Events

Karl will introduce himself as the new STA CEO and talk about their effort to wrap up the last 10-year strategic plan and efforts to implement the next.

Brief Speaker Bio
A native of Spokane, Karl Otterstrom joined Spokane Transit’sexecutive team in January 2009. Before joining Spokane Transit, Karl was a transportation planner with King County Metro with expertise in grants, long-range planning, and bus rapid transit. He also held various professional positions, including work experience with the Federal TransitAdministration. Karl graduated from Eastern Washington University, majoring inurban and regional planning. He received a Master of Urban Planning degree from the University of Washington and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners. He has been involved in several Spokane community efforts over the years, including eight years as a board member of the University District Development Association inclusive of two years as the association’s chairman of the board. Karl’s first date with his wife, Kate, was in Seattle on a mildNovember Saturday, where they explored downtown and the waterfront by foot, streetcar, and trolley bus. They are pleased tobe in Spokane raising their family.

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It's been nearly 20 years since 5 people with a vision opened the HUB Sports Center as an abandoned 56,000 sq ft multipurpose facility with 5 full-sized basketball courts. In the last year, it expanded beyond their wildest dreams with 4 full-sized multipurpose artificial turf fields, including lighting with Dark Skies certification. Come catch up on the journey!

Brief Speaker Bio
Phil Champlin has been the executive director of the HUB for most of its existence. He has skippered the ship through lots of ideas, many of them off the wall, to bring the HUB to where it is today.

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Spokane Arts is launching a bold five-year plan to grow into a county-wide arts agency, expanding access, equity, and creativeopportunities across our region. The plan focuses on artist sustainability, public art and placemaking, and deep communityengagement and equity. Because the arts are an economic driver for our region, we’re building a creative future where the arts are an economy of scale, driving our collective sense of belonging, revitalization, and regional pride.

Brief Speaker Bio
Skyler Oberst is a nonprofit executive and civic leader dedicated to strengthening the creative economy and cultural landscape of the Inland Northwest. As Executive Director of Spokane Arts, hecollaborates with local government, artists, and community partners to expand access to the arts and advance equity-driven cultural policy. With a background in interfaith engagement and international dialogue that led him to posts at Harvard's Pluralism Project, the United Nations, International G20 Forumf or Interreligious Affairs, Skyler brings a decade of experience helping communities bridge divides through storytelling, creativity, and collaboration.

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Search and rescue plays a critical but often unseen role in keeping our community safe. This presentation provides an overview of Spokane County Search and Rescue—who the volunteers are, how the organization is structured, and how missions are initiated and carried out in partnership with the Sheriff’s Office. Rob will walk through what happens from themoment a 911 call comes in to the conclusion of a mission. The presentation will also highlight the extensive training required to prepare volunteers for challenging and sometimes dangerous situations, along with the team’s community outreachand prevention efforts. Finally, Rob will provide a high-level look at how the program is funded, how resources are used, and how community support helps ensure that trained volunteers are ready when the call for help comes.

Brief Speaker Bio
Rob Brewer has been a search and rescue volunteer inSpokane County for more than 25 years. He is a past Chair of the Spokane County Search and Rescue Council and currently serves as a member of the county’s Mountain Rescue Unit. Rob has also served on the board of the Washington State Searchand Rescue Volunteer Advisory Council and currently sits on the board of the National Association for Search and Rescue. Whenhe’s not responding to emergencies or training, Rob works in ITand public service and is grateful to his wife and three children, who generously support his commitment to serving the community

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This program provides a fascinating insight into current challenges, modern enforcement tools, and the role the department plays in our outdoor world.

Brief Speaker Bio
Alan Myers is a 25-year member of WDFW and recently returned to the Spokane area with the responsibility of overseeing Eastern Washington operations. He was stationed in both Clarkston & Newport early in his career before several assignments in Western WA, including a 5-year stint in Olympia at department headquarters. He enjoys being out in nature more than a desk job. He has also embraced community involvement by joining the Inland Empire Football Officials Association as a transfer from a west-side association.

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TV Reporter Alexandra Coenjaerts will share insights regarding how she decides which news stories to cover, what she has learned about the Spokane region, and the news behind the news.

Brief Speaker Bio
A native of the Netherlands and a recent graduate of Chapman University's school of journalism, Alexandra has addressed a variety of topics in her first year as a hardworking TV reporter covering the Spokane region.

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