Each of us contributes to our community in our own ways and can be “the change we want to see” in Spokane, and that’s worth celebrating. As we dug deeper into power and influence on the grandest scales in our region, we compiled a list of 50 business people and 10 political figures who hold the purse—and influence—strings in Spokane for the annual Power 50 Awards. Join us in celebrating our region and the who’s who in making big things happen.

Peruse the list, and join us for the Power 50 Awards at Chateau Rive on July 20 for an up close and personal opportunity to meet the power players in our region. Tickets are available at eventbrite.com.

1. W. Stacey Cowles

President, Cowles Company

Cowles is president of the print media division which includes The Spokesman-Review daily newspaper and several weekly and bi-weekly publications and their associated websites.  Having joined the company in 1989, he has been Publisher of The Spokesman-Review since 1992.

2. Walt Worthy

President & CEO (Owner), Worthy Enterprises, LLC

Walt Worthy, along with his wife Karen, owns a development, construction and property management company, Worthy Enterprises LLC, and a hotel company, Worthy Hotels Inc. His local business investments began in the early 1970s and his most recent project was the Grand Hotel in Spokane.

3. Jim Frank

Principal & CEO, Greenstone Corporation

Jim Frank grew up in Coeur d’Alene and received both an engineering degree and a law degree from Gonzaga University. He practiced environmental and natural resource law for ten years, and then founded Greenstone in 1983. Greenstone’s projects include Kendall Yards, Eagle Ridge, River District, and more.

4. Scott Morris

Chairman, President & CEO, Avista Corporation

Scott Morris has been with Avista for 36 years, was elected president in 2006 and named chairman and CEO in 2008. Morris has served on a wide variety of national state, and community boards.

5. Elaine Couture

Regional Chief Executive, Providence Health Care Eastern Washington

Elaine Couture oversees five medical centers including two critical access hospitals and a children’s hospital, plus a full range of health care services. She is an adjunct faculty member at the Washington State University College of Nursing.

6. Jack Heath

President & COO, Washington Trust Bank

Jack Heath is active in the community, currently serving on the board of Greater Spokane Incorporated, The Executive Board of Inland Northwest Council Boy Scouts of America, Gonzaga University Board of Regents, Pacific Coast Banking School Board, and PREMERA Board of Directors.

7. Jerry Dicker

Owner, GVD Commercial Properties, Inc.

Originally from the Bronx in New York City, Jerry Dicker later moved to California, where he graduated from UCLA and became involved in real estate. Projects followed in California, New Mexico, and Texas. In the Inland Northwest, his projects include Hotel Ruby, The Bing, the Ruby Suites, and the Red Lion Hotel on Division Street.

8. Betsy Cowles 

Chair, Cowles Company

The Cowles Company is a diversified family-owned company. Betsy Cowles oversees the real estate, broadcast and insurance divisions, including television stations in Washington and Montana and retail development River Park Square. She is past chair of Greater Spokane Incorporated and the WSU Board of Regents.

9. Harlan Douglass 

President, Harlan D. Douglass, Inc.

Harlan D. Douglass, Inc. is a private building and real estate investment company. Douglass has been a director of Inland Northwest Bank since 1989. He has also been a director of Northwest Bancorporation Inc. since 1992. His primary business activities consist of the management of a diversified real estate business, including multifamily and commercial projects.

10. Peter Stanton

Chairman & CEO, Washington Trust Bank

Peter Stanton was named president of WTB in 1990, becoming the fourth generation head of the bank that is the oldest and largest privately owned commercial bank in the Northwest. Stanton serves as chairman of the board for WTB Financial Corporation, and is a board member for Inland Northwest Council, Boy Scouts of America and serves on the Washington Roundtable.

11. Scott Endres 

Vice President – Flat Rolled Products, Kaiser Aluminum

Scott Endres formerly served as plant manager at Kaiser’s Trentwood facility in Spokane. Endres joined Kaiser in 1997 and has held numerous key management positions in maintenance and engineering, and served as project manager for the Trentwood facility’s heat treat plate capacity expansion project. He has more than 20 years of experience in the aluminum industry.

12. Craig D. Gates

President and Chief Executive Officer, Key Tronic EMS

Craig Gates has been President and CEO of Key Tronic EMS since April 2009. He has held various executive management positions since joining the company in 1994. From 1991 to October 1994 Gates served as Director of Operations, Electronics for the Microswitch Division of Honeywell Inc. From 1982 to 1991, he held various engineering and management positions within the Microswitch Division.

13. Bobby Brett 

Owner, Spokane Indians & Spokane Chiefs

Bobby Brett played baseball with the Kansas City Royals. Brett began working in the real estate investment business in 1975. In 1985, he joined with brothers George, Ken and J.B. in purchasing the Spokane Indians. The brothers bought the Spokane Chiefs major junior hockey team in 1990.

14. Dave Black 

CEO, Principal of Black Realty, Inc; Black Commercial, Inc; Black Realty Management, Inc, and Black Management Services, Inc.

Dave Black started his real estate career in 1981 and became CEO of his company in 1984. He now manages more than 100 people and properties. He holds an undergraduate degree from WSU and a Master’s of Business Administration degree in Real Estate and Construction Management from the University of Denver. He sits on many boards including Greater Spokane Incorporated, the Downtown Spokane Partnership, and the Boy Scouts of America. He is a leader whether at work or play.

15. Marty Dickinson 

Executive Vice President & Cultural Enhancement Executive, Umpqua Bank

Marty Dickinson joined then-Sterling Bank in 2011 after spending six years as president of the Downtown Spokane Partnership, where she led a comprehensive downtown marketing and revitalization program. Prior to that, she was vice president of both the Spokane Regional Chamber of Commerce and Spokane Area Economic Development Council.

16. Harry Sladich 

Executive Vice President, Hotel Operations & Sales Red Lion Hotels Corporation

Harry Sladich leads companywide sales initiatives in national and international markets, in addition to hotel operations for 1,800 employees at more than 130 hotels under five brands. He serves on two prominent national industry boards, including the U.S. Travel Association and Destination and Travel Foundation Board of Trustees. Sladich serves locally as a Board of Director for Greater Spokane Incorporated and for Mobius Science Center.

17. Mark Few

Head Coach, Gonzaga University Men’s Basketball

Gonzaga University head coach Mark Few has established himself as one of the most successful coaches in NCAA Division I basketball annals in his 18 seasons at the helm, and in the process has made Bulldog basketball a household name across the country. With 27 years on the Gonzaga bench, Few is the longest-tenured men’s basketball coach in Bulldog history.

18. Ray Sprinkle

CEO, URM Stores

Ray Sprinkle is the President and CEO at URM Stores Inc. He joined the company in 2003 and became the CEO in 2013. URM is the seventh largest privately held company in the state of Washington, employing 2,900 employees. URM Stores has been serving the independent grocer since 1921 in the four-state area of Washington, Idaho, Oregon and Montana and owns Rosauers Supermarkets and Peirone Produce.

19. Ron Wells

Owner, Wells and Company

R. Ronald Wells is a licensed architect, general contractor, and realtor, and real estate developer, who owns and operates Wells and Company. Wells began purchasing, renovating, operating, and managing historic buildings in 1979.

20. Tom Johnson 

President & CEO, Spokane Teachers Credit Union

Tom Johnson had been associated with STCU since 1994, when he joined their volunteer board of directors. He became part of the management team, as vice president of administration, in 2006. He was involved in every major decision for 17 years before becoming president and CEO of the largest credit union in the Inland Northwest.

21. Tom Simpson  

President, Spokane Angel Alliance
Tom Simpson has more than 30 years of experience as an investment banker, venture capitalist, angel investor and entrepreneur. Currently, he focuses on working closely with emerging companies in the Spokane region to achieve growth and profitability. Tom was co-founder and Chairman of etailz, a rapidly growing eCommerce company which was sold to Trans World Entertainment in 2016. The Spokane Angel Alliance is a 100+ member group.

22. Dick Vandervert 

President & Owner, Vandervert Development

Vandervert Development was founded by Dick Vandervert, as a general contracting firm in Spokane, in 1975. Initially focusing on local retail and hospitality projects, Vandervert Construction soon developed a reputation for superior workmanship, outstanding project management, and budget and deadline adherence. They have served Spokane proudly for decades.

23. Kevin Twohig 

CEO, Spokane Public Facilities District

Since Kevin Twohig graduated from Gonzaga University, he has worked in Spokane. He owned and operated a touring concert production company that provided services for Expo ‘74, the World’s Fair. In 1975, he accepted a position with the City of Spokane at the Spokane Opera House. He has been operating public facilities in Spokane ever since.

24. Larry Soehren

President & CEO, Kiemle & Hagood Company

Larry Soehren is President & CEO of one of Spokane’s largest property management and commercial real estate companies. He joined their Commercial Management Division in 1983, became Director of Commercial Management in 1992, and a full partner in January, 1996. Soehren oversees several divisions within the company today.

25. Todd Mielke

CEO, Greater Spokane Incorporated

Five generations of the Mielke family have called Spokane home. Born and raised on Spokane’s north side, Mielke was educated in Spokane public schools and attended college in the Inland Northwest. He served a handful of years as a State Representative in the early 90s. He is now the CEO of Greater Spokane Incorporated, the regional Chamber of Commerce.

26. Phil Haugen

COO, Kalispel Tribe Economic Authority

27. Shelly Redinger Superintendent, Spokane Public Schools

28. Michael D. Currin

Principal, Witherspoon Kelley

29. Barry Baker 

Owner, Baker Construction

30. Jeff Phillips

CEO, Rosauers

31. Brian Newberry Executive Director, Leadership Spokane

32. David T. Ruff, P.E.  President, Mechanical Engineer, Coffman Engineers

33.  Larry Swartz 

CEO, Lydig Construction

34. Travis Garske

President, Travis Pattern & Foundry Inc.

35. Lawrence Stone President & CEO, Scafco Corp.

36. Christine Johnson

Chancellor, Community Colleges of Spokane

37. Kristin Goff

Owner & President, Wendle Ford Nissan Infiniti

38. Jim Sheehan

 Founder, President, Center for Justice and Community Building Foundation

39. Mark Richard

President, Downtown Spokane Partnership

40. Amit Arora

CMO, Jubilant HollisterStier

41. Scott Brewer

General Manager, Larry H. Miller Toyota

42. Bob Tomlinson

 CEO, Partner, Tomlinson Real Estate Group

43. Gregory Green

President, Fatbeam

44. Philip Mezey

President & CEO, Itron

45. Thayne McCulloh

President, Gonzaga University

46. Ed Schweitzer

Owner, Schweitzer Engineering Laboratory

47. Thomas Tedder

Owner, Founder, Tedder Industries

48. Adam Hegsted

Chef & Owner, Eat Good Group

49. Tim Hunt 

President, Huntwood Industries

50. Rick Betts

Partner in Charge, CPA, Moss Adams