Mission Statement
We are a catalyst - educating and uniting diverse, collaborative leaders to ensure a vibrant Spokane.
First graduating class.
Leadership Spokane History
Leadership Spokane was founded by the Spokane Chamber of Commerce and its business leaders to maintain the momentum of leadership and development in the Spokane community, following the incredibly successful World’s Fair Expo ’74.
Since 1982, Leadership Spokane has served as a premier leadership training course for established and emerging community leaders. With the first graduating class consisting of 27 students in 1983, Leadership Spokane has grown into a vibrant and well-respected program with 1,593 alumni. In 1996 a Youth program was proposed in order to promote the leaders of tomorrow. This session was open to high school sophomores, juniors and seniors in the Spokane area with 30 students in the first graduating class. Today, there are 777 graduates of the youth program representing high schools throughout Spokane County.
Leadership Spokane exposes members to current issues such as economy, education, history, and culture, and encourages students to use problem solving skills to figure out what is happening in Spokane, why, and how to improve it.
Founding Investors
Leadership Spokane is grateful for our founding investors, through their vision we continue to build the leadership mission and community of alumni for Leadership Spokane.
- Coopers & Lybrand, now Price Waterhouse Coopers
- Cowles Publishing Company
- Empire Health Services
- Fred S. James Company of Washington
- Group Health Northwest
- Kaiser Aluminum
- Lincoln Mutual Savings Bank
- Lukins & Annis
- Medical Service Corporation, now Premera Blue Cross
- Moloney, O’Neill, Corkery & Jones
- Old National Bank, now US Bank
- Sedgwick James
- Sterling Savings Bank
- URM
- US West Communications, now Quest Communications International
- Washington Mutual Savings Bank
- Washington Trust Bank
- Washington Water Power, now Avista Corp.
- Winston & Cashatt
Our Diversity Commitment
Leadership Spokane builds a community of authentic leaders, providing programs, centering equity and fostering leadership skills for life. We are committed to creating an environment where diversity and inclusion occur naturally in the pursuit of our mission. We expect our staff, students and alumni will embrace the underlying values of this vision.
