spokane. In addition, he is a part-time caregiver for his son and his wife Anne is a full-time caregiver. They have been married since 1986. Dirk is also involved in the community having served on the boards of Bethany Presbyterian Church, Spokane Branch #1137 of the NAACP, Leadership Spokane, and the local non-profit Childhood Saved. In his spare time, he enjoys listening to the comedy podcast “The Mike O’Meara Show” and is a bourbon aficionado.

Nancy Vorhees (1983)Nancy grew up as the oldest of 8 children on a farm in Eastern Montana where she learned the importance of community and working together for the greater good. She holds a bachelor of science in nursing from Montana State University and a masters of science in nursing from Gonzaga University. She spent 40 plus years in the health care profession primarily in the “C” suite. She retired from INHS as the Chief Administrative Officer after 19 years in 2016 and then served a Interim ED of the Spokane Teaching Health Center until finally retiring March of 2018. In spite of an amazing career, she is most proud have raised 3 awesome sons while always working full time.

Kent Wales (2009)Happy Laundry & Dry Cleaning

Kent is the owner of Happy Laundry & Dry Cleaning; a company that specializes in commercial and personal laundry and dry cleaning services. Through Kent’s experience in Leadership Spokane (Class of 2009), he was introduced to the Northeast Youth Center. He was offered an opportunity to serve the community on the NEYC Board of Directors. He’s been a member of this Board and a member of the Finance Committee for nearly three years. In September of 2013, Kent married the love of his life, Monica Wales (Class of 2012). Kent and Monica met through a mutual friend. This friend was in the Leadership Spokane class of 2009 with Kent and served on the EWU Alumni Board of Directors with Monica. The gift of friendship and lifelong relationships that Leadership Spokane bestowed upon Kent is worth far more than any monetary donation, and Kent continues to support Leadership Spokane through his time and talents.

Jeff Watson (2020)Cetera Advisors

Jeff is a class of 2020 Leadership Spokane graduate, and has lived in the Spokane area since 2010, when he was stationed at Fairchild Air Force Base to serve as an Inflight Refueling Specialist. He fell in love with the Spokane community, and met his wife, Alyssa, here. As a family, they decided that Spokane is the perfect place to plant roots and raise a family. Since separating from the Air Force in 2015, Jeff completed his MBA from Whitworth University and worked at two local financial institutions before landing his dream job as a Financial Advisor. Every day he looks forward to helping his clients achieve their dreams and take the worry out of their finances through a personalized plan and one-on-one guidance. Outside of finance, Jeff enjoys keeping active with running, spending time with his family, and actively serving on his church council.

Jamie Welsh (2017)Garco Construction, Inc.

Jamie Welsh is a Spokane native, attending Gonzaga Prep and then venturing out to Santa Clara University. Early on he acquired an interest and passion for the architect, engineering and construction industry; with first-hand experience at Garco Construction, a family-owned business. After college, Jamie worked in San Jose, California and Seattle, Washington where he gained additional insight with other general contractors. In 2003, Jamie returned to Garco as a project engineer, which eventually lead him to his current role as vice president and co-owner. His endeavors have included a variety of projects ranging from military construction to public works projects to educational facilities to industrial construction. He has extensive experience in various project delivery methods including Design-Build and General Contractor/Construction Manager (GC/CM) delivery methods. Jamie currently serves on several construction industry related boards as well as the Spokane Youth Sports Association Board of Trustees. Jamie and his wife Kristen have been married for since 2006 and have three wonderful children.

Chud Wendle (1994)Hutton Settlement Executive Director

Since 2016, Chud has served as the Executive Director of the Hutton Settlement Children's Home. Before joining Chud served as District Director for Cathy McMorris Rodgers, involved with real estate/development and worked in his family's business. Chud received his MBA from Gonzaga University and his BA in Business Administration at the University of Washington. Chud has been a Rotarian for more than 20 years and currently he serves on the Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. Chud has three boys, Ben, Nick, and Jack.

Cindy Wendle (2016)Cindy is currently enjoying being a stay-at-home mom after managing branches for Washington Trust Bank in Pullman, Moscow, Lewiston and Spokane. She and her husband, Chud, have 3 boys that have given them boundless opportunities to learn and meet new people. She is a Trustee for the Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery and Treasurer for Washington East Soccer Club. Cindy was raised in Pullman, WA and is a graduate of the University of Washington Foster School of Business.