Who We Are
LaunchNW is a community mission.
With a commitment to collaborative governance, LaunchNW and Innovia Foundation staff convene and work alongside volunteers across our region to ensure students have support to travel their best journey from birth to job attainment.
LaunchNW Staff
Our team is committed to working with community partners to collaboratively engage and provide wraparound supports for students and families. We unite businesses, educational entities, government, nonprofits, students and communities to develop innovative solutions to support every child in our region.
Ben Small
Executive Director - LaunchNW
Jennifer Offereins
Associate Director - LaunchNW
Matt Bumpus
Director of Research and Community Impact
Chiana McInelly
Program Associate - LaunchNW
Meghan Lobdell
Program Associate - LaunchNW
MEET OUR VOLUNTEERS
LaunchNW is driven by community voice.
Beginning in 2019, Innovia Foundation began collecting community input and working alongside volunteers to build a firm foundation for the initiative. This work included committees focused on strategic planning and developing a model for the promise scholarship, as well as the Scholarship Fundraising Committee whose hard work is ongoing.
This list of leaders will grow as LaunchNW expands to additional counties in our region.
Scholarship Fundraising Committee
- Jack and Lisa Heath, Co-Chairs
- Marty and Reid Dickinson, Co-Chairs
- Shelly O’Quinn
- Bob Larson
- Sandy Patano
- Rick Rasmussen
- Luke and Deb Russell
- Scott and Lisa Taylor
- Jeff Philipps
- Gail and Tom Stevenson
- David Condon
- Chud Wendle
- Neice Schafer
- Geraldine and Jim Lewis
- Ben Small
- Aaron McMurray
- Marti D’Agostino
Scholarship Modeling Committee
- Dean Kahler
- Gary Ballew
- Gene Sementi
- Jene Ray
- Lisa Heath
- Nicole Rosenkrantz
- Patrick Jones
- Shannon Demant
- Pat Kaiser
- Jana Jaraysi
- Mike Nelson
- Alivia Metts
- Jeff Philipps
- Gynii Gilliam
- Traci L. Stensland
- Mark Mattke
- Scott Kerwien
- Mason Burley
- Ben Small
- Lori Hunt
- Jens Larson
- Darren Nelson
- Gene Chasin
- Donnie Turlington
- Mark Strickland
- Dan Barcan
- Emily Schultz
- Sarah Everitt
- Shelly O’Quinn
- Aaron McMurray
Spokane County Planning Committee
- Adam Swinyard
- Alisha Benson
- Amber Waldref
- Amy Knapton Vega
- Breean Beggs
- Brian Coddington
- Christine Varela
- Chuck Teegarden
- David Condon
- Donnie Turlington
- Erin Ross
- Gene Chasin
- Gene Sementi
- Lori Hunt
- Christi Harter
- Jeremy Shay
- Jerusha Emerson
- Joe Ader
- Kevin Freeman
- Kristine Meyer
- Kuney, Mary
- Larry Valadez
- Lauren Garske Umbdenstock
- Lori Wyborney
- Mark Mattke
- Micki Harnois
- Mayor Nadine Woodward
- Pam Haley
- Rian Emmerson
- Rob McCann
- Scott Simmons
- Shannon Demant
- Vladimir Kronin
- Zeke Smith
- In Memoriam, Sandra Williams — Sandy served as a key volunteer in the LaunchNW effort before her tragic passing in 2022. We are immensely grateful and inspired by her leadership and lifelong pursuit of equity and justice in our community.
Kootenai County Planning Committee
- Ainsley Brigham
- Amy Evans
- Anna Wilson
- Carla Zimmerman
- Carrie Morrison
- David Callahan
- Doug Anderson
- Gynii Gilliam
- James Curb
- Janine Hernandez
- Karen Yother
- Kip Sharbono
- Kristina Kenny
- Leon Duce
- Linda Coppess
- Lisa Arnold
- Madison Hersch
- Maggie Lyons
- Maren Maier
- Marita Diffenbaugh
- Mark Khunhausen
- Mark Tucker
- Maya Mukhamediyev
- Molly Kreyssler
- Nancy Hart
- Olivia Jacobsen
- Patty Morrison
- Rocky Owens
- Santha Yinger
- Sheri Bullock
- Steve Casey
- Amy Voeller
LaunchNW Spokane County Leadership Council
The work of LaunchNW is already underway in Spokane County. The following leaders representing all sectors of our community are currently working to determine the roll out of initial wraparound services that will support every student and family in Spokane.
Matt Albright
Executive Director, Service Lines - Providence
Jeff Baerwald
Superintendent of Nine Mile Falls School District
Lance Beck
President/CEO, Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce
Ken Brown
Business Manager at IBEW Electrical Union, Local #73
Stephaine Courtney
Executive Director of The Learning Project Early Childhood Research Center
Jasmin Davis
Aspire Program Manager, Eastern Washington University
Dylan Dressler
Clinic Director, The NATIVE Project
Jerusha Emerson
Connections Pastor at New Community Church, Senior Lecturer at Whitworth University
Oscar Harris
Chief Family and Community Engagement Officer, Spokane Public Schools
Lili Navarette
City Council Member, District 2
Lori Hunt
Provost, Community Colleges of Spokane
Chris Jordan
Spokane County Commissioner, District 1
Walter Kendricks
Pastor, Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church; Vice Chair, Commissioner WA State Commission for African American Affairs
Amy Knapton Vega
Executive Director, Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery
Mary Kuney
Spokane County Commissioner, District 2
Tamika LaMere
Director of Native American Education, Spokane Public Schools
Wade Larson
Chief Human Resources Officer, Wagstaff, Inc.
Aileen Luppert
Managing Librarian, Spokane County Library District
Kyle Marquez
Student, Whitworth University
Rob McCann
CEO, Catholic Charities Eastern Washington
Traci McGlathery
Director of Community Relations, STCU
Tracie Meidl
Captain, Spokane Police Department
Megan Necochea
Student, Whitworth University
Shelly O'Quinn
CEO, Innovia Foundation
Greg Orwig
Vice President for Admissions & Student Financial Services, Whitworth University
Zack Zappone
Spokane City Council Member, District 3
Larry Valadez
Vice President, Nuestras Raices
Rob Roettger
Superintendent, New ESD 101
John Sklut
Senior Advisor to the President and Liaison for External and Government Affairs, Gonzaga University
Ben Small
Executive Director, LaunchNW
Michael Cathcart
City Council Member, District 1
Josh Hibbard
Vice President for Enrollment Management, Whitworth University
Melissa Bedford
Executive Director, Spark Central
Erin Vincent
VP, Education and Talent, Executive Director, Spokane STEM, Greater Spokane Inc.
Adam Swinyard
Superintendent, Spokane Public Schools